Author's note: This was supposed to be up for Christmas, but alas, the site decided not to cooperate. Anyhoo, my very first (methinks) Shannon/Gibbs, though Gibbs is not really there, per se. I do hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed your Christmas.
Inspired by Leona Lewis' One More Sleep.
Happy St Stephen's Day/Boxing Day/Whatever-You-Call-Today Day!
One More Sleep
Alexandria, VA. Christmas Eve, 1987. 8.30pm.
The snow was gently falling to the already white ground as Shannon Gibbs put the final batch of cookies into the oven. There were three platters of her husband's favourite marzipan flavoured cookies already on the kitchen table, and they were shaped like snowmen and reindeer by the clumsy hands of their four-year-old daughter.
Christmas music was playing from the living room and Shannon could hear her daughter sing along as she coloured her picture. It brought a smile to her face, that Kelly was happy. Holidays were always difficult when they were on their own, and it only got harder as Kelly got older and became more aware of missing her father.
But this year would be different – this Christmas they would spend together, as a family.
"Mommy," – Kelly's voice sounded from the living room. – "When is Daddy gonna be here?"
Shannon rolled her eyes in amusement, answering the same question for the twentieth time that day.
"Tomorrow, honey. When you wake up, he'll be here," – she really hoped she wasn't lying to her daughter.
"But when is it tomorrow?" – Kelly asked, a blue pencil in her right hand, as she came to a stop in front of her mother.
"One more sleep, Kelly. One more sleep and then Daddy will be here."
Kelly looked at her for a couple of moments, as if trying to decide whether her mother was telling the truth, before nodding her head and going back to the living room. Shannon smiled, shaking her head as she checked on the cookies.
Kelly was getting more and more impatient and there were only so many things Shannon could come up with to count down the days until the return of their marine.
She received only a brief phone call eight days before Christmas, her husband saying he would be home on Christmas Day, but it wouldn't be the first time that the return was delayed by the faulty aircraft or weather inconveniences. Shannon originally decided not to tell Kelly her father was coming home at all and let that be her best Christmas present, but after a particularly bad nightmare four days before Christmas, she found herself blurting it out to calm her daughter down.
Now, after four more days of missing Daddy, three more dreams about Daddy being home and two more paintings for Daddy it was one more sleep before Daddy was home.
Hopefully.
As she was putting Kelly to bed that night, all the cookies made and the house appropriately decorated with the presents wrapped and under the tree, Shannon hoped she wouldn't have to deal with her daughter's disappointment.
"One more sleep, Mommy?" – Kelly asked quietly, hugging her stuffed panda tightly to her chest.
"One more sleep, baby," – Shannon confirmed, kissing the little girl's forehead. "Now sleep or Santa won't come."
"Don't care," – Kelly murmured, already half-asleep. "I just want Daddy under the Christmas tree."
Shannon smiled sadly, hoping wholeheartedly that their mutual wish would be fulfilled, come morning.
Later, lying alone in her – their bed – for what was hopeful the last time in a while – Shannon whispered:
"One more sleep," – closing her eyes and dreaming her husband was back home.
And in the morning, when she was woken up by Kelly's delighted shriek of Daddy you're home and greeted with the sight of her husband under the Christmas tree, knocked over by their overly enthusiastic four-year-old, Shannon knew all their wishes came true.
It would be a perfect Christmas.
- THE END -
Happy holidays! :)