So, we could say that there will be a couple of 'filler episodes,' being very general in the definition of filler. I think part of the development in this chapter is important for many things that will happen iure of the story.

  Without further ado, Enjoy.

  ---

  Before I realized it, I was already in my car, still thinking about what I had done. I didn't feel good about the way I obtaihe information; the sister had been nothing but kind to anyone she ied with.

  I didn't want to go home, where my whole family would be preparing for Christmas, feeling so upset with myself. I o blow off some steam.

  Without hesitation, I drove to the lot where Case lived. Maybe I could hit the bags to distract my mind.

  The road was almost empty, clearly because most people would be at home with their own families, celebrating together, so I could drive for the first time since I had Debbie without g about traffic ws, pressing the accelerator with no musi the speakers, feeling the wind ing through the window.

  Finally, upon arriving at the tainer pany where Case, possibly without permission, lived on a vat lot, I parked my car.

  Fortunately, even though there was a break from training for a few days, it was obvious that Case would not stop training on his own, so everything repared as usual.

  Case's trailer, as always, had the curtains and door closed. I doubted very much that the man had ao spend Christmas with, so I knew he was inside.

  Not wanting to bother the man on his 'vacation,' I walked to the st of the bags, hitting it immediately once I was at a suffit distance.

  After several jabs, crosses, hooks, elbow punches, and some kicks, I still couldn't get the face of the nun, pletely incredulous while tears streamed down her face, out of my head.

  "I'm pretty sure you won that fight," suddenly from behind me, with arms crossed and his almost alresent frown, Case said, obviously surprising me.

  "Case," I parying to catch my breath, embarrassed that the man had seen that.

  "We o train that kick more," Case said, shaking his head while walking behind the bag, "e on," he tinued, me to kick.

  Without really intending to stop hitting the bag, I immediately followed the muscur man's orders, kig the bag hard.

  In one of the kicks I was going to deliver, when I lifted my leg, Case pushed the bag towards me, making me lose my band fall hard on my butt.

  "An angry mind is a narrow mind," Case said calmly, holding the bag.

  "It's not fair, I was distracted," I said, getting up and dusting off my clothes.

  "Exactly, where your mind goes, your body follows," still frowning, Case said. "So, I don't care what kind of problems you have, deal with them and e train," he tinued before walking towards his trailer.

  Watg Case enter his home, I delivered one more punch to the bag, mentally preparing myself to go home even though I didn't feel ready.

  Before I could muster enough motivation to get bay car, Case's trailer door opened once more. The man, with a chessboard in his hands, silently settled at the small table, invitio py without saying a word.

  We pyed without talking for several minutes, maybe even hours. The sun was more and more at su when Case finally stepped away from the small table. "It's time for you to go. I'm sure your family is waiting for you. It's Christmas," he said quietly, taking all the pieces.

  Without saying more, Case, with the pieces and the board in haered his trailer again.

  Shaking my legs slightly, having sat so long on the small chairs had cut the circution to my limbs, I stood up, much calmer about the decision I had made. I still didn't think it was the right one, but it was done. I couldn't keep dwelling on it.

  Walking bay car, I stopped, sighing before walking back to Case's trailer.

  After knog on the door, I waited a few seds until the door opened again, with one eyebrow raised. Case silently asked what I wanted.

  "e and spend Christmas with my family," I said, immediately regretting it when I saw Case frown.

  "We are not friends," Case asserted harshly, frowning more than ever.

  "I didn't say otherwise," I replied immediately. "No one should spend Christmas alone," I tinued, really feeling it. I had spent dozens of Christmases alone, sleeping thanks to alcohol.

  "I don't—" Case was saying, but I interrupted him.

  "You just have to e, drink with my dad, who, by the way, still remembers you fondly, prove to my mom that you are not a mass murderer, even though you look like one," I whispered the st part, "have turkey dinner, and you go back to doing whatever you do inside 'Daisy,'" I quickly added.

  Case said nothing, staring at me for several seds.

  "You see it as a thank you for these months. I don't think we will be friends after this," I crified, feeling nervous about Case's ck of response.

  "Wait here," after another moment of silence, Case said, smming the door.

  "Well, I take that as a yes," I said to the trailer door.

  A few mier, Case, surprisingly dressed in a formal shirt, came out carrying a transparent tainer with peared to be mashed potatoes.

  "What?" Case asked dryly, still frowning.

  "I didn't know you had shirts with sleeves that reach the wrist," I said sarcastically, pointing to his clothes while moving aside so the man could exit his home.

  "Don't make me regret this," Case said seriously before walking towards my car. Aside from 'Daisy,' I don't think Case has another means of transportation other than walking.

