Random one-shot… and it is indeed random… I don't own the characters.
"Ma!"
Alanna laughed and scooped up the twins that were now attacking her. "Hello you two! Hello, Thom," she said to the five year old who had his arms around her waist.
George plucked the twins off her. "You three go get ready for the party. Don't be so hard on your dear old ma, she just got back." The three children laughed and scampered off. He pulled his wife against him and kissed her deeply. "It's good to have you home."
"Thanks. Let me go get changed and then we can leave." The two went up the stairs and down the hall to their bed room so Alanna could get changed. She'd just returned from a business trip in D.C. and was tired. But she'd promised to go, so she would. "Where's Daine?"
"She's with Numair. They're going to meet us there." Daine was a girl they had adopted a few months back. She was 13 years old and had something called wild magic. Numair, who had a powerful Gift, was her teacher. George had to force himself to behave as his wife got dressed. She wore a black dress, with amethyst earrings. George was dressed in a tuxedo, and with any luck, the kids would be dressed up too. It was too mush effort to try to get them dressed.
When everyone was dressed, they piled out in to the car. The house was decorated for the season, so the lights were quickly plugged in. They went to the Conte's house. Kally, Roald, and Daine were outside, playing in the snow. The children waved as the car pulled up. There were three cars there besides Jon's. Numair's, Raoul's, and Gary's. Buri, Raoul's girlfriend, was standing on the front porch. She waved as the Cooper family got out of the car. Alanna went right inside, and the three children, who were wearing snow clothes over semi-decent clothes, joined Roald and Kally. Daine went over to George. He hugged her around the shoulders as they said hello to Buri and went inside. Once Daine had shrugged out of her snow-pants and her jacket, she went to say hello to her adopted mother.
"Hi, Alanna," she said. "How was your trip?"
Alanna hugged the girl who was almost as tall as her. "Good. Cold, but good. Merry Christmas, all!"
Jon came over and hugged his ex-girl friend and shook George's hand. Thayet came over and asked Alanna if she could help with the ham. Droopy, the pet dog, came to greet Daine, and followed the women into the kitchen, lured by the scent of meat. The remainder of the people went in to the living room, where soft music was playing. There were decorations around, and five stockings were hung on the fire place. Jon went through the pile of presents at the base of the tree and pulled out all the gifts for the visiting kids.
"DAINE! CALL THE DOG!" shouted Alanna from the kitchen. Daine obeyed, and there was then a crash. Everyone raced to see what had happened. There was glass all over the kitchen. Judging by the scene inside the oven, the pan had exploded. Alanna and Thayet were unharmed, but looking annoyed.
"What happened?" asked George.
"I didn't expect the pan to explode when I poured water in it!" said Alanna. "The water wasn't even that cold!"
Daine went to the closet under the stairs were the vacuum was kept, and grabbed that and the broom. Jon nodded his thanks and took the vacuum. Thayet took the broom, ignoring Daine's protest that she could take care of it. Alanna muttered some curses as she turned off the oven and partially shut it.
"What happened?" asked Kally from the doorway.
"Alanna for got about the transfer of heat and the effect of it on glass," explained Numair.
Kally blinked.
"She cooled off the pan so fast it contracted and exploded," he tried.
"Oh! So what's for dinner?" There was nothing on the stove, so she figured they had only started with the ham.
She was right too.
The adults looked at each other. "Chinese take-out for us, and pizza for the kids?" suggested George.
Thayet pulled a menu from a drawer and handed it off to George.
"Daine, could you help?" asked Kally. "We found a little kitty, but it won't let us near it. We think it's hurt though."
Daine nodded and pulled on her boots and coat. She followed Kally outside and stared when she saw the 'little kitty'. Little kitty my foot, she thought. The cougar was hurt, with the snow around it turning red. "Get back," she ordered the kids and slowly went forward, stroking the cat's mind. It didn't attack her and gave a weak purring as Daine petted it. She lifted the cat, worried because she could do so. The poor animal was all skin and bone. She carried it into the garage, and the children followed.
"Get some blankets," she ordered. Luckily, the scratch wasn't deep, but the cougar was cold. She was able to heal the animal, it had just been a scratch on the leg, but by that time, the adults had arrived. Daine tucked the blankets around the animal as it slept and was then lead inside. It was six thirty, and people were hungry. Jon went to get the pizza and take-out. Thayet continued to clean up the kitchen with Alanna. George, Raoul, and Buri worked on a puzzle. Daine and Numair talked wild-magic, Kally played labyrinth with Rould, and the three youngest played with building blocks.
Jon was back in half an hour with the food, so everyone crammed around the table. Since they weren't meeting for New Years, they did their normal tradition; going around the table and saying one good thing that happened to them that year.
Alanna got to spend more time with her kids.
George had gotten a promotion that would let Alanna stay home more.
The Cooper children had gotten an older sister.
Buri and Raoul got engaged.
Jon had gotten promoted to CEO of the company he worked for.
Thayet had gotten both of her children a pet. Said pet was sniffing at the food
Numair had gotten a good student. Kally and Roald got a new friend.
Then it was Daine's turn. Her face turned red and she studied the table as she said, "I got a family."
To save Daine, the cougar then decided to come into the house.
"The only thing missing here is the popcorn," Kally told her brother as they watched the adults try to deal with a pissed off house cat and a cougar trying to get some food.
If you're Christian; MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
If you're Jewish; Happy Hanukah!
And if you're neither; I wish you well.
If you don't care that I wish you well; have your New Year's revolution be to get some emotions.