as a present to you all, I've speed-written a little something for those who miss remikaelson (hated that). this won't affect the plot in any way, but I hope you guys enjoy a little filler chapter for the time being. chapter 31 is just around the corner. <3

-•-•-

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the compound not a creature was stirring, not even Klaus. The stockings were hung by the grimoires with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas would soon be there. The originals were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of arteries danced in their heads. And Freya her 'kerchief, and 'Lijah his hat, had just settled their brains for a long winter's nap. When down in the courtyard there arose such a clatter, they sprang from their beds to see what was the matter. Away to the stairs they flew like a flash--"

"I think I need a lobotomy," Klaus muttered with his head placed in his hands, as Remi sent him a pointed look.

"Hey - shut up, Klaus! That was a clever play on words - it took me like twenty minutes to think of," the girl replied. Her creamy hazel eyes glistened under the white Christmas lights that were scattered around the abattoir. The holiday spirit was certainly in the air.

"I enjoyed it, despite the fact I wasn't mentioned," Kol butted in, gently nudging the teen's shoulder.

"Well, I was getting there before Klaus so rudely interrupted me . . ." she teasingly drawled, eyeing the hybrid.

"Yes, how dare you, Niklaus? We were just getting to the good bit," Elijah said, though no one could really tell if he was being serious or not. A amused smirk danced on his face, and his chocolate brown eyes glanced at his younger brother.

Klaus' hands raised in mock surrender, and a chuckle escaped his lips. "Fine, fine, continue."

"As I was saying . . ." Remi cleared her throat, and resumed where she left off. 

The family continued listening, occasionally bursting out into laughter every now again at the mention of 'Santa Klaus,' which consistently earned a displeased glare from the man himself. The night drew to a close, with swift evening breezes finding their way into the compound. Minutes turned into hours, and it seemed like time began to pass freely - neither fast nor slow, steady nor stagnant. It was one of the rare moments in which they just existed. Enemies' vendettas were paused, feuds built up over hundreds of years simply put on hold. 

In a country, in a state, in a city, on a street, in a house, sat a family with a hell of a lot of issues, but a family nonetheless. And the youngest and newest addition to that family, a wide-eyed witch-girl, smiled more than she ever had before.

Remi hopped up onto the couch where Klaus and Elijah sat, their arms resting on the cushioned sides. "Was there such a thing as Christmas when you guys were kids?"

Klaus nodded. "Of course, but it wasn't nearly as festive as it is now. It was more of a chore than anything."

"Most children in our village dreaded Christmas, since it was preceded by a month of fasting. Because of our mother's status as a witch, we weren't quite a religious family. We did celebrate the holiday as to not draw any attention to ourselves, but quite frankly I much prefer today's standards of it. It's much more . . . mild; more family-oriented," Elijah explained as Remi listened intently.

"So, people fasted for a month? Did anyone die?"

"Oh yes, tons - unfortunately, it was mostly younger kids. Ironically, it was quite a depressing time of year," Rebekah replied.

"Wow, that must've been awful," Remi stated. 

Kol shrugged. "The eleventh century was a pretty wild time. A few Christmas deaths here and there weren't that bad, in all honestly," he said nonchalantly, in famous Kol fashion.

"When I was a kid we never really celebrated Christmas that much either," Remi said.

"Why's that?" Freya asked.

"I dunno. My mom was more spiritualist than Catholic, which was like the exact opposite of my aunt. Half of my life was spent watching cartoons alone on Christmas, while the other was at Rousseau's with Marcel and Cami - sometimes even Josh - helping set up the decorations," Remi chuckled. "I used to spend hours  there until my aunt came home. Its weird thinking that was only a year ago."

"That sounds lovely," Rebekah said, sharing a small smile with the girl. "I'm sure your aunt enjoyed seeing the decorations from the apartment window."

"It does," Klaus agreed. "Although my ideal holiday wouldn't have consisted of manual labor at a bar," which Remi laughed at.

"It was fun, actually. Sometimes it got really cold and Cami would make us hot chocolate."

The night grew darker, and eventually all of the conversation died down. The girl's brunette locks laid dangling off the back of the sofa, and her eyes fluttered shut every so often. The fireplace crackled as embers spewed from the flames. Christmas Eve was fading, but Remi eagerly awaited the morning.

"I give up - I'm going to bed. Thanks for the eggnog," she said drowsily, yawning as she got up from the couch. "'Night everyone."

"Don't let Kris Kringle kill you in your sleep!" Klaus shouted as she was just about near the top of the steps, before halting in place.

"Or the bedbugs, for that matter!" Elijah piped in.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Santa Klaus and Elf Elijah," Remi drawled as she slinked into her room and shut the door.

"Elf Elijah . . . I like it," Rebekah nodded.

-•-•-

Remi awoke bright and early in the morning . . . as in 2pm, but was shockingly greeted with an entirely different world. The abattoir last night was beautiful, of course, but it was as if everything had been amplified by a thousand. She excitedly hopped out of bed and ran down the hallways, but stopped in her tracks at the site before her.

