Author's note: A few short lines in this part were borrowed from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Part 58
Kyle was pulled from a deep sleep when someone started raising a racket outside. He blinked fuzzily and decided chances were better that it was Michael than Santa making a practice run. Ungh, he so wasn't ready for El Capitan first thing this morning, he thought as he rolled out of bed. He caught sight of Isabel crossing the living area as he stumbled to the doorway of his room. "Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," he mumbled, taking note of her completely coherent movements when she reached the front door.
She peered through the small peephole before taking a step back and flinging the door open wide, presenting their visitors with one of her most festive smiles. She had met Buckeye and Carl Barry on Friday night at the bowling alley and he knew they'd been around on Saturday too. He just wasn't sure what they were doing there so early in the morning on Christmas Eve. He took a couple of steps forward and peered around the door before taking another look at her. Even though he only had a profile shot of her, he could see the gleam in her eyes when they landed on the Christmas tree being supported between the two men.
Snow clung to the branches where they poked through the mesh wrap that surrounded them, keeping them close to the trunk to protect them from being broken. He could hear Buckeye prattling on about something or other but he wasn't paying much attention because his gaze was focused on the snowdrifts that glistened in the weak sunlight. The ice crystals had formed the thin surface layer made it appear as if it was solid enough to walk across but he knew better. He let his thoughts wander back to Sunday morning and another knock that, while expected, had not necessarily been as welcome.
He had been enjoying a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns when Michael had pounded his fist against the door hard enough to rattle the windows next to it. He had given their meal a slightly guilty look before shrugging one shoulder and digging in when Isabel told him to eat.
She had answered the door and quickly stepped out of the way when Michael barged inside, already ranting before the door had even closed behind him and Maria. Of course, before it could close Max and Liz had joined them and he suddenly found himself surrounded by the girls.
"Ooh, Kyle, sharing is caring," Maria said as she rubbed her hands together.
He looked back and forth between the two of them and he shook his head at the image of two praying mantis' preparing for a meal. He motioned to the stack of plates on the kitchen counter. "Got plenty of eggs and hash browns but the bacon's a little on the slim side," he mumbled.
"You're the best," Liz said, giving him a quick hug on her way to the counter.
"It's true." And no one was listening to him. He turned his head to watch as Isabel listened to Michael go on about being boxed in, his big feet making too much noise as he stomped back and forth in front of her.
"And it's pretty apparent you were prepared to dig in for the winter," Michael growled with an irritated nod at the food that was in abundant supply.
"Not the whole winter," she hedged.
"Enough of it," he snapped. "We were clear to hit the road this mornin' and you ruined it! Are you out of your mind? We can't afford to be trapped here."
"You know, the forecast was calling for snow anyway," Maria spoke up as she scooped up a spoonful of the fluffy eggs. She rolled her eyes. Yeah, like any eggs Isabel cooked would dare be less than perfect.
"I don't think you're helping things," Liz whispered when Michael's glare practically singed her on its way to Maria.
"Freak snowstorm," Isabel said dismissively.
"That shit might fly in Roswell, but we're in the snow capital and you just dumped several feet on an area with a ten-mile radius. How do you explain that?"
"I didn't like major in weather or anything," Max spoke up, "but it's not like it couldn't happen."
"I've got snow up to my ass, Maxwell. We're supposed to be on our way outta here and now we're stuck. There's no getting out in this mess."
A quip about frozen nuts entered Kyle's mind but he decided to save it for later.
"Yeah, and if we can't get out, the FBI can't get in," he pointed out rationally. "Look, Michael, maybe this isn't such a bad idea. It's a couple more days and when we hit the road we're back to facing our reality, and in addition to that, there're the contents of that envelope looming in our near future."
Michael wasn't happy about the turn of events but even he could see that for the girls' sake maybe it wasn't the worst idea. Although it was definitely in the top ten as far as he was concerned. He turned his head to pin Isabel with his glare. "Next time, we table any weather modifications."
"That's right," Maria said, gently mocking his stern tone, "this plan wasn't on the list of approved lies." She and Liz started giggling and in an effort to redirect his attention she held up a plate of eggs. "Breakfast?"
Before he could respond there was a knock on the door and he moved past Isabel, jerking the door open to the Stevens' boys. He was nearly brained by a snow shovel when Brian held it out to him with a big grin. "Dad says it looks like you guys are stuck for a few more days."
"Fan-freaking-tastic," he muttered.
Kyle was pulled from his thoughts as the tree landed on the floor with a solid thud and he looked down to see the large tree stand supporting it at its base. They had placed it in the only available spot in their tiny living area and for once he found himself grateful for the cabin's miniscule size. His back and arms directed him to send up a prayer of thanks to whoever had designed the tiny living space.
He endured a rousing round of handshaking from Buckeye and for just a moment he was worried that the man was going to walk away with his arm. He wondered if there was anything the guy wasn't enthusiastic about. Mr. Barry's handshake was calmer; solid, but more relaxed. He closed the door behind the men, shutting out the cold, and turning to watch Isabel as she moved around the tree. Or at least as far around as she could get without running into the wall.
"Isn't it a wonderful gift?" she asked as she shot a smile in his direction. She reached out to touch the branches that had been released from the restrictive netting, her fingertips gently brushing over the surprisingly soft needles. She turned to pick up the small box of ornaments and lights that had been gifted to them along with the tree.
He watched her as her attention was pulled away from the tree that hadn't received a single word of critique, chuckling to himself when she poked through the handmade decorations and her nose wrinkled in distaste at some that she found to be tacky. One in particular earned a muttered, "How quaint," and he nodded. That's my girl, he thought with a fond smile.
