Sunday December 22nd, 2019

They picked up the rental car and Ellie drove the back roads home. Castle On The Hill played over the radio, "How fitting." Nick said.

Ellie sang along to the lyrics. "I'm on my way, driving at 90 down those country lanes singing' to Tiny Dancer..."

"That's enough. We said no more singing."

"Party pooper. Besides, we're here." Ellie said as she pulled in front of a house with seven cars already in front of it.

"Holy crap, how many people are here?"

"Well, 3 cars are my parents', and two of my brothers, John and Robert, both have a car, then my oldest brother, George, and his wife, Lizzie, probably drove separately, you know to fit the kids and presents."

"That's not that bad."

"Trust me, in a six bedroom house, we seem a lot larger."

"How many kids does George have?"

"Three, Nora, named after me, she's eleven, Ollie, he's six, and Lukas, he's almost three now."

"Anything else I should know?"

"John has a wife, her name is Mia."

"That's the family tree?"

"Yeah." Ellie smiled opening up the tailgate to the rental car. "It gets easier as you meet them."

"Ok, I'm ready."

Suddenly Ellie realised her whole family would be thinking she was dating someone who she wasn't. "That's good because I'm not sure I am."

"Hey, what's up." Nick rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing, it's just, I'm lying to my family, and I'm just having a moment." Ellie smoothed out the sweater she was wearing to help calm her nerves.

"If it helps, you look cute today." Ellie was wearing black combat boots, dark blue jeans, a black shirt, and a Christmas themed cardigan over it.

"Thank you." Ellie said.

Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It's cold." He said.

Ellie lightly slapped him in the abdomen as they walked up the steps to her family home.

Ellie opened the door and yelled out, "Momma!" three dogs ran and greeted the pair whilst barking.

A young girl ran up to Ellie and hugged her, "Aunt Ellie!"

"Hi, Nora." Ellie hugged the girl. "Where is everyone?"

"They're outside. They made a bonfire. I came in to get whip cream for the hot cocoa. All the dogs followed me."

"I see that." Ellie laughed.

"Who's that?" Nora pointed at Nick.

"That's my…" Ellie hesitated, "boyfriend, Nick."

"You got a boyfriend?" Nora asked shocked.

"You, you're nothing but trouble." Ellie teased her.

Nora ran off to do her assigned task and Ellie led Nick up the stairs. She brought him to the last room of the hallway.

The walls were matte gray, and the whole room was very large. There was a dresser, a bookshelf, a chair, and a full size bed, above the bed was a shelf with two pictures in black and white. The sheets of the bed were white and had a grey duvet cover. There were 8 pillows on the bed, two pink, two white, two grey, and two fluffy throw pillows. Pulling the bed together was a mauve chunky knit blanket at the end of the bed. Next to the bed was a mirror on one side, and her bookshelf on the other. In the corner was a pink belaire modular armless chair. There was a open door the lead into a bathroom. The pink accents around the room gave some personality to the room, but otherwise, it was very basic.

"I haven't touched it since high school." Ellie said.

"No, I like it. A little girly, but I like it."

"You ready to meet my family?" Ellie asked.

"Ready as ever." Nick grabbed her hand and interlocked their pinkies.

As they walked out a set of double doors Ellie directed him towards a large group of people around a bonfire. "Momma!" She yelled out again.

"Elle! Finally decide to show up?" Robbie yelled at her.

"It is 09:00!" Ellie yelled back at them.

"Who's that?" John asked her.

"This is my boyfriend, Nick." Ellie leaned into his shoulder.

"You brought someone?" Barbara asked elated.

"Yes. It's new, but I really love him."

"And I'm just the luckiest person." Nick kissed the top of Ellie's head.

"Hey, I recognise you." George said.

"Me?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, you're the one who said Ellie wasn't your type."

"Oh, yeah." He laughed nervously. "What can I say? Things change."

"When Nick had a death scare a few weeks ago, he realised he couldn't live without me."

"The thought of dying without her was scarier than telling her."

Ellie hugged his side and saved him from her family. "Why don't I show you around?"

"I'd love that."

Ellie led Nick towards the large barn. She opened large sliding barn doors to reveal a ginormous room. "It smells."

"Shut it." Ellie crouched down to pet a cat that was rubbing on her leg. "This is Smokey. I found her on the side of the road when I was back for Christmas senior year of college, so she's around eleven."

"How many cats are in here?" Nick mused.

"That full grown orange tabby is Oscar, but the rest are babies. You're not really supposed to name barn cats, but I'm sure the kids have anyways." Ellie said.

