Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Flora

“Yes, I’ll be there within an hour, I have a few stops to make first.” She paused with the phone to her ear and purse in hand. “Yes papa, I’m always safe. Love you too, and I’ll see you soon. Bye.” She hung up, dropping her phone into the open bag. She picked up her already wrapped gifts and headed out to her car. She loaded the gifts into the car first, then went back to grab her luggage. Once the luggage was packed, she turned to do a quick sweep of the house, pulling out her checklist and making sure she was ready for the holiday season. Satisfied that she had thoroughly finished preparing, she climbed into her car and headed off.

Luke

“Hey mum.” Pause. “I’m doing fine, how are you and dad?” he said with the phone cradled between his neck and shoulder. “Yes, yes, my flight leaves tomorrow morning at 7, I’ll have to be up early.” His finger reached to try and pull his socks on without dropping the phone. “Mmm, yes mum of course.”

The phone call with his mother was more for her sake than his. She had always hated flying and he knew she got nervous whenever he would come home. He just wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine.

“I’ll call as soon as I land, promise.” Luckily, he had managed to get a good flight through some friends, 10 hours nonstop from LAX to Heathrow. From there he’d have to remember to get his mum some flowers before stopping in. He took a moment to write that down.

As he wrapped up his phone call, he paused for a moment to take in the sight of his disheveled room. There were clothes strewn everywhere from days of deliberate packing but he thought he was finally done. He had done his best to do most of his holiday shopping in advance, but he would still have to pick up a few things once he got home. Flying with packages was always difficult. He only had to work half the day today, of that he was thankful. Shit, he didn't get anything for his boss. He'd have time to pick something up if he left now. 

Flora

Her small car pulled into her father’s driveway. His house was just out of town; he preferred to spend his free time in the quiet hillsides instead of the bustling city where he spent most of his days. Careful not to slip, she made her way up and knocked on the wooden door. Not a moment later the door opened and she was greeted by a familiar smiling face. She dropped her suitcase and pulled her father into a big hug.

“Oh my-” he said, catching his hat as it started to fall off from the force of her embrace. With his free hand, he held his eldest daughter in return. “It’s nice to see you, Flora dear.

“You as well, papa.” She said pulling back to face him. She picked up her dropped bag and walked into the home.

"Do you need any help with your bags, dear?" He watched as she came in, setting grocery bags onto the kitchen counter.

"Oh no, papa, you relax, please." She placed a hand on his arm and guided him to sit at the kitchen table. "I haven't much anyway. I'll go fetch the gifts, now." Her father sat there as she walked back out. He didn't like it when they treated him like he was incapable, but he knew they only did it because they loved him. That and really he didn't take care of himself as well as he should. 

She came back in a moment later with her hands full of presents that she carried in and placed under the tree. It was a gorgeous tree, her father always went above and beyond. She sure hoped he didn't carry that in on his own; that man was going to break his back one of these days. Next to the tree sat a few wrapped presents and a couple open cardboard boxes. The boxes were full of Christmas decorations.

"I had a hard time reaching," he said, as he came into the room. She turned from the boxes and looked at him. "I was hoping you could help me with some of those." He finished gently.

"Of course, papa, that's why I came early." She had moved in early for the holidays knowing that he couldn't do everything he used to. It's not that the others didn't care, it's just that they were busier and their jobs were less flexible than hers. Okay that's a lie, she knew Kat wouldn't be busy, but still, she didn't mind checking in on their dad. It gave her something to do, and she loved spending time with him.

She reached into an open box and pulled out a red Christmas ornament. It had a picture of her and Alfendi when they were young. She was smiling ear to ear but he had a pout and they were outside in the snow. Pictures of Alfendi smiling were quite rare. She turned and held it up to him.

"Do you remember this?" She said. He picked up the bulb holding it close to his face while smiling fondly.

"Oh yes, you two had just built a snowman if I'm correct." He paused, remembering.

"I think so, yes. Wow, that was before you adopted Kat." She pushed herself up, took the bulb and placed it on the barren upper portion of the tree. He handed her another ornament and they continued to decorate the tree.

"Yes, I suppose so. It's almost odd to think of this house without her." Flora nodded in agreement. Alfendi had been quite an adjustment to their single father-daughter relationship, but Katrielle had almost been just as much trouble. She remembered resenting the Professor for taking in another child when the two of them could hardly handle Alfendi on their own. But Kat's adventuring nature and mischievous tendencies almost forced Alfendi to calm down. 

"Mmm, I remember Al throwing a huge fit when she came."

"Yes, but I also remember you being not so pleased as well." He was only teasing but she felt her face heat up with embarrassment. All this time she thought she had hid her displeasure well. "I know I shouldn't have taken her in." He paused and she looked at him. For the first time, he was saying what she had thought for years. He looked pained, and he sighed. "I love her, and I'm so glad I took her in, because I can't imagine her anywhere else. But I know we weren't in any position to take on another child." She moved to sit next to him on the couch, placing a hand gently on his knee as he continued to speak. "I shouldn't have put that pressure onto you, I know you were still young. I'm sorry you had to help raise them, and I'm sorry I wasn't always there as much as I should have been." He had said his apology and looked down, unable to look her in the eye.

She reached out and pulled him into a hug as the tears fell from her face. She held him tightly and he reached around to reciprocate the embrace. Her heart had hurt for many years and she didn't know how badly she needed this until she heard it from his own mouth. There were nights he just didn't come home and she was left to take care of the kids. Not often, but enough times that she vividly remembered them. Not to mention the worry she had every time he didn't come home. She knew what he and Luke had gotten up to, she knew his work often lead him into dangerous situations. She had been too young, dammit.

"I-" she stopped. "Th-thank you father." She leaned out of the hug and wiped away her tears. "I worried about you so much, I still do. But I didn't deserve that."

"I know and I'm so sorry it took me this long to say so, Flora. I know I wasn't the best dad, but I hope I can start to make up for some of it."

"Don't worry about that, papa," she said, laughing a little. "You've done more than enough for all of us since. I love you."

"I love you too, darling."

It took a moment for them to readjust, but before long she was yanking out decorations and ornaments, helping her father complete his house. She felt lighter, like the weight and burden she had carried back then had finally been removed. The rest of their talking was of good memories. She laughed as she pulled out their old menorah, reminiscing on the couple of years that they celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas. And then there was a photo album at the bottom filled with Christmas memories. They sat on the sofa and laughed together, remembering. He had always been around when it was most important and he had always put his kids first. It was what a gentleman would do after all.

Alfendi

Alfendi walked into the room with his hands at his temples desperately trying to find some relief. The door to the mystery room slammed shut behind him, but his assistant paid no mind to the noise.

“Sorry I’m late, Lucy,” he said as he sank down into his chair. “Sniffer had some files he wanted me to look over.” He picked up his “#1 professor” mug that Lucy had jokingly brought in for him one day, and took a sip of his tea.

“Oh, no problem Prof,” Lucy began as she tidied some pages on her desk. “I was just about to go searching for you is all. I was wondering if you had gotten caught up in something interesting outside.” She got up from her desk to return a records book to the shelf. Although her desk was hardly organized, it seemed like a well-kept library compared to Alfendi’s hurricane.

“Hmm, I’m afraid not, just paperwork. How’s your case coming along?” He said while reading through some old casework and signing where necessary.

“I'm thinking it's turning out tip top! Something still doesn’t feel right, though, so I think I’m gonna need to have another look at the scene before turning it over.” While she was up she grabbed a stack of books from his desk as well. He protested for a second, however she proceeded to re-shelf the books anyway.

“I’m not working on much right now if you need any help,” he said as he shuffled through his papers looking for a certain document.

She thanked him for the offer but declined as she was determined to find what was bothering her on her own. She must have missed something small. She made a note to check the scene again after finishing up some more paperwork. 

She wrote it on a sticky note and placed it on the calendar at her desk. It barely served as a calendar, as it was mostly obscured by bright sticky notes. As she placed it down, she noticed the note next to it.

“Hey Prof,” she said, looking at her calendar, “did you pick up gifts for your Pa and sisters yet?” He looked up at her with blank eyes.

“Hm? Oh, yes, Christmas gifts. No, I’m afraid I haven’t gotten anything yet.” He continued shuffling through the papers, as though she hadn’t asked him anything.

“Alfendi!” She exclaimed, startling him so he finally looked at her. “It’s nearly Christmas, you need to get gifts for your family!” She turned in her swivel chair so her whole body was facing his. “You’re running out of time, you know!”

“I know, I just haven’t found the time-“

“You have to make time for family, you can’t just forget about them, they’re important!”

“I know!” He snapped at her, harsher than necessary. “There has been a lot going on here Lucy, you know that damn well. I just haven’t been able to go out.”

She hadn't even flinched when he yelled at her. By now she was completely used to him and his on-a-dime flips. The switches between personalities were now so quick and seamless that she sometimes didn’t know who she was talking to. This was not one of those times.

“Eh now, Potty, you’re gonna have to make time, the cases will still be here when you come back.” She swiveled back to her computer and looked at the screen. He didn’t retort but simply huffed and went back to work.

She was glad the holidays were coming up, she needed a break. And not just her, she could see Alfendi needed one too, but there’s no way he would admit it. She looked over briefly at his desk and watched him reach for his mug of coffee. Al tended to prefer tea at work, but Potty had been insistent on having coffee  around, and so a mug of each sat at his desk. She smiled at him.

What a silly thing that seemed like at first, two mugs, but it really solved their coffee versus tea dilemma. That’s why she had bought him the other mug, so they could both be happy. As odd as their situation was, both Alfendis got along fairly well now. They were past the rocky acclimation period, and now they navigate one body with ease. She’s pretty sure that it’s because deep down they really aren’t that different. It just took some compromises, some adjustments, and some odd accommodations, but all in all, the two of them were doing quite well. She was proud of him.

There was a brief knock at the door to startle Lucy from her thoughts. She looked at her screen for a moment before realizing she hadn’t even started working yet. Oh well, she thought as she leaped up to answer the door.

“Oh hello, Hilda,” Lucy said letting her into the room. Alfendi looked up from his work and gave her a noncommittal wave. Lucy stepped back to close the door behind her, but Hilda grabbed at her wrist.

“Oh no need for that darling, I haven’t the time to stay, I’m afraid I’m just here to drop and dash.” She said laying down a thick file folder onto Al’s desk. Lucy, understanding, left the door open and headed back to her desk.

“Triple homicide, Inspector. Only one suspect, and she’s got an airtight alibi. Consider this my Christmas present to you.” She said smiling.

Al, looking up at her, said, “Well then thank you very much Hilda; this is probably the best gift I’ll get. I’m sure it will be far better than whatever bullshit my sister decides to make me.” She laughed a little, but headed for the door.

“It’s nice to see you more, you know." She paused. "I missed your attitude, Layton.” She turned to face Lucy. “And make sure you keep him out of trouble would you?”

“Oh it’s awfully hard, Miss Hilda, but I’m trying awfully fierce!” Again Hilda laughed and started to leave before pausing, hand on the doorknob.

“I forgot to mention Al, but I will need that solved before the holidays.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Pertinax.” With a smile she shut the door behind her, once again leaving Al and Lucy alone in the silence of the mystery room.

Katrielle

"Hello Ernest, hello Sherl,” she said as she walked into the brightly lit building. The door shut behind her with a gentle ring and she set her bag down by the sofa.

“You’re late, Kat,” Sherl said with impatience. She leaned down and gave him a good ruffling between his ears.

“I sure am, thanks for noticing.” She said, smiling while ignoring the mean look on his face. At that moment, Ernest popped in from another room with a tray of tea.

“Good morning Miss Layton, although, I suppose it’s almost afternoon now isn’t it?” He said pushing some papers away to set the tray on her desk. “I did just make some tea though, so you aren’t late for that!” He said with a smile.

She thanked him, and after hanging up her coat and scarf, made her way over to her desk. She carefully took the tea in both hands, letting the warmth seep through her fingertips. London was cold and she had quite a walk from the bus stop. She took a moment to look at the messy stacks of papers and files strewn about and sighed. She should really clean things up. Oh well, she can do it tomorrow.

When Ernest came back from the small kitchen, he sat down on the sofa and Sherl jumped up as well to sit next to him. They typically just hung out bumming on her sofa when there was nothing better to do. She didn't mind, though, they were good company.

“So, Miss Layton, what do we have in store for us today?” he asked enthusiastically, letting his hand come down to rest on and pat Sherl’s head.

“Not much actually, at least not yet.” It’s true, they had just finished up a case and had nothing lined up at the moment. She was just about to start filling out an invoice to send to the police department detailing how much they owed her for the past month. At this point, they might as well hire her.

That’s not to say they haven’t tried, she had been offered jobs a few times, but always politely declined. She preferred working alone; well not quite alone she supposed. But still, there was something great about being your own boss. For example, the only person who will harass you for coming in late is your own dog. Plus she knew working at the yard would put her too close to Alfendi for either of their sakes. It was bad enough how often she came in there as if, she couldn’t imagine having an office down the hall from him.

Hmm, Alfendi. She hadn’t gotten him anything for Christmas yet; Al was just so hard to shop for.

“Ernest, what would you like for Christmas?” She asked, turning his way. He looked up at her from where he was petting the dog and blushed brightly.

“Oh, you don’t have to get me anything Miss, I’m fine just being here.”

“No no, not for you, I want to know what a man your age would want for Christmas," she said absentmindedly doodling on a page.

“Oh," he stammered, "in that case, my I inquire into whom you’re getting a gift for?” 

“I need to get something for Al. And although he is a bit older than you, I figure all young men must like the same things right?” She looked up at him and popped her pen into her mouth. She had a bad habit of chewing the caps right off.

“Well, I think it depends what he likes, Miss. You should-“

“And Pipper too, oh and I suppose maybe Emiliana?” She had cut him off and talked right over him, not even noticing he had spoken. She took the pen out of her mouth and started making a list. He just sat there as she spoke to herself and furiously wrote.

