"Careful with that!"  Tara Byrne yelled out as men brought in boxes of Christmas decor to turn the South Philly community center into a veritable Santa's North Pole home that would make Macy's green with jealousy.  

In the kitchen, Bella stood watch as the trucks were unloaded by low-level associates, checking off the inventory lists as each item appeared.

"So the tree,"  William said as he came into the kitchen.  

"Don't tell me it won't fit in the room we measured it three times, Will.  Once I even did it myself!"

Will chuckled.  "Oh, it'll fit alright."

"Good."  Bella said marking off another ten-pound bag of onions.

@William_Bowden leaned against the door frame, his white hat slipping down over his eye a bit.  He smirked, a little too much like Gavin for Bella's liking.  "It just won't fit through the damn door."

"What?!?"  She said with horror in her tone.

"@Charlie_Pavanno and @LouisMezzo are trying to cram the damn thing through but they both have so many damn needles in their skin they might as well be one of those voodoo dolls."

"Will we can't have Christmas without a Christmas tree!  What kind of Santa's North Pole would it be without a tree!  We had the damn thing hauled down from upstate New York, do you KNOW how much that cost?"

Will laughed. "Way too much."

"Way too much.  Now, I don't care if we have to knock down a damn wall and rebuild it but that tree is coming into this hall."

Will stood up, curbing his laughter.  "Is that an order from the Godfather's left-hand?"

"It is, smart ass.  Now come on... please?  It's just a tree... how hard can it be?"  Bella begged.

"Your Christmas wish is my command.  We'll figure it out.  But I'm not gonna promise that Charlie and Louis won't be covered in sap until New Years."

"They'll deal.  This is for the kids.  Tell them to find their Christmas spirit and push like they are getting paid."

"On it."  As Will walked out he passed Gavin and Aurora coming in. 

"She's in a mood."  Will whispered to Gavin as he went.

Gavin just nodded.

"MAMA!  Aunt Tara has a giant silver star for the top of the tree and she it has a light inside and I get to turn on the lights once it's all set up!"

Bella paused her work to bend down and kiss the girl atop her head.  "That's nice dear.  Have you had lunch yet?"

"We're about to head out actually."  Gavin threw in.  "Figured I'd get her something then."

"You're leaving?"

"We'll be back in time for the tree lighting tonight."  Gavin said picking up an apple from a box and taking a bite.

"Where are you going?"  Isabella asked.

Aurora looked at her dad, knowing he wouldn't lie she wondered what he'd tell her to keep the secret of their special job.

"Well, figured the kid would just get under your feet and I have a job to do some prep work for, nothing she can't be around of course - so I'll just take her with me."

Bella stopped checking her list and looked at Gavin sternly, "It's Christmas Eve, you have to prep for a job tonight?"

Gavin nodded.  "Time-sensitive.  I'll be home on Christmas day, that's the important part, right?"

Bella sighed.  "I guess, it's just..."

"Bella?"  @ArturoStrigliori came over shaking his head.  "We got a big problem.  These hams Godfather @JackMezzo had sent over are frozen.  Now I'm not a chef but I'm pretty sure they need to thaw before we can have the ladies start cooking in the morning.  How the hell are we going to thaw out fifty hams before six am tomorrow?"

Bella cringed.  

"LOOK DAD!"  Aurora held up a bundle of bananas.  "Bananas!  Mom got bananas in the winter!"  The little girl hugged her favorite fruit which was notoriously difficult to get shipped into the North East during winter months.  

"Take one if you want," @Yvette said as she came into the room through the service door and pat Aurora on the head.  "We got a ton of them in from ... was it one of @Nikita's people down in Cuba?  I don't know.  But you can have one.  There's more than enough for every kid in town."

Bella shook her head.  "Give a call to @KingofMeatPopsicles and see if he knows a fast way to thaw hams… thank god we have someone who knows something about meat in this damn town.”

“On it.”  Arturo said heading out to find a phone.

