- III -

Ace poked the wood within the fireplace, sending a flurry of sparks flying up into the chimney. The fire rose and returned to its original crackling roar. “There we go,” he announced.

“Mm,” Athena snuggled tighter in the blanket she was wrapped in.

“Warmer now?” Ace took his place on the rug beside her.

“Yes; thank you.”

Near the front door of the Edwards abode stood a medium-sized fur tree, decorated in strands of tinsel, bows, and baubles. Beneath the tree were four wrapped gifts of varying sizes; one to Athena, one to Ace, and two for Dorian. Gifts from Dorian had not yet been placed, as the young man had not yet returned from town.

Ace looked at the boxes, a nervous excitement filling his thin frame. He was ready for Athena to open her gifts; hopeful to witness a positive reaction.

Athena glanced at him before she, too, turned her attention to the presents beneath the Christmas tree. She tapped her feet beneath the blanket, impatient to watch Ace open his gift.

At last, the door opened. 

“There you are!” Ace quipped when Dorian appeared. “And I thought I did my Christmas shopping at the last minute.”

“Don’t question my motives,” Dorian set a few things down behind the tree–out of Ace and Athena’s sight.

“As long as you got what you needed, right?” Athena grinned.

“Exactly.” The Kalgaran stepped around the tree and sat down on the rug across from Ace and Athena. “So, who’s first?”

“Ace should go first!” Athena raised her hands into the air, causing the blanket to slip off her shoulders.

“Me?” Ace rolled to his knees.

“You’re the youngest, aren’t you?” Dorian jabbed. “You get to open the first present.”

“Oh, is that how this works?” Despite his verbal protest, his actions spoke otherwise. Crawling to the tree on his hands and knees, he snatched up the box with his name on it and scooted back into place.

Raising an eyebrow, he carefully unwrapped the box, then smiled wide as he opened the lid.

Without a single blow, the breath was knocked from his lungs. There, in the box, were two sets of horsehair guitar strings and a woven guitar strap with card suits stitched into it. “Oh!” He said to hide the concern flooding his emotions.

Athena, on the other hand, was beaming. “I know you’ve been needing new strings. And, I thought that strap was too ‘Ace-y’ to pass up.”

“It is fitting, isn't it!” Despite the discomfort in the pit of his stomach, he leaned over and hugged Athena’s side. “Thanks, Teena,” he said, “these are exactly what I needed.” He hated to bluff, but he wasn’t sure how to explain to her that his guitar was not currently present in the house.

“Here you are,” Dorian handed Athena the next gift as Ace resettled, “as the next oldest.”

Athena was still smiling as she unwrapped her gift, though her smile faded as the butcher-paper wrapping gave way to a small, narrow, dark-stained wooden box. “A keepsake box!”

“I thought you could keep your dagger in it,” Ace grinned. “What do you think?”

“Oh, this is perfect for it!” She smiled sadly.

“Yeah?” Ace noticed something was off from her falling expression.

“Dorian’s turn!” She deflected, setting the box in her lap.

The quiet young man turned and took one of the boxes–the contents clinking in the process. With a smirk, he unwrapped it and opened the box to find four small bottles within a small wicker basket. “Oh, yeah; potion bottles,” he said with more excitement than they had expected. “Thanks, Athena,” he followed up with a smile.

Ace smiled through clenched teeth. “Uh… you may want to go ahead and open mine… while you’re at it.”

Athena glanced at him. “Wait, did you…”

Sure enough, Dorian took the second clinking box into his hands, opened it up, and pulled out three more small bottles. “Oh, yeah; potion bottles. Thanks, Ace.”

The two across from him looked at each other, then nervously turned back to Dorian.

“Sorry we got you the same thing; I had no idea,” Athena offered.

“Oh, don’t be sorry; I can always use bottles, and they’re exactly the kind I need. I appreciate you both,” Dorian set the second set of the bottles beside the first. “They’re very utilitarian gifts.” 

Ace blinked. “Utili–what?”

“Useful. Practical.” The Kalgaran got back to his feet. “I did discover something different about the gifts you gave to each other, however.”

