Aaron paced around in the bedroom he and Aphmau shared, both nervous and scared because of the other night. Last night, not only did his sister and mother appear on their doorstep, but his father came to their home as well. It was so shocking to Aaron and he didn't know how to handle the situation.

"Aaron, don't worry. It's fine." Aphmau said trying to calm him down. Airis, who was sitting in Aphmau's lap, just watched the scene with curiosity. She had never seen her father acting so worried about anything.

"How could I not worry? This is my dad we're talking about! Honestly, when I saw Mom and Melissa I kinda figured that he wasn't going to show up, but then, he did!" Aaron said.

"Which is great, isn't it Papa?" Airis asked.

"Yeah, it's great... If I had time to prepare!!!"

"Huh?" Aphmau questioned.

"My dad..." Aaron sighed, "I haven't seen or talked to him in such a long time. I don't know what to prepare you two for."

"Hey, Aaron... however you dad is, I'm sure he's fine. Besides, it's the holidays! Holiday magic is sure to make him at least somewhat pleasant!"

Aaron chuckled, "It's sweet of you to think that way but--"

"A ba ba! Holiday magic!" Aphmau cut him off.

"Mama, Papa, we should go downstairs before Abuela and Mrs. Lycan kill each other!" Airis smiled and hopped off of Aphmau's lap, grabbing Aaron's hand and pulling him towards the door.

"Airis has the right idea. Let's get going and spread the holiday magic!" Aphmau agreed and led the way downstairs. 

When they got downstairs, the three could see their parents and Melissa sitting in chairs in the living room while Aaron's father was standing in the corner talking on the phone with an associate with his company.

"So!" Sylvanna said clearing her throat to speak, "It's wonderful that you came, Mr. Lycan."

"Please, call me Derek." Mr. Lycan said.

"Oh, I'm afraid I don't know you that well to feel comfortable with that." Sylvanna replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Figures." Rachel said, "Can't take a simple kindness, I see?"

"What did you just say?"

"So, Dad!" Melissa cut in to stop a fight before it could even start, "I'm actually really shocked you managed to make it! How did Aphmau get in contact with you?"

"She sent me a handwritten letter."

"A letter?" Rachel and Sylvanna both questioned while Melissa smiled and giggled.

"That's kind of old fashioned, isn't it?" She asked.

"Well, yes... but..." Derek thought back to the kind words written in the letter from Aphmau, and all the glitter that had been sent with the letter, "Maybe it was the glitter, which I was kinda mad about for a while, but I was moved by the simplicity of the letter andI realized I wanted to give Aaron a bit more of my time. At least for a day or two. Plus, I was curious about the little girl he was taking care of as his daughter."

Airis couldn't help but smile as she listened to the way he was talking. He wasn't much like Aaron, but from the feeling she got from him, he was trustworthy and had a willingness to change.

"Well, I'm happy dad!" Melissa said, "I'm sure Aaron is too, and I bet Airis will be happy to know that you wanted to get to know her a little better."

"And you're sure this isn't some kind of ploy to take Aaron away from my Aphmau and Airis?" Sylvanna asked.

Rachel huffed, "Of course you would think of that."

"I have EVERY right."

"Okay!" Aphmau said as she, Aaron and Airis came out from the staircase, "Sounds like we need a bit of holiday magic here!"

"Is she being serious?" Rachel asked.

"Mom!" Aaron growled at her.

"I'm just saying." Rachel replied.

Airis looked up at Aphmau and tugged at her sleeve, "Mama, how about some activities to help with the tension, huh?"

Aphmau smiled at her daughter, "That's a great idea, sweetie. And I have the perfect thing to spread holiday cheer. Christmas sweaters!" Aphmau took out several sweaters that she had made the other night then handed two of them to Derek and Rachel.

"Mom, Melissa. You're going to have to until I finish making the other ones." Aphmau said, but Derek and Rachel looked at the sweaters like they were foreign to them.

"Thanks, but..." Derek said.

"We're good the way we're dressed. Thanks." Rachel finished.

Airis looked up and saw Aaron's glaring eyes at his parents. She took his hand to help calm him down, but even she wasn't able to quell his annoyance for very long.

"Mom... Dad..." He growled.

