Sorry everyone, getting to be a busy time for me with work and I'm the lead in my musical drama group's Pantomime which starts it week long run tomorrow! I am nervous...this does help to calm a little as would your reviews...;-) AJ5.
Chapter 4.
'She's had a pretty exciting day.' Kelly smiled as she pulled a blanket up over Rebecca who slept peacefully in her Aunt's bed. Cate watched from the doorway of her bedroom as her big sister took care of her niece.
'Yeah she has.' Cate agreed when a cushion struck her; turning back to the main room she saw Jill and Julie beckoning her back eagerly. 'I think the other kids are getting restless.' Cate laughed as Kelly joined her moving them both into the hallway pulling the door closed behind them.
'I would say so.' Kelly laughed quietly as she and her little sister walked back in to the sitting room taking their seats again on the couch.
'So Kel, how did you take the news that Cate wasn't on the plane.' Julie asked snuggling down into her armchair again, Jill resting back against the front of Julie's seat. Kelly looked to her sister who motioned for her to continue with the story.
'You're the best one to answer that sis.' Cate smirked. Kelly nodded as she began to pick up the story.
'Well I didn't take as well as I could have.'
3 years earlier.
The phone began to ring in Kelly's home.
'Hang on!' Kelly called out as she rushed from her kitchen to where her phone sat berating herself again for not having a phone put in the kitchen. The phone continued to ring. 'Hello?' Kelly answered as she snatched up the phone.
'Kelly?' A woman's voice came through the line uncertain.
'Yes this is Kelly?' Kelly answered back confused but her unsettled feeling returning.
'Oh good. Kelly this is Joan Cavendish, Cate's aunt.' Joan explained. Kelly sat down fearing the worst.
'Is everything alright Mrs. Cavendish?' Kelly asked.
'Joan please and yes everything is fine well, sort of.' Joan admitted.
'Sort of, what's happened is Cate alright?' Kelly asked fear mounting.
'She's just fine sweetheart I'm sorry I'm doing this all wrong getting you all worried. I'm calling because Cate's flight was cancelled.' Kelly let out a breath she didn't even realise she was holding.
'Cancelled?'
'I'm afraid so.'
'Is she going to be able to get back here at all in time for Christmas?' Kelly asked her Christmas plans all fading away.
'I should think she's doing everything in her power to get home to you honey. Some friends of ours let us know that she was heading towards the train station with some friends, I'm sure she'll call you as soon as she's able to.' Joan explained.
'Yes I'm sure she will.' Kelly agreed a little disappointed with her sister for not having called herself.
'Don't worry Kelly she'll call you and everything will be fine, we'll speak soon, take care now, goodbye.' Kelly returned her goodbyes and well wishes and hung up the phone. Sitting down on her couch for moment Kelly sat lost in thought, annoyed that Cate hadn't called and concerned that she wouldn't make it home in time for Christmas, all in all it was not looking great for their first Christmas together.
Cate sat in the bus next to Four Leaf who was keeping himself busy playing his mandolin. Cate liked the music he played as she stared out the window as the bus drove along.
'Don't worry darlin' you'll get home to your sister, no problem.' Four Leaf said keeping his eyes on the fret board of his mandolin as he spoke. Cate smiled as Four Leaf read her mind.
'Yeah but what are the chances I'll get there on time and she's going to be pissed that I didn't call her before we hit the road.'
'Someone would have called her let her know what's going on.' Four Leaf assured. 'Look, keep your spirits up.'
'Keep my spirits up? Four Leaf you know I don't drink anymore.'
'I do and I didn't mean drinking spirits Catey, boys come on now our friend here needs some cheering up and a little coercing into singing.'
