/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟏.𝟞.𝟦

"if we make it through december, we'll be fine ... if we make it through december, we'll be fine." ~ Phoebe Bridgers

~december 1971~ (christmas special part 5 of 5)

Christmas morning was a grim affair for everyone involved that year. Jane was still positively livid over her children running away from her in the middle of a large city, and Artemis and Percy were bitter about not getting their annual trip to the museum. It was the first year they hadn't done it, and they blamed their mother for inviting her boyfriend in the first place.

As Artemis sat on the floor in front of the couch Percy was occupying and opened her presents, she couldn't get her mother's words from the night before out of her head. Jane had been more angry than Artemis had ever seen her as they drove home from the museum, but Artemis couldn't help but feel slightly gratified that her date with Alfie had been cut short. All the gratification had gone away, though, the second Jane had said the words, "I will most certainly be reconsidering my decision to not send you to your Aunt and Uncle's next summer." At this, Artemis felt her blood run cold. She hated her aunt and uncle's house. The Goyle mansion was dark and scary and filled to the brim with old dark magic artifacts that visitors had to constantly worry about breaking. Artemis shuddered just thinking about it.

"I know it's not much," Jane said quietly from next to the tree, watching intently as her children unwrapped their gifts. "And you can hate me for it all you want... I know I've been a bad mother." Her voice cracked and Artemis stared determinedly at the new socks she'd unwrapped, trying not to compare the gift to the expensive books and toys and clothes she used to get when her dad was alive.

"We don't hate you, Mum," said Percy, an edge to his voice. "We know things have been tight since Dad died." Jane pursed her lips.

"And you're not a bad mum," Artemis said, more to get her mother to stop crying than anything. It didn't work. Jane buried her face in her hands and wept as Artemis and Percy exchanged a helpless look. Artemis was the first to make her way across the floor to put an arm around her mum's shoulders. "It's- um- it's alright..." She widened her eyes at Percy, who shrugged and slowly picked up his next present.

"Awww, Artie," Jane said affectionately through her tears.

"Mum, let's just have breakfast or something," Artemis said hopelessly. She glanced back up at Percy, but he was carefully looking anywhere but at her. Artemis never knew quite how to deal with crying people. She cared, she just didn't know what the right things to say were. It left her with a helpless and vaguely panicked feeling that she absolutely hated.

Jane pulled her face out of her hands to look tearfully at her children. Her expression had changed completely from the affection of a few seconds before. "That's all I am to you, isn't it?" she said in a hurt and slightly scolding voice. "Just someone to feed you..."

"Well, you are our mother," said Percy, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards before he forced his face to become emotionless again.

Artemis widened her eyes warningly at him and continued patting her mum's back. "Of course you're not," she said soothingly. "Um-" She was at a loss for what else to say.

"Don't you like your presents?" Jane asked Percy, who was gazing almost forlornly at the shampoo he'd just unwrapped. Artemis was glad the attention was off of her, but fidgeted at the thought of what harmful thing Percy might say. He was even worse than her at being sympathetic.

"I- ah-" Percy stammered. "Yeah, Mum. It's great."

Jane rose to her feet, brushing Artemis away from her. "You're both so ungrateful, you know that?" She said it more like she was genuinely asking than accusing. "I mean, I know we're all struggling since your dad died, but- but I lost my husband." The tears came again, choking Jane's voice. "The love of my life. And- and you're upset that you didn't get as many presents as usual?"