~ Christmas at the Vaight Cottage 2031~

Darien braced himself for the explosion, stopping just short of wincing and plugging up his ears. Just. When there was silence for a moment, his eyes strayed back to his own father.

He relaxed slightly as Diana played the Darius card, but didn't smile. He wasn't sure they were out of the woods yet.

Reginald sighed and sat back. "Such a shame that would be." His tone implied the exact opposite, and a slight smirk formed on his face as he glanced at Ferderico, hoping to prompt a response.

Ferderico took a deep and laboured breath and smiled. "Of course it isn't a problem. I'm sure, Diana, your threat extents to that side of the room." He nodded towards the Vaights.

"It isn't a threat, Abuelo but a warning." Diana pointed out. "But yes, it does."

"As long as we are clear on that." Ferderico said his smile extended.

"Look! Look! Look at my new broom!" Darius said finally reaching the living room.

Reginald's smirk faded slightly, but as his grandson reappeared, his face was absorbed in a smile. "An excellent broom."

"And cloak." Isabella interjected, before subsiding back into silence.

Darien glanced at Diana, and sighed, very quietly, with relief. Thank all the gods that might exist, that's a crisis averted.

Diana sighed softly in relief and met Darien's gaze.

Darius however was oblivious to any crisis that was about to occur and nodded excitedly, marveling at the broom in front of him. "Dad got it for me. Didn't you Dad?"

Personally, Ferderico thought that it was a bit irresponsible to give a young boy a broomstick but kept his thoughts to himself. Besides, if he was going to give the boy a broom, he would give him a real one - not some miniature version of the real thing. Again he kept his thoughts to himself. See? Who said he didn't have self-control? A person without any self-control would have voiced his thoughts.

Darien arranged his features into a grin. "Well, you did keep badgering me." He ruffled his son's hair and watched the broom carefully, lest it decide to nose dive at anyone. If he was in its position, he might be tempted.

Reginald nodded. It was...acceptable, he supposed. Although had Darius been his son, he would have waited until he was ready for a proper broom.

Isabella remained silent, sensing this conversation might be liable to turn to broom and flying-related topics, which she usually tuned out. Mostly because she found them tedious. She preferred to keep her feet on the floor.

Darius had the decency to look sheepish but his smile was still in place. "When I grow up, I want to be a Quidditch Player!" Darius announced.

Mateo chuckled. He remember wanting to be a Quidditch player as well. "What team would you play for?"

"Gryffindor," he said as he mounted his broom.

Darien's gaze shot straight across to his father, who visibly bristled.

Reginald sat up a bit straighter, and watched Darius carefully. "Any particular reason for that choice, Darius?"

His son exchanged glances with Diana, begging silently that she'd help the situation.

Diana hoped that Ferderico wouldn't take his as a sign to gloat but there was an unmistakeable smile across his face.

"Well, it's good to know the boy knows what's what." Ferderico said grinning to Mateo and Diana.

"Uh uh," Darius nodded. "Because i like lions." He proceeded to roar. Which turned into flying sounds as he pretended to fly on his broom.

"Debatable." Reginald muttered, as Isabella nudged him to prevent him showing them up by retaliating.

Darien laughed. "Well, other than Gryffindor, tell them what your favourite league Quidditch team is, Darius." Transparent diverting of subject to try and avoid a row.

"I like the Dragons." Darius didn't even bother saying the other word. He already knew he couldn't say it properly. And speaking of dragons.... "Do you think Santa will give me a puppy this year, Dad?"

Reginald said nothing. Secretly because he had no idea of many common Quidditch teams, including Dragons. No idea at all. But he was hardly likely to admit that.

Darien smiled. "You'll have to wait and see Darius. Santa brings whatever he decides." He glanced at Diana out of the corner of his eye.

Isabella almost heard her husband's ears prick up. Why did she get the feeling that last minute Christmas shopping was not off the agenda quite yet...

Darius nodded. "I hope he brings me a puppy."

Diana couldn't help the pull of her lips.

Neither could Ferderico. He would give Darius something even better than a mangy pup.

Reginald noticed the twitch of his nemesis' lips, and he began to consider the options available to him for Darius' Christmas present. It had to be greater, better, more fantastical than anything Ferderico and his clan could devise.

Darien did not like the expression on his father's face, but assumed it was merely some sort of irritation finding its way to the surface. Better leave him be, he resolved.

Diana was unaware of what the men were thinking as she just remembered that she left a tray of cookies in the oven. "Umm... pardon me one moment." She headed to the kitchen to see if they were still alive.

"So you still want a puppy Darius?" Mateo asked him.

Darius nodded.

Mateo chuckled. "You should consider yourself lucky, Darien, at Darius' age, Diana was begging for a sister."

