Disclaimer: Characters below do not belong to me unless you don't recognize them.
Author's Notes: Just a little bit of fluff. Christmas fluff. This is what happens when I try to get into the holiday spirit. I create frothy yuletide fluff. Ah well...I hope yall like it.
Dedication: Here's to a very merry holiday for everyone.
****
Santa Baby
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
December 24, AC 204
7:30 PM
The former Sanq Kingdom
Earth
****
"Have you got it?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Because there's a lot of breakable things in there. Things that can't ever be replaced."
"I know."
"It's all of the Dorlian family heirlooms and I..."
"Relena." Heero Yuy turned his head to give his wife a look. "I think I can handle a box of Christmas ornaments."
She hid a smile behind her hand. "I'm sorry, sweetie." Relena spread her hands over her stomach. "I just hate being stuck here! I want to help decorate!"
After carefully setting the box down in front of the twelve-foot Christmas tree, Heero kneeled down next to the couch she was lying on. He put his own hands over hers. "Would you rather string cranberries or have a healthy baby?"
"Why do you always have to do that?"
"Do what?"
Relena pursed her lips. "Be right."
Heero dropped his head and kissed her swollen belly before standing back up. "It's just my way."
She reached out to swat him, but he was already back at the tree. "This is completely unfair," she pouted. "I can't even retaliate."
"No." Heero dragged a ladder closer to the tree. "But you can tell me where these things go."
"They just...hang on the branches." Relena frowned. "I know I usually do this, Heero, but I refuse to believe that you've never decorated a..." Heero shook his head. "Oh..." Relena bent her head to talk to their child. "Did you hear that, baby? Daddy is going to need a lot of help if this place is going to be ready by tomorrow."
Heero unwrapped a crystal dove from its protective newspaper and haphazardly hooked the string around the first branch he saw. When the branch bent under the weight, bringing three other branches drooping down with it, he frowned. "This tree isn't strong enough."
"It's not that, Heero." Relena pointed with one arm. "Heavy ornaments need to be hung back further on the branches. The light ones go in the front."
She watched, beyond amused, as Heero contemplated this. Finally, he nodded. "That is in compliance with the laws of physics." Relena just laughed and rubbed her stomach. After several long minutes, a quarter of the tree sparkled with Christmas spirit. Heero climbed down to survey his handiwork. "What do you think, koibito?"
"It's going to be beautiful when it's finished. And I'm going to tell everyone at the party that you were the one who did it all."
Heero scratched the back of his head. "You really don't have to do that."
"Oh, but I insist." Her eyes twinkled. "I'm sure Duo in particular would be overjoyed to hear how you decked all the halls of this entire house. He's always said you needed more holiday spirit in you."
He moved the ladder to a different section of the tree. "I think that not being Christian is a fairly good reason for not appreciating Christmas." He climbed up with a handful of ornaments. "I'm only doing this for you, you know."
"I don't suppose there's any way to change your mind?"
"Not anything you can do when you're going to give birth in a week."
Relena positively glowed at the mention of their baby's impending birth. "He might be a New Year's baby!"
"He might be a she."
"You might be impossible."
Heero glanced over his shoulder and gave his rare half-smile. "You might be right."
His wife stuck out her tongue at him. "Get back to work." She grinned, impishly. "My little drummer boy."
Studiously ignoring her last comment, Heero hung a few more ornaments. "I'm done," he announced a minute later.
"There's still half a tree." Relena gestured to the bare branches. "Come on, Heero. I know you don't like Christmas, but the least you could do is put up a few measly ornaments and boughs of holly when I'm going to be pushing your huge-headed kid out of my body any day now."
Heero thought about her words for a minute, before descending the ladder for a new handful of decorations. "I suppose it's only fair."
Relena beamed. "I love you." Heero nodded, his standard return of affection. "You know...." Relena gently tapped her protruding stomach. "Duo and Hilde are coming to the party tomorrow night." She paused. "With Toby."
"Mm," was Heero's only response.
"This is the first Christmas, you know, where he can really appreciate things. Things like...Santa Claus."
Heero placed a red ball on a branch with extreme precision. "What are you getting at, Relena?"
"We were hoping....that is to say....well, Duo wants to actually be with Toby when he sees Santa for the first time and since we already rented the costume and they're flying all the way from the colonies..." She bit her lip. "Would you..."
"No."
"Heero..."
"Relena." Heero hung the last ornament in his hand and climbed down the ladder. "It is one thing to decorate a tree. It is another to dress as a fat man."
"You don't have to be fat," Relena conceded. "You could be...skinny Santa."
Heero put his foot down. "No."
"But there's no one else!"
"What about your brother? He wouldn't even need the beard." Heero bent down for more ornaments. "He could just pull all that hair of his around to cover his chin."
Relena sighed. "I don't think Millardo would do something like that."
"Oh, but I would?" Heero gave her a look. "I'm sorry, koibito, but..." He stopped. "No, wait. I'm not sorry. There are things that I won't even do for you."
"Fine!" She threw up her hands. "Don't do it. Even though I'm going to put myself in excruciating pain for endless hours, trying to bring your child into the..."
Heero waved a porcelian reindeer at her. "It only works once a night, Relena."
She sniffed. "If it weren't his kid, Duo would do it."
"Duo does a lot of things I would never do."
"You're not going to give on this, are you?"
"A man has his limits, Relena."
"All right then. I'll be Santa. I have the belly." She struggled to sit up.
Heero turned his attention away from the tree. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to go try the costume on to make sure it fits. Christmas is tomorrow, in case you've forgotten and I'll need time to make any adjustments." It took even more struggling for her to stand. "I really hope Toby is too young to notice if Santa has breasts."
"Hey...sit back down. You're not supposed to be on your feet."
