Odin and Avery-Joy were asleep in their separate guest bedrooms.

Paul, Karen, and Betsy left to leave Christmas stockings on neighbors' porches for fourteen minutes. They came back and opened the front door, but didn't walk inside.

Quig and Grew-Ella rushed out of a hall closet.

"What are you doing in there?" Paul asked.

"They were kissing." Betsy broke off into kissing noises and rushed into her designated room.

Karen walked in.

Grew-Ella blushed and covered her lipstick-smeared mouth with her palm. "It's a Christmas tradition for married couples to kiss in the closet."

Her father's belly raised up and down in laughter, and he almost bumped his head in the doorway, while walking in. "I'm glad you're both not sleeping on the floor anymore. Make sure you lock the door. You're my little girl, and I don't want to see anything."

Grew-Ella smiled. "Mom, why did you tell Dad about the floor thing?" She stood closer to Quig. "But you're right, I'm Quig's one, and he is mine."

He squeezed her hand. "I love you too and always."

She snuggled into Quig, her wings expanded, and they lifted each other a foot off the ground.

His wings fluttered with hers, but not in a broken and sad flight. "Wow, this is the first time I've flown since Trent attacked me."

Madd-Ox walked in from the hall.

"You're not going to work on Christmas?" Paul asked.

"Dad, I'm off hours, but I don't feel comfortable leaving my sister if Zill might show. She has spiked Grew-Ella's drinks. Junior won't come upstairs until she leaves."

Paul's smile collapsed.

An hour later, Odin and Avery-Joy woke to a breakfast of sausage burgers.

They opened one gift each. Karen handed the adults large stockings.

Betsy chased Quig and Grew-Ella with a toy rat before opening the rest of her gifts.

"I'm clearing out my home later today because I'm selling it," Odin said.

Avery-Joy kissed Odin goodbye for five minutes.

Karen and Paul giggled.

Odin blushed and covered his hands over his eyes. "We're dating." He exited the den and passed Yoleta and her guards hidden behind a guest bedroom door.

Hours passed. Grew-Ella, Quig, and Avery-Joy dragged the table and set mismatched porcelain dinnerware on top.

"Do you think Zill will come?" Paul asked.

"I hope she takes our offer, but she is late," Quig said.

"Are your sons coming?" Avery-Joy asked Karen.

"I exchanged gifts with their mother last week over hummus. They're going to meet me at the community pool section with their entire family at the aquarium tomorrow. Betsy is invited, and Dot and her nephew will be there."

They all sat at the dining table, covered with chicken nuggets and mounds of fresh salad.

Yoleta and her guards ran in, yelling at Zill and Chase, who stood off to the side.

"You didn't think we wouldn't be waiting for you. Will you sign Quig's contract?" Madd-Ox asked.

"I'm not signing anything." Zill held her laser gun to another guard's throat. She waved her weapon around, firing into a plate, shattering the rose-colored porcelain.

Chase plodded after Zill. "Grew-Ella, once we talk, you'll leave with us."

Three guards surrounded them, but Madd-Ox stumbled behind. He appeared to be falling, but he pressed a security button on the wall. Colonel Ghoul Flint formed from nothingness.

"Time is in flux because I told you too much, and this isn't part of the timeline," Flint said.

Yoleta motioned to Flint. "Stay in your spaceship. They'll be going with you."

Flint left the brownstone in a fiery light.

"We're not leaving." Zill whipped out her massive laser gun and fired at Karen's mural. "Karen, your art is simplistic. You should stick to teaching. Our weapon isn't a plaything like Yoleta or Avery-Joy carries. Next time I fire, it'll be a kill shot. We're sick of you interfering in our lives."

"You deserve a jab to the eye!" Betsy leaped from her seat, punched Zill in the left eye, grabbed her ears, and tugged. She yanked her hair, strands breaking off in clumps. "My fingers plan to rip your cotton candy hair out!" She pulled Zill's hair again.

Madd-Ox snatched the weapon and handed it off to a female guard.

Avery-Joy pried Betsy's fingers away.

Zill raised her hand to smack Betsy across her mouth, but she missed and hit the air. "You spoiled brat."

Avery-Joy raised her laser gun and fired into Zill's side twice, and she clutched Betsy with her other arm.

"Our children will be better behaved," Chase said.

Betsy took another swipe at Zill's ears. "My whole body hates you."

"She is a child. I'll take her to another room." Avery-Joy left with Betsy and ran to a bedroom, but she dropped her phone near the door and recorded everyone's conversations.

"Zill, I told you we didn't need the guns, not when we created the stronger potion to protect our interests," Chase said.

She tried to hug Grew-Ella. "Vex found out we have the power to reinstate the engagement contract."

Chase grinned. "We'll take you to court because you violated the non-disclosure agreement and told Avery-Joy Zill left you in the workhouse."

"I didn't tell, and you broke the contract by trying to give Quig reject status." Grew-Ella yanked herself away.

Chase grunted. "Quig wasn't meant to be your husband. Vex agreed to marry you on air in my beauty pageant after we fixed your appearance. Zill plans to toss you in the workhouse again if you don't do what she says. She plans to fix your appearance."

Yoleta's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't informed you held her in the workhouse until you told me. Sean-Mack is legally obligated to publish prisoner lists on his blog."

"Why did we say that out loud?" Zill asked herself.

"Quig didn't force me, Chase did, and I legally told Quig the truth," Grew-Ella said.

Karen jammed her fingers into the table to avoid screaming. "Your contract is illegal."

"Stop interfering." Chase shook, and his face reddened.

"My guards will arrest Zill, I hope," Yoleta said to the others.

"Please don't. Sean-Mack wants to murder my daughter." Paul trembled.

"Sean-Mack doesn't want to hurt Zill. My wife is too beautiful, and he knows where she is," Chase said.

Frantic guards lunged at Chase and tried to grab his weapon.

Zill dabbed her wrists with perfume. "Grew-Ella is going to come with us, but she needs extra exposure."

Chase shrugged and tucked his weapon away. "We're using a harmless anti-love potion. Quig used a magic charm to force Grew-Ella to love him."

Grew-Ella kissed Quig. "Still in love. My husband's magical charm is being a decent person and a better kisser. Wow, I don't know why I said that."

Zill dabbed her neck again.

Quig broke into uncontrollable giggles and kissed his wife. "Yoleta told you that this junk doesn't work."

"Why are you joking?" Zill asked.

Quig stammered. "I... can't help spilling my secrets. It's caused by the odd scent of whatever you used. I love Grew-Ella and can't stand to be in the same room as you." He turned to Yoleta, and his eyes widened. "I can't stop blabbing."

She smacked Chase and snatched another of his laser guns. "You moron, you mixed your concoction wrong. You created a truth serum, and it works."

Zill's eyes sparkled. "We made this potion on purpose to force Quig to confess that he doesn't love my sister. What is wrong? The serum wasn't supposed to work on me."

"The lab tech tipped me off." Yoleta grinned and punched her.