Christmas Morning

The sun peaked over the horizon and Freckle turned to face away from the morning light. In doing so, he felt a presence on his chest move in tandem with him. Opening his eyes slightly, he saw Ivy's face nuzzled on his chest, cherishing the embrace they shared for the night. She groaned slightly and Freckle moved to stroke her hair. Despite all of Nina's teachings, Freckle could not imagine anything in heaven even coming close to the contentment he felt in these moments. It also reinforced his desire to do two things on his trip to Kansas City. The first was going well so far… mostly. Oliver still had to come around on him and Reuben needed some evidence of what sort of man Freckle was. Otherwise, he had taken great care to be nothing short of a proper gentleman. At least as much as his working-class Irish background would allow. There was plenty of protocol and etiquette he did not understand but Ivy's family seemed to tolerate his ignorance with grace.

The second task he had in mind was more paramount. If he was to wed the woman currently using him as a pillow, Freckle would need to secure her parents' approval. It was only proper and something Nina had instructed him on in the past whenever the subject of courting came up. At the time, his teenage brain wanted to discuss almost anything else with his mother but now it was starting to make more sense to him. He wasn't just marrying a girl; he was marrying an entire family. Ivy wasn't the type to abandon her kin, that much was clear after the events of the previous day. She may want frequent space but that didn't mean she was looking to start anew elsewhere.

So he needed to secure permission, and Freckle counted the days in his head. They were to be back before New Year's, meaning he would have, at best, about five days to succeed. Ivy's mother didn't seem like she was in sound enough mind to make such a call regarding her daughter's welfare so he only had to focus on Reuben. Yet, as Ivy explained it, being Rocky's cousin would not help him. No matter what, he would need to portray the sensible, intelligent young man Nina raised from birth and not the crazed wild cat Rocky often embodied. Not to say Rocky wasn't making great improvements for Joseph's sake, but he still had his moments and a well-earned reputation for insanity.

Another groan from Ivy brought Calvin out of his thoughts. All this could wait another hour or two. In the meantime, he could enjoy his girlfriend's company while being safe and secluded in their own roo—

"Ivy, it's Christmas!" Oliver whispered loudly through the door. Hearing the excitement in the boy's voice, Ivy stirred and turned over to look at Freckle. "What time is it?"

Freckle looked at the clock on the wall near him. "About seven…"

"Hmmm…" She said, rubbed the side of her face back into Freckle's chest fur.

"Come on, guys! Get up!" Oliver continued, this time knocking softly on the door.

"I think Oliver wants you to come with him." Freckle said, smiling.

"Dammit… Alright, I guess we can cuddle later." Ivy said, sitting up and stretching. She got out of the bed, noting the chill in the room from lack of clothes. Like the rest of her family, Ivy's fur wasn't exactly insulative. Yet another reason she loved being in bed with Calvin. She walked over to the door before pressing her ear up to it.

"Give me a few minutes, Oliver. You have my key?"

"Yeah!"

"Good. Slip it under the bed and go wake everyone else up."

"Even mom…"

"Ugh… get Dad or Lily to do it then. Either way, I need to get dressed."

The key immediately appeared under the door followed by the fading sound of small footsteps down the hall. Ivy looked back at Freckle and smiled.

"I see Oliver isn't the only one excited."

"What do you… oh. Hehe…" Freckle replied, realizing what she was referring to.

Ivy crept back to the bed and found her night gown, putting it back on after securing her undergarments. "I'll slip back into my room and make sure Oliver didn't spontaneously decide to rearrange the room in his sleep."

"Oh, I'm sure the kid is fine…" Freckle said, searching the bed for his underwear.

"He's restless in his sleep…" Ivy said, pointing to a scar on her arm. "The kid is feral when he gets night terrors. He bit me once when he was four."

"Jesus…" Freckle said. "I guess now I know where that came from."

"Yeah, he's a lot better now but the kid can't sleep when mom is in the house. I hope he was okay last night…"

"Well, if he wasn't, he doesn't seem to being showing any signs of worry right now." Freckle said, standing up and stretching. "Still, its really sweet how much you care about him."

