[The downside of having three children is that their disparate activities do not always communicate with each other, especially around the holidays. Rehearsals, recitals, performances, all pile in one after the other, and when you’re a single parent it makes it very difficult to split yourself in three. That’s usually when you tag in family to help.
Tonight’s particular conflict of interest is Ciara’s holiday ballet recital and Maeve’s winter spectacular. It isn’t that the events overlapped exactly, Bairre could comfortably attend and watch both, but after said recital, there are pictures, costume returns, and all other things that had nothing to do with his child’s performance and more to do with ways for the ballet studio to stress out parents. As a result, Bradan stayed behind with Ciara as she took pictures, helped wrestle a glitter-covered girl out of her glitter-covered costume, and hustles her into a car as they head over to the secondary school to see Maeve in the role of “sheep” in the winter nativity.
He doesn’t think Maeve is actually invested in the theater and mostly joined for a friend, but it’s good to see her stretch beyond her usual athletic pursuits.
Bradan and Ciara make it in just as the lights are going down, which means that they aren’t going to make it to where Bairre and the rest of their family have settled, about midway through the auditorium. They’re at the point where Bradan intends to just grab the two nearest available seats and catch up with his brother later.
Ciara tugs on his jacket to get his attention. “There are two seats next to Mr. McNally.”]
Sold.
[Bradan nods, before heading directly to those seats. Ciara slides in first, taking the seat and leaning in to the man next to them.
“Hi, Mr. McNally.”
As Bradan turns to look to see exactly who Mr. McNally is, his brain briefly stutters as it’s the last person he expects.]
( Going from a two-parent household to one isn't an easy transition, especially at the start of the school year. But, Niall has always been the active parent when it comes to Cole's school, and Charlie - the ex - cedes that territory to him. Always has, and maybe that's a part of what drove them apart. You may not love your kid's hobbies, but they're your kid. Cole burned out on tee-ball and then football (soccer) before falling into theatre and loving it. And dragging his best friend along.
Who is Niall, but Cole's number one-freaking fan.
He did hit traffic coming back from the Marina. He had left work early, changed back on the boat. Yes, he lives on a boat on the nights he doesn't have his kid, and sometimes as a special treat, but that makes it more difficult on his scheduling. He should've known better, but the sweater he wanted was on the damn boat.
Note to self: buy matching wardrobes.
Always polite, when he finds a row, he just slides three seats in by one of the other parents and settles in preshow. He hears the hello from Ciara, turning his head, but in the process, catches sight of the one that got away.
Maybe that's not fair. Or, overshot. After all, it was one date he thought was a date that he thought had been going well. Sure, it was a house party, but, college. And then - Braden Ford had backed off. Not exactly iced over, but - he'd changed. One second, Niall was refilling their cups and having a completely innocent conversation with his future husband - and maybe that's it. Everything happens for a reason. He wouldn't have Cole if it weren't for Bradan cooling off. Even if it did make him worry.
At the end of the night, he tried broaching the subject. But, thought better of it.
They'd never even kissed.
Bradan, he thought, lived back in Ireland where Niall is also front, but it seems that he's -- here. Now, he did know Bradan was around, that his son befriended Bradan's niece. But, he was married. And they... aren't them. They haven't been them in a long time. )
Hey, C. ( His eyes travel from Bradan, down to Ciara, holding his fist out to do a pump. His eyes find Bradan again. ) Thought you'd be sitting with your giant family, Ford.
[The Sterling Bosch Holiday party is in full swing by the time Neal and Sara make their appearance, which is intentionally so. The more sloshed the upper executives are, the less they look at her sideways for the convicted forger she has as a partner. But Neal’s charm combined with an open bar has a way of wearing them down, just enough.
It’s also been a long week. Conversations about the next stage of Sara’s career have been building up over the last few weeks and while it won’t be an immediate change—the job still isn’t guaranteed to be hers—it’s looking more and more likely, and she wants to make sure all her ducks are in a row. She hasn’t even talked to Neal really about leaving New York yet but given the way her boss is talking, she knows it’s a conversation that needs to happen soon. It’s a conversation she needs to have with Doc too.
After winding through the room and saying their hellos, they eventually settle at a table with Doc and Rebekah. When Neal escorts Rebekah off to the bar to get them all refills, Sara turns to her friend and sighs.]
Have you heard any of the rumors? About the new New Orleans office?
Are thinking of flying the coop from old New York?
