Emerald walked down the sidewalk, head down, watching her steps with care. It was a little warmer today than it had been the past couple weeks, but there was still the occasional ice patch that made being a pedestrian interesting and treacherous. She'd nearly fallen twice on her journey so far, but was thankfully nearly there. Looking at her feet also allowed her the luxury of avoiding looking at all the decorated houses.

She looked up at a house out of a masochistic urge to torture herself. It was like a car wreck had taken holiday form. Colored lights covered every bush and tree, fake icicles hung from the roof, inflatable and plastic characters filled the yard as a giant red and green sign wished passers by an inoffensive happy holiday. It was sickening, but Emerald couldn't take her eyes off it. Her dad would have had a stroke at the sight of it, she thought. "White lights only," she muttered to herself. "Tasteful. Refined." She snorted humorously. "And with enough wattage to be visible from over the horizon."

She looked back at her feet and shuffled on until coming to a familiar house. Trees lined the perimeter, hiding it away from the world. There were no lights or decorations, save a simple wreath hung on the door. It's surprising there was that much, Emerald thought as she walked up the driveway. She didn't really know Roman Torchwick that well, but he didn't exactly seem like the type to celebrate holidays. She pressed the doorbell and listened to the soft chimes from inside. Maybe it was Neo, she thought as she waited. She was probably into it a lot more than Roman was.

Neo was why she was there right now. Roman had called that morning and told Emerald he had a lot of stuff to get done and needed a babysitter for Neo. Emerald thought it was weird since Neo is clearly old enough to handle a day at home by herself, but Roman assured her Neo goes a bit weird when she's alone. Really, Emerald didn't mind. Neo was young but fun to hang around and Emerald found herself spending a lot of time with the girl. She had a similar taste in movies, a refreshing energy, and despite her silence Emerald found she had a good sense of humor.

She would often wind up hanging around Emerald when Roman brought her in on a job, and the two would occasionally have girls nights where they sat in Neo's room watching some romantic comedy and eating junk food. This was the first time Roman had asked for her to come over though. As much as she liked Neo, she and Roman never got beyond grudging professional courtesy on their best days, a point driven home by the scowl he wore when he threw open the door.

"You're late," he growled, pushing past her onto the porch.

Emerald looked over him and didn't bother trying to hold in her laughter. Instead of his usual tailored suit and bowler, Roman was wearing a slightly overlarge sweater decorated with holly and cheerful snowmen while a stocking cap rested on his head. His usual cane with the pompous name had been replaced with a red and white striped version. If not for the withering glare he was sending at everything in his eyeline one could almost mistake him for fully embracing the spirit of the season.

"You look jolly," she smiled.

"Shut up," Roman replied bruskly, hurrying onward towards his car. "Be back late, Neo's inside, don't steal anything."

"You should treat me better!" she called after him. "I didn't have to do this! I had plans!"

Roman opened his car door and paused, turning back to her with a spiteful smirk. "No you didn't," he said and disappeared inside the car. She sullenly watched him drive off and turned when she heard the soft jingling of bells behind her.

"Hey Neo," she said, smiling at the petite girl who appeared in the doorway. "Roman finally put a bell on you?"

Neo rolled her eyes, grinning. She was wearing a red and green sweater and around her neck was a string of bells that chimed with every movement the girl made. She wore a stocking cap on her head and held out a matching one to Emerald as she came inside.

Emerald sighed theatrically and put the cap on. "Happy?" she asked. Neo nodded enthusiastically. "So let me guess," she continued, "you're responsible for Roman's ridiculous getup too?"

Neo scrunched up her face and glared at her.

"It looks ridiculous and you know it," Emerald teased. Neo rolled her eyes and waved her into the living room. Emerald stopped short in the doorway and her jaw dropped. Half a dozen stockings hung from above the fireplace, strands of holly were carefully draped around the room, poinsettias rested in pots on tables and floor, not one but two fir trees covered in ornaments and lights stood in the corners of the room and a huge bowl of popcorn sat on the coffee table in front of the couch. Tinsel was everywhere. It looked like the results of an explosion in a department store's holiday section.

