Our First Christmas

Chapter 2: Coming Home

Disclaimer: I do not own GI Joe.

Conrad stared out his window, watching the sun setting over the city surrounding the Shannon airport. The pilot would land any moment. He glanced over at Shauna. She had been awake up until a few hours ago, brimming with excitement. It was contagious; he was really beginning to look forward to spending Christmas here. It would be interesting to see his wife immerse herself in the Irish culture. Atlanta was home because her family was there but her heart belonged to this country as much as it belonged to America. He wondered if they'd be here long enough for the lilt to come into her voice as it had the last time they'd visited. They'd grown so close then; he hoped the same would hold true for this visit.

He brushed a kiss across her forehead, waking her up. She stretched, "We there?"

"Pilot's about to make his final descent."

"Did you sleep?"

He nodded, "Some. I'm glad you did, you're the one who's going to have to drive all the way to Clare."

She shrugged, "It'll be fine. I've made the trip in the dark plenty of times." She tilted her head to one side, "We're you thinking of last time?" She asked, concerned

"I was, mostly the good times we shared."

"Not what led up to us coming?"

He sighed, wishing she hadn't brought that up, "It crossed my mind a time or two, but no, I wasn't focusing on lost battles, near death experiences, or anything remotely negative. I was thinking how much I'll enjoy spending time with you."

"We did win the battle, you know."

"So you told me."

"You know Christmas is a big deal here, right?"

He laughed, "How could I not, you briefed me the first three hours of the flight. By now the cottage should be cleaned, inside and out, a Christmas cake should have been started weeks ago, we'll need to get a tree, lights, and ornaments as trees are a modern custom and no one has lived in the house since they've become popular. What else?" He pretended to be lost in thought, grinning as she rolled her eyes, "We'll have to make sure there are candles for windows, when we go into town we'll have to get gifts for the family, stockings will be a mix of American and Irish customs, we'll be expected to attend midnight mass, Christmas afternoon supper with the family, soccer games can be watched in the pub on St. Stevens Day, which is the day after, and there's some weird custom involving a group of boys and a wren that sounds suspiciously like Halloween, kids are just soliciting for money rather than candy." He grinned shamelessly, "How I'd do, professor?"

She smacked him hard in the arm, "Oww…" he laughed "If this is going to become habit of yours I'll have to start wearing body armor!"

"Jerk!" she exclaimed, screwing up her face to pretend annoyance

"But you love me anyways."

"Lord help me, but I do."

Later they pulled into the street, which she had reminded her husband earlier was the American equivalent of a driveway. She took a moment to look at the cottage out the windshield, through the dark and rain. The lights were on; her cousin Mica was probably waiting to welcome them home. She always experienced a fierce rush of pride when she returned after being away. This was hers she thought. She hadn't built it with her own hands but she'd cared for it, nurtured it, and in doing so had restored her soul and given herself a place of her own, apart from her father and her brothers. This was all hers and she'd succeeded in making it a home. Now it was a home she would share with a husband.

She looked up at the stars, just starting to shine through the clouds and slowing rain, "I'm home mom, and I brought my husband with me." She grinned, the newly married feeling was still running high in her veins, bringing on bouts of random giddiness when she thought back on her recent marriage.

She smiled, this was going to be the best Christmas of her life, she just knew it. She leaned over and kissed her husband awake. "Hey, we're here."

"Mmm….you know I think I'm good right here." He replied as he returned her kiss.

She grinned as he pulled her closer, "Mmm…maybe you are but if Mica has to watch us make out I think he'll come down and drag you out of the car."

"Hey, he knows we're married. And he liked me well enough before."

She laughed, "Come on, the sooner we go in, the sooner we can thank Mica for opening up the cottage and send him on his way."

"What's he doing here anyway?" Conrad asked, grabbing a bag from the back

"Irish hospitality. All I had to do was call Gran and tell her we were coming. She'll have made sure we were greeted with a whistling tea pot, an open tin of biscuits, and knowing me, breakfast in the fridge."

"Praise be, I don't think I'll be up to a cooking lesson in the morning and I'm relieved I won't have to choose between attempting to teach you to cook and going hungry."