'No Four Leaf, no singing, I'm not in the mood.' Cate grumpily said as she sank down in her seat turning towards the window a little more. The band started up playing acoustic as Four Leaf led them in to 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' Four Leaf began to sing the lead which the band tried to stop and get Cate to take over eventually the pleading worked as Cate began to laugh and they started again Cate putting her hand over Four Leaf's mouth to stop him from singing lead anymore. The journey began to feel a little more lighthearted as they all began to make fun of the situation they were in. The music continued as the band came round to playing 'I'll be Home for Christmas' Cate sang although found it hard bringing the once jovial mood down to the blues of the situation they were all in trying to get to Los Angeles in time for the celebrations of Christmas. The music soon stopped as a loud bang sounded sending the bus careening to the side of the road slamming everyone into the right hand side of the bus.
'What the hell was that?' One of the band members called out as another member pulled himself up off of him.
'I think we might have just blown a tire.' Cate said rubbing her right shoulder after smacking it in to the window.
'I'd say you're right.' The driver agreed as he threw on his jacket and opened the bus doors getting out to inspect the damage. The occupants of the bus groaned realizing what this would mean for them all. 'Yep.' The driver said climbing back on board. 'Tire's blown.'
'Any way we can change it?' Cate asked.
'You want to jack this old rig up?' The bus driver asked.
'If it'll get me closer to home.'
'Sorry Cate not likely to happen.' The driver sadly said as he picked up his radio calling it in.
'Great.' Cate sighed sitting back down again. Feeling the hand on her shoulder she looked up seeing Four Leaf.
'Chin up girl, we'll find a way.' He said with a smile and a wink. Cate smiled laughing a little, Four Leaf always so full of hope. 'Look across the road.' Four Leaf pointed, through the mist of the winter snow and cold they spotted the diner. 'Come on, let's get something to eat, they probably have a phone too.' Four Leaf squeezed Cate's left shoulder. Grabbing their coats they left the bus and headed to the diner.
'Got yourself a little trouble out there.' The waitress said as they all sat down in booths next to each other.
'Just a little, blown tire.' Cate explained.
'Well, get yourselves something warm to eat and drink, hopefully help will be out to you soon. My name is Gloria, I'll be your waitress.' Cate and her friends all smiled to Gloria who returned it with warmth. Ordering their food and drink they planned out what they would do next.
'Well the first thing I have to do is call Kelly.' Cate stated getting up. 'Gloria, is there a phone here I can use to call my sister?'
'Sure hun, just at the back there.' Gloria pointed to the phone, smiling her thanks Cate made her way to it, covering the small surface area beside it with coins Cate picked up the receiver dropping in coins and dialing Kelly's number. Cate drummed her fingers on the top of the phone waiting for Kelly to pick up the phone, which seemed to be taking forever when the answer phone clicked on. Cate sighed with disappointment as she listened through the message telling her that Kelly wasn't home and to leave a message.
'Hi Kel it's me. My flight was cancelled and I'm on the road doing all that I can to get home to you and the others. I actually met up with Four Leaf and his band, they're trying to get to L.A. as well we're in a bus heading to the train station but that's just blown a tire, we're doing everything we can I promise you we are but things aren't looking so great right now, I'm so sorry sis this isn't turning to be the holiday I hoped it would be for us.' Cate sighed heavily nothing left to say. 'Well I'll call again soon, give you an update as to where we are, I hope to be home in time for all the celebrations but right now we're all looking for a miracle. I'll speak to you soon, love you Kelly, bye.' Cate hung up the phone standing with her hand on it for a while trying to figure something out to get them all back home.
'Cate we got a new ride, let's go!' Four Leaf shouted out to her, Cate turned and nodded scooping the change for the phone in to her hand and stuffing the remainder into her pocket.
'Alright let's get going.' Cate said as she went to grab her jacket leaving money and a tip for Gloria.
'Here honey.' Cate turned to Gloria's voice looking straight into the young woman's brown eyes. 'Take this.' Gloria handed Cate a small angel pin. 'Might just bring you a little Christmas miracle.' Gloria smiled turning back to the table cleaning away their dishes her long dark hair bobbing in its ponytail as she did.
