OC/Earthquake Dump

Christmas Dreams

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

"Huh?" I blinked groggily. Lloyd and Jay's faces were inches for mine. "What the heck guys?" I rubbed my eyes.

"It's Christmas time! We have to start celebrating NOW!" Jay hollered.

I covered my ears, "Thanksgiving was yesterday," I moaned.

"And? We have a whole plan for the next five weeks and we have to start now!" Lloyd jumped in.

"It's too early for this," I groaned, pulling my pillow over my face.

Heavy footsteps marked Cole entering the room, "Guys, really?"

A blast of cold air hit me as my blankets were ripped off, "Come on Celine!"

I gasped at the frigid draft, "Cole!" I scrambled for the blankets and pulled them back over my body, "not funny," I scowled as he laughed at me.

"Come on," he chuckled, "Zane's already made hot chocolate and we're gonna drink it all if you don't get up."

As Cole left I slipped into sweatpants and stumbled to the kitchen. Everyone was sitting around drinking hot chocolate as Zane and Skylor stood over the stove, Zane with a pot that I could only assume was the hot chocolate, and Skylor over a skillet bubbling with pancakes.

Taking a seat, I inhaled deeply, "It smells great guys."

Zane set a mug down in front of me and I took a swig. "Wow," was all I could manage.

"It's great, isn't it?" Jay added excitedly. "Zane only makes it at Christmas, and he refuses to tell anyone the secret ingredient."

"So," I began, sitting down my mug, "How do you guys normally celebrate Christmas around here?"

"What sort of question is that?" Jay asked, earning him a slap from Nya.

"Typically Master Wu lets us back off training and we spend most of the season celebrating together," Nya explained, "And Christmas day we spend with our families."

"Cool," I responded, "I haven't celebrated 'normally' in a few years now. Between all the craziness of being in a cult, and then a resistance, and whatever the heck happened last year, this is definitely going to be something different."

"You'll have fun," Lloyd reassured, "It's always a blast."

I gazed at Skylor, "Are you working on Christmas again, or did you finally find the Christmas spirit?" I teased.

She and Kai exchanged a quick glance, "Actually, I did. Kai asked me to visit his family with him. And Nya too," she rushed as I smirked at her.

"Guess I'll get the monastery to myself," I smiled half-heartedly.

"You don't have family to go home to?" Zane probed.

"Nah. I haven't spoken to my biological family in years. But it's fine. A little peace and quiet every now and then is nice."

"You can come home with me, if you want," Cole offered.

"I mean, if you want me to," I shrugged.

"Yeah, it'll be fun."

The next few weeks went by in a blur. Master Wu let us back off of training for the holidays under strict orders that we would resume full force by New Years. We made dozens and dozens of cookies, learning in the process that Kai and Cole should never, under any circumstance, be left unattended in the kitchen. It even snowed one day. Not enough to sled or have a snowball fight, be enough that we ran around making absolute fools of ourselves. Soon enough it was Christmas Eve. Jay and Lloyd were forcing us to watch Elf. Well, forcing wasn't quite the right word, more like strongly suggesting.