It had been 20 minutes since Steve had called. She just got everything out and ready when there was a knock on her front door. Letting out a sigh she shook her head looking down at the poor snacks. She had popped a bag of pop corn, well technically 4 and threw them in a bowl and had 6 cups out with the tea still on the stove. Quickly she walked over to the door, opening it she saw Steve smiling at her,
"Abigail!" He started going in for a hug, quickly she dodged it by opening the door further,
"Hello Steve. I take it this is your mother?" She asked going to shake the woman's hand.
"Why hello dear!" The older woman smiled at her. Abigail smiled back while showing them into her house. Steve's face went blank. He really needed her support right now, letting out a sigh he ran a hand down his face. He still had to explain everything to her.
"I'm sorry I don't have more out. I wasn't expecting company." She smiled motioning to the table with popcorn and cookies.
"Oh its fine darling! We didn't expect anything considering we came a bit unannounced, which I am sorry for I just had to meet the girl Steve went on about." Steve face palmed again.
"Were is your family? Shouldn't you be spending the holidays with them?" Arthur asked looking around the small apartment, Steve flinched watching as her whole body went rigid. She turned around smiling though,
"I don't know where my family is. I'm an orphan never got adopted either." Arthur looked down ashamed of himself,
"I am so sorry. I didn't-"
"It's okay. You didn't know." She interrupted him, "Now Steve I have a few bags of things I need you to help me with." She glared at him, letting out a sigh he smiled at his family before walking off. Shutting her bedroom door she whisper yelled at him,
"What in the world do you think you are doing?! Inviting yourself and your family into my home! On Christmas of all days! And clearly you haven't told them anything about me! I should kill you!"
"Abigail listen! I know there is a lot I need to explain!"
"You're right! Start with the Santa business!" She practically growled at him.
"It's a long story." At her pointed glare he started anyways, "My family is the Clauses. Santa is the title passed down from father to son starting with Nicolas." Abigail shut her eyes shaking her head,
"That wasn't long at all." She said picking up her laptop and charger putting it in the case. "You're a bunch of loons and I'm going to go on a ride with you which means I'm insane as well." She huffed pulling out wrapped boxes from the closest. "Here, Santa," She sneered, "Take these out there. Might as well give them to them now."
"See," He started while grabbing the gifts from her, "I'm not Santa. My brother is going to be." She turned sharply on him,
"Then what is that suite for?" She asked raking her eyes up and down him. He doesn't look bad in a suite, hell he doesn't look bad in anything. Her face flushed dark red as she whipped back around. Her face color calmed at the tone in his voice,
"I was supposed to be, but then stuff happened and Arthur is better for it and it was the one thing I wanted and I had the chance to just take it from him but, I'm not any good with kids or anything like that and." He let out a sigh, "I just feel like I'm not good for anything right now." He lifted his head as Abby let out a sigh,
"Well since we are all clearly insane let's just say for a few moments I believe you. I'm sure you do something to help everyone with the whole Santa thing. You did to 2 billion things right, though I'm not sure if that is an exaggeration or if its insanity talking there." Her eyes went up and down him again, "And I have to say that if you were Santa you would be the sexiest Santa I've ever seen." She grinned before her eyes got wide, "I mean cause you know, most the time it's old guys in suites and they are fat. No offense to your insane family people or whatever." She held up her hands. Steve smiled ear to ear,
"You think I'm sexy?"
"Well, yes but, yeah." She said lamely while running around her room grabbing any last few nick knacks she might need. "Go give them the damn presents I need to pack bathroom stuff. I have a feeling Imma be locked in a looney bin after this so I want all of my stuff with me when I go there." She nodded to him before running out the door. Steve had a goofy smile on his face until he walked out the door and handed everyone their gift. After his hands were empty he realized she didn't get him one. Sitting on the couch he just waited there for her.
"Okay sorry about the wait. I am ready to go as soon as you are." She smiled walking over to the coat hanger and putting on her jacket then coat then small hat. "But I have to ask, what are we riding in and where are we going?"