( It's one of those moments where he has to. He asks the question first, glances over at their significant others and then continues. )
I have heard scuttlebutt that they are eyeing several locations, but that New Orleans is shortlisted. One of the executives is quite the fan of the old witchery. ( Tourism, he isn't a witch. He doesn't think. ) I have heard your name in the mix, whether that be stepping in here or starting another branch. Is that something you'd be interested in?
[Xavier Dolls is a grown man and he will not be wearing a Christmas onesie, no matter how much shit Alice Earp is going to give him. Wynonna and Waverly have both warned him, but he just can’t bring himself to do it, no matter how hard he tries.
(He did not try very hard.)
As he prepares to go, he pops on a Santa hat and grabs the handful of presents he got for the Earps, and as he opens his door, he blinks in surprise to see Adal standing there, before raising an eyebrow in return.]
( Adal didn't have to be convinced. Her Christmas onesie is a little more glamorous than the Earps' and reflects her personal style, but she played along. She gives him a wry smile, but puts him out of his misery by answering his question sincerely. )
Waverly invited me because we've been working together on a project. ( A beat. ) And, we've been seeing each other.
[Abernathy doesn’t leave headquarters much for non-work reasons. The Underground is his life’s work and always has been, and it demands a large amount of his focus. But he’s not unmoveable, not some rock that doesn’t want the things a normal human wants. And there’s only so much flirting a man can take from a beautiful woman before he decides to do something about it.
(He just doesn’t want his son to know about it. He doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Not because he’s ashamed, but because he’s private and it’s not their goddamn business. It’s not like he and Rowena are getting married. They’re just having dinner. On Christmas.)
He’s also no slouch. His son did not just magically appear out of thin air. He slips away to his second home, a quiet apartment that’s nice enough for Rowena’s tastes. He spends his afternoon preparing the meal, and has just finished letting the wine breathe when he feels the familiar tingle of her magic raising the hairs on the back of his neck, and he smiles.]
( It did start as a way of getting under Alexander's skin, not that Abernathy doesn't have an appeal. And overtime, that appeal has risen. Much like his stock. Enough that she tries a little bit harder when she does see him on witch business. She even drops a few messages here and there. And even a cute mirror selfie in her silken pajamas that fall off the shoulder. She had to show off her new bathtub, you see.
Christmas means nothing to her, like all the other holidays. She believes in the holidays she grew up with. She is Pagan, after all. But, she can always play along when dinner and wine is involved.
She doesn't bother knocking.
He knows what and who she is. She does hold a pie in hand. She usually shows up emptyhanded, as someone should only really need her, but she understands customs and wants to make a good impression. Walking up beside him, she sets the pie on the surface next to the decanter.
She picks the wine bottle up, inspecting it. )
This is a very nice bottle. You have good taste, Abernathy.
[Audrey is spending a quiet Christmas at home in DC, watching holiday movies on TV and trying not to think about the time she got stuck in a Christmas snow globe. Because that way lies madness and loneliness. Still, the thoughts slip to mind, Duke in a Santa suit, Nathan being Nathan.
She misses them. Far more than she cares to admit. It’s been decades for her now, but she still feels the ache of waiting for people who know her. Is it pathetic that her heart may still belong to Nathan, even after all this time?
Maybe Sweets is right, and she really should engage a little more in therapy.
The eleven o’clock news comes on and she’s about to turn off the TV and head to bed, when a news story catches her eye.
“—A Christmas surprise at the Boston Aquarium today as two intruders seem to have broken in and gone for a swim with the dolphins—”
Two faces flash across the screen. Two faces she hasn’t seen in a very long time. The cops are dragging them off, dripping wet and Duke says her name, right into the camera, asking for Audrey Parker.
”Crap,” she murmurs, before grabbing her stuff and trying to figure out how fast she can get to Boston.
Meanwhile, in Baltimore, curled up in bed with her wife, Jaqueline shoots forward as she stares at the news.]
( The Colony Christmas is understated, as they did just have a blood bath only days prior, but the circle gathers anew. Some of the loyalists attend, including their favorite chef, so it isn't a bust of a holiday, but it isn't something special, either. It won't be until every t is crossed and i dotted. With his husband in the wind but not far and a rejection in his recent past, he mopes on his end of the table.
Sierra notices, but doesn't mention it, as that isn't her brother. And he knows the task at hand.
After dinner, she takes her wife into the sitting room and plays her something.
After that, they've both had entirely too much to eat, so they retire to fall asleep in each other's arms. It's A Wonderful Life finishes and Sierra dozes, half-lidded as the news starts. She hears snippets of intruders and an aquarium and a very familiar name.