Ace and Athena watched as Dorian ducked behind the tree and lifted the large case he had come inside with. With his other hand, he also picked up a small leather object that had been lying beside it. When he came back around the Christmas tree, Ace immediately recognized the shape of the case.

“That’s a guitar case,” he spoke aloud, the sinking feeling again filling his stomach.

“Ironically, when I went over to the leather shop looking for a gift for Athena,” he knelt down and laid the case on the ground. “I happened upon a very familiar guitar.”

Ace watched with wide eyes as Dorian flipped open the latches of the guitar case and opened  the lid. His guitar was then revealed within the soft plush fabric that lined the inside of the case.

Athena had turned up her chin to look inside the case; and almost immediately, she whipped her head towards him. “Ace–you gave them your guitar??”

He shrunk back. “It was just until I could pay back the rest!”

She paled. “The rest of what?”

“Hold on,” Dorian reached between the guitar case and his lap. “Because, when I went to the music store to find a gift for Ace, I found a very well-crafted dagger.”

He lifted the small object and revealed Athena’s dagger, nestled within the pocket of the simple leather sheath. 

Athena swallowed and sat back on her heels as Ace’s eyes returned to her.

“Did you sell your dagger to buy my guitar strings?” He asked her directly.

“Did you sell your guitar to buy my dagger box?” She replied similarly.

The answer came in the silence of realization that settled between them.

Dorian studied each of their faces. “To me, that just shows the depth of the relationship you have; you didn’t just want something useful for each other, you wanted something special.” He looked down at the gifts between them. “And, both of you decided it was worth giving up something you treasured in order to give the other something they would treasure.”

Eyes locked, Ace and Athena now appeared somewhat in awe of each other. They were grateful, warm, and both shared some amount of tingling within their stomachs or fluttering within their chests when they considered the lengths they were willing to go to to give a worthy gift for one another.

Athena, at last, curled away sheepishly and balled her hands into the blanket in her lap.

Ace shook his head and turned back to his guitar. Slowly, however, he cocked an eyebrow and raised a gloved finger. “My guitar wasn’t in a case when I left it.”

“It wasn’t,” Dorian casually flipped the case closed and pushed it towards Ace. “That’s my present to you.”

Ace froze. “What??”

Athena gasped as the sheathed dagger was presented to her. “Oh, Dorian, you shouldn’t have,” she protested. “Just getting it back would have been enough!”

Ace looked between the sheath, the dagger, the box, the guitar, the strings, and the case, ending with an exasperated shake of his head. “How much did you have to spend to get all this??”

“Don’t worry about it.” He dismissed, despite Ace’s persistent concerned expression.

Athena held the leather in her hands, laid it gently into her box, then squeezed all three against her chest. “Thank you,” she offered simply.

“You’re very welcome,” the Kalgaran nodded.

“Both of you,” she added with an almost coy glance in Ace’s direction.

Ace simply looked down at his lap and shrugged. “Of course. I… I care about you–and Dorian, too,” he shot him a glance before returning to his lap. “You’re the best friends I’ve ever had. And seeing this,” he held open his hands over their bounty now spread across the rug, “I feel cared about too. Thank you, both, too. Although,” his narrowed and slid back to the man at his side. “you didn’t wrap it.”

At last, Dorian’s stoic exterior cracked into a wide smile. “Sorry about that.”

Athena set aside her gifts and got to her feet. She scooted behind Ace and slipped in between the two young men. With a hand on either of their shoulders, she got back to her knees and pulled them both together in a hug. “Merry Christmas Dorian.” She squeezed his shoulder.

Dorian turned his head away shyly. “Merry Christmas, Athena.”

“And, Merry Christmas, Ace.” She hesitated for only a moment before placing a small kiss on his cheek.

The ex-gambler lit up brighter than the flames of the fireplace across the room, turning almost as red as the hearts and diamonds stitched into his new guitar strap.

“Yeah, Merry Christmas, Ace,” Dorian offered a playful sneer when he noticed Ace’s reaction.

His heart still pounding within his chest, Ace elbowed Dorian before he slipped his arm around Athena to accept a cozier hug.

“Merry Christmas, everyone!”

