A Wilson X-Mas Story

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Slade Wilson gazed at his watch as that rhythm echoed inside his head. It was called a Sky Soldier watch as it was the Japanese Kamikaze pilots who wore them during the days of the Second World War, it read “Eight 0’clock”. The soft sound of footsteps crunching on the snow took his attention away from his watch and looking up, Slade saw his daughter, Rose Worth-Wilson, silently trudging through the snow, making her way towards his cabin, an impassive expression on her face, making her unreadable. Just like he had taught her.  

“Rose.” Slade said once she was within earshot. She did not return the greeting nor did she look his way. As she ascended the short flight of stairs that led onto his porch, he held out his hand towards her bag. “Here.” He offered, “Allow me to-”

Rose gripped her bag strap and pulled it closer to her, not allowing her father to take her bag. She walked around his person, still not looking at him, and let herself into the cabin, slamming the door in the process.

“Ok.” Slade tilted his head slightly downwards and lowered his hand. He had that coming.

Another soft crunch of the snow and he looked up once more. In front of him his son, Joseph Wilson, otherwise known as Joey, stood. A slightly more readable expression on his blank face. “Joey.” Slade said in the same tone as he did with Rose. Unlike Rose, Joey returned the greeting, giving a warm smile and holding his hand out as if to say Hi dad!

Slade nodded and gave a small smirk back, shaking the boys hand. “So, what did you tell the Titans?” he asked. Joey shrugged and signed back The truth. That I was going to spend Christmas Eve with my dad and sister. Not that they know you are my dad.

“Right.” Slade opened and held the door for his son, who nodded in thanks and went in.

Rose had seated herself on the couch by the window and after Joey had put down his bag and took off his coat, he went and joined her, smiling a greeting that got Rose to give a small smile back. Slade sat down at the sofa not far away from the couch and almost immediately, an awkward, uncomfortable silence filled the room. Joey looked from Rose to Slade. Slade turned his head to Rose. Rose looked away.

“Ahem.” Slade cleared his throat, trying to break the silence and feeling awkward doing so, then offered, still feeling very awkward, “So, who wants presents?”

They looked at him. Joey had on an expression that said, in disbelief, What did he just say? and Rose just glared. A hard, icy cold glare.

“Seriously?” Rose said, her tone venomous, “It’s bad enough I have to spend Christmas under the same roof with you, but presents? Who do you think you’re fooling? Huh? Don’t try and act all ‘fatherly’ and pretend you care. Because we know you DON’T.”

With every word said, Rose got up and walked towards where he sat, making sure he heard everything. Joey just sat where he was, finding the floor very interesting.

Rose stared daggers down at Slade and he stared right back, seemingly unaffected. That just further drilled Rose’s hatred for him and after a shout of anger and frustration, she stormed out of the room, not bothering to take her coat. Joey got up and looked at his father, concern etched on his face.

Rose turned back on the sound of running footsteps approaching and saw her brother with her coat in hand. “What’re you doing here?” she asked once he had stopped in front of her.

Trying to catch up with you. He singed, What else?

Rose scoffed, “The only thing you’ll catch out here is a cold.”

You have a better chance at that. Joey singed with a slightly teasing smile and held out her coat, which she took and put on after another scoff.

Come back to the house Rose.

“What? And be with him again? No thanks, Joey.” Rose frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking away in stubbornness. She felt a hand on her shoulder and Rose looked at her brother. The expression on his face pleaded with her. Rose shook her head in disbelief.

“I don’t understand, Joe. How can you even stand to be around him? He’s a killer. Wasn’t he the one that did this to you?”

Joey gave a sad smile and nodded, Yeah. He did.

“Then how? How can you just forgive him like that??”

Because even if he’s the cause of all this, even if he is a killer, he was a good dad. Still is a good dad. Joey put both hands on Roses shoulders, his eyes said it all.

 He does care, Rose.

He took his hands off, And it’s Christmas Eve. So please…?

Heavy, defeated footsteps echoed throughout the house once the door opened. Slade looked back towards the door and saw Joey, his head bowed in attempt to hide the expression of despair on his face.

“I see.” Slade gave a slight nod, his gaze on the floor, “So she left, then?”

A nod, and a few moments of silence passed.

“Joey.”

Said person looked up.

“Get your bag. You’re leaving.”

Confusion spread across Joeys face like wildfire.

“Go back to the Titans. You deserve a much more cheerful Christmas. They’re your family now. Take Rose’s bag too.”

The boy would have objected. But knowing his father, such objection would be futile. So Joey grabbed his bag, as well as his sisters, and walked out the door.

“Joey.”

He turned around.

“Take this as well.” Slade held out a picture frame. Joey took it. It was a portrait of a woman he did not know.

“That’s Lillian Worth, Rose’s mother. I meant to give her that as a Christmas gift. Don’t worry, yours is in your bag.”

Joey nodded and put the frame in his sister’s bag. I’ll give it to her.

“I know you will.”

And with that, Slade watched as Joey slowly vanish into the night. Once gone, Slade went back inside his cabin and looked at his watch.

‘11: 50 pm.’ It read.

He closed the door and switched off the lights, plunging his cabin into darkness. He went over to a shelf and lit a small candle, placing it in front of two picture frames. In the frame on the left, a dark haired woman smiled back, the name Adeline engraved at the bottom of the photo. In the frame on the right, a photo of a young man, around seventeen or eighteen grinned cockily, as if there was nothing in the world that could stop him.

“Merry Christmas.” Slade said with a small smile on his lips, and went to go sit back down on the sofa. Counting down the last minutes until Christmas finally came, allowing the darkness to consume him.