Her eyes shoot open.
A man, soaking wet, and disheveled is screaming her name at the camera. "Just find Audrey Parker!" The other man, more clean cut, is trying to calm him down and both are in a custody of sorts. )
[Aiden steps back from the tree and the pile of wrapped presents sitting underneath and frowns. Erroll isn’t awake yet, and Josh is working on breakfast and they want to make sure they have everything ready for a perfect first Christmas with him. It doesn’t help that Erroll has only been here for a few days and they’re still finding their rhythm, that transition between guys who visited sometimes and parents.
They may be resorting to bribery already.
He stares at the colorful packages—not all of them are from Josh and Aiden, some are from Aunt Cami—but still, knowing that Davina is also likely to bring an impressive stack of presents:]
Are we potentially setting a dangerous precedent with Christmas gifts?
( Josh reminds his husband that perfection is usually unattainable, but maybe they'll have a Christmas miracle. Things have certainly been rocky in some ways and smooth in others. His heart is full as he pours pancake batter into the Christmas tree molds.
Finishing the last mold, he sets the bowl aside, sucking some batter off his finger. )
I remember asking you that before we clicked purchase on our shopping cart. ( He steps out into the open from the kitchen to look at the tableau. His husband. The tree. The gifts. ) But, no, I think it's perfect.
( What a hypocrite he is. )
It's our first Christmas as a family. Plus, some of that is really practical. They're not all toys.
[They make it back in time for the holiday party, and Caroline can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Part of her is sad she won’t be there with her friends, but she made her promises, and she needs to show that Ryan and his people are important to her too. She’ll see them all at New Year’s, and she has all kind of time with her mom. She leans on the advice that she gave to Stiles not too long ago.
She has time. She just needs to breathe and take advantage of it.
She’s also not dwelling on the fact that she told Ryan she loved him and he didn’t say it back. She’s not holding it against him because she was clearly in the middle of a panic spiral and there were better things to worry about.
It’s fine. She’s fine. No internal screaming whatsoever.
So she comes into the Cohens’ holiday party with a bright smile. She weathers Kirsten’s well-meaning questions, and graciously meets all of their friends and family. She knows she promised Seth a more detailed explanation about what’s going on, but since she doesn’t really think her answers will be satisfactory she is doing her best to stay in mixed company until she figures out what, exactly, she’s supposed to say.
She moves to sit on the couch next to a friendly looking face and flashes them a smile.]
Taylor is sat with a plate of latkes, ham, some veggies, stuffing... she's not sure when Chrismukkah started resembling Thanksgiving, but she's not complaining. She will go for a second helping from the Chinese food.
She's heard about Ryan's girlfriend from afar, mostly from Summer's context and a little of Sandy's when he had a legal question. But, she was told Caroline had a family emergency. She was hoping to meet the woman who stole Ryan's heart. She is happy with sweets, but she'll always hold a torch.
As she's scanning the crowd for the very blonde (she was told she's coming back in time), fate intervenes and she sits next to her. And damn it, she is pretty. Good for Ryan. )
Well, hello, Caroline, I'm Taylor. ( Ryan's ex-girlfriend, but she doesn't want to lead with that if he hasn't. ) I'm so happy you made it back in time, I've heard a lot about you.
[Over the years, as they’ve wandered away from spatial manors, Scarlett’s spent less and less time as a hostess and more and more time as a guest. Vampires wander, after all, and she does spend a great deal of time throwing herself upon the hospitality of friends.
Her one exception, however, is Christmas.
Whether she is in a hotel, renting a villa or spending time in a tiny apartment, she will go all out for Christmas. This year, she has a penthouse suite at a hotel in Star City, and has been spending most of the afternoon setting up decorations, preparing the food, and making sure that they had everything they needed. This year has seen an increase in her usual fussing, however, due to the realization that their entire family will be under one roof for the first time in decades.
Russell is more Rhett’s child than hers, the way Wes is more hers than Rhett’s, but that doesn’t change the fact that she raised him, cared for him, and watched him die more than once. The fact that he feels comfortable and free enough to come to them for something as casual as a holiday has her wanting to ensure that things are as perfect as she can possibly make them.
A knock sounds on the door and she feels a surge of excitement, making her way to the door, adjusting her dress and checking her hair in the entry way mirror before pulling open the door with a wide smile.]
You’re—oh.
[Her face falters ever so briefly when she sees it’s Wes and Jay Michael and not her eldest son. Wes blinks at her in return, before raising an eyebrow.
