if these wings could fly for the rest of our lives
Christmas was coming. Abby was counting down the days. Or at least, she had been until one very unfortunate phone call had ruined any excitement she had attempted to have about the upcoming holidays. See, her father was supposed to come home for Christmas. Supposed to was the key word here. He had called, the same way he always did every Friday evening, only this time it was a call that unfortunately his trip back to the city was going to be cancelled because of some big protest against something or other in where ever he was now. Frankly, she stopped listening after that whole, 'oh, hunny, sorry I can't come home'. It was all just excuses anyways. She reminded him too much of her mother and he was still grieving that whole fiasco. Still, she tried to be supportive of it. That was what daughters did right? She told him to stay safe and to have good luck and to tell her all about it later and reassured him that, really she was too busy with finals on classes she was in and her friends were having Christmas parties anyways that she'd attend so really it all worked out. Or rather, that's what she wanted him to think anyways. She was be alone on Christmas. It was sad. She was sad but there was no helping it now anyways was there? At least she hadn't bothered to put up the Christmas tree yet. She could skip that. Maybe she'd return it....hm. Arlo could use a Christmas tree, his apartment looked even more pathetic than hers. Still, she couldn't exactly show up and just...give him a tree could she? Maybe she could....

She had been contemplating this for days. It was like a super secret spy mission. After all, she knew where he lived didn't she? She could possibly just deposit it on his door step. But what if he threw it out? She couldn't exactly sneak it into his home could she? After all, as a panda she couldn't exactly lift a tree. And then it'd make it obvious that she was more then a Red Panda and that was a fiasco she wasn't sure either of them were ready for. Plus, she wasn't even sure if he still lived there. Mr. Homeless Man had seemed quite firm on the fact that he liked being able to disappear at a moment's notice. BUT WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO DO WITH THIS TREE. There had to be away. Think think think. Maybe if she led him to it...and then she could just pretend she found it or something? That was a thing right? Still, with his neighborhood she'd have to hide it really well if she didn't want some other bloke to find it. Super secret spy mission indeed. Okay. She was gonna do this!

The first step, of course, was putting the damn thing in her car. I mean, it was a real tree and that wasn't easy to lift and re-strap to the vehicle. Not to mention the whole driving it over there thing. But she managed. It took some work to get her car to go down the alley on the side of his home but she'd gotten the tree there and placed next to the trash bin so it looked abandoned and left. See - she can be smart. Driving home was easy enough and yet, Abby found herself utterly wrought with anxiety. WHAT IF SOMEONE STOLE HER TREE?!?! Ahhhhh. It could all be for naught! Gotta go fast! Vroom vroom! Okay. Car home. Check. Now for the whole....shifting thing. And then the getting back there thing..and...too many things. It took her far longer to actually return to that sketchy side of town from her safe little neighborhood but when she did get there, the sun was starting to slowly set and she was utterly delighted to see her tree still hiding there in the alleyway next to the dumpster. Perhaps luck was on her side after all! With a flick to her tail, Abigail meandered towards the fireescapes on his side of the building, going purely off of memory from her brief glimpse outside the window. It took her a bit of acrobatic work to get on the first level, the ladder wasn't down for a very good reason and yet, climbing those steps was relatively easy afterwards.

It took her a bit longer to locate his window though, she found herself peeking into several homes with wonder before she found that sparsely furnished space she was so looking for. Her nails dug at the window sill for several moments before she was finally able to wrestle some gap within it. Silly man didn't lock his window. But! It was for her benefit. She shoved her nose in the space, working it slowly open before she went tumbling within. A soft omph left her lips and yet, he hardly appeared. Slowly, her gaze shifted about that darkened space, ignoring the sunset that only hardly peeked in behind her. She turned, biting into the curtain to pull it back over that window. He was a vampire. She remembered see! It was only once she was sure the rest of the room was dark that she went waddling through the small flat, looking with idle curiosity at what little existed there within. Eventually, she found herself settled at the foot of the bed. It took a litttle bit of hopping to get herself up there but, after a moment, little Abigail managed to do just that. She waddled closer towards the form of that sleeping man, so eying him in that darkness. He was still there. And still handsome as ever. Curse him. For a moment, she moved in a circle, so kneading at the blankets beside him before the little panda curled up in a little ball, resting her head against the white fluffiness of her tail. She would wait here for him for however long it took. After all. There was a Christmas tree for him.