'Thank you Gloria, Merry Christmas.' Cate smiled leaving the diner chasing after Four Leaf and the others as they loaded up into the back of a big truck's rig. 'This is our new ride?' Cate asked as she zipped up her jacket and pulled her collar up around her neck.
'Yep, this is it, come on it'll be fun. We'll play music, sing have fun.' Four Leaf said with enthusiasm.
'You are enjoying this far too much Four Leaf.' Cate said as she climbed into the back of the truck. Four Leaf laughed as he climbed in after her, the others had food bagged up from the diner and drink ready for the go.
Kelly ran through her front door arms full of shopping bags, she hoped to catch the phone still ringing but sighed heavily lowering her bags to the couch as she heard her answer phone click off. Leaning across to it Kelly flicked the switch to rewind the message so she could play it only to then be further disappointed that she had missed Cate's call, her hopes raised once more as the phone began to ring again, snatching it up Kelly answered.
'Cate?' Kelly said excitedly hoping it might be Cate trying once more.
'Sorry Kel, just me.' Kris's voice replied. 'No word from Cate yet then?'
'No I've had word from her, she's trying to get home, her flight was cancelled and she's doing all she can to get the train home, it just might not be in time for Christmas.' Kelly glumly said sitting on her couch.
'Have a little hope Kel she might make it.'
'It's the 23rd today Kris and getting late the party is tomorrow night and from the sound of it she's nowhere near closer to home than she was a few hours ago.' Kelly defeated sat back in the couch wrapping her free arm around her stomach thoroughly fed up with the situation.
'Alright young lady that's it, Jill and I are coming round and bringing dinner.'
'Oh Kris no I just…'
'Nope Kelly we're coming round Jill's already putting on her shoes and jacket, will be there with food soon.' Before Kelly could answer the phone line went dead.
'I guess I'll be seeing you in a few.' Kelly said to the phone before she hung up. 'Or I could switch off all the lights and hide, maybe they won't come in…' Kelly said speaking aloud to herself. 'What am I saying of course they'll come in they have a key.' Kelly sighed loudly, picked herself up off of her couch and took her Christmas shopping through to the back bedroom all to be wrapped later. With thirty minutes the doorbell rang, Kelly opened the door to reveal Jill and Kris stood with a brown bag each containing Chinese take out, and both with a wide smile plastered across their faces.
'Hi!' They said in unison before entering in. Kelly had plates and cutlery ready for them on the kitchen bar.
'We got your favorites.' Jill enthused as she set out the take away food packages on the bar.
'You mean you've ordered the left side of the menu again.' Kelly quipped smirking slightly as she did. Jill poked her tongue out at her friend pleased that her spirits were already a little higher than when Kris spoke to her.
'So music or shall we see what movies they're showing on the box?' Kris asked as she set napkins and cutlery on the coffee table in Kelly's lounge.
'I think they're showing 'Meet Me in St. Louis' tonight.' Kelly suggested as she handed Kris the TV Guide. Kris nodded as she took and switched on the TV and found the right channel.
'We've still got a little time before it starts so we can get comfortable and eat away.' Jill said happily handing a plate full of food to Kelly then carrying hers and Kris's out to the lounge and sitting down on the couch with Kelly next to her and Kris on the floor in front of them.
'She'll be home in time right?' Kelly asked unhappily pushing food around on her plate. Kris looked round to her and caught Jill's eyes.
'Of course she will honey, you know Cate will be here and you probably won't even want to know how she managed it.' Jill reassured.
'Because she'll probably break the law to do it.' Kris joked making Jill burst with laughter joined eventually by Kelly then settling she began to eat with her friends saying a silent prayer and wish at the same time.
'So did you make it home?' Julie asked through laughter with the rest of the Angels and Scotty.
'You know how they say things come in threes?' Cate asked Julie smiling, Julie nodded. 'Well there's no exception for Angels on that rule in fact it's not always just threes.' Cate laughed.