The Spin Off 2 – Part 19
Thursday 22nd December 2005
"Da da?" Ellie cried standing in front of a sleeping Paul, as he stirred and then opened his eyes "Ahh" Paul shouted in fright, as he wasn't expecting the 15month old to be standing in front of him.
Paul then sat himself up realising it was one of the girls. "Shh…shh don't cry, please don't cry" Paul whispered to her picking her up and cuddling her.
Lexie laughed at the door. "Sorry ta wake ya Paul, but we beta get going soon. Lizzie an' Martha are coming round in half an hour"
"Oh that's ok, Sorry…I think I scared her, she wanted her da, she was calling for Arch" Paul explained the crying toddler.
"Oh no its ok, she's goin through the whole every man is da, an' every animal is cat phase, if ya get me" Lexie replied "You can go get dressed up in ma room, I'll just be down here feeding them ok"
"Ok then" Paul answered handing Ellie to Lexie and picking up his bag.
Paul opened the door to Lexie and Archie's bedroom. The layout of things was very similar to their bedroom at Glenbogle. Paul walked across and put his backpack down on the bed as he sat down to take off his socks. He looked at Archie's side of the bed, he had the alarm clock and phone and a small picture of Ellie and Kyla together.
As Paul stood up to change his underwear, trousers and top he looked across to Lexie's side of the bed, which had the picture of their wedding day and then another picture of Archie, Lexie and the girls all together. Paul sighed, what was his brother up too in New York, why wasn't he home with his family?
There was a knock on the door. "Paul you ready?" Lexie called
"Yeh, just a minute" Paul replied packing his dirty clothes back into his backpack.
He opened the door and Lexie quickly went past him, "Sorry nearly forgot the photos for Molly" Lexie explained herself as she went into the bottom draw of the big wooden wardrobe and pulled out a small box.
"Ah right, well I'm just gonna have a quick shave and I'll be down ok" Paul replied going into the bathroom.
"Ok" Lexie shouted back as she went down the stairs.
Katrina opened the door to her house, it was freezing today and the weatherman had reported snow due to fall today.
"Say bye to mummy Brandon" Emma called to the three-year old, who were busy sitting in front of the television watching Thomas the tank engine.
"Byeeeeeee MUM" Brandon shouted at Katrina as he came running into the hall nearly knocking her down.
Katrina laughed "Right, now be good today for Emma, I'll see you tonight sweetheart" Katrina said bending down so her son could give her a kiss.
Lexie handed Paul a box of presents in the hallway. "Right if you take them, I'll just get the girls into their coats" Lexie suggested
"Ok then" Paul replied stepping out the door and then putting the box down beside the car as he got his keys out of his pocket.
He looked across to see a woman with curly blonde hair step out of the neighbouring house, she was dressed in business clothes, with a long skirt and blouse and carrying lots of folders under her arm as she waved goodbye to the little boy who stood on the step with another young woman.
"Morning" Paul called to her as she observed him standing outside Lexie and Archie's house.
"Hello" Katrina replied giving Paul a smile.
"KATRINA!" Martha shouted stepping out of the taxi that had just pulled up outside the house aswell.
"Hey Martha!" Katrina called as she bent down to hug the 5-year old.
Lizzie stepped out of the taxi and went to the boot. "Hey Paul could ya give us a hand please?" She called over.
"Sure Sis" Paul laughed going over to help Lizzie.
"Sis?" Katrina repeated confused as Paul and Lizzie passed her.
"Paul" Lexie called from the front door carrying Kyla in her arms and holding Ellie by the hand.
"Hang on Lex, I'm helping Lizzie for a minute" Paul replied carrying another box of presents from the taxi to his car as Lizzie carried a suitcase after him.
"Ok, if ye could just take the twins for me please" Lexie answered
"I'll help if you want" Katrina offered to Lexie.
Lexie looked a bit shocked, but she didn't want to seem rude to Katrina's offer "Thanks"
Katrina came up to Lexie's door and picked up Ellie and then put her on her left side before holding her free arm open to take Kyla off Lexie.