"That's nice." Nick walked by a stall, and a carmel head of a horse with a white stripe down the middle popped out; Nick jumped back.

"Calm down, that's just Meadow." Ellie scratched the nose of the large Palomino horse. "I still remember the day I met her. I was 14, and I had gotten pneumonia, and my parents told me I could have whatever I wanted. We already had cows, sheep, chickens, and all sorts of animals, but I wanted a horse. I told my Dad, I said, 'I want a horse, and only a horse.' so when the neighbors' horse had a filly I immediately went to see her. I fell in love with her; Even though she could barely stand, much less walk, she was just, perfect."

Nick held his hand out to let the animal smell him. He gently pet her platinum mane. "She's blonde, like you. Ya know, she's not that bad."

"I told you." Ellie said bumping her shoulder into his.

"And who's that?" Nick said pointing to a black horse behind her.

"This, this is Diesel." Ellie turned to the horse. "He's young. When Nora turned 3 all she wanted was a unicorn, so my mom and dad bought her a horse and strapped a horn to him." Ellie ran her hand down the horses braided mane. "It looks like she's already seem him."

"What's with this one? It looks like someone put it in the dryer." Nick pet the Shetland's head.

Ellie burst out in laughter. "It's a mini." She leaned her back up against his chest. "We got her 2 years ago. I don't remember why, we just decided that we should give her a home." She pet the tan and white small horse.

"Who's in there with her?" Nick pointed at a dog with long, black hair over most of her body and brown on her stomach and nose.

"That's Winnie. She's only three, we rescued her from an abusive home this summer. She took to Echo immediately."

"That's sweet."

"Animals are amazing therapy to each other."

"And last, but not least, that?" Nick gestured towards a cow.

"That's Bessie. We used to have more, but they've passed. We're really just waiting for her to go," Ellie motioned the large animal to the gate so she could pet her. "but she's still kicking. Right, sweets."

She opened the gate and led the animal to the pasture next to the barn. She then repeated the process with all three horses. She gave them hay and made sure their troughs were full. "Wanna go meet the chickens?"

"Why not?"

Ellie led him to a large coop with a dog sleeping outside it. "That's Duck, the australian cattle dog, and these are the chickens."

"The dog's name is Duck?"

"Yes."

"Is he always by the chickens?"

"Yeah. He's named himself their protector."

"Duck protects the chickens."

Ellie laughed at him. "Yes. Want to go on a walk?" She asked.

"Sure."

Ellie interlocked their pinkies again and led him to a trail into the woods.

They walked through the snow covered trail for 30 minutes. "How long is this thing?" Nick asked.

"We're almost home, about 15 minutes."

They continued walking and Ellie slipped on a piece of ice. She grabbed Nick's hand and he moved to keep her from falling. Luckily, she caught her balance, but she twisted her ankle. "Ow, Nick, fuck! I don't think I can walk." Ellie gritted her teeth.

"Here, sit down on this stoop." Nick helped her hobble over to a stoop and sit down. "Let me look at it."

"Okay." Ellie said.

Nick carefully untied her combat boot and slipped it off. He studiously examined her ankle. When he slightly shifted it to the side she let out a loud hiss. "You sprained it, Elle."

"Because you're a doctor."

"No, but I know what a sprain looks like and you are not walking." Nick slipped on the black boot and tied her laces.

"How are we supposed to get home?"

"How far are we?"

"Like seven minutes."

"Stand up."

Ellie did as she was told and stood to her feet. Nick took her arm and draped it across his shoulder before picking her up and carrying her bridal style. Ellie let out a squeal. "Nick, no. Stop." She kept laughing. Nick looked down at her gorgeous smile. "You are not carrying me all the way home."

"Yes, I am, and you don't have something to say about it."

Ellie kept squirming in his arms, but he didn't give in, "Fine." and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Your breath is warm." Nick said. "I can feel it on my neck."

"Is that a good thing?"

"I'm so cold I can't feel any part of my body but my neck, so, yes, it is a good thing."

"Thank you, I guess." Ellie laughed.

'Her laugh is going to kill me.' was the only thing Nick was thinking.

They reached the end of the path and emerged from the woods. Nick carried Ellie to the bonfire, and sat her down in a lawn chair. "She slipped on ice on the trail. I think I'm going to take her to an urgent care."

"That's unnecessary. I'm fine, really." Ellie said.

"I just carried you for ten minutes, you're going."