“Do you think you could run to the shops and pick something up for me?” She said as she held out a list of names.

“Why in God's name should he do that, you’re just being lazy Kat!” Sherl yapped at her. She looked at him with an alarming amount of side eye and began to open her mouth to retort when Ernest chimed in first.

“Actually, I must agree with Sherl on this one,” Ernest started, “Holiday gifts must come from the heart, you should really pick something out yourself, Miss.” She sighed knowing they were both right.

“I know, okay I’ll head out after work.”

"That's the spirit! Although if you'd like the company I wouldn't mind coming along." 

"Actually," she declared, springing up from her seat, "let's go right now! We haven't got anything else to do, come on!" She had already grabbed coat and was headed back out.

“Wait, but you just got here!” Sherl barked, but she was already out the door. He turned to Ernest. “Well, you know we can’t stop her, what are you waiting for?” Sherl spooked Ernest, but he quickly followed instructions and raced out the door to catch up.

Chapter Text

Alfendi

It was late afternoon and they were still in the office. Alfendi was wrapping up the paperwork on the triple homicide case, quite disappointed that it hadn’t actually been difficult. Of course it had been, he just didn’t think it was interesting. Lucy had been fidgety all day staring at the clock but it was finally time. The clock hit 5:30 and she hopped out of her seat, causing Al to look her way. He opened his mouth to ask what she was doing, but she spoke first.

“It is 5:30, Alfendi Layton, and you are done work. Put on your coat we’re going out to the shops to pick up gifts for your family.” She swiftly walked over to their coat rack grabbing her own and throwing his over to him. He caught the coat and stood up.

“Lucy, you can’t be serious, I’m not done my work, and look I’ll go out later but-”

“Ah ah ah, not gonna happen Prof, you’re coming out with me now, put on your coat, let's go.” She slipped her own slender arms into the sleeves of a large jacket and gestures for him to do the same.

“Lucy! I haven’t the time-“

“You haven’t the time for what?” She interrupted a now angry Alfendi. “You haven’t the time for you father? Or for your sisters?” She asked while tying a scarf around her neck. “You always work overtime and you’ve already solved the case, we’re going out and that’s final.” He was a little caught off guard by her determination and tone of voice. Lucy had a tendency to get loud but this was a whole other side of her that neither Al had seen before.

He gazed briefly from the coat in his hands, to the young girl dressed to head out before eventually giving in and putting on the jacket.

“That’s the spirit, Potty, let’s go!”

Luke

The seatbelt light went off, but he didn’t rush to move. He watched others scramble to grab their belongings, but he preferred to wait a bit until some folks cleared away. Once he was able to, he stood up and reached for his bag from the upper compartment, also grabbing another bag he saw was still in there. He quickly realized it must have belonged to an older lady still sitting nearby.

“Excuse me ma’am , but is this your bag?” he asked politely, holding it up so she could see.

“Oh yes darling, I just was waiting for help to get off.” She smiled and, still sitting, took the bag from him.

“Would you like some help up?” He put his hand out from her and she held on, pushing up with a cane in her other hand.

“Oh thank you, you’re too kind.” She said smiling and holding on to his arm. “You know,” she started, “I've never flown before.”

“Oh really?” he replied, as they made their way down the aisle and onto the steps of the plane. “Why now, if I may ask?”

“Well, normally my daughter and her family come visit me for the holidays, but this year she’s quite sick and can’t fly, so I decided to go visit them."

“I think that’s awfully sweet of you to come on out, and I’m terribly sorry about your daughter.” He said as they made their way through the tunnel. “I send my prayers and good wishes to you and your family during the holidays.”

“Thank you so much, sweetheart. What’s your name, hun?”

“Oh, my apologies  ma'am,” he said while turning to face the woman. “The name's Luke Triton.” he said, holding out his hand to shake. She gave his hand a weak grasp, doing the best she could.

“Well Luke, why are you travelling?”

“My family also lives here. I was raised right outside of London, but my family moved to America when I was in my teens.  My parents didn’t like it and decided to move back after a while, but I stayed for school.” At this point they were almost out, and Luke could hear the bustling sounds of the airport. “I always come home for the holidays though.”

“Oh that’s a good kid you are. Oh-” she said pointing to a smiling man. “That’s my son-in-law, he's picking me up.” Luke helped her over to the young gentleman. He and Luke exchanged handshakes and he thanked him for helping his mother-in-law off the plane.

“It’s really no trouble, please take care of yourselves and may you have a lovely Christmas with your daughter.” He smiled as he handed off her bags.

“You too, sweetheart, stay safe!” And with that they parted ways. Luke looked up and scanned the airport. He didn’t see him at first; he was talking to a lady next to him. As Luke walked towards him, his father turned his way.

“Luke, son!” He said pulling his boy into a big hug. Luke dropped his own bags to hug his father back. His dad said a quick goodbye to the stranger he had been chatting to, after bragging about his son, that is. “Your mother couldn't make it out, but she's home waiting for us, come on.” 

Flora

“Here, love,” he said, handing her a cup of tea. Flora took a deep breath, she didn't care much for tea, but Hershel always knew how to make it perfect. He sat down at the kitchen table next to her with his own cup. 

“Thanks, papa.” She sprinkled flour onto the table, prepping it for the cookies they were going to make. “I made sugar cookies and gingerbread this year.” He nodded along. It didn’t matter much to him what they were making, he just liked spending time together. In the kitchen, the radio was softly playing holiday songs. She got up and brought over the bowls of dough and rolled them onto the table. She handed Hershel a rolling pin and they got started, rolling out the dough and cutting it into shapes.

“Did you hear about the storm coming in?” she asked.  Hershel slid a cookie onto a baking sheet.

“I heard on the radio, yes. It sounds like it's going to be quite bad. I don't remember the last time we had a big storm like that.”

“I love the snow, but I hope it isn’t too much.” Hershel nodded in agreement. 

It wasn’t long before they had finished the cookies and they were out cooling. Flora had whipped up some frosting to top the sugar cookies, and together they began decorating. This was so… nice. She couldn’t remember the last time she spent a nice day like this with her father. They piped out the frosting, Flora making little designs and Hershel mostly making a mess. They couldn’t help but laugh a little as he covered himself and the table in colourful icings. 

“Here, I got it.” She was wiping the table up, and reached across him to get a spot he couldn’t reach.

Katrielle

She wasn’t proud of the gifts she had gotten, but Ernest was proud so she guessed it couldn’t have been that bad. She looked around the office at the mess. Ernest had left this morning to go home to his family, and it was his turn to take Sherl with him. Katrielle sighed seeing the office and the piles of work she had put off. There were forms to file, bills to pay, and invoices to send out that needed to all be done before the holidays. She opened the curtains and went straight to the small kitchen. One cup of coffee later, she put on some ABBA and was ready to sit down and tackle some work. 

As much as she loved Sherl, she was quite glad she didn’t have to bring that nosy pup home. He did not need to meet her family. She knew she would never hear the end of it if he saw how disorganized they all were but how successful everyone else was too. She rubbed at her temples and slid a form into the ‘police’ pile she had started accumulating. Why had she put all this off so long? 

She cursed herself. How? She felt her chest tighten looking at the paperwork. She would never finish this in time, it was too much to do alone. Her heart sped up and she felt her breaths come in sharp rapid spikes. Oh no, oh no, oh no oh- oh my god what's happening- what's happening? Something was very wrong. She put her hand to her heart as the tears started to fall. When did she start crying? Unsure what to do, she grabbed the phone. “Ernest, something is wrong, I-”

Alfendi

“So… tell me about her.” Lucy had dragged him out to the mall and they’d been hunting for what felt like hours. Kat and Hershel has been easy enough to shop for, but now they were stuck with only Flora left on the list. 

“You’ve met her, what more do you need to know?”

“Yes, but I don't know her like you do. What are her interests, hobbies?” He thought for a moment. 

“Well... she likes gardening and cooking?” He felt uncomfortable and out of his element.

“That’s perfect, I can work with that!” Lucy said encouraging him along. She was a few steps ahead, looking from side to side checking out the stores. He was content to hang back and watch her. She was almost like a child with how excited and vibrant she was.

“Okay, in here Prof.” He caught up and saw that it was a cramped kitchen and home goods type store. It smelled of cinnamon but he couldn’t locate the source of it. On the shelves were boxes of dish sets and strange appliances. Things were covered in stickers: ‘50% off’ and ‘buy one get one’. Lucy was faster then him, heading in right away and searching through the shelves. Al preferred to take his time, slowly browsing and perusing, not sure what to be looking for.

“Ooh this is a nice dish set! -think she’d like something like that?” He turned her way but wasn’t very interested. He thought for a moment.

“Wouldn’t she already have dishes?” He made an point. Lucy nodded in agreement and went back to her search. She pointed out wine glasses, but he was scared they'd end up broken. Silverware? Again, wouldn't she already have some? Lucy was getting stumped. She couldn't think of anything, but kept looking on her own. 

He was okay with this. He just continued skimming, that is, until he saw it. It wasn’t even on a shelf, the staff had just stacked a few boxes in the corner. Alfendi approached them slowly picking up the box to exam it closer. It was exactly as he remembered it. A spice rack. A simple round spinning spice rack. But it was the same one they had at home when he was little. The one he broke. He was young and Flora had made something absolutely atrocious and in retaliation, he took each glass jar, one at a time smashing them while screaming about how awful he thought she was. They had been home alone, she had to run in and carry him out, they were glass shards everywhere and she had cried a long time. It was one of his worst days and he didn't even remember it until now. It was the same set, and she had loved it so much before he had destroyed it.

“Al, maybe we should try the gardening-” she stopped, seeing that he had a box in his hands. “Oh, did you find something?” He turned towards her.

“Yes. This, it has to be.” She took the box from him to examine it.

“Oh a spice rack? That's so sweet.” She gave it back to him with an approving smile. He held it tightly. He would never be able to find the words to explain himself, to say sorry, he only hoped she remembers and that it means as much to her as he hopes it does.

“Yes,” he said to her, “this is perfect.”

Chapter Text

Luke

Pulling up to the old house he felt his heart swell. This house brought up so many memories every time he saw it. Slowly he raised his fist to knock on the door, but it opened up before he made contact.

“LUKE!” And Flora was jumping up to hug him. “It’s been too long- it’s so good to see you!” He wrapped his arm around her in return, careful not to hit her with his bag. 

“You too Flora, how’ve you been?” No matter how often they spoke now, his new accent was still weird. Not fully American, but still distinctly different then before. She let go of him and welcomed him into the home. 

“Pretty good, work is nice. Here,” she grabbed his bag, "let me take that." He watched her go over and set in Katrielle's room. 

“Am I staying in Kat’s room?” he said as she returned.

“For now I think so. It seemed fitting since it used to be yours.” He began to open his mouth when she turned and gave him a look. “Don’t argue with me, you stayed here so often it might as well had said Luke on the door.” He laughed a bit knowing she wasn’t half wrong; before it became Kat's room, the guest room had been his most of the time.

“Wait a moment, where's Kat sleeping then?”

“Great question- she'll probably end up sharing with me. Al is bringing Lucy, so I imagine they’ll share his bed.” Hearing this Luke’s eyebrows rose.

“Who’s Lucy?” Flora turned on her heel.

“Oh my god, you don’t know Lucy?! She’s Al's girlfriend!” 

“No way-"

“I know-"

“There’s someone out there who can put up with him?” He was smiling and teasing, but Flora gave him a small smack anyway. 

“She’s a sweetheart, way too good for him. She started as his assistant and I guess they hit it off.”

“Oooo office drama, I can’t wait to tease him for that.” 

“Be nice, he’s probably very nervous to bring her over, it’s a big deal.”

“Yeah,” he said, scratching his head, “I guess it must be serious then, huh?”

“I never thought about it much, but I guess so. I didn’t know if he’d ever find someone after Hilda, but she’s good for him”

“That’s good, I’m glad he’s happy and I can’t wait to meet her.” He paused. “Are you... uh…?” He trailed off seeing the way her face twisted.

“Seeing anybody? No, not currently. Not that I would be opposed but-" she waved her hands around looking for the words. “I’m just busy I guess, and I don’t meet many people. I’m still young, it's okay.” She was looking down at her hands as she wrang them together. Although she’s very passionate about her job, he knew it had an effect on the other aspects of her life. It was clear the subject made her uncomfortable, but he wasn’t sure how to move the conversation forward. He watched her puff her cheeks in and out, a habit she had when trying to think of something to say. He wondered if she knew she did that?

Alfendi

“Perhaps this wasn't a great idea. Gosh, we should have left earlier!” Lucy tried to speak, but the scarf was muffling her voice and Al didn't catch most of it. The wind was howling past them as she hurried to load the last of the gifts into her small car. Behind her, Al lugged in their suitcases and quickly shut the trunk. They hopped into the car, and Lucy began rubbing her hands to warm them. “Are you sure it's safe to drive in this?” Al had offered to drive because he knew she didn't really like driving and only did it to get from point A to B when needed.

“It's not too bad right now, it's just the wind. If we head out now, we should miss the worst of it.” Lucy stared out her window at the flakes raining down. She hoped he was right

Flora

“That’s true, there’s no need to rush anything, the time will come.” Luke said. She smiled gently, but turned to start washing the dishes.

“Enough about me though, how are things with Marina?” Luke had stepped in place next to her grabbing a cloth to dry. She handed him a plate as he began to gush.

“Oh she’s wonderful, Flora! She’s celebrating Hanukkah with her family back home, so I’ll have to be leaving early to get back for the end of it.”

“That's lovely, it’s good you get to spend part of the holidays with her. Is her family nice?” His face lit up into a grin.

“They’re amazing Flora really, and they’re so excited to have me, I’m just a bit worried about customs and such. Marinas been filling me in, but I’m still nervous about doing something wrong in front of them.” She laughed

“Listen, I don’t know much about Hanukkah, I don't think we ever did it quite right, but if her parents are as great as you say, then there’s probably nothing you could do to ruin things. It’s the holidays, everyone’s happy, Luke.”

