Title: Family Christmas
Disclaimer: I own Elaine, Paul, Mariah, Simon, Angela, Mark, Lucy, Maddie, Alicia, Matt, Craig & Danielle.
Summary: Jonesy spends his first Christmas with the Raynor family.
"Morning Suse." Jonesy walked into the kitchen, wrapped in a towel after his morning shower. Susie was standing at the counter, stirring a mug of tea.
"Hey." She smiled when he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. "You know you probably should get dressed. My parents will be here soon."
"Mmmm." He cuddled further into her.
"Come on. You have to get dressed."
"Ok…I'll go get dressed." He pouted and let go of Susie.
"Don't give me that look."
"What look?" He asked innocently.
"You know…the look." She blushed a little.
"Oh this look?" He asked and he pouted at her again and batted his eyelashes a little.
"Stop it!" She giggled. "Go and get dressed." She said and she looked away, a huge grin forming on her face.
"Not before I get my Christmas day kiss." He turned her around and wrapped her in a passionate embrace. Susie stopped kissing him and pushed him away when the doorbell rang.
"That's my parents." She started walking towards the door. "Go and put some clothes on."
"Aww what's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"You're not wearing anything but a towel…"
"Exactly." He smiled cheekily. She shook her head and walked up to the front door. Jonesy walked into their bedroom and put some clothes on.
"Susie dear you look wonderful." Elaine said to her daughter when the door opened and she saw Susie wearing a red dress with a green ribbon around the waist.
"Thanks Mum. You look great too."
"Hey, hey where's my little princess?" Paul gasped when he saw Susie. "Oh don't you look snazzy." He smiled and pulled her into a hug.
"Hey Dad." She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"So where's that husband of yours?" Paul asked.
"He's just getting dressed." Susie replied. "Come on in."
She led them through to the living room.
"I'll just go and see if Jonesy's ready yet, then we can get going when he is." Susie smiled and left the room.
"Come on Jonesy, we're running late."
"I'm getting there. I'm having trouble with my shoes." Jonesy was hopping around the bedroom trying to get a shoe on his foot. He almost had it when he fell backwards onto the bed.
"Ah." He cried and his feet went up into the air.
"Here let me help." Susie laughed. She walked over and helped him get his shoe onto his foot. "Ready now?"
"Yeah." Jonesy stood up and Susie hugged him.
"I love you." She gave him a kiss.
"I love you more." He replied and kissed her back.
"Now let's get going." They walked out to the front room where Elaine and Paul were waiting.
"Well don't you look handsome." Elaine smiled and hugged Jonesy.
"Thanks Elaine. You look great. Is that a new dress?" Jonesy asked politely.
"Yes actually it is." She replied.
"G-day Evan." Paul smiled and stuck out his hand.
"Hey Paul. Good to see you again." Jonesy shook his hand.
"Are we all ready to go?" Susie asked, picking up her bag.
"Sure." Jonesy replied. "Let's hit the road." Jonesy smiled. He linked arms with Susie and the four of them left the house.
"Mum, Dad, Susie, Evan. I'm glad you guys made it. I see you found the place Ok." Susie's older brother Simon smiled when the four of them walked up to the front door.
"Well we had a bit of trouble. Jonesy took a wrong turn." Susie smirked.
"Hey you were the one giving directions!' He retorted.
"Ok guys, save the domestic disputes for later please." Mariah, Simon's wife laughed as she walked up. "Hey guys. Come on in. Everyone's around back."
"Where did you want me to put the salad?" Elaine asked.
"Ah, just bring it through to the kitchen. You guys go on and we'll meet you out the back." Mariah said as she led Elaine through to the kitchen. Susie, Jonesy and Paul followed Simon around to the back of the house where the rest of the family were sitting around a table talking and laughing.
"Hey everyone!" Susie called and waved as they walked through the backyard.
"Aunty Susie!" Four kids came running up and grabbed onto Susie's legs.
"Hey guys. Merry Christmas." Susie smiled and bent down to give her nieces and nephews hugs. "You remember Jonesy don't you?" She stood back up again.
