Disclaimer: I only own the story specific characters I created. The originals belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
Eddie woke on Christmas Eve to an empty apartment. There was a note on the pillow next to his to let him know Charlotte was upstairs with her parents. Dressing for the day, he meandered up to Blair and Chuck's home to find Charlotte in her parents' dining room, eating pastries and sipping cappuccinos with her parents while discussing the day's activities.
"Hey, you," Charlotte's eyes sparkled as Eddie bent in to kiss her cheek.
"Happy Christmas Eve," he whispered in her ear.
"Trekked all the way across town just to see our daughter on your day off," Blair gave the young Fraser a teasing smiled. Though she was well aware of the young man spending nights with her daughter, she would pretend to be ignorant of it for the sake of her husband.
"What can I say?" Eddie took a seat next to Charlotte at Blair's urging and reached for Charlotte's hand, "I'm a sucker for these brown eyes."
Chuck did his best not to roll his eyes. He could see how happy the pair was, but there was still part of him that hated the idea of Charlotte being a serious relationship with anyone, and he could feel the relationship building to the moment where Eddie would sit him down to ask a very important question.
"Hope you've mentally prepared yourself for an afternoon of itchy, green tights," Aiden ambled into the room, clearly exhausted from a late night out with friends after he made his escape from the gala.
"Late start this morning, Aiden," Charlotte glanced at her watch, "Aren't you usually up early to hit the market?"
"It's the holidays," Aiden glared at his sister, "Even chefs take time off at the holidays."
"If you say so, Little Brother," Charlotte teased.
"What's he saying about tights?" Eddie asked Charlotte.
"Char, you have told him about the costumes, haven't you?" Aiden could see the slightly panicked expression on Eddie's face.
"I thought you were kidding about the tights, sort of a new guy initiation," Eddie gulped nervously.
Aiden snorted in reply.
"It's not that bad," Charlotte scowled at her brother, "And it's for the kids. You'll forget all about the constricting leggings the moment you see the kids' eyes light up."
"This is going to be bad, isn't it," Eddie looked towards Chuck, who was fighting not to outright laugh at the panicked look on the younger man's face.
"I can't lie, Eddie, yes, it is," Chuck continued to put out the straightest face he could manage, "It's those damn Waldorf eyes, these two have. You can't say no, no matter what type of hit your masculinity takes."
"What I want to know is how has Eugenia never wanted to join us," Blair thought out loud. "Volunteering is right down her alley."
"I think she volunteers her talents and time on a more regular basis," Chuck replied.
"In places which don't require the wearing of tights," Eddie added.
"Wow, the gangs all here," Brice arrived with Collette and Barty in tow, "Eat up, Eddie. You'll need your strength to face the humiliation of today's adventure."
Collette nudged Brice while adding a scowl. "You have fun every year, and don't you deny it."
"Mom, any chance you could invent some sort of alternate to tights for us men to wear?" Brice parked himself in one of the available chairs after holding Collette's chair for her.
"Not in time for this year's festivities," Blair's eyes sparkled in amusement. She used to love tormenting her ex-boyfriend with the green tights, but that amusement eventually transferred to her sons, mostly because they were such good sports about it. Had they truly pitched a fit, she probably would have conceded a long time ago. "Grin and bear it, Sweetheart."
Charlotte and Collette both had a good laugh at the groans from Brice and Aiden.
"We women wear all sorts of torturous devices to attract and keep you men interested. The least you can do is grin and bear one day in a pair of tights," Charlotte scowled at her brother.
"Eddie, your mother sent me your measurements, so your costume should fit just fine. If not, I have a seamstress on call to come do emergency alterations," Blair told the newest member of their entourage.
"I'm not worried," Eddie shrugged as Charlotte's arm wrapped around his shoulders.
Charlotte couldn't help but beam at how well he appeared to be handling the ribbing he was getting. Her brothers were really only moaning get a rise out of Eddie. They'd long ago made peace with their roles in the family's holiday tradition. They tried to do the same thing to Collette when she first joined in the tradition. Charlotte hadn't joined in.
"Are you joining us for dinner tonight, Eddie?" Collette asked as Aiden passed her the pastries. "The holiday spread is one not to miss."
"That's the plan," Eddie bobbed his head, "My family will be doing our celebrations tomorrow night." He turned his head towards Charlotte, "Will you be joining us?"
"I don't know," Charlotte paused for a beat and then with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes she added, "It's kind of late notice."
"How inconsiderate of me," Eddie chuckled.
Charlotte fingers ran through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. She could feel her father's eyes boring in on her. It made her a bit nervous. She removed her hand and put a bit of distance between herself and her boyfriend. Eddie raised a curious brow when he noticed her pull away. She did her best to give him a reassuring smile before she excused herself and headed down to her home to get ready.
"Everything okay, Babe?" Eddie found Charlotte sitting at her vanity, applying the thick, costume makeup to her face. This was the one avenue she had left where she could play a part. She knew she'd never make a living as an actress, never really even gave it a serious bit of consideration, but she did miss the thrill a bit of getting up on stage and having people hang on her every word.
