Merry Christmas Eve! I debated when to post this story, but I figured since it takes place on Christmas Eve and I'll be very busy tomorrow, I might as well post it today!

Since I'll be away for the holidays this year, this will also be the last story I post for 2019. Thanks for reading this year, leaving reviews, sending me messages, all of it! I so appreciate it and love being able to share my writing with you all. May you all have a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year!

Aiden and Michelle: 6 years old

Elizabeth: 4 months old


Happiest Holidays

"Wake up, Daddy! Wake up!"

"Yeah, you can't sleep on Christmas Eve!"

Ash groaned and rolled over on the couch so his back was facing out. His visitors were persistent, however, and refused to give up in their quest to wake him up. Before Ash knew it, one of them was on top of him, grabbing his face and crying, "it's time to wake up now!"

Grumbling, Ash reluctantly opened his eyes and found that it was Michelle hovering over him. Aiden was leaning over the arm rest by his head, only inches away from his father's face.

"Ah!" Ash gasped, jumping up and shaking Michelle off him. Both twins started to giggle wildly, while Pikachu, who had been watching from the top of the couch, twitched his ears at the familiar, joyful sound.

Rubbing his eyes, Ash sighed, "Man, you guys still have so much energy. What time is it, anyway?"

Aiden and Michelle exchanged curious looks.

"It's only the afternoon," Aiden squeaked.

"After…noon?" Ash breathed. He glanced over his shoulder and out the window that was stationed above the couch, right behind Pikachu. It was indeed still bright and sunny out; not at all nighttime like he thought it was.

"Piiika," Pikachu mumbled.

Ash groaned and ran his hands down his face. "I could've sworn it was nighttime."

"You're silly, Daddy!" Michelle giggled.

Ash smiled at Michelle's enthusiasm. "I think I'm more sleepy than silly, princess."

"Sleepy?" Aiden repeated incredulously. "How can you be sleepy on Christmas Eve?!"

"Because you've got a baby sister who keeps me and Mommy up all night," Ash chuckled.

"Isn't it Lizzie's very first Christmas?" Aiden asked, tilting his head.

"It is!" Ash confirmed.

"That must be why she stays up all night," Aiden giggled. "She's just excited for Christmas like me and Shelly!"

"Nah, she always does that," Michelle refuted.

"Yeah, but maybe now it's -cause she's excited!" Aiden calmly argued.

"I don't know about that one, champ," Ash mused. "She's still just a baby. She doesn't even know what Christmas is!"

"But I tell her about it all the time," Aiden muttered, his lips bending into a frown. "We read her all our favorite Christmas stories, too!"

"I know," Ash replied. "But when someone is that young, they don't always know what's going on, even if you tell them all about it!"

"That must be weird, not even knowing what Christmas is," Michelle sighed wistfully.

Ash smiled at the twins. "You know, you guys were even younger than your little sister when you had your first Christmas!"

"Wait, really?" Michelle breathed, mystified by the fact.

"Yeah, you were both really, really small," Ash recounted, his smile widening at the memory. "Not even a month old!"

"But that means we didn't know what Christmas was either!" Aiden cried.

"Nope," Ash confirmed. "And honestly, I don't think you even knew the next year. It probably took until your third Christmas for you to even kind of understand what was going on."

"Whoa," Aiden sighed, draping himself over the arm rest. "That's crazy!"

Michelle, meanwhile, jumped up on the couch to sit beside her father. "What was our first Christmas like, Daddy? Was it here?"

"In our house?" Ash asked, Michelle nodding in response. "It wasn't! They still hadn't finished building it just yet."

"So, where were we?" Michelle prodded.

"At Grammy's house," Ash answered. "That was where Mommy and I stayed before you two were born, and right after, too."

Aiden climbed over the arm rest like a wild Pokémon, plopping himself down on his father's free side. "So, if we didn't know anything about Christmas, what'd you do?"

Ash grinned at his son's question. "You two didn't have to know anything for us to celebrate with you! I know you guys probably don't remember anything, but for me and Mommy, it was like the most perfect Christmas ever."

"Really?" Michelle marveled. "How come?"