"Yeah, I love the little rascal. He needs love too, especially in this family. With mom being… mom and Dad off at work, we were left to our own devices a lot."

"I see. This place seems big enough to require staff. Didn't your dad hire a nanny or something?"

"Oh, we have one. And yeah, Dad keeps three or four people around to keep the place going in his absence. We don't really have a nanny anymore. Oliver has a tutor when he's not in school and Lily keeps track of him now that I'm in college. You'll see tomorrow when the rest of the family gets here just how busy the house gets."

"The rest of the family?"

Ivy looked at Calvin like he hadn't been paying attention at all to the things she had withheld from him. "Well yeah, silly. What did you expect? Aunts, uncles, grandma, grandpa, my cousins should be tagging along too. They celebrate with their families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, then the next day we all gather here."

"I see…" Freckle said, taking this new information into account. "Anyway, you best slip out before you Dad catches us."

"Agreed. See you downstairs." Ivy said, kissing Freckle on the cheek before hugging him and letting her head rest on Freckle's shoulder for a few seconds.

Freckle straightened his shirt as he descended the stairs several minutes later. He was also trying to get one of his pesky hairs to lay flat. It always sprung up in the night and wouldn't lay in place until he could properly brush.

"Ah, there he is!" Reuben said, wrapped up snuggly in his bathrobe. "I got the heat going so it should warm up soon. Hard to keep the boiler going all night without the nightman here."

"Oh, it's alright." Freckle said, gesturing to his own clothing choice of a warm sweater. "The face fur helps too." He added.

"I must commend you, young man, for thinking ahead about the kids." Reuben said, looking over at the tree. Somehow, in the middle of the night and without disturbing anyone else, Ivy had managed to sneak down and place the gifts they brought under the tree. Freckle thought about whether she had found her clothes beforehand… but that also meant she tossed them aside again just to crawl in under the covers next to him. Freckle shook the thought from his mind, deciding to simply admire Ivy's sneakiness at a time when it could be put to good use.

"Woah!" Oliver said as he pulled apart the wrapping paper. Like any well-off child, he had gifts galore to enjoy in the upcoming year. Especially a trainset that he could run alongside his father's in the basement. But this gift was a bit more personal. Ivy explained as he opened it up.

"Freckle and the boys aren't exactly city folk anymore. Ethan insists that every boy learn how to use one for daily tasks."

Oliver saw his reflection in the blade. It was a knife. A small one, to be sure. Ethan said the blade length and shape was ideal for cutting, chopping, or doing whatever around the house. Freckle, of course, didn't know, but his name was on the tag specifying who it was from.

"Thanks Ca- I mean, Mr. McMurray."

"Uh… you're very welcome, Oliver. Just don't cut yourself with it."

"Wow, you even had it engraved!" Oliver said as he saw his name on the side of the handle.

"You bet… apparently…" Freckle responded.

"Ivy, where did you get this dancing frock?" Lily said, holding up the newest addition to her wardrobe.

"Oh, Isabella's parents know a lot of tailors. Once I found the right seamstress, I gave her your dimensions and voila!" Ivy said.

"I do hope it fits…" Lily said, holding it up to her torso.

"Well, if it doesn't, you'll just have to come to St. Louis and we'll get it tailored to you." Ivy said, winking at her sister.

"Oh, Dad, could I go to St. Louis sometime with Ivy?!" Lily asked her father.

Reuben wasn't quite as enthused. "We'll see, dear. You can always come out on the train with me next time I need to go there." He said.

"We'll find a way." Ivy reassured Lily while their father wasn't looking.

"Ivy, this matches my coat perfectly!" Reuben said as he looked over the scarf his daughter bought him.

"Actually, Dad, that was Freckle's doing. I told him what coat you wear and he knew just where to find that." Ivy lied through her teeth.

Reuben looked at Freckle, trying to decide whether that was true or not. "Well… in that case you have my gratitude, Calvin." He said with a smile. He knew what his daughter was trying to do.

"I have something for you as well, Calvin." Reuben said. "I'm afraid it's a bit boring, but Ivy told me you like to read so I went to the trouble of finding a couple of books that won't be released until sometime next year. One is fiction, one is nonfiction.