Relena looked up at him, scowling. "I am not going to disappoint a five year old, Heero. If you won't play Santa tomorrow, someone is going to have to and it might as well be me."
"It will not be you." Heero got off the ladder. "You are supposed to be resting and taking care of yourself."
"Don't worry about me, Mr. Scrooge. I'll be just fine. It'll be worth it to see the look on Toby's face." She stuck a finger in his face. "After all, it is Christmas. And we do things for people at Christmas even if it's something we don't particuraly want to do."
Heero twitched. "Could you be any more pointed?"
"Probably."
Her husband lifted his eyes to the chandelier above them. "I can't believe I'm going to do this, but fine. I'll be Santa." She squealed, happily. "But," he continued. "I will not have rosy cheeks. And I refuse to shake like a bowl full of jelly."
"I completely understand." As much as she could, Relena gave him a huge hug. "Thank you, Heero!" She drew back. "You *are* a right jolly old elf."
"Now you're just pushing it."
****
December 24, AC 204
9:55 PM
Colony L2-6734
"When will Santa come?" Five year old Tobiah Maxwell, Toby to everyone who knew him, propped his chin up in his little hands and stared wistfully at the fireplace. "Daddy? When?!"
Duo Maxwell leaned forward from his comfortable spot on the living room couch. "Santa only comes when you're in bed."
Toby thought this over. "What if I'm in bed, but not asleep? And then I come down and catch him!"
His father's violet eyes became very wide. "He knows, pal. He knows..."
"Have you ever seen Santa, Daddy?"
"No," Duo replied truthfully. "I saw the Easter Bunny once, but it was after this party where I..."
Hilde Maxwell appeared from the kitchen, carrying a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. "Ahem!" Her husband and her son turned their heads to look at her.
Toby scrambled to his feet and ran to his mother. "Cookies for Santa!" he declared.
"That's right." Hilde winced as Toby grabbed for the glassware. "Careful, Toby! Don't spill."
Managing to keep most of the milk in the glass and only drop one cookie, Toby carried Santa's snack over to the coffee table closest to the Christmas tree. "Daddy and Santa like the same cookies, Momma."
Hilde winked at her husband. "Imagine that."
"Santa has good taste," Duo shrugged.
"All right." Hilde scooped up her son. "Bedtime or Santa won't come."
Toby wriggled, but let Hilde kiss him goodnight. Duo stood up and ruffled the dark brown curls on his son's head. "G'night, pal. Remember...Santa knows."
His own violet eyes wide, Toby nodded and as soon as Hilde set him down, ran down the hall to his bedroom. When they heard the door slam, Hilde let out a sigh. "This whole Santa thing is exhausting!"
"Tell me about it." Duo reached for a cookie and popped it in his mouth. "I have to eat this *whole* plate!"
"Oh..." Hilde reached out to caress his cheek. "You poor thing."
Duo nodded pitifully and swallowed. "Do you know how you could make it up to me?" He lifted an eyebrow, meaningfully.
A slow smile spread on Hilde's pretty face. "You are such a kinky..."
"Well, you didn't marry me for my strict morals, did you?"
Laughing, Hilde nodded. "All right. Let's take care of the Santa duties and then..." She arched her own eyebrow. "...see what happens."
It took less than twenty minutes for them to drag Toby's Santa Claus present, a bike complete with training wheels, out to the living room and to fill his stocking, and for Duo to down the cookies and milk. Once Hilde was satisified that everything was perfect, she propped her hands up on her hips. "Are we ready?"
He came up behind her and kissed the side of her neck. "How long do you need?"
"Give me ten minutes." She whirled around and gave him a long, wet kiss. Breaking away, she walked backwards down the hall. "Ten minutes."
As soon as she was gone, Duo reached into the pocket of his black pants and pulled out a jewelry box. He opened it reverently. Sapphires and diamonds glinted in the Christmas tree light. The engagement ring Hilde should have had when they actually got engaged. Now that the scrapyard was making money, he could finally give her the sort of ring she deserved. He closed the box with a satisfying snap and gently placed it at the front of a large branch on the tree. Duo checked all the door locks, turned off the lights and headed, quite eagerly, for the bedroom he shared with Hilde.
****
10:05 PM
Earth
Relena woke up to the strangest feeling. She opened her eyes and frowned. A glance at the clock told her that she hadn't been asleep for long. Heero was lying beside her on his stomach, one arm draped across her rounded belly. His bare back rose and fell with his even breathing.
She gently removed his arm, figuring that the odd pressure would disappear. Still fast asleep, he tucked his arm under his chest and turned his head. Relena could now feel his warm breath against her shoulder. She closed her eyes.
But after a moment, it became clear that his arm hadn't been the problem. The pressure was still there, only it was becoming more intense. Relena shifted and turned over onto her side. It didn't help.
With a great struggle, she eased herself out of bed. The absence of her body warmth immediately woke Heero. He cracked an eye and upon seeing her out of bed, sat up. "Relena? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." She waved her hand. "I'm just...restless. Go back to sleep."
He was not so easily dissuaded. "Is the baby kicking?"
"No." Relena frowned again. "There's just some..." A sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen. She cried out.
Heero was by her side in less than a second. "What is it? Are you all right?"
She shook her head. "Contraction." Her eyes squeezed shut. "Hospital...please?"
She had never seen him move so fast, even when he was in battle. He raced around the room, tossing clothes on himself and her. Within minutes, he had them dressed and in the car.
Relena bit down on her lip as a second contraction passed by, even more painfully than the first. She glanced out the car window as they zipped past the exit for the hospital. "Heero...um....you missed it."
He concentrated on the road. "We're not going to the hospital."
"Oh." Relena blinked back tears. "All right. I suppose I'll just have the baby on the side of the road then. It can't be that hard, right? Just push and yank."
