Fluffity-fluff-fluff. A late Christmas gift for fans of Conby. Set somewhere between the last chapter of "Tales" and the epilogue. Don't have to read "Tales" to enjoy.
The Christmas Gifts
Connor waited until he felt Abby's deep, steady breathing before he eased his body away from hers. Carefully, he rolled to the edge of the mattress and sat up. Glancing at Abby to make sure she was still asleep, he quietly left their bedroom.
It was 4 a.m. on Christmas morning. It was their first real Christmas as a couple and Connor wanted it to be super special. His face lit up with a happy smile as he pulled on the clothes he had left in the hall closet and grabbed the keys to the small car he shared with Abby. He let himself out of the flat and said a silent prayer of thanks that the roads had been cleared and no additional snow had fallen overnight. With a shiver, he ran to the car and jumped in.
Abby woke up feeling cold. Connor wasn't pressed against her back and she missed the feel of him wrapped around her. She had just opened her eyes to see if he was in the bathroom when she heard the car start up. She rolled out of bed and looked out the frost-covered window just in time to see the car pull away from the drive. Puzzled, she checked her phone to make sure the ARC hadn't called, but she had no messages. Slowly she reached for the light switch and listened to the silence in the flat. It was always so empty without Connor. Rex and Sid and Nancy were all living at the ARC, "for their own safety" according to Philip Burton and it made for a very quiet home life.
Abby didn't know what Connor was up to, but she decided it was the perfect opportunity to get her present for him under the tree. Excitement gleamed in her eyes as she pulled open her bottom dresser drawer and reached for the square box hidden under her sweaters. She grabbed some ribbon to wrap around the box and topped it with a matching bow and nametag. Quickly she ran to the front room to place the box under the tree.
A smile spread across her face as she took a moment to study the tiny living area. Every inch had been decorated for the holidays. The Christmas tree was real, giving the room a strong evergreen scent. Connor had covered it in so many strands of lights that Abby expected the fuse to blow every time the tree was turned on. Any spot not wrapped in lights, sported a lovely ornament. Her absolute favorite was placed where she could see it from the couch. It was a heart shaped ornament containing a picture of her with Connor. They were both smiling like loons, so crazy in love that neither one had tried to hide it from the picture taker. It still amazed her that it was her face wearing that look of complete happiness. Somehow in spite of all the walls she had built around herself, Connor had gained her trust and her heart.
Giddily, she looked down at the beautiful sapphire and diamond ring on her left hand. He had given it to her almost immediately after their escape from the Cretaceous. Abby's happiness faded as she remembered the many arguments she and Connor had gone through over setting an actual date for the wedding. Connor wanted to marry her right away, but Abby refused. She tried to explain that they needed time to get used to being back in a world full of people, but Connor's insecurity just made him push all the harder. Abby held firm for months trying to make him trust her until she realized that it had been long enough. Waiting any longer would seriously hurt Connor and serve no real purpose. Besides, she wanted to be married to him, and it took time to plan a proper wedding. She was ready to move forward. She couldn't wait to see how Connor reacted to her choice of wedding date. Humming to herself, she strolled to the bathroom for a quick shower.
Half an hour later Abby was dressed and just rubbing the last of the water out of her hair when she heard a sound from the front hall. "Connor, you back?" she called.
"Yep, its me."
She walked out to hug him good morning, "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you, Abby," he said as he pulled her close for a proper kiss. Releasing her, he grabbed a large heavy quilt from off the couch.
"What are you doing?"
"Just getting prepared. I have a surprise for you," he said happily. "We're going out for a picnic breakfast and I'll give you your present during that."
"Bit cold for a picnic," she said with a frown.
"You'll be fine," he promised. "Just bundle up."
"All right," she said hesitantly.
Connor handed her a warm jacket and cap.
Abby pulled them on then ran to get a large purse from the bedroom.
"I'll turn on the heat in the car," Connor said as he walked out the front door.
"Be right there," Abby shouted as she stopped to pick up Connor's special gift from under the tree. Carefully she placed it inside her purse and hurried to lock the front door and join Connor in the car. As she slipped into the passenger seat, she noticed a large basket in the car. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and groaned in delight, "That smells fantastic! What's for breakfast?"
"Eggs with hollandaise sauce, seasoned potatoes and ham, a fruit salad, chocolate croissants and hot tea."
Abby's eyes lit up at the mention of chocolate croissants, and she leaned across the seat to kiss Connor's cheek. "How did you manage a breakfast like that?"
"A friend down at the Pub prepared it for me," he answered.
"What a perfect Christmas present. Thank you," she said with a smile.
He kept his eyes on the road, but shot her a smirk, "that's not your present."
"Oh," she said taken aback. She began to look around and noticed they were away from the city streets and headed out to a more open area. After a few more minutes of driving, Connor pulled the car to the side of the road. Abby got out and looked around in confusion. There was snow, snow and more snow around them. It took her a while to notice the snug cottage set far back from the street and hidden behind trees coated in white. She looked at Connor and then stepped carefully onto the path that someone had cleared.
