Terra made his way back to the dining room, still a little mad at the small argument he had with his father. If he could, he would never see that man again. Unfortunately he can't because of his mother and sister having to live with him. Something that he always thought of as odd was how his mother could even put up with that man. Sure he knew the story of how his grandfather forced her to marry his father, but what really struck him as odd was how she never tried to run away or, a even darker thought, try to end it? He knew he shouldn't think of his mother trying to kill herself as a good thing, but at least she would be free from him and the abuse he put her, him, and Des through.

"Terra" he quickly shook out of his thought and saw his mother with a big stack of plates and pots in her hands that wobbled back and forth with each of her steps.

"Whoa there!..." Terra said as he swooped over to his mom and took all of that weight off her shoulders. "…Here I got it" he said with some struggle in his voice as he got some stability and stood straight with the dishes

"Are you sure Terra, because you sure are wobbling a lot"

"Heh, and like you weren't mom. Besides you cooked it's only fair that I do the dishes" if Terra could see his mother through the dishes he'd see a small smile that shimmered off a little bit of pride. She patted him on the back and helped guide him to the kitchen with ease on both their parts.

Terra put the dishes down by the sink and let out a sigh, he really didn't like doing dishes being that Ven always ducked out on doing it all the time and he always told Aqua that he would do it to be nice. But he's not complaining he's just saying. He started up the water and started scrubbing away the little bits and pieces that were still left on the plates as his mother laid back on the counter and took a long look at her son. He had grown so much in the past couple of years, turning into such a handsome and caring young man, two things his father never was. But he still seemed like the little boy she used to carry in her arms or watch give piggy back rides to his sister. That small smile she had on her face slowly began to grow, and even a slight tear ran down her cheek that she didn't even notice. But Terra did

"Mom something wrong?" He asked as she shook out of her little nostalgia trip.

"Oh, no I'm alright it's just…" she said as she wipped the tear off her eye. "… you've really grown up. You're not my little boy who used to cling onto my leg anymore" they both chuckled at that. That was one of Terra's earliest memories of his mom, cowering behind her leg from his dad.

"Well that might be true but I'll always be your boy" that set off another tear in his mother's eye. This made Terra a little bit concerned as he set down a plate and turned his attention to his mother

"What's wrong now mom?"

"It's nothing…" she said through a sniffle "… I'm just really happy is all"

"Happy about what?" Terra asked as his mom wiped down her eyes

"That you're completely the opposite of your father" to Terra that was the best thing his mother had ever told him. Most of the time he was completely assured that he was nothing like his dad. But at times, when his anger got a little out of hand or whenever he got carried away, he would sometimes hear his dad's voice in place of his. The fact his mother had told him that put some reassurance in him, that he was him and his dad was his dad neither one intermingling with another. Though it would be better if his dad took a hint on how to act by his son's example. He gave his mom a big hug to say thanks, to which she did the same but tried to squeeze him harder. Then he got back to the dishes and even though he told her to take it easy his mom helped him dry and put them away. Doing this reminded them both about a time not so long ago when Terra was still her little boy. After they were done Terra took her to the one place that he knew that she had to see.

"Ok just a little further…." Terra said with his hands covering her eyes. She chuckled at what Terra was trying to do, surprises really do bring out the joy in people. "….and open" as she opened her eyes she looked in awe and happiness at the sight before her. Books, books, and more books on shelves that covered wall to wall in this big domed in room with several windows supplying a little natural light into the room coming from the setting sun. His mother looked in awe at all the tomes of knowledge and great stories that stood shelf for shelf before her.

"Oh my!" she said excitedly as if she was a little girl again. Terra knew she'd love this room, because when she was younger she loved to read all the time. She was and still is very intelligent and loved to use her knowledge to help others. If it wasn't for her father who pushed her into that hell known as marriage to a monster she would've gone into a great career like being doctor or a novelist. That love of reading and knowledge transcended on to her children, more to Destiny than Terra but he still had that same curiosity about the world around him that his mother has. Terra had a small grin on his face, seeing his mother happy made him happy.

"You like it?"

"Like it?..." his mother asked rhetorically with a small laugh as she turned to her son and hugged him "…I love it". Terra hugged back and let it last, the warmth from her hugs was just another one of the few things that he loved about her.

"Ahem…" a noise came from the door and they both looked at the source and found Des smiling with her arms crossed "…aw that's cute…" she said as she walked into the room in awe at the amount of books around her. Terra couldn't help but laugh seeing the same look that his mother just had on her face now on her face. "…wow Ven wasn't kidding when he said this place is big" she said as she softly grazed her hand against the wall of the library, looking at the many books around her as she did. Many of them she had read either on her own, or for school, or she heard from her mother when she was a little girl. She picked up a red book with silver and gold intricate lines on the cover that spelled out the title and bordered the book beautifully. Terra walked over to her and looked over her shoulder at the book, of course it was a classic he and most everyone knew by heart.

"A Christmas carol" Terra said as his sister looked up at him then back to the book

"Yeah, hey remember when mom use to read to us before we went to sleep?"

"Of course I remember I could never go to sleep without a story when I was a kid" their mother sat comfortably in a nice warm chair and already saw where this was going. So she stretched out her hand to her daughter who looked at it questing what her mother was asking till she smiled at her and said

"Here, I already know what you guys are going to ask me" she said then took the book form her daughter and opened it to the first page. Both Terra and Des realized what she was going to do, so they both took nearby seats and set them next to their mother. Terra and his sister listened patiently like they always did when they were kids to their mother reading. To everyone else this might seem extremely childish, but who doesn't like to revisit the little kid they once were in their heart? The dusk setting outside slowly went down to a beautiful night sky that glistened with the snow revealing a endless plain of sparkling snow that laid on the mountains that surrounded the castle.

Terra was completely relaxed now, any negative emotion or feelings he had disappeared as his mother began to finish the story. Then a thought occurred to him as his mother read, when they leave this place they'll be stuck all alone with his father again. Any happiness that they had gotten here would vanish when they go home and have to live with that monster again. He silently sighed as he thought to himself on how he could in some way keep them happy after they part again

'If I had one wish, it would be to put them in another world. Far away from that monster' Terra thought hopefully. But he knew that would never happen, his master wouldn't allow it only because of the rules. He was taught these rules on his first few weeks of training, the one pertaining to his situation was that the residents of other worlds are bound to stay there. Only on special occasions or circumstances can others leave worlds for a short time and only that.

'Well I can always dream cant I?' he thought as his mother finished

"…and then tiny Tim exclaimed 'god bless us everyone!'… The end" Terra did a subtle clap for his mother and then heard a long yawn from Des making him chuckle as he turned his head to see Des in a awkward position ready to sleep. Guess some things never change…

Ok I am very very very very very sorry that I couldn't finish this on Christmas (kinda bit off more than I could chew) but my computer broke and I pretty much didn't have it for about a month. But it's all good now so I'll be trying to get this done asap