Wendy and Frank leave late and all the kids are yawning as they are ushered up to their beds.
"We can sleep with you and mommy tonight?" Lyra looks hopeful and Tyler seems to latch onto that thought. Even though he's going to be nine in a couple months when he's tired cuddling with his mother is the only thing he wants.
"You three are getting too big to all sleep with us these days." Cam jokes, definitely wanting his wife to himself on christmas night. "Plus I hear Santa doesn't come unless he can verify you're snug in your beds with visions of sugar plums dancing in your heads."
"What's a sugar plum?" Lyra's grinning. "I think I'll dream about more presents."
Cam tickles her and she goes racing off to her room. "Get in bed, little miss thang! I'll be there to tuck you in in a minute."
"You two." He pulls both Tyler and Adria into a hug. "Merry Christmas. Pancakes for breakfast?"
"Sounds good, Dad." Adria squeezes him tight before heading off to her room with a Merry Christmas wished back. She catches her mother on her way up and gives her a hug as well.
Tyler scales up Cam and hugs him around the neck. "I want waffles!"
"Oh do you!" Cam swings him around. He's close to getting to heavy to do that too easily. He's broadening and moving from his ripcord strength to bulk. "You gonna wake up early and help make them?"
"Don't think so." Tyler slides down smiling. Dimples on his cheeks and Cam sees the handsome man that's in his future. "Think I'll sleep in."
"Yeah... On Christmas morning? I bet Lyra has you up and out of bed." Cam ruffles his hair as Vala joins him after getting Addy off to bed. "Tyler here wants waffles for breakfast."
"That sounds doable." Vala pulls her son into her arms and holds him tight. "I love you, my boy. Merry Christmas."
"Love you too, mom." He turns and then adds. "And you too, dad."
Cam puts an arm around Vala. "Love you lots, son." He leads her down to Lyra's room after they watch Tyler's door shut. "She wants to sleep with us tonight... I told her-"
"No, I hope." Vala loops her arm around his waist and the other rests on his front as they head into Lyra's room.
Cam nuzzles her hair, inhaling the scent. The citrus still smells strong even hours later. It brings back memories from the night before and he moans against her ear. "Better believe it."
They both tuck Lyra in, ensuring that she has her favorite blanket, favorite pillow positioned just right, favorite stuffed animal and sippy cup of water beside her bed so she doesn't have to make that long journey into the bathroom if she gets thirsty.
She asks them about a million questions, everything from the logistics of Santa's bag holding the toys she wants and where reindeer come from and how time zones work... Cam and Vala fumble through answers trusting that in a few years when it all makes sense she'll remember the presents not the misleads and not blame them for it.
They finally enforce a last call on questions and then each give her a kiss goodnight and beat a hasty retreat before her little mind comes up with something else to reel them back in.
"You know," Cam says, once their bedroom door is shut. "I don't remember Addy or Tyler asking that many questions. Where do you think she gets it from?"
Vala starts to pull the covers on the bed down. "Too much television?" She gives him a wide, innocent smile.
"Uh huh. Well, she might not ever be as smart as Addy - my genetics slowing her down, I guess - but she's got one hell of a creative mind, so I think she'll do just fine."
Vala's smile dims slightly and Cam realizes he's said something to upset her. She catches the concern on his face and shakes her head, though. "Just thinking of their present to me. I can't believe they did that..."
"Might have been a little soon, though," Cam says.
Vala shrugs, getting under the covers but still sitting up while Cam crosses the room and joins her. She turns so that she's sideways facing him, shoulder leaning against the headboard. Cam angles himself the same way. "Perhaps, but they meant well. And that... makes a difference."
"They love you. You're an amazing mom."
Vala reaches out and takes his hand - just his hand, and Cam lets her set the pace here. "They're amazing children. This entire life... my life... some mornings I still wake up and can't quite believe it's true."
"Need me to start reminding you? Better yet, I can just give Lyra permission to come jump on you 'til you wake up every morning. That's a good reminder," Cam jokes.
She laughs a little and squeezes his hand, then goes back to stroking his fingers along hers. "I appreciate the offer but that's not necessary. Most mornings I can just turn over and look at you."
The look she gives him, eyes so soft and open and full of everything she's feeling, almost takes the wind out of him. Every time he's not sure he can love her any more she looks at him like that and he's falling even deeper.
"The feeling is mutual, baby." He leans in and places a soft kiss on her mouth.
She leans into it, drinking him in, just the sweetness of everything, the way their lips fit perfectly - how she can open her mouth a bit and he'll press forward enough to lock in with her. It's instinct now and it gives her a thrill every time she feels it. So natural, so beautiful. Vala scoots closer, and he slides down pulling her with until she's on top of him slightly, now in control of the kiss - and everything else. It's amazing how well he can read her, feel what she needs. Just placing her in command of tonight with a simple movement of their positions and it's all so clear. He wants to make love but he's willing to just kiss, to just hold her, to provide her with whatever she needs above his own desires.