"I'm sure it'll look great once you've graced it with your special talents."
"My spec… No, Kyle, you can't just wave your hand and decorate a tree like this. It's special, and that means it needs a special touch."
"Well, have at it then."
"But, it's our tree. We have to decorate it together."
"Uh, yeah, see, the thing is, I'm not really into tree decorating. Now if you want me to use it to dry my socks on, I can help you out." He slapped one hand against his stomach. "There you go, just leave one side bare and I'll use it to dry my socks."
"Well, that's just ridiculous. Why would we need to dry socks on the tree? Even if we didn't have the washer and dryer over at the Honeymoon Cabin, I can dry socks with a wave of my hand." She shot a quizzical look at him. Sometimes she wondered which of them was really from another planet.
He didn't really know what to say to that so he just shrugged and gave her his trademark grin. His stomach chose that moment to rumble, ending that conversation and sending them in another direction. One that was much easier to navigate. "Guess I overslept and missed breakfast."
"Well, you've been busy clearing snow for the past two days so I figured you needed the rest. I thought you could have breakfast when you got up." She turned back to the ornaments, picking one up and frowning at the thing. What was it? She turned it this way and that, trying to figure it out when the right angle suddenly revealed it as a bird in a nest. A cardinal maybe. It was hard to tell but the fake feathers – she sincerely hoped they were fake – appeared to be a faded red. "Kyle, you don't think this was a real bird at one time do you?"
"It's quite possible." He'd seen the hideous ornament and recognized it because he could remember his grandma having them on her tree when he was little. The bodies were made of Styrofoam balls and then decorated to look like real birds. "You got the nest and the little bird too," he crowed in an attempt to sound like the Wicked Witch of the West.
"Oh, that is so gross!"
He chuckled when she flung it aside and he started nosing through the cabinets, closing the door when he ran across the bucket of oatmeal. Yes, it stuck to the ribs, and no, he didn't want any. He redirected his efforts in the direction of the refrigerator. "We're gonna be up at the Stevens' tonight, right?"
"Um-hmm," she murmured as she focused her attention on checking the lights and pretending that the bird that may or may not have been alive at one time sat ignored across the room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Max went to answer the door, bleary-eyed and still half-asleep. He could hear the shower running and the sound of Liz singing along quietly with the radio she had put on the counter in the bathroom. He smiled when he heard her hit a sour note and shook his head as he wrapped his hand around the doorknob and gave it a pull. He was expecting one of his own so he was a little surprised to see two men standing there, but he relaxed when he recognized them.
"Mr. Barry, Buckeye," he greeted, extending his hand.
"Edward's been keepin' you boys busy," the man said, chuckling as he shook his hand.
"Yes, sir." He blinked and focused on the tree held upright between them. "You guys been out chopping down trees?"
Buckeye laughed and gave it a good shake, tipping it so he could get a good hold on it. He shouldered his way past Max and carried the tree inside while Mr. Barry held out the box of ornaments and lights. He listened with half an ear as he was given the instructions for caring for the tree interspersed with bits of Christmas trivia. He rubbed the back of his neck and wondered if this was how Michael felt every time he ended up in a conversation with the guy.
By the time they left he felt like he'd been run over by a train. He put the box of ornaments on the couch and went into the kitchen to throw something together for breakfast. Twenty minutes and a little bit of alien powers later he had two plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast that he was sliding on the table just as his wife vacated the bathroom.
"I thought you'd still be asleep," she said, going into his arms when he reached for her.
"Mornin'," he murmured as he lowered his head to brush a kiss against her lips. He nodded at the tree dominating one corner of the room a moment later. "Got a Christmas tree delivery and thought it'd be rude to tell them to just leave it outside."
"A Christmas tree…" Her eyes widened as she followed the direction of his nod and she inhaled a surprised gasp. "It's beautiful," she whispered as she moved closer to it. She reached out to touch the branches, rubbing them between her fingertips as she leaned in to draw in its fresh scent. "Fraser Fir."
"They brought some decorations too."
"Don't you just love Christmas?"
He watched her as she moved around the tree, touching it, smelling it, and just feeling it. "Let's go skating tonight, Liz," he said suddenly.
"We're helping the Stevens' after the kids go to bed."
"But we can make time can't we?"
She smiled as she thought about last year and finally getting him on the ice. "We'll do our best," she promised. "Now let's get that breakfast before it gets cold."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Maria checked the time as she reached over to turn on the coffee pot. It was just after 10am and Michael was still sound asleep. She knew how little it took to wake him though so she kept her movements slow and quiet in an effort to avoid disturbing him. For the past 48 hours he had been working with the other guys as Edward directed snow removal. Growing up in the desert, it was still a shock to know that snow had to be cleared off of the roofs to avoid cave-ins. Roofs, driveways, steps, porches… they had been working nonstop to clear them and she knew the guys were exhausted.
She was trying so hard to be quiet that when the pounding knock came at the door she nearly jumped out of her skin. Shaking it off, she rushed for the door, hoping to get there and stop the noise before it could wake Michael. But before she could go more than a few steps his sleep-roughened voice interrupted her intentions.
"I'll get it." He moved on autopilot as he got out of bed and pulled his jeans on, all without wasting a single move.
She reached the window and grinned as she peered out through the frosted pane. As Michael was prying their trusty kitchen chair from under the doorknob she leaned over and turned the knob, yanking it open before he could stop her. Before he could utter a single negative word she insinuated herself in front of him and greeted Mr. Barry and Buckeye with a big smile and a cheerful, "Merry Christmas!" Her gaze shifted to the tree that had been carefully wrapped to protect its branches. "Oooh, is that what I think it is?"