"The S-1" His father smiled,
"To the North Pole!" Arthur gleamed,
"You have a house on the North Pole?"
"It's more of under it. Honestly it would be easier to show you rather than explain." Steve said motioning to the door where his family filed out. He watched as Abigail shook her head and went to grab all of her bags. Well there was just a laptop case, a duffel, a back pack and a purse. He grabbed the duffel for her and went to grab the back pack but she had already grabbed that and the other 2.
"Well lets go then." she sighed walking out of the door. Steve chuckled as she went to go down the stairs.
"No, we are going up to the roof." He watched as her face paled,
"You-you have a helicopter?" The stutter in her voice made him chuckle,
"No I have an S-1. It's more of a UFO really." She glared at him,
"Oh so now not only are you from a long line of Santa's you are also aliens?" Steve just laughed,
"No, just come on let me show you." He grabbed her arm and gently pulled her up the stairs. Once they were finally on the roof Abigail looked around,
"Where did your family go?" She asked the only thing she spotted was two tiny Christmas tree outlines standing up on the roof. Looking closer she could see a wire attached to each one and going up. Quickly her gaze followed up the wire to see a bright spot in the sky, "You are aliens! And this is some weird complicated abduction thing!" She yelled turning around,
"Abigail! Why would aliens go to all this trouble?" Steve sighed following her, she stopped,
"I know what's going on here. I fell asleep waiting for you." She nodded her head before turning around. "So since I'm dreaming lets skip the part where I'm on that." She pointed to the small foothold. Steve shook his head,
"I think you're afraid of heights. Come on." He sighed picking her up. She started screaming,
"No Steve! You're insane! I'm not going on that thing to go way up there!" She hollored at him beating on his back with her free hand.
"Abby stop. You trust me don't you?"
"I did!" She screeched as he stepped on it and it started to rapidly rise. "Don't you drop me! I'll come back and haunt you forever!" She cried. They were inside when she finished, "I don't want to die." She cried latching onto him tighter squeezing her eyes shut. He tried to push her back not thinking she would be this afraid of it.
"Abby? Abby look at me. You're fine."
"No I'm not Steven." She cried further.
"My goodness Steven! What did you do to her?" Margaret asked coming over to the crying girl. "What is wrong dear?" She asked pulling, or trying, to pull her away from Steve.
"I'm up to high." She squeaked digging her nails into him.
"Abigail you are fine. Just look at me for a second." Steve tried to coax,
"You're more of a frightened Freddy than Arthur." Grand-Santa laughed patting her on the back. She yipped and jumped up on Steve latching onto him and almost making him fall over. Steve let out a sigh.
"Abby I won't let you fall. The S-1 is completely safe." She sniffled a bit but, didn't let go.
"Abby? Can I call you Abby? It's okay. I know how you feel. I'm scared of heights too. But if you open your eyes you aren't really up high. Look." Arthur tried to coax almost knowing how the poor woman felt. "If you look it really looks more like a factory floor, safe on the ground." Slowly she pulled her head from out of Steven's neck and even more slowly opened on eye looking around. He felt her relax slightly and move to climb down. Steve was a little put off, he couldn't comfort her and Arthur could. Was there anything he was good at anymore? Abigail felt Steve deflate underneath her arms. She looked up at him, he could still see the fear in her eyes and felt horrible, he hadn't even thought about it when he took her up.
"Where am I?"
"This is, basically as Arthur put it, the factory floor. Where the elves and Santa make the drops for the presents." Steve motioned around, "There are screens at each station to show the elf which house they are going to deliver to as well." He tried to blather on about anything besides how high up they were. He felt Abigail's eyes on him, "What?"
"So you're telling me the guy I wrote to when I was little was your dad?" She asked pulling away but never letting go of him, "And you all are the Clauses?" Everyone besides Steve nodded smiling at her,
"Yep! I'm dead. You dropped me didn't you?" She glared at Steve, he let out a sigh.
"Will you believe me if I show you my room at the North Pole? Or mission control? I can show you a few videos as well." He said pulling out his big red cellphone. She latched onto him again,
"Steven, I'm scared to fly. I don't want to." She whispered while trembling.
