Notes: Thanks to Mari and Sammy as always for their wonderful support, feedback, and love!

Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support as we roll through another holiday marathon!

Merry Christmas Eve to all celebrating this year!

Hope you enjoy!

New Christmas Traditions (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)

"Ho Ho Ho!" Joan's excited voice came through the speakers as soon as the Skype call connected.

Steve, Catherine, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Grandma Ang were gathered around the laptop on the dining room table after finishing their Christmas Eve meal.

Elizabeth sat in one of the chairs holding Angie who was wearing a bright red onesie with My First Christmas on the front. She adjusted Angie's little red and white Santa hat. "Ho Ho Ho," she said back. "Merry Christmas Eve!"

"Mewwy Chwistmas Eve!" Joan repeated, beaming. "Guess what, Ann Elizabef?"

"What?"

"Santa's coming tonight!" the four-year-old squealed.

Elizabeth shared a smile with the others and looked back at the screen. "He is? Are you all ready?"

"We'e weady! See ou' twee?" She grabbed the tablet and spun it wildly to try and show them the Christmas tree. Unsurprisingly, the tablet took a tumble to the floor in her enthusiasm. "Oops."

"Thank goodness for iPad cases," Aaron said as he righted the device and smiled. "Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!"

Catherine smiled. "Merry Christmas Eve."

Mary yawned. "Oh, excuse me."

"Tired already?" Steve asked, chuckling.

"Well, someone has decided waking up at midnight on Christmas Eve is a new tradition," she said, looking at Aaron.

He grinned, unashamed. "I wanted to commemorate a special event."

"Ohh, that's right," Ang said. "You got engaged last Christmas Eve."

Aaron smiled. "And Mary put my name on the deed to the house."

"Definitely an event worth commemorating," Joseph said.

"Sure," Mary agreed. "But does it have to be at midnight?"

"It does if we want to be accurate," Aaron argued.

She rolled her eyes but her smile revealed her true feelings. She looked back at the screen and asked, "Everything ready for Angie's first Christmas?"

Steve and Catherine glanced at each other.

"They will be," Steve said.

"Santa's elves are running a little behind," Catherine admitted.

"Well, that's part of the fun," Elizabeth said. She glanced down to see Angie reaching up for her hat, trying to pull at the brim. "I don't think she'll be wearing this hat long, it's a good thing we already got some pictures."

"She looks adorable," Mary said. "As always." She grinned at Elizabeth. "Another of your finds, I'm guessing?"

Elizabeth smiled guiltily. "I couldn't resist."

"Her new catchphrase," Joseph teased.

She looked back at him with a mock glare, then turned back to the screen. "Did you have a fun Christmas Eve, Joan?"

"We went to Avewy's house! We made ginge'bwead houses!"

"We saw the pictures you sent," Ang said. "They looked so yummy!"

"You can't eat them, Gwandma Ang," Joan told her seriously. "You just have to look at them."

Ang hid a smile. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry."

"Though someone ate quite a few of the building supplies, didn't she?" Aaron said, giving Joan's ponytail a gentle tug.

She grinned back at him. "I like the gumdwops," she said.

Mary chuckled. "Uh huh. And what else?"

"And the fwosting."

Everyone laughed at that, apart from Angie who was still concentrating on getting her hat off but so far had only been able to push it askew.

"And tomorrow you're going to your grandma and grandpa's house for Christmas, right?" Catherine said.

"Aftew we open ou'w pwesents," Joan said. "Is Santa going to bwing Baby Angie pwesents, too?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I think he will." She looked down at her granddaughter and chuckled. "Even if she doesn't keep her Santa hat on."

They watched as Angie managed to get a good grip on her hat. She tugged, but only succeeded in pulling it down over one eye.

"Uhhh!" she grunted in frustration.

"She doesn't like he'w hat?" Joan asked.

"Not so much," Catherine said as Angie grabbed the hat again, getting it off her face.

"But it's so cute," Joan protested.

"It is, but she doesn't really like things on her head. A lot of babies don't."

