Tradition
A/N: Don't own it, don't make money, don't sue me. Characters belong to Disney and Meg Cabot. L
Snow fell lazily towards the ground, covering the Genovian landscape in a blanket of white. The small, white crystals had been pouring from the cloudy gray sky since late the night before. Clarisse Renaldi, Dowager Queen of Genovia, stood in her suite, looking out the French doors of the balcony, watching the snow pile up outside. She really should be helping Mia with the preparations for the Christmas Eve ball. It was after all, the day after tomorrow. Clarisse was startled a moment later when her granddaughter came bounding into the room, with a handful of colored paper, scissors, and two staplers.
"Grandma, what're you doing?" Mia asked.
"Watching the snow," she replied.
"Do you want to help me make a paper chain? I do it every year!"
"What's a paper chain?" Clarisse asked, more than a little confused.
"You've never made a paper chain?" Mia cried in disbelief. "How could you possibly celebrate Christmas without a paper chain? Okay look," she said, plopping herself down on the sofa, "This is how you make a paper chain. Cut little strips of paper, then you roll them up like this, and staple. Repeat the process, and link the loops of paper. See, it's easy?"
"All right, I think even I can handle that," Clarisse smiled, and sat across from her granddaughter on the sofa. Plans for the ball could be handled some other time.
The chain grew longer and longer as they sat together, chatting. Soon, it had overflowed, off the sofa and onto the floor, the rainbow loops splashing bright spots of color on the plain beige rug. The door suddenly swung open behind them, and Joseph entered, one hand behind his back, his face slightly red from the cold. He'd been outside riding in the snow.
"Hey, Joe!" Mia said, spotting him first, since she was facing the door.
"Good afternoon, Mia." He replied, smiling.
" Hello, darling." Clarisse said, glancing over her shoulder at him, then turning back to the paper in her hands. Joseph leaned over the arm of the couch to kiss Clarisse on the cheek. Slipping one arm around her waist, he pulled her close to him, and shoved the snow that was concealed in his other hand, down the back of her shirt. Clarisse screamed and shot to her feet, while Mia burst into a fit of giggles.
"Joseph! I can't believe…how did you…?"
"It's snowing out, dear. Didn't you notice?" he asked innocently.
"You can laugh all you want now, Sir, but I will get you for this." Clarisse glared at him.
"I can't wait," he replied, scooping up the snow that was beginning to melt on the couch and going into the bathroom to throw it in the sink.
"Grandma, the look on your face was absolutely priceless, I wish I had a camera!" Mia said, finally regaining control of her laughter.
"Oh, you." Clarisse grumbled. "I can get you too, you know."
"Sure you can, you're on." Mia challenged as Joseph reappeared from the bathroom.
"Joseph, now look at what you've done, the sofa is all wet." Clarisse said, pointing to the damp spots that the snow had left.
"Not a problem, dear." He told her, catching her around the waist, and pulling her down onto his lap as he sat. Clarisse attempted a glare, but couldn't manage it. Instead, she smiled and kissed him.
"Okay, don't go all mushy on me," Mia told them. "We're eating dinner soon."
"Amelia!" Clarisse scolded, as she settled against Joseph's chest. His arms fell around her, one hand coming up to stroke through her hair. She tucked her feet up on the couch under the paper chain, and reached up to touch his face before grabbing her stapler again.
"I'm just kidding, Grandma. You're adorable together. I'm glad you listened to me and finally got married."
"So am I," Joseph told her, and Clarisse tilted her head to kiss him again.
"Focus, Grandma. We still have to finish this paper chain." Mia joked.
At last the paper chain was completed. They brought it to Mia's room, where she and Nicholas, whom they'd met in the hallway, hung it up around the door frame. Mia stepped back to admire it, then threw her arms around Clarisse.
"Your first paper chain, Grandma. It's awesome." She said, smiling.
"It is, indeed." Clarisse replied, and hugged Mia back.