Michael pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. What else could it be? An elephant?
"Yes, it is," Mr. Barry said, his breath expelling on a frosty cloud that hung in the air for a moment before dissipating. "We're hoping you'll accept this tree as a token of our thanks for all you've done for our little community."
Maria wrapped her arm around Michael's waist, shifting and using him as a windbreak against the cold air that came in uninvited. "Our very own Christmas tree," she murmured. "Isn't that just wonderful, Michael?"
Buckeye didn't bother waiting to hear how wonderful Michael thought it was. He stepped inside with the tree, his eyes on Maria. "This here's a Fraser Fir. They're hearty little trees; just make sure they have plenty to drink and they'll stay happy and warm."
"Warm?" Michael muttered.
"Well," the tow truck driver/Christmas tree farmer/who-knew-what-else said with a teasing grin, "you don't give 'em enough water an' all these needles will fall off. Naked tree's gonna be mighty cold on a winter's night." He situated the tree in front of the window next to the door, oblivious to the look of annoyance being directed at his back. "You'll wanna keep it away from the fireplace of course." He cut the wire from around it and the branches sprang free. "She is a pretty little thing, isn't she? Want me to give 'er a drink before we go?"
"Sure," Maria said, just barely managing to cut Michael off before he could send Buckeye packing.
"You know these little trees are the most popular Christmas tree in North America?" he asked as he retrieved the water pitcher from Mr. Barry and crossed the room to fill it from the kitchen sink. "They grow 'em by the millions down in North Carolina and ship 'em all over the world. Everybody loves these little trees. Yup, it's a fact."
Michael watched every move he made, listening with half an ear as Mr. Barry rattled off his appreciation for all they had done on behalf of the community. He just wanted them to leave, especially Mr. Useless Information. The guy was traipsing all over their cabin, leaving traces of snow from the treads on his boots on the floor. Their cabin, he mused. If only it was true. He could feel his irritation slipping away when his eyes landed on Maria and he saw the happiness on her face as she talked to Mr. Barry. Her features were animated and her eyes kept moving to the tree that she couldn't stop touching.
"We'd best be going," Mr. Barry said. "We have more deliveries to make." He shifted to check on his helper. "Buckeye, you about ready?"
"Good to go, Mr. Barry." He stepped out of the cabin to stand next to the older man as he took his right glove off and extended his hand in Michael's direction.
"Thanks again."
Michael shook his hand. "Glad we could be here. Thank you for the tree, sir." He was just about to close the door as they turned to leave when a thought occurred to him. "Mr. Barry?"
The man turned, his eyebrows lifted in question. "Yes?"
"You said you were makin' more deliveries today."
He nodded. "Got quite a few lined up."
"The other night one of the kids, a little girl named Evelyn, asked for a tree…"
"Don't you worry, Santa, we've got the Finch family covered." He winked. "You did your part; now let the Christmas tree elves do theirs."
Maria hugged Michael as the door closed. "It's our first tree, Michael, I'm so happy." She pointed to the box Mr. Barry had placed on the floor by the door. "Look, they even brought lights and ornaments."
"Let's be happy about the tree later," he murmured as he pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck. He stretched his right arm out behind him, blindly fumbling for the chair. His fingers finally curled around it just as his mouth settled over hers and he was dragging it closer when another knock sounded at the door.
Maria couldn't help but laugh at the irritated growl and the disgruntled expression on his face as he pulled back. His knuckles were white, the skin stretched taut across them as he dragged the chair out of the way to jerk the door open. His mouth almost dropped open before he caught himself when he found himself facing Edward, his two boys, Max, and Kyle. They were all carrying hockey equipment and looked like they were ready to hit the ice.
"We've been exiled by the girls," Edward explained. "Apparently they've got some sort of top secret work that needs to be done so I thought we could use a little guy time on the ice."
Michael rolled his shoulders and looked at his friends. "You two wanna play hockey?"
"Hockey's not my game but I figure if you and Evans can spin around on the ice I can't do any worse," Kyle said as he shouldered his way in. "You mind? I'm freezin' my ass off out here."
"Well, we wouldn't want your delicate ass out in the cold, would we?" He smirked as the opening he'd been looking for presented itself. "You can stay here and keep the girls company."
Edward watched them, silently observing the wordless conversation being carried on between the young men in the wake of Michael's statement. It didn't escape his notice that they hadn't been invited inside but it didn't surprise him either. Michael wasn't the type of person who cared for too many people in his space.
Eddie lifted his eyebrows as he shifted in an effort to see around Michael. "So, is Maria ready to get rid of you for a while?" he asked innocently.
"Go," Maria said, waving her hand at her boyfriend, "have some guy time." She was pawing through the box of ornaments, smiling at the clothespins decorated to look like reindeer. "Liz and I might get with Isabel and see about coordinating the cabin decorations." She smirked to herself. "Unless you think you might like to stick around and give us a hand."
Images of ribbons, bows, and his fingertips poked full of holes from stringing popcorn and cranberries nearly made him nauseous. And the memory of sitting in a grade school class while the teacher made them do 'art' that consisted of cutting strips of colored construction paper, rolling them into rings, and then gluing them into a chain of paper garland that would never hang on a tree was something he could do without. "Pass. You can have Kyle," he offered generously and shoved the guy deeper into the cabin. "There you go, Merry Christmas."
