A/N: Twenty-five already! I'm still not really happy with this, but I'm going on a trip soon and schools getting hazy soon, so I wanted to get this out. SOrry for the long wait. Next one will probably be at the end of May (I'm terrible, I know D:) I'd like to thank everybody for the reviews and I'll comment on them at the bottom as to not clog this up here. Please leave reviews. They are responsible for my dopey smiles on the bus after a tough day. And thank you to anyone who reads this fic :)
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Chapter Twenty-Five – A Sentiment For Blankets
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"Good morning, Louella."
She curled up further into the cocoon she slept in with a scrunched up face. James brushed wild fringes of hair from her face, until she turned around with a dummy silenced mumble. Louella had slept exceptionally long that morning, which James was grateful for, but at half past eight he was determined to wake her up.
He shook her again, "Hey, Lou, you'll miss Christmas if you keep on sleeping."
This time she turned back around and tried to mumble actual words.
"I can't understand you. Did you say you want to get up and have some fun?"
Louella blinked her eyes open. James thought he had won for a moment, but she shook her head no and hid under the blanket.
"Alright, up we go." He lifted her out of bed with the blanket. The whole thing was a warm bundle that fell over his shoulders. Her sleepy head poked out at the top. After a moment of lazy blinks Louella rested her head against his blanket paded shoulder as if she would have never been removed from the comfort of her bed.
"Nooo," she groaned when James unwrapped the blanket and sat her down at the kitchen table, "Daddy!"
James had to bite down a laugh at the uneffective glare she attempted with rheumy eyes. "Yeah, try that with someone else."
She glared twice as hard.
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James didn't even blink when Louella hit herself in the cheek with her toothbrush. She seemed more upset about it. Louella stared up at him with wide eyes and a frozen body. She looked like she had just sobered up from sleep. She wiped her cheek with the palm of her hand.
"Not on the nightdr-" he was too late, the white paste already smeared on her fabric covered stomach. James sighed. It was a bit more dirty laundry.
After washing her mouth out and cleaning her sticky hands and face Louella beamed up at him, brilliant white smile. She went serious not a minute later and stated, "Daddy, we needs to put on clothes. It late alweady."
Flawless logic, his mind whispered in a sarcastic voice. He would never understand how her mind worked, but he could follow her around and see where it traveled.
Louella stared at the contents of her closet. She pondered, or at least seemed to, before she chose a blue dress. She did not yet understand the conceot of christmas-y colours and if James was honest he didn't give a rat's ass about tradition. Christmas was just another day among the others. This year he did have it off and there was a tree with presents underneath it downstairs. It didn't mean anything. The only thing it spoke of was his desire to give his daughter a normal childhood, double-oh or not.
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"Pwesents, pwesents!" Louella practically ran around the first floor when she finally realised today was the day she would get to open those colorful boxes that sat under the Christmas tree. It felt like an eternity to her since she had made her own with the help of Mary-Jo.
Nine different sized presents were splayed out on the floor. James ordered them by nametags, which enede up with Louella having six boxes infront of herself. He was surprised he had gotten a whole three.
"Now?" she asked with her fingers wrapped around golden strings.
"Now, but careful."
Louella tugged and gently tore the paper. The first gift was from her father. She fumbled with the box for a while, but got it open and stared puzzled at the thing in her hands. It was a globe, half the size of her own head, with little houses, people and monuments inside that represented different parts of the world. He had found it in Marocco.
"Shake it."
She did and was immediately in awe. Tiny rainbow coloured particle rain floated trough the gel inside. James had wanted to give her something that captured the naïve hope she had for the world. He may hunt for international criminals on a daily basis, but James had not only seen terrible things in the world. There were tons of friendy civilians and sunshine for every bad guy out there. He might have lost his faith due to his blood coated hands, but he could gift it to someone else.
James was pleased she liked it. "Are you going to open your other presents too or should we just leave them?"
Louella hailed all of her shiny boxes closer. If the first one had been this great, what would be in the others? She selected a slim green box next. The tag said: from Mary-Jo&Q. James wondered what the two had come up with.
The wrapping revealed a folded piece of paper and a display. Louella stared at the two things in confusion, "What is this?"
