#I didn't know who it was until Luke suggested they go to the woods and then i knew

[echo-stimmingrose]

I'm so glad that all the new PJO fans are falling in love with Luke and that there are NO signs of his betrayal. Cause idk about y'all but I was fucking shocked when I first read it.

[invisibleraven]

Haunted Holidays

December 22: Christmas Tree <- AO3 link!

As it got closer to the holiday season, everyone could see that Reggie was getting a bit morose. Usually he was gung ho about celebrating the season, decking the halls and baking up a storm.

But not this year.

This year he had to put MeeMaw into a home-her mind was deteriorating fast and she couldn’t be left to her own devices any longer. That meant dealing with closing up the farm until his uncle could either take it over or sell it. Dealing with the woman who practically raised him no longer knowing who he was.

So he didn’t see much point in celebrating. Thus his partners decided to do something to cheer him up.

“Why don’t we go out and get a real tree this year?” Willie suggested. “I remember you telling me you lived that as a kid.”

“We have a tree though,” Reggie replied. “That gigantic pre-lit thing that Carrie bought.”

“We can have a real one this year,” Carrie assured him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I don’t mind.”

“I’ll see if I can find a reputable tree farm in the area,” Alex piped up. “So we can chop it down and everything.”

“I don’t know about trusting any of you with an axe,” Julie stated.

“Hey I know how to use an axe!” Reggie protested. “I had to chop wood for the farm all the time!”

“Fine,” Julie amended, “I don’t trust anyone who isn’t Reggie with an axe.”

“That’s fair,” Luke quipped. “I can tie it up after though, since I was actually an Eagle Scout.”

“For like a week,” Alex scoffed.

“I learned the knots, didn't I?” Luke retorted with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“I don’t think Shibari and tree tying knots are quite the same,” Kayla shouted from the laundry room. Everyone pointed in her direction, causing Luke to pout until Julie fluffed his hair and told him his knots were great.

“So we’re really doing this?” Reggie clarified, but it looked like he was perking up, so they all nodded. “Sweet!”

That weekend they found themselves bundled up and ready to go. Kayla had to work, but wished them luck. Flynn and Carrie had bowed out, not being fond of the outdoors but promised to make a popcorn chain and some hot chocolates for when they came back. “Just come back with all your limbs and digits!” Flynn called as they piled into Reggie’s truck.

“So, where to?” Reggie asked Willie and Alex. They had the map on their laps, and were quietly debating between themselves.

“Willie here wants us to just head into the woods, and find the perfect tree,” Alex explained, pinching the bridge of his nose. “But I have explained that it is often illegal, so I found some places where they invite you to come in and choose your own tree from their patch of land.”

“No jail!” Julie stated firmly. “Or hefty fines!”

“Fiiiiine,” Willie whined, and suggested the nearest farm.

“Alright people,” Alex said as they exited the truck. “We’re looking for a nice spruce tree. The firs are nicer, but also more pricey.”

“Cuz you can tell the difference,” Luke snarked under his breath, but received an elbow to the ribs for it.

They broke apart, looking amongst the unclaimed trees, but nothing was grabbing their attention. Everything was too scraggly, too short, too lopsided.

Eventually they came across a tree that looked the part, and they made a plan to get it down and to the car. Even if the skies are turning grey and foreboding. Reggie gave a mighty thwack of his axe, and it embedded itse;f in the trunk for a moment. Then he pulled it back out, ran his fingers through his hair, and did it again.

Julie whimpered at the sight, and Luke was right beside her, clutching her hand. “Man, we've got one hot partner,” he murmured. “We should take him apart later in that flannel.”

“I like the way you think,” Julie purred.

“Timber!” Reggie yelled gleefully as the tree fell. “I always wanted to say that.”

As it turned out, Luke’s knot tying skills were the best, so he was the one who went about securing the tree to the truck bed, and got Julie to double check his work, just in case.

“Great job mi vida,” she complimented him, the group of them setting back off.

Of course, getting it home was the easy part-setting it up took a lot of work, resulting in the five of them getting scratches and sap everywhere as needles littered the ground.

“I am so not cleaning that up,” Carrie said as she supervised.

“Help or leave,” Alex grunted at her.

