A/N: This really should have been published in December, but I decided that I have let the story sit too long. I want it done!
Disclaimer- See chapter 1. It's too long to repeat in every chapter, although it applies to the entire story.
Summary- Jack Stewart hits a young orphan with his car, and she is brought to Community General. New additions are made to the Sloan family in more than one area.
New Additions
Chapter 7- Merry Christmas
Two months later everyone was getting together at BBQ Bob's to celebrate Christmas. Steve had slowly begun to warm up to Virginia, and although he hid it, he really liked the girl. Now he was looking for a way to break the tension between them. And when he was picking up groceries for the party, he found the perfect thing.
A week before the celebration, Ellen had given birth to the twins, Ariel and Michael Sloan. Now she sat with Amanda, holding the babies. Ariel was very fussy, and she liked her father better than anyone else. Michael was happy with anyone, so Amanda was cradling him.
Jack and Jesse were decorating the Christmas tree, with more hindrance than help from Amanda's sons, C.J. and Dion. Jack wove a strand of beads around the branches, while C.J. played jump rope with the end. Jesse was putting on tinsel, while Dion threw pieces on tables, chairs, and people. Twice Jack beaded Jesse to the tree. When Jesse started a tinsel war, he found that Dion really came in handy.
"Children!" Mark warned, looking down at Jack and Jesse. Virginia was holding a stepladder steady while Mark climbed up to tie red bows to the evergreen boughs that they had hung. The last thing he did was string up mistletoe above the door.
Virginia heard the familiar sound of Steve's car door slamming. She slipped into her coat and ran outside to help him carry in the groceries. When they passed through the doorway, they were caught under the mistletoe. Knowing how Steve felt about the girl, Mark grimaced inside. Virginia leaned up and kissed Steve's cheek.
"I had forgotten," he began, "What it was like to have a sister. I am so sorry about how I've treated you. Ever since the twins were born, I've understood why Dad adopted you. I want to try to make amends, but I didn't know how, until I found this little guy." Steve pointed to a box that he had set on the counter. Virginia hugged her brother and then lifted the lid off of the box. Inside was a small blue blanket. Nestled deeply in the bed was a tiny kitten.
Virginia smiled, and threw her arms around Steve's neck, giving his cheek another kiss. Then she stroked the kitten's long orange hair. He was an undernourished stray that Steve had found behind a dumpster outside his precinct. The kitten was a scared little orphan. Just like me, Virginia thought.
"What are you going to call him?" Mark asked.
"Freddie," she breathed, keeping her eyes on the kitten.
"Christmas carol time!" Mark said cheerfully. Steve turned on a radio. "Dominic the Christmas Donkey" began playing. Steve immediately switched it off.
"I heard that song twice while I was trying to find a grocery store that was open, and I am not going to listen to it again!"
"Hee-haw, hee-haw!" C.J. and Dion yelled as they ran across the restaurant. Amanda sat them at tables on opposite sides of the room for "a thinking moment."
Steve turned the radio to a different station, and found "Joy to the World." Mark began to sing along and everyone joined him. After a couple songs, Virginia went over to the window, where she had placed the box with her new kitten. As she stroked his fur she thought of something that she had to do. She grabbed her backpack and went out the back door to a dumpster in the alley. She took her clothes from the orphanage and threw them inside.
"Goodbye, Margaret Edwards. I'm Virginia Sloan now." When she turned around she was surprised to see Jesse standing behind her.
"Virginia, I've been doing some checking into your family because the name Elisabeth Crandall sounded familiar to me. She was my father's sister. Laura Grant was my cousin."
"So you are my first-cousin?" Virginia asked.
"Yep," Jesse said with a smile.
"Well, then, Merry Christmas, Cousin Jesse." They went inside to exchange gifts. Virginia handed Mark a shirt box. He opened it, a found a painting of himself, Steve, Ellen, Virginia, and the babies. At the bottom all the colors faded into two silver words: "The Sloans."
"This is just beautiful," he said, "Thank you Virginia."
"You're very welcome," she said. Then Steve caught her eye. They spoke at the same moment.
"Merry Christmas!"
Another A/N: The End! Also, no offense is meant to anyone who likes 'Dominic the Christmas Donkey.' I heard it on the radio last year, and I will never forget it. It was a very interesting song, to say the least.