Reuben placed in Calvin's hands two books. The man was surprised when Calvin's face lit up with excitement. "Thank you, sir! I mean that, truly!"

"Well… I guess my doubts were misplaced. I didn't think a man of your reputation would be a reader."

"Reputation?" Freckle asked, confused.

"Oh… it's nothing. Just things one hears through the grapevine. Anyway, a Merry Christmas everyone! Everyone clean up the place while I start cooking. Ivy, could you help Effie into the kitchen for me, please?"

"Of course, dad!" Ivy said, getting up. "Come on, mom. Dad wants to make sure you get a good seat at the table for breakfast."

"Alright…" She said without tone or passion of any sort. Helping her mom walk over to the kitchen and sitting down at the head of the table, Ivy looked around for her medications, spotting them on the kitchen countertop. "Um, dad, how much was mom supposed to take, again?"

Reuben thought about what the nurse had told him but he couldn't recall. "Crap, did she leave a note?"

"I don't see one." Ivy said, looking around on the floor in case it might have dropped.

"Shoot… well, it's probably best to underdose than overdose, right?" Reuben reasoned.

"I guess…"

"Just pick whichever one looks the most potent and give that to her. If she starts acting strangely then we'll know to up the dosage."

"Strangely? You mean normally." Ivy said with a tone of resentment in her voice. She loved her mother, but there was something underneath that pale, emotionless face that she feared could come back.

"You know what I mean, Ivy. Thank you. Now, go help the others by the tree. Oh, and could you make sure Oliver dresses up warmly when we go outside?"

"Yes, dad. I'll remind the little warrior that fur alone won't keep him from getting a cold."

"Thank you! And, by the way, good job covering for your boyfriend. When did he realize there would be a gift exchange?"

Ivy froze, seeing that her planning had been for nothing. "Oh… well… he. Freckle wanted to go out as soon as we got off the train. Really, he's a good man."

"I'm sure he is, Ivy. Don't worry, I don't think any less of him. Everybody has their own traditions."

"Yeah, Calvin just has his cousin and mother so I can't imagine their Christmases are as busy as ours."

"I'm sure. Now, if you stand around much longer, you're going to have to kiss the cook before he's showered." Reuben said, teasing Ivy. She giggled before leaving her Dad to watch Effie and get breakfast ready.

Winter Wonderland

"Oliver, you better keep that hat on, mister." Ivy ordered. Oliver grumbled but did as he was told.

"Thank you." She said, patting his head. "That's why you're the best little brother this side of the Mississippi."

He couldn't help but smile but got jealous when he saw Ivy and Freckle walking ahead of him while holding hands and interweaving their tails. He sprinted to catch up, grabbing onto Ivy's other hand.

"Oh, you're going to join us?" She said, looking down at her brother as he struggled to keep pace in his heavy boots. "I guess we can slow down a bit and take things more leisurely. Right, Calvin?"

"Um, sure." Freckle said. "So, when are the others going to arrive?"

"The rest of the family? They should start trickling in tonight. Would you mind helping me get the other two guest rooms ready? The maid should have everything set to go, we just have to pull stuff out and prepare."

"Of course I'll help!" Calvin said.

"I can help too, Ivy!" Oliver insisted.

"Great! Now I won't need to actually do anything." Ivy said with a smile.

Reuben followed Lily on one arm and Effie on the other. "Those two are close, aren't they?" He said, observing his daughter and her boyfriend.

"Yeah…" She said with some disappointment in her voice.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I thought… he doesn't look like a killer. I mean, he's a couple inches shorter than you, Dad. And you aren't exactly a big guy."

"Height isn't everything, Lily. But I would be grateful if he wasn't a killer or a crazy like his cousin. You don't know what Miss M has been putting them and that new hire, Ethan Kelly, through to keep the Lackadaisy going." Reuben explained. "There's a gang war going on out there, and I'm more worried about those two getting caught up in it. Stature aside, I'm sure there's some nobility there. If we are a bit patient it will probably present itself."

"Well, she did say that Calvin stood up to someone making unwanted advances toward her back in September…"

"Did he, now?"

"Yeah, and that Ethan Kelly killed the man later."