"Yes, of course," Charlotte did her best to give him an encouraging smile.
"You pulled away from me at breakfast," he knelt before her.
"Daddy was staring," she set her makeup brush down, "I felt a bit weird about our affection being put on display before him. He had this look…I can't even describe it. I know my dad about as well as anyone, but there is something new about the way he was looking at me…us."
"Do you think he knows I'm regularly spending my nights here?" Eddie tangled his fingers into her ringlets of curls.
"I don't know…maybe," she frowned, "But if he really knew, I don't think he'd be so calm about it. Maybe I'm just being a bit paranoid."
"If you want to keep things mellow around your father, I completely understand," he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, not wanting to risk smudging her makeup. "Quite frankly I keep waiting for him to reach across the table and strangle me."
"He wouldn't," Charlotte grasped Eddie's hand and brought it to her lips, "He'd have to go through me, and he'd never lay a hand on me in anger."
"Nor will I," he caressed her.
"I know," she smiled, "You and your brother were brought up to be total gentlemen."
"Is it wrong to say you are about the sexiest, little elf I've ever seen?" Eddie took in her appearance. She'd already put on her red, velvet dress with white fur trim covering the flaring skirt and high neckline, and red and white tights. Her black booties with white fir trim were sitting patiently next to the vanity, waiting for her to slip into them. She had her hair in two braids, and her cheeks were extra rosy with exaggerated freckles.
"Depends," she gave him a coy smile, "Have you seen a lot of sexy elves?"
"Not until today," he scrunched up his nose in an adorable way.
"You'd better get dressed," her eyes shifted to the costume waiting for him.
"You just want to see the tights," he chuckled.
"Leggings," she corrected him.
Eddie forced a rush of air through his nostrils before he retrieved his costume and disappeared into the bathroom to change.
Charlotte, Collette, Brice and Aiden were all dressed and organizing the gifts by the elevator when a self-conscious Eddie emerged from Charlotte's bedroom. Collette and Charlotte's costumes were identical except Collette's costume was emerald green, where Charlotte's was candy cane red. Aiden and Brice were in costumes identical to Eddie's, complete with green tights and pointy toed shoes.
A low whistle suddenly cut through the chatter, courtesy of Brice. "Nice tights."
"Hey, none of that out of you," Charlotte poked a finger into her brother's chest before she advanced on her boyfriend, "You look quite handsome."
Aiden and Brice both snorted. Neither thought it was possible to look handsome in the costumes they were wearing.
Charlotte chose to ignore her brothers as she wrapped her arms around Eddie's neck, "I'd better keep an eye on you this afternoon. Those nurses are going to be following you around with their tongues wagging."
"I feel ridiculous," he confessed.
"You'll fit right in," Charlotte pecked at his lips, "We all feel a bit ridiculous."
"At least Mom has never had the thought to add pointy ears to the costumes," Aiden chimed in.
"Don't even mention that," Collette scowled at the younger Bass. She knew the family matriarch was always looking for ways to make the costume more authentic.
"I'm not that stupid," Aiden snorted.
"Come on, let's get these gifts downstairs," Charlotte pulled Eddie towards the elevator, "We're supposed to be at the hospital in thirty minutes. Dad has the van waiting to be loaded."
After years of struggling to fit all the gifts into their vehicles to transport to the hospital, Nate was the one to off handedly suggest they think ahead the next year about getting a van to transport the toys. Chuck had made note, and now every year, there was a van waiting for the gifts.
Once the gifts were loaded, Santa and Mrs. Claus emerged from the building, or rather Blair and Chuck, appropriately dressed. Eddie did his best not to laugh at the sight.
"Laugh it up, Mister Fraser," Chuck took note, "Just remember to look in the mirror first."
"Best Christmas memory ever," Eddie laughed out loud.
Once everyone was piled into the limo, they set off for the hospital and were greeted by the hospital administrator, who repeatedly professed her gratefulness for not only donating their time, but also the generous charitable donations from not only the Bass Industries Charitable Foundation, but also the Bass family. It hit Eddie like a ton of bricks. He was now a part of this family.
The children's faces immediately brightened the instant Santa and his entourage arrived. They filed into the children's wing to a round of cheers. Chuck released the merriest "Ho, Ho, Ho" and the children cheered again. The bags of toys were immediately opened and gifts were passed out and the table of cookies was set up and instantly raided. Everyone fanned out to cover as much ground as they could. Charlotte stayed close to Eddie to make sure he was alright. She needn't have worried. He was an instant pro. The children seemed to be drawn towards him. A little girl, named Sadie, especially seemed to cling to him for the few hours they were there. Wherever Eddie was, Sadie was nearby.
"She's never taken to anyone like that," a woman stood off to the side observing Eddie and Sadie together. The pair were coloring together, trading stories and laughs with wide smiles.
"Eddie's good with kids," Charlotte smiled.
"He your fella?" the woman asked.
"Yes," Charlotte proudly claimed him.
"He's a good one," the woman replied, "Sadie's mine. She's had a rough go of it. We hate having to spend another holiday in the hospital, but hopefully this is the last one."