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
Scarlett recovers, shaking her head and gesturing for them both to come inside.]
No, no, I’m sorry. I thought you were your brother. Please, come in. Merry Christmas.
[Wes blinks as he kisses her cheek before glancing past her to Rhett. “Rusty’s coming?”]
( He never knows what to expect with this family, but more family, he didn't have on his Bingo card. He takes his boyfriend's coat and shrugs off his own. He thinks Thanksgiving went well enough and he made a good impression (enough, anyway), that Christmas would go smoothly. But, now there's a brother who excites the excitable vampire mom even more than Wes.
And Wes excites Wes something real.
He does kiss her cheek, too, before he sees where the coats can go. )
[Mia makes her way back to her apartment after early Christmas dinner with her parents followed by a Christmas patrol to make sure there isn’t any vampire trouble before returning home for a plan of bad Christmas movies and Christmas cookies. Jay Michael is out having Christmas dinner with Wes’ family and William is out of town with Cooper and his brother, so she’s expecting to just spend some time alone.
It’s probably for the best.
As she comes up to her door, it doesn’t take much for her to notice something is off. The door to her apartment is cracked open, just so. Neither she nor Jay Michael are ones to accidentally leave the door open, nor do they leave it open when they’re home. Eyes narrowing, she slows her approach, reaching for the knife on her belt.
Vampires can’t get in if she hasn’t invited them, so if someone has broken in, it’s probably something she can stab.
When she approaches the door, her brow furrows when she realizes she can smell something cooking. A light sound of conversation and laughter echoes from behind the door. She plants her hand and pushes the door open and her eyes land on Connor on her couch, JR pouring herself a glass of wine and Quentin standing in front of her stove, wearing an appropriately Christmas apron. He glances over at the sound of her arrival and tosses her a grin.
”Merry Christmas, Queenie!”
Mia sags, the fight-or-flight response running out of her, but anger flaring in it’s place.]
[Barry slips in early in the morning on the day he said he’d arrive, giving himself enough time to change into his civilian clothes, have a rather large second breakfast at the Grille, and then make his way to the Lockwood Manor where everyone will be gathering. It’s a large space and it will fit everyone who needs to be there.
His gear slung on one shoulder, he does his best to prepare himself for what he might find. He asked William about the people he was going to see, what they’re like, what kinds of questions they may ask, and he’s doing his best to be prepared. Still, he knows he can’t know everything, can’t have all the answers. All he can do is provide whatever information he can.
He takes a deep breath, before knocking on the door. When it opens, he greets the person on the other side with a smile.]
Hi, I’m Barry Allen. I was in the group chat?
bonfire season (the mikaelsons, doc, alice, hayley, josie, the hales, erica, kieran) | new orleans
[Bonfire season has always been Rebekah’s favorite holiday tradition. They’re doing it a little later than usual this year, to accommodate for Alice’s new place in their family as well as other people who needed to be elsewhere but eventually the evening arrives, the bonfire is lit in the courtyard of the Abattoir, and she begins to pass out the small slips of paper, particularly to the newer members of the family.]
You write a wish for the new year on it. You don’t tell anyone what it is, and you burn it in the fire.
[Lindsay pauses to check her look in the mirror before they leave their apartment, making sure that she looks appropriately unthreatening for dining with vampires. She knows that her Slayer status has been downplayed in some of her fiancé’s other political meetings, but Davina told her that Sophie is old so she may be slightly more familiar with Slayers than her local vampire counterparts.]
( He mishears, at first, about to tell her there isn't anything they have to do. They've been invited, and it's that. But, she's fishing for information and her fiancee is who she needs to go to for that. This is why she's marrying him, right? Because he always has the information? )
Sophie and Eliot are the leaders of a team that give back to the local community. She is older than he is. Eliot is a world class chef. Sophie owns a theatre in the French quarter. Davina said that they are friendly and worldly and the invitation was pretty much mutual.
[Hospital staff parties are complicated things, as there aren't ways that all the staff can take time off to celebrate with their coworkers. What they can do, however, is buy out a local bar for the day and allow their staff to cycle in and out as they get on and off shift.
Emeralda, fortunately, is one who is off and not on call, so she intends to drink, thank you very much. She slides up to the bar, eyeing the liquor options on the back before flashing the bartender a grin.]
Gin, please. Give me a shot that tastes like Christmas.