---

WELL WASN'T THIS JUST THE CUTEST.

I finally got the idea to convert this story to the Tale of Ace Gallagher gang; I inserted this sometime after Book 2, so the trio is very close friendship-wise (and 2 are beginning to realize it's a bit more than that... ahem), and they've officially moved in with the Edwards -  but I wanted to keep the cast small... so the others are off traveling to visit family. Problem solved, lol.

I allowed Dorian to be the 'narrator' in the finakl scene, so he could put into words the point of all this; being willing to give up something you treasure to give someone else a treasure - for such were the gifts the magi brought the baby Jesus. Aww.

I feel like I had more commentary but it's very late when I am scheduling these since we leave tomorrow... so yeah. 

Thank you for reading and hope you have a Merry Christmas!!!

The Gift

A Tale of Ace Gallagher parody of “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

By Jill D’Entremont

- I -

Ace narrowed his eyes as he looked down the line of leather sheaths. They were all expertly crafted with tight stitching and colorful dyes, and many had even been sewn with intricate patterns with their layers of color. It was almost impossible for him to choose one.

He finally selected one with a deep green stain capped with tan ends. His focused expression turned into wide-eyed shock when he saw the price listed on the back.

“Can I help you with anything?” The friendly shop attendant appeared at his back.

He turned around, his mouth still agape.

“Oh,” the attendant laughed somewhat, her hand on her hip, “Yes, that one is a bit pricey due to the extra work required. If you’re looking for one more within a modest budget, I’d look on this side.”

Ace followed the woman’s hand to the start of the rack. “Oh, thank you.”

The attendant nodded, then pointed to the guitar slung over Ace’s shoulder. “I see you’re a guitarist?”

“Yep–I just came from playing at the tavern,” he adjusted the strap to tuck the head of the guitar closer to his legs. Without a case, he simply flipped the guitar to his back to carry it to and from his gigs.

“Well, we sell guitar cases whenever you’re in the market!” The attendant gestured over her shoulder. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She then left Ace alone.

“Yeah, when I can afford one,” the musician sighed and stepped up to the cheaper sheaths. Gone were the colors and layers and patterns, but the craftsmanship was still apparent. Surely even the plainest of sheaths would be a good gift for Athena.

He winced as he turned over a light tan sheath. It was still far beyond his budget. 

He deflated with a sigh. “So much for this idea.”

Ace stepped outside the leatherworking shop. The cold winter wind rose to meet him, biting the bare skin of his face. He shivered and bundled tighter within his coat.

It was Christmas Eve, and the streets were full of people like him: last minute shoppers trying their best to find the perfect gifts for friends and family before the stores closed down for the holiday. He stuck close to the front of the building so as to stay out of the way of those bustling along the streets and sidewalks. Even the act of fishing out his moneybag from his pocket required either his guitar or his elbow to bend into oncoming walkers, and after a few annoyed words, he opted to follow the flow and duck into the alley on the side of the shop.

“I suppose this is my own fault for waiting until today,” he mumbled, finally holding the small, jingling bag in his hand. He poured the coins into the palm of his other hand–fairly warm within his fingerless gloves–and poked each one to count what he had left.

He had never bought Christmas gifts before. As a young child, his mother had always packaged up gifts for him to hand to his father or brother, giving him the credit. After running away from home, he was too focused on survival–and too separated from others–to worry about giving gifts. 

But now, he was surprised to discover how much he wanted to buy something for his friends–if for no other reason than to show some small token of his appreciation for their friendship. His meager savings wasn’t much, but he knew he could make something work out–especially since Mioko, Raeya, Ed, and Vance were visiting family and therefore not participating in their Christmas Eve gift swap.

As a potion maker, Dorian was fairly easy to find gifts for. He always needed ingredients and bottles to keep them in, so a quick stop at the general store gained Ace a set of three, small, used bottles with fresh cork stoppers. He had even spent less than his budget on the gift, leaving him feeling accomplished.

