Archive of Our Own ^beta

   Mike was sitting on the kitchen's floor, watching the first sunshine rays finally get through the window, listening to John rambling on the phone.

   “Why did you call me so early today? I was sleeping pretty good, you know?”

   “The kids pushed me out of bed. I was sleeping pretty good too, you asshole, and I, for once, am not gonna suffer alone.” John said, laughing quietly. “Consider it my Christmas gift, and everyone is gonna suffer, I will call every single one of us.”

   “You're crazy, Williams.”

   “I am delightful, Metcalf. How are the boys? Are you sure you don't want to come for Christmas? Roberta and the kids will love having the four of you here.”

   “Nah, it's fine and it's their first Christmas without Duke and Alicia. I think it's best for them to spend the holidays at home.” Mike said and couldn't stop himself from thinking " And for me as well ".

   After their deaths, Mike thought the boys would change and he tried to make things easy for them. It wasn't fair that they lost both of their parents so young, to suffer that much, but after a year all of them had got a spark of normalcy and Mike didn't want to lose it.

   “We just started to act like before, John, I don't want to risk it, I don't want to force them too much.” Mike sighed, resting his head on the wall. “Pete just started to laugh out loud again, you know?”

   “I know, man, but we miss you too, alright? At least come for the New Year.”

   “It's a trip of eight hours, do you really want to face me and Duke and Alicia's kids grumpy because of it?”

   John laughed before he breathed loudly.

   “All of us are still here, Mike, and we want to help you with them. Duke and Alicia were our friends too, you just have to ask.” Then a soft 'bang' was heard through the phone. “Oi! Marcus! Put your sisters down!”

   “I think your hands are full right now. Want to hang?” Mike asked, knowing how the Williams liked to play with each other. The last time, Mike and Duke found feathers in the most inappropriate places after a pillow fight with all the Phantoms for a week.

   “Nah, they will be fine.”

   Before he could answer, something touched his shoulder and he turned to see Ethan standing on his PJs with a book.

   “Good morning. Read it for me?”, he asked, showing him his book.

   “Good morning.”, Mike greeted, smiling and nodding, while patting the place beside him on the floor. He watched as the oldest of the triplets got comfortable by his side, resting the book on his knees and leaning against Mike. “Did you wash your face? Brushed your teeth?”

   “Yes. Who is on the phone?”, Ethan asked, looking at him. His hair had started to grow again and Mike would have to ask him if he wanted to get longer or got it trimmed soon.

   “Uncle John. Want to talk to him?”, the boy shrugged before handing over the book and moving to grab the phone. “You're gonna talk to Ethan now, John, watch your mouth.”

   While they talked, Mike looked at the drawings in the book. It was their little habit now, just the two of them. Every morning, before Pete and Danny woke up, Ethan and him would sit on the kitchen's floor and read for a while. The boy liked to say that was his favourite part of the day and Mike thought it was an excellent way to start the day.

   At least he got one of the boys to like reading. Ethan was always looking for new books and new stories to read and learn from.

   “I just finished The Little Prince and Pa will start reading The Enchanted Castle with me now!”, Ethan exclaimed, happily. “It's about a hidden castle and three brothers! Just like me and Pete and Danny!”

   Mike laughed quietly, it was always good to see Ethan happily talking about something he liked. He had the tendency of trying to be more mature than his age, trying to help with his brothers, even if they are the same age. So when he got an interest in books, Mike was more than fast and happy in incentivizing the boy.

   The first book he read was The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit given by Alicia on his birthday, so he was very excited to read The Enchanted Castle.

   “Nah, Uncle John, the last time I was there the girls wanted to dress me like a prince and marry me. I am too young to marry! Marcus has to play with them alone this time.”, he said, shaking his head, a pause followed then. “Ok, ok. Bye, uncle John, merry Christmas.”, then Ethan looked at Mike, giving the phone to him. “He wants to talk to you, then we will read.”

   “Alright, darling.”, Mike said, pulling him closer. While the kid was talking to John, he leaned against the wall and moved a little away from Viper. “What do you still want, Williams?”

