Alone for Christmas

I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had than that.

AN: This Christmas, as you spend time with loved ones and friends, please remember those who have no family, or no home or none of the richness this season can offer. Share your time and your love with them when you can and you will never go wrong. Merry Christmas, Everyone. And a Very Happy New Year.

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"What is your husband getting you for Christmas?" Mrs. Pride asked Mrs. Newton as they looked over a table of fabric at Jonas' store.

"Oh, he won't say, of course." Melba Newton shrugged. "But I'm certain it's that tea set I want. After all, I've only been hinting about it for a month now."

Wilma Pride giggled. "I know what you mean. I've been hinting pretty hard myself about that dresser set we found in the catalog. You know the one. The silver one with the fancy etching?"

"Oh, yes, I remember." Melba nodded. "Well, I'm sure the both of us will get what we want. I mean after all," she winked at her friend and nodded in Kitty Russell's direction, "that's what you get when you do the decent thing and marry your man instead of just being his whore."

"Yeah, and we never have to be alone for Christmas, either." Wilma snidely put in.

As the two women giggled and moved further into Mr. Jonas' store, Kitty took a deep breath, turned and left the store. Though not unused to such barbs tossed her way, and she had no doubt they were aimed directly at her, she still didn't care for them and didn't intend to stand and listen to them.

Besides, their words stung a little. Though she knew of nothing he had planned, it wasn't too often that Matt spent Christmas in town with her and she wasn't going to count on him being there this year.

"Kitty?" Doc caught up to her just outside the store's entrance as she exited. "How are you today?"

"Ah, I'm just fine, Doc." Kitty smiled at her friend. "You?"

Doc glanced into the store and saw the two women before replying. "Well, I'm doing alright. But are you sure you are?"

Kitty saw the direction of his gaze and shook her head. "If you mean those two, don't worry. They don't bother me that much. They're two old bitties with husbands who could care less about them and the only way they can make themselves feel better is to put someone else down."

"How do you know their husbands don't care about them?" Doc looked at her curiously.

"Where do you think Chuck Pride and Rafe Newton spend their Friday nights?" She arched a brow at him.

Chuckling, Doc shook his head and took her arm. "How about me taking you to breakfast and you telling me what is wrong then."

"Who said anything is wrong?" She questioned.

"The look on your face when you came out of there." Doc answered.

"You know me too well." Kitty chuckled as she linked her arm with his and they walked down to the cafe.

After Joe had taken their orders, Doc sat back and gave Kitty a speculative look. "Okay, what is it. If Wilma Pride and Melba Newton didn't get to you, then what did? You seemed a little…"

"I wasn't upset, Doc." Kitty shook her head. "At least not at those two. But they did give me something to think about."

"Oh, like what?" Doc leaned forward and took a sip of his already cold coffee.

"Like being alone on Christmas." She answered soberly. "I mean, alone as in no husband or really any family. It's not easy you know."

"I know," Doc nodded, "but you're not really alone, Kitty. You've got Matt and me and Chester and…"

"Do I?" She looked over at him with lips pursed and brow arched. "I mean, Matt's usually chasing after some outlaw on the holidays, any holiday, and you're sometimes out on the prairie somewhere tending to someone sick and Chester… well, if he's not with Matt, he surely isn't with me. Usually he's chasing after one of my girls or standing close to the punch bowl. This Christmas is most likely going to be just like most of the ones I've spent my entire life, silent and lonely."

Doc dropped his head, understanding completely what she meant. It wasn't easy sitting on the sidelines watching as others spent time with their spouses and children, knowing that you'd never have that. Knowing that no matter the liveliness of whatever party you attended or the sincerity of whomever the host of that party, you were essentially a fifth wheel in a world that doesn't need one. And you would eventually go home alone, to a cold bed and an empty house full of nothing but stuff.

Finally looking back up at her, he shrugged. "I get what you're saying, Kitty, but there's no help for it that I know of. I'm certainly not going to rush into marriage with someone so that I won't be alone this Christmas and I sure can't see you doing it, unless the right man asked." He added with a wink.

"And we both know he won't do that." Kitty sighed, ignoring Doc's attempt at teasing.

Doc didn't argue, because there was no argument to that. Matt had made it completely clear from the first that he would not marry. But he couldn't just sit there and let her grieve over something that couldn't be remedied.

"How about if I promised not to leave town at all on Christmas day and to spend the entire evening with you?" He smiled his brightest. "I'm not Matt but I'm pretty good company if I do say so myself."

Kitty offered him a half smile but shook her head. "You can't promise that, Doc. If someone needed your help, regardless of the day or hour, you'd go and I'd expect you to. Besides, that's like putting a small patch on a deep wound. It wouldn't help. You would eventually go home and I'd be alone. And don't," she raised a hand in warning, "suggest you stay all night. I wouldn't let you do that either."

"Then what's the remedy?" He asked.

"I don't know." Kitty answered. "I just don't know."

But later that day, as Kitty diligently worked on her books and then began doing inventory, a plan of sorts began to take place in her mind. Though it wouldn't guarantee that she wouldn't go to bed alone, it would guarantee that she wouldn't go to bed unhappy.

TBC