Christmas Time December 2031

"You!" Ferderico glowered at Reginald. "Give him back!"

Diana touched his shoulder. "He didn't take Darius, Abeulo."

"Yeah, well." Ferderico continued to glower. "He's keeping him hostage."

"We are not holding him...hostage!" Reginald's face distorted in a sneer.

"I wasn't aware Nick was even bringing him here." Darien added, glancing inside for a sign of his son.

Reginald glanced at Bob, considering slamming the door in their faces. But that would cause a scene...

Nicolas decided to follow Reginald to the Hall.

"Then let us take him home." Ferderico replied.

"Yeah well, Nick and his crazy schemes. I have no idea what goes on in that head of his." Diana said to Darien.

As if a cue, Nicolas appeared behind Reginald. "Hola Abeulo."

Ferderico ignored him and continued to glare at Reginald. "If my great grandson is not here within 20 seconds, you can kiss our truce goodbye."

___

Darius looked around. "Where did Grandma go, Ana?"

"This is just as much his home as your...dwelling." Reginald laced his voice with as much venom and contempt as he could muster.

Hearing Nick's voice from behind him, he was tempted to try and strangle him... "That truce is just about the only thing preventing me from strangling this whelp where he stands!"

____

Ana shrugged. "I have no idea...Let's have a look." She knelt on the window seat and glanced at the crowd on the pavement. "Quite a little party going on out there..."

Nicolas looked at him with disdain. "As if you have the strength to strangle me, old man."

"Nick you idiot!" Diana said. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Nineteen, Eighteen..." Ferderico started to countdown.

___

Darius stood on tipy-toe. "Hey! It's Abuelo! And and - " He stood again. "It's Mum! And Dad!" He turned to Ana. "Are they going to spend Christmas here as well?"

Reginald's eyes flashed with fury. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, infant."

"My thoughts exactly." Darien smiled at Diana. "You know, maybe we should entrust Darius' care to someone else next time..."

______

Ana paused. "Um..."

A devious idea occurred to her. "Well, it's not like we're short of beds is it? Why don't you go ask them to stay, Darius? They're probably arguing over who'll pay or something ridiculous...won't they be happy when you solve their problems for them?" She smiled.

"Go ahead and try." Nicolas said. "I'll even pretend to be frightened to give you some thrill."

"You know, I'm starting to agree with you on that one." Diana glared at Nicolas. She was going to have one or two words with him, but at the moment, the first thing was to try and stop World War III from happening.

"Seventeen, sixteen...."

_____

Darius grinned. That was an awesome idea. "Mkay!" He ran as fast as he could, down to the Hall.

"Mummy! Daddy!"

At the sound of the favoured grandchild's voice, Reginald rearranged his face into a smile.

Darien grinned. "Darius! C'me here you!"

______

In the living room, Ana stifled a chuckle behind her hand. "I may have to watch this..."

She stuck her head out of the door, with a good view of the carnage at the front door.

Nicolas grinned at the little guy.

Ferderico ceased the countdown immediately.

"Daddy!" Darius ran up to his father's arms.

Diana breathed a sigh of relief.

Reginald locked glares with Ferderico, disguising it with a smile.

Darien scooped his son up and spun around with him like an aeroplane. "Have you been having fun?"

Bob let go of the door. It evidently wasn't needed to slam in faces anymore.

"Uhuh." Darius nodded. "Hello Mummy."

Diana kissed Darius' cheek. "You little monkey."

Darius glanced at his great grand father. "Are you spending Christmas here too?"

Isabella pursed her lips. They couldn't disappoint that little face...

Reginald opened his mouth to hotly deny it, but was frozen by the glance from his wife.

"Of course." She smiled, though there was no warmth in her tone.

Ana ducked back into the living room to hide her hysteria.

Ferderico was about to decline - quite vigorously but... "I do not know if that is possible..." He looked confused.

Darius' face fell. And Ferderico added quickly. "But I would most certainly like to!" What? Where did that come from?

Darius' face beamed again.

If Diana hadn't been completely shocked by this turn of events she would have been laughing.

Which is what Nicolas seemed to be doing. He had smacked a hand to cover his mouth so that he would not ruin the 'moment'.

Reginald conjured up a smile. "Excellent. Then we are all in agreement, it would seem..." His grin seemed almost locked in place. "Come on in...old friend...let's get out of the cold shall we?"

Isabella nodded at Bob, who waited to close the door, before leading the way to the living room, where Ana was attempting to keep a straight face for longer than 0.3 seconds...

Darien, stunned, blindly staggered after the gang entering the house, exchanging a flummoxed look of anticipation with Diana.

"Indeed." Ferderico said gingerly entering the house of his 'old friend'.

Diana shrugged at Darien and followed Isabella inside.

Nicolas was laughing silently. Diana glared at him. He shrugged.

"Yay!" Darius said enjoying himself.

"Do sit down everybody..." Isabella gestured to the variety of seats available, and Ana smiled in welcome, but mostly in mirth.

Reginald disguised his displeasure with some difficulty and selected a seat.

Less flummoxed and more bemused, Darien set Darius on the floor and glanced around.

"So who's up for charades?"

Ferderico found himself awkwardly sitting on a seat.

Nicolas flopped down as well. He looked at his grandfather and Reginald unable to keep a smile off of his face.

Darius ran back to the food on the table.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Isabella cast around for some topic of conversation.

"Nice weather we're having, isn't it?"

Reginald remained where he was, silently grinding his teeth.

"Indeed," Ferderico said curtly.

"Why don't you go first Darien?" Nicolas said. "Come on, thrill us with your charading abilities."

"If my fans insist..." Darien bowed overly dramatically and stepped into the middle of the room.

After a brief moment for equally exaggerated pondering, he began miming a camera, followed by seven fingers held upright.

"Seven syllables?" Diana asked.

"Puppy!" Darius supplied.

"No Darius, I don't think it's a puppy." Nicolas said trying not to laugh... that much.

Darien shook his head, but carried on with a smile at Darius.

Two fingers held up, he began roaring silently and walking around on four paws to go and sniff at Darius.

Darius laughed with delight. "Daddy!" He then attempted to ride Darien's back. But of course was too short so he fell over. Darius giggled.

Ferderico frowned. He wasn't a puppy?

Darien made a circuit of the room, roaring exaggeratedly, without making a sound.

Reginald had a feeling he had ground his left molar down to about 1mm in height...

"Lion!" Darius said chasing Darien around.

Nicolas chuckled thoroughly amused. Best night ever.