Disclaimer: I own nothing. I do not own All in the Family or any of its characters. I own nothing!
Author's Note: Hello everyone! How are you all? Hope you're doing well! As Mr. A Bunker once said, 'The Christmas season is once again at our throat' but of course I hope that you all are having a good holiday season and are having fun getting ready for it all! And as a way to help get you and me into the Christmas mood I've decided to post up this AITF Christmas story! It's actually one I wrote years ago but I've polished it up and hopefully it makes for a good story. Now it's not a story with a groundbreaking/serious sort of storyline that AITF's Christmas episodes usually had (they had some of my all time favorite Christmas episodes but thinking over it now they're not as joyful and happy as the other Christmas special—but nothing bad about that!) anyways, even though it may not have that All in the Family element I do hope that the story does have that wonderful family feeling you got when you watched the show. There's not too much needed background to know about this story but it takes place sometime in the mid 80s. Archie Bunker's Place did not happen—so that means you know what didn't happen—Mike and Gloria moved back next door and have two children now Joey and Gracie. And Stephanie still lives there at the Bunkers. That's about it so lets' get on with the story shall we? But before we do I just want to say thank you so very much for stopping by to read this story—it's one I really hold close to my heart—if you have the chance to leave and lemme know what you think it would be very much appreciated. Thanks again! Hope you like! And please, Enjoy!
Home for the Holidays
Archie Bunker sat in his chair, peacefully reading his paper when there came a knock at the door. Not wanting to answer it, he stayed in his seat. A second or two after the one knock the doorbell rang a quick but loud ring. He now knew who it was.
"Come on in Edith the coast is clear!" he shouted from his seat turning only his head towards the door.
A few seconds later the door opened to reveal a smiling Edith with bags of presents in her arms—some wrapped and some not. "Hello Arrrchie!" she said before quickly jogging to her husband to give him a quick peck on the lips. Before he could respond she was out the door and onto the porch bringing in more of the bags of presents. Archie stood up and walked over to the door.
"Ah jeeze, just looking at these is giving my wallet a heart attack." Archie said closing front door as his wife brought in the last bag
Edith gave a small laugh as she took off her hat and coat, "Oh my there was so many people out there in all them stores."
"So youse bought everything, to make sure no one else would get it?"
Edith smiled. "No." she said taking a seat in her chair, Archie followed and then took a seat in his own throne. "Oh my feet hurt so much." She said slipping off her shoes.
Archie watched his wife and shook his head, "Well it's your own fault there Edith." He began, "Every year youse do this to yourself, going around shopping for people youse don't even know."
"Oh but Archie they're for the needy, and they ain't all for them. I got some presents for the family in there too." Edith argued.
"That's another thing; you're going around buying all kinds of stuff on the family when youse should be spending it on yours truly." Archie told her and she smiled.
"Don't worry I have." She said "Oh!" she exclaimed getting up onto her bare feet.
"Where are youse going now?!" questioned Archie.
"I gotta go hide the gifts." Edith said getting a bag of the unwrapped gifts and then heading upstairs.
"Edith…" Archie called as he followed her with another bag in his arms, figuring he should help her if he wanted a good present this year. He followed her into their bedroom, and by the time he got there she was already hiding the presents in all sorts of places. Some in dwarves, some under the bed, in the closet, behind the curtains, the hope chest and everywhere else possible.
Archie frowned at the scene, "Edith this is Christmas not an Easter egg hunt!"
"I know." Edith said hiding the last present that was in her bag, in the drawer of her nightstand. "But this way if anyone finds some presents, they won't find them all."
"Ah come on, just put 'em all in the chest here." Archie told her opening the chest.
"Oh no. Cause last year someone found his present there." His wife reminded him.
Archie raised an eyebrow, "The Meathead was snooping around in our bedroom?"
Edith gave him a look that seemed to say, 'You know who I'm talking about.'
"Wha's with the look there?"
Edith waved it off, as she got started on the bag Archie held in his arms. "Oh and I found that last ting on Stephy's Christmas list, look." She then handed him a hexagon shaped packaging that had hat looked like a multicolored box, made up of smaller squares, inside.
Archie scowled at the object, "Youse bought the kid a box?
"No, it's a Rubiks Cube." Edith answered with a smile.
"I don't care who's cube it is." He barked back, still glaring at the present for his niece, "How much did you pay for it?"
Hiding another present behind the bedroom's window curtain, she shrugged, "Oh just about twenty dollars or so."
"Twenty dollars? On a box?" Archie asked disbelief.
"Oh no, Archie." Edith shook her head and for a second Archie believed he had heard wrong, that is until she continued, "It's a cube."
Hearing his wife's words, Archie dropped his head to where his chin was tucked into his neck; and the minute he did this action the front door was heard closing.
"Aunt Edith I'm home!" Stephanie called from downstairs.
