Silent Night
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Hargreaves house, not a creature was stirring,
"Big brother!"Cain Hargreaves looked up from his desk, to glance at his sister in the doorway. "Yes Mary?"
"You promised us no working on your odd hobbies." The blonde's little blue eyes narrowed at him. "It's Christmas Eve and we're spending it together."
Cain sighed, putting down his pen. "Yes Mary."
The boy allowed the child to drag him to the living room, where the other two members of his family were.
His charge, Jillian Willsting, was decorating the Christmas tree with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there.
"Riff do we have any purple ornaments?"
The pale haired servant shook his head, holding a box of decoration on the girl's right. "No Miss Jill. I fear the previous Hargreaves had no taste for color except gray and black. Master Cain simply had no taste for Christmas at all."
"Ba-humtongue." The boy said in response.
Jill looked up with a faint smile. "That's humbug, not humtongue."
Her guardian shrugged, sitting on a nearby couch. "I told you I don't know much about Christmas."
The girl laughed to herself, putting the last ornament on the tree. "That's why we're going to teach you right now."
Jill went to the pianoforte near the corner, placing a poinsettia in the middle. "Assume caroling positions."
Cain watched as Riff took his seat at the pianoforte, while Jill and Mary stood by the side.
The girls turned to him, "You're supposed to be by us."
The boy did as they said, not sure what was going on. He came and stood by Jill, slipping an arm around her waist.
"What's first?" Mary asked.
Jill shook her head. "We want to ease in slowly for Cain."
Mary's eyes lit up, "Twelve Days of Christmas!"
"Twelve Days? But that's a lot for Cain."
The blond shook her head, "It'll be easy. There are four of us so we'll each have three. We'll just tell brother what to say. It will be simple."
Jill thought for a moment before nodding. "Ok, I think it'll work."
So they spent the next few minutes teaching Cain what to say. When he seemed to have it they began the song.
"On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, "
"A partridge in a pear tree." Jill sang.
"On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, "
"Two turtle shells." Cain sang out.
Riff stumbled over the keys as the girls looked at him.
"What?" the boy questioned.
"It's not turtle shells brother, its turtle doves." Mary said.
Cain looked at her "That's what I said."
"Let's just go on." Jill interjected before Mary could say more.
"On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, "
"Three French Hens." Mary sang brightly.
"Two partridges in a pear tree."
Riff's fingers stumbled again.
"Now you're taking Jill's line!" Mary exclaimed.
Jill touched her forehead. "Let's try this another way Cain," she turned to face him. "What is something you really want, or like that you could have two of?"
The boy thought long and hard before answering for almost a minute. "Two shelves of poison. Near the back of my room, they're my favorites out of them all."
Riff and Mary looked at the boy in pure horror as Jill frowned at him. Now she was sure of the boy's motives. She turned to Riff, "Let's move on to Noel. Cain will just keep us company here."
The girl grabbed the back of his shirt to make sure of it.
Riff began playing the first Noel.
Cain closed his eyes, listening as the girls sang the carol.
The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
"Noel, Noel…" to everyone's surprise Cain had joined in.
"Born is the King of Israel!"
Chartreuse eyes stared down at the polished ebony of the pianoforte, feeling all the attention on him.
"Don't know much about Christmas?" Jill questioned.
"I know two songs, that and another."
Azure orbs focused on her guardian, "What is the other?"
Cain leaned up and pecked the girl's lips. "Keep singing and you'll find out my pet."
Jill made a face as the continued on.
They continued on singing Joy to the World.
Jill and Mary had gone through Angels We Have Heard on High, Oh Come, All Ye Faithful, and What Child is This. But Cain never once acknowledged knowing them.
Completely at a loss Jill went to what her Aunt Angela had taught her when she last visited.
"Riff I want to finish with Silent Night, but I want to do it the way Aunt Angela taught me."
The pale haired servant nodded.
"We'll do it in rounds. I say a verse and you follow normally Mary."
"Ok."
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
"Silent night, holy night…"
Jill smiled, feeling Cain's arm close around her shoulders. His soft voice gently soothed her into a peaceful lull.
All is calm all is bright
'Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
"I should have guess." Jill murmured when the song ended.
Cain shot her a dark grin, running a steady hand through his ebony locks. "You know what attracts me my pet."
The girl turned her face as the boy leaned in for a kiss, "I wonder about that at times."
"Brother!" Mary jabbed Cain in the leg, warning against his advances on Jill.
Holding his leg the boy glared down at his sister. "I think its past time for bed Maryweather."
The child started to protest until Jill took her hand. "Come along now, Mrs. Lantin will tuck you in."
Cain stayed in the living room long after the others had left.
He studied the decoration on the tree, the garland strung across the fireplace and along the walls. The orange glow of the fire cast a familiar warmth throughout the room.
"It's much too late to be awake Cain. St. Nicholas won't come if you are."
Chartreuse eyes shimmered in the firelight, taking in the sight of his pet in her deep garnet wrapper. He smiled as she sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"It's almost midnight now."
"I know. I wasn't prepared to retire yet my sweet." Cain pressed a kiss to her temple, stroking a lazy pattern on her arm.
The dark haired girl snuggled further into his embrace, absorbing his warmth.
"I'm worried Jill."
Azure eyes went to his face, "About what?"
Cain shifted, holding her tighter. "I feel that this is all a sweet dream and I'll wake up any moment now. I'll awake alone in my bed, in this house, without you, or Mary, or Riff. Yet another cruel and horrifying joke from fate."
Jill cupped his cheek, making him face her. "This is real Cain, we're all here and we aren't leaving you."
A faint smile touched the dark boy's lips; he stretched out across the couch, placing his head in his charge's lap.
"Never leave me."
Jill laughed softly, placing a kiss to Cain's lips. "Never."
Cain stroked Jill's cheek lovingly. "Merry Christmas my pet."
"Merry Christmas beloved."
AN.
I want to thank everyone who's read, emailed, or commented on my series so far. Thank you very much. Loli Pear, Chrunch Berry, everyone. I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated. Between my hands bothering me and school, life's been pretty rough. But honestly my biggest fear is that I'll be like many of my favorite authors and I'll never come back. I refuse to do that Cain and Jill. Especially when they're so close to the end of the series. (four books) But this is my Christmas present to everyone. Silent Night was originally German. It was said to be about the only song that both enemies and allies alike could sing together on the battlefield in WWI. This story has no real definite position in the Cain and Jill saga. Just think of it as an extra chapter. The conclusion for the chapter in the main story should hopefully be up before the new year. Merry Christmas everyone. ^_^