Meanwhile, Athena, the apprentice swordsmith, should have been just as easy to find a gift for. She had recently forged her first solo piece: a steel dagger inlaid with bronze metalwork on the hilt. Her teacher had allowed her to keep it, and she currently wore it on her belt with a small leather frog that was almost too large to hold it properly. He had wanted to buy her a true sheath to keep it in; but, even with the extra coins left over from Dorian’s half of his budget, the cheapest of sheaths were far beyond what he could afford.

He sighed and slipped the coins back into his moneybag. “What can I get her?” He spoke aloud. “She’s so proud of that dagger; I want to get her something to go with it.”

In the lull of foot traffic, he managed to slip back out of the alley and walked back in front of the leather shop’s window. On display was a small dagger within a simply built box lined with deep green felt.

“Oh!”

Clutching his guitar strap, he darted back to the door slid back inside the shop just as someone else slipped out.

“Excuse me!” He saw the shop assistant standing with another customer near the back of the room.

“May I help you?” The older shop owner spoke up gruffly from behind his counter at his side. 

“Um–yes! I was wondering if you had any more boxes like that one in the window–with the dagger in it.” While speaking, he created an invisible box with his gloved fingers.

“No, that’s the only one,” the man replied, stepping out from behind the counter. “But you’re welcome to it.”

Ace stood with bated breath as the older man removed the dagger and placed it on the wooden shelf alone. He then closed the box and handed the box to Ace.

Ace rubbed his fingers against the dark stained wood. It was simple; no frills or intricacies on the outside. But when he lifted the lid, the deep green of the felt inside the box truly made a statement of its own. Better yet–he knew it would fit Athena’s dagger perfectly.

“This is perfect,” Ace closed the lid. “How much would you take for it?”

“Seven gold,” he nodded.

Ace inhaled, then sighed. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

The man watched as Ace tried to return the box to him. He held up his hand to stop him. “How much do you have?”

“Four,” Ace replied, chewing on his lip. “And eight silver.”

“I’ll let you take the box now for the four,” the man said, “if you can pay the rest later.”

The gambler perked up. “Would you?”

The man returned to his counter. “In the spirit of Christmas, I would.”

Ace followed on his heels. “Oh–thank you, sir–I really–”

“But.”

Ace skidded to a stop upon the word.

“I’ll need something of yours for collateral.”

He blinked. “What’s… collateral?”

The man opened the money box on the counter. “I keep something of yours to make sure you come back to pay the rest.” He held open his hand. “Four, please.”

Ace took out his four gold pieces and set them into the man’s hand. 

“When you pay off the rest, I give it back to you.” He set Ace’s four coins within the box and took out a small piece of paper. 

Ace idly adjusted the strap of his guitar. “That’s… fair.” 

The man scribbled a few words onto the paper. “Now, what are you leaving with me?”

“Um,” Ace gripped his guitar strap tighter as realization hit him. “All I’ve got that’s worth anything is my guitar, though the strings aren’t very good anymore; I’ve been needing some new ones…”

“I’ll accept it.” The man held out his hands with the same stoic expression on his face.

Despite the sinking feeling in his stomach from temporarily leaving part of his livelihood behind, he knew it would be worth getting Athena a box to keep her dagger in–like a keepsake to remember the first blade she ever made.

He removed his guitar and handed it to the shopkeeper.

“I’ll keep it safe.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I know. What’s your name, lad?”

“Ace Gallagher.”

The older man nodded and scribbled Ace’s name on the paper.

Ace bit his lip as the man handed him a piece of paper that simply said ‘Less 3 for Dagger Box. Upon payment, return guitar to Ace Gallagher.’ The man’s scribbled signature sealed the deal.

“Thank you, Mr. Gallagher.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ace offered a short bow, clutched the wooden box and the piece of paper, and left the shop.

Vance glanced over his shoulder, his hand still stirring the shallow pot of gravy.

Ace shuffled through the door, his bulky guitar case knocking against the door frame in the process. He finally maneuvered it inside, set it down parallel to the wall, and then closed the door behind him.

“Hey, Ace,” Vance smiled lightly and turned back to the pot.

“Greetings,” he paused to smell the air. “Oh, man, that smells good.”

“It’s just roast and potatoes again,” Vance said offhandedly as Ace pulled off his fingerless gloves and stepped into the kitchen. “Nothing special.”

