CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE, twas the mission before christmas

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It was the Christmas holidays, and Emilia could not be more excited. It was her favourite season which meant hopefully her favourite thing, snow.

They were all gathered around the kitchen decorating as Emilia wore a Christmas edition onesie and a Santa hat, when Tasha turned to her husband. "Donald, I just noticed the holiday card we mailed out. What happened to the family portrait we took to celebrate our first Christmas together?"

Donald chuckled. "Oh, I shredded those. These are way more festive." He said, showing her the card that had his face printed on the reindeers.

"Who wants a Christmas cookie?" Adam asked, getting up from the stool. Emilia looked at them with her mouth agape as Leo told him. "Adam, those aren't even cooked."

"Oh, no problem." He sighed, before using his heat vision on them, making the cookie dough burn, and set on fire. "Careful. They may be hot."

He blew on them, getting the fire out as Emilia grimaced. "Thanks for the offer. But, no thanks. I'd rather not burn my mouth off." Bree walked through the front door. "Okay, who covered the entire house in blinking lights? People already think we're weird. We don't need to shine a light on it." She mentioned.

"No, I did that. I want to make sure Santa Claus comes to our house first." Adam said, making Bree look at him in disbelief. "Adam, we all love Christmas, but I think you're going a little overboard." The girl told him.

A banging noise was heard and in came Chase hopping in with Christmas lights wrapped around him, making Bree laugh. "That, however, is spot on." She chuckled.

"Hey, get back up on the roof. You're ruining my display." Adam shouted to his brother. Emilia shook her head, walking towards Chase who replied. "You were lucky a raccoon chewed me free!"

Donald's phone beeped. He walked towards the others saying. "That's an urgent mission alert. We have to get to the lab." They walked off leaving Emilia and Chase.

"I got you, bub." Emilia said, started to unravel the Christmas lights.

"Thank you. You look adorable by the way." He said, smiling at his girlfriend.

Lightly chuckling at the boy, Emilia not so subtly suggested. "I'd look even more adorable if you match with me." He chuckled at the girl who just finished unravelling the whole thing. "Thanks."

"No problem. Come on, let's get downstairs." The girl said, grabbing his hand before running to the elevator. They all walked out the elevator as Donald began to explain. "The alert is coming from Facility X, my research center in the frozen tundra."

"Hey, hey, I'm the Mission Specialist. I'll handle this." Leo stepped in. Donald stepped back with a sigh. "The alert is coming from Facility X. His research center is the frozen tundra." Leo repeated, making Emilia purse her lips.

"Wait. The tundra's near the North Pole." Adam thought out loud before gasping. "Santa needs our help! You wrap, you tape, I'll go hang with the elves."

"Dr Evans. Are you there?" Donald asked, through the monitor.

"Yeah, I'm here. Although, there's been a major volcanic eruption nearby and we're experiencing aftershocks. I'm afraid if we don't act fast..."

The monitor got cut off. "Oh, Merry Christmas to you, too, Dr Evans." Adam said, turning to the ones beside him. "Rude."

"Sorry, guys. I know the timing's not ideal." The man sighed before Chase told him. "It's okay, Mr Davenport. We know what we have to do."

Adam nodded. "Yep. Let's crack open some eggnog and hit it hard after the new year." He said, running out the lab.

Emilia sighed. "I'll get him." She said, before rushing out the lab. "Adam Davenport, get back here!" She yelled.

After bringing him back to the lab, Adam along with Chase and Bree got into their capsules and changed into their mission suits.

"I can't believe you guys have to go on a mission on Christmas Eve." Leo sighed. He turned around to face Donald. "Just to be clear, Emilia and I don't have to wait for them to open our presents, right?" He questioned, along with Emilia who sent the man an innocent smile.

Donald rolled his eyes before Adam spoke. "Well, I'm not gonna let this ruin my Christmas spirit. So, I will be wearing my Santa hat." Chase looked at him in disbelief. "Really, Adam? A Santa hat with a mission suit?" He questioned.

"Hey, if the ladies at the bank can wear them at work, so can I." Adam replied. Emilia nodded along playfully. "Yeah, if he wants to get in the Christmas spirit, he can!" Adam smiled, giving the girl a high-five. "Thank you!" The girl smiled, sticking her tongue out at Chase, who lightly chuckled.

"I can't re-establish contact with Dr Evans. The volcano must have knocked out satellite communications." Donald explained. He pulled up data on the cyberdesk. "This giant ash cloud has plunged the area into total darkness. There is no way rescue teams will be able to get through."

"Well, that means Dr Evans is trapped." Bree pointed out.

Shrugging, Adam then said. "Eh, he's better off. The airports are packed this time of year."

Donald sighed. "There's an automated transport ready to take you up there, but without satellite communications, Leo, Emilia and I won't be on the comm set." He explained.

"Well, it will be tough navigating through a mission without the constant sound of Leo chomping on carrot sticks." Chase said, sarcasm evident in his voice, making Emilia giggle. The boy pecked her on the lips before running out with his siblings.

Leo turned around. "Hey, you know I'm a stress eater!" He shouted after Chase.

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Perry had arrived, saying she had some car trouble. Ignoring the protests from Emilia, Leo and Donald, Tasha accepted Perry to spend Christmas with them. Unfortunately, she had brought her cats and tent with her.