Leaning back against the couch, Ash rolled his eyes up in thought as he began to recall, "it all started before Christmas even got here…"

You two were still in Mommy's belly. Your birthday was actually supposed to be on New Year's Eve! She kept trying to tell me you were probably going to come before then, but I didn't really believe her. I don't know why, since Mommy is almost always right! But I was convinced you guys wouldn't be here before Christmas.

Since there were two of you in there, Mommy was pretty big…even bigger than she was before your little sister was born! So, she was stuck on the couch most of the time. But I loved to sit with her and keep her company. You guys moved around a lot in her tummy, so we would put our hands there and talk to you both. When Christmas started coming up, I even began to read you some of my most favorite holiday stories! I told Mommy that's exactly what I wanted to do when Christmas finally came: I wanted to sit on the couch with her, feeling you guys kick her, while I read you stories.

Back then, Ash had failed to notice the look of doubt that crossed Misty's face. There was no surefire way of knowing it, but Misty was almost positive she'd no longer be pregnant by Christmas. As the days passed, she'd started to feel more and more strange, and she was becoming convinced that she wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. Part of her was relieved…she was huge, and uncomfortable, and very much over being pregnant. The other part of her, however, was concerned. She did want the babies to stay in for as long as they possibly could. Any talk of premature birth and its potential effects worried her greatly. Misty tried her best to keep such thoughts out of her head, but they almost always found a way back in, especially lately.

In the middle of Ash reading one of his stories, Misty tilted her head up to kiss his jawline. That distracted Ash from the book, shifting his attention from the story onto his wife.

"You okay?" He asked cautiously.

Misty intoned and nodded her head. "I was just looking at you, that's all. You look very kissable like this."

Ash smiled and returned the favor in Misty's bright red hair. "You always look very kissable."

Misty giggled and found a way to snuggle in more closely to Ash. His hand, which was on her stomach, held it more tightly, leading Misty to place her hand over his own. She was expecting Ash to pick the story right back up and was surprised when he didn't. She looked up at him again, and this time found him staring ahead at the Christmas tree in the corner.

"Something on your mind?" She asked softly.

"I'm just thinking about what Christmas will be like once our kids here," Ash answered slowly.

At this, Misty bit her lip. That was the other problem. Ash was sure the twins wouldn't arrive until after the holiday. He had heard countless times, from both the doctor and Misty, that it was very uncommon for twins to actually be born on or close to their due date. Ash, however, felt that his children, and his wife, were different. He believed in them, that they were all very strong, and everything would be just fine.

Misty didn't have the heart to tell him that wasn't how things actually worked.

"It'll be interesting," Misty murmured, running her fingers over Ash's wedding band.

"I can't wait to watch 'em open their presents," Ash sighed wistfully. "They'll have so many! Seriously, whatever they put on their wish lists, I'll get them."

Misty scoffed and shook her head. "Didn't you ever circle all the toys you wanted in all the catalogs growing up? You'll regret you ever said that, Mr. Pokémon Master."

"Not when I see their eyes light up I won't," Ash calmly refuted. "It'll be worth every last cent!"

Misty's smile returned. She had always thought Ash would make the most amazing father. And now, before their kids were even born, he was proving her right.

Their moment of peace, however, was soon interrupted by a shooting pain in Misty's abdomen. She groaned as soon as it hit, clutching Ash's hand so tightly she wound up pulling it away from her stomach.

"What's wrong?!" Ash gasped, sitting up straight.

"Practice contractions," Misty hissed, running her free hand through her hair. "I hate these stupid things."

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Ash tried. He was familiar with these pesky pains and knew that this was what seemed to help Misty best manage them.

"No," she replied far more quickly than Ash was expecting. "I'm too tired."

At this, Ash's face fell. That had been Misty's response to just about everything lately. Her energy had become more and more depleted, and it was getting to the point where she was barely getting up from the couch or bed each day. Had Misty been looking at Ash's face, she would've started to see him doubting his own belief that she, and the babies, could defy a doctor's expectations.

"That's okay," Ash murmured reassuringly. "Why don't we start heading to bed?"

Wordlessly, Misty nodded her head. Ash helped her up from the couch and guided her towards the stairs. He was about to help her navigate those as well, but she gently swatted his hands away and offered him a tired smile.

