Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds
Let Our Mercy Be The Gifts We Lay
By Lucky_Ladybug
Notes: The characters are not mine and the story is! This is just a cute Christmas idea I had. I see Radley as a nice guy and I have him and Kalin grow very close. I also kind of think Malcolm has the possible potential to change at least some and it's fun to play with that now and then. I heavily reference the previous story I did, Hold On To You and I, in the second half, as well as a story called Sometimes Nice Guys Finish First. I'm also using the theme #25 - Present from the abandoned 5Ds_100 community on Livejournal. Title is from A New York Christmas by Rob Thomas, which is fitting since he also sang one of my favorite songs I associate with Kalin and Radley (Hold On Forever).
Christmas was one of the Bunch's favorite times of year. They had rarely enjoyed it during their younger years, but ever since Radley had welcomed them in, he had made it fun and meaningful for them. Kalin hadn't found reason to enjoy it in years, but with his mind clear and so many friends old and new, he found himself eager for it this year.
Scotch was practically swinging off the walls as they all decorated the diner with garlands, wreaths, and anything else he'd been able to get his hands on. Radley had to laugh as he watched. Scotch had boundless energy as it was, and during holidays it seemed to triple.
Kalin was a bit amused too, although it dizzied him and wore him out just watching Scotch. Sometimes he still wondered how Radley had had the patience to look after the Bunch for years.
"What was Christmas like during the feud with Malcolm?" he found himself curiously asking. He had been helping with the decorating, but he had decided to sit at a table and watch for a few minutes.
"Pretty much like this," Radley said. "The Bunch had a blast decorating and we'd invite the whole town over for Christmas concerts and dinners and kids' activities like coloring pictures and Santa."
"I have to ask, who played Santa?" Kalin deadpanned.
"Not me, that's for sure," Radley chuckled. "Usually we'd get someone in town to do it. I just played myself."
"It was so much fun!" Scotch gushed.
"When Nico and West came here, they were nuts about it too," Radley said. "They still love it."
Kalin raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Malcolm make trouble?"
"Oh yeah, at least the first year," Radley said.
"What happened?" Kalin asked. Although part of him wondered if he really wanted to know.
Radley paused in hanging an ornament on the garland. "Well," he said, "it was like this. . . ."
Several Years Earlier
"Jingle Bells, Malcolm smells, Seluga laid an egg . . ."
Radley burst out laughing at the crude song. "Scotch, come on," he said.
"What?" Scotch said innocently as he added another ornament to the diner's white tree.
"That's hardly in the Christmas spirit," Radley said.
"You thought it was funny," Scotch said.
"Yeah, especially when it took me by complete surprise," Radley said. "I'll admit it's kind of funny, but I was hoping to set all of the fighting aside for the holidays."
"Like they would ever agree to a truce," Virgil grunted.
"Probably not, but that doesn't mean we have to start trouble as long as they're keeping quiet," Radley said.
Scotch sighed. "I'm sorry, Radley. I wasn't going to sing it at them, but yeah, you've got a point. Let's forget about Malcolm and all of the Crewmembers for Christmas! Let's think about good things instead!" He resumed decorating and switched to the harmless Jingle Bells parody Rusty Chevrolet. Soon he had most of the Bunch roaring.
Radley chuckled at the silly song, but he was thoughtful now. Should they just forget about Malcolm's Crew entirely and keep to themselves as they usually did? Or should they try to reach out to their enemies and find some common ground for the holidays? It certainly wouldn't be easy.
To Radley's annoyance, Malcolm's Crew loved Christmas too, but not for any decent reasons. They used it as an excuse to drink more and help themselves to whatever they wanted and be generally even more rude and hard to get along with. To that end, he wasn't terribly surprised to suddenly hear off-key, off-putting singing outside the diner that December evening.
"Radley got run over by a reindeer, riding back to his home Christmas Eve . . ."
"Seriously?!" Scotch exclaimed. "Those creeps!" Now he was sitting at a table with Radley, engaged in a casual game of Duel Monsters, but the Crew's rudeness made him lose interest in the game.
"And you thought Scotch's song wasn't very Christmassy," Virgil remarked.
"Yeah, these guys have taken it to a whole new level, like they always do." Radley rolled his eyes and crossed the room, opening the door to step out on the diner's porch. Three of Malcolm's Crew were standing below the steps, drunkenly swaying to and fro. One of them was holding up a crude colored drawing of Radley sprawled in the snow with Xs on his eyes.
"See?" one of them exclaimed, pointing at the drawing. "You kicked the bucket when the reindeer kicked you in the head!"
Radley folded his arms. "Oh, I did, did I?" he said with dripping sarcasm. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in the original song, wasn't the character trying to get home after drinking too much alcoholic eggnog? I don't care for any variety of eggnog, so I would be unlikely to be that unaware of my surroundings. You three, on the other hand, look like Santa could bowl you over right now and none of you would notice."
