AN: I do not own Cloverton's "A Hallelujah Christmas" or Idina Menzel and Michael Bubble's cover of "Baby It's Cold Outside". Also, obviously I still don't own Supernatural.
Also, early Merry Christmas everybody!
Hannah didn't feel like getting out of the bed that morning. It was soft and warm and smelt like Sam. She inhaled soaking in the cloves of his after shave.
She was sleeping more. Was needing sleep more. Maybe not as much as your average human, but at least two or three hours a night, sometimes more. Especially if she was dreaming.
Sam walked back into the room and leaned over Hannah gently shaking. "Honey, I've stalled as long as I can. The kids have figured out it's the day before Christmas and we have a doctor's appointment in half an hour. "
Hannah rolled over, stretching. "I had dreams last night." She told him.
Sam stood there, leaned over her. "You've been dreaming?"
"Sometimes." Hannah told him.
"What have you been dreaming about?" Sam asked.
"About the her." Hannah told him, weaving her hand into his, "About the baby."
Intrigued, Sam monetarily forgot that they had a deadline. "What does she look like?"
"She looks a little different everything." Hannah told her, "One time she has your smile, the next she'll have mine. Sometimes my noise, sometimes yours."
Sam chuckled. "That poor kid." It wasn't that he thought he had a bad noise, he just wasn't sure how it would look on a feminine face.
"I like your nose." Hannah responded, "Sometimes her eyes will be brown, sometimes blue. One time she had one of each, what's that thing called again?"
"Heterochromia." Sam answered.
Hannah opened her eye mouth, sighing. "Heterochromia."
Meanwhile Rawls walked back up to his apartment, with a small purple carrier in his hand, that was currently mewing. Or rather, what was inside it was mewing.
"Sssh." He hissed, putting a finger to his lip, "You're going to get us caught."
The tiny Sealpoint Siamese mix inside the carrier just stared at him.
Rawls didn't know who he though was going to catch him. Serena Joy was at work. And didn't live in his building. He guessed he was just nervous. He wanted this to go perfect.
After looking through his peephole in case Elsbeth was seeing a client, he saw everything was clear, the girls playing with their dolls in the floor while Elsbeth cleaned her brushes, Rawls opened the door. "It's alright, it's me."
The girls looked at the carrier curiously as he walked past with the carrier. "What's that?" Scarlet asked.
Rawls circle back and sat the carrier down on the coffee table. "This," He began, opening the carrier and carefully pulling out the kitten, "Is what I'm getting Miss Serena for Christmas."
The girls oohed and awed at the kitten.
"But I thought you were getting that backing stuff?" Venessa asked, looking perplexed.
"Yes, I am, but," Rawls began, "I got this because I'm going to use it to ask her to marry me."
Meanwhile, in Missouri, Maudie was sitting on the bench by her Grandmother's vanity, as a woman who sort of looked like her Mommy but older, with slight wrinkles around her eyes, her pale blonde hair done back in a lose bun, put something clear and slick and nice tasting on Maudie's lips.
"There we go." Francis McCarthy declared in English accent, satisfied with her work, "Pretty as a picture." She stood off and started working on her hair. "Now, just give Grandma a few minutes and we'll go meet your Great Grandma."
"What's a Great Grandma?" Maudie asked.
Francis thought a moment. It had been a hot minute since she had to explain something to a toddler. "She's your Grandpa's Mum."
"Grandpa's Mommy?" Maudie asked.
"Mmm-mmm." Francis nodded.
"What about your Mommy?" Maudie asked.
Francis froze. "Well, me and my Mum, you see," She began to sit down, "We don't exactly get on…"
Francis Edwards McCarthy came from a family of Atheists. Like, the kind of Atheists that try to convert everyone they meet by belittling and mocking them. They also had sense of British superiority that would seem more in pace during the America Revolution. Needlessly to say, they did not take kindly to Francis converting and eloping with a Yank Missionary. She and Joshua had tried to make it work, but her family had made it plain over the year that had no desire for any kind of reconciliation.
"Oh, Grandma." The toddler lamented, wrapping her arms around her waist.
Francis leaned in, hugging her back. "It's alright, love. I learn to deal with it a long time ago." He put her hands on either side of Maudie's face, "Besides, I have your Grandpa and your Mummy, and your Aunt Ester and a couple of good friends that are like family."