"Yeah!" One of the girls said and she hugged Jonesy's leg. He laughed and looked at Susie.
"And you must be Lucy." Jonesy bent down and picked the small girl up. "I remember you."
"Yup." She nodded. "And that's my sister Angela and brother Mark." Lucy explained. "And that's my cousin Maddie!"
"Well it's great to see you all again. You've grown taller Mark." He smiled and put Lucy back on the ground.
"Really?" Mark smirked.
"Yes. You're at least two inches taller than when I saw you last time." Susie laughed at his comment.
"Ok guys, off you go." Susie ushered them away and Susie led Jonesy towards the table that her other family members were sitting around.
"Guys, you remember Evan, from the wedding." Susie said to her two younger brothers and their wives who were sitting at the table.
"Hey." Jonesy smiled.
"Hey Evan, nice to see you again." Alicia hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey Mate. Welcome to the annual Raynor Christmas Bash." Matt smiled and shook his hand.
"Jonesy." Craig nodded his head in greeting.
"Hey." Jonesy nodded back.
"Suse. It's so great to see you again." Alicia smiled and Susie bent down to hug her sister in-law.
"You too. Look at you, you're really showing now." Susie put her hand on Alicia's enlarged stomach.
"Seven and a half months down only one and a half months to go." Alicia laughed.
"Well I don't know about you, but I think the Mariah and Elaine might need some help bringing the food out. Do you think we should give them a hand?" Simon's fiancée Danielle suggested.
"You'll be right here with Simon while Alicia and I go help the others in the kitchen wont you?" Susie asked, turning to Jonesy.
"Sure." He kissed her lightly.
"Okay." Susie kissed him back. "Be nice boys." Susie warned her brothers, then she helped Alicia out of her chair and the three women walked back up to the house.
"So when's the rest of your family getting here?" Simon asked once the women were gone.
"I'm not sure. I think Rowena and her kids have gone away for Christmas, and Amanda said she might come after they've been to see Richard's parents." Jonesy explained.
"Righto. Well we may as well get started then." Craig stood up.
"Need a hand with the Barbie?" Jonesy asked.
"Sure." Simon replied and he and Jonesy fired up the BBQ. Paul,
Two hours later Mariah, Susie, Alicia, Danielle and Elaine were sitting at the table, while the boys were having a game of pool, and the kids were playing chasey.
"So, when are you two planning on having kids?" Mariah asked Susie.
"Well we haven't actually talked about it yet. But I do want it to be very soon."
"How many are you planning on having?" Danielle asked.
"Well Jonesy wants at least four." Susie replied with a laugh.
"Gees. Good luck to him!" Alicia raised her eyebrows.
"That's what I said. I'm not having more than two kids." Susie laughed. "Two is plenty. One boy and one girl and that's it."
"I'd love to have more kids, but Simon doesn't want to." Mariah sighed. "He reckons just dealing with the two we've got is hard enough."
"Yeah our little Maddie can be a real terror as well. But I still can't wait to have this little one." She patted her stomach. "I'm hoping I get another little girl."
"What does Cam think?" Susie asked.
"Well he says he wants a girl. But I think deep down he really wants a boy." Alicia smiled. "Someone to kick the footy with."
"So how long do you have to wait until that little one comes out?" Mariah asked.
"Only a couple of weeks now. Three or four the doctor said."
"So not very long then." Susie smiled.
"No. Thank god. It's like I'm carrying a baby elephant. I'm so sick of feeling like a blimp." Alicia complained.
"What about you Danii? Have you and Craig talked about having kids?"
"Well we're not even sure when we're going to get married. I think Craig was planning on doing a bit of travelling before we settle down though."
"And you're fine with that?"
"Yeah. I'd love to travel around the world. I've always wanted to go to Greece but I've never had the money."
"Well now you do." Susie replied. "I think that's a really good idea. I wish I had travelled more, still I'm happy the way things turned out."
