#i got two more of the mystery keychains which one was robin and the other was ted 💀

[bitchybylershipper]

MY MOST SPECIALEST INTERESTS!!!!!!!!!!!

[whirlybirdwhat]

Compass Left Behind

Ao3 - One Piece, Gen, Modern AU, Look for Warnings! (See Ao3), Focus on Straw Hats.

Word Count: 2,847

-

When Ace dies in a flurry of fast motions and undeniable death (gun fight – a gang fight, Akainu fire arson why were you born- oh god it burns) Luffy screams at the pain of being alone. His brothers are dead, Shanks spirited away into the wind, Garp, military (abusive) and untrustworthy, and Makino and Dadan’s gang, underserving of this mess.

Luffy is 14 when he becomes completely abandoned, and he is 14 when the thought whispers into his mind

Why? Why am I alone? It shouldn’t be this way - Never should be this way. Where are they?

And so he starts to search.

-

Monkey D. Luffy first whispered into their lives with the soft smile on Zoro’s sunlit face as he wandered home from school. This smile last for the week, a week of Koushirou’s adopted son seeming more complete and alive than he has ever before - and then he is gone, katanas packed away with sturdy clothes and tracking chip pulled out of his phone

Koushirou wonders about the boy who Zoro mentioned only once (I met someone today – his name is (and the way he said the name sounded like a king)) but accepts it. Zoro always had the spirit of a wanderer in him - but it never seemed to belong just to him.

He reports Zoro’s disappearance to the authorities but it gets buried. Somethings were not meant to be - somethings were meant to be lost to the world (Zoro had always been lost – always had an internal compass that only pointed at one person.)

Koushirou hopes the boy he raised (in place of a daughter who died) is happy now.

-

They meet Nami in the mall, her life safe at last and her family and their tangerine farm whole and unharmed. There is nothing stopping her from saying no when Luffy stretches out hand, to stay with her family who have no recognition of the name Arlong.

But she takes the hand anyway, the weight she never knew was there lifting off of her. She was supposed to be a navigator for a big company in the fall, with big rewards, perfect for a girl who had no interest of spending big bucks at college

But she drops it all and takes the hand offered.

And well -

That is that.

(They, piled into Luffy’s (Ace’s) old custom flame-detailed Camaro, make for an odd bunch with Luffy’s scars and Zoro’s swords and Nami’s maps and money bags (and three shriveled tangerine tree seeds kept in a golden locket) but they could not care less.)

-

Usopp joins them three states over and for once does not lie - he speaks truthfully about the pull he feels, like waves to the moon’s commands, like a compass to the north and laments that maybe he’ll meet his dad on the road - out in the big wide radiant west.

He brings along a ride and tall tales, a reminder that there’s joy in the smallest of things.

(Kaya, they learn, is a name not to be spoken for she died a year ago, officially due to an illness. Unofficially, Usopp tells them of a butler who had a history in poison and botany, and how his claws quickly sunk into the family riches once the orphan girl passed away suddenly.

This is not a tale of heroes or interference in carefully laid plans- this is a tale of people finding home and family.

And Kaya, while she had a place in Usopp’s heart, never had a place aboard the sunny, beloved ship (home) in their dreams of before.)

-

Sanji kicks them from his restaurant, freshly inherited from Zeff who died three months previous, four times until he finally caves and agrees to go with them.

The chefs and waiters are happy to see him go, even if his boyfriend, Gin, isn’t (he’ll miss him, can’t he see that?).

The restaurant was never the twenty-two-year old’s dream, only a prison made of a debt and a soured paternal love and the staff knew that.

They do not understand what makes these strangers so important to him, but they do not stop him from leaving, from kissing his mafia boyfriend one last passionate time, from signing restaurant over to his most trusted workers and hopping in the car with two teens and a young adult.

It was never their place to know what made him so weary of food being stolen.

(Besides. His cigarettes were clogging up the air.)

-

They never meet Vivi. They only ever hear of her in newspapers clippings, proclaiming that the last princess of Alabasta perished during an uprising in her kingdom.

(It’s not a world of heroes and happiness, in this life)

The story is sad in general, but they are even more so because more than it being a tragic tale, they never got to meet her again.

(But they knew she would never, ever stay, no matter how hard they begged. Her heart belonged to the desert sun and the sand beneath feet, and the people hailing her name. Some things are constant like that.)

