Chapter 2

After lunch, the occupants of the Vail house scattered to the four winds. Elena, determined to make gingerbread houses with the children that evening the bake Christmas cookies with them the following afternoon, placed a grocery list into Remington's hand before joining Marcos in their room for a midday nap. It was just after nine in the evening by Oia time when the Androkus family had arrived, and a few hours of sleep were much needed by the older couple if they were to fully enjoy the evening's festivities. Christos and Helena, on the other hand, had chosen to renew their energy in an entirely different manner: Hitting the slopes with Thomas, Catherine, Addy, Bronte, Colleen, Mindy, Danny and Laurie Beth. Donald had volunteered up his services to watch over Alex and Holt while the boys enjoyed their first skiing lesson, but he couldn't get Frances to budge when he pointed out if Holt was old enough to take skiing lessons, then so was Esme. Frances was having none of it.

"She's far too young, Donald," she'd argued, "Esme and I will just stay behind. Don't worry about us, we'll find something to do."

With a sigh of surrender, he'd left her to her own devices, but it was Sophie and Livvie – along with their partners in crime, Daphne and Eirene – who'd managed to lure Frances from the security of the four walls of the house. Livvie, although the youngest of the group she might have been, was nominated to be the spokesperson for the little group as she, much like her father, wasn't beyond using charm to sway matters her way. Thus, she marched into the kitchen where Laura, Lena and Frances were finishing the dishes, widening her eyes and displaying her dimples when Laura looked down at her.

"Mommy?" Livvie might know how to charm, but she wasn't quite old enough to know Laura had her number when it came to pouring on the charm.

"Yes, Livvie?" Laura answered.

"Me, Eirene, Daphne and Sophie really, really, really, wanna go ice skating."

Eirene, Daphne, Sophie and I," Laura corrected, automatically. The request was not an extraordinary one, so she'd already decided she'd 'give in,' but not before using that charm to her advantage – much like she often did to her daughter's father.

"Eileen, Daphne, Sophie and I," Livvie repeated, dutifully, then laid it on a little thicker. Knitting her fingers together, she held her joined hands beneath her chin in a plea. "Can we go? Pretty, pretty, pretty please?"

"Well, I don't know," Laura feigned uncertainty.

"Please, please, please, please, please," Livvie cajoled, dancing on her tiptoes.

"Well, if you prom—"

"Since you asked so nicely, of course you can," Abigail promised, bending down and brushing an air kiss towards the general vicinity of Livvie's cheek. Rather than chortling with glee and racing off to report back to sister and cousins as expected, Olivia's eyes darted back and forth between mother and grandmother, while Laura's jaw fell open and she blinked. "Isn't that right, Laura dear?" Frances and Lena both regarded Laura, gauging her reaction to her mother's interference, then turned as one back to the sink, Frances washing and Lena drying a little more vigorously than necessary.

"You heard Grandma," Laura answered, tightly, after a couple heartbeats. This time Livvie did yip her happiness, and after giving Laura a hug around her waist, ran from the room.

"Olivia Elena Steele," Abigail called after the child, "We do not run in the house." Unseen, Livvie stumbled to a stop then after a second's hesitation began walking.

"Yes, Grandma," she yelled back.

Back in the kitchen, Abigail was oblivious to the tension in the room, although the two onlookers were patently aware and retained their silence until Laura spoke.

"Lena, Frances, I'm sure Farris and Esme would enjoy skating as well," she suggested. "What do you say?"

"Will there be room for us?" Frances wondered, then verbally did the math, "Six children, four adults – five if Mother wishes to join us. That's eleven people and the car only fits seven."

"Twelve, actually," Laura said pensively, then shook off her black mood and forced a smile on her face. "Donald and Thomas took our 4-Runner and one of the Suburbans, which leaves us with the other two Suburbans. Remington has a substantial grocery order to pick up in town and Elena has given him a list as long as his arm, in addition to that order. I imagine it will take him a couple of hours to take care of what he needs, so he can drop everyone off and by the time he's done…"

"Now why are my earns burning?" Remington joked, as he strolled into the kitchen, donned in jeans, sweater and ski jacket. He brushed a quick kiss against Laura's lips. They'd had little time alone together since their arrival the morning prior and he was beginning to feel the loss of it.

"I'll be back shortly, in that case," Abigail announced. "I just need to run back to my… guest house… to change. I shouldn't be more than twenty-minutes." Laura lifted her hand and a pair of fingers kneaded her brow. It was the fourth comment Abigail had made that seemed to denote her dissatisfaction with her accommodations.

"We'll see you shortly, then, Mother," Laura replied, forcing a pleasant tone into her voice.

"Change?" Remington queried.

"It goes back to those ears," she sighed. "We're going to take the six girls into town to go skating. We'll need both vehicles."

"Ah, I see. You want me to play chauffeur for your little outing then," he teased, linking his arms around her waist.

"Lena and I will just go make sure the children are dressed and ready to go. We'll be downstairs in fifteen minutes or so," Frances announced, then discretely left the room, Lena following in her wake.

Once they were alone, Laura dropped her hand, huffed a sigh and rested her forehead against Remington's chest. He gave her arms a swift rub with his hands, and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"It's only five days, Laura," he reminded her. He chuckled when she sighed again. "If I can put up with Michael's for eight full days, certainly you tolerate your mother for a mere five."

"Five days!" she groaned. "It's one thing when she's staying with Frances for the holiday, but this—" She raised and dropped a hand. She slowly shook her head, then lifted it to look at him, wearily. "And you like Murphy, so there's no comparison."

"Need I remind you I endured a full year of his insults, suspicions, innuendos and outright accusations?" He frowned. "Not to mention having to tolerate his ongoing attempts to win your affections."

"He's a happily married man, now," she pointed out, "And he likes you, too. It's hardly the same as my mother."

"Unless you consider the sidelong glances he gives me even now," he countered, "Wondering how much longer it will be until I decide this is the day I've tired of this life." His grouse earned a roll of her eyes and a palm lain against his chest.

"He does no such thing. He hasn't questioned your longevity since you… Since I was pregnant with Olivia, and you know it." If Murphy'd had any doubts about Remington's commitment to Laura after he'd seen what her husband had endured when she'd been kidnapped by Roselli, those lingering had been put permanently to bed when Remington had been shot by Anna when he'd wagered his life for Laura's and his unborn child's.

"Four and a half days, love," he reminded her while gathering her closer. "We'll just need to find inventive ways to relieve your tension," he wagged his brows, "Or to create a tension of an entirely different type." He discovered the idea intrigued him, as it could be the answer to his own grievance.

"Mr. Steele, I'm afraid even you aren't that creative," she denounced.

"A challenge?" he asked, his lips lifting in a cheeky smile. "You seem to forget, Mrs. Steele, I'm a man who enjoys an impossible challenge." For the first time since he entered the room, a real smile lit her face and made her eyes sparkle with warmth as she linked her arm around his neck and fingered the ends of his hair.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" she questioned, unable to quash her curiosity.

"I dunno," he admitted. "But we can begin with this…"

He lowered his head and covered her lips with his…