"Dinner is just about ready," Charlotte reported, poking her head in the open door.
"Great, thanks Charlotte!" Mia exclaimed, releasing Clarisse and grabbing Nicholas' hand and nearly skipping out the door.
Joseph and Clarisse laughed. "Shall we, my love?" he asked, offering his arm to her.
"We shall," she replied, grinning at him, and taking his hand instead, lacing her fingers through his.
"Mia, we need to finish the seating arrangements for the ball this evening." Clarisse told her granddaughter at dinner that evening.
The girl groaned. "There's always one person that isn't happy with it. It's so frustrating!"
"As long as you put the four of us together, I don't think you'll hear any complaint from me or Joe," Nicholas said, smiling.
"yes, I think that that would be acceptable," Joseph added, joining in on the teasing.
"It's all a part of being Queen, my dear." Clarisse told her.
"I know. Can we do something fun after?" she asked, looking around at the other three excitedly.
"Like what?" Nicholas questioned.
"Watch a Christmas movie!"
Later that night, the four of them settled in Mia's suite with White Christmas, Mia's favorite Christmas movie. The coffee table had been moved out of the way, and Clarisse and Joseph sat on the sofa, while Mia and Nicholas made themselves comfortable on the floor.
A few minutes into the film, Joseph whispered to Clarisse. "Darling, my arm is falling asleep."
"I'm sorry," she whispered back, lifting her head from where it had been resting against his shoulder. He moved it around a little, to get the blood circulating again.
"No harm done, it still works," he told her, kissing her lightly, then guiding her to lay down, her head in his lap, his fingers idly playing with her hair.
Clarisse watched Mia and Nicholas, who were snuggled up together on the floor. She realized how lucky she and her granddaughter both were, to have found true love. Finally.
Joseph's back began to grow stiff after he had not moved in over an hour. Leaning down, he asked, "Darling can you sit up for a moment?"
Clarisse sat up, and Joseph swung his feet onto the couch, stretching out behind her. She smiled, and lay down again, pulling his arm over her waist, and snuggling close to him.
When the movie ended, Mia got up to turn off the television. "Aww," she said softly, pointing to where Joe and Clarisse were on the couch. Her back was to his chest, his arms cradling her close to him, and his face buried in her hair. Both were fast asleep.
"Do you think that will be us someday?" Nicholas asked, standing.
"I certainly hope so," Mia said softly, wrapping her arms around him.
Joseph woke first the next morning, to find sunlight streaming into Mia's suite. It was the day before Christmas Eve. Today was the day that they would go shopping and make sure that everything was in order for the ball tomorrow. Joseph looked down at Clarisse, who was still asleep in his arms. He smiled as she stirred a little, then curling into his chest, settled again. Kissing her forehead lightly, he tightened his embrace and closed his eyes. He would let her sleep for awhile longer; she needed it.
An hour later, Joseph felt someone poking him. Opening his eyes, Mia was standing over them.
"Sorry, Joe. I really didn't want to wake you up, but we have a dress fitting to go to in an hour. And Grandma would kill us both if we're late." She said, grinning.
"It's all right, Mia." He replied, and she walked away, leaving him to wake Clarisse. Gently, he smoothed large circles on her back, "Clarisse, darling. Time to wake up." He said softly. She groaned a little and turned her face into his shoulder. "I know you want to sleep, so do I, but we have to get moving," he told her in the same soft tone, placing a kiss on her temple.
"I'm awake," Clarisse replied, turning to look at him.
"Good morning, my love." He leaned in to kiss her on the lips.
"Hi," she said drowsily, making him laugh. Joseph pulled the blanket off them, and tenderly guided Clarisse into a sitting position.
"Come on, darling. I was informed that you have a dress fitting in an hour."
"Hmm," she said, slumping against him. "Oh, Joseph I just want to sleep through the rest of this winter. Then perhaps I would feel rested."