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additional christmas (dec. 24-29)
ford family (bradan, niall, callahan, bairre jr., bairre sr., catroina, quinn) | london
[The downside of having three children is that their disparate activities do not always communicate with each other, especially around the holidays. Rehearsals, recitals, performances, all pile in one after the other, and when you’re a single parent it makes it very difficult to split yourself in three. That’s usually when you tag in family to help.
Tonight’s particular conflict of interest is Ciara’s holiday ballet recital and Maeve’s winter spectacular. It isn’t that the events overlapped exactly, Bairre could comfortably attend and watch both, but after said recital, there are pictures, costume returns, and all other things that had nothing to do with his child’s performance and more to do with ways for the ballet studio to stress out parents. As a result, Bradan stayed behind with Ciara as she took pictures, helped wrestle a glitter-covered girl out of her glitter-covered costume, and hustles her into a car as they head over to the secondary school to see Maeve in the role of “sheep” in the winter nativity.
He doesn’t think Maeve is actually invested in the theater and mostly joined for a friend, but it’s good to see her stretch beyond her usual athletic pursuits.
Bradan and Ciara make it in just as the lights are going down, which means that they aren’t going to make it to where Bairre and the rest of their family have settled, about midway through the auditorium. They’re at the point where Bradan intends to just grab the two nearest available seats and catch up with his brother later.
Ciara tugs on his jacket to get his attention. “There are two seats next to Mr. McNally.”]
Sold.
[Bradan nods, before heading directly to those seats. Ciara slides in first, taking the seat and leaning in to the man next to them.
“Hi, Mr. McNally.”
As Bradan turns to look to see exactly who Mr. McNally is, his brain briefly stutters as it’s the last person he expects.]
Niall?
no subject
Who is Niall, but Cole's number one-freaking fan.
He did hit traffic coming back from the Marina. He had left work early, changed back on the boat. Yes, he lives on a boat on the nights he doesn't have his kid, and sometimes as a special treat, but that makes it more difficult on his scheduling. He should've known better, but the sweater he wanted was on the damn boat.
Note to self: buy matching wardrobes.
Always polite, when he finds a row, he just slides three seats in by one of the other parents and settles in preshow. He hears the hello from Ciara, turning his head, but in the process, catches sight of the one that got away.
Maybe that's not fair. Or, overshot. After all, it was one date he thought was a date that he thought had been going well. Sure, it was a house party, but, college. And then - Braden Ford had backed off. Not exactly iced over, but - he'd changed. One second, Niall was refilling their cups and having a completely innocent conversation with his future husband - and maybe that's it. Everything happens for a reason. He wouldn't have Cole if it weren't for Bradan cooling off. Even if it did make him worry.
At the end of the night, he tried broaching the subject. But, thought better of it.
They'd never even kissed.
Bradan, he thought, lived back in Ireland where Niall is also front, but it seems that he's -- here. Now, he did know Bradan was around, that his son befriended Bradan's niece. But, he was married. And they... aren't them. They haven't been them in a long time. )
Hey, C. ( His eyes travel from Bradan, down to Ciara, holding his fist out to do a pump. His eyes find Bradan again. ) Thought you'd be sitting with your giant family, Ford.
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sterling bosch holiday party (sara, neal, doc, rebekah) | new york city
[The Sterling Bosch Holiday party is in full swing by the time Neal and Sara make their appearance, which is intentionally so. The more sloshed the upper executives are, the less they look at her sideways for the convicted forger she has as a partner. But Neal’s charm combined with an open bar has a way of wearing them down, just enough.
It’s also been a long week. Conversations about the next stage of Sara’s career have been building up over the last few weeks and while it won’t be an immediate change—the job still isn’t guaranteed to be hers—it’s looking more and more likely, and she wants to make sure all her ducks are in a row. She hasn’t even talked to Neal really about leaving New York yet but given the way her boss is talking, she knows it’s a conversation that needs to happen soon. It’s a conversation she needs to have with Doc too.
After winding through the room and saying their hellos, they eventually settle at a table with Doc and Rebekah. When Neal escorts Rebekah off to the bar to get them all refills, Sara turns to her friend and sighs.]
Have you heard any of the rumors? About the new New Orleans office?
no subject
( It's one of those moments where he has to. He asks the question first, glances over at their significant others and then continues. )
I have heard scuttlebutt that they are eyeing several locations, but that New Orleans is shortlisted. One of the executives is quite the fan of the old witchery. ( Tourism, he isn't a witch. He doesn't think. ) I have heard your name in the mix, whether that be stepping in here or starting another branch. Is that something you'd be interested in?