“I know, I know, but I want them to like me and I know it’s really important to them.”

“You’ve dealt with much worse, you’ll be fine, trust me.” He sighed, knowing she was right, but not feeling much better.

“Plus,” she added, “I don’t think there’s a person alive who doesn’t like you. You’re the most likeable person I know.” He laughed a little, finally loosing up a bit.

“That’s just because you know a lot of un likable people.” She grinned, happy to see that he was putting the topic behind him.

Alfendi

The snow picked up quick, and once it did, it didn’t let go. The wind whipped the snow around the car, and Al was creeping along the road. Lucy was beyond worried, and with that she became fidgety. Al could only see her bouncing hands from his peripheral, but it wasn’t like he could see much out the windshield. 

“Lucy…” he said calmly. “If you keep that up… I will have to break your fingers.” He didn’t mean it, obviously. But she sat on her hands anyway.

“Sorry! I’m just scared.” She looked over at his knuckles clenched so tight he might break the steering wheel. “Should we maybe pull over for a bit? -I’m sure your folks would understand.”

His hands relaxed a bit as he took a deep breath. “I would, but it’s only going to get worse, I don’t want to get us stuck here.”

The snow however, didn’t care. The car they had been following behind turned off a few kilometers back. There was a curve to the road that sprung out of nowhere, and although Al jammed the breaks, the car kept sliding.

Kat

“I’m fine, really it’s okay.” She was on the phone with Ernest, trying to convince him that she wasn’t going to die. “I finished the invoices and sent them out, everything else can wait until after the holidays.” She was at home and although she still had papers around her, she left most of them at the office and they were all at least sorted and organized. “I’ve got the Eakley case files with me now, but that's it all I swear.”

“Please don’t over do it Kat, I don’t want anything to happen to you!” Okay, so she had had a panic attack yesterday, fine, maybe she shouldn’t still be working, but if she left everything until after Christmas she would be thinking about the looming work load the whole time. No thank you.

“Seriously Ernest, I’m fine now. We can talk when you get back, but I’ll survive until then.” Will I? No- you can’t think like that stop that.  

“I trust you Miss, but what if it happens again?” She sighed.

“Listen, Flora is picking me up tomorrow, if anything happens I’ll be with family.” She heard him worrying on the other end of the line.

“Yes, but with your pride, would you tell them?” Ernest must have been feeling awfully bold to say such a thing- he must be spending too much time with Sherl.

“Okay mister, I think that’s enough from you.” He started to speak but she cut him off. “ Seriously, stop it, Ernest.” He sighed knowing that when she was determined there was no stopping her. “Anyway,” she continued, not giving him a chance to speak, “how has it been with family?”

“It’s, um, okay…” Ernest never did speak much of his family. She knew enough about what had happened to his biological family, but he never liked to speak about his adoptive one. They seemed nice enough, at least from what he did mention, but at the same time he never really seemed too excited to visit.

“Sherl's not too much trouble is he?” Ernest groaned on the other end, causing Kat to let out a small laugh.

“He’s fine, I just wish he wouldn’t talk so much. My folks just think he’s grumpy, barking at everything all the time.” Again she laughed.

“You know they aren’t wrong, he is quite grumpy. I’d ask you to hand the phone to him so we could speak but then they’d really think you’re crazy.” Even Ernest couldn’t resist laughing.

“You’re right. But you owe me for this one, he’s yours next.”

“Are you talking about me?!” She heard Sherl in the background. 

“Shhh Sherl, quiet!” Ernest hushed. “Sorry Kat, I do have to go now, but please feel free to call if you need anything or… well, if anything happens I’m here for you, okay?” She felt a smile grow, and wondered if it showed through the phone.

“Thanks Ernest, it means a lot. Have fun okay?” 

“Of course. Goodbye Kat.”

“Bye.”

Alfendi

Eyes scrunched shut before the impact. A hand reached for something to hold. A pain deep in his chest. Fingers gripping his arm. White.

Flora

“Al should have been here by now,” she said, looking out the window. Hershel and Luke were sat on the couch with Flora at the table. They looked up at her.

“With the snow they're probably driving a bit slow,” Hershel said. Truthfully, he was beginning to worry too, but he didn’t want to let it show.

“Still,” Luke started, “even if they were growing slow, Al doesn’t live that far. Do we know that they left?” he asked, getting up to join Flora. “Is it possible they decided to wait until tomorrow after the storm?” He was sat beside her and started patting her shoulder to comfort her. She kept look out the window but shook her head.

“No, he would have called first, I know it. If not him, then Lucy would have.” Her hands were wrapped around her tea, but it was sitting on the table, not a sip missing. 

Luke

He took the now cold cup from her hands and pushed it away. Her eyes widened in surprise and confusion. He took her hand in his and lead her over to the couch with her father. 

“They’re gonna be okay, Flora.” The three of them looked at the Christmas tree, now decorated head to toe. There was nothing they could do either way. He would just have to try and keep her company, keep her distracted.

Alfendi

He slowly opened his eyes. His arm hurt. The windshield was almost entirely covered in snow. The front of the car was dipped down, but the angle wasn’t sharp, they were still mostly upright. He turned to his left to see Lucy, and only then did he realized she was still holding his arm. She opened her eyes careful, afraid of what she might find. They sat for a moment breathless, before she reached over and hugged him. 

They took their time. The two moved in slow motion, checking themselves and then each other. Safe. The road only dipped a little, they had hit a snow bank but it wasn’t high and they hadn't been going fast. They were lucky.

They didn’t want to move. The snow was still blowing so they opted to stay inside. Once it dies down a bit they could go assess the damage. For now, they climbed into the backseat and huddled close.

Chapter Text

Alfendi

“Honestly, it ain’t that bad, is it,” Lucy asked, hands on her hips assessing the damage. They weren’t sure what time it was when they finally decided to get out and look, but it was late and the sky had turned dark. The snow had stopped, though, so they turned on the headlights and went out.

“No, it really isn’t. I think we can dig our way out.” Alfendi kicked a bit at where the snow met the tires. It was actually just a soft hit, they weren’t going fast when the impact happened. There was a nice sheet of snow encasing the vehicle, and he was sure he’d need a new bumper, but otherwise, it didn’t look too bad.

“Dig it out? You mean now?” She was wrapped up tightly in a scarf, but it wasn’t doing much against the cold.

“If we stay here we risk the snow around freezing and trapping us. Its stopped now- we can easily dig it out quick and get going.” She couldn’t stop staring at him, his face wasn’t matching his words.

“This doesn’t seem like you. What are you actually thinking?” 

“I’m thinking that if we don’t get on the road soon my family will freeze themselves to death searching for us.” There was some bite to his words, and as he spoke he gave a particularly large kick to the snow bank in front of him. “I’m thinking that I’m an idiot who almost got us killed.” Another kick. “I’m thinking that I’d like to get a move on and get home before I fuck up anything else!” He stopped kicking, his whole body froze for a moment, his back to Lucy. He took a deep breath and right as she was about to ask if was okay, he turned around. “Come on,” he said softly, “come help me.”

Flora

She woke when she heard a bang outside. Not that she had gotten much sleep; she had elected to stay on the couch waiting for Lucy and Al, and ended up dozing off. At some point either her father or Luke must have given her a blanket, for which she was very grateful.

She pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at the clock, nearly three in the morning. She heard more shuffling outside and jumped to the door. When she opened it she saw Lucy and Al, arms full of luggage and presents, chatting as they made their way towards the door. 

“Al! And Lucy- oh my god you’re alright!” She moved as to go out to them before realizing she was barefoot and without a coat. “Come here,” she beckoned them in before taking a step back in the house to avoid the chill.

“Yes, we’re alright!” Lucy said. “Aw, it's nice to see you Flora.” She stepped in first with Al following closely behind.

“Yes, we’re fine. The car on the other hand is a different story.” Flora looked up at him, and then quickly outside, but she wasn’t able to see his car behind her own. 

“What do you mean, are you alright?” In the excitement, she had forgotten to keep her voice down. Hershel and Luke were coming to join them.

“Lovely to see you Al!” Luke laughed. “You know you gave Flora and your dad here a good scare, but I knew you’d make it!” He gave Alfendi a hard hit on the back, and it took everything in him not to snap back at the older boy.

“Are you two quite alright?” Hershel asked, moving towards Lucy to take her bags from her. She thanked him softly, unheard over the commotion.

“What happened?” Flora asked impatiently. Al looked at Lucy, and she could tell from his face that he wouldn’t be able to tell the story, so she stepped up.

“Well… we had a bit of an accident to be honest- But it was just a wee little one, we’re quite alright and we were still able to get here.” Her face was a bright red from the cold, matching her hair.

“Oh my, are you sure you’re okay?” Hershel moved closer to the group. Before either could answer, Flora cut in.

“Alfendi. Did you hit your head?” Of course it would be Flora to ask the important question, the other two wouldn’t be thinking logically enough. He took a breath.

“I don’t think so. Honestly, it was a very small hit, we weren’t going fast. The car looks bad but I don’t hurt at all.” Flora was still nervous. She was the one who had been there the most for him when he was in the hospital, and she still worried a lot. A head injury is dangerous enough, but there’s no telling how bad something like that could affect Al.

“Honestly, and you know me Flora, if I thought even a little bit something might have been wrong with him I would tell you.” Lucy piped up. “And I wouldn’t have let him drive if he were hurt, that’s for sure. We’re both fine, promise you.” That helped a lot. Flora felt her heart slow down a bit and for the first time tonight she began to relax. They were okay. 

“Can we go to bed now, though?”

Luke

Luke woke up tired but too restless to stay in bed. Unsure of the time, he tiptoed out of Kat’s room and made his way to living area. There he found Flora at the table with a cup of coffee and a small bowl of Cheerios. He sat down next to her, spooking her a little as she hadn’t seen him come in. 

“How’d you sleep?” she asked, seeing his tired eyes.

“Not awful. Better once Al and Lucy got here.” He got up and headed for the fridge. “What time is it?” She watched him reach for a glass for his milk.

“It’s almost nine I think.” Wow, that was late for this house. Luke poured his milk and came back to sit with her, watching what few birds there were still outside.

“I expected the Professor to be up by now; you two have always been early risers.” 

“Yes, and you’ve always loved to sleep in.” She was smiling, but it faltered quickly.

“Dad he’s… Well, listen Luke, you know the Professor,” she started, looking away from him, trying to find the words. “He would never admit it, but he is starting to get older, you know.” She sighed. “He’s started sleeping in later and only teaching afternoon classes, which I think is good for him. He still teaches a full course load but he doesn’t seem as stressed.”

“Well that’s good. And I’m sure his students enjoy it too,” he joked.

“I’m sure they do. And don’t get me wrong, it is good that he’s doing this, I guess it’s just weird to think he’s getting older. I don’t like thinking about these things.” Flora took another spoon of cereal but her expression was almost melancholy. Of course she wouldn’t want to think of him aging. As much as the Professor meant to Luke, and he meant a lot, it still wasn’t the same as his relationship with Flora. She had lost her mother and father at a young age, and to Hershel, she was a gift he didn’t know he needed. Even as a child she kept him grounded in a way no one had expected; she was the best thing to happen to him in a long time.

“Flora, I know it’s hard to see, but he’s not that old. He’s not going anywhere any time soon, I can guarantee.” He could feel his smile and fake demeanour slipping away despite his best efforts to seem fine.

“Are you okay?” Nothing could slip by Flora.

“Not really.” She reached out and took his hand, holding it gently.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just my mum… she’s not doing very well. She has a weak heart and can’t do everything she used to.”

“Oh my goodness Luke, I’m so sorry-“

“No, no, it’s okay. She’s fine, she’s not in any immediate danger, and she has some good doctors keeping an eye on her. I just wish there was more I could do.”

“Do you want to go home? No one would be mad if you spent this time with them.”

“Trust me, it’s okay Flora. I already saw her and she wanted me to come here like I always do for Christmas Eve. You know mum, she was very insistent.” Flora chuckled a bit, remembering how Brenda was always trying to get her to eat more. Is Hershel feeding you enough love, you're so tiny! The thought brought a small smile to her lips before Luke continued.

“Christmas will be a bit different this year, that’s for sure, but we’ll still have a good time before I head back home to Marina.” She gave him a little ruffle on the shoulder, before she started laying into him about not ever bringing her to visit.

“Flights are not cheap! And I’ve tried.” The two of them were giggling and teasing each other like children, pausing only long enough for Flora to shush them as to not wake up the others, before inevitably falling into another giggle fit.  

Lucy 

When she woke up her first thought was that she hurt. It didn’t take long for her to remember the weird long night they had. Beside her in the small bed, Alfendi was still blissfully sleeping, his back to her and facing the wall. She slowly blinked her eyes open, trying to focus on the darkness; she wanted to get her bearings before waking him. She had been so tired last night she remembered falling into bed, still in yesterday’s clothes, but not much else. Once she could see the room, she was a bit shocked.

Alfendi avoided talking about his childhood as much as possible. She knew it hadn’t been easy for him, and she also knew he didn't very much like the person he was then. But then again, who did like their childhood selves? The room was painted a dark navy purple, almost black, but you could hardly see it under all the posters. Al had posters of all his favourite bands taped to walls, and in the few places without, he had put up newspaper clippings and everything else he owned. His walls were covered in what she could only assume were important memories. She shifted carefully to try and sit up and get a better view, to see if she could make out any of the bands. She didn't recognize most of them; this sort of punk grunge was way outside her scope.

When her curiosity finally got the best of her, she slid out of bed and walked up to the wall to start reading some of the newspapers. Headlines about violent murders and vicious crimes covered what was a young boys room. It was very strange to see, even knowing him it felt a bit dark. She was reading about a murder-suicide when suddenly the light tunred on. She spun around to see that Alfendi, still in bed, had rolled over and flipped on the lights. He stared at her, as she stood there like a deer in headlights.

