The Greatest Gift Part One
Why Keith Hates ChristmasHome, Fan Fiction, The Greatest Gift, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
The Greatest Gift
A Voltron Adaptation by MoiraOriginal story by Philip Van Doren Stern
Story adaptation for the big screen by Frank Capra
Further adapted by me, borrowing from both the authors’ classic tales.
This is a stand alone tale, not pertaining to any other story I have done.Legal Stuff
Voltron, Defender of the Universe and its characters property of World Events Productions, Ltd. ‘The Greatest Gift’ originally written by Philip Van Doren Stern. Story adapted for the big screen by Frank Capra. This story is for entertainment purposes only. Original characters and story-line are property of the author, please do not use, reproduce, or repost without permission.Rating NC17
The NC17 rating due to sexual situations, violence, drug use, and strong language.
So, if you don’t care for that kind of stuff- stop now! You’ve been warned.
And yes, even with all that, it really is a Christmas tale.So if you dare, grab a fresh box of Kleenex, a cup of cider, dim the lights and dive in.
The Greatest Gift
A Voltron Christmas Tale
Part One
Why Keith Hates ChristmasThere is a fresh dusting of snow on the ground. A little four year old boy is running as fast as his little legs can carry him looking for any place to hide. He sees a large oak and makes a beeline for it. Running behind it he hides, leaning up against the trunk, trying to catch his breath.
The voices start getting closer. “Oh Keithy…Keithy where are you?” An older girl calls. “Come on we promise not to try and dress you up again.” Another voice chimes in as well.
The little boy starts to cry and drops to the ground behind the tree yanking ribbons out of his raven hair, tossing them to the ground.
“Come on out. We wanna play house some more.”
“Leave me alone!” The boy cries.
The two girls round the tree. “Aw come on. We need someone to be the baby.”
“I’m not a baby!”
“Okay, you can be the girl then.”
“I’m not a girl! I’m a boy!” He tosses down another ribbon, his face dripping with tears.
“But you’re so pretty.”
“Am not!” The boy leaps up to try to escape but the girls tackle him. He squirms, kicking and screaming but it’s all in vain. He is caught.
A group of older boys approaches the ringleader pointing at Keith who still has ribbons in his hair. “Hey, look at the girl. Isn’t she pretty?”
“I’m not a girl!” Keith screams trying to kick free of his captors. He manages to break loose enough to stand but they have his legs and he can’t get away.
“Go on go play with your girl friends, little girl.” The boys all gather around, laughing, pointing and clapping as the girls wrestle Keith back to the ground.
A whistle blows and the boys scatter revealing the two girls holding Keith. “Let him go now!” The teacher bellows. “Annie, Rachel, I’m surprised at you! You’re old enough to know better than to fight.”
“We weren’t fighting Mrs. Kray we were playing house and...”
“Playing house? Keith, did you want to play house?”
The boy sits up on the ground wiping his eyes and shaking his head.
“That’s not very nice you two. If he doesn’t want to play you can’t make him. Now apologize.”
The two girls drop their heads and musically chime in together. “We’re sorry, Keith.”
“I expect to see you both in my office after class. Understand?”
“Yes, Mrs. Kray.”
“Now get going!” The two girls run. The teacher kneels down in front of Keith who is sniffling and frantically trying to remove the ribbons from his hair. “Let me help you.” She begins to remove the remaining ribbons. “Are you okay, Keith?” The woman looks into the little boys tear soaked face stroking his hair. “Do you want to go home?” The boy nods slightly. The teacher picks up her com finding his contact number and calls. “Hello, Mrs. Paladin. This is Mrs. Kray, Keith’s teacher. Can you get free and come pick him up? He’s had a bit of a rough day. He’s fine, just a little upset…. Great. I’ll see you in a bit.” She puts away her com then smiles at Keith. “Your mothers on her way.” She stands, taking Keith’s hand in hers and they walk out of the schoolyard.