  While we were on our way home, with music occupying the unfortable silenside the car, "So, was it a ce that you just had mashed potatoes around? I didn't know you cooked," I said, drumming my fingers oeering wheel.

  Sighing audibly, Case closed his eyes. "I already regret it," he decred dryly. "Your weekly payment includes a sack of potatoes. What do you think I do with all those potatoes, eat them raw?"

  "Of course not," I responded immediately, a bit nervously.

  When we arrived home, Case quickly got out of the car, still holding his tainer, studying the neighborhood. "Nice house," pletely out of character for him, Case said dryly.

  "Thanks," still surprised by the man's sudden kindness, I said slowly before walking towards the house with Case behind me.

  Ihe house, Bob, as usual, was sitting in his usual spot on the couch, watg TV. The only difference from other days was a fshy Christmas sweater.

  "Hey Dad," calling the man's attention, I said, making him turn around with a big smile, "do you remember Case?" When Bob turned enough to face us, I could see the surprise on his face upon seeing my 'sensei.'

  "Of course, Mr. Walker, how are you?" Almost immediately losing the surprise from his face, Bob stood up with a big smile, asking while extending his hand kindly.

  "I'm very well, Mr. Dun. Please call me Case," Case, accepting the handshake, said, surprisingly kind, even with a smile that didn't seem fake.

  "Then you have to call me Bob," Bob immediately added.

  After the two adults greeted each ain, a short but unfortable silensued, remindihat I hadn't expined anything.

  "I invited Case to spend Christmas with us," I quickly said, hoping Bob and Mom wouldn't be mad at me.

  "Oh, sure, that's great, I'm very happy," Bob said immediately, smiling kindly.

  "I brought some mashed potatoes," raising his tainer, seemingly a bit embarrassed by the situation, Case said.

  "PJ take it to the kit. While you're there, bring a beer for your master champ," Bob said, patting my shoulder cheerfully.

  I, Mom was cheg the oven, where I retty sure a turkey was finishing up. "Ah PJ, you're finally back. Help me with this, please," she said, pointing to a jar of olives o ter as soon as she saw me enter.

  "Mom—" I was saying, but Mom snapped her fingers, remembering something upon seeing me.

  "I have your sweater in my room. Your siblings already have theirs. You have to wear it," the petite woman said quickly, not letting me speak, walking out of the kit.

  "Mom, wait," leaving the now-open jar where it had been, I said, following her.

  Mom, surprised, was just a step away from the kit door, staring ily at the couch where now, o Bob, Case was sitting.

  "Why is there an incredibly muscur stranger on my couch?" Mom asked intrigued, in a whisper.

  "Mom, this is Case Walker, my martial arts master. I invited him to spend Christmas with us," I said, raising my voice a bit to catch the attention of the two adults watg TV.

  "Mrs. Dun, excuse my rudeness," Case said, standing up quickly. "Case Walker," he tinued, approag Mom, extending his hand.

  Mom, staring seriously at Case for a few seds, left the much rger man's hand hanging. "Are you taking care of my PJ?" Mom asked, narrowing her eyes, taking me by surprise.

  "Of course, ma'am," l his hand, Case seriously responded, not breaking eye tact.

  The two engaged in a staring test for a few seds until Mom raised her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr

  . Walker. Please call me Amy. I'm gd you join us today," Mom said, immediately gititude.

  "Then please call me Case," shaking Mom's hand, imitating what Bob had said a few minutes ago, Case said.

  "PJ, please bring Case a beer," Mom said, smiling broadly. "So, what kind of things do you teach at your martial arts school?" I heard Mom ask as I walked back to the kit.

  I quickly brought the drink to Case, who tialking with Mom and Bob about the activities we did at the lot. For some reason, Mom didn't want me present in the versation, so she sent me away.

  Avoiding looking at Case, who had been so relut to e, I decided to up to put on the clothes Mom had chosen, another fshy Christmas sweater.

  Much er than when I arrived home and wearing a sweater with a reindeer on it, I left my room several mier, ready to face Case, who would probably be upset about accepting my invitation.

  Ba the living room, I found Case talking quietly with Bob and Mom, even with a small but visible friendly smile, pletely unnatural.

  "Ah PJ, I khat sweater would look perfe you," Mom said, standing up to fix some wrinkled parts of the garment.

  "Yeah, Mom, thanks," still unfortable with the ued ge of reality, I said, somewhat distracted. Seeing Case being so kind was like watg House being respectful to someone for more than a few minutes without faking it.

  "Mom, do I really have to wear this sweater? It itches," from the same hallway I had arrived from a moment ago, Gabe, stretg his own Christmas-themed sweater, asked, stopping when he saw the strange man sitting in the living room.

