Chapter 4/4 - Joys of Christmas -- The HarmyBoard Extras Fanfic

[ VoyUser Login optional ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 00:32:49 07/02/09 Thu
Author: fananicfan
Subject: Chapter 4/4 - Joys of Christmas

I'm posting this last chapter early because I've got a lot on my plate for the next few days. I don't want to get wrapped up in something and forget to post the conclusion of this story.

This is the last story I have completed at this time so, I'm going to have to find some time to write in the next few weeks.

For those of you curious about the end of the series, there are six bullet points from my original notes left for me to explore in stories. Depending on what idea I come up with to write them in - some maybe able to be combined - those six points should translate into five or six more stories to complete the series.

Now to the main event, the conclusion of Joys of Christmas.

CHAPTER FOUR

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2007
CHRISTMAS MORNING

RABB HOME
MASTER BATHROOM
SHOWER
0616

I have my head under the shower, letting the water cascade over the top of my head and down my face to rinse off the soap when I feel her presence. I turn to let the water pound into my back as she steps into my arms.

"What time are Frank and your mother supposed to be here so he can make his pancakes for us?"

"0630, why? Are you hungry?"

"Yes, but not for pancakes," she purrs as she wraps her arms around my waist and presses her body against mine. "Do you think that fourteen minutes would give us enough time?"

"No, it wouldn't," I reply before applying a quick kiss to her lips.

When our lips part, she says seductively, "Are you sure?" Then she adds, "Even if we don't take time to leave the shower?"

"I'm sure we don't have time," I say with regret. When she pokes out her lower lip to offer a little pout, I add, "And I don't have any condoms in here, so you'll just have to settle for pancakes."

"Fine..." she says still pouting. "...but there had better be bacon to go with those pancakes," she adds as she uses her hands to push against my chest until I release her.

Her eyes are locked on mine in a glaring stare.

Sometimes, when you're face-to-face with an unhappy Marine, a tactical retreat is your best option. "I'll just go put in that request for your bacon," I say, moving to get out of the shower.

"You do that," she huffs, but I think I'm safe. Her eyes are sparkling like they do when she's teasing me.

LIVING ROOM
AFTER BREAKFAST

After taking their plates to the kitchen, Ty, Abigail and Sami all run to the living room with Cocoa trotting closely behind.

Ty, Abigail and Sami are all kneeling around the Christmas tree, Cocoa lying on the floor behind them. My mother is sitting in the overstuffed chair holding Matthew. Frank and Mattie have taken two different positions in the room in order to capture the best angles for pictures, while Tom sits quietly watching from an out of the way seat near the doorway. Mac's Uncle Matt is sitting at one end of the couch and my grandmother is seated at the other end.

Mac and I are standing by the fireplace, pretty much in the same place where we were last night when we put up the stocking hangers and stockings.

I've seen Abigail look at the big box with her name on it several times while we were waiting for everyone to get settled in the room. I hope that she likes it when she finally sees it....and with everyone in the room, it's time to start finding out what's in these boxes, but stockings first.

"Is every body ready for the fun part of Christmas - the presents?" Mac asks the children.

"YES!" the three children on the floor say in unison.

"Well, let's warm up to the bigger presents and start with what Santa left in the stockings," I say.

"Okay!" Ty, Abigail and Sami say excitedly.

Once I've passed out all the stockings and the children begin to pull items from them, we find that Santa Frank has added a small stocking next to Matthew's music box figurine. There's a tree ornament in Matthew's small stocking that says 'Baby's First Christmas' and a savings bond.

Among the usual few pieces of candy and trinkets that Frank puts in the stockings, he's given Ty and the girls some cash, twenty dollars each. However, the contents of Mattie's stocking contains items that reflect her status as the oldest of our children and contains candy - a small box of fine chocolates - a bottle of perfume, a pair of earrings with her birth stone and a hundred dollar bill.

After the stockings have been emptied, it's time to open the presents from around the tree.

"There may be some gifts that won't make sense unless you open the gift that they go with first, so I think that we should have you open the gifts that will allow the other gifts to make sense, and then you can open whatever gifts you want to open, okay?"

"Okay!" I get another enthusiastic answer from Ty and the girls.

"Then, Sami, why don't you open that big box that has ladybug paper on it?"

Sami gets up, races to the box that's too big to be under the tree and rips off the paper.

Since she loves to try to help in the kitchen, but her size and age limit what she can do, my parents bought her a kitchen center. Among her other presents under the tree are dishes, pots and pans, and fake foods for her to pretend to cook.