"Kyle might like to have a say," the other guy muttered. He held his hands up when Michael turned a glare on him. "Just saying I might like that once in a while. Not today of course. Today apparently I'd prefer to just hang out with the girls and decorate."
Michael ignored him and stepped back, motioning for the others to come inside. "Just gimme a couple minutes and I'll be ready to go." He looked at Max. "You still got that pack of extra shoestrings? I busted one."
Well, as far as hints went it was better than some he'd come up with, Max thought as he nodded and made a show of checking his pockets. He followed Michael across the room and produced a pack of shoestrings for show. "Isabel's with Liz and they'll be here before we leave."
He grunted in response and crouched down, hunching over the boots and pretending to restring one of them. That was good to know because they weren't taking so much as one step out the door until the girls arrived.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The rustic interior of Big Dave's Hardware enveloped him in warmth the moment he stepped through the front door. His frozen face burned as it began to thaw but he had grown familiar with the sensation and he knew it wouldn't last long. He smirked as the sound of another snowmobile engine made itself known. He and Max had stayed on the ice horsing around well after Edward and the boys had left, having other things that needed to be done. But when they'd finally had enough they'd gone up to the main house to ask about borrowing a couple of the snowmobiles to make a quick run to the store. Julia had given her permission in her husband's absence and before he and Max had cleared the doors of the storage shed he had issued a challenge, daring his best friend to beat him to Big Dave's front door.
"Hi, Michael!" Maggie called, drawing his gaze to her and Edward where they stood at the counter talking to Big Dave. She ran over to him and grabbed his hand, pulling on it as she looked up at him. "Guess what? Me an' Daddy came to get Mama's presents. Daddy's is really special an' he didn't tell nobody what it is." She grinned in response to his smile. "Did you come to buy Maria's present?"
Before he could answer the door opened again and Max came in, still brushing the snow off of his entire body. He shot a look at Michael, a promise to pay him back for the snow shower he'd been given when his good friend cut in front of him and took the lead in their impromptu race to the hardware store.
"You guys do know it's Christmas Eve, this's a hardware store, and I close up shop in thirty, right?" Big Dave asked when he overheard the little girl's curiosity vocalized.
Edward smirked at his long-time friend and neighbor. "You got my package, Dave?"
The big man flashed a smile at Maggie's wide-eyed expression as she waited for his answer. "Sure do, got it locked up in back." He leaned over the counter and winked at the little girl. "Would you watch the desk for me while I go get your dad's present for your mama, Maggie?"
"We've got you covered," Edward answered as he turned his attention to his daughter. "Wanna go look at the shampoo and bath stuff for your present to Mama?"
Michael crouched down in front of her. "Your Captain of the Guard requests permission to accompany you, Princess Maggie."
She hugged herself as she twisted back and forth from the waist up, giggling as she watched him. "I gotta find Mama a Christmas present. I kinda know what I wanna get." She leaned forward and braced her hands on his steady shoulders. "You really wanna see?"
From several aisles over Max watched as the little girl took Michael's hand and led him over to the aisle where the limited supply of health and beauty aid products lined the shelves. He glanced up when Big Dave came back and handed a small package over to Edward. For nearly ten minutes he wandered the aisles without a clue. Never in his life had he found himself without a present for anyone on his list on Christmas Eve. And never in his life had he ever shopped for any of those people in a hardware store. He finally found his way over to the aisle Michael and Maggie had taken ownership of, partly out of curiosity and partly out of desperation as he continued to come up empty-handed.
His eyebrows shot up when he came around the corner and he saw Michael crouched down, his knees braced on the lowest shelf as he sniffed the purple bottle of body lotion Maggie was holding out. He pretended to look at the available selection of bar soap, listening to the conversation going on between the two of them.
"It smells pretty, doesn't it?" She turned the bottle so that the label was facing him. "What's it called?"
"Um…" he had to lean back to avoid crossing his eyes as he read the lettering. No way was he telling her it was called Midnight Passion. "I think it's some kinda flower." He nodded at the shelf. "Let's try that next one."
Between the two of them they finally managed to pick out their gifts and Michael stood with a mixture of shampoo, bubble bath, body wash, and lotion in his arms. He juggled them carefully when Maggie stretched up on her tiptoes to make a grab for one of the bottles, chattering excitedly about their findings. He watched Max inch his way down the aisle, pausing to look at things that obviously held no meaning for him until he finally reached the small section of cologne.
His mind took him back to an evening spent shopping for Christmas trees and he couldn't help the small smile at the memory. He'd been so impatient to be finished searching for the Christmas Nazi's perfect tree that he was convinced didn't exist anyway. He felt bad for Max because the guy was so out of his depth as he searched the aisles of the hardware store for a gift for his wife. His friend, his brother was the type of guy who understood that whole being romantic thing and with that whole sensitive thing he had going on, having to shop for his girl in a backwater hardware store had to be tearing him up inside because he wanted better for her.
"Hey, Max, what's up?"
Max gave a snort that revealed discomfort rather than disdain. "Christmas shopping for Liz."
He grinned and without missing a beat asked, "Gonna buy her a ratchet set?" He reached over and placed a hand on one of those tense shoulders. He understood the need to be alone when he was uncomfortable. "Me an' Maggie are done here so I'll see you later." He walked to the end of the aisle before turning and calling his friend. "Max?"
"Yeah?"
"It's not where you buy it or the price tag that matters, you know that and so does she. Just do what you always do and listen to your ticker."
Max smiled and nodded. "Go on, your little princess is waiting for you. I won't be far behind."