“You cooking anything for us to come home to is special.” He paused again, eyes drifting aside. “That sounded weird.”

The younger brother chuckled under his breath. “I appreciate the sentiment.”

Ace opened his now-bare hands wide. “What can I do to help?”

“Well,” Vance again glanced over his shoulder while his hand continued to swirl in circles, “if you want to make sure we have enough clean dishes; it’s Ed’s turn to wash, but he’s clearly allowing the sink to pile up good and high first.”

“I’m on it!”

Vance sighed. “I’m not sure why I bother asking him to do anything, honestly,” he muttered under his breath.

“Hey: at least he’s got a job again,” Ace tapped his finger to count three bowls in the cabinet.

“True.”

“Although, I’ll be honest, a postal carrier is the last thing I would have expected him to do.”

Vance hummed.

“Riding back and forth between Fortanya and Montrose every day doesn’t seem like the type of job for a former knight; but, beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose.” Ace tapped the stack of plates next, finding five. “We have enough dishes.”

“Good.”

Ace turned around to find Vance staring at the wall behind the stove. His light eyes were unfocused behind his thin-rimmed glasses. His hand was still stirring the pot of gravy with even circles.

He lowered his brows in concern. “Are you all right?”

Vance blinked and looked down at the pot. He shrunk back with a yelp and ran to the counter behind Ace to grab a jar of broth, and he dashed back to the pot to pour some in. The mixture sizzled and let off a puff of steam.

“I think I rescued it,” he commented more to himself as he again began stirring. “It was starting to burn.”

Ace leaned closer. “Yeah, it’s fine,” he commented, “but… are you?”

Vance glanced up. Despite the steam fogging up his glasses, they cleared just in time to meet his friend’s eyes. He nodded simply before turning back to the gravy. He lifted the pot by the handle and removed it from the stove’s flames. He then set it next to Ace on a handmade potholder on the counter.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m not sure I believe you.”

Vance squared himself up with the shorter man. “Yes, I am,” he said succinctly “Thanks.”

Ace allowed Vance to turn and continue his work. He leaned backward against the counter as Vance bent forward to peeked inside the oven. The hot air mixed with the savory scent of roasted meat flooded into the modest kitchen. Ace slumped further back against the counter and hummed loudly.

“Thankfully, this is still coming along nicely.” He muttered.

“Hey; is Athena home yet?” Ace popped up suddenly.

“No,” Vance closed the oven door.

“Oh.” At once, color flushed to his face. “Um–I have a question, then.”

Vance took a cautionary step back upon Ace’s drastic change in mood. “What kind of question?”

Their eyes whipped to the door as the door knob jostled. The door then opened to reveal a very tired swordsmith still in her bulky leather apron.

“Teena!” Ace perked back up and stepped around the table to meet her.

“Hey, you,” Athena kissed his cheek as he approached. “It sure smells nice in here!”

Vance smiled lightly as he pulled four of the remaining dishes from the cabinet.

“How was work today?”

“Pretty good; I finally finished Brunhilda today,” she turned back to the door, only for Ace to scoot in front of her. “I stayed a little later to make sure she was perfect.”

“Ooh!” He grinned as he slipped in front of her as she turned to remove her work boots. “You’ve been working on that one a while.”

“Yes–and now I am beat.”

“Will I be able to come by and see it?”

“If you come in the morning,” she giggled as he continued to scoot into her path with every step with puckered lips. “Now please let me go change!” She took him by the shoulders and nudged him aside.

“Okay,” he cooed sadly through his still-pursed lips.

The young woman laughed and left the room.

Ace still had a half-dazed grin on his face as the door to her room squeaked open, then squeaked and clicked back closed. He straightened his posture almost as quickly and slid back into the kitchen.

“All right–I have a question,” he stepped up to Vance, startling the man as he set down the last of the plates on the table.

“Go ahead.”

“So, um,” he immediately crumbled, bit his lip and took a deep breath. “I’m… trying to buy Athena a ring,” the words were barely spoken under his breath.

Vance’s blue eyes blinked wide. “The ring?”

Ace’s expression turned a bright red as he rubbed his forehead.  “We’ve been starting to talk about… well, our next steps–but I really want her to know I’m committed to her.”

