Flame woke up first. His aunt always slept late. Black woke up not too long after Flame. "Hum?" She grunted and looked around. Her eyes widened and she flew off the couch. "What's wrong? Where are you going?" Flame asked worriedly. "Aunt Yarrow is going to flip shit if I'm not home before she sees I'm gone!" Black replied as she grabbed her jacket. "Fuck! And I didn't clean the room!" "Calm down there's no way it's that bad," Flame tried to get her to chill but she wouldn't. "Have you met Aunt Yarrow? Especially after that crash...oh man I'm so screwed," Black shook her head. "Tell your aunt the food was fabulous and I said thanks for letting me come over, I had a great time." She hugged Flame and ran outside on her old motorcycle. She drove home and crept up the door. She silently twisted the door knob and tip-toed inside. The Christmas radio channel was on and 'I'll be Home for Christmas' was playing loudly. When no one approached her, she flew up to her room. She flopped onto her bed and stayed there with her face in the pillow. 'I can't believe I pulled that off,' she thought faintly. After delivering the pies she'd made the night before, she wondered where her aunt was. "Aunt Yarrow?" She called uncertainly. 'I'll be Hime for Christmas' was still playing. The door opened and Black jumped around. "Black! I'm home!" Aunt Yarrow grinned and behind her was Black's father. "Dad!" Black grinned and hugged him. "Hi B!" Coco laughed and hugged his daughter.

Flame sat on his couch drinking hot chocolate. "So," Aunt Ginger said with a sneaky smile. "Black." Flame understood what she was getting at and blushed furiously. "No it's not like that!" He protested. "We're just friends!" "But is that all you want to be?" She asked with a smirk and walked away to refill her hot chocolate. Flame studied all the bubbles in his own with embarrassment. 'Am I that obvious or is it just Aunt Ginger?' He thought.

Spider sat in the living room on the floor with Night. He was playing with the toys he got for Christmas, the ones Aunt Sky gave him money to buy. Night had dragged Spider in his game. He wasn't too sure how to play though, the game combined transformers action figures, Candyland, and a stuffed cat. "Your turn," Night said and snapped Spider back to reality. Spider went to draw a card but Night smacked his hand. "You have to roll the dice first!" He scolded. "Oh right," Spider nodded and did so. "Now move Bumblebee forward five spaces then draw a card." Spider did as his little brother instructed. He was pretty sure Night was winning but it was impossible to tell.

Soot was, still, studying in her room when she heard the door open downstairs. She looked up and tentatively walked down. "Soot!" Her sister grinned. "Ash! Come on! I want to give you the gift I got you!" Soot smiled and dragged her sister to her room. "Ta-da!" Soot grinned proudly and presented her sister with a small silver box. Ash grinned as she opened the small box and pulled out a medium charm on a delicate silver chain. "I finally found the right chain," Soot said proudly, digging around her desk. She eventually popped back up with a matching necklace. "Thanks Soot!" Ash smiled and put on the necklace. It was a medium rectangular shaped locket with intricate designs on the front and each of the girls' names on it. The locket opened into three sections, the ones on the edges were empty but inside was a picture of the two Soot had taken the summer before, they were eating ice cream and they both had some on their face. "It's beautiful!" Ash smiled. "Thank you so much Soot!" Ash hugged her sister and handed her a box as well. "Not sure if it'll top these necklaces but I'm pretty proud of it myself." Soot carefully opened the box. Inside was set of oil and pastel paints along with canvasses and and a small easel. "It's amazing!" Soot said. "Thank you so much Sis," she hugged her sister but didn't see her sad and guilty face.

Black pulled back from her father with a smile, but it faded after a moment. "Tawny would've been so happy to see you," she said sadly. "I know, and it's awful she's not here," Coco told her gently. "Were you discharged?" Black asked. "No. Just temporarily." "Well I'm glad you're here now. I got you something." Black ran to the kitchen and opened the fridge and rummaged around. "You haven't told her have you," Coco whispered to Aunt Yarrow once Black was out of earshot. "Of course I haven't!" Aunt Yarrow hissed back. "She'd be livid! Not to mention how it'd make me look!" "That's your problem Yarrow," Coco said irritably. "It's always about your image. It's all you care about. Put it aside for once and be there for your niece, she just lost her sister, don't make it worse." "For the last time," Aunt Yarrow grumbled. "Stop calling Tawny Black's sister!" "But they are!" "They were-" She stopped abruptly when Black rounded the corner with a dish. "No way!" Coco forced himself to smile. "Fudge!" He grabbed the dish and set it on the table. "Thank you B! I got you something too." He pulled a stone from his pocket. It was a purple geode with a dark gray rock around it. "Sweet!" Black grinned as she inspected the stone. "A geode for my collection! Thanks!" "Go put it with your others. I have to talk to your aunt," Coco smiled and Black nodded before running up to her room. That's how it worked, she'd get to talk with her father for a while then he'd speak with Aunt Yarrow and she'd barely see him afterwords.

Hey wazzup?!
So late, yea again.
Why was Soot's sister feeling guilty?
What were Black's dad and aunt arguing about?
What in the world was Night playing?!
That last one we may never know.
ANY WHO! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Peace out dudes!
-Bri