Summary: a Tradition in the Connell family changes when Asuka kicks up a fuss….

Pairings: Parental Alzack/Asuka, Parental Bisca/Asuka, Alzack/Bisca, and some implied Mira/Laxus.

YouTube Prompt: Juvia/Gray video to 'All I want for Christmas' by Mariah Carey

"Oh dear!" Alzack proclaimed melodramatically. "It appears we have run out of mince pies again. We can't have that! I'll go to the shops right away!"

"No Daddy!" Asuka shouted as she suddenly ran to Alzack and hugged his legs tightly. "You can't go! Every time you go Father Christmas comes and you always miss him!"

Alzack tried desperately to hide a smile at that. Of course every time he went to the shops on Christmas Eve the mythical man in the red suit appeared, it was Alzack playing the role rather convincingly. "I'm sure I won't this time, sweetie," he patted his daughter's head.

"You said that the last time!" Asuka pouted. "And the time before that and the time before that!"

"So I did," Alzack agreed, "but that doesn't change the fact that I need to go to the shops."

"Then let Mummy go!"

Alzack struggled to say anything at that point. Stalemate. He couldn't say no, after all that would get Asuka suspicious (she wasn't half clever, his baby girl) but he couldn't really say yes either. "But sweetie," he argued gently, "Mummy might want to rest, she's had a very busy day."

"So has Daddy!" Asuka snapped back.

Bisca snickered at that. "You heard her, Alzack," she smirked, "you had a busy day, so you have to sit down and actually relax while Mummy does the shopping."

"But….but….but…"

Alzack stammered lost for words as both Bisca and Asuka lead him back to the sofa and pushed him down onto it. Asuka even made sure he wouldn't get up by sitting on his lap and pressing herself against his stomach. "Story, please," she demanded as she fluttered her eyelashes sweetly at him.

How on earth could he resist that?

Twenty minutes later and Alzack was in the middle of recounting a classic Christmas tale when there was a sudden bang as the front door swung open. "HO! HO! HO!" a deepened version of a very familiar voice echoed. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

"It's Father Christmas!" Asuka squealed delightedly. "You're finally going to see him, Daddy!"

"So I am," Alzack said faintly.

Asuka ran towards 'Father Christmas and instantly slammed into the 'man's' arms before demanding her presents. "Now, now Asuka-Chan," 'Father Christmas' scolded the six year old, "I only give presents to the best behaved of little girls."

"I'm good! I'm good!"

"Good," 'Father Christmas' laughed, "then you'll go to bed, sleep in till seven the earliest, and wait to open these presents on Christmas Day like a good girl." Asuka pulled a horrified and mildly angry face but 'Father Christmas' knew exactly how to prevent an argument. "Or otherwise I would have to give them to all the good little girls in your school instead."

"I'm going to bed!" Asuka shouted hurriedly. "I'm going to bed! I'm going to bed! Night Daddy! Night Father Christmas!"

"Night sweetie," Alzack mumbled as his daughter ran up the stairs. He waited for a moment and when he was sure that Asuka truly went to bed he turned his admiring eyes onto 'Father Christmas'. "Nicely done," he complimented, "I could never get her to bed that quickly."

"Yeah," 'Father Christmas' smirked, "well you always were a pushover."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," 'Father Christmas' grinned, "now then. What can I do for you? After all you have been a very, very good boy this year."

"Why Father Christmas," Alzack grinned back at the pretty face that shone behind the fake beard. "Are you coming onto me? I'm a married man."

"I'm sure your wife will forgive me."

And it was then when Alzack and Bisca shared, what Alzack will always consider, the best Christmas present in the world.

FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT

"I saw Father Christmas last night!"

It was now Christmas afternoon and the Connell family had moved from lazing about their house to the guild where they would have Christmas dinner with their large adoptive family. As always, Asuka announced this to the world, as she had every year before, and as always Mira was the first to indulge her.

"Did you?" Mira gasped as she clutched her chest. "How exciting! I never get to see him!" she finished with a slight pout.

"Heh," Laxus snorted quietly, "probably because you've never been good."

Mira elbowed him. "Hush!" she hissed fiercely before shooting a sweet smile at Asuka. "Did Father Christmas give you lots of presents?"

"Yes!" Asuka squealed excitedly. "Lots of dolls and guns!" Several people sweat-dropped when they heard that. It wasn't the most….normal combination of gifts. "But Father Christmas looked different this year."

"Did he?"

"Yes," Asuka nodded, "He looked prettier than normal, and a lot thinner, and- and he was kissing Daddy!"

Alzack choked on his own spit at that. So Asuka hadn't gone to bed like she was told after all…..somehow he should have known that would be the case.

"Heh," Wakaba smirked, "Guess we now know who wears the trousers in that marriage, huh?"

"What do you mean now we know?" Macao raised an eyebrow. "We always knew Bisca was the man in the relationship."

Asuka scrunched up her nose adorably. "What do you mean Mummy is the man in the relationship? Daddy was the one that kissed the man if anything Mummy should ask for a divorce and wear his trousers instead of the marriage ones."

You know…..life would be so much easier if Alzack just told his child there was no such thing as Father Christmas.