“That is a very good way to do that,” Vance nodded, still a hint of surprise on his face.

“I want to prove to her my past is past and I want her as my future,” Ace looked at his hands. “I think she’s been a little hesitant since I... well, she had to clean me up a lot when she met me. And I’m still working on getting a more stable income.”

“You’ve seemed pretty stable recently.”

“It’s definitely improved,” he nodded, “But, while I have been saving up, I still haven’t saved up quite enough.”

Vance tilted his chin in a half-nod. “Yeah?”

The door squeaked open down the hall.

“I found the one I want, but… could I maybe skip rent this month?”

A smile had formed on Vance’s lips. “Of course; that’s fine.”

Ace glanced toward the hallway but didn’t see anyone. He turned back to Vance, lowering his voice out of instinct. “I won’t make this a habit, I promise.”

He waved him off. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I swear I’ll pay it later–”

“Ace,” Vance grasped Ace by one of his shoulders. “Don’t worry about it; with all of us actually holding down jobs for once, we’re not hurting without your portion. Do what you need to do.”

He smiled, despite his face still flushed with color. “Thanks, Vance. I appreciate it.”

Vance brushed him off. “Let me check on the roast.”

“I'll go count the glasses,” Ace returned to the cabinet.

Athena stepped into the room, eyes firmly on her boyfriend. She remained at the edge of the hallway for a moment before continuing in. “Thanks for cooking for us, Vance,” she said.

Vance had just pulled the roast from the oven and had precariously set the pot onto the stove. “Oh, of course. I have nothing else to do during the afternoons.”

“Well, we appreciate it,” she patted a hand on his back before sliding over to Ace. “How was your day?”

“Not bad; I was able to play at the tavern after the library today,” he reached into the refrigerator to select a pitcher of ice water.

“Ah, if you can keep that up you’d be able to make more spending money.”

Ace glanced at her. “Hm?”

The door flung open and bumped into Ace’s guitar case.

The three in the kitchen glanced up as Ed, dressed in a gray shirt and black pants, groaned and walked into the house.

“...Hey, Ed,” Vance tried.

The man, however, continued walking straight to the kitchen, leaving the front door wide open behind him.

Vance sighed and walked around the table to close the door.

Ace bit his lip. “Rough day?”

“Nope!”

Ace and Athena silently watched Ed take his plate from the table and step up to the roast on the stove.

“Then…”

“Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary happened! Nothing at all!” He pulled off a large chunk of the roast with a fork and set it on his plate. He stabbed a few potatoes next and doused the entire plate with most of the small pot of gravy.

“So, what’s got your government-issued pants in a wad?” Vance leaned on the counter beside his brother with his arms crossed.

Ed shot him a glance before pushing away and kicking a chair out from under the kitchen table. “I’m just sick to death of being a postal carrier! It’s the most unfulfilling job in existence!”

“At least it keeps you out of trouble.”

“Shut up, Vance.”

Vance rolled his eyes and gestured to Ace and Athena to get their food as the postal carrier dug into his plate.

Athena frowned with her plate in her hands. “It is an important job, even if it’s not that exciting. There are a ton of people who count on the mail.”

“Thanks, but I’m not looking for sympathy.”

“...I was trying to give you perspective,” she replied with an eyebrow raised.

Ace protectively took Athena by the shoulders to coax her away from Ed and toward the stove. She shrugged with an apathetic expression.

“Besides, I have a job lead in Langford,” he said through a mouth full of food.

“Langford?” Ace paused. “That’s in Enelle!”

“Very astute.”

“You’d move away?”

“Heck, yeah.”

“What is it?” Athena sat down at the table with her own plate as Ace did the same. Vance took up his plate last, his back facing the others.

“They’re looking for stablehands at this big horse breeding ranch out there. Supposedly they pay you good, feed you even better, and you can move up to training and trick riding pretty easy–especially with the skills I already have.”

“Wow,” Ace seemed genuinely surprised. “Working with horses does sound pretty cool.”

Ed hummed, stuffing another bite of meat and potatoes into his mouth. “Better than working with my government-issued horse that feels like it’s going to keel over at any moment.”