“You're awake,” he said flatly. She blushed a little.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up!” He looked from her to the wall she had been looking at, and then back. She was only a little uncomfortable. “Eh, my bad prof! I swear I wasn’t really snooping, I just wanted to see what you had on your walls is all.” She watched as he again looked at the walls, before turning a bright red.

“I had, uh, forgotten it still looked like this.” Was he embarrassed ?

“Oh no, no, it’s fine, I just wanted to see what all you had up.” She looked around the room nervously, trying to find something else to look at. He inched himself up so he was completely upright and shook some of his unkempt hair out of his face.

“It's okay, it's just that… this isn't my childhood.” He paused, looking at her with sad eyes, “It's his; I don't have one.” 

Ah, that explained much. Lucy moved back to sit at the foot of the bed with him. This Alfendi only came to be as an adult, he wouldn't have any of Potty’s real memories. He missed out on so much. She placed a hand gently on his knee, letting him know it was okay to share with her.

“I mean, I remember most of it, I was there, but it wasn’t really me , you know?” She nodded. There wasn’t ever much she could say about his issues like this, she would never really understand, all she could do was be there and listen.

“But for me,” he said, switching, “it’s hard to sit here and think of a time before him. As much as I thought Lawson had ruined me back then, I don't know who I’d be without my other half.” She tried to hold back her smile,hearing such a thing from Potty. “You stop that Lucy or I will fight you.” She couldn’t help but giggle at how tough he tried to be. Sometimes Al was just all bark. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before getting up.

“Okay you two, I’m gonna need to know all about who Death Slinger is,” she said, reading the edgy band name off a poster. Al could only groan, cringing at his past self’s rebellious music choices.

Katrielle

She had her overnight bag packed, and her gifts wrapped up by the door. She didn’t know when Flora would be arriving, so she was still at her desk, chipping away at files. She really just wanted to get this one case’s paperwork done, then she could finally be free for the holidays, but she was racing against a clock she couldn't see. It was still fairly early, but she had already had two coffees today to try and power through.

She was bouncing. Katrielle had always had a low caffeine tolerance and her energy levels were through the roof, she couldn’t stop her legs from bouncing while she worked. And despite her stress, she was looking forward to the holidays and seeing family again. She didn’t realize how lonely she could get without Ernest around. 

Luke

Things were starting to get busy around the house. Al and Lucy had slept in for a while, tired from their time last night, but even they were up and moving now. Hershel had put on an old holiday movie, Flora was watching from the kitchen so as to keep an eye on the food, and Lucy sat out with her to keep her company. Luke found himself and Al helping with some last minute decorating, and running back and forth to the kitchen to help Flora.

“Oh no!” Flora gasped. Al and Hershel were preoccupied, but Luke ventured in to see what was up with the girls.

“What did you burn?” he asked, scooching into a seat next to Lucy. 

“Nothing, but I forgot I was supposed to pick up Kat and now I’m halfway through this and can’t leave it.” She gestured to her potatoes and squash. Normally they might ask Al to go get her, but after last night he didn’t really seem too keen to be out driving again.

“My cars blocked in, but I supposed we can move them?” Luke said, thinking about the logistics.

“Nonsense,” Lucy started, “I can go get her it’s fine.” They turned to Lucy, neither knowing what to say. 

“Lucy… but your car…” Luke said. It wasn’t totalled, but he had took a look at it this morning and it still shouldn't be on the road. They watched Flora go over to her purse hanging on the wall and start digging. She fished out her keys and threw them to Lucy who reached out and caught them.

“Here Luce, you can take my car, it shouldn’t be boxed in.” And then she went back to stirring.

“You sure about that Flora?” Lucy was looking at the keys she had caught now sitting in her lap.

“It’s fine Luce, it’s not snowing anymore and I trust you.” And that was that. Lucy started getting her clothes and boots on and ready to go.

She sure is interesting. Luke had only formally introduced himself to Lucy this morning, last night there has been too much commotion. She was very kind and bubbly- not at all like Al. Lucy has so much energy, she reminded him of Katrielle with how joyful she was. He had a hard time imagining her with Al, but he was starting to understand what Flora meant about her being good for him.

Alfendi

“It’s nice to have you all here, we’re just missing Kat now.” Hershel was sitting next to Al, the two of them trying to talk.

“Mmm yes, it is nice.” Al just wanted Hershel to stop. He kept prodding and trying to have a conversation but Al was just not comfortable talking with him. Their relationship was always… strained, to say the least, and it didn’t get better after Al’s accident. Slowly, they were starting to repair it, but that required effort on Al’s part, something he didn’t want to do.

“And how are things with Lucy?” She had just left with Flora’s car, apparently to go pick up Kat. The perfect time for Hershel to strike.

“Good, good. We get along well.” Al nervously looked to the kitchen where Flora and Luke were gossiping. Oh, if only he could escape to join them.

“That’s good. Do you intend to propose?” He asked nonchalantly. Like that was a fine and normal question. Like that was reasonable. Alfendi however, sputtered on nothing, a cough escaping him.

“I’m sorry?” he asked.

“I don’t mean to intrude or to pressure you in anyway, it’s just you’ve been together a while and I was just curious.” His eyes showed that he was genuine, which almost made it worse. If he was being inconsiderate and trying to insinuate something, then at least Al could retaliate, but of course Hershel never did anything bad or rude on purpose. That just wasn’t like him.

“Oh my, did I overstep?” Alfendi was sure his face was giving away the answer.

“A bit dad, yeah.” Neither of them were good with boundaries or emotions. Maybe that’s why they didn’t get along well.

“I mean, I’d do anything for her, and I really like her, it just hasn’t been very long, and she’s still quite young, I don’t want her to feel pressured to settle down.” Wow, had he really said all that?

“What do you mean about her being young?” Hershel looked puzzled.

“Well, she’s a few years younger than me, and maybe in a few years, well…” he stopped, scared to say what he’d been thinking. “Well, maybe she’ll change her mind. Maybe she won’t want to deal with this; I can’t do that to her, can’t force her into all this.” Hershel reached out, as if he was going to touch him, but stopped, leaving his arm falling short onto the couch between them.

“Alfendi, my boy, you wouldn't be forcing her to do anything. I don't think anyone could make Lucy do anything she didn't want to.” That brought a small smile to Al’s lips, knowing that was in fact quite true. “It seems like the only thing holding you back is yourself, Al.” He didn't want to think about this, this was not how it was supposed to go.

“Now hold on father, I don't think you really know me, I don't think you understa-”

“Alfendi, let me finish please.” Had he been raising his voice? “Lucy loves you for who you are, she's been with you this long not in spite of anything but because of you. It won't be like Hilda this time, Lucy has always known your whole self.” That hurt a little. He didn’t expect his father to bring up Hilda. As much as they were friends now, and were still able to joke around like the old times, he still hates how it ended between him. He had simply been too much work, too much for her to handle. She wasn’t willing to accept all of him.

“You don't know that dad, she could change her mind at any time. You don't know her!” Oh, he had definitely raised his voice this time. His words were hot, and so too was his temper. 

“No, you're right, I don't.” What? “But you do. Do you really think she would leave?” Damn his father. He wasn’t great with feelings but he was good with words. He sighed. Would she leave him?

“I… I  don't think she would.” He stopped but it was clear Hershel was wanting him to say more.”I- We’ve been through so much, and she's never been scared, even when I get, well, like this. She knows me so well, inside and out; she can see some nuances between myselves that I don't even pick up on. I guess I’m just…” Don't say it. “Scared.”

This time Hershel did move closer and brought Al into a gentle, hesistant, hug. It was only brief before Hershel ended it, but he still held onto Al’s shoulders, forcing them to meet eyes.

“Alfendi, I was scared too. Scared with Kat, with you, Flora, and scared with… Claire.” His father didn't bring her up much, but they all knew what had happened. “I didn't ever get the chance to propose- I had the ring Alfendi, but I was too scared.” He was shaking a bit, and Al removed his father’s hands from his shoulders and held them tight in his own. “I know… I know it wouldn't have changed anything, not really, but I do still wonder sometimes. -I’m not trying to tell you what to do, you’ll know when you know, but please, ” he begged, “don't let your insecurities be what stops you when the time is right.” Hershel only had a few tears falling, but it was still more than Alfendi was used to. He wasn't sure what to do, but tried not to overthink anything. He pulled him in for another hug.

“I promise, dad.”

Katrielle 

The doorbell rang, and she jumped from her seat to open it. 

“Hello- Lucy?” She was surprised to see her friend at the door, but her brain quickly took over and pulled her into a hug.

“Hey Kat, nice to see you, its been a while, eh?” It had been. The two of them had been too busy to hang out as of late, and even when they do see each other, it was usually brief or with Al; they hardly ever got alone time anymore.

“It has; what are you doing here, I thought Flora was picking me up? -Oh sorry, here, come in!” She moved out of the way so Lucy could enter while Kat organized her files and got her last bag of things ready.

“She was, but she's in up to her elbows in cooking and I offered to get you.” Katrielle, who up to this point hadn’t been feeling the Christmas spirit, was suddenly elated. Something about Lucy’s excitement brought Kat up to her level of excitement as well; she was infectious.

“Ah okay, that sounds about right.” With her bags in her arms, they went out the door. “Has she burnt anything yet?” Lucy could only laugh, having heard many stories of the atrocities thrust upon the younger siblings when they were kids.

“Oh hey,” Kat said, looking at the vehicle, “this isn’t your car, is it?”

“Actually, it's a funny story. Get in, I’ll tell you on the way there.”

Flora

Turkey’s in the oven, potatoes and squash done, carrots and other vegetables currently on the stove. Things were starting to come together, finally. She leaned back for a moment, taking a breath, and just happened to peer outside at the right moment to see Lucy pull in with her car. 

“Hey guys, the girls are here!” she called to the boys in the other room. Luke and Al had gotten into a dumb argument about something or rather, and it was just her and Hershel in the kitchen.

Luke was constantly antagonizing Al, mostly because he found joy in how easy it was to get him riled up. She heard the two of them go quiet for a moment, before both rushing out to greet Kat, like dogs when the doorbell rings. She wasn't quite convinced they were adults.

When the door opened, it was hard for her to make out the conversations with everyone talking at once. She saw Hershel shift next to her.

“Nothing’s changed has it?” he asked, leaning in. She laughed and stepped closer to him.

“Not really, no. Guess Lucy’s new though.” Al, Luke, Lucy and Kat were all chatting together now. She could barely make out what sounded like Kat tearing into Al about last night over the sound of Luke’s laughter.

“While true, it doesn't feel that way, does it?” She nodded, somehow knowing exactly what he meant. She fit into their group so well, it was almost strange to think of her not being here. She was family.

“And are you in here hiding from them?” Kat pointed at the boys who were already bickering again as she joined Flora and Hersh for hugs.

“Pretty much.” Flora shrugged with a grin. Hershel gave a face that indicated that while the answer was yes he wouldn't say as much. “Plus I’m finishing up supper,” she pointed to the oven behind her, before realizing that, oh no, the carrots were about to boil over. She quickly leapt to turn down the heat, hearing the faint laughs behind her.

“Need help with anything?” Lucy asked. From her it was genuine, if any of the others had asked it would have been a jab. 

“I don’t think so, no, you guys carry on.” 

The house was full and the laughter loud. Finally all together, the way it should be. Katrielle took care of her bags and quickly settled in. It wasn’t long before the board games and puzzles were brought out; spread across the coffee table, with Frosty the Snowman on the small tv. Flora was still busy, setting the table and finishing up dinner, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the festivities. She found as much joy watching them have fun as if she were the one participating. She honestly preferred the sidelines, it was a little quieter, a little easier.

She relaxed.

Alfendi

The table was set and they were all seated. Hershel had said something sentimental about being together or whatever, and then they ate. They talked while they ate, chatting and laughing. Those who partook in alcohol enjoyed a glass of wine and all was merry. Alfendi kept to himself though. His glass empty, knowing how he could get when he drank, and hunched down over his food. They were sharing stories and memories they had all heard a thousand times- well, except for Lucy, who was taking great joy in hearing the tales for the first time.

Al didn’t feel comfortable though. This atmosphere put him on edge, he never felt safe around others, unsure of how to act in groups, even when the group is family. And so he stayed quiet unless prompted. He’d throw words back at Luke when he teased, answered questions as politely as he could, but kept his head low and avoided their gazes. To his right he saw Luce, laughing her fullest at what was probably an embarrassing story from his childhood; he wasn’t listening. The light in her eyes was bright though, so he took solace in knowing that she was enjoying her time. 

He had wondered how she would fit into the group. He wasn’t sure if she would be able to get along with the others at first. Well, he already knew how she was with Katrielle and Flora, but it was quite new to see her with Hershel and Luke. Altogether the family could be… A lot. Then again, Al alone could be a lot. But here she was, fitting in like the missing puzzle piece, like she belonged. He felt himself start to settle down and release some tension. If she was having fun, shouldn't he? 

There was a lull in the conversation as Luke poured more wine. He offered some to Al, who again thought about it for a moment, but decided he best say no. He didn’t want to potentially ruin the good that was happening here. Hell, even sober there was still a good chance that he could fuck this up yet. 

Stop thinking like that. 

But it’s the truth.

“-Al?”

“Hmm. Sorry Flora, I missed that.” Stupid. 

“It's fine, I just asked if you wanted desert, we have cookies and pie.” She was setting down the tray of cookies on the table and was getting ready to cut the pie.

“Uh, no thanks, I’m good.” That may have been a mistake. He didn't feel much like eating anymore, but they all knew he had a secret sweet tooth. That was one thing the whole family could agree on, there's nothing better than a good sweet.

Lucy gave him a little nudge under the table, so subtle he almost didn’t notice. He turned just enough to see her give him that look. Are you okay? He had seen it many times before. He gave a short nod and in return she squeezed his thigh. I’m here, it said.

He was thankful.

