shimmerandsing | Tis the season!

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Tis the season!

The only thing better than Christmas at home with her husband and family was Christmas at home with her husband, family, and friends. Alison had been eagerly awaiting the return of Rogue and Dakota's bunch to the castle for the holidays. She had already picked out a Christmas tree, which Longshot and John hauled home for her. It had lights on -- mostly Miyuki and Lisa's doing with Alison's supervision -- but, no ornaments yet. She figured that Gloria Jean and the boys could help with that when they arrived.

And they were coming early! That made it even better.

Despite her decreased mobility, Alison had been up early on the day they were scheduled to arrive. The castle was generally kept pretty clean, but she straightened anyway. And then... the baking! She hadn't felt such a strong urge to bake since the early months of her pregnancy. But, now, it was back in full force. By the time she finally tired of it, she had sugar cookies, gingerbread men, a gingerbread house, snowball cupcakes, and chocolate dipped pretzels.

She sat down in the kitchen to rest her feet and nibble on some gingerbread. Her little tea pot sat on the stove, happily brewing some peppermint tea. It might not be Christmas yet, but it sure smelled like Christmas.

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"Yeah! There's lots of sugar cookies... 'cept the ones I ate... an' there's frosting an' sprinkles an' we can decorate them an' eat them!" She grinned and bounced a minute more.

"Want me to help you carry your stuff up to your room so we can go decorate cookies?" Cookie, cookie, cookie! Lisa did not need any more sugar, but that wasn't about to stop her.

Longshot settled down beside his wife and suddenly had a cookie in his hand. He blinked at the man-shaped cookie. That was slightly disturbing to him.

"Yep. Dakota, Rogue, and the kids are here," he answered before quickly biting off the little man's head. He had been baked. It was the easiest way to get him out of his misery.

He waved to Dakota when the other man poked his head in. "Reffo!"

The Mojoworlder may have sprayed bits of gingerbread cookie. He wouldn't admit it though.

Rogue chuckles at the girls as she makes her way around them. If they're talking about moving Gloria Jean's stuff to her room, she doesn't want to interrupt that train of thought. Unlike her husband, she goes right into the kitchen.

"Ah was wonderin' why Longshot disappeared into here. Has he grown a beard for your Christmas present, Ali?" Rogue winks before she settles down at the table.

"Hi, Dakota." Alison smiled and waved at him. Then she grinned when Rogue walked in. When the southerner was seated, Alison pushed the plate of sugar and gingerbread cookies over in her direction. "Merry Christmas."

She grinned and reached over to cradle Longshot's jaw with both hands. Her thumbs rubbed the bristly hairs of his beard. "Doesn't he look handsome?"

Well, since the kitchen seemed the place to be, Dakota stepped in after Rogue. He settled down at the table, but not in his customary position beside Rogue.

"Happy Holidays. So, glad we're back?"

Gloria Jean looked at Lisa. Hmm. She wasn't really motivated to put her stuff away, but it wouldn't be so bad with Lisa helping. And then they wouldn't get interrupted while decorating the cookies! "Let's go!"

She moved toward the oversized bag.

Meanwhile, the twins were making sure nobody was watching them before disappearing into Gloria Jean's room. Then their Dad and Rogue's room was next. They would have cackled and rubbed their hands together, but that would have given them away.

"Okay!" Lisa grabbed the other end of the heavy bag and helped lift it. She made an 'oof' sound and then giggled. "Too bad e can't take the elevator."

Thank goodness it was only one flight of stairs!

"What d'you want for Christmas? I haven't decided on anything yet."

Longshot's brow furrowed as his chin was getting put on display. What was so interesting about his facial hair? The camp had gathered around him when he went back one day. There was a lot of talking and touching. He didn't understand it.

"It took a long time to grow it," he commented. And that's all he would comment about it.

Rogue idly watches her husband sit over there and does not comment. She wants to sigh but holds herself back. This isn't the time or the place. So, she inspects Longshot's beard with all due seriousness.

"Well, Ah'm not much of a beard gal, but he wears it well."

Alison gave Longshot an apologetic look and stopped touching his beard. She didn't realize it would bother him. "He's always cute," she smiled at Rogue.

"I'm glad you're all back," she answered Dakota in all seriousness. "If you guys had decided not to visit for Christmas, there would have been lots of crying." It was true, too. "Besides... who would eat all this stuff if you guys didn't come?"

She nodded to the cookies on the table and the other various sweet things on the counters.

"Would have sent your husband to track us down and drag us back, huh?" Dakota asked as he leaned back in the chair. He eyed the plate of cookies and snagged one of the sugar cookies. He disliked gingerbread.

"So, with all these baked goods, are you trying to make my kids hyper for the entire time we're here?" he joked before taking a bit of cookie. Num.

Gloria Jean lifted her end and started walking backwards toward the stairs. "We probably could, but we'd have to carry the bag over there."

Instead of going up the steps. It was a long route to the girl's mind, so going up the stairs would be better. If not a little more work. She started going up the stairs backwards as she thought about her answer.

"I don't know. I've got a lot of stuff before presents. We usually didn't get much back at our old home. Daddy always sent stuff if he didn't get to be with us. Maybe something sparkly?" She shrugged. Or as much as her arms would let her when carrying a heavy bag. She had never had a big Christmas experience before last year. She didn't know exactly how to go about it. Christmas wasn't too big back on the res.

She glanced over her shoulder to see her two brothers chuckling to each other and making their way up to the third floor to drop of Dakota and Rogue's luggage. She got an idea. "Older brother repellent."

