Disclaimer: I am trying to find a Christmas stocking big enough to hold all
of the characters in 'Mutant X' as well as the magic piece of paper that
says they're mine, in the hopes that Santa Claus will come through, but so
far, I haven't had any luck. Sadly, at this time, 'Mutant X' and its
characters do not belong to me. Lexi and Izzy do.
Author's Note: I apologise for the delay in getting this chapter posted but my History project was being annoyingly time consuming. Stupid school! Classes finish on the 19th so, with any luck, future chapters will be quicker.
Author's Note II: I haven't decided whether or not to include New Years Day and the twins first birthday in this story. Any advice?
Words in / / = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics.
By the way, if anyone knows how to post stories with formatting, could they please e-mail me with instructions? Thanks.
*
Chapter 2.
Christmas morning.
"Jesse?" Emma spoke in a whisper, so as not to wake the sleeping twins. "Are you ready?"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes!" His four teammates hissed in unison.
He sighed in resignation, wishing to be anywhere but there. "Then I'm ready."
* * *
"Lexi?" Shalimar spoke softly, gently stroking her daughter's hand to rouse her. "Wake up, honey."
Lexi's eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright, rubbing sleep sand away with an impatient hand.
"Mamma?" She held out her arms to be lifted. "Where Izzy?" She demanded.
Shalimar, cuddling her daughter in her arms, nodded towards the second crib, where Brennan was trying to rouse Isabelle, who was fast asleep and determined to stay that way.
"Come on, Izzy-lizard." Brennan wheedled. "Don't you want to come to see your new toys?"
The baby girl stirred, yawning.
Alexis's eyes gleamed. "Toy?" She asked excitedly. Her mother nodded. "Up, Izzy!" She commanded her lazy twin. "Toy!"
Whether it was her sister's command, or the prospect of new toys was unknown but Isabelle pulled herself into a sitting position and allowed Brennan to lift her out of her crib and carry her down to the rec room.
* * *
"Ssh!" Alexis commanded as soon as they stopped outside the rec room.
Isabelle's eyes lit up at the sound of bells ringing. She tugged at her father's dressing gown. "Lis."
Brennan, trying not to smile, cocked one ear and pretended to be listening intently. "I don't hear anything, do you, Shal?"
Shalimar shook her head solemnly, frowning playfully and tickling Lexi's stomach. "I think that the girls are playing a trick on us."
"No, Mamma." Isabelle insisted. "Lis!"
The twins watched as their parents repeated their performance, allowing looks of amazement to spread across their faces as they heard the bells.
"Wow." Brennan gasped in mock-surprise. "I wonder what that could be."
"Let's check it out." Shalimar suggested, seconded by an enthusiastically nodding Alexis.
Exchanging a small smile, Shalimar and Brennan carried their daughter's into the rec room, savouring their babies' wonder when they saw who was waiting there.
"Santa!" The twins chorused, clapping in delight.
* * *
/Man! / Jesse thought, resisting the urge to pull off his beard. /Next year, I'm not letting Emma pile so many pillows on. I'm melting in here! /
For all his determination, however, he knew perfectly well that if Emma took it into her head to dress him up as the Easter bunny or - Heaven forbid! - Barney, that he would be powerless to resist her and, despite his reluctance to don the stiflingly hot and completely ridiculous costume Emma had insisted on - not to mention the half a bottle of perfume she had doused him with, for fear of the twins recognizing his scent - he was enjoying the delight that Alexis and Isabelle took in his presence.
/At least they're not trying to shock me! /
The little girls sat on his lap, one on each knee as he opened the red velvet sack revealing a king's ransom in toys.
"Now," He put on his best deep voice. "Have you girls been good this year?"
"Ess." Lexi answered decisively. "Me an' Izzy good."
Isabelle, struck dumb with shyness, didn't say a word.
"Have you behaved yourselves all year? Did you do as you were told? Have you been torturing your Uncle Jesse?" He asked pointedly, narrowing his eyes.
"Ess." Alexis confessed frankly, not intimidated in the slightest. "Toy now."