Katrielle

Dinner had been calm, almost too much so. They had since moved to the living room, simply enjoying each other's company. Every Christmas eve they watched The Grinch together, just a simple thing but something they all looked forward to nonetheless. Flora, Luce and Hershel were on the couch together, leaving Al, Luke and Kat on the floor. Katrielle always wanted the floor, the nest of blankets and pillows made was her favourite part; nothing like a good cocoon. It wasn't unusual for Luke to end up with her, but it was funny seeing Al down there, his usual spot taken by Lucy. Al hadn't been in the blankets since he was little and they would all pile up on the floor together, Hersh included.

The movie played on screen but Kat felt numb, having seen it a thousand times. She watched him scheme and plot against the Whos, but her eyes unfocused, shifting. She was too aware that this wasn't as fun as it used to be. She was an adult, they all were, why were they still doing this? It didn't feel right anymore. Was she too old for Christmas now?

A quick glance around the room- Flora let out a yawn, the others watching closely but she couldn't tell if they were absorbing it, or simply letting the film wash over them like she was. Everything felt wrong. This was her first time feeling too old for anything, did the rest of them feel like this? Had they been pretending for years for her? What happens when the youngest is no longer young? Her childhood is gone.

Her chest tightened. A small curse escaped her lips, unbeknownst to the rest. Not here, not now, she couldn't- she Can't. Breath short and rapid, scared. She can’t be noticed, they couldn't know. 

Panic.

Where to go, what to do?

Quickly she shed her blankets, cautious, she nodded, a simple sign she was going to the bathroom. They would understand.

Panic.

Luke

Her eyes had betrayed her; he saw the tears swelling. He said an excuse and made off after her in a way he hoped wouldn't draw much attention. They didn't seem to have noticed anything was wrong.

He stopped outside the bathroom, hearing the small sobs. He didn't knock, and maybe he should have, but it didn't cross his mind at the time. He opened the door and saw her there, curled up on the floor, holding her knees to her chest crying. She looked up at him, her face read, her breathing staggered.

He sat down opposite her, his back against the tub, and held his legs too. Her breath sped up, scared.

“Kat, I’m not going to bother you, just try to breathe for me.” He waited, watching her gulp and sob and try, try. He didn't touch her, he didn't move, he just sat there, waiting. He didn't want to stare, looking down at the checkered tile instead. It took a moment, but slowly he began to see her breathing start to level out. Looking up, he saw that she had a hand clamped over her heart, feeling… holding. He didn't move, waiting for her to finish coming down. It wasn’t his first time waiting, he was on her time now. Soon the tears stopped, her breathing shallow, but at a normal speed. Her leg moved, just a little, but enough to show that there was the smallest bit of relaxation in her body. Good. She had to speak first, this was her experience, and only she could tell when she was ready. He let his legs down, stretching out between them. Careful, she did the same, letting her legs unfurl and lay on the tile. A deep breath.

“What do I say?” It was almost a whisper, after her voice cracked on the first word.

“Whatever you want to, I’m here for you.” A moment, she was thinking.

“How did you know?” Oh. He hadn’t been expecting that.

“Well…” he cleared his throat. “I had a few when I was younger, and I've had friends who experience them too.” He paused, and she wiped her eyes. “There was a pain on your face, I didn't know what was happening, but I knew you weren't okay.” There was silence for a while, like she was processing what he said.

“Is this your first one?”

“Second.”

He nodded, thinking about what it meant. She was younger than him, not by much but by enough. Honestly, he didn't know her all that well, having spent the least amount of time with her.

“Why is this happening to me now?” She said it like it was a bad word. Like a life sentence. Like a disease.

“Anxiety, well, it works in weird ways. Sometimes stresses come on that you don't realize at first. There will probably be more attacks, but you looked like you handled it pretty well. You got your breathing under control on your own, not everyone can do that.” He tried his best to get the words out right but he struggled. He was a genius, a respected and acclaimed researcher and yet, here he was on the floor, feeling helpless in aiding a friend; his façade gone.

“Are you okay? How do you feel?” She shifted a bit, slowly getting more comfortable.

“My heart hurts… and I feel tight.” She touched her hand to her heart again.

“That’s okay, just keep taking some nice deep breathes and imagine it filling and loosening your lungs.” He watched as she did what he said. “Better?”

“A bit, yeah.” She took a moment to grab some toilet paper and wipe at her face some more, trying to regain a little composure.

“Hey, I don’t know what caused this, and I’m not going to ask or pry, but you’re a very smart strong woman Kat, and I know you’ll get through it. But,” he made sure to make eye contact with her, “if you do ever want to talk about anything or need any help, I’m always here, okay?” She nodded, and that was good enough for him. He stood up first, offering out his hand. She took it and he helped pull her up.

“I’m gonna head out now so no one worries, but you take as long as you need.” He started for the door but stopped for a moment on his way out. “They wouldn’t think less of you, you know that right?” She turned from where she was looking at herself in the mirror, to him half out the door. “They’d all understand, if you want to talk to them- if there’s someone you feel more comfortable with then, well, me, I mean.” He stopped, then gave her an awkward closed mouth smile with a nod before heading out. 

Katrielle

She couldn’t find the words to say you’re more than enough.

Flora

With the movie over, they started cleaning up all the blankets and returning them to their proper homes. It would soon be time for bed already; somehow time had passed differently, whether it was the holidays or just having fun with family, she wasn’t sure.

“We have to get to sleep before Santa comes,” Hershel said. She thought that it was very sweet that they all still pretended he was real. At first it seemed silly, and maybe even a bit sad, but it makes their father happy. She wonders if he's lonely now with them all grown and out the house. Probably.

And she knew that after they all go to bed for the night, he would sneak out and leave a little treat for them from the big man. He didn't need to, but he wanted to, and it was always special. She felt...grateful? It was nice to know he cared so much for them, even now as adults. Not every parent did. And although she hadn’t seen anything when she was helping him these past few days, Flora was almost certain he would have something for Lucy as well; that's just the kind of person he was. 

Alfendi

He was the first in bed, taking his side against the wall again. The bed was small, but so too was Lucy, so it wasn’t too bad. And tonight they at least had the pleasure of actually changing before going to bed. Lucy finished changing, but didn't crawl in right away. Instead she went back to the wall, taking another look at all his memories.

“I hope you're not too embarrassed by any of these- I would never mock your interests,” she said, trailing a hand across the wall.

“I mean it's a bit embarrassing, yeah. A lot of this stuff is…” he trailed off. He didn't want to say cringy but that's the only word that came to mind.

“I think it's sweet,” she said, not waiting for him to finish. “You were clearly super passionate about these bands, they must have made you really happy.” Really happy huh? He may have thought so at the time but looking back on it, he knows that probably wasn’t true. It's probably more accurate to say they were contributing to a depression problem that he really didn't need on top of everything else that was going on in his early years. He may not have made some of the best decisions growing up.

“How you feeling?” Lucy asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed to face him.

“Good, fine I mean, it's just a bit… strange having you here I guess.” She grinned a little.

“Here as in in your childhood room, or here as in with your family for Christmas?”

“Both.”

She laughed a little. 

“Well can I tell you what I think?” she asked. He nodded and she continued. “I think it's really nice to see all these people you love. They’re special to you so they’re special to me.” He had a feeling she stopped there so as to not get too sappy in this cramped room on Christmas Eve. “Oh, but I must say, I do really like that Luke fellow! You’ve barely mentioned him before now.” She was teasing him, a devilish look on her face. She had very much been enjoying seeing the two of them butt heads. 

“Oh I’m sure you do,” he said, his words thick with sarcasm.

“Finally someone else besides me and Hilda to put you in your place. I think he needs to come around more often.” He groaned.

“Shut up and get in here.” It wasn't rude or loud, just playful, as he reached out and snatched her in by her waist. She let out a small “Eep!” when pulled into the bed, but began laughing. 

“Oh? Did I hit a soft spot? -You don't like that?” Such a tease, always joking with him, god, he was starting to realise why she got along with Luke so well, they were both just awful. She wormed her way out of his hold where she was pinned to him, and turned so they were face to face. “Were you two like that as kids?” Her voice was normal now, genuinely curious and without any hint of the teasing tone that had been there before.

“Sort of. I didn’t see him much when I was really young, we only saw each other much once I was up in the teens. He was older and, well, I don't know, it's always been weird.” He wasn't quite sure how his relationship with Luke became what it was.

“Weird?” She was on her side, her head propped up by her hand.

“Yeah, we fought a lot, I was just… Well, I was always angry then, but he knew exactly how to get a rise out of me and thought it was funny for some reason. He still does.” She frowned.

“Does it bother you, do you want him to stop?” Lucy had gone into protective mode; he knew what she meant was do you want me to make him stop? When Lucy gets angry she could become a tiny package of anger that he needed to diffuse immediately.

“No, no, not anymore. When I was younger, yeah, I couldn't control it, but now? I don't mind too much. He just likes teasing now, surely you understand?” She grinned at the smirk on his face.

“Oh course, it's fun.” She paused, looking puzzled for a moment. “But… Why did he do it when you were young? -He seems so nice and gentlemanly like your father.” He flinched only a little; that hurt a bit.

“I can't say for sure, but I think moving to America, leaving dad and everything behind was hard on him, he didn't want to go.”

“Oh yeah, he's living overseas. He moved there young?”

“And he hated every minute of it, I can't believe he's still there. If he hadn’t found a girl at school I don't know if he would have stayed.” Lucy looked intrigued, as if thinking deeply.

“Interesting. He's nice though, I do like him.” He only hummed back, trying to hold in a yawn, it was getting late. She smiled, obviously seeing that he was tired. “It's late, let's get some sleep; I’m sure with you guys I’ve got a large day to look forward to tomorrow.” A sleepy smile crossed his lips and she leaned over to give him a quick kiss.

“Goodnight, love.”

Katrielle

Kat had decided that she would rather sleep on the couch then share the small bed with Flora. Thankfully Flora wasn't offended by this but was rather grateful. She did lend her some pillows and blankets though. Kat was all curled up in the blankets, still sitting up with her back against the arm of the sofa.

She was thoughtful. There were soft lights streaming in from the windows, reflecting off the tree in the corner. She had a lot to think about after today. Luke's words had meant a lot to her, but she was still quite scared. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel. The whole house was quiet, but she wasn’t tired and couldn't sleep. Fumbling in the darkness, she reached over behind her and grabbed the phone off the table. She stared, trying to decide if this was a good idea or not. She could go talk to Luke… or she could just go to bed. But somehow she knew those options wouldn't help. With a shaky hand she dialed, hoping he’d pick up. It rang for while, but eventually he did.

“Hey Ernest, -I know it’s,” she looked at the clock, 11:53, “almost midnight and almost Christmas, sorry to bother but... would you mind talking for a bit?”

Chapter Text

Katrielle 

Was she the first one awake? Seemed highly unlikely but there was no one else around. She edged herself up on her elbows, sitting up on the sofa. The sun was just starting to show out the window. Surely the others were awake; they just must be still in their rooms, not wanting to disrupt her. Her call with Ernest had gone about as good as it could have, given the circumstances. She was glad she could talk to him whenever. She was glad to have someone so close.

She got up slowly. The house was silent. It was still quite early, maybe she was the first up? She sat down at the kitchen table and took a look around the house. Small but cosy. She felt calm.

Flora

She jumped a little at the sound. A small crash rang out from the common area, and without thinking she wiped her eyes and swung out of bed. Still drowsy she walked down the hall, only to see Kat picking up shards of a broken mug. They had more than enough mugs in the house and that one wasn’t very special, so it wasn’t a big deal, but she was surprised to see Kat up.

“Oh I’m sorry, did I wake you? I just- well I was trying to reach- and-” Kats rambling ended when she saw Flora gesture her to stop. Flora stifled a yawn but bent down to pick up a shard that had landed closer to her.

“Happy Christmas. It’s fine Kat, not a problem.” She handed her the ceramic and Kat placed them on the counter off to the side. “What were you doing?” She didn’t really take a good look at first, but now she could see what Katrielle was up to. The teapot was heating up and the coffee maker percolating.

“Well I thought I should get things started while I was up. I know I’m not as good as you with tea but…” she trailed off. Flora felt a grin spread on her face.

“It's fine, I can help if you want.”

Alfendi

Al got up first, slipping his way past Lucy without waking her. She looked so lovely and peaceful, how could he disturb her?

By the time he reached the kitchen, Kat and Flora had figured out breakfast and were laughing quietly about something. 

“Morning Al, how are you?” Kat asked. He brushed some loose hair from his eyes, still very much half asleep.

“Yeah, surprised you’re up already. Happy Christmas.” Flora said, holding her tea.

“Happy Christmas to both of you as well.” He was tired and very much not a morning person. The girls were seated at the table with their drinks, just having a bit of toast. It looked as though no one else was awake. “Is there-”

“Coffee?” Flora interjected. “Yes, in the pot.” He smiled a bit.

“Thanks guys, it's needed.” They smiled.

Flora

It had been a long time since it was truly just the three of them. They were sitting together, just enjoying the quiet. As much as Flora had been excited to see Luke, who she only gets to see once or twice a year now, she also appreciated the moment alone with her siblings. Things were not always good between them, and they grew up under some peculiar circumstances, but there was still a strong love between them. They just weren’t always the best at showing it.

She felt a bit sad whenever she looked at Kat, in a way that was hard to explain. Kat was just telling Al about one of her last cases. Those two would often exchange work stories. But Flora felt herself focusing on Kat. Katrielle was no longer a child. She had been out on her own, running her own business for a while. Kat was always Flora’s little sister, but she too was now an adult. It was strange. There was a bit of melancholy, knowing that things would never again be as they were. They could never be kids again, and they would never live under the same roof again. All they really had were times like this; when they got to be together without worry. No one was hurt, no one was in trouble, things were calm. She tried to shake her sad thoughts away, she didn’t want to cry on Christmas morning. This was a happy time, stop mourning the past.

Luke

He had been the last one awake, but that hadn’t been too surprising. Everyone had enjoyed their small breakfast before settling in around the tree again. 