The boy waits in the teacher’s office. To comfort him, she has wrapped him up in a blanket. He has his knees gathered up under his chin as he stares at the floor. His mother enters the office, seeing him she races over swooping him into a big hug, blanket and all, spinning him around. “Keith! Are you okay my little one? Did someone hurt you?“ She looks into his still red and wet eyes his long lashes sticking together.He nuzzles his face into her long black hair. “I don’t wanna go to school. I wanna stay wit you. Day make fun of me, call me a girl cus the girls keep chasing and teasing me.”
Mrs. Kray enters the office. “I’m afraid he is quite the charmer, whether he knows it or not. It seems he already has two adoring fans.”
His mother smiles at her son, her emerald eyes lighting up. She hugs him tighter and whispers. “Oh, Keith…when you grow up, you might not mind so much.” A look of utter panic washes over the boy’s face and his body tenses up. His mother smiles. “Come on then lets go home. You can help me get the house ready for the Christmas party tonight. Will that be alright?” Keith nods his head still buried in her hair. His mother turns to Keith’s teacher. “You and your family are coming aren’t you?”
“Are you kidding, Angelica? Miss one of your Christmas parties? Not on your life. It’s not Christmas Eve without it. We’ll be there!”
“Great! See you later then. Thank you for helping Keith.”
“You’re very welcome. Keep the blanket I’ll get it back later. And Keith, just so you know, those girls will be washing todays lunch plates.” She winks at Keith. He slowly starts to grin.
Carrying her bundled up son Angelica leaves the school and walks across the common areas of the military base and heading to their home. “I love you my little Christmas angel.” The woman coos to her son. She rubs his unruly hair. “Are you feeling better?” He nods. “Good, I don’t want you sad on Christmas Eve.”
“When’s daddy comin?”
“Soon, He will be home tonight. He’s up there right now.” She points up to the sky. “Do you see him yet?”
Keith’s eyes rocket up searching the sky. “No. I don see him.”
“Oh, well keep looking. He’s up there getting closer and closer.”
The boy watches the sky the rest of the way home.
The house is completely decorated top to bottom, as it has been since Thanksgiving. Keith’s mother’s favorite holiday is Christmas and she has always gone all out, decorating every wall and every surface. For a kid, it was paradise. Keith loved every bit of it. Two weeks ago they were decorating the tree putting up lights and tinsel. Keith’s mother has a story for every ornament and she re-tells it every year as one by one she unwraps them and hands them to her son to put on the tree. Eventually the tree is all decorated and the two stand back to admire their work. “Keith? You forgot one.” His mother bends over and picks up the angel that should crown the tree.
Keith shakes his head. “No dats for Daddy to put on, not me.”
Keith’s mother smiles at her son, picking him up into a hug. “My little Christmas Angel.” She kisses him and whispers again. “My little Christmas Angel.”
Later that night the party is in full swing the little house is packed full of people, all enjoying the season. Everyone but one little boy who has snuck up to his room in the attic of the little house where there is one small window. He lies down beside it and looks out to the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of his father, but seeing only darkness. He hears the guests below outside as they slowly leave but still he doesn’t take his eyes off the sky. Eventually the house grows quiet. An hour passes and still he looks out, never taking his eyes off the sky.
“I thought you might want to help me put this angel on the tree.”
Keith blinks. He sits up to see an imposing figure standing in his doorway. A tall, muscularly built man in a Galaxy Garrison Special OP’s uniform is standing before him. His strong chiseled features softened by a thick head of long raven black hair falling softly around his face. His black as night eyes are studying the boy. “Well?”
Keith leaps up and races to the man. “Daddy…Daddy!” He jumps and the man catches him pulling him into a bear hug.
“Oh, Keith, I missed you so much.” The man starts to cry as he rocks his son in his arms. “I missed you.”
Keith’s mother enters the room and joins the hug. “We missed you too, my love.”
