Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Sorry for the long wait; I was working on another fanfic, and I've been busy.

Be prepared for an adorable, 1-year-old Gilbo ^_^

Oh, and a 10-year-old Roderich and his parents appear!

Enjoy.

Chapter 23: Christmas

Christmas at the Beilschmidt's house was always a fun time. This year was no exception.

Roderich and his parents, Frederick and Nina Edelstein, pulled into the Beilschmidt's driveway and got out of the car. The family of three walked to the house and rang the doorbell.

"I'll get it," a voice called from inside the house.

The door opened, and in the doorway stood Elise holding a very happy Gilbert in her arms. "Fred, Nina, Roddy! Hi!"

"Hi, aunt Ellie," said Roderich.

"Don't just stand there," said Elise. "Come in."

Frederick, Nina and Roderich stepped into the house and took their coats off. Then they went to the den, where Claus and Germania were.

"Hey, Big Sister," Claus greeted Nina joyfully.

"Hi, Claus," said Nina. The two siblings hugged each other and sat down while Roderich turned on the TV.

"NiNi!" Gilbert exclaimed happily as he ran to his aunt. "NiNi!" The baby held out his arms, signaling that he wanted to be picked up.

"Aw, hey there, Gilbo," Nina said sweetly to her nephew.

"NiNi," Gilbert said again, this time jumping up and down with his arms still wide open.

"You want up?" asked Nina. "Okay." Nina picked the boy up and bounced him a little. "Who's a happy boy? You are!" Gilbert laughed when Nina said that.

"Hi, Gilbo," said Roderich. He was leaning towards his baby cousin and smiling. "You're so cu—hey, give those back!"

"WaWa!" said Gilbert. He was now playing with Roderich's fake glasses, first putting them in his mouth and then putting them on. "WaWa!"

"Gilbo, give me my glasses," Roderich protested. "I don't wanna look plain."

Nina very gently pried Gilbert's little fingers off Roderich's glasses. "Come on, Little Prussia, give Roddy his glasses."

"Meh!" Gilbert said in protest when his aunt took the glasses away. He then got distracted and turned to just sucking his thumb.

Roderich took the glasses. "Thanks, Mom." He then went to the bathroom to clean Gilbert's spit off.

When Roderich came out of the bathroom, he had his glasses on again. "Ah, nice, clean glasses," he said to himself.

Germania was now the one holding Gilbert, and the two were watching "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on the television. Roderich sat down with them.

"From now on, gang," said one of the reindeer, "we won't let Rudolph join in any reindeer games! Right?"

"Right!" came a chorus of cheers from the other young reindeer.

Roderich looked at his grandfather. "Grandpa, those other reindeer aren't very nice."

"No, they are not," Germania commented.

Just then, the three heard a series of clangs and shouts coming from the kitchen.

"What was that?" asked Roderich.

"I don't know," said Germania. "Stay here with Gilbo, okay?" He placed Gilbert in Roderich's lap.

"Uh, okay," said Roderich. He saw that Gilbert looked a little scared of the noise in the kitchen.

"WaWa," Gilbert said and clung to his cousin.

"It's okay, Gilbo," Roderich said gently and coddled the toddler. He continued watching the movie.

"Rudolph with your nose so bright," said Santa. "Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

"It would be an honor, sir," said Rudolph.

"Hm," said Roderich. "You know, Gilbo, I think Rudolph should've said, 'Screw you, Santa!' instead." Gilbert looked up at Roderich.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Germania was the witness to a screaming Elise.

"Ellie, what's the matter?" the elderly man asked.

"Th-There's a r-roach in this kitchen!" Elise shouted. "Kill it, kill it, kill it, kill iiiiiiit!"

"It's just one little roach," said Frederick.

"Where is that roach?" Claus yelled. He was looking around for the roach that dared to scare his wife, baseball bat in hand.

"Uh, Claus…" Nina said, trying to get her little brother's attention.

"Claus, you don't need that bat," said Germania.

"Thank you, Dad," said Nina.

Germania took the bat away from Claus.

"Well, Dad, what am I supposed to use to kill the motherfucker?" asked Claus.

"Claus Axel Beilschmidt," Germania scolded. "Don't curse in here; there are children in the other room."

"Sorry, Dad," said a very embarrassed Claus. He grabbed an old newspaper, rolled it up and resumed looking for the roach.

"Ha-ha!" Nina sang. "You got in trouble, you got in trouble."

"Shut it, Nina," said Claus. "A-ha! Found you!" He found the roach, which now started scurrying away.

