Hey everyone!

First off, BIG apology for the super long, two-month hiatus. First, between the end of school, some writer's block, and a family vacation, this took me longer than I would have liked to get this next chapter out. I apologize for the long wait, and will try my best to make sure that long times between chapters again.

Christmas

Besides the major stuff happening in Elijah's life, a lot happened to the Manhattan Clan in the month of November.

Fang had managed to break out of the Labyrinth prison after the Halloween fiasco, disappearing without a trace. He appeared to have had outside help, though there were no leads as to who helped him escape, meaning that he could strike at any moment. Despite Hudson and Lexington still being in Europe, and still needing to guard the city, Goliath had assigned Brooklyn and Bronx to guarding the Robbins residence [there was no way Fang would know who Amanda was or where she lived, so she was in the clear]. Brooklyn was there from sunset to midnight, and the garg-dog would stand watch until sunrise; they would switch shifts each day. Angela and Broadway sometimes visited, but they mainly stayed with Goliath in New York City, where he and Xanatos' steel clan patrolled the city for crime.

Hudson and Lex had a grand adventure in the U.K., teaming up with the London Clan of gargoyles to help Macbeth guard a magic rock that was being returned to Scotland. They had opted to stay abroad through Christmas, and may even stay for New Years. Uncle Jeffrey had offered to go visit them for Christmas, but with Fang being gone, no one was keen to leave the house unattended for a long period of time. Especially since Mason, the new limo driver, had some sort of family emergency after Thanksgiving and had to go home.

Now, with it being December, Elijah and his friends were starting to prepare for Christmas. Amanda, who visited a few times a week, helped him and Brooklyn put up the Christmas decorations around the house. She couldn't stay super late, given her curfew, but she managed to get a few hours after school where she and Elijah would hang out, work on homework, and work on sign language [she had asked him if he could teach her a few signs, and he had agreed]. However, the whole time she was there, he couldn't help but think of another friend back in Galveston, if they were still even friends.

Elijah told his two friends about everything during his Thanksgiving trip, save for his conversation with June. That he only told Brooklyn in confidence. He was still new friends with Amanda, and he wasn't sure if he could talk about his lifelong friend having a crush on him with anyone outside of Brooklyn. The gargoyle was a good listener, and someone [relatively] close to his age mentally, so he figured that he might be able to offer some sage advice. Apparently, he had none to give

"Wow," he had signed, wings folded and a thoughtful expression on his face. "That's… that must've put a damper on the rest of the trip."

"It did," Elijah had agreed, feet propped up on the coffee table. "We've been friends for years, ever since we both started learning ASL, and…" He sighed. "I wasn't expecting this."

"Well… this is a good thing, right?"

"How?"

"She likes you," Brooklyn said, a grin on his face. "That's awesome, dude!"

"She didn't say she liked me, she said she loved me," the teen protested. "That's entirely different from liking someone."

"If she said she loves you, maybe she wants to marry you."
"What the hell?!"

"Hey, I call it as I see it," the gargoyle said from his chair. "Humans marry someone they love, right?"

"Yes, but it's usually a mutual feeling between the two!"

"So you don't love her?"

"I don't-" Elijah sighed, trying to think of what to say. "I don't know. I know I like her, a lot, as a friend and all that, but how do I know if it's… the real deal?"

"You're asking the wrong gargoyle," Brooklyn said, a small frown on his face. "Angela and Broadway are probably your better bet. Or maybe your uncle"

And that was it. They hadn't discussed what had happened during Thanksgiving after that, since there was nothing left to say. And while talking to Uncle Jeffrey might be a wise decision, he was often busy with whatever novel he was working on, and his uncle hadn't known June outside of Thanksgiving break. So Elijah pretended that nothing had happened, focusing on the upcoming holiday with avid interest.

Growing up on the Texas coast his whole life, Elijah had never had a white Christmas, and not even snow. He knew it existed, of course, seeing it on TV and movies, but the first snow of the year still caught him by surprise. The following night, he, Amanda and Brooklyn went out into the backyard, the latter two deciding to teach him about snow time fun. Turns out, the gargoyle was an expert at snowball fights, climbing up the side of the house before gliding down, assaulting his friends with snowballs. By the time Jeffrey called them in, all were tired and wet, but smiling as well.

