Chapter Text
“NO!” Alfendi shot up in his chair, his hands catching the edge of his desk at the sudden feeling of falling.
Watery sunlight filtered through the windows of the office, lighting the space up, and Big Ben rang eight times, signaling the hour. It took a moment for Alfendi to ground himself in reality and realize where he was, and more importantly, when he was.
His office. Scotland Yard. Eight in the morning. Christmas morning.
The visions of Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come suddenly invaded his mind, and he jumped to his feet, trying to ignore the vice slowly tightening around his chest.
“It’s not too late. It can’t be too late,” he muttered, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair and putting it on, taking a step away from his work, and ignoring the scattered papers.
A flash of shiny, bright red grabbed his attention, and he looked into the waste basket next to his desk. Inside was the family portrait he kept on his desk… and the gift from Katrielle. He quickly grabbed the photo and put it back in its place, than grabbed the present, tucking it under his arm and running out of the office.
Alfendi cursed himself at his attitude towards Christmas as he trudged through the slushy snow, glaring at the various stores he passed. Of course they were all closed. It was Christmas morning.
And he had no gifts for his sisters.
“I am a shitty brother…” he muttered, glancing down at the red wrapped gift in his hands. He then looked up with a sigh, trying to figure out what to do, when he noticed a snowman, sitting in front of one of the houses he was walking by. As he watched, a kid ran out of the house with a bundle of clothes in his arms. He ran over to the snowman, jumped up, and put a top hat on it’s head, and a blue scarf around it’s neck. Alfendi watched for a moment, before a slow smile spread across his face, and he took off at a run, slowing only for a moment when his feet skidded on a patch of ice.
He quickly reached Chauncer Lane, where the Layton household was, and tucked Kat’s gift into his coat. He then grabbed as much snow as he could, packing it together, and started the slow process of building a snowman, ignoring when his gloveless-hands grew numb.
Once the first one was built, he found some sticks and made arms. He then repeated the process, building a second, slightly taller snowman next to the first, and giving it arms as well. He didn’t have any coal for the face, but he was pretty confidant that they would have some inside.
Taking a deep breath, he ran up to the door, and knocked.
“Just a minute!” a muffled voice called from the other side of the door. Alfendi took another deep breath, forcing the vice around his lungs to loosen, and smiled slightly as Flora opened the door. She took one look at him, and the greeting died on her lips, her eyes turning angry.
“Alfendi,” she said coolly.
“Flora, I… first, Merry Christmas,” Alfendi said, stumbling slightly over his words, before pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry for being so… so bitter, and angry, and a general git. I’m an idiot, and I know it,” he said. Flora, who had stiffened at the hug, looked up at Alfendi with confused eyes.
“I mean, yes, all true, but… why the sudden change of heart?” she asked.
“I…” I was visited by the Ghost of my biological mother, and three Spirits of Christmas? Yeah, she’ll believe it… more like believe I was hitting the spiked eggnog… “I guess I just realized… how important this is. To you, and Kat… and even me.”
Flora studied her brother for a moment, before smiling.
“Apology accepted, you git. And Merry Christmas.” Her smile drooped just a little. “You’re gonna have to talk to Kat though. She… hasn’t come out of her room since last night.”
“Right.” Alfendi sighed, before getting an idea. “Before that, do you have any coal?” He stepped back to show Flora the two snowmen. “It’s… it’s part of my gift.”
“Are they supposed to be…?” she started asking, her eyes wide.
“Yeah,” Alfendi said with a smile. Flora smiled warmly at that.
“We have coal. But we should also get them dressed before we show Kat,” Flora said, her smile widening.
Katrielle paced her room, a deep frown on her face. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn’t hear the knock on the door, or Flora’s voice. She didn’t notice any activity in the house, actually, until it was knocking on her door.
“Go away, Flora!” she yelled. There was a self-conscious noise, like someone clearing their throat.
