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The last bell of the semester rang, and the middle-school students soon starting to stream out happily as winter break officially began. Keith, Kira, and Zane were not immediately among them, though, the three seventh-graders instead going from classroom to classroom to talk with Kira's teachers in preparation for her semester-from-home. Homework, projects, papers, exams... They all had to be arranged and planned for. And once all that was in order, the three of them went to go out and empty out Kira's locker in awkward silence, the two boys monitoring how well the other Vulpix was taking things.

"You know," she said after she took down the last of her locker decorations, "normally I would enjoy the whole "taking all of your things home at the end of the year", it's always been fun before... You know, getting out of school and all. But this just doesn't feel right."

The two boys exchanged glances before Keith said "Well, it's definitely not the "end of the year" right now" as Zane wrapped an arm around the Vulpix, a little bit of a baby bump already starting to show on the young female. "I bet getting out of school feels different when you know most everyone else will still be there."

"Yeah... And that you can't go, even if you wanted to... Which sounds so backwards, who wants to go to school?" she asked, adding a very unconvincing laugh as she zipped up her backpack and started pulling her jacket on. "I mean, I feel... I feel like I'm being cheated out of something, almost like. I completely understand why they... why they don't want me here next semester, and to tell the truth I don't think I want to be around the other students to hear all the fat comments either... But I still feel like I'm being, I dunno, punished..."

She sighed, shoulders slumping a bit, and Zane wrapped both arms around her now, hugging her tightly. They held the hug for a moment before the Electrike quietly said "Sorry I got you pregnant..." in her ear.

The fire-type gave a weak little chuckle. "My fault as much as yours, Christopher Zane. Maybe more so, if I remember correctly..."

"Still," he countered, squeezing around her again, "I don't like seeing you upset..."

"I know... Thank you."

Silently, Keith stepped over as well and hugged the two other teens, earning a soft sigh from his sister. The three of them stayed like that for a moment or two before the Vulpix finally said "We should probably think of heading outside... Dad said he'd be here at three-thirty-ish."

Kira nodded and broke the hug, the three of them then picking up their respective bookbags and starting to walk.

As they got near the door out, Zane lightly rubbed his girlfriend's back, noticing her eyes were a little shiny. "You gonna be okay?"

"I will be," she answered normally, "though I think it's going to be rough for a bit... But yeah, once next semester starts and I get into a regular routine again, I think I'll be fine. I just have to make sure I don't dwell on it too much over break..."

Keith and Zane simply nodded in agreement as they flanked her on their way out of the school. Instead of sitting at one of the benches just outside the school door, Kira led them to the public bus stop on the other side of the parking lot, which neither of the boys questioned, simply sitting with her until the Vulpixes' father showed up.

There was a slightly uneasy air in the Sune house for the rest of that evening, all three guys simply keeping an eye on Kira, who seemed to be somewhere between "depressed" and "lost". There wasn't much conversation that night, though as the evening went on, it became implicitly assumed that Zane would be staying the night, with it eventually established that the Elctrike would sleep on the couch to avoid Keith's snoring. The three kids stayed up watching TV for a while, Kira eventually falling asleep against Zane. Keith excused himself then, leaving the electric-type to debate how best to wake his girlfriend up. Mr. Sune came by a few minutes later with a not-wholly-approving look, but just then Kira made a little noise in her sleep and wiggled a bit to be more comfortable on top of Zane. The Electrike looked up at the Espeon with a look that said a slightly worried "Uh... what now?" The Espeon relented, though, softened by his daughter's clear attachment, and instead of forcing Zane to wake her, he simmply took the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over the two teens before heading back to the master bedroom, leaving the electric-type to wonder what just happened before fidgeting just a bit to get himself comfortable as Kira's mattress for the night.

---

Around lunch the next day, the doorbell rang and Keith trotted over to the front door, opening it to reveal two Manectric, the younger carrying two of his mother's dishes.

"Hi Ms. McKenzie! Hi Marc! Come on in. Zane's in the living room with Kira, everyone else is in the kitchen."

The three of them walked through the Sunes' house, Ms. McKenzie making light conversation with the Vulpix about his last couple days of school for the semester until they made it to the kitchen, where smells of the Chirstmas meal were heavy in the air.

