By Amanda Pizzolatto

Word Count: 1721

Rating: G

Summary: The Baudelaires, finally safe and happy, celebrate Christmas.

Part One: Under the Mistletoe

Mistletoe hung from the ceiling at the end of the room while boughs of holly hung from the railings. The Baudelaires entered, their eyes darting from side to side, taking in the whole scene with wonder and delight.

“Violet, look at the tree! It must be over a hundred feet tall!” blurted Klaus as he pointed out the enormous pine elaborately decorated in reds, blues, greens, and silvers.

“Looks to be only ninety, but it definitely looks magnificent,” replied Violet with a bright smile.

“Well, well, well, look who decided to finally join us? Was your wardrobe giving you problems like mine did?”

“Alex! How could a spy like you be having problems?” asked Violet as the three joined Alex Rider.

“You’d be surprised,” he replied with a wink.

“You mean Jack didn’t help you?” asked Klaus.

“She did, and she was having problems. That’s how bad it was.” The Baudelaires laughed. “Hey! It was serious! Jack, help a fellow out, will you?”

Jack Starbright glanced up from the table where she was sitting, setting up a table of food. “Oh, sure, Alex. He wanted to show you the tree. Do you want me to take Sunny?”

“Not that, Jack; the problems we had with my suit!”

Jack laughed. “Oh, that! You should have seen him. He basically had everything on inside-out and backwards, except for the jacket.”

“What? Not my fault the genies can make a suit so well it looks like it’s reversible,” quipped Alex as he crossed his arms. The Baudelaires just laughed.

“Oh man, why didn’t you take any pictures, Jack?” asked Klaus.

“By the time I realized I should have done that, he already had it all fixed,” replied Jack with a shrug.

“Exactly,” stated Alex.

“Oh well, sounds like your unfortunate events came to a sudden end,” quipped Violet.

Alex scoffed. “As if. If things are going to be the way I think it’ll be around here, it’s going to get interesting real quick. I mean, it’s already interesting considering the presence of the guhyaka* as it is, but with all these different people with their different back stories? It’s going to get even more so. Just saying,” he finished with a shrug.

“But hey, even with all of those differences, it still feels like home,” stated Violet with a smile.

Alex nodded, having to agree. “That it does.”

“So, what about the tree, besides being the biggest one I’ve ever seen, do you want to show us?” asked Klaus.

Alex merely grinned. “You’ll just have to come and see.”

“Really?” groaned Klaus.

“Yes, really. Though I must warn you, if you were expecting to see Count Olaf, prepare to be disappointed. He’s nowhere to be found, and on such a wonderful holiday,” quipped Alex as he led the way towards the tree.

“Good, keep him away,” muttered Klaus.

Violet chuckled. “Oh Klaus, he was only kidding. The guhyaka said that he can never step foot on this island, remember?”

Klaus sighed. “I know, I know, it’s just . . . it’s just a little too recent for my comfort.”

“Sorry, Klaus, I won’t joke about seeing Count Olaf . . . until you’re ready.”

“Thanks Alex,” replied Klaus with a smile of relief.

“No problem,” Alex replied with a smile.

“So, what is it?” asked Violet as they neared the other side of the tree.

Alex laughed. “Come on! I told you I’d show you! Let’s get closer first.”

Klaus groaned. “Fine.”

Violet gasped. “Wait, is it our Christmas present?”

Alex just grinned. “You’ll see.” He took them around the tree, and the siblings gasped.

“Is that . . .” began Klaus.

“It can’t be,” whispered Violet.

Klaus dove under the tree. “It is! It is!” he shouted, tears brimming in his eyes. “You got the spyglass, and the photo album! You, how . . . how did you do it?”

Alex shrugged. “Hey, we’ve got genies here. Not too hard to make a wish.”

“Oh, Alex, it’s wonderful. Thank you!” exclaimed Violet as she hugged him and pecked him on the cheek.

She picked up Sunny so she could peck him on his other cheek.

Klaus stood up and shook hands with him. “Thank you, Alex, thank you so much!”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for!”

“But we didn’t get you anything for Christmas,” blurted Klaus.

“Klaus!” hissed Violet.

“Oh well, based on what the genies had been telling me, they celebrate it the old way, you know, with the twelve days of Christmas and all. Which means you have until Epiphany, or January sixth, to get me something,” explained Alex.

“Well, actually, there is something I wanted to give you now, if you don’t mind.” Her siblings and Alex glanced at Violet questioningly. “Klaus, can you take Sunny?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” replied Klaus as he took his little sister’s hand.

Violet motioned Alex to follow her. Klaus shrugged when Alex looked to him for an answer before following Violet. She led him to the far wall, not far from the tree, though it was in full view of anyone who happened to look over.

