Eleven:
Christmastide (pt 2)

"Your feet are like ice cubes," Harry whined as he woke up. "You've been in bed all night – how does that even happen?"

Ruth giggled and snuggled up closer, tucking her feet against him. "Silly man," she murmured. "Good morning – happy Christmas."

"Fifteen more minutes," he grumbled. "Please. After that bookcase almost collapsed on me at two in the morning, I think I deserve a few more minutes…"

She gave him a kiss and said, "Okay, but I'm going to get up and start making breakfast."

"No, stay with me," he sighed. "We're not going to do anything till the girls get here, anyway –"

"Doesn't mean Jamie won't be up," she pointed out.

"Let Malcolm handle him," Harry muttered. "They get along, don't they?"

"You just don't want me to make breakfast," she protested.

" No, I'm being selfish and want you in bed with me," he grumbled, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "Besides, the others won't be here for a while, either."

"The others?" she echoed.

"Graham, Jenny, and Siobhan, and Catherine, Kelly and Ben," Harry mumbled sleepily. "We have full family Christmases since Jane died."

"When did Jane die?"

He paused. "I didn't tell you?"

"No, I think I'd remember if you told me that your ex-wife had died and your kids had kids," Ruth said abruptly. "I'm too young to be a grandmum."

"Actually, technically speaking –"

She glared at him. "Not helping, Harry. When did Jane die?"

"About six months after you left." He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, snuggling closer to her. "Graham talked to me at the funeral, for the first time in years. He was already married to Jenny then, already had Siobhan… and I didn't know it. Siobhan is seven. And Catherine…" He sighed. "She's got two kids now, different fathers, Kelly and Ben. Kelly is three and Ben is four months old. But she's managing. Graham and Jenny help her out."

Ruth said, very softly, "You should've told me when I was out shopping – I didn't know I was meant to get things for grandkids, too –"

"Good thing you followed the list, eh?" Harry teased softly.

"I did wonder why you wanted me to buy so many things for small ones," she said, "but I assumed because of Ros and – and – I'm a grandmum?"

He smiled and gave her a kiss. "Well, now I'm awake," he replied. "We probably ought to make a move before –"

There was a frantic pounding on the door. "Daddy! Mummy!" Jamie cried. "Santa came! Santa came! Come on, you gotta come see!"

Harry groaned. "Too late," he sighed.

Ruth chuckled. "You're the one that wanted another baby," she teased, giving him a kiss as she got up. Fortunately, they'd both been too tired for any kind of funny business when they'd finished with the presents at about three, so she was in perfectly chaste woolen bed socks and flannel button-down pajamas. She opened the door and said, "Jamie, you're wriggling like a puppy dog."

"I'm excited, mummy!" Jamie cried. "There's lots of presents! Uncle Malcolm made me come get you and daddy! Gran and Elise and Rob aren't up yet, either –"

Ruth ruffled his hair and smiled. "We have to have breakfast before we open presents," she said in a mild tone. "That way, your sisters can get here. And Graham and Catherine, too."

"Who are they?" Jamie asked.

"They're your big brother and big sister," Harry rumbled from the bed.

"Daddy!" Jamie cried, pushing past Ruth and hurtling himself at the bed at breakneck speed. He landed on Harry with a solid thump – and Harry cried out like a wounded animal. "Oh, I'm sorry, daddy – I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"You're too big to just jump on people," Harry grunted.

"But I'm little," Jamie said with a pout.

Ruth laughed. "Jamie, daddy's just grumpy this morning – let's go downstairs and make waffles."

"Oh, can I help, mommy?" Jamie asked eagerly, abandoning Harry and rejoining his mother in the doorway.

"I expect you to," Ruth replied with a smile. "Come on, little man – let's go downstairs."

"I'll be down in a bit," Harry muttered.

"Sure you will," Ruth said sarcastically. She led Jamie downstairs and smiled as he bounced up to Malcolm, announcing that they were going to make waffles for breakfast. Malcolm raised an eyebrow and Ruth shrugged. "It's a Christmas tradition," she explained.

