The Woodward Academy, Year 4

Chapter 7: December

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Hey, David," Simon started, "you think you could give me a little help with Potions tonight? I've got finals coming up, and I'm kind of lost."

David grimaced. "I won't be home until late tonight, so unless you want to be studying at ten o'clock..."

"That's fine with me. I'll be up until 1:00 trying to figure it out, anyway. You got a date or something?"

"No, I have to go to my apprenticeship."

Gwen said, "I thought you were done with Prof. Stott."

"I am," David said, and then gave a quick grin.

"You have another apprenticeship?" Simon asked in surprise.

"Yeah."

"Who with?"

"Prof. Blackstone."

"I get that," Gwen said with a smile. "You put the rest of us to shame with your conjuring skills."

"You guys do just fine. I just had a lot of extra work with mine. But, you know, this does make me wonder about something... I'm on my second apprenticeship... how come none of you guys has done one?"

"Nobody's asking us," Jess told him. "There are only so many teachers, and they can only apprentice one student at a time, so... you can see how many students can be apprentices. You've got to be pretty special to end up as an apprentice while you're in school."

"Oh," David said, a little embarrassed now. To hide his discomfort, he asked, "So... isn't there an in-between thing? Some kind of advanced training that's below apprenticing, but better than just going to class?"

"Sort of," Gwen said. "If you stay here long enough, the curriculum for formal classes runs out. After that, you make arrangements with specific teachers for directed study. At that point, you don't really go to class, you just have meetings with your professors like once a week, or however often they want to see you. It allows you to go at your own pace, and if your pace is faster than most people's, then you'll learn a lot more."

"Oh," David said, nodding in comprehension.

"How long you figure it'll take to reach mastery for conjuring?" Simon asked.

David shrugged. "Prof. Blackstone said two or three years."

"So you'll have it done, what, next week?" Gwen asked with a grin.

David grinned uncomfortably while the others laughed.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"David Stroud," Prof. Teller called out.

David moved away from the others, who were all standing near or leaning against the wall, and moved to the center of the room. A square had been outlined, and two short parallel lines were marked within it. David took his position behind one of the parallel lines, facing the other one.

Once David was in position, Prof. Teller called out, "Brock Xaphod Beeble."

Brock moved out of the crowd and approached the square. He took up his own position behind the remaining parallel line, facing David.

"Prepare," the professor said.

David and Brock both pulled out their staffs, enlarging them to full size. Brock held his in both hands, horizontally across his body. David held his down along his right side.

"Respect," the professor intoned.

Brock slipped his right hand to the center of his staff, let go with his left hand, and then pivoted it so that it ran along his arm and behind his back, exposing his entire body. David assumed a similar position by merely twisting his wrist and lifting his arm slightly. Once both had opened themselves up, they each bowed ever so slightly to the other.

"Guard!" the professor snapped, the tension increasing a bit. Brock quickly returned to his original posture, his staff level across his body. David slipped his left foot back and moved his right arm in a circle, bringing the free end of his staff around so that he could grasp it in his left hand. He ended up with his right hand forward and high, his left hand back and low. His eyes focused on Brock's.

The professor let them stand that way for a count of five, then he said, "Begin!"

Brock immediately lunged forward, swinging his staff forward with his left hand, as he was left-handed.

David immediately stepped out with his left foot while pivoting to his right. He brought his staff almost vertical at the same time, blocking Brock's attack. David pushed downward with the front of his staff, forcing Brock's left hand low, his right hand high, exposing his right side. Once David's staff was nearly horizontal, he brought his right hand back and his left hand forward, swinging the staff hard into Brock's exposed ribs. Brock tumbled to the ground from the impact. Though the magic of the square prevented any serious injury, it allowed enough of the pain to remain that there was real incentive not to get hit. Brock groaned as he lay on the floor.

David waited while Brock struggled back to his feet, and then they both returned to their lines.

Brock tried two more times to get inside on David, and nearly made it the last time, but David adjusted quickly, side-stepping so that Brock just missed. Unfortunately for Brock, that had put him in an extremely bad place, and David's counterattack put him on the ground once more.

"Time!" the professor called. David and Brock returned to their lines.

"Respect," the professor said, and the two competitors repeated that maneuver.

"Dismissed."

David and Brock shook hands, and then they left the square.

"Daniel Proust," the professor called out. After Daniel had taken position in the square, the professor called, "Devyn."

David paid close attention to this fight. He knew that he would eventually be paired off against Devyn, and he wanted to make sure he was ready for that, so he always watched her sparring very closely, to see if she had any weaknesses.

Today, he saw damned little that would help. Devyn had put Daniel on the ground and kept him there, not allowing him to return to his feet. It was an allowed tactic, but it was generally considered dishonorable behavior in sparring.

Not that Devyn gives much of a shit about what anyone else thinks is appropriate behavior...

Once the sparring had finished up, the professor said, "All right, that's that. Now, everyone line up for solo routine. We'll start with Seven Stars. Brock, you will call out. Begin."

It was Brock's job to keep time by calling out the names of the steps involved in the drill. The professor had chosen him because he knew that Brock knew all the steps. As Brock called out each step, the class moved in unison, except for those who hadn't learned the drill well enough.

After Seven Stars, the professor had them go through Sun and Moon, and then The Ten Zombie Attack, which, unlike the other routines, was done with their swords instead of their staffs.

Finally, Prof. Teller said, "Everyone line up, at rest."

The class formed into its usual rows and columns, taking a relaxed posture.

"This concludes your final exam. I will say that everyone passed." There was a universal sigh of relief about that. "Any specific comments will be included on your grade report. Now, come to attention... Respect... and you are dismissed."

As David was heading for the showers, he saw someone waving at him. He looked, to see Mr. Garibaldi. He headed over that way.

"Hey, Joe, what's up?"

"There's been another theft. You said you wanted in on the investigation, so let's go."

"Uh... you mind if I shower and change, first? I'm a bit gross..."

Joe grinned. "Okay, I suppose. Don't take too long."

-----

As they were riding down on the rock lift, David asked, "So, what was taken this time?"

"I don't actually know yet. Vivian is guarding the room, but we haven't been inside. I figured there was little point in us having to do it all twice."

"Makes sense, I guess. In Griffin Dorm again?"

"Yeah. This is the first repeat."

"Wonder why he's avoiding Pegasus Dorm."

"We don't know that he is. Could be just a coincidence."

"True. Hard to make a pattern out of only four events."

"Yeah. Hey, why were you having a final exam the week before Finals Week?"

"Prof. Teller doesn't want his students to have to take a physical exam in the middle of the fatigue-inducing stress of Finals Week."

"Nice of him."

"I thought so."

As they stepped off the rock lift, David took note of how muddy the entrance to Griffin Dorm was. The snow on the ground had made everything a soggy mess. He felt bad for the brownies who had to clean it all up.

They turned the corner into the hallway, and saw Vivian standing with three students outside the second door down. She smiled when she saw them.

"Hello, David," she said warmly.

"Hey, Officer Columbo."

"David... how come you're here?" one of the students asked curiously.

"I've asked to be part of the investigation," David said. "Is that a problem?"

All three shook their heads negatively. "I was just wondering," the girl who had asked him said.

David nodded, and then turned to Garibaldi, who opened the door. He was about to step inside, when David grabbed his coat to stop him.

"What?" Garibaldi asked, somewhat annoyed.

David pointed down. On the floor, just inside the doorway, was a muddy footprint.

"So what? There's muddy footprints all over the place."

David looked at Vivian, who rolled her eyes and smiled at David. She had already gotten it. David looked back to Joe, and then pointed at the three girls who were standing behind them.

"Look at their feet."

Joe glanced at their feet, and immediately got the point. The shoe print was far too big to have come from any of them. Joe asked, "Has anyone else been in the room today?"

They all shook their heads.

"We need a ruler," David said.

"What for?" Vivian asked.

"Well, unless you guys have some other technique for recording this footprint, we need to take an image of it, don't we?"

"Yes, but what's the ruler for?"

"Size. You set the ruler next to the footprint, and then you have a record of how big it is."

"Oh, I see. I... don't happen to have a ruler on me, do you?"

"I don't even own one," David said.

"I have one," one of the girls said. "But... it's in there."

"Where?"

"On my desk. The middle one, do you see it?"

David nodded.

"But you can't go in there," Garibaldi objected. "You might disturb the footprint."

David grinned. "No, you can't go in there. I, on the other hand..." with that, David faded to ghost form, and walked through the wall, avoiding the doorway altogether. He grabbed the ruler, and then walked back through the wall into the hallway, handing the ruler to Garibaldi.

"There are advantages to my condition," David said. The girls all giggled.

Garibaldi smirked, and then carefully set the ruler down next to the footprint. All three of them took an image with their wands, making sure that there would be a record of it. After that, they moved into the room.

"What did they steal?" David asked the girls.