   “Bring my nephew to Christmas, Metcalf, I want to hug him. Did you see how excited he was talking about the books?”, John exclaimed and Mike knew he was smiling. “But why is he up so early? Your boys like to sleep till late.”

   “Ethan is an early bird, he likes to see the Sun rise everyday.”

   “Just like Alicia. She loved to wake us.”

   “Just the same, believe me. Bye, John, go wake up the others.”

   “Bye, you idiot, I will call later. Merry Christmas.”

   “Merry Christmas.”

   And with that they hung up. After putting the phone back on the hook, he kissed the top of Ethan's head and grabbed the book, asking if he was ready to begin. They read for another thirty minutes before Ethan claimed that he was hungry and wanted eggs.

   Mike was still learning how to cook the recipes of Alicia, but her handwriting was worse than learning how to fly planes or teaching arrogant pilots. At least he knew how to cook the basics and neither of them would die of hunger, and when Pete — the only one who understood her handwriting — and him had enough courage, they would get through it, writing on a notebook of their own, adding their own recipes too.

   "We’re not gonna throw it away, are we?" Pete asked one night after they worked on a particularly difficult recipe, holding the notebook hard against his chest. Mike denied because how could he not? It was a piece of Alicia that they still had with them and he would never lose it if he could avoid it.

   So he made the eggs, with coffee and chocolate milk for him and Ethan. The silence that followed the meal wasn't awkward, Mike liked the quietness, especially when his days are filled with action and noise. Surprisingly the big part of it came from the pilots who didn't like to lose and not from the kids. It was a nice Christmas day, nothing too cold like New York or too hot like in summer.

   “Can we help with the food?”, Ethan asked after they finished cleaning the dishes. “I am gonna ask them, don't move!”

   And with that he ran away to wake his brothers.

   So, guessing what would be the answer, the recipe's notebook found its way to the kitchen's balcony. There was something special about that notebook, both Duke and Mike thought that, maybe because it transpired Alicia's energy or because she would write every recipe she loved and change the recipes she didn't like till it was the way she loved. The first few ones were in Italian, before it started  between Italian and English until it was fully English. She liked to say that she learned English because of it.

   Alicia was a very passionate woman, who loved cooking and baking more than anything, just not more than her family. That last time someone criticized her food without reason, both Duke and Mike had to hold her and grab the knife before she hurt the person. But Pete, as a 2 years old mommy's boy, bit the ankle of the person until they screamed and Duke pulled him from under the table.

   When the boys finally got down to the kitchen, Pete and Danny hugged him good morning and the three of them climbed the stools before setting to plan the Christmas lunch and dinner. And yes, they left it to the last minute, so it would be something simple, with everything that was in the house.

   Opening the notebook, Pete started to pass the pages looking for something nice. He joked that Ethan should learn Italian faster so they could read the first ones and make them since the boy was the only one of the triplets who was interested in learning Italian. While they searched through the pages, Mike observed the exchange. Pete was sitting in the middle, reading the titles with Danny saying what he liked or disliked and Ethan writing the names of the recipes they liked.

   That was a system they found on their own, especially to help their momma. Alicia told him one night after putting the boys to bed that was the way that they found to be included in the kitchen without getting hurt or worrying her. Mike looked at his boys, seeing as they were talking between them and trying to find something they all agreed on eating, he only interfered when he knew they didn't have the ingredients in the house.

   “Why don't we have pasta?”, Pete said, looking at his brothers. “We can help Pa make it.”

   “Homemade?”, Danny asked. his eyes shining. Ethan, on Pete’s other side, was just as excited.

   That's when Mike turned to see if they could make it, but he wasn't sure. Looking through the cabinets he heard the boys talking about other alternatives if they couldn't make it. The boys loved the homemade pasta, it was Alicia's specialty and she always let the boys help with it. 

   “Oh God, it's a Christmas miracle.”, he whispered, seeing all the ingredients. “Boys, I think we can make pasta today!”

   “Yes!”, they screamed happily, while he gathered everything and Pete found the right recipe for homemade pasta.

   “Before we start making it, you two have to eat something. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”, he said, looking at the two youngest. “After that we start.”