"That does sound like Ethan…" Reuben said, thinking back to his interactions between himself and the Montanan Mitzi found. "I wonder if that's what caused this latest row between the Lackadaisy and the Italians."

"What?" Lily asked, but Reuben dismissed the question.

"It doesn't matter, honey. Perhaps we're both right. Maybe this Calvin McMurray is both a gentleman and a killer when the situation calls for it?"

"My money is on him being a pushover. I mean, look at him. He's letting Oliver get between them."

"Hey now, there's nothing wrong with a man having patience with a child. Especially that child. I want him to have some more independence… but the way Ivy dotes on him…"

"What's wrong with Oliver being around Ivy?" Lily asked, sticking up for her siblings.

"Look, don't get me wrong. I think it's both adorable and endearing how much you and your sister care about that boy. I'm also beyond grateful that you two stepped up to watch him like a hawk in recent years, but my son is a long way from being a man that can stand on his own two feet and take on the world."

"He's eleven, Dad…"

"Well, when I was eleven, I was hustling to make every dollar I could. It's that work ethic that affords us the life we have now."

"Yeah, but you always said you wanted our lives to be better and easier than yours."

"That's true but being too timid and dependent on others is a problem, Lily. I really don't know what to do because I would rather Ivy not be anywhere near the Lackadaisy, but if she came back here to Kansas City then she'd be codding Oliver."

"Dad, you know damn well why Oliver has his issues…" Lily said, looking past Reuben and at her mother. Reuben sighed. "I know. There are a lot of regrets I have with my work, Lily. Letting that situation spiral is one of them and always will be. Still, my son can't hide in fear of his mother forever." That's partly why I'm not overly fond of the idea of you going to St. Louis to see Ivy."

"If you ask me, he has every right to be afraid of her." Lily said, pulling away from her father and walking ahead. Reuben found himself with only Effie who didn't appear to be listening in the slightest. He hoped, for her sake, that nothing Lily had just said sunk through. He couldn't stand being apart from his beloved wife, but at the same time he knew all too well what a prolonged visit to the house would end up like. He had tried before and things only ended up hurting his children in one way or another.

"If only you were of sound mind like you used to be, Effie. You could see how much our children have grown up… and how much your son needs a loving mother."

"Oliver…" Effie said.

"Yes, Effie. That's his name. He's not some monster or demon or thing sent to destroy you. He's just your little boy." Reuben said. He didn't notice, but Effie's face was no longer smiling. Instead, her mind felt like it was shrouded in a rain storm. At times, she felt at peace. Her little world at the sanitarium was pleasant. But upon entering the real world, her old problems inevitably started to sink back in. Now that shrouded cloud threatened to turn into a thunderstorm as her mind churned.

Sitting down on a bench, Reuben called the kids over while he pulled out an old camera Mitzi taught him how to use. "Come on, let's get a family photo while the light is good!" He said.

"Come on, Oliver!" Ivy said as she pulled her brother behind her. "And you too, handsome!" Ivy said, insisting that Freckle be part of the image.

"But…"

"You're planning to stick around for a while, right?" Ivy asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to be my boyfriend for a while longer."

"Oh… yes! Of course!"

"Good! Then this is our first Christmas photo together! Riley's notwithstanding."

Pleased, Reuben directed everyone into position before he set the self-timer. "We'll get two or three of these." He quickly ran around behind the bench to put his arms over his two daughters. Oliver found himself between Ivy and his mother. At first, he didn't notice the growing tension in her. But by the time his dad was ready for the third photograph, he felt a heavy hand hit him on the back of the head.

"Monster! You caused this!" Effie said in an outburst, standing up and looming over Oliver as he lay there in the snow, petrified with fear.

"What the hell?!" Freckle said as he witnessed the scene unfold. Effie lunged at Oliver as if she had gone feral. Oliver shut his eyes, terrified about what was going to happen next. Reuben was at the camera and several paces away. Lily was frozen in shock at how quickly things had escalated.

Ivy beat her mother to Oliver, pulling him from her grasp just in the nick of time. Before Effie could close the gap, Freckle made the decision that his girlfriend's safety was at stake. Trying not to hurt the woman, Freckle wrapped his arms around the woman and held her back while Reuben finally developed the presence of mind to restrain his wife.

