The Canon Series

It's Christmas 1994 and the Steele's begin a new Christmas tradition, inspired by the story of a sled.

For the most effective reading, my work should be read in chronological order as many of my one off's are spun into the history of the characters later on down the line. The chronological order of what I've written to date are as follows:

Steele Torn & Trying to Holt On
Cannes Steele be Trusted (co-written with the super-talented SuzySteele)
Steele Forsaken
Steele Mending
Steele Working out the Details
Steele Settling In
Steele Finding Comfort
Steele Holting on To Christmas
Steele Holting on To The Holidays
Holting on to the Moments
Steele Cold Relief
Steele Cloned
Steele Hurdling Obstacles
Steeling the Big Apple
Steele Dying to Get it Right
Holting Steele - Part 1 of the Be Steele My Heart series
Be Steele My Heart – Part 2 of the Be Steele My Heart series
Steele Pursued – Part 1 of the Steele Tested series
Steele Tested – Part 2 of the Steele Tested series
Steele Thankful
Down the Rabbit Holt
Steele in Wonderland
Expanding Steele – Part 1 of the His Holt World Series
His Holt World – Part 2 of the His Holt World Series
Holting Back
Steele the Story of A Sled
New Year's Steele

Standard Disclaimers apply: I hold no ownership or rights to the series or characters. I simply choose to borrow the characters I love to write.

TRADITIONS

"My first born for a few winks," Remington all but whined when Laura stepped into the bedroom, having been looking for him the last ten minutes. She laughed warmly.

"Your first born is Olivia. You remember her, don't you? Black hair, bright blue eyes… you know, the seven-year-old female version of yourself? The child who believes all superheroes pale in comparison to her Da…" She lifted her brows at him "Not to mention the child you most favor?" He frowned.

"Well, that does cause a predicament, doesn't it?" He mulled his options. "I promise to run the next marathon with you, should you see to the guest houses on your own." The attempted bargain drew another laugh from her.

"You're already indebted to run the next marathon with me," she reminded with great enjoyment. Wait. What? Surely not!

"Surely you're mistaken," he said aloud. It was no secret he hated running 'bloody marathons', as he termed them, so he only offered them up as a bribe when he was most desperate. For the life of him he could not remember making the deal she'd implied he had. "I don't recall any such thing."

"Funny how your memory's only faulty when it comes to something you don't want to do," she chastised lightly. "You, espousing your love of exercise as an excuse for attaching yourself to my hip. I suggested that since you enjoy running so much…" His spirts sank as he watched his argument fall to pieces.

"That I should join you in the next half marathon," he finished, shoulders sagging. He debated the wisdom of offering himself up for another marathon, coming to the conclusion it was well worth it… Although not without a bit of complaining first. "It's a sad day when a man's punished for wanting nothing more than to keep his wife safe and well," he grumbled, receiving the expected roll of her eyes. "A second marathon, then, if it means taking a hot shower and climbing into bed."

"Sorry, Mr. Steele, you've already bargained the second away as well." Well, he knew… knew…he hadn't done any such thing. He narrowed his eyes on her, prepared to call her out, but she spoke before he could.

"Beginning of November?" she prodded. "I arranged for you to be the honorary co-chair of the committee to save the Riparian Brush Rabbit to not only get a little PR for the Agency but also to do a bit of networking? You promised the next marathon should I tell them you were sick and made your apologies." She was right. However, he hadn't felt the extracted promise was fair then… or now.

"I was sick!" he protested. She widened her eyes, giving him the most innocent of looks.

"It wasn't my idea to hold Livvie's birthday party at Chucky E Cheese."

"How was I to know it was a place festering in germs while rats moved freely about? You could have warned a man," he indicted.

"No, no," she disagreed. "I gave your thoughts on my 'intractable need for control' the weight they deserved and self-acknowledged interspersing my opinion on where and how Livvie's party should be conducted would be seen as my attempt to control all things." His eyes narrowed again, then the answer hit him.

"You set me up!" he accused.

"I did no such thing," she refuted. "I merely stepped back and didn't interfere in your plans, because it was clearly so important to you."

"I don't believe you."

"Try to remember, Mr. Steele, that I'm not the con artist."

"Former con artist, if you will. Uh-uh. I think you've taken a page from my book and have used it against me." He hummed and nodded his head. "The more I think on it the more confident I am I'm correct." Technically, he was, but there was no way she was going to admit as much.

"So, my question to you is: Do you really want to run another marathon just to get a little more shut eye?"

"And if I am?" he shot back.

"Then, I'll take care of making sure the guests houses are ready for everyone arriving tomorrow." A wide smile grew across his face as he stood.

"Deal," he offered his hand, "Three marathons it is."

"Alright," she drew out the word as she shook his hand. Mission accompli, he congratulated himself and with the smile still on his face took several steps towards the bathroom, when she spoke behind him. "I have to admit, I never thought I'd see the day…" He spun around on his heel to look at her. With perfect timing she waved him off and began walking towards the bedroom door. "Forget I said anything. Keep my place warm for me." He wasn't going to let it go so easily, as she knew he wouldn't.

"You never thought you'd see the day… what?" he inquired, suspiciously.

"I really shouldn't say," she answered, demurely. He flipped his hands towards her.

"By all means… do," he insisted.

"I'm just surprised, that's all."

"About?" he prods.

"You've made several remarks about your age and not being able to keep up like you once used to and you have been forgetting things—" she had to suppress the giggle that wanted to pass her lips. The man was thoroughly affronted.

"Now wait just a minute!" he cut her off. "Old?! Forgetful?! I'll have you know, I didn't so much forget those marathons as I wished to not remember them given my well-known disdain for them. As for—"

"That's not what I was referring to," she interrupted with a shake of her head, "But something of far more importance." He lifted a brow, prepared to pat himself on his back

"And what would that be?" he questioned.

"It's Christmas night, Mr. Steele," she reminded, now the offended one. From their first year of marriage, they'd had not only a Christmas Eve tradition, but a Christmas Night tradition as well: They'd exchange the private present they'd gotten each other; enjoy a little champagne; she'd slip off, returning in some sexy Christmas themed lingerie; and, then, they'd make love… or have some very rambunctious sex, depending on how turned on he was by what she was wearing. He couldn't have possibly forgotten… could he?

"Ahhh. Yes. Yes," he pretended to remember, then took a shot he knew would hit its mark, "Day after Christmas, and all, bringing with it fourteen additional guests – the very reasons I'd like to get a little extra shut eye this evening, elsewise I might fail to be the congenial host our guests are accustomed to." By the time he'd finished, she stood before him, slack-jawed and her face painted in disbelief." Leaning down, he bussed her on the cheek. "I'll keep the bed warm for you." Clamping her mouth shut, her temper surely pricked, he assessed, she turned towards the door, snatching her coat off the coat rack.

"You do that," she snapped, muttering beneath her breath as she stormed out of the room. "Eight years! Eight years and he forgets…." The door slammed behind her. She smiled, shaking her head, as she shrugged into her coat on the other side.

He ought to know by now, not to try to put one past her. She'd realized he was up to something when he gave up far, far too easily on bargaining for that extra sleep.

She laughed, wondering how long it would take him to figure out where he'd gone wrong.