Aurora began pealing the banana the moment she had permission and shoved it into her mouth speaking with her mouth full, “Don’t worry Mom.”  She swallowed most of it before adding, “Everything is going to be great!”

“Bella!”  @MaggieGreene came running into the room.  “About that big load of coats that was going to fall off a truck tonight?”

“No, no, no… damn it, Maggie, don’t tell me that you’re wrong about the coats.  The kids need those coats!”

Gavin grabbed Bella’s face between his hands forcing her to stop and look at him.  “Rora is right.  Things are going to be good.  Take a breath and have some faith.”

Bella blinked hard at Gavin’s use of the word faith and his merry demeanor.  Wasn’t it her who was encouraging him to have faith in Christmas merely days ago?

Gavin kissed his wife passionately and then pointed up to the mistletoe she’d been standing under the whole time.  Bella sighed, exhaling some of her stress.

“See you tonight.”  He said taking another bite of apple as he turned away.  “Come on, Kiddo.  Let’s get to work.”

“YEAH!  Bye, mom!”

Bella watched them walking out and then turned back to Maggie who was smirking.  “As I was saying…”

“Sorry… what’s the problem?”

“Nothing.  Was just gonna let you know we got two trucks, not one so you should be able to let the kids have their choice of coats.”

Bella looked back to the now closed door and smiled. 

Maybe this Christmas will come together after all..

Gavin cracked his neck. He knew that someday there was a chance he'd be "working" with his daughter. He just didn't expect it to be when she was six years old. He shrugged. Well, it was a special occasion.

Their first moves had been a flurry of purchases. That was the easy part. Delivery... that was where it got tricky. The sun had set, and Gavin knew that everyone they'd be delivering gifts to would be occupied with Bella's Christmas plans. 

Also... they weren't exactly breaking into Fort Knox. 

Gavin pulled his hat over his ears as he hissed at his daughter.

"Stay in the car for a minute. I'm going to scout ahead."

Rora nodded, pulling her own hat on. Gavin locked the car behind him and walked around the corner until the guard watching Tara's office came into sight. He started to reach for his gun until he recognized Gavin's face... and the bottle of whiskey that Gavin was holding out didn't hurt either. 

"Hey Bill. Take a walk, huh? Like 20 minutes?"

Wordlessly, the bodyguard agreed. Soon, Gavin and Rora were sneaking up to the door. Rora was struggling with the lockpick and Gavin resisted the urge to just take over.

"No... a gentler movement. Like this."

He moved his hands. Sticking her tongue out one side of her mouth and focusing, Rora continued for another thirty seconds until it finally clicked and spun open.

"I DID-"

Gavin's hand was quick around her mouth as he raised a finger to his lips. She nodded before he released her and they both went inside. Gavin picked up the gift for Tara: a new typewriter for her newspaper. Rora lead the way into Tara's townhouse, and as she approached the living room with the fireplace Gavin nearly dropped the gift and went for his gun. But the wide-eyed expression of shock on his daughter's face was not concerning... instead, it was immediately evident after hearing the small woofing noises from the cage near the fireplace. Aurora whispered. Loudly.

"DAD IT'S A DOG!"

"That's... that's Aunt Tara's dog... I..."

Aurora crept forward and held up the giant "To Aurora" on the side of the cage. Then she dropped to her knees and stuck her gloved fingers through the cage, where the black lab puppy licked them intently. 

"... that could be for a different Auror-"

"IT'S FOR ME."

"Well... possibly. Let's just put this typewriter down and we'll see what happens tomorrow."

After prying his daughter away from the puppy and cursing his sister in his head, Gavin eventually managed to get Aurora back to the car. 

Jack's gift was next. He was sleeping, still recovering from the events on the Pier, and Aurora was as quiet as a mouse as she snuck over near his bed and left a wrapped picture on his nightstand: a picture from the early days, of a younger Jack Mezzo with his hands in his pockets, speaking to a serious looking young Tara who was listening intently, as Gavin got distracted by something out of frame. It was the earliest photo of them, and it had just recently been discovered in the newspaper archives.

