This was written for a Christmas Challenge over at livejournal. Enjoy!
It sparkled everywhere Nancy looked, from the tall crystal glasses already laid out on the table, to the Christmas tree in the corner, which was aglow with hundreds of twinkling lights, glitter-strewn decorations dangling from the branches. Pyjama-clad, Nancy lay sprawled out on the couch, nibbling absently on chocolate and watching some mindless cartoon, a throwback to her childhood, when she used to station herself firmly in front of the television and play excitedly with her Christmas presents, until Hannah literally had to drag her upstairs to get dressed.
Exams had been dragged out to the last possible moment at Wilder and after the obligatory celebratory party, it had been late the previous night before she'd managed to make the trip to River Heights. Nancy's life had been anything but predictable lately, from the dizzying heights of her reunion with Ned, to the bewildering events of the past few weeks and snuggled on the couch Nancy had to admit she was glad to be home, happy to be surrounded by familiarity. She hadn't spoken to anybody about it, hadn't dared put voice to her fears but had internalized it all, relegating the worry to some uncertain date in the future so she wouldn't have to think about it now. Exams had been a welcome distraction but they were over now and it was getting harder and harder to ignore the reality of her situation.
"Happy Christmas, honey," her father smiled, entering the room and enclosing his daughter in a warm hug. "It's so good to have you home. How are you?"
"Good, Dad," Nancy smiled, pulling herself sleepily into a seated position as Carson took a seat beside his daughter on the sofa. "The exams were okay, definitely not as bad as I was expecting and college is going well, so I'm okay, I guess." she added with a shrug.
"Only okay," her father echoed worriedly, turning to look at his daughter. "I hope there's nothing wrong."
"No, there's nothing wrong," Nancy reassured him fervently, twisting a coil of red-gold hair absently around her finger. "Just the usual college stuff," she shrugged, gazing absently at the lone candle flickering at the window. "Anyway, how's work going?" she asked him, quickly changing the subject, relieved when her father launched into an animated description of an embezzelment case he was working on.
"Avery will be delighted to see you, she's really looking forward to us all spending Christmas together this year," Carson continued, beaming as he wrapped his arm affectionately around his daughter's shoulders.
Seeing how happy her father was, Nancy could only smile in reply, resting her head on his shoulder. The addition of Avery into Carson's life had put a strain of sorts on Nancy's relationship with her father. Not accustomed to having to share her father with anyone else, Nancy hadn't appreciated this new development. But slowly, she had come to accept that Avery was good for her father and that he deserved this happiness in his life.
"Are you still thinking of heading over to Ned's?" her father asked, his face showing his displeasure at the notion.
"Yeah, why?" she shrugged, completely unconcerned as she raked her hair back into a loose, untidy ponytail.
"The roads are absoutely dreadful, honey and I'm not sure I'd be happy with you heading out there. Can't you wait until tomorrow to see him instead," he pleaded, unable to resist a glance outside the ice-frosted windows. "I'm sure you two would survive being apart until then."
"Dad, it's Christmas Day and I haven't seen Ned in almost two weeks," she began patiently, well acquainted to her father's penchant, for what Nancy considered to be completely irrational, unneccesary worry. "And I don't care if there's a blizzard outside, I'm going to see him. But don't worry, I'll drive really slowly and I'll be back before you even notice I'm gone."
"If you say so," he frowned undecided, before turning his attention to the kitchen, where the gentle hiss of bacon frying on the pan and the smell of coffee, told Nancy, Hannah was in the throes of cooking her infamous holiday breakfast, Avery's tinkling laugh indicating she had been roped into sharing the responsibility.
"I better go in and see if they need any help," he smiled distractedly, kissing his daughter on the cheek before stepping off the sofa. "We'll talk about this later."
"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Nancy spluttered, her eyes twinkling as she regarded her father in amusement. "You hate cooking. I don't think, in my whole life, I've ever seen you hold a frying pan in your hand."
"People change," Carson returned playfully, as he headed for the kitchen. "Oh, and a word of advice, Nancy," he added, turning to his daughter with a smile. "Hide the candy because it's only eight o' clock and if Hannah thinks you've chosen chocolates over her breakfast, she will kill you."
"Point taken," Nancy laughed as she replaced the lid on the box of chocolates and shoved them under the sofa. "I really am glad to be home, you know," she added softly. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," Carson winked at his daughter. "Now run upstairs and get changed and I'll see you for breakfast in a minute.
xxxxx
The snow was falling softly as Nancy pulled into the Nickerson's, the garden and the driveway a continuous blanket of white, the holly wreath on the door and the twinkling tree lighting up the window, completing the Christmas card picture of perfection. The door opened and Nancy was pulled into Ned's arms, his kisses warm on her frozen lips.
"I've missed you, Nan," he murmured lovingly, giving her one final tight squeeze before releasing her, Ned's parents joining in, in the welcoming brigade, pulling her into their own warm embrace.
"Nancy, it's so good to see you. It feels like forever since we've seen you," Edith smiled warmly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her into the kitchen. "Follow me and I'll get you something warm to drink. You must be frozen after making the drive over here."
After making the obligatory polite chatter, a glass of mulled wine pressed tightly in her hands, Nancy was rescued by an insistent Ned, her heart practically leaping out of her chest as she followed him up the stairs.
"God, I've missed you so much," Ned murmured lovingly, his lips on hers as soon as the door was closed. "It feels like forever since I've seen you,"
"That's because it has been," Nancy managed between kisses, wondering how she'd ever imagined she'd be happy without him. Though the revelations about Ned and Denise had been initially unnerving, Nancy had been decisive in her refusal to let it come between them as a couple and after a tear-streaked conversation led him back into the candlelit bedroom, where they had irrefutably demonstrated their love for each other.