Lexie picked up the two suitcases and then shut the door behind her, walking behind Katrina to the car.
"Oh I say, new Car Paul?" Lizzie asked admiring the new silver 8-seater 4x4 car
"Yeh, we just got it, helps more with transporting" Paul explained loading the boxes and suitcases into the back.
"Paul…Paul, oh the secret brother" Katrina spoke up suddenly realising Paul was the one Lizzie had told her about after she had got back from Nepal.
"Er yeh that's me" Paul replied as Lizzie laughed patting him on the back after he had finished putting the boxes in the back.
Katrina stood beside Lexie as she opened the door and fitted in the girl's car seats.
"Thanks" Lexie replied as she took Kyla off Katrina and fitted her in, and then took Ellie off her.
"Right Martha Macdonald, in you get, right at the back" Lexie called to her niece.
"Coming" Martha, yelled as she ran up to Lexie, as Lexie helped her up the step and into the back of the car.
"So you all off up to Glenbogle?" Katrina asked
"Yep, family Christmas" Lizzie laughed
Lexie grew silent and didn't say anything but checked the girls were happy and gave Kyla Archie's t-shirt to hold.
Katrina noticed it "Oh Sorry I forgot Arch wasn't going to be there"
"No reason to be sorry" Lexie replied before opening the front seat door and jumping in.
"Right well beta be off now" Paul broke the tension, as he went round and climbed in the drivers seat.
"Well Katrina, have a good Christmas, see you next year!" Lizzie hugged Katrina goodbye.
"You ok?" Paul asked Lexie while they waited for Lizzie.
Lexie turned to face Paul "Yeh" before turning back and facing out the window, as Lizzie got in the back of the car with Martha.
Golly smiled down at Molly jumping at the large window by the stairs as she saw Paul's car draw up the drive.
"Don't you go smothering them lasses will ya" Golly joked as Molly smiled back and waited for him to reach her on the break in the stairs, before taking his arm excitedly and walking down the stairs.
Lexie's eyes lit up at the sight of the winter wonderland of a castle that stood before her, it was like something out of a fairy tale. Fairy lights had been put up all around the outside of the castle and shone and sparkled in the winter night.
"And Welcome to Santa's grotto" Paul laughed
Molly watched as her daughter-in-law jumped out the front seat in a pastel colour pink coat and her jet black hair blew in the wind behind her as she opened the second door.
Lexie observed her two daughters sleeping peacefully in their car seats. Lexie carefully undid Kyla's car seat belt and picked up her sleeping baby, who was tightly clutching Archie's t-shirt in her grasp. She laid Kyla's head on her shoulder so she could fall back asleep again.
Meanwhile Paul carefully picked up the tired five year old up and carried her round and stood with Lexie while Lizzie helped Golly unpack the back of the car. Molly joined Lexie and Paul after getting Ellie out from the other side of the car.
"Come on Lass I've got the fire goin' in the library you can put these wee ones to sleep in there, there be warm 'n' cosy in there" Golly spoke quietly as they walked inside to a warm atmosphere.
Molly, Golly, Lexie, Paul and Lizzie stood in front of the big Christmas tree in the hallway after putting the girls down to sleep in the library.
"How come ye haven't decorated" Lexie asked seeing the tree without any decorations on it.
"Lexie dear, you've done it for the last goodness knows how many years, surely you didn't thing I would do it without you" Molly smiled, as Lexie's face lit up.
"Come on everyone, get decorating" Duncan shouted from behind them, as him and Jess held two big boxes full of Christmas decorations.
And like small children, they all ran to the box picking out decorations and starting to hang them on the tree, laughter and happiness filled the room as the tree started to look more Christmassier.
"Mummy, look this is the decoration Jamie and I always used to fight about who was going to put it on the tree" Lizzie called to Molly from the other side of the tree, holding up a one legged Santa Claus with a bright sparkly coat.
"And you used to always win" Molly commented giggling as Lizzie put it up on the tree.