"Sorry, we don't have a stocking for you." Tasha apologised to the woman who was sighing in a chair.

"I got it." Perry gasped before she kicked off her shoe and pulled off one of her long socks. She held up to Tasha saying. "Make sure you push the candy way down in there so it fills up my tootsies. I'm gonna go squeeze into my Christmas jammies." Perry squealed, running into her tent as the others waved their hand at the smell.

"We have got to get rid of her." Donald thought out loud.

"I agree, but all my plans end with us going to jail." Emilia pointed out. Perry then came out in her Christmas pajamas, making everyone widen their eyes in shock at the bell covered onesie.

"What are you wearing?" Leo questioned, in which Perry smiled. "My Christmas PJs. Want to see me belly dance Frosty the Snowman?" She asked, making both Emilia and Leo scream, running out the room.

The next morning, the four of them were gathered on the couch in the living room while opening their presents, when Perry's snoring got louder. "Thank you for the scarf, Donald." Tasha said loudly.

"What?" He asked, not hearing her. "I said thank you for the scarf." Tasha replied in a louder tone, making Donald nod. "Oh, you're welcome. So, uh, Leo and Emilia." Donald started, shaking the tent, making Perry stop snoring. "What'd you get?"

"Well, I got a new denim jacket." Emilia said with a smile. "Anyway," Leo started, pulling out something from the bag. "I got socks. Wet socks. Oh. That have been marked by a cat." He said, throwing the socks to the floor.

"Oh, no. Grandma's snowed in. She's not gonna make it." Tasha frowned. "Great. So, no Adam, no Bree, no Chase, and no Grandma Turkey? How much worse can this get?" Leo groaned.

Perry climbed out of the tent with yawn, as she scratched a part of her body that itched. "And there's your answer." Emilia almost gagged.

"Merry Christmas, Principal Perry. I hope you slept well." Donald said, in which the woman snapped at him. "Mind your own business." She looked at all the presents with a smile. "Ooh, Santa came. What'd I get? What'd I get?" Perry jumped with a yell, bending down to look at the presents, making her bottoms rip.

Emilia screamed, jumping back before she ended up rolling over the back of the couch. Donald looked away. "Hopefully, some new PJs, cause those just ripped." He muttered.

"Um, no one got you-" Leo went to say, when Tasha interrupted him. "Oh, uh. Of course we got you something. It's Christmas. You can't not get a gift on Christmas." She told him.

Perry chuckled. "It would be rude."

Tasha grabbed a gift from the couch before giving it to the woman. "Here you go, Principal Perry. Merry Christmas." She said, before Perry yelled excitedly, ripping the wrapping paper.

Perry gasped. "A QHT video game system. I can exchange this for a nice blouse and two pairs of slacks. The good kind that you don't have to iron. Or wash."

"But I asked for QHT." Leo said with a look of disbelief. He stood up from the couch. "Worst Christmas Ever." He huffed before walking away.

"Ooh, somebody needs a nap." Perry frowned in a mocking way before Emilia mumbled from the floor behind the couch. "And some new PJs."

Perry smiled, looking at Donald and Tasha. "Did he like the socks?" She asked.

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Down in the lab, the bionic siblings have arrived back home and went to go upstairs when they all turned to the doors to see Emilia standing there, looking petrified. "Oh thank god. Save me from Perry dancing in her, what she calls, Jingle Jammies." Emilia uttered, crashing into Chase's arms.

"Look," Tasha started. "I know how she can be. But the poor woman is all alone, and it's Christmas. Hey, at least we're all together. So, let's make the best of it, right?" The woman tried to convince them.

"Absolutely not." Donald shook his head before telling them. "Enough is enough. Poor Emilia is traumatised. We are going to march up there right now and tell this woman, vamoose, lady. This is our Christmas."

"Wait, she can't see us in our mission suits." The youngest sibling pointed out, keeping his arms wrapped around Emilia. "Well, hurry up and change. I'm not telling her without backup." The man rushed them.

After getting changed, the guys walked upstairs and into the living room. "Principal Perry, we- uh, smell food." Donald stopped what he was going to say. They all looked towards the kitchen to see the woman standing there wearing a chef hat and apron. "What are you doing?" Leo asked.

"What's it look like? I'm making dinner." Perry answered. Being the clueless one that he is, Adam called out. "We've had enough of this. Get out."

Tasha slapped him on the arm before walking into the kitchen. "Principal Perry, this is amazing." Tasha complimented. "Well, I didn't see you cooking anything." Perry replied.

"Wow. I can't believe you actually did something nice." Bree said in disbelief.

"It's a Christmas miracle." Chase chimed in. "Ah, it's nothing. I figured, I crashed your holiday, it's the least I could do." Perry shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, look, how fancy. She made a Christmas goose." Tasha said, looking in the oven. "Oh. It's actually a swan from the pond down the street. You know, you could walk right up to them." The woman explained.

One of her cats meowed, making Donald sigh to himself. "Please tell me that's not coming from the oven." He pleaded.

"I got it." Perry smiled. "The Christmas tree is one big scratching post for those cats." She chuckled, running to get the cat from under the tree. Until she ended up tackling the tree down, to get her cat out.

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MEGAN SPEAKS !

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