"Yeah, Jonesy seems like such a nice guy."
"He is. And he's great with kids too, and he can cook." She boasted.
"Ha. Matt wont go anywhere near a stove. The best he can do is burnt sausages on the BBQ." Alicia laughed. "But I still love him." She beamed.
"Mummy, Mummy!" Angela ran up to Mariah.
"Yes Angie?"
"Can we go catch some yabbies?"
"Not today girls. Mummy's really tired. I've been cooking all day. I just want to sit down and rest."
"Can we please Mummy?"
"Go and ask your dad."
"But he told us to ask you!" Angela replied.
"That'd be right. You girls go and tell him that it's my day off." Mariah laughed.
"But we want to go Yabbying." The girls complained.
"Sorry girls. But if your dad doesn't take you, then you cant go."
"Aww but Mummy!"
"No buts. Unless you can get him to take you, then you cant go."
"Ok. We'll get Daddy to take us." The girls ran off.
"Do you think he'll take them?" Susie asked.
"Not a chance." Mariah replied. "So girls. How about I head inside and get us all some tea?" She suggested.
"That'd be great thanks." Alicia smiled. Mariah stood and started walking up towards the house.
"Hold on a second. I'll give you a hand." Susie stood and followed her to the house.
"I'll just pop in and see how Jonesy is coping with the boys." Susie smiled and headed towards the poolroom.
"Where's Jonesy?" Susie asked when she saw he wasn't with the rest of the boys.
"I don't know." Craig replied.
"What have you done to him?' she looked at her brothers accusingly.
"Nothing." They replied innocently.
"Where is he then?" She stepped closer and the boys stepped backwards.
"The girls wanted to go to the creek to he offered to take them." Matt blurted out.
"No big deal." Craig added with a smile.
"It is a big deal. He doesn't even know where the creek is." Susie cried.
"The girls know where it is. They'll show him." Simon shrugged.
"That's not the point. I asked you to be nice to him for me and you send him out with the kids? You're hopeless." Susie growled and she walked off to find Jonesy.
When she got close to the creek she could hear screaming so she started moving faster. When she saw what was going on she stopped and smiled.
Jonesy was standing in the middle of the creek with a yabby attached to his finger. The girls were sitting on the edge of the creek laughing and squealing as they watched him try and get it off. Susie couldn't help but laugh.
"Aunty Susie!" Lucy ran up to her. "Uncle Evan got a yabby stuck to him." She laughed.
"I can see that." Susie laughed.
"Come look at what we've caught!" Mark boasted.
"Ok." Susie smiled and followed Lucy and Mark towards the creek, where Angela and Maddie were standing over a bucket pointing at the Yabbies.
"Having fun?" Susie asked with a laugh. Jonesy turned around and his face went red with embarrassment. "How did you manage to get into the middle of the creek?"
"Long story." He replied as he walked out slowly. He took the yabby off his finger and handed it to Maddie, who then put it into the bucket. "Ok guys how about you go show your parents what you caught." He suggested and the three girls nodded and rushed off with the bucket of yabbies, Mark following slowly behind.
"You're covered in mud." Susie laughed when she saw his face.
"I know. I can feel it sticking to my face." He replied and attempted to wipe it of.
"What happened?" She picked a bit of waterweed off his shoulder.
"I fell in." He replied.
"How?"
"Never mind." Jonesy went to kiss her, but she pulled back.
"Not until you've had a shower. You smell like creek water." She laughed.
"Come on. Just one kiss?"
"No you'll ruin my dress." Susie cried, pushing him backwards.
"It can be washed!" He shrugged and he went for her again.
"No!" She turned around and started running away from him.
"You're not going to get away without a kiss." He smiled and ran after her. He grabbed her from behind, picked her up and held her like a baby. "Gotcha!' He smiled and leant down and kissed her.
"Eeww." She laughed and he put her down. "You've covered me in mud."
"Ah well. Now we both smell like the creek." He laughed.
She hit him softly and then turned and started walking away.
"Hey, come back!" Jonesy pouted and followed after her.