"Let him take you, Eleanore. He's just looking out for you." Barbara chimed in.

Ellie did, in fact, have a sprained ankle. The doctors put her in a brace, gave her crutches, and let her go.

"I told you, it was nothing."

"B, you are on crutches. You can barely walk."

"I don't need these."

"You look like what I imagine Meadow looked like when you first met her."

"Shut it and help me into the car."

Nick lifted her small body into the truck, and threw her crutches in the bed before starting the truck and driving her home.

When they pulled in front of the house, Nick got her crutches from the bed and helped her out of the truck.

"Can you make it to the house?" Nick asked.

"Yes, Nick. I don't need you to be on top of me. I appreciate what you're doing for me with my family, but back off."

"Elle, come on."

"No, Nick, I don't need you." Ellie started wobbling to the house.

Nick ran and caught up to her. "You hurt yourself, B, and I care about you, so, yes, I am going to be hovering over you."

"Don't act like your doing this for me. I know you're just trying to seem like the doting boyfriend in front of my mom."

"I haven't thought about your mom for one moment. Your- your my…" He hated this word. "partner, Ellie, and the thought of you in pain is like a nightmare."

Ellie quickly wiped away the tear forming in her eye. "Nick," She rested her right hand on his face. "thank you, but I'm fine, really. I can't even feel it anymore."

Nick wrapped his hands around her waist, "That's good because I remember being promised a fireplace." He teased.

The pair walked in the door, Ellie only needing a hand to get up the stairs. The family greeted the two when they walked in.

"Elle, honey, what happened?" Her dad asked.

"It's nothing really."

"Just a sprain." Nick informed them.

"'Just a sprain'?" John asked.

"You let our little sister sprain her ankle and that's all you have to say?" Rob said.

"It's our job to protect her, and if that's all you have to say then I'm afraid you can't be with her." George said.

"Guys, stop" Ellie really wished they'd just let her have a love life.

"No, Ellie, it's our job to protect you, and this guy clearly doesn't know how special you are."

"I mean no disrespect, but anyone who couldn't see how amazing she is would have to be blind. I've been in love with her for years, and, as her partner, I've always had her back, with whatever she needed. If that's not enough for you, I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving, now or ever."

All three brothers shared a look before applauding. "Bravo!" Rob shouted.

"Did I- Did I miss something?" Nick asked.

"I'm sorry." Ellie said.

"What is happening?"

"It's a Bishop family tradition." Barbara explained.

"The brothers have to test their sisters' significant other's love." Her dad explained.

"It's not our kindest tradition." Ellie mumbled.

"Well, pretty boy passed with flying colors." John said.

"I'll take that." Nick laughed. "Just to make sure, I'm good, right?"

"You're great, honey." Ellie said.

The rest of the day was spent with the family getting to know Nick, and catching up with each other. Ellie and Nick got kicked out of the kitchen on account of being terrible cooks, and were instead left to entertain the kids.

"Aunt Ellie?" Ollie turned to her.

"Yes, Ollie?"

"Is Nick like your Prince Eric like in Ariel?"

"Kind of."

"Except your Aunt Ellie talks. Trust me." Nick said.

"Kids, come to dinner!" Lizzie shouted the dining room.

Nick and Ellie herded the crowd into the dining room at the table.

"I'm exhausted." Ellie told her family.

"Me too." Nick said. Ellie was cuddled into his side, and his hand was around her shoulder.

"Do you wanna go upstairs?" She asked him.

"Yeah, it's getting late."

Ellie shifted away from him and he stood up from the couch, "Help me up." Nick held out his hand and she grabbed it.

They walked up the stairs and into Ellie's bedroom. "I'll change in the bathroom." Nick said. Ellie rummaged through her bag and grabbed dark grey joggers and a matching loose-fitting cropped tank top.

She quickly changed and climbed into the bed under the covers. Nick walked out kin just shorts and climbed into bed next to her, "I'm cold." Ellie complained.

Nick snaked his arm between the bed and Ellie's back and grasped her small waist.

"That's better." Ellie rolled into him, onto her stomach, and layed her head on his shoulder.

"Warm now?" Nick asked as he lightly drew circles on the strip of exposed skin on her back with his thumb.

"Very." She rested her hand on his chest.

"Who's the one not on their side of the bed now?" Nick teased.

"Be quiet, I'm sleeping." Ellie mumbled.

"Goodnight, my love." Nick whispered.

Ellie hummed in response. Nick took that as a 'goodnight' and drifted off to sleep.