"I had this really pretty clock. It was two unicorns reared up, facing each other, on a crystal base. The clock was set between the unicorns."

"What was it worth?"

"It was a gift, so I don't really know. I'd estimate it was at least a hundred granas or so."

Another girl said, "They stole my notes for my TEM final. Plus a set of InkyQuills."

"Anything special about the InkyQuills?" Vivian asked.

The girl shrugged. "They were nice ones, with dyed feather tips."

"What about you?" Garibaldi asked the third girl.

"I lost a whole bunch of jewelry, and the jewelry box it was in."

"Value?" Garibaldi asked.

"Several hundred granas, all together," she said.

"Can you get us a list of what was in there?" Vivian asked.

"I can try," the girl confirmed.

After that, Garibaldi asked the three girls to step into the hallway, while they investigated.

"See anything?" Garibaldi asked David.

"No... I'd imagine the two clues we got are all we're going to get here."

"Two?" Vivian asked. "What did we get other than the footprint?"

"You didn't catch it? Joe?"

"No idea what you're talking about," Joe admitted.

"The notes for TEM class. This is the first time, in four thefts, that the guy's taken anything class-related. That can't be a coincidence."

"Shit," Joe said, mainly at himself for missing the obvious. After they had checked for prints and thoroughly looked through the room, finding nothing more, they went back into the hallway.

"Which TEM class are you in?" Garibaldi asked.

"101, with Prof. Van Titan," she replied.

"Okay," Garibaldi asked. "You can go back in now. We'll be in touch if we get any information for you."

"Right," one of the girls said. "You guys haven't found squat before. Face it, our stuff's just gone."

The girls went into their room, and the three investigators walked out of the dorm. On the ride up the lift, Garibaldi said, "So, we're looking for a TEM 101 student. Probably in Van Titan's class, because the notes wouldn't necessarily apply to someone else's exam."

"Well," David said, not wanting to narrow it down quite that closely. "We know that our thief has use for TEM 101 notes. It doesn't necessarily mean he's in that class. He might know someone in that class. This seems a little advanced for a first-year student. So, if it is a TEM 101 student, maybe look at the ones who have been at the school for a couple years already."

Garibaldi nodded agreement. "Well, we'll let you get to dinner. I'll keep you apprised if we find anything more out. If you think of anything new, give me a shout."

"All right. Say hi to Zyla and Grace for me."

"Will do."

"Vivian, nice to see you again."

Vivian smiled at him warmly. With that, he headed off for dinner.

-----

Later that evening, as David was doing his homework, Jim turned to him. "So, you're turning into a cop now?"

"Huh?"

"You're investigating with the Rimohrs."

"I don't like being blamed for things I'm not doing. Even with my name positively cleared, Aaron and the other troublemakers are still spreading rumors about me. The only way to stop that is to find the real criminal."

"Don't you think you've got enough to do already? Seven classes, a new apprenticeship... you've got finals all next week... do you really need to take on even more work?"

David shrugged. "Maybe not, but I'm not going to let this bastard get away with stealing shit from students and then blaming it on me. Besides, it'll make for great articles for the Crier."

Jim frowned. "So you're doing it for the publicity?"

David snorted. "I won't even mention myself in the articles. But being there at the scene, being involved, will make the articles much easier to write."

"Wouldn't that jeopardize the investigation?"

"I'm not going to write anything that would do that. How dumb do you think I am? I want this motherfucker caught."

"Okay... I just think you're taking on too much stuff."

"My grades are doing okay," David said.

Jim shrugged. "It's your unlife, man," Jim said.

David smirked. Jim occasionally used that joke on him. Slipping a pixie stick in his mouth, he returned to his review sheets.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"All right... David, if you'd join me in the side room?" Prof. Zoroaster asked. David flipped his exam parchment over and walked over to the side. They entered the room together, and the professor closed the door. On a table near the door was a hat, covered with a silk cloth that had a slit stitched into it.

"If you would, reach into the hat and pull out one of the chips within."

David reached in, and pulled out a yellow chip.

"Oh-oh. You've selected the mental divination chip. Go ahead and put it back in, and we'll begin." After David had slipped the chip back into the hat, the professor said, "Okay, now, if you'll come over here to this nifty little contraption..."

The device the professor was referring to sat on a table. Its basic shape was that of a "T". At the end of each arm was mounted a plate. On each plate were two buttons. David looked at the device quizzically.

"Confounding, isn't it?" Prof. Zoroaster asked with a grin. "This is a speed test. On each attempt, I will choose one or the other of the buttons on my side. I will wait a certain amount of time, and then I will press the button. As the test progresses, the amount of time before I press the button will get shorter. What you have to do is to press the same button on your side before I press the one on my side. When we press our buttons, a little flag comes out of that side of the plate. If our flags match, you got it right. Do you understand?"

"So, if you press your right-hand button, I am actually supposed to press my left-hand button, is that right? So that the flags come out facing each other, rather than opposing?"

"That is correct. Any other questions?"

"Will you tell me how much time I have?"

"No."

"Ouch," David said with a grin. The professor smiled back at him.

"Ready?"

David took a deep breath and centered his thinking. "I think so."

"Very good. The test begins... now."

David tried not to concentrate too hard, because he knew that would actually make this more difficult. As soon as he felt he had it, he pressed the right-hand button. The flag popped out of his plate. A second or two later, the professor pressed his button, and the flags matched.

"Professor," David asked quickly, "What's to keep you from changing your mind once you see my flag?"

The professor grinned. "I have pre-determined which button I will press. My side contains a magical list that tells me which button to press. I am not making any decisions at this time. Shall we continue?"

David nodded, and the professor said, "Go."

For the next five minutes, David tried to discern the professor's intent. Mostly, he got it right. The last few, however, went so fast that he barely had time to focus, let alone time to act.

"Okay, that's all," the professor said finally. "You did very well. Amazingly well, actually."

"Can anyone do it as fast as those last few?"

"Prof. Dartson can. He's the only one I've ever seen do it."

"What's his secret?"

"Damned if I know," Prof. Zoroaster said with a grin. "You, however, are quite good. Nothing to be ashamed of, and certainly an A on your practical exam. Go ahead and finish your written."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Professor?"

"Yes, David?" Prof. Blackstone asked in response.

"Am I supposed to have had a final exam? Because you tested everyone else on Monday, but... um... I was helping you, so I never got tested."

Prof. Blackstone chuckled. "You're the only person I've ever met who would remind his professor that he hasn't been tortured yet."

David chuckled in embarrassment.

Prof. Blackstone pulled out a box and opened it. He pulled out a set of matryoshka dolls, taking them apart and setting each one on the table, facing David.

"Okay, I imagine you've already guessed. Your job is to put them back in the box."

David grimaced. The only way they'd fit in the box, of course, was if they were all nested again.

"Do you care in which order I conjure them?"

"No, I don't, but how does it matter?" Prof. Blackstone asked knowingly.

"If I conjure largest to smallest, I'm only moving one at a time. If I conjure smallest to largest, I have to conjure the smallest one seven times."

Prof. Blackstone smiled. "Good thinking. As I said, you may do it whichever way you wish."

Knowing that the task was going to be hard enough as it was, David decided to go from largest to smallest. Conjuring the largest one into the box wasn't overly difficult, as the box had a little bit of wiggle room, and since the box lid was removed, he could see where it was he was trying to go. The next one, however, would be the beginning of the real challenge, as he had virtually no margin for error at all.

Over the next five minutes, David managed to conjure all seven of the dolls back into the box. Once finished, he slumped back, mentally exhausted.

Prof. Blackstone pulled the dolls back out of the box, separating them once again. He did this to verify that David had, in fact, conjured them correctly, and that none of them were accidentally joined together now. Once all seven dolls were sitting on the desk again, Prof. Blackstone looked at him.

"This is actually the final exam for next semester's class. You just passed with flying colors. Now do you understand why I asked you to be my apprentice?"

David grinned slightly. "Yes, sir. And thank you."

"I know we've been slow getting started with your apprenticeship. We will begin working in earnest once you come back from break. Your Conjuring class for next semester has been changed with the registrar's office. You are no longer a student, you are now officially a teaching assistant."

"Yes, sir."

"How far have you read in this year's book?"

"I'm about three-quarters the way through it."

"I had a feeling you might be a ways ahead. Have you had any questions?"

"No, sir, not really. I haven't actually tried most of what I've read about, but it seems straightforward enough."

"I think some of your classmates would like to have you lynched for even thinking such a thing," Prof. Blackstone said with a chuckle. "But it's good that you do understand it. Anyway, have a good Yuletide, and we'll get back to it when you return."

"Yes, sir. Good Yule to you, too."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

The group was together for breakfast, eating their last meal before heading home for the winter break. Jim, of course, was still sitting with his girlfriend. David had asked if Jim was going to spend Yule with her, and he had confirmed that he was. David just wondered with a smile when the wedding announcement was going to be made.

