Here's update #2! I just finished it! I'm sorry for the delay. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
Downton Abbey
1 PM
Sybil descended the stairs quickly, wanting to enjoy the next hour or so talking with her family. She had just put both Rory and Moira down for a nap as the family, minus Tom and Cora, was going to St. Edwin's in the village for church services later.
Entering the library, she smiled warmly at her husband. He patted the seat next to him and held up a cup of tea. Sybil rushed over, sat down, and kissed her husband lightly on the lips.
Taking the cup of tea from Tom, she said, "Thank you, darling."
Tom grinned. "You're very welcome, love."
Edith sat down across from her younger sister. "Did the kids go down easily?"
Her sister sighed. "They did, though I had to put them on our bed. It was the only way Moira would take a nap. When Rory saw her there, he wanted to sleep on the bed as well. I had to place pillows around them on the floor, but they fell asleep after that."
Reaching for an item on the coffee table, Sybil continued, "Which reminds me. I need to put the baby monitor on."
She switched it on and placed it back on the table. Mary sat down across from Tom at that moment.
"What are the plans for this evening? I know Tom and mum are staying here to make dinner while we're at the children's service. But what about after dinner? Will we open any gifts?"
"Well," Aislinn said, "I thought we could do what we did as children. Our parents would allow us to open one gift on Christmas Eve. However, I don't know if you did things differently?"
Cora smiled at Tom's sister. "We did that with Mary, Edith, and Sybil. It was the only way to have a quiet Christmas Eve. It placated them until Christmas morning."
Everyone chuckled at that, knowing how the three sisters could be. Robert took the open seat next to Sybil and wrapped an arm around her.
"I love the holidays even more now that I have grandchildren. Moira reminds me so much of this one," he said as he gestured toward Sybil.
"I know," replied Cora. "She's very sweet and she adores her brother."
Sybil and Tom laughed. "That is true, though they do have their moments. Like when they fought over Aislinn's engagement ring."
Everyone cracked up laughing. The story of how Matthew proposed and the role Moira and Rory played in the proposal had spread quickly through the family. It would definitely be a tale repeatedly mentioned in the years to come.
The adults continued talking for another forty-five minutes when they heard noise coming from the baby monitor.
"Looks like the children are stirring," remarked Tom.
Sybil began to rise from her seat, but her husband halted her.
"I'll get them, love."
Tom rose and went upstairs to his waking children. When she heard him enter their room, Sybil shut off the baby monitor. Robert turned at that moment and saw the Nativity set he had set up earlier. He noticed that something was off.
"What happened to the sheep?" he asked.
"What?" Cora asked, confused.
"The sheep from the Nativity. There's one missing."
Aislinn, Edith, and Matthew began to chuckle. Edith looked at her cousin and his fiancée and asked, "Do you think she took it?"
"Yes," replied Aislinn.
"Robert looked amongst the three chuckling adults and asked, "Who?"
"Moira," they replied in unison.
Matthew, still chuckling, decided to further explain. "Moira was fascinated with the Nativity, especially the sheep. She was giving them names earlier."
Ten minutes later, Tom returned to the library with Rory in his arms and Moira holding his hand. There was a white object in her free hand. Robert smirked.
"Moira," he called out to her. "Can you come over here?"
The little girl scrambled over to her grandfather and hopped onto his lap. "Hi Grampy!"
"Hello, darling. What do you have in your hand?"
Lifting her hand, she showed him. "The sheep! His name is Cuddles."
The adults chuckled, amused with the name Moira gave the Nativity sheep. Edith then rose from the couch and went over to the Christmas tree the family had put up in the corner of the library. She grabbed a package wrapped in Frozen wrapping paper and returned to her seat.
"I know we usually open a gift after dinner, but considering Moira's love of the Nativity set, I thought maybe she should open this right now."
Edith beckoned her niece over. Moira ran over to her aunt and happily accepted the gift.
"Mumma," she said, "can I open it?"
Sybil smiled. "Yes, darling."
With that, the three year old eagerly tore into her present. When she saw what was under the wrapping, she gasped.
"Oh!" Moira exclaimed. "It's Snoopy!"
She held up the package, showing off her very own Peanuts Nativity Set.
"Can I open it? Can I open it?" she excitedly asked.
Tom grinned at his daughter's eagerness. "Yes, but first you need to put Cuddles back with Grampy's Nativity."
Moira pouted. "Do I have to?"
"You do if you want to open your Nativity set," replied Sybil.
The little girl huffed and slowly walked toward the Nativity. She carefully put Cuddles back and returned to her family and her Nativity. Tom then assisted Nora with opening up her Nativity.
Once all the pieces were free, Moira began to play with them. She immediately took to Snoopy, who was the sheep in the set.
"Cuddly Snoopy," Moira called him as she began to play with the piece.
The family members grinned at the little girl. It was moments like these that made Christmas special.