Edward and Big Dave were laughing together over some old Christmas story and as they approached Michael couldn't help but stare at the open package sitting on the counter and revealing a string of pearls. Just the sight of them sent him back to Christmas two years ago and once again he had to thank Isabel for saving him with a pair of pearl earrings.
He looked down at the bottles in his arms and he knew if he had the money he'd have sprung for something a little nicer. But sitting in the Stevens' driveway before taking off he'd taken a moment to check his wallet and pockets. Sixty-five bucks and change along with that little Candyland token he'd snatched that night he and the guys had gotten involved in the game.
"Mama an' Maria are gonna be so surprised!"
He smiled at her as he unloaded the items on the counter. "That's some gift there, Edward."
Big Dave erupted with a loud bark of laughter. "I wouldn't be too impressed, Michael. I was here when he bought his bride a Timex windup watch just before closing on Christmas Eve the very year they were married."
"Gotta knock one outta the park every once in a while," Michael muttered as he leaned in to get a better look at the necklace. "It's a beautiful piece."
Edward was pulling his wallet out to pay for Maggie's gifts when she reached up and placed one of her little hands over his. Her expression was so sincere as she looked up at him, her pretty blue eyes sparkling.
"No, Daddy, it's my gift an' I saved my 'lowance," she said as she pulled her little pink Hello Kitty wallet out of her coat pocket. She stretched up on her tiptoes to dump the contents on the counter and three pairs of hands quickly moved to form a barricade in an effort to prevent the coins rolling all over the place from escaping and falling to the floor.
"Would it be alright if Maggie rode back with me, Sir?" Michael asked a few minutes later when Big Dave handed him a sack with his purchases. "We kinda made plans to wrap presents together."
Max was only listening with half an ear when something across the store caught his eye and, mindful of the time, he hurried to search the shelves for that one perfect gift.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Isabel listened with half an ear as Maria and Liz carried on a conversation about their nights with their guys while making a batch of cookies. They weren't intentionally excluding her, but she wasn't involved with anyone and there were very, very few things she wanted to know about her brother when it came to things like this, so she really didn't have much to contribute to the conversation. It wasn't that they were being tacky or graphic, but the innuendo was enough that she knew what they were talking about.
She was genuinely happy for them; it sounded like things were getting back on track and they were finding solid ground in their relationships. But she focused a little harder than necessary on the strand of lights she was trying to make work when they started discussing the flashes. She could hear the excitement in Maria's voice as she confided in Liz about finally having gotten a flash from Michael. And she knew how big a deal that was in light of the ups and downs the couple had been through over the course of their relationship. But the past year had really been rocky and if they had been going to break, she had a feeling that was what would've done it.
Apparently Liz had also begun having flashes again recently, something that wasn't surprising given the fact that the couple had gotten back together and married all without ever talking out everything that had been between them. Tess, Zan, Kyle, anger, betrayal, hurt, confusion, etc… For the flashes to occur she knew it required more than the bond of intimacy; there had to be absolute trust because opening yourself up that way gave the other person a certain power over you. The power to hurt as well as the power to heal. It was the greatest of exposures because it laid the heart and soul bare. It wasn't a matter of just trusting the other person with a secret; it was a matter of trusting them with every part of your being.
She had never had that with Jesse. Not even after he'd learned the truth. She knew why she'd never allowed that connection to open between them now. She had loved him, she had married him, but she hadn't been able to trust him with her secrets. She could've, should've told him the truth but she hadn't; he'd learned it in the worst possible way and they'd never really recovered from the shock. She didn't doubt that he'd truly loved her but knowing that she hadn't trusted him enough to share the truth about herself, to willingly place her secret in his hands, no matter how much he loved her, she believed in time that knowledge would've destroyed their marriage.
She hadn't told Alex either, she mused.
"But you wanted to tell me."
She looked up from the lights to meet his gray eyes. She had wanted to tell him. She'd known they could trust him. She'd felt it and it had made her feel safer than anything else ever had. "I did," she whispered.
"I think you would've," he said with a wink, "if Liz hadn't already blown the big surprise while we were sitting in that jail cell." He crouched down in front of her and nodded at the tree. "Why don't you have Kyle over here helping you with this?"
She shrugged and glanced over her shoulder at Kyle where he was stretched out on the loveseat pretending to sleep. He'd managed to find ways around helping to decorate at the other two cabins and when they'd finally made it back to their own cabin he'd just thrown himself down on the loveseat and said he was taking a nap. "I don't think he likes Christmas." She turned her attention back to the lights. "Too many bad memories."
"So give him some good ones." He reached out and touched the strand of lights that stubbornly refused to cooperate and a moment later they flickered to life. "No one knows how to do Christmas better than you do."
"I could work wonders on a Grinch," Isabel sighed and shook her head. "The problem isn't that his heart's two sizes too small, Alex. The problem is his heart's just too big."
He smiled as he watched her puzzle over the problem. "I'll see you soon, Isabel."
She nodded absentmindedly and turned to look at Kyle again. He was restless, his movements fidgety as he sought to find that elusive comfortable spot. The television was on, tuned to a Christmas movie that he wasn't watching and had only been left on for the girls. "Kyle." She reached over and grabbed one of the foam Christmas bulbs and threw it at him to get his attention. "Kyle!" She rolled her eyes when he threw it back at her without ever opening his eyes. "Come over here and help me put these lights on the tree."
"I'm busy."
"You've been doing the same thing all afternoon."
"I'm saving my energy for the tree trimming festivities at the Stevens' house." He snorted. Yeah, there was something he was looking forward to. He could just imagine Julia coming up with one of her many 'what's your favorite…?' games.
"Well, right now we're in the Evans house and I'd like to put these lights on the damn tree."