"We're going to the Preventer Med base." Heero screeched around a curve. "Sally is on duty tonight and I don't want anyone else touching you."
Through the pain, Relena managed to smile. "You could have told me."
He took one hand off the wheel and threaded his fingers through hers, comfortingly. After a moment, he lifted her arm and kissed the backs of her knuckles. The car was quiet until they reached the base.
****
10:15 PM
L2
"What kept you?"
Duo followed the sound of his wife's voice. She was standing in the doorway to the walk-in closet. One arm was raised over her head, the elbow propped up on the frame. Her other hand was on her out-thrust hip. But what made Duo's mouth water was her outfit.
The red satin slip barely brushed the tops of her thighs and was edged in white fur. It had spaghetti straps and a neckline that plunged all the way down to her ample cleavage. A Santa hat sat on the top of her raven curls. She smiled at him, impishly.
"Sorry...last minute....stuff." He swallowed. "You're looking mighty pretty tonight, Mrs. Claus."
She started towards him. "Tell me....have you been naughty or nice this year?"
"Oh, naughty." Duo pulled her against his body. "Very, very naughty."
Hilde wrapped her arms around his neck. "I reward naughtiness."
"Mmm..." He buried his face in the crook of her neck. "You also instigate it." His fingers slid under the furred hem of her slip.
"I know." She tugged the ends of his shirt out of his pants. "Just relax, baby. Mrs. Claus will take care of everything."
Duo grinned. "Finally...Christmas comes to Santa."
She gently pushed him back onto the bed and crawled over his body to sit on his hips. He was already hard; she rocked against him suggestively. When he groaned, she laughed and shook a finger at him. "Santa's eager tonight."
"Santa's always eager." Duo ran his hands up and down her thighs. "Santa married the sexiest gal in the North Pole."
Hilde lowered her head to give him a kiss. "Are we taking this naughty Santa thing too far?"
"Hey..." He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her down until she was lying on his chest. "I don't have any childhood memories of Christmas to degrade."
She frowned. "I'm sorry, baby."
"What for?" Duo kissed her temple. "I wouldn't change a damn thing that happened to me. 'Cause if I did, it might mean that I wouldn't be here right now. And Toby wouldn't be here." He plucked the hat off her head. "But we can do away with this."
"And this." She stripped off his shirt.
He pulled the slip over her head; her breasts pressed against his flesh. "And this."
With some quick maneuvering, his pants hit the floor. In true Duo form, he had not bothered with underwear. Their naked bodies met and there were no more words. He kissed her, rolling her body under his as he knew she liked. His hands were everywhere, caressing her breasts, tracing patterns on her ribs, sliding between her thighs.
She let him inside her body and they stayed joined for a long minute, savoring the intense pleasure. When Duo finally began to move, he accented every torturous thrust with a sweet kiss, reminding her that he not only wanted her, but loved her. Hilde closed her eyes and turned her face into his neck. As if she could forget.
When at last they both fell over the edge, they lay panting in each others arms until they regained the strength to move. Duo gave her another soft kiss. "I liked my present," he whispered.
Hilde chuckled and refused to let him pull out. "Merry Christmas, my love."
Giving in, Duo wrapped his wife up in his arms and fell asleep with his head against her chest, listening to her heart beat.
****
December 25, 204
6:10 AM
"Heero..." Relena grasped her husband's hand. "Heero...I want you to know...this isn't just your fault."
He pushed damp bangs of hair away from her forehead. "Relena..."
"It's ENTIRELY your fault!!" she yelled. "You and your seed..." She screamed as another contraction gripped her. When it died down in intensity, she continued. "And now you get to just SIT there and..."
"Relena, relax." Sally Po handed Heero a fresh cold cloth. "Take this, Heero, and don't worry. I've heard women say a lot worse during labor." She tilted her head to the side. "*I* said a lot worse during labor."
"I know." Heero wiped Relena's cheeks and throat. "Wufei's told us he was impressed by your vocabulary."
Sally smirked. "It's his own damn fault for giving our child his gigantic head."
"Head? Can you see it?" Relena broke through her tirade against Heero and his seed.
"Almost sweetie. Just keep breathing. In and out, Relena. You're doing wonderfully." Sally checked her watch. "It's only been eight hours."
"Only?!?"
Sally nodded. "Most first time mothers are in active labor for at least twelve..." Heero shook his head at her. "Well...let's just say that it could be awhile," she quickly finished.
Heero actually flinched as Relena squeezed his hand unmercifully. Her face was contorted in unbelievable pain. He swallowed heavily. "Koibito, it's not too late for the epidural."
She violently shook her head. "No. I wanted to do this naturally. I still do, it just..." She cried out. "It hurts!!"
Sally glanced up. "If it were painless, it wouldn't be such a miracle." She pulled on a fresh pair of latex gloves. "And this is going to be a Christmas miracle."
Heero tried not to roll his eyes. Instead, he kissed his wife's cheek. "I think you're really strong for doing this," he murmured into her ear.
"Really?"
"I couldn't do it."
Relena smiled through the pain, but after only a moment the smile fell as a much stronger contraction gripped her, coupled with the intense need to push. "Sally..."
"I know. It's okay. Just take a deep breath and get ready."
****
6:30 AM
L2
"Momma? Daddy?" Toby climbed up onto his parents bed. When the two bodies under the covers failed to respond, he took a deep breath. "MOMMA!!! DADDY!!"
Duo bolted upright. "What? What's going on??"
His son beamed up at him. "It's Christmas!!"
Hilde groaned, still half-asleep. "And so it starts..."
"Toby..." Duo rubbed his eyes. "How long have you been up?"
Toby raised his little shoulders. "You sleep too long, Daddy." He jumped off the bed. "C'mon!! I wanna see what Santa brought!!" The sounds of his feet faded down the hallway.
