Hello :P It is Wednesday and I am back with another Christmas themed story. It's unusual for me to upload things that I write so promptly but I wrote this chapter yesterday and it's already going up! I was stressing a little over whether I would actually be able to get all the Christmas themed fics done this year and then not too long after, I came up with this and decided to write it. I'm pleased because I tried something new with this one. I've written about James Morgan's grandparents from the anime, Noah and Josie a good few times - as well as Noah's twin brother, Rupert. And in this one, we go back in time and see a Christmas Eve featuring a young Josie, Noah and Rupert. As well as Josie and Noah's first son, Victor, who is actually a canon character that I headcanon is their oldest son. I wonder if anyone knows who he actually is? I hope you enjoy :P

Ages:

James: 38

Rupert and Noah: 85

(Young Rupert and Noah): 16

(Victor): 10 Months Old

Disclaimer: I own the story and the OCs mentioned!

Though everyone was mostly distracted by tucking into their own helpings of the glorious feast, a good few of us looked up and took notice of one of the main sights and I for one was one of them! It filled me with amusement in between greatly appreciating my own Christmas meal to see what was going on far along the table to me and on the other side.

Like many Christmases before and hopefully many Christmases after, a good many of our groups were gathered at the house of James' grandparents, Noah and Josie for our festive feast. And needless to say, with the grey haired sweet old lady being a host, a feast it was! There was plenty to go round and there was plenty for everyone and there were plenty of smiles. There was plenty of amusement as well. And it was that kind of thing that somehow caught my eye rather than the plate of grub in front of me.

With a large group and lots of different families and friends and people popping by all the time, it was always unapparent how many seats were needed. And with people shuffling around all the time as well and swapping seats and children stealing ones to make forts and all sorts of games of their own when they should be appreciating the food – that often meant that someone could accidentally found without a seat.

And on that day and during that Christmas dinner and as Josie had headed back to the kitchen to bring out another dish to present and offer to us all, it was James Morgan who had found himself on the receiving end of a missing seat. I for one believed that it was the antics of one of the children – Jaxon from the Morgan's or Eddie from the Oak's most likely.

But despite all the guests and the hub bub and the people offering their own seat to the grandson of the hosts and some of the children in particular giggling – the children who were most definitely the suspects – the lavender haired male was entirely unfazed by it. In fact, it amused him almost as much as what he did that lead to my own amusement.

So waving a dismissive hand and holding his wine glass in the other one, he shrugged and smiled, leaning up against the other guests chair while reassuring those who were double checking he was okay with going out. Lynne, Misty and Cameron were in the majority.

"Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it at all. It's fine." The lavender haired male insisted and because those words were very mundane indeed, the youngest of the lot lost all interest at that point. They understood that it really was fine and resumed their eating and their games and their antics! However, some people kept an eye out before they could return what they were doing completely. I think they had a feeling that there was going to be some light-heartedness next. And James did indeed crack on with this.

Stopping his hand from waving dismissively, those digits then moved to his face where soft stubble shadowed his features. I clocked on that that hand was trying to disguise his oncoming smirk. I saw it. I was certain that other guests were going to spot it. He had to act quickly. So he did that. He bumped further against the chair to his own left and put a hand on the person's shoulder. He squeezed it.

"Me and Uncle Rupert here will just squash up together and share a seat." James finally answered and I heard the way that the curly haired older male's knife squeaked against his plate as he had been in the middle of cutting something or other to eat. But it was not dread – far from it. I think it was just him finally acknowledging what was going on. The lavender haired male squeezed his shoulder a second time when his grandfather's twin brother looked at him, making sure to include him with a proper grin that time. "You don't mind, do you, Rupi?"

