Hang all the mistletoe
I'm gonna get to know you better
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it's gonna be
This Christmas
"Please tell me you brought them?" the voice inquired, with just a hint of begging.
"Of course," he answered, assisting his wife with her coat. "Christmas would not be Christmas without- -"
"Granny Mae's sweet potato pies," his cousin finished.
"Merry Christmas, Lil' Bit."
"How are my favorite cousins? Particularly my newest little man. Hello, Brad," she cooed, picking up the baby carrier and moving into the drawing room.
"Mommy, can I hold Bradley?" the café-au-lait, riotous curly haired seven-year-old asked.
"No, he's a boy and he wants a boy to hold him. Right Grandpa?" the six-year-old replica of his father countered, looking for confirmation.
Meeting his daughter's-in-law gaze, he shook his head. "Was that Cook I heard? I bet the pre-dinner treat she made for you, your siblings, and your cousins are ready. Go get everyone and take them to the kitchen."
Mary Mae and David Alan immediately lost interest in the baby, grabbed five-year-old, Lila Hannah, and four-year-old, Monica, as they raced towards the kitchen screaming, "Cook has cookies!"
The towhead blue-eyed blonde haired two-and-a-half-year-old twins were nipping at their heels.
Their older redhead cousin and dark-haired four-year-old cousin, Edward II, quickly raced ahead of them.
"Brook- -"
"Gotcha, Uncle Alan. Dillon, Georgie, and I will go supervise," the teen answered before being asked.
"How did we get roped into this?" the male cousin wondered out loud as his wife pushed him towards the kitchen.
"Consider it one of the many privileges of being the much older cousin," the former Jones-Scorpio woman replied.
The fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me, yeah
"Don't you miss the smell?" the petite brunette asked to no one in particular, as she held baby Bradley close. "The little hands."
"I miss the big hands caressing my body," the psychiatrist murmured.
"You just had a baby," her cousin by married replied astounded.
"I know. And I have two more torturous weeks to go. Every time I look at him, I want to rip his clothes off- -"
"Enough! That's my older cousin slash big brother you're talking about," the social worker reprimanded.
"I bet he looks great with no clothes on," the former Deception model added.
"He does," the woman, whose husband was being discussed, confirmed.
"You're married," the brunette countered to her in-law.
"Happily, but I'm not blind."
"That's true," the Brooklyn-ite agreed. "He is hot!"
"Really enough! Were you really mourning the loss of the twins' babyhood?" the little sister, of the man in question, inquired, changing the subject quickly.
"Yes, I love that Jordan and Joshua are more independent, but I miss- -the cuddling- -" the twins' mother answered.
"Those special midnight feedings- -" her best friend continued.
"The sore, leaking breasts," the curly haired brunette added.
"The lack of sex," the psychiatrist mentioned again.
"We can't wait to experience the joy," the two youngest sisters-in-law laughed sarcastically. They always learned a lot when the whole family came together.
"Don't listen to the negative stuff. Once you hold your baby in your arms for the first time, you forget about everything else- -"
"Girlfriend, I wouldn't go that far."
"You don't. This time around we want to see if we'll get a brown eyed, brown haired baby- -"
"To go along with those two hellions," her cousin-in-law commented.
The women laughed. Everyone knew the twins were hell-on-wheels.
"My children are a little enthusiastic- -" their mother defended.
"So is the Tasmanian devil and they would give him a run for his money," their aunt replied.
More laughter ensued.
Finally deciding to join in on the family joke, the brunette said, "Well you've met their uncle. They come by it naturally."
"Yes, I can definitely see that," the sister-in-law with a slight British accent nodded in agreement.
"So in six months, I'm hoping we'll have a less intense baby."
"You're pregnant?" the women whispered all-at-once
"Yes, but don't say anything. The "I love my daddy" bib is wrapped and under the tree," the former model shared.
"You didn't buy that exact bib, did you?" the voice with the British accent asked.
"Not you too?" the women turned to face their beloved family member.
She nodded as did her sister-in-law, and her cousins-in-law.
"I should have known you were pregnant," the former model said. "You are always a witch- -"
"When I'm pregnant with a boy," the social worker finished.
"Damn! Is there something in the water?" the doctor questioned.
"Or do the men in this family just know how to throw it down," the police detective offered.
The women laughed drawing puzzled looks from the said men.
Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer and you
This Christmas
Lights twinkle all around
But your eyes outshine the town
This Christmas
"Sorry, we're late," the blonde apologized walking through the door with an armful of presents.
"Grandfather," five boys yelled at the top of their lungs.
"What's with all this noise?" the older man asked, coming down the stairs as five bodies bombarded him with hugs. "Are your parents raising you in a barn?"
"Oh, Grandfather," the second oldest boy, at twelve, said.
"You love our hugs and kisses. Darren's right. And you love all the attention," Daniel, the fifteen-year-old, commented.
"You're the best great grandfather in the world," five-year-old Donnie said with his eyes shining with love and hero-worship.