There were more presents under the tree now then there had been last night. At some point in the morning or after they’d gone to bed Hershel must have snuck out a few packages from the big man. Hershel himself was sitting in his small armchair, staring into space. Luke didn't quite know how to feel. He was glad to be here, but things were changing. The Professor was getting older. His parents were getting older. 

But he had spent so much of his childhood here. And Flora was right- Kat’s room had been his. Marina was back in America, where today was only the third day of Hanukkah. Perhaps she was with her family and parents, he wasn't sure. He was sad he couldn't spend his holidays with her as well, but he couldn't not see his parents. For a moment he thought of what they would be doing right now. Mum was probably still in bed, she wasn't getting up and doing as much anymore. He could imagine his dad sitting at the fire reading, waiting for her. Maybe he should be with them now. Ah but his mum had been insistent. He should stop worrying about them and start paying attention to what was happening here and now.

With everyone settled in around the tree, Hershel shifted to get their attention. Immediately, a quiet swept across the room; like a teacher speaking to their class, Hershel’s presence was always powerful and drew everyone's attention.

“Happy Christmas everyone. I’m so glad we get to be together as a family, old and new,” Hershel looked at Lucy lovingly to let her know she belonged just as much as the rest of them. Luke had a family, two parents who loved him very much, but he also considered himself a part of the Layton household. He had been with them since the beginning, when Hershel had no choice but to bring Flora into his small home. When he saved Alfendi and had to move to a larger home. When little Katrielle joined their growing family. He was there by Hershel’s side the whole time. He may not share the Layton name, but he did share a family.

“I’m so thankful to have you all here. Luke, you're closest- do you want to hand something out?"

Lucy

Lucy watched in wonder at the way they spent their time together. Her home life growing up was far from perfect, and she never really got to see a real family Christmas before. Luke leaned over from where he was seated on the floor and picked up the nearest present. He read the tag and handed it off to Kat who was also on the floor near him.

“To Katrielle, from Flora,” he said as he handed it off. Lucy watched Kat quickly tear open the package, revealing a book and a stationary set. The book, she read, was a guide to getting organized. They all chucked a little.

“I thought it might help out at the office, give Ernest a bit of a break.” Kat laughed as well and thanked Flora. 

Things carried on much the same as they made their way through the gifts. An antique tea set for Hershel from Flora. Fancy socks and matching ties from Kat to Luke. A french press for Al from his older sister. A birdhouse and feeder for Flora from Katrielle. 

They all knew each other so well and there was so much personality behind every gift. She smiled watching them go through and laughed along every time a gift derailed into a ‘remember-when’ story. She only paused when she was suddenly handed a gift. 

The faces around the room turned to look at her expectantly. She looked down at the candy cane striped package. To Lucy Baker, from Santa, it read. She shouldn’t be surprised, not really, but it still caught her off guard. As she read the tag aloud, she saw smiles as they gave a quick glance Hershel’s way.

“You know, Santa is pretty smart- I’m not surprised he was able to find you here,” he said with a wink. “Go on, it's for you.”

She felt a warmth inside that she had never quite experienced before. This feeling of belonging, of being loved without ever having to prove anything. She nodded and slowly opened the packaging. She almost dropped the box once she saw what it was. The most beautiful porcelain ballerina figure she had ever seen. Delicate and carefully crafted, the photo on the box was stunning, she almost didn't want to open it. She looked up at Hershel.

“How did…?” She wasn't sure what she wanted to ask.  How did he get such a thing, where did he get it, how did he know? 

“Well I remembered you saying you enjoyed the ballet once; we spoke about it for a while that one time. Well, not long after that I was invited out to Moscow for a conference with the school and while there my host took me to the Bolshoi theatre. I saw the figurine in their gift shop and hoped you would like it. It was a stunning performance; I was saddened I couldn’t share it with you.” She was stunned. 

No one ever had gotten her something this precious. It was months ago that they had had that talk- and he had remembered and got her something? He was in Moscow for business and Lucy was important enough to cross his mind? She almost started to tear up. The gift was nice, and she was sure it was expensive, but it was the thought that was getting her. The knowledge that she had been on his mind and important enough to him to purchase and transport such an item.

“Do you like it?” He prompted, with a bit of hesitation. She laughed a little.

“I love it Hershel- I just can't believe it.” She laughed again, a nervous chuckle.

“Can you open it, make sure it's in one piece?” Carefully she lifted the box open and slid out the miniature dancer. She felt Alfendi beside her staring as the small woman sat in her hand. 

“Oh my god, Hershel, it’s beautiful. You shouldn’t have, it's stunning.” She turned the girl over gently, looking at the craftsmanship. 

“Ah, I’m glad it isn't damaged. I know it's not as good as seeing them perform, but I’m afraid this was the best I could do. Sometime though,” he assured, “I’ll make sure we can get out and go see a performance together.”

“I’d love to Professor, thank you.”

Alfendi

To be honest he didn’t know that his father had planned such a thing for Lucy. He could tell how overjoyed and overwhelmed she was by the gift. He had expected his father to get her something, sure, but he could have never guessed he would do something like that. Of course, maybe he should have seen it coming, his father was always a people pleaser. Nothing was ever good enough for the old man, he always had to be the best. No one saw through it though, they all thought he was just so polite.

Al didn’t have much time to dwell on Lucy’s gift though, as he saw Flora holding his present. Al had never been one for good gifts; he often forgot and had to grab something last minute. They knew it wasn’t really his fault, but they also had learned not to expect too much from him. He was glad he had Lucy by his side this year, as much as she was a pain at the time. Now, watching Flora open his gift, he was hoping he finally got something right for once.

As the wrapping paper fell off the box, her hand went to cover her mouth. Hershel too, appeared stunned, but it was clear the others didn't know what was special about the spice rack.

“Is this… This is the one you broke when we were kids?” She asked although she already knew the answer. It was just as she remembered, nothing fancy, very plain, but the same set she had watched him smash during one of his fits. He could never truly apologize for the way he had acted, he had taken out so much of his frustrations with the world onto her growing up. That was before Kat, when their father was never home. When Al was left struggling alone with meds that never worked and emotions he simply couldn’t control. He was better now, mostly, but he could never take back everything he had put Flora through. She had also been just a child, she never deserved any of it.

He watched as she got up and came over to hug him. He felt a bit awkward but wrapped his arms around her too. 

“I understand,” she whispered gently, “thank you.” He wasn’t good with communicating, but he was glad she had put it together. For all that that they've been through she was still his sister and he loved her very much. 

“You're welcome.” He replied softly as she pulled away. “Now you’ve no excuse- everything you make better be perfect now!” Thankfully his comment had gotten some laughs from those watching, lessening the strange tension the touching gift had caused. 

Katrielle

Things were going well. Everyone seemed happy as they passed gifts along, but she still felt out of place. She couldn’t stop thinking of how kind Luke had been, and how gentle Ernest had spoken to her, softly so as to not wake his family or Sherl. She didn’t even know Luke that well, as he wasn’t around much by the time she had joined their family. She found her eyes drifting his way. He was laughing with the others; someone must have told a joke. It was clear Luke had been a large part of all their lives- except hers. 

And then she turned to Lucy, who was leaning into Al quietly. Lucy, who had quickly become a good friend, but who also didn't have all the shared childhood experiences. But then, Lucy had Alfendi by her side.

Who did Kat have? 

Someone called her name. She turned, realizing that it was Al about to open his gift from her. She paused for a moment trying to remember what she had gotten him. There was laughter from the group as he pulled open a murder mystery party game. Al groaned, but Lucy was already going on about how fun it would be and how they should all play together.

Ah yes, the party game, of course. Kat hadn’t really picked that out- she had helped, but it was mostly Ernest who had done her shopping. He had helped her pick things out based on what little he knew of her siblings, and she more or less had said yes to each item. She was glad Alfendi and the others had liked their gifts, but she felt a bit sick remembering that they weren't really from her. It had all been Ernest, hadn’t it? 

And where was he now? Suffering at home, having to deal with Sherl and his awful family at the same time? It hardly felt fair. Here she was with this loving family she didn't deserve and he was off doing who knows what. She should have invited him. Dad would never say no to someone, although she didn't know where he would have slept. Would Ernest have said yes? 

She felt lonely again. She was surrounded by family, but she couldn't feel the connection. When they laughed, she put on a smile but it didn't feel real. She wished Ernest or Sherl were there, or that she was sitting next to Lucy so they could talk. She tried not to think quite so much, but it was difficult. 

Next to her, Luke smiled as he handed her something else to pass along. As she took the package from his hands she was forced to truly look at him. She didn't know him that well, but gosh there was just something about him. Luke Triton had a smile that could fill a room, and he always meant it. There was just something a bit contagious about it, and for a moment her own smile felt real. Things weren't perfect, but she could keep pretending for a bit.

Alfendi

Something was wrong with Lucy. He couldn’t tell what exactly, but she was fidgety in all the wrong ways and her smile felt unnaturally forced. He saw none of the joy she held earlier. He was watching her closely, but he didn’t dare say something to her in front of his family; he didn’t want to embarrass her. 

But this did mean he wasn’t surprised when she gave him a light double tap on the leg, a quick signal. He wasn’t watching Luke open a gift, he leaned into her. 

“I need a moment,” she whispered. He didn’t understand but he nodded and gave her a pat back. She got up gently, but the eyes in the room were still drawn to her.

“Just going to the bathroom, sorry!” She excused herself and slipped away quickly. The others didn’t seem to think much of it, but he was confused and felt uneasy. 

Well, he thought the others didn’t notice, until he met eyes with Flora.

Flora

She saw something in the way Lucy moved. She locked eyes with Al and hoped to give him a message. Sometimes you need a girl-, I’ll go check on her.

“Excuse me, sorry, just realized I forgot something.” She made her way out to the hallway to see the bathroom door indeed shut. She knocked gently. “Hey Lucy, it’s me. You okay? -Can I come in?”

There was a small sound on the other side that seemed to say yes. She carefully opened the door to see Lucy sitting on the floor, her head hanging in her hands.

“Sorry, you seemed a little off, do you need, like, a pad or anything?” Flora asked, shutting the door and moving to sit in the ledge of the tub. Lucy looked up at her.

“No, no, it’s not that. I’m just feeling a little unwell to my stomach.” She hadn’t noticed it at first but Lucy did seem more pale than usual. Flora stood up briefly to rummage through the medicine cabinet.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. You can take some of these,” she said, holding out some pills. “They should help a bit. I wonder if it’s something you ate?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve been feeling a bit off for a few days now. Plus we ate the same thing and no one else is feeling bad.” She pushed herself up a bit, sitting up a bit more against the wall.

“A few days?” Lucy nodded. “You may want to have that checked.” She sighed.

“I’m probably fine, I don’t really feel too sick so I’m not worried. Might just need more water.”

“Dehydration can do that.” Flora replied. “Just keep an eye on it, okay?” Lucy gave a noncommittal nod. Not exactly what Flora has been looking for but good enough. “Anything else been off?”

“Nah, I’m just not feeling great. A few headaches, but no more than normal… I don't think that there’s been anything else wrong I’ve just been feeling… well… off I suppose.” She must have seen the look in Flora's face because she began back peddling immediately. “I’m fine Flora, it’s probably just a cold or something. Thank you though.” She pushed her way up to standing but swayed a bit in her feet before grabbing hold of the sink. She tried to play it off, but it didn’t work.

“Okay, that’s fine. Just drink some water if you can.” Flora wasn’t going to fight her on this- it wasn’t her place. She was concerned for Lucy- of course she was, but she didn’t want to overstep. She had checked in on her and offered her some medicine, that was all she could do. Hopefully when they returned Al’s look of concern would be gone. It was likely just a little bug and Luce would feel better soon. Hopefully the drugs help some.

Luke 

There were few things that Luke enjoyed more than messing with Al, it was just too easy. After they had finished opening gifts, they followed Lucy’s advice and played through the murder mystery game. Poor guy though, Alfendi’s character just happened to be the murderer. When it was done, he started complaining profusely that it had been so obvious and that they should have figured it out sooner. It must have killed Al to not only not get to figure out the puzzle, but to have watched the rest of them struggle to put the pieces together. Although based on his posture, Luke was pretty certain the Professor had figured it out quite early on- he probably stayed quiet so as to not ruin their game.

Throughout the day, he had tried to keep an eye on Katrielle. He didn't want to seem overbearing, but he wanted to make her feel noticed. He wanted to get to know her a bit better; he felt bad that she seemed a bit left out at times. It was never intentional, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Right now though, he had something else plaguing his mind. A lot has been going through his head since coming here. The Layton family, and how little time he got to spend with them. Whether it was worth it living so far from the ones he loved. His parents, who would normally come spend Christmas day with Hershel and the others, but who were stuck home this year, what with his mum and not wanting to drive after the storm. Luke, of course, had understood, and was going to rejoin them this evening. And then there was Marina, halfway across the world.

Across the room, Alfendi got up and walked out down the hallway. Katrielle had quickly hopped into his spot to chat with Lucy. Luke was still thinking, but figured this was his best chance. He shot up and made his way to catch up with Al.

Lucy

She was pleasantly surprised when Kat had hopped up next to her. The pills Flora had given her seemed to have calmed her nausea a bit, so she didn’t mind having a chat. The two were quite close but they hadn’t really gotten a chance to talk yet. Right as she was about to respond though, she noticed Luke reaching out and grabbing Al by the shoulder. She couldn't make out what he said, but he led them into Alfendi’s room and shut the door. Odd- but she didn't have much time to think about it.

“-So yeah, sorry that it's so crazy around here, but I hope you’ve been enjoying it haha.” Kat had the sweetest smile. She was so young and full of energy all the time, Lucy didn't know how she managed.

“Yeah, it's been great!” She responded. “I always love getting a chance to see Flora and your father, and it was nice meeting Luke. I can only imagine what it was like growing up with Luke always around, I’m sure those two were in fights all time.” Lucy was remembering what Alfendi had said last night, about how they were always arguing about one thing or another. She noticed Katrielle’s expression turn sour.