Still Maudie thought if she didn't get on with her Mommy, she'd be very sad. "I love you Grandma." She told her.
Francis kissed Maudie on the forehead. "I love you, too, sweetheart."
Back in Lebanon, the Winchesters had just finished with their appointment. The baby was fine, but Hannah was slightly aminic, apparently. Nothing liver once a day wouldn't fix. Also, no heavy lifting now, not even the boys.
As everyone went back inside, Sam couldn't shake feeling of the being watch, so he turned around, one hand ready to take out his gun. Yes, he still went everywhere armed.
"Sam?" Hannah asked, turning around, when she realized he wasn't following them in.
"I'll be in a second." Sam assured him, "Just need to check on something."
Sam created forward, pulling the gun out as he got closer to the trees by the side of the bunker. Suddenly a figure stepped out behind the trees and Sam realized it was their new angelic associate.
"Dammitt, Tabbris!" Sam snapped as they both let out breaths, "What are you trying to do? What are you even doing here? I thought you already had your 'monthly check in'." Sam honestly wasn't sure how he felt about the idea, but with the de aging out there now, it kept the other angels off their backs, and their other secret safe. Plus, Tabbris was the only who had information about Nephilim pregnancies that didn't come from a book. Well, not the only one, but Abigail wasn't exactly reaching out to anyone and after what she had to Sam last time, he was fine with that.
"I did, but—" Tabbris began awkwardly, then just came out with it, "I finally got into contact with Abigail face to face actually, and I—I did something I probably shouldn't have—I told her you're having a girl, but she—" He pulled out a little bouquet made of pink flowers and something that reminded Sam of a dandelion, gone to seed, surrounded by green leafy plants and tied up in a while lacy doily with a pink ribbon. Sam took with a perplexed look on his face as Tabbris explained, "It's, ah, the traditional nosegay for a new baby girl. Making nosegays, it's, ah, a hobby of Gail's. Or at least it was, she hadn't really made any since…since…." It took him a minute to get it out, "Since Jane died. Unless she makes one to put on her grave." He went solemnly quiet.
Sam just stared at him a moment, pity strolling through him. Pity and a bit of fear that he couldn't quite place. "Hey, ah, you want to come in for little bit?"
"Oh, I couldn't possibly— "Tabbris began.
"You came all this way to deliver flowers." Sam countered, "I think you can."
Meanwhile, at a dive bar in the Florida Keys called the Green Light Tavern, Oliva Keaton was scrubbing the bar. The place was relatively quiet for the day before a holiday, the only patron currently an old drunk who hadn't aged well, wrinkled and age spotted, with only a few wispy white hairs on his head.
"Any big plans for the holiday, Livy?" Old Mike asked, before taking another gulp of his beer.
"Just me and my sister." Oliva told him, continuing to clean.
"Abby's in town?" Old Mike asked.
"You know she hates being called, Abby, "Oliva reminded him, not looking up from her work, "Always has."
Just then there was crash from upstairs, causing Oliva to freeze. "Cecelia, would you mind coming out here for minute while I go check on something?"
Back in Lebanon, Rawls was trying to get a collar around an uncooperative kitten.
"Come on, little guy," Elsbeth said, as the kitten ran away from him, "I just need to put this collar around your neck. It's not gonna hurt."
"I don't think cats have collars." Scarlet told him.
"Some do." Rawls said, "And need this one to let me but it one him before he meets his new mom."
Elsbeth leaned down and picked up the kitten. "Here." She said, holding the squirming bundle in her hand.
"Thanks, Els," Rawls said, fastening the little blue collar.
"Are you sure she's even going to want a cat?" Elsbeth asked, wondering if Rawls had thought this proposal through.
"So long as she can make it stay off the counter." Rawls said, "Her family always had cats when she was a kid, and she's been thinking about it on and off, but wasn't sure she had the time." She poked the cat's noise, "Maybe after tomorrow, she'll have help."
The cat meowed in response.
"I think he's mocking me." Rawls declared.
At the bunker, Tabbris was explaining the significance of the flowers in Abigail's bouquet to the Winchesters.
"And the rue is supposing to represent grace." Tabbris explained, "I guess because human women are suppose to be graceful, I don't know. Abigail always had a better grip on this than me."
