Hi. Welcome to the 2022 Christmas special.

12 days of Christmas. 12 interconnected short stories from multiple POVs celebrating familial and platonic love, alternating between Vampire Mountain and the Shan homestead. Takes place in the time jump between Bloodline chapters 31 / 32. Obvious spoilers for that. You *can* read this story if you haven't read Bloodline. It just won't make any sense and you'll have a bad time.

This is finally the year I sat down and produced a complete set of 12 meaningful separate-but-interconnected Christmas stories, which is something I've wanted to do for ages but just wasn't able to pull it off. Timeline-wise, Bloodline is in the perfect place for me to do it this way. This is essentially chapter 31.5. So while this is certified Bloodline canon, it's also kind of unserious. Silly, even. So you just have to kinda go with it ig. After all that heaviness it was fun to play with the characters in a very different setting / atmosphere.

I'm dropping 2 chapters tonight to kick things off, then it'll be every other day.

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*･ﾟ* on the 1st day of Christmas :･ﾟ*

"I'll (We'll Be Home For Christmas"

Travelling with a group is like playing a never-ending game of telephone.

Travelling with a group of vampires and vampaneze is like playing a never-ending game of telephone on the highest difficulty setting because they're really bad at using telephones. And communicating.

It was mid-December. It had been almost a year since the War of Scars came to a bloody conclusion and the Treaty of Scars (creative name, right?) was signed into effect. With that, Darren left Vampire Mountain along with a handful of others tasked with meeting vampires and vampaneze all across the world. Spreading the news, answering questions, and settling concerns. But Darren's first stop was reuniting his (half-vampaneze) nephew Darius with his (human) sister Annie. What was supposed to be a quick visit turned into the three of them impulsively getting into Annie's car and driving til they were on their parents doorstep. The parents who still to that day believed they'd buried their son. The parents who thought their daughter would never come home. That was the day Darren came clean. About everything. He spent a few days with them. Reconnecting. Explaining. Apologizing. Laughing. Crying. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. And the best.

Those few days were all he could spare before rejoining his colleagues. It had been an overwhelmingly successful year on all fronts. It had also been straight-up overwhelming in general. So almost a year after all that, Darren only had one thing on his mind: going home for the holidays.

What Darren said: "We're renting a car and I'm spending the Christmas holidays with my family."

What Darren should have said: "Gracie is renting a car for me because she has a driver's license. Then I'm driving said car, alone, to spend the Christmas holidays with my family. See you in a week."

What Vancha heard, and announced to the group unbeknownst to Darren: "We're renting a car and spending the Christmas holidays with Darren's family."

Darren wouldn't clue in til later. He didn't accompany Gracie to the rental depot because he had yet to track down a present for Darius, and the clock was ticking. So they parted ways and planned to meet back up at the abandoned warehouse the group had been staying in. He was singing to himself and practically skipping by the time he got back. He hadn't seen his parents since that first visit almost a year. Whenever he had a few days off from Prince stuff, he'd hop on a bus or train to visit Darius (As an underage nightwalker, Darius needed all the mentoring he could get). There just wasn't a bus or train station in the town they'd been staying in - hence the rental car.

Gracie was already back by the time Darren got to the warehouse. She parked the car right where she said she would - a big shiny Escalade. Darren barely knew how to drive and felt a little apprehensive at the idea of trying to park the thing. But it sure looked cool. And it's crucial to note that all the windows were tinted - so Darren didn't realize his massive error in communication til he opened the door. He went to the front passenger side first to set his bag down, only to receive the jumpscare of his life. And he's had a lot of those.

"Gods, about time." Gracie greeted him. "We almost left without you."

She was in the driver's seat. Fair enough, considering she was the only one in the group legally allowed to be there. And if it had just been Gracie it wouldn't have been a big deal.

But there were more of them.

Kurda and Vancha were sitting in the middle row. Gannen, Shane, and Renley were crammed in the back like sardines. The gang was all there.

"Ha ha. Very funny." Said Darren with a wayward grin, rolling his eyes at all of them. "I'll miss you guys too. But I really have to get going before the highways get too busy."

"Then why are you still standing there staring at us like an idiot?" Vancha chortled. "Get in and buckle up!"

Darren looked at Vancha.

Vancha looked at Darren.