In addition to the regulars, several family members had joined the group. Aunt Shandra was there to pick up Olissa, and of course, Denise was there to pick up the Hasterscant kids, as well as David, who would be spending Yule with them. Currently, the discussion was about how the semester had gone.

"And how did you do this semester, David?" Aunt Shandra asked.

"A's," he said.

"I don't know how the hell you do it," Flo admitted. "I work my butt off, and can't get all A's."

"No, your butt's still there, trust me," David said with a grin and a wink. Flo blushed. More seriously, David said, "I've got more time to study, you know that. It really does make a difference."

"I guess."

Simon and Heath were the first to head off, as they were meeting Heath's family down in town. Simon was staying with them for Yule.

After a while, Flo got up. "I need to get going. The coach leaves in an hour." Reaching down, she picked up the box that had been sitting on the bench next to her, and she shoved it over to David. "Merry Christmas. I know it's way early, but I wanted to see you open it."

David grinned, and then he carefully unwrapped the box. The box was wooden, and opened from the side, almost like a door. Once he opened the "door", out pranced a crystal pegasus. It stretched its wings, flapped them a few times, and trotted around the table. David crouched down to look at it, and it came over to him, rearing up, and showing off for him, flapping its wings again, and waving its front hooves in the air.

"It's incredible," David said, almost in awe. "I fucking love magic."

Those at the table laughed. Flo had come around the table. "I thought you might like it," she said.

"I do," he replied, standing to face her. "Thank you. Um... how do I get it back in the box?"

Flo chuckled. "It'll listen to you, just like a real peg. It doesn't make any sounds, though. So, just... tell it to go back in the box."

"Does it have a name?"

"I named it Muffin," she said, and winked.

"Uh-huh," David said, getting the joke immediately. Turning to the figurine, David said, "Okay, Muffin, back in the box."

The pegasus pranced in a circle, folded its wings, and then slowly walked back into the box, its head down.

"I don't think it likes the box very much," Olissa said.

"Don't worry, it won't spend much time in there once I get back from break." David turned to Flo. "Thank you so much for this. I got you something, too, but it's back in my room. I was going to post it to you."

"That's fine," she said cheerily. "I'll just have one more thing to open on Christmas. Have a good Yuletide," she told him. She leaned in and kissed him warmly, then she looked around. "Pickles! Where'd you get off to?"

"I think he's playing with Peanut," Ellie said. "Yeah, there they are, over there," she said, pointing to an empty table where the squirrels were chasing each other and mock-fighting.

"Pickles, stop flirting! It's time to go."

Pickles chittered something that sounded obscene, even for a squirrel, and then he head-butted Peanut and bounded over, climbing up Flo and settling into his usual spot. Flo shook her head in bemusement, waved to the others, and headed out.

"We should be going, too," Aunt Shandra told Olissa. Olissa nodded, and then she got up and came over to David.

"I never asked... What're you doing this year?" she asked. "Staying with Prof. Stott again?"

David motioned to Gwen. "I'm staying with Gwen's family."

"Oh? Well, good. Have a great Yule."

"You, too. Your presents will be waiting when you get home."

Olissa smiled, absently rubbing her left hand over the slave bracelet on her right arm. She virtually never took it off.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I'll make sure to send yours to Gwen's house." She hugged David and gave him a long kiss. Finally, she let him go. "See you in a few weeks."

"Take care."

Olissa and her aunt headed out, and David sat back down at the table.

"Do we need to go soon?" David asked.

Denise shook her head. "We're not even leaving today. I figured we'd take the time to do some last-minute shopping, let you get all of your presents sent off to their various people, and relax a little. We'll take the early-morning coach to Bellamy tomorrow."

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I should probably get everything packed up."

"Need some help?" Denise asked.

"It might be a bit crowded in my room with all of us," David said with a grin.

"Well, I wasn't offering for everybody," Denise said. "The girls can go down into town and buy me a Christmas present."

"Subtle, Mom," Gwen said with a chuckle.

Denise smiled at her daughter, feigning innocence.

"I'm not going to pass up the company," David said, knowing damned well that she had no interest in helping him pack.

"Are we staying at the Slyther Inn?" Gwen asked.

"Yes."

"We can meet down there for lunch. That should give us plenty of time to do our Christmas shopping, and I'm sure David will have all his stuff done by then."

"What are we going to do all afternoon?" Anne asked.

Denise shrugged. "There's got to be something to do in Gorumshead, and we'll find it."

-----

David had been quite right about Denise's motives. She had been naked before he'd finished walking to his bedroom. The two had spent a solid hour enjoying each other.

"It's going to be tough for us to do this kind of thing at your house," David told her. "All those people there all the time..."

"I know," she said, frowning slightly. "But I will think of something."

David grinned at her. "We should really get on that whole packing thing now," he said. She blushed, and then nodded, and they got up to get dressed.

-----

"I'm going to miss you," Giendia said. After taking care of all the packing and mailing, and then having lunch with the girls, David had decided he couldn't pass up his last opportunity to see Giendia before she left for boot camp, so he had excused himself around mid-afternoon and gone to the village looking for her. It was now nearing sunset, and she and David were in their "special" place in the forest. They had just enjoyed a long, slow session of lovemaking, and were now just resting together, enjoying each other's company for awhile.

"I'm gonna miss you, too," David told her. "You're very special to me."

Giendia blushed, and laid her head on his shoulder. He held her gently, rubbing her back softly.

When she looked back up at him, she said, "I'm glad you were able to come see me to say good-bye again, but I thought last weekend was going to be our last time."

"I didn't expect to still be here today, but the people I'll be staying with for winter break aren't going back home until tomorrow. Since I had the chance, I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to be with you again."

She ran her hand along his face, then kissed him. "I think I love you, David," she told him.

"You're not sure?" he asked with a good-natured chuckle.

"Well, I've never been in love before, so no, I'm not really sure. Not that it makes a difference, since I'm going away for at least two years..."

David kissed her softly. "I love you, too," he said. "And while we can never have a truly normal relationship, you will always be welcome in my life," he told her.

Giendia smiled tearily. They kissed again for a long time before she finally carried David back to Gorumshead on her back. She kissed him again before they said their final farewells, and she turned and galloped away.

-----

After dinner, the Hasterscants and David simply sat around their table, enjoying the atmosphere at the pub. They were joking and chatting about various things. Denise had gotten the girls caught up on things that had happened at home, and with their brothers, and the girls talked about their interesting experiences at school.

Ellie was coming back from the bathroom when the only unpleasant thing of the night happened. She was accosted by a drunken man, who grabbed her by the arm and wouldn't let go.

"Let's dance!" he said, his voice slurred, and his movements jerky and uncoordinated.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Ellie demanded.

"Oooh, tough girl!" the man taunted. "What're you gonna do if I don't?"

"I'm going to deck your halls," she told him.

"Whu...?" the man started to ask in confusion. He was interrupted when Ellie's knee connected extremely forcefully with his groin. The man yelped in serious pain, and dropped to the ground.

"Sorry," Ellie said, "I meant deck your balls. Fa la la la la, motherfucker." With that, she turned and walked away.

As she sat down at the table, David said with a grin, "Nice."

Ellie blushed and took a sip of her mead.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

The coach trip the next day was blessedly uneventful, and they arrived at the Hasterscant house in time for a waiting dinner, a welcome cup of hot cocoa, and bed. David felt just a little weird, as he gave every female in the house at least a hug. All but Anne got kisses, as well, and one of those kisses lasted for a full minute.

"I missed you last night," Denise said. "How come you didn't slip into my room when we all went to bed?"

David got a crooked look on his face. "Um... someone else requested my attention last night."

"Oh," she said with a grin and a bit of a blush. Suddenly, she said, "One of my daughters?"

David chuckled. "No." It had, in fact, been Bonnie who had desired some company.

"I know you've slept with Gwen. Have you slept with either of the other two?"

David bit his bottom lip. "I'm not sure it's my place to answer that question."

"You realize you're answering it by not answering it, though, right?"

"I realize that it will certainly make you think that," David said, smiling.

"Oh, now that's just mean," she told him. David chuckled.

"Would you object if I did?" David asked.

"Not in the least. But I wouldn't want to make you break any commitments."

"Well, I will say that I am not cheating on anyone by spending time with you."

"That's good enough for me," she said, and kissed him passionately again.

"If you insist on keeping your secret from the family, you're going to have to be careful doing that..." David warned her. "Especially since I'm not likely to stop you."

She blushed, and then frowned. "I know. I'm working on it. I'm not going to have you around for four weeks without us being able to be together, dammit!" she said in a hoarse whisper.

David smiled, and then he kissed her once more. "Good night, Denise. See you in the morning."

"Good night. Oh! Before I forget, don't use the downstairs shower. It's broken and we can't... um, well, we haven't been able to have it fixed."

