A/N: I just couldn't resist adding a little bit this Christmas, especially after I got a notification that someone new had joined us! (Thank you, Ghostmomsisters52!) It's not huge, but I hope you enjoy this little Christmas treat I cooked up for you.
PS: I am thinking about starting a new Santa Clause fic, so if you're interested, holler at me, and I'll try to let you know if/when I post one.
Without further ado… MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Epilogue
The year came and went in a blur; schoolwork combined with wedding planning had Charlie and Fia so busy that they could hardly believe it when December came.
They had discussed it at length, and Charlie, being Charlie, had made it his mission to get her to agree to have the wedding on Christmas. She thought it was cliché. It was his favorite holiday, though, and rather fitting considering the circumstances, so, in the end, she had let him persuade her.
He would deliver gifts with Santa on Christmas Eve, they would sleep in, spend the day on the preparations, and then the wedding would take place on Christmas night.
It seemed so simple.
Then Christmas Eve came, and she, her (very pregnant) mother, and Carol spent the night together again. Judy joined them this time, bringing them mugs of her famous hot cocoa.
"Are you worried about Charlie, your highness?" Judy asked knowingly, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Fia opened her mouth to say no, that she knew he could take care of himself- especially as he was with his father. But when she looked into Judy's eyes, she just couldn't bring herself to say it. (Besides, Fae were legendary for not lying… they bent the truth to their will, expertly so, but they didn't lie.)
"I know he'll be fine. I just… I wish I knew. They have such a long trip."
"Fi," Bernard said, entering the room, "we track Santa very closely. If anything were to happen to them, we would know."
She tried not to, but sent him a skeptical look. He held up his hands, sending her an admonishing look.
"Have I ever steered you wrong?"
She sighed. "No."
"Bernard. I want you."
His eyebrows rose at his wife. She rolled her eyes.
"That isn't what I meant. I want you with me."
Carol, Judy, and Fia exchanged glances and then began to giggle. Bernard sighed heavily and pulled a chair up next to Mab.
It looked to be another long night, until a few hours later. At just about three in the morning, the Unseelie queen stiffened, her eyes wide. Bernard, still the doting husband (to everyone else's immense amusement), was alert in an instant.
"What's wrong?"
"Bernard… Please retrieve Ellie."
His eyes widened then, and he promptly disappeared. Fia leaned toward her, gaping.
"Mom, isn't Ellie the midwife?"
"Yes," Mab said shortly, and Fia realized she was focusing fully on her breathing.
The other women exchanged glances and set to making the queen comfortable. Bernard arrived quickly with another Fae. Ellie was short in stature and had black hair, a dark complexion, and big brown eyes. No one could help but to want to please her, so when she asked to be left alone with Mab, only Bernard hesitated. Ellie gave him a once-over and declared that he could stay.
The others giggled a little more as they exited, and Fia whispered to Carol and Judy, "Oh my gosh, they're going to have a Christmas baby! She is going to be pissed!"
…
When Charlie and his dad returned, they found their significant others dozing at the kitchen table. Fortunately for them (for the Calvin men were pranksters at heart), they had slept lightly in their wait, and woke immediately. The pairs went off to their own rooms, Charlie telling Fia animatedly about their trip. Apparently, they'd been caught by no less than seven children, a pit bull puppy, and a girl about their age called Sarah. Santa spoke to her as if they were old friends, and Charlie finally figured out that they had met every Christmas Eve. He'd finally had to drag his dad out of the house.
He was so excited that his fiancée couldn't get a word in edgewise for twenty minutes to tell him the big event at the North Pole that evening.
When he finally wound down, he scanned her tired face and sent her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. You okay?"
"Yeah… My mom's having the baby."
"What?!"
"Yup."
He didn't know what to say, and she didn't have any other news, so they crawled into bed silently.
"Charlie?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you still want to have one someday?"
"Are you kidding? We need someone to carry on the family business."
She grinned at him and snuggled into his arms.
"Good. Let's just try not to have a Christmas baby, too, okay?"
He laughed heartily and kissed the top of her head. "Deal."
…
"Sorry, Ellie- what did you say?"
"I said, 'Her majesty and the babies are doing fine.'"
Fia cleared her throat, exchanging a look with Charlie. "Babies… Plural?'
The small Fae woman beamed. "Twins."
"Oh God. Poor Bernard."