"Uh, no, we're in the Valenti house, Sugar Muffin." He pushed himself up just enough to shove a pillow under his head so he could look at her. "Now I know we didn't discuss it before we got married, but I'm kind of a traditional guy. I don't mind if you'd like to hyphenate your last name, but now that we're married you're stuck with the Valenti name."
She smiled slowly. "And you're stuck with a wife who will make you miserable if you don't get your ass over here and string these lights."
Sitting at the table, hands paused over the cookies waiting to be decorated Maria and Liz exchanged an amused look.
"Frustrated much?" Maria muttered under her breath.
"Right?" Liz dusted a coating of the glittery green sprinkles over a Christmas tree shaped cookie. "Do you think they have any idea?"
The girls looked at their friends and then back at each other. "No," they said at the same time.
"Fine, I'll do it, but only because I don't wanna wake up from a nightmare where some squirrel's run off with my nuts."
Isabel narrowed her eyes at him. "We're sooo getting a divorce when we leave here."
"Fine by me, but don't expect any alimony because I'm pretty much wearing all of my earthly possessions and you don't get the shirt off of my back."
"Well, I sure don't want that thing. You've been wearing it for the past six months." Inside she was smiling though because the shadows that had turned his blue eyes into a murky blue-gray most of the day disappeared as he lost himself in their bickering banter.
They were finally putting the finishing touches on the decorating when they heard footsteps stomping on the tiny porch and a moment later the front door opened and Max walked in. He brushed snow off of his coat and pulled his hat off of his head, leaning leaned back against the door as it shut behind him. His cheeks were flushed red from the cold wind but his eyes radiated happiness.
"Where's Michael?" Maria asked when her boyfriend didn't barge in right behind him.
"He and the little princess went straight to the castle." He scratched the back of his head. "We're under orders to head that way." He leaned over to pick up what looked like a ball of twine and he almost laughed when he looked at it. "I think you left one of your decorations off the tree, Sis."
Isabel turned, automatically putting her hand out to catch the ornament and immediately shrieked and threw it back at him when she saw what it was. "That is not going on our tree."
He smirked at the bird's nest and the poor little bird clinging onto the twigs with its little wire feet. "Jeez, Iz, someone put a lot of work into this thing, and you know the people here are so grateful for all that you've done. It'd sure be a shame if one of them stopped by and the ornament they'd made so special wasn't on your tree."
She walked over to him, pulling herself up to her full height and staring down her nose at him for a full ten seconds before she reached out and snatched it out of his hand. She stalked back over to the tree and shoved the offensive thing into Kyle's hands. "Put that on your side when I won't see it."
Liz shook her head at Max when he insisted on baiting his sister. She got to her feet and stretched, grabbing one of the warm cookies and carrying it over to him. "Here, just for you." She pulled it back when he smiled and reached for it. "Only if you promise to leave her alone."
"For now," he said and reached around her, pulling her close and taking hold of the cookie before she could get away. He dropped a kiss on her lips and smiled as he pulled back to savor the treat. "We'd better get going before El Capitan comes down here to see what's taking so long." He clapped his hands when no one made a move to get ready. "Hey, he's in one of those rare good moods right now, do we want to screw that up?"
He nodded in satisfaction when that seemed to do the trick.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was so quiet she could hear the snowflakes as they fell atop the snow already on the ground. There was a stillness, a calm that soothed her nerves as she stood on the Stevens' back porch surrounded by the Christmas lights that ran along the eaves and the railing. She missed the desert, but in spite of the temperatures that she was certain had to be dipping into the subzero category again, she could understand why people would be drawn to these cold, clear nights.
Her arms wrapped around her body in an attempt to ward off the chill when the wind picked up. She could handle the cold even though she had a preference for that hot, dry heat, but she hated getting a chill. She didn't turn around when the door behind her opened, knowing it was Max without looking. They'd shared a sort of sixth sense for as long as she could remember; an awareness of the other that was both comforting and annoying at times.
"You know it makes Michael nervous when any of us are out of his sight for very long."
She sighed and leaned against the support post next to the steps. "In our next life he should be an old woman." She glanced at him for a moment before looking to the sky once more. "Did he send you out here?"
He chuckled and moved to lean against the opposite support post, turning his head to follow her gaze as she stared out into the night sky. "Not in so many words."
"The suggestive glare?"
"Does he have another kind? If he could verbalize half of what he says with just one of those looks we'd never shut him up." He shook his head. "Seriously though, Kyle told him to chill out and since he was keeping an eye on you it seemed to calm El Capitan down a little. Besides, Maggie's trying to teach him all the words to that Whoville song in the Grinch cartoon."
That got a quiet laugh out of her. "Yeah, can't you just see him standing there in a circle holding hands and singing?"
"Welcome Christmas
While we stand
Heart to heart
And hand to hand"
They glanced at each other in a moment of shared humor.
"You remember Dad trying to figure out what they were saying because you wanted to learn the song?"
"He still has some of the words wrong," she said as her eyes locked on the sky once more. It made her smile, but it hurt to think about her parents being alone at Christmas. Alone and on the run, she thought sadly.
"You were right, you know," Max said quietly. "We should've told them."
She shook her head.
"Don't do that."
Her tone was genuinely confused. "Don't do what?"
"That thing you do where you put your own feelings aside to make me feel better." He shifted, taking most of his weight on his shoulder. "You've always done that." He sighed and focused on the stars above. "You wanted to tell Mom and Dad the truth about us and I refused, you were all set to graduate early and you wanted to get away and go to college out of state and I threw my weight around, just trampled all over your feelings and completely ignored what you were going through."