A sharp pain erupted from Freckle's arm and as he pulled away from the woman he noticed blood. He couldn't believe what had just transpired. A grown woman had just bit him!

"Dear God!" Reuben exclaimed as he wrestled his wife to the ground. "Effie! Effie, settle down!"

"He ruined everything! He won't stop crying, Ruby!" She said.

"Shit, I guess we should have dosed her more… Ivy, get Oliver out of here!"

Ivy wasted no time in getting to her feet and half-dragging, half carrying Oliver away. She turned to Lily with pleading eyes.

"Help dad, will you?!" She said, gritting her teeth.

"Oh… right! Right! Where are the meds, dad? I'll dig them out."

Freckle sat in the snow, still in shock that a grown woman had just bit him like a wild beast.

"You okay, kid?" Reuben said before noticing the wound.

"Oh my God, did she…?"

"I think she did…" Freckle said, taking his coat off. Luckily it was just a small puncture and nothing too serious.

"We got her under control." Reuben said. "Why don't you go make sure Ivy and Oliver are okay."

"I can do that, sir." He said, standing up. Putting his coat back on, he followed their trail.

"Shhh…. It's okay, Oliver. I'm here." Ivy said, tears in her eyes. She had hoped that something like this wouldn't happen but there was nothing else to do now but keep her little brother calm. After getting over the initial shock, he buried his head in her chest and cried."

"Why does she hate me?!" He said between sobs.

"She doesn't hate you, Oliver. She just… she doesn't know what she's doing." Ivy knew it wasn't going to help.

"Ivy! Are you okay?" Freckle said as he walked up to the two of them and sat down on the ground underneath a tree. Ivy noticed that Freckle was holding his arm.

"Calvin, what happ—" then she noticed blood. "You're hurt!"

"I'll be fine. Just need to disinfect the wound when we get back to the house." He said.

"How did you-?"

"My arm must have gotten too close to her mouth when I was struggling to hold her back."

"Oh my God, she bit you? My mother just bit you?!" Ivy said, barely keeping it together now. Between the embarrassment, the fear, and almost watching her little brother get mauled by their own mother there wasn't much she could do to hold back her own panic. That is, until Freckle intervened. Shrugging off the pain, he immediately scooted closer to Ivy and hugged her tight, making sure to include Oliver in the embrace as well.

"It's okay, Ivy. I've had worse from Rocky. Although even he never bit me…"

Ivy remembered the boy in her arms. He was too big to fit in her lap anymore, but she wasn't going to let go of Oliver. "Shhh, you're okay Oliver. Your big sister is here now… and so is Calvin. You're safe with us."

"I know…" Oliver said, keeping his face buried against his sister's chest. "I want to go to St. Louis with you."

"Well, we can talk to your Dad once he gets this mess cleaned up." Calvin said.

"That's right, and we're not going back in that house until mom is where she belongs. Back at the hospital."

Baggage

"Okay, Ivy. What the hell was that all about?" Freckle asked as he and Ivy pulled blankets and pillow cases out of the closet. Ivy sighed before sitting down on the guest bed. "I really hoped she had been making progress…"

"Ivy, I really don't mean to offend, but if your mother was an animal…"

"…they would have shot her for that. Yeah, I know. A nurse said that once." She said. "If you don't want to be part of this family, Calvin, I completely understand…" She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

Freckle moved quickly to sit down in the bed next to her. He took her face into both his hands, wiping the tears away. He then kissed her on the forehead and held Ivy close. "Don't you dare say such a thing, Ivy Pepper. I still love you and there is no one that can scare me off. Not Viktor, not your father, not even that feral animal you have for a mother…"

Ivy chuckled through her tears. "Somehow that might be one of the sweetest things you've ever said, Calvin McMurray. But now you know why I wanted to be in St. Louis."

"We should bring your brother with." Calvin said. "That… I've never seen a kid so scared."

"I know and I feel terrible. If I kept myself between them…"

"Then you might have been the one who got bit." Freckle said, showing her his bandaged wound. "And I really don't want to be known as the boyfriend who knocked out your mother."