The three head downstairs together Keith’s father still holding Keith on his hip, his other arm tightly wrapped around his wife’s waist. When they reach the family room still in total disarray from the party, Keith’s mother goes and retrieves the angel handing it to little Keith, who smiles and hands it to his father. His father nods and walks up to the tree placing the angel at its peek. He steps back to admire the tree still holding Keith tight. “Did you decorate the rest of the tree?” Keith smiles and nods. “You did an excellent job.”
Keith’s mother walks up to the two men in her life. “Well, it’s midnight. If Santa’s going to come, someone is going to have to go to bed.” Keith frowns and clamps onto his father tight, afraid to let go.
Keith’s father spins on his heel. “Nonsense! I just happened to run into Santa over on the East coast and since he knew I was coming this way anyway, he gave me this to deliver for him. Save him the trip and all.” He kneels down by his luggage pulling out a huge duffel and crosses to the sofa where he sits down, moving Keith to his lap and the duffel at his side, patting for his wife to sit next to him. She rolls her eyes at him and sits down, snuggling in. He slowly unzips the bag revealing two brightly wrapped packages.
Keith’s eyes boggle. “You… you met Santa?”
“I sure did.” He reaches into the bag and produces a large box wrapped in red. “And he wanted me to make sure you got this.”
“Wow!” Keith takes the box, stunned in amazement.
“Go on, open it.” Keith’s father smiles. Keith rips into the paper, pieces flying everywhere. Soon he has the box open and his eyes grow wide in amazement. He slowly pulls out a beautiful plush black lion with a long flowing mane of black fur.
Keith’s father grins. “Wow! Isn’t that just like the one you’ve been dreaming about?” Keith nods but doesn’t speak. Keith’s mother elbows her husband and smiles at him. He winks back and pulls her to him into a passionate kiss. “I love you, Mrs. Paladin.” They kiss again. “And I missed you.”
She looks deeply into his eyes. “And I love you, Keith Paladin.” They kiss yet again.
Little Keith jumps on both of them breaking their spell. “There’s one for you, Mommy.”
“Huh?” Keith’s father looks into the bag. “So there is.” He pulls out a green box.
“Open it! Open in! Open it!” Little Keith bounces on his fathers lap.”
She smiles at her husband and then turns to the beautifully wrapped package. “I wonder what Santa could have gotten me?” She slowly starts to unfasten the paper afraid to damage it.
“Hurry! Open it!” Keith starts to grab at the package.
She laughs, “Okay, okay.” And tears it open, earning a giggle from little Keith. She opens the box and gasps, looking at her husband with tears growing in her eyes. He smiles as she lifts out an exquisitely carved crystal angel which sparkles in the lights from the tree.
“Wow, that’s beautiful Mommy.”
“Yes, yes it is Keith. Just like you, my little Christmas Angel.” She starts to cry.
Little Keith smiles as his father wraps an arm around his neck in a playful choke-hold. ”Go look under the tree there’s more.” Little Keith shoots up like a rod and flies off to the tree and is soon under it pulling out more presents, exclaiming at every one.
Keith’s father looks at his wife and wipes a tear from her face. “I figured since it has been five years today since we conceived our last Christmas Angel that it was time we tried for another one.” He pulls out a slip of paper from his shirt. “I quit Special OP’s today and took a teaching position here on base. I’m not missing another Christmas, another birthday…” He tenderly touches the angel statue. “Another birth.” He hands her the paper, which she quickly reads throwing herself onto him. “Oh, Keith! I love you!”
It’s two years later and two weeks till Christmas. The house is again decorated from head to toe. There has been indeed another addition to the Paladin household, two as a matter of fact, twin girls born on September 10th, just fourteen days before little Keith’s birthday. He thought they were going to be born on his birthday, giving him the best birthday present ever. But his mom told him that it was too crowded in there so they came out early. The twins are now a little over a year old. And just like Keith they are his mother’s little Christmas angels. Keith’s father has doted on Keith and the girls constantly since taking up full time residence. Yes, he missed being out in the thick of it but he knows he would miss his family more. He is now content. The teaching job he has taken is rewarding enough. He has been teaching basic combat skills and combat strategy. No one really knows much about his background, it was kept quiet. They know he was in Special OP’s but as to what he did, well it’s all a mystery and he’s not talking. One of the only ones who knows his past, for she lived it with him, is the woman that shares his bed and his name. And it is something they both wish to forget.