Connor grabbed the picnic basket and blanket and followed her along the snowy walk. As she made her way up to the front porch, Connor asked, "what do you think?"
"I think this is wonderful! You rented this cottage for our picnic, didn't you?"
"Yeah, something like that," he answered vaguely.
Abby opened the door to find a cozy front room full of light and warmth. The house was empty of furniture but someone had left a stack of logs and kindling in the fireplace. Connor spread the blankets on the polished wooden floor and struck a match to start the fire. Abby opened the basket and began to set out all the food. They ate in comfortable silence occasionally feeding each other or stopping to kiss the chocolate off each other's lips. Sighing in contentment, Abby stood up and began to wander through the house.
The staircase caught her attention and she quickly ran up to the second level. The two bedrooms and half bath were laid out well. Both bedrooms had lovely large windows that overlooked the back garden and the forest beyond. Abby went back down stairs and found her way to another larger bedroom with it's own full bath. She also noticed a cozy study before making her way to the kitchen. There was enough space in the kitchen to cook a real meal plus there was an eating area with another view of the garden. Abby opened the double doors off the kitchen and stepped out into the cold, crisp air. She was on a large level area so completely covered in snow that it was impossible to know if it was a deck or patio. The garden was also under a deep blanket of snow but she could still see the potential. Bushes and vines buried under the weight of the snow almost obscured the old, stone wall that enclosed the yard. Beyond the wall, forestland surrounded the home, sheltering it with frost-covered trees. Abby stood spellbound by the silent winter landscape until she felt Connor move to stand close behind her. He pulled her back into his embrace and dropped his chin onto her shoulder. He hugged her tight and brushed his lips against her cheek, "You're cold," he stated needlessly.
Reluctantly, Abby allowed him to lead her back into the house. Removing their shoes, they walked back to the quilt and the warmth of the fireplace.
"This house is really beautiful," she exclaimed.
Connor grinned as he scooted closer to her. "Abby…," he began carefully.
"Hmmm?" she answered as she pulled her purse to her.
"Are you ready for your gift?"
"No, I want to give your gift first," she said in excitement as she pulled the box out of her purse. She handed the wrapped package to him and watched his eyes as he studied the gift. With a smile, he tore open the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box. His eyes widened as he lifted out a beautiful gold pocket watch. He carefully looked over the back and front, admiring the design work in the metal. "I love it," he said as he continued to hold it.
"Open it up," she urged.
Connor flipped it open and found the face design of the watch to be just as suited to him as the exterior. Then he glanced at the inside of the lid. Engraved on the watch was:
We can do this
2-14-11
Connor puzzled over the inscription before his eyes went wide. "You mean...?" he asked in astonishment.
"Yeah, how does Valentine's Day strike you for our wedding?" she asked happily.
Connor thought his heart would burst with joy. Abby had picked the most romantic day of the year to marry him.
The words on the watch had special meaning for them both. The short statement was exactly what he had said when she hung from the mer-creatures' cliff. They had also often repeated the words to each other during their time in the Cretaceous.
He rolled onto his knees and gently pushed Abby down until she was lying on her back. "It's the best gift ever," he said with a grin before he kissed her passionately.
Abby felt warmth spread through her body as she responded to the familiar desire building in her, but Connor pulled away. "Now its time for your present," he said huskily as he pulled a small package from inside of his jacket.
"Can't it wait for just a little while," she asked, voice gone low as she tried to pull him back down to her.
He chuckled and looked pleased, but said, "Nope. Open it!"
Abby sulked for just a moment but then sat up to tear into the package. Within seconds she sat holding a key. "What's this?"
"The key to this house. It's ours if you want it," he said quietly.
Abby stared at the key, then at Connor, not daring to believe. "You bought this house for us?"
"Yeah," he replied while watching her face. When she continued to gape at him wide-eyed, he explained, "Lester put in for a year's worth of extreme hazard pay for us. It was quite a lot of money."
A small cry escaped her as she put a hand to her mouth.
Connor frowned in worry, until Abby jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"This is our dream house," she choked out. "The one I described for you in the Cretaceous," she cried happily. She knocked him back onto the quilt in her excitement, landing on top of him. She placed kisses along his cheek and jaw as she smiled down at him. "We are going to be so happy here," so promised. "Thank you," she said as tears gathered in her eyes. She blinked them away and then smiled broadly. "I love you, Connor."
Connor looked up at her, his eyes gone tender as he gazed at her, "I love you too, sweetheart."
He slid his arms around her as she ducked her head for a long, slow kiss. Cupping her neck in his hand, Connor rolled until Abby was on her back beneath him. His hand found its way under her sweater as his lips grazed her sensitive neck. Connor's last rational thought was that he wanted to make love in their new home; then Abby was touching him and nothing else mattered.
Outside another bout of snow began to drift softly to the ground.