A/N: So this is gonna require an explanation. The reason why you see this as the "Third Verse" and not the second one is because someone's already written it. CreepingCrytsal has written a second story, a direct sequel, to "Peck the Halls". So, without further ado, let's wrap this whole story up with the third and final installment. Just remember to check out the sequel first if you haven't already.

Oh, and once again, characters in this story are a few years older than they are in canon.

All was well in the bedroom of one Carl Casagrande, a certainly swirly-haired boy happily recounting what was, perhaps, his happiest memory from the comfort of his bed.

He didn't know that anything could make him feel fifty feet tall until yesterday. Getting away with scams and pulling out a passing grade for a rigorous test that he barely studied for got him around the thirty foot range, but he had cleared that by a huge margin.

Thanks to Carlota and quite a lot of help from her friend, Alisa Barela.

Her beautiful, stunning, intoxicating, mesmerizing friend…

Carl caught himself staring off into space with a sappy, toothy smile but did nothing to stop himself, even if the risk of someone walking in on him and laughing at this goofy expression was high. Let them have their chuckles; he had Alisa's kisses.

He sighed dreamily as he nestled his head deeper in his pillow, replaying the events in his head as vividly as he could. He was in a daze, as if heaven itself had swept him through the clouds on a peaceful drift among the seas, but he remembered the warm sensation of a pair of plump, pretty lips imprinting a tingly brand of sensation everywhere it touched his face.

How many had she planted on him? He had lost count after seven, but he could never lose the feeling of his tummy tingling or his face heating up in a good way as Alisa delivered the most mind-blowing barrage of kisses he thought anyone could have.

Even as she departed, it still felt like she was there, wrapping him up in the coziest of hugs and tickling his skin with her scintillating smooches.

Carl sighed happily again, his head feeling happy and woozy. He could stay there all the way through Christmas if he were allowed to; just him and his mind reliving the best half-minute of his life.

What was Alisa doing now, he wondered? He hadn't seen her since yesterday. Then again, he hadn't left his room for much beyond eating dinner and brushing his teeth before bed.

Whatever it was, though, perhaps she thought she hadn't done enough to make him not feel so sad anymore (however that happened in the first place; it was difficult to remember) and was planning to come over to remedy that with more of her oh-so sweet charity…

Carl giggled, actually giggled, at the idea with the excitement of a teenage girl caught off guard by an amazing clothes sale. But pride be darned, he couldn't help it. If anyone was in his shoes, they'd be hoping for the same.

And thanks to Carlota, "anyone" didn't have a chance to see what had happened. She had recorded Alisa working her magic on him and had intended to upload it as a vlog for her viewers but Alisa had apparently talked her out of it; the last thing anyone needed was the boy being a target by jealous viewers, she had reasoned and Carlota had apparently agreed.

Fine by him. That was his moment and he didn't wanna share it with anyone.

...

Wait…

Sharing…

'Sharing!'

Carl jolted up suddenly, remembering what was on top of his winter break agenda; besides opening up presents on Christmas morning, he wanted to share the glory of taking down the terrifying tag team of Ricky and Becky in the ultimate snowball fight! Their teamwork was immaculate, their defense was impregnable, their offense was invincible. No one could touch them. Not even close.

But Carl, like with practically any challenge that promised honor and respect to anyone who could conquer it, was ready to be a legend, hailed as a titan of snowball fighting the likes of which the city, no, the world had ever seen before!

…

Oh, and his partner could be a legend, too. Sure. Whatever.

But still, gaining a reliable, loyal recruit was the key to victory and he already had one person in mind.

Dashing out of his room and out into the hallway, he was out to search for Alexis Flores. Shy and meek on the outside, but sturdy and dependable where it counted. Carl knew better than to underestimate him but would Ricky and Becky? That was the key to victory! They'd look at him and assume an easy win, only to get blindsided by Carl's quick wits and ninja-like reflexes!

He grinned devilishly as he continued his quick pace through the hallways, on his way to see if Alexis was-

Carl suddenly halted, as if he had slammed cartoonishly into a brick wall and was stymied from both the pain and the suddenness of the situation. But instead of peeling himself off his obstacle and blowing air into his flat body until he was restored, he just…stood in recollection.

But not like before with Alisa.

This time, it was somber recollection.

Now he remembered why he had been sulking, and all it took was remembering one of the people involved at the scene of his personal disaster. And now, despite everything that had happened yesterday, that lonely, longing, jealousy started to creep back up, almost like bile in the back of his throat bubbling up.

It didn't reach the peak of two days ago, though, when he had stumbled upon Adelaide showering her affection on Alexis in a surprising way; kisses and plenty of them.

It made him wish he hadn't seen what he had saw.

It made him long to be in Alexis' place.

It made him ache as he watched her lovingly lavish someone for the reason of being, in her words, "such a good friend".

As if he didn't count.

As if, after everything that they had been through, he didn't earn that noble distinction.

As if…as if he disgusted her.

It had been two days since it happened and Adelaide hadn't sought him out to do the same.

Was she busy with family? Was she sick? Too busy playing in the snow?

Carl slumped forward, his head hanging low. He disregarded all of those possibilities. She was probably off doing the same to Alexis again.

Right now, in fact.

He imagined where they could be, probably all toasty next to a roaring fireplace and with Adelaide keeping her company nice and warm with more of her blissful, gentle kisses. He could vividly picture Alexis practically melted in a pile of goo as his head treated snugly in Adelaide's lap while she took care to make the moment last as she slowly and softly covered every inch of his face with gentle smooches.

Carl's fists clenched as his heart ached. No wonder he had been miserable. Only this time, not even Alisa could distract him. As kind as she was, now the memory of her lips against his cheek chilled him to the bone, as if ice had been injected in his veins and began meticulously and cruelly freezing his blood to the point of unbearable pain.

It now mocked him, a crude parody of what he had wanted all along; the validation of someone that he deeply cared for and someone he wished would see him in that way, too.

For the first time that day, Carl sighed mournfully, walked up to a wall to sit against it, and buried his head against his folded up legs that were nearly pressed into his chest.

He couldn't cry, not after he felt that he had exhausted all of his tears from the night before last. All he could do, two days before Christmas, was sit out in the empty, quiet hallway and mope.

…

…

Except…what was the point?

Futility began to contend with forlorn as Carl started to see the error in his mournful idleness. He was bound to see Adelaide directly, face-to-face, at some point. Why assume when he could confirm the truth with his own eyes and ears? Adelaide was as bold as anyone he had ever meant. If he she wanted to tell him off and look down on him, she'd make sure that the message was loud and clear.

And as painful as that would be, at least he'd be able to move on, to no longer hope for the unobtainable.

He got up, heart still heavy with hurt but no longer weighed down by pain. Before Carl could do anything with snowballs or Alexis or anything else, he had to get to the bottom of things; his stance with his best friend and the true depths of the care he had towards her. Which meant..

'I have to find Adelaide!'