"Oh!" Aphmau said noticing her boyfriend's angry tone, "I know it might be a little forward, but hey! IF the holidays feeling gets ya then you can put it on whenever!"

Derek let out a small laugh, "We'll consider it."

"Perfect!" Aphmau cheered, "Now, we need to go pick out a Christmas tree!"

"Oh! I got this!" Rachel announced before picking up her phone and dialing a number, "Hello? Yes, Stewart? Can I have you pick out a Christmas tree to be delivered to Aaron's address? What size? Oh, let me ask. What size tree are you thinking?"

Melissa stood up from her chair and tore the phone from her mother's hand without a single warning.

"Hey!" Rachel shouted as he daughter kept her away from the phone.

"Nuh-uh! Not this time!" Melissa said and threw the phone onto the nearby chair, "We are going to do things the old fashioned way. By ourselves."

"Yup!" Aphmau cheered, "Melissa and I talked about your past and we're going to do everything together."

"Huh?" Aaron's parents questioned.

"He, he! I know the perfect place where we can pick a great tree! Trust me."

"Come on!" Airis said pulling Aphmau and Aaron towards the door, "I wanna see holiday magic!" 

Aaron and Aphmau laughed at their daughter's enthusiasm and quickly went to the cars to head off to their destination.

~~~~

About an hour or so later, the family found themselves in a small forest with a barn nearby. It was a professional tree farm where families could go to pick out their very own Christmas tree. It was one of the many activities that Aphmau had gathered together so that the Lycan family could bond just a little bit.

Airis was actually really excited to get to talk to Aaron's family, other than Melissa of course. She wanted to get to know Aaron's father the most. To her, he seemed to be kind when he wanted, but something about him just pulled her closer to him, kind of like when Airis first met Aaron.

Everyone stood in front of a large red barn surrounded by pine trees ready to be picked.

"Here we are!" Aphmau announced happily as everyone looked around at the forest.

"What kind of place is this?" Derek asked in disbelief as he looked out at nature.

"I though we were going to a professional place." Rachel said in the same tone as her husband.

"There's no place more professional than nature." Aaron said.

"Exactly, Aaron. This is a tree farm!" Aphmau said.

"It's a forest..." Rachel said bluntly.

"No, it's a tree FARM. See, there's a barn and there are trees! Tree farm!"

"Well, I think it's great!" Sylvanna said, "It's a shame some other people can't see that. But those people will probably find terrible trees anyway!"

"Abuela!" Airis shouted, "That wasn't very nice."

"Are you talking about me?" Rachel asked.

"If the wreath fits." Sylvanna smirked.

Aphmau chuckled nervously, "Now, now, Mom. Let's--"

"I'm going to find the best tree just to shut you up!" Rachel shouted, cutting Aphmau off.

"Hah!" Sylvanna laughed, "In your dreams!"

Aphmau giggled, "Trust me, Mrs. Lycan. I've been trying to get her to be quiet for years."

"Thanks Mija-- Hey!" Aphmau giggled even more along with Airis by her side enjoying the day out with family.

"It doesn't matter who finds the best tree!" Melissa shouted, "What matters is that this is the first time our family has ever done something like this."

"Oh? So this is a competition?" Derek asked with slight amusement.

"No, Dad, it's not." Aaron tried to change the subject of competition.

"That sounds like someone who's afraid of losing!" Derek shot back.

Aaron laughed, "I am not afraid of losing. I just don't think this is a great time to--"

"Lose to your old man?" Derek teased.

"Dad... Aaron..." Melissa groaned, "This competitiveness has to stop. You guys have been like this with each other since I could remember."

There was a brief pause and silence filled the air, you could even crickets chirping in the background as the silence continued.

"Besides, if anyone's gonna find the best tree... IT'S GOING TO ME !" Melissa declared and then ran out to find the perfect tree with a cheerful laugh.

"Oh no you don't!" Aaron shouted and ran after his sister.

"Hah! Kids. Best to let them get a head start so they can feel special." Derek said, but before he could go off and run to find a good tree, he felt a hand grab his.

At first, he thought that it was Rachel, but when he turned, Derek saw that it was Airis holding his hand with a smile on her face.

"Mr. Lycan, can I help you find a tree?" She asked.

Derek looked a little surprised and confused, but he nodded and gripped her hand back. They walked into the forest, looking at tree after tree but nothing really caught their eye. Derek looked down at Airis, seeing her smile made him feel warm.

