Amity set her glass down on the kitchen table, it's pungent red fluid swirling about as she did. The voices of her friends and family could be heard from the living room, playing games and laughing. The table before her was nearly full of food, both from the Human Realm, and the Demon. A bowl of marinated demon wings sat beside the potato salad, and shaved spider roast had been mixed in with the rice and pigeon peas. There was an awful mess on the oven and in the sink; her abominations having difficulty keeping up with the amount of dishes that were piling up, and the boiled over sauces that had burned onto the stove top. Amity turned to take in the view of the setting sun out of the Owl House's back window.
It had been a year since she and her friends had faced Krampus, and she had decided to start making changes, both to herself and her company. After sending everyone home for the holidays when she had woken up that day, she and Camila had addressed the Healing and Potion Covens, and after a few months of treatments, the drastically diminished disease in both of them vanished. Camila had been skeptical of course, though after her own walk through a magical world as Amity's guide, she had finally taken to accepting a little magical help. In that time, Blight Industries had needed an interim CEO, and she had asked Willow to stand in for her.
"Hello, Amity." Willow said, catching Amity's attention. "I was hoping to see you this year." Willow always had the best heart of any of them; tender yet tenacious, with a love for all of her friends and family, and the natural world that both realms needed. When Amity had returned, she had signed over complete ownership of the company to Willow, who had in turn began making changes of her own.
Amity turned, smiling at her old friend. "It's nice to see everyone together again. I was just looking for a moment of quiet."
"Oh." Willow said with an embarrassed squeak. "I'll leave you…"
"No! Willow, it's okay. I'm just not sure I could lose that Twisty game to Hooty again." Amity laughed, stepping around the table to embrace Willow in a hug. "How is Porter-Park Incorporated doing these days?"
"Uhm, good." Willow replied, gently adjusting her glasses. "Gus is running our entertainment division. Eda is running things here, now that the portal has been moved to the Owl House. After Lilith returned from her expedition with her half of the curse, the Owl Beast was able to leave to wherever its home is, and we've been able to finally treat her."
"I noticed a new spring in her step. Did she ever tell you what she was using Owlbert's feathers for?"
Willow looked to the side, her cheeks blushing slightly. "Uhm, maybe. But I think that's her story to tell."
Amity lifted an eyebrow. "I thought we were all done with secrets." she smiled, picking up her glass of apple blood again and taking a sip.
"This is more of a gift." Willow said, squeezing her lips shut in a thin smile. "Otherwise, profits are… well, down. But both worlds are healing. The rainforests in the Human Realm are nearly regrown, and we've started the first Palistrom Tree Sanctuary on the Boiling Isles. With your abomination constructs, we've nearly eliminated carbon…"
"Okay Willow, enough shop talk." Amity interrupted. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." she replied, moving to the side as an abomination brushed past her to deliver more snacks to the living room. "I mean, it's a little stressful trying to repair two worlds."
Amity nodded. "Well, don't forget you have a lot of people behind you. I'm sure you'll make better decisions than I did."
"Well, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." she squeaked again, starting to sweat and earning herself a suspicious look. "Uhm, your mother visited the other day. She was looking for you, and I wasn't exactly sure how to handle it."
Amity's smile faded instantly. "Oh no. She didn't make a scene, did she?" Ever since Alador passed away years ago, Odalia had at first attempted to keep Blight Industries working. After relying on all their profits coming from the Emperor's Coven though, she couldn't keep the company afloat without her husband's talents, making it easy for Amity to take over what was left. The twins had gone their own way when Odalia's attempts at control got the best of her; no longer tempered by Alador's laid back, workaholic attitude, and had become well known celebrities in the Human Realm. But Odalia couldn't let go of everything she had lost.
"Surprisingly, no." Willow said. "She actually hadn't heard that you had given up the company."
Amity let out a snort. "I'm sure she had great things to say about that."
"She did actually. She said your dad came to her in a dream. About a year ago." Willow explained. "I think you should try talking to her again. Some people have been known to change…" she added.
"Willow, it's your turn!" Luz said to Willow on her way into the kitchen from the living room.
"Come! Face me in the arena! Your King of Demons!" King shouted, his deep inner voice carrying through the house.
Willow grimaced, then smiled as she turned, giving Luz a hug before leaving. Luz flashed a smile at Amity as Willow left. "What are you doing in here, amante? Hiding out?"
Amity blushed and returned the smile. "For a bit. It's been awhile since this house was this crowded."
"I imagine it's been awhile since the Boiling Isles had any Yule celebrations." Luz replied. "Since the Savage Ages, I'd bet."
"You know what I mean. Since everyone was together?" she asked, stepping up beside Luz and peering back into the living room. King was currently trying to touch one of his claws to a red spot on a multicolored mat, his massive furry bulk clearly a danger to Willow's comparatively small, if still robust frame should he fail.
