Christmas Time December 2031

Ana bit back a laugh. Hope hornet comes up in charades...And I'm not sure whether Nick has sense but he may well have a death wish...

Isabella noticed her husband's anger, but attempted to ignore it, instead going to join Nick and Darius at the snack table with a smile.

The angry hornet in question loitered near the door, fuming silently, and working to rearrange his features into an inscrutable mask.

"Grampa? Did you promise Santa not to tell me my pwesent is too?" Darius asked the fuming hornet obviously oblivious to the fact that it was in fact a fuming hornet.

Nicolas munched along generally enjoying himself.

Reginald, the secretly fuming hornet, summoned a smile to his face.

"Well, it wouldn't be anywhere near as fun if we told you, would it?"

Darius pouted. It was settled. This was a conspiracy against him. "But I don't find it fun!" Darius looked to each of the adults in the room for anyone who might tell him.

Isabella quickly looked away, glancing at Reginald for help. Should they tell him?

Almost imperceptibly, Reginald shook his head and wandered across to a couch and sat down.

Ana smiled apologetically at Darius and selected a seat.

Darius pouted.

Suddenly Nicolas' watch started to ring. He blinked in surprise and checked his watch. "Sorry, I have to take this." And he stepped outside the room.

"Can you tell me what my birthday pwesents will be then?" Darius said brightening up.

Reginald frowned slightly, suspicious of whatever the Casillas was doing.

Isabella smiled. "Come on love, only one more night to go, and you'll find out yourself as you open them."

Nicolas came back in the room. "Darius, come on little man, time to go."

"Go?" Darius looked up. "Go where?"

"To Abuelo's house. I spoke to your mother, they're all waiting for you." Nicolas said, "Come on!"

"Okay." Darius turned to his grandpa. "Bye, bye Grampa."


(Abuelo=Grandfather)

Reginald's eye honed in on Nicolas. "I was under the impression Darius was staying here for Christmas." Any adults would detect the cold steel hidden in the tone.

Isabella glanced at her husband and put a hand on Darius' shoulder.

"No, you are under the wrong assumption." Nicolas said plainly. "He's just visiting here. He's going to spend Christmas there."

Darius looked up at the adults. What was going on?

"I can understand you spending Christmas with your family, but I fail to see why Darius can't spend Christmas with us..." Reginald's friendly overture had faded slightly.

Isabella smiled at Darius. "And you only just got here, didn't you Darius? You haven't even had time to play games or see your presents yet!"

"But I thought I had to wait until tomorrow for my pwesents." Darius said frowning. Well it was true. That's what they said awhile ago wasn't it?

"My family, as you so put it, also happens to be his family as well." Nicolas said starting to sound more forceful.

Isabella smiled. "Well...tomorrow begins at midnight, doesn't it?" Dangling the carrot of staying up late before an excitable child...

Ana, previously uninvolved in the dispute, noticed the probability of this escalating, and decided to intervene. Darius didn't need to be put in the middle and fought over, at least not in front of him!!

"Hey Dad, why don't you show Nick that new..." Devising something uninteresting to a five year old boy... "That new...teapot you bought-in the dining room." She meaningfully tipped her head towards Darius and began to ferry them out into the hallway, holding both elbows in a vice-like grip.

Reginald smiled at his grandson before he was steered into the hallway, and thence into the study a few doors down, with nice thick walls.

"Not in front of Darius." Ana gave them each one last glare. "Now go crazy." She muttered, shutting the door and retreating to the living room.

"I can open my pwesents at midnight?" Darius said his eyes practically glowing. Best christmas ever. He was going to get to stay up late AND get presents.

___

Nicolas glared at Reginald. Then his watch rang again. He didn't bother going away this time, he answered it.

"Hola?"

"Nick? Where are you and Darius?" Diana's voice came up of the watch.

"Your Father-in-law is holding us hostage." Nicolas said glaring at Reginald.

"What? This is unacceptable...." Ferderico's voice could be heard distinctly in the background.

"Abuelo, no wait!" Diana's voice said. "Nick, I'll call you later..." She'd disconnected.

"Sorry about that, now, where were we?" Nicolas said straightening himself. "Oh yeah, Darius is going with me now."

"Well, that's what we always do..." Isabella smiled.

Ana slipped back into the room. Always fun.

______

Reginald folded his arms.

"I wouldn't be so damn sure about that if I were you, Casillas."

Darius smiled. "Yay!"

Then something occurred to him.

"But how about Santa's pwesents?" Darius asked. "Santa won't come if we are all awake." Darius pointed out. He knew that for a fact.

____

"As if you could do anything to stop me." Nicolas said arrogantly. He folded his arms in a semi-threating manner.

((Speed posting-English essays pulling me away ))

Isabella laughed. "Well, we go to sleep and wake up at midnight, after Santa's been."

_____

"I wouldn't be so damn sure of that, boy." Reginald spat, face contorted in pure fury.

((Fair enough, lol Spanish studying on this end... not much progress though))

Darius looked thoughtful. "Hmmm...." That seemed reasonable. He wondered if he'd get a puppy. "Okay!"

______

Nicolas took a few steps back and wiped his face. "What are you going to do? Spit me to death?"

((lol...revision is just so DULL!))

Isabella smiled. "Have you been a good boy this year Darius? You know Santa won't come otherwise..." She teased. Regardless of behaviour, "Santa" would still turn up.

_____

Reginald glowered. "You seem to forget whose house you are in."

(( Agreed. I want a puppy to play with. ))

"Uhuh." Darius nodded. He was a good boy... wasn't he?

________

"Last I checked, it was Gryffindor." Nicolas grinned.

Ana smiled. "Of course he has Mum. I'm sure his parents have sent Santa glowing reports."

____

"That explains so much..." Reginald sneered, revulsion added to the irritation evident on his visage.

Darius beamed at Ana. See he was a good boy.

___

Nicolas smirked at him.

Suddenly there was a loud, Bang, bang, bang, rapping on the front door.

Bob replaced the dishes on a pile and made a beeline for the door.

Maybe it was friends or a passing relative?
Or a cabaret, a circus troupe or some flying monkeys...
A llama?

He unlatched the door and opened it, peering out into the street.

Um...ah...oh.

______

Reginald glowered at Nick. "I bet you had something to do with these incessant interruptions?!" It was more of an exclamation than a question, and he immediately stormed out of the room and towards the front door.

"Who the hell is it---" His sentence trailed off.

"Vaight!" Ferderico Casillas yelled. "I want my great grandson."

He wasn't alone.

Reginald snarled. "What the hell do you think you are doing on my doorstep? Get out."

Bob loitered awkwardly in the doorway, wondering if he should shut the door, but decided his master's head was in the way.

Isabella discerned Reginald's raised voice and glanced up. "You stay here." She ordered those remaining, before sweeping into the hall herself.