"No, then you'd be even more tired. I do believe my dear, that you may have actually gotten too much sleep. You're not usually this hard to wake up." Joseph said chuckling. Clarisse made no move to stand up, so Joe slipped his arm under her knees and lifted her into his arms.
"Amelia, come get the door," he said to Mia whom he knew was still standing in the doorway behind them, watching. Mia jumped a little, then hurried around to get the door, wondering how he had known she was there.
"You were being too quiet," Joseph said winking at her as they left the room, leaving Mia standing in the doorway gaping at them.
Joseph didn't accompany them to their dress fitting, so Mia and Clarisse had time to discuss things between just the two of them.
"What on Earth did you get Joe for Christmas? I'm having the hardest time finding something for him." Mia asked her grandmother.
"Well…he likes music." Clarisse said. She didn't want to tell her granddaughter what she'd bought Joseph. She was getting better, but Mia still had the tendency to let things slip.
"And dancing," Mia said smiling.
"That's true." Clarisse returned her smile.
"Oooohhhh, I have no idea! And tomorrow is Christmas Eve!" Mia groaned in frustration.
"You'll think of something, dear."
Late that night, Clarisse and Joe were snuggled up together on the sofa in their suite, the only light in the room coming from the fire in the hearth that was burning with a steady glow.
"Amelia asked me what she should get you for Christmas, today." Joseph said.
Clarisse looked up at him in surprise. "Really? She asked me the same thing about you."
" What did you tell her?"
"Actually, I never told her anything." Clarisse told him. "What did you tell her?"
"That's for me to know, and you to find out in two days."
"That's not fair."
"It's Christmas, darling. The entire season isn't fair."
"Humph." She said, huffily.
The next morning Mia came bounding into Clarisse and Joe's suite. Joe sat in the living room waiting for Clarisse, who as usual, was taking slightly longer to get ready.
"Merry Christmas Eve!" Mia cried, giggling.
"You're in an awfully good mood this morning." Joseph commented, not looking up from his newspaper.
"Only one more day of wining and dining the leeches of Parliament, then we get a whole day all to ourselves! I don't have to answer the phone or even look at paperwork if I don't want to! Which, I don't. In case that wasn't perfectly obvious already." She told him, grinning.
"And you get presents," Joseph pointed out.
"Yeah, well, that's a bonus too!"
"You know, sometimes I think you're regressing." Clarisse said to her granddaughter as she entered the room, finally dressed and ready for the day.
"And that's why you love me," she replied.
"Shouldn't you be doing paperwork or something?" Clarisse teased.
"Yes, actually. But I'm blasting the Christmas Carols!" Mia skipped out of the room singing, "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la!"
The ball that evening was spectacular. The ball room was decorated in brilliant reds, greens, white, and gold, and an enormous tree dominated one corner of the room. In the spirit of Christmas, Mia's dress was red and silver, and Clarisse entered behind her in a dark green and gold dress. Everything glittered, from the champagne that flowed non-stop to the tinsel that hung on the tree. Mia was glad that she wasn't the one who had to clean up the tinsel when the tree was taken down.
Joseph smiled as he looked out across the room. He watched proudly for a moment as Mia danced with Nicholas and didn't miss a step. Clarisse caught his eye from across the room, and he knew she was thinking the same thing. Joe lifted two glasses of champagne off the tray that a waiter walking by him was carrying, and then made his way through the people standing on the side of the dance floor in the direction of his wife.
Accepting the glass from him, Clarisse took his free hand, lacing her fingers through his. They stood in silence for a moment, just watching the swirling colors that were the people dancing. Joseph scanned the room again, ever the security man, and his eyes came to rest on the small plant that hung above their heads. Smiling to himself, he leaned over to kiss Clarisse.
She looked at him, startled. "What was that for? Not that I mind, of course."
Joseph pointed up. "Tradition." He stated simply.