Jamie ran to the kitchen and got his little apron on and came back. "Mummy, I'm ready," he announced. "Come on, let's make waffles now."

Malcolm laughed and said, "He's starting to pick up an accent."

"He should've had one growing up in a household of Brits," Ruth commented wryly. "Instead, he ended up sounding like a New Yorker. I was actually properly horrified of what Harry would think."

Jamie put his hands on his hips. "MUMMY. COME ON."

Ruth laughed and followed him into the kitchen. "You want Uncle Malcolm to help?" she asked.

Jamie sighed and rolled his eyes a bit. "I want Daddy to help, but he's sleeping," he muttered. "Uncle Malcolm will have to do."

Malcolm smiled just a little. "I shall endeavor to be the most wonderful kitchen helper there is," he said in a very serious tone.

Ruth got the waffle maker heating and whipped up a batter quickly. "Jamie, help me mix in the chocolate chips," she invited as she poured some into the batter.

Jamie struggled with the spoon, getting batter all over, but he was smiling and happy, and so were Ruth and Malcolm. "Mummy, is the maker really hot?" Jamie asked.

"Oh yes," she said. "You can't touch it."

A few minutes later, he was excitedly waiting for his waffle to cool off enough to be eaten – and the back door opened, revealing Rose and Daisy. "Hi, mum," Rose said. "We set off as soon as we knew they'd gritted the main roads."

"Go see your father and get changed," Ruth said with a small smile. "Breakfast will be ready very soon."

"Why should we go see dad?" Daisy asked.

"Because he was worried about you," Ruth said firmly. "Now scoot."

"Yes, mum," Daisy sighed. "Okay, okay, I'm going."

The girls got out of their coats and wet boots, and headed through the kitchen. Ruth kept making waffles and laying them out on plates. "I hope someone gets up soon to eat," she sighed, "or they'll all be cold."

A few minutes later, Elizabeth came into the kitchen in her pajamas, fluffy slippers, and Malcolm's dressing gown. Ruth did a double take, her mouth dropping open, then she shut it in a hurry. "Good morning, dear," Elizabeth said. "I could smell breakfast clear up there –"

"Hi, Gran," Jamie chirped. He had chocolate all over his face and sticky syrup all around his mouth. But his smile was infectious and Elizabeth smiled back at him.

"Hello, Jamie – did you sleep well?" she asked.

"I did! And Santa came with lots of things, Gran!" Jamie announced excitedly.

Malcolm poured Elizabeth a cup of tea, and gave her a gentle kiss good morning, which made Ruth's jaw drop again. "I'm not sure I'm ever going to get used to the idea of you two, you know, being… together," Ruth stammered.

Malcolm blushed and said, "Well… it's not really for you to be used to, is it, Ruth? It's our business, really, if Liz and I want to be more than friends."

"No, no, it's all right, I'm not saying it's not," Ruth said quickly. "God knows what people thought when Harry and I got back together – but I just – it's not clicking in my head like it should. I'm sorry. It was a bit of a shock, though."

"So was coming over for Christmas and seeing you," Elizabeth shot back.

"Ah, that's Harry's fault, stupid git," Ruth muttered.

"Daddy's not stupid," Jamie spoke up.

"No, I'm not," Harry said, coming into the kitchen. "Are you trying to poison our son against his father?" he asked in a tone that was both annoyed and teasing at once – and Ruth found herself wondering how he managed it so easily.

"No, I'm just saying you're a stupid git for not telling everyone that I was home," Ruth sighed. "You're also a bit of a twit for not telling me that Malcolm and my mum –"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry," he said, "but is it any of our business if they get on like that?"

"Precisely what I said," Malcolm agreed. "Of course, when you found out , you threw a cup of coffee across the kitchen and shattered the mug, got yourself burnt, and got me rather splattered as well. So I'm not sure you have any room to talk, Harry."

Elizabeth hid a smile and kissed Malcolm's cheek. "Breakfast," she said pointedly. "Less drama."

