Though She Is But Little, She Be Fierce

Pippi flounces by with a gift bag covered with reindeer (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/329478698_edb9f82743_t.jpg) for Zero.

"Marry Christmas!"

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Chad knocked on the open door and poked his head in. "Whoa. Festive."

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"Pippi, hi!" Zero dug through the pile of presents until she found the box she was looking for. "Happy Christmas!" she said as she held it out.

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"Oooh!"

Pippi banged on the drum ~~all day~~.

"Nice tone!"

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Fish launched into "Feliz Navidad." Still in Cantonese, but it was recognizable.

"Hi, Chad!" Zero chirped. "There's cookies and milkshakes and hang on, I got you stuff." She grabbed a book-shaped package and a cd-shaped package from the pile o' presents and offered them to Chad as she said, "Happy Christmas!"

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Zero opened her package and squeaked with glee. "A teal deer!"

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Pippi grinned at the squeak.

"I thought you'd like that."

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Fish's holiday serenade almost had a grin from Chad, but getting presents definately made it show up in the corner of his mouth. "Awesome, Zero, thanks," he said, inspecting the packages. "An' feliz Navi--...err, rather..." He did his best to say it in Cantonese like Fish had been singing.

"Want I should open these now? I got somethin' for you in the works, but it ain't finished yet."

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Zero squeezed her new toy and said, "Yes, I love it, thank you!"

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"Oh, don't worry about it," Zero said with a wave of her hand. "'Tis better to give than to receive. Go on, open them!" She bounced a little, then made a grab for her elf hat as it started to fall off her head.

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"thank you for the drum!"

*bap bap bap*

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"You're welcome! D'you want a cookie? Or a nog-shake?"

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Something told Chad that it wasn't, unfortunately, one of those cool hats. Not having to be told twice, he quickly unwrapped the presents.

"Very cool," he rumbled, admiring the notebook, nodding in approval as he glanced at the tracks on the CD. Promptly, one gift in each hand, he gave her a light hug. "Thanks, Zero."

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"Oooh, nog shake sounds deeeliteful!"

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"There you are!"

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Zero didn't think Chad would want a hat. It was felt. Very itchy. She hugged him back and said, "You're welcome!"

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Chad looked around a bit as if to confirm that Pippi meant him and then observed, "Uhh, yup. Here I am."

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"You goin' home for the holidays?"

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Pippi held out a gift bag covered in Christmassy guitars (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/329478698_edb9f82743_t.jpg).

"Happy Holidays!"

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Zero opened her fridge, frowned at it, closed it, and opened it again. "That's more like it," she said as she took a fresh nog-shake off the top shelf and offered it to Pippi. "They're really good. I'm pretty sure they're not spiked." Kind of sure, anyway.

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If it wasn't, it would be shortly.

"Thanks." Pippi said taking the shake. "So what are you going to do for the break?"

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"Hey, present," Chad observed as he took the gift bag. "Thanks, Pippi. Feliz Navidad, and all that. Should I open it now? I don't have your present quite yet." Chad gave himself a mental kick in the pants to stop being lazy.

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"Oh yes! Please do! And don't worry about that. It's no big deal for me."

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Zero held up one finger to pause as she swallowed the mouthful of cookie she'd taken after handing Pippi her shake. "Oh, I'm goin' home. Seems like forever since I saw my family. You?"

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