"Of course I don't." the greying lavender haired male answered quickly but despite that, it was said with quite a muffle because he had taken the time to put a bit of extra food in his mouth before he spoke. Even so, he was visibly compliant and people gathering around the table also could see that by the way he squeaked his chair backwards, indicating for his grandson to join him. When said grandson had indeed joined him and plonked himself on the space of chair between his legs rather than the side, Rupert showed off a smile that was in equal measures genuineness and mischief – the same as the younger male, really. "We're going to have a grand time. I think we should have done this from the beginning!"

That was the moment that filled me with amusement. That was the exact moment of amusement for me, as it was for a lot of other people. Seeing the lavender haired rocketeer take a seat between the lap of his great-uncle and usher for one of his children to hand his plate over to him so he could continue eating.

And then following that thing that tickled me pink on Christmas Day, I found myself snickering along with Misty the way that although some people had stopped their celebrating to laugh at the scene, most of them were shrugging and carrying on as if it was the most normal thing in the world! The orange haired female and I had a laugh about that and she shared her fizzy orange juice with me. And it was then that I didn't know if it was the scene that was tickling me so or the slurps from people's various drinks that I had had!

However, I was left in understanding when even though most of the reactions had been amused (or indifferent) I saw someone shuffle in their seat closer to James and Rupert and I believed that he wouldn't quite see the funny side. But I couldn't have been more wrong.

From sitting on the left of Rupert himself and in his own seat, James' grandfather, Noah, had a frown on his face as he edged closer to the pair himself. Pushing his dinner plate aside for one moment and reaching to smooth down his moustache, he gave his two relatives a look. He was most definitely frowning.

"Are you sure you two should be doing that?" he questioned in a serious tone and I knew that I had not been mistaken by the clanking of knives and forks that I heard there and then. Some guests believed that a telling off was going to be in order. Noah was an ex-police officer, after all. He had me fooled for a couple as well and Ash as he returned with Rey on his hip following excusing himself to change her. But after a couple of seconds and when James and Rupert's own head's turned back to their relative in between the younger male wrapping his arm around the older one, even Noah couldn't stop himself from having a playful grin. "Wouldn't it be comfier for y'all if I pushed my seat up to Rupert's so we can all share the two seats between the three of us?"

Misty and I shared a look upon hearing this but then for the most part we were too distracted with observing what would happen next. The lavender haired male quickly caught on to his grandfather's own impishness and though the curly haired male was sceptical for a couple more second after that, he reached for his little glass of something in front of him and held it up in the air, as if to say "good one" to his twin brother.

The greyer haired of the two watched his curly haired twin brother do that with his glass and then he followed suit, reaching for his own and the adult pair of twins clinked their glasses together. And it was when they did this that James didn't refrain from smiling to himself and responding himself.

"I'm happy right where I am. With you two." He told them and he told them with one arm still around Rupert and then he kept the other one away from the table completely and wrapped it around Noah. He patted them both on the chest lightly. His words had been used to describe the seating arrangement. But they still couldn't be further from not being honest.

And when Josie came back from the kitchen with a different recipe dish of mash potatoes just for her very much grown-up grandson and she chuckled heartily in between holding her cooking at the sight of her three male relatives, the lavender haired male repeated these words to his Nanny Josie. And she didn't doubt them at all.

She acknowledged her brother-in-law making space for James by reaching out and touching the younger male lightly on the cheek before sharing a brief but loving and very sweet peck on the lips with Noah.

And then it was then and there that I knew that everyone else had gone back to their own meals and their own hilarities and their own families and I was the one left watching. I was the one left watching and I was the one left observing.

I understood that it was wonderful for that little corner of the family to have plentiful food and comfort and luxuries because it hadn't always been that way for some of them involved. But I knew that even though that hadn't been the case, they'd always been rich on love. And because I thought of that and stared at the faces of the three boys and two of them in particular – Noah and Rupert – I started to understand things even further. I understood and I saw a moment of a very long time ago. And it was yet another memory from Christmas.

It was Christmas Eve and Rupert was bored. It was Christmas Eve and there was no denying it – Rupert was absolutely bored. He couldn't help but sigh as he sat on the floor and pulled his legs to his chest, looking over at the clock. He couldn't help but do all of this and as he did all of this he thought of all the things he was missing.