"What's that puffy flower mean?" Dean pipped up.
"This?" Tabbris questioned, pointing to the danilion seed head.
"Mmm-mmm." Dean nodded.
"That is a dandelion seed head, and it sympilizes that wishes come true." Tabbris told him.
Just then Sam's computer went off.
"Sorry, that might be important." Sam excused himself, beginning to walk off, "Feel free to keep this conversation going without me."
Hannah took the bouquet from Tabbris, looking at a perplexed stared. "I still don't understand how a flower can have meaning."
"The language of flowers uses to be a very big things back in Victorian times." Tabbris told her, "They had flower dictionaries to explain a bouquet's meaning. Roses usually resented love, unless they were yellow then that meant a decrease in love or even infidelity. Daises meant innocence. Ivy leaves meant fidelity. Dark blue gentians meant 'you are unjust'."
"How do you know all this?" Hannah asked.
"Gail told me pratically everything about it when we were—" He glanced at the twins and lowered his voice, "Together." In regular tone he continued, "Girl was obsessed. Something dawned on him and pulled out a bouquet that was so old the greenery and flowers were withered and the lace was yellowed with time. "She made this one right before we met." He sat the nosegay town on a nearby table and leaned towards Dean, who was closer to him, "May I?"
Hannah covered Cas' ears and nodded.
"She and her friends got it in their heads to try this Coptic angel summoning ritual one of them found in a book." Tabbris explained, once the little ears were safe, "Apparently it's the bouquet you make to honor a special guest."
Hannah did the math and titled her head. "You kept a bouquet for 27 years?"
"Thirty, actually." Tabbris corrected her, "Jane didn't come until a couple of years later." A little pain slipped through as he admitted, "I still have that bouquet too."
Hannah started thinking several things at once, none she could say out loud now, even with the boys covered. That she was sorry he lost his child. She couldn't even begin to imagine that kind of hurt. But also, on a different track, she got the inkling that even though they weren't together, he still loved Abigail.
It was at if Hannah had lost her words. Not knowing what else to do, she took him hand, trying to give him some sort of comfort. That when she felt a swift kick to her liver, causing her to let go.
"Are you alright?" Tabbris asked, concerned.
"Yeah, she just kicked." Hannah explained, then she looked up to him, "Do you want to—"
"Oh, no." Tabbris declined, "I couldn't possibly." He knew Abigail had never been comfortable with the whole people touching her belly to feel the baby move thing, especially when they were strangers. He and Hannah had only encountered each other a handful of times.
"It's alright, the boys spend half their day now with their hands on my stomach just wanting for signs of movement." Hannah told him, "It's what they'd probably be doing now if I was sitting."
Tabbris tentivley but his hand on her belly, just in time for another kick. "Hey there." He greeted, "You're going to be just fine, kid. You got a great family here."
Dean jumped up, trying to reach his Mom's stomach. "I wanna feel it!"
"Me, too!" Cas added, jumping, giving his wings a little flap.
Hannah smiled, taking each child by the wrist and guiding their hands.
Meanwhile in Florida, Oliva hurried upstairs to her little apartment avoid the bar and found a trail of seemingly random things. A dried-out Christmas bouquet of pine, cinnamon, burnet, rosemary, bedstraw, holly berries, rose and little cones. A green paper back copy of Lucy by Laurence Gonzales. A Passenger CD. A child's pair of scuffed up tap shoes. A soft blue stuffed bear in a matching dress and bow headband. A collection of little animals, most small enough to fit in a palm of a hand, a brass looking donkey, a little craved Maplewood bird, one wing clearly glued back on, a porcine unicorn with felt lining the bottom, a fuzz covered fawn, a little stone angel dressed in rose garland, a roughly molded clay pig, a castle, a gargoyle sitting on a rock, one of those little Chick fil a cows with its poorly spelt pleas. Crystal purporii in green and dark green strone across the room. All leaving to Abigail, the upper half of her body hidden in a cedar trunk.
"Abs?" Oliva began confused, utterly perplexed and more than a bit concerned, picking up the bear, "Why did you do this to Janie's things?"