Hooty was sleeping in a coil, providing a surprisingly comfortable seat for Lilith while he was still connected to the outside of the Owl House door.
Camila and Eda were seated playing Hexes Hold'em at the coffee table that had been pushed to the side, while Raine played on their violin and trying their hand at a classic Christmas carol from Earth. They had been thought lost when the Emperor was defeated, and had never been to the Owl House before. They had searched for Eda for years, believing the Owl Lady had perished until shortly after last Christmas when everyone had gathered to repair the old cliff top home.
Vee, after getting over her initial apprehension at returning to the Boiling Isles despite Belos and his regime being gone for years; finally had access to enough magic to take on a form of her own. She had kept the Dominican ancestry of Camila and Luz, but had lengthened her hair and aged herself just enough to look a year or two younger than her adoptive sister. Her dark bangs were pulled back out of her face now, tied into a short pony tail that was layered against a thick mane that hung down to her shoulders. She was seated on the couch snuggled up to Gus with the spinner that directed the game's participants as to which spots they needed to touch with which limb. So far, the reigning champions had been Hooty and Vee.
"Is it a better view than the sunset?" Luz asked, lazily hooking an arm around Amity's shoulders, revealing a bandage on one of her fingers that caught Amity's eye.
Amity passed the implied wound off to Luz being herself, and faced her wife; rubbing her nose against Luz's for a moment before grinning. "It is now."
Laughter.
It was the sound of the holidays that everyone missed the most on Christmas Eve, or that of Frau Holda since they were on the Boiling Isles. The kitchen had been cleaned, the living room games were put away, and the remaining friends were gathered around the kitchen table, playing Tres y dos. Eda of course, was frustrated at the lack of instant win, wild card rules that most of the Boiling Isles games had that she had gotten so skilled at cheating at. Gus and Vee had gone for a walk outside, much to the gossip around the table, and King had departed earlier in order to get back to his castle.
"So Thorns, how's working with King?" Eda asked, picking up a card to add to her playing hand.
Willow was sitting across from her, paying close attention to Eda's nimble fingers. "King can be… a handful. But it's been very useful having a connection with the closest thing the Boiling Isles has to a ruler. It's made a lot of interdimensional deals easier to process."
"I imagine mama's tamales help too." Luz added, drawing a card as her turn circled around. Her and Camila certainly had an upper hand on the human game, having won a few rounds already.
"He's actually become a surprisingly good ruler." Raine said, chewing one of the eyeball candies from the bowl on the table. "I imagine the time he spent here in the Owl House really taught him a lot that he probably wouldn't have learned on his own."
Eda leaned back in her chair with a fanged grin. "Yeah, Luz and I really raised him right, didn't we?"
"Hands on the table!" Camila said, slapping the tabletop, causing Eda to roll her eyes and sit forward again. "My daughter told me stories. I'm watching you." She then burst out laughing.
"Snitches get stitches, Luz." Eda said, pointing a finger gun at the other player.
"Don't forget, Edalyn." Lilith said, trying one of the human 'caramels' that Camila had brought with a degree of skepticism. "We need to visit Mom and Dad tomorrow." resulting in a groan from her sister.
"It's been so long since I've seen Dale and Gwendolyn." Raine added, sorting their cards. "Would you mind if I joined you?"
Eda turned to them in surprise. "Are you sure?"
"Aw, it'll be a meet the parents moment!" Luz grinned, resulting in both Eda and Raine blushing slightly. "Are you going to be bringing King too? He is officially your kid, afterall."
Amity, having been quiet for most of the round, splayed out her cards. "Speaking of Kings…" she said, putting down a winning hand which caused a raucous of yelling, cheers, accusations of cheating, and laughter. As the cards were swept up, shuffled, and redealt, Amity stood. "I'm going to get some air." Luz reached back as Amity passed behind her, caressing her arm and looking up with a faint look of worry. "I'm fine. I'll be back for the next hand."
"If you don't mind, Boots, I'd like to join you." Eda said, standing as well. She was moving around better, with the abomination hip replacement. The curse had taken its toll on her after so many years, but now that the Owl Beast had finally taken its leave, she could at least get other forms of treatment performed. Willow and Owlbert both watched after her as she followed Amity up the stairs toward Luz's old room.
Amity had already climbed out the window onto the roof of the Owl House, looking up at the stars and identifying the various constellations that she had always been fascinated with as a child. Eda struggled through the window, settling gently on the roof beside her. "Needed some space as well?" Amity asked, trying to start some form of conversation.
"Not exactly." Eda said, digging into a pocket of her dress to pull out a vial. "I wanted to give this to you when Luz wasn't around. In case… in case you've changed your mind after all this time."