  "Yes, you have to wear it all night, at least until we take the family photo," Mom seriously told the younger boy, pulling him to forcefully adjust the sweater Gabe stantly stretched.

  "Sorry, who is he?" pointing to Case, Gabe asked without any shame.

  "Case, this is my younger son Gabe," Bob said, maintaining his friendly smile. "Gabe, this is Case Walker, PJ's martial arts master," he expined.

  "Are you teag PJ to kick butt?" Gabe asked immediately, surprised, receiving a sma the back of his head.

  "Language," Mom reprimaernly.

  "Yes, that would be me," Case responded again, much calmer than I felt fortable witnessing my brother.

  "Cool," nodding slightly, Gabe said, "Really, Mom, I take off the sweater and just wear it for the photo?" Ign Case again, Gabe asked Mom with frustration on his face.

  "All right, but if the sweater looks wrinkled in the photo, I'll take away your little box," Mom warned seriously.

  "Thanks," immediately taking off the sweater, Gabe excimed, almost running back where he came from.

  Now without my brother's presence, Mom returo the sofa o Bob, smiling kindly at Case. "You were telling us about when you lived in Brazil," Mom said, leaning on Bob's arm and indig to Case to tinue.

  "Yes, I lived a couple of years at the house of one of my teachers, Oswaldo Fadda, who ter seo stay with another of my teachers' families, the Gracie's," Case said, opening up more to my parents, whom he had known for at most a couple of dozen minutes—something he was sure he had never doh Tim or me, with whom he basically spent a couple of hours each day.

  "Teachers?" Mom asked, ied. "In martial arts?" she added.

  "Yes, exactly, they trained me in one of the martial arts I teach to PJ," Case momentarily shifted his focus, looking at me, momentarily losing his friendly smile before returning to my parents. "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."

  "Uh, 'jiu-jitsu,' sounds like a great Puese word," strangely excited, Mom said.

  Case, again unusually friendly with other adults, avoided correg Mom, simply nodding with a small, somewhat forced smile.

  After a few minutes during whiom and Bob began expining the history of the Dun family from the kit, one of those analog arms sounded, warning Mom that dinner was ready.

  Diurned out to be very pleasant, except for a start where Teddy was somewhat unfortable with the sudden addition of a massive stra the table, but with Gabe's stant questions to my teacher, the disfort faded away.

  Another sequence I hadn't thought of when bringing Case home for Christmas dinner was my diet. Since he was essentially my guest, Mom sat the mao me, making it easy for him to serve me more food.

  After dinner, everyo the table engaged again in different versations until at some point in the night, Mom checked the clo the house wall. "I think it's time," she said with a big smile. "Case, yoing to love this," she tinued, reminding me of what we were supposed to do today. "It's time for the annual Dun family talent show."

  Oh no.

  "Yeah," equally excited, Teddy stood up, rushing to the living room to move the small table in front of the sofa by herself.

  "Talent show?" intrigued, Case asked Bob.

  "It's an annual Dun family tradition," Bob cheerfully expined. "We started it when PJ was just five years old, Teddy was only three, and Gabe wasn't even bor."

  I had pletely fotten about the talent show. Mom had mentio casually during di week; at that moment, I hadn't paid enough attention as I was exhausted from all the 'patients' in the ic.

  The other members of my family as oo their rooms for a couple of mio prepare for their own acts, leaving Case and me alone in the living room.

  Losing his friendly attitude pletely, Case frow me.

  "Case," f an idea in my mind, I nervously said.

  "What?" the man asked seriously.

  "Could we give a quick jiu-jitsu demonstration, maybe a couple of submissions for my family as my act?" avoiding eye tact with the normally closed-off Case, I quickly said.

  trary to my expectations, Case didn't immediately refuse and sighed for a long moment as if outside his trailer. "Okay," he finally said.

  "Thanks, man," surprised by Case's response, I said, maybe this was the beginning of a better retionship with the usually closed-off man.

  "Don't tha," raising one of his eyebrows sinisterly, he said.

  "Okay," nervous, I said, there won't be any improvement, yeah not today.

  With Teddy as the presenter, my family performed their acts for the talent show. Mom and Teddy sang a Christmas song together, Bob did a small magic show, and Gabe pyed a song on his guitar.

  "Lastly tonight, PJ, who hasn't told anyone what his act will be," Teddy said, losing her smile at the st part.

  Gng at Case, who surprisingly had watched the entire show without seeming disied at any moment, we stood up at the same time.

  "As Case has already told you, one of the martial arts he teaches is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which inated in Brazil by the Gracie family, ted certain aspects of judo into practice," while Case rolled up his shirt sleeves, I also expined, carefully folding Mom's sweater to the side.