Abigail raised her body out to the chest. "There was this hunter I met while I was pregnant. Wound up telling him everything. He thought I was nuts, but he gave me his number all the same in case I needed anything. He thought I was completely nutting, but he gave me his number in case I ever needed help. When Jane moved out to California I have it to her. He saw what it was like. If Sam won't listen to me, maybe he'll listen to one of his own. If I can just—I can just find the number—"
"Abigail, look at me." Oliva insisted, taking her sister's face in her hands, "Look at me. This couple? Sam and Hagar or Hepzibah or whatever her name was…they're not you and Tabbris. Their child is not Jane. Didn't you said they were living in a place that messed up angels' senses? That you had to go to a physic just to get the general aera they were in? No one knows about this baby, except a handful of people."
"No one knew about Jane either." Abigail countered, "They still found her. They still killed her." She silent for a moment, trying to composure herself, "They're having a girl, too. They're having a…a little girl and she…she doesn't even have a real mother."
"Abs, you know that's not true…" Oliva began, trying to claim her sister down.
"No, it is!" Abigail cut her off, in hysterics, "That—that thing is just pretending."
Oliva let go of her sister and picked up a clay pig, causing it to rattle. "You see this?" She asked, rattling, "Tabbris made this while he was looking for you. It barely looks like what he meant it, but he tried. And he looked for you, same as I did. And at least he managed to find you. He made sure that even if he couldn't be there, he knew where you were. Because he loved you, because he loved Janie, and he hadn't even met her yet! I'm not saying he was the perfect father, he was far from it, I can't even say he there when it counted, because he wasn't always. But he did his best. His abilities to feel, his ability love, maybe their flawed. But that doesn't mean it's not there at all. And it's the same with this angel."
Abigail was silent for a long moment, then looked her sister dead in the eye. "You know, by that logic Uncle Russ should've just let Dad keep us."
Oliva looked down, taking a deep breath, before staring Abigail in the eye. "You know, I oughta slap you for that. I really should. But because you're going through some stuff right now, I'll give you a pass. "She leaned down and started gathering up crystal chunks, "Now, I have to get back down stairs, so let's just get this cleaned up."
In Missouri, an elderly woman in blue dress with a white lace shawl thrown over her, her pure white hair pulled back in a bund, was sitting out a vintage apple green coffee service on her coffee table. The door rang and she ran to answer it and found her son and his family standing there. Including someone she hadn't seen in far too long.
"Reason Joanna McCarthy!" Maud McCarthy explained, trying to sound stern, but there was still tears welling up in her eyes.
"Grandma, I am so sorry." Reason began, "If I'd known—"
Maud threw her arms around the girl. "Never mind that now. "She pulled back, "Did you bring her?"
Reason picked up Maudie. "Baby, this is your Great Grandma Maud."
Maudie smiled and gave her a wave. "My name's Maud too, but everybody calls me Maudie."
Maud smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Maudie."
Five minutes later, they were all in Maud's drawing room, sitting with cups of coffee and Maudie sat in the floor playing with her dolls and an old pink Jasperware tea set Maud had brough down.
"What I still don't understand is, how you got all the way to Kansas?" Maud was saying.
"I just keep riding the bus until Maudie was born." Reason answered, satisfied that the child was sufficiently distracted, "Then, ah, a very nice waitress got me a job at the diner, and the rest was more or less history."
"Well, at least you're back now, at least." Maud responded, "I know it's the holidays, so no one's really calling but have you found anything?"
The family exchanged looks. "I, ah, I thought you told her." Reason said.
"Told me what?" Maud asked.
"Mom, Reason isn't moving back to town." Joshua told her, "She's staying in Lebanon."
Maud looked absolutely shocked.
"Grandma, I've made a life there." Reason justified, "I've set down roots, literally everybody Maudie knows is there. I—I start trade school in the spring."
"Trade school?" Maud repeated.
"You know how I've always been kinda good at cars?" Reason began, "Well, ah, this friend of mine, Sam, he helped me get my GED and I start school for mechanics this fall. I know, not very ladylike."
"Well, maybe being lady like is overrated." Maud said, before taking a sip of coffee.
Reason dropped her cup on her saucer not to believing her old world mannered, very proper lady grandmother had actually said that.
"So, this 'friend' Sam…" Maud began.
"Thirty-one, married to one of my best friends, who is currently cooking kid number three." Reason cut her off at the past.