"I've never met a man like you before..." His shrug makes her grin. "In all my time meeting people, seeing what they really are, tearing down their defenses - you're one of a kind, Cameron Mitchell. I'm glad I held on so tightly."
"You held on, huh?" A kiss on the tip of her nose before falling back to the pillow. "I seem to recall me being on the floor with a ring in my hand while someone else walked away..." He's grinning so she knows he's just joking.
Her laugh is sprinkled with joy. "Well, I couldn't make it too easy on you, now could I? I'm worth it." She cups his face and kisses him again before he can answer. Her tongue pushes in and before long their short of breath and panting for air. It doesn't matter she keeps going, the lack of oxygen making everything more acute.
He moans against her mouth. "Want you, baby..." Unsure if that was something she needed or not but he does, so he tells her.
Vala gives them a break, for a second, hot breath mingling between them as she stays close. "You have me." She smiles big, tears of joy sting her eyes. "You're stuck with me forever."
He plays with a strand of hair that's dangling in his view - twisting and twirling, running the silky lock through his fingers. "I suppose I could have done worse..." He chuckles and pulls her back in to kiss more.
She changes the angle, and her tongue concentrates on his, the feel and heat. She's aroused now and no longer feeling any of the depression from earlier. "I want to be on top tonight..." She kisses the side of his mouth before pulling back and kneeling up, tossing her shirt over her head.
He wants to help but gets caught up just watching just watching her, confident and determined, that look of concentration on her face. He's already getting hard just watching her; she does this to him.
And she knows it. She looks down at him and just sees the want there, sees it and likes it. She presses down more firmly and feels him hardening, feels the way he thrusts back up. His hands cup her breasts and squeeze a little, feeling the fullness and the way the nipples tighten and pucker. She lets out a little whine, a noise of want, and he drops his hands to the small of her back and pulls her forward.
"Think Santa will approve of us being a little bit naughty before we put the presents out?"
Vala laughs, deep and throaty. "Santa has a Mrs. Claus, he knows what's naughty and what's nice... I think making each other feel so good qualifies as nice." She sits back up and tugs impatiently on his shirt until he removes it, and then there's a moment of disengaging where they get rid of their pants and she climbs back onto him. She grasps his cock and positions it how she wants, so that when she sits it's right between them. Her fingers tease at the head as it flushes and the skin goes glossy and tight then damp with pre-come. She loves just watching him like this, teasing him. Her eyes flicker from his cock to his face, but he stays quiet and just lets her play.
She wants to taste him but right now even more she wants him inside of her. She rises on her knees and he reaches down to get his cock just where she needs it, letting go as soon as the head is inside of her. His hands fall to the side, fingers curling just behind her knees as he watches himself disappear into her.
She leans forward and plants her hands on his chest, and starts to move. It's quiet, their bodies coming together, a back and forth that feels both familiar and somehow still as mind blowing as the first time.
Cam's fingers trail up and down her thighs. She's nice and tight and wet and he's enjoying just laying here and letting her make love to him.
"You feel... really good..." She leans in and kisses him loving how full she feels in this position, how she's in control of both of their pleasure and she starts to squeeze tight around him on her way up and his thighs are twitching next to her calves as she does it. The flared head of his cock is rubbing perfectly on the spot so deep inside her. She starts to speed up, sweating and breathing heavier, pecking his lips with hers but just holding her check next to his when she can't kiss him because she's so breathless. She loves the moans and grunts and hot wisps of breath that tickle her ear as the rides him.
Small kisses pepper her check as they both fall into a sensual rhythm. She's increasing her motion and his hips are starting to get into it too, not wanting to leave her heat but wanting the friction of it. His hands are gripping her hips now, just for something to hold onto, a way to get some leverage to push back. He's still letting her control the show.
"Baby, you're so hot." She sits up so she can move better and he captures a nipple in his mouth, sucking and licking. She responds by tightening her grip on his cock and he whines as he lets her breast pop free. "Taste so good..."
"Mmmm... Cameron..." They aren't in this position often enough. She needs to take him like this more often. She feels a rush of arousal flood around him at the thought of more sex. It seems the anticipation has increased the feeling in her belly. Heat and wet and sweat and moans. Glorious sex with her husband. She reaches for his hands, taking them from her hips and locking their fingers together and now she's using the force through his forearm. Their fingers hold each others and it's so intimate the with their palms are flattened together, such a sensitive area being stimulated.
Vala leans forward just slightly and her clit starts getting grazed as she moves. Her thrusts get more shallow and quicker. She's close, so very close.