The Purgatory Gym and Bar was the next stop, where "Uncle Will" received a handmade drawing of him and Aurora boxing each other; Gavin added a box of fine cigars as well.

The trip home was the easiest one; Bella received separate gifts from Aurora and Gavin under their tree in the Lofts. 

Finally, they only had Johnny and Gus remaining. A call to a friendly construction company had arranged for the dump truck full of coal, and Gavin and Aurora shared the same smirk as they watched it dumped on the front lawn of Gus's family. Just enough to be annoying without actually doing much damage.

The last stop was the hardest one: Johnny and his family were home. After conferring with each other, Gavin knocked on the door alone. 

"Excuse me, sir. Ma'm. Jeff Jefferson, Federal Bureau of Narcotics. I have a warrant here to search your house. Is there a neighbor here you're friendly with? Who? Okay."

Knock knock knock.

"Good evening- Jeff Jefferson, FBN. Please kindly open up your doors to this family for just a few moments. No sir, I know you've done nothing wrong. We received word that the previous occupant of your house may have stashed some contraband. This could be a dangerous situation, yes. Very sorry for interrupting your Christmas. Here's $100 to compensate you for the trouble this evening. You can go stay in a hotel or remain here; please give us until midnight- or you can just return in the morning."

When the family was gone, Aurora and Gavin snuck in the gifts. 

Half an hour later, they strolled back into the party and waited behind Bella until she was finished with her business... whatever it was.

The room bustled with people, an excited energy rippling through the cool winter air as it drove the hardest hit of South Philly inside the community building.  

Tara and Bella walked around, clipboards in hand talking to various people as they floated in and throughout the room.  Receiving season's greetings, blessings and well wishes from the people of their city - many of whom had wide wondering eyes similar to those of a child taking in all silver and gold decor. 

As Gavin came up beside Bella she said, "Sorry we couldn't wait for you to light the tree, Bug."  She looked down to Aurora.  "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful!"  She said staring in wonder at the tree illuminated with an impossible number of lights.

She began to explain to Gavin, "We had to change plans a bit after we got those hams in frozen.  So... over there,"  She indicated to a place where the Purgatory crew was working on bagging up food and handing it out, "Folks can pick up food to cook for Christmas dinners.  Any leftovers we have will go to the Churches and soup kitchens.  But ideally, no one who wants a nice Christmas dinner in South Philly will go without."

She nodded toward members of Tops, "Our Santa, that Charlie managed to dig up on zero notice, is listening to children's Christmas wishes and the members of Tops managed to make sure some 'lost' toys found their way here and they are handing them out."

"Can I help Uncle Charlie?"  She was referring to @Charlie__Pavanno who, despite having sap-covered hands, had still managed to have enough Christmas spirit to make sure children got their choice of toys before leaving the Christmas party.

Bella kissed her daughter's head.  "Go on, but be on your best behavior."  She sent Aurora running over to the Tops crew members and their Toy line.

"Distribution found a few truckloads of coats, hats, and gloves in a wide variety of sizes, I still don't know how @ArturoStrigliori and his people did it.  I called all around and had every department store downtown fail to come through like he did."

She looked at Gavin and kissed his cheek.  "I feel good about this... I know it's not exactly how I imagined spending Christmas Eve, but there are worse ways to spend the night of Christ's birth, don't you think?"

At the cookies & cocoa tables, a group of people began singing 'Joy to the World' and the room seemed to erupt into merry song.  The night went on this way.  People coming and going for another three hours until the last person took a bag of food and gave their sincere thanks to everyone present and went on their way. 

While clean up was happening, Aurora fell asleep on Santa's giant chair, clutching tight to a half-eaten peppermint stick.  Gavin carefully picked her up and carried her to the car and Bella drove slowly home.  The three of them ascended The Sewing Factory lofts back to their home together and after the littlest Byrne was snug in her bed Gavin and Bella went to work putting Aurora's gifts under the tree. 