"Max, you had just found out you were gonna be a father and you were falling apart."
"And so were you. We had just lost Alex and you were so… lost. I knew it, Isabel. I just couldn't seem to see past my own problems. You were so pissed at me that night, so hurt, but as soon as you saw the state I was in you put all of that aside." He held a hand up when she started to speak. "If we'd told them we would've been stronger for it. We would've been safer." He shrugged. "My actions caused Dad to be suspicious of me and then when you tried to cover for me, those suspicions began to include you and it just caused so many problems that could've been prevented."
"Maybe, maybe not." She smiled slightly. "It doesn't do any good to go over and over the past, Max. It happened, it's over, and I think like Liz said before we just need to leave it there and focus on moving forward."
"Yeah, I guess you're…" His head snapped around when she gasped and he strained to follow her gaze, understanding when he saw the light streaking across the sky. "Haven't seen a shooting star in a long time."
"Did you make a wish?" she asked.
He watched the disappearing star before looking at her. "Did you?" She had. He knew she had. How many nights had she sat at her window or out in the backyard with Dad just waiting for one of those little stars to shoot across the sky? "Anything good?"
She smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Max straightened away from the post. "I hope it wasn't for more snow." He moved to stand beside her. "You know you nearly sent Michael into orbit with that little stunt the other morning."
"We needed to be here for Christmas, Max. I can't explain it, but I believe it."
He hugged her tightly. "I know," he murmured. "We're gonna get through this, Isabel."
"Promise?"
"Would you believe me if I promised?"
She could hear the sincerity in his question and she leaned back to look at him. "Always, Max. Maybe you can't pull a rabbit out of your hat every time, but I know you, and I know that you'll always do everything you can to keep a promise."
He felt like a weight had been taken off of his shoulders. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"
"No matter how angry I've been with you I've never doubted that." She gave him another hug. "And just for the record, I'm kinda fond of you too."
He chuckled. "So you wanna tell me what's up with you and Kyle?"
"Why don't we go inside and see if Michael's made any progress with that song?" she asked rather than answer his question.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Michael watched a pajama-clad Maggie as she moved around the living room, her excitement over Christmas apparently contagious. He wasn't sure which one was the most infectious Christmas cheer carrier – the little girl or the Christmas Nazi. Although he had a feeling all of the merriment had gotten a little overwhelming for Isabel because she'd retreated a while ago and Max had finally gotten off of his ass and gone after her. He shook his head. Sometimes he wondered what they'd do if he wasn't there to remind them that being separated was dangerous.
He was ensconced in one corner of the couch with Maria nestled against him, her slight weight a comforting warmth. Throughout the evening they had watched at least half a dozen children's Christmas movies and they'd all had songs that Maggie had wanted to sing with him. She hadn't understood why he didn't know the words to the songs and he'd been uncomfortable when that had drawn unwanted attention to him. He'd been tongue-tied when she'd asked why he didn't know any of the songs and Maria had been in the kitchen helping with post-dinner cleanup.
He hadn't been expecting it when Kyle had stepped in and explained that Michael hadn't been very good at memorizing the lines when he was little. It was a dumb explanation but for some reason she'd bought it. And then his good buddy had spoken up and suggested that maybe between her help and it being the time of Christmas miracles maybe she could teach him the songs. Obviously being subjected to the Christmas Nazi's special brand of holiday cheer 24/7 had started to affect him.
He'd see that Valenti paid for every word he'd been stuck learning as the night wore on.
"Get rid of that Grinch-y look," Maria said and pinched his side lightly.
"Would you keep it down," he growled under his breath, watching Maggie to make sure she hadn't overheard her speak. "She so much as hears the word Grinch and I'm gonna get stuck singing another round of that Wa-Hoo song." He glared at her when she chuckled and started to hum the chorus of that awful song. "It's not funny, Maria."
"Oh, it's not that it's funny, Spaceboy. You just have no idea how it affects me to watch you with her." She reached up to catch his chin and turn his head so she could look into his eyes. "One day, when the time's right, you're gonna make a wonderful dad."
Before he could respond to that the door opened and he heard Max and Isabel come back inside. It took less than a heartbeat for Maggie to make a beeline for them, excitedly announcing that it was time for the kids to open up a single present before bedtime. He let the voices fade into the background, feeling more settled now that everyone was once again inside the house. Between the warmth in the room, his girlfriend snuggled up against him, and the hypnotizing flames dancing in the wood burning stove his eyelids began to feel heavy.
He blinked in an effort to dodge the sandman and shifted his gaze to the small table that held the hand-carved Nativity set. He'd listened when Liz had asked about it out of curiosity and he hadn't been too surprised when Julia had shared the story of how it'd come to rest in their living room. Edward had carved it himself, presenting it to her the year after he'd gifted her with the watch Big Dave had mentioned earlier that evening.
The girls had all laughed, apparently sharing that mystical understanding of what did and did not constitute the perfect gift regardless of the occasion. He'd gathered that a windup Timex watch ranked right up there with the economy size two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. He still didn't get it. Edward's gift had been something his wife could use, his gift had also fallen within that realm, but neither of them had fit into the gift parameters women used to gauge the worthiness of the gift itself. He hadn't missed the looks between the women in the room, the shared solidarity that obviously meant they'd all been presented with gifts that while meant well, had fallen short of the expected goal. He'd listened as they discussed the men they loved and there had been a sort of amused acceptance in their tones as they agreed that the most important thing was that those same men tried to please them.