"I think I can do this on my own," she assured him. "Just stay behind me in case I fall, kay?"

Ash suddenly appeared very nervous, to which Misty let out a short laugh. "I'm sorry, I was just kidding. Bad joke."

Stuffing his initial fear down, Ash chuckled lightly and replied, "it's fine. I'm just glad I got to hear your laugh tonight!"

Misty nodded and began to slowly make her way up the stairs, leaving behind a troubled and contemplative Ash.

You guys were born like a week later. And you both see how hard it can be for Mommy and me to take care of your sister, so just imagine that times two! By the time Christmas Eve rolled around two weeks later, we were exhausted.

Ash was back on that same couch in his mother's living room, but this time, he wasn't snuggled up with Misty, gazing at the Christmas tree in the corner.

Instead, he was lying face down, floating hazily between different levels of unconsciousness. He longed for a good night's sleep…it had been almost three weeks since he'd last experienced one, and he was sure it would be much longer before he got one again.

Misty had it even worse than he did, and considering his current state, Ash felt awful about it. He had finally convinced her to take a nap upstairs, assuring her that he and Delia could take care of the twins. They'd both been fussy for a while, but had finally fallen asleep themselves, giving Ash the opportunity to try and catch up on his own rest.

Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to, he couldn't quite turn his brain off, which was the culprit for keeping him awake. Even Pikachu and Vaporeon had wandered off to bed long ago, leaving him both tired and jealous of two Pokémon.

Ash's futile attempts to take a quick nap were fully dashed when he heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs. He lifted his head just in time to see Misty reaching the bottom, her own face still showing signs of sleepiness.

"Hey," Ash mumbled tiredly. "How was your nap?"

Despite the expression on her face, Misty responded to the question with a small smile and a soft, "good. Definitely needed."

She sat down on the couch, making sure not to sit on any part of Ash's body. "How was yours?"

Ash smirked and shook his head. "Didn't take one."

"What?" Misty gasped. "Why not?!"

"I tried, but I just couldn't fall asleep," Ash sighed, pushing himself up. "My mind's racing."

"How come?" Misty asked. "Is something bothering you?"

"No," Ash quickly replied. "I don't think so, at least. Maybe something is and I don't even realize it."

At this, Misty giggled. "You're so carefree that your own brain won't even tip you off to what's wrong?"

Ash smirked. "I guess so!"

Their conversation was soon interrupted, however, by the sound of crying. Misty quickly got to her feet and hurried over to the two bassinets situated at the other end of the room. She peered into both before reaching into the one adorned by a pink ribbon, lifting up the antsy baby girl who'd been residing there.

"Shh," Misty gently hushed the girl, slowly pacing the floor. "Is something bothering you too, sweetheart?"

The baby murmured and opened her eyes, quieting down as soon as she saw her mother. Misty smiled and raised her hand to the back of the baby's head, stroking her wispy, bright red hair as the little one's eyes closed again.

"I think she just missed you," Ash chuckled. "I'm starting to learn that Michelle really doesn't like to be left alone."

"That does seem to upset her," Misty mused. "Maybe it's just a phase. The first two and a half weeks of her life have been pretty disorienting, after all."

Ash frowned, but quickly shook it off and smiled as he leaned in closer to his wife and daughter. "It's okay, Shelly! Mommy and I are right here! You don't have to feel alone or scared."

The baby mumbled and slowly re-opened her eyes, staring right back at her parents.

At this, Ash's face lit up. "Hey, you heard me! And you know I mean it, don't you, princess?"

Michelle made a quiet throaty noise, her eyes not moving once. Misty hummed thoughtfully before murmuring, "she looks like she's judging us."

"Our little girl?" Ash gasped. "Never!"

Misty snickered and glanced over at him. "Hey, I spend every single day with these two. They're both probably sick of me by now!"

"Nobody could ever get sick of you," Ash cooed, rubbing his nose against an amused Misty's.

And then, just like before, they were pulled apart by a sharp wail. When both parents looked down at their daughter, however, they saw that she was still quiet…and still staring at them.

"Right, the competition," Misty teased.