Christmas parties happening everywhere. Hearty laughter. Drinks all around. Togetherness. And even if the extroverted and loud kind of fun wasn't going on, the introverted and gentle kind was taking place also. People gathered around the open fire. Children waiting by the window in desperate attempts to keep their sleepy eyes open long enough to catch sight of Santa Claus. Young lovers pecking on the lips under mistletoe as they shared their first Christmas as husband and wife. Open fires. Marshmallows. Hot chocolates. Families.

Families. Rupert outwardly sighed, allowing his legs to move and stretch out in front of him. He wasn't exactly without that and he wasn't even alone on Christmas Eve but he felt it. As the time crept ever closer to midnight and the dark and run down house grew colder and the candle started to flicker less and less, begging to be relit – Rupert felt more and more alone.

But he was not alone. In some ways, that was the problem. He was not alone. He had been left in the house with a baby. And for once in his life he just did not feel in the mood to interact with that little child.

When for the millionth time that Christmas Eve, that little person crawled back over to the curly haired young man, attempting to bat and encourage the ball that they had been playing with, with him – Rupert groaned. It had been such a tedious night of entertaining that little baby with not a lot of entertain him with.

But being the person that I knew the older version of Rupert to be, he let go of all of his true feelings with a sigh – and even though I got the vision that he was exhaling a weary (and potentially rude) word under his breath – he knew he had to be there and he had to be present.

So going against his true feelings, Rupert sat further up when the small baby finally crawled his way back over to the older male and he encouraged him with a kind expression, smiling at him when he shrieked.

"Oh would you look at that? You've bought the ball to me all over again. That's exactly what I need, isn't it?" the curly lavender haired male uttered with an extremely convincing tone but I knew that his observational self could hear all of the insincerity coming out of his vocal chords and it made him feel more isolated than ever. However, he tried to focus on the little boy rather than himself. "Well done Victor. Well done. You'll be running around in no time, won't you?"

And with that, the sixteen year old young man lifted the baby boy up under his armpits and held him in the air, above his head, causing the little dark purple haired child to squeal gleefully – even more chuffed with that than he had been with playing fetch. Rupert balanced the little boy up there for a couple more moments before planting his little feet firmly on his thighs, holding him by the wrists. He spoke once more.

"You're really going to walk really soon, I can feel it. I can tell that you're ready." The curly haired male spoke to the little child as if he could perfectly understand everything that he was saying and when Victor danced his feet on his Uncle's lap and they started to move just a fraction too much, Rupert stopped him from standing there and held him to his chest instead. He almost covered one of his ears with one of his hands. "But not tonight. You're not allowed to be ready tonight. You're not allowed while your parents aren't here."

And then as soon as the curly haired young man said these words, Rupert sighed just like he had done when he thought about everything that he was missing out on. But in actual fact, he had been thinking about everything that they had been missing out on.

It didn't take very long at all for more words to tumble out of his lips – without thinking at all which was still very much like him even all those years ago.

"But then again, when are they here?" Rupert thought aloud to himself and he furrowed his brow, still holding his little nephew to his chest. He didn't exactly react out-rightly. Though he said these words and furrowed his brow - that was pretty much all that indicated the matter what was going on. Nevertheless, little Victor could pick up on the smallest things and he picked up on everything that Rupert wasn't saying and everything that Rupert wasn't doing. Or perhaps the older male gripped him a little too tight as he held him close. Victor started to kick his legs and wail. Rupert had to be quick to soothe him and add more words. "It's just the way it is. It's just the way it is now. But I'm here. I'll always be here."

The young man tried not to ruminant over the fact that he was always there and that was one of the problems as well. He was always there and he was always the one at home and with the baby. But because that was what they decided and what he personally had offered to do when little Victor came along, Rupert knew that it would be unfair to mull on these feelings too much.

