A/N- Just a little whimsy to pass the time. Written for the 2004 Holiday season and never posted, so here it while I work on something with more substance in the meantime. Standard disclaimers apply, you know who's mine and who's not. Enjoy!

Ghosts of Christmas Future

Deck the halls with boughs of holly! Falalala-

'Oh!' the word erupted out of the woman's mouth on a puff of steam as she pulled on her companions arm 'Look, darling, carolers!' And with no further notice, she began dragging her companion in the direction of the large group of earnestly singing people. As they managed to work their way through the crowd and find a place where they could see the carolers, she beamed brightly, nodding in time to the music. Her companion winced whenever an off note was hit, and tried to keep a bland smile plastered on his face. As they finished their tune, the crowd clapped and she looked up at him.

'Are we supposed to give them money, now?' she whispered as the chorus started into 'Joy to the World' with gusto.

'No, dear, we do not. And you already made a contribution to the Salvation Army.'

'Oh, yes, of course.' She nodded and began to drag him along as she shuffled out of the crowd. He scanned the assembled people as they moved, seeing a few other couples from their neighborhood and nodding to them as they passed. For all the world, the two of them seemed like any other well-to-do urban couple; she the slightly-dopey wife who saw it as her job to spend the money her tolerating, but loving, husband made. And everyone of their neighbors believed this to be so, never questioning the arrangement that was so like their own, but the other mothers in the neighborhood sometimes whispering and wondering how 'that woman' could raise her child as well as she had so far. Especially without a nanny.

And the woman had no qualms about the front she presented, and neither did her husband, who currently stood patiently as she perused a window display of more things she didn't need, but, obviously, would want. The blonde ditz and the long-suffering husband.

If only the world knew.

She tossed her head and began to move on, in a direction that led away from the crowds, the plastered smile on her face starting to fade and chip away as they moved farther and farther away from the lights, music, and people. They passed a few late coming couples and groups as they walked along the sidewalk back towards where their car was parked. Both nodded and smiled at people they passed and knew, but continued in silence. There was still patches of snow on the ground, even with the weather having been as warm as it had, and the weather reports were reporting that there was surely more to come. As if to emphasize the point, a stiff breeze blew against them as they walked, and the gentleman took his arm free to turn up the collar of his coat against it. She dug in her pockets for the thick wool gloves that were in there and pulled them on. The car was in sight and he pulled a key fob from his pocket, thumbing it, and in response the car's lights flashing back at him. They hurried against the cold and strengthening wind to get into the shelter the vehicle provided.

She slid into her leather seat and sighed, tipping her head back against the headrest. Closing her eyes she muttered 'If I have to be that nice for that long again in the cold I will kill someone.'

She rolled her head to look at her husband as he smiled wickedly in response and started the engine. 'The Sanderson's holiday bash is next week, and they've got ice skating planned.'

A disgusted sigh. 'Ugh. Would anyone fault me then for putting a skate blade through Marcie's head?'

'I wouldn't, dear.' he purred as he wheeled the car into the street, heading back towards their home tucked in the distant foothills.

.-.-.-.

They emerged from the car, now toasty warm and safely secured in the dark tomb of the garage. She led the way to the door into the laundry room, undoing her jacket and stripping off her gloves and announcing 'We're home!' Her greeting was responded to with a skittering of dog nails on hardwood and a happy 'Mommy!' squeal from the living room. Her husband helped her out of her heavy coat and went to put it along with his own in the hall closet. When he returned he was greeted with an equally happy 'Daddy!' squeal from a diminutive dark haired child who stretched to him from her mother's arms.

He took her into his and gave her a good hug as she planted a kiss on his cheek. 'Daddy, come see what Hannah and I did while you were gone!' and with that she wiggled out of his arms and ran back down the hall to the living room. His wife smiled genuinely as they followed, while he grimaced, envisioning tubs of glitter spilled all over the hardwood floors, and everywhere else for that matter. The large black greyhound tried to squeeze between their legs in an effort to get there first, but had to settle for following behind. The living room was currently dwarfed by a large Christmas tree, but two pairs of eyes instead focused on the little girl who was beaming happily next to where her babysitter was applying the last of her 'surprise' to the window.

Instead of glitter everywhere, he had gel holiday shapes and decorations plastering his windows haphazardly. Well, it was better than glitter.

'Its beautiful, honey!' her mother smiled, taking it all in, and hoping that they didn't leave marks. 'Daddy and I love it, now, go with Hannah and get ready for bed, I'll be up to tuck you in in a few moments.' The babysitter looked relieved to no longer be plastering the windows with holiday decorations and followed the little girl to the stairs. The mother laughed as her husband took it all in.

'Well, she's certainly creative.' he managed, poking at a gel holly leaf.

'No glitter this time.' she responded, knowing he was still waiting to come home and find a repeat of the earlier Valentine's Day fiasco.

She took his hand and squeezed it as they looked at their daughter's, and her babysitter's, efforts on the windows. A few minutes later footsteps came in behind them, and both turned smiling to the babysitter.

'Did she behave herself tonight, Hannah?' he asked, and the teenager nodded back the affirmative.

'Not a single problem, sir.'

'Good.' He released his wife's hand and beckoned the babysitter to follow him to the study. He retrieved an envelope form his desk and presented it to her. 'Here, for tonight, and a little holiday bonus.'

Hannah blushed. 'Thank you, sir.' and then she blinked, and let out a sudden 'Oh!' Both husband and wife looked at her curiously. 'I almost forgot,' she explained, 'I got something for you too.' She dashed back to the front hall where her backpack sat, and came back with it, pulling out a neatly wrapped present. 'Here you go, its not much, but I hope you like it.' She smiled as she handed the present over to him. Then she glanced at her watch, and let out another 'Oh!'

'I've gotta run, Terry's meeting me tonight so we can go downtown to see the lights.' She dug her car keys out of the backpack before slinging it over her shoulder. 'Thank you!'

'Thank you, too, Hannah!' replied the wife brightly, following the babysitter to front door, with her husband in her wake.

'Merry Christmas, Mr and Mrs Orbinson!' she called out as she stepped on to the porch.

'Merry Christmas, Hannah!' they both replied before closing the door.

.-.-.-.

The ditzy-blonde-slightly-dopey wife/mother leaned against the door and let out her third sigh for the evening. 'Gregory, one can only be so cheerful for only so long.'

He smiled and pulled her to him to give her a kiss. 'But you do it so well, Lindsey.'

'Ha!' she gave him a second kiss before pulling away to head up the nearby staircase. 'Time to tuck Claire in. Meet you up stairs?'

'In a few minutes dear, I want to find out what Hannah left us.' He smiled as his wife climbed the staircase, then turned to return to his study, and then Lindsey's voice coming faintly from the top of the stairs, 'Oh, and darling, let the dog out before you put him up!'

'Yes, dear.' he murmured. The gift sat on his desk, and he carefully lifted it, feeling its heft and admiring the wrapping. Carefully, he undid the ribbon and let it slide to the floor. He settled into his chair to continue unwrapping it, humming to himself as he did so. He carefully opened the enclosed white box to find a wad of bubble wrap tucked inside. Removing this obstacle, he uncovered a beautiful cut-crystal vase, inside which was a small card that read 'Merry Christmas! From The Chiltons'

What a small, small world.

.-.-.-.