Comfort and Joy

An Elani and Challie Fan Fic

By Lou

1

Lani stood in front of their mirror finishing a long French braid that hung down the middle of their daughter's back.

"Carver, you'd better be getting ready!" She called over her shoulder.

Jules squinted her eyes as Lani slowly rolled the hair she had left out of the braid up into the hot curling iron.

Genetics were a trip. Jules' whole face had been stolen from her father, but, when their daughter spoke, she sounded just like Lani; like she had been raised in Florida.

"What were you and Daddy yelling about last night?"

Their gazes caught in the mirror before Lani looked away.

"We weren't yelling."

"Sounded like yelling." The child said under her breath.

Lani let it pass.

"Nothing for you to be worried about," Lani replied. "Moms and Dads are people, too. Sometimes people get loud.

Jules sighed. "Do we have to go to church?"

"Yes."

"We went yesterday."

"I know."

"I hate Christmas."

"Don't say hate," Lani replied automatically. "Hate makes your heart turn black."

"Your birthday isn't on Christmas." She grumbled.

"It's high-fiving Thanksgiving." Mother and daughter shared small smiles of understanding. Lani hoped that they would always have this.

She was not looking forward to their children's teen years. Sullen. Smart mouthed. Moody. She had given her mother hell, and, technically, Eli had a criminal record.

"Uh, C.C.?" They heard Eli speak, followed by Carver's put-on groan. Their father normally allowed one every three business days with no rollover. Because it was their birthday this month, Eli had allowed two.

This was Carver's third.

"Why are we walking around suit and tie, shoes; no socks?"

"Style, Dad."

There was a pause, then: "It is 15 degrees outside with show to your kneecaps. Style some socks on them clod hoppers and plant them dogs deep in some boots. Out here trying to play double Dutch with pneumonia. Style. Please, I got your style. Talking about some damn style."

Lani closed her eyes shaking her head.

She wished she had that recorded.

She chuckled.

"Henry Robert Horton, stop jumping on my couch and eat your breakfast. Your cries of hunger will go ignored when we get to church!" Allie yelled from the bathroom where she applied her makeup. "What?" she asked softly when she caught her wife's gaze in the mirror.

It amazed her that the butterflies still detonated inside of her when Chanel looked at her, smiled at her. Allie's eyes widened at her wife's smirk. "Stop it."

"I haven't said anything," Chanel chuckled.

"You don't need to."

"H-Town! Eat your breakfast." Chanel yelled to their son, her eyes still holding Allie's. The parents rolled their eyes at their child's put-upon sigh.

Had to be a Horton thing.

"Alright, Ma, I'm eating. I'm eating. Frosted Flakes are way better than oatmeal you know!"

"Sure," Allie scoffed shaking her head as she leaned forward applying her mascara; her eyes drifting to the side as her wife stepped into the bathroom and rested her hips against the bathroom counter.

Watching her.

"He listens to you…" Allie's words trailed as she watched Chanel's gaze move over her. When her wife's gaze finally met hers, Allie found herself caught; her wife's smirk, that slight twitch of those soft lips, started the melting.

Chanel let her off the hook with a shrug that that she had seen their son emulate multiple times. "It's a gift."

"Is it?" Allie asked. "It's annoying."

"Fair," She conceded. "Kids should listen to both their parents."

"Thank you."

"I'll talk to H-"

"No,"

"Babe,"

"No," Allie said again. "I did it to my mother, my mother did it to her mother. He's testing me. Rite of passage."

"Okay. But as soon as it looks like ya'll are about to Godzilla stomp out innocent villagers, I'm stepping in." Allie shook her head smiling. When Chanel grinned both dimples jumped out on full display sending a rush through Allie. Her heart thumped in her chest.

"Back to the topic of discussion," She moved closer. "Listening right? We were talking about listening. The thing about listening is it's even better when spouses, wives; let's go with wives for the moment. It's even better when wives listen to their wives; and, as I recall, you listen very well."

Allie caught fire at last night's memory heating her wife's dark gaze. "And follow directions excellently," Chanel added as she started out of the bathroom.

She leaned into the bathroom counter, blowing out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Her lips twitched at her wife's chuckle. "Evil."

"Oh, most definitely."

"What?" Eli asked, seeing the question in their son's eyes as he re-tied Carver's tie.

"Do we have to go to church on our birthday?"

"It's the day before."

"Same thing."

"Not by definition."

"Not having kids on Christmas." The little boy grumbled.

"I mean, ya'll could have waited a day."

"Baby," Lani chortled at Eli's smart-ass shoulder shrug. "Babies come when they come," Lani said to their son as she and Jules stepped fully from the bathroom.

"I'm not having kids period." The little girl said to them as she followed her brother out of their room.

"Cool," Eli said then winced when Lani smacked him in the shoulder.

"Stop it." She spoke quietly watching their kids leave their space hand and hand before Jules jumped on Carver's back.

"Same argument every year. I wouldn't mind not having to go to church though."

"You need Jesus."

"Is he not everywhere?"

"I can't with y-They get it from you."

"You think it's the, you know…Horton?"

"I know it's the Grant." She laughed.

"The Horton ain't helping. You've seen us."

"Why are you like this?"

"I'm just saying…Julia told Henry that both his grandmamas needed Jesus last week."

"Oh, my God." Lani sighed. "That child."

"No, baby; baby…he agreed." Eli took his own self out he was so tickled.

"I'm leaving," Lani told him, she too was laughing; at him. It was something that this man could make being tickled sexy. "Don't forget your t-" Her words trailed off at his touch.