Ruth couldn't believe that her mother seemed to be an entirely different person now that she had Malcolm in her life. It was eerie – almost like she'd reverted to the happy woman she'd been in the days Ruth's father had been alive. Ruth supposed it was a good thing, really. Too much unhappiness could and would ruin a person completely.

Daisy bounced back downstairs with Scarlett on her heels. "Did you make waffles, mum? Oh!"

"They've got chocolate chips," Jamie said. "That's the best kind."

Daisy smiled and gave him a kiss. "Happy Christmas, Jamie."

"Happy Christmas, Daisy," he replied. "Santa came. There's lots of presents for everybody."

"I know," Daisy said with a laugh. The room slowly filled up with the adults who were coming downstairs for tea or coffee and breakfast.

Jamie finished his food and said, "Mummy, can we open presents now? Please?"

"Not till Catherine and Graham get here," Harry said firmly. "They should be here soon."

Jamie sighed. "How soon?"

"Very soon," he promised. "And they'll bring your nieces and nephew with them."

Jamie cocked his head. "Will there be other kids for me to play with?" he asked.

"Yes," Harry said. "Siobhan is seven, Kelly is three, and Ben is just a tiny baby."

"Oh! Goody!" Jamie cried. "Kelly is three like me!"

The doorbell rang and Jamie got off his chair, intending to tear off – but Harry grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder. "No you don't, little man," he said. "You can come, but I open the door."

"Okay, daddy," Jamie said.

A couple of minutes later, Jamie was tearing into the room with a little girl with blonde pigtails and a huge smile. "My mummy made waffles," Jamie said. "Are you hungry, Kelly?"

"Uh-huh," Kelly said excitedly. "Can I have a waffle, Nana Rwoof?"

Ruth smiled and dished one up for the little girl. "Do you want syrup?"

Kelly shook her head. "No, sywup's sticky," she said, making a face. Ruth laid the plate down on the small table where Jamie and Kelly were already seated. "Oooh, it's got chocwit chips!"

"Mum makes the best Christmas waffles," Rose said with a smile.

Catherine and Harry came into the kitchen and Catherine said, "Graham is about ten minutes behind me. We had a bad run of lights and got separated."

Harry looked up from Ben and smiled. "Ruth, come meet your grandson," he said softly. "He's still a little sleepy."

"I'd rather say hello to Catherine," Ruth said, walking over and drawing her step-daughter into a tight hug. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Dad told me you were home, finally," Catherine whispered. "So I've been telling Kelly and Ben all about you – and showed Kelly pictures so she would know you and it would be much less awkward."

"The chocolate chip waffles probably helped," Ruth teased. Catherine just nodded and smiled. "You and I are going to talk later, okay?"

"Of course," Catherine said, smiling a little. "Now, come meet Ben."

A moment later, Harry was handing over the little baby in his heavy plush onsie-coat, and smiling. "He looks a lot like Jamie did in his baby photos," he commented.

Ruth smiled down at Ben and said, "Oh, no. He looks just like his mum. Catherine, he's lovely."

Catherine smiled. "Yeah, they both are – and I don't regret having either of them."

Kelly giggled and said, "Mummy, this is good breakfast!"

"Tell Nana Ruth thank you," Catherine said.

"Fankoo, Nana Rwoof," Kelly echoed with an impish smile.

"You're very welcome, Kelly," Ruth said, smiling back.

Catherine reached over and took Ben gently into her arms. "I'm going to get him out of his coat and check his nappy," she said cheerfully.

The doorbell rang again, and Harry made for the door before anyone could stop him. A couple of minutes later, a tiny flame-haired pixie bounced into the room, calling, "Scarlett, Scarlett – here puppy! Where are you, girl?"

Scarlett, for her part, was curled up at Jamie's feet, refusing to leave his side.

"Siobhan, leave that poor dog alone," Jenny sighed as she came in. She had a similar shade of hair and small stature as her daughter, but Siobhan's round face, pouty lips, and hazel eyes were all Pearce, all the time.

"Hi, Vonnie!" Daisy said. "Do you want some breakfast? Mum made waffles."

