A Gift of Love

An adaptation of "Christmas Guy"

based on Villains' Bad Girl's universe

by LDEJRuff

Chapter 6 - Sacrifice, Salvation and a Second Chance

Vinny met with Stewie at the "Employee's Only" section of the store. Stewie had the return pad in hand.

"All right, Stewie," Vinny said. "Whatever you gotta do, do it quick. The other you is in the back changing into a pair of tap shoes, for some reason."

"Excellent," Stewie replied. "Now all I've got to do is set the coordinates to the moment before the accident and I can save Brian, thus undoing the chain of events that occurred since then."

"Oh, yeah," Vinny caught on, "like Quantum Leap and all that."

"Yes, Vinny, Quantum Leap," Stewie repeated. "Well, thanks for your help."

"You bet," Vinny replied.

"You realize," Stewie explained, "if I save Brian, my family won't get another dog, which means we will never have met. I'll probably never see you again."

"And I'll probably never see the puppies again, either," Vinny added before turning around, bowing his head in sadness. "And I'll never get the chance to become a father again." With that, Vinny started crying.

Stewie, feeling sorry for Vinny, looked at the return pad and smiled. He had come up with an idea that just might work.

"Here," he said, handing Vinny the return pad. "Why don't you save Brian?"

Vinny stopped crying. "Me? Why me?"

"Because," Stewie continued, "if you did that, neither Barbara nor the puppies would be mad at you, like in this timeline, and you'll be hailed a hero."

"You're sacrificing your wanting to save Brian, just to have me do it?" Vinny started shedding tears of joy and smiled. "Oh, Stewie, thank you."

Vinny then gave Stewie a hug.

"All right, Vinny," Stewie chuckled. "I'll get the pad ready for you."

With that, Stewie set the coordinates on the pad and allowed Vinny to step on.

"Goodbye, Vinny," Stewie waved, "and good luck."

"So long, Stewie," Vinny replied, "and thanks."

The pad activated and Vinny disappeared, leaving a sad but happy Stewie behind.

Outside the Griffin house, Brian, hockey net in hand, Stewie and the puppies were all ready for their street hockey game.

"Okay, Brian," Stewie began as they were on their way to the street. "Here's how it's going to work. Briana and Olie are going to be on your team. Jenny and Marcus are going to be on mine. But remember, I'm just putting this out there, but I'm a baby, and only dicks don't let babies win."

Finally, the six were on the road.

"God," Brian said, taking in the fresh air, "look at this day, huh? You know, it's best to play with my kids while Barbara is inside reading. But usually, I'd be sitting inside writing, you working on one of your machines. But here we all are, enjoying it."

"Yes, it is a nice change of pace," Stewie agreed. Just then, he realized something. "Oh, wait, I gotta go grab my knee pads. I was using them for, for, for this other thing. Anyway, I'll be right back."

With that, Stewie started to go back inside while the puppies watched their dad put together the net. Little did any of them know that Vinny had appeared in front of Cleveland Brown's old house. As Stewie was about to go back inside, he heard the screeching of tires. A car was caressing toward an unsuspecting Brian. The puppies all feared the worse. Vinny knew he had to do something quick; he was running out of time.

"Brian," Stewie called, "look out!"

Inside, Stewie's call got Barbara out of her reading.

Before the car could hit Brian, Vinny lept, pushing Brian out of the way just in time, leaving only the net and hockey sticks to be run over. Stewie and the puppies gasped in surprise, and they all rushed to the now-saved dog.

"Brian, are you okay?" Stewie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Brian replied. "What the hell's going on here?"

"It's okay, Brian," Vinny assured as Brian looked at him. "I just saved your life."

Barbara rushed outside to see Brian under Vinny, and just heard him say those five words. She was relieved that her mate had just been saved.

"Who are you?" Brian asked.

"Yeah," Briana added. "Who are you?"

"The name's Vinny," Vinny answered as he got off Brian. "I just came from the future to save you, Brian."

"From the future?" Olie asked. "How?"

"Wait a minute," Stewie realized, "I've seen this dog before. He posed as a modeling agent. He must have needed my return pad so he could save Brian."

"You got it, kid," Vinny replied. "If I hadn't, a serious chain of events would have happened. The Griffins adopting me to replace you, Barbara and the puppies hating on me, the second litter dying of childbirth, Barbara dying herself after having a heart attack, and the puppies being sold off one by one."

"Wait," Brian halted. "Did you say 'second litter'?"

"Yeah," Vinny answered. "Barbara's going to have a set of twins coming."

Brian turned his head towards Barbara and smiled.

"Oh, Barbara, that's amazing," he said, walking to his mate. "Just think, a second litter."

"Isn't that wonderful?" Barbara asked.

"Yes, it is," Brian replied, giving her a hug.

"Vinny," Barbara said, smiling at him instead of growling in anger, "I don't know what to say, but thank you for saving Brian's life."

"Yeah," Vinny chuckled. "You're welcome."

Just then, the puppies surrounded Vinny, not in an angry fashion, but about to hug him in a loving fashion.

"Uh, what's going on?"

"I guess the puppies are trying to say thank you, too," Barbara answered as she let go of Brian.

"Yeah," Brian agreed. "I guess they're starting to like you."

"Did you say, 'like'?" Vinny asked.

The puppies all nodded.

"Not only that," Briana said, "but we also love you for saving our daddy."

"Yeah," Olie, Jenny and Marcus added.

Vinny shed tears of joy and smiled. "Oh, yeah," he thought. "This is exactly what I wanted. To be loved by Barbara and the puppies at last. Oh, this makes me so happy."

"Well, I guess now I'll have to send the return pad back to where it came from," Stewie suggested. "But before I do that, Mr. Vinny, do you want to go home?"

"Nah," Vinny shook his head. "I think my work there is done."

"Well, all right." With that, Stewie pressed the return pad, which then disappeared.

Even though Vinny couldn't go back now, he was still happy. He finally got what he deserved: to be loved by Barbara and the puppies.

"You know, Vinny," Brian said, "if the Griffins were happy with you in any way, I wouldn't mind even if my life hadn't been saved. In fact, I'd want it."

"Thank you, Brian," Vinny replied before he started to fade away.

"Mr. Vinny?" Briana noticed as she and the other three puppies let go, also noticing. "What's happening to you?"

Vinny also took notice.

"It looks like my timeline's being erased," he said. "The timeline where your parents died no longer exists." Accepting his fate, he smiled at Brian. "Brian, you take good care of yourself and your family. Raise those kids of yours well. And Merry Christmas."

"Thanks, Vinny," Brian replied. "I will."

"And here's a little something to remember me by." With that, Vinny took off his collar and gave it to Brian. The collar then rematerialized as soon as it touched Brian's paw.

"What?" Brian wondered.

"Just a little memento," Vinny said. "Whenever you see that thing, always think about me."

"Thank you, Vinny," Brian replied. "I'll think about you." With that, he held Barbara's paw, and the puppies and Stewie walked to the couple, watching Vinny fade away.

Vinny took one last look at the happy family and baby before he raised his arms and looked up at the sky. "Georgette, I'm coming home!" With that, Vinny faded out of existence.

Brian, Barbara, Stewie and the puppies shed tears of joy, waving goodbye to the tan dog who saved Brian's life.