"You sure didn't, peanut," Mary said. "Bows, hats, headbands … you couldn't whip 'em off fast enough."

At that, Angie finally pulled the hat completely off, flinging it to the floor. Ang bent in her chair to pick it up.

"Well, she stayed focused," Joseph observed.

Steve chuckled. "She did."

"Now I think it's time for our little Christmas Eve surprise," Joseph said, holding up a wrapped book-shaped present.

Aaron pulled an identical gift from behind his back.

Joan gasped excitedly. "A pwesent?"

"We have most of your presents here for you to open when you come later this week," Elizabeth said, "but Uncle Joseph had a special one he wanted you to have tonight."

Joan bounced in place. "Can I open it, Mama?"

"Ask Uncle Joseph," Mary said.

"Can I open it, Unca Joseph? Pleeeeease?"

"Of course," he said. "Go ahead. It may take Angie a little longer." He started to pass the gift to Catherine but she stood.

"Here, Dad, why don't you sit here," she suggested. "I want to get a couple pictures anyway."

"A book!" Joan squealed as she tore away the wrapping paper. "It's a Chwistmas book!"

"What do you say, peanut?"

"Thank you!" she immediately replied, already opening the front cover.

"Now let's see how Angie does opening hers," Joseph said. He held the present in front of her and Angie reached for the brightly colored wrapping paper. She ran her hand back and forth over the smooth surface. "Here, sweetheart." He lifted one edge of the paper away and demonstrated tearing it.

Angie laughed at the sound and Catherine, now on the other side of the table, grinned, recording the moment on her phone.

"Pull it, honey," Elizabeth urged.

Angie's fingers scrabbled for a grip and she tugged the paper, laughing again when it tore. With Joseph's help, she pulled away the wrapping to reveal and illustrated copy of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

"What is it?" Joan asked, leaning close to the screen.

Mary laughed. "It's the same book as yours, peanut."

Joan's face split into an excited smile. "We got the same pwesent?"

"Yep," Joseph said. "And if you don't mind, I'd like to read it to you before you and Angie go to sleep."

Joan nodded enthusiastically. "Yes yes YES!"

"Okay, are you ready, Angie?"

"Ahh baab!"

"Ready," Elizabeth said with a smile, adjusting the baby to better face Joseph as he opened the book.

Aaron pulled Joan up on the sofa between him and Mary. She held the book in her lap, beaming up at her parents. Looking at the screen, she said, "We'e weady, too!"

Joseph glanced at Catherine who was watching the scene happily. Steve had moved to her side and put an arm around her, both ready for what they knew would become a Christmas Eve tradition.

With a smile, Joseph began. " 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a …' " He paused and glanced at the laptop screen.

"Mouse!" Joan cried, pointing at the illustration. "The mouse is sleeping!"

"He's ready for Santa, too," Aaron said, brushing the hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear.

Angie leaned forward in Elizabeth's lap, trying to reach the book.

" 'The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,' " Joseph continued. " 'In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.' "
"Who's St. Nicholas?" Joan asked, looking at her parents.

"That's another name for Santa Claus," Mary said.

Joseph continued reading the poem, turning the pages as he did so.

Catherine leaned close to Steve and nodded her head toward Angie who was staring at Joseph. "Look at her," she whispered. "She's mesmerized by his voice."

He smiled, kissing her head, his eyes never leaving their daughter. "That's settled then. We're definitely doing this every year."

Joan's interjections lessened as she was drawn into the magic of the poem, and Joseph read to the last line.

" 'Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!' "

He closed the book, smiling at Angie and then looking at the laptop screen. "Well, what did you think of that, Joan?"

"I love that story!" she said.

"Can you tell Uncle Joseph thank you again?" Mary said. "For the book and for reading it to you and Angie?"

"Thank you, Unca Joseph! Did Baby Angie like the story, too?"

"She absolutely did," Steve said, he and Catherine now back behind Joseph, Elizabeth, and Grandma Ang's chairs.

Catherine put a hand on her father's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.

