MICAH VAN DER DOUCHE: Abs. Can I see you? Please?

Abigail stared at the text message, trying to figure out if she believes it or not. Her fingers were poised over the screen, ready to shoot off a text message to get him to leave her alone, when they froze on the spot. She couldn't think of another word or anything to say to her ex after all this time. Though why he was reaching out to her now puzzled her a bit. Sighing, she leaned back on the seat as the car drove past main street and made a turn. She didn't know what to say to him now after all of this time, though she had plenty of words when she found him fucking his mistress.

"Vic," she held up her phone to show Victoria the text message.

Victoria sucked her teeth and shook her head. "I told him not to bother you, hon." she said sadly. "I guess he just doesn't listen."

Abigail just nodded quietly as she looked at the text message again. It vibrated one more time, chiming with yet another text message from Micah.

MICAH VAN DER DOUCHE: Abigail...please. I know you're going to the museum to tour it. Can I see you after??

"...baka." Abigail muttered under her breath as she stared at the text message, once again not being able to come up with anything. She just stared at the phone as if it was about to come alive and attack her, and she had nowhere else to run or no one to turn to. She didn't want to see him-she'd rather sit in a room with Dio Brando and eat nails-but he wasn't going to stop until she replied.

ABIGAIL: Fine. Where.

MICAH VAN DER DOUCHE: The coffee shop near the bookstore.

ABIGAIL: How did you know where I'll be today?

MICAH VAN DER DOUCHE: I asked Michelle to look at your schedule.

ABIGAIL: ...baka. Dummy baka.

MICAH VAN DER DOUCHE: Learning Japanese, are we?

Abigail's whole entire face heated the moment she saw the question and heard it in his voice. "Baka." she muttered again, leaving the message on read as the car reached the destination.

The William Pershing Art Museum was a huge museum in downtown Sampshire, and Queen Eleanora always made a charitable donation to the museum every year. The museum was also where the royal portraits of every single Pershing that was on the throne were hung, and every year, a new one was set in place. This year, it was for Abigail's grandmother, dowager Queen Roberta Pershing, who died two years ago. She was supposed to give a speech for the unveiling, since it was originally Thorne and Percy to come and do this.

But at the last minute, her father decided that it was Abigail to do the honors.

"You were her favorite, Abs," her father said. "And she always loved it when you write."

So now here she was, dressed in a simple white dress, heels, and a beige coat from Chanel, her hair up in a half bun, and all she could think about was Micah, and how she just accepted a coffee date with him.

"Abigail?" Victoria's voice cut into her thoughts. "Time to go in. Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she answered with a sigh. "Let's get this over with."

***

Sparks Coffee Shop was two blocks down from the museum, and Micah found a table and waited patiently for Abigail to show up. He had just got done watching a live stream of the unveiling of the dowager Queen's portrait, and Abigail's speech about how her grandmother would enjoy this day, and how she always wished for peace touched his soul. The media wasn't allowed in the museum, just a couple of them and a cameraman to stream it before she left.

But seeing her again after all these years...it shocked him. He thought that she would change after what happened a year ago, but she still looked beautiful as the day he met her. Her lips were painted red-those kissable lips that he still fantasize about when he was alone-and she wore a beautiful white dress that brought out her eyes. He sighed for a moment, wishing that they were still together, when the scratch of a chair snapped him back to reality, and Abigail was sitting across from him, flipping her phone over so she can give him her full attention.

"Abs," Micah said, doing the same for his phone and raised his hand to get the waitress's attention. "I'm glad that you can make it."

"Don't call me that," she snapped. "Only family and friends can call me Abs."

Micah nodded, understanding. "Oookay...Abigail...I know we haven't talked since our breakup-"

"With your royal side chick." Abigail cut him off, making him snort a bit before he finished.

"Right....since our breakup when you found me with Octavia, we haven't spoken in a long time, and I just wanna say that I'm sorry."

Abigail sat there, stunned. She was just...stunned. "You're sorry?" she asked once the waitress finally came and took their orders-Micah a black coffee, Abigail her latte with sweet n' low-and waited till she left so she could yell at him. "You're fucking sorry about cheating on me with that blonde trash?" she hissed at him. She could still see her now-Octavia Jorgensen, bent over Micah's desk as he fucked her from behind when she walked in. She was red that day from seeing him fucking his mistress, or royal side chick, or whatever the hell she was, and just left without saying another word to him, even when she heard him call her name. "Where the hell was this apology a year ago, Micah?"