Gold Christmas lights were wrapped around the staircases and bannisters, cushioned by pine tree branches and big, red bows. It was like living on the sun, but in the best way possible. Remi walked down the hallway and down the stairs, her hand occasionally grazing the decorations in awe. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was shocked to see everyone standing there, mingling amongst each other, amicably. It was a Christmas miracle, of sorts. 

"Look who finally decided to wake up," a golden-haired Camille said as a smile overtook her face, walking up to greet the girl. 

"Camille!" Remi shouted, running to give the bartender a hug. The two hadn't seen each other in months, but their embrace was soon interrupted by Marcel clearing his throat. 

"What am I - chopped liver? Don't I get a hug, too?" the vampire asked with stubbornly crossed arms over his chest. 

"Forgive me, great Marcel. How could I forget about you?" Remi giggled, before hugging him as well. "Merry Christmas, guys!"

She walked over to the other side of the room where another familiar face caught her eye. A dashing green-eyed brunette that she hadn't seen in months. "Hayley?"

The woman turned around, her widened eyes catching those of Remi. "Wow, look at you," she smiled, puling the girl into a hug. Apparently everyone was in a hugging mood today. "You look different than the last time I saw you . . . like six months ago," she chuckled. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," the girl replied sheepishly. "So do you!"

Suddenly, another familiar face appeared - a boy with dark brown hair and a flabbergasted smile. "No way - Remi?!" 

The girl spun her head around, eyes widening at him. "Josh, you're here too?" she replied, and a shocked smile appeared on her face.

"Of course! I couldn't pass up an invite to an almighty Mikaelson party," Josh stated in an obvious tone. "Oh - I see Marcel. I'll see you around, right? And don't ghost me!"

Remi rolled her eyes, letting out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright. See 'ya around, loser."

Time was at a stand-still. Tiny gusts of wind floated in through the compound entrance, and street buskers played louder than ever. Everyone was . . . happy; Remi was slightly baffled. She had never seen so many people smiling before. She didn't want to pry her eyes away, in fear that it would all vanish. 

"I didn't realize you were awake," Klaus said as he approached her, a drink in hand. His suit was illuminated by the easily eight-foot tree behind him, glistening in old-fashioned lights.

"I just woke up," she replied. "But holy crap this is an amazing party - everyone seems so jolly."

"We had to add a few last minute invitations," he replied, accompanied by an inconspicuous wink. "We couldn't just leave out Marcel, Camille, and Josh, could we?"

Remi, suddenly connecting the dots, smiled. "You mean . . ."

"It wasn't all me. Rebekah was quite persistent in forcing them to come," Klaus replied.

"I-I . . . thank you," the girl breathed out, before pulling the hybrid into a hug. The corners of his mouth twisted upwards, forming a small smile. "I'll make a mental note to thank Beks, too. Merry Christmas, Klaus."

"Of course. Merry Christmas, love."

As the day went on, so did the party. People danced, sang, ate, and drank. In fact, it lasted until the last strings of the evening, as people eventually started to say their goodbyes and trickle out. Camille was first, as she had work early in the morning; then Diego, Thierry, and the rest of the daywalkers, then Josh, and Marcel, until only Remi, Davina and the Mikaelsons were left. 

"Well, today was positively merry," Rebekah said as she leaned against a nearby wall.

Remi hummed in agreement, kicking up her feet on the coffee table, though she was intercepted by Elijah kicking them off. "Yeah, today was awesome. I don't usually do holidays, but I guess the thing about 'being around people you love' makes sense now," she said, offering a small smile. "I had a lot of fun."

Upon hearing that, it was nearly impossible to not have at least a glimmer of a smile on your face. As the Earth spun on it's axis, rotating around the sun, time elapsed. December twenty-fifth faded into the twenty-sixth at the stroke of midnight, calling forth a new day. The decorative lights were still shining, the bows were still plump, and the scent of fresh beignets were still in the air. Although Christmas was over, it's spirit still lingered. 

And isn't that what holidays are all about? No matter who or what you worship, or where you are in the world, all that truly matters is the promise that at the end of the day we are surrounded by those we love and are loved by.

And that's exactly what happened. Remi Moore began her life fighting to live, but this year she had a family who would fight for her, and she would forever do the same for them.

-•-•-

"Is she sleeping again? How is it normal for mortal teenagers to sleep this much?" Kol asked with  confusedly furrowed eyebrows. 

"She sleeps enough for us to have a schedule of who's turn it is to bring her upstairs, whenever she dozes off down her. By the way - not it!" Rebekah exclaimed, throwing her arm up in the air.

"It's fine, no need to wake her," Klaus interjected, his tone surprisingly mellow. "But I'm not getting up either. Kol, go get a blanket!"

-•-•-

sorry if this is bad!! just wanted to say thank you all for the best Christmas present I could've asked for: 100k reads. you all mean the world to me, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you ❤️❤️ I hope you all had/have a good holiday season, with whatever you celebrate(d)!!

-charlotte🎅