-

Chopper, prodigy and fully-fledged doctor at the age of twenty-six, takes one look at them and quits his job at his adopted father’s old clinic.

No one comments on how though he is the eldest, everyone ruffles his hair like he is the youngest.

No one talks about the little cherry blossoms and antlers embroidered on his sweater, or the way he despisesmushrooms.

No one mentions the way he gapes at Zoro and Luffy, one with too little scars (though they are thankful for that) and one with far, far too many.

(He’ll pass creams to both of them, helping smooth it over Luffy’s back and arms and chest and face and just anywhere really (so many scars - skin didn’t scar this easily before) and letting Zoro do his own, spreading the cool substance over his chest and ankles and face (but never his back - would be a shame if he did), places that had always ached mysteriously previously, and always during storms like Luffy’s did now)

-

Robin comes into their lives silently, appearing in the back of the Merry (Usopp’s mothers old Volkswagen van that he inherited, that he and Kaya had painted with pictures of seas and sheep and dreaming words before ... everything) one day and never leaving after that.

There are no doubts that she belongs with them - not this time, and not ever again. She brings a multitude of books with her and helps finishes Zoro’s and Luffy’s spotty education, filling in gaps of knowledge with care and love.

She never speaks of genocide, never speaks of the circling brand on her left shoulder blade, and the haunted look in here eye but she doesn’t have to.

Like before, the past does not matter here, with them.

(Unlike before, the only thing that does matter is them - there are no dreams in this concrete world, only slowly filling in the ache of where were you and I was alone.)

-

The blue haired man who tried to steal their car is Franky, and this time only his arm and nose are metal - it doesn’t make him any less strong or big though. Once he sees the little keychain of a straw hatted jolly roger, custom made, hanging on the mirror, however, he stops, sitting there in the front seat, the wires already hotwired, and smiles. That’s where they find him, and after only the briefest of introductions (for they all know each other already, really, in some inescapable way) and goodbyes (the Franky family are still family but the world is crueler now then then, and bonds like that aren’t meant to stay (but bonds like theirs are)) they leave after a small pitstop.

Merry cannot hold him (cannot hold three more people, they need more) and so it is a near blessing in disguise when Merry is forced to be ripped away from them by a bad car accident - a cop careening down the road after a clown with a sword (an odd sight but not the oddest. They were all more worried about clinging together and making sure they were all alive). No fights happen between them (they do not know how they would take it if one of them walked away - they don’t know if they even can now that they’ve found each other).

Instead, they watch as Franky commandeers his brother’s company for one week, and creates a home on the road for them. Simple and deceiving on the outside yet extravagantly homey within, the extremely luxurious and custom RV is familiar enough with a small shielded garden on the top, a library within and couches and bunks soft and plush to rest their weary head.

Sunny, they decide to call the RV, now detailed on the side in bold, dreamful lettering with a painted lion face, for all the sunny days they will have together.

(They’re almost complete.)

-

Brook sees them in the crowd and steps off his stage, disappearing into the night. His fans are disappointed and the rest of the world confused - where had the man gone?

The man himself is gaunt, brittle and bone like, which is only accented by his skeletal make up, but he laughs and cracks jokes with them all, one more puzzle piece, one more weapon to defeat the battle that is loneliness.

His music soothes them to bed with the sweetest tunes, and the songs he releases to the public are more popular than ever - for they have something the old Brook used to have but thought he never would again.

The love of family.

(He does not speak of years spent by the coast, playing songs with other folk and whales, as they danced happily to the breeze. He does not speak of tsunamis and death and wondering why he above all others survived because he knows why - so the loneliness would end when he was with them.)

-

Jinbe is last and when they break him free from the prison on the coast, it is all they can do not to cry with relief. They are whole again, never mind the mafia and government after them thanks to Jinbe’s escape, they can breathe again.

When they collapse inside Sunny, far away from the lights that searched for them, bandages applied to broken boys (why did he have so many scars?) and smiles given, they do cry, and Jinbe envelopes them all with a hug until they fall backward into a giant, happy dog pile.

He is warm and big and steers them in the right direction, just as he always did. The last part of the puzzle is complete and now they can be free with each other instead of trapped alone.

(Jinbe is the first to know about the beginning, what happened to their captain in this life, (for he knew Ace as well) and he does not forgive himself for not being there like he was before. But he does pray to and thank every god he knows that Luffy was able to get up alone - and find them all.