So he continued reassuring the little boy. The dark purple haired baby kicked his legs a little more and grizzled behind his thumb that he had plonked in his mouth so Rupert ran his fingers over his wispy locks.

"I am here. And it can feel like your Mama and Daddy are here too if you really want it to be that way." Rupert said before pausing, finally inwardly acknowledging that him talking to Victor like he was a fully-fledged person rather than a baby wasn't always the greatest idea. His changed his approach and even tried to perk up his tone when the little boy looked up at him with big, round teal orbs. "Shall we play some of their records?"

And perhaps it really was the words that Rupert was saying or finally his tone becoming more child-friendly but either way, the little baby seemed to perfectly understand. He suddenly wriggled in his uncle's hold to break free of him and because he intended to clamber and crawl off his lap, he did exactly this. And he made his way over to the couple and Rupert's tiny music station in the corner. Victor didn't refrain from his dribbly hands reaching to the rack of the records at the bottom and while he did this, the curly haired male had time to relight the candles that were quickly fading into the night along with the idea that things would ever change – at least in the near future.

But the thing was Rupert had offered to do all of that. Noah and Josie knew that it was going to be tight when they fell pregnant at the age of sixteen so Rupert was completely hands on and ready to help and support in whatever way he could. When he wasn't at school, he was at home with little Victor while his parents worked hard. The curly haired male had offered his services like they were a duty. And usually he was so happy to do it. But Christmas Eve felt differently. And he still couldn't put his finger on why.

The curly haired male had to snap his real fingers into action when he drifted away from his introverted thoughts and saw Victor reaching his baby hands out to one record in a sleeve in particular. Rupert came over to join him once more while withholding a sigh, squatting down next to him. When he saw the baby boy plonking himself down on his bottom and waving his hand around his face, he agreed. But he believed it to be an opinion towards his parents taste in music – rather than what he would do in his nappy in the future!

"I know how you feel, little man. Their music has always felt outdated, even for them." He murmured in response and when the little boy's hand stopped waving and his thumb went back in his mouth and he peeked at Rupert from behind his hand, the curly haired male gave him a smile that was more genuine than it had been when he had been looking after him all those hours before. "Why don't you play one of mine? You can listen to that and then I should probably pop you in bed. Somehow I think there's no point in waiting up for Santa. I don't think he'd know to come here…"

The usually charismatic and unique self that was Rupert found himself trailing off. In fact, both of those Morgan boys craned around behind them at the same time to see the little potted plant that the family had been using as a Christmas tree. And apart from a couple of candles lit that was mainly as a source of light and heat too, there were no other festive decorations at all. The money just could not be spared. And that was another thing that Rupert almost found himself thinking about, though he managed to hide it from the little boy.

However, he didn't manage to conceal the words that came out next. Both of their necks craning back and little Victor attempting to pull himself up on the frail record trolley, Rupert mumbled some more.

"I don't think there's any point waiting up for your parents either." The curly haired male added and because the little boy appeared to quiet down upon hearing this though he couldn't have possibly understood what he was saying, Rupert reached his hand out and lightly patted the younger child on the head. He knew that he had to encourage him to keep on as normal and to be brave. Even if the young man himself was finding it increasingly strangely difficult to be alone that night. "Go on. Pick out your record that's going to be a lullaby."

And with that, little Victor did indeed pick out a record to play. It was one of the loose ones and without a sleeve and it was pretty scratched but still played virtually all the way through. Pushing his curls from his eyes, Rupert placed the single on the record player and used his fingers to lower the needle correctly. It jumped and it fizzed and it scratched but the song finally started a good dozen seconds in.