When she has enough paper torn off the box to see the picture, I say, "You got a kitchen so you can cook anytime you want."

"Daddy, take it out of the box so I can cook now, please," she pleads.

"I'll take it out of the box after you open your other presents, but first, let's let Abigail see her big present."

I get a reluctant nod of consent, but it is agreement. "Abigail, it's your turn," I say before adding directions, "You don't have to pull off the paper. The box on top lifts off," I say nervously, worried that she won't like it.

"Momma, will you help me open it?" Abigail asks.

"I will if you really want me to, but I think you should know that Ty and your daddy made your big gift, so you might want them to help you."

Abigail looks down at Ty. "Do you feel good enough to help me?"

"Sure," Ty says, getting to his feet. I'm sure that he's anxious to see if she likes it, too.

"Harm, will you help, too?" Abigail asks, looking up at me with those big brown eyes.

"Of course," I say, moving over to the box.

With Ty on one side and me on the other, we lift the box off to reveal the contents to Abigail's waiting eyes.

Abigail's eyes open wide in what I hope is awe. After a moment, she steps forward to take a better look at the rooms. "You really made this?"

"Dad did most of it, but I helped," Ty answers.

"It's the only one like it in the world because we made it just for you," I reply as I watch Abigail look over the front of the dollhouse.

"Is it really for me?" Abigail asks.

"Yes, it's for you, but if you don't like it -" I begin, but she cuts me off.

"It's the best present ever. I love it. It's the most beautiful dollhouse I've ever seen," she says happily. "Thank you, Daddy!"

Tears threaten to fall from my eyes when that one word, "Daddy" comes out of her mouth. I lift her into my arms, not only to show her how pleased I am that she likes the dollhouse, but hugging her tightly gives me cover to pull myself together.

It takes a couple of moments, but I'm finally able to loosen my hold on her and lower her back down to the floor. "I'm glad you like it, Princess," I manage to say while concealing the fact that I'm still feeling a bit emotional because she called me 'Daddy.'

"It's got lights, and I got you furniture for my present," Ty says excitedly once Abigail is back down on his level.

I think, between siblings and grandparents, she has furniture for every room in the house among her other gifts.

"It has lights?" Abigail asks for conformation.

"Yeah, you want to see?" Ty says enthusiastically.

"Sure," Abigail answers excitedly.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't we let Ty open his first present? Then all of you can open your other presents, and while the grown ups open their presents, you can play," Mac suggests.

"Okay," Ty and Abigail reply, agreeing to her suggestion.

Ty's gift is in a smaller box that he accepts from Mac.

"This is cool. It would have been really great to have when I was in the hospital," Ty says about his gift of a hand-held video game system with one game.

An accessory kit and two more games are among the presents that I know are under the tree for him.

Mac and I sit down on the couch between her uncle and my grandmother and, with clasped hands, we watch as the children unwrap their remaining presents.

Tyler and Sami are "rippers." They just tear the paper to find out the contents. Abigail is a "preserver." She pulls carefully at the tape to avoid tearing the paper as if she's preserving it for future use.

As we watch our children open each of their remaining gifts, I hear my grandmother lowly humming along with the Christmas carols playing in the background as she looks on as her great grandchildren open their presents.

It makes me smile as I notice that Mattie is tearing the paper off her presents with the excitement of a child. She's a "ripper," too.

It doesn't take long for our children to open all their presents and have the floor littered with bows, ribbons and Christmas paper.

"We don't have any more presents, Daddy. Can we play with our new toys now?" Sami asks.

"Not just yet," my grandmother answers in my place.

"I'll clean up so she can play now," Abigail offers.

"No, sweetheart, that isn't what I meant. I just have a gift to give you before you play. I couldn't wrap it, so it isn't under the tree," my grandmother explains.

"I'll go get it for you. Where is it, Gee Gee?" Ty asks.

"It's right in front of you, but you have to promise me that you'll take very good care of her."

The three of them look down and see Cocoa.

"You don't want Cocoa any more?" Abigail asks in a quivering voice.

"It isn't that I don't want her or that I don't love her any more. I just love her so much that I want what's best for her, and having children to play with her and keep her company is better for her, and I'd like for her to be with children who I know love her, too. Now, I've had a long talk with her, and she's promised me that she'll take care of you, but you'll have to promise me to take very good care of her before I can give her to you."