Bella, of course, noted the gifts from Gavin and Aurora and smiled at the sight of the packages addressed to her.  "So your mission was get mom a gift?"  She said arching an eyebrow.

Gavin neither confirmed nor refuted her accusation.  He simply smiled.  It was the closest thing to 'a lie' the man had ever done, and she loved him all the more for it.  She knew how he felt about all this 'nonsense' but still, he'd chosen to take an active role in playing alongside Aurora for her sake.

"Three gifts?!?"  She asked, picking up a third package, but it was not wrapped as the other two were.

Gavin rushed forward and very carefully took the package from her, seeming to weigh it mentally.

"It's addressed to you."  She said as Gavin turned it in his hands to see the tag that dangled from the bright red bow atop.  In masculine hand-writing, the tag read, "To Gavin Byrne, from Santa Claus."

"You?"  He asked, very seriously, clearly worried what might be inside.

Bella shook her head and gave an emphatic, "No.  I have your gift in my pajama's drawer - I swear Gavin, it's not from me.  I don't know a thing about this.  Maybe one of the guys or Kassandra left it?"

"Kassandra wouldn't."  Gavin put forward as if he knew for sure the woman wouldn't be part of such a thing.

"Well, I know Neil doesn't write that well and I have a very hard time seeing Linval doing something of this nature."  Bella chuckled nervously.  "Maybe it was Santa?"

Gavin was not amused.  Instead, he walked slowly over to the coffee table, put the gift down and began to open the package a little bit at a time.  He wasn't going to wait for her daughter to be present, lest she sees something horrifying that might have been left as a message from any number of enemies he'd made over the years.

Bella held her breath.  Atop the box inside was a small letter.  Gavin opened the letter and read:

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Dear Gavin,

I regret that I could not visit you as a boy, but inspite of my failure to reach you, I remain confident the true spirit of Christmas is not lost upon the man you have become.

I have sincerely admired the love and attention which you have given to your own child and know that you are raising her to become the sort of woman who will act with the same honor and integrity that her father upholds all year long.  You've come a long way, a fact that is not lost on those who have known you the longest.  

While I know I could give you nothing so joyful as the family around you this holiday season, I hope that you will enjoy the enclosed, know that you have my thanks for assisting me in all my work this season, and have my utmost respect and wishes for your family's success in the coming year.

Your Friend, Now & Always,

Nicholas Kringle

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Bella watched Gavin read and then, once he'd finished he handed her the note to review.  Bella softened at the words.  "Jack?  But how?  He's still recovering from the heart attack!"

Gavin pulled open one side of the box and the other to reveal two items within.  The first was a figurine, meticulously carved by a master-craftsman from wood.  The figurine is a giant wolf wrapped protectively around a little girl who fearlessly hugged the beast which, despite his gentle appearance at the moment, was a most certainly a deadly animal when provoked. 

The second item, lay inside a wooden box of the same sort of wood that the figurine is carved from, again most likely made by some person rather than a factory.  Sheathed in a supple leather, the knife is a heavy thing meant for work, not mere decoration.  The handle is crafted of the same type of wood that the box and figurine are made from - perhaps from the same damn tree.  The steel that caps the hilt and that of the blade look as though they were struck simultaneously.  The blade has a long dramatic blood groove down it's middle making it's thicker side appear to have the strength of a railroad spike!  The edge is sharpened enough to be dangerous and is clearly ready to be used. 

At the sight of the figurine, Bella gasps, "Oh Gavin, it's so pretty!  Would you look at that work... have you ever seen anything so delicate?  Whoever did this made all the fur look so real!  And look!  The little girl has eyelashes!  For goodness sake this lovely!"

Bella watches silently as Gavin examines the knife.

Gavin's eyebrow raised as he read the note; by the time it finished, it was nearly flying off his head from sheer skepticism. The eyebrow crashed back down and his blank poker face couldn't quite hide his surprise at the gifts inside.

He lifted the figurine carefully, studying the craftsmanship of the wolf and the girl. He looked at it for a long time before placing it down and lifting the blade. 