"Is... is that a menorah?" Emerald asked, still trying to get a grip on the assault on her senses.

Neo looked to the window where the electric candle holder sat and nodded happily. "Looked pretty," she signed.

Emerald nodded slowly and made her way to the couch, passing a motion-sensitive plastic snowman that started to sing cheerfully off-key. "So what are we doing today?" Emerald asked, grabbing some popcorn and munching on it. "Movie? Board game?" She didn't think there was enough room in here for a board game but...

Neo opened a small drawer in the table and pulled out a needle and thread and pressed them into Emerald's hands and pulled out a needle and thread of her own and a couple kernels of popcorn and started lacing them together on the red string.

"Popcorn strings?" Emerald asked, and Neo nodded. "Do you even have room for more decorations?" Neo made a sign Emerald didn't understand and when confronted by Emerald's blank look fingerspelled "Special."

Emerald shrugged and started stringing popcorn. "You should put on a movie then," she said. "We could chat but it's rude to talk with your fingers full." Emerald grinned as Neo glared and pointed a simple sign at her. "None of that," she teased, "or I'll have to wash your hands out with soap." Neo puffed out her cheeks and blew through her teeth with a frustrated noise as she got up and went to the DVD cabinet under the TV, signing to herself as she went.

"What was that?" Emerald called playfully. "I didn't hear you."

Neo repeated the rude gesture and rifled through her movies, coming out with some cheesy holiday special that airs about a dozen times a day this time of year. Was this a revenge for the jokes, Emerald asked herself. No, her smile was genuine. "Can we watch something else?" Emerald asked, feeling a twinge of guilt as Neo's smile waned slightly. The young girl dove into the cabinet again and came out with an action film and popped it in the player and made her way back to the couch.

The two of them sat watching the film, stringing popcorn. It was a funny movie about a bunch of yahoos trying to rob a bank, but Neo seemed to never crack a smile the whole time. She was barely even watching, focusing instead on piercing popcorn kernels and sliding them down the red strand. Eventually she stopped even doing that and just sat with a contemplative look on her face.

"We can watch the other movie next," Emerald offered. "If you still want to."

Neo smiled sadly and shook her head. "No," she signed, "I thought you might like it."

Emerald shrugged. "I guess I'm just not in much of a holiday mood."

Neo squirmed in her seat and looked plaintively at the decorations around them. Emerald sighed. "It's not the decorations," she said, "it's the whole spirit of spending time with friends and family thing." Neo made a confused face. Emerald sighed again.

"I don't have family to spend the holidays with, and not many friends around."

Neo scrunched up her face and made her signs for Mercury and Roman.

"Mercury's my partner," Emerald said. "We barely talk when we're not on a job." She laughed. "I don't really care though, he's an ass."

Neo made her sign for Roman again.

"He's an ass too."

Neo glared at Emerald, who smirked back at her. "He is and you know it," she teased. When Neo's glare didn't abate she rolled her eyes. "Fine," Emerald relented, "he's really good to you, but you know we don't get along. And then there's Cinder..." She trailed off and Neo just nodded. The two had spent enough time talking about her for Neo to know "It's complicated" was an understatement.

"So I just..." Emerald took a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. "Thinking about the holidays makes me happy because I remember all my old friends and family... The good family anyway." She smiled. "But at the same time I remember there's not much waiting for me in my apartment. Does that make any sense?"

Neo nodded and made a sign. Emerald looked at her, confused. "You want ice cream?" Neo shook her head, paused, considered, and nodded. Then she pointed at Emerald and repeated the sign. "Do I want ice cream?" she asked. Neo nodded enthusiastically. "Sure," Emerald said. "Ice cream therapy works."