"I suppose I owe you an explanation…"

"One would be nice, Ivy. For once, I think I could really use some context to all this." He said as they both laid back in the bed, their legs dangling off the side. Freckle let Ivy rest her head on his arm as she finished wiping tears away from her red eyes.

"Dad told me that mom's pregnancy with Oliver was… difficult. She was always a bit high-strung and stressed out, but the third pregnancy took a lot out of her. I don't want to bore you with every detail, but let's just say that even as an infant he never attached to her."

"You mean he wouldn't nurse?" Calvin asked.

"Wouldn't nurse. Would cry all the time. Didn't want to be held by her. Oliver only wanted to be held by dad… or me. I was too young to know at the time, but I think that hurt mom a lot. Anyway, she started getting depressed, angry all the time. She was so stressed that dad said he thought she'd have a heart attack. If only…"

"I guess I've heard of mothers having those sorts of problems."

"Yeah, doctors said so. At least at first. The problem was nothing they did would make her better. It finally got to the point that… oh God…"

"What happened? Freckle asked. "Please, after dealing with all this, I need to know."

"You should know." Ivy said, regaining her composure. "It got to the point where, one night, she tried to smother Oliver. He wasn't even two years old! Dad got there just in time. And when he was busy checking over Oliver, mom went back into their room and started making a noose for herself…"

"Holy hell…" Freckle couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I know. I was only seven at the time. After the doctors checked Oliver, Dad put him in my bed and told me to keep him safe. He was so scared, Freckle! I can still remember him trembling…"

"That explains a lot…" Freckle said as he connected the dots. "Ivy, I think your brother has a type of shell shock."

"What?" She asked, confused.

"Or… whatever Ethan has. I'm sure of it."

"He was just a baby though…" Ivy said, not understanding her boyfriend's logic; but Freckle insisted.

"No, I'm certain of it. Think about it. I'm not saying it's exactly the same, but just think about it. To a little kid that night must have felt like his worst nightmare come to life."

"You know, I'm starting to think that mom shouldn't ever be let out of that hospital. I just wish her condition would improve."

"I'm sure you do." Freckle said. "But honestly, she might be too far gone."

"I know. The doctors have been suggesting a lobotomy for years." Ivy said. "Dad won't do it though. He says it's like carving out part of her soul."

"I'm not going to make a judgement either way, but we got to do something for your brother."

Ivy thought about it for a long time before answering. "You know, he could really use someone other than Dad to show him how to be a man."

"Yeah… I guess Ethan could take him in."

"No, silly! I mean you."

"Me? Ivy, I'm not—"

"I'm serious, Calvin. You're smart. You're patient. And you managed to get over that whole go insane when holding a gun thing. That, coincidentally, involved your mother, by the way."

"Ivy…"

"I'm not saying we adopt my brother or anything. Just, you know, guide him. I think he could really use you, Freckle. I've been there for him since he was a baby. I know I shouldn't coddle him, like Dad says, but I just can't help it! Whenever I see him upset, I just think back to when he was a baby desperate for someone to make him feel safe."

Freckle kissed Ivy again and then sat up. His goals would have to wait at least for the moment.

"I think you're right, Ivy. At least partially. Let's get these two rooms made for your aunts and uncles before they show up and then we should go talk to your brother. Just us three."

"Thank you, Calvin. He needs it." Ivy said, sitting up. "I'm sorry this all ruined your Christmas."

Freckle laughed. "Ivy, if you want to ruin Christmas, just bring up Ransom in mom's presence."

"Would she go feral and maul the nearest person?"

"No, but she'd yell at your and make you feel guilty about the whole thing while she unloads two decades of disgust and grief on you at once."

"Oh… I thought you were trying to make a joke."

"Nope!" Freckle said. "All I mean to say is this isn't anything I can't handle."

Ivy smiled, hugging Freckle. "I'm glad you're here, Calvin. This would feel a lot more like hell if you weren't."

"The only thing that really surprised me, besides getting bit by your mother, is that you've kept all this away from the rest of us. You know, if you had told any of us about this, we would have helped you."

"I guess I just didn't want to burden you all…"

"Well, I'm happy to share the load with you." Freckle said. "That baggage doesn't have to just be yours to carry around."