She rolled her eyes, "What are you going to tease me about after I learn to cook?"

He grinned shamelessly, "Considering that's a long way off I've got time to think of something!"

She glared and just shook her head. "For that, I oughta force you to eat my cooking."

"I take it back, I take it back!"

"Will ye be comin' in sometime or standin' out in the cold arguin'?"

"Mica!" Shauna dropped her bag on the muddy ground and leapt into her cousin's waiting arms. He swung her around and then held her tightly.

"Ah, lass, happy I am to be seein' you."

"I've missed you, Mica! I've missed you so much!"

"You're home now."

Conrad grabbed Shauna's bag and stepped into the cozy kitchen and closed the door, "Hey, what about me? Don't I at least get a hello?"

Mica let out a big rolling laugh, "Conrad, it's good to be seein' you as well!" Mica grabbed Conrad in a quick bear hug and slapped him on the back. "I was sorry I couldn't be at the wedding but Gran's been showing the pictures to everyone she can so I almost feel as if I had been there."

"I'm surprised Da hasn't sent the video yet."

"When he does I'm sure Gran will find a way to have it shown in the pub for all the village to see."

"Maybe she'll be content just to see us for herself and know we're happy."

Mica grinned, "Oh, she'll want that as well. She made sure I'd be here when you arrived." He poured tea from a whistling pot and laced it generously with good Irish. "It'll take the chill off. I brought fresh eggs and a tea cake from Kate, Ma brought along enough food to keep you filled for a few days."

Conrad nodded gratefully, "Thanks, and tell your sister and your mother thank you. It should be enough to last us while we settle in. I'm teaching Shauna to cook."

Mica chocked on his tea, "Oh?"

Shauna slapped her cup down, "Why is it that everyone thinks it's such a big deal that I'm learning to cook? Is my cooking really that bad?"

Mica looked at Conrad, "Don't answer that boyo."

"By the time we're finished, Shauna will be a world class cook."

"Oh, ho, does that mean you're telling me you're such a fine cook yourself?"

"A friend of ours is helping out with the lessons, and he is the best chef on the planet."

"Well, we'll see won't we?"

"Mica, don't you have cows that need to be milked or something?"

"Lass, have you been away so long you've forgotten we Irish pride ourselves on our hospitality?" Mica slapped his hand over his heart in a mocking attempt to look wounded

"You are not a guest, Mica, your family. And at the moment, a nuisance."

He stood up, "Fine, fine, I know when I'm not wanted." He brushed her cheek, " 'Night lass, it's good to have you back."

She smiled and hugged him close, "Thank you for the welcome, Mica. We'll see you tomorrow."

Mica grinned, "So soon? And here I was thinking this was your honeymoon?" He ducked as Shauna swatted at him.

They watched from the kitchen window until he was out of sight across the fields, "Will he be okay getting home?"

"Mica's walked from here to his farm since he was a child coming to visit our aunt. He was a favorite of hers."

"So why did you get the cottage and not Mica?"

"Mica has a house at the farm and there is where he's happy. Our aunt wanted to make sure I had a place here among my mother's people so I could come and go as I pleased, remaining part of the family."

"It amazes me that you haven't been here in years and now that your back it's as if no time has passed at all. No awkward moments, no uncomfortableness, just a warm welcome."

"That's Ireland & that's family. You're part of it now."

He hugged her close, "I'm glad." She yawned and he chuckled, "It's been a long day. Longer for you since insisted on driving the whole way."

She snuggled close, "I've made the trip plenty of times in the rain and dark. You haven't and you're not used to driving on the wrong side of the road."

He picked her up, "Maybe I didn't remember exactly how to get here…but I do remember how to get to the bedroom."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So what are you waiting on?" She pressed her lips against his and sighed, "Suddenly I don't feel so tired."

He kissed her again as he walked up the stairs, "No?"

"No. I'm actually beginning to feel quite energized."

"Well, let's put the new found energy to good use."

"Mmm…what did you have in mind?"

"Why don't I show I you?"

They made love by firelight and drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.