James open the paper and read out loud:
"Dear Louella. I know how you always wonder when Daddy will come home. So, I asked Q to help me out with a simplified version of a clock. I hope you like it.
Love, Mary-Jo (and Q even though he won't admit he's smitten with you)
Ps. The thing is unbreakable, unless you give it to your father."
He rolled his eyes at the last addition, which was obviously Q's doing. James looked for the on button and the upper half of the display lit up with purple and green lights. This clock works with dates, time, symbols and colours. Set time. James set it and a second message in orange and blue popped up on the lower one. Merry Christmas. Mary-Jo will further instruct you when she returns.
Louella poked the display with caution, "Weiwd."
"You stole my words." James set it next to the television and let her rip open the next gift.
She held a bright turquoise dress in her hands that could only be Eve's choice. The tag had greetings from Tanner too and the words gotta start training her early on scribbled on it.
"I wanna put it on now. Pwease?"
James helped her change and snapped a picture for Eve. She'd pester him for it sooner or later anyway. He spotted a gift from her in his own pile too. James unwrapped it without tearing the paper while Louella danced arounf in her new dress. Eve had even taken into consideration how it spun. For James she had bought a new orange scarf. The woman couldn't be saved. Bright colours must've been imbedded in her DNA.
M had given Louella a knitted, stuffed, royal blue and white panda. Louella nestled herself on the couch with it later on to watch a movie.
She received a second gift from both her father and Mary-Jo. Both had bought her a book, although different ones (luckily). Louella stashed them in her room before she ate banana pudding with a never-ending happy babble.
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James was tired by the time Louella settled down and fell asleep. He crumpled all the wrapping paper and attempted to toss them into the trash bin. None of them missed. He yawned and plopped down on the couch. His other two presents lay still on the coffee table next to the orange scarf. He turned onto his side and reached out for the first.
It had a card from Louella attached to it. He didn't know what it represnted, but she had obviously made a great effort to draw something specific. Maybe he could ask Mary-Jo later on. The actual gift was decorated picture frame with a photo of himself and Louella he didn't recognize. He set it down on the table and grabbed the last box.
It was labeled with Family gift. I have too much time on my hands. It was a soft and big thing. The paper ripped under the pressure of his fingers. He tore off the rest to reveal a large, fluffy throw blanket. He was glad nobody saw him unfold the bundle and hold it up in the air with all four of his limbs to see the patterns. I AM A BOND in white capital letters stretched across it in two rows. The woman did have too much time on her hands.
James threw away the rest of the wrapping paper and decided to go to bed. He tcked the throw blanket around Louella before he crashed into his own bed and fell into a sound sleep.
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A/N 2: Yeah, so I hope you all liked it. Now to the lovely reviewers :)
BloodLily16 - Still a while until then. I'll figure something out ;)
BelieverofManyThings - Thank you. It took me quite some time to write, but I was pretty happy with the end result.
sparkles321 - I'm really flattered :) Thanks a lot! I remember the feeling of heavy eyes, but not wanting to quit reading even though I haven't gotten the chance to do so in some time now. I've read your story and hope you keep on writing! I really can't recommend a better hobby. Good luck with it. As for the young Bond series I've read half of the first book in Finnish on the train once. i'd like to read them all at some point, but my list of books is miles long. And believe me when I say I've got a few (hopefully) pleasing things in mind. For the moment I have to figure out how to get there.
JFJD - I was really nervous about the presents. I hope you did like them...
Wasser1 - Thanks :) I think I like writing material that possibly be used for black mail by Eve etc. later on the best. It's just so much fun.
Amy - Thank you for the many long reviews :D I'm still here (though slow). I can't remember where I got the idea from, but I somehow imagined he'd dread such occasions and wouldn't go unless M made him. ANd then the funny scenes just kept popping up in my mind and I couldn't not write it. I'm glad everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I do hope you did like Christmas, even if I didn't mention any snow. It's funny 'cause there's about to be leaves on the trees here.
Morwenlthil - I love to hear that! I'm always frightened he'll turn out too OOC. It's not a situation he would normally be presented with, so it's hard to figure out all the reactions and stuff. I'm glad you enjoy this and are still reading despite the almost month long wait. I try my best to update.
DatAss-inoRoyale - *bows* Thank you. I may or may not have chuckled at your name ;)