"I'll got get him," Ash offered, standing up from the couch and approaching the bassinets. This time, the crying baby was taken out of the one decorated with a blue ribbon, and when he was picked up, he didn't stop, unlike his sister. "Aw, what is it, grouchy little guy?"

"I told you, these two just love to compete!" Misty giggled. "Either that or he's hungry…which is also highly likely."

Ash, however, decided to try a different approach. Instead, he held the baby against his chest and moved closer to the corner of the room, near the brightly lit Christmas tree.

"See that, Aiden?" Ash asked, pointing at the fir. "Isn't it pretty?"

The boy slowly stopped his sobbing and turned his head against his father's chest so he was staring at the tree in question. Its bright white lights reflected in his brown eyes, and before long, Aiden was cooing in fascination.

"There'll be lots of presents under that tree tomorrow," Ash informed his son. "I know you're too young to open them just yet, or even understand it, but you and your sister will get all kinds of amazing gifts! I know that Grammy is already spoiling you two to no end."

"It's not just her," Misty teased, raising an eyebrow at her husband.

Ash playfully rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, so maybe me too."

Misty's giggles only became more fervent. "Maybe?"

Ash sighed and walked away from the tree, reclaiming his spot on the couch beside Misty. "Alright, alright, I get it!"

With an impish smile, Misty leaned over to kiss Ash's cheek. "You know I think it's sweet."

And just like that, Ash's smile returned. "I do." He sat silently for a few moments before asking, "do you think they'd like to hear a story? Maybe it'll help them fall back asleep."

"It's worth a shot," Misty mused. "It seemed to work before they were born, after all!"

Beaming, Ash gazed between the babies and cooed, "how does that sound? You guys want me to tell you a Christmas story?"

They both gurgled, causing their parents to laugh amusedly.

"I think you should take that as a yes," Misty quipped.

"Sure thing!" Ash chuckled, standing up with Aiden still in his arms. "Let's find a good one, kay, little buddy?"

Now, every Christmas, I think about that very first one with you guys, and it makes me so happy! Even if you didn't know what was going on, Mommy and I did, and it was really special for us.

Still wide-eyed from the story her father had just told, Michelle let out a long sigh and threw herself down on his lap. "That was the best story ever!"

Aiden, meanwhile, was on Ash's other side, bopping up and down on his knees. "So that means just 'cause Lizzie doesn't know what's going on, it doesn't mean we can't have fun on Christmas with her, right?"

"Of course!" Ash chuckled. "Lizzie won't remember any of this, but you guys will!"

"What won't Lizzie remember?"

Ash and the twins looked over at the stairs, a big smile gracing the former's face as soon as he saw his wife, holding the aforementioned baby. "Christmas. Aiden and Michelle are excited to celebrate her first one, but they were concerned that she won't understand what's going on. I told them all about their very first Christmas, and how special it was for us, even though they don't remember it either."

At this, Misty's face lit up. "Oh, yes! I think that was the best Christmas ever!"

Michelle shot up, grinning at her mother. "You do, Mommy?"

Misty giggled and nodded her head. "It certainly wasn't an easy time for Daddy and me. We were pretty stressed out, and sometimes we were scared. You two were so new and so little, after all! But on Christmas…we didn't really think about any of those things. We just relaxed and enjoyed our time with you both. I think that Christmas really helped us get over a lot of those feelings. We realized that even if we were kind of nervous, we loved you guys so much, and that was far more powerful than our fears!"

Aiden tilted his head. "Does Lizzie scare you?"

Smirking, Misty shook her head. "No. Daddy and I know what we're doing this time!"

As if she knew she was the one currently being talked about, Elizabeth opened her eyes and let out a soft coo. Misty glanced down at the baby and smiled, rubbing her nose against the infant's.

"Isn't that right, sprinkle?" She crooned, earning a giggle from Elizabeth. Still smiling, Misty walked over to the couch, Michelle inching over so her mother could sit between her and Ash. Once she was settled, the little girl leaned back over to examine her baby sister, her bright red hair curtaining the curious baby's face.

"Lizzie, do you know that it's Christmas Eve?" Michelle asked. Elizabeth, in turn, mumbled and tilted her head.

Aiden huffed and jumped onto Ash's lap, both startling and paining him. "You're still trying? There's no way she knows!"

