Thanks for everything, guys! I greatly appreciate it when you guys take the time to leave a note! Here's the last, it's kinda... awkward but over all I like it. Happy Whatever-you-may-be-celebrating!

"I think that's the last of it," Selphie dropped the few containers of leftovers onto the counter beside the fridge. She opened it up to put them away and frowned. "Oh, this is gonna be a pain."

Seiya and Sora laughed from the sink where they were cleaning dishes. Seiya handed her son a pot to dry and started on another. The actual tableware was in the dishwasher. "You can get it all in, Selph. I have faith in you."

"Of course!" The young woman squared her shoulders and began rearranging the refrigerator's contents.

Dinner was long over and the presents had all been handed out and opened. It was now late into the night and most of the others had gone home. Faint conversation could be heard from the living room, mostly Zell and Irvine telling random stories about Leon. Zack's loud laughter occasionally cut through the air.

"Hey, guys," Axel greeted as he and Cid entered the kitchen. The two crossed the tile floor, obviously heading for the porch for a cigarette. "How's the clean up?"

"Going well," Seiya answered easily.

"Who's still here?" Selphie asked, struggling with a towering stack of containers.

Cid was removing a cigarette from his pack and handing it to Axel. "Leon, Zack, Zell, Yuffie, Irvine, Kairi and Hayner."

Axel casually took half the stack from her and grinned down at her. "Need some help?"

"Nope but thanks!" She shoved what she still had into the fridge then took the rest from the fire-wielder and pushed those in. She triumphantly slammed the door and whirled around. "Piece of sweet cake!"

"Sephiroth and that woman disappeared 'bout a half hour ago," Cid thumbed his nose. "Don' think I wanna fuckin' know where to."

"I wonder if he's gonna let her see the wings," Axel laughed, folding his arms across his thin waist. "It's kinda scary seeing General Crazy all smitten. And for the longest time I thought he was just freaking asexual."

"I think we all did," Sora took the last dish to dry from his mother.

"I didn't," Seiya nearly sang. "I knew for a fact that he wasn't."

Selphie giggled. "I knew there was more going on there but friendship!"

"What?" Sora looked at his mom in horror. "Oh please tell me she's kidding!"

"Of course she is, baby," she assured him. "As beautiful as that man may be, I have no interest in him sexually."

"Oh, lord," Sora shivered. "Mom, I never wanna hear you talk about that kind of thing again."

Seiya wiped out the sink then turned, drying her hands on a towel. "Yes, Sora."

"So," Selphie skipped over to Axel. "How was your first Christmas?"

The spiky-redhead shrugged. "I like the presents. With all the people in this crazy group you all call a family, I don't think you'll ever be short on those."

"You're part of the crazy group now too, ya know!" Sora grinned.

"Like I could forget," Axel smirked at him. "It was cool but there are way too many happy couples. I mean, I think the five of us are the only fully single people in the bunch."

"Yeah," agreed Sora, hopping up on the counter. "I mean, I'm glad everyone's happy and all that but sometimes it's just painful, ya know?"

"Holiday's are the worse fer that," Cid tucked his cigarette pack into his shirt pocket. "Shera loved this time of year. She was always makin' a big deal of it. Actually, in a weird way bein' stuck with you loons helps."

"It's always better to not be alone this time of year," Seiya declared. "Even if you don't really do the whole Christmas thing or even the holidays in general, you should be around people who care about you. There's something… comforting about knowing you aren't by yourself."

Axel flicked his green eyes at Sora for a moment. "Roxas liked Christmas."

The nineteen-year-old perked up a little. "He did?"

"Yep, had an unhealthy obsession with snow, too," the former Nobody laughed. "You should get Dem to tell you sometime about how he and Rox got Vexen to help them make it snow in the castle."

"Inside the castle?" Selphie gaped. "Oh, that would be so pretty!"

"Well, some of us thought it was. Saix and Larx weren't too thrilled 'bout it."