David looked at her for a brief moment, and then he nodded. "Okay. Good night."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

Denise had not found a solution to their privacy problem before the Yule Festival began a few days later. At breakfast time on the Day of Reflection, David came in from the backyard, where he'd been building a snowman army to pass the time. He had used all of the snow in the yard, and had made a dozen dwarf snowmen, four regular snowmen, and one giant, standing twelve feet tall. He'd had to use a levitation spell to assemble that one.

David found Denise in the kitchen, beginning preparations for the meal.

"Good morning," he said to her, standing close, but not touching her, just in case one of her daughters came in.

"Well, hi there. I was wondering where you were off to."

"I was creating minions in the backyard," he said with a grin.

"Oh? Well, we'll just see about that later," she said with a tone of friendly challenge. "Breakfast will be in about fifteen minutes. Well, if anyone else gets up by then, anyway."

"Roy isn't up yet?"

"No, he likes to sleep in when he gets the chance."

"And the girls aren't up?"

"No..." she said, a question forming on her face.

"Then it's safe to do this..." he said, and he pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, his tongue quickly entering and exploring her mouth. She melted against him, and they remained that way for a very long moment, before they finally pulled apart.

"Happy Yule," David said with a grin.

"Hmm," she replied. "Horny Yule, more like it..." she whispered.

"That I don't think we safely have time for," he told her.

"Not the way I want it, we don't," she informed him. "So go see if you can roust the girls for me, would you?"

"Sure thing."

The morning passed by uneventfully. The family talked with each other and the few relatives that dropped by for short visits. David mostly sat in the corner of the living room, minding his own business. He didn't know the relatives to even say hi to them, and only one even came over to talk with him. The young girl, who couldn't have been more than eight or nine, asked a lot of questions about demighosts, which David answered politely and as truthfully as he could.

After lunch, it was just the family again, and they all gathered once more in the living room. Roy brought out their Remember Orb, which was not as ornate as the one that Dean Lengel owned, but David was sure it did the job just fine. David leaned back into his chair as Roy began the chant. The colors swirled in the orb, and David felt himself drawn into them, his mind clearing of all thoughts.

The first memory that came to David was of his first sexual encounter with Lise. He smiled, mentally, remembering. Most of the memories that followed were about her, and David watched them slowly, enjoying the experiences again.

When the time came for him to relive the fight with the merlats, David slowed the memory down. He watched the fight in exquisite detail. He was trying to decide if there was any way he could have prevented what happened to Jailla. He could, of course, have blasted all of the merlats into oblivion from the very beginning, as he had ultimately done, but it was against school policy, and he'd have gotten in trouble for it.

Still, had I known what was going to happen, I'd have done it anyway.

Once the fight passed by, David enjoyed watching Lise flatten Prof. Quayde again. The scene in Dean Lengel's office was a further high point.

Then, as things moved on, David saw his last moment with Lise. His throat closed and tears came to his eyes, even now, as he watched the scene play out. He still missed her, he knew, and he should not have completely broken contact with her as he had done. It was necessary, at first, so that they both could heal somewhat, but he'd let it go too long.

As the memories moved on, David relived his travels through Callamandia, working on his potions, and then through Mirelia, spending time with Olissa. He wished she felt the same way about him as he felt about her, but she didn't, and so he accepted from her what she offered.

The fall semester passed by quickly. Though it had been an interesting time, with new things to learn and even a new apprenticeship, it had all happened too recently to need much rehashing.

When David came to the end, he decided to go back and watch his trip through Mirelia again. He was wondering if there were any clues to what had been bothering Olissa during that trip.

Was it our night at the Sea of Light? She seemed okay right after, but maybe it started to bother her later... She said it was her visions, but what could she have seen that would have been that disturbing?

Ultimately, David came to no conclusion about Olissa, and he let his Remembrance Rite terminate. He awoke to an empty room. He had apparently taken far longer than anyone else to complete his ritual. He rose, stretching a bit, as he was stiff, and headed out towards the kitchen. He realized that it was already getting dark.

Just how long was I under? he wondered to himself.

David found Denise in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

"Hey," she said warmly. "Finished?"

"Yeah. How long was I out?"

"Five hours or so."

"Wow. It didn't seem like that long."

"It never does."

"Is everyone off doing things?"

"The girls are upstairs. Roy went over to visit a friend."

David nodded. "What're you up to?"

"Just getting the sausage ready for dinner."

"Need some help?"

"Need? No, but I'll take it anyway, because I like your company."

David smiled at her, and started to wash and peel the potatoes as directed.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

The next morning, the family rose lazily, as they had the day before. David and Denise had prepared breakfast for them, and everyone was a bit more animated than the day before. The Day of Celebration was much more fun and action-filled than the Day of Reflection.

"So, I guess these are getting to be old hat for you, eh, David?" Roy asked.

David shook his head. "This is only my second Day of Celebration."

"But you're a fourth-year student," he objected.

"Well, my first year, I was in jail at this point. And last year, I was helping Mrs. Garibaldi with her newborn baby."

"Mrs. Garibaldi?" Roy asked. David explained about the Garibaldis while everyone ate their breakfast.

"So," David began when everyone was nearing the end of their meal, "how does the Day of Celebration go here in Bellamy?"

"Much like anywhere else," Denise told him. "Games, contests, lots of joking around and playing."

"And free food!" Ellie added in enthusiastically.

"Now, Ellie, how many times do we have to remind you, that food's there for the less fortunate..."

"Well," she said with a frown, "if I'm hungry, I'm less fortunate than those who aren't..."

The others chuckled, and her mother shook her head tolerantly.

-----

The family walked to the central square, where most of the activities were taking place.

"Do you ever wear something different?" Denise asked. David was, of course, wearing his school uniform.

"No. I own five sets of this uniform, plus my dress uniform. I don't see much reason to wear something else. Why?"

Denise shrugged. "Just, your wardrobe's kind of boring."

David laughed. "I own other clothes, but I generally only wear them in Earth, where no one knows what this uniform means, anyway."

"You're very proud of being at the Academy, aren't you?" Roy asked.

"It's my home," David said simply. "And very nearly my family."

"You'll have to find a new 'home' after the end of the year," Gwen told him. "You know, when you can actually live here officially."

David actually stopped walking for a second. He cocked his head, and then shrugged and moved on.

"What?" Denise asked.

"Nothing. I just realized that it's entirely possible that I already own a home."

"Oh?" Gwen asked.

"Jacob transferred his entire estate to me. I can only assume he owned a house somewhere... but I've never asked about it, and he might have had it sold off at some point, anyway, since he would have no need of it."

"Just how rich are you?" Ellie asked.

"Eleanor!" Denise scolded, scandalized by the blunt inquiry.

David chuckled at the chastened look on Ellie's face.

"The only useful answer here is, rich enough that I don't have to worry about it," David told her. "I let the guy that Jacob was using handle the nit-picky details."

"Like whether or not you own a house? That's a nit-picky detail?" Anne asked.

David shrugged. "It is if you can't live in it anyway."

"Uh-huh," she said, unconvinced.

When the family reached the town square, they saw hundreds of people were already out and about. It looked as if nearly the entire town had shown up.

"So, what shall we do first?" Roy asked.

-----

"I still think that snowball fight was rigged," Roy said good-naturedly. "You had a ringer on my team!"

David spread his hands theatrically. "Can I help it if Gwen likes me? I mean, it's not like she tripped you on purpose..."

Everyone laughed at that.

"You won at the ice skating race..." David offered.

Roy smiled. "Yeah, I've always been quick on skates."

As they ate, sitting at an outdoor table, David looked over to a competition currently going on. The competitors started at the top of a large jump ramp made of snow, sitting on a flexible toboggan. They would slide down the ramp, and as they left the jump, they would let go of the toboggan. A magically propelled discus, made of ice, flew across their path. Their primary objective was to catch the discus, but the more style and flair they displayed, the higher their score would be. David watched as one girl grabbed the disk, then did a double somersault before finally landing safely in a large and soft pile of loose snow, placed there to cushion her landing. Her score was a 22 out of a possible 30.

"Wanna try?" Roy said, seeing David's gaze.

"Absolutely not," David said with a grin. "I see no need to make a fool of myself in public."

"How about some cross-country skiing?" Anne asked. "Dad and I are entered..."

"I'm not terribly athletic," David told her. "But I do wish you good luck."

"So, what shall we do while they're busy sweating their tails off?" Denise asked.

"I'm sure we'll find something," Gwen said.

-----

"It's looking very nice," David said to Ellie, who was concentrating on her design. She had entered herself into the snowflake design competition, and David was watching her work. Denise and Gwen had gone off to a snowman-building contest.

"Mom asked me about you and me," Ellie said quietly as she continued to work. She was using a special wand to make a layer of ice on top of a block of snow, creating what she hoped would be a truly unique and beautiful design.

"What about us?" David asked.

"She wanted to know if I had slept with you."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I asked her why she wanted to know."