Edith's eyes showed shock as Archie's head shot up.
"Oh what'll we do with the rest of the presents?" Edith asked as she worried looked around the gift filled room.
"Here we'll put 'em in the closet and if they find 'em we'll keep 'em for ourselves." Archie explained as he placed the shopping bag in the closet and closed the door. The couple then went down the stairs to greet their niece, and make sure she wasn't taking a peak at any of the already wrapped presents under the tree.
Luckily Edith made it down before Stephanie could finish hanging up her coat, with Archie a few steps behind her.
"Oh hello Stephy." Edith greeted kissing her quickly.
"Hi Aunt Edith." She said taking a seat in her uncle's chair not noticing Archie come down the stairs.
"How was school?" Edith asked taking a seat in her own chair.
"Great! It's so good to be out for vacation." Stephy said relaxing in her seat, Archie frowned.
"Vacation? Christmas is still six days away." Archie stated "What are they doing letting youse out already?"
Stephanie shrugged, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
"Jeeze now she's asking for a horse!" Archie groaned, "Out of the chair."
Stephanie did as she was told and then watched her uncle take a seat, only to jump onto his lap.
Archie growled, "You know most girls would think they're too old for this here."
Stephanie looked at Archie, "I've seen Aunt Edith do it."
Archie looked at his wife and frowned, "See what kinda example you're setting here?"
Edith smiled as she shook her head, "Did your friends like the cookies you made them?" she asked changing the subject.
"Yeah. They loved them."
"That's good."
"What about youse?" Archie questioned, "Youse getting anything?"
"Yup."
"Anything good?"
Stephanie smiled, "Oh yeah, lots of it, but the best one came from Jenny O'Brien."
"Oh?" her aunt asked.
"Yeah, she invited me to go skiing with her and her family in Vermont." She told them
"Oh that sounds like fun…"
"On Christmas." Stephanie finished and her 'parents' faces dropped.
"On Christmas?" Edith asked not believing she'd heard right.
"Yeah. Can I go?" she asked hopefully.
"Oh I don't know Stephy." Edith began, "We've always spent Christmas together…"
"Course we have!" Archie exclaimed "And that's how we're gonna keep spending it. After all who knows how many Christmases the two of us have got left." he reminded his niece, "Edith two or three. Me maybe five or six."
Edith shook her head and Stephanie could tell she was going to have a hard time convincing the two so she began to them more of the details.
"We'd be leaving Christmas Eve morning and I'll be back three days after Christmas." She told them, "I'll be home for Hanukkah, New Years… and Kwanza."
"Ah, now you're just making holidays up." Archie told her.
"Please Aunt Edith." Stephanie pleaded, she knew if she got her to agree then getting Archie to say 'yes' would be easy.
"What's the big deal about going to the Vermont? All they got is deers which means youse gotta watch everywhere youse step." Archie said
Stephy shrugged, "Well we haven't gone out of town in a long time…"
"What are youse talking about? We used to go to California all the time!" Archie proclaimed.
"Yeah, but we haven't been back there in forever!"
Archie frowned, "Why would we? Gloria and the Meathead are living next door. Who you gonna visit, the strangers that live in their condo now?"
Stephanie rolled her eyes, she decided to take another route, "There's skiing."
"Youse don't know how to ski."
"Then I could learn!"
"Fine." Archie said, "Youse wanna learn to ski, alright I'll get youse two pieces of wood and set youse up on the roof."
"Oh no Archie don't do that." Edith said breaking away from her thoughts.
Stephanie looked away from her uncle and over at Edith, "So can I go?" silence, "It won't cost you a lot, only a few dollars for the skies. I've got the clothes and the O'Brien's own the cabin."
Edith continued to think.
"I promise to call you first thing Christmas morning."
Edith looked at his niece she gave a short smile, "As long as it's ok with Archie."
Quickly Stephanie looked at her uncle with puppy dog eyes. "Pwease!"
Archie frowned, "Youse sure you've got a big enough jacket?"
A smile sprung to Stephanie's face knowing that those words meant 'yes'
"Oh thank you!" she exclaimed giving each one of them a kiss and a hug before heading upstairs. "I'm gonna go call Jenny and tell her the good news! Thank you!"
And then she was gone.
"That means we're keeping one of your gifts for ourselves!" Archie called after her.
Edith sighed and her husband groaned.
"Ah come on, don't start that Edith, youse were the one who gave the first okay!" he shouted.
"Oh I know." Edith said nodding, "It's just she's growing up so fast."
"Yeah." Archie agreed, "Soon she'll be marrying her own meathead."
"At least we still got Joey and Gracie." Edith said with a smile as she thought about her two young grandchildren.
Then as if on cue a young, blonde haired, boy burst through the front door, shutting it behind him.
"Grandma!" he exclaimed happily as he ran into Edith's arms.
