Russian Roulette: Family secrets [2021 version]

Ch. 44: I don't give a fuck

Christmas at The Mansion was a chaotic mix of everything. Traditions of all Gareth's men got incorporated, and it was massive. Every year, Gareth arranged Christmas for all who did not go home to their families for the holidays, and, of course, those who still needed to stay in the city because they had work duties or simply had no one to celebrate with.

On the twenty-fourth, they all met up at The Mansion. Natalya served a spread of sweet snacks with mulled wine and hot cocoa in the afternoon while people got settled. Disney's From All of Us to All of You on local tv was the deadline for arrivals. It got shown on the big screen tv in the common room, and everybody, no matter their age, was there to watch it like children.

The Disney Christmas show was a tradition most of them had enjoyed while growing up, and Gareth loved it. He had kept the tradition, though it was a bit stupid with all of them being adults and not a kid in sight. If they did not count Jace, of course.

After the Disney show, Natalya and her staff presented them all with a dinner without comparison. A fusion of different Christmas cuisines. Russian, British, Italian, German, French, Nordic.

It was a European buffet of Christmas goodies.

And people ate until they were ready to burst.

Later in the evening, more sweet snacks, baked goods, coffee, and alcohol got brought out. They all spent the evening together, relaxing and enjoying each other's company, listening to Christmas music, and playing games. Though they did not carol or dance around the lavishly decorated Christmas tree, the groundskeepers had brought in. They enjoyed looking at it while relaxing.

Dancing around it was a physical impossibility, anyway, with the number of presents stacked under, near, and about four feet in every direction of it. And that was just what people had placed there. Many had more presents in their rooms and cars.

Dancing was perhaps not the gang's style if it came down to it, so it worked out fine.

They kept the British tradition of Boxing Day, or Christmas on the twenty-fifth, where they all met for a grand breakfast before gathering in the common room to open presents.

"Phennie, I think we're going to be the proud parents of twins, maybe triplets because I'm having a food baby," Jace exclaimed with a happy sigh and patted his bulging stomach after they had finished breakfast, waddling to a couch in the common room.

"Call me 'Phennie' one more time..." Phoenix grumbled.

Jace's eyes twinkled. "And what? You'll smack me? You could hurt the baby."

"I swear to God." Huffing, Phoenix rolled his eyes, seeking divine help. He flopped down on the couch next to Jace and pulled him in, not sure if he should hug him or smack him silly.

It ended with a hug to the roaring laughter of everybody in the room.

"Are we doing presents now?" Mackenzie asked and jumped excitedly in her seat.

"Relax, woman." Gareth came over and handed her a cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream.

They did not do the ugly Christmas sweater thing at The Mansion; they did the ugly Christmas pajama tradition for the breakfast and opening of the presents. Gareth sported a dark blue silk pajama with a Santa on a sleigh, and reindeer flying across his chest with sparkly snowflakes all over.

Mackenzie had earned herself a quick spanking after laughing at him in their room when he had appeared in the pajama after his shower. Her smile had gone away fast when she saw the nightgown he had for her. It was a green satin gown that looked like a Christmas tree with little dangling ornaments on it.