Extraordinarily Pleased

Half Full

"I think–" Shrek pushed the front door open, "Ogre Claus dropped a present last night. Found one out by the old clubhouse."

Still sat at the table, Fiona, Farkle, and Fergus's heads all snapped to the front door at Shrek's voice in time to see Felicia enter, followed by him. Felicia glanced sheepishly around at them as she stepped inside.

Fiona stood and made her way to her daughter. Felicia finished the last couple steps toward her mother, and fell into her embrace.

" I'm sorry... I didn't mean any of–"

"It's okay," Fiona quieted her daughter's apology. "I know you well enough to know you didn't mean any of it." The room offered a light chuckle. She met her husband's small smile over her daughter's shoulder, and squeezed her tighter before separating. She gave her daughter a grin, to which Felicia couldn't help but chuckle, looking away with a self-aware nod.

Shrek made his way to the table where his sons still sat. He found himself standing behind his chair, his hands gripping its back.

"Look... lads, I'm... uh–" Shrek began, any confidence he'd gained in the last few hours quickly escaping him.

"Anyone who had to parent Fel would wanna sign her away," Farkle stated with a faux austerity. A moment passed before the rest of the family exhaled in amusement - well, all but one member, who flicked Farkle's ear as she took her seat beside him.

"As if you were a walk in the park," Felicia muttered to him.

Shrek shifted his gaze to his other son, who clearly had something on his mind.

"Villagers really wanted you to sign lit torches?" Fergus asked incredulously.

Shrek blinked, a slight smirk tugging the corner of his mouth. "Aye. Life was... interestin', back in the day." He offered a self-aware exhale.

Shrek looked at his wife, who had made her way behind her own chair beside his. Fiona offered the same small smile she had early that morning, but her eyes held more life in them than before. She placed her hand on his shoulder, to which he smiled with gratitude.

"So," Shrek began to ask her hesitantly, "did ye... ya know, get into–"

"Yeah," Farkle butted into the question he wasn't asked. "Weirdest Christmas story ever."

The family laughed genuinely, a much-needed release of the tension that kept accumulating.

"It wasn't even about Christmas!" Fergus added with faux offense. "I'll take the old one any day."

"Same," Felicia exhaled emphatically.

Shrek and Fiona looked at the teenagers, relishing the small relief that the three were in higher spirits than before. They looked back at one another.

"So where did ye leave off?" Shrek asked his wife.

"We, um... ugh–" Fiona shook her head, looking back at her sons. "Boys, where did we–"

"You kicked Dad in the face and the entire ogre army laughed at him!" Fergus chirped excitedly.

"WHAT!" Felicia exclaimed, looking between her parents. "What do you MEAN–"

"Spoiler alert, sorry sweetie," Shrek offered quickly, as he and Fiona took their seats.

"So... you stalked her," Felicia offered with a flat sarcasm.

"Yah," Shrek answered curtly, closing his eyes as he internally cringed. "Well, maybe ye could say I– look I HAD to, alright??" His tone betrayed a defensiveness he didn't want surfacing.