A/N: Alright, here's the final chapter of Mokubo's First Christmas Party! Please read and review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Mokubo's First Christmas Party!

Chapter Three: Presents Under the Tree

"YAY! Present time! Present time!" Kiki cheered as her Father came into the room, sitting next to his wife on the sofa.

Makoto chuckled as Kiki hopped up and down excitedly and replied "Okay, okay, we can start opening presents now."

Kyoko smiled as she suggested "Kiki, why don't you get one of the presents for Mokubo? It is his first Christmas after all."

Hana nodded "That sounds like a great idea. Kiki, why don't you grab the one from me and Jii-chan?"

"Okay, Baa-chan!" Kiki agreed before crawling over to the tree, sifting excitedly through the ring of presents until she crawled back out, holding a small, rectangular box and exclaimed "Here it is! To Moku, from Jii-chan and Baa-chan!"

Kyoko smiled and nodded as Makoto took the present "Thank you, Kiki. Your brother's a little too young to grab the paper, so your Father will open it for him."

Makoto smiled and held his hand over a loose corner of the wrapping paper, asking excitedly "Are you ready, Mokubo? It's your first present of the night! What could it be?!"

Mokubo merely stared curiously from Kyoko's lap as Makoto carefully opened the present, somehow able to undo the wrapping paper without leaving a single tear before dropping it at his feet and opening the present.

"Look, Mokubo! Jii-chan and Baa-chan made you a Christmas sweater! Isn't it beautiful?!" Makoto cooed as he held out the green-knitted sweater, complete with a hood and the name "MOKUBO" on the front in purple stitched font.

Kyoko smiled and turned to her in-laws, thanking "Thank you; I know Mokubo's too young to say it, but I'm sure he loves it."

Hana smiled and nodded "It was no trouble, dear."

Makoto nodded and pondered "Alright, so who's next…"

Kiki then chimed in "Hey Dad, why don't we give Jii-chan and Baa-chan their present from the four of us?"

"Great idea, Kiki! You want to go dig it out?"

With a quick nod, Kiki ran back over to the tree, sifting through the present ring until she dug out two brightly colored presents and dashed back over to her Grandparents, handing them over as she exclaimed cheerfully "Here they are! One for Jii-chan, and one for Baa-chan! From Makoto, Kyoko, Kiki, and Moku!"

"Thanks, Kiki!" They replied in unison, turning to each other with a smile on their faces before ripping into the wrapping paper and tossing the lids off the boxes, grinning as they cooed "Well, isn't that nice?!"

The removed from the box and held up two identical green Christmas sweaters, one reading "HANA" in red stitched font, while the other read "SHINGI".

Makoto explained "We wanted you to get to experience the tradition that you gave us, so we went and got you your own Christmas sweaters."

Shingi smiled and replied "That's very nice of you all. Thank you so much!"

Hana opened her arms and insisted "Now, come give us a hug so we can thank you properly."

Makoto and Kyoko smiled and stood up, walking over to their parents and taking turns along with Kiki to hug them. The others smiled at the heartwarming sight, Kawako giggling and clapping before the family at last separated, Makoto and Kyoko returning to their couch as Hana and Shingi sat back down.

"Alright, now who…ah, Kiki, why don't you go get the present you got for Kawako?"

"Okay Dad!"

Before long, she had dug out a box the size of Makoto's palm and run it over to Kawako, handing it to her and exclaiming "Here you go Kawako! It's a present from me to you!"

"Pwe-zent! Pwe-zent!" Kawako cheered as Kiki ran over to Toko and Hiro with the present.

Toko smiled softly and accepted the present on Kawako's behalf, smiling and replying "Thank you, Kiki. Alright Kawako, Mama and Dada are gonna help you open it, okay!"

With that, Toko and Hiro ripped open the wrapping paper and took the lid off of the box, takin gout a simple black ribbon.

"It's a ribbon like the one I use to tie my braid." Kiki explained "Now she can get her hair braided or tie it into a ponytail if she wants!"

Kawako giggled and clapped, making Hiro laugh "Looks like she loves it!"

Toko smiled and nodded "Indeed she does…thanks Kiki; I'm sure she'll get some good use out of it when she's older."

Kiki grinned, then turned to her Father and asked "Okay, who next, Dad?"

"Hmm…why don't you get the presents from us to Aunt Toko and Uncle Hiro?"

"Okay?! I'll be right back!" After she dug them out from the tree, Kiki brought two boxes to Toko and Hiro and exclaimed "Here you go!"

Toko and Hiro smiled, nodding at each other before Toko opened hers first, gasping "Oh my…it's…an original print of So Lingers the Ocean!"

Kyoko smiled and nodded "Apparently it survived the Tragedy with minimal damage. It's not mint condition obviously, but I thought you might like to have an original copy of one of your works."

Toko teared up, smiling as she stuttered "My…mine was lost after Ho…Hope's Peak…To receive it n…now…I can finally share it with my ba…baby when she gr…grows up! Th…thank you!"