"So, Airis." Derek said trying to strike up a conversation, "Tell me a little about yourself? Do you enjoy living with my son?"

Airis, surprised that Derek was actually started a conversation with her, just smiled back at him and nodded to answer his second question.

"I really do love living with Papa!" She answered.

"He let's you call him that?"

Airis nodded again, "I've only been calling him that for a couple weeks, since he came back home. He doesn't mind. Actually, he said he loved it when I called him that."

"Hmm... You don't talk like a girl your age. You're very mature."

Airis chuckled, "Mama and Papa taught me to respect others."

"Aaron and Aphmau taught you that?"

Airis got quiet for a moment and her smile disappeared for just a single second.

"Not Mama and Papa.... but my Mama and Papa before."

Derek stopped walking as she continued just for a few steps, letting go of his hand as her back faced him.

"Your biological parents?" Derek asked and Airis nodded.

"Yeah. Mama and Papa taught me well." Airis answered, but then turned around and smiled at Derek, "But that's all in the past. Mama and Papa said to keep them in my heart, but let my feet walk forward and my eyes towards the future."

Derek was even more surprised and very impressed by how this little girl, no older than five years old, speaking like someone who has lived an entire lifetime. He had to admit, his son was lucky to have a daughter like her. Innocent and intelligent.

He smiled at her and retook her hand in his as they continued to walk through the forest.

"So, tell me a little bit more about yourself." He said, bringing back the previous conversation topic, "Melissa tells me and my wife much about you. Is it true that you play piano?"

Airis happily nodded, "Yep! I like to play piano when I cam. I really like playing classical music, but I play a lot of other music too."

"Really? That's quite impressive for a girl your age. I'm sure you'll do great things when you grow up."

"Thank you Mr. Lycan."

"No, please, you can call me Derek. No need for such formalities."

Airis nodded, "Okay then, Mr. Derek."

Derek sighed, and continued talking with Airis as they still searched for the perfect tree. They talked about trivial things, mainly about Airis. She told him that she loved strawberries, her love for music, and how she loved living with her new parents. Derek was more than happy to hear about how his son had been living with this sweet little girl and his girlfriend.

From how Airis was talking about it, Aaron genuinely sounded like he was enjoying the life he made for himself.

Suddenly, Airis stopped talking and walking with him.

"Airis? What's the matter?" Derek asked.

"Look at that tree over there, Mr. Derek." She replied, pointing to a nearby pine tree. It was good height and it had a perfect shape. It was the perfect tree for Christmas.

"Doesn't it look great? Do you think everyone would like it?" Airis asked excitedly.

Derek smiled and nodded, "I think it's perfect, Airis. Great eye." He said gently ruffling her head while being mindful of her ears.

"Now then, I'll go ahead and chop down this tree and we can find everyone else afterwards."

"But how are you gonna..." Airis didn't need another second to finish her sentence as Derek pulled out a large ax from what seemed to be out of nowhere.

"Umm... where'd you get the ax?" Airis asked.

"That doesn't matter!" Derek shouted before swinging his ax at the tree to chop it down. 

Airis simply stood in the snow watching as Derek continued chopping, only taking a moment to strip his jacket and shirt. Airis had covered her eyes after that and simply sat in the snow until he was fully clothed again after he had chopped down the tree.

All of a sudden, a loud scream rang out through the forest, causing Airis to jump and uncover her eyes out of instinct. When she looked over at Derek, she was surprised to see how much that Aaron resembled his father. They even had the same broad shoulders. If Derek was the same age as Aaron, they would definitely be mistaken as twins.

"I guess Papa gets his looks from you, huh Mr. Derek?" Airis chuckled, the man turning to face the little girl.

"I never really heard that before. I'd say that my son looks like me, but his attitude and manners are more like his mother."

"I don't think so." Airis said, "Papa at first was really hard to talk to, but then, I didn't talk much either. He seemed really unapproachable, but once he warmed up to me, I saw that he was really kind and funny. He just... needed help."