Back in Lebanon it turned out the person who had video called Sam was Annamaria, who was calling to check in after the appointment.
I'll send pills to help the amenia. She wrote out, But the liver should work just as well. After taking writing some more, she sifted subjects. We need to start talking about a setting a solid due date. I need to be able to consult with Dr. Robert. I don't care what time it is. Wake me up. I have good go pills.
Sam wrote back I can never tell if you're joking or not. Sam only knew Latin for spell work, and didn't speak it conversationally, so they usually exchanged notes back and forth.
I don't joke about my botany or my medicine from my botany. Annamaria wrote back to him. If I say I have it, I have it.
Sam smirked. Okay noted.
Just then Hannah walked into the room. "Is that—"
"Yeah, I, ah, probably should have got you in here earlier." Sam admitted, "Honey, is it okay if Annamaria sets in the next doctor's visit, so to speak?"
"Preposizione." Hannah agreed, nodding so that Sam would get the point as she sat down.
"Ci sono stati nuovi dolori strani?" Annamaria asked.
"What's she saying?" Sam asked.
"She's asking if there's been any new, strange pains." Hannah explained before addressing Annamaria. "Avverbio."
Just then there was knock on the door as Sam's phone rang. "It's Charlie." Sam told them before answering, "Hey, Charlie."
"Hey, I'm here." Charlie told him, "Mind letting me in?"
"Sure." Sam replied, before addressing the women before them, "I'm going to go get Charlie, if you have things here."
Hannah nodded her agreement.
Sam went up the stairs and opened the door for his adopted sister. "How's Christmas Eve going so far?"
"Well, no one's called with any unexpected injuries and no one's in labor." Sam replied. When that earned him, a questioning look he explained, "Last year was a little—eventful. I'm -I'm glad you could make it, the kids are gonna love seeing you."
After their unexpected guest departed and they picked up Elsbeth's girls so she could cut a client's hair, the Winchesters, Charlie and the girls decided to swing by the nativity.
Taking Dory by the hand Cas lead her over to his friends from last years. "These are sheep." He told her confinately, reaching and petting one that leaned its head down, "They eat plants."
The sheep bleated.
"Hey," Cas began, "What that suppose to mean?"
"I can't believe he remembers that." Sam, who, while he hadn't been there himself, had been told all about last year's incident, commented.
"Well, he seems to only remember that part." Hannah replied.
"Ah, was in Oz this time last year, remember?" Charlie spoke up, "Anybody care to clue me in on what you're talking about?"
"Reason and I took the kids to this last year while Sam was dealing with something, and Cas thought the sheep tried to eat him until the pastor explained that sheep only ate plants." Hannah explained.
Charlie chuckled at that.
"And then Sam had to help and anqtuie dealing give birth in the pastor's office." Hannah added.
"It was an eventful night." Sam commented, "This year's been much more low key, all things considered."
Meanwhile, Rawls and Serena Joy walked into the latter's apartment, Rawls and Serena Joy were exchanging presents. Rawls pulled the wrapping off, revealing car-shaped decanter of blue colored cologne.
"It's fresh." Serena Joy told him, "I didn't even know they made those things anymore."
"Neither do I." Rawls said with a grin, "This –this is really awesome babe. I love it, thank you." He unscrewed the cap and tried it on.
Serena Joy leaned in for a sniff. Amber with bergamot.
"What are you doing?" Rawls laughed.
"I've had it for a month, I wanted to know if it still did its job." Serena Joy reasoned.
Rawls took a swing of Amaretto, then slide a large blue covered package over to her with another packed taped to it. She opened it, revealing series of measuring cups, spoons, rubber spatulas and knives, all decorated with flowers. "This is awesome, I love them."
Rawls kissed her on the cheek. "You don't know how good that makes me feel." I just hope you feel the same way about what I got for you in the morning. "Now open the other one."
"You really didn't half to get me two." Serena Joy told her, "Now I feel kinda—" She stopped when she saw what it was, "Idina Menzel Christmas CD?"
"You like her, right?" Rawls asked nervously.
"Yeah, I do." Serena Joy assured him, then her face lit up with a mischievous idea, "Hey go get my radio."