    Usually homemade pasta took two hours to make, but with that family nothing was final. So when Mike found himself with flour on his face, he couldn't help but laugh and throw flour at them too. Pete laughed when Danny tried to eat raw pasta while Ethan sniffed because the flour got in his nose.

   “Pa!”, Pete called, laughing and watching Mike lift Danny to prevent him from eating more raw pasta. “You look like Santa!”

 That got the attention of the others. Making his way quickly to a mirror, Viper got a look at himself. He had flour in his very black hair and mustache making everything look whiter, even his eyebrows had flour in them. Looking in the mirror, Danny, still in Mike's arms, started laughing saying that he really looked just like Santa. 

   Laughing with the kids, he sat on the floor with Danny on his lap and Pete and Ethan by his sides. All of them had flour and he probably had to get them in the shower sooner than later, but for now he was happy just to sit and calm down with them. After a while, he got up and helped the kids shower saying that they could watch TV while he finished the pasta.

   Maybe the pasta wasn't good like the one that Alicia used to make, but it wasn't burned, so it was a win. Mike also made some minced meat to go with the pasta. After eating, the afternoon was lazy, filled with watching television, coloring books and talking with each other.

  So when the night started to fall, the Phantoms one by one called them to wish Merry Christmas. The first one had, of course, to be John, who talked to all the boys, saying that next year they would spend Christmas all together, that he was going to organize for all the Phantoms to spend the holidays together at his house.

   The next one was Claire Abano wanting to know how her favorite nephews are before she talked to Mike wanting to know if he needed her help cleaning the house or if he had any questions about how to do something. Then Louis and Anastacia Rutherford called, followed by Elias Gomes, who didn’t have a wife because ‘ he wasn’t ready for it’ . Unfortunately, Theo Tycho couldn’t call since he was on a carrier. The last ones to call had been Keith and Clarisse Balker.

    While the presents under the Christmas tree were opened by the kids while Mike talked with Clarisse by the phone.

   “Yes, they are opening it now.”, he said, hearing the kids from the kitchen. “Everyone sent presents, and we tried to send to everyone as well, even if it was small.”

      When the Phantoms discovered that Mike and the boys would spend Christmas in Fightertown, they all sent gifts so the boys wouldn't forget them. Danny and Ethan liked the idea so much  that they made Mike buy small gifts for all of them and send it their way.

   “Tell me what they think of mine.”

   “I will. Did John wake up Keith and you too?”

   “Yes, he did. Keith was this close to going to his house and knocking the hell out of him.”. she said, sounding a little worried. “You know how Keith is when he doesn't get his beauty sleep, and let's say that we didn't get a lot of sleep last night.”

   “Finally a bun in the oven?”, he asked while Pete screamed that uncle Theo gave him a plane.

   “Oh please, no, Keith and I are not ready, we already have Pipsqueak, you know, our cat.”, she laughed. “Now both of them are sleeping on my couch.”

   “At least they are sleeping. Mine just woke up and are very excited to see the presents. Don't think they are gonna sleep anytime soon.”

   “And Top Gun?”, Clarisse asked, by the phone.

   “The pilots are becoming more insufferable by the day.”

   A scream of excitement was heard in the living room, before Pete came running to the kitchen.

   “Pa! Pa! Is it Aunt Clarisse? Can I talk to her?”, he screamed quickly, jumping up and down.

   “What did you and Keith give to him?”, Mike asked, holding Pete away from the phone.

   “Let me talk to him, Metcalf.”

   Passing the phone for the youngest of the three, Mike made his way to the living room, where Danny and Ethan were opening their gifts. That was when he saw it, a red motorcycle just the right size for a child with all the protection gear. Apparently that was what Keith and Clarisse found appropriate for a gift to a child of six years. Maybe Ethan sensed his anxiety because the boy walked to him and said:

   "Uncle Keith and Aunt Clarisse gave a baseball kit to Danny and a pair of fight gloves to me."

   "Really? Did you like it?"

   "Danny loved his and I don't know how to fight, but I can learn, I guess"

   "Just if you want to, kid. Just if you want."