Unsheathing the blade, he ran his fingers over it before grasping the hilt in his right hand. The weight was perfectly balanced, and it fit his hand like  a custom job. After a while, he returned the blade to his sheath and brought both to their room, where he safely deposited them on top of his dresser. 

Gavin didn't say anything more about the gifts, although the identity of the sender would be a constant topic of thought for months. For now, he dropped onto the couch and gestured toward the other two gifts under the tree.

"Want to open yours?"

Bella was off to the street like a shot, trusting Gavin's nod that she should open Aurora's first. 

The box was larger than expected for a ring, and when Bella opened it the lights bouncing off the magnificent ruby ring took her breath away. Gavin had a familiar smirk on his face.

"Remember when I was in Asia a few months ago? Long story, but I wound up in a job where I was able to switch out a fake for that. It's 23 carats, so I wouldn't exactly where it out to dropping Aurora off at school. But if we're at an event where we need to show off wealth and power, I thought that might come in handy. Aurora actually wants to turn it into a necklace for you, since she figured it'd be easier to keep track of. But I figured you'd want to do your own research when it came to jewelers."

He shrugged.

"For the record, that's my main gift as well. The other present is just a little something extra."

Bella was all but bouncing, a near imitation of her own daughter really.  She tore into the paper like a squirrel digging into the earth for nuts it had buried for winter, no care to the effort put into the packaging at all.  One of her great loves in life was getting gifts and holidays were some of her favorite days of the year because of the sheer number of them she could expect.

Upon seeing the ring she gasped audibly.  The only ring she'd found more impressive was the one she'd gotten from Gavin to propose marriage, but perhaps that was a bit of bias caused by the nature of that situation.  In truth, words nearly failed her when it came to describing the awe-inspiring gem that her husband had lifted.

"I must have been a VERY good girl this year..."

While she could imagine it as a necklace, a memory from her own entrance into the world of crime crept back into her mind, a true ghost of the past.  She put the ring on and immediately began looking at her hand with the giant stone decorating it.  She admired how it made her hand look and considered various situations in which she might want that sort of impact.  Her look of awe melted into one of amusement for a moment and then she looked to her husband.  She hugged the hand on which she wore the ring.

"It's incredible, Gavin."  Her eyes shimmered with adoration for her partner.  "Perhaps I shouldn't pout so much when you make these overseas trips of yours after all ... I mean, I doubt there are many stones like this anywhere in the States."

She chuckled.

"Of course, now I feel as though I really didn't put enough effort into your gift!"  She leaned over and kissed him sweetly and repeatedly, an act that she might have allowed to evolve into a trip to the bedroom but... there was still another gift under the tree and the only thing stronger than her desire to thank her husband properly for his amazing gift was her desire to see the next one and so she pulled away.  

"Alright, I can't imagine what is in the second box but I'm absolutely dying to know so..."  Again she bounced slightly in her seat.  "Let me open the second one then you can open yours."

Gavin's face almost always alternated between his blank poker face or his characteristic devil-may-care smirk. But over the past few years, a genuine smile had been breaking out on his face more and more- a smile that filled his eyes as well- and that was his expression as he watched Bella open the ring. 

"But yea. I kinda blew my budget with the ring. The second gift is slightly less fancy."

He leaned back in his chair, a king in his castle, as Bella ripped through the second box. She lifted up an exquisitely made leather belt; etchings in the leather showed wolves and dragons chasing each other... but the most notable feature was the detachable spring of mistletoe that hung down between the legs.

Gavin grinned.

"You should try it on."

Bella pulled out the belt, utterly focused upon the etchings at first, letting her finger run over the leather wolf and dragon.  She utterly failed to notice the mistletoe initially.  She gazed upon the gift with a different kind of joy than what she showed over the ring.  Where the ring was overwhelming awe and exhilaration, this was something much more heartfelt.  For a moment, emotion threatened to overcome her.

