A/N: It's not very long, but it is in keeping with the Christmas spirit
(just pretend that SMACKDOWN! superstars aren't going to Iraq.).
Happy Christmas
"So how do we tell them?" Eric asked, watching the superstars and divas milling around the hotel lobby, saying their good byes, and 'Merry Christmases'.
"Straight out." Paul advised. "They're all going to be upset though."
"Excuse me everyone," Steve began, raising his voice to get everyone's attention. "Could you just stop what you're doing and listen up." Slowly everyone became quiet, listening to what he had to say.
"We've just received word from the airlines that all flights are cancelled due to bad weather." He told them.
"What?"
"I have to get home to my wife and my daughter." Kurt Angle told him.
Brock narrowed his eyes at the three General Managers. "This is not happening. I'm leaving."
"I can't stay here."
"I have to get home."
"My kids..."
"My wife..."
"My family..." The crowd erupted into a massive cacophony with people screaming and shouting, and the General Managers trying to placate both Kane and the Big Show, both of whom were threatening violence.
"So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
A new one just begun."
A clear, gentle voice began to sing the classic Christmas carol, forcing everyone to turn around and look, quieting so that they could hear the strains of the familiar song.
Lita sat at the piano in the lobby, singing and accompanying herself on the piano at the same time, while other superstars and divas stood around her, comforted by each others presence.
"And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young."
As Lita finished the next verse, the others began to join in with her, their voices a strange compliment to the song, from Trish's gently accented alto, to Rey's Spanish rendition, and John's half-rapped version. A smile played on Lita's mouth as the others allowed her to sing the next part alone, before joining in with her once again, cuddling up to one another, sharing Christmas cheer, but comfort and security as well.
"A very merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear."
In spite of the solemn nature of the last line of that verse, Lita smiled as she sung it, her voice mixed with everyone else's, while Rey slid his arms around her shoulders, and John and Trish squashed onto the piano stool with her.
Jericho put his arms around Trish's waist, while Christian and Shannon each had arms around the other's shoulders, vying to see who could sing the most off key.
"And so this is Christmas (war is over...)
For weak and for strong (...if you want it)
The rich and the poor ones
The road is so long.
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For the yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fights."
As they sung, Lita thought about Matt, and how he had betrayed her, and how at Christmas time it shouldn't matter any more.
Rey continued to sing the song in Spanish, his voice coming from just next to her ear, and without hesitation she changed to Spanish, strengthening his words and phrases, trying not to squeal as he squeezed her shoulders.
"A very merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Lets hope it's a good one
Without any fear."
The next chorus was sung with great gusto as the small group grinned their way through it, Chris Jericho attempting a lame Elvis impersonation, while Shannon shoved Christian, pulling the older man into a makeshift roll up.
"So this is Christmas
And what have you done."
When she reached the part where only two lines of the song were sung, Lita herself stopped singing, and John rapped the lines, using his familiar hand gestures, and 'Yo, yo, yo's,' to punctuate it, which made several people laugh.
"War is over - if you want it
War is over - now
War is over - if you want it
War is over - if you want it
War is over - now."
The rest of the roster erupted with applause, which Lita waited to end before she began to speak.
"I know that everyone here is disappointed that they can't go home for Christmas. I was looking forward to going home myself, and spending a week with my mom and dad, and my friends. But it's not going to happen, so instead I'll draw my other family around me, and that's all of you here."
"You're right." Kurt told her, moving over to stand next to her, bending down to kiss her cheek.
"If anyone else wants to join us, we're going to hang out here for a little while for some more Christmas carols."
"What sort of carols?" Drew called out.
"If you can sing it, Lita can play it." John told him.
Lita blushed. "If you have something I don't know, I'm willing to learn it."
"Honey, I got a horizontal Christmas carol I want to teach you." He crowed.
"Oh that's just too bad." She answered sarcastically. "I'm going to Mass tonight, damn."
Everyone laughed.
"You're going to Mass?" Scott asked her.
"My parents started taking me to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve when I was just a baby." Lita told him. "I've been every year of my life with my parents, and this year Rey and I are going to go together. Anyone else who wanted to come would be welcome." With the fingers of her left hand she tapped out the first few notes of 'Jingle Bells.'
"How can you just sit there and say that?" Ric Flair asked her. "Don't you have any concept of family?"
"I understand more about family than you ever will." She said quietly. "In a little while, I'm going to go upstairs, and use the phone in my room to call my parents. I'm going to tell them that I love them, and that I'll be thinking of them while I'm at Mass. At home in Florida I know that when they head off to Mass they'll be thinking of me, and that brings me more comfort that the greatest of Christmas carols, or the most sincere of gifts. So don't tell me I don't know anything about family, because as usual, we're scattered across the United States, and across the world too." Her voice became calmer, almost relaxed. "But this Christmas I'm glad that even though I can't spend it with my mom and dad, I can still spend it with some people I rarely if ever see at Christmas."
"I know exactly what you mean." Matt moved away from Mark Henry and Theodore Long. "I never get to see some people at Christmas."