"Shinra used to make a big deal of Christmas," Cid folded his arms, one hand closed around a cigarette. "In every city they had a central building and they would host a big ol' party there for all of its employees. Dunno 'bout other cities but in Rocket Town they'd set off fireworks give out toys to the kids. Shera always volunteered to help. Somehow got me to do it the year before Meteor."

"Aw, I can just see grumpy you handing out toys to little kids!" Selphie giggled. Even the other three looked amused.

"Yeah, yeah," the blond grumbled with a smile. He then tapped Axel's arm. "I thought we were goin' for a smoke."

"We are," Axel opened the back door, tossing a wave over his shoulder. "Time to face the cold in the name of addiction."

Cid shoved him forward and they disappeared onto the porch, shutting the door behind them. Selphie frowned a little, looking after them. "Do you think Cid's ever going to find someone else?"

"I don't think he wants to," Seiya brushed at her bangs. "Even though he still misses his wife, he's pretty happy with where he's at in life."

Selphie nodded. "It's still sad."

"Yeah," Sora looked down at his oversized shoes. "Penelo and I may be broken up but she still called me yesterday to say happy holidays. She may be out of my life but she isn't gone."

"That was nice of her." Seiya patted her son's leg. She knew how hard Sora had taken the girl leaving.

"Hey," Riku walked into the kitchen, gripping four empty glasses in the fingers of each of his hands. He noted the somewhat somber feeling that had come over the room and lifted a concerned eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"Just having a moment," Sora quickly cast off his downcast expression. He leapt off the counter and grinned. "Are there any cookies left out there?"

"Yeah," the silvered one replied, dropping the glasses into the sink. "Though I don't know for how long. Irvine and Zack have been hitting them hard. I think the wine is gone, too."

Axel and Cid were coming back in as he said that and Axel snapped his fingers. "If the booze is gone, that's my cue to leave."

"Actually, I was thinking about heading out," Seiya moved to rinse out the glasses Riku had brought but he shook his head and did it himself. "It's been a long day."

Nodding agreement, Selphie yawned. "Yeah, but it's been a blast!"

"Hey, where'd your bro go?" Axel asked with a small smirk.

"He and Natalia went upstairs a while ago," Riku turned away from the sink. "I don't think things are gonna turn out with them as me and Zack hoped but their happy and that's all that matters."

"In the end, that's all ya got," Cid confirmed. "Well, if you guys are headin' out, I suppose I will, too."

"Alright," Riku smiled oddly. "I'll let the others know you're leaving. Hopefully, they'll decide to go with."

Both Sora and Axel studied him a moment. Axel chuckled and shook his head. "I was wondering how long it would be before you were trying to kick everyone out."

The young man bit his lip then grinned. "Well, Cloud hasn't given me my present yet."

Cid snorted and brushed past him. "Fig'res. I'm surprised you didn't tell us all to git the second dinner was done."

"Of course not," Seiya pinched Riku's cheek. "He needed us to clean up for him."

"Now that isn't true!" Riku looked aghast at the mere thought.

"Sure it is," Axel countered. "And these suckers love you enough to do it."

Riku pouted at him but it turned into a lopsided grin. He gave Seiya a hug and addressed both her and Sora. "Thanks so much for helping out today."

"Not necessary, baby," Seiya petted his hair. "That's what family does. I'm just glad everyone had a great time."

"I think so," he said. Keeping and arm around her, he faced the doorway. "Well, if you guys are going, I'll help you get everything together."

Sora stepped over to join them, glancing back at Axel. "You coming?"

Axel nodded and added himself to the small group. He draped his arm over the brunet's shoulders. "Ya know, a guy could get used to all of this holiday shit."

Sora made a noise. "You don't know how many times I've heard that these past few years."

"Well, yeah, you've managed to turn a bunch of loners and wild cards into probably the most motley family in all the worlds."

Riku angled his head back. "And I know you just love being part of it."

"Damn right." The former Nobody grinned.