He can feel her body telling him that she's going to come soon. He pulls their arms up, toward the headboard, and gets his hips into the motion, rocking up into her and really hitting his pubic bone against her clit. She's gasping her pleasure with each stroke and he loves the sound, the scent the feel of her tightening around his cock.
"Come for me baby,"
She moans and grunts and then she's gone. She's murmuring his name as if it's a prayer, sweet and loving and ever so grateful. She's still moving but it's less and yet more and Cam doesn't know how to describe it except fucking amazing. His cock throbs and he follows her over that ledge. He's coming inside her. Deep, hard spurts of cum coating her cunt. Everything is hot and everything is full blown sensations.
He keeps her there while they both come down, bodies locked together intimately. He gives her a breathless grin and says, "Merry Christmas?"
"Better than a cookie," she agrees, wiggling a little in a way that makes him gasp.
Cam glances over at the clock. It's only been about twenty minutes. "They're probably not asleep enough yet, are they?"
Vala makes a face. "Probably not. Adria's still reading under the covers, I'm sure."
"Another half hour?" He suggests. "We'll need to kill some time..."
They both glance over at the remote for the television in their bedroom. Vala beats him to it, using sneaky distraction techniques like being naked.
xxxx
After an hour of cuddling, giggling, and making fun of late night television to keep themselves away they decide enough time has passed and they sneak downstairs.
Cam drinks the milk, Vala eats all the cookies, and they spread out a wide array of presents for each of the kids then sit cross-legged on the floor putting things into the stockings before they re-hang them.
It takes almost an hour to arrange everything just how Vala wants, but finally they head back upstairs and get to sleep.
xxxx
Lyra leans over her fathers face, careful not to breathe too hard or she'll be heard. He's still asleep and it's Christmas morning... She's not supposed to go down to see if Santa came yet and it's absolutely killing her... Maybe he will wake up if she is quiet about asking...
"Daddy..." She whispers, looking around to see if anyone else is awake too. So far no sign of her siblings and she knows her mother sleeps like a log. "Daaaaddddddyyyyyyy..." A little louder and she sees him twitch. She starts just a teeny tiny bit louder. "Daddy..."
Cam cracks one eye and tries not to smile at the adorable face that belongs to his youngest baby. "Pumpkin, what time is it?"
"TIme for Santa?" she giggles and her dad groans. "Dunno, I couldn't sleep, daddy."
Cam understands and he pulls her into his arms. "Too excited huh, princess?"
Wiggling in his arms she giggles and nods. "Wake up mommy?"
"Don't think so, sprite. Gotta let your momma get her sleep. Don't want her cranky today, it's Christmas." Cam kisses Lyra's head. "Ty and Addy up yet?"
Lyra just grins and shrugs."I dunnooooo..."
"Why don't you go check." She pops out of his arms. "Quietly, child." She nods and as silently as possible for her she races off to check on her brother and sister.
He tries to drift back to sleep, but soon enough Lyra is back dragging a very tired looking Tyler behind her. "Tyler is awake."
"He sure looks convincing in his wakefulness, honey." Cam pats the bed and Tyler yawns and happily climbs in, but over on his mother's side. Cameron watches as Vala doesn't even awaken just pulls him against her and he falls back asleep. "Why didn't you get those genes, little one?"
She grins wide. "Cause I'm excited!" There is a squeak after her sentence and it makes Cam grin.
"Well, that's one of two, what about Addy?"
Lyra shakes her head. "She was cranky and told me to go back to bed. That Santa doesn't like too much hyperactivity in the morning."
"Awww, shucks, Lyra. Guess you better just go back to sleep for a bit."
She leans her face on the side of the bed and pouts. "But, daddy, I'm not tired."
"Climb in with dad and just rest for a bit then?" She seems to think that's an okay solution cause she scrambles in and curls up by his chest. Soon Cam hears the door open again and Adria is standing there looking every bit as cranky as Lyra said and Cam lifts his hand beckoning her into their bed too. He's graced with a big, Vala-esque grin and soon the whole family is cuddled under the blankets.
They manage another hour of sleep before Lyra's constant squirming has them all awake and unable to go back to sleep. "Okay, all of you go brush your teeth then meet at the stairs. We can all go down together."
Vala takes Lyra into their bathroom to brush hers and Tyler and Adria race for the hall bathroom.
Five minutes later, there are fresh-breathed children waiting eagerly... even Adria, who is more awake now. Cam glances at Vala. "What do you think, honey? You still sleepy? Think we should wait-"
"Noooooo!" Lyra wails. "Daddy, nooooooo!"
Cam reaches down and musses her already messy bed head. "Okay, go for it."
All three kids take off running downstairs, followed by Cam and Vala holding hands.
They spend half an hour digging through presents, new toys and books and clothes and goodies from Santa. After plenty of pictures to send to the grandparents, Cam and Vala head into the kitchen to make their Christmas morning breakfast of waffles and eggs and bacon that they end up eating off of plates in the living room because none of the kids can part with their new toys for long enough to sit at the kitchen table.
