22 - ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

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IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE AND SPIRITS WERE MUCH LIGHTER.

When Mark was still around, tradition was that they would go to Birdie's family for Thanksgiving, though he was never pleased with it, and his family for Christmas, as he held Christmas in a slightly higher regard, despite being agnostic. But with Mark now gone, Birdie and Remy would be celebrating by themselves.

Of course, they weren't completely alone, as Jayne and Brad were staying home for the holidays and Birdie's mother promised that the only people who would be there for Christmas were the immediate family and her side of the family, not her father's.

"I'm sorry, mom," Birdie mumbled, and her mother shushed her, telling her that she didn't need to apologize and if she didn't want to tell her what was going on, she didn't have to, she trusted that Birdie would tell her with time.

"Grandma's the best," Remy said, listening in on the conversation, the other landline pressed up against his ear.

"While I don't agree with your snooping on mom's talk, I do have to agree," BUDDY replied, keeping Remy company while the boy finished placing all of the cranes into the special box he had found in the thrift store by his school.

"Are you going to give your gift to Marc today?" the AI asked, because he knew what the date was and Remy had asked him to look up card ideas and to send the link to his phone.

"Yeah," the boy replied, adjusting the bow that he used to wrap the letter to the bottom of the box, "He doesn't celebrate Christmas, but Peter told me that his girlfriend told him that she used to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, and Marc said he doesn't really mind people saying 'Merry Christmas' to him, so I think we'll be fine."

"Do you have a present for mom and Ethan?" he asked, because Remy had yet to fill him in on the work he and Tony had been doing back upstate in the facility.

"Yeah," Remy repeated, rising to his feet, balancing the box carefully in his hands, "I'll tell you about it later, okay? I gotta go give this to Marc before it gets too late. We're heading to grandma's house soon."

"Why did you wait until just now to give it to him?" BUDDY inquired, sounding very much like Birdie whenever she disapproved of something Remy had done.

"Because I'm wearing my suit now," Remy reasoned, thinking nothing of it, and, before BUDDY could make any other inquiry, he was off, calling out a goodbye and rushing out towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" Birdie called out, still cooking the plate she would be bringing to the dinner.

"I'm gonna go give Marc his present," he called out, adjusting his bowtie, and Birdie stepped out of the kitchen to look at him.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked, looking towards the darkening sky, "I think I should come with you."

"He's only a few doors down," he stated, but he didn't decline her offer, just waiting by the door.

Taking it as an affirmation, Birdie turned off the stove and took off her apron, toeing on her shoes, grabbing her phone and keys before heading out with Remy, wishing she had made something to give to the family, but deciding that she wasn't going to lose sleep over it.

The trek was a short one and it was as if Birdie blinked at the front of their home and opened her eyes to find herself in front of a door, the two waiting patiently for someone to answer the doorbell Remy had rung.

The door opened to reveal Marc who was clearly surprised to find them there, blinking like an owl, eyes zoning in on the box in Remy's hands. Before Remy could speak, Marc was raising a hand, "Hold on."

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