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the earp family (wynonna, waverly, alice, dolls, doc, rebekah, charlie, adal) | new york city
[Xavier Dolls is a grown man and he will not be wearing a Christmas onesie, no matter how much shit Alice Earp is going to give him. Wynonna and Waverly have both warned him, but he just can’t bring himself to do it, no matter how hard he tries.
(He did not try very hard.)
As he prepares to go, he pops on a Santa hat and grabs the handful of presents he got for the Earps, and as he opens his door, he blinks in surprise to see Adal standing there, before raising an eyebrow in return.]
Did I forget something?
no subject
( Adal didn't have to be convinced. Her Christmas onesie is a little more glamorous than the Earps' and reflects her personal style, but she played along. She gives him a wry smile, but puts him out of his misery by answering his question sincerely. )
Waverly invited me because we've been working together on a project. ( A beat. ) And, we've been seeing each other.
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a christmas sidebar (rowena, abernathy) | baltimore
[Abernathy doesn’t leave headquarters much for non-work reasons. The Underground is his life’s work and always has been, and it demands a large amount of his focus. But he’s not unmoveable, not some rock that doesn’t want the things a normal human wants. And there’s only so much flirting a man can take from a beautiful woman before he decides to do something about it.
(He just doesn’t want his son to know about it. He doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Not because he’s ashamed, but because he’s private and it’s not their goddamn business. It’s not like he and Rowena are getting married. They’re just having dinner. On Christmas.)
He’s also no slouch. His son did not just magically appear out of thin air. He slips away to his second home, a quiet apartment that’s nice enough for Rowena’s tastes. He spends his afternoon preparing the meal, and has just finished letting the wine breathe when he feels the familiar tingle of her magic raising the hairs on the back of his neck, and he smiles.]
You’re just in time. Dinner’s almost ready.
no subject
Christmas means nothing to her, like all the other holidays. She believes in the holidays she grew up with. She is Pagan, after all. But, she can always play along when dinner and wine is involved.
She doesn't bother knocking.
He knows what and who she is. She does hold a pie in hand. She usually shows up emptyhanded, as someone should only really need her, but she understands customs and wants to make a good impression. Walking up beside him, she sets the pie on the surface next to the decanter.
She picks the wine bottle up, inspecting it. )
This is a very nice bottle. You have good taste, Abernathy.
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aquarium shenanigans (audrey, duke, nathan, jaqueline & sierra) | boston
[Audrey is spending a quiet Christmas at home in DC, watching holiday movies on TV and trying not to think about the time she got stuck in a Christmas snow globe. Because that way lies madness and loneliness. Still, the thoughts slip to mind, Duke in a Santa suit, Nathan being Nathan.
She misses them. Far more than she cares to admit. It’s been decades for her now, but she still feels the ache of waiting for people who know her. Is it pathetic that her heart may still belong to Nathan, even after all this time?
Maybe Sweets is right, and she really should engage a little more in therapy.
The eleven o’clock news comes on and she’s about to turn off the TV and head to bed, when a news story catches her eye.
“—A Christmas surprise at the Boston Aquarium today as two intruders seem to have broken in and gone for a swim with the dolphins—”
Two faces flash across the screen. Two faces she hasn’t seen in a very long time. The cops are dragging them off, dripping wet and Duke says her name, right into the camera, asking for Audrey Parker.
”Crap,” she murmurs, before grabbing her stuff and trying to figure out how fast she can get to Boston.
Meanwhile, in Baltimore, curled up in bed with her wife, Jaqueline shoots forward as she stares at the news.]
Did he say Audrey Parker?
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Sierra notices, but doesn't mention it, as that isn't her brother. And he knows the task at hand.
After dinner, she takes her wife into the sitting room and plays her something.
After that, they've both had entirely too much to eat, so they retire to fall asleep in each other's arms. It's A Wonderful Life finishes and Sierra dozes, half-lidded as the news starts. She hears snippets of intruders and an aquarium and a very familiar name.
Her eyes shoot open.
A man, soaking wet, and disheveled is screaming her name at the camera. "Just find Audrey Parker!" The other man, more clean cut, is trying to calm him down and both are in a custody of sorts. )
What are the odds.
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the rosza family (josh, aiden, davina, scott, erroll) | new orleans
[Aiden steps back from the tree and the pile of wrapped presents sitting underneath and frowns. Erroll isn’t awake yet, and Josh is working on breakfast and they want to make sure they have everything ready for a perfect first Christmas with him. It doesn’t help that Erroll has only been here for a few days and they’re still finding their rhythm, that transition between guys who visited sometimes and parents.