One of them hiccupped. "You're takin' it too literally," he said.
"Well, I'm sure I can literally say that you all have a deathwish for me, and I wouldn't be in the least surprised if Malcolm drew that charming picture himself," Radley remarked. "His smarts are so itty-bitty that he damaged his own bar just for the purpose of carving 'Radley is an idiot' for all posterity to see. And you can't deny it; I saw it there myself."
"You're right, Malcolm drew this," the second Crewmember said. He swayed more violently into the other two.
"I thought so. All of you are on my side of town and I have no intention of cleaning up after you if you end up discovering you took a teeny-tiny bit more of the eggnog than you should have," Radley said. By now the Bunch was coming outside to stand around him and look intimidating.
"We're going, we're going," the third grunted. "You've got no sense of humor."
"Oh, I have a big sense of humor when it's at your expense," Radley giggled. "But I have too much self-respect to write mean-spirited parodies, especially of a song I hate."
Finally the Crewmembers left. Radley only sighed and turned away when he couldn't see them any longer. The Bunch went with him.
"Seriously?! Those guys are such jerks," Scotch said in annoyance. "You'd never go singing stuff like that about them, even if they deserve it!"
"Yeah, I know," Radley said. "They'd all dance on my grave if something happened to me. But nevermind all that. Let's not let their childishness spoil Christmas."
"It's already done that," Virgil muttered.
"Can I sing my song now?" Scotch asked.
"I'd like to write that dumb reindeer song about them," Biff growled.
"Then we'd be no better," Radley said to Biff. "Yeah, I get a kick out of insulting them, but I draw the line at cracking jokes about them dying. That's why I hate that reindeer song in the first place; death isn't funny and people shouldn't try to make it so. Using a time of joy and peace and life as a backdrop for it is even worse." He put his arms around Virgil and Biff. "Come on, guys. Goodwill toward men, remember?"
"Even them?!" Scotch exclaimed.
"Well, it wouldn't mean so much if we only showed kindness to people who deserve it," Radley mused. "Yeah, Scotch, even them."
"It's not like they'd ever appreciate it," Virgil snorted.
"Probably not," Radley said in resignation. He smiled. "But hey, there's no point letting them get us down. That's what they want, you know. Why give it to them?"
Virgil grunted. "I get what you're saying, but it's not that easy to put it away and not think about it. Those creeps!"
"Let's have a mini Christmas concert," Radley suggested. "Right now, just for us. Scotch, you always like putting those kinds of things together. I'm sure you can come up with something fun and fitting."
"Sure!" Scotch exclaimed, perking up.
Radley chuckled. It didn't take much to get Scotch excited. Hopefully he could pass along some of that Christmas spirit to everyone else.
And indeed he did. It wasn't long and all of the Bunch was up by the jukebox, talking over song possibilities and deciding in what order to sing their choices.
"Radley, you should do Felix Navidad!" Scotch exclaimed. "It's a fun song and none of us know Spanish!"
"Yeah, I can do that," Radley smiled.
"We should have a mix of fun songs, togetherness songs, and religious songs," Scotch continued. "All Christmas music is great! . . . Well, except the mean stuff. . . ."
"I'm with you there," Radley said. "I can't think of many, if any, genuine Christmas songs I don't like."
"Even The Little Drummer Boy?" Virgil asked.
"Honestly, I don't know why that song gets such a bad rap," Radley said. "There's nothing wrong with it."
"You should sing it!" Scotch said. "And all of us will sing Home for the Holidays together!"
Everyone agreed to that arrangement. After trading some more ideas, they were ready.
"You know, this was so fun planning it, we should perform it for the whole town too!" Scotch said as they took their places.
"That's a great idea," Radley smiled. "They need something to cheer them up."
Scotch had Radley open the concert with Felix Navidad and then Scotch launched into the silly Rusty Chevrolet song. A lot of the Bunch was soon laughing, Radley included.
It was during Silent Night that Radley looked over and saw Malcolm standing awkwardly in the doorway, peering inside. He quietly went over to his nemesis. "You know, if you don't make trouble, you're welcome to come in and listen better, Malcolm," he said.
Malcolm jumped. "You would really say that after my men took that off-the-wall thing I drew and came over here to sing about you kicking the bucket?!" he said in disbelief.
Radley shrugged. "Well, you're certainly not welcome to sing that here," he remarked.
"And I'm sure your boys don't want me here at all," Malcolm said.
"Yes, why are you here, Malcolm?" Radley asked, folding his arms. "I find it hard to believe you'd care about what your men did and come to say you're sorry."
"Well . . ." Malcolm scowled. "I just wondered how you were handling it, that's all."