It’s a miracle, really. (It’s what he was known for))

-

Together they travel, making money in dubious ways (street performance and thievery among them – stealth is a skill that Luffy has somehow acquired now but they do not like to think about how) and having as much adventure and life as they can before their time inevitably runs out.

They travel and learn about each other what makes them different from before (they learn what before was.)

They learn of new ages (Luffy 14, Zoro 16, Nami 18, Usopp 20, Sanji 22, (Vivi would be 24) Chopper 26, Robin, like before 28, Franky 30, Brook 32, and Jinbe, 34 - two years apart for the two years they spent apart. They wished their youngest weren’t so young,) new habits (video game design was what Usopp was going to go to college for, once he had saved enough) and the things that stayed the same (Nami can still haggle prices down to a quarter of the original price, and Zoro still uses three katanas.)

It’s a good life, a happy life. They found each other again - how could it not be?

-

Of course - not everything’s perfect. It comes back to them in the little moments

It’s In the way Zoro will sit himself beside the door on rainy days, ready to catch anyone who slips; in the way Nami hoards money like she’ll die without it and what she’ll be willing to sacrifice for it (herself and others but never her family), in the way that Usopp, though understanding, will lurch whenever someone seems just a tad too sad and frantically tell a tale as if everyone’s life depended on it, and the way he’s wary of every trusting, loyal servant they come across.

It’s in the way Sanji won’t eat if someone else wont (all too common, none of them are okay with food sometimes, even Luffy, who will sometimes stop eating randomly, or Zoro, who occasionally forgets he can keep eating) or in the way Chopper will quadruple check every medical thing he does when not in an emergency.

It’s in the way Robins mind goes blank at certain books and the way her fingers tremble even when doing something she loves; in the way Franky will ghost his hand over his nose and arm and belly and scars and remember the day everything was lost; in the way that Brook can’t stand foggy nights that become like his mind occasionally, clouded and alone.

And especially it’s in the way the Luffy, Luffy who used to never be afraid (because rubber couldn’t hurt, at least not easily), will flinch and snag fingers in Zoro’s or Jinbe’s clothing, arms taut and eyes wide, trembling and so abruptly quiet and push whatever food on his plate away whenever voices raise or fists fly in the kitchen (only ever the kitchen), and will shriek and go silent, crouched in a ball if its directed at him - (The kitchen area is a no fight zone now, if they have to do it they do it beyond the divider and in the other areas while the rest distract Luffy.) It’s in the way Luffy has far too many scars (from punches and kicks and being thrown off balconies and cliffs from supposedly loving hands, from fights in back alleys and scrambling to survive – he’s only 14 and before it wouldn’t faze them but this world is so much more real in the way the other wasn’t) and in the way one used to be able to count each individual rib on his side.

No.

It’s the little moments that hurt the worse.

-

But there are also happy moments, happiness found in places one wouldn’t think to look.

Like being chased by cars flashing red and blue lights, in a flame detailed beat up Camaro, like seeing how high cola rockets could blast, like finally hearing the end to Robin’s memorized bed time story that spoke of pirates of old and new, and sunny days always looking toward the horizon.

Like being there to see Zoro and Luffy, always on the same page, experience something for the first time, like the high school dance they snuck into or the stars on the unlit coast (well that was a first for most actually). Like seeing Brook’s guitar strum a special song just for each of them, or having Chopper give special band aids for each of them (Luffy’s had pirates, Zoro’s tigers, Nami’s tangerines, Usopp’s birds, Sanji’s hearts and Franky’s gears. Robin and Brook were more careful so everyone was still vying to see what design they would get)

It was the joys that built them up again

-

And it was the experiences that reminded them of who they were

Because no matter the world, no matter the life now or the life before, Luffy would always have the soul of a conqueror, of a king- and the rest of them would always be his most loyal crew.

These experiences included back alley fights and dealings and tussles with gangs, included hunting down Ace’s killer and killing him in return (because none of them are perfect, even now) in breaking out of prison as a family (whoever thought of imprisoning them all together made a mistake) to shielding Luffy from his grandfather when the mere mention let alone actually meeting with the man made him tremble and near cry.

It was falling from the mountain Skypeia, miraculously making it out alive and visiting Fishman Island off the coast of the southern continent. It was visiting Venice and Antarctica and the pyramids and breaking into historical places (but being respectful because robin loved history) and everything amazing in-between.