"Hey," He brushed his fingertips down her shoulder to her waist. Lani turned into him. Her fingers brushed down his arm before their hands found each other, their fingers entwining before they fell into each other; their kiss soft.

"We'll figure this out. Your job—I love you, Lani."

"I love you, too, but there's nothing to figure out. And you know it."

"Not interested."

"Excuse me."

"Not interested in"

"I don't want you, Ciara." Chad scoffed.

The hair on Jules' arms rose. She could feel an interaction that she did not want to be a part of.

Ciara's smile was quick, sharp. "This. Interaction." She finished. "Not interested in this interaction. Can I just say that I'm not shocked? Your mind immediately went to sex. And why wouldn't it? You've already whored your way through your wife's Johnson family bloodline, naturally, you're ready to tap that Horton well next. Again, so much shock.

"Allie's married. That doesn't matter since your wedding ring didn't stop you from sleeping with the nanny. The fact that she cannot stand you is a plus. Claire still believes that you're a weasel-faced punk; strike two. And Sarah threw up on you. You, literally, made her sick. Strike three."

"You're pleasant."

"I don't need you to tell me that I'm amazing, Chadwick. I was born a goddamned delight."

"Oh, you are wonderful. Props on not bringing your-

"Watch your mouth, Chad. My children are here."

"Congrats on finally having some sense this year to not bring your monster who you swear has changed."

"Bad man."

Jules' attention was immediately diverted to some more mess she wanted no part in. It made her stomach feel sick and her ears got too hot. The boys stopped plotting their next adventure as the tension wrapped around them, too.

"Bad man. My daddy said your daddy is a bad man." Charlotte parroted.

"It's not polite to point," Bo spoke quietly as he tried to move his little brother from the situation. He did not even want to be here. He hated this place. Every time they came back here, he felt like he couldn't breathe. "Come on, Caleb."

"Your dad is a bad man," Thomas said again.

"Oh yeah," Caleb challenged. "If our dad is a bad man, your granddad is the boogeyman, and your dad cries…like a piss-pants baby."

Carver and Henry's jaws dropped.

"Ou…" Jules, Eli, and Chanel uttered at the same time.

The parents and the children were fighting the same fight while too many adults stood in stunned silence at Chad and Ciara that they hadn't paid attention to the bomb that Caleb Weston had just tossed at Thomas DiMera's feet.

They were not those adults.

Eli, Lani, Chanel, and Allie's eyes immediately went to their children. Thomas was red-faced; Caleb was red-faced. Bo had put his little brother behind him, a weight of resignation on his face that was too adult to be on such small shoulders.

Carver, Henry, and Jules stood. The boys immediately put themselves in front of Julia; her eyes rolling on cue. Okay, that was the Grant, Eli silently acknowledged. His mama had rolled her eyes at him over the phone yesterday.

They knew her just like her parents did.

Julia Harriet Grant? She swung.

Jules swung at danger, disrespect, and fear.

His baby was scared.

"Julia, boys," Eli spoke to the side of them.

Lani corralled Ciara's boys. Allie took care of Chad's brood while Chanel and Eli got their kids together.

"Hey, adults," Allie spoke. "While the two of you are over there putting them on the table."

"Why do you have my kids?"

"Why don't you, Chad?" Chanel snapped. "And check your tone when you speak to my wife."

"Thank you," Ciara spoke quietly to Lani.

"Can we go, Mom," Bo finally broke. "Please? I hate it here. Because of them. Grandma Julie says that this is our home too, but every time we come here, they are here." His words spat at Charlotte and Thomas. "They look as if we are monsters. They call our dad bad when their family is worse. They tell us that we don't belong. Fine. I do not want to be a Horton if I have to be around them." The little boy was in tears.

"This is rid-"

"You don't see that that child is upset?" When Eli spoke, his words were soft, but that hard line of anger and disgust did what they were supposed to.

"We don't have to come back, ever."

"Ciara,"

"No, mom. I won't have my children upset in what is supposed to be their family home. Get your coats, boys. We're going to have cocoa at the pub with Great Uncle Roman." When she stood, Ciara looked Chad straight in the eye. "Merry Christmas."

"I hate our birthday," Carver and Jules spoke sadly.

"Mm. My stomach. Can we go please, Mom?" Henry asked. "Please, Ma." He said to Chanel. "I don't want to be here anymore."

They were so quiet in the back seat; she and Eli shared a look. Carver didn't turn on the tablet and Jules just stared out the window.

Carver immediately unhooked his seat belt and moved to his sister when he saw that first tear drop. She thought that she could cry in silence, but he always knew.

"Baby," Lani's voice shook.

"What hap-oh hell no." Eli pulled the car over.

"I'm not crying."

"Okay."

"Be quiet, Carver."

When Eli pulled Jules' car door open, she took off her seat belt and fell into her father pulling Carver with her. Lani, meeting them, wrapped her arms around their children from behind while Eli held them from the front.

"Do we have to do, Christmas?" Jules asked. "I don't want to."

"I don't want to either," Carver added.

"We'll stay home. Just us." Lani told them.

"Just us." Eli agreed. "Just us."

They stayed close to their parents, even at home. Jules had been scared, even though she would never admit it.

"If you tell anyone that I cried-"

"And you'll bury me in Grandma Val's shoe closet." Carver smiled at the familiar threat. Jules hugged her brother's neck before she mushed his face.

"You annoy me."

"I know."