"AAAAAHHHHHH! Kill it, Claus, kill it!" Elise yelled frantically.

Nina thought her sister-in-law was going to have a heart attack. 'She's the descendant of brave Prussian soldiers, yet she can't kill a roach?' she thought.

"I've got it, Ellie!" said Claus. "Say your prayers, you wife-scaring insect!" He raised the newspaper and brought it down on the roach, killing it. Claus was then breathing in and out rather heavily, as if he had just shot someone. "Mission…accomplished…"

"All this over a roach?" Germania muttered under his breath, He then spoke up so that Claus, Elise, Frederick and Nina would be able to hear him. "Okay, now that the roach is dead, why don't we eat?"

"Oh…right," said an embarrassed Elise. She, along with the help of her husband and in-laws, brought out the dinner.

"Come on, boys," Nina called. "Time for dinner."

"Yay!" Roderich exclaimed. He carried Gilbert to the table, and put him in his high chair.

After dinner and dessert, it was time to open presents.

"Gilbo, this is for you," Elise said excitedly. She helped her son tear open the wrapping, making sure he didn't put any in his mouth.

"Ah!" Gilbert said happily. He was hugging a giant teddy bear.

"And here's something for you, Roddy," said Claus. He indicated a big box encased in wrapping paper.

Roderich tore the wrapping paper off the box, and smiled with delight at what he got. "A keyboard! Thank you!"

"I knew you'd like it," said Claus.

"I'm gonna open it right now," said Roderich. He opened the box and set up the keyboard.

"Ah!" Gilbert squealed when he saw the huge box, open and empty of its contents and just sitting on the floor. The baby put his bear down, walked over to the box and climbed in. He then stood up and started walking around with the box over him. "Shtle!"

"Aw, Claus, look," said Elise. "Gilbo loves that box."

"Aw, how cute!" said Claus. "Ellie, get the video camera out, quick!"

"Right," said Elise. She got out the video camera and filmed Gilbert walking around with the box on him. After some time, she got distracted and was watching Roderich play something on his new keyboard.

"Wow, Roddy, that's really good," said Frederick, clapping when his son finished playing a piece on the keyboard.

Gilbert kept on walking and bumping into walls, and turned a corner. Because he didn't see where he was headed, he tripped and fell down the stairs into the basement. Luckily, he was still in the huge box the keyboard came in! Also, luckily, the box was very thick, so he didn't get hurt.

Everyone in the den jumped when they heard a noise.

"What was that?" asked Nina.

"It sounded like something falling," said Frederick.

"Come on," said Claus. "Let's go check it out. Roddy, stay here with your cousin."

"Uncle Claus…Gilbo's not here," said a worried Roderich.

"What?" Claus and Elise said frantically.

"I said Gilbo's not here! He's gone!" said Roderich.

"Oh my God, Gilbo!" said Elise. "Where are you?"

"Alright, everyone," said Germania. "Let's look for Gilbert."

"Right," said Roderich and the adults.

Everyone looked everywhere in the house, but there was no sign of the baby.

Just then, Roderich saw the basement door. It was open, and the room was dark.

"Uh, uncle Claus? Aunt Ellie?" he said. "We haven't checked down there."

"Good thinking, Roddy," said Claus, messing up Roderich's hair. He turned the light on, and he and Elise slowly made their way downstairs.

"Gilbo?" said Elise. "Sweetie, it's Mommy and Daddy. Where are you?" She jumped when she heard a small voice laughing.

"Claus…what's that sound?" asked Elise.

"Sounds like a baby," said Claus. "It's this way." He motioned for Elise to follow him to another part of the basement.

Minutes later, Claus and Elise were in the part of the basement where they heard the small voice.

"It's over here," said Claus.

Elise crossed her fingers, hoping it was Gilbert.

"Stay here," Claus told her. Elise did as she was told and waited nervously as Claus trekked through a mess of stuff.

Claus came upon a thick, huge box: the very box that Roderich's keyboard came in! That was where the laughter was coming from. "Ellie, it's coming from this box."

Elise went to where Claus was and bent down to look at the box. It seemed empty when…

"SHTLE!" Gilbert exclaimed rather excitedly, scaring his parents, who then breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that it was their baby.

"Oh, thank God, Gilbo," said Elise. "Don't scare Mommy and Daddy like that again, okay?" She picked a now giggling Gilbert up. She and Claus brought him back upstairs.

After checking Gilbert for any injuries—and being satisfied that there were none—the family continued their Christmas celebration.