And it was being together that made it all worth it - because in this life they didn’t have dreams to reach for, to strive for, to devout their lives towards. They just had each other.

And that was enough

[chaospenelope]

Present Perfect.

The Pack

It was so very early as the alarm clock flicked on, playing a jarring tune. Neda jolted up with a gasp, her eyes wide open. She cursed herself when she noticed the clock, slamming the button in aggravation. Phineas glanced with a bit of concern, his fur ruffled in all different directions. His head just barely lifted from the pillow. She was a bit embarrassed after noticing this. She patted his head reassuringly and got up to get ready. She started to brush her teeth in the attached bathroom.

Her husband walked in moments later he stood next to her and started using the long mirror to comb his fur. Once they switched positions, both brushing fur and hair, they got dressed and went to wake the cubs. Neda opened the first door and disappeared inside. Robin had already brushed her teeth. Now she was looking something to wear. Phineas was walking down the hall when he noticed his son holding a small steaming cup in his hand. His fur was still a little damp. "You're up early." "Yeah, Lava wouldn't stop shaking me until I got out of bed." The Cub said as he took a sip. "There's a pot of coffee in the kitchen if you want any." "Where is Lavier now? Is she done getting ready?" He son pointed at the bathroom behind him and them walked away. "Alright, you want a braid or ponytail today?" Neda asked as she gently ran the brush through Robin's silky black hair. "I think I want pigtails today." She tried not to move her head as she looked through the hair clips. "What color?" Neda, meanwhile, was looking at the scrunchies, her hair brushing was second nature at this point. "Green? ...Light blue. Yeah, light blue." She said, deciding it was a better match to her black shirt, jeans, and jean jacket. She used some sapphire colored pins to put up her bangs as the rest was tied into two long pigtails. "It's not too tight, is it?" Robin shook her head up, down, and side to side to test it. "Nope, just fine." "Good." She patted her on the shoulder and got up to leave. "Mother Neda?" Robin looked up as she turned to her. "Thank you." "You're welcome dear." Neda smiled warmly and left the room. Robin got down from her bed and carefully pulled a box from her closet. It was nicely wrapped thanks to a little help. There was a nice blue ribbon tied on top and a sticker with Freddy's name on it. Since the children didn't exactly have enough money to buy all the presents they wanted William and Robert helped them with a secret Santa drawing. Robin got Frederick. She took a long time to think about what the best present for him would be. Sure she knew of things he probably wanted but getting him food or a cheap plastic microphone was a little too impersonal. Being a savvy saver she was she managed to get what she felt was a pretty good gift. She piled into the car with the others. Her box dwarfed compared to Nade's plain blue box with a bunch of those sticker ribbons tacked on. "Who did you get?" She asked. "Spring." He then added. "I'm not gonna lie, I was hoping for her. She's so easy to get presents for." "Chica isn't so hard either." Lavier placed her snow pattern gift bag with red crinkly paper on the floor board before hoisting herself up. "I was just going to buy her a book if I got her." "Did you?" "Nope." "C'mon guys, it's supposed to be a secret, remember?" Penny left her penguin paper wrapped box on her lap as she buckled her seat belt.