He'd looked at Maggie during one of the breaks between movies and she'd tipped her head back to look up at him when he poked her. She'd given him a smile, the very one that one day about ten or twelve years in the future would break the boys' hearts.
"One day, when you're old enough to date – "
"That's gonna be a long time," she'd interrupted. "Daddy says I gotta be really old first."
"Your daddy's right about that, Princess. But when that day comes, and some boy gives you a gift that maybe isn't so perfect, would you do me a favor?"
She had nodded solemnly. "Okay."
"Just tell him thanks and even if it isn't what you wanted, don't bust his chops over it, okay?"
She'd wrinkled her nose at that. "What's that mean?"
"Well, even if it sucks and it's somethin' you never ever wanted, maybe you could just give the poor sap a hug and say thanks."
Maggie had smiled brightly. "Oh, I will, Michael, promise! Mama says you should always be thankful for every gift." She'd shifted to get up on her knees to lean against his shoulder. "Like, every year we always get boring stuff like socks an' that's not really a fun gift. But I 'member when Brian was kinda mad about that Mama told him he oughta be thankful 'cause some kids don't got no socks and so even when I get socks I say thank you."
"That's good. Always remember that for me, okay?"
"Okay." She had hugged him and then started to get down, but after a moment resumed her former position leaning against his shoulder. "Do you really think one day when there's a boy that likes me he'll give me socks?"
He hadn't been able to stop the unexpected bark of laughter at her innocent question. "No, I can't imagine any boy ever giving you socks."
"Did you ever give Maria socks?"
He had shaken his head. "No, can't say as I have."
She had stared at him for a moment before looking over his shoulder at Maria where she and the rest of the women were huddled in the corner working on some project. "I think she'd like socks if you gave them to her." She'd smiled widely as her gaze swung back to him. "Do you wanna watch Frosty the Snowman now? It gots songs we can sing too!"
He focused on the empty manger at the center of the Nativity. He hadn't ever really gone to church or spent any time learning about Jesus, but even he knew the Christmas story that the season centered around. So it had struck him as odd that the baby Jesus had been absent from the Nativity but Liz had unknowingly saved him from asking when she'd posed the question herself.
Julia had explained that Santa would leave the baby Jesus carving in the manger before he left their home for the night after decorating the tree and leaving the gifts. Like him, Liz had been confused as to why Santa would be responsible for leaving the baby Jesus in the manger, but Julia had just smiled, her eyes misting slightly as they settled on the Nativity set her husband had lovingly carved and painted himself. It was symbolic, she had said. It represented the birth of their Savior and when the kids saw that the baby Jesus had been placed in the manger they knew it was Christmas Day.
His gaze was pulled away when Max and Isabel came into the living room with Maggie excitedly chattering as she pulled on their hands. He could see Edward and Julia coming down the hall; he held a book in one hand and she had a few presents cradled in her left arm. Without his permission his eyes dropped and for a moment he stared at their joined hands.
Max shook his head as he looked at Michael, his second in command, the one who constantly worried about all of them. He was slouched down at one end of the couch half-dozing while Kyle was sprawled out at the opposite end fully dozing. He glanced at his sister. "I think your husband's about to start snoring."
Isabel smiled sweetly at him and he was glad to see that most of the shadows in her dark eyes had disappeared for the moment. "Max, if I were you I wouldn't talk."
He turned to follow her gaze and he spotted Liz sitting in a chair across the room, snuggled down on one side, head tipped back, mouth hanging open, sleeping peacefully. He cleared his throat. "Um, I'd better wake her up."
Maggie ran across the room to stand before the other couch, facing her brothers as she announced that their presents were finally there.
The younger Stevens' boy smiled at his little sister. "Cool!"
Sitting at the other end of the couch Brian just rolled his eyes and muttered, "We already know what it is. It's the same thing we get every year on Christmas Eve, doofus."
Eddie narrowed his eyes at Brian but before he could get a response out his mom and dad came into the room and took their places. He reached out to help Maggie when she scrambled up on the couch, holding his hand out to accept his gift when Mama came by to pass them out. Even though they knew what was inside they tore into them with abandon, shredding the paper that had so painstakingly been wrapped around the small boxes.
Maria smiled at Isabel when she sat down next to her, the tall blonde shifting just enough to jostle Kyle awake. She watched as the kids showed off the gifts they had received and saw that they were ornaments for the tree. Eddie had received one in the shape of a guitar, Brian's was in the shape of a pair of hockey skates, and last, but never least, Maggie had received an ornament in the shape of a little yellow Labrador puppy.
After disposing of the wrapping paper, the ornaments were carefully placed on Santa's table that was now the proud presenter of a plate of homemade cookies, Snapple, and of course, carrots for the reindeer.
"So, what's Santa do with the ornaments?" Michael asked, his tone relaxed and lazy.
"When Santa brings the tree and decorates it he'll see the new ornaments on the table and he'll hand them on the tree." Edward leaned forward to pick Maggie up when she started to climb up on his knee. He settled her in his lap, smiling when her little arms wrapped around his neck and Miss Cindy Bear's hard little nose pressed into his Adam's apple.
"Daddy, Cindy's ready for you to read us her story," she said and tried valiantly to fight off a yawn.
He picked up the book that was tucked between his thigh and the arm of the chair and he held it out to her so she could open the cover. Her little hand smoothed over each of the pages lovingly as she carefully turned them to reach the beginning of the story. He could feel his family and their guests relaxing around him; could feel the warmth that came from being surrounded by those most important to him, and in turn that allowed him to relax. He could feel the eyes of their guests on him as he began to read the story he could've recited in his sleep but before long even that faded into the background.