Finally, the tree was up, even if some of them were a bit worse for wear, the smile on Reggie’s face as he took it in made the pain worth it. “Five minute break to clean up and then we trim?” Willie proposed.

Everyone agreed, and went their own ways to freshen up, coming back to Carrie and Flynn stringing lights on the tree, along with their string of popcorn. Alex turned the lofi on, playing some classic holiday music, and the group of them began to decorate.

“It’s not a bad little tree,” Flynn commented wryly.

“We did a lot better than Charlie Brown, it’s true,” Luke replied.

They finished up, flicked the lights to the room off, and stood back, oohing and aahing as they took in the splendor. And very quietly, Reggie began to cry-too many emotions swirling around in his head. But he let his partners hold him, and smiled at the tree-now and forever a symbol of the lengths they were willing to go for him.

But he’d be totally cool going back to plastic next year.

[writing-is-sexy]

Chapter One

From the backseat of this oh so familiar white sedan I watch as buildings turn into houses, until we stop in front of a small blue house with cream colored accents. On the front porch there was a bench swing, with a girl who looks to be the same age as me sitting reading a book. Susan, my case worker turns to look at me and says, "I have a feeling this will be your last foster home."

After pulling my things from the trunk, Susan and I walk up to the porch to be met by my new foster family. The husband and wife walk out the front door, greeting us with a smile. They seem nice, but they always do. The husband is tall, at least 6'3". He has dark blonde hair and dark blue eyes to match. He sticks out his hand waiting for me to take it in mine. "I'm Luke, welcome Victoria."

Wow, this is the first family to actually get my name right. I take ahold of his hand and shake it with a slight smile as the wife begins to introduce herself. Her name is Rebecca, she is about a foot shorter than Luke and has pitch black hair. She has blue eyes as well, but hers are lighter they look like spring water. Their daughter, Megan, introduces herself quickly before burying herself back into her book. Megan looks so much like her mother, but has her dad's blonde hair. Luke opens the door to the house and we all follow him inside.

The house is beautiful inside, it has an open floor plan between the living room and kitchen. This is definitely the nicest house I have been in, in a long time. I notice pictures of Megan that go all the way back to her as a baby. This house would give any who walks in it a safe, happy feeling. We walk up the stairs to a hallway with four doors. One for Luke and Rebecca's room, one for Megan's room, a bathroom, and my room. There's a door in both Megan and in my room that connects our rooms to the bathroom. Oncr the door opens I'm in awe of my new room , but I don't want to get too settled in. It never lasts long. My room has a matching bedroom set made out of dark mahogany wood. There is a white and black comforter set on the bed with scripture style wording and the Eifle Tower on it, it was beautiful.

"We're not sure what you like, if it's not your style we can change it Victoria," Rebecca says with a sweet smile.

"No, this is great," I reply honestly.

As I'm looking around the room Luke begins to speak, "We'll let you get comfortable while we go downstairs and finish up with Susan."

Susan gives me a hug before they make their way down the stairs. I put my duffle bag on the bed and begin putting my things in the drawers. When I finish there is a light tap on the door, before Megan pushes it open and makes her way to the bed and hoping on it.

"You know, I've never had a foster sibling before. I didn't even know my parents wanted to foster a kid until about to days ago," Megan informs me, which makes me anything but comfortable. "But I think this will be a good thing, I've always wanted a sister," she adds.

"Well out of all the foster families I've stayed with, your family seems the nicest." I tell Megan, she responds with a smile.

"Tomorrow morning my mom is going to bring us to school a little early so we can pick up your schedule and I will show you around school. Don't worry we don't bite." She laughs before going on, motioning for me to sit down on the bed with her. So I do.

Never has any of my foster siblings wanted to know about me and my story, but Megan did. So I began the story about how I ended up in foster care. My parents and I were your typical family, we were happy. My mom was a school teacher and my dad was a firefighter, they were married for three years before they had me. One night at about two in the morning some people broke into our house. My mom ended up emptying out a dresser drawer in their room and hiding me in it before the intruders ended up shooting my parents. A detective ended up hearing me whine and found me in the drawer. My grandparents were too old to take me in and I didn't have any other family, so they had no other choice but to put me in foster care.

Megan wipes her tears away as Rebecca opens the door to the room and says, "Dinner is done, I'm glad to see you guys are getting to know each other."