"I guess if it was you, you'd blow up and start screaming and carve something else in your bar," Radley smirked. "But that's not how I handle things. I'd rather get the guys to think about something nice, like the true meaning of Christmas."
"Sleep in Heavenly peace," Scotch was singing with some of the other members. "Sleep in Heavenly peace."
"Now, how can you hear that and not be touched?" Radley smiled.
Malcolm didn't reply, but he just stood there, listening.
"They're all good guys," Radley said. "For a lot of them, they haven't had decent Christmases in years, if at all. I'm going to see they all have one this year, no matter what you try to throw at us."
". . . I didn't actually mean for you to see that thing I drew," Malcolm finally muttered. "We were all drunk and laughing and when the men said about taking it, I just laughed and told them to go ahead. I didn't know they meant to bring it here."
Radley quirked an eyebrow. "So you actually did come to apologize," he realized.
". . . Yeah, if you wanna put it that way," Malcolm growled.
"Hmm. Well, I guess even you are capable of surprises, Malcolm," Radley mused. "Thanks."
Malcolm muttered something unintelligible.
"What was that?" Radley calmly asked.
"I just said don't think it means I'm going soft," Malcolm said. "I'm still tough as nails."
"No, I don't imagine that will ever change," Radley said. "But at least we can bury the hatchet for Christmas, can't we?"
". . . I guess so," Malcolm grunted.
They fell silent, listening to the rest of the Bunch's concert. When Radley went back to the stage too, Malcolm kept watching. He didn't say more, but he seemed unusually thoughtful. It was a nice change.
Present Day
"And that was our first Christmas here," Radley remarked. He was sitting in the diner with Kalin as all the Bunch gathered around, helping tell the story. "Malcolm saw to it that his men didn't cause any more trouble during the Christmas season and things were relatively peaceful for a time. Malcolm even came to the first Christmas party with some of the Crew and they behaved themselves."
Kalin grunted. "It's hard to be that moved, knowing that Malcolm still ordered your death when he had the chance."
"Yeah." Radley sighed. "People change. . . . Malcolm got darker and I got more cynical. And now we've moved on and he's changed again. He said he didn't want me to be dead when I rescued him from that earthquake shaking up his cell. I wonder if he ever will get free of the Facility."
"In this day and age, they always seem to let people out too soon, no matter what they've done," Billy said flatly.
"Well, if he ever does get out, he'd better not come back here," Virgil growled.
"Honestly, I don't think he'd want to," Radley chuckled. "Maybe he doesn't want me dead now, but I don't think the town is big enough for all of our strong personalities."
Kalin nodded. "It's not."
Scotch came over carrying the latest edition of the New Domino City newspaper, which they took to keep up on the news where many of their friends lived. He frowned in disbelieving confusion. "Uh . . . we've got a problem," he announced.
Radley sighed, heavily. "What kind of problem?"
"Somebody else did the story on our big snowstorm instead of Carly," Scotch said. "Look at this!" He put the paper down and tapped a paragraph.
Kalin leaned over to read it. "'The worst snowstorm New Domino City has seen in years claimed several lives, including Kalin Kessler and Radley Ramon of neighboring Satisfaction Town.'"
Radley slumped back in the booth. "So we're dead again, even though we're not."
"By now the paper has probably had several calls about it," Kalin said wryly. "Yusei, Jack, and Crow would never let this stand."
Radley started to get up. "Maybe we should go there and clean this up in person," he said. "There's nothing like seeing a dead man walking to get people to move it."
Kalin smirked a bit. "Let's do it."
xxxx
Malcolm slowly set the paper aside on the cafeteria table, shaken and sorrowful. The snowstorm had definitely been bad, but he had never thought it would be the end of his former archenemy. And Kalin dead too. . . . How had that happened? The article had only glossed over their deaths, but there must be a powerful and sad story behind it. Malcolm had no hope of finding out in the Facility, unless a follow-up news story would say more.
Not that it really mattered about the details. Radley was dead. That was the only thing Malcolm could really focus on.
They'd had such a long, troubled relationship through the years. Malcolm had been so frustrated at Radley interfering with Malcolm taking over the mine that he had drawn that stupid picture the first year they'd known each other and cracked jokes about Radley dying. Radley had still shown him kindness even after that. Radley had always had witty remarks for his enemy, but he had never been a vicious person. And even after Malcolm had ordered his death, he had ended up saving Malcolm's life in that earthquake and had been hurt himself. What kind of person did that?
Someone who didn't deserve to die, that was for sure.
Malcolm had thought he wanted Radley to die. But when he had thought he had gotten his wish, he had only felt empty inside to think of that unique soul forever silenced. Finding out Radley had survived had made him happy, and not just because that had reduced one of the charges against him from murder to attempted murder. Radley had always seemed rather cat-like, including his uncanny ability to survive whatever was thrown at him. How many lives had he used up before his luck had finally run out?