Duo turned to his wife. "That's our cue, Mrs. Claus. Time to face the music."
She waved a hand in the general vicinity of the window and snuggled even deeper into her pillow. "The lights aren't even up yet."
"Please?" He bent his head to kiss her bare shoulder. "I wanna give you your present."
Hilde sat up and yawned. The covers fell around her waist, leaving her breasts exposed. "What, last night wasn't enough?"
Duo covered one breast with his warm hand and gave her a long kiss. "I promise more of that later. Right now, I'm talking about a different kind of present."
She smiled sleepily and threw off the sheets. "I have something for you, too."
When they were both dressed, they headed out for the living room. Their son was standing in complete awe, staring at the shiny red bicycle under the tree. He turned his head upon hearing them enter; the pure joy on his face was more than enough to make waking up before dawn well worth it. "Look what Santa brought, Daddy!!"
Duo knelt down next to his son. "Just what you had Mommy put on your list, right?"
Toby nodded. "Santa read it good!"
"Santa read it well," Hilde corrected. She walked over to the tree and something caught her eye. Something out of place on the branches. She lifted the small jewelry box from the tree and gave her husband a look.
Duo nodded. "Open it."
Tears sprung up in her pale blue eyes as she did what he asked. "Oh, Duo...you didn't have to..."
"Hey, Santa knows, babe." He stood up, leaving Toby to fawn over his bike, and approached his wife. "Santa's just sorry he couldn't get it for you when we got married."
"Santa shouldn't be. Mrs. Claus didn't need diamonds to know how much Santa loved her. Loves her."
Duo plucked the ring out of the velvet and slipped it on the finger that bore her simple gold wedding band. "I'm glad you like it, babe."
"I love it." She lifted her chin to give him a soft kiss. Clearing her throat, she wiped at her eyes. "Okay...before we eat breakfast, I have a present for each of you." Hilde reached under the tree for two identical packages. She handed one each to her husband and son. "Here you go."
Toby ripped into his without any finesse. He lifted a t-shirt from the box and studied the words printed on it. "Daddy...what does it say?"
But Duo was too busy lifting his own shirt out of his package. "'Father'?" he read out loud. Confused, he glanced over at his son's shirt. "'Big brother'." Duo blinked. "Babe...?"
Hilde gave him a small smile. "Merry Christmas."
****
8:45 AM
Earth
"Heero?"
He lifted his head from the back of the uncomfortable chair. His eyes opened. Relena was sitting up in bed, cradling a pink-flannel wrapped bundle against her chest. She smiled at him. He found himself returning the smile. "Was it a dream?" he asked.
Relena shook her head. "No. She's really here." The newborn flailed her tiny fists. "And she's perfect."
Heero stood up and approached the bed. "I've never seen anything so small." He touched his daughter's fingers. They wrapped around his own, much larger digit, reflexively. Heero's eyes widened. "She's strong."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from your daughter," Relena laughed softly.
He sat on the edge of the bed, but didn't withdraw his hand. The baby continued to grip her father's finger. "I didn't know it would be this...powerful." Heero swallowed. "I didn't listen when Duo told me..." Their child yawned; her mouth shaped a small 'O'. "She *is* perfect."
Relena let a tear fall. "Here...hold out your arms." When he complied, she placed their daughter into them. He was stiff, but only for a moment. Within seconds, Heero had relaxed and held the baby with as much love and protection as he did Relena. Perhaps even more. Whereas before, his purpose in life was to love and protect his wife, now he had another. Someone who would depend upon him entirely.
The baby sighed and that one little sigh cemented Heero's love for the rest of his life. He looked up at Relena. "Thank you."
"Thank you," she whispered. "It was sort of a joint effort."
Heero nodded as he studied his daughter's face. "When will she open her eyes?"
"Soon," Relena replied. "I bet she has your eyes. At least, I hope she does."
"What are we going to name her?"
Relena lay back against her pillows. "I was thinking about that while you were asleep. All those names we came up with...they don't seem to fit her."
He nodded. "I agree. They're not special enough for her."
"I did come up with a new one..." She hesitated. "But knowing how you feel about the season, you probably won't like it."
"What is it?" He tugged the blanket up around the baby's head.
"Noel."
"Noel?"
She sighed. "I know...kind of corny for a baby born on Christmas. We can name her something else if you..."
"I like it."
Relena blinked. "You do?"
"It suits her." Heero gently pressed a kiss against his daughter's forehead.
"You know...I used to think you couldn't look any more handsome than you did in our school uniform. Then I saw you at our wedding and I thought, this is it. But I was wrong." She winked at him. "You look your best when you're holding a baby."
For a moment, she could have sworn that her perfect soldier blushed. Heero cleared his throat. "Do you want her back or can I keep holding her?"
"Sweetie..." Relena's eyes began to droop. "She's ours for the rest of our lives. You hold her as long as you like. I'm just going to take a little nap."
After only a minute, Relena was fast asleep, exhausted from the long labor. Noel whimpered and scrunched up her face, preparing to cry. Heero had a moment of panic. If she cried, how would he be able to stop her? He had never been around babies...he had no training.
Noel began to cry. "Baby..." Heero winced. "It's not a good idea to cry now. You'll wake up your mother."
The child failed to understand his logic and continued to cry. Heero thought quickly, remembering how Hilde had held Toby when he was younger. He lifted the baby against his shoulder and placed a hand against her tiny back. Within seconds, her cries died down. Her little head rested against his shoulder as the sobs turned back into whimpers and then disappeared. Heero released a pent-up breath.
Gently, as not to wake his wife, Heero stood up, still carefully cradling Noel against him. He walked to the window and looked out over the base. Sometime during the night, a light snow had sprung up and covered the runways and training fields with a white blanket.
He smiled and kissed Noel again. "Merry Christmas."