Despite the fact that Rupert had informed the little baby that it was a lullaby song, the small child seemed to get hyped up with it! He flopped back down on his bottom and he shook his head in time to the music, his hands flapping. The curly haired male had a bit of a smile. The curly had male did have a bit of a smile. But even though Victor had chosen a record that was out of his collection rather than Noah or Josie's, it still made him think of them. And it was then that he started to think of all the sacrifices that they were making. And it was then that he seated himself back against the stone cold radiator that he realised that it was that that was making him feel so seriously reflective.

They missed out on a lot of big moments when it came to their son. Of course it was not their fault and when they were away from him they were working with all of their might to provide for them and all of their little family together. But they still missed important instances.

Victor had slept through the night the first time when Noah was on a night shift at the police station and Josie had got home from her waitress job and fallen asleep as she returned and flopped on her bed. Victor had crawled for the first time when Rupert got down on his hands and knees and encouraged him to do so. Victor had showed his first gummy toothed smile to the three of them together but it wasn't in the traditional setting of a loving home with comfort and contentment for all. It was in the small and dank house that Noah and Rupert had inherited off their father when he passed on the year before. So for that reason, it didn't feel like everything it could have been.

Rupert sighed all over, he couldn't help himself and that time, he pressed his palms over his face when it happened. A lot of things in life confused him. Though he acted rash and reckless at times and was learning to speak his mind and had an extroverted sort of humour about him, he really did think a lot. He really did think an awful lot. A lot of things in life confused him. The family situation that he found himself in was the biggest one of all.

And not because he felt trapped or held back. Granted, any young adult in his position would have felt that way at one point or another and that was perfectly okay. It just felt unfair to everyone involved. Little Victor who didn't get to see his parents all of the time just because they weren't born into a house of wealth. Josie who saw Noah as her only real family and didn't have any one else really to lean on at the young age that she was. And Noah – his twin brother – who wanted so badly to be a good father but had to be a good background father rather than a good foreground one.

Like a lot of things in life, their situation was not perfect and it didn't usually seem to bother Rupert. They made it work with what they had and everything that they did have. But that night and on Christmas Eve – it felt incredibly unfair. And it even felt bordering on hopeless. He felt that the situation needed to be changed and he knew that it would only change if he or someone made an effort to change it. But for once in his motivated life he did not know where to begin.

And in that moment it was obvious that if babies didn't pick up on certain queues and words and moments unspoken then Victor most definitely did. Rupert didn't even notice it when the record came to a scratching end. However, he did notice it when the dark purple haired baby boy came crawling over to him and he simply crouched down to press his cheek against his leg.

The curly haired young male jumped at first – as if he felt so alone and isolated in his private worries that he had forgotten that he was not alone. Slowly and uncertainly, his hands pulled away from his face. But he let out a sigh when he looked down and saw as well as felt the little boy beginning to simply plant his face right against his limb. And that time, it was not a sigh of despair or dread. It was a sigh that was the inclination of trying to make things better. Even if he didn't exactly know how.

Almost gingerly but filled with fondness all the same, Rupert's hand reached out to touch the little boy on the cheek and he caressed his face lightly with the back of his fingers. Little Victor's eyes instinctively fluttered shut though the curly haired male wasn't exactly sure if he had actually fallen asleep. It wasn't usually that easy!

But even so, Rupert made the most of the opportunity and he whispered out to the little boy and his breath felt as though it should have warmed the coldness of the unheated room in Sinnoh.

"You should have everyone around you for Christmas Eve next year. Next year, you deserve nothing more." The curly lavender haired male uttered plainly but with an undeniable trace of sincerity nevertheless. And the little boy let out his own quiet sigh and moved closer to the older male at the same time that his fingers edged to stroke his tufts of hair rather than his cheek.

And it was then that the sound of a key in the front door could be heard. The sound was unmistakeable. And at first, it put a shiver down Rupert's spine and a clump of dryness in his mouth. It was past eleven o clock in the evening at that point and had suspected Noah and Josie to be much later. The bar closed for Josie at eleven o'clock but the havoc of Christmas made it understandable that she might not get away for a good couple of hours after that. And as for Noah – well – Christmas in general made his police work pretty inconsistent!