"Is it okay if we keep her, Dad?" Ty asks.

"Yes, I reply.

If you can promise Gee Gee to take good care of her," Mac adds.

"I promise, Gee Gee," Ty says before turning to look at his sisters to see if they'll promise, too.

Two more, 'I promises' later, Mac and I are no longer just parents, but dog owners, much to the delight of our three middle children.

While the three children begin to play with their new toys, Mac stands and moves to the tree so that she can hand out the remaining gifts.

Mom and Frank are hard to buy for - the expression 'what do you get a man who has everything' comes to mind - but the children wanted to get them something so, for Mom, perfumed talc and lotions, for Frank, a new golf shirt, and, for the two of them, a new framed family picture taken the week that Mac retired.

Mattie said that Tom had been reading a lot, so his gift was a gift certificate at a chain book store.

For Uncle Matt, whose visit was suppose to be a surprise, though I blew it, received the same family photo that my parents got, except in a different frame.

My grandmother is brought to tears when we - my parents, Mac and me - present her with her gift, a specially commissioned painting of the whole family. The scene is the farm, and the very talented artist painted our family - my parents, my grandmother and the rest of my family, including a baby in Mac's arms - in front of the house. When you look at the man sitting in the rocking chair on the porch, you can see that he's painted in my father and, behind him in the window of the house, looking out at all of us, is the face of my grandfather.

"It's beautiful," my grandmother chokes out as she stares at the picture. "Thank you."

Though we told them that gifts for Mom and Dad weren't necessary, Mac and I are presented with some pictures that Ty and the girls made just for us.

The hand-drawn and colored pictures are sweet, but they can't top the gifts of having Tyler out of the hospital and here with us for the holiday or, for me, Abigail calling me 'Daddy.'

I realize that Abigail has used the word only once, but I'm hoping that it'll happen more often until, one day, she'll call me 'daddy' as freely as she's calling Mac 'momma' now.

As far as gifts for each other are concerned, Mac and I wanted the focus of the day to be on the family and our children, so we agreed to exchange gifts later tonight.

With no more gifts under the tree, the men initiate the clean up of the living room, while the ladies move to the kitchen to start preparing the holiday feast.

NURSERY
2142

I have my arm around Mac's waist as we stare into the bed of our youngest child.

"Mac, I think that I can explain about the video now," I whisper so as not to wake up Matthew.

"I'm listening."

"When I think about my father, I'm sad and I miss him, but having a family has changed things. The pain of that day in 1969 has been slowly replaced over these last three years with being able to be open to the joys of Christmas: the sound of bells ringing, the smell of cinnamon steeping in the warming apple cider that my mother makes every year that smells so good and in the joy of seeing my children's smiles as they open their presents. I've finally been able to let him go." I turn and wrap my other arm around her. "All those years, I kept him in my life and kept others out. Now I've learned that, in order to let him go, I needed to let someone in, and I can't tell you how much having you in my life means to me. I love you."

"And I love you," she replies before I press my lips gently against hers.

"There is one other joy of Christmas that I need to experience this evening," I say.

"And what would that be?" she asks coyly.

"The joy of seeing if my wife likes the presents that I bought her," I say before kissing the end of the nose.

"Well, I wouldn't want you to miss out on any of the joys of Christmas. What did you get me?" she asks with a big smile.

I take her hand and gently pull her towards the door. "You'll have to come with me to find out."

MASTER BEDROOM
2200

The excitement of the day had the children up a little longer than usual, but they're all asleep now. So, at last, it's time for Mac and me to exchange our gifts in the peace and quiet of our bedroom.

When we came into the bedroom a few minutes ago, she said that she needed to get my presents out of the closet, but she's been gone longer than it should take to retrieve a couple of gifts.

She didn't mention that it was heavy, or I'd have offered to get it out of the closet for her.

I sometimes wish that I had her sense of timing because, at times like this, I'd know exactly how long she's been gone.

I do know that I've had time to get her gifts out from under the bed and strip down to my boxers while she's been retrieving my gift.

I wonder what's taking her so long.

I slip into bed, but I'm impatient and am about to get up and go to the closet to see what the problem is. However, before I can move, she steps out into the bedroom.

She's changed clothes.

From the tattered terry-cloth robe that she's wearing, I don't get the sense that changing should have taken her so long, but it appears that she freshened up her makeup and brushed her hair, too.

She's also carrying a decent sized box with another much smaller one on top that I'm now staring at, trying to figure out its contents.

