Work Text:
December 24th, 2013
*
“Christmas! Christmas!”
Stevie groaned as Animal chanted the festive word over and over again. Everyday in December he had thought was Christmas Day, he was terrible at reading. Stevie pulled the pillow from underneath her, and smacked her brother off her bed with it.
“Animal, it is not Christmas Day it’s-“ Stevie paused, checking her table calendar. Her eyes widened. “It’s Christmas Eve!” She exclaimed, jumping out of bed.
Animal jumped up too, and started chanting “Christmas Eve!” At the top of his lungs.
The door to their bedroom opened.
“Mommy!” Stevie exclaimed, racing over to her. “Where’s Daddy?” She asked.
“Daddy sad?” Animal asked, approaching the girls.
Janice nodded.
Stevie remembered how Christmas Eve wasn’t Floyd’s favorite day, it always seemed to bring him down for some reason. He tried to explain it to the siblings about why this day was very hard for him, but they had been too young to really register what he was trying to convey to them. They just knew that it had to do with their Granddad.
“Can I go see him?” Stevie requested.
“Yes, he’s awake just like not spiritually. I checked his aura, it resembled a storm cloud.” Janice explained.
Stevie nodded. She walked out of her and Animal’s bedroom, going across the hall to her parents bedroom. The door to the room had been left open a jar, from what she could see she inside, she saw that her Dad was still in bed. She carefully opened the door, causing a small creak to emit from it. Floyd turned to her.
“I’m sorry.” Stevie apologized.
“No need to apologize, Songbird. What did you need?” Floyd asked her, sitting up.
Stevie went inside the bedroom, and over to the bed. She climbed up, and waddled over to Floyd.
“Are you okay, Daddy?” She inquired.
Floyd let out a shaky breath, he didn’t want her to worry. “Honestly, I’m not feelin the festive groove today.” He answered her.
Stevie looked down at her cross necklace, then back up at her Father. “I will pray for you.” She told him.
Floyd gave her a smile. “Thanks, Songbird.” He said, caressing her cheek.
“..Are you sad, because of Granddad?” She then asked him.
He let out another shaky breath. “Yes.” He replied.
“Why does he make you sad?” She questioned.
“Um..” He stammered. “Because, he left.”
Stevie cocked her head slightly to the side. “Where did he go?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” Floyd told her.
“Oh. Did he come back?” She asked.
He shook his head.
Stevie frowned. “Oh, no.” She replied.
“Floyd nodded.
Stevie wrapped her little arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. Floyd kept looking out the window, as if he were lost in thought.
“I love you.” She said to him.
No answer.
Stevie got off the bed, and started to leave. She then stopped, and looked at her Father. She wanted to do something to cheer him up, but what and how?
As if a light bulb went off inside her head, she realized what she had to do.
‘I’m going to make this the best Christmas ever for Daddy.’ She thought as she left the bedroom.
First, she needed to make some phone calls.
*
“Why am I here again?”
“I want to give my Daddy the best Christmas ever.” Stevie explained to Rizzo for the upteenth time.
“So, your Dad gets depressed around the holidays? Not my fault.” He replied with a shrug.
“Rizzo, shut up okay?” Pepe hissed.
“What’s got him down in the dumps, anyways?” The rat questioned.
“Granddad left.” Stevie answered.
“Well, that’s what Dads do.” Rizzo remarked.
Stevie gasped.
“Rizzo!” Gonzo, Pepe, and Skeeter scolded.
“I doubt your Dad would ever do that to you guys, he’s cool.” Skeeter assured her.
Stevie let out a shaky breath. “Okay.” She replied.
“What do you need us to do?” Gonzo asked her.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged.
Pepe stood up from his seat. “You don’t know?! I-I was supposed to be partying with all the celebrity womens in New Mexico by now, okay?!” He exclaimed. How true that was, we would never know.
“I had cheese and wine waiting for me back at our apartment, but I was rudely interrupted.” Rizzo scoffed.
Stevie looked down at the floor and let out a sniffle.
”This isn’t about you guys. We all came here to help cheer up Stevie’s Dad. This is more important than the nonexistent plans you guys have going on.” Skeeter explained.
Rizzo sighed, thinking things over. “..When you’re right, you’re right.” He mumbled.
“Si.” Pepe agreed.
Gonzo stood up from his seat, and walked over to Stevie.
“I think I have an idea or two.” The whatever announced.
“If it involves cannons, Gonzo. Then it’s out of the question.” Skeeter informed him.
“Aw, come on. It was my best one yet! It was going to involve peppermint and chocolate.” Gonzo expressed.
*
The five worked on their various ideas, most of them consisting of;
“Hold on, I have an idea.” Rizzo spoke up.
“Oh no, what is it?” Skeeter groaned.
“Okay, *He cleared his throat.* “Thank you Dad, for not leaving to go get milk.”” Rizzo purposed.
Skeeter facepalmed.
“Are you serious?” Pepe asked him.
“You’re unbelievable.” Gonzo said with a shake of his head.
Rizzo just laughed.
Stevie looked at her friends, all confused. “What does that even mean? Daddy’s lactose intolerant.” She pointed out.
“It means-“ “How about we not, okay Rizzo?” Gonzo suggested to him.
Pepe suggested famous peoples, but it was of short notice and Lips who got them most of their celebrities was on holiday with Zoot.
Skeeter suggested tons of idea but none of which fit Floyd the best.
Then, just as they thought they were out of ideas. Stevie had come up with an idea, something she knew her Dad would love.
She snatched up a piece of blank paper along with some colored pencils, beginning to draw out her idea. The four huddled over her, watching her intently.
*
Later.
Stevie walked upstairs, while the others were downstairs waiting for her.
She peeked inside her parents bedroom, and saw that Floyd was sitting up now.
“Hey Songbird.” He greeted her.
Stevie opened the door, and walked inside with the present hidden behind her back.
“What you’ve got there?” He asked her as she climbed onto the bed.
“Close your eyes, please.” She requested.
“Okay?” He said, before doing so.
She slipped the present out of her hands and into Floyd’s. He opened up his eyes, and looked down at what he was now holding.
“Daddy, your reading glasses are on your nightstand if you need them.” She reminded him.
“Oh, thank you.” He said before retrieving them.
After he slipped them on, he began to read out loud her gift to him;
Dear Daddy, thank you for always being there for us. You have always loved us with your whole heart, thank you for all that you have done and continue to do everyday. We will be forever grateful to you, I am not sure if we have told you this as much as we should. You will always be our hero, I love you forever and always. Love, Stevie and Animal. Merry Christmas.
Floyd slipped off his glasses, and wiped away the tears that had begun to fall.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry!” Stevie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him.
Floyd chuckled. “These are happy tears, Songbird.” He informed her.
“Do you like it?” Stevie asked him.
“Like it? Man, I loved it! Better than any song that I’ve ever written.” He praised her.
Stevie smiled. “Oh wow! Really?” She asked him.
Secretly, she did not write it. Gonzo pulled it up on his phone. What mattered most is that he loved it and that was what mattered the most.
“I’ve got Christmas present.” Animal said, before tossing it onto the bed.
Stevie’s eyes widened.
A dead bird was sprawled out on their bed.
“Oh, Animal!”