"Now I think it's about time for you to say Merry Christmas and good night as well, pumpkin," Aaron said.

Joan gasped, bolting upright on the sofa. "I have to go to sleep! Santa's coming!"

Mary laughed. "I think that's the first time you've ever said you have to go to sleep."

"Santa's coming, Mama!"

"I know, I know. Say good night to everyone so you can go to sleep." She grinned into the screen. "Gonna milk this as long as we can."

"Good night!" Joan said, waving at the screen.

"Good night, honey," Elizabeth said. "Merry Christmas! We'll see you soon."

"We'e coming there soon! How many sleeps, Mama?" Joan asked.

"Till we go? Three more sleeps. We'll be there on Wednesday."

"We can't wait," Catherine said. "Merry Christmas."

"Mewwy Chwistmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Joanie," Steve said. He smiled at Mary and Aaron. "Merry Christmas, you two."

"Merry Christmas," Mary said. "Love you all."

"Love you!" Joan echoed.

A few more farewells were exchanged before they ended the Skype call. Joseph set the book on the table and lifted Angie from Elizabeth's arms.

"Well, Angie, did you like that poem?" he asked and kissed her cheek.

"Ahh baaah!" she replied.

Elizabeth smiled, putting the Santa hat back on her head.

Angie grunted, immediately reaching to pull it off.

Catherine chuckled. "Nice try, Mom, but I think that hat might be a lost cause."

Elizabeth sighed. "I think you're right." She caught the hat before it hit the ground when Angie flung it off. "Well, how about some coffee and dessert before Angie goes to sleep and then we'll get out of your hair," Elizabeth suggested, looking around at the others. She smiled at Steve and Catherine. "I know you two have a lot of wrapping to do."

"You know in another couple years we're gonna have to be a lot more stealthy about this," Steve said a couple hours later as he took an armful of newly wrapped presents from their makeshift wrapping station on the dining room table and brought them into the living room.

Catherine grinned up at him, kneeling by the tree where she was arranging gifts. "If anyone can be stealthy on Christmas Eve, it's us."

"Good point," he said with an answering grin.

She took a few of the presents from him and he knelt beside her, placing the boxes and bags under the tree.

"That's the last of them," he said.

Catherine gave an accomplished nod. "Good." She looked at their handiwork and beamed, adjusting one of the boxes. "I can't wait to see Angie try to open one of these." Chuckling, she added, "Especially since she's going to be way more interested in the wrapping paper this year."

"Specifically the tearing sound it makes," he said, grinning at the memory of her laugh when opening the gift from Joseph.

"But for tonight …" Catherine said, pulling an unlabeled box from under the tree and holding it out to him. "Merry Christmas Eve."

"What's this?" he asked, taking it. "I didn't even see you wrap this."

"Told you," she said, her eyes dancing. "Stealthy."

"Very," he acknowledged.

She nodded toward the sofa. "Come on." Rising, she moved to sit and patted the spot beside her.

He took a seat. "You really want me to open this now?"

"Definitely."

He lifted the box to his ear and shook it lightly. "Sounds like clothes."

She rolled her eyes. "Good guess, Commander."

"Why'd you wrap it if you were just gonna give it to me tonight?"

She smacked his arm, laughing. "Steve. Just open it already."

Grinning, he flipped the box and ran a finger under the edge of the wrapping paper to loosen the tape. He removed the paper, turned the box back over, and took off the top. Folding back the white tissue paper, he revealed a set of red and green flannel plaid pajamas.

Quirking an eyebrow, he looked up at her and said, "You know we live in Hawaii, right?"

"Yes, smart ass," she said, fighting a smile.

"This is very festive but I've never really been the plaid flannel pajama type …"

"That's kind of a gift for both of us," she said, picking up the button down top and holding it up, giving him a meaningful look.

"Oh …?" he began. His eyebrows shot up. "Oh," he repeated, understanding.

"Ohh," she echoed, her smile growing saucy. "It's connected to a gift my parents are giving us."

His brow furrowed. "Wait, maybe we aren't thinking the same thing here."