“Your move.” Keith’s father leans back in his chair smiling, crossing his arms across his chest.
A six year old Keith kneels on the floor by the coffee table, elbows propped up on the glass studying the chessboard intently. He reaches out, then freezes, pulling his hand away.
“No cheating.” His father warns.
“I didn’t touch it!” He then reaches across the board moving a different piece and sits back.
His father leans forward rubbing his chin and makes his move taking one of Keith’s bishops. “Left yourself open with that one, son.”
Little Keith smiles reaches out and moves his queen. His fathers face drops as Keith utters the word. “Checkmate!” He then rockets to his feet and bolts out of his father’s office.
“Why you little… You misdirected me!” He tosses a pillow after Keith. His father looks back down to the chessboard. “Damn, that kids good. Angelica, come here and look at this.” There’s no answer. He gets up and heads into the other room passing by the playpen where the two raven haired girls are sleeping. “Angie?” He goes into the kitchen. There he sees her pale face as she leans up against the counter with a letter in her hand. “Ange?” She doesn’t respond. He goes up to her putting his hands on her shoulders. “What is it?”
She slowly looks up to his eyes. “They let him out.”
“What! How? When?”
“A week ago.”
“And they’re only notifying you now? What the hell!” He grabs her in his arms and holds her tight. “We’re leaving, tonight!”
He makes his way up the stairs to his son’s room and knocks on the door, pushing it open, seeing his son lost in a flight simulator game. He smiles at his son, imagining him flying through the sky, something he could never do. He holds up his hand in front of his face, making a fist but doesn’t have the strength to hold it for long. He could never pass the physical for fighter pilot training; instead he focused on ground combat. He walks in. “Good move on the chess game.”
Keith meekly turns to face his father. “You’re not mad at me?”
“Are you kidding? That was great! You learn my tricks so fast. I’m just surprised to see them used on me for a change. Just know, I won’t let you get away with that one again.” He winks. “Keith, you know how you’ve been dying to go to space?” Little Keith cocks his head and nods. His father continues. “How would you like to go? Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? What?”
“We can go tomorrow if you want, the whole family. What do you say?”
“Really? Dad, you’ll take me to space?”
“Yes. You, your sisters, your mother, we’ll all go.”
“Oh can we? Can we really?”
“Yes but… we might not be able to come back.”
“Keith’s brows furrow. “Why.”
“I can’t tell you now. But no matter what we’ll be together, Okay?”
“Dad, is something wrong?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” He rubs Keith’s head and puts on a joking air. “So, do you want to go?”
“Well Yeah!” Keith grins.
“Great. Start packing.” He reaches up to a high shelf pulling down a large bag. “We will leave soon. Take whatever will fit in here.”
Keith can’t believe it. He is finally getting to go to space. It has always been his dream and now he gets to go. He starts tossing his belongings into the bag, smiling the whole time.He frowns when he sees how full his bag is and how big the stuffed black lion is on his bed. It would never fit. He sits on his bed and pulls the lion onto his lap fingering its mane. “Sorry Blackie, I guess you can’t come with me, you’re just to big.” He hugs the lion. I’m gonna miss you.” He curls up on his bed hugging his lion and drifts off.
