(A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone. Thank you as always for your love and reviews. Happy Holidays – whatever you celebrate, let it be a good one this year.)
Christmas Playlist: (basically guys, my favorites.)
Baby, It's Cold Outside – Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Colbie Caillat
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
Max
Even I had to admit, Christmas with the Flock – and any normalcy with my Mom and Ella in a (gasp!) regular house….was magical. Yeah, I know. Magical. I sound like Angel.
But it was true.
Per her quite magically large income, Dr. Martinez had provided us all with money to buy each other presents with. Except Fang, who had gotten his own money from selling T-Shirts and other 'merch' off of his blog site. Turns out other apocalyptic kids liked wearing rebellious clothing items to bug their parents. Huh. We even bought a tree.
Well…we kinda kidnapped it with a bunch of screaming park rangers in tow, but you get the idea. So Christmas Eve, after a traditional game of Monopoly –in which the game ended with Angel cheating and finding out our plans. That little bundle of cute was going to get it later.- we all dashed to our rooms and got out our wrapped presents for each other. I shook mine from Iggy once and pressed it against my ear before screaming, "RUN!"
Turns out the suspiciously bomb-like ticking was a watch. Nice job, Max.
Me and Fang stuffed the kids into bed with their wings over their eyes before taping the doors shut. We didn't want any escapees. I'm pretty sure I'd win unconventional Mom of the year – but hey, when you're the test tube baby of a vet and a psycho, parenting is a foreign job. But I'd give my live for those guys. Even Fang.
After that, we stuffed ourselves with cookies, filled the stockings, and placed the final presents under the tree. It was only 10. So we plopped down on the couch and talked.
That's right, Fang talked.
Maybe miracles do happen.
"What did you get Iggy?" I asked him, pulling a leg under me and leaning back against a pillow, my hair's messy bun pressing into the back of my head.
"Some book on nuclear experiments." Fang replied. His black eyes turned towards my slouched figure.
"A book?" I said, raising an eyebrow. Iggy, being blind…..well, he couldn't read.
"Yeah, on tape."
"Oh. I got him a cookbook on CD. And a CD player." I added.
"You could've told me that. I could have got him it on CD."
Fang smiled a bit. "I think you'll like the present I got you." He said, tapping my nose once.
"Psh, you couldn't beat mine." I said, playing on his unusually sweet mood with a kiss on the corner of his lips. Fang smiled a full smile. My heart jumped twelve floors.
"I think I could. Or can. And will."
"Angel?" I changed the subject. Fang's face took on a look of softness- one that anyone rarely sees given his normally stoic expression.
"A charm bracelet with a bear charm. Looks like Celeste."
I nodded, feeling a smile curve my mouth. "I got her a pink dress."
Fang's mouth opened in shock. "You went in a store that sells dresses?"
"Oh, shut up. Yes, I did. I'll be wearing my dress tomorrow. Nudge wanted to curl my hair, too. Or something like that."
"You bought a dress?"
"Yep."
"What color?"
"Not telling."
"Fine. But I'll wear my tux tomorrow to match when Dr. Martinez takes us to the Nutcr—"
"You have a tux?"
"I'm not responding to that." Fang said, crossing his arms over his chest. I wondered if he was joking with me. There's no way he would wear a tux. That would be like me wearing a dre-
Oh, wait.
"Fine, Sir Fancypants."
"Sir Fancypants?"
"It's your new nickname."
"No, it's not."
"You like it?"
"No." Fang answered, standing up and kissing me once sweetly on the forehead.
"What was that for?" I inquired, a bit shocked.
"Merry Christmas, love." He said, a ghost of a smile haunting his lips before he retreated to his room.
Then the quite stilled me until I drifted asleep, my heavy head succumbing to dreams much sweeter than any of my real memories had ever been.
I needed a silent night much like this one.