David chuckled. "And what did she say to that?"

"She claimed she was just curious. So I told her to ask you. She said she already had, and that you had told her to ask me. Why in the world did you tell her to ask me?"

"I didn't, as such. I told her, when she asked, that it wasn't my place to answer the question, and that if she wanted to know, she would have to ask you."

"Well, I didn't answer her, either. But I'm pretty sure she can figure that out for what it is."

"Probably."

"What's really going on with you and Mom?"

David sighed inaudibly. "You've already gotten the answer to that question, Ellie."

"Not really..."

"Well, you've gotten the only answer you're going to get, then."

Ellie frowned briefly, then went back to her snowflake.

-----

As the family was heading home, they were all excited that Ellie had won the snowflake design contest. She was carrying her prize in its box. It was a solid replica of her snowflake design.

As they walked slowly, David sensed something heading toward him. He turned just in time to avoid the snowball that was whizzing at him. The thrower was someone with whom he was far too familiar.

"Get the hell out of my town, Stroud!" Marcus snarled.

"Markie! Hey!" David said in syrupy solicitousness. "Hey, you found a new school to go to yet?"

David watched in pleasure as Marcus' face changed to a livid purple shade.

"You son of a..." Marcus started, pulling his wand.

"Oh, please," David said, mocking. "You sucked when you were actually training. I'm sure you're rusty by now."

Marcus stood there in rage, his wand held low. Suddenly a taller man appeared at his side.

"What's the problem, Marcus? Oh. What do you want, Hasterscant?"

"Nothing from you, Savolar," Roy replied. "We were simply returning home when that delinquent you call a son assaulted David."

"David... ah, this would be the abomination, then."

"Try looking in a mirror sometime if you're looking for abominations," David shot back.

"Don't speak to me," Mr. Savolar said.

"Or what?" David challenged. "You'll hurt me? If you're not any better than your son, that's not really much of a threat, now is it?"

"How dare you!" Mr. Savolar said. He reached into his coat and yanked out his wand with vehemence. Suddenly, however, the snow beneath him and his son rippled and shuddered, and they were both quickly on their backs, looking up at the sky, the victims of David's aquamandy.

David walked over to Mr. Savolar, placed his foot on the man's throat, and then bent down, picking up the wand that lay beside his hand.

"I don't have to take this crap from you," David told him. "I put up with your son's shit for the sake of the dean, not because I wasn't able to deal with him." With that, David snapped Mr. Savolar's wand in half, watching it spark and sparkle violently. He dropped both halves on the ground, one on either side of where Mr. Savolar lay. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You strike me as someone who is very long on mouth, and very short on ability, so I would advise you to leave me alone, before I actually start getting nasty."

David did not expect a response. Mr. Savolar could not have given one with David's foot pressed tightly against his throat, anyway. He stared into the man's eyes, and Mr. Savolar shrank in on himself, unable to face up to the glare of an angry undead man. After a second, David turned and walked away, back to the Hasterscants.

All of the Hasterscants gave the Savolars one last look, and then they turned and left the square, heading for home.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

As usual, Denise was the first of the family to rise in the morning. She found David sitting in the backyard, watching Jailla play chase with another bird. She sat down beside him.

"Just how boring is your time here?" she asked.

David looked over at her quizzically.

"You spend half your night awake, with absolutely nothing to do. And, other than the festival activities, you don't actually have things you can do during the day, either. I mean, personally I love our chats, but be honest, you'd rather be somewhere else, wouldn't you?"

"Like where?" David asked.

"Maybe back with your professor friend?"

David frowned. "Sam and I don't see each other much anymore. I think I've talked to her... maybe three times since I achieved Mastery. And even if I was with her, I wouldn't have a whole lot to do. Semester breaks are always boring for me, because right now, all my interests are school-related. Why are you so concerned about it?"

"I feel guilty for asking you to come here," she admitted. "I wanted you here for a very selfish reason... one we haven't even been able to fulfill, anyway... and I just worry that I've sentenced you to a month of boredom."

"Is this part of your Day of Redemption?" David asked knowingly.

Denise blushed. "Yeah, kind of."

"Well, don't let it worry you. This is my third Yuletide outside of prison so far, and it's no more boring than the first two."

Denise sighed. "Well, that's good."

"As to the other... we'll think of something."

Denise smiled, and gave him a brief, but very warm, kiss.

"I'll go get breakfast started. You want to go get the girls up for me?"

"Okay."

-----

David stood silently, staring at a building with a tall spire. It looked faintly religious, and he wondered if there actually was such a thing in Callamandia, or if Diva Devata Jumala Zot had made its way this far east.

He knew he was stalling. He took a deep breath, and then let it out. Finally, he pulled out his mirror, dialed, and said, "Prof. Louisa Fibblebitz."

In just a second, Lise's image appeared in the mirror. "Hello? David!" she cried out happily.

"Hey, Lise," he said. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay. How about yourself?"

"Can't complain... much. Lise, the reason I called... I kind of need to talk to you."

"You are talking to me..." she said with a grin.

"I meant in person," David said. "Can you meet me in front of the big building that looks like a church?"

"What, you mean here?" she asked.

"Yeah. I don't see a nameplate on the building, so I can't really be more specific..." "Is there a statue of a banshee in front of it?"

"Uh... yes, that's probably what that is, come to think of it."

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Lise."

David slipped a pixie stick in his mouth as he waited. It was his fifth of the day. In just a little while, he saw someone approaching from his right. In a few more seconds, he was sure it was Lise. He smiled at her, and slipped the pixie stick's stick in his pocket.

Lise stopped a few feet from David, and then she looked very nervous.

"It's good to see you, David," she said.

David, knowing what her problem was, stepped forward, and opened his arms to her. She immediately stepped to him, wrapped her arms around him, and then kissed him passionately. The two stayed that way for a very long time.

Once they finally separated, David smiled at her. "Why so nervous?" he asked seriously.

"When you said we needed to talk... Since we haven't done so in months, I figured something was wrong."

"Something is wrong, Lise... and it's the fact that we haven't spoken in months."

"I'm confused," she admitted.

"You haven't been celebrating Yule, have you," David said, not making it a question.

"No, I didn't feel much like celebrating."

"Well, it's the Day of Redemption."

"David, you don't have anything to apologize for in our relationship..."

"Except that I haven't spoken to you in months," he reminded her.

"I could just as easily have mirrored you," she said.

"Why didn't you?" David asked, pretty sure he knew the answer.

"I figured you were mad at me, and wouldn't want to talk."

"And you figured that because I hadn't contacted you," David said. "I was busy all summer, but I should have sent a letter or mirrored you. I think we both needed a couple months to get over the pain, but I never should have let it go so long that you thought I was mad at you."

"Aren't you? I led you on for five months..."

"You didn't lead me on, Lise. You gave it your best shot. It didn't work. Shit happens. We learn from it, and we move on."

"Have you?" she asked.

"Have I... what?" David responded, confused.

"Moved on. Do you have a new girlfriend?"

"Not the kind you mean."

Lise nodded. "I see you've been busy in other ways, though," she said, pointing to the various paraphernalia on his coat. "Information Officer... that's impressive, though not too surprising, considering. What are the others?"

"This is my Potions Mastery badge," he said, fingering it.

"You mastered already? Wow. Congratulations!"

David smiled at her. "This one is my Press Pass for the Gorumshead Crier," he continued.

"You're a reporter now? I didn't think you had an interest in that."

"It was the only way I could help out Cat with a little problem she was having with her ex-husband."

Lise nodded. "And what in the world did you do to get two chevrons from the king?"

David shrugged. "I'm not really sure. He gave me the award for my potions work, but I'm not sure how it merited two chevrons."

"You've had a very busy second half to your year," she said.

"It sure seems that way when you lump it all together. Really, it's been kind of a quiet semester, though."

"No more problems at school?"

"Only the kind I'm supposed to have," he said with a grin.

"That's good."

"So, how are things going for you?"

"As well as can be expected. Running a department, even a small one, is a job and a half, especially since I'm still keeping up a full teaching schedule, as well."

"And how is this school shaping up?"

"Well, it's not Woodward. It probably never will be."

"Oh, I don't know. It's got the best Metamorphosis teacher in the kingdom..."

Lise blushed strawberry. "Don't let Cat hear you say that..."

"She's not here, now is she?" David said with a grin. After a long moment, David asked, "Have you found another boyfriend?"

Lise shook her head. "I haven't even been looking. Why bother? I'd just end up breaking up with them, like I did with you."

"Not necessarily. Just don't date any more demighosts," David told her with a smile. Lise tried to return it, but it was weak.

David put his hand on her upper arm and said, "You can't give up, Lise. Somewhere out there is the perfect guy for you, and you'll find him."

"I already did. And I broke up with him earlier this year," she said sourly.

David pulled her close, and she clung to him, crying silently for a long while. Finally, she pulled back a little.