The restaurant was a couple of hours from opening. A week away from the big night everything was decorated with the shine and wonder of a winter fantasy. The chairs were taken off the tables and the lights turned on. It was alive despite the lack of customers with the chatter of excited children. "Tomorrow is gonna be so fun." Goldie spoke before going back to humming as she sat on the stage. She, Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica sat on the stage with their legs dangling off the edge. "I hope this year Foxy can convince his Papa to let him come with us." "Maybe...Man, things are going so fast. Feels like yesterday day was Birthday..." Bonnie couldn't help but feel a twinge of loss, of wastefulness. "What did we do these past three months?" "We had a lot of fun." Freddy answered, trying to cheer her up. "We went up to the river to find fish and found a bird that needed help. We built a leaf fort. We-." "We saw a bunch of shooting stars, we helped a family of crows buy a taco, and saw a parade of puppies." Goldie added. "And we almost fell through the ice and bloody froze to death because someone wanted to see if we could skate yet. Just feels fast since so many events are cluttered together. Speaking of which, how are we going to celebrate Penny's birthday if she's gone?" "Well, our Mama and Papa talked to their mama and papa and talked to Bonnie's papas and I think they talked to your mama and they all decided we can celebrate it a day after they get back." "Oh." Everyone perked up as the front door's entrance bell rang. The four cubs and two adults came in. "Hey, good morning!" FredBear looked up from the pamphlets. He brought the closest parent in for his infamous hug. "Glad we could make it. The cubs were really looking forward to it." Neda returned the hug earnestly. "Hello Bon, hello Plushy." "Nice of you to drop by before you leave town." BonBon stated in his own endearingly sarcastic tone. He smirked and waved as they greeted him. Plushy smiled at the children. "The presents go on the back table since Kit isn't here yet. Here, let me help you with it." "Okay!" "Thank you!" They put the gifts up and joined their friends. "Hey guys, what's up?" "Thinking about the stuff we did these past few months." "Like the time we accidentally broke a wild beaver's dam?" "I forgot all about that..." "What do you mean 'we'? You and Foxy are to blame for that one. I told you you shouldn't walk on the old dam. You're lucky you didn't break your legs off." Chica scolded. Lavier only rolled her eyes. Chica then relented, saying. "But, I suppose we wouldn't have found that bird if we hadn't went runnin for or our lives, so something good came out of it..." SpringBear looked out at the parking lot with her head resting on her paws. She immediately perked up. "Foxy's here!" Kit waved through the glass, his tail wagging excitedly as he ran to the door. He pushed it open with his dad a mile away. "Ahoy!" He cried, holding his fireplace paper wrapped present proudly. "I come with invaluable treasure!" He boasted. The others hopped down to greet him. "Kids, don't jump off the stage like that." Plushy warned after the fact. "Sorry Mama." "Sorry Mom." "It's alright, just don't do it again, alright?" "Yes ma'am." They spoke sincerely as they sat at the table with the presents they brought in front of them. "So, who goes first?" FredBear looked around as most of them cried 'Can I' or me please'. Robin remained quiet, looking at her present worryingly. "I think this calls for a game of draw straws." Neda took nine straws and cut them in varying sizes with her Swiss army knife keychain. With her back to them she put them in her hand and made the parts that stuck out even. She turned back around and held them out for them to get. Each took their turn picking and after. It was all said and done they compared. "So I go first then?" Chica handed over her small box wrapped in green paper, adorned with a gold ribbon. "Here Nade. I believe this is something you'll like." He looked it over for a minute and tried his best to carefully pull off the tape, but when it tore the paper anyway he just ripped it off quickly. "Hey," His face lit up as he realized what it was. He carefully peeled the tape off the figure's name. "Boris Karloff's Mummy funko? How'd ya know?" "It's simple, I just saw what you were missing in your collection and picked one." Phineas and Neda exchanged glances, thankful she hadn't gotten the other one. "Thanks Chica, I hope whoever got you got something good." "You're welcome Nade." She returned a sincere smile, proudly puffing out her chest as he examined his gift with the happiest expression. "Oh! It's my turn!" Lavier pushed her bag to Bonnie. "Hope you like it." "Love the paper." She smiled and plunged her hand in. She pushed the contents around. She seemed perplexed as her fingers touched onto more than one thing. "Oh. Cool." She looked over the doughnut earbuds. "I needed these." She placed it aside as she picked up two more things. "Nice." She smiled, they were both Mystery mini figures from the new game she was playing. After feeling the packs throughly she started pulling out the final thing. She held the shiny pikachu keychain like a gold bracelet. "I thought these were sold out. Thanks pal!" "Glad you liked them I wanted to get you something better but-." "These are perfect. What are you talking about?" She put her arms around her bounty and started to examine the mystery packages again. "Should I open these now?" "Yeah!" "I wanna see!" "Yar, let's dig into this mystery treasure!" "If you want." "Okay." She eagerly tore open the first one, not hesitating in unwrapping the