"Oh Gavin..."  She whispered as her hand turned the belt slowly so she might examine each bit of decorative working upon the leather, eventually coming to the mistletoe.  Instantly she burst into a fit of giggles, looking up to meet his eyes.  Sentimental expression melted, and something much more primal awoke in its place.

"I'll try it on,"  She said standing up, "but first you have to open your gift."  She went into their room and emerged with a small, lightweight gift.  

Gavin opened the package.  As the paper came away, it revealed a very delicate silver colored silk trimmed in lace.  To the untrained eye, it was probably nothing more than another pretty negligee, but this particular item bore no tags or markings of any kind that would indicate it was bought from a department store shelf.  As Gavin held up the sultry bedroom attire to examine it, two luxury cruise tickets to Sicily fell into his lap.

"The fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli made that, especially for us to enjoy after I helped her with a little problem she was having.  The tickets are so that we can pick up another if you like it well enough but as one of the world's best fashion designers... it won't be cheap."  She smirked.  "Shall I put it on?  Leather and silk aren't something I ever considered pairing before tonight, but maybe since it's Christmas, I can see my way to make an exception?  Or would you rather we save your Christmas gift to enjoy on the trip?"

Gavin held up the silk and lace with a wolfish grin.

"I think it's a little small for me."

He paused, glancing back and forth from his gift to Bella. 

"Well, we've still got some setting up for the rest of the kid's gifts."

As his wife stood up, he snaked his arms around her and spoke lowly in her ear.

"Then again, patience isn't exactly one of my virtues."

Outside, a light snow began falling and blanketing the city with white. 

Bella snapped awake, the light had only just broken outside as she found herself rising up from the mattress and coming down hard on it again and again.  Aurora was jumping up and down on the foot of the bed in her pajamas calling out loudly, "IT'S CHRISTMAS, IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

"Oh..."  Bella groaned as she slid out of the bed and put on her robe.  "I'll make the coffee."  

Aurora, darted after her.  "There must be 100 gifts here!"  She said running over to the tree.  Bella made for the kitchen and began to put the coffee on.  By the time she had two cups brewed Gavin had emerged and made his way to the couch.

One by one the little girl opened her presents and Bella watched drinking her coffee and snuggled close to her husband on the couch.  Each toy or dress was something she knew the girl wanted or needed but the final two gifts were the ones she most eagerly awaited her daughter reaching, placed far under the back lowest branches of the tree to ensure she didn't grab them first.

At long last, she grabbed under the back of the tree.  Bella wondered which she'd open first.  When the big package appeared in her hands, she had her answer.  Recklessly the little girl tore away the paper revealing the baby doll from Mr. Spencer's shop.  She stared at it, longingly but didn't move to take it out from the box.

Bella sat forward.  "What's wrong?  Did I get it wrong?"

"No... I mean, no."  She forced a smile and looked at her parents.  "Thank you, she's very pretty.  It's just what I wanted."

She pulled the doll out of the box and gave her squeeze, picking up the milk bottle and tilting it side to side marveling at the disappearing milk inside.  Bella smiled but knew a cloud was hanging over her head yet.

"There's still one under the tree."  Gavin noted.

Aurora wrinkled her brow and Bella realized then that the little girl had missed it.  She crawled back under the tree and pulled out the small box.  Bella looked to Gavin and said softly, "Don't be mad."

Tearing away the paper, Aurora revealed a box and inside, a small pocket-knife.  "You remembered!"  Aurora said looking to her mom.

"Your father will teach you how to use it.  You only carry it when he says so.  It is most certainly not a toy to be played with but..."  She paused a moment before adding, "You're old enough to know that and I think responsible enough to treat it with respect."

She clutched the knife tightly.  "I'll take good care of it."  She said proudly.

Bella stood up, unable to put off her morning trip to the bathroom any longer especially after a big cup of coffee.  "I know you will."  she said, pausing only a moment to kiss Aurora's brow before heading off to take care of nature's demands and to make herself ready for a long day of Christmas activities.

Aurora stared at the knife in her hand and the smile on her face unmoveable.  "No one gives a baby a knife."  She said looking up to her dad.  "No matter what Gus says ... no one gives a baby a knife and so I'm no baby."  

