Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Thicker Than Blood ❯ Holiday Cheer ( Chapter 6 )

A week had passed since Neko and Mira had begun their training, most of which included running errands, climbing, running and doing odd chores about and around the house. None of which the two girls could figure out had a thing to do with training, but they trusted Piccolo so tried not to be annoying by asking too many questions.

Snow graced the boughs of the fir and pine trees and scattered the ground where the treetops broke free and allowed a bit of sky to peer through, thus allowing snow to drift down as well. Scattered needles lent their heady scent to the crisp air. Alaura always tried to make the girls wear coats and gloves when they went out, but as the day progressed and their work became harder, the coats and gloves were inevitably discarded as sweat beaded their brows and under their arms as they worked.

The girls were the ones who had cut the tree down, upon a request from Alaura, without any help at all from Piccolo, and drag the thing, which was taller and fatter than both girls combined, throught the forest and back to their house, where Alaura met them at the door and helped get it in the rest of the way.

"It's a beautiful Christmas Tree, girls." Alaura said, all ready starting to hang the brightly colored bulbs and tinsel, Tae was placing wrapped gifts around it becomingly and Gohan was soppose to be hanging the candy canes, but he'd all ready eaten most of them. "Piccolo, It's Christmas Eve."

"So." He stood with his arms folded under his chest, waiting for Neko and Mira to finish, "It's only four o'clock, they have plenty of time left before it gets too dark outside…"

"That's not the point!" Alaura said, "Christmas Eve is special! It only come around once a year and this is the first time I've actually wanted to celebrate it in years and I want to celebrate it with those I love and if that means stopping in their training for one night…!"

"Alaura…sshh!" Gohan looked up, placed the last candy cane on the tree and put his arm around her shoulder, "It's okay. Piccolo will allow them this one night off, won't you, Piccolo?"

Sighing greatly because he really did not wish to postpone anything, but realizing how important it was to Alaura, he said, finally; "It's fine with me."

Neko and Mira yipped at that and ran in circles around the tree, even though neither of them knew, exactly, what this Christmas business was all about. Mira thought it sounded a lot like something they celebrated on Jalamir called "Harmony Day" when one is thought to be in tune, or `in harmony' with everyone and every creature for that one special night and they exchanged gifts with each other and general thoughts of goodwill.

Mira was always happy that little by little, piece by piece her memories were starting to fill in. She could remember special holidays and such, now, of her people and that was making progress. She thought maybe Piccolo showing her some relaxation techniques to aide in meditation might be the cause of her starting to remember things more and more.

A few hours later, Alaura had turned on the tree's lights and they all noticed the soft-bulb lights she had chosen, favoring her sensitivity to bright light, and they gathered around the living room. A few candles burned on the mantle and snow was falling in a steady drift downwards out the windows.

Piccolo sat on one end of the sofa with Alaura curled against his side and wrapped parically within his cloak. Neko sat on the other side of Piccolo and lay with her head in his lap, dozing lightly and half-heartedly sucking on her thumb, as he smoothed back her hair from her forehead gently.

Tae and Gohan sat in the chairs opposite Piccolo, Alaura and Neko and Mira was on the floor gazing wistfully at the lighted tree. She had never felt such peace in her life…or if she had, she could not recall. She wished for this night to stay exactly how it was, now, forever locked in time.

She shook her head mentally and smiled at her own foolishness, she knew that no one could hope to stop time. It was ever flowing, like a river, over rocks and smooth places, never ceasing and always going forward. She would just have to do well riding it on through to where ever it may lead her.

Mira looked down at herself and noticed that she grown quite some bit in the short time she'd been on this planet, with these wonderful people and wondered if anyone else had noticed as well. She seemed to be be growing an inch a day. Neko no longer towered over her and she was much stronger, now, than she was when she first came.

"Mira, dear." Alaura said, breaking the silence, Neko opened one eye, still with her thumb in her mouth and Alaura went on; "Since your all ready there, would you mind passing out the gifts?"

"Of course I don't mind, Alaura." She said and began the task, happily enjoying this wonderful night.

"I am just sorry that I don't have anything for any of you," Mira said in sorrow.

"It's all right, Mira." Alaura said, smiling warmly at the girl, she had not failed to notice was growing at a much faster rate than a human girl would at the same apparent age…but then, Mira was neither human nor her apparent age. She kept having to remind herself that Mira had all ready lived past two hundred years. It was hard to believe, much less understand! Perhaps her species simply started out slow than had a huge growth spurt and then settled down once more to continue with their life. Now that she thought about it, it didn't really sound all that different from humans at all…basically. "Just you being here and sharing with us is gift enough."

"I don't really need all this stuff…" Piccolo said, holding up the funny-looking tie with green alien heads all over that had been Gohan's gift, "I don't hold much with physical possessions…"

Alaura touched his arm gently, gaining his attention; "It's the thought that counts, dear."