cardboard around it. "Oh, cool! The clown Neighbor from the teaser." "Huh, He looks little like it." Neda observes from across the table. "He kinda does. Neat." Bonnie put him aside and opened the second. It was a normal one with binoculars. "You're lucky! I always get doubles." "Whoa, Dad, he's wearing the same clothes as you." "He must have great taste in fashion." "Wait, Bonnie, you forgot something." Lavier added. Bonnie, confused, put her hand back in the bag. Her eyes widened as she felt a shape wrapped in paper. She took it out and started to admire it. "Wow, it's me and my dads? Did you make these?" "Yeah...You like it?" "Are you kidding? I love them!" Bonnie spoke as she placed her things back in the bag except the the small clay figures. She was still looking them over. "Thanks Lava." "It be my turn to trade." Foxy declared, passing his box to Penny. "You got me?" She gave a small laugh. "I actually got you." She peeled the paper off tenderly. When she was done folded it and the ribbon and opened the box. She let the cloth unfold as she held it up. "I am definitely wearing this tomorrow." She admired the detailed graphic of a dragon looking at the moon. "Thanks Foxy, this is awesome." "It's so pretty!" "Wicked!" "You're welcome matie!" "Here Chica." Freddy gave her the white gift bag with purple crinkly paper. "A new collar for Cupcake? With little purple paw prints! Oh how lovely." She shook it a little to test the bell. She smiled at the sound of the cheery chime. "Thank you very much. Can't wait to show Mum and Cupcake." "You're welcome." Penelope silently and hopefully moved hers toward Foxy. She watched as he shredded the paper with little hesitation. "A ship, with me own crew?" The young fox smiled wildly. He flipped the box over and read all about the pirate construction set. "That's a lot of small pieces. I might be needing help from me maties..." "I'm glad you like it Foxy." She felt all those hours of dish washing and trash transporting was worth it. "Is my turn yet?" Goldie asked innocently. She looked at all the straws left to make sure. Then she gave her present. "Here Lava, this is for you." "Thanks." She paused, studying the odd shape the puppy in Santa hat was wrapping around. It was a box with a bulge in the middle. Then something hit her and she excitedly unpackaged it. "Alright! A new soccer ball! Oh, Can we play outside, please?" She hopped up in her seat. "Not right this second." Phineas spoke in a chuckle. "Maybe after we're all done exchanging presents." "Aw man, okay." She eased back down. The ball wedged between her and the table. "Alright, now it's my turn!" Bonnie looked over to Robin and slid her nice glittery paper wrapped, bow topped box to her. "Thank you." Robin retrieved it and, like her sister, carefully undid all the paper and bow. She gasped as she lifted the lid. "Soft little slippers!" She lifted the black slippers put her hands inside them. They both had a heart on the front. "I remember how much you liked mine, so I got you a pair." "Can't wait to put them on tonight." She kept her hands inside them as they rested on the table. "Nade, honey, it's your turn." The little bear's head rose up from his figure. "Me? Oh, right." He handed his present over. "Here Goldie." She looked the box over in excitement and pushed the box lid off. "Ooooh! I love her!" She reached in a pulled out her new stuffed doll and hugged them tightly. It was a black a white Shiba Inu with a detachable raincoat. "Thank you! Thank you thank you!" She ran over to hug him. "N-no problem Goldie...Please let go. I can't breathe." "Sorry." She said, still hugging her toy. "Robin. I think you're the only one Pumpkin." The red bear looked up from her slippers. She felt the worry build up again but quickly pushed it down. She hastily handed the present to Frederick. "Here Freddy. Hope it's alright." "Um, thank you." He took the box but seemed concerned. "Robin, are you okay?" "I'm fine, it's just, the present...I couldn't afford a new one so..." "Hm?" He looked back at the package. He carefully opened it but his curiosity begged him to rush. "Robin..." When he finally opened it he felt like he was going to cry. He stood up and hugged her. "Thanks a lot." "I'm glad you like it." She smiled, hugging him back. "You said you wanted one like your dad's but-." "It's perfect." He assured her. He took the black top hat and placed it on his head. His ears were just barely keeping it from swallowing him. "I love it Robin. This is the best present ever. I'll wear it all the time!" "Looks like you'll have to some growing first." Plushy giggled. She tried her best to adjust the hat, only succeeding in covering the entire top of his head. "Who turned out the lights?" He asked jokingly as he took it off. Everyone got a little chuckle out of that. They each compared and talked about their gifts. "Wait, before we forget." Goldie interrupted as the thought came to her. She ran to the table, got the last two presents and brought them over. "We got these for Alex and Sid, since hey couldn't be here." "Aw, thanks guys. They're gonna flip." Lavier looked over the gifts and then her own. "We still have still have some time before breakfast right? ...How about we break this bad boy in?" "Can we go in the back and play?" The little ones asked in varying degrees of politeness. The adults exchanged amused glances. "Don't see why not. Rob, Will, and Phil are out decorating the big tree. Play where they can see you. We'll let ya know when the cinnamon rolls are done." The little ones let out excited cheers as they carefully put away their new prizes, except Lavier, who was ready to start kicking hers around.