****
Happy Holidays! Love, Kristen
Author's Notes: Just a little bit of fluff. Christmas fluff. This is what happens when I try to get into the holiday spirit. I create frothy yuletide fluff. Ah well...I hope yall like it.
Dedication: Here's to a very merry holiday for everyone.
****
Santa Baby
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
December 24, AC 204
7:30 PM
The former Sanq Kingdom
Earth
****
"Have you got it?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Because there's a lot of breakable things in there. Things that can't ever be replaced."
"I know."
"It's all of the Dorlian family heirlooms and I..."
"Relena." Heero Yuy turned his head to give his wife a look. "I think I can handle a box of Christmas ornaments."
She hid a smile behind her hand. "I'm sorry, sweetie." Relena spread her hands over her stomach. "I just hate being stuck here! I want to help decorate!"
After carefully setting the box down in front of the twelve-foot Christmas tree, Heero kneeled down next to the couch she was lying on. He put his own hands over hers. "Would you rather string cranberries or have a healthy baby?"
"Why do you always have to do that?"
"Do what?"
Relena pursed her lips. "Be right."
Heero dropped his head and kissed her swollen belly before standing back up. "It's just my way."
She reached out to swat him, but he was already back at the tree. "This is completely unfair," she pouted. "I can't even retaliate."
"No." Heero dragged a ladder closer to the tree. "But you can tell me where these things go."
"They just...hang on the branches." Relena frowned. "I know I usually do this, Heero, but I refuse to believe that you've never decorated a..." Heero shook his head. "Oh..." Relena bent her head to talk to their child. "Did you hear that, baby? Daddy is going to need a lot of help if this place is going to be ready by tomorrow."
Heero unwrapped a crystal dove from its protective newspaper and haphazardly hooked the string around the first branch he saw. When the branch bent under the weight, bringing three other branches drooping down with it, he frowned. "This tree isn't strong enough."
"It's not that, Heero." Relena pointed with one arm. "Heavy ornaments need to be hung back further on the branches. The light ones go in the front."
She watched, beyond amused, as Heero contemplated this. Finally, he nodded. "That is in compliance with the laws of physics." Relena just laughed and rubbed her stomach. After several long minutes, a quarter of the tree sparkled with Christmas spirit. Heero climbed down to survey his handiwork. "What do you think, koibito?"
"It's going to be beautiful when it's finished. And I'm going to tell everyone at the party that you were the one who did it all."
Heero scratched the back of his head. "You really don't have to do that."
"Oh, but I insist." Her eyes twinkled. "I'm sure Duo in particular would be overjoyed to hear how you decked all the halls of this entire house. He's always said you needed more holiday spirit in you."
He moved the ladder to a different section of the tree. "I think that not being Christian is a fairly good reason for not appreciating Christmas." He climbed up with a handful of ornaments. "I'm only doing this for you, you know."
"I don't suppose there's any way to change your mind?"
"Not anything you can do when you're going to give birth in a week."
Relena positively glowed at the mention of their baby's impending birth. "He might be a New Year's baby!"
"He might be a she."
"You might be impossible."
Heero glanced over his shoulder and gave his rare half-smile. "You might be right."
His wife stuck out her tongue at him. "Get back to work." She grinned, impishly. "My little drummer boy."
Studiously ignoring her last comment, Heero hung a few more ornaments. "I'm done," he announced a minute later.
"There's still half a tree." Relena gestured to the bare branches. "Come on, Heero. I know you don't like Christmas, but the least you could do is put up a few measly ornaments and boughs of holly when I'm going to be pushing your huge-headed kid out of my body any day now."
Heero thought about her words for a minute, before descending the ladder for a new handful of decorations. "I suppose it's only fair."
Relena beamed. "I love you." Heero nodded, his standard return of affection. "You know...." Relena gently tapped her protruding stomach. "Duo and Hilde are coming to the party tomorrow night." She paused. "With Toby."
"Mm," was Heero's only response.
"This is the first Christmas, you know, where he can really appreciate things. Things like...Santa Claus."
Heero placed a red ball on a branch with extreme precision. "What are you getting at, Relena?"
"We were hoping....that is to say....well, Duo wants to actually be with Toby when he sees Santa for the first time and since we already rented the costume and they're flying all the way from the colonies..." She bit her lip. "Would you..."
"No."
"Heero..."
"Relena." Heero hung the last ornament in his hand and climbed down the ladder. "It is one thing to decorate a tree. It is another to dress as a fat man."
"You don't have to be fat," Relena conceded. "You could be...skinny Santa."
Heero put his foot down. "No."
"But there's no one else!"
"What about your brother? He wouldn't even need the beard." Heero bent down for more ornaments. "He could just pull all that hair of his around to cover his chin."
Relena sighed. "I don't think Millardo would do something like that."
"Oh, but I would?" Heero gave her a look. "I'm sorry, koibito, but..." He stopped. "No, wait. I'm not sorry. There are things that I won't even do for you."
"Fine!" She threw up her hands. "Don't do it. Even though I'm going to put myself in excruciating pain for endless hours, trying to bring your child into the..."
Heero waved a porcelian reindeer at her. "It only works once a night, Relena."
She sniffed. "If it weren't his kid, Duo would do it."
"Duo does a lot of things I would never do."
"You're not going to give on this, are you?"
"A man has his limits, Relena."
"All right then. I'll be Santa. I have the belly." She struggled to sit up.
Heero turned his attention away from the tree. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to go try the costume on to make sure it fits. Christmas is tomorrow, in case you've forgotten and I'll need time to make any adjustments." It took even more struggling for her to stand. "I really hope Toby is too young to notice if Santa has breasts."
"Hey...sit back down. You're not supposed to be on your feet."
Relena looked up at him, scowling. "I am not going to disappoint a five year old, Heero. If you won't play Santa tomorrow, someone is going to have to and it might as well be me."