"Aye, apart from that time young Archie was running an' slipped over right into the tree and it fell off" Golly added.
"And from then one it was one legged Santa" Lizzie finished.
Lexie noticed Paul hang back from the tree,
"You ok?" Lexie asked sitting down beside Paul on the stairs
"Yeh, its just…" Paul hesitated
"Family memories and not being part of them?" Lexie guessed
"Er yeh I guess"
"Don't worry, now come on I need you to help me put the Angel on the top"
"What?" Paul questioned as Lexie grabbed his hand yanking him up as Duncan gave her the ancient angel.
"Well Arch always used to lift me up to put the Angel on the top" Lexie explained smiling "So are ya gonna help?"
Paul smiled, Lex knew how to put a smile back on his face.
"After three ok?" Paul told Lexie. "1…2…3 and up we go"
Paul lifted Lexie round the legs and up she went towards the top of the tree, as she carefully placed the angel on the top and then leaned and wrapped her arms around Paul's neck as he lifted her down. The others clapped as they stepped back to admire the finished tree.
"Right Presents!" Duncan shouted running to go fetch his presents to put under the tree. Lexie laughed as her and Lizzie picked up their boxes and started to place the presents under the tree.
"No shaking!" Lexie shouted at Duncan who was eying up a present addressed to him.
"Oh come on Lex" Duncan whined
Lexie laughed, "I said no!"
"Oh ok…" Duncan replied putting the present back down and putting on a pout.
"So Lexie, when will Archie be joining us?" Molly asked, the laughter died down and went quiet.
Paul looked across at Lexie, and she sighed then looked at Molly.
"He's not coming Molly, he's got to work"
Saturday 24th December 2005
"I'm going to getcha," Lexie shouted at Duncan as they ran around outside in the snow like little children.
"Not if I get ya first!" Duncan replied throwing a snowball and hitting Lex in the back.
"Right that's it, I'm gonnae get ya!" Lexie yelled picking up a bunch of snow and chasing after Duncan.
"Them two don't change do they?" Molly commented to Golly as they stood in the upstairs window watching the scene in the snow below.
"Aye they don't" Golly laughed
They watched as Martha ran out in her hat and mittens with Lizzie following behind her into the snow and the snowball fight turned into three against one with poor Duncan getting bombarded with snowballs.
"I'm glad they don't, things change to much around here" Molly replied
Golly didn't reply he just put his arm around Molly's shoulders and pulled her against him as they continued to watch through the window.
"HEY LEX!" Paul shouted from the other side of the lawn. He was pulling behind him a small box with the twins sitting in. They were giggling away as Paul pulled them faster towards the group.
Lexie stopped mid-throw at Duncan and laughed as she ran over to Paul.
"Paul that's brilliant" Lexie laughed as the little sledge came to a halt. Two sets of rosy cheeks smiled back at Lexie from behind Paul.
"You enjoy that sweeties?" Lexie asked the twins as she helped them out.
The twins ran across the snow in there bright all in one outdoor suits. Duncan scooped them up and twirled them around as they shrieked.
"That looks like fun" Lexie joked
"Does it?" Paul replied, but before Lexie had a chance to answer him she was wiped off her feet and being flied around by Paul.
Molly shuddered against Golly.
"Lass you ok?" Golly asked
Molly looked frustrated. "That should be Archie. Archie should be out there with his family!"
"Molly I know he should, but he cant be" Golly replied but Molly pulled away from him and started marching towards the door.
"Golly that boy is my son, and as long as I am his mother he's going to do as I say, whether he likes it or not!" Molly stated
"Looks kinda funny looking" Lexie mentioned as she put her head side ways and looked at the snowman Duncan and Paul had just built.
"Whatcha mean funny looking?" Duncan asked coming and standing next to where Lexie was sitting on the floor with the twins on her lap.
"Well wonky" Lexie laughed
"He's gonna be wonky he's made out of frozen water!" Paul replied laughing with her as he put his hat on the snowman.
