3 DAYS BABY

***When I tried to post this story this morning i accidentaly posted a chapter for my other story..oopsie. Sorry for the confusion! Well Im writing this as my friends are playing hide go seek, so i guess i'd better be going cuz they've been hiding for a while and i'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be seeking. Hopefully theyre still alive when I find them...ciao for nao!!!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! When Christmas is over I'll have time to do my review replies again! Some reviewers seemed to have the idea that the story was over or something like that? I dont know where you got that idea (me, probably.) But I have no plans on ending TVF. There is one more chapter of this story to come, after this one, then I'm going to start working on TVF 2: Larten Crepsley, Father of the Bride again. Can't wait!

Enjoy this chap, is slightly shortish again, but it's my favourite so far.

"Oh, Harkat!" Darren gasped as tears sprang to his eyes.

"It's the least...we could do. We've taken you...for granted...so we decided that...you deserve to have... a proper Christmas. Plus, it's kind of...fun after all!"

The stage was completely repaired, decorated by a beautifully painted set. The curtain beam had been replaced, and the dark red curtain was pulled back and ready to go. The Christmas tree had gained about 500 more decorations since Darren, Larten and Harkat had finished with it. Underneath was a large, shiny pile of presents. The walls were almost completely covered by all sorts of wreaths and pictures of Santa, reindeer, elves, and giant paper cutout snowflakes. And best of all, on the stage stood Larten, Seba, Paris, Mika, Arrow, and Kurda, wearing their costumes! Every single one was smiling. And not fake smiles. The kind of smile you could only get from real Christmas spirit.

Darren tried to take in the colourful chaos.

"It's a mircale!" he finally shrieked. He was as happy as...well, a kid on Christmas!

"Merry Christmas, Darren!" they all yelled. Darren and Harkat sprinted up to the stage and jumped on. (Well, Darren jumped on. He had to grab Harkat's hands and pull him up.) To Darren's suprise, Mika Ver Leth stepped forward with a truly sorrowful look on his face.

"Darren, on behalf of everyone, I am so sorry for making this so difficult for you. We've all been so selfish and too lazy to help you celebrate something that means a lot to you, and I honestly don't know why you put up with us because we have been absolutely horrible to you. For everything we've all done, but mostly what I've done, on the ski trip, and planning the wedding, and this whole Christmas mess, we, and I, are all so sorry." the dark Prince finished, putting his hand on Darren's shoulder. No one had ever heard him sound so genuine and sympathetic.

Darren stared up at Mika for a second, then he gave him the biggest, tightest hug he'd ever given anyone. Mika looved nervous for a second, then he actually smiled and hugged Darren back.

"GROUP HUG!" Kurda shrieked, flinging his arms around Darren and Mika. Mika flinched, but didn't punch him. Harkat ran over and put his arms around their knees, but Arrow came over and lifted Harkat up onto his shoulders, so he could be up where the real hug was for a change. Paris and Larten smiled and joined the hug, and even dragged Seba over to participate.

"God bless us, everyone!" Harkat exclaimed, to quote Tiny Tim.

"Merry Christmas." said Darren, his voice muffled between Mika's shoulder and Kurda's arm.

The hug was suddenly broken apart when Paris yelled,

"Who the heck are they?"

A long line of Guardians of the Blood and various Vampires was filing into the Hall and taking seats on the rows of chairs hat Darren had set up a few days ago.

"I invited them almost a month ago!" said Darren cheefully. "What's the point of a play if there's no one to watch it? And since I forgot to un-invite them yesterday, they have no idea they almost missed out."

"Oh Darren, I should tell you. I selected music and choreographed a few dance routines like you originally wanted. Hope that's okay. And don't worry, you don't have to be in them." Paris informed Darren as the gang scrambled off to get ready for the show. Darren hugged himself happily and ran backstage to throw on his Bob Cratchit costume.

*

The opening act went absolutely perfectly. Mika was even more Scroogely than usual, and Seba didn't get distracted while onstage, and Darren really liked Paris's choreographing. He had no idea that Vampires could dance so well. Then again, who knew what they could they could accomplish when under pressure? The second act went mostly well. Seba tripped over his robes, but nobody seemed to notice because at the same time, Mika's finger got stuck in Seba's trumpet, but the audience thought it was just part of the show Although this meant Seba was not able to blow his trumpet dramatically at the end of the scene, which everyone had greatly been looking forwards to. The third act could have been better, but Darren didn't care, as he was too high off the Red Bull he'd rediscovered behind the stage. Kurda forgot his lines at one point, and turned around and called, "Hey Mika, what am I supposed to say now?" he said it so calmly, he probably had no idea anyone was watching him. Harkat was spectacular in his role of Tiny Tim. In the dance number for the third act, Darren felt so pumped he raced onstage and bust out in a series of moves he would never be able to pull off without 5 cans of Red Bull in his system. His spontaneous show recieved a standing ovation. Intermission was a welcome break, in which Seba indulged in a carton of eggnog. Luckily, he didn't have any lines after that, so he was permitted to be hammered. Act 4 went reasonably well. Despite his lack of speech, Larten brought sexy back as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Mika managed to look regretful and apologetic for the second time that day, and Darren attemped to grieve for the death of his son, Tiny Tim/Harkat, but it's difficult to sob convincingly when Red Bull is pulsing through your body. Instead, Darren made sounds that could be likened to a bag of cats on crack. In the fifth and final act, Mika gave a performance that Darren would have been proud of, if he'd only been in his normal state of mind. No one had even seen Mika look as happy as when he ran through the streets, yelling MERRY CHRISTMAS at the top of his voice.

Finally, there came the curtain call. The masterpiece that had been born of the blood, sweat, tears, and Red Bull Power of Darren Shan had finally come to a spectacular, blindind end. (Literally blinding, as Kurda suddenly accidentally dropped something backstage, and whatever it was exploded. Slightly singed, Kurda raced onstage, almost tripping, to join his friends and bow dramatically. With their arms around each other and faces in the spotlight, Darren looked around blearily as the Red Bull began to wear off. And he realised, as Seba stepped on his foot, and Kurda's hair tickled his ear, and he was the luckiest living organism, human, Vampire, or otherwise, on the entire planet. The unnatural high of Red Bull wears off, but the high of being surrounded by goofy, stupid, gorgeous, weird, lame, socially challenged friends never does. There would never be another Christmas that could compare to this one. Their might be worse ones, or better ones, or ones that go less or more smoothly, but this one would be the one Darren would remember when he was Paris's age. And he knew everyone else would, too.

This is mainly the last chapter, but I've got an epilogue coming up, and yes you get to see what happens on Christmas morning. Joy to the World!

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*Roxxy,
How do you stay so fresh?
I think cool thoughts.
Happy Holidays!
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