Lisa hefted her end of the bag and followed Gloria Jean up the stairs. She didn't mind the little extra work. While she had been taking riding lessons, she had also been learning the other parts of horse care. Flinging saddles and hay around was getting her into good horse riding and luggage carrying shape.

"Sparkly stuff is good," she agreed with a nod. Then she laughed. "I don't have any older brother repellent. Mine's been all distracted now that he's got a girlfriend."

Longshot wasn't too bothered. Just darn confused as to what the draw of his beard was to women. He brushed the back of a finger gently across Alison's cheek before turning to their guests.

"Maybe now your kids can keep up with me the whole time," Longshot commented to Dakota with a small grin.

Though he couldn't help but sit up a tiny bit when Rogue complimented his beard. Two important women thought it was good. So it couldn't have been all that bad.

Rogue laughs at Longshot's comment. "Longshot, Ah don't think there's enough sugar in the world that could make anyone keep up with you the whole time."

She picks a couple chocolate-covered pretzels and gives them a nibble.

"Maaaaaaybe." Alison smiled at Dakota. She couldn't help it if her hormones manifested into a need to bake. Or that she enjoyed watching Longshot run the kids ragged.

She stretched her leg out and crossed her ankle with Longshot's. Her toes tickled his leg lightly.

Dakota squinted with mock-seriousness. "You do know, Alison, that my daughter's voice gets louder and more higher-pitched the more hyper she gets? I hope you bought earplugs for the dog."

He glanced at his wife. The corner of his mouth twitched before he stuffed the rest of the cookie in his mouth. Chewing and settling back in the seat seemed to be the best course of action.

"A girlfriend?" Gloria Jean's face scrunched up. The thought of either of her brothers having a girlfriend made her feel icky. Especially for the girl. Her brothers were giant goobers.

There goober-ness became even more readily apparent when the girls got into Gloria Jean's room. Gloria Jean dropped her end of the bag with a heavy floomph. Which shook the bed just enough to shake the small package sitting on it. The side flopped down and both girls were assaulted by sprays of silly string.

"Yeah," Lisa nodded. "Him and Miyuki make kissy faces all the time." That wasn't strictly true, since Robbie was still afraid of Asuka's wrath. But, it was close enough in Lisa's opinion.

She blinked at being doused with silly string. It was all in her hair! She narrowed her eyes and looked over at Gloria Jean.

"This means war..."

Longshot was distracted by thinking about exactly how much sugar was needed to get anyone to keep up with him all the time when he was tickled. He jumped a little. He blinked at his wife. Then he leaned over and kissed her cheek! That ought to learn her!

"Do they sell ear plugs for Sadie?" He would have to go out and get some. Gloria Jean would be the hyper guinea pig...

Meanwhile... Miyuki was using the opportunity of Asuka being at camp to get kissy faced with Robbie. Also, with added company, she didn't know how much kissing they would be getting in.

Rogue misses her husband's glance as she's busy being amused by the other married couple being content. And a little jumpy on Longshot's side of things.

"Well, ear muffs might work," Rogue suggests. "If you can keep the things on her head, that is."

Oh, that learned her alright! It learned her that tickling got her kisses. And so, more tickles were had by his ankle. Hee!

"Well, I'm sure she'll manage. If it gets too much, we can chuck the kids outside and let them be loud out there." She chuckled at the image and shook her head. "I don't think the koi will mind. They're hiding under the ice anyway."

"Chuck the kids out instead of the dog? Hmm." Dakota rubbed his chin. "I like the way you think, Ms. Blaire."

The boys were busy setting up yet another prank in Dakota and Rogue's room to care about proclamations of war.

Gloria Jean nodded in serious agreement. Though that left one more question. "Before or after we decorate the cookies?"

"After," Lisa said decisively as she picked the multi-colored strings out of her hair. "We gotta have time to plan. Besides, we gotta let them think they're safe. Surprise them."

Not that she was feeling vindictive at all. Oh no.

Robbie was blissfully unaware of any visits, cookies, or declarations of war. Miyuki was the sum total of his focus.

Longshot eyed his wife. He knew she was trying to use his tactics against him. So... he turned his ankle a bit so she tickled an itchy spot. Ahhhh! That made it feel better.

"I didn't manage to set up a tube before the pond froze. Nobody can talk to them." He sighed a little. Though if he got the tube set up, Sadie would probably have ended up barking down it. Poor fishie eardrums.

Rogue is not going to ask why anyone would want to talk to the fish. Really. Instead, she eats more pretzels. Because they are there. They are covered in chocolate. And they are tasty.

"Got anymore decoratin' to do? Things are lookin' a might festive around here."

Alison smiled at Dakota. "Well, the dog wasn't the one making the noise, now, was she?"

She turned back to her husband as she continued to rub his ankle with her foot. "That's alright. I'm sure they'll be just as happy to see us after the spring thaw."

"Oh, there's always more to decorate," Alison grinned at Rogue. "I need people who bend better than I do to help put the ornaments on the trees. And there are still cookies to frost."

"I think your dog would start making noises when my daughter hits those high notes," he commented with a half-smile and a shrug.

Will and Rodney finished putting luggage in Dakota and Rogue's room. They also set up a 'surprise.' They were going down the stairs like a herd of wildebeests. Laughing wildebeests. But just as noise with their shoe less feet.

Gloria Jean nodded in agreement with Lisa's plan. Then she decided to help get some of the silly string out of Lisa's hair. Pretty hair should not have string in it according to Dakota's youngest.

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