Charlotte swallowed the emotions she was feeling. She'd been told long ago not to ask what illnesses the children had and if they were getting better or worse, if the illness was treatable or terminal, but sometimes it was a challenge.
"Leukemia," the mother offered, "She's finally responding to treatment. So long as she has no setbacks, she'll be home by Valentine's Day."
"That's good to hear," Charlotte smiled.
"We're grateful for your family's generosity," the mother replied, "Treatment has depleted all of our savings. If it wasn't for these gifts, Sadie wouldn't be having Christmas."
"We're happy to do it," Charlotte swallowed hard. It was another reminder of how fortunate she was to have the last name of Bass. She would never have to worry a day in her life about money and would always have a plethora of gifts on her birthday and Christmas, but for most people here, it was a struggle to pay their medical bills. Presents for birthdays and holidays were frivolities, which couldn't be afforded.
"Mommy, look what I drew," Sadie held up her drawing to get her mother's attention. The woman excused herself to give her daughter the requested attention.
Charlotte traded a smile with Eddie before he refocused on the little girl before him. Charlotte put on a smile and went about spreading holiday cheer, but on the inside she was crying a little bit about the predicaments of the families she was encountering.
When the children all gathered before her father to narrate "'Twas the Night Before Christmas". Eddie carried Sadie to the gathering spot, sitting her in his lap. Charlotte, Brice, Collette and Aiden set about cleaning up the cookie table as quietly as possible.
"He's seems to be enjoying himself," Collette spoke softly to Charlotte while motioning towards Eddie.
"Yeah," Charlotte bobbed her head, her eyes gazing towards Eddie and Sadie, both seemed completely focused on the story, like they were hearing it for the first time.
"You okay," Collette wrapped an arm around Charlotte's shoulders.
"This is all so overwhelming," Charlotte admitted.
"Great loves are," Collette glanced towards her own boyfriend, who was giving his brother a hand gathering up some of the wayward wrapping paper remaining from when the children tore into the gifts.
"When did you know my brother was the one?" Charlotte asked.
"When he said he wanted to move to France so he could be with me," Collette responded without a moment of hesitation, "Seventeen year old boys don't typically think that way. From the moment I told him I was going to have to move, he was insistent on it. It took me only moments to realize after he said it that I wanted it too…Are you getting that tingly feeling I got?"
"Yeah, I think so," Charlotte bobbed her head.
"My advice is not to rush into anything," Collette replied. "I had the tingly feelings when I was seventeen, and here I am three and a half years later, enjoying being with Brice and having really amazing experiences with him."
Charlotte felt herself choke up, especially knowing what her brother planned for the pair later that evening. Though she loved her brothers dearly, she had always hoped for a sister. Almost as soon as Collette started dating Brice, she and Charlotte connected in a sisterly type relationship.
When the story was finished, the family made their farewells. Eddie wrapped an arm around Charlotte's shoulders as she appeared to be struggling to keep her composure. Breaking down in front of the children was a big no, no, so she fought with everything she had to keep it together until they'd left the children's wing.
Eddie could feel in the way Charlotte was trembling against him that she was struggling. His concern was immediate. He knew just the pick me up she needed, and halted their entrance into the elevator.
"Go on ahead," Eddie told the rest of the Bass family. "Charlotte and I will grab a cab back. I wanted to show her something."
"Don't be too long," Blair gave her daughter a look of concern. She'd never seen Charlotte so emotional after this annual visit. "Christmas Eve dinner will be shortly."
"We won't be long," Eddie assured the family matriarch.
"I don't know what's wrong with me. I usually don't get like this," Charlotte wiped at her eyes as she followed Eddie down the corridor. At first Charlotte thought he might be returning her to the children's wing, but he took an abrupt turn and then came to stop in front of a large picture window. On the other side were babies who had just been born.
"Your emotions are a bit raw right now," Eddie wrapped his arms around her from behind as they stared at the children being tended to by the nurses. "Opening yourself up to me is a gigantic risk, and it's opened up all the other emotions you feel, like sympathy, making them feel a bit more powerful."
Charlotte bobbed her head as she connected with one of the babies. The last name was familiar, likely a societal connection, or even a school classmate. She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but seeing these babies, all healthy and just getting started in the world did give Charlotte the pick me up she needed.
"How many children do you want?" Charlotte asked abruptly.
"Oh, I don't know," she felt Eddie shrug behind her, "Two worked well for my parents. How about you?"
"I'm thinking I want at least one of each, a boy and a girl. I don't much care for which order," Charlotte replied. Suddenly for the first time she imagined what her children would look like. Her son would have red hair and emerald eyes and look just like how she'd remembered Eddie looked growing up. Her daughter would have her brunette hair and brown eyes and all the Waldorf-Bass features. The thought should have startled her, but she liked it…liked it a lot.
"Better?" he kissed her cheek.
"Yes," she bobbed her head slightly, "Thank you for this. I would have been in a funk all evening otherwise."
"We can't have that, especially at Christmas," he spun her towards him and pressed his lips lightly to hers.
"Merry Christmas Eve, Eddie," she caressed his cheek.
"Merry Christmas Eve, Charlotte," he smiled back.
TBC…