This is Prompt No. 28-Christmas
Mitchie awoke Christmas morning and automatically rolled over towards Shane's side of the bed, ready to begin her morning routine and start her day. Caitlyn, Jason, Nate, and the general were going to spend their Christmas with her, so she must get started. Of late, her routine of remembering Shane had grown longer and longer until she had to start waking up earlier just to be getting out of bed at a decent hour. Though today, her routine was ruined when she rolled, and abruptly hit an obstacle.
She twisted around and let out a scream, but it was a scream of shock tinged heavily with happiness. Shane lay there next to her, head propped up on his elbow, watching her with a wide smile. "Shane!" she cried.
Then, without a word, Shane pulled her tightly to him and kissed her, holding her in her place for a long time, and Mitchie didn't complain. When Shane finally pulled away, he kept his arms wrapped around her body, keeping her as close to him as her growing stomach would allow. His forehead tilted to rest on hers, and they stayed that way, without speaking, for a long while.
"Am I dreaming?" Mitchie found the courage to ask. She was fearful of the answer, but wanted to make sure that she was really awake, and that he was really right in front of her.
Shane chuckled softly and shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm here. I'm really here."
Mitchie snuggled deeper into his arms, and he welcomed her there. "But how?" she asked. "I thought the mission was supposed to be longer." She looked up at him, suddenly hopeful. "Are you done? Did you finish early?"
Shane shook his head again. "No, I'm not done. The mission is still in progress. I'm only here for the day." He kissed Mitchie's hair almost reverently. "I'm here to be with you for today." His grin widened further, which Mitchie hadn't realized was possible, when he added, "Both of you."
"So you know," Mitchie correctly guessed. "Who told you?"
"Caitlyn wrote to me," Shane explained. "She told me that I was needed for the holidays, and that if I didn't get here by Christmas morning, she would personally come find me, ruin my cover, and drag me back home to spend Christmas here." He grinned as he listed Caitlyn's threats one by one.
Mitchie giggled. "Sounds like Caitlyn," she said. She made a mental note to thank Caitlyn profusely for giving her such a wonderful gift. She couldn't have asked for a better gift.
"When is the baby due?" Shane asked quietly.
"About three and half more months," Mitchie said after calculating a moment.
"Have you felt it move yet?" Shane asked curiously.
Mitchie shook her head. "No," she said. She then smiled up at Shane and asked, "Would you like to see if you have better luck?"
The look on Shane's face was priceless. The eagerness she saw there made Mitchie's heart swell even more with love for him. Very gently, he slid his hand under the many layers that covered them both and rested it on her stomach. Finding the position comfortable, they stayed there for a long time, just holding each other and wondering if the baby would move.
"I've missed you," she told him after a while in blissful silence.
"I've missed you too," Shane assured her, moving in to kiss her softly. "I love you so much," he said before he sealed his lips to hers.
Almost instantly, Mitchie felt a tremor, a flutter of movement, in her stomach, and she broke the kiss with a wondering gasp. "Did you-?" she asked breathlessly.
Shane nodded, his eyes filled with wonder, excitement, and love. "Yes," he whispered. He pressed a kiss to her hair and whispered, "I love you both."
Mitchie smiled with glee, excited at hearing his declaration. He was happy about the baby, his baby, their baby. He already loved the baby. Mitchie had been so afraid that Shane would be disappointed, maybe even upset, about this new development in his life, but her fears had been for nothing. Despite the weight of their jobs at the moment, both were excited, and ready, for a family.
"I'm so glad," she told him honestly. "I was afraid you might be upset."
Shane frowned, confused, but then his eyes showed an understanding that made him smile. He shook his head and grinned convincingly at Mitchie. "I couldn't be happier about the baby," he told her honestly. "What more could I want? I have a wife that I'm head over heels in love with, a job a large step up from something boring and mundane, and I have the start of a family. Do you see a problem with any of that?"
Mitchie shook her head, smiling at his reasoning. "No," she said. "Well, maybe the job," she teased.
Shane smiled but didn't respond. He only snuggled close to Mitchie again and closed his eyes in bliss. He was beyond grateful to Caitlyn for sending him that encrypted letter. He would have to thank her for that. "As much as I would love to spend the rest of my life right here," he told Mitchie, thoughts of Caitlyn reminding him of other obligations, "we should probably get up. I promised Caitlyn that we would still join them for Christmas celebrations, and we'll be late if we don't get up now."
Mitchie knew that Shane could see the hesitancy in her eyes as she struggled not to ask for just an hour more with him alone. She tried to dredge up a nod and a convincing smile as she said, "Fine."
Shane chuckled. "We have all tonight together, I promise. I'm not leaving until the morning."
Mitchie nodded, satisfied with this arrangement. "Good," she said and wiggled reluctantly out of his arms so that she could get out of bed. Shane rolled out of bed as well, and they began to get dressed for the day. Mitchie pulled out the wrapped packages she had bought and hidden away for her family and then turned sheepishly towards Shane.
"I didn't expect you," she said honestly, remembering that when Shane had proposed, he had cautioned that he would be gone all winter, "so I don't have a gift for you."
Shane crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. "You," he said sincerely, "are my gift. You and our baby are the only things I want."
Mitchie nodded, pleased, and asked, "Are you ready?"
Shane ran a hand through his hair, and Mitchie was reminded of just how much she loved that unconscious action. "Yes," he said. Without speaking, he picked up the packages Mitchie was trying to balance and tucked them under his long arms. "I'll carry those for you," he said with a smile.
They headed out through the tunnels, crowded with people all trying to get to their friends and family members in order to celebrate the season. When they finally arrived at Caitlyn and Nate's set of apartments, Mitchie knocked, and was barely through giving three raps when Caitlyn threw the door open. "Hi!" she cried excitedly, hugging each of them in turn.
"Hey Caity," Shane said, gently hugging his sister-in-law. "Thanks for the letter."
Caitlyn grinned, her cheeks pink with excitement. "No problem. Come in, come in!" She hustled them into the apartment and Mitchie glanced around in wonder.
The whole room was decorated in tasteful ornaments, tinsel, and cranberries strung on strings. A fire burned cheerily in the hearth thanks to Jason, who was just setting another log on the flames when Mitchie and Shane strode into the room. He smiled widely and cried, "Hey you guys! Merry Christmas!"
Shane and Mitchie laughed, returning the greeting and hugging Nate and the general as they made the rounds. Once the pleasantries had concluded, everyone began opening their presents. Later on in the day, Brown showed up as well, and he and Shane spent a lot of time talking to each other while Mitchie sat curled up next to Shane.
As she looked around at her family, able to feel the warmth of her husband's arms around her, resting on her stomach, Mitchie allowed herself to smile. Never had a Christmas at home been so wonderful. Never had the morning been full of such simple joy. Though Shane would leave in the morning, Mitchie realized that this had been her favorite Christmas, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
A/N: Did you like it? I hope you did! Thanks to those of you who have nominated me! :D I appreciate it so much!