They may be resorting to bribery already.
He stares at the colorful packages—not all of them are from Josh and Aiden, some are from Aunt Cami—but still, knowing that Davina is also likely to bring an impressive stack of presents:]
Are we potentially setting a dangerous precedent with Christmas gifts?
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Finishing the last mold, he sets the bowl aside, sucking some batter off his finger. )
I remember asking you that before we clicked purchase on our shopping cart. ( He steps out into the open from the kitchen to look at the tableau. His husband. The tree. The gifts. ) But, no, I think it's perfect.
( What a hypocrite he is. )
It's our first Christmas as a family. Plus, some of that is really practical. They're not all toys.
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chrismukkah (caroline, ryan, taylor, sweets) | orange county
[They make it back in time for the holiday party, and Caroline can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Part of her is sad she won’t be there with her friends, but she made her promises, and she needs to show that Ryan and his people are important to her too. She’ll see them all at New Year’s, and she has all kind of time with her mom. She leans on the advice that she gave to Stiles not too long ago.
She has time. She just needs to breathe and take advantage of it.
She’s also not dwelling on the fact that she told Ryan she loved him and he didn’t say it back. She’s not holding it against him because she was clearly in the middle of a panic spiral and there were better things to worry about.
It’s fine. She’s fine. No internal screaming whatsoever.
So she comes into the Cohens’ holiday party with a bright smile. She weathers Kirsten’s well-meaning questions, and graciously meets all of their friends and family. She knows she promised Seth a more detailed explanation about what’s going on, but since she doesn’t really think her answers will be satisfactory she is doing her best to stay in mixed company until she figures out what, exactly, she’s supposed to say.
She moves to sit on the couch next to a friendly looking face and flashes them a smile.]
Hi. I’m Caroline. I’m Ryan’s girlfriend.
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Taylor is sat with a plate of latkes, ham, some veggies, stuffing... she's not sure when Chrismukkah started resembling Thanksgiving, but she's not complaining. She will go for a second helping from the Chinese food.
She's heard about Ryan's girlfriend from afar, mostly from Summer's context and a little of Sandy's when he had a legal question. But, she was told Caroline had a family emergency. She was hoping to meet the woman who stole Ryan's heart. She is happy with sweets, but she'll always hold a torch.
As she's scanning the crowd for the very blonde (she was told she's coming back in time), fate intervenes and she sits next to her. And damn it, she is pretty. Good for Ryan. )
Well, hello, Caroline, I'm Taylor. ( Ryan's ex-girlfriend, but she doesn't want to lead with that if he hasn't. ) I'm so happy you made it back in time, I've heard a lot about you.
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the butler family (scarlett, rhett, melanie, wes, jay michael, rusty) | star city
[Over the years, as they’ve wandered away from spatial manors, Scarlett’s spent less and less time as a hostess and more and more time as a guest. Vampires wander, after all, and she does spend a great deal of time throwing herself upon the hospitality of friends.
Her one exception, however, is Christmas.
Whether she is in a hotel, renting a villa or spending time in a tiny apartment, she will go all out for Christmas. This year, she has a penthouse suite at a hotel in Star City, and has been spending most of the afternoon setting up decorations, preparing the food, and making sure that they had everything they needed. This year has seen an increase in her usual fussing, however, due to the realization that their entire family will be under one roof for the first time in decades.
Russell is more Rhett’s child than hers, the way Wes is more hers than Rhett’s, but that doesn’t change the fact that she raised him, cared for him, and watched him die more than once. The fact that he feels comfortable and free enough to come to them for something as casual as a holiday has her wanting to ensure that things are as perfect as she can possibly make them.
A knock sounds on the door and she feels a surge of excitement, making her way to the door, adjusting her dress and checking her hair in the entry way mirror before pulling open the door with a wide smile.]
You’re—oh.
[Her face falters ever so briefly when she sees it’s Wes and Jay Michael and not her eldest son. Wes blinks at her in return, before raising an eyebrow.
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
Scarlett recovers, shaking her head and gesturing for them both to come inside.]
No, no, I’m sorry. I thought you were your brother. Please, come in. Merry Christmas.
[Wes blinks as he kisses her cheek before glancing past her to Rhett. “Rusty’s coming?”]
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( He never knows what to expect with this family, but more family, he didn't have on his Bingo card. He takes his boyfriend's coat and shrugs off his own. He thinks Thanksgiving went well enough and he made a good impression (enough, anyway), that Christmas would go smoothly. But, now there's a brother who excites the excitable vampire mom even more than Wes.