Megan and I both get off the bed and follow Rebecca downstairs for dinner. Rebecca informs me that dinner will be done typically around six pm every night and that we eat at the dinner table together. While we eat we all make small talk, trying to get to know each other a little bit more. I try to keep it light, opening up to one person was enough for me tonight. I help clear the table once we are all finished, then I excuse myself back to my room.

Picking out my clothes for the morning is pretty easy considering I only have five shirts, three pairs of pants, a pair of shorts, and a pair of two year old Chucks for shoes. I pick out a Aerosmith ripped tee with a white tank top and my dark blues jeans to go with it. Before climbing into bed I grab my copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, that is almost completely falling apart from how many times I have read it. I pull out a faded picture of my parents holding me in the hospital room. It's crazy how you can miss someone you barely knew, but I miss them so much. Sometimes I wonder how things would be different if there were still around, I wonder if I would even be the person I am today if they were here.

The next I get up early enough to take a shower and do my hair. As I'm finishing up Megan knocks on the door, letting me know it's time to go. Megan is wearing a floral dress with a pair of white wedges to go with, her hair was up in a high ponytail. Arianna Grande would be jealous of how high her ponytail is. Rebecca drives us to school before she heads to work herself, before I get out of the car Rebecca gives me a phone.

"All of are numbers are already programmed into it for you. I know how teenagers can't live without these things." Rebecca laughs. "I hope you have a good day."

I thank her as I slip the phone into my back pocket. This was actually my first phone, my foster families prior never trusted me enough to give me one or didn't care. After we get my schedule from the front office, Megan takes it to see if we have any classes together.

"Yay! We have Alegbra 2 and lunch together." Megan exclaims.

Megan does her best showing me around and showing me my locker before the bell for first period goes sounds. Doing my best to follow Megan's instructions, I end up getting to first period a few minutes late. I hate opening the door after everyone has sat down and class has begun because when I walk in everyone looks at me and I was right.

"Looks like there's a new girl," someone says from the back of the classroom.

I introduce myself as the teacher welcomes me, then I make my way to an empty desk I notice by the window. I take out my brand new notebook and begin taking notes until class is over. Once the bell chimes again, I pack up my things and begin to my next class.

"Hey new girl!" I hear the same voice as earlier call out. I turn around and see a blonde boy who's hair may just be as curly as mine coming my way. He has chocolate brown eyes, which are surprisingly breath taking. "Who's class are you heading to now?" He asks.

As I pull my schedule out of my pocket he grabs it from my hand and reads it.

"Excuse me." I say as I try to grab it back but he's too quick.

"Mr. Harvarty, that's right next door to my class. I'll show you the way so you're not late. I'm Ben." He introduces himself, while leading the way.

"I'm Tori." I reply, grabbing my schedule from his hand before he could pull it away again.

Ben does most of the talking as we walk to class, making sure to inform me about all the best teachers and the teacher I should avoid getting on the bad side of. Before we make it to our next class Ben informs me about the football game this Friday and suggests that I should go. Making no promises, I tell him we will see as we approach our next class.

"Alrighty Victoria, this is you." Ben smiles as he points to the next class.

"Thank you, Benjamin." I say and he laughs before we part ways.

The rest of the day goes fairly quickly, when the bell goes off dismissing us from out last class I meet up with Megan by the flag pole before we go to the car. Luke is picking us up from school, which I now know is the normal routine. He asks us about our day, before he tells us about his. Megan tells her dad about the test she just finished and how she hopes she's going to pass.

When we get back to the house we go our separate ways, I assume Megan is going to do her homework like me. I put my school stuff on the desk that is looking out the window to the backyard. It's the perfect spot to get my homework done, unlike most of my foster homes. Typically if I wanted to get my homework done I would have to sneak off to the closest library. The library is the closest thing I can call home, it has given me the most peace over the years.

"Hey Tori," Megan says as knocks on the door.

"Come in," I instruct her, and she does.

"So I heard you made a new friend." Megan laughs as she raises her eyebrows at me. I give her a confused look, I have a feeling I know who she's talking about. "You knooow, Ben!"

"He just showed me to class." I tell her, boys are the last thing on my mind. Plus, I'm never in the same place long enough to even want to give anything a shot. He sure is cute though.