Derek's eyes widened, "Help? What are talking about?"

"I don't know how Papa lived as a kid, but Papa's a lot like me in a few ways. He was hurt by something, and he didn't want people to get too close. Papa was hiding and didn't want to come out. Because he was scared of what may come out if he reveals himself to the world." Airis looked up at Derek, her eyes shining in a sense of... Derek couldn't explain it.

It was like she was looking deep down into his very soul, all secrets within his heart open to her mismatched colored eyes.

"Just like you are.... Derek. Just like we all are." She said, but she quickly smiled at him, "After all, we all have secrets! But those will stay hidden until ready to come out! Right?"

Derek stood frozen for a moment, both amazed and terrified by the girl sitting in front of her. She could read him like a child's book, and that made him fear about her and himself. Could she really see down into his soul? Could she see into Aaron's? Does she know about their shared curse?

Derek couldn't get any answers when he heard a sharp shriek coming from nearby.

"Where did your shirt go?!" Aphmau shouted, covering her eyes to block her from seeing Derek's half naked body.

Derek tried to look calmer, reverting to the man chopping down the tree instead of the scared man from just a second ago.

"I'm chopping down this tree here!" He shouted with all the enthusiasm that he could muster in that moment.

"That's wasn't the question! Oh, now I see where Aaron gets it from." Aphmau said grumbling that last part and reaching her hand out towards Airis, "Airis, sweetie, come over here please and keep your eyes covered."

"Yes, Mama." Airis said, getting off of the snow and running over to Aphmau, closing her eyes just like her mother told her to do.

It didn't take long for Aaron to have heard Aphmau screaming and he came running to help if neededd.

"Aph! Are you okay?" He asked, then jumped when he saw his father shirtless in front of his girlfriend and daughter, "Ahh! Dad!"

"What? Didn't think I worked out?" Derek chuckled.

"Seriously? In front of my daughter? Put a shirt on already!" Aaron shouted.

Just then, Rachel and Sylvanna came running to the scene, a look of fear written all over their faces.

"THERE'S A GIANT SQUIRREL IN THESE WOODS!" Rachel shouted.

"IT'S HUGE!" Sylvanna added, but both of their faces turned bright red when they saw the half naked Derek Lycan with an ax in his hand.

"Oh my..." Rachel blushed.

"Can we please just focus on getting a tree?" Aaron asked.

Aphmau looked up at the tree that Derek was chopping down and smiled when she saw that it was perfect for the house.

"Actually, the one your dad has is pretty great!" Aphmau said.

"Really?" Derek asked then looked over at Airis, "I guess you were right, Airis. This was a good choice."

"Wait a second, you actually listened to Airis about a tree?" Aaron asked, amazed at how his father was not only acting, but also about how he was talking to Airis with a smile on his face.

"I did. Airis seems to have a great eye for detail." Derek said, Airis' face turning red from the praise.

"Both of you did a great job, this tree will fit perfectly. As long as everyone else thinks so!" Aphmau said.

Aaron smiled and nodded at his father and his daughter, "Yeah. It's pretty good!" 

"I knew you would like it, Papa!" Airis cheered, jumping into Aaron's arms and smiling in his embrace.

"It is!" Sylvanna agreed.

"Well, I wanted to pick it, but, I guess." Rachel said.

"Wow." Derek said taking his turn to blush from the praise, "Uhm.. Thanks! Not many people tell me I'm great at things outside of work."

All of a sudden, a large squirrel came running out from the woods, stopping near the group.

"Cheep, cheep." It squeaked.

"AAHHH! GIANT SQUIRREL!" Rachel shouted. Not even a second later, Melissa came up behind the squirrel and smiled at it.

"Thanks tiny squirrel." She thanked. The squirrel cheeped one more time and scurried away.

"TINY?!" Rachel said in disbelief at her daughter's words.

"Let's just get the tree and get out of here!" Sylvanna shouted.

Everyone helped chopping down the tree and loading it to go home. The entire ride back to the house, Derek kept thinking about Airis and what she had said. She was a smart girl for her age, but she didn't let on too much about herself or her past with her biological parents.

It was like she too was hiding something within. But what was it? What could a little possible try to hide?

And the way she looked at him, with that soul piercing gaze that seemed to bore down into his very soul....

He wanted to know more.