"Maybe, but I just wanted to see," Michelle reasoned with a frown.

Misty giggled and stroked Michelle's hair before reaching over and gently poking Aiden's nose. "No need to get so worked up you two. I thought you were both okay with the fact she wouldn't understand!"

"I am, Mommy," Michelle sighed. "I only wanted to try!"

Elizabeth suddenly began to make more noise, sounding almost like she was trying to speak. The family all looked down at the baby, watching as she twisted herself around until she got into the right position to be staring at the brightly lit Christmas tree across the room. As soon as it was in her sight, she ceased her babbling and instead reached out towards it with her little hand.

While everyone else appeared stunned, Michelle's eyes lit up as she cried, "I think she does know!"

"Whoa," Aiden breathed, leaning in closer to his baby sister.

Ash and Misty were staring at one another, neither of them looking very sure of what they wanted to say.

"…do you think Michelle's right?" Ash finally managed.

"I don't know," Misty murmured. "I guess we've seen stranger things!"

Aiden and Michelle, on the other hand, were completely oblivious to their parents' conversation. They were both too busy fawning over their little sister, Michelle tickling the girl's chest while Aiden allowed her to hold onto his finger with the hand that had just been pointing towards the tree. It was this obliviousness that brought far sweeter and more genuine smiles to Ash and Misty's faces, however, and led them to abandon the previous topic completely.

"Hey, since we're all here, how would you guys like to hear a story?" Ash asked.

"Another one?" Aiden groaned.

"What, you don't like my stories?" Ash playfully gasped.

"Nuh uh, I do!" Aiden cried. "But I wanna hear an actual Christmas story this time."

"I can do that," Ash chuckled. "Do you know which one you want?"

Aiden quickly nodded his head and jumped off the couch, scurrying to get the book.

"I wanna pick too!" Michelle yelped, following her brother's suit.

Misty giggled and sunk back deeper into the couch, resting her head on Ash's shoulder. His smile widened and he reached down to toy with Elizabeth's dark red hair, the baby mumbling happily in response. Pikachu, meanwhile, jumped from the back of the couch to the top of Ash's head, causing it to bow forward. Misty giggled at the mouse, while Ash looked up at his partner with a wry expression before scratching between the electric type's ears. And then, without warning, Aiden and Michelle popped up beside the couch, Aiden holding a story book up above his head.

"This one!" He declared.

"I like that one, too!" Michelle chirped.

"Okay, good!" Ash laughed. "Bring it here, you two."

The giddy twins hurried to the front of the couch, reclaiming their original spots: Aiden to Ash's left and Michelle to Misty's right. The book was quickly transferred from Aiden to his father, the young boy curling himself up into a ball on his father's lap as soon as he'd handed it off. Michelle, meanwhile, snuggled up closer against her mother, resting her cheek against the woman's upper arm. Misty smiled at the girl and freed one of her arms, placing her hand on the back of Michelle's head.

With everyone settled, Ash began to read the story that Aiden and Michelle had selected; one of their favorite Christmas tales, about a Rockruff who believed she was actually one of Santa's Stantler. He became caught up in the story, reading through it with his usual enthusiasm and various cadences. At first, Aiden and Michelle were delightedly giggling along, but soon grew quiet, although Ash, who was too enraptured by the story, failed to realize this. It wasn't until the end, when he expected for their squeaky pleas to hear it again, and never got them, that he started to sense something was up.

Gazing down, it became clear to him that Aiden, Misty, Elizabeth, and Michelle had all fallen asleep. Each one was in the same position they'd been when he'd first started reading the story, completely unmoved but now with their eyes closed and their breathing far gentler. Even Pikachu had fallen asleep atop his head, just about falling off the side. Ash sighed and closed the book, muttering, "and I thought there was no sleeping on Christmas Eve…"

Despite that little comment, he didn't dare wake any of them up. Instead, he glanced up at the Christmas tree, observing its bright, colorful lights for a few quiet moments before turning his attention back onto his sleeping family. Ash's smile widened before he picked Pikachu up and held him in his arms, leaning his head back and closing his own eyes.

Everything was peaceful, and perfect, just like that first family Christmas six years ago.