“Um, Violet, presents are usually under the tree,” began Alex.

“Not this kind of present,” replied Violet with a smirk. She pointed up.

Alex followed her finger, and then it clicked. “Oh,” he said, noticing the mistletoe. He glanced at Violet with a grin as he leaned in, and the two kissed.

“Finally,” muttered Sunny. They laughed.

*Guhyaka: A large eagle-like creature with six wings, feathered hands, and four eyes.

Part Two: A Wonderful Announcement

“Hmm,” huffed Emma Wibberly as she watched Violet Baudelaire and Alex Rider kiss under the mistletoe.

‘What is it?” asked Ender Wiggins before he took another bite from his plate of food.

“I can’t believe the Baudelaires have so much in common with us; three siblings, two girls and a boy, are on the run from a nasty villain. The eldest is resourceful, the boy is smart and wears glasses, and the youngest is tough.”

“But they’re not completely like us,” pointed out her brother, Michael. Emma shot him a glance. “We got our parents back; they didn’t.”

Emma’s gaze softened as she glanced at them again. “Yeah, that’s true. All the same, they’re a lot like us. Just like Alex has a lot in common with Ender.” Ender shot her a warning glance. “What? Did you think he actually wanted to be a spy?”

“Anymore than you wanted to commit genocide,” quipped Michael, backing up his sister.

Ender let out a sigh as he began to relax. “I know, I know, both of us became what we didn’t want to become. We were practically forced to become it.”

“See? Exactly,” stated Emma as she pushed a wisp of dark hair from her face before she took another bite.

“Speaking of parents, where are yours?” asked Ender, glancing around the stadium.

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. Might as well ask where Kate is.”

“Most likely with them,” muttered Michael. He took a bite of food to keep the smile from forming on his face, but it was too late.

“Michael, what is it?” asked his sister.

“Oh come now, can’t you guess? There’s one other person missing,” noted Michael, the grin now spreading across his face freely.

“Who?” asked Emma while Ender glanced around, wondering who Michael meant.

“Fen Brekke, who else?”

Ender’s eyes widened. “Wait, you think that he’s . . .”

Michael was grinning so hard he thought his face was going to break in half. “I’m betting on it. My sisters both deserve great happy endings, and he’s the best guy for Kate.”

Emma gasped, now realizing what her brother was getting at. “You think he’s proposing to her now?” she whispered.

“Well, maybe not now. You know Kate would want us all to be there. He could be asking our parents before they come out and do the whole show.”

“Speaking of,” muttered Ender, nodding his head towards the doors. Mr. and Mrs. Wibberly entered with huge grins on their faces, followed not long afterwards by their eldest daughter and Fen Brekke. Kate had her arm looped through Fen’s.

Emma unexpectedly let out a squeal. “It’s about time!” she whispered excitedly.

“Right,” muttered Michael. “But before we celebrate, let’s see if he’s actually going to pop the question now, or if he already did.” Michael rose from the table and walked towards his parents and sister, followed by Ender and Emma.

“So, did he pop the question?” asked Emma.

“Emma!” hissed Michael.

Fen just grinned, the smile looking so wolfish that it reminded everyone yet again that he was a wolf shifter. “Oh, it’s alright Michael, because yes, yes I did propose. Sorry you weren’t all there to witness it, but Kate came out not long after I asked your parents, and I was so excited I just asked her right then and there.”

“And nervous,” muttered Kate.

“Well, yeah, I wanted it to be perfect. Well, it almost was; your siblings weren’t there.”

“Oh, that’s alright, the wedding is the most important part, really,” stated Emma as she rocked on the balls of her feet. The others laughed.

“Well, I’m glad you think so, because we might need your help planning it,” remarked Fen before he turned to Kate and kissed her cheek.

“Might? I think it’s a ‘will definitely’ need help planning,” remarked Kate with a smile.

Fen glanced at her. “With Laurie around? Highly unlikely.”

“Speaking of, aren’t you going to spread the good news?” asked Ender.

“You’re right, we should.” Fen let go of Kate’s hand and quickly shifted into a black wolf. He let out a loud, long howl before shifting back into his human form.

“That’s not quite what I meant, but it works,” quipped Ender.

Fen laughed. “Well then, come on! Let’s go spread the good word!” Grabbing a hold of Kate’s hand, Fen led the way to let everyone know the good news.

List of Books, Movies, and Anime Used

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

(The Baudelaires)

Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz

Books of Beginning by John Stephens

(The Wibberlys/ parents, Kate, Michael, Emma)

Blackwell Pages by K. L. Armstrong and Marissa Marr

(Fen Brekke, Laurie Brekke)

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

For more info, check out asgardianpeas.wordpress.com or rosenvines.wordpress.com/tagged/asgard.