   "Ok.", he said, listening to Pete talk to Clarisse and watching Danny opening more gifts. "I liked aunt Claire's gift, it's the tennis momma wanted to buy me."

   That took Mike by surprise. But of course she would do something like that, Claire Abano was the closest to Alicia, and after the passing of Guillermo — Claire’s late husband, who flew with them — , the two grew to be more close than ever, always talking on the phone or sending letters to each other. But Claire had her own children to care for and Mike didn't expect that she remembered what Alicia wanted to buy for the kids, even less gift it to them.

   "Your aunt Claire is a wonderful woman, Ethan. Always remember to never disrespect her."

   Nodding, he got back to his gifts while Mike himself got back to the kitchen where Pete was still on the phone with the traitors. Seeing him, Pete's smile grew even more than Mike thought possible and for a moment Mike was worried if his face wouldn't tear itself in half.

   "Uncle Keith wants to talk to you.", he said, letting Mike kiss the top of his head and whispering to him go back to open the gifts.

   Only when he heard Pete in the living room that he talked.

   "Are you fucking high, Keith?"

   "What? They liked it, didn't they?", Keith said, and Mike knew he was smiling. The little bastard.

   "They're gonna kill themselves, that's what they're gonna do!"

   "They will be fine, they are Duke and Alicia's kids. Do you really think that death can take them?"

   "You know it's very noticeable that you and Clarisse don't have kids?"

   “I know, that’s why we are the favorite uncle and aunt.”, Keith said, laughing. “Did you like the bike? I did it myself, I saw how Pete liked mine the last time I was there so I thought that was a good one.”

   “The kid is gonna kill himself.”

   “He will be fine, Mike, you need to relax, man. Don’t worry, ok? It’s Christmas and I almost killed John today because the bastard woke me six in the morning while I’m on leave and just got my hands back on my wife, so we need only one almost-crime today.”

   “How did you put that thing inside my house, Keith?”

   The man started to explain how he talked and persuaded the girl who looked after the boys when Mike had to work to get the presents and hide them behind the tree just enough to hide the size of the motorbike and the baseball kit. He let slip that he did pay a little too much so she won’t say anything to the triplets or to Viper.

   Mike knew that he meant no harm when he gave those gifts to the boys, because both Keith and Clarisse just wanted those electric, happy boys to have fun again. All of them wanted that.

   “Did you notice that Pete started calling you ‘Pa’?”, Keith asked on the phone, carefully.

   “Yeah, I noticed. All of them have been calling, in fact, since last week.”, Mike answered, smiling softly. “The first time wasn’t intentional, they looked at each other and decided to hit the jackpot, you know?”

   “Did you cry when they called you that?”

   “Not in front of them, but I kissed them a lot. I cried when I got in my room, to be honest.”

   “Alicia and Duke would be happy to see you four now, alright? They are happy because you are together, trying to be a family after the Navy decided to fuck up those kids’ lives.”, Keith said, anger clear in his voice. He was always the one who got the angriest when they said Duke was a traitor and left Alicia to her own fate with three young children to raise. “And if you need anything, anything Viper you call me ok? Clarisse and I would move in an instant to be there for both the kids and you. You know there's nothing here to hold us back, just say the word and we'll be on our way.”

   Mike thanked him and talked to him a little more, before Danny came to get him to open his own gifts. He, mostly, got clothes, books — parenting ones — and notebooks to write anything from the boys and the teaching plans from Top Gun. John sent him a bottle of whiskey with a note promising to be there next weekend so they could drink a glass together.

   When he put them to bed, he had to promise Pete that he would let him ride the motorcycle tomorrow as well as teach Danny how to play baseball. He had the whole night to come to terms that Pete was going to ride a motorcycle after almost two years after learning how to ride a bike. Laying on his bed, Mike thought how the day was good, that even missing Duke and Alicia more every day, he could gather enough energy to raise the boys with all the love and care they deserved.

   It was their first Christmas without Duke and Alicia, and he knew that many things were yet to come and would be the first without the two of them. But Mike would face each of them with courage and always thinking of the best for the boys.

   Duke and Alicia could have died, but Mike wouldn't let the boys forget them and he wouldn't let their children suffer any more than they had to.