Well, at least he was still with Kalin. Malcolm had already witnessed that they had grown so close they couldn't stand to be apart. He had never thought they would develop past a business relationship, but so much had changed since his arrest.
Now too much had changed.
Malcolm didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, lamenting Radley's end, when someone came up behind him and lifted the paper off the table with a gloved hand.
"What is it?!" Malcolm barked. "Hey, that's mine!"
"Hmm. Well, it's shoddy reporting, I must say," a familiar, smoothly accented voice replied. "If you paid money for this paper, I'd demand it back."
Malcolm whirled around in disbelief. Radley was standing there, very much alive, smirking at him. Kalin stood a ways back with folded arms.
"You're alive," Malcolm gasped.
"It's cliché, but the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Really, I wonder if I should sue the paper for killing us off like that." Radley set it back down. "Or maybe Nesbitt should sue. It was because of his new invention that we were found in time."
Malcolm shakily got up. "Then you really were almost dead. . . ."
"'Almost' is still a far cry from the real thing," Radley smiled. He still wasn't sure whether he or Kalin had actually died that horrible night or not, but there was no need to go into that.
Malcolm just stared at him in awe for a moment. It definitely wasn't an hallucination; Radley had cheated death again. So had Kalin, apparently. Radley looked just fine. Kalin did too. And Malcolm was glad of it.
". . . If you've already fixed it with the paper, why come here?" Malcolm wondered. "They'll be printing a retraction. I'd see that."
"Oh, they'll be printing more than that," Radley said grandly. "Jack Atlas has made sure that his girl Carly will be writing a new article all about what happened to us and how Nesbitt's invention will save many lives. That's big news, really. The paper would be a fool with an itty-bitty brain to pass that up." He paused. "And did you just admit you were sad, Malcolm? I'm touched. But I already figured you would be; we just dropped by out of the kindness of my heart to let you know ahead of time that we're alright. Kalin wasn't feeling too sociable, so we decided I would deliver the news."
"Well . . ." Malcolm scowled. "You're your usual, obnoxious self. But . . . you're right. Yeah, I said I don't want you dead anymore and that's still the truth."
"Good," Radley smiled. "Then we'll be on our way now. Merry Christmas!"
Malcolm stared after him as he waved and went back over to Kalin. "You old pole-cat," he muttered. ". . . Merry Christmas."
Kalin looked to Radley as he came back over. "Well?"
"He's glad we're alright," Radley said. "Let's go; we have a lot to do to prepare for the holidays. While we're all in town, Scotch wants to go on a shopping spree for decorations." He chuckled.
"Of course he does." Kalin smirked a bit. "Let's do it."
They headed out together.
". . . Why did you want to bother telling him, anyway?" Kalin grunted.
Radley sighed. "I really did think he'd be upset, after what happened the last time we saw him and I saved him from that falling pipe. But . . . you know, it's kinda sad. I think I'm the only one who ever visits him. I mean, he made his bed, now he has to sleep in it, that kinda thing. But I still find it sad that he messed up his life that badly. Maybe it spooks me out, kind of. I mean, I could have been like him. Some people still think I was."
"But you're not," Kalin said fiercely. "You never were. That was the mistake I made, misjudging you, and it will always haunt me."
Radley gave him a sad smile. "I know." He sighed. "I guess . . . I feel like Malcolm's changing and I want to encourage him in that. I want him to know he can count on me if he needs someone."
Kalin sighed too. "I can't really begrudge your forgiving nature when it's what also caused you to forgive me and the Bunch for how we hurt you. I don't think Malcolm deserves your kindness, but I never felt I did either."
"Yeah." Radley laid a hand on Kalin's shoulder. "You do, though."
Kalin finally had to smile a bit as he reached up to lay his hand on Radley's. His loved ones had always been so incredible, but sometimes they still surprised him. To be with all of them would make this the best possible Christmas.
"We're still having the celebration for the whole town this year, aren't we?" Kalin asked.
"Of course," Radley said.
"Have you picked a Santa yet?" Kalin wondered.
"No," Radley said. "Do you have someone in mind?"
Kalin shrugged and looked a bit awkward. "I know I normally don't like dressing up, but . . . I think it would make the kids happy. . . ."
Radley started to smile. "It would. For some reason, it really seems to fit. Maybe because you always know how to make people happy."
"So do you," Kalin pointed out.
"I'm always Santa's helper, which would suit me fine again this year." Radley winked.
Kalin smiled too. "I like that."
"It's gonna be a wonderful Christmas," Radley said as they got outside and met the Bunch.
"Yes!" Scotch grinned.
"I think it will," Kalin agreed.
It was good to finally have reasons to enjoy it again.