Life, Death, and Time - A Books Of Beginning Collection

Oneshot: Christmas Cards

Background: Takes place after the completely canon ending of the Black Reckoning, during the first Christmas the Wibberlys spend together after the end of the war.

Content: ANGST! So much angst! Also family, in a way. Mentions of character death, mentions of Gabriel and Emma's father-daughter relationship, mentions of Kate x Rafe, a bit of Michael x Wilamena, some hurt/comfort and Wibberly siblings supporting each other. Basically it's the holidays but sad because my muse is cruel.

It was honestly a miracle that the cards were even made. Richard and Clare had wanted them, of course. It was the first Christmas in ten years where the whole Wibberly family would be together. But that didn't change the awkwardness of people who were in many ways strangers to each other getting their picture taken all together, or the utter nightmare that was trying to force Michael and Emma into Christmas sweaters (Michael found them silly and undignified, Emma thought they were stupid and scratchy, both kept throwing their own sweaters at each other). It had taken two hours of negotiations for Kate to get them ready, but somehow, she had pulled it off, and the picture actually turned out nicely. 

It was a simple, classic card picture, with Richard and Clare arm in arm behind their children, Michael sandwiched between his sisters, Emma giving him bunny ears, him side eyeing her, and Kate pasting a smile on her face and pretending not to see what they were up to. As soon as the cards had been made, Richard and Clare had asked their children who to send them to. The three had got to work, Michael making a list of all their suggestions. The list included King Robbie, Haarald, their dwarves excluding Hamish, Wilamena, Captain Anton, King Bernard and his elves, Willy the giant, Miss Sallow, Abraham, pretty much the whole town of Cambridge Falls, Granny Peet, Dena, the rest of Gabriel's village, Hugo Algernon, Jake and Beetles, and Abigail. It was quite a long list, and needless to say, Richard and Clare were glad they had gone all out and purchased so many cards for this year in their excitement.

It was good that the cards had been made, and it was good that they had been sent out to all their friends. Richard and Clare were clearly pleased with that. But when making that initial list, the three children had come to a silent conclusion that while this was their first Christmas as a whole family, it was also their first Christmas after great loss, and something had to be done to mark that.

They had taken five of the remaining Christmas cards, a bunch of pens, and got to work. Now it was just a matter of delivery.

"Are you sure I won't be intruding? If you want to do this alone, I understand," the elf princess who was currently digging through her suitcase in search of her missing mittens asked.

Michael replied, "I'm sure. Honestly, I'd feel better with you there."

Wilamena smiled softly, digging out the pink mittens and jamming them onto her hands. She and her boyfriend fell into an easy silence as they made their way outside, where Kate and Emma were waiting for them, already shin deep in the thick layer of snow coating the ground. All four children were heavily bundled up, ready for the task ahead of them.

"Let's go," Emma huffed impatiently, "you two can be mushy gushy later."

"We weren't being mushy gushy," Michael protested, even as he nearly fell flat on his face as he attempted to keep up with his younger sister in this thick snow.

"Uh huh," Emma said skeptically. Michael rolled his eyes. Yes, he was indeed in a long distance relationship with Wilamena, and yes, they did become excited upon seeing each other in person. But that didn't mean Emma had to tease him about it, and she definitely didn't have to use words as undignified as mushy-gushy.  

He was about to tell her just that, but his older sister, who knew him well enough to know exactly what was coming, cut him off, "alright you two, we don't have time for arguing."