"Where does he get that from?" Archie asked
"Hi Ma, Hi Arch." Mike greeted as he and Gloria, who held their three year old daughter in her arms, came through the door.
"Never mind." Archie said with a wave of his hand as his grandson moved beside him.
Edith stood up and walked over to the couple, "Oh hi Gracie!" Edith greeted as her daughter handed the three year old to her grandmother. "What are youse doing here?" she asked her still smiling.
"Yeah, your noses must be really good, Edith ain't even started on dinner yet." Archie said as the family made their way into the sitting area. Edith back in her chair, Mike and Gloria on the sofa, and the grandchildren each found a seat on the laps of a grandparent.
"Joey." Gloria said and the young boy instantly hit his grandfather's arm.
Archie's eyes widened as he looked at the couple. Mike shrugged, "You told her not hit you anymore."
Archie frowned but his daughter never saw it and instead started to speak in a somewhat nervous tone.
"Actually Ma, Daddy, we came over to ask you an important question."
"Dealing with Christmas." Mike added.
"Ah jeeze." Archie growled, "Lemme stop youse now cause I ain't giving no sizes sos the two of youse can get us the whadaya call mismatched pajamas."
"Oh I think that would be cute." Edith joyfully said aloud and Archie look over at her, his scowl still in place.
"Wha, youse in pants or me in a dress?"
Edith gave a small laugh before turning her attention back to Gloria who had begun to speak again.
"Um…we…you see…um…Michael has something to ask you!" She quickly finished, losing her nerve and shoving her husband forward a bit.
Mike shook his head, "Gloria no they're you parents…" he protested.
Not liking the argument he was making, mostly because she couldn't think of a verbal response to it, Gloria then grabbed the hand he was using to gesture in the air and forcefully pulled his fingers apart.
"Ahh!" He threw his head back and yelped in pain, "We're gonna spend Christmas with Al and Trudy!"
Gloria let go and Mike examined his hand, meanwhile The Bunkers both had looks of confusion on their faces.
"Wha happened to the question?" Archie asked his wife but she remained silent.
Gloria could tell her parents weren't on board with the plan and so she began to explain, "You see we ran into Al and Trudy a couple of weeks ago. We got to talking and Joey and Angie really hit it off with their kids…and we just thought it would be fun if we spent Christmas with them at their house."
Edith's face suddenly brightened, "But we'll be able to spend Christmas morning together though, right?"
The younger couple's faces dropped, they didn't like disappointing Edith.
"No ma." Mike solemnly replied. "Al and Trudy live in New Jersey, and we thought it would be nice to celebrate Christmas Eve there so the kids could wake up and open their presents together."
Archie's frown only seemed to get deeper with each newer word he heard—especially when they came out of his son-in-law's mouth, "Listen to the atheist, trying to ruin two of the most religious days of the year."
Looking at Archie with a blank stare Mike was about to respond to his comment when his wife spoke over him as she talked to her mother.
"Ma, I hope you're not too upset." Gloria said meaning it very much.
"Oh no." Edith said trying to sound happy, "It's just different is all. Us all spending Christmas apart."
"But you've still got Stephy here." The blonde woman quickly pointed out.
"The kid's going skiing." Archie said not even trying to hide how upset he was.
Gloria's heart broke some at this new piece of information. She knew that when she and Michael made plans to spend Christmas with their friends that it meant spending Christmas away from her parents but she never could have guessed it would have meant making her parents spend Christmas alone.
"Oh Ma, we're sorry, if we would have known we wouldn't have agreed to this at all." Mike spoke for both him and his wife, hoping to help the situation even if only a tiny bit.
"Sure youse would." Archie said dismissing any tiny bit that may have started to started to look better, "Youse just woulda tried to tell us before the kid did."
Mike rolled his eyes and Gloria watched her mother who did look a bit sad. "Ma are you…"
"Oh don't worry Gloria, we'll be fine." Edith tried to sound assuring before looking down at her watch, "Oh my, I better get started on dinner. Would you like to join us?"
"Sure!" Mike called out not even a second after Edith asked.
"Do you need any help?" Gloria asked Edith who had placed Gracie on the floor and was now making her way to the kitchen.
"Oh no thank you Gloria. Not now." Edith told her before disappearing behind the door. Archie watched his wife and knew she may have seemed like she didn't mind but he knew she—like himself—was really not ok with any of this.
Author's Note: Soo what did you think? Good? Bad? Wanna read more? Lemme know in a review!
This story is actually already complete but do still need to edit some stuff however I haven't figured out what the update schedule will be for this story. if you have any suggestions lemme know! Right now I'm think about posting a new chapter every Monday and Friday. What do you think?
Until next time, thanks for reading, hope you liked, please review and lemme know what you think, stay tuned, take care, have a nice day, and remember only 22 more days till Christmas!