“Oh yeah, I heard they fought a lot,” she said, looking away. “Most of that was before me though, I never really saw Luke much when we were young.” 

That explained a few things really. Kat did seem a little distant from the others. Lucy watched Flora and Hershel sitting at the table working on some expensive puzzles Luke had gotten Hershel for Christmas. Katrielle just didn't seem to have quite the same connection as the others. But then again, what did Lucy know, she was the outsider after all. 

“Well it's nice to have everyone together like this, gives us a chance to make lots of new memories.” This seemed to have worked as Kat looked up with her usual sparkle. “Now tell, what happened to the last case you and Ernest were working on- you didn't get to finish the story when I picked you up.” Her nausea may have been mostly gone, but she still had a headache, so Lucy was more than happy to let Kat take the reins and go off on a story. Katrielle was known to be able to carry a conversation by herself.

Alfendi

He had been confused to say the least when Luke interrupted him on his way to the bathroom. He had said he wanted to chat and pulled him into his room, shutting the door behind him. Al wondered if this was the beginning to another prank or jest, but Luke wasn't smiling. He began pacing through Al’s room.

“Can we talk for a minute? I was speaking with Flora earlier and she's great and all -I love her, but… I think I might need to chat, like, man to man maybe.” Luke looked positively distraught . It didn't help that his hat was slightly askew and he had begun talking with his hands- one of his easiest tells.

“Fuck Luke, sit down, what’s going on?” Luke had stopped in his tracks, like he had been surprised. Clearly not the response he had been expecting. The way he moved was like he hadn’t known he was freaking out. He slowed down and pulled out the seat at Al’s desk before sitting down. Al followed, sitting on the edge of his bed. “Are you in danger?” Al whispered.

“Oh god no, it's nothing like that.” Luke looked worried that he had concerned Al, but Alfendi was just happy he was okay. Knowing Luke and their family, it really wouldn't have been that odd if Luke had said he was in trouble.

“Okay, then what is happening?” He watched Luke take a deep breath.

“Okay okay, sorry I’m just- there's a lot going on. It’s about Marina- Not in a bad way!” He threw up his hands. “I love her, a lot actually, but I’m a little scared and…” he stopped for a moment. “I was thinking about proposing!” He blurted out. It was so quick Alfendi didn't even know if he had heard him right at first. 

He had to grip the bed for a moment to hold himself. The voices in his head were fighting over who should get to speak. He hoped that Luke would recognize and understand.

“It's okay, take your time.” It was so gentle. Here Luke was, struggling and the one asking for help, but it was Al that needed to take a moment. Thankfully this also gave Luke a moment to steady his own breathing. Once Al got things under control, he began to speak.

“Is it that serious? You love her?” Luke smiled for a moment, maybe because of his fondness for her. 

“I do, yeah, and I think she does too. I’m just worried about her parents and my parents and us living in the US.”

“America hasn’t grown on you yet?”

“I fucking hate America, it's awful Al.” Alfendi's smile was large, there was something so amusing in hearing Luke curse. Luke laughed a little too, seeing Al’s expression. “I mean, you know I never liked it there, and I’d love to move back here but… That’s her home you know? All her family is there and that’s where we met, I don't know if she’d want to move out here.”

“Don’t you travel a lot for work anyway?” Luke groaned.

“I mean yeah, that doesn't help either.” 

“Wait, what did Flora say- you said you spoke with her?” Alfendi wasn’t very comfortable with relationship advice, maybe he could just piggyback off of Flora’s suggestion.

“Well, we just spoke of Marina a little, I was too scared to bring up that I had a ring.”

“You already have a ring?!” Alfendi leapt up from his seat a little as Potty took over. Luke shied back into his chair. Al looked down where he had gotten up and quickly resat himself. “Sorry.” Luke didn’t mind, he was used to it.

“Well, I mean, yeah, I got one a while ago-”

“Well that's it then! If you’ve already decided to get the ring you’ve already made up your mind. Go do it and you two can figure out the details after. If you two are really in love I’m sure she’d support you no matter what!” Luke was caught a bit off guard by how passionate Alfendi had become. It seemed an odd topic for him to become so invested in. But then Al saw Luke lean forward with a smirk.

“You mean like you and Lucy?” Al went red.

“Now hold on-”

“You love her right? Awww.” 

“Last I checked we weren’t talking about me, Triton!” He fell for Luke’s teasing every time. Luke couldn't hold it in and began to laugh. He covered his mouth with his hand to try and stay quiet.

“Sorry Alfendi, you know I had too. She’s real sweet though, I can see how you too ended up together.” Al thought about that for a minute. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure how they ended up together; Lucy was way too good for him. “But seriously,” Luke said, bringing the conversation back around. “Do you really mean it? Do you think I should?”
“Luke, you know I mean everything I say.” He stopped. “But it’s up to you. It sounds to me though, that you're ready.” Luke looked puzzled, like he was churning this information around his head. Al noticed his foot started tapping with excitement.

“I think you might be right, Al.” Luke looked like he wanted to burst out of his seat. God, there really was no middle ground with him- Luke was always dialed all the way up. “I think I just needed the reassurance, the confidence. But I think you’re right, I already knew.” He took a deep breath and let out a nervous laugh. “Thank you Al, thank you. Sorry about all that, it’s just been weighing on me a while and I hadn’t told anyone.” Alfendi wasn’t really sure what to say. He couldn’t believe Luke would choose him as a confidant. It was also just a little strange to see Luke like this. He was glad he could help but now he just kinda wanted this to be over.

“What about you, though?” Luke had genuine curiosity behind his eyes.

“Pardon?”

“Like, you and Lucy?” Luke spun the chair around so he was still facing Al but sitting on it backwards, resting his arms on the backrest. “You seem to be doing pretty well- I’m guessing she has something to do with that?”

“I mean, I’m happier now, I guess, if that's what you're getting at.” 

“Well, yeah I guess but,” the cheeky little shit had a grin that just pissed off Alfendi as he continued, “You see, when I was chatting with Flora, she mentioned that you know, it's kinda a big deal to have Lucy spend Christmas, and you two had been together for a while so it’s probably getting serious and-”

“Spit it out Luke.”

“And I was just wondering if you’ve thought about it.”

“What?”

“A ring?”

He saw the question coming from a mile away but he still wasn't ready for it. It was just as bad as when Hershel had asked.

“A little- But! - would you stop that-” Luke was hyperactive, bouncing a little with excitement. He stopped promptly when told. “Don't get your hopes up, it wouldn't be for quite a while. Her career comes first, I want her to be happy and settled first. She’s not going to work for me forever.” 

Or at least that’s what he had convinced himself after talking with Hershel. Maybe it was just an excuse to forget about marriage for now, but he thinks it’s not a bad point either. Lucy deserves to be happy, and he thinks she deserves better than the musty old mystery room. She had ambitions too. He wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to do with the police, but she shouldn't be doomed to his fate. After Forbodium he had no more future- he would be stuck in the mystery room for the rest of his career. The force still feared him, and even though Lucy had cleared his name, it was too little too late. He had lost most of their respect and burned too many bridges to ever be allowed out with the others. He didn’t want that for her. Besides, he didn't think they were technically even allowed to date since she's his assistant, so he didn't really want to cause any trouble.

“Woah, okay. I don’t know what I expected, but that was actually like, a real answer, wow.” He swatted Luke across the head, in that playful brotherly way. Luke laughed. “I deserved that.” Al smiled for a moment before sighing.

“Anything else you wanna probe me on, Triton?”

“Nah, I’ll let you off for now. Watch out though, I’ll get you later.”

Knowing Luke, there was a good chance, unfortunately, that this would be true.

Flora

Flora was tired. She had done so much these past few days that the exhaustion was hitting her. It wasn’t even late but the adrenaline had run out. She had moved to join the other girls on the sofa.

“We should do something, just us sometime.” Lucy suggested.

“Yeah! Like a little girls’ night? Oh that sounds fun!” Katrielle replied.

Flora nodded along. It would be fun, but right now she wasn’t too focused on the conversation. She had been absolutely overworked this last week to make up for the time off before Christmas. And then even with her time off she had been the one taking care of dad. The one decorating, baking, preparing.

“Like wine and movies? A sleepover?” Lucy asked.

“Sure! We could have it at the office if you want- there's probably the most space there.” Kat suggested. Flora and Kat both had cramped apartments, the agency probably would make the best space. 

“Yeah, let's pick a weekend in the new year, I could really use a nice break.” They all knew work had been getting to her, but none of them really knew just how bad it was. Flora was always the one who had it all under control and together, but these days she wasn't so sure. She just needed to be able to stop for a moment. 

Maybe that was supposed to be now? It was Christmas day and she was still stressing and fussing- maybe she shouldn’t be so worried. This was supposed to be her break, so she was going to enjoy the rest of it.

Katrielle

Things were quiet now. Folks had started to gather up their belongings and started to clean up the wrapping paper and garbage. Things were dying down and they were soon to be splitting ways. The holidays had gone decently well, she thought. It had been… different for sure, maybe even a bit melancholy. The magic was gone, but at least she still had her family.

Luke was leaving today. She had missed seeing Brenda and Clark this year, but she didn't blame them. She was pretty sure he still had another day or two in town before he took off again, so at least he would have tons of time with them. He made his way through the group, hugging and saying goodbye, although she imagined he’d be by to see Hershel again before his flight home, or more likely Hershel would stop in to see Luke’s parents and wish them happy holidays. By the time he came up to her, the others were already distracted and not listening. 

“Hey Kat,” he started, “I hope you’ve had a good holiday.” He had hugged Flora but he didn't move to hug her; she wasn’t sure they were that close. Instead, he pulled his cuffs and fidgeted with the cufflinks he had just gotten from Alfendi.

“More or less.” She smiled softly. “Thank you again, by the way. It meant a lot to me.” 

“Of course, it's the least I could do.” He had always tried to be the perfect gentleman like their father. She thought that was kind of admirable. “I hope you're feeling a bit better. Is there anything else I can help you with?” She wasn’t sure why but she felt as though she was about to cry. Impulsively, she grabbed onto him, pulling him in for a hug. He seemed… surprised, but reciprocated.

“Hey,” he said softly in her ear. “I'm not going to be here but trust me, you've got this. It'll be okay- you can trust Hershel and the others; they can help you.” She pulled away first and wiped away the few tears that had slipped out.

“Thank you for everything Luke. You're a great friend.” He smiled and then gave her a quick hug with a pat on the back.

“You too Kat, stay safe.”

Flora

Saying goodbye to Luke hurt a lot. She always wished they had more time together. There was a good chance she would get to see him again briefly before his flight but it was still hard to watch him leave.

It was great to see him so happy, though. Besides the professor and his parents, she was probably the one who knew him the best. His act may have fooled the others, but she could tell he wasn’t doing well the last few times she’d seen him. Now though, he was like a different person. He was like himself again. And she was certain she had Marina to thank for that. Luke had always hated America, but he had stayed for her. He chose her. Flora would love to meet her someday, maybe next Christmas. Marina had restored Luke to his sunshiney self, and for that she was thankful.

She would miss him. Soon she would be alone in her apartment again. Luke would be with Marina, Al with Lucy, and Katrielle with… Well she wasn’t sure exactly what Kat has going on with Ernest, but at least she has someone by her side. Flora was overworked, exhausted, and so so alone. 

Stop.

She still had her family and her health. And she has that girls’ night with Luce and Kat to look forward too- that would be fun! Really, she just needed more to her life than work. She needed to get out and live a little. Maybe that could be her new year's resolution? New year, new Flora.

She liked the sound of that.

Chapter Text

Katrielle

Al and Lucy had dropped her off at her apartment in their beat up car, but she was thankful for the ride home. Although it was boxing day, she had a lot of work to do. Not for the business, but for herself.

She thought about what to pick up for Ernest for Christmas. She finally settled on a nice watch, something he could wear and see everyday. She wrote out a note as well to wrap with the watch once she could get one. She, of course, could never admit that he had been an afterthought, she was embarrassed enough as is. She planned to just say she had forgotten to give it to him before he left. Hopefully he wouldn't think about it too much. Hopefully it was enough.

She wasn’t sure if there was anything she could get for Sherl- maybe a nice treat or toy? She wanted him to feel special too, it wasn't his fault that he was stuck how he is. He deserved to be treated well too. She wanted to start treating them both better. Ernest was there for her all the time, it was time she started returning the favour. She hoped they would both understand and appreciate her effort -she wasn't sure what more she could do. She just hoped they understood -hoped she wasn’t too late.

Her work wasn't done yet though. She cleaned for a bit, not because she had to, but because she could and she wanted to. The office was still a mess, and it would be until they returned to work after the Holidays, but she could start cleaning at home. She had read a bit of the book she had gotten from Flora last night and she was feeling inspired and energized. She tried to remember how Ernest would do things- how he moved and worked. He wouldn't see the place, but she wanted it nice enough that he’d be proud.

Once things were a bit organized, she sat back down at her small table. From the pocket of her dress she slipped out a note someone had scrawled on a torn piece of paper. She began writing a letter, trying her best to be honest without overstepping. She still was nervous about this whole thing. The letter was getting long, but it felt so good to get the words out. She ended up probably sharing more than she had meant to, but she didn't think he would mind. She felt lighter already.

She was incredibly thankful that her father didn't pry when she asked if he still wrote to Luke. He even gave her Luke's address when she inquired, no questions asked. Perhaps he knew more than he let on. Maybe he had an idea as to why she needed Luke's information. She smiled. She wouldn't be surprised knowing the great Professor.

Luke

He had made it to his parents place last night without much issue. They had sat around the fire and he told them about what they had missed at Hershel’s place. Brenda apologized again that they couldn’t make it but he tried his best to shush her. They opened their presents together mostly shared stories. They had a lot to catch up on. 

Now it was a new day and Luke would be leaving in a couple days. He had made them all breakfast and was trying his best to help out as much as he could. Clarke was tired. It was clear that taking care of mum had been wearing on him more than he had let on. And his mum, of course, was still trying to take on too much, she always hated accepting help. Still, he didn't want to fight with them when he only had such a limited time, so he mostly let her have her way. He didn't want to ruin the small time he had to share with them.

