Disclaimer: I own nothing
Christmas came very quickly after the hospital incident and Sean was still grumbling about the bill, even though Seamus had started working double, sometimes triple shifts, to pay for it. James honestly didn't understand why Shay felt the need to pay for the bill when his dad was the one that put him in the hospital in the first place, but put it down to fear. The younger got the horrible feeling that he only knew a fraction of the monster that Sean truly was, and Shay probably knew what the man was capable of. And James had grudgingly accepted that because honestly, he was afraid of Sean too, and so he allowed Shay to do what he wanted in order to escape his father's wrath.
Until Christmas Eve night.
Shay had just returned from work (the restaurant Shay worked at was one of the few that was open on holidays, including Christmas Eve and Christmas) when he told James something that made the younger's anger reach its peak.
"What do you mean you're working on Christmas?!" James yelled, glad Riley and Sean weren't home at the moment. "Your boss gives his employees a choice on whether or not they will work, so it's not like you have to!"
"Jamie," Seamus sighed, "I don't want to work on Christmas, but the hospital bill-"
"I don't care!" James roared. "Sean put you in the hospital, so he should have to pay for it! I have gone days, sitting alone in this house while Riley is at work, Sean is drinking who knows where, and you are working at least twelve hours a day! Don't leave me alone on Christmas of all days, Shay! Please."
James was shocked to find tears in his eyes. Truthfully, he wasn't that upset over being left alone on Christmas, but he was upset about being left alone. He felt alone when his Mum and Dad died and then he came here and found out that this place was filled with fear and anger, unlike his love and care filled home. Now, Sean was creating a fear in his elder brother that isolated and exhausted the teenager while his eight year relative had to sit around and watch.
Shay looked honestly shocked at Jamie's outburst. "Tell you what," the older boy said. "I'll work from six to nine and then come home, okay? I'll get around twenty-five dollars and I guess that's better than nothing. But, the day after tomorrow, it's back to working my butt off to pay off that bill before Sean kills me." Seamus tried for a weak smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. James knew that that was a possibility if Sean took it too far.
James suprised himself by embracing Shay. "Why do we have to go through this?" He whispered into Shay's shoulder. "Why do we have to get beaten and starved and work our butts off to please a person that should love us no matter what?"
"I don't know, Jamie. I just don't think know," Shay whispered, tears darling down his cheeks and into James's hair. "But I will always love you, no matter what happens, okay?"
"Okay, Seamus. I love you, too."
The next day, James woke up late at 10:33 AM and remembering Shay's promise, broke into a run towards the stairs, pounding down them two at a time.
When he spun around the corner into the kitchen, his elder brother was seated at the table with a plate of sausage, pancakes, and hashbrowns in front of him and the chair across from him.
"Shay?" James gasped. "How?"
Shay smiled. "Well, all the employees get a discount on food, so I could afford it and still have enough money to put into paying him back. Now, stop asking questions and dig in," he laughed.
James didn't need to be told twice. He shoveled food into his mouth, loving the taste of the greasy breakfast food on his tongue and the warm feeling it gave him as it slithered down into his stomach. His first true meal since he'd been placed with his uncle and his family.
"Thank you so much," James said, leaping up and throwing his arms around Shay's neck.
Shay laughed and led James into the living room, where a miniature, decorative Christmas tree was sitting on the table, tiny lights and ornaments glinting off the branches. It was perfect.
"A guy from work leant it to me, saying his mom wouldn't miss it," Shay said at James's confused look. "It isn't much, but-"
"Thanks, Shay!" James cried, cutting his brother off as he swung his arms around Shay's neck. "It reminds me of when Mommy and Daddy used to celebrate Christmas with me."
"I'm happy about that, James," Shay said, his voice choked with tears. "I want you to be happy."
"I am happy, Shay. My job is to make sure you're happy to," James whispered before pulling away from the teen. "Um, for my seventh birthday, my dad gave me two lockets and he said that one day he wanted me to give one to someone I love, a best friend maybe. I want to give it to you, Shay." Jamie held out a necklace.
It wasn't much, just a silver necklace with an orange border around the oval charm swinging from the chain. But both of them thought it was beautiful.
"James, I-I can't except this. You should give it to your best friend," Shay said, shock evident in his eyes.
"You are my best friend, Shay."
Tears sprung to the elder's eyes and then, he was sweeping James up in a huge hug because he finally has a family- someone that will love him unconditionally.
Shay put James down, wiping the tears out of his eyes. "Um, I got you something too."
He reached into his pocket and withdrew a similar necklace to the one James gave him, but this one was the shape of a rectangle, like a set of double doors. Shay opened up the locket and showed three slots for pictures. Closing it back up, he showed the words inscribed on the back: for those that love you.
"Shay, it's- it's great," James whispered. "I love it."
He pulled out a small picture from his pocket- the exact size of the slots and slid it into the one on the left.
It was a photo of two people, smiling rightly at the camera. A tall man with square, black rimmed glasses, dark eyes, and brown hair grinned at the camera, dressed in a simple red T-shirt and jeans. Beside him was a woman that came to his chin, her blonde hair falling into her green eyes. She wore a blue dress and in her arms was a baby wrapped in a white blanket.
"Your Mum and Dad?" Shay guessed and James nodded, staring at them longingly.
"James," Shay said, finding it rather hard to get the words out of his throat. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Jamie asked, genuine confused and curious.
"I'm sorry that you lost them and wound up in a family like this," Shay choked out.
"Seamus Finnigan," James stated sternly. "I would take a hundred beatings from Sean if it meant that I didn't have to lose you."
Seamus started crying and he swooped the younger up in another hug because this is the proof he needs. Love is real and he can loved because after Dean abandoned him, he thought he'd never love anyone. But here he is with the person he loves most in the world in his arms.
"I love you, James. Don't ever forget that."
"So how do I do this again?"
"I can't belive you have never rode a sled before!"
"I've rode a sled. I've just never rode a metal disk down a very steep hill with a possibly crazy person driving it!"
"I've done this a million times. You won't get hurt. I promise."
That seemed to relax James and when Shay felt some of the tension leave his little brother, he kicked off and then, they were sliding down the very steep hill at what Shay felt was the speed of light.
This was the most fun he'd had in a long time.
Finally, they skidded to a halt, snow spraying up and splattering across them in a pure white pattern.
The snow reminded Shay of his life. So innocent for such a short amount of time and would be burned away with the first ray of sunlight. Just like Shay's innocence had only lasted three years before it was burned away in that fire, leaving behind a traumatized shell of what used to be.
"Come on, Shay, can we go again?" Shay was shaken out of his thoughts by James's excited voice and the little boy yanking on his jacket sleeve.
"Sure," Shay chuckled, picking up the homemade sled (it was a garbage can lid with belts as reins) and the brother ran up the hill.
They went down so many times Shay lost count, and when he finally broke out of his fun and excitement, he saw that the sun was beginning to lower beyond the horizon.
What a perfect day. Shay's first.
Later that night, they were seated before the fireplace, shivering in their pajamas because boy, was it cold that night.
Riley and Sean had yet to return home from Merlin knows where, and the boys were glad about that.
"Shay?" James whispered, tiredly. "Why do Sean and Riley not like us?"
Shay had expected this question would come eventually; he had asked himself that very question some many times in his life. And he still didn't know how to answer it.
"I don't know, James, but that doesn't matter because we don't need anyone else but us."
James nodded, sleepily. "I love you, Shay. "
"I love you, too, little brother. Good night."
I wanted some family time for James and Shay, but this is mostly a filler chapter, so sorry if it doesn't really fit in with the story.