"I love you, Nancy," Ned murmured and Nancy could only smile in return, the words she had been so prepared to say, suddenly frozen in her throat. It had been so long since they had been together like this, happy and content and Nancy was loath to ruin the moment with the harsh bite of reality.
Taking her hand, Ned led her gently to the bed and cupping her face in his hands, kissed her softly.
"I know we said we wouldn't get too extravagant on our Christmas presents this year but I had this idea and I just couldn't resist," he smiled, slipping an envelope into her hands.
"Go on, open it," he urged his girlfriend, sensing her hesitance.
Unfolding the piece of paper, Nancy was rendered speechless with shock. They had always spoken of making the trip to Paris but it was always in the vague, way-off future, more of a fantasy and something to dream about than an actual reality but now it was really happening. Touched by the gesture, Nancy was unable to stop the tears springing to her eyes.
"Why are you crying?" Ned asked in surprise, tilting up her face to meet his and gently wiping away the few fallen tears.
"I don't know," Nancy admitted tearfully, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's just this is the sweetest thing you've ever done for me and that's saying a lot."
"Don't cry, Nancy," Ned pleaded with her softly, taking her hand to his lips and kissing it gently. "My parents will think I've upset you," he tried again jokingly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You don't want them to be mad with me on Christmas, now do you?" he smiled, gratified when his ruse earned him a smile.
"No," she agreed, wiping her eyes dry, not caring if her mascara got horribly smudged in the process.
"I got you something as well," she smiled, reaching into her bag and handing Ned a neatly wrapped parcel, a glimmering bow stuck to the top. "You know, I thought I had the perfect present for you," she mused jokingly as she watched Ned struggle with the layers of tape and paper. "Until you went all romantic on me and got me the most perfect, amazing present ever."
"Nancy, I love it," Ned declared, pulling Nancy close for a kiss before allowing her to clasp the watch onto his wrist. "How did you know?" he asked in amazement.
"I have my sources," she replied in a conspiratory whisper before dissolving into giggles as Ned pinned her to the bed and tickled her unmercifully,
Snow was coming down hard as Nancy slowly negotiated her way home, the pitch black outside making the journey all the more treacherous. The roads and streets were unnaturally quiet, families enjoying the festive season inside but the neighborhood had never looked more alive, the houses and gardens bedecked with elaborate Christmas displays and glittering lights. Rounding a corner, Nancy was confronted by an almost blinding light, which seemed to be headed straight for her. Panicking, she attempted to veer right but it was too late, the collision resulting in a tremendous crash, which broke the silence of the night.
Her skin was cold, Carson noticed, as he took his daughter's hand in his. Without pausing for breath, he had rushed to the hospital to be with Nancy the second he'd slammed the phone down on some beleaguered police officer. His brain had worked on overdrive during the unbearably slow journey over, churning out horrendous scenarios, each one more horrific than the last but thankfully, she would be okay, her injuries no more serious than a broken arm and some bruising to her face..
Her senses dulled by the heavy medication, Nancy was still sleeping when a stern-faced doctor poked his head around the door, a stethoscope slung wearily around his neck.
"Dr. Kane," he introduced himself briskly, pulling out a seat before briefly scanning the chart hung at the foot of Nancy's bed. There was something wrong, Carson suddenly sensed, something in the doctor's manner that put him in immediate unease. Doctors rarely lingered, especially during Christmas when the hospital was always famously short-staffed and a broken bone and a few bruises hardly seemed worthy of the man's precious attention.
"My daughter is okay, isn't she? he asked worriedly, his eyes straying to his daughter's sleeping form.
"She'll be fine," the doctor spoke reassuringly, reeling off the list of minor injuries Nancy had acquired in the accident before turning with serious eyes to Carson. "Unfortunately the force of the collision did result in your daughter miscarrying her baby."
"The baby," Carson echoed in shock, hardly daring to believe the words. "You mean, my daughter was pregnant."
"About six weeks," the doctor confirmed, with a curt nod, his eyes briefly regarding Nancy with some sympathy. "It's possible she wouldn't even have known."
Nancy had known, Carson realized with sudden certainty as the events of the previous weeks suddenly began to make sense. She had been unusually quiet and edgy on the phone, not her normal upbeat self and even that morning, he had got the feeling that there was something not right about her.
The door closed behind the doctor and Carson was once again left alone with his thoughts. Ned was on his way and Carson didn't know what he was going to tell him, what he was going to tell his daughter; broken bones he could deal with but this was a whole different ball game. Hearing his daughter stir, Carson looked over nervously, his expression softening when he saw the confused, almost bewildered look on Nancy's face as she slowly roused herself to consciousness.
"Dad," she mumbled uncertainly, her blue eyes finding her father's. "What happened?"
"You were in an accident, Nan," he spoke to her softly, taking her hand gently in his. "You'll be fine, though," he reassured her hurriedly, seeing the alarmed expression creep across her face. "Just a fractured arm and some bruising, nothing you haven't gone through a hundred times already." Except that wasn't exactly true, Carson told himself wearily, already feeling his resolve waning.
"There's something else, Nancy," he tried again, clearing his throat as he tightened his grip on her hand. "You lost the baby. I'm really sorry, honey," he added, feeling physical pain as her face crumpled up, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"It'll be okay, honey. Really, it will," he declared with false optimism, knowing Nancy could see the hollow platitude for what it was. But strangely just saying the words made him feel a little better, a little more in control, Carson feeling a parental, almost instinctive need to protect and cosset his daughter.
Drained by her tears, Nancy finally dozed back into a fitful, uneven sleep, dreaming of Paris and a baby in pink and Ned's arms around her when she finally woke up from this nightmare.