They didn't actually do much. It was far quieter than the Layton home, but that wasn't bad. The Tritons were content to just sit together- to just watch the tv and let the time pass. He was glad they were still happy though. The flowers he had brought them earlier when he had first arrived sat at the kitchen table in a vase. They had brought a huge smile to his mum's face. As he sat he looked out the window at the countryside. When his parents had moved back closer to London, they had still chosen a house a bit on the outskirts of town. They enjoyed the quiet. 

He allowed himself to imagine for a moment what it would be like to live here again. He would be near his friends, able to check on his parents more often, be a more active player in his own life. It wouldn't be hard, he could easily transfer his research and work to Gressenheller- they would be happy to have him. But these were dreams he would have to consider later. First he would need to speak to Marina. He had taken Alfendi’s words to heart. Truthfully, he hadn’t expected Al to give such good advice, but he felt ten times more confident now. Maybe she wouldn't want to move here, but he could live with that so long as he had her. And even if he had to live in America forever, he could live off moments like these. Knowing that his family and the Laytons would always welcome him back with love and open arms. He smiled, knowing that no matter what happens, he would always have Marina at his side and his family a call away. He didn't need to be torn between two lands, he belonged to both.

Lucy

“Hey, I know that was probably stressful for you, but I really enjoyed myself and I hope you did too.” 

They had dropped off Kat on their way home and now took their time putting things away. Although Lucy still had her own apartment and they hadn't officially moved in together, she ended up staying at his place most nights, so she was able to find a change of clothes. It was early, but she knew being surrounded by everything and everyone had drained him and he would be tired. They were getting ready for a relaxing night, curled in bed watching a movie.

She was just putting up her hair as he looked for a film to watch, but he stopped, turning her way to reply.

“It's always hard. There's a lot of… energy when we all get together but it wasn’t too bad.” He spoke slowly like he was considering his words. She couldn't tell if he was happy or not, but he continued. “Dinner was hard… Luke was a pain, but overall? Yeah, I think I enjoyed it. -I didn't break anything this year, so at least that's an improvement.”

He hadn't told her any specific details about how their Christmases usually go; he had only told her that it was hard for him. He hadn't been completely honest with her.

“I didn't realize it was like that?” She had finished tying up her mini ponytail and moved to sit on the edge of the bed while she took out her earrings. “You didn't tell me it was that bad.” He turned a little to face her.

“No, I didn’t want you to think…” He sighed like he was trying to think of what he wanted to say, but ended up changing directions. “It was better this year because of you, I think.” That caught her attention.

“Yeah?” She prompted.

“I felt calmer with you there. Still nervous I would fuck up, but I feel almost like you’ve seen it all at this point so… It was just nice having you there.”

“I get it. It never hurts to have someone else at your back, hmm.” She would never truly know what it was like for him, but she always did her best to try and reach out and connect where she could. He nodded, and she knew she had done a good job at filling in where he couldn't find the words. “I’m glad you had a good time.” She gently held his shoulder for a moment before getting back up to put her jewelry away in her bag before she had the chance to lose or forget it. He turned away, still trying to find a good movie.

“I don't know if you heard or not, but me and your sisters are going to have a girls night soon. I think it will be fun, I really like hanging out with them. I’d love to get to know Flora more, she's very nice.”

“Oh boy, a girls night. Will there be alcohol involved?” He asked, his tone not quite mad or sarcastic, but definitely unenthused. 

“Quite possibly. Is that a problem?” she joked.

“As long as you guys don't talk about me, we're fine.” She turned around to face him.

“Pfft, as if. We have much more important things to talk about then…” Her teasing stopped, noticing how his face dropped when she looked at him. “What's wrong?”

“You’re bleeding.”

“What?”

“Like, your nose. You've got a nose bleed.” He said pointing. She looked down and ran her hand across her face. Red.

“Oh my goodness, that's strange.” She took off to the bathroom for tissue but they could still hear each other.

“Do you get them often? I don't think I’ve ever seen you with a nosebleed before.”

“No. I mean, maybe as a kid but none since. This is weird.”

She came back a moment later, cleaned up but still holding a tissue to her face. 

“That is strange then.” He said.

“Yeah, not sure why that happened. Sorry bout that, thanks for catching it though. Now have you found a movie yet?”

He had. It was a crime comedy, nothing too serious and good for relaxing, but still exciting enough to keep him entertained. She would have liked to have watched the film, it did look good, but part way through she began to feel sick again. Not too bad, but the nausea made her sleepy. She made it though most of the film, but she definitely dozed off before the end. She had strange dreams that night. Happy, and surrounded by family, but strange.

Alfendi

He was so fucking happy.

For maybe the first time ever, he was so truly happy. He hadn't been sure how to explain how he was feeling, but he knew it was good. Even Luke had pointed out that there had been a change in him. It took Al a long time to realize that maybe he deserved to be happy. And now he was finally starting to believe it and that he deserved the happiness he got from being with Lucy. He had always considered her too good for him, always felt like he was holding her back, but he was beginning to see that wasn't the case. And he had been so upset at himself over the car, but it was a simple accident. It wasn’t all his fault. He wasn’t inherently a bad person, just someone who’s made a few mistakes.

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his talks with both his father and Luke. They had both made some good points and now it was all he could think about. Before now, if the girls would have suggested a night alone, he would have panicked; scared that someone might say or reveal something that would scare Luce into leaving him. Now he only worried what sort of embarrassing stories they might tell. Lucy wasn’t going to just walk up and leave. She wouldn't abandon him if things got hard. She wasn't the same.

And sure, he still didn’t feel ready to marry her, but he felt more confident that maybe someday he could. He didn’t need to be scared of himself or his family anymore. Instead of tiptoeing around and trying his hardest to behave around them, he was starting to feel more like he could be himself. He wanted to fix things. He wanted to call Flora, talk to her for real. He had been nervous with the others around but she deserved a real apology. And then there was Hershel. Father was different now then he was when they were younger. They had both changed a lot in those long years where they didn't talk. Too long. Maybe it was time he tried to make an effort. Just because things were bad before doesn't mean they still need to be. He had long forgiven Hershel for his parenting, but maybe that wasn’t enough. He had to forgive himself. He was learning.

He sighed, relaxing as the movie ended. He looked over to Lucy, who was already asleep. She had been so tired lately, though it seemed she was trying to hide it. She just hadn't seemed herself lately either. He wasn’t sure what was going on or if maybe she was going through something, but he trusted her. They were partners; if something was really wrong she would tell him. They were in this together.

He leaned over and gave her a short kiss on her forehead before whispering goodnight. 

Flora

Flora had taken her time leaving. Her bags had been packed for a while, but she hung around to help her father put away the decorations and see if he needed any help with anything else while she was there. He didn’t have much for her to do, but she stayed as long as she could to help. When she finally left she felt a bit sad knowing that he would be alone again.

Carrying her things she entered her small apartment alone. School had been expensive and she was still paying for it, so she tried to save money on the quaint one bedroom flat. The place was mostly blank, minimally decorated. She carefully unpacked, putting away her new gifts and placing her dirty clothes to be washed.

She thought of Lucy and Kat, excited to see them again. She was hopeful they might start spending more time together, that this could be an almost regular thing. Maybe occasionally getting all together, inviting her brother and Ernest for a games night. That would be nice. 

She got distracted  from her daydreaming when she heard a soft sound out the open window and went to look. Down below on the street, a young girl was trying to pet a cat. The small cat, however, was doing his best to try and avoid both the girl and the patches of snow around them.

“Aww, no kitty!” The girl said softly, after the cat finally managed to scurry away. She didn’t know where he ended up, but she was sure he was probably happy to be rid of the child. Flora sat back down, smiling as she reached for her mug. The scene had reminded her of when she was younger and used to chase Claudia around the grounds of Reinhold Manor. He wasn’t very fond of her sometimes, but he mostly put up with her shenanigans.

And then, like a switch, instantly something clicked in her. She realized this could be what helps to lift her out of the funk she’d been stuck in. She could get a cat. Of course, a cat wouldn’t solve all her problems -she’d still need to make an effort to make new friends and socialize, but maybe it would help give her some purpose. Something to care and think about besides work, and someone to not make her feel so lonely all the time. She was shocked she hadn’t thought of it sooner, but now she couldn’t shake the idea. She’d have to look into it and see what was at the shelter, but she finally had something to look forward to again. 

She spent the rest of the day thinking of names.

Hershel

Quiet. The cars have gone. The people have left. The house stood empty. Tea in one hand, a book in the other. Sitting alone in his seat.

The curtains were open, daylight leaving as it slowly turned dark. The kids were gone. The Holidays were over.

Hershel sat with his book closed. He wanted to open it, but he felt stuck. His mind was elsewhere. His back was hurting again, but he didn’t want to move. He was tired from all the commotion.

There were birds outside. Two of them, singing and chirping on a snow covered branch before one of them flew away. 

It was nice having the kids over, getting to see them all together. It was nice to see Luke in the country. He and Luke still wrote regularly, something they started when Luke first moved and have kept up ever since, but it wasn't the same as actually seeing the boy. The first time he had come to visit he had grown so much. A few more visits and Luke had surpassed himself in height. Maybe Luke wasn't his son, but he had watched him grow and change so much that he had become family. It hurt him to watch the Tritons move away- he couldn't imagine how awful it had been for young Luke to leave behind his whole life. He was glad Luke had finally found himself though. A chance to discover his passions and to work towards them without Hershel's own interference. Every time he got a letter showcasing Luke's experiences and accomplishments he grew even prouder of the boy turned man.

It was nice getting to spend more time with Lucy too. He had only had brief interactions with her before. In passing when he would bump into her at the Yard, or the few times Al had to stop by the house. The longest chat he really ever had with her before this was that time they discussed the ballet. He hadn't considered that the gift might be too much until it was too late. He hoped she wasn't embarrassed, but he knew she would love it. It felt like the right thing to do for the young lady. Every time he spoke with Lucy he left feeling brighter. She was a wave of sunshine that could turn around any bad day. He was glad his son had someone so kind to help keep him in line. He was afraid to tell Lucy, but he was so thankful for all she had done for Al. She truly turned his life around, and was able to connect with Alfendi in a way no one else had been able. Hershel was so glad someone was able to break through to him. He was so thankful.

And it was nice to have his three kids bickering and playing and laughing and having fun. It was rare to have them all together like that. Despite all the troubles, everything that’s happened, they always found a way to enjoy themselves. 

But the damage had already been done.

He hadn’t been around much. There was a long period of time when he rarely saw any of them. Luke leaving had crushed him. He wasn’t ready to be a father. He wasn’t ready to do it alone. 

He had lost too many people in his lifetime. His kids had seen similar things. If nothing else he couldn’t leave them. He didn’t want to do to them what he had experienced himself. Once he realized how much his work and travel had interfered with his parenting, he had immediately returned. It didn't solve everything though; he had still had his falling out with Alfendi after. He was still picking up the pieces.

His time away from the kids was his biggest regret, his biggest mistake. He had hated himself for years, but things were starting to clear up. They were grown now, he hadn’t completely failed. He had taught them a lot, and they were all wonderful in their own right. 

Flora was so kind and gentle, always looking out for those around her, always keeping everything in line. Alfendi was strong and passionate and stood up for what he believed in, not letting anyone stop him. Katrielle was just now starting to flourish, a smart young woman capable of managing a business, with so much potential still evolving. They were all still growing and he was prouder every day.

And here he was again, alone. The house was quiet most days. He still enjoyed teaching, but he travelled far less. It hurt him to turn down so many opportunities, but he knew he wasn’t up to it anymore. He let the younger professors and his graduate students handle it. They were always so thankful for the chance and sponsorship, and he enjoyed coaching them through it. 

He visited the Tritons fairly regularly; tried to socialize outside of students and colleagues. All in all they were doing okay. Flora called quite often. He knew she was lonely, and checking in on him and talking about her day made her feel better and that made him feel better. And although he wasn’t travelling as much, sometimes trouble would still find him. Sometimes he’d end up having to deal with Kat or Al (or sometimes both) in police matters. Kat has always been desperate for praise, validation, and attention, and although Al is a little more subtle about it, he too was always trying to make Hershel proud. Kat because she was insecure as the youngest, Alfendi because he needed to be the best. He wasn’t satisfied with people thinking he got where he was through nepotism and the Layton name, so to prove his worth he felt he needed to be better than his father. It was silly but Hershel understood wanting to make a name for himself. They all wanted to do great things, and he was sure they would.

Just because the damage had been done didn’t mean it couldn’t be repaired. 

All he could do was keep trying. Take some pressure off Flora. Help Alfendi navigate his life. Listen and support Katrielle. It was a give and take, a balance they were adapting to as adults. He didn't want to lose them. His falling out with Alfendi had been nothing short of heartbreaking. For a while he was so scared that one day he would just get a call from Barton that Al had gotten himself hurt (or worse) again. But the call never came and eventually they started speaking. And now he was comfortable enough to bring his girlfriend for Christmas. Things were changing, it wasn't like that anymore.

But this was the problem, wasn't it? His constant dwelling on the past? It's important to recognize what has happened in order to process it and move on, but with move on being key here. He was fixing things, it was just slow. This Christmas had been the most successful thing they've ever done as a family. It felt almost like they were turning over a new leaf, starting a new chapter. The past was slipping, the pain and the trauma healing. It wouldn't be easy still, but it finally seemed doable. 

He sipped his tea, thinking. 

They would be okay. It was true that he had been alone in raising them, but he was no longer. He wasn't alone anymore, they were old enough and wise enough to support him and to work as one. If something were to happen to him, he knew they would all be there. There was respect and love, and with effort things could only improve. They seemed so happy. If the kids were happy so then was he. He wasn't a failure. They loved him too.

He had never married. He would grow old in this house.

But he still had his family. All of them. And that was more than enough.

Hershel opened his book and began reading, comfortable in the silence.