"Mummy I want some hot chocolate!" Martha wined at Lizzie
"All right, come on pet lets go get some hot chocolate" Lizzie replied getting up and taking Martha's hand.
"Sounds good ta me!" Duncan added jumping up and following them.
Paul laughed and took hold of Kyla as she reached across to him as he sat down opposite Lexie.
"I love this" Paul mentioned
"What snow?" Lexie laughed
"No this…family"
"What us all here together?"
"Yeah…I mean the kids…you" Paul stuttered snuggling Kyla close to him. Lexie remained silent. "Arch makes me so mad"
"Arch makes you mad?" Lexie questioned
"He's got something so perfect and he's wasting it!" Paul outburst
Lexie looked slightly frightened and taken back.
"Lex, I want a wife, I want kids…I want a family"
"You've got a family Paul, You've got me, the twins, Lizzie, Martha, Molly…Archie"
"Its not the same Lex"
"Well what about that Isobel you've spoken about?"
"It's complicated…I don't think Its going to work"
"Well talk to me about it, its not good keeping them feelings inside Paul"
"I'm the laird yeah?"
Lexie listened "Aye…"
"And Isobel's a farmer…"
"Oh come on Paul that makes no difference…Arch was the laird I was the house…"
"I don't mean that Lex" Paul interrupted
"I have my duties here…she has hers at the farm"
"Oh…"
"If only Arch would…no, never mind"
"If only Arch would what?"
Paul shook his head
"Paul tell me"
"If only Arch would be laird again…for a while, well I sort myself out"
Lexie sighed a deep breath; she knew that was a lot to ask.
"Lex my times running out, I'm nearly 40 years old!"
Tears formed in Lexie's eyes, she looked down so Paul couldn't see.
"Mum" Ellie spoke, putting her small mitten hand against her mothers face.
Paul noticed. "Oh Lex, I'm sorry I didn't mean to have a go, I …"
"Paul you know I would move back here like a flash if you asked, but"
"But Arch" Paul finished
Lexie nodded, as Paul leaned forward and put his arms around her and the twins.
"Paul he wont even come back for Christmas" Lexie mumbled
"Mum, how will Santa know what fireplace to come down?" Martha asked as they all sat in the library that night.
"I don't know sweetie. Me and uncle Archie always used to fight about which fireplace it was." Lizzie replied
"Did you ever find out?" Martha questioned
"No, uncle Jamie told us in the end that Santa came down a different one each year and would bring a map of Glenbogle with him so that he could find his way around the house"
"Oh…Do you think he will know this time?"
"I don't know, Santa hasn't had to visit Glenbogle for a lot of years"
Martha looked worried.
"Don't worry Martha, I'll walk the corridors tonight and if I see a big man dressed in red carrying a sack I'll point him in the right direction" Paul laughed
"Thanks uncle Paul" Martha smiled
"Right come on pet, up ta bed" Lizzie announced, "Say goodnight to everyone and give them a kiss"
"Night Auntie Lex, Night uncle Paul, night Golly, night Jess, night Dunc" Martha replied to everyone, giving them each a kiss before Lizzie looked around the room.
"Where's Mummy?" Lizzie questioned
"She's on the phone lass" Golly spoke up.
"Oh ok" Lizzie smiled "Come on Martha"
Lexie and Paul looked at each other confused, what had just happened? Was something going on that they didn't know about?
Lizzie passed her mothers room on the way up to Martha's room. Lizzie pushed the door open and Molly jumped.
"Opps Sorry, only us" Lizzie apologised as Molly ushered them in.
"Hang on a minute Archie" Molly spoke into the phone.
"Night Grandma" Martha said as she gave Molly a kiss. Molly held the phone up to Martha.
"Night uncle Arch, and don't worry, I know Santa has his map of Glenbogle" Martha said down the phone to Archie, before handing it back to Molly.
Lizzie smiled at her mother as she took her daughter out of the room and to her bedroom.
"Well I'm going to retire for the night," Lexie finally said after it was just her and Paul left downstairs.