Rawls set up the radio on the kitchen counter, plugging it in, the Serena Joy handed him the CD and he put it in, the music beginning to play, and Serena Joy walked over to him and the pair began to dance. "I really can't stay. Baby it's cold outside. I've got to go away. Baby it's could outside…
In Missouri, Reason was as far away from the rest of the volunteers helping to set up from the orphan dinner. She was unfolding a chair when someone snuck up behind them said, "Long time no see." She leapt, startled, and turned around see a boy with black curls falling in his face, his eyes green except for a large chunk of his right eye, which was brown.
It took her a minute, but then she asked, "Jordon?"
"I heard they found you." Jordon beamed, his eyes going down to the toddler at Reason's feet, "They also told me, you had a ah…"
"Maudie." Reason cut him off nervously, "I have a Maudie." Crouching down, Reason introduced the boy, "Maudie, this is Jordon. We, ah, we use to sing together."
Maudie hide behind her mother's legs.
"Sorry," Reasoned apologized, "She's a little jet lagged and all the new surroundings is a bit much for her."
"It's okay." Jordan assured her.
"So, Dad says you're doing to solo tonight." Reason said, trying to make small talk.
In another corner of the room, an older woman with pure light gray hair surrounding her face was whispering something to a much younger woman, maybe he daughter. When Reason glanced over to them, she suddenly stopped, and her daughter shot her a harsh look as if to say, Now look what you've done.
Jordan tried to get Reason to focus on him. "Hey, I think I could use some help in the kitchen…"
"Yes, please." Reason agreed, hurrying after him with Maudie.
At the naivety, Venessa, Scarlet and Dean were hovering over the baby. "It looked softer last year." Dean noted.
This year's "Virgin Mary" chuckled. "Well, last year we had a real baby, but this year, we didn't have a baby so we had to use a doll."
"Oh." Scarlet spoke up.
Sam was coming over when he heard someone ask, "Sam?"
He turned around to see Selene Macnab holding a buddle up Samantha Noel.
"Hey, Selene." Sam greeted, "What are you doing here?"
"It's someone's birthday today, and I thought it might be nice to Samantha the place she was born." Selene raised the baby arm for a little wave.
"Nice to see you again." Sam gave the baby a little wave back.
That was when Hannah came over with Cas and Dory and Selene's eyes flickered with recognition. She smiled a little mischievously as she said, "Well, you two got to work fast."
It took a couple of moments for them to realize what she was talking about. The baby bump was growing to the point that Sam's shirt didn't really hide it anymore. "You could say that." Sam responded.
"Cong rations." Selene smiled at them.
"Thank you." Hannah replied, just as Charlie came over with the rest of the children.
"Ah, Selene, this is my sister, Charlie, "Sam introduced, "Charlie, this is Selene, the woman I mentioned earlier."
Charlie's eyes widened for a moment in recognition. "Oh, that lady."
"Yes, that lady." Selene replied.
"Sorry," Charlie apologized, "I wasn't hear last year, long story, so Sam had to fill me in on a few things, and that was kinda notable."
"No arguments there." Selene agrees.
Meanwhile, in Florida, Oliva was coming back up the stairs. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier…" She began, then realized she was talking to an empty room, her sister nowhere to be seen.
Running up to the bed she found a bqouet of borage, little-left basil, some kind of flower buds, a withered white rose, a red chrysanthemum, Queen Anne's Lace, primrose, and yarrow on top of a buttery blue piece of stationary. Picking up the paper, Oliva silently read, I'm sorry for what I said. But I have to go find someone who can help me and what you said gave me an idea. I'll call you—Abigail.
Oliva lowered the paper and rubbed her face wearily. Then she did the same thing she did when her sister took off all those years ago when she was carrying Jane: Went to find a flower dictionary.
At Serena Joy's apartment, they young woman was guiding Rawls, who appeared to be drunk, over to the count.
"I didn't, I didn't think I drunk that much— "Rawls gorged, trying to pull away.
"Yeah, well, look like you're spending the night here." Serena Joy declared.
"Can you—can you call Elsbeth to let her know where I am?" Rawls requested as Serena Joy lowered him onto one of the loveseats.
"You're very pushy, you know." Serena Joy quipped.
"I'd like to think of it as opportunistic." Rawls quipped back.
Serena Joy smirked. "Alright, I'll call."