"Ah, Shana, Marcus, welcome! Good to see you," Mr Sune greeted from in front of the stove. "I'd shake and hug but I'm a little busy over here! hehheh... Have you two met my brother and his wife yet?"

"No, I haven't," Ms. McKenzine said, turning to the other electric-types in the kitchen and holding a paw out to the Jolteon there. "Hi, I'm Shana McKenzie, Zane's mom," she said, shaking, "and this here is his brother Marcus."

"Hi!"

"Very nice to meet you, Shana, my name's Kasbah Sune, and this lovely Zebstrika here is my wife Taima."

"Pleasure to meet you," Taima added, taking her turn to shake Shana's hand next, "Merry Christams! Or, Christmas Eve Day, as it is."

Zane's mom smiled as the males in the room chuckled. "Close enough," she said. "Where can we put the dishes we brought?"

"Oh, ah, you can put them on the counter over here..." the Jolteon suggested, quickly clearing off a space, "or take them in to the dining room already if you want. Are they gonna need to stay warm?"

"One will, one won't," Mr. McKenzie answered as Marcus set the dishes down. "Green bean cassarole and some light pasta salad."

"I'm gonna go pester Zane," Marcus announced, free from the burden of his mother's contributions to the meal, and used the opportunity to check his phone as he headed out of the kitchen toward the living room. There, he saw Zane's and Kira's head sticking up ever so slightly over the back of the couch, the two young teens talking quietly to each other.

He came up behind the counch and announced "Heya, squirt!" while reaching over to give the Electrike a noogie, earning a strangled and surprised yelp from the younger electric-type.

"Grah! What the hell, bro? Gerroffme!" The Electrike flailed a bit to get our from under his brother's paws, glaring at the Manectric and ready to chew him out a bit more until he heard a faint little giggle from next to him. He looked over to see Kira with a meek smile and relented a bit, sighing and saying "Heya Marc, whaddaya want?"

"Who said I wanted anything?" the older electric-type quipped, "Maybe I just like saying "hi" to my mini-me!"

"Uh-huh," Zane answered, clearly unconvinced as he smirked up at Marc. "You always give me trouble!"

"Oh, you mean like THIS?" Marcus retorted, leaning over the back of the couch to start ruthlessly tickling his little brother, who yelped and flailed under the assault, causing Kira to laugh aloud at the scene even as Zane eventually tumbled off the couch, gasping for breath on the floor while Marcus leapt over the back of the couch to take up the spot the Electrike had just vacated. "Heya Kira, how's it going today?" he asked brightly as the Vulpix caught her own breath.

"Ah, well, it's been pretty good today so far, I guess!" she replied, smiling.

"What's going on in here?" Keith asked, walking in through the dining room. "You guys are making a ruckus."

"Nothing, nothing!" Zane answered quickly, standing up and brushing himself off before shoving his brother from the center of the couch to the far end so he could sit next to Kira again with space to spare between him and his brother.

"Brotherly love, that's what's going on," Kira overrode with a light chuckle. "Nothing to worry about!"

"Marc attacked me!" the Electrike appealed to Keith, who had walked around the side of the couch now.

"I would never do such a thing!" Marcus scoffed, paw to the chest in "prim and proper" fashion, earning another giggle from Kira. "Anyway, I can have family time with my lovely little bro any time - at least any time he doesn't stay over here! I swear, the little punk seems to stay over here more than come home sometimes - but I don't get to talk with you guys much! I mean, where else am I gonna get dirt on Zane?"

"Hey!" the younger electric-type yelled, turning and giving his older brother a playful punch to the arm.

"Oh, so violent! Anyway, apologies in advance if people get poinsoned from the food - mom actually had me come help cook the cassarole and pasta salad."

"Oh yikes," Zane interjected teasingly, everyone there laughing a bit.

"I'm sure they'll be delicious," Kira said warmly a moment later.

"Yeah, but if we're all sick come Friday, you'll know why!"

"Well, hopefully that doesn't happen."

"Yeah, I'm hoping not either, I have a movie date on Friday."

"Oo, what movie?" Kira asked, now definitely interested.

Marcus sighed, pausing a bit before finally mumbling "Hound's Desire...", which got Zane and Keith howling with laughter, as it was clear to them it was Marc's girlfriend who had picked out the dark-romance chick-flick, as it was not a movie the Manectric (or any guy, really) would be caught dead seeing on their own accord.