"Oh- - oh," the older man stammered.
"And you're our favorite five-year-old great-grandchild named Donald," the older man's wife announced from her wheelchair.
"What about me, Grandmother?"
"You're our favorite nine-year-old named Damien and our favorite eleven-year-old named Dustin," she concluded.
The blondes all beamed at their Grandmother's words.
"You've made it just in time for presents," their Grandmother informed them.
With quick kisses on their grandmother's cheek, the fivesome headed for the living room.
"How was your Christmas, Dear?" the white-haired woman asked.
"You know Lucy. Over the top and out-of-control. This year topped most with it being Logan's, Sam's, and Robin's first Baldwin/Coe/Collins/Moss/Shore Christmas. Her heart is in the right place, but it's so- -"
"Lucy," the elderly woman finished.
"Exactly," the blonde laughed.
"I'm glad you were able to join us."
"Grandmother, it wouldn't be Christmas without seeing you," the younger woman said, kissing her grandmother's cheek.
The fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me, yeah
"God, we thank you for this food. For rest and peace and all things good. For wind and rain and sun above. But most of all for those we love. Amen," the younger grandchildren sang.
"Amen!" the adults added.
Dr. Monica Quartermaine watched as her family dug into the feast Cook had prepared. Her heart filled with joy to see the whole family assembled. Dawn, Decker, Daniel, Darren, Damien, Dustin, and Donald Moss. Dawn's parents. Her eldest daughter with five sons, who were as adventurous their father and Uncle Colton. The grey hairs were all ready threatening to take over Dawn's hair.
She looked further down the table to see her oldest son who was finally happy. The efficient and very competent GH nurse Leyla kept her son on his toes and was an excellent step-mother to Michael. She wasn't sure how Edward reversed Sonny's adoption of Michael, reinstated AJ's parental rights, and got her son joint physical and legal custody of her grandson; but she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. She had never seen her son happier.
Watching her youngest son cut his youngest daughter's turkey, she smiled as her namesake happily sat in her father's lap. Jason and Keesha had four beautiful children. She enjoyed seeing her son around the hospital, the third Dr. Quartermaine. His car accident and long subsequent recovery had made Jason want to become a neurosurgeon. Secretly, she and Alan hoped that one day Jason would follow in his father's footsteps and become the chief of staff. Maybe one day Monica Susan or David Alan would decide to follow their career paths. Or maybe Mary Mae and Lila Hannah would help others the way their mother and Uncle AJ did by working at the Ward House. She didn't know what the future held for her grandchildren but she knew their future was bright.
"Grandpa," Spencer yelled from his highchair.
Alan reached over and took their youngest grandson.
A Cassadine and a Quartermaine. Edward still hadn't accepted the union though he did love the smile in his granddaughter's eyes when she was with Nikolas and Spencer. Even though Emily only lived on Spoon Island, Monica still missed walking down the hallway to her daughter's suite.
Merry Christmas
Shake a hand shake a hand
The cardiologist was thrilled beyond belief that Brenda had finally gotten over Sonny and was happily married and truly committed to Jasper Jax. Being a wife, mother to the twins, Jasmine and Jeremy, and an executive at ELQ kept the former model quite busy. Monica was also happy that Lois and Ned had found their way back to each other and added another Edward to the family. Dillon and Georgie had also patched up their differences and were happily married once again.
Justus had put his mobster ghosts behind him and gave his heart to Dr. Lainey Winters. Mary Mae would have been so happy to have met her eldest son's namesake. And she would have been equally as happy that her other grandchild had finally decided to accept the Quartermaine half of herself. Faith had stayed away for years, yet she could have been raised under the Quartermaine roof she was so much like Edward. But she knew Faith's appearances had less to do with getting to know her family and more to do with one, Detective Marcus Taggert.
"No!" Brenda, Leyla, Lois, Faith, Keesha, and Emily yelled to Georgie.
"What?" Georgie asked startled, almost spilling the pitcher of water in her hand.
The women quickly communicated silently. The last thing Dillon and Georgie needed was a baby. And while they knew, the water wasn't what made them fertile, they weren't taking any chances.
"Here take this," Faith commanded, handing her cousin-in-law a bottle of water.
"Why do I need a bottle, when there's a pitcherful here?"
"Haven't you heard about the amount of lead there is in tap water," Lois inquired.
"Lead, you say. Cook!" Edward roared. "Water with lead. Is she trying to kill us?"
"Okay, I didn't realize drinking water was so dangerous. I'll stick to bottled water," Mrs. Dillon Quartermaine assured her odd females-in-law.
"That's for the best," Brenda concurred.
Monica looked at the younger women puzzled. She wondered what they were up to, but didn't dwell on it. It was Christmas and she was surrounded by the people she loved most in the world.
Gazing into her husband's eyes, Monica saw nothing but pure love and understanding shining back at her. She was truly a blessed woman.
The fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me, yeah
Shake a hand....