"Are you ready to exchange gifts?" she asks softly.

"Yes. You?" I answer and then question.

"Yes. Do you want to exchange them one at a time or just trade them all at once?"

"I think one at a time is good. Don't you?" I answer.

"Okay," she says, putting down the two boxes that she's holding on the bed, taking the one on top and handing it to me.

I reach down and slide the top box off the stack of three that I have for her, and we trade gifts.

She opens the box. My first gift to her is a bottle of her favorite perfume, which I've been giving her for years. Since it isn't really a surprise, I'm not expecting any reaction to that gift.

"Thank you," she says before giving my lips a peck of a kiss. "Now open your gift."

My first gift from her is a digital picture frame similar to the one that we gave her not too long ago.

"With the children growing and changing so fast and the number of pictures that are taken around here, I thought you'd like to put it on your desk at work. I really like the one you gave me. I've put some pictures on it already, but there's room for more, so you can put your favorites on there."

"Thank you," I say before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

We each reach for the next gift.

My second gift to her is her charm bracelet with a charm added for Matthew.

"This bracelet is one of my favorite gifts ever. It has reminders of all the things that I love in this world." Her smile is radiant as she looks over the other charms.

"I'm glad you like it."

I tear the paper off my gift and open the box to find that it's a leather briefcase.

"When I was helping you get ready to go to Washington, I noticed that your briefcase was looking a little beat up. If you're going to start hanging out with the SecNav, you need to carry a more respectable looking briefcase."

"I don't know about the 'hanging out with the SecNav' part, but the latches on the other one are starting to stick, so I can really use a new briefcase. Thanks."

I lean towards her to kiss her, but she backs away. "Well, when I talked to Harriet to wish the Roberts family a Merry Christmas yesterday, she told me that Bud said that the scuttlebutt is that the SecNav is assembling a legal team to give him recommendations on what stance, legally speaking, the U.S. should take on things like the pirates off the coast of Somalia, for example, in preparation for questions that he might be asked after the election. I don't want to spoil it for you, but your name has apparently come up as the guy who the SecNav is leaning towards to head that legal team."

"So, the SecNav is looking for a replacement for Commander Lindsey." I shudder at the thought that I might be being considered as a replacement for him, which inevitably will lead to me being compared to my predecessor.

"If Harriet remembered correctly and I understood her....it isn't the same job that Lindsey held as legal advisor to the SecNav. It's a temporary position and, though you'd report your findings to him, the SecNav wouldn't be involved in the actual meetings."

"A temporary assignment means that I wouldn't be able to take all of you with me. I don't want to be clear across the country from my family again. I didn't like it when it was just you and Mattie here, and I'd like it even less now that we have four more children."

"It's only scuttlebutt right now, so don't let it spoil your Christmas. You remember when Abigail called you Daddy?"

That sparks a smile, and the rumor mill is forgotten. "Yeah," I respond with a blush. "I have to say that it was the biggest joy of Christmas for me this year...you know, next to Tyler being out of the hospital."

"Speaking of the joys of Christmas, do you know what would give me that giddy feeling?"

"Judging from that look on your face, I've got a pretty good idea, but don't you want your other present first?" I ask.

"I have another present?" she asks shyly.

I reach down and pick up the last gift off the floor, which is about the same size as my briefcase box.

She takes the box, snatches it really, and starts to tear off the paper. I smile as I realize that Abigail is the only "preserver" in the family.

She smiles when she sees the new terry cloth robe.

"Take out the robe. There's more in there," I explain.

She lifts the robe out of the box and sees the bath accessories: bubble bath and bath oils, a candle and, underneath, a fluffy big towel like they use in fancy spas. There's also a piece of cloth that's too big to be a washcloth and too small to be another towel. It has her interest, and she pulls the roll of cloth out of the box.

"A flannel nightgown," she says disgustedly. "Why would you give me a flannel nightgown?" She's upset. That isn't the reaction that I was expecting, confusion maybe, but not anger.

"A couple of reasons...one is because it's warm and soft and will keep you warm when I'm not home. The other reason is that you've voiced concerns that I might not find you attractive anymore, and I couldn't think of anything less flattering to your curves than a flannel nightgown." She lowers her head, breaking eye contact with me. I lift her chin with my index finger so that she's forced to look at me while I finish. "So, when I strip that flannel nightgown off of you to make love to you, you'll know that it's because I find you attractive and not some sexy lingerie that you're wearing."