Reginald was too involved in his contemplative planning to enter into the conversation, and so for once was mercifully silent. His son found this incredibly concerning. Who knew what he could be thinking?!

Darien laughed. "Suddenly a puppy looks incredibly reasonable."

He watched Darius carefully, lest he decide he actually wanted a sibling instead. As much as he loved having a son, he wasn't sure two was a good idea. Perhaps he should discuss it with Diana at some point...

Diana was relived to find that that cookies were in fact intact and proceed to retracting them from the oven.

"Perfectly reasonable." Mateo agreed.

"I'm right here you know." Darius pointed out. "And in case your wondering don't want a sister."

Darien smiled. "How could we forget?" He resisted the impulse to sigh with mild relief. That would've been awkward.

Reginald's musings folded into the background of his mind as he awakened to the conversation. Hm...from the look on his son's face, he had a feeling that he was only going to get one grandchild. At least Darius was a boy, there was no problem or mild inconvenience there.

"Good to hear." Darien grinned, keeping an eye on his small son and his broom. Sure, it moved slower than a disabled pigeon, but it could still manage to cause some damage.

Diana returned to the living room with a new batch of cookies. Just in time to hear Darius say, "I want a brother."

Darien glanced at Diana, and chuckled nervously. "Uh...Well...um..."

Isabella smiled in amusement as her son began to devise some sort of excuse.

"More or less than a puppy?" Reginald asked quietly, genuine amusement shining in his eyes.

Darien was saved having to devise some long winded excuse so he glanced across at Diana awkwardly.

"Well..." Diana said strongly avoiding any adult's eyes. "How about some freshly baked cookies for the time being?"

"Food!" Darius ran up to the cookie tray and snatched a couple of biscuits.

Darien sighed with relief. "So...uh...Yes...Nice weather, isn't it?" Times were pretty dire when he resorted to the weather as a change of topic.

Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Yes." For lack of anything else to do, she took another cookie.

Reginald allowed the conversation to lapse into silence. He was not going to bother striking up conversation. No sir, he was not.

Mateo wondered why Ferderico was so quiet. It was so unusual of him. Usually, he'd be throwing criticism at everything like a typhoon.

"Wuh ca pin ma pesences?" Darius said his mouth full. What he actually meat was, 'When can I open my presents?'

Oddly enough though, Diana understood him. "Later mono, you know that."

Darius sighed. And returned to playing with his broom.

"Well," Diana said slightly unsettled by the silence. "I suppose now is a good time as any to mention this but I'm quitting my job."

An audible pause followed this statement.

Reginald looked liable to make a cutting comment, but Isabella, in a rare moment of decisive consideration, spoke first.

"What were you thinking of doing instead?" Isabella avoided demanding a reason, and a faint frown formed between Reginald's eyebrows. Having grandchildren seemed to have altered his wife a great deal.

He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Diana had felt that the news probably wouldn't be taken lightly and so she suggested that Darius play with his broom outside. He complied happily not really wanting to remain in a room full of boring adults talk about boring adult stuff.

Diana's feeling was right and Ferderico was broken out of his plotting reverie by the announcement. Just as the sound of the door signaling that Darius was outside, Ferderico spoke. "WHAT?!"

Diana remain unfazed by Ferderico's sudden outburst and chose to answer Isabella's question. "I am not entirely sure yet, but I've had several offers."

Ferderico did not like being ignored and reverted to spanish. "Y por qué usted deja su trabajo?" (and why did you quit your job?)

Diana answered in english so the other people in the room wouldn't completely be uncomfortable. "I quit because the hours were long and I wanted to spend more time with Darius."

"Mentira! ¿Dónde está su ingreso va a venir a partir de ahora? Casi no cree que su marido necio puede producir suficiente para apoyarlo." Ferderico exclaimed. (Bullshhhizzle! Where is your income going to come from now? I hardly believe your witless husband can make enough to support you.)

"Papá!" Mateo chided.

"¿Qué? Es verdad. Los ingresos de ... cualquiera que sea el infierno que hace, ni siquiera se compara con el de un sanador." (What? It's true. The income of... whatever the hell he does, doesn't even compare to that of a Healer.)

"It's not just about money Abuelo," Diana steely. "And if you're going to insist on insulting my husband, have the decency of doing it in English."

Darien lingered uncomfortably near the door. Although Diana's answers made it pretty clear what was being said, he didn't think it was his place to say anything as the Spanish conversation was miles above his head.

Reginald leant back, allowing his distaste for Ferderico to show plainly due to the absence of his grandson. "A boy does need his mother..." He interjected in a low voice of mild disinterest, as though he didn't understand what all the fuss was about. Isabella chose to watch Darius out of the window and pretend nothing was happening. Much less stressful.

Darien blinked at being mentioned. "Well, if there's any...questions for me, I would prefer them to be in English."