“Keith, Keith wake up.” A voice whispers. Keith slowly opens his eyes. He sees his father in the darkness. “We have to go now son.” He grabs Keith’s bag and tosses it over his shoulder. “Come on.” He moves to the door, pulling a disorientated Keith behind him. “Don’t forget Blackie.” He smiles at his son who smiles and races back grabbing the lion by its tail. The two make it down the stairs where Keith’s mother awaits with the two sleeping twins in their carriers. “Lets go.”They pause to take one last look at the house all decked out for Christmas as Keith’s mother wipes a tear from her eye. They make their way out of the house and into the car. Keith notices that his father never turns the lights on. They are soon heading off down the road in darkness into the woods surrounding the base.
They make their way down the winding woodland road when Keith starts to hear the sound of rocket engines overhead “What’s that?” He asks.
“Nothing, just a patrol.” His mother responds.
“No, it sounded like…” The car is rocked violently by an explosion. Keith’s mother pushes Little Keith down and shields him and the girls with her body as a firefight erupts overhead.
Keith can hear his father talking on a com. “I’m two minutes out. Hold em’ off while you can.”
Another explosion rocks the car. “Shit!” His father quickly evades the blast. He mutters. “Fucking Drule scum. Why can’t you leave her alone?” He hits the steering wheel. “Keith, listen to me. Do you remember how to use my gun?”Keith blinks still being shielded by his mother. “Yes… I… remember.”
“Good. Here take this.” He passes a gun back over the seat to Keith. “Keep it on stun just to be safe. Remember, know your target.”
“Y… Yes Dad.”
A blinding light descends in front of the car. Keith’s father does what he can to stay on the road but the light blinds him. Soon the car is off the road and into a thicket of snow covered trees eventually reaching a stop. The twins awake screaming at the top of their lungs. Keith’s mother looks into little Keith’s face. “Run Keith. Run. Please, you have to go.”
“No.” Keith cries as the sound of metallic armor marches towards them.
Keith’s father turns back over the seat to face him. “Do as your mother says! Now go!” His father clambers over the seat and opens the door on Keith’s side and pushes him out the door. “Run Keith. Hide!”
Keith scrambles up to his feet, only a gun in his hand, the lights and sounds of metal getting closer. A shot almost hits his foot and he leaps back.
“Damn it boy! Do as I say! Go!” He father bellows holstering his gun and turning back to the car pulling his wife and screaming the twins from it.
“Stop. Escape is futile you are surrounded.” A mechanical voice calls out to them.
Keith starts to shake when he hears his mother’s last pleading cry. “Run Keith, run.” He finally does. He turns and bolts into the woods. Behind him he hears laser blasts and more ships approaching. He also senses soldiers approaching from in front of him. He can hear their voices but cannot understand them. He ducks under a fallen log to hide, holding the gun to his chest shaking all over.
“I’ve got a heat signature over there sir.” A man’s voice speaks sending a panic through Keith, the steps getting closer. “There he is.” A soldier kneels down by Keith’s hiding spot, grabbing him by the collar and yanks him out.
“Well, well, well. Would you look at that.” A voice chuckles. Keith raises his gun and shoots the man holding him point blank in the ribs. The man falls and Keith makes a break for it when a shot rings out hitting him squarely in the leg bringing him down to the ground.
The voice laughs again. “Definitely his father’s son. Take him!”
Another man grabs Keith lifting him up off the ground and for the first time Keith really looks at them. Their skin is… purple?… and their hair …is… white? They’re… Drules. He can’t believe it. How? They aren’t supposed to be able to get to Earth. Keith is woken out of his delirium by the sounds of more laser blasts from where the car was and the constant shrieking of his sisters. He pales.
“Lets go, they’re going to need help to bag that Paladin, and this one might just do the trick.” The head man laughs as they make their way to the fighting, Keith kicking and screaming the whole way in spite of his injured and bleeding leg. “Yep, definitely his father’s son.”
They reach the fighting and the leader calls out. “Oh, Paladin! I have a present for you. Looks just like you too. A little short though.”
Keith’s father spins around locking his piercing stare on the man. “If you so much as lay a hand on him so help me…”
The man laughs. “Oh sorry, I didn’t know. Too bad I already shot him then.”