"It will not be you." Heero got off the ladder. "You are supposed to be resting and taking care of yourself."
"Don't worry about me, Mr. Scrooge. I'll be just fine. It'll be worth it to see the look on Toby's face." She stuck a finger in his face. "After all, it is Christmas. And we do things for people at Christmas even if it's something we don't particuraly want to do."
Heero twitched. "Could you be any more pointed?"
"Probably."
Her husband lifted his eyes to the chandelier above them. "I can't believe I'm going to do this, but fine. I'll be Santa." She squealed, happily. "But," he continued. "I will not have rosy cheeks. And I refuse to shake like a bowl full of jelly."
"I completely understand." As much as she could, Relena gave him a huge hug. "Thank you, Heero!" She drew back. "You *are* a right jolly old elf."
"Now you're just pushing it."
****
December 24, AC 204
9:55 PM
Colony L2-6734
"When will Santa come?" Five year old Tobiah Maxwell, Toby to everyone who knew him, propped his chin up in his little hands and stared wistfully at the fireplace. "Daddy? When?!"
Duo Maxwell leaned forward from his comfortable spot on the living room couch. "Santa only comes when you're in bed."
Toby thought this over. "What if I'm in bed, but not asleep? And then I come down and catch him!"
His father's violet eyes became very wide. "He knows, pal. He knows..."
"Have you ever seen Santa, Daddy?"
"No," Duo replied truthfully. "I saw the Easter Bunny once, but it was after this party where I..."
Hilde Maxwell appeared from the kitchen, carrying a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. "Ahem!" Her husband and her son turned their heads to look at her.
Toby scrambled to his feet and ran to his mother. "Cookies for Santa!" he declared.
"That's right." Hilde winced as Toby grabbed for the glassware. "Careful, Toby! Don't spill."
Managing to keep most of the milk in the glass and only drop one cookie, Toby carried Santa's snack over to the coffee table closest to the Christmas tree. "Daddy and Santa like the same cookies, Momma."
Hilde winked at her husband. "Imagine that."
"Santa has good taste," Duo shrugged.
"All right." Hilde scooped up her son. "Bedtime or Santa won't come."
Toby wriggled, but let Hilde kiss him goodnight. Duo stood up and ruffled the dark brown curls on his son's head. "G'night, pal. Remember...Santa knows."
His own violet eyes wide, Toby nodded and as soon as Hilde set him down, ran down the hall to his bedroom. When they heard the door slam, Hilde let out a sigh. "This whole Santa thing is exhausting!"
"Tell me about it." Duo reached for a cookie and popped it in his mouth. "I have to eat this *whole* plate!"
"Oh..." Hilde reached out to caress his cheek. "You poor thing."
Duo nodded pitifully and swallowed. "Do you know how you could make it up to me?" He lifted an eyebrow, meaningfully.
A slow smile spread on Hilde's pretty face. "You are such a kinky..."
"Well, you didn't marry me for my strict morals, did you?"
Laughing, Hilde nodded. "All right. Let's take care of the Santa duties and then..." She arched her own eyebrow. "...see what happens."
It took less than twenty minutes for them to drag Toby's Santa Claus present, a bike complete with training wheels, out to the living room and to fill his stocking, and for Duo to down the cookies and milk. Once Hilde was satisified that everything was perfect, she propped her hands up on her hips. "Are we ready?"
He came up behind her and kissed the side of her neck. "How long do you need?"
"Give me ten minutes." She whirled around and gave him a long, wet kiss. Breaking away, she walked backwards down the hall. "Ten minutes."
As soon as she was gone, Duo reached into the pocket of his black pants and pulled out a jewelry box. He opened it reverently. Sapphires and diamonds glinted in the Christmas tree light. The engagement ring Hilde should have had when they actually got engaged. Now that the scrapyard was making money, he could finally give her the sort of ring she deserved. He closed the box with a satisfying snap and gently placed it at the front of a large branch on the tree. Duo checked all the door locks, turned off the lights and headed, quite eagerly, for the bedroom he shared with Hilde.
****
10:05 PM
Earth
Relena woke up to the strangest feeling. She opened her eyes and frowned. A glance at the clock told her that she hadn't been asleep for long. Heero was lying beside her on his stomach, one arm draped across her rounded belly. His bare back rose and fell with his even breathing.
She gently removed his arm, figuring that the odd pressure would disappear. Still fast asleep, he tucked his arm under his chest and turned his head. Relena could now feel his warm breath against her shoulder. She closed her eyes.
But after a moment, it became clear that his arm hadn't been the problem. The pressure was still there, only it was becoming more intense. Relena shifted and turned over onto her side. It didn't help.
With a great struggle, she eased herself out of bed. The absence of her body warmth immediately woke Heero. He cracked an eye and upon seeing her out of bed, sat up. "Relena? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." She waved her hand. "I'm just...restless. Go back to sleep."
He was not so easily dissuaded. "Is the baby kicking?"
"No." Relena frowned again. "There's just some..." A sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen. She cried out.
Heero was by her side in less than a second. "What is it? Are you all right?"
She shook her head. "Contraction." Her eyes squeezed shut. "Hospital...please?"
She had never seen him move so fast, even when he was in battle. He raced around the room, tossing clothes on himself and her. Within minutes, he had them dressed and in the car.
Relena bit down on her lip as a second contraction passed by, even more painfully than the first. She glanced out the car window as they zipped past the exit for the hospital. "Heero...um....you missed it."
He concentrated on the road. "We're not going to the hospital."
"Oh." Relena blinked back tears. "All right. I suppose I'll just have the baby on the side of the road then. It can't be that hard, right? Just push and yank."
"We're going to the Preventer Med base." Heero screeched around a curve. "Sally is on duty tonight and I don't want anyone else touching you."