Not everything was happy, though. This was Elijah's first Christmas without his parents. It was hard to think about going half a year without them, and while the holidays brought their usual cheeriness, it also brought sadness for him. His parents both loved Christmas, and their small family had many traditions they celebrated each year; watching Christmas movies together, decorating the tree, hot cocoa. They did all that stuff here in New York, but it wasn't the same. Different house. Different people. However, he knew that his parents would want him to move on and enjoy the season, so he tried his best to keep himself cheery, and he found an opportunity to do so when he and his uncle received an invitation to the Xanatos Christmas party at the Eyrie building.

This was exciting; for so long, Elijah had always wanted to visit the skyscraper that was home to the gargoyle's castle and the badass billionaire that used to be their sworn enemy. Brooklyn had told him stories about how Xanatos used to be arch-enemies with Goliath, using his intellect and money to keep the clan on its toes. Also, hearing stories about the castle itself was intriguing, so the teen was excited to finally get to see it.

###

"Though I don't see why I have to wear this," Elijah said on Christmas Eve, wearing dress pants, a button-down collared shirt, and a sweater. "I look like you."

"I choose to take that as a compliment," Uncle Jeffrey said. "And it's important to always look presentable. First impressions matter more than most people think."

"It's just going to be the Xanatos' and the gargoyles," the teen said. "They know me."

"Not Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos. And you're not getting out of this."

"Fine," Elijah grumbled, pulling at the collar of his shirt. At least he finally got to see a tenth century castle and hang out with his gargoyle friends.

Owen came to pick them up shortly before sunset [since Mason was still with his family]. After hearing about Owen, Xanatos' assistant who also happened to be a magical fairy name Puck, from Brooklyn, Elijah had expected someone with a personality. Apparently, he was the same trickster dude from some famous Shakespeare play, but you wouldn't know that upon meeting him. His crip suit, passive expression, and monotone voice made him both unimpressed and unsurprised by anything. Elijah wondered if Brooklyn had been messing with him, because surely this boring businessman couldn't be the famous trickster from Avalon.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Elijah," Owen said, driving them towards the city. "Brooklyn has said many good things about you, and I know that Mr. Xanatos is anxious to meet you."

"Oh… thank you," Elijah said, hoping he wasn't acting too awkward. "I've heard a lot about Mr. Xanatos too… Good things, of course."

"I'm sure he will appreciate the compliment," he replied, and they lapsed into silence after that, making their way into New York City.

Elijah had been to New York City; his class had a field trip to a museum earlier that year, so he was able to see what the city looked like. Still, he couldn't help but look out the window as they made their way through the crowded streets, amazed by the sheer number of people and lights.

When they reached Xanatos' building, he couldn't help but look up at the tower of glass and steel in front of him. It was so tall, he couldn't even see the top of the building, since the clouds were blocking it from view.

"I take that it must be very tall for you to be so quiet," his uncle commented, climbing out of the car with Gilly as Owen helped Elijah carry the presents they had brought for the Xanatos family and the gargoyle clan.

"Yeah… Good thing I'm not scared of heights."

"This way, please," Owen said, leading them through the lobby to one of the elevators, using a special key that would take them to the top floor. Elijah had no idea what to expect when he reached the top floor; on one hand, Xanatos Enterprises was supposed to be the leader in technological advances, and was expecting something modern. However, the castle, according to Brooklyn, was still preserved as it had been in the 10th century. When the elevator doors opened, he forgot all that as he gaped at the room in front of him.

In most movies depicting a castle, there was something that one would probably called a great hall. Huge, with high ceilings and plenty of lights to keep it lit, it was where the king would have a feast with his court, and a roaring fireplace warmed the room. This place was no exception, with its stone walls and open design; old tapestries hung on some of the walls, and the beams on the ceiling looked like they were still made of wood [but newer, since the old one probably rotted away centuries ago]. However, instead of lanterns, electric lights lit the room, and the space had been decorated for Christmas. A large Christmas tree, the biggest Elijah had ever seen in person, was standing off to the side, decorated with fancy ornaments and strings of garlands. More decorations made the place seem more festive, along with the modest pile of presents underneath the tree, which was guarded by a sleeping Bronx.