Gracie looked at Darren, then at Vancha, then at Kurda.

Kurda looked at Vancha, then at Darren, then at Gracie.

Gracie and Kurda both cringed in unison as they clued in - leave it to the Smahlts to figure it out before anyone else. Not that it was rocket science to begin with, Darren thought. Gracie doubled over laughing. Kurda rounded on Vancha and swatted his shoulder in exasperation.

"I knew it, Vancha! I knew you had to be misunderstanding something!" Kurda groaned. "Why would Darren bring us with him, I said! It doesn't make sense, I said! But you just kept telling me it's what he wants, just go with it! Charna's guts. Last time I assume you know what you're talking about. I'm sorry, Darren. We must look pretty silly right now."

"Darren was very clear when he said we're renting a car and spending Christmas with his family!" Said Vancha, crossing his arms stubbornly. "What is there to misunderstand?"

"That's not what I said!" Darren practically shrieked.

"Yes it was! I remember!"

"Honestly, I thought it was weird you wanted all of us there for Christmas." Gracie told Darren seriously, once she'd managed to collect herself. "But you seemed really excited about it, so I didn't say anything. My mistake."

Darren sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "No, it's my mistake. Sorry for the confusion. I should've been clearer. Thanks for renting the car, though. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, no worries. Happy to help." Said Gracie. Darren (misguidedly) figured that'd be the end of it. But she made no motion to exit the vehicle. Nor did anybody else.

"Now get out." Darren added gently but firmly, looking around at the faces peering back at him. "All of you."

Gracie frowned, nose wrinkling in a way that made Darren feel he'd embarrassed himself. Although he didn't know why. "Darren, this car is under my name. Like fuck you're driving it anywhere. Did you really think I'd have rented it if I knew you were going to be driving? If you get pulled over by the police it'll become my problem."

"Fine, then. You can come with me." Said Darren, forcing a brittle smile. "Everybody else, out."

She mirrored his smile and pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes like she'd won a game Darren didn't know he was playing. "You're the boss, I guess. I could use a vacation."

"Grace Arra Smahlt-Ver Leth, you are not bailing on my first non-exiled Christmas in seven years!" Kurda protested. The laugh made it sound like he was joking. But it seemed forced - as if there was a grain of truth to what he said. Vampires claim they don't care about things like Christmas. But in Darren's experience, it's just something they say to save face. They like saving face almost as much as they like having a good time. And Darren felt no shortage of empathy for Kurda, though. Gods knew he'd been through a lot. Gracie's face fell as she realized her error.

"You can come too, if you want. What's one more person?" Said Darren. "Now we really should get going."

He figured that'd be fine. Gracie and Kurda were two of the most easygoing, civil, well-adjusted vampires you could find. Gracie had already met Annie and they hit it off great. Darren's parents would love her too. And Kurda would fit in as just easily, because he was physiologically incapable of not getting along with everyone he met. But before Darren had a chance to add, "Everybody who's not a Smahlt, get out of the car," Gannen spoke up:

"If you're opening up invitations, I would like to accompany you. I wish to see how young Darius is faring. I know he is not my family but I'll admit I feel a certain degree of responsibility for the boy."

Darren groaned. He was not opening up invitations. But who was he to deny Darius a chance to spend time with a fellow vampaneze? Of course he'd rather that not happen over Christmas holidays, but at least Gannen was quiet and mannerly and capable of acting normal. Unlike -

"Really, Gannen? You'd so eagerly desert your only blood relative at Christmas?!" Vancha scoffed, reaching behind his seat to take a playful swing at his brother.

"I've endured your company every day and night for almost a year! Maybe I want a break from you! Did you ever think about that?" Was Gannen's straight-faced, scathing retort.

"No." Said Vancha, eyes sparkling mischievously. That's why I'm coming too. Oh, this'll be fun! I've always wanted to meet Darren's parents."

Darren facepalmed so hard he reckoned his forehead might never be the same again. He should've known better than to think he could set a boundary and get away with it. It would be all of them or none of them.

"So, are you and I invited to Christmas or not?" Renley muttered to Shane out of the corner of his mouth in the back row of the car.

"I think we'd better just stay with the group and see what happens." Shane replied in an undertone.