Jesse knew when he was beaten. Conscious of the eyes of his four teammates - not to mention Adam's camera - he started digging into the bag, pulling out two of everything; plush stuffed animals, matching rag dolls, infant sized basketballs - donated by Brennan - and tiny basketball shirts and a wide assortment of costumes and miniature make up kits for playing dress- up.
Isabelle kissed 'Santa's' well-rouged cheek and whispered 'Tank you.'
Alexis, reminded of her manners, repeated her sister's thanks and returned her attention to her new toys for a moment before looking up. "Now Mamma." She demanded. "An' Dada an' Gwamp."
"An' Uncie Dess an' An' Em, pwease?" Isabelle, the politer of the two, asked softly.
Emma, always organised, had been ready for this demand and Jesse/Santa was well prepared. He gave the two women large stuffed animals - a lion for Shalimar (obviously) and a polar bear for Emma. Brennan accepted a new basketball and Adam looked rather wary of the game of Twister he was presented with.
"Where Uncie Dess?" Alexis asked, perplexed, when it was time for him to receive his gift.
"Uncie Dess gone." Isabelle looked ready to cry.
"No, no, Uncle Jesse isn't gone. He's just. . ." Shalimar looked around the room for inspiration. "On an errand for Santa. Right, Santa?" She shot Jesse a pointed look.
"That's right." Jesse said in his deep 'Santa' voice. "Your Uncle Jesse is, uh . . . making a few deliveries for me."
Isabelle smiled, satisfied with his answer.
Jesse handed her a computer game. "Will you give this to your Uncle Jesse?"
"Ess." Isabelle took the game from him and started chewing on it.
Giving in to her friend's pleading look, Emma rescued his computer game from Isabelle's mouth and put it up on a shelf, out of the twins' reach.
"You'd better be getting back to the North Pole, Santa." Adam suggested, speaking for the first time, seeing that the twins were distracted by their new toys and not likely to fuss.
Jesse seized at the chance to escape. He bent down to receive the twins' wet kisses and straightened, picking up his empty sack.
/Oh, what the Hell! /
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Jesse gave his farewell performance all he had. "Merry Christmas!"
"Bye-bye." Alexis and Isabelle waved frantically.
"See you next year." Brennan added playfully.
/Not if I have anything to say about it! /
TBC.
*
I'll have Chapter 3: The rest of Christmas Day up as soon as possible. Please keep up the reviews.
Author's Note: I apologise for the delay in getting this chapter posted but my History project was being annoyingly time consuming. Stupid school! Classes finish on the 19th so, with any luck, future chapters will be quicker.
Author's Note II: I haven't decided whether or not to include New Years Day and the twins first birthday in this story. Any advice?
Words in / / = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics.
By the way, if anyone knows how to post stories with formatting, could they please e-mail me with instructions? Thanks.
*
Chapter 2.
Christmas morning.
"Jesse?" Emma spoke in a whisper, so as not to wake the sleeping twins. "Are you ready?"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes!" His four teammates hissed in unison.
He sighed in resignation, wishing to be anywhere but there. "Then I'm ready."
* * *
"Lexi?" Shalimar spoke softly, gently stroking her daughter's hand to rouse her. "Wake up, honey."
Lexi's eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright, rubbing sleep sand away with an impatient hand.
"Mamma?" She held out her arms to be lifted. "Where Izzy?" She demanded.
Shalimar, cuddling her daughter in her arms, nodded towards the second crib, where Brennan was trying to rouse Isabelle, who was fast asleep and determined to stay that way.
"Come on, Izzy-lizard." Brennan wheedled. "Don't you want to come to see your new toys?"
The baby girl stirred, yawning.
Alexis's eyes gleamed. "Toy?" She asked excitedly. Her mother nodded. "Up, Izzy!" She commanded her lazy twin. "Toy!"
Whether it was her sister's command, or the prospect of new toys was unknown but Isabelle pulled herself into a sitting position and allowed Brennan to lift her out of her crib and carry her down to the rec room.
* * *
"Ssh!" Alexis commanded as soon as they stopped outside the rec room.
Isabelle's eyes lit up at the sound of bells ringing. She tugged at her father's dressing gown. "Lis."
Brennan, trying not to smile, cocked one ear and pretended to be listening intently. "I don't hear anything, do you, Shal?"