"Oh, Harm, you're so sweet," she says before giving me a gentle kiss. Then she gets up off the bed.

She unties her robe. "But I bought this for you," she says as she opens her robe, pulling it back until it's almost off her shoulders, and I see why she freshened up. She's in a red lace teddy with strategically placed triangles of green fabric - very Christmasy.

"And I love it," I moan as I stare at her in the revealing outfit.

She drops the robe and crawls onto the bed. "Do you really like it?"

"Yes," I growl as I reach for her.

Our lips crash together in a kiss that's heated and full of passion.

"What about the flannel one?" she asks as my lips move from hers to her neck below her ear.

"If you want to change into it, I'll help you get out of this one," I reply teasingly between kisses to her neck.

I hear a chuckle escape before she takes in a short, sharp intake of air. I've hit the target, the one tiny spot on her neck that she can't deny gets to her because she reacts involuntarily to kisses there.

It's truly amazing how I ever managed to resist her for so long. If I were honest, making love to her at any point before we did would've been my undoing because we fit together so perfectly.

Our passion escalates quickly and our joining is becoming a need.

I reach for the drawer of the night table to retrieve a condom in preparation for the big moment, but her hand comes to rest on my arm.

"Let's skip the condom tonight. Let's just be together."

"But the doctor said -"

"But she isn't the same doctor who helped me to get pregnant," she says, cutting me off. She has no idea how much I ... we went through to have Matthew." She starts to kiss my neck until she finds that one spot that I have, eliciting a groan from me. "It's Christmas. I want to feel the joy of being with you without any barriers," she whispers in my ear.

I turn back to her and cup her face in my hand before leaning over to kiss her lips. The thought of being inside of her without anything between us stokes the fire of desire already burning within me as I start to pull that new teddy from her body.

When the time comes to extinguish the fire in both of us, I slowly enter her moist warm center. The feel of her wrapped around me without the barrier of a condom almost proves to be too much after just a couple of strokes, but I manage to hold off until her back arches and we, in a familiar, but recently not heard set of moans, reach the moment of release together.

We position ourselves into a post coital cuddle and lay like that in silence until we're able to catch our breath.

"Merry Christmas," I say softly.

"Merry Christmas," she says in response.

Sated, we lie together until the thoughts of the joys that we've shared this Christmas fade into dreams for the New Year.

THE END

Do you like where I left you this time? Or are you anxious to know if Harm is headed back to DC for his next duty station?

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[>

Great chapter with lots of smiles, but who wouldn't be anxious for the next chapter? Can't wait to see where we go from here and hope that the story goes on long into the future. Abigail's reaction was priceless, BTW. -- Christa (anxiously awaiting), 07:10:08 07/02/09 Thu [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> Love the family Christmas. There could be so many twists ahead so looking forward to more! -- tamk3, 08:09:08 07/02/09 Thu [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> I have many favorites in your series, but this ranks high up on the list. As has been said, a warm family Christmas with meaningful special gifts exchanged among them all. Inside.. -- judy52sa, 11:57:59 07/02/09 Thu [1]

Hate to think of all this ending in just a few more installments, but will be grateful for all that you have planned for your readers and for the Rabbs. Still lots of potential for good story ahead! And yes, I'm curious about the business with the SecNav!

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> This story has been wonderful from the beginning, and each new chapter has me looking forward to more. It's so warm, loving and fun, but not "too, too!" Thank you, fananicfan, for sharing this delightful family with us. -- Cookie, 12:19:00 07/02/09 Thu [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> An extremely enjoyable window into the Rabb's family life. Thanks. -- Jubellant, 16:40:45 07/02/09 Thu [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> Love these family stories. -- cd, 20:24:06 07/02/09 Thu [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> Finally had time to catch up. Can't wait for more! :) -- Lace, 05:00:15 07/03/09 Fri [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> Another great installment of your Rabb family! I am so glad you have continued writing these characters for us! I really like the scene in the last chapter with the stockings being hung on the mantel. No favorites! ;-) Update the family soon! -- colee41, 05:47:21 07/03/09 Fri [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> Wow some great stories to catch up on i loved them all thank you. -- b, 15:45:03 07/03/09 Fri [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> OOps that should read Bev uk -- Bev uk, 17:08:27 07/04/09 Sat [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[> Well of course I'm anxious, but this was so good, I can try and be patient (at least for a little while), lol. -- Ella, 14:27:15 07/05/09 Sun [1]

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 2.94, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums^(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2008 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.