"None of you are invited at all!" Darren shouted, finding his voice at last. He sat there perched on the passenger seat, glaring around at the others, preparing to add, "Now get out of this stupid car or else!"

But an invisible force disabled his tongue. Maybe it was because he was closer to the human world than he'd been in years, but suddenly it was sixteen years ago and all he could hear was Mr. Crepsley's stiff voice warning him: Vampires do not have families. And friendships are rare and difficult to maintain. You must learn to be content with your own company.

Darren's been out of school for a long time (unless you count the Mahler's debacle) but he felt the math just didn't add up. This stupid car alone held more family and friendship than his ten-year-old self could've imagined in his wildest dreams. And that didn't even factor in those waiting for him back at the mountain, or at his parents' house.

All that irritation fizzled down to nothing, and Darren felt himself smile. It was a true miracle that he even had the option to go home for the holidays after everything he'd been through. Sure, there'd been a serious misunderstanding. But the fact that their (incorrect) takeaway was "I guess Darren wants to bring us all home for Christmas with his human family" and they all just… hopped in the car and went along with it. That was worth something.

So when Darren finally opened his mouth, what came out was:

"Don't think for one minute you're all staying at my parents' house for a week. Get a hotel. Or go sleep in the forest on the outskirts of town. I don't care. And when you meet my parents, I expect all of you to be on your best, normalest behaviour. Any questions?"

･ﾟ: *･ﾟ* 3 Hours Later :･ﾟ:･ﾟ

Darren had never been a worrier. Sometimes he wondered how different his life might've been if he'd spent more time worrying. Maybe he'd be married by now. Maybe he'd be an accountant or a real estate agent or something. Maybe he'd be living in the suburbs with a partner and a few kids. Maybe he'd own a car just like this. Maybe this was the closest he'd get to that. And maybe that was for the best, because this was actually kind of awful.

"Ow! Vancha hit me!"

"Well, give me back my shuriken!"

"Vancha, quit hitting your brother. Gannen, give him back his shuriken. Don't make me come back there." Darren chastised them from the front seat without turning around. Vancha had been goading his brother ever since they left. They say Christmas is the season to let your inner child shine through. But Darren was about ready to leave Vancha and Gannen's outer adults on the side of the road. If this was how they acted in the car, what the hell were they going to do when they met his parents? And they were meeting his parents. Vancha was not willing to negotiate that one.

"I will turn this car around if you don't smarten up." Gracie added, glancing at them through the rearview mirror. She barely managed to say that with a straight face and immediately started to laugh. She wasn't the only one. Vancha guffawed like he was watching comedy prime time. Gannen rolled his eyes and handed the shuriken back.

Kurda, of course, had a map. It was sub-par compared to the handmade masterpieces he was used to; he'd bought it at the gas station. He leaned forward and tapped Gracie's shoulder. "Honey, I think you're going to want to take the next exit."

"GPS says we stay on the highway for another 30 k." Said Gracie, pointing at the brightly-lit screen on the console.

Kurda's eyebrow twitched, but his smile didn't falter. "I'm not so sure about that thing. I can tell just by looking at it that it's not to scale."

"It's fine, Dad. It knows. This is the fastest route."

Ten minutes later it was Gracie's eyebrow that was twitching as Kurda smiled smugly in the middle row, because they found themselves at a standstill in a wall of traffic. There'd been an accident somewhere up ahead. And the snow was falling faster and harder than ever.

"Did your shiny GPS see that coming?" Kurda inquired.

"As a matter of fact, it did." Said Gracie drily, pointing at the red line on the screen that gauged traffic flow. "We just… had nowhere to go because we'd already passed the exit."

"I wondered that." Said Kurda with a twinkle in his eye. "But alas, all I have is this archaic paper map. So I just figured I didn't know what I was talking about."

"It's fine, I don't think we'll be that late." Said Darren, examining the ETA calculator on the GPS screen. "We're only… two hours behind schedule." He turned up the radio - surely some music would improve the atmosphere. He wished he hadn't bothered.

"The department of transportation has issued a national travel advisory in advance of an incoming weather system specialists are calling 'Snowmageddon'-"

"Ah, fuck."

Darren doesn't always swear. In fact he rarely swears. But the odd time he does, it provides roughly 45 minutes of comic relief to whoever's nearby. They were still laughing by the time traffic started moving again.

This was going to be a long week.