"Come on kids." The Undertaker began, "Let's get these Christmas carols happening."
Happy Christmas
"So how do we tell them?" Eric asked, watching the superstars and divas milling around the hotel lobby, saying their good byes, and 'Merry Christmases'.
"Straight out." Paul advised. "They're all going to be upset though."
"Excuse me everyone," Steve began, raising his voice to get everyone's attention. "Could you just stop what you're doing and listen up." Slowly everyone became quiet, listening to what he had to say.
"We've just received word from the airlines that all flights are cancelled due to bad weather." He told them.
"What?"
"I have to get home to my wife and my daughter." Kurt Angle told him.
Brock narrowed his eyes at the three General Managers. "This is not happening. I'm leaving."
"I can't stay here."
"I have to get home."
"My kids..."
"My wife..."
"My family..." The crowd erupted into a massive cacophony with people screaming and shouting, and the General Managers trying to placate both Kane and the Big Show, both of whom were threatening violence.
"So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
A new one just begun."
A clear, gentle voice began to sing the classic Christmas carol, forcing everyone to turn around and look, quieting so that they could hear the strains of the familiar song.
Lita sat at the piano in the lobby, singing and accompanying herself on the piano at the same time, while other superstars and divas stood around her, comforted by each others presence.
"And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young."
As Lita finished the next verse, the others began to join in with her, their voices a strange compliment to the song, from Trish's gently accented alto, to Rey's Spanish rendition, and John's half-rapped version. A smile played on Lita's mouth as the others allowed her to sing the next part alone, before joining in with her once again, cuddling up to one another, sharing Christmas cheer, but comfort and security as well.
"A very merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear."
In spite of the solemn nature of the last line of that verse, Lita smiled as she sung it, her voice mixed with everyone else's, while Rey slid his arms around her shoulders, and John and Trish squashed onto the piano stool with her.
Jericho put his arms around Trish's waist, while Christian and Shannon each had arms around the other's shoulders, vying to see who could sing the most off key.
"And so this is Christmas (war is over...)
For weak and for strong (...if you want it)
The rich and the poor ones
The road is so long.
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For the yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fights."
As they sung, Lita thought about Matt, and how he had betrayed her, and how at Christmas time it shouldn't matter any more.
Rey continued to sing the song in Spanish, his voice coming from just next to her ear, and without hesitation she changed to Spanish, strengthening his words and phrases, trying not to squeal as he squeezed her shoulders.
"A very merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Lets hope it's a good one
Without any fear."
The next chorus was sung with great gusto as the small group grinned their way through it, Chris Jericho attempting a lame Elvis impersonation, while Shannon shoved Christian, pulling the older man into a makeshift roll up.
"So this is Christmas
And what have you done."
When she reached the part where only two lines of the song were sung, Lita herself stopped singing, and John rapped the lines, using his familiar hand gestures, and 'Yo, yo, yo's,' to punctuate it, which made several people laugh.
"War is over - if you want it
War is over - now
War is over - if you want it
War is over - if you want it
War is over - now."
The rest of the roster erupted with applause, which Lita waited to end before she began to speak.
"I know that everyone here is disappointed that they can't go home for Christmas. I was looking forward to going home myself, and spending a week with my mom and dad, and my friends. But it's not going to happen, so instead I'll draw my other family around me, and that's all of you here."
"You're right." Kurt told her, moving over to stand next to her, bending down to kiss her cheek.
"If anyone else wants to join us, we're going to hang out here for a little while for some more Christmas carols."
"What sort of carols?" Drew called out.
"If you can sing it, Lita can play it." John told him.
Lita blushed. "If you have something I don't know, I'm willing to learn it."
"Honey, I got a horizontal Christmas carol I want to teach you." He crowed.
"Oh that's just too bad." She answered sarcastically. "I'm going to Mass tonight, damn."
Everyone laughed.
"You're going to Mass?" Scott asked her.
"My parents started taking me to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve when I was just a baby." Lita told him. "I've been every year of my life with my parents, and this year Rey and I are going to go together. Anyone else who wanted to come would be welcome." With the fingers of her left hand she tapped out the first few notes of 'Jingle Bells.'
"How can you just sit there and say that?" Ric Flair asked her. "Don't you have any concept of family?"
"I understand more about family than you ever will." She said quietly. "In a little while, I'm going to go upstairs, and use the phone in my room to call my parents. I'm going to tell them that I love them, and that I'll be thinking of them while I'm at Mass. At home in Florida I know that when they head off to Mass they'll be thinking of me, and that brings me more comfort that the greatest of Christmas carols, or the most sincere of gifts. So don't tell me I don't know anything about family, because as usual, we're scattered across the United States, and across the world too." Her voice became calmer, almost relaxed. "But this Christmas I'm glad that even though I can't spend it with my mom and dad, I can still spend it with some people I rarely if ever see at Christmas."
"I know exactly what you mean." Matt moved away from Mark Henry and Theodore Long. "I never get to see some people at Christmas."
"Come on kids." The Undertaker began, "Let's get these Christmas carols happening."