But it wasn't just that. In a way Rupert had felt as though he was in his own bubble with Victor and even though he had found that night not the most fun and pretty isolating too, it was strange to him that it wasn't going to be just them anymore. And on top of that, he had a little bit more fear in his throat when he looked at the clock.

He hadn't put their little boy to bed – he had merely only bathed him and put him in his pyjamas a couple of hours ago. Looking after their child was a decision he made and a duty he bestowed upon himself but still worried about letting them down.

Rupert exhaled fully out his nose when the sound of two people coming into the house was more obvious and when one of them shut the front door behind them, the other headed off to another room in the tiny house – assumedly the lavatory.

The curly haired lavender haired male knew he had to stop quaking in his boots. It was ridiculous, really! He had kept their child entertained and calm and dare he say it – happy – too? Still, a part of him felt a little on edge about facing his twin brother and his girlfriend all over again and it wasn't just down to the bubble he was in and the expectations he liked to rise too. He had things he wanted to say. He had things he wanted to say to them both but Noah most of all.

And he didn't like to address them as soon as someone stepped in the door but he felt like there was no time like the present. And emotions and words were best expressed when they were being thought and felt. Or so he thought and felt at that point in his life.

Quietly and carefully, he cupped his hand under little Victor's cheek and slid his legs out from underneath him, encouraging him so his head rested comfortably on the carpet instead. Rupert had his suspicions over whether or not the little baby was sleeping but when his head lolled and his eyes remained shut and his breathing continued deepening, he believed that Victor had drifted off while resting on him.

Rupert stood up off the floor and walked towards where he gathered his twin brother or Josie to be, dusting off his jeans as he walked as if the floor was covered in grub and grime. Following that, both of his hands slid in his pockets. As well as this, his curly locks seemed to be going in all directions. Perhaps it was the anticipation or the reflective night or the cold atmosphere. No one could tell.

But Noah could tell when his twin brother walked into the kitchen to greet him. Even though the straighter haired male was swaying about quite a lot and holding onto the counter top to keep steady. He spotted him straight away and had words for him, his eyes fixing right on him so it was definitely him he was addressing.

"Rupert, I was just about to come and find ya, I swear to god I was." The lavender haired male in the police uniform greeted his twin brother and straight away, that was a bit of a strange choice of words and Rupert reacted to that. He frowned to himself. He hadn't been home that long. Fortunately, Noah added. "It feels like a long night. All I wanted was to come home to y'all."

Rupert nodded his head first and then had a second to think afterwards. He took one of his hands out of his pockets and tried to smooth down his curly sprigs of hair. No doubt was police work gruelling work and a time that was meant to be spent with family, it did suck that Noah had been taken away from his closest members. And it was clear that he had had to deal with some kind of scuffle from the way that his usually pristine uniform was open a few buttons on the chest and there were tug marks on the collar!

However, the more that Rupert kept quiet and the more that he thought before speaking and the more that he observed, the more it became clear that that wasn't what Noah's words were intending. They could have been true, they usually wouldn't be doubted. But they were not. And therefore they needed to be.

And the more that Rupert kept quiet and the more that he looked at his twin brother with that studious gaze of his that contrasted with his whacky curls of hair, even Noah in the middle of swaying spotted it and he decided to come over to the other lavender haired male.

He let out a breath and he reached out for Rupert, both his hands clasping his shoulders. He did it as he decided to be honest with his twin brother as well as the fact that he very much needed holding. Rupert steadied him by cupping his elbows.

