In Max’s room, Max yawns and stretches sitting up in the bed. He looks over at Biff and smiles wagging his tail slightly. Max gets out of bed and goes into his bathroom. After he’s finished, he walks out of his room and into the kitchen where Ivan is at. Max jumps on Ivan’s back.
Max: Hi Ivan!
Ivan: Get off…
Max: But-but Ivan!
Ivan sighs slightly and walks over to the fridge with Max still hanging onto his back.
Ivan: What do you want?
Max: Just saying Merry Christmas!
Max looks around and gets a confused look on his face.
Max: Where’s Chris?
Ivan: She left…
Max: Oh… did you tell her Merry Christmas?
Ivan: No…
Ivan takes out the carton of eggs and walks over to the counter.
Max: Why not?
Ivan: We had an argument…
Max: Ivan, that was mean!
Max frowns and jumps off Ivan’s back, he pouts folding his arms.
Max: You shouldn't be so mean to Chris! She's nice and-and kind and you just shouldn't be mean to her on Christmas of all days! Go find her!
Ivan: No…
Max gets teary eyed and turns chibi-like.
Max: Pwaeze Ivan! It’ll be nice! Pretty pretty pretty please!
Ivan: No, shut up…
Max: Ivan... you're cruel to Chris for no reason.... and I think if you were the big brother you promised me you would be, you would say sorry to her... and give her a nice present and invite her back over for the Christmas dinner.
Max slouches slightly hanging his head down with a slight shadow over his eyes.
Max: But I guess you would never do that... because after that day... you became all bitter and mean... but as a brother I still love you.... you just need to be nicer.
Ivan stood there mixing his eggs not saying a word. Max ran out of the room on all fours and Ivan stopped mixing the eggs. He rested his hands on the counter, hanging his head down and letting out a frustrated sigh.
Ivan: Just can't win anything…
Ivan looks up at ceiling where the light shines in his eyes.
Ivan: Can I?
In Max’s room, Biff wakes up noticing the bed being slightly colder, he sits up and looks around.
Biff: Hmmm… where’s Max?
Biff stretches and scratches his head.
Biff: I need a cigarette…
Max sat on the couch in the living room with his head down still upset about Ivan. Ivan walks out of the kitchen and looked at Max.
Ivan: There's some breakfast on the table for you all if you want...
Ivan mumbled walking to his room and closing the door behind him. Biff walks out of Max's room fully dressed and refreshed. He sees Max with his head down and walks over to him. He hugs Max from behind and nibbles on Max's ear.
Biff: Morning Hun.
Max (pouting): Hi Biffy…
Max lifts up his head slightly, Biff's ears twitch and he sits down next to Max.
Biff: What’s wrong?
Max: Ivan is such a meanie... him and Chris argued and today is suppose to be a happy day…
Max looks up at Biff with sadden eyes.
Max: I just want them to be happy!
Biff: Relationships can be complicated… Well why not we just bring the joy to others.
Max tilts his head to the side.
Max: How do we do that, Biffy?
Biff scratches his chin.
Biff: By spiking their Bloody Mary’s…
Max: What’s spiking?
Biff: It's when you add alcohol or some other substance to a drink in hopes to change the mood of others… I do it all the time.
Max giggles and wags his tail
Max: Biffy!
Ivan walks out of the house closing the door behind him.
Max: Bye-bye Ivan!
Max hops into Biff’s lap with his tail wagging and a big grin on his face.
Max: I feel better now Biffy!
Biff: So what gave you the sudden change of heart?
Max: Because I found out that I shouldn't be sad on Christmas either because if I was sad on Christmas I would be going all cry-cry everywhere and nobody will like that so I got to be happy on Christmas so that nobody will get all sad-sad on Christmas and-and Ivan is going to go get Chris I can tell because it's Christmas!
Biff: What the hell did you just say?
Max giggles again then hugs Biff.
Max: Nothing! What are we going to do this Christmas, Biffy?
Biff stomach growls, he laughs.
Biff: Eat.
Max: Ivan said that there's food in the kitchen…
Max hops off Biff’s lap and walks into the kitchen. Biff follows behind him.
Biff: Goodies.
Ivan continued to walk down the street with his hands in his pockets of his thick coat. He stared at the ground as he walked.
Ivan: It’s always my fault… I always hurt the ones I love…
On the couch, Biff and Max watch the parade on TV sipping hot coco in the mugs Harvey and Tyson gave them.
Max: When’s Santa coming up?
Biff: At the end.
Max: Hmm… why do you think Chris and Ivan got into an argument?
Biff: It’s natural to argue with the one you like…
Max: Well… I like you but we don’t argue...