"It's cold out here. You want to go back to my apartment and we can talk... or other things..."

David smiled softly at her, and then gave her another kiss. "You don't have to ask me twice," he said. He kept one arm around her, but turned her so they could walk back the way she had come.

As they were walking, David asked, "So what is this building, anyway?"

"A church," she said with a grin.

"Here?"

"Not everyone abandons God when they learn about magic. They just reorient their thinking somewhat."

"I guess," David said.

"Did you have anyone else you needed to talk to today?" Lise asked after another short silence.

"No, why?"

Lise arched her eyebrows at him. "Because that means I've got you for the entire day!" she said with a grin.

David smiled, leaned over and kissed her passionately.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David felt much better after his visit with Lise. They had promised to keep in better touch with each other from then on, and he felt reassured that she was coping well with her life, though he could tell she was still upset about how things were playing out for her.

The Day of Expectation had been another fun celebratory day for the family, which David had capped off by giving the entire family a personal crystallomancy reading, since it was a day of looking forward.

Now, it was late, and everyone else had gone to bed. David was still in the living room, the Christmas Tree sparkling with the light of volunteer fireflies. A small fire burned in the fireplace, helping to keep the room warm. He had finished up with his presents to the family, and was now just sitting, staring out the window. He could go to bed at any point, but the later he stayed up, the later he got up, and for Christmas Day, he'd rather get up with the family, rather than four hours before them.

After an indeterminate time of sitting, David heard someone coming down the hall. He didn't bother to look. He wasn't at all surprised when Denise came in and sat down on the couch with him. He was turned to look out the window behind the couch, so she sat away from him, and turned to face him herself.

"You're up late," she said quietly.

"Had to put your presents under the tree," he said, motioning. Denise looked.

"What in the world is in that huge box?" she asked.

David chuckled. "It's for Gwen, of course."

"Of course!" she agreed with a wide smile. The two lapsed into silence after that, and just sat together for a long while.

Finally, Denise moved. She slid close to David, and then turned herself so that she could snuggle into him. David moved to help her be more comfortable, and the two sat quietly, staring at the fire now. David rested his one hand on her stomach while his other remained on the back of the couch. She sighed pleasantly and relaxed, enjoying his closeness.

When David's hand strayed upward to cup her breast, Denise hummed appreciatively. David leaned down and kissed and nibbled her neck, causing her to begin to blush and squirm.

"If you don't cut that out, you're soon going to have to do something more dangerous," she warned.

"I have no intention of cutting this out," he said, right before he took her earlobe between his lips and sucked on it.

Denise shuddered and moaned at that. David brought his other hand down from the couch, and fondled her other breast with it, pulling Denise more tightly against him at the same time.

For the longest time, Denise just enjoyed the feelings, but as her heat rose, and so did her volume, she finally said, "We can't get caught doing this."

David removed his mouth from its current position on her neck, and asked, "Do you know a way to keep people out of this room? A force field or something?"

"We can just lock the doors, as far as that goes, but the sound will still carry through the house..."

"Go lock the doors," David said, letting his hands slip from her breasts down to her sides. They both got up together, and David moved to the middle of the room while Denise went to each end of the room, shutting and locking the doors there.

As Denise was finishing up, David raised his hand and uttered, "Apraka sajona." Instantly, the doors and the walls of the room were hidden behind a shimmering silver barrier, which reflected the Christmas tree lighting and the fire in the fireplace. The reflections rippled as the barrier undulated slightly.

"What is this?" Denise asked.

"A privacy field," David told her, taking her hand. "No matter how much noise we make now, no one outside of this room will hear us."

"And we locked the doors because..." she prompted.

"Just in case. The field doesn't prevent them from walking into the room."

Denise nodded, but then David pulled her tightly against himself, and her nodding stopped as his lips engaged hers. His hands ran up and down her back, and she could feel his hard cock pressing against her body. As he slipped his tongue into her mouth, he also began to lift up her nightgown, which was a very pretty blue and silver, rather than her usual ivory. It took David a solid minute of kissing before he had her gown bunched up in his hands, and they broke their kiss so he could finish removing it.

Having been in bed, Denise was, of course, naked beneath the gown, and David took in the sight of her bathed in the fire light. Denise blushed as he looked at her.

"I wish I had a picture of you, the way you look right now," he told her. "You're beautiful."

Denise's blush grew deeper, but she said, "You'd really want a picture of me?"

David nodded.

"Well, you have your wand with you... go ahead and take one."

"You sure?" David asked, reaching for his wand. Denise nodded. David pulled out his wand and took the image, then he put his wand back in its holster.

Denise didn't move as David began to remove his shirt, his eyes never leaving her. It didn't take all that long before David was nude, his cock fully erect and pointing at her. David stepped to her, took her hand, and led her over to a large floor cushion. He lowered her down onto it, and then he knelt between her legs, which she spread as wide as she could for him.

David leaned down and swiped his tongue across one of Denise's nipples, causing her to gasp and shudder. He could tell she was already very excited. Moving down, he kissed his way across her skin until his mouth met her clit. As his tongue slid across the sensitive little nib, Denise began to writhe, rolling her hips and moaning in pleasure. It wasn't long before her body went rigid and she groaned loudly, her first orgasm washing over her.

Once her body had relaxed some, David moved back up her body, stopping to kiss and lick each of her nipples again, then moving so he was eye-to-eye with her. He saw that she was almost fully recovered from her climax. He couldn't have that...

Reaching down, David positioned his cock at her entrance, and pushed forward smoothly. His dick slid easily into her, but Denise wasn't quite expecting it, and so she cried out in surprised pleasure.

"Oh, I missed that, Baby," she told him. David smiled down at her, and then kissed her as his hips began to rock back and forth, sliding his prick in and out of her at a nice, steady pace.

It didn't take a whole lot of this kind of movement before Denise was heating up again. David began to move faster, pushing himself closer to his own peak. Finally, when Denise's orgasm hit, he let himself loose as well, pouring his spunk into her as her body writhed beneath him.

"Oh, damn," Denise said. "That felt incredible. Please tell me you're not done with me."

David snorted. "You think I went to all the trouble to erect a privacy field for that? Oh, no, my dear Denise, we are nowhere near done. You will, however, have to get me hard again."

Denise smiled as David rolled off her. She knew what he wanted, and she was happy to oblige. She moved above him, and it wasn't long before her lips were bobbing up and down on his dick. David reached out and rubbed his hand across her ass, then pulled on her leg until she got the idea. She straddled his face, her mouth never leaving his cock, and David was soon licking her pussy lips, sending tingles of ecstasy throughout her body.

By the time Denise had David hard again, she was in desperate need of another orgasm. When David gently pushed her off him, she groaned in disappointment.

David stood up, and then he helped Denise to her feet, leading her over to an armchair.

"Grab the far arm," he told her. She did so, which required her to bend over. She spread her legs unbidden; she knew what he had in mind, and highly approved.

David slid his cock back into her pussy, and then he took hold of her hips.

"You ready?" he asked.

"God, yes!" she cried.

David gripped her hips firmly, and then he began to slam his cock into her over and over again. Denise was very quickly grunting, and then crying out, with each thrust. Her arousal was rising quickly, and it was soon at a fever pitch. Finally, it broke over, and she screamed out her pleasure, her pussy convulsing around David's cock.

David wasn't even close to coming, and he didn't really give Denise much time to rest from her climax, either. He pulled her up against him, his dick slipping out of her. He took her over to the couch, and then laid her down on it, her butt resting on the arm of the couch, which elevated her pussy to a very nice angle. David leaned over, sliding his prick deep inside her in one motion.

Putting his hands on the couch on either side of her head, David began to slam down into Denise as hard as he could. She was quickly panting, uttering encouragements so that he wouldn't stop.

David had no intention of stopping until she came. He pounded her pussy as hard as he could for long minutes, and she was moaning and crying out as he fucked her. Finally, she felt herself reaching her tipping point.

"Oh, God, David, I'm gonna cum. Cum with me!"

David grunted, which was about all he could do at that point. He pushed himself to go even faster, and his hips slapped against her full force, driving her to new heights.

In mere seconds, Denise screamed out David's name, her body awash in orgasm. David pushed himself to go as fast as he could, and then he froze, his prick fully inside her, blasting his jism into her pussy.

It was a long time before the two settled from their highs. David did so first, and he gently withdrew himself from her. He scooted her off the arm of the couch, so she would be more comfortable, and then he knelt next to her, waiting for her to come to her senses.

After a couple minutes, Denise looked at him. "That was incredible," she said.

David smiled at her, and then leaned down and kissed her. After that, he stood up, and offered her his hand. She took it, a little unsure of what he wanted. Surely they were done, after such a wonderful orgasm?

David led her back over to the floor cushion, and once more laid her down on it. He lay down beside her, and caressed her stomach.

"Sore?" David asked quietly.