Hiro wiped the tears from her eyes, Toko smiling gratefully as she assured him "I'm okay, I'm okay…"

Makoto and Kyoko smiled and nodded before Hiro took his hand away and Toko urged him "Well, go on…open your pr…present now…"

Hiro grinned and ripped open his present, taking the lid off of the cubical container and exclaimed "Whoa! A spare crystal ball! Thanks, you guys! These things break ALL THE TIME, for serious!"

Kiki smiled and nodded "I'm glad you like it, Uncle Hiro." She turned to her Father and asked "So who next, Dad?"

"Let's see…why don't you give our gifts for Auntie Hina and Uncle Byakuya next?"

"Okay, Dad!" Kiki exclaimed, grinning as she dug under the tree again to pick out two more boxes before running back to Byakuya and Hina and offering "Here Aunt Hina, Uncle Byakuya, presents to you from us!"

Byakuya nodded solemnly while Hina grinned and ruffled her hair, making Kiki giggle as the former Swimming Pro cooed "Aww, thanks, Kiki!" Her eyes narrowed with determination as she decided "Okay, time to break this puppy open!" She then ripped into the package, making Byakuya roll his eyes at his wife's antics before she gasped "Oh…Kiki…Makoto…Kyoko…Mokubo…"

Kiki smiled as Hina displayed the various baby bath toys in the box and explained "We knew you and Uncle Byakuya wanted to have kids someday, so I thought this would be a good present for when you finally do have a baby."

"Oh my…a rubber ducky…a little submarine…lots of fishies…" She turned to her husband with teary eyes and exclaimed "Isn't it just wonderful, Byakuya?!"

"Well, it's certainly practical…Ow!" Byakuya exclaimed as she slapped his shoulder.

"Can't you show a grin for once in your life?! This is special! More special than a lifetime supply of donuts!" Hina turned back to Kiki and drew her into a hug, crying "Thank you so much, Kiki…we…we love it!"

Kiki smiled and patted Hina's shoulder as she returned the embrace. After a long moment, they let go of each other, the others smiling as Hina wiped her eyes and urged "Alright Byakuya, you open yours now."

Byakuya nodded and meticulously unwrapped his wrapping paper, making Hina roll her eyes as he took the lid off the box, exposing a thick book that read "1001 Advanced Mathematical Riddles."

Makoto nodded "I remembered how you liked that Millennium Prize Problems I gave you back at Hope's Peak, and we thought this would be a good substitute for when you have down time in the office."

Byakuya smiled at the memory, recalling the moment when he had first become impressed with Makoto's deductive powers.

"You…you bastard! How did you get your hands on this!? Even the collective force of the entire Togami Corporation wouldn't be enough to obtain this gem!"

"Oh, ano…I just found it at a nearby bookstore…"

"I…I'm going to hold on to this!"

"Well, I see your gift giving talents are still as sharp as ever. I'm sure this will be very useful when I'm not filling out financial forms. Interesting. I think I'll keep it."

Makoto, Kyoko, and Kiki smiled before Hana requested "Makoto, why don't you give Kiki and Komaru our presents to them? They're meant to go together."

"Sure thing, excuse me, Kiki…" Makoto agreed as he got off the couch and crawled over to the tree, sifting through the remaining presents. "Let's see…no, no, no…ah, here we are! To Kiki from Jii-chan and Baa-chan, and to Komaru from Mom and Dad! Here you go!" Makoto exclaimed as he tossed the two packages to his daughter and sister.

"Thanks, Makoto!" Komaru cheered as she crawled over to her niece.

"Thanks, Dad!" Kiki cheered before turning to her Aunt and asked "Ready Aunt Komaru?"

"Ready, Kiki!" Komaru cheered before they ripped into the paper with gusto, making the others giggle at their shared antics.

"WOW, it's a Game Boy Color! And…a copy of Pokemon GOLD!" Kiki exclaimed, a grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Me too, Kiki, except mine has Pokemon SILVER!"

Shingi smiled and explained "Makoto and Kyoko told us how much you two liked playing the original Pokemon games together like Makoto and Komaru used to when they were kids, so we decided to get you guys a refurbished Game Boy Color so you could have the authentic experience. We even replaced the battery in the games so you don't have to worry about it dying on you for a long time!"

"Isn't this exciting, Kiki?! Now we'll get to experience the Johto Region together when I visit!"

"That sounds awesome, Aunt Komaru!" Kiki cheered, then got up and hugged her Grandparents, thanking "Thanks, Jii-chan! Thanks-Baa-chan!"

Hana giggled "I'm glad you like your presents, dears."

Makoto smiled and told her "I'm glad you two liked your presents, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait for another day to break them out. It's late and we need to make sure Mokubo gets to bed at a reasonable hour."

"Awww…" Kiki and Komaru whined in unison, making the others giggle and snicker at their pouting reaction.

Byakuya coughed into his fist and suggested "Anyways…now seems like a good time for that present."