"I'll be honest with ya, Rupert. I didn't go to the police academy tonight after all." Noah began and he finally stopped swaying in the hold of his twin brother and it was when he was even closer eye level to Rupert that he explained everything. His shift call earlier on in the evening had been his police pals having a laugh and they tricked him into spending Christmas Eve with them at the bar that Josie happened to work at and celebrating at the party that the joint was hosting. The straighter haired lavender haired male elaborated; his eyes full of innocence as he believed that Rupert had seen through his façade the minute he walked in the door. He couldn't lie to him. "I didn't have any money on me to call and I couldn't ask any of the others after everything they've already done for us. And I know that I should have come straight home. But one drink turned into two and…"

Rupert's listening gaze threatened to twinkle with a bit of a smirk but he managed to withhold it at his goody two shoes twin brother making a tiny bit of a mistake and feeling a little bit remorseful and caught out. The curly haired male shook his head – trying to shake off the subtle enjoyment that his twin brother was at least acting his age for once!

The straighter haired male copied and shook his head as well, copying Rupert and trying to convey sincerity. He held onto him tighter. He readdressed his point.

"I really did want to come home and just be with y'all. It dawned on me that I've missed so much this year and tonight is no different. And it's Christmas Eve. I expect Victor is in bed? I know there's always tomorrow but…" Noah rambled his way through and he tried to be resolute but there was no denying that he was in a very similar boat to Rupert but on the different side of the ocean. And because the more sensible of the two was feeling that way, it made perfect sense to Rupert why he had been feeling everything that he had been experiencing. They were united. They were united in their desire to do the right thing when it came by their family.

So the curly haired male knew it was time to broach that subject with Noah. He had intended it all along. And Noah unwittingly led them to that conversation.

"I wanted to talk to you about that actually." Rupert put forth with a surprising no amount of hesitation to his words and this greatly contrasted to everything he was feeling inside. After Noah no longer needed to hold onto his twin brother so tightly and he in fact stood on his own two feet without support, the green orbed male furrowed his brow as he listened to the hazel orbed male's words. Initially, a quality of dread washed over his expression as he worried that he was going to be the one in for a telling off or some guidance. Rupert decided to reach his hands back out to Noah's shoulders that time as he continued. "Do you… Do you think it would be a good idea if I quit school and get a job instead, like you guys? Then I'm earning money instead of studying. And then we can all go out sometimes and pay for someone to mind Victor. And we can all get parts of him equally. I don't want us to miss out on anything… I want to make sure we're doing the right thing."

These words were like a bit of a slap to the face for Noah. And not because they were a harsh insight into reality. It was because he was expecting Rupert to tell him he needed to pull his weight around or something – even though he was doing his absolute best. Because like his twin brother, it was always in the back of his head that he could be doing more.

So when Noah heard Rupert pondering aloud if more sacrifices could be made to optimise everything eve better – sacrifices on Rupert's own part – it caused Noah's head to jerk and his eyes to widen. But it was in the best possible way. Circumstances and responsibility hadn't permanently altered his twin brother. It had enhanced him. And filled him with even more selflessness that would lead him onto his future passion and field in the distant future.

But for the time being, Noah just had to swallow and reach his own hands back out to Rupert's shoulders. He exhaled as he thought of the right words. And then he thought of them so he said them. Just like his curly haired brother would have done.

"School is your life, Rupert… Studying and learning is your life, you cannot give that up." The straighter haired male started and without hesitation, the curly haired male's expression changed as if he was thinking before admitting that that little family was his life as well. Noah held his finger briefly up but it was done with respect nonetheless. He had things to say. So he continued to say them. He let out a sigh and then he uttered. And the more that he said his words, the more a bit of a smirk started to take over his face. "You're the smart one, ya know? You need to stick with school for Victor. You need to stick with it for Victor. What would he do without his smart and studious Uncle Rupert, huh? He'd just see his old dad who managed to royally mess up enough to bring him into the world."

"Hey." The curly haired male interrupted and it caused Noah's ever-growing smirk to be wiped off his face. And the reason that Rupert said this word was so utterly obvious that his expression did all of the talking and then more words elaborated some more. Rupert squeezed Noah's shoulders as he told him. "He's in the world now and we'll make sure we do the best. All three of us. Even if it means missing important moments like Christmas Eve together. There is always another one. A there's always tomorrow. We're trying to do the right thing. That's just as good as achieving doing the right thing."