“It’s actually me, Alfendi,” he called through the door. Katrielle froze for a moment, before glaring at the door. She grabbed a pillow from her bed and threw it at the door, which it hit with a soft thump!
“Even worse!” she yelled, her voice rising in volume.
“Kat, please, just hear me out. I’m sorry. I know I was stupid, and bitter… I guess I just… miss Dad and Luke too much, and I took it out on… well, everyone,” Alfendi said. Kat crossed her arms, frowning at the door, thinking over his words. “I know I’m a git. And I know I realized this maybe… a little too late? But the last thing I want is for you to hate Christmas… or Dad and Luke.”
Katrielle froze for a moment, wondering if maybe he had heard her yell that last night, before realizing it was impossible. She sighed, walking over and opening the door slightly. Alfendi stood on the other side of it, resting his shoulder against the door frame. He glanced up at her as the door opened.
“I… I don’t really hate them,” she said in a soft voice. “But what if I hate you?”
“Well… it would hurt, honestly, but I’d understand. I haven’t exactly been the best big brother lately, have I?” he said, smiling slightly. Katrielle smiled slightly back, opening the door fully and hugging him.
“Well, I don’t hate you, either,” she muttered into the rough material of his coat. He hugged her back, letting out a breath he seemed to be holding.
“Merry Christmas, Kitty Kat,” he said softly, using an old nickname he gave her when she was still little.
“Merry Christmas, Al,” she replied, before pulling back slightly, and spotting the red wrapping paper tucked into his coat. “Oh, your gift! You should open it!” she said.
“First, I have a gift for you,” he said with a smile, stepping back. “It’s outside.”
“Really? I wasn’t expecting you to get me anything,” she said, latching onto his arm. Alfendi chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his head and leading her through the house.
“Right. Well, to be fair, I guess it was a little last minute…”
He waited as Katrielle slipped on her snow boots and grabbed her jacket, both which were by the front door, before leading her outside into the yard.
A gasp escaped her.
Two snowmen stood there. One wore a top hat and a black overcoat, a kind face made out of coal eyes, an orange button nose, and a small, kind smile, made from black yarn. The one next to it, slightly taller, wore a blue fedora and matching blazer, eyes also made of coal, with a blue button nose, and a wide grin made from the yarn.
“I know they’re not here with us to celebrate, but… well, I know they’re here in spirit. And I thought, what better way to show that, then…?” Alfendi said with a smile, rubbing the back of his head. “Though, to be fair, Flora helped me with the clothes and faces…”
“I love them! They’re just like Papa and Uncle Luke!” Katrielle said with a huge grin, darting over and taking the hand of the one dressed like Layton. Flora came back out of the house, carrying three mugs of hot chocolate, with a warm smile. Katrielle, despite already being fifteen, was talking to the two snowmen like they were really Layton and Luke.
“This was the best gift you could have gotten her,” Flora said, passing a mug to Alfendi. He cupped his hands around it, letting the warmth seep into his frozen fingers.
“It’s for you, too, you know. I know we all miss them,” Alfendi said. Flora smiled at that, shaking her head.
“Well, thank you,” she said softly.
A moment later, Katrielle darted back over to Alfendi. “Okay! It’s time for you to open your gift!” she all but demanded. Alfendi chuckled at that, passing his mug back to Flora, who had just handed Katrielle her own mug. Flora took it with a laugh, and Alfendi pulled the gift from inside his coat.
He carefully ripped open the red wrapped paper. Inside was a beautiful book. The cover was real leather, and the edges of the pages were gilded in gold. He turned the book over in his hands, and a laugh burst out of him at the title.
“It’s a collector’s edition of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens!” Katrielle said excitedly. “I know it’s your favorite Christmas story, so when I found it, I saved up every pound I could for it!”
“Thank you, Kat. I really love it,” Alfendi said with a warm smile, reaching over and giving her a hug. He then glanced up at Flora and pulled her into the hug as well.
No matter what came in the future, he was confidant they would all face it together.
Fin.