Another one today as I feel generous! ^_^

To HoO Fan- (Chapter 37) If anyone wants to get me a Christmas present, it'll be a T-shirt with 'OK, boomer' on please and thank you! ^_^

To RandomFanAuthor- NUCLEAR FIRESTORM OF DREAD, I love that! Did you reaaaaalllly expect me to be 100% nice at Christmas? :P

"It's a duck!"

"It's got nothing to do with birds!"

"Then why's she flappin'?"

"I don't know, Lou, she's on your team!"

"It's a duck!"

"It's not!" Percy exasperated. She threw on of the couch cushions at him, quickly apologising under Sally's Look. Percy stuck his tongue out once their mother wasn't looking. Coward, Louisa mouthed, sending him a certain gesture.

"Lou!" Reyna chided, hands on hips. "I am not a duck and I'm not standing here so you can torment your brother!"

"Ah, she spoke! Disqualified!" Annabeth smirked.

"Overruled!" Louisa argued, on her feet. "She didn't tell me anythin' 'bout the thing!"

"Accepted." Jessica nodded. Annabeth huffed and flopped back in her seat. Louisa blew a raspberry and sat back down. "Last chance, Reyna, you've got thirty seconds." She inclined her head, fixing Louisa with such a stern look, she sat still. "Witchcraft." Jessica muttered, watching the timer with a frown.

"Film." Louisa said, following the gestures. "Three words. First word. Uh… Duck?"

"I will kill you." Reyna warned. She held her arms out. Louisa hesitated. "I swear to gods, if you say 'duck' one more time…"

"That's time!" Jessica called. Louisa smiled sheepishly. Reyna rolled her eyes and squished herself back in next to her, slugging her in the knee for good measure. "Uh, Sally. You're next." Sally had teamed with Grover. She took a slip of paper from Jessica's basket. Grover sat forward in his seat.

"Film." He said. "Two words. Second word? Why second word?" Sally shot him a pointed look and he sat up straighter. She gestured to herself, spreading her arms as if ballooning, squatting like a ballerina and glaring when Louisa snickered. "Uh, ballet? Ballerina? No?" She stood straight, putting something on her head. "Hat. You've got a hat?" She nodded and looped something around her neck.

"Noose."

"That's a scarf, Lou."

"And it's not your turn, shush." Reyna elbowed her. "I do now question how you put scarfs on though."

"You've got a hat and a scarf?" Grover puzzled. Sally nodded again, spreading her arms and squatting.

"Thirty seconds!"

"Um, you're… you're bigger? You're- oh! Oh, you're a snowman!" She flailed her hands, giving the motion for film once more. "Oh, The Snowman, The Snowman!"

"Yes!"

"Haha, yes!" They high-fived and Sally sat back down. Jessica tallied their point. Louisa huffed.

"Still looked like a noose."

"Reyna," Jessica said solemnly, "I am so sorry you're stuck with her."

"Hey!"

"Thank you, Jessica." Reyna bowed her head.

"Also, hey!" Louisa pouted. Reyna snorted and squeezed her hand. Denise's cold eyes locked on the contact.

"Boomer!" Lizzie interrupted, beaming. "It's our turn!" She hopped up, taking from the basket. "Ooh, I like this one. Here we go." Jessica started the timer. Lizzie began the motions. Denise just stared at her.

"Book!" Louisa chipped in.

"No, you're useless at this, Fish, useless."

"Three words." Reyna continued. Lizzie nodded approvingly. "First word… cup?" Lizzie expanded the gap between her hands, swigging from the imaginary cup again. "Uh, glass? Mug? Goblet?" Lizzie snapped her fingers and pointed at her excitedly.

"Goblet of Fire!" Louisa exclaimed, laughing victoriously when her sister stared at her, dumbfounded. Reyna slowly turned her head, smile tight.

"Why," she growled, making Louisa jump, "could you not do that on our turn?!"

"'Cos ours was a duck!"

"It wasn't a duck!"

"Ooh, domestic." Percy laughed. A knock at the door quelled the bickering. Louisa sprang up, finding something even worse on the other side.

"What the fuck are you wearin'?"

"Christmas!" Mikey spread his arms and beamed. Louisa made a stunned noise of agreement, accepting his hug. He had dressed up as Santa, but- in his enthusiasm- had added elf ears and shoes, wore a ton of tinsel and had glued baubles to his hat, string lights around his waist twinkling and flashing. To top it all off, a large sack of presents at his feet. To her relief, Dylan and Connor were wearing regular Christmas jumpers.

"We tried to lose him." Dylan assured, patting her on the head in greeting.

"Except we can't lose him." Connor added. "It's almost like he's magnetic."

"Oh, Lou wouldn't let you lose me!" Mikey laughed. "I'm her favourite! Ooh, who's that?" He bustled in, waving exuberantly. "Merry Christmas everyone! Sally, you look lovely as always-"

"Thank you, Mikey."

"-and Jessica, your hair! It's amazing, oh my gods!" He went around, greeting everyone with compliments and a present of chocolates. No-one missed the not-so-subtle curious looks sent to Reyna.

"Rey," Louisa returned to her seat, squeezing Reyna's knee, "he will grill ya. 'N' I'm sorry. But he's nosy. 'N' has no off-switch."

"Trust me," Connor said, perching himself on the arm beside Reyna, "we've looked. I'm Connor."

"Reyna." They shook. Dylan introduced himself.

"And that's Mikey."

"Yeah, I figured. He really is as mad as you said."

"Aww, you've been telling your friends about me!" Mikey gushed. "Oh, and look! Denise is here! Merry Christmas, ma'am!" Denise looked him up and down, a slight wrinkle to her nose. She turned away sharply with a mmph. Mikey didn't even bat an eyelid, spinning on his heel and clapping his hands together. "Okey dokey, what are we doing? Charades? I'm the best at charades."

"Then you can team up with Lou." Reyna decided. "I've met blind people better at this than her."

"It was a duck!"

"I will drop-kick you."

"Ooh, I'd pay good money to see that." Lizzie grinned. "Don't look at me like that, Fish. I have big sister duties to attend to and watching my little sister get drop-kicked to unspecified locations is top of my list!"

"Feel loved, really do."