"Make sure your asleep ready for Santa" Paul joked
Lexie laughed, "Sweet dreams Paul"
The Spin Off 2 – Part 20Sunday 25th December – Christmas Day!
Lexie woke up early and crept outside. It was still quite dark outside, and it had snowed again last night, the white blanket that lay on the ground outside the house was beautiful, she was unsure if she wanted to spoil it.
She walked down to the loch side and sat on the stone pillar. Staring out to the loch. She thought about what Paul had said. He was right, if he wanted to marry and start a family it would have to be soon.
She didn't know if she could imagine herself and Archie coming back to Glenbogle. Archie being laird again, would he be able to sit still for long enough?
Then a smile crept across her face as she imagined the girls growing up here. They could go on walks through the forest and along Duncan's nature trails, Lexie could teach them how to cook in the kitchen. When they were older Golly could take them out fishing and they could learn to fish like Jess had.
Molly would have her grandchildren with her, and Lexie could be at peace again with all her family around her.
Paul and Isobel could marry and start a family, and they would be close by, and the girls would have new cousins to play with.
Lexie's smile dropped. It was everything she had wished for herself as a child, of course slightly different but along them 'Family' lines.
Just then a snowball hit Lexie on the back.
"Right, I'm gonnae get you this time Duncan" Lexie shouted picking up snow by her feet and turned round and throwing the snowball hard at his face.
Her face looked shocked as the snowball hit not Duncan's face, but hit Archie hard right on the forehead.
Lexie didn't say anything, she didn't know whether it was a dream or not. She didn't know what to say.
"Ouch, oh my head" Archie mumbled, rubbing his head in the cold.
"Ar…ar…Arch?" Lexie stuttered
"Since when did you have a good aim?" Archie laughed
"ARCH!" Lexie shouted in happiness as she ran towards him, throwing her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. He smelt her sweet smell and she laid her head on his shoulder feeling his warmth.
"Look at the state of you" Lexie laughed as she stared into Archie's eyes.
"Well I haven't slept in about 24 hours, I flew 6 hours home last night on a crappy plane, lost 6 hours of my day and then travelled up to the highlands on a sleeper, only to then have to walk through snow blocked roads in the freezing cold…to arrive home and see my beautiful wife, and get a snowball thrown at me" Archie laughed
"But Arch, I thought if you came home Adam would fire you?"
"He cant fire me if I've quit can he?"
"YOU QUIT?"
"I quit, I've had enough of being a manager of a restaurant, and I'd prefer being a laird then ever doing that again"
Lexie pondered on whether she should bring up what Paul suggested
Lexie leaned forward and kissed Archie, long and romantically.
"Oh and I came back because of the fact I truly love my wife and my family, and I want to finally show them I do"
Still Lexie said nothing.
"Ok Lex, I know I'm usually rubbish at guessing what your thinking, so just come out and tell me"
Lexie laughed softly. She took a deep breath and began.
"How would you feel about becoming laird again…just for a while, well I'm not sure how long exactly" Lexie questioned
Archie stood back "Paul doesn't want to be laird any more?"
"No, no it's not that, he wants a family Arch, with Isobel"
"Isobel?"
"Look Arch, it's a long story…but I thought mebbe…just mebbe we could…move back to Glenbogle and you could be laird again…and I would be Mrs. Laird and the girls…"
"I get it"
"So?"
"I think that it's a brilliant idea, and I must say one of my best"
Lexie playfully hit him, "Ya Bampot, so that's a yes then?"
"It's a yes"
"Oh Arch I love you so much!"
"And I love you too Mrs. Laird, now come on back in the house, its freezing out here and the girls are awake, and guess who's been?"
"Who?" Lexie looked confused
"Santa of course"
"Oh" Lexie laughed as they walked hand in hand back to the house.
Molly and Paul were coming down the stairs each carrying a very excited twin as Archie and Lexie came in.
Paul looked a bit shocked at seeing Archie, but Molly had a huge smile on her face.