Biff: You’re too cute to argue with, besides – you’re not very stubborn.
Max: Oh, and both of them are very stubborn!
Biff: Yeah, so when you’re easy to agree with or don’t loose your cool, you don’t argue much or at all.
Max: I get it! Wow, Biffy you’re really smart.
Biff: You learn a few things while you travel.
Max: Biff, I want to know about the places you’ve traveled to!
Biff: Oh yeah?
Max: And I want to know about your family, where you grew up, and everything else because I want to be the closet person to you Biffy.
Biff: And why’s that?
Max: Because you’re cool.
Biff smiles and hugs Max, making both of them fall back. Max giggles and wags his tail. Biff sits up and pulls Max up close to him.
Biff: And I want to know everything about you too.
Max: Deal!
Both laugh, outside the snow starts to fall. Ivan unlocks the doors to Flaming Snowball and walks in, kicking the door closed. He glances around.
Ivan: Chris… you here?
Complete silence, Ivan sighs.
Ivan: Guess not…
Ivan goes up to his office and shuts the door. He takes off his coat and throws it on the couch. He then sits down in his chair and turns on the computer. On his desktop is a picture of him and Chris in high school.
Ivan: I wish I asked you out back then… none of this would have happened… and I wouldn’t be so angry at myself… oh, where are you Chris?
At a local bar in the nearest town, Chris is chatting to an older man.
Chris: Thanks for the drink…
Man: I was thinking, if you’ve got nowhere to go for the holidays why not come back to my place?
Chris: All right…
Ivan leaves Flaming Snowball and sighs as the snow continues to fall.
Ivan: Chris… where could you be?
Back at the Ruby’s house, Max has tears in his eyes.
Max: That’s so sad… but at least you were able to find your sister after all those years…
Biff: I imagine experimentation wasn’t any better… the government has been trying to crack down on those nut jobs for years.
Max: How do you know?
Biff: Hm? Well if you really want to know everything about me…
Max: Yeah?
Biff: I’m an agent for the government… I’ve killed people.
Max starts to giggle, Biff gets a sweat drop.
Biff: What’s funny about that?
Max: You’re like a bunch of characters in my video games. You work for an organization that goes after the bad like the one man who harmed you and your family. Not only that, but also other people who’ve harmed children. And you’re also trying to find those whack scientist who experiment on the orphans of Flare. You’re the good guy, which makes you really cool! No-no, that makes you awesome!
Biff smiles and scratches Max’s head, Max’s tail wags.
Biff: But it’s you Max who’s truly the best, to find the light in every situation.
At a run down town house, Ivan knocks on the door. A heavyset man answers the door. Ivan gets a sweat drop.
Man: Yeah?
Ivan: Does a Chris Marlous live here?
Man: Marlous? That tramp? Yeah, a few years ago. I kicked her skank a** out when she was hopping from bed to bed – did that slut use my address?
Ivan: Yes but if you insult Chris anymore you’ll wish I never knocked on your door.
Man: What, you some boyfriend of that hoe? She don’t give a damn about you, she’s a whore.
A crashing sound is heard, Ivan leaves the town house. The heavyset man is knocked out on his doorstep.
Ivan: What filth… but I wander why Chris lied about where she lived?
Chris sips up her jacket and takes the money on the nightstand. The older man next to her still lies in bed.
Man: Leaving already? We’ve haven’t had dinner.
Chris: I’m just going to make a few more runs for tonight, I’ll find away to cure my hunger.
Chris leaves the house and starts to walk down the street. She turns into an alley and goes inside the dirtier side of town.
Chris: Home…
Two guys approach Chris, they show her the money, and she nods.
Chris: (I told you Ivan, I’m just a tramp… you’re the only man I want to truly love.)
Biff and Max are cooking in the kitchen, Biff puts the ham in the oven.
Max: And how did you learn to cook so good?
Biff: Well, on one of my cases I was enlisted at a cooking school so while I was researching I also learned how to become a gourmet chef.
Max: Wow! I know it sounds somewhat crazy, but I’d really like to travel with you some time Biffy.
Biff: That’s not crazy at all, why not this week?
Max: Really!
Biff: And we can take Bunny Boy and Chris with us.
Max: Yay!
Ivan continues to walk down the cold sidewalk with the snow still falling. He looks around noticing most of the stores closed.
Ivan: Where could she be? Nothing’s opened today…
Ivan glances at the park, noticing children playing in the snow. He walks over to the park and looks around.
Ivan: Not here…
Ivan turns around and walks away from the park. A cold gust of wind blows by. Max looks outside the kitchen window and frowns.
Max: Where could Ivan and Chris be?
Biff: My guess… having make-up sex.