And Wes excites Wes something real.
He does kiss her cheek, too, before he sees where the coats can go. )
Merry Christmas Scarlett, Rhett.
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team arrow second gen (mia, connor, quentin, jr, zoe) | star city
[Mia makes her way back to her apartment after early Christmas dinner with her parents followed by a Christmas patrol to make sure there isn’t any vampire trouble before returning home for a plan of bad Christmas movies and Christmas cookies. Jay Michael is out having Christmas dinner with Wes’ family and William is out of town with Cooper and his brother, so she’s expecting to just spend some time alone.
It’s probably for the best.
As she comes up to her door, it doesn’t take much for her to notice something is off. The door to her apartment is cracked open, just so. Neither she nor Jay Michael are ones to accidentally leave the door open, nor do they leave it open when they’re home. Eyes narrowing, she slows her approach, reaching for the knife on her belt.
Vampires can’t get in if she hasn’t invited them, so if someone has broken in, it’s probably something she can stab.
When she approaches the door, her brow furrows when she realizes she can smell something cooking. A light sound of conversation and laughter echoes from behind the door. She plants her hand and pushes the door open and her eyes land on Connor on her couch, JR pouring herself a glass of wine and Quentin standing in front of her stove, wearing an appropriately Christmas apron. He glances over at the sound of her arrival and tosses her a grin.
”Merry Christmas, Queenie!”
Mia sags, the fight-or-flight response running out of her, but anger flaring in it’s place.]
Jesus Christ, Q.
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( And, well, their parents are a lot. So, breaking and entering seemed like a great idea. Zoe and Connor were for it.
Connor smirks, sitting on the couch as JR joins him sitting over her feet.
"You do need some Christmas cheer in here, Mi," he relents, taking a sip from his club soda.
JR's eyes stay on her. Come on. It's like horse. Break. Break. )
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investigating the resurrected (barry, the returned, their assorted family members) | mystic falls
[Barry slips in early in the morning on the day he said he’d arrive, giving himself enough time to change into his civilian clothes, have a rather large second breakfast at the Grille, and then make his way to the Lockwood Manor where everyone will be gathering. It’s a large space and it will fit everyone who needs to be there.
His gear slung on one shoulder, he does his best to prepare himself for what he might find. He asked William about the people he was going to see, what they’re like, what kinds of questions they may ask, and he’s doing his best to be prepared. Still, he knows he can’t know everything, can’t have all the answers. All he can do is provide whatever information he can.
He takes a deep breath, before knocking on the door. When it opens, he greets the person on the other side with a smile.]
Hi, I’m Barry Allen. I was in the group chat?
bonfire season (the mikaelsons, doc, alice, hayley, josie, the hales, erica, kieran) | new orleans
[Bonfire season has always been Rebekah’s favorite holiday tradition. They’re doing it a little later than usual this year, to accommodate for Alice’s new place in their family as well as other people who needed to be elsewhere but eventually the evening arrives, the bonfire is lit in the courtyard of the Abattoir, and she begins to pass out the small slips of paper, particularly to the newer members of the family.]
You write a wish for the new year on it. You don’t tell anyone what it is, and you burn it in the fire.
[She glances over to her husband.]
Help Henry with his, will you?
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leverage, inc. (lindsay, beck, sophie, eliot) | new orleans
So what do we know about these people?
[Lindsay pauses to check her look in the mirror before they leave their apartment, making sure that she looks appropriately unthreatening for dining with vampires. She knows that her Slayer status has been downplayed in some of her fiancé’s other political meetings, but Davina told her that Sophie is old so she may be slightly more familiar with Slayers than her local vampire counterparts.]
Davina seemed pretty insistent that we meet them.
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Sophie and Eliot are the leaders of a team that give back to the local community. She is older than he is. Eliot is a world class chef. Sophie owns a theatre in the French quarter. Davina said that they are friendly and worldly and the invitation was pretty much mutual.
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love a good dialogue parallel
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smith county memorial holiday party | lawrence
[Hospital staff parties are complicated things, as there aren't ways that all the staff can take time off to celebrate with their coworkers. What they can do, however, is buy out a local bar for the day and allow their staff to cycle in and out as they get on and off shift.
Emeralda, fortunately, is one who is off and not on call, so she intends to drink, thank you very much. She slides up to the bar, eyeing the liquor options on the back before flashing the bartender a grin.]
Gin, please. Give me a shot that tastes like Christmas.
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