"What is it?" Amity asked, then gasped at the lavender fluid inside with the blue, starlight glow from within. ""But… why? How? All the ingredients are gone!" she argued, holding the tiny potion like it was already a newborn as Eda handed it to her.
"It's kind of a gift from all of us. A few of Owlbert's feathers; freely given, don't worry. It was his idea. Some shavings from Goop's galderstone stash… he said the old Illusionists wouldn't mind, considering its purpose. A hairball from a certain stonesleeper… Of course none of us would have known if Thorns hadn't finally broke."
"And a bit of blood from Luz's cut finger?" Amity finished.
"Seriously, it's not that hard getting blood from that kid. She leaves it everywhere." Eda snorted.
"But… why? Why would everyone do this?"
"Geez, you can be as dense as Luz sometimes." Eda growled. "Look at what you two have done for two worlds, let alone a handful of people from each! What else could we give, but a missed chance?" Eda said, leaning back. "Don't get a big head though. Luz did most of the work." she grinned, casting a sideways glance at Amity. "But I'm not sure she would have made it all the way without you. You accepted the parts of her that no one else did, and she really needed that.
Amity stared at the vial for a lengthy amount of time before turning to face the older witch. "What was it like, living without magic for so long?"
"It wasn't so bad, really. Especially with Luz having figured out the glyphs for the most part already. It'll be frustrating, but you'll figure it out. Just make sure that if you take that thing, you're doing it for you and Luz. Not Camila, or Odalia, or me, or whatever society you decide to live in, okay?" Eda said, picking herself up and passing back through the window.
"Do what for Luz?" the young woman asked from the doorway of her old room.
Eda froze halfway through the window, shifting her eyes from Amity to Luz and back again. "Uh… Happy Hanakmas? Or whatever you call it. You humans have so many words for the same thing. It's weird."
Amity looked back at Luz past Eda as the old witch continued climbing through the window and awkwardly exited the room. Her face was slowly turning a bright red, starting from her cheeks and warming out toward her ears. Luz climbed out through the window and curled up on the roof, nuzzling Amity's neck affectionately. "Do what for Luz, huh?"
Biting her bottom lip, Amity took another look at the vial in her hand. "Luz…"
"Ooo! Is this a new pendant? It's been awhile since you've worn one. Or is this for me?" Luz asked, swiping it out of Amity's hand.
"Luz! No…" Amity shouted in a panic. "It's for… It's for both of us. Try not to shake it!"
Luz's face fell. "Is it explosive?" she asked, wearing a look that Amity couldn't tell was excited or terrified. "Wait, how can one pendant be for both of us? We're going to need a good size chain to fit it around both of us."
Amity snatched it back out of Luz's grasp, checking to make sure it hadn't been activated yet. "No. Luz… would you still love me if I didn't have my magic?"
Luz frowned, looking hurt. "Amity, of course I would! What would make you ask that?" she gasped. "Wait, did Eda just give you her old curse somehow?!"
"No." Amity said, letting out a light chuckle and smiling at the tiny vial. "Have you ever wanted a family?"
"I have a family, Amity. Eda, King, you, Hooty, mom…"
"No, I mean… have you ever wanted… to start your… our own family?"
Luz worked her pursed lips back and forth, thinking. "I'm not sure. Biologically speaking, it's kind of impossible. We could always adopt…"
Amity lifted the vial up to look at it again. "Witches in the Savage Ages never had to worry about who they were with when they wanted to start families. There was a ritual they used that allowed them to have children when circumstances wouldn't normally allow them too."
"Probably why it wasn't a big deal here like it was in the Human Realm." Luz said, cautiously, and Amity could nearly hear the gears in her wife's thoughts start to turn.
"But nothing comes from nothing; not even magic." Amity said. "This vial will transform my bile sack into a new life. Sometimes they grow back over time, but there's no guarantee that my magic will ever return."
Amity met Luz's watery eyes, unsure what else to say. "Amity Noceda, te amo." Luz replied, planting a quick kiss on Amity's lips before pulling away and fidgeting her fingers as she blushed. "Uhm… does this ritual include any more traditional methods…"
Having already shook the potion to activate it, Amity downed its contents in a single gulp and aggressively pressed her lips against Luz's. "Mmm… It can…" she said, beginning to peel off Luz's holiday sweater.
"Should we… move inside… first?"
The remaining celebrators around the table in the kitchen all looked up at the ceiling following a loud thump, and what sounded like a scuffle in the room upstairs. "Are they okay?" Camila asked, moving to stand.
"Sit down, Cammie. Those two need to work out some things." Eda said, pulling Luz's mother back to her seat as Willow reached over to turn up the 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart' human song that had been playing quietly over their game. "Merry Christmas."
THE END