“You bastard!” Keith’s mother spits, leveling a gun on him while still shielding her screaming babies.
“Oh come now, I only winged him, he’ll be fine, that is if you cooperate my lady and come with us.”
“Never” Keith’s father yells.
“Fine.” He puts his gun to little Keith’s head.
Keith’s mother lunges forward. “No! No, don’t hurt my Son.”
The man sneers. “Will someone shut those kids up!”
Two of his men open fire on the now unshielded twins and then there is suddenly silence. Nothing resembling the two beautiful raven haired girls remains.
Keith’s father snaps, leaping out and grabbing the man holding the gun to Keith, snapping the man’s neck instantly. He then turns on the man holding Keith and shoots him point blank in the head causing him to drop little Keith to the ground. He turns on the rest of the unit taking them all out. He eventually finishes them off, only to hear maniacal laughing coming from above. He turns and to his horror sees his wife being dragged into a transport by more soldiers. She is still in shock and totally unaware of her surroundings. The door closes and the ship launches into the air. “Noooo!” Keith’s father screams, falling to his knees as she disappears into the sky.
There is the sound of further deep roaring engines as a new wave of Alliance ships finally approach a huge firefight erupting in the night sky, the invaders making a hasty retreat having gotten what they came for. The Alliance ships land and the Garrison troops make their way to the scene as Keith’s father slowly stands gathering his injured son up in his arms.
One of the men from the Alliance ships walks up to them taking in the gory scene of more them a dozen Drule soldiers and robots strewn all around them. “What the hell happened here?”
Keith father spins and decks him, knocking him out cold. The others giving him a wide berth as he makes his way to the car and sets Keith down onto the seat to inspect his leg. He rips a strip from his shirt and wraps the wound. Satisfied that Keith is safe he turns to where his daughters are. He kneels down beside them, taking off his coat and laying it down beside them. He begins to sob as he reverently places their tattered remains onto his coat trying desperately to get every drop of their blood from the snow. Everyone stands in silence not quite wanting to believe the scene before them.
After a long while Keith’s father carefully wraps up his most precious package and cradles it in his arms. “I love you my little Christmas angels.” He sobs slowly standing up. He goes to his son carefully bending down and lifting him up to him. Keith grabs on wrapping his arms around his fathers neck. “Let’s go home he whispers to his son. He refuses all aid and walks back home in the darkness.
Hours later they reach the little house. Outside there is an official Galaxy Garrison car parked. As they approach three men get out of the car. Keith notices that they are all Admirals. They salute but are ignored by his father as he carring his children into the house, which smells of pine and gingerbread. Keith’s father sets Keith down on the sofa and then places his burden on the table in front of them. He pulls his son into his arms and weeps. The two of them cry the rest of the night.
Keith’s teacher Mrs. Kray, hands him cup of warm cider as the boy sits in a window looking out into the snow. “Can I get you anything else?” The boy doesn’t answer. She moves to a large chair by the fire. It’s been an hour since she and her husband arrived. He and Keith’s father have been in the back room with the door closed the whole time. She knows what that means. They’re planning something and whatever it is, it isn’t good. She wraps her legs up under her pulling a quilt around her that was on the chair. Ten days to Christmas and she knows her husband is leaving. She doesn’t cry she has to stay strong, for little Keith’s sake. She watches the boy staring out the window not wanting to imagine what hell he’s going through, to see his two sisters blasted into oblivion and then his mother abducted before his eyes. War is hell, and poor little Keith is discovering that in the worst way imaginable. She swallows back the tears as she runs her hands over her pregnant belly that is just staring to show. War is hell.The two men eventually come out of the room looking solemn. Keith’s father makes his way to his son picking him up off of his perch holding him tight he carries him out of the room.
Her husband approaches her squeezing in beside her on the chair. He wraps his arms around her and nuzzles in close. “I’m sorry honey.” He whispers.
“Just bring her back.” She whispers back.
“It’s not going to be easy, The Alliance has ordered Keith and I not to go. This could get really ugly. We could get court-martialed.”