Kira, though, piped in with "Oooh, I've seen the trailers for that, I'd love to go see it sometime, too!"

"Yeah, laugh it up, bro, sounds like Kira will drag you to it at some point, too!" Marcus teased, killing the Electrike's laugh a bit as it turned in to a light groan.

"Hmm... could Zane and I come with you Friday?" Kira asked innocently.

Zane, though, stared at her with a confused expression before suddenly lighting up as a thought hit him; he turned quickly to face his brother and asked, far too brightly, "Yeah, Marc! Let's make it a double date! Whaddaya say, bro?"

Marcus seemed thoroughly perplexed at his little brother's enthusiasm and then realization hit, a trapped look crossing his face.

When he didn't answer immediately, Zane continued prodding with "C'mon, Marc, Kira would love to go see it," grin plastered on the younger electric-type's face.

"Fine, finefinefine..." Marcus relented, "We can come pick Kira up before we go get Sam."

"So am I gonna be the fifth wheel, or just get left home alone here?" Keith asked.

Kira chuckled. "Oh, come on, Keith - you always spend the entire week after Christmas completely absorbed in all the new stuff you get."

Keith grumbled at that but eventually muttured "...guilty."

"Keith!" Mr. Sune's voice carried in to the living room. "A little help please?"

"Sure thing, dad!" the Vulpix called back as he started walking in that direction.

Marcus got up from the couch, heading that way as well. "Might as well offet my help as well, I'm starving and want to eat! You two keep your clothes on while we leave you alone, y'hear?"

"Marc!" Zane scoffed, earning a salute from the Manectric as he vanished into the kitchen. "Gosh, he can be such a pain sometimes..." he said to Kira.

"He's just teasing... Definitely a bit more free-wheeling than either of us. But yeah, I fully expect Keith to be buried in video game for three or four days again this year... I know I got him League Master 3 for Christmas this year."

"League Master 3??" Zane excitedly whisper-wheezed out. "Oh man, I've been so psyched that series is coming to console!"

"Yeah, I know you and Keith have spent lots of time at the arcade on League Master 2, I thought it would be a good choice."

"Hell yeah! Great, now I'm really tempted to play it with him..."

"AFTER our double date!" Kira giggled.

---

Zane and Kira chatted quietly in the back of Marcus' car as they drove over to "Sam's" house for their day-after-Christmas movie date. Up front, Marcus was a bit more stoic than usual - which wasn't saying much, considering how easy-going and bright his "usual" was - but enough to get noticed by Kira.

"Something up, Marcus?" she asked. "You're not talking continuously like usual."

The Manectric let out a light "ha ha!" before answering "Well, I'm driving! Gotta concentrate on the road, right?"

"He's just flustered that I'm finally going to meet this mysterious "Sam" girl," Zane said. "He hasn't introduced "her" to me or mom yet, we haven't even seen pictures - I'm betting Sam's acutally a guy!"

"Sam is not a guy!" Marcus retorted, his voice a bit stronger than usual. "She - well, you'll see, this is her street. And mom already knows."

Zane's face went from enjoyment in teasing to a bit of betrayal. "Wait, so I've been kept in the dark, here?" he asked indignantly while Marcus pulled up in front of a house.

"Just be nice," the Manectric said as the front door opened, a pretty Arcanine in a softball jacket stepping out and jogging over to the car.

"Oh... she's an Arcanine," commented Zane as Marcus got out to hug and chat with his girlfried.

"Is that bad?" Kira asked.

"Well... no? But both my dad and Marc's dad were Arcanines, I wouldn't think mom would approve at all..."

"Oh, okay... Well, he said your mom knows already, didn't he?" Kira asked just before the two college sophomores got back in the car.

"Yeah..." Zane answered as the other two clicked their seatbelts on and Marcus started the car.

The Arcanine then turned around and smiled at the two middle schoolers, holding out a paw to shake. "Hi Zane, hi Kira, I'm Samantha! I've heard a little bit about you, nice to meet you!"

After some short introductions, Kira and Samantha suddenly got deep into chatting about the movie they were about to see, hitting it off quite well, causing the two brothers to exchange a glance through the rearview mirror, both of them now questioning how good of an idea it was to let the two fire-types meet...