Shalimar shook her head solemnly, frowning playfully and tickling Lexi's stomach. "I think that the girls are playing a trick on us."
"No, Mamma." Isabelle insisted. "Lis!"
The twins watched as their parents repeated their performance, allowing looks of amazement to spread across their faces as they heard the bells.
"Wow." Brennan gasped in mock-surprise. "I wonder what that could be."
"Let's check it out." Shalimar suggested, seconded by an enthusiastically nodding Alexis.
Exchanging a small smile, Shalimar and Brennan carried their daughter's into the rec room, savouring their babies' wonder when they saw who was waiting there.
"Santa!" The twins chorused, clapping in delight.
* * *
/Man! / Jesse thought, resisting the urge to pull off his beard. /Next year, I'm not letting Emma pile so many pillows on. I'm melting in here! /
For all his determination, however, he knew perfectly well that if Emma took it into her head to dress him up as the Easter bunny or - Heaven forbid! - Barney, that he would be powerless to resist her and, despite his reluctance to don the stiflingly hot and completely ridiculous costume Emma had insisted on - not to mention the half a bottle of perfume she had doused him with, for fear of the twins recognizing his scent - he was enjoying the delight that Alexis and Isabelle took in his presence.
/At least they're not trying to shock me! /
The little girls sat on his lap, one on each knee as he opened the red velvet sack revealing a king's ransom in toys.
"Now," He put on his best deep voice. "Have you girls been good this year?"
"Ess." Lexi answered decisively. "Me an' Izzy good."
Isabelle, struck dumb with shyness, didn't say a word.
"Have you behaved yourselves all year? Did you do as you were told? Have you been torturing your Uncle Jesse?" He asked pointedly, narrowing his eyes.
"Ess." Alexis confessed frankly, not intimidated in the slightest. "Toy now."
Jesse knew when he was beaten. Conscious of the eyes of his four teammates - not to mention Adam's camera - he started digging into the bag, pulling out two of everything; plush stuffed animals, matching rag dolls, infant sized basketballs - donated by Brennan - and tiny basketball shirts and a wide assortment of costumes and miniature make up kits for playing dress- up.
Isabelle kissed 'Santa's' well-rouged cheek and whispered 'Tank you.'
Alexis, reminded of her manners, repeated her sister's thanks and returned her attention to her new toys for a moment before looking up. "Now Mamma." She demanded. "An' Dada an' Gwamp."
"An' Uncie Dess an' An' Em, pwease?" Isabelle, the politer of the two, asked softly.
Emma, always organised, had been ready for this demand and Jesse/Santa was well prepared. He gave the two women large stuffed animals - a lion for Shalimar (obviously) and a polar bear for Emma. Brennan accepted a new basketball and Adam looked rather wary of the game of Twister he was presented with.
"Where Uncie Dess?" Alexis asked, perplexed, when it was time for him to receive his gift.
"Uncie Dess gone." Isabelle looked ready to cry.
"No, no, Uncle Jesse isn't gone. He's just. . ." Shalimar looked around the room for inspiration. "On an errand for Santa. Right, Santa?" She shot Jesse a pointed look.
"That's right." Jesse said in his deep 'Santa' voice. "Your Uncle Jesse is, uh . . . making a few deliveries for me."
Isabelle smiled, satisfied with his answer.
Jesse handed her a computer game. "Will you give this to your Uncle Jesse?"
"Ess." Isabelle took the game from him and started chewing on it.
Giving in to her friend's pleading look, Emma rescued his computer game from Isabelle's mouth and put it up on a shelf, out of the twins' reach.
"You'd better be getting back to the North Pole, Santa." Adam suggested, speaking for the first time, seeing that the twins were distracted by their new toys and not likely to fuss.
Jesse seized at the chance to escape. He bent down to receive the twins' wet kisses and straightened, picking up his empty sack.
/Oh, what the Hell! /
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Jesse gave his farewell performance all he had. "Merry Christmas!"
"Bye-bye." Alexis and Isabelle waved frantically.
"See you next year." Brennan added playfully.
/Not if I have anything to say about it! /
TBC.
*
I'll have Chapter 3: The rest of Christmas Day up as soon as possible. Please keep up the reviews.