Through the pain, Relena managed to smile. "You could have told me."
He took one hand off the wheel and threaded his fingers through hers, comfortingly. After a moment, he lifted her arm and kissed the backs of her knuckles. The car was quiet until they reached the base.
****
10:15 PM
L2
"What kept you?"
Duo followed the sound of his wife's voice. She was standing in the doorway to the walk-in closet. One arm was raised over her head, the elbow propped up on the frame. Her other hand was on her out-thrust hip. But what made Duo's mouth water was her outfit.
The red satin slip barely brushed the tops of her thighs and was edged in white fur. It had spaghetti straps and a neckline that plunged all the way down to her ample cleavage. A Santa hat sat on the top of her raven curls. She smiled at him, impishly.
"Sorry...last minute....stuff." He swallowed. "You're looking mighty pretty tonight, Mrs. Claus."
She started towards him. "Tell me....have you been naughty or nice this year?"
"Oh, naughty." Duo pulled her against his body. "Very, very naughty."
Hilde wrapped her arms around his neck. "I reward naughtiness."
"Mmm..." He buried his face in the crook of her neck. "You also instigate it." His fingers slid under the furred hem of her slip.
"I know." She tugged the ends of his shirt out of his pants. "Just relax, baby. Mrs. Claus will take care of everything."
Duo grinned. "Finally...Christmas comes to Santa."
She gently pushed him back onto the bed and crawled over his body to sit on his hips. He was already hard; she rocked against him suggestively. When he groaned, she laughed and shook a finger at him. "Santa's eager tonight."
"Santa's always eager." Duo ran his hands up and down her thighs. "Santa married the sexiest gal in the North Pole."
Hilde lowered her head to give him a kiss. "Are we taking this naughty Santa thing too far?"
"Hey..." He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her down until she was lying on his chest. "I don't have any childhood memories of Christmas to degrade."
She frowned. "I'm sorry, baby."
"What for?" Duo kissed her temple. "I wouldn't change a damn thing that happened to me. 'Cause if I did, it might mean that I wouldn't be here right now. And Toby wouldn't be here." He plucked the hat off her head. "But we can do away with this."
"And this." She stripped off his shirt.
He pulled the slip over her head; her breasts pressed against his flesh. "And this."
With some quick maneuvering, his pants hit the floor. In true Duo form, he had not bothered with underwear. Their naked bodies met and there were no more words. He kissed her, rolling her body under his as he knew she liked. His hands were everywhere, caressing her breasts, tracing patterns on her ribs, sliding between her thighs.
She let him inside her body and they stayed joined for a long minute, savoring the intense pleasure. When Duo finally began to move, he accented every torturous thrust with a sweet kiss, reminding her that he not only wanted her, but loved her. Hilde closed her eyes and turned her face into his neck. As if she could forget.
When at last they both fell over the edge, they lay panting in each others arms until they regained the strength to move. Duo gave her another soft kiss. "I liked my present," he whispered.
Hilde chuckled and refused to let him pull out. "Merry Christmas, my love."
Giving in, Duo wrapped his wife up in his arms and fell asleep with his head against her chest, listening to her heart beat.
****
December 25, 204
6:10 AM
"Heero..." Relena grasped her husband's hand. "Heero...I want you to know...this isn't just your fault."
He pushed damp bangs of hair away from her forehead. "Relena..."
"It's ENTIRELY your fault!!" she yelled. "You and your seed..." She screamed as another contraction gripped her. When it died down in intensity, she continued. "And now you get to just SIT there and..."
"Relena, relax." Sally Po handed Heero a fresh cold cloth. "Take this, Heero, and don't worry. I've heard women say a lot worse during labor." She tilted her head to the side. "*I* said a lot worse during labor."
"I know." Heero wiped Relena's cheeks and throat. "Wufei's told us he was impressed by your vocabulary."
Sally smirked. "It's his own damn fault for giving our child his gigantic head."
"Head? Can you see it?" Relena broke through her tirade against Heero and his seed.
"Almost sweetie. Just keep breathing. In and out, Relena. You're doing wonderfully." Sally checked her watch. "It's only been eight hours."
"Only?!?"
Sally nodded. "Most first time mothers are in active labor for at least twelve..." Heero shook his head at her. "Well...let's just say that it could be awhile," she quickly finished.
Heero actually flinched as Relena squeezed his hand unmercifully. Her face was contorted in unbelievable pain. He swallowed heavily. "Koibito, it's not too late for the epidural."
She violently shook her head. "No. I wanted to do this naturally. I still do, it just..." She cried out. "It hurts!!"
Sally glanced up. "If it were painless, it wouldn't be such a miracle." She pulled on a fresh pair of latex gloves. "And this is going to be a Christmas miracle."
Heero tried not to roll his eyes. Instead, he kissed his wife's cheek. "I think you're really strong for doing this," he murmured into her ear.
"Really?"
"I couldn't do it."
Relena smiled through the pain, but after only a moment the smile fell as a much stronger contraction gripped her, coupled with the intense need to push. "Sally..."
"I know. It's okay. Just take a deep breath and get ready."
****
6:30 AM
L2
"Momma? Daddy?" Toby climbed up onto his parents bed. When the two bodies under the covers failed to respond, he took a deep breath. "MOMMA!!! DADDY!!"
Duo bolted upright. "What? What's going on??"
His son beamed up at him. "It's Christmas!!"
Hilde groaned, still half-asleep. "And so it starts..."
"Toby..." Duo rubbed his eyes. "How long have you been up?"
Toby raised his little shoulders. "You sleep too long, Daddy." He jumped off the bed. "C'mon!! I wanna see what Santa brought!!" The sounds of his feet faded down the hallway.
Duo turned to his wife. "That's our cue, Mrs. Claus. Time to face the music."