The girl set her popcorn strand on the table and vaulted over the back of the couch before disappearing into the kitchen. She reappeared seconds later with a couple half pints and spoons and handed one of each to Emerald. They spent the rest of the film chatting and eating ice cream and watching the wacky hijinks and hijacks of the characters on the screen. Neo said the leader reminded her of Roman, except for all that giving the money to the orphanage crap. Emerald said he was cuter than Roman and Neo disagreed, adamantly saying Roman was much better looking before realizing what she said and hiding her face in embarrassment.

Emerald didn't let her live that down for the rest of the night.

They were almost finished with their third movie when they heard Roman come in through the front door.

"Hey cutie!" Emerald called from the couch, soliciting a glare and a smack from Neo.

"Have you been drinking?" Roman replied, walking into the room.

Emerald glanced at the glass of bourbon, eggnog, and more bourbon she'd made in between films. "Yeah, but not the good stuff."

"Good," he replied. "Now let's go, I'm giving you a ride home."

"Movie's not over," Emerald said, taking a sip from her drink. Neo nodded beside her.

"Everybody dies except the guy in the mask, but the money's lost overboard and he blows himself up." The two girls on the couch turn to glare at him. Roman stares back unapologetically. "Now come on, let's go."

The three left and piled into Roman's car, Neo signing energetically, too fast for Emerald to follow. Roman picked up the popcorn strands and packed them away in the trunk saying that they were for something else he was doing. When they got to Emerald's apartment building Roman told Neo to walk her in.

"You really don't need to," Emerald started to say, but Neo had already hopped out of the car and was bounding up the steps to the building. Emerald shrugged to herself and followed after. Neo was beaming the whole trip up to Emerald's apartment, with an intensity that made Emerald worry she might about to be murdered.

"Alright," she said when they arrived at her door, "safe and sound." The feeling she was going to get murdered intensified as Neo just stood there, waiting patiently with a smile. "Do... you want to come in?" Emerald asked hesitantly. Neo tilted her head in a knowing shrug. "Alright," Emerald said, working her key and pushing her door open.

At first Emerald thought she was in the wrong apartment.

A tree stood in the corner of the living room, fully decorated with lights and a few small presents underneath. Paper snowflakes were taped to the walls, a stocking bulging with gifts hung by the door, holly hung around the entrance to her kitchenette, and there were lights everywhere. Emerald walked inside, mouth agape, and tried to take it all in. Neo bounced in happily behind her and struck a "Ta-da!" pose.

"How..." Emerald started, but lost the words.

Roman chose that time to answer by entering the apartment, carrying the popcorn strands Emerald and Neo had spent the day making and brushed past the two to start hanging them around the room. Neo quickly stepped up and helped and Emerald stood there speechless, watching them. When they'd finished Neo stood and gestured at the room expectantly.

Emerald hugged her tight. "It's perfect," she whispered. "Thank you so much." Neo squeezed back and bounced slightly on the balls of her feet.

Roman cleared his throat. "You know, I did all the work here while you two were goofing off."

Emerald turned to him, an arm still around Neo. "Thank you, Roman," she said. "It's very sweet."

"Great," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now you owe me." He pointed a finger at Emerald and Neo. "Both of you."

Emerald scoffed and Neo stuck out her tongue. "Sure thing, Roman. I'll get right onto paying you back."

Roman's sour expression softened. "The kid wanted to know if she could stay over tonight."

Emerald looked at Neo, who was wearing a hopeful expression and nodded. Neo hugged Emerald again in thanks.

While Neo was settling herself in, Emerald walked Roman out to the front door. "This was all Neo's idea?" she asked.

"Of course," Roman replied.

"She's a good kid, Roman."

"I know."

Emerald gave Roman a quick hug. As she did so, she noticed something hanging from the light by the door. "Is that...?"

"Yeah, mistletoe," he answered, looking back at her. "A bit much?"

Emerald gazed into Roman's eyes.

He gazed back.

"Yes, absolutely, get rid of it," she said.

"Sure thing." He reached up and snatched it off the fixture and made his exit. "See you in the morning," he called over his shoulder.

"Right," she called back. "And happy holidays!"