Seeing Makoto and Kyoko's confused expressions, Hina realized "Oh, that's right! Makoto, Kyoko, the four of us pitched in and got you something. Kiki, can you search for a present to your Mom and Dad from Me, Uncle Byakuya, Uncle Hiro, and Aunt Toko?"

"You got it!" Kiki saluted before turning around and crawling back into the present ring, sifting through until she found a small, rectangular present with the appropriate label. She then ran back to her parents, handing it to Makoto as she offered "Here you go, Dad!"

Makoto smiled and thanked "Thanks, Kiki." He then turned to Kyoko and asked "Want me to open it since you're holding Mokubo?"

Kyoko looked to the sleepy baby in her arms and nodded "That would be the most practical."

Nodding, Makoto meticulously unwrapped the present, his and Kyoko's eyes widening as they gasped "Oh, kami…this is…"

The two young parents were struck silent as they stared at a framed photo of their complete class right before Christmas break, excluding Junko who had been suspended for her deadly pranks. Makoto, Kyoko, Sayaka, and Leon all stood at the front, wearing beaming, loving smiles on their faces as they stared at their respective lovers. Makoto and Leon spooned Kyoko and Sayaka in affectionate embraces, causing the two girls in the photo to blush.

Meanwhile, Mondo, Taka, Hifumi, Celeste, Sakura, Hina, and Hiro cheerfully smiled at the camera as they stood behind the four lovers, while Chihiro stood between the two couples, grinning happily. Bringing up the rear was Byakuya, Toko, and Mukuro, who bore neutral frowns, neither unhappy nor exhibiting the Christmas cheer.

Curious, Komaru, Hana, Shingi, and Kiki crowded behind the couch, Komaru picking up her niece so she could see as Kiki exclaimed "Wow, is that your entire class?"

Makoto nodded, tears of joy trickling down his cheeks as he acknowledged "That's right…everyone except Junko. We sure were one heck of a family as Class 78th, weren't we, Kyoko?"

Kyoko nodded, smiling as she concurred "We were one happy family…" I just wish they were here with us to celebrate it. Sayaka, Mukuro, Leon, Chihiro, Mondo, Taka, Hifumi, Celeste, Sakura…

Hana and Shingi each laid a hand on their shoulders, smiling as Shingi assured his son "I'm sure they're watching you as we speak, son."

Hana smiled and assured her daughter-in-law "Yes, no doubt they're celebrating this joyous day, even if we can't see them."

Komaru nodded "Yeah, even if I only met Sayaka once, I can tell that she wasn't someone who would want you guys to feel all down because of them."

"That's right, Dad! Let's give them a smile and let them know we're happy!"

"Mom, Dad, Komaru, Kiki…" Makoto uttered.

Kyoko closed her eyes and smiled, nodding "Yes, you're right; they wouldn't want us to cry because they're not here with us. Let's enjoy the memories of them this photo reminded us of. Byakuya, Hina, Toko, Hiro, thank you."

Hina grinned and replied "Ah, it wasn't a big deal! We just found our old class photos and thought that you'd like a class memory as a Christmas present."

Byakuya nodded "Yes, though we made sure to avoid any with Enoshima in them."

Toko nodded "Yeah, the less said about her, the be…better!"

Hiro sighed "Yeah, she was bad news, for serious!"

An uncomfortable silence passed before Makoto smiled and exclaimed "Alright, enough about Junko; why don't we open more presents? Next should be…"

XXX

"Bye, everyone! Thanks for coming, and Merry Christmas!" Makoto called out as the others left, closing the door as Kiki waved goodbye, a tired grin on her face as an equally tired Kyoko held a sleeping baby Mokubo in her arms.

The two exhausted parents smiled wearily at Kiki and Kyoko instructed "Alright sweetie, go change into your pajamas and head to bed so we can kiss you goodnight after I put your brother in his crib. Tomorrow you can open more presents from me and Dad and Santa."

Kiki yawned, nodding "Okay, Mom. See you tomorrow" before walking drowsily to her room.

Makoto turned to his wife and said "Well, ready to head to bed so we can get up early when Kiki comes to wake us up like she always does?"

Kyoko nodded "Indeed…" before glancing down at her son and continuing "I just hope Mokubo enjoyed his first Christmas party…and that he enjoys his first Christmas with us."

"I'm sure he did, and I'm sure he will." Seeing Kyoko yawn, Makoto gently eased Mokubo out of her grasp, cradling him as he suggested "Alright, why don't you go and kiss Kiki good night for us while I put Mokubo down to sleep? You look like you could pass out at any moment."

Yawning, Kyoko nodded, drowsily walking to her daughter's room and muttering "See you when I come to bed…and Merry Christmas, Makoto…"

"Merry Christmas, Kyoko." Makoto smiled down at his son and cooed "Merry Christmas to you too, little guy. Come on, let's put you in your crib so we can all get some shuteye."

With that, Makoto make the trek back to their room, leaving the Living Room empty. None of them noticed the nine translucent, smiling spirits standing around the Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas!