A Little Words

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe,

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, ‘Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night,” the soft tones of her soothing voice finished, the hardcover book closing in the dimly lit room. Raising her hazel eyes from the cover of the book to the three forms in her bed she let her head rest against the headboard as she took it in. Kit was sprawled over the edge of the opposite side of the bed with Little Lee’s face hiding in Kit’s long dark hair, her little feet stretched an angle laying on top of Jamie’s little body. Her fingers stopped their unconscious motion as she took in her sleeping little boy. His body, was turned toward her, head tucked into her side with his hands wrapped tightly around his stuffed green dinosaur that Hunter has bought him after he found out how much James Reese Blake was obsessed over the dinosaur world. His slightly spiked hair was matted down a little from where Haley had ran her fingers through it over and over, lulling him to sleep in their little story time routine. Only now instead of one little body she had two plus a bigger adult dead to the world because the two rugrats drove Kit, the queen of enthusiasm, to the tired world of an adult after their grandfather plied them with sugar when he visited earlier in the night. Shaking her head while stifling her laugh, she knew fully well that her dad’s smirk screamed, “Payback is a bitch baby girls. This is what you get for driving me mental every day of my god-damn fucking life.” …The fact that she was able to think it in his tone with all the curse words included was just scary.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The rapping of the front door shook the brunette from her thoughts, turning her head to catch a look at the clock on the side table. 12:21 AM, the clock blinked back at her. Eyebrows furrowing just as another series of raps filled the air, she slowly and carefully detached herself from the tangled web of legs that covered her bed. Stepping back taking care to be quiet, she placed the book next to the clock and made her way out her bedroom door, closing it silently behind her. Walking down the hall of her apartment, she took in the dim Christmas lights that still glowed throughout the room. Especially the way it seemed to bounce off her father’s cut that hung over one of the chairs in the dining room. She could hear the distance sounds of snoring through the guest bedroom door, knowing fully well that Reese “Picnic” Hayes, the big bad president of the Reapers MC, was sleeping under a floral patterned bedspread with Princess Pillowcases curtesy of his youngest child who took pride and pleasure in driving him up a wall. To say the afternoon was an easy one would have been the understatement of the century.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Shit,” her raspy voice exclaimed as she rushed forward toward the door, not wanting any of the sleeping people to wake from the sound. Her father was the lightest sleeper in the world while sober. Her fingers undid the latch and she swung the door open, revealing a tall man in black leather with shaggy blonde hair, a little scruff and dazzling blue eyes. The same man that was staring up at her balcony with the same intensity that he was now. Her breath caught as she met his eyes, taking in his form. He looked different. Older, although that shouldn’t surprise her, Haley wasn’t the 21 year old girl who walked away with her baby boy wanting a better life for him. Or the 18 year old who let this man walk into her life and turn it upside down with a flick of his fingers. She was not that soft young woman anymore, now? She was a mother and she was sure the changes on her own body were plain as day for him to see, just like she could see the hard lines of his face, the way his body was even more muscular than before. Yet still his eyes burned a hole through her that still managed to take her breath away, but William “Hunter” Blake always had that ability.

The air around them filled with tension, she could hear the beginning tones of the little drummer boy begin to play on her radio as she opened the door wider, whispering his name, “Hunter.” Clearing her throat a little she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of his, “What are you doing here?” Her head tilts a little as a strand of hair fell from behind her ear as she felt a slight chill from the outside air. Shaking out of her stupor she motioned him to come inside, “It’s freezing. Come Inside...” her voice trailed as she waited for him to walk past her into the living room hall. A musky scent filled her senses as he walked past her, her eyes closing as she breathes it in for the first time in so long. Damn, why did he have to pick now to get his ass off his bike and into her apartment. Taking a deep breath she turned around to face him once more, startling when she noticed how close he was to her, barely 4 inches from her face as she looked up into his eyes. “Hunter...no... we can’t...” her heart pounding fast as she felt the tingle of his breath against her cheek. Her eyes closing as every sensation she kept buried deep inside of her started bubbling to the surface. How was this even fair!

His cool breath brushed against her face cutting her off as she heard the husky, “look up, Hales.” The smirk prominent in his tone and the shit-eating grin clearly proud with the way he had her frazzled after all these years. Jerk. At his words she glanced up and saw the little evergreen twig swaying back and forth above the door frame. The little red berries glimmering as the fairy lights bounced off of it. Her hazel eyes narrowed at the little offending object. Mistletoe. “Damnit Kit,” she muttered under her breath, because she sure as hell didn’t put it there. Which meant that it was just one little meddling monster who had also seen the bike outside their apartment earlier this morning. “Traitor..” the word slipped out louder than she expected, and she only realized she spoke out loud when she heard his chuckle causing her to look back at him. Narrowing her eyes at him she pointed her finger at him trying to hold back her grin realizing they were both caught in a trap of her sister’s making.

“Don’t even think about it mister,” Haley shook her head as she placed one hand on his chest. The words a newborn king to see pa rum pa rum pum, floating over their forms from the soft melody on the radio as she pushed him gently, his hand stopping her with his large fingers wrapped around her wrist. “Hu-nnnter” she said slowly trying again only to be stopped by his other hand that wrapped around her waist. “Halessss, it’s tradition,” his voice mimicking her own as he pulled her closer. The mistletoe hanging above their heads as his fingers moved from his wrist to cup her cheek, staring down into her hazel eyes with his sparkling blue. “Why do you have to be so frustrating? Seriously? This is just lik--” “Three years ago, in the front door of Pic’s house when your sister trapped us with a camera and Jamie in her arms,” he cut her off with a smile, rubbing his thumb over his cheek, “Just roll with it babe...” he whispers as he leans in and gently presses his lips against her own. The tingling sensation that ran down her body from just being in proximity to him finally exploding as his soft warm lips moved along her own. Her breathing slowed as he pulled back just an inch and let his forehead brace against her own as Haley took deep breaths, her fingers that were once pushing him away now gently gripping his cut. “Welcome Home, Haley Girl...” his eyes looking into her own.  

Garrett’s POV

Garrett’s thumb tapped somewhat impatiently on the steering wheel as a yawn escaped from his parted lips, he had been running the night shift with his partner and luckily for him it was almost over. Closing his eyes slightly as he leaned his head back against the head rest, Garrett watched the morning sun slowly peak over the cities tall buildings. The cool breeze that signified the end of summer brushed against his skin awakening his senses, it was the same conditions as it was that fateful day which caused him that sense of Déjà vu. Only three short years ago Garrett found himself sitting in the ambulance in the early hours of the morning, he was alone when an urgent call came over the radio. Sitting up in his seat he was ready to go until something stopped him, frozen he listened to the dispatcher announce the address of the emergency. It still rang in his mind ever so clearly. It was the address of the very person that Garrett detested the most, the address of the man that stole the love of his life away from him.

The feeling of butterflies danced around in Garrett’s stomach leaving him with a nervous grin on his face as he stood at the altar. Everything seemed so perfect with the church dressed in white, family and friends filled the pews as everyone in the room awaited the arrival of the bride. Standing with his one arm in his hand Garrett felt his muscles tense; while everything seemed like a dream he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Pushing the thought out of his mind as the music started, he watched as the girl he was so in love with walked down the aisle. He was stunned at the sight of her beauty but the expression on her face told a different story. Garrett saw through the fake smile and saw the hint of doubt in her blue eyes. His feeling that something was wrong was only confirmed by one glance into her eyes. What happened next changed his life forever, she turned dropped her flower bouquet and ran. Garrett felt as if his heart were being torn in two and it wasn’t until later that he found out that she was in love with another.

Turning the radio off he ignored the call out of spite and malice which in turn led to the man’s death. At the moment he felt gratified but that feeling soon turned to an overwhelming amount of self-pity. The knowledge that he had actually let another man die due to a long standing grudge when he had the power to save him continued to eat away at Garrett to this day. “Hey man, you ready to go?” the sound of his partner’s voice brought Garrett back to reality as he handed him a coffee. “Yeah thanks,” he said as he sat up and started the engine of the ambulance. It was time to return to the hospital to be relieved of their shift, pulling out of the coffee houses parking lot his partner turned the radio up as the sound of the dispatchers voice called. “We have an injured child…” the voice notified followed by the location. Looking toward his partner as he assured that this would be the last call of the morning for them, Garrett turned the ambulance around and headed toward the location of the injured child.

Picking up the radio as Garrett heard more details of the situation he responded with a swift ‘on our way.’ Swinging a u-turn he flicked on the lights and siren as he stepped down on the gas pedal. There was always a sense of excitement when receiving an urgent call, a rush that permeated through the body that awakened all the senses. The calls that seemed to provide the least information of the situation were always all the more interesting, not knowing exactly what one was going to walk into really called for preparedness for anything. Truly testing the knowledge of the medical professional especially when dealing with a call that involved children.  Speeding down the main street as other vehicles moved off to the side to let them through, Garrett quickly spotted the school that was in need of help.

Pulling right up to the parking lot closest to the main entrance, and getting out of the ambulance simultaneously as his partner he grabbed his medical bag as his partner grabbed the gurney. Heading inside they were immediately greeted by the school nurse, “she’s just over here!” she said with a slight panic in her voice. Turning the corner Garrett noticed a little girl laying at the base of the stairs, she couldn’t have been much older than his little girl Audrey which made Garrett’s heart sink. “We tried to call the mother but the hospital said she was in surgery,” the nurse rambled her words seemed almost incoherent.