She followed the direction his finger was pointing and saw the mistletoe. "Oh, well in that case…" she took a step closer to kiss him again.
Later that night, Clarisse, Joseph, Mia and Nicholas stood at the door, saying good night to all the guests. As the door shut behind the Prime Minister and his wife, the clock began to strike twelve.
"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Mia said, sleepily. "Time for bed. Santa won't come if we're still awake."
"When did you stop believing in Santa Claus, Amelia?" Clarisse asked, as they made their way towards the private wing of the palace.
"Who said I stopped believing in Santa?" she joked. "I was probably, eight or nine. Mom was pretty good at making me believe in stuff like that. She still hides eggs for me on Easter." She told them, giggling.
"Joseph, do you remember helping me hide presents and such for the boys?" Clarisse turned to her husband.
"Of course I do. I think we're still missing an Easter egg." He said, making them laugh. By that time they had reached their rooms. Mia's room was across the hall from Joe and Clarisse's, and Nicholas' room was further down the hall.
"Good night, Grandma." Mia said, hugging Clarisse, then Joe. "See you bright and early in the morning!"
Clarisse awoke Christmas morning, when she felt someone staring at her. "Why are you watching me sleep?" she asked her husband.
"You're not asleep anymore. Besides, it's Christmas. Nobody is allowed to sleep in on Christmas morning."
"You're worse than Mia." She told him softly. No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Mia came flying into the room and jumped onto the end of the bed.
"Get up! Get up!" she cried.
"Did you wake Nicholas up this rudely, as well?" Clarisse asked, turning over and burying her face in Joseph's shoulder.
"Of course she did." Nicholas said from the doorway.
"All right, we're up. Go out into the sitting room, we'll be right out." Joseph said, sitting up.
A few minutes later, they emerged from the bedroom, Joseph pulling along a sleepy Clarisse, and they settled together on the sofa. Mia played Santa and handed out presents to each of them.
Clarisse gently tore off the paper on a small square package from Joseph. Tears came to her eyes as she read the label on the CD. Like every other couple in the world, they had, over the years, heard songs that they had declared "their song." Every single one was on the CD he had given her.
"Don't cry, it was supposed to make you happy." He said softly, as he watched her.
She kissed him, and snuggled even closer if it were possible. "What did I do to deserve the sweetest man in the world?"
Mia handed Joe a box that was from Clarisse.
"Actually Mia, you gave me this idea." Clarisse said as he opened it.
"I did?" she asked, startled. She didn't remember giving her grandmother any ideas for Joe.
"Yes you did." She replied, as Joe opened the box and lifted out a large coffee mug. "When you were complaining about how small the teacups were, and how "normal people" drink out of mugs."
"I always did have a problem getting a grip on those little things."
"I'm scared I'm going to break them." Nicholas spoke up from his spot on the floor.
"Maybe I should've gotten you a big, fat, mug too!" Mia said, and they laughed.
The rest of Christmas day was spent opening the rest of the presents, and playing outside. Mia managed to drag them all outdoors to make snow angles and go sledding with her. Joseph started a snowball fight, and even Clarisse, letting go of her reserve for awhile participating in the throwing of snow. That night, they ate a traditional Christmas dinner of roast beast, just like the Who's in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The next day was Boxing Day, which had to be explained to Mia, since Americans really have no idea what Boxing Day is.
"Oh, like on MASH when the officers switched jobs with the enlisted men!" she cried. "We should do that! Switch jobs with Charlotte and Shades and Olivia! Can we, Grandma, wouldn't that be fun?"
"Well…perhaps. But you have a lot of work to do today. And one of the maids couldn't really do it for you." Clarisse pointed out.
"True. Oh, well. It was just a thought. Can I at least give them all the afternoon off?" Mia asked. She felt terrible that all the staff had to work on Christmas.
"Yes, I suppose you could do that. It is a tradition in some places."
"Great! Then I'm starting a new tradition here!"