In Missouri, Reason was staying at herself in a mirror in the church bathroom, now with foundation, blush and finishing powder on her face, dressed in a smooth green wrap around dress that she kept tugging at as her Mom applied pins, because her body had apparently changed since last wore it, lost weight, but slight gain in the breast.
It didn't fit anymore.
Meanwhile, Easter was trying to comb out Maudie's hair, but the toddler wasn't cooperating. "I'm sorry." She insisted, "But we need to do this."
"No!" Maudie shouted, getting up and trying to run away.
"Hold on a second, Mom. "Reason said, running after her wayward daughter, "Maud—"
Maudie threw herself down in the floor, screaming, "I wanna go home!" She was tired, she didn't know all these people, and she missed her friends.
That was when Reason got an idea. "Come on." She said, picking up the still squalling child and walking out of the bathroom.
In the sanctuary, Jordan was helping the rest of the choir sit up for the Christmas Eve service when Reason walked in with a visibly upset Maudie. "Ah, be back in a minute." He promised, before hurrying down the row, meeting her halfway, "Hey, ah, what's wrong?"
"Not sure, but I think I have an idea." Reason responded, "Do me a favor?"
The Winchesters had dropped the girls back off at their parents and Charlie was playing with the boys while their parents made last minute preparations for tomorrow, when Sam's computer went off. "Sam?" Charlie called out.
Coming into the room just as the lab top pinged again, Sam went over and answered the call, revealing Reason's face. "Hi." Sam greeted her, pleasantly surprised.
"Hey," Reason replied, "Ah, someone wants to see you." She held up Maudie, who's tear stained face lit up.
"Mr. Sam!" She exclaimed.
"Hey, there, Maudie." Sam grinned.
"I missed you!" Maudie exclaimed, "I missed you, and I missed Devananda's, I missed you so, so much!"
Reason giggled. "And what's Miss Hannah, chopped liver."
"Oh, yeah, I missed her too." Maudie added.
Sam chuckled. "We miss you all here, too, Sweet Pea."
Maudie talked with the Winchesters from a good fifteen minutes before they had to go in for the service.
The Christmas Eve service began at five and went for about an hour, started with singing, a snort sermon, prayers, more singing, and finished off with another prayer. Also, during Christmas Eve service there was no childcare, so never so often you would hear a coo or a wail, or a little body crawling in the pews. Maudie, for her park, had found another child, a little boy of about five with light brown hair dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, that she kept trying to entice into the copy game. For his part, the little boy tried to stay in his seat, thought every now and then, when she moved, he would move.
Then Jordan stepped down from the choir.
Curious, Maudie turned around, sat down, curled up next to her mother and began to listen to their friend as the piano started to play:
I've heard about this baby boy
Who's come to Earth to bring us joy.
And I just want to sing this song to you.
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth.
The minor fall, the major lift.
With every breath I'm singing Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
A couple came to Bethlehem.
Excepting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for you were coming soon.
There was no room for them to stay
So, in a manger filled with hay
God's only son was born, oh Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah….
Later in the night, after Rawls was sure Serena Joy was asleep, he got up and used his key to let himself out, carefully locking the door behind him.
Running out to the parking lot of the complex, he saw a familiar minivan parallel parked in the front of the parking lot. Elsbeth opened the driver's seat door. "Edith's got the girls." She told him, first handing him the pet carrier, then a bag of food, and then a brown box, "You got everything covered here?"
"Yeah, I think this should keep us to morning." Rawls replied, "As long as the little guy can keep from waking everyone up, we can pull this off. Thanks, Els."
At the bunker, the Winchesters and Charlie were doing some late-night set ups of their own, filling stockings and putting prettily wrapped boxes into place.
"Okay, "Sam declared, baking up, "I think we got it."
There were enough chocolate chip cookies prepared by a certain pair of twin baking minions with the help of their parents, to be divided evenly three ways, except for one lone cookie setting on a plate. They stared at it, silently thinking, when Hannah snatched it up. "The baby wants it." She declared, before shoving it in her mouth.
Charlie smirked. "You owe us when you get here, little dudette." She told Hannah's belly.
Their mission completed; the trio went to their preventive bedrooms. The couple wrapped themselves around each other, Sam whispering into Hannah's temple, "Sweet dreams, babe." Before closing his eyes.