"This is so cool," Adria says for the millionth time, curled up on the couch with her new tablet computer. Lyra is vrooming around the room with her new toy airplane and Tyler runs around spastically reacting to the video game onscreen that he's playing.
"The coolest!" Tyler says, stopping to throw a few punch motion that the game bar reads and translates onscreen. "Dad, you gotta come play me on this, it's awesome!"
"VROOM MOMMY VROOOOM!" Lyra scampers in front of Vala and steals a slice of bacon off the plate, cramming it into her mouth.
"Eat, or Santa will reclaim all of the presents and give them to your mom instead," Cam announces. There's huffing and sighing and whining but once they actually pause in their activities they all realize they're hungry anyway.
After breakfast Vala plays the video game with Tyler, showing him some moves that she definitely didn't learn on this planet that confound the system and rack him up plenty of points. Lyra's moved on to playing with her new kitchen set and Cam takes a seat by Adria on the couch, putting his arm around her. He's glad when she leans into him comfortably. "Whatcha doing there?"
She turns the tablet toward him. "It's a game. It's all about lines and angles and shapes and stuff." She makes a few motions with the stylus and the screen shifts. "See? I beat the level. Wanna try?"
"Maybe if you set it back to beginner," Cam says, grinning. He's not bad at math himself; had to learn it all in order to get to fly the fast planes, but it's been a long time since he was as immersed in it as Adria is. She resets the game and shows him how to play.
It seems like it's still morning when Cam look at his watch so when it says two pm he's surprised. Everyone's been entranced by their new toys and games and it's been fairly calm and quiet. He hears Addy's stomach growl from where she's still curled up against him - fascinating him with how good she is at that game.
"Sounds like it might be lunch time?" His own stomach grumbles it's vote and he kisses Adria's head and then frees himself to go in make them lunch.
Vala's in there with Lyra coloring with her in one of her new books a line up of all her new toys also playing along. He walks over and kisses Lyra on the head and bends over to catch Vala on the mouth. "Baby, what do you want for lunch?"
"MACARONI AND CHEESEEEEEE!" Lyra bursts out.
Cam chuckles, "Wasn't asking you, I know that's what you want." He ruffles her hair while heading to dig out food to make.
"Sandwiches are fine. We had a pretty big breakfast." Lyra is giving her a begging face and her hands are clasped together groveling. "We could have mac and cheese too, I suppose." She grins at her little girl and then tickles her.
The sound of Lyra's fit of laughter brings Tyler in to see what's up. He pops over and helps his mom play the tickle monster and they al end up giggling.
"Hey, slugger, what do you want for lunch?" He just gets a shrug, he's an easy one. He'll down about anything. "Sounds good." Cam pulls out the left overs and starts making turkey and ham sandwiches. heats up some potatoes and puts in a cup of easy mac for Lyra.
Not wanting to feel left out Adria moves from the couch to the kitchen and sits opposite of Lyra so she's not disturbed but still in the family time. "I'll have anything, daddy." She offers not looking up from her game.
"What level are you on, darling?" Vala's curious. Sam recommended that application for Adria and said it would take her some time. But Vala wasn't convinced it would eat up as much of her free time as Sam thought.
"Twenty." Pauses to make another move. "Almost twenty one."
Cam and Vala both share a look over that fact. There are over a hundred levels but she's only been at it for a few hours.
"Are they getting more difficult?" Cam's watching over her shoulder again pausing his lunch preparation.
Adria just shrugs. "I think that they thought that they were when they made it but it's all the same concepts just different ways of looking at things. Sometimes it's harder to see, but so far the actual solving hasn't been too bad."
"Our daughter the genius." Vala gives her a big smile and Cam just shakes his head going back to making lunch.
He's smiling the whole time though. He's imaging himself working side by side with that girl sooner than anyone anticipates. She'll probably graduate from college the same time she graduates High school at this rate.
"She's a smart ass that's for sure."
"Daddy swore!" Lyra points and giggles. But he brings over her mac and cheese and she switches to eating quickly enough that he just lets it drop.
Slowly he passes out lunch plates to everyone. Thanks you's are given as the food is received and he's smiling as he sits next to Vala to eat. Despite everything that's happened to them recently they're still a family. Still strong in the love they have for each other. It makes him smile, hard. He sees Vala grinning back at him, as if she can read his mind. At this point she probably can.
"Yeah," She just replies.
Cam gives her a look and she laughs a bit. The kids all have confused looks but they're mostly used to their parents. "Yeah? What?" He responds.
"We're all pretty great."
"The best, Daddy." Lyra bursts out.
He knows it's true. They are the best. And he wouldn't trade any of it.
The End