"Elijah!" He turned to notice Broadway and Angela walking towards them, both smiling. "You finally made it," the big gargoyle said. "Let me help you with those."

"Thanks," Elijah said absentmindedly, still in awe of the room around him. "This place is huge…"

"Why thank you," a new voice said, and walking in from another hallway was the one and only David Xanatos.

Elijah had seen him on the news before, but something about the man's presence was hard to describe. He just seemed… cool. A tux, ponytail tied back, and impeccable facial hair, it was no wonder he was such a popular guy. The woman on his arm was also cool, with flaming red hair and a star tattoo around her eye, and a green dress trimmed with white.

"You must be Jeffrey's nephew," Xanatos said, walking forward to shake his hand. "David Xanatos, and this lovely woman is my wife, Fox."

"Nice to meet you," she said, shaking his hand as well.

"N-Nice to meet you both," the teen said, trying to keep his cool. "Thank you for inviting us."

"No trouble at all," Xanatos said. "Mr. Robbins. Nice to see you again."

"Pleasure's all mine, Mr. Xanatos," he replied.

"Elijah," Brooklyn said, walking into the room with Goliath. "You finally made it!"

"Yeah," the teen agreed, still looking around the room with awe. "This place is amazing."

"Thanks. About time you finally came to visit."

"It is nice to meet you again, Elijah," Goliath said. "No signs of Fang?"

"Not since Halloween."

"Hopefully he is not planning anything. Derek told us earlier today that a few residents from the Labyrinth have gone missing, including one of Fang's former cell guards."

"He better not be planning on coming back," Uncle Jeffrey said, his hand tightening on his cane.

"I assure you he won't," Xanatos said. "I've been meaning to talk to you for a while -"

You guys go all out for Christmas, Elijah signed, turning to Brooklyn. It's like that fancy hotel from Home Alone Two.

What can we say, Brooklyn replied, clearly bragging as he signed with wide gestures. We missed about a thousand years worth Christmases, so we see it as making up all the years we missed.

Think we're being rude by signing in front of them? They turned to the rest of the group; Jeffrey and Mr. Xanatos had wandered off some distance, discussing something with Goliath, and Broadway and Angela had returned to the Christmas tree, continuing to decorate it. Only Fox Xanatos was nearby, seeming undisturbed by their signing.

"I like that movie," Fox said, smiling at their surprised expressions. "I better go check on Alex." She left the group, heading for another part of the castle.

"So… she knows sign language," Elijah said, flushing with embarrassment. "And likes Home Alone."

"Fox is always full of surprises," Xanatos commented, leading Goliath and Uncle Jeffrey further into the grand hall.

"I swear, I always learn something new about her," Brooklyn muttered.

"So this is where you live," the teen said. "I've never been in a castle before."

"Most people haven't," the gargoyle quipped. "I'll show you around. Sorry about all the tinsel; Broadway and Angela went a little overboard with the decorations."

They spent the next half hour wandering around the castle. Elijah's friend showed him the various rooms, pointing out certain weapons and tapestries that hung on the walls. It was impressive; the place had the air of being old, yet the modern lighting clashed with it. Some of the rooms had been renovated to look modern, such as the kitchen, but most were kept in their original state, though they had been restored.

The scariest part was going on top of the castle. There was a courtyard in the middle of the castle, and the towers around it offered a brilliant view of the city and surrounding area. From there, the teen could see everything: the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and, if he looked the right way, he could almost see the distant town of Weisman. Elijah also noticed that the towers had defense mechanisms, probably to protect it from an aerial attack.

"Does that happen often," he asked Brooklyn.

"Too many times," he replied in a tired voice.