"No," she said. "Just very well fucked."

David leaned down and kissed her, his tongue sliding into her mouth. It was passionate, but subdued. As David rolled on top of her, Denise automatically parted her legs for him. When his cock slid back inside her, she sighed.

As he reached bottom, David broke their kiss, and pushed himself up onto his elbows. Very slowly, David began to move in and out of Denise. He kept his movements leisurely, almost lazy.

"Just out of curiosity, how many other guys do you see regularly?"

"Regularly? None." Seeing the look of surprise on David's face, she explained, "If I saw a local guy regularly, things could get sticky. I don't usually sleep with anyone more than once a year."

"Why am I different?" he asked. His movement inside her continued at their unhurried pace. It didn't prevent them from talking, no matter how good it was making them feel.

"Because I trust you. And because you're not local. Most of the time, you're over a thousand miles away. And because you're the best lover I've ever had."

David smiled at that last compliment.

"I don't know how we're going to hide this from everyone else, though. This room must reek by now..." she said, a slight frown of concern crossing her face.

"Don't worry, I have a potion for that."

"You think of everything," she told him.

David leaned down and kissed her softly, his dick still moving in and out of her.

When he broke the kiss, he said, "Merry Christmas, Denise."

"Mmm," she told him. "Merry Christmas to you, too. How long do you plan on doing this to me?" she asked. "You know neither of us is going to get off this way, no matter how damned good it feels."

"I figured when you got tired of having me inside you."

"We do not have that much time," she told him seriously.

David smiled, and he kissed her again. And their coupling continued.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David and Denise had spent a couple hours together, before they both headed to bed after cleaning up and clearing the air in the living room. David felt bad for Denise; he would still get his usual four hours of sleep, but she was used to having a few more hours than that. Nevertheless, she was up before the others, getting breakfast prepared. David found her in the kitchen, giving her a welcome good-morning kiss and a hug.

"I checked the living room. It smells wonderful in there, thank you."

"After I used my potion, I used another one to make it smell like sugar cookies and hot cocoa in there."

"I know. It made me hungry!" David chuckled at that.

"Thank you again for last night," Denise said quietly. "You don't know how much I needed that. But why didn't you tell me about the damn privacy field before?"

"Honestly, I didn't think of it. I've only needed it a couple of times since I learned it."

"Well, trust me, you're going to need it a few more times while you're here!"

David grinned.

"Now, go wake up the girls, so we can get this party started."

-----

"So, what did David get for you?" Zyla asked Joe. They had already opened David's presents to Grace, which meant that the room was now full of toys and a pile of clothes.

"If this is a book, I'll kill him. It'd be too uncomfortable to read." The package was thin, but fairly large otherwise. Joe ripped off the paper. "Holy hell, how did he get this?"

"What is it?" Zyla asked.

"It's an autographed picture of 'Shoulders' Neisentos, one of the best slugball players of all time! Hell, how did David even know I liked slugball?"

"He has stayed here, you know. It's not like your fascination is hidden."

Joe grinned. "No, I guess not. What'd he get you?"

Zyla opened her present carefully. Inside was an elegantly inlaid wooden box. She opened the hinged lid, to find an orb inside. She pulled it out, to find it was attached to a crystalline base. She set the orb on the coffee table, and then pulled out the small card inside the box, that explained what the orb was.

"It's a meditation orb," she told Joe. "You tap the top three times, and it lights up with patterns inside, that help you enter a meditative state. This is a very nice one, too."

Joe nodded. "I guess he pays attention when he talks to people," he said. "You said that you and he had talked about meditating."

Zyla nodded. "He's had to do it for school, and well, you know how out of sorts I can get unless I keep my mind calm."

"Don't I," Joe said playfully. Zyla whacked him on the arm for that.

-----

"So, should I just transfer this box right to the freezer?" Olissa's mother asked, referring to the package addressed to Bispy.

"We should at least open it first," Olissa said with a grin. "Bispy likes to drool on them before you put them away."

The family laughed as Bispy tore off the wrapping paper. He used one very sharp claw to cut the tape open, and then he pulled open the flaps of the box.

"You're getting good at that," Olissa told him.

"High incentive makes me work harder," Bispy replied. She chuckled.

Inside the box wasn't only the expected Omaha Steaks cooler, but this time, there was a card attached, as well. The card was a ticket for Bispy to take part in a goat hunt. This was an event for familiars who happened to be predators. It allowed them to take out some of the aggression they had to subvert in order to be familiars. This one would take place in the spring, up near Gorumshead.

"I'm telling you right now," Olissa said to him, "I'm not going to watch."

Bispy chuckled at her.

"What did David get you this year, eh, che?" her father asked.

Olissa opened her own present from David, and found inside it a very intricately carved stone box, and a small scroll. She opened the box's lid, and a beautiful song began to play. It wasn't the tinny chimes of an Earth music box, but sounded as if an entire orchestra was playing the song. The sound seemed as though it couldn't really be contained within the box itself.

Picking up the scroll, Olissa saw that it was a list of songs that the music box contained. She picked one at random, and spoke its name. Suddenly, the music faded to silence, and was replaced with the new song she had requested.

"That's lovely," her mother told her.

Olissa just nodded. David knew her too well, she thought, for him to have found this kind of gift for her. It made her feel bad that all she had gotten him was a picture of the two of them together during their trip to Mirelia. She had also sent him the usual box of goodies, but she made those herself, so that hardly counted as a Christmas present. She gently put the lid back on the music box, and carried on with her Christmas.

-----

"What in the world?" Prof. Stott asked herself. She had not decorated her apartment for Yule. With no one else there to share it with her, she didn't see the point. When she woke up on Christmas morning, however, she found her living room decked out in a bigger Yule display than she had ever indulged in. Sitting on an end table was a box with a card on top. She went and picked up the card.

Sam:

I knew you'd forget to decorate, so I asked Emile and Cat to do it for you. I hope they did a good job. And the present is... something to help you, until you find a new playmate. I'd advise opening it in private.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

David

What did he get me? she wondered avidly. She fairly tore open the box, to find inside a dildo. Sam laughed as she ran her fingers along it. It reminded her very much of David's dick, and she had to wonder if it was a replica.

When she saw the instruction sheet in the box, she pulled it out, and her suspicion was confirmed. It was a replica of David's penis... with a couple added features.

Following the instructions, she said, "Wiggle." The dildo started to make small flutters along its entire length. Sam shivered at the thought of it.

"Squirm," she told the dildo. The small shivers it had been doing ramped up until the entire length was undulating, the tip of it moving back and forth. "Thrust," she told it. The dildo now bent itself, and then straightened, and Sam knew that if it was in the right place, it would feel very much like a thrusting cock.

I'm going to be late to the party, she told herself with a warm smile as she headed back to her bedroom, pulling off her nightgown as she went.

-----

"This one is from David," Dean Lengel said. It appeared to only be a card, but it was wrapped in ribbon, like a present.

"You know, it doesn't feel quite right without him here this year," Prof. Phillips said. "Don't you agree, Samantha?"

"Mm," Prof. Stott said, taking a sip of her eggnog and frowning slightly.

"What did he send you this year?" Dean Lengel asked her.

Prof. Stott suddenly turned a wonderful shade of strawberry pink.

"Oh. Never mind," Dean Lengel said, chuckling at Prof. Stott's discomfort. "Now, let's see what this is all about." She pulled off the ribbon and opened the envelope, reading the card aloud. "This little note is to announce the arrival of your Mood Goby, whose home has been installed in your office. Instructions for his care and feeding will be found on your desk. The Mood Goby will grow attached to its owner over time, and will reflect his or her mood in its coloration. We hope you enjoy your new friend. The Enchanted Fish Emporium."

Dean Lengel looked a bit nonplussed. "I've never owned a fish before. I wonder just what David was thinking."

"Probably that you needed something to help you relax. Watching fish swim is very calming. And Mood Gobies can sing."

"Sing?"

"Well... more like a whistling, but they do carry a tune."

"Hmm."

"What did you get him?" Prof. Stott asked her.

"Well, it's funny that he got me something to relax, because I got him a book of coupons for free massages down in town... to help him relax!" With that, the group laughed, and then Dean Lengel returned to opening presents.

-----

After breakfast was over, the Hasterscant family adjourned to the living room. David and Denise shared a look, and a slightly embarrassed smile, remembering how they had spent the previous night in this room.

David set Jailla down on a small table, which had been laid out with various goodies for the familiars. The mice he had brought for Nalani were contained, though Nalani could easily reach in and grab one. For Jailla, Peanut, and Anne's familiar, Eric - who was a fruit bat - there were fruits and nuts. Jailla immediately grabbed a walnut and began breaking it apart.

"Well, who wants to go first?" Roy said. David went over and took his usual chair, which was actually somewhat away from the family. Roy explained, for David's benefit, "Generally, we allow one person to give out their presents at a time. It makes it easier for everyone to see what everyone got. Plus, it focuses a bit more on the giving than the receiving."