He sighed. That was a question he was asking himself each time he thought about it. "I wanted to wait till you calmed down, but then you got sick and went into the hospital-"

"So you know about my diabetes too?!" Abigail asked, shocked yet again.

Micah nodded. "Yeah, I do...and then on top of that, my family wants to spend Christmas with your family, and your folks have already accepted."

Wha...what?

Spend...Christmas...with Micah?!

"No..." Abigail drank her latte once it came, and looked at her ex, hoping she heard him right. "Your family...spending time with mine...on Christmas?!" no...this cannot be happening. No, no, no, no. She didn't want it to happen, she doesn't want it to happen..."Can it not?"

"Sorry. But mom and dad-"

"Fuck your mama and daddy. In fact, I don't want to see you at Christmas." She finished off her coffee and stood up, paying for her coffee. "Don't you dare show your face at Pershing Castle. I will throw your ass out quicker then last week's shoes." She turned around with a huff and walked away, ignoring him calling her name. She pulled out her phone and called her mother, hoping to all the gods that what he just said was wrong, and that Micah van der Douche was not going to spend Christmas with them at the castle. It had to be a goddamn lie. It had to be.

***

"When will I see you again?"

Percy Pershing smiled at his lover, stroking his cheek. "Christmas." he promised. He hated that his time with him was done, and that now he had to play the part of the prince, when in reality he wanted to run off with his boyfriend and never come back to Sampshire.

But sadly, duty calls...

"You'll see me at Christmas, promise." he said with a nod. "And then we can stop all this damn hiding and be together."

"I wish we can tell your folks now..." his boyfriend whined a bit, but understood as he kissed him anyway. "See you Christmas, alright?" he said.

Hearing him say that made Percy's mouth curl up into a smile. "See you at Christmas, Weston-"

"Percival?" King Robert called, making Percy jump at the use of his full name.

"Go, now," he told Weston, quickly pushing him out of the back door. "I'll see you at Christmas, I promise."

Weston nodded as he ran off, making Percy clear his throat and turn to face his father. "Yes, father?" he said, making Robert turn to face his son, confused.

"What are you doing back there?" King Robert asked, coming up to him. King Robert had short blonde hair, blue eyes and an athletic build, something that Percy felt like he lacked with his lanky build and handsome face.

"Uh...getting an apple." he answered quickly, grabbing a Granny Smith Apple right next to him. "What's up, dad?"

"I need you, Thorne and Katherine to come and see me and your mother in my office." Robert answered. "We need to discuss Christmas arrangements with the van der Hoffs."

Percy paled at the mention of the Dutch Royal family. He knew what happened with Abigail and Micah, since she got drunk that horrible Christmas Eve and swore to him to never talk about it with anyone, way before the media found out about it, especially with that picture of Micah and the duchess Octavia together at an dinner for one of Micah's charities. He didn't think the van der Hoffs were coming to spend Christmas with them, or that Abigail could stomach seeing her ex's face all Christmas long. "Are you sure you want to do that, dad? After what Micah-"

"Mads informed me that Micah is through with Octavia," Robert said, cutting Percy off. "He's been focused on being a working royal and haven't been in any scandals since. Abigail's been doing her job, and it's time to forgive the van der Hoffs and give them a chance to spend time with us at Christmas. Just...please go find your brother and sister? Please?"

Percy just nodded, watching his father go. He took a bite of his apple and sighed, walking after him while shooting everyone a text.

PERCY: Mom and dad want to see us in the office. It's about the van der Hoffs spending time with us on Christmas.

THORNE: I shall be there promptly. Just had a walk with Vic.

KATHERINE: Fine, I'll come. But what about Abby? Did someone check up on her, or did someone tell her the news?

PERCY: I haven't heard from her since she left for the museum.

ABIGAIL: So it's true then. I heard it from the horse's mouth himself when I saw him for coffee.

KATHERINE: You did WHAT?! Spill, Abs, what did that bone faced liar tell you??

ABIGAIL: He said that his family was spending time with us for Christmas. Which means that I won't be able to ignore him. Fuck.

THORNE: It's okay, Abigail. We can help so you won't see or talk to him.

KATHERINE: Same. I don't wanna see my baby sister have a horrible Christmas because of him.

PERCY: Count me in too. We got you, Abs, don't worry.

ABIGAIL: Thanks, guys.