"DADDY!" the girls shouted together holding their arms out to Archie.
"My Sweethearts, merry Christmas" Archie came forward and took them both.
Lexie stood behind him, she laughed putting her hand over the mouth covering her big smile as she realised who Molly was on the phone to last night, and why everyone else knew. Well apart from Paul of course.
"Merry Christmas dear" Molly came forward to Lexie and Lexie wrapped her arms around her mother-in-law.
"Oh Molly, it's the best Christmas ever"
"Oh and Paul, We've got a present for you"
"Who you and Arch?" Paul questioned
"He's agreed…well we've decided…we're coming home!" Lexie shouted excitedly.
"I'm going to take over laird again for a while, while you do what you have to do" Archie commented
Paul looked gob smacked, while Molly was jumping up and down next to him.
"You really want too?" Paul asked
"I've lived life a bit now, and I've decided, there's nothing better than being at Glenbogle with my family, even if I cant stand them sometimes" Archie smiled kissing Lexie as she took Ellie off him and they hugged together.
"Oh this is the best Christmas ever!" Molly shouted grabbing Paul and hugging him, as he looked shocked before putting his arms around her as well and then Lexie and Archie and the girls.
"Santa's been!" Martha shouted from the top of the stairs. The group looked up to see Martha jumping up and down at the top of the stairs holding a sack in her hands, With Lizzie smiling behind her.
"Uncle Archie you were wrong! Santa does come through Mummy's fireplace cos he left footprints on the floor from the ash" Martha shouted running down the stairs.
Archie smiled at his niece then looked at Lizzie as she came down the stairs. He waited until Martha had run to the tree before he turned to Lizzie and whispered "Maybe Santa should wash his feet after if he's going to try and win after all these years"
As Lizzie looked guilty down at her dirty slippers still caked in ash. "Welcome home wee brother"
"Right, I'll be Santa, everyone sit down in your seats, now where's my wee elf?" Archie asked as he sat beside the pile of presents.
"I'm here Uncle Arch…I mean Santa!" Martha shouted
They sat and Archie handed out all the presents as Martha ran to give them to each person.
They sat down in the afternoon to Christmas dinner made by Lexie and Lizzie.
"Right now while I was in New York I came across a very interesting idea…personalised crackers," Archie informed the family as they all sat round the table.
"So I got one for everyone" Archie smiled as he handed the crackers out with everyone's names on. Every one started pulling open the crackers and laughing about their gifts they got inside.
"Hey Arch I haven't got my cracker" Lexie questioned.
"Oh yes, nearly forgot about yours" Archie laughed as he produced a red and gold cracker with 'Alexandra' written in Italic on the front.
"You gonna pull it with me?" Lexie questioned.
Archie held one end as Lexie held the other and everyone went silent waiting to see what Lexie had got in her cracker. They pulled the cracker and it went bang and Lexie was left holding the part of the cracker with the gift inside.
"What ya get Lex?" Duncan asked as Lexie went silent.
"Oh Arch, it's beautiful"
Lexie held up a beautiful stone set ring with diamonds in. Tears formed in her eyes. To her, this just completed her best Christmas ever.
"It's an eternity ring to show my eternal love to you Lex, I love you to bits, I love you more than my life…and my job" Archie laughed.
"Aww that's lovely" Molly smiled
Lexie placed it on her finger and then Kissed Arch.
"And I love you more than my life" Lexie added.
"To new beginnings, and a happy new year" Golly toasted as the others repeated after him.
Isobel sat next to Paul at the table, his hand held hers. As they knew they had their own new beginning right now, growing at that very moment.
Paul looked across at his brother, the best brother any one could have. He had given up Glenbogle for him, and now he had come back for him. He looked across at Lexie, the love he had once had for her had now turned to happiness, as he saw his sister-in-law happy at last, and his two twin nieces growing up so fast, that he would now be able to share it with them. Everyone would be together again.
So as the family sat around the table eating their Christmas dinner, they enjoyed the very day that would start a new beginning for them all.
The end