Aurora came up to the couch and sat beside Gavin, "Can I keep this one?  I know you said you might give Gus one of your knives, but I have one now, so you really don't gotta, but I would like to keep it if you're still okay with giving away one of yours?"  

Gavin reclined on the couch in his robe as Aurora climbed up next to him. 

"We'll pick out the dullest old knife I've got for Gus. It'll be a real knife, but I doubt it'd slice butter. You didn't say anything about the condition, yea?"

He shrugged. Had to make sure whatever one he picked out hadn't been "used". He wasn't a fan of Gus, but he didn't want to hit a six year old with a murder charge either.

"And kid... if I see you using that thing stupidly at all, you're not getting another weapon until you're twelve. I don't mind teaching you; it's a tool to defend yourself, and I always want you to be able to do that. But if you starting fucking around with weapons, playing unsafely or bringing that into school and showing it off... well, I'll be pissed."

He sighed.

"Not trying to be a downer on Christmas. Just want you to take it seriously."

When I was your age, I'd just tried to kill my father for the first time and... nope. Not a discussion for Christmas morning.

"Go play with your toys and enjoy your morning."

"But when will Aunt Tara be over with the d-"

Gavin's hand shot out lightening fast and covered Aurora's mouth.

"No idea what you're talking about. Right?"

Aurora nodded, smiling.

Isabella was joined in her kitchen by Tara at about half-past eleven.  She and @William_Bowden arrived together, something that seemed to be happening more and more lately.  And while Will and Gavin put the extensions into the dining table to make room for everyone, Tara laid out their gifts under the tree including one package that eventually had to go out for a walk.  So it was that Aurora had to open her puppy straight away. 

To the child's credit, she didn't have to work hard to show excitement and Tara seemed unaware that the girl knew the dog was coming at all.  Though she did ask Bella privately about a typewriter which she, of course, knew nothing about.  Listening in, Aurora only hugged her puppy tighter when her mother told Aunt Tara about the mysterious gift Gavin got as well, and how she thought Jack to be responsible somehow.  Aurora didn't know who left her dad a gift and if mom or Aunt Tara didn't... and Grandpa Jack couldn't???  While Aurora decided that it couldn't be an imaginary man with a beard and flying reindeer, not really, it was fun to pretend and so... she decided to leave it well enough alone.  Maybe this one gift, her father's mystery gift, she'd let herself think came from Santa.   

Then A surprise came in the form of @LouisMezzo and his grandfather @JackMezzo joining the celebration.  Jack wasn't in top form but, it was Christmas and apparently had insisted the young gangster bring him to accept the Byrne family's invitation to Christmas dinner.  

By one in the afternoon, most everyone had arrived.  It was a veritable whose who of Race Street Company gangs.  A sizable penny (which more often than not was more like a dollar) ante poker game had gotten going which Aurora, much to the delight of Grandpa Jack, occasionally jumped into whenever her new puppy fell asleep by the fireplace.  The kid really was becoming a card shark and even managed to win a hand or two ... though that might have been due to copious amounts of eggnog being consumed and the kid (of course) was stone-cold sober.

An early dinner was served in the late afternoon and everyone ate their fill of delicious ham and all the fixing, including Bo the puppy.  Whose name Aurora picked because twice the puppy had run into mom's room and had attacked her pile of leather boots.  Aurora saw no point in mentioning that today though - not when everyone was so happy.  She just promised herself to keep mom's bedroom door closed so the puppy couldn't get to its favorite chew toys.  

Race Street Company spent the rest of the day together, enjoying amazing food, good drinks, but most of all one another's company.    For all the thoughts of 'santa' and gifts... for all the worries of the last few weeks... this thing remained the most important of all:  Family.  And that was what Aurora took away from it all... so long as the members of her Family had one another, there was nothing they couldn't face:  not fires, or bullies, not even the lack of a Santa Claus.  Family, at the end of the day, was the one and only thing that truly mattered.