Horatio & Josie: Happy Christmas
Chapter 5
December 24 – Christmas Eve Morning
"There's the Mississippi. The Minnesota and Mississippi rivers meet at the Pike Island side of Fort Snelling State Park. The military buildings and cemetery of Fort Snelling are just over on the other side of the International airport." Lieutenant Allen's voice came from the seat in front of Kyle. Peering out the airplane window, he could make out the dark river winding through the snow-covered landscape. It was so different than the sand covered desert he'd left several days ago. There hadn't been time to call his father about the change in Christmas plans. Lieutenant Allen had assured him everyone would meet up at Jo's place, including Lieutenant Caine, on Christmas Eve.
"If you look out your window to the right, you'll see the Mississippi River and Mall of America just a little to the south. It's a balmy 28 degrees outside today. By the looks of it, we'll be having a white Christmas here in the Twin Cities. On behalf of myself and the crew, thank you for flying with us and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year." The captain clicked off the intercom as passengers began putting away their things in preparation to land. Horatio stared unseeingly out the window, his thoughts straying to the week ahead with Jo and her nephews.
"Kieran! Liam! I need an extra hand or two with the lights! Jezebel is pretty smart but even she can't untangle the strings. And Roxie is digging in the ornament box!" Jo looked down from the kitchen chair she was standing on in an attempt to get the twinkling colored lights around the upper portion of the rather rotund tree. "What could those two be doing?" she muttered as she stretched as far as she dared to hide the green light cord deep in the branches. "If they don't get out here soon, I'm going to be a tree decoration and Jingle and Belle will be our newest window light-up decorations!" She glanced down to where the two doxies were wriggling their way beneath a tangled string of lights. Out of the corner of her eye, Jo saw Roxie trot proudly by with her newest treasure. It was gold and glittery and … "Boys! I need your help now! Roxie is making off with the Christmas tree angel to her lair! If you don't rescue it, there will be coal in all your stockings!"
"What time is Mr. Horatio supposed to get here Liam?" Kieran was at their bedroom door, his eyes looking from his brother to the hallway. "We have to go help Aunt Jo," he hissed as he heard his Aunt's voice calling for them yet again. His brother sighed and turned away from his laptop. They shut their bedroom door and hurried down the hallway, just in time to tackle a very guilty looking Roxie, slinking toward her favorite hiding spot in their bedroom. "He didn't give a time, Kieran," Liam whispered as he tried to pry open the pup's mouth. "He just said he would be here on Christmas Eve. I guess we'll have to watch for him just like we used to wait for Santa. Roxie, please give me the angel. Kieran, go get some cookie bones. Maybe we can bribe her to give it up." He turned his attention back to the young canine as his brother hurried down the hallway. "You know Roxie, I don't think you'll go to puppy heaven if you eat an angel!"
"Erik! This is awful!" Calleigh squashed the urge to put her hands over ears. Twelve wind-up toys with seemingly endless wind-up power were banging on toy drums in the small shop. "It's like the Energizer Bunny met the Little Drummer Boy!" Her fellow CSI nodded, intent on taking in the scene on the floor. A man dressed up like a drum major, his face a bloody mess, was propped up beside a life-size nutcracker soldier in the tiny pop-up Christmas shop. In his hands were the blood-soaked drumsticks. "But why would he beat himself up?" Calleigh wondered out loud. "I don't know Cal. Maybe he was drugged or … he had to listen to Christmas songs for twelve hours straight and he did it to himself?" Erik held up his hands as the blonde woman threw him a withering look. "Ok ok, just a thought."
"Auntie, the lights and … silver stuff on the tree look awesome!" Kieran backed away to stand in the middle of the room and take in their handiwork. Jo joined him and looked over the tree with a critical eye.
"I think you're right Kieran," she ruffled his hair affectionatly, "that's garland by the way. It is an awesome looking tree. Now," Jo looked at the 4 dogs all flopped glumly amid the ornaments in their boxes and wrappings, "I think we have to get these dogs out for some play time before we hang the ornaments. So, let's see how quickly we can put away these extra lights and make sure there's not any garland bits laying around for Jingle to eat and then go outside." Her suggestion was met with loud exclamations of enthusiasm and a burst of energy as the boys began stuffing everything on the floor in the two large cardboard boxes that held the ornaments and lights. Jo squatted down in front of the small doxie with silver slivers hanging out of his mouth. "Listen Mister, I realize you are very low to the ground but that doesn't mean you need to put everything on the ground in your mouth!" She gently pried open the small mouth and proceeded to pull out the shreds of silver.
"Look Auntie! It's snowing!" Both boys bolted out the front door, doxies and Roxie following closely on their heels. "It's sticky! We can make a snowman! Come on Kieran! Let's see how big we can make it. Maybe Anne can come over and help us!"
"Here you go Roxie!" Jo lofted a well-packed snowball over the roof of the house. Tilting her head to one side, the dog watched it disappear out of her sight before racing off around to the backyard. Barking loudly, Jingle and Belle followed their new friend around the house as fast as their shorter legs would carry them through the deepening snow.
"Hey, this looks like fun! Can I help?" Jo looked up from gathering snow for another snowball to see their next door neighbor on the other side of the fence. The snow was sitting on her dark, wavy hair and thick lashes.
"Hey Anne! Merry Christmas! Come on over! By the looks of the size of that snowball the boys are rolling, they are going to need all the extra muscle they can round up. Sadly the doggos will be no help with this project." Jo smiled as the young woman scampered around to the gate. Kieran and Liam looked up at the sound of the gate, calling greetings to their favorite neighbor. Jezebel appeared by Jo's side, her dark coat covered in snowflakes. "Hi there beautiful girl. I know you would rather have a walk, but we have to play with the little ones. Maybe we can take a quiet walk tonight after church." As if on cue Roxie and her two small doxie reindeer raced around the side of the house, plowing snow up in a small pile at Jo's feet as she slid to a stop. After lofting another snowball, Jo waved to Anne and the boys calling she was going to turn on the outside Christmas lights and gather a carrot and scarf and hat for their snowman.
Forty-five minutes later, all four humans and four dogs stood staring up at the headless snowman. Kieran sighed. "Great. We HAVE a head just no way to get the head on the top! We need someone taller and stronger to help us finish him." Jezebel was growing tired of the stack of large snowballs garnering all the humans' attention. She was contemplating rolling the small, noisy doxie in the snow when the sound of a car pulling up at the curb caught her attention. Trotting over to the gate, she tilted her head as a tall man rounded the car. Somehow he looked kind of familiar, she thought. Before she could bark a warning or a hello, the tall man approached the fence. "Hey, do you guys need a hand?" His laughing voice brought the boys racing to the fence, shouting hellos and Merry Christmas.
TBC