"What kind of waffles? Not the gross kind like my mum makes, right?" Siobhan asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Choclit chip!" Kelly piped up, chocolate smeared all over her mouth and cheeks.

Siobhan's face lit up. "Yes, please, and lots of syrup!"

Jenny looked at Ruth and said, "Well, you sure know how to spoil them –"

"It's a Christmas tradition," Ruth said simply.

Harry and Graham came into the room together, Graham's face a bit annoyed but not outright pissed off. "Dad, you could've warned me," was all he said.

"And ruin a perfectly good surprise?" Harry shot back.

"So Catherine is the only one you told?" Ruth asked. "Seriously?"

"He only told me because I asked why he was so happy all of a sudden," Catherine commented wryly. "I had to drag it out of him, though, so you should be pleased at his continued ability to keep things secret."

Ruth laughed. "Okay, Jamie, it's time to clean you up – you've got chocolate all over you," she sighed.

"But mummy –"

"No buts, little man. If you want to open presents, you need to clean up."

Jamie sighed. "Okay, mummy," he said with a little pout.

"Your stool is in the bathroom," Ruth reminded him gently. "Go wash your hands and your mouth, love." Jamie took off in a hurry.

Everyone else was either finishing or starting their breakfasts, and those who were finished were moving out to the sitting room. Kelly cleaned off her plate and said, "Nana Rwoof –"

"Just call me Nana," Ruth said softly. "It's easier for you to say, isn't it?"

Kelly nodded. "Nana, can you help me get the choclit off me, please?"

Ruth smiled and said, "Come to the loo with me, love." She led Kelly into the bathroom and got her all cleaned up. "Now, there's a little stool in here for little people," she said gently. "You can use it to get up high and wash your hands after you use the toilet."

"Kay, Nana," Kelly said with a big smile. "You're nice. Mummy said you was."

Ruth gave her a kiss on the cheek and murmured, "Thank you, Kelly – you're very nice, too."

They went back into the kitchen, where she overheard Harry telling Graham, "Yes, we were selfish – we wanted another child, and it happened at the most inconvenient time, I will grant you, but that doesn't mean that Jamie was not wanted or loved."

Ruth cleared her throat and both men looked over at her. "Jamie is not a subject for discussion when I'm out of the room," she said pointedly. "I would imagine you're surprised to find that you have a baby brother, Graham, and yes, Harry, the timing was not as it should have been. But Jamie is just as much a part of this family as anyone else, and I will have him treated as such."

Kelly said, "Nana, can I go see the Christmas tree?"

"Go ahead, love," Ruth said softly.

Siobhan finished her waffle and said, "Daddy, can we go open presents now?"

"Go wait in the sitting room," Graham said. "We'll be in soon."

"Graham," Harry said in a warning tone, "there's plenty of time to discuss this later. The kids have been waiting a long while already. Let's get them started on gifts and we can talk later while Ruth and Malcolm work on dinner."

Graham sighed and shook his head briefly, then held out his hand to Ruth. "I'm Graham, since my father is a bit of a twat and couldn't be bothered to introduce us," he said.

"Ruth," she replied softly, shaking his hand. "And James – Jamie – is the little one."

"Jenny's my wife and Siobhan is my daughter," Graham said unnecessarily. "You did good with Vonnie, by the way – she's always crabby on Christmas morning."

"Always," Harry said, rolling his eyes a little. "Now we know that chocolate chip waffles are her weakness."

Ruth chuckled. "Too much excitement, not enough sleep," she said. "That's why chocolate chip waffles are our tradition on Christmas morning – it's special."

"I… didn't… couldn't… continue your tradition while you were away," Harry said quietly. "We had eggs, bacon, and toast. The first Christmas, I tried to make the waffles, but I ended up crying so hard I put salt in instead of sugar because I could barely see and –"

Ruth smiled and wrapped her arms around her husband, holding him close. "It's okay," she whispered. "Now I'm back and things will go slowly back to normal." She gave him a gentle kiss. "Now, on to the gifts before the children start a riot."

END PART ELEVEN