"I have to fly there though. Do you want to watch me fly and see how safe and fast it is?" He added the fast remembering it was something she loved to do, drive fast, close enough though right? She viciously shook her head no. "Abby I'm the only one who knows how to drive this properly. If you want to get back on the ground quickly and safely I have to go fly the S-1 home."
"You're not leaving me." Steve smiled down at her,
"Of course not Abby but, you do need to let me go to the cockpit."
"Are there seats there?"
"Yes."
"With seat belts?" He chuckled,
"Yes."
"Okay." She said pushing him forward, slowly and carefully he made his way up to the bridge, once there he guided her over to a seat and she sat down placing her stuff in the seat next to her. He put in his home address and started to fly but, as soon as he did he was practically tackled by Abigail who had once again latched onto him. Wrapping his arm around her he pushed the throttle down. Looking down at her he could see she was looking at all of the buttons. Grinning, he knew how good she was with tech he started to explain what each thing did. It wasn't annoying like it had been to teach the elves she got it most of it on the first explanation. Though she didn't want to try and drive it either. After 30 minutes they were at the North Pole and he was setting it down in the water to take it to the garage. She let out a squeal when it dipped down towards the water, shoving her face into his chest.
"Abigail we are fine. See?" He asked as it came back up inside the giant cave. All the elves were waiting for them. She heard a cheer and lifted her head to look around,
"What was that?"
"Those blasted elves! Make a ruckus all the time." Grand-Santa grumbled slowly making his way out of the bridge. Abigail raised an eyebrow at Steve,
"Uh dad?" He called,
"Yes Steven?"
"Would you tell them we have a," There was a slight pause, "new visitor?" He questioned while raising an eyebrow not really sure how to word it.
"Oh yes! Of course son!" His father smiled before walking out of the room.
"You don't really have elves here do you?" She asked walking over to pick up her things, Steve grabbed her arm stopping her,
"Yes there are elves here. Peter is an elf. Would you at least give me a hug? I could really use it after everything I've gone threw tonight." He whined at her while twisting her around to face him. She raised both of her eyebrows at him looking up threw her lashes.
"I don't know what you've gone threw that's worse than facing 2 of your biggest and only fears," She drawled out, he didn't like the look on her face as she slowly got closer to his, "But your too tall. Lean down." She pouted, raising a brow he did, quickly she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. It wasn't to long but, it wasn't short either. "I need another shower." She stated turning back around to grab her things. Steve grabbed her arm again spinning her back around to give her another kiss, this one longer and deeper. He tilted her back just a bit, his arm holding her up. She moaned lightly into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck again, opening her mouth slightly. Quickly he took advantage of it and pushed his tongue into her mouth, giving a few gentle swipes against her own before exploring the rest of her mouth. After a few more seconds he had to pull away for air. He looked down to see she had a faint smile on her face.
"Now we can leave." He smiled going to grab her stuff. Quickly she grabbed her laptop case and purse while he had everything else.
"I'm insane, your a loon. And now I'm going to see elves?" She asked walking next to him toward a big ramp.
"I'm not a loon. Yes you're going to see elves." He motioned around going down the ramp. She had stopped at the top just staring at all of the little elves jumping around and yelling in happiness. Steve stopped when he heard her drop her purse, turning around he started to run back up the ramp. Abigail was normally a collect person. She could handle most things with stride that other people could only gawk at. Today how ever was not one of those days, just having been forced up very, very, high and being made to fly, her brain decided it needed a break from all the stimuli it was getting and promptly shut down. Steve watched her tip precariously as he was running up toward her. He prayed she wouldn't tip over before he got there, it wasn't like he was really far away it just seemed like everything had started to happen in slow motion. He could hear the collective gasp from all the elves and his family as they watched her tip forward. Steve caught her about half-way threw her fall. Gently he shook her,
"Abby?" He patted her face, "Abby?" He called again, "Abigail wake up!" After she didn't respond he got a look of panic on his face and looked up and at his mother, "Mum!"