"What happened to you two?" Alicia asked when the two of them walked up, covered in mud and smelling like creek water.
"Never mind." Susie replied and shook her head. "You wouldn't happen to have something we can get changed into would you?"
"Sure. Come up to the house." Mariah laughed, stood up and slowly walked towards the house.
"Evan you can just wait in the bathroom, you can borrow some of Simon's clothes. I'll get you some towels."
"Thanks." Susie replied. She walked into Mariah's bedroom and grabbed some clothes for her and Jonesy, then she made her way back to where Jonesy was waiting in the bathroom.
"I got you some clothes." She put them on the cupboard and smiled at him.
"Thanks Suse." He hugged her and covered her in more mud.
"You're a bastard. You know that." She shook her head and wiped some of the mud off.
"Yeah. But I also know that you love me for it." He replied with a grin.
"You got me there." She smiled and sat down on the cupboard.
"I love you so much." He told her and he leant in and gave her a passionate kiss.
"I love you too." She replied. "So are we going to have a shower or do you want to stay smelling like creek water?'
"What if I like smelling like this?"
"Then you re more of an idiot than when I met you!" she smirked.
"Ah but like I said…you love me for it!"
"Yes, yes I do! Now we'd better get cleaned up. Mariah wants to serve the pudding. The kids are starting to get tired."
"Yes Mam!" Jonesy replied and he turned the shower taps on.
"I see you found some dry clothes." Alicia laughed when Jonesy and Susie emerged from the house. "So how did you end up in the middle of the creek anyway?"
"What?" Jonesy looked at her blankly.
"The kids told me what happened. Well they told me you were in the creek with a Yabby stuck to your finger. How did you manage to do that?" Alicia laughed.
"Well it wasn't my fault."
"So it was the kids fault then?" Danielle smirked.
"No. It was an accident." Jonesy replied. "We were catching Yabbies and one of them got caught on my finger, so I was jumping around, tying to get it off when I slipped into the creek. That's when Susie came along." Jonesy explained. "It was just a stupid accident that's all." He replied. He as still embarrassed by it and was blushing slightly.
"Mummy can we open presents now?" Angela asked.
"I don't know. Maybe ask grandma and grandpa if they are ready to give out presents?"
"Grandma!" the kids ran up to Elaine. "Can we open presents now please?"
"I think Grandpa has gone up to get them ready."
"Yey!' The kids cried.
"I guess that means we've all got to go up to the house then doesn't it?" Alicia replied.
"Don't worry we'll help you up." Susie and Danielle offered.
"Thanks guys." Alicia smiled and she and the rest of the family followed the kids inside.
After everyone had been given their presents Mariah served the pudding and then the family spent some time playing games. When it started getting late everyone left and eventually Jonesy and Susie got home.
"Well I don't know about you, but I had a fantastic day today." Susie smiled as she and Jonesy collapsed on their couch.
"I'm just glad it's all over with." Jonesy sighed. "Man those kids can run fast. I'm going to be feeling the pain tomorrow." He laughed. "But yeah, it was a really great day." He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "I can't believe your parents gave us a washing machine for Christmas. And your brothers gave me a keg and a home brew kit." Jonesy laughed. "That's got to be the best present I've got this year."
"Well I've got one more present for you." Susie beamed at him.
"Oh yeah? Does it involve the bedroom?" He winked.
"No!" Susie laughed and hit his arm. "Actually in a way it sort of does."
"Alright!" He smirked.
"It's not what you're thinking. Close your eyes."
"Okay…" Jonesy closed his eyes.
"I'll be right back!" She stood up and Jonesy heard cupboard open, rustling of paper, cupboard closing and then he felt Susie sit back down beside him.
"Okay you can open your eyes now." She held out her hands.
"Is that?" Jonesy looked at the white stick in Susie's hand.
"Sure is. Merry Christmas." She grinned.
"Ah!" He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Now this is definitely the best Christmas present EVER!" He cried and he leant in and kissed her passionately.
The End!