Max: What’s that?
Biff: Well, when people are angry at each other, they get their frustrations out during sex. Then everything is resolved.
Max: Oh… but I get mad at Ivan but we don’t –
Biff starts laughing and puts his hand on Max’s shoulder.
Biff: Well he’s your brother so of course you wouldn’t do that. People have make-up sex if they’re in a relationship. And if they get mad at a sibling, or parent, or friend, they go have it with the person their dating… or a prostitute…
Max: What’s that?
Biff: A person who has sex for money.
Max: You sure do know a lot about sex.
Biff: What can I say? I like sex.
Max: If you like sex I’m going to like it too!
Biff: Heh-heh, trust me – you already do.
Max grins. Ivan walks passed Flaming Snowball and lowers his head.
Ivan: I give up… I just can’t find her…
Chris walks into her apartment, on the door there’s a notice of the rent past due. She sighs and flops down on her mattress. She looks around the one-room apartment and lies back, staring at the empty wall.
Chris: What will I ever do know? Can I still go on?
Max and Biff are setting up the table when Ivan walks in, snow covered his hair and he looked damped. Max blinks.
Max: Where’s Chris?
Ivan: Couldn’t find her…
Max: Well… did you at least leave a note at her home?
Ivan: She gave us a fake address… which I’m kind of glad because the place looked like a dump…
Max: And I thought you certainly were going to find her… well, what about calling her!
Ivan: Phone’s disconnected…
Ivan falls forward, Biff catches him. Max starts to fret.
Biff: He must be ill from the cold.
Max: What are we going to do!?
Biff: He needs to get out of these clothes.
Ivan lays asleep on his bed, he dreams of when Chris first applied for Flaming Snowball. Chris walked up to his office and knocked on the door.
Ivan: Sorry, not taking anymore applications today – come back tomorrow.
Chris: Still the same Ivan.
Ivan perks his ears up, seeing it’s Chris.
Ivan: Christen Marlous? What are you doing here?
Chris: Applying for a job but I don’t think I’ll be walking back here tomorrow.
Ivan: No-no, come in.
Chris sits down in the chair before Ivan, she hands him her application.
Ivan: I thought you left town after high school.
Chris: I just couldn’t seem to leave this place… and I see that you’ve finally made this bar after a year in the process.
Ivan: Yeah…
Chris: Flaming Snowball… heh, isn’t that what they called your brother?
Ivan: Eh, yeah… I was going to kick their asses but Max liked the name…
Chris: Where is the kid anyway?
Ivan: At our neighbor’s house… hmm, so you moved.
Chris: Umm, yeah.
Ivan: Never heard of that area… ah, and here’s your phone number.
Chris: Well, if we’re going to spend the time talking I might as well tell you that I’m an exceptional bartender.
Ivan: If we’re going to spend the night talking Chris, I might as well tell you that I’m going to buy you dinner.
Chris: Well aren’t you sweet…
Ivan wakes up from the memory and rubs his head.
Ivan: So she gave me that guy’s address but her real phone number… I guess I can look her up then.
Max pokes his head into Ivan’s room.
Max: Ivan…
Ivan: Yeah, Max?
Max: Ivan!
Max jumps on Ivan’s bed and hugs him with tears in his eyes.
Max: I was so worried!
Ivan: I’m okay Max…
Max: We’ve got Christmas dinner ready.
Ivan: Hmmm, guess I should eat.
Max: Yeah-yeah, come on!
Chris sighs and stashes her money under her mattress, she hooks her phone back in.
Chris: I don’t want him to find me like this… I might as well suck it up… and leave a voice mail.
Chris dials the number on her phone, she sighs and then grins.
Chris: Hi Ivan, tell Max I said Merry Christmas! Eh, sorry about this morning, my hangover got the best of me. Anyway, my friend from Saint Barbra is here and she’s taking back to her home for the holidays. See ya back in work when I come back, bye.
Chris hangs up the phone and lies back on the bed.
Chris: I wish I had a friend from Saint Barbra… no, I’m really just a prostitute trying to pay my rent and get out of debt…
Ivan plays the voice mail and sighs, Max wags his tail.
Max: So she’s okay?
Ivan: Yeah, she’s okay.
Biff: Well now, if Chris is going to take a vacation I say we might as well kick it back during the holidays.
Ivan: Hmm?
Max: Yay!
Ivan: What are you talking about?
Biff: A week in paradise, the hottest resort in Vegna.
Ivan: Impossible, the place has to be booked out.
Biff: Not for a VIP like myself, you up for it?
Max wags his tail and grins, Ivan sighs.
Ivan: Yeah, I’m game.
Max: YAHOO!