And nobody could expect Noah to respond promptly after it had been Rupert to do so beforehand but it was proven that they were both capable of it. The straighter haired lavender male gave his twin brother a light push. And he uttered his own one word before adding more.

"Hey. Speak for yourself. Do you really think that Christmas Eve is going to be missed entirely on Josie's watch?" Noah questioned and it took Rupert a couple of moments to blink and come back to the reality that Josie had since returned from being in the bathroom and got right to action. And the results of her action were happening in the very next room. And the sound of little Victor waking up and cooing were because of what she had prepared for them to share. The straighter haired male had a bit more of a clue. He tugged his twin brother's arm and laughed, encouraging him to walk with him. "C'mon! It'll be New Years before you get your butt in gear."

Noah teased Rupert and then together the two twin boys headed back to the living room that Rupert had spent feeling isolated with Victor in. And there had been a complete transformation. It was not a dramatic or a material transformation but the energy of making the best out of things is what gave the living room the warming glow.

Josie had lit just a few more candles. Victor had woken up from his very brief snooze on Christmas Eve and started clapping his hands. And there were little bits of party Christmas food and a picnic blanket for them all to share.

Noah lurked with Rupert in the doorway and with his arm stretching over his twin brother's shoulders. He straighter haired male of the two just had a smile of his face and a twinkle in his eyes as he felt glad to be in the knowing of it all. And as Rupert continued blinking and then as he looked between Noah and Victor and Josie too and of course the little spread, the orange haired young woman that was Josie caught on and answered before words needed to be uttered at all.

"Those folk back at the Christmas party didn't need all of this to themselves, did they? We deserve a bit of a celebration too. So let's celebrate!" Josie encouraged and the two boys' did not need a second moment of encouragement together after that!

Though they broke away from one and other and they stopped wrapping their arms around each other, they touched knuckles before they separated for good. They did deserve it. They had worked hard that year. And they deserved a little moment all together.

Victor's eyes appeared bigger than ever in the fuller candle glow and all of the snacks in front of him looked so very tempting! Rupert knew that it was only a matter of time before they got knocked over or drooled on or straight up devoured. So the curly haired male made a beeline for his nephew and he sat down with him before placing him on his lap.

Noah was to follow next and he sat down cross legged next to his twin brother and on his left. Josie giggled as she stood over the two of them for a couple of moments before properly joining them. And then when she did, she reached her hand out to lightly touch her son on the cheek before sharing a sweet and gentle and loving peck on the lips with Noah.

It really was true that they hadn't always been rich in plentiful food and comfort and luxuries but the love had always been glowing there. And because it came from humble and sincere beginnings – it would never truly cease.

They would go on to share more and more Christmases with one and other and better ones too. People would leave their clan. People would join. It started with the four of them. It started with Noah, Josie, Rupert and Victor and their little Christmas Eve together. It wasn't how everybody else spent that sort of occasion but they made the most out of what they had.

And as time passed they realised that they had the best. They had each other. They realised that family was the only real wealth. That would be a lesson that Noah and Josie would pass onto their grandson when he finally came along. And it wouldn't be too long at all until he was the one sat on Rupert's lap and sharing Christmas with them all as well!

The End.

There you go! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed :3 So yeah, even though that was a Christmas themed fic, it also introduced a lot of subjects that I would love to write about in 2020. The biggest interest to me in this one is how much Rupert reminded me of Justin! I guess the dutifulness is in the Morgan genes. I also liked the inclinations of Rupert's character from the future - his observations and ability to work through emotions is what makes him become a psychologist and counsellor when he's much older. And as well as that, you can see that Noah is the well behaved one - even if he is visibly tipsy here! :P Thanks again for reading and I will be back again next Wednesday with another winter themed chapter so see you then!

AmyBieberKetchum signing out :3