An Awakening of Hope: To Dinner
by Alias
e-mail: <a href="/py/wmailCompose.py?Pyt=TWmail&[email protected]&FormId=,232,5FBAE78,3E17302,54830111">[email protected]</a>
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Disclaimer: Go see part one for the boring legal junk.
Apology: It has come to my attention that I forgot to capitalize the
name of a certain longhaired gentleman in "What Could Be." Fellow
Vixens, my most heartfelt apologies.
Author’s Note: This chapter(like part of the last one) is being
written as I type, so that you, my loyal readers, can have it before
Christmas is over. It’s being started at ten in the morning on
Christmas Day, and I had to literally rip myself away from "The Rivan
Codex"(if there are any Eddings fans out there who haven’t read it
yet—READ IT!!! The introduction alone is worth the twenty bucks.) I
also had to stop and peel potatoes for Christmas dinner. Part of this
will most likely be written after spending hours with my darling,
angelic cousins, who enjoy tickle torture(inflicting tickle torture on
their darling oldest cousin, not receiving it) and shrieking
"MEGGIE!!!!" at the tops of their lungs. You have been warned as to
my frame of mind. Ok, I’ll shut up now, and let you finish the story
so that you can get back to your families. Oh, wait, there was one
other thing…what was it again? Oh yeah, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
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Chris opened his eyes, squinting as the light of the setting sun was
magnified as it went through the window of his hotel room. He sat up,
realizing that, in one hand, he still held J.D.’s book, and in the
other…an empty bottle of whiskey.
Had it all been a dream? He had been drinking more than he usually
did, more than he had at once in a long, long time. But…he didn’t
feel drunk. In fact, he felt more sober than he had in a long, long
time. And it wasn’t so bad, not really. The pain was still there, it
would always be there. But…it was dulled somehow, as if the happier
times of his life were pushing the pain and the loss a little further
back.
He crossed to the window, and saw Nathan and Ezra hurrying into the
Clarion. So dinner hadn’t started yet, unless the two were late. He
went back and set down on the bed, looking at the whiskey bottle in
one hand, and the book in the other, remembering the words that Hope
had said just before she had left him.
"All it takes is one little thing Chris, one small action, and
everything in your life could change forever." And then she had
kissed him on the cheek, and he had realized that she, like Sarah ad
Mary, smelled of roses.
One little thing…
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"Eight…nine…ten…ELEVEN!!!!" Billy finished counting the names
triumphantly, and handed half the cards to Olivia, who was sitting
beside him.
Josiah caught Olivia as the two rushed past him towards the tables he
and Vin had moved—several times.
"Assigning seats." She replied.
"Really? Where am I sitting?"
She shrugged. "I think Billy has your card." And she pulled out of
his arms and headed for the table.
"No! Buck can’t sit there!"
"Why not?"
"He hasta sit by me."
"Oh."
The two kept at it for several minutes, but stopped when there was a
knock at the door.
"It’s Chris!!" Billy shouted, and rushed for the door before anyone
could stop him. It wasn’t Chris though, but Ezra and Nathan, on time,
if slightly out of breath. "Oh, hi."
"I believe, young Mr. Travis, that this is for you." Ezra handed
Billy a small brown bag with bright ribbon.
"Thanks." Billy went to put it under the tree, trying to hide his
disappointment, as Ezra went to give Olivia her gift.
Nathan tipped his hat at May and Terry. "Sorry we’re late Miz Travis."
"Actually, you’re right on time." She moved closer to him, and, in a
lower voice, "Have you heard anything from Chris?"
"No Ma’am, we came right here as soon as we got back."
"Do you think he’ll be here?"
"I couldn’t say ma’am."
They waited almost half an hour, then decided that it was time to eat.
"But Mom," Billy protested, "Chris might still come!!" The men
shuffled uncomfortably.
"Billy…I don’t think he’ll be here."
"Maybe he wanted to come, but he got sick." Olivia said. "Maybe we
can take him some food."
"Yeah! Can we go find out ?" Billy started to rise, but Vin reached
across the empty chair between them and stopped him.
"Tellya what pard, soon as we get through with all this food, you, me,
and Olivia can take some food over to the hotel, ok?"
"Ok."
Mary began the prayer, but stopped when there was a soft tap at the
door. Billy rushed to the door again, and this time wasn’t
disappointed.
"Chris!!!!" He shouted, as Chris picked him up and swung him around,
after setting two packages down beside him.
"Hey Billy. Am I to late?"
"Nope. We were just about to start. You’re just in time."
"Great!" He set the boy down, and handed him the two packages. "Go
put this under the tree, while I find my spot."
"You’re between me and Vin."
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Noelle watched from the shadows, pushing strands of her white-gold
hair from her eyes.
"Well its about time." She grumbled. "Didn’t think he’d ever get
around to it, he spent so long gettin’ over here. Was startin’ to
think I didn’t cram enough hope and Christmas cheer down his throat."
She sniffed the air. "Really wish I could eat some of that food
though, Mom was always a good cook."
She watched them eat dinner, smiling every time Billy and Olivia tried
to get their heroes into conversations with their mothers. Course, it
did tend to work.
Later, Chris was standing in the doorway between the common room and
the kitchen, watching J.D. and Buck arguing over who got to hand out
presents as the other men watched and tried to withhold their laughter
as Billy and Olivia looked longingly at the pile of gifts under the
tree, when Mary came up to him.
"’Bout time." Noelle muttered, perking up.
"Chris?"
"Hmm? Oh."
"I’d like to thank you. For coming, I mean, it means a lot to him."
"It…meant a lot to me to Mary."
Noelle looked down when she felt a hand tugging at her skirt, and saw
Adam.
"Hey, how long you been here?"
"Not long. Why did you say your name was Hope? It’s not, It’s Noelle
Sarah L—"
"Well, that man has a real problem with hoping these days, just tryin’
to cram as much of it down his throat as I could when I had the chance."
"Is Daddy going to kiss her now?"
Noelle looked up, and saw Chris turning a small object over in his
hands.
"Here, I…uhm…I got this for you. It’s not much, but…" Mary took the
proffered gift.
"Thank you." They looked at each other for a moment, but Billy
calling for them cut off anything that might have happened next.
"Drat!!!" Noelle turned back to Adam. "I really love that kid, but
sometimes…" She glanced back at Chris and Mary. "I really have my
work cut out for me with those two, don’t I?"
Adam nodded solemnly.
"Yup, lotsa work."
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Author’s note(you’ll never be free of me): I finished this before I
left for the hordes of cousins(ok, so there are only four who are bad,
but they count as hordes because they’re so active.) so the little
ones escaped injury. Also, the name Noelle wasn’t put in as Hope’s
name because of Christmas, but because of my darling little honorary
niece whom I have yet to meet(but I will on Sunday). She was born
Monday a little before five(I was hoping she’d be born one week and
eight hours earlier, but then, that’s life), and weighed seven pounds,
twelve ounces. Just had to share. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!