  "Jiu-Jitsu, or jujutsu, from the Japanese 'ge,' is a martial art that enpasses a wide variety of bat systems based on defense," Case interjected as he and I bowed to each other in front of my family, as he had taught me. "The Brazilian system created by my teacher Carlos Gracie ted so that smaller oppos could defeat much rger oppos" Case finished saying, indig with a small nod that we could begin.

  Case wouldn't make it easy, although I hoped that as in training, he would at least let me pass his guard a couple of times.

  "This is a double armlock," after a few seds of sparring from the knees, Case mao reach a submission position.

  "Oh," I could hear my family say in unison, apparently impressed by the lock.

  Tapping Case's arm left me free to prepare once more from the starting positions on our knees.

  "This is a kimura," again in a couple of seds, Case had one of my arms behind my back while calmly expining to my family before releasih a quick tap.

  Much more focused, ign Gabe's ughter once again, I prepared myself in front of Case, the small shoulder bumps began, in training, while expining things, Case telegraphed a lot his movements so it would make it much easier to learn, right now, it was almost impossible to try to predict what he was going to do.

  Fully fog on my teacher's eyes, trolling my breathing and paying attention to what I was doing with my hands, in a flinch I saw in his eyes a small movement to my left shoulder.

  Without overthinking it, in a rapid ter movement I mao catch Case's wrist, pulling his guard towards me, quickly moving my feet to send them over his shoulder, "well done," I heard Case say, "this is an armlock," he expined before tapping.

  "That was so cool," suddenly very excited, Gabe said, standing up, appuding like the rest of my family, I had almost pletely ighe sound around me.

  "I think that's enough," Case calmly said, once again assuming a bow position to end the demonstration.

  "Yes, that retty fantastic," Bob added smiling broadly to Gabe's ent, "I knew sending you with Case was a great decision."

  Several mier, Case was ready to return home, and once again, I would be the one driving him.

  "You have to e to the barbecue, when the season starts again, I'll make sure PJ brings you," formally shaking hands, Bob said.

  "Sure," smiling again, strangely, Case replied, since I had never seen him have more expressions than a frown, disgust, or mockery, I couldn't tell if the answer was true.

  "It was nice meeting you, Case, please take care of PJ," Mom kindly said, also shaking hands with the man.

  "That will be my number one priority," Case assured, for a moment looking sinisterly at me.

  During the ride, again, Case with his furrowed brow. Beyond the music pying on my car speakers, there was not a siher sound ihe car.

  Arriving at the site where Case lived, I stopped, waiting for Case to get out. "It was o spend Christmas with your family, thank you," after a sigh, Case murmured, "if you tell Tim what happeoday, you will suffer," he tinued calmly, it was not a threat, it was definitely a warning.

  "I won't tell him," I promised immediately.

  Silently nodding, Case opehe door of my car, "whe back, remember me divide your training by days, three days we'll tih grappling, and the other three striking," as he got out of the car, it was the st thing he said before closing the door and walking towards his trailer.

  Early the m, Gabe woke me up excited about opening the gifts.

  "I'm ing, I'm ing," being dragged by Gabe, we arrived at the sofa in the living room where I sat down to wait for the other family members whom Gabe obviously took as a task to wake up.

  When everyone was in the living room, Gabe began distributing the gifts left uhe tree. We had agreed beforehand that the gifts I had brought from Boston would be sidered Christmas gifts, so apart from me, everyone had given at least one gift to someone else.

  "Thanks, kiddo," with a ic book in my hand, I said, shaking Gabe's hair; it was a smart gift, basically using part of the money Mom or Bob had given him to buy a gift he could also use at some point.

  Mom gave me clothes, Bob gave me new running shoes, and Teddy gave me a perfume.

  "Now that all the gifts are given, your father and I have a surprise for you, one mift for the whole family," Mom standing in front of everyone on the living room sofa said making Bob stao her "we've been talking with some very kind people," Mom tinued, smiling broadly.

  " week—" Bob seemed to also want to share the news, but Mom interrupted him.

  "The Duns are going to Boston!" Mom excimed excitedly, giving a little jump.

  ---

  Author Thoughts:

  As always, I'm not Ameri, not a doctor, and not a fighter.

  Halfway through writing this chapter, my keyboard broke down. Specifically, the space bar stopped w. I bought a fairly cheap rept, but it's very unfortable to type with. What would normally take me a couple of hours to write—about 3,000 words—took much longer due to the disfort of the new keyboard.

  With that said,

  I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I'll correct them immediately.

  Thank you for reading! :D

  P.S.: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.P.P.S.: I didn't specify in the opening notes, but the 'filler chapters' will possibly st for the wo chapters; afterward, we'll return to the 'normal' development (though I don't sider what I have po be entirely 'filler').