"Oh, we are," she assured him, laying the flannel against her chest and smoothing it down. "Mom and Dad and Gram offered to have Angie spend the night with them sometime this week."

"Oh," he said again, this time for a different reason as he processed that.

"They've been looking forward to it for a while, and … I think she's ready." She looked at him. "Are you? I've had some nights apart already when I was on reserve duty, but this'll be a first for you."

He smiled. "I'm good. I'm sure they'll love it. All four of them."

She nodded. "Maybe it'll even become a holiday tradition."

"I like that idea," he said genuinely. His smile grew. "And I like the idea of you and me with a night to ourselves." He reached over, fingering the sleeve of the flannel top where it lay against her leg. "But do we really need to wait until later this week to put these to use?" His fingers drifted to her thigh, tracing a line along the outside.

Her saucy smile returned. "Why do you think I had you open them tonight, Commander?"

With an answering smile, he tossed the box with the pajama bottoms onto the coffee table and dove for her lips.

Laughing into the kiss, she let his momentum carry them down to the sofa, flannel pajamas quickly becoming the furthest thing from her mind.

Later, after checking on Angie, Steve and Catherine lay curled on the sofa together, he in the pajama bottoms and she in the button down top.

They had dimmed the living room lights, leaving the white glow from the Christmas tree as the only illumination.

He ran a thumb slowly over her flannel clad arm. "That may not have been exactly what you had in mind."

She chuckled. "Maybe not, but I'm certainly not complaining."

"We did put the pajamas on eventually …"

"We did."

He glanced down at the pants he had on. "And these are more comfortable than I thought. This may have to be a new tradition."

She smirked, looking back over her shoulder at him. "What? Wearing flannel pants on Christmas Eve?"

"Mmm," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her jaw. "Or not wearing them."

She laughed lightly, settling more comfortably in his arms.

After a moment, she said, "You know, we need more than two hands now to count how many Christmases we've spent together."

He smiled against her shoulder. "Yeah."

"After the years apart, it feels so good to know this is where we'll celebrate Christmas. With family around us. And that Angie will have that."

"I know what you mean." He was silent for a moment before continuing. "I never thought …" He paused again. "There was definitely a time in my life where I didn't look forward to the holidays."

She covered his hand on her arm with her own and squeezed gently.

"And even later," he went on, "I can't say I was always excited about them. I mean, I loved being with you for Christmas when we could spend it together, but I loved being with you no matter what day of the year it was." He let out a breath. "But the last few years here, celebrating with you and our family and friends, carrying on traditions and making new ones … I look forward to it more and more every year. And now with Angie …" He smiled. "I want her to experience it all."

"She will," Catherine assured him. "We'll make sure of it." She turned in his arms to face him. "And each year will be a little different as she grows up. But what will stay the same is what's most important. Family. Love. And sharing what we have with others."

He nodded, dropping a kiss on her lips. Pulling her closer, he said, "I know things will change as Angie gets older, but let's make this a tradition." At her questioning look, his lip quirked in a half smile. "Not this exactly, although, I'm certainly not opposed to making this a tradition." His smile softened. "But what I mean is … us. Taking time, no matter how much or how little, to be together. Just the two of us."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. "Deal."

"I love you," he said quietly,

"I love you. Merry Christmas, Steve."

Tightening his arms around her, he sighed contentedly. "Merry Christmas, Cath."

Hope you enjoyed!

The marathon continues tomorrow with Angie's first Christmas day!

If you're looking for the pistachio bread recipe featured in the story The Scent of Christmas, please check out our Tumblr: mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com.

Find all our stories (in chronological order!) on our website: marirealmcroll dot wixsite dot com backslash real-mcroll

Or in the McRoll in the REAL World community here on fanfiction dot net

Find us on Tumblr: mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com

You can still join our mailing list by emailing us realmcroll at yahoo dot com with Add me, please! in the subject line.

And find Mari on Twitter asking your opinions on all things McRoll in the REAL World! at Mari21763 and add #REALMcRoller