“We’d miss you,” Athena said, though she was quick to shoot Ace a glance when he snorted under his breath. “We really would!”

“Yeah, but this could finally give me that push out on my own I’ve been looking for. Not that being a patrolman wasn’t,” he swallowed. “But this could really be the start of a new passion.”

“Yeah, that’s great… go live your dreams…”

The dull tone of Vance’s voice caught them all off guard.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The older brother looked over his shoulder at Vance, still facing the pot at the stove. “You’ve got a job!”

“Yeah: stocking up the grocery store overnight! Talk about fulfilling!” He turned around suddenly and walked around the table to stiffly place his plate near the last empty chair.

Athena, again frowning, tried to console him. “Sometimes you have to have a stepping stone to get to where you need to be.”

“I’ve been living my whole life on stepping stones,” he leaned heavily on the table beside his plate, “all while you all get to do something meaningful with a purpose.”

“Playing guitar at the library for kids?” Ace pointed his thumb toward Athena. “We all know Madame Swordsmith is the breadwinner in this relationship.”

“At least you’re doing it! I can’t just show up at the library pushing a piano,” he huffed, “I would love to play for people; I would love to compose music!” Vance held out his hands. “Just so I can do something productive with this useless talent!”

"Hey, it’s far from useless,” Ace defended, “I’ve heard you play some of your original compositions around the house, and you’re incredible!”

Vance had slid into his chair. “It’s no good if I can’t do anything with it.”

“No, listen–I’ve been thinking: I have had a story in my head for ages that I've wanted to put to music–like a play.”

“Okay, but no offense, where would we even perform something like that?”

“I dunno, but we can figure that out,” Ace refused to back down.

“What if we planned an event here?” Athena gestured to the sitting room to their left, dimly lit from the light of the kitchen. “We could clean up the front room and set up an intimate concert experience!”

Vance squinted into the room, finding the upright piano against the back wall caught in the dull shaft of light.

“Oh, that would be neat!” Ace joined in with excitement in his voice. “We could get a handful of singers and all sit around the piano, and the audience would be right there with us.”

“Serve wine and cheese and I’m in,” Ed waved the potato on his fork. “So would half the town.”

“Yes! We could add candles and soft lanterns–I could make some simple decorations–”

Athena was cut short as Vance stood up from his chair abruptly.

"Guys, thank you. I... appreciate it.”

Without another word, he walked through the room, down the hallway, and into his bedroom. The door closed quietly behind him.

Left in the silence, the three friends looked in his direction with different shades of shock and confusion.

Ed was the first to break the stiffness with a sigh. He looked at his fork, studying the potato still upon it as if it held the answer to his many questions. “He hasn't been the same since the war,” he said softly.

“He almost died,” Ace muttered. “That can change a person; believe me.”

“Unlike you, it was not for the better,” Ed’s bearded chin did little to hide his frown.

Athena will still looking down the hallway. “Should I…”

“No,” the elder brother slid the last bite into his mouth and stood up. “I think we’ve tried enough already.”

Ace lifted his hand and set it on Athena’s shoulder. A concerned look was his response.

Ed tossed his plate into the sink and walked into the hallway.

“Hey, it’s your turn to do the dishes,” Ace called after him.

“I’ll do them later.”

Another closed door left Ace and Athena alone.

She turned to her boyfriend with a start. “I don’t care who’s turn it is: when we’re done, we’re cleaning the kitchen.”

“Agreed.” Ace nodded, glancing at Vance’s untouched plate across from him. 

“And then, maybe, he’ll come back for dinner.”

-----

I enjoyed the 'day in the life'-ness of this one, showing little bits of their relationships with each other :)

I'm pretty sure I wrote this once I realized Vance was going to become the Phoenix later on in the series (but it worked out that it ends up happening at the end of this Book now) to set up his 'inner turmoil.'

Book 4 is turning out to be one of the most pivotal books in the series, since it sets up a lot of the changes that take place in the second half of the series. I guess that is how a middle book works though, lol.

Also Ace has given Athena the nickname "Teena" which I think is adorable and I'm totally using it.