“Since when do you two follow Alliance orders? Just be safe. Alright?”
“Promise. Little Keith will stay with you and the kids till we get back, alright?”
“Of course.” She hugs him tighter. “Try and be back for Christmas, okay?”
He pulls her chin up. “I’ll try.” He then drops his lips to hers.
Little Keith is sitting in a window looking out onto the snow. It is Christmas Eve. There are four other children in the room laughing and playing, trying to imagine what might be in the boxes under the tree. Keith ignores them, instead watching the night sky. He holds his black lion on his lap. The soldiers at the scene had gathered up what belongings they could, the lion being amongst them. He sits twisting its ears as he looks out.
“Dinners ready!” A voice calls from the other room. Mrs. Kray walks up to Keith sitting on the window-sill. “Do you want any, Keith? I can bring some out to you.” The boy shakes his head still looking out.
“If you change your mind just let me know.” The boy doesn’t react.The house grows quiet as she has sent her children to bed all now dreaming of Christmas morning. Keith still sits in the window. She leaves him there and goes about setting out the presents. He remains totally oblivious to her. Eleven o’clock and her task is done. Smiling at her work, her eyes again travel to the boy sitting in the window and her heart grows heavy. Suddenly the boy jumps up to his knees pressing his face to the glass. He then bolts to the front door frantically unlocking it and throwing it open he runs out into the night as a Alliance car pulls up outside.
Keith freezes in his tracks sensing something’s wrong. Four men get out of the car one of them being Mrs. Kray’s husband. Keith doesn’t recognize the other three, his eyes frantically searching their faces and inside the car. Two are M.P’s the other is an admiral who walks up to Keith putting a hand on his head. He then kneels down in front of the boy. Looking into his panicked eyes. “Son, I’m sorry but your parents are gone.”
“Gone, gone where?” Keith starts to cry.
Mrs. Kray’s husband approaches Keith then notices his handcuffs. He also kneels down reaching over the boy with his bound wrists and pulls him close. He starts to cry. “Keith… Your parents are gone…they’re…dead…I’m sorry I couldn’t help them. I…I tried… I’m so sorry Keith.”
“No!… No they’re not!” Keith screams. “They just went home! They’re home!” He squirms around in his arms.
The man weeps. “No Keith. No. They’re gone.”
“No!” Keith squirms free and runs, runs as fast as he can into the night. He reaches the little house. It normally would be lit up with Christmas lights, like a beacon shining into the night but it’s all dark. He reaches the door and opens it with his pass code. The inside is just as dark as the outside. He steps in carefully, hoping against hope that they are just waiting to jump out and surprise him. But nothing happens, the house is quiet, quiet and… dead. Keith drops to the floor and begins to wail. He looks up to the mocking Christmas tree standing tall, all happy and perfect. His little jaw clenches as he leaps at it, tackling it to the ground and starts ripping its limbs off, tearing at all the lights and all the tinsel, ripping it all to shreds. As he sees the angel at its top, he grabs it and smashes it to the ground, the porcelain shattering on impact. He then turns his fury to the rest of the house tearing down every last bit of Christmas. Smashing every ornament, every figurine. Lastly his eyes land on the fireplace, cold and dark, with its five stockings hung in front of it. He storms over ripping them all down one by one and tosses them into the fireplace. He then flicks the switch at its side, sparking the gas, engulfing the stockings in flame. He glares at the blazing fire when a glint catches his eye. The angel his mother got two years ago and its mate, the one Keith’s father quickly got for his mother when he found out they were expecting twins. He reaches up taking one in each hand, one for each of his sisters. Tears pouring down his face, he pitches them both into the fire shattering them on the bricks. He drops in a puddle on the floor wailing. The old clock in the hall clicks and starts to chime. It rings out into the dead house… twelve times… Merry Christmas, Keith.
End of Part One.Home, Fan Fiction, The Greatest Gift, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
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