Eventually, they were summoned by Owen for dinner, and returned to the grand hall, which now had a table and spread in the middle of it. A new guest, the detective Elisa Maza, had shown up during their tour, and shook Elijah's hand. The teen had heard about her, of course, and he had to admit that she was probably just as badass as Xanatos. Fox now held a baby, who she said was her son Alex. The meal was fantastic; turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a whole bunch of other fancy food that seemed. During the time, Elijah made polite talk with the Xanatoses, and listened to Broadway and Angela tell him about some of their adventures in the city while Bronx and Gilly gnawed at dog bones nearby.

After dinner, it was time for presents. Technically, presents were supposed to wait for tomorrow, but since everyone had gotten each other gifts, and since everyone in the room usually stayed up at night, they figured Santa wouldn't mind. The Xanatoses loved the gift Jeffrey Robbins had given to them, which appeared to be some old manuscript that the author had found. Elijah was fortunate that his uncle had included him in the gift, since he had no idea what the couple would have liked. Then it was time for the gargoyles' presents.

Elijah had chosen their gifts, with some help from his uncle. For Broadway, he got him a book with all of Shakespeare's plays and works in it, since the aqua gargoyle was known to be an avid fan. The gargoyle started to flip through the pages with great interest as Elijah gave Angela her gift, which was a box of seashells he had gotten in Galveston. She seemed to like them, picking up a spiky one, examining it with an interested eye. The Robbins had also brought gifts for Lex and Hudson [a computer game and set of Sherlock Holmes books, respectively], and for Bronx, they gave him a soccerball [the garg-dog appeared to be a fan of chewing them]. Goliath had insisted that he did not want a gift, but he accepted a Christmas card from Uncle Jeffrey. Having not expected Elisa to be there, they didn't have a gift for her, but she assured the two that it was fine, and that meeting them would be sufficient.

"Here you go," Elijah said, giving his gift to Brooklyn. "Picked it up in Galveston."

The gargoyle unwrapped the gift, surprised when he saw what it was. "Elijah, dude, this is..."

"I hope you like it," the teen said, a little nervous. "I figured you could cut holes in the back for your wings… Seeing it now, it's kind of stupid. If you don't like it -"

"I like it," he said, holding up the large t-shirt and smiling at him. It had the words 'If you can read this say hello' completely in fingerspelling hands. "About time I had something nice to wear!"

"Good," the teen said, relieved. "I was gonna get you an ASL dictionary, but you said you already had one, and I figured you'd like this."

"I really like it," his friend said, smirking as he read the hands on the shirt. "Makes my gift look like crap, though." He set aside the shirt, handing Elijah a small box. Opening it, the teen saw that it appeared to be a puzzle depicting several mystery novel covers. All of his favorite authors and books were on there, in their first edition cover glory.

"I know it's a puzzle," Brooklyn said apologetically. "Not sure if you like that kind of activity, but -"

"It's awesome," the deaf teen said, a smile crossing his face. "Seriously, it's amazing. Where'd you get this?"

"I had some help," the gargoyle said, giving Elisa a grateful smile. "They've got puzzles like this for all types of book genres; fantasy, historical… all of them interesting."

"I can't wait to put this together!"

"Not a bad Christmas, I should say," Uncle Jeffrey said, feeling the gift Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos had given him, which appeared to be an old book written in Braille.

And, despite having his initial reservations, Elijah realized that his uncle was right. Even though his parents weren't there in person, Christmas had not lost its spirit of giving, happiness, and most importantly, family. And looking around, the teen couldn't help but feel at home.

I know this chapter's not really plot-advancing, but the next one should be very interesting. The next one will take place after New Years, meaning the rest of the story will take place in 1997, which, for those that read the comics, has some interesting events go down, especially featuring a particular group of semi-reformed villains.

Feel free to follow or favorite this story to be updated on new chapters, and feel free to leave a review on this chapter or others if you want. And, as usual, have a safe and happy week/weekend!

Quick PSA: PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND SAFE WHEN YOU GO OUTSIDE! Seriously, you guys are awesome, and while being stuck at home gives you more time to read fanfiction, it's not good for you or your loved ones. Keep yourselves and everyone else outside safe. Thank you.

-aggiefrogger