Tasks List: Click to open

Task 54: Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Let it snow, Let it snow…

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” the brunette sang to herself as she pulled her hair to one side looking into the oven checking on the cookies. The little waves of her soft hair brushed against her neck, just as the gingerbread filled her senses as a smile began to grow over her lips. God, Haley loved this holiday season. Always did as a little girl. The apartment was quiet. Jamie and Little Lee sleeping in the middle of her queen sized bed cuddled up against Kit. David had dropped her off the night before to spend the weekend with her aunts and cousin. “Little Lee,” she whispers thinking of that little girl, her namesake, with bright eyes and a wide smile that looked so much like Melanie that it hurt. In a good way, and in the painful because it meant that even though her middle sister left them that night of the car accident, leaving behind her 1 month old little baby without a mother, that her sister in some way lived on. Her hazel eyes moved over to the picture over the mantelpiece.

Three pictures hung and shined above the green fake pine shawl with electric candles she had placed there. In the middle hung a portrait of Haley, Melanie, and Kit along with their parents Reese “Picnic” and Heather that was taken their last Christmas together before her mother passed away just a few weeks later. Although her mom’s hair was gone from the chemo and she was going to be admitted one more time right after new years, they had decked the house with all the Christmas odds and ends that made it simply… perfect. And it was perfect. Nothing could ever compare to that last Christmas they shared in complete bliss. Never realizing that it would be the last time they would all be together. 

On either side of the picture had the next generation of the Hayes family. On the left side it was a picture of Haley Lynn Hayes at the time and now Adkins. Little Lee, as Haley called her niece. She was perched on Melly’s legs looking down at Melly who held the little red and white puffy dressed girl in the air, as Kit made faces at the little one from just beside Melly’s head. All three were laughing. Little Lee was born only a few weeks before that, maybe around 3 weeks at the time. Her first and last Christmas with her mama, as Melanie died a week later in that fatal crash that took her life and led Kit to taking Little Lee to David. The baby’s father and Haley’s best friend, who even she didn’t know was her niece’s father until after Melly’s death. It was a one night stand or something… at least that is what David stumbled out and told her on skype. On the right, it was a picture of James Reese Blake lying under the Christmas tree in his little Santa hat and outfit playing with an ornament with Hunter and Haley, both completely mesmerized by the little perfection that they both created. She stared for a second more before shaking her head, “yep, not even going to go there,” she mumbled to herself, turning away.

Walking back into the kitchen hearing the timer go off, Haley grabbed her mittens, and reached in the oven pulling it out and placing it on the counter to cool. Looking up at the clock she figured she would give the trio 20 more minutes to sleep before she ran in there to jump tackle the lot of them, tickling them senseless. At least that was her plan. The piercing scream that came from her bedroom made Haley’s heart stop. It was quickly followed by another, the kids. It was Jamie and Little Lee’s voices and Haley booked it to her bedroom slamming the door open feeling as her life was flashing before her eyes. Stopping in her tracks as she caught site of the two of them jumping up and down hands and faces pressed to the glass staring out her glass balcony doors in complete merriment. White flakes drifted down from the sky and coated her balcony with a sheet of white snow. She didn’t even realize it had started snowing.

A flash filled the room, startling Haley as she glanced up to see Kit snapping a photograph of the two toddlers without a care. Her little sister then turned her eyes toward hers. Her eyes were slightly misty and Haley was certain her own were filled with the same knowing that they were both remembering when they were that age and their was one more person standing with them. Releasing a shaky breath, Haley gave Kit a look she knew her sister would recognize. Waiting for a second before she saw the glint in Kit’s eyes as she put the camera back on the side table and they both inched their way quietly toward the two babies who were in a world of their 4 and 2 year old own. Before the kids could turn around the two woman rushed up, picking the kids up in the air and twirling them around and taking them outside, pajamas and all into the snow, both women singing to the giggling children the same song their parents would sing to them, as they danced as the snow fell around them. 

Laughter and off key notes filling the air as the kids joined in, Haley knowing that despite everything… she was completely happy. That after they finished being silly in the first snow of the winter, she and Kit would decorate gingerbread cookies and the tree with the rugrats. Make hot chocolate and sit before the tv and play Christmas classics and dressed in the comfiest clothing they could find until her father got back from wherever he was to spend the rest of the evening with his family. She would wait until after they stopped singing to deal with the black cut of leather she saw on a man sitting on the motorcycle right outside her balcony with bright blue eyes who looked like he was waiting for her to notice him. The eyes that were an exact replica of her son’s. For now however, she pulled Kit who had Little Lee in her arms, toward Haley as she carried Jamie and they hugged each other tightly. Dancing and singing …