She waved a hand in the general vicinity of the window and snuggled even deeper into her pillow. "The lights aren't even up yet."
"Please?" He bent his head to kiss her bare shoulder. "I wanna give you your present."
Hilde sat up and yawned. The covers fell around her waist, leaving her breasts exposed. "What, last night wasn't enough?"
Duo covered one breast with his warm hand and gave her a long kiss. "I promise more of that later. Right now, I'm talking about a different kind of present."
She smiled sleepily and threw off the sheets. "I have something for you, too."
When they were both dressed, they headed out for the living room. Their son was standing in complete awe, staring at the shiny red bicycle under the tree. He turned his head upon hearing them enter; the pure joy on his face was more than enough to make waking up before dawn well worth it. "Look what Santa brought, Daddy!!"
Duo knelt down next to his son. "Just what you had Mommy put on your list, right?"
Toby nodded. "Santa read it good!"
"Santa read it well," Hilde corrected. She walked over to the tree and something caught her eye. Something out of place on the branches. She lifted the small jewelry box from the tree and gave her husband a look.
Duo nodded. "Open it."
Tears sprung up in her pale blue eyes as she did what he asked. "Oh, Duo...you didn't have to..."
"Hey, Santa knows, babe." He stood up, leaving Toby to fawn over his bike, and approached his wife. "Santa's just sorry he couldn't get it for you when we got married."
"Santa shouldn't be. Mrs. Claus didn't need diamonds to know how much Santa loved her. Loves her."
Duo plucked the ring out of the velvet and slipped it on the finger that bore her simple gold wedding band. "I'm glad you like it, babe."
"I love it." She lifted her chin to give him a soft kiss. Clearing her throat, she wiped at her eyes. "Okay...before we eat breakfast, I have a present for each of you." Hilde reached under the tree for two identical packages. She handed one each to her husband and son. "Here you go."
Toby ripped into his without any finesse. He lifted a t-shirt from the box and studied the words printed on it. "Daddy...what does it say?"
But Duo was too busy lifting his own shirt out of his package. "'Father'?" he read out loud. Confused, he glanced over at his son's shirt. "'Big brother'." Duo blinked. "Babe...?"
Hilde gave him a small smile. "Merry Christmas."
****
8:45 AM
Earth
"Heero?"
He lifted his head from the back of the uncomfortable chair. His eyes opened. Relena was sitting up in bed, cradling a pink-flannel wrapped bundle against her chest. She smiled at him. He found himself returning the smile. "Was it a dream?" he asked.
Relena shook her head. "No. She's really here." The newborn flailed her tiny fists. "And she's perfect."
Heero stood up and approached the bed. "I've never seen anything so small." He touched his daughter's fingers. They wrapped around his own, much larger digit, reflexively. Heero's eyes widened. "She's strong."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from your daughter," Relena laughed softly.
He sat on the edge of the bed, but didn't withdraw his hand. The baby continued to grip her father's finger. "I didn't know it would be this...powerful." Heero swallowed. "I didn't listen when Duo told me..." Their child yawned; her mouth shaped a small 'O'. "She *is* perfect."
Relena let a tear fall. "Here...hold out your arms." When he complied, she placed their daughter into them. He was stiff, but only for a moment. Within seconds, Heero had relaxed and held the baby with as much love and protection as he did Relena. Perhaps even more. Whereas before, his purpose in life was to love and protect his wife, now he had another. Someone who would depend upon him entirely.
The baby sighed and that one little sigh cemented Heero's love for the rest of his life. He looked up at Relena. "Thank you."
"Thank you," she whispered. "It was sort of a joint effort."
Heero nodded as he studied his daughter's face. "When will she open her eyes?"
"Soon," Relena replied. "I bet she has your eyes. At least, I hope she does."
"What are we going to name her?"
Relena lay back against her pillows. "I was thinking about that while you were asleep. All those names we came up with...they don't seem to fit her."
He nodded. "I agree. They're not special enough for her."
"I did come up with a new one..." She hesitated. "But knowing how you feel about the season, you probably won't like it."
"What is it?" He tugged the blanket up around the baby's head.
"Noel."
"Noel?"
She sighed. "I know...kind of corny for a baby born on Christmas. We can name her something else if you..."
"I like it."
Relena blinked. "You do?"
"It suits her." Heero gently pressed a kiss against his daughter's forehead.
"You know...I used to think you couldn't look any more handsome than you did in our school uniform. Then I saw you at our wedding and I thought, this is it. But I was wrong." She winked at him. "You look your best when you're holding a baby."
For a moment, she could have sworn that her perfect soldier blushed. Heero cleared his throat. "Do you want her back or can I keep holding her?"
"Sweetie..." Relena's eyes began to droop. "She's ours for the rest of our lives. You hold her as long as you like. I'm just going to take a little nap."
After only a minute, Relena was fast asleep, exhausted from the long labor. Noel whimpered and scrunched up her face, preparing to cry. Heero had a moment of panic. If she cried, how would he be able to stop her? He had never been around babies...he had no training.
Noel began to cry. "Baby..." Heero winced. "It's not a good idea to cry now. You'll wake up your mother."
The child failed to understand his logic and continued to cry. Heero thought quickly, remembering how Hilde had held Toby when he was younger. He lifted the baby against his shoulder and placed a hand against her tiny back. Within seconds, her cries died down. Her little head rested against his shoulder as the sobs turned back into whimpers and then disappeared. Heero released a pent-up breath.
Gently, as not to wake his wife, Heero stood up, still carefully cradling Noel against him. He walked to the window and looked out over the base. Sometime during the night, a light snow had sprung up and covered the runways and training fields with a white blanket.
He smiled and kissed Noel again. "Merry Christmas."
****
Happy Holidays! Love, Kristen