"Shouldn't David go first, as our guest?" Anne asked.

David held up his hand. "How do you usually decide?"

"I beat up my sisters until they let me do it," Ellie said with a grin.

"Right!" Gwen said. "We usually play a game to figure out who goes."

"Well, then let's stick with that," David said. "What's the game?"

"This year, we'll play Odds and Ends. Here's how it works: When it is your turn, you will choose a number, and write it down. Then you will roll the die, and you will write that number down, and add your two numbers together. Once everyone has done that, we start with... well, this year, we'll start with you, normally we start with me, and we'll go around the room, adding the totals together. The goal is to be the first person with an even total. Once you get an even total in any round, the remaining players start all over. Got it?"

"Sure."

Roy handed out little slips of paper, and David wrote down his number. Then, the game began.

Ultimately, Roy ended up going first. He handed out various gifts to the girls, and to his wife. These gifts, David saw, were mostly small things, of nice sentiment, but trivial value. He hoped his gifts would not seem out of place here. Roy did not give David a gift.

"Denise will give you our gift," Roy told him with a smile. David nodded.

Gwen was next. Her gifts to her family members were very nice and well thought out. She handed David his, and then knelt down, watching him open it.

David unwrapped the paper, to find a simple wooden box. The box was hinged on all four sides, and David wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to open it. There was a strange circular inlaid design on top, with three indentations around its edge.

"Turn the figure on top counter-clockwise," she told him. David did so, and the box fell open. Inside was a golden ring, with what looked like a silvery spider web inside of it. The ring had a post at the bottom, which apparently fit into another post attached to the bottom of the box. The entire inside of the box was decorated with various symbols and designs.

"It's very pretty," David said, "but... what is it?"

The family chuckled, and Gwen giggled. "It's a dream catcher, to use with your oneiromancy. It magically records a person's dreams so that you, as the diviner, can interpret them later, instead of having to attend the dream with the dreamer."

"Oh, I get it. That way you don't have to be in someone's personal space while they're sleeping."

"Right. I couldn't really think of what to get you, so I talked to your professors."

"Sneaky," David said.

Gwen blushed slightly. "Prof. Zoroaster said you had done well in oneiromancy, but that you weren't pursuing it because of the... well, the intimacy it involves. So, this kind of fixes that problem."

David nodded. "Thank you."

Gwen smiled, and then she continued passing out her gifts.

Anne was the next to pass out gifts. When she got to David's, she said, "I don't know if you need one of these or not, but I really didn't know what else to get you."

David smiled at her, and then opened the box. Inside was another wooden box.

"It seems to be the year for small wooden boxes," David said with a grin. He opened this one to find a basic wand maintenance kit inside.

"Oh," David said brightly. "Actually, I do need one of these. Mine is running quite low. Thank you."

Anne smiled at him, and then moved on.

Denise's turn was next, and she gave David his present first. He opened it, to find a garment box. Inside that was a bathrobe. He took note of the fact that the robe was the same blue color as his school uniform.

"I almost had them embroider the Academy's insignia on the pocket," she told him with a wink. David would have blushed, if he'd been able.

Beneath the robe was a toiletries kit, with aftershave lotion, cologne, hair gel, and some shaving cream. He didn't shave, but he wasn't going to tell Denise that.

"Thank you both," David said, nodding to Roy, and smiling at Denise. With that, the gift-giving carried on.

Ellie was the last of the family to give out gifts. She'd gotten some nice things for her parents, and school-related things for her sisters. David's gift was in a fairly large box. He opened it carefully, and then looked up at her.

"You have no idea how hard it was to find someone who could make that," she said. The box was a model kit of the Spirit of Chicago, the boat they had gone on for their dinner cruise. It was, according to the picture on the front, very intricately detailed, and even had working lights. David looked to her for an explanation.

"You don't seem to have any hobbies. I wanted to give you something to do other than study."

David smiled at her. He did do something other than study... Ellie blushed, knowing what he was thinking, but neither of them said a word.

"Thanks, Ellie. It's great. It may take me a while to build it, though. This looks pretty complicated."

"Good. It'll keep you occupied, then," she said with a smile, and moved back to her seat.

"Well, it's your turn now, David. After that, we'll open the presents sent to us from elsewhere."

David nodded, and then stood up. He first handed Anne her gift. Anne thanked him before opening it. When she did, she found...

"Oh, look. A wooden box!" Everyone laughed about that.

Anne opened the box by sliding the lid, which was attached permanently at one corner with a pivot. As soon as she'd opened it fully, she saw that the box was mostly solid, with just a small hole in the very middle of it. Once she'd gotten the lid out of the way, a small faceted crystal popped up out of the hole, and it glowed. The room was immediately filled with a meadow scene. Nearby, apparently where the Christmas tree had been, stood a beautiful Arabian horse. In the other direction, galloping toward them, was another horse, this one an Appaloosa mare. As they watched, other horses came and went.

Finally, Anne pivoted the lid slowly closed. As soon as she started moving the lid, the crystal stopped glowing and dropped back into its spot in the box. The image faded, and they were back in the living room again.

"How did you know?" Anne asked.

"I asked," David said, motioning to the family.

"Thank you very much. It's lovely."

David nodded, and then he gave Ellie her gift. It was a fairly large box, which she tore into. Once she had undone the top flaps, a blue sphere popped out of the box and floated in front of her at about eye level. It was glowing, and Ellie finally realized it was a globe. She put her hand on it, and rotated the globe slowly. Then, just to see what would happen, she gave it a flick, and it spun for a long time, until she finally put her hand on it and slowed it down.

"This is neat," Ellie said, pushing it to see if it would come back to her, but it stayed where it was put.

"It does one other thing," David said. He walked over to it and tapped it twice on the North Pole. The globe suddenly shifted. It had been showing Dugerra, but now it showed Earth. Ellie looked at it, trying to hide how much more interested she was in Earth than in Dugerra. She looked at David, who kept his face calm.

"This way, when Prof. Gardner is talking to you about Earth stuff, you can figure out where the heck he's talking about, as it relates to Dugerra," he said. Ellie knew he was intentionally covering for her, while still giving her a present she could really use.

"Thanks, David," she said. Without thinking, she gave him a kiss, right there in front of her parents. David smiled at her, and then she sat down.

"Can I do mine next?" Gwen asked. "I want to know what's in that big-assed box!"

The family laughed at her, and David smiled. "This may be the very last Christmas present you get from me, Gwen. I don't know how I would top this one."

"Oooh," the family said appreciatively. David reached into his pocket, and took out a small remote control, handing it to Gwen.

"Your present is self-opening. Just press the green button."

Gwen did, and the box shook, then the front side of it burst open. The box fell forward, and inside they saw a jumble of parts, and two glowing lights.

"What in the world is that?" Denise asked. Suddenly, whatever was in the box started to move forward, into the light. It rolled out of the box, and then unfolded itself, until it was standing four feet tall.

"Meet Butlertron," David said. "The world's first modular electronic domestic assistant. This isn't even in production yet. I had a devil of a time convincing him to sell me one. Press the blue button."

Gwen did, and suddenly, it looked as though Butlertron had fallen to pieces. In fact, he had. His arms popped loose, changing shape as they crawled down the main body to the carpet, revealing themselves to be small, many-handed machines. The main body of the robot separated, sliding downward and forming what looked like some kind of mobile media center, speakers on its sides and a projection lens in his forehead. The two leg robots stayed about the same. One had tracks, and the other had wheels, and they both looked like transport machines, for carrying things around.

"Wow," Gwen said, unable to come up with anything else to say. She then threw her arms around David and gave him a huge kiss. "I love it!"

"What does it actually do?" Anne asked.

"He's... a butler. He does household chores. You can hook your iPad into his chest, and it will control him. You can give him orders, and he will do them. It will take him time to learn the whole house, though."

"He looks like he'd have trouble with the stairs," Denise said.

David just smiled. "Butlertron has several tricks up his metal sleeves, but I'm not going to reveal them all to you."

"How do I put him back together?" Gwen asked.

"Just press the blue button. Of course, once you learn to program him with your iPad, it all gets easier. He can also follow voice commands, after he learns your voice."

"This is so cool!"

David grinned. "I'm glad you like him. You get to figure out how to recharge him."

Gwen chuckled at that.

Finally, while Gwen fiddled with Butlertron, David handed Roy a business card.

"What's this?" Roy asked.

"The name of the contractor who'll be here on Thursday to discuss the renovations with you."

"David, you can't..." Denise started. David raised his hand to stop her.

"Yes, I can. You guys have all been a big help to me over the last few years. This is the least I can do to repay you for it. Besides," David added with a smile, "It'll cost me less than that robot did."

"Thank you," Roy said, his eyes conveying the depth of his gratitude.

With that, their Christmas Day went on.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~