Happy Birthday!

[shimmerandsing]

The preparations had begun days before. Alison had sent letter after letter and made dozens of phone calls. Half of the calls had gone to her stubborn step-son. Shatterstar was hard to corral. The other half had gone out to other family and friends. Anyone Alison could think to invite, she had contacted. Her invitations were only part of the deal. She had enlisted her mother-in-law to invite the women from the clan. Whoever Longshot was close to. And given her husband's ability to make friends wherever he went, that list would be long.

After the guests were settled, she focused on food. The cake had been a big deal to her... it had to feed dozens of people, and it had to be appealing to her husband. It had taken ages to find a baker who could produce what she wanted. In the end, it had been worth it and she couldn't wait to show it off. For lunch, she had enlisted the help of Longshot's two favorite cooks: Momoko and Maria. The day of the party, the kitchen and dining room were piled high with the best food Italy and Japan had to offer.

The living room was the designated present area. A table had been set up along a mostly unused wall and had begun filling up with brightly wrapped packages of all sizes early that morning. Lisa and Gloria Jean had been assigned inside decoration duty and had roped Rogue into helping. She could fly and get to the high places, they reasoned. Dakota and the boys had pulled outside duty. There were balloons and streamers all over the place. The more the better, as far as Alison was concerned.

John had been stuck with the hardest job of the morning. He had been assigned the task of getting up dreadfully early and taking Longshot out of the castle long enough for them to prepare the party. Since he had been spending so much time at work catching up after his vacation, he used the excuse that he wanted to spend time with his son on his birthday before he had to go to work. And the best early rising activity he could think of was fishing. At a lake. Far away from the castle. He might be tired by the time they returned, but he knew Longshot would perk right back up when he saw the party dedicated to him.

It was early in the day, still, when the party was all set up and they just had to wait for the guest of honor. Alison had showered and changed. The babies were fed, clean, and dressed in new little outfits their Mommy had picked out especially for the occasion. They had picked up on the excitement around them and were giggling and babbling happily to anyone who would listen. Lisa and Glora Jean each had a baby in their lap and were laughing and making faces right back.

Alison shifted impatiently in her seat and tried to will her husband to appear.

Comments

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

Longshot bounced a bit and held his arms open. It was the interdimensional sign for 'Hug Goes Here.' The food wobbled a bit on his plate, but nothing dislodged. He wanted a huuuuug. It was his birthday. He thought he should at least get a hug while his daughter was handed off to her grandpa.

[redheadspy.livejournal.com]

Natasha of course hugged her son. "It's good to see you."

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Hana's fussing tapered off a little with the extra attention. Her grandpa held her up in the air and flew her around a bit. That was always a surefire way to get a laugh out of her.

"C'mon in, Tasha. Before the food is gone. The kids are already working on it." Alison smiled and headed back into the living room. She was hungry, too!

Aiden was in a playpen off to one side of the room, happily sucking on a bottle. It was grubbin' time!

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"Missed ya, Mom," Longshot whispered as he hugged Tasha back with one arm. He thought it wise not to smear his food all over her. Once they separated, he nodded toward the buffet tables. "Grab some. Lots of good stuff. And most of it is cooked!"

He grinned before wading into the crowd of people to find a place to sit. He looked for a place that had room for him, his wife, and his parents. He was sure Graydon had disappeared into one of the opened rooms with the Lisa and the gang of other youngins.

[redheadspy.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," Natasha said as she followed them into the other rooms. "I have a gift for you," she said to Longshot. "I couldn't carry it, but that just means you'll have to visit to get it."

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

A slightly pregnant Rogue manages to shoo some ninjas off the couch to give Longshot, his mama, and Alison a place to sit. She looks a little tired but manages a smile.

"Big enough she couldn't carry it with an arm full of toddler, lucky you," she comments to Longshot with a wink. "Heya, Tasha. Long time no see."

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

Longshot smiled at Rogue and plopped down in the middle of the couch. The lovely ladies of his life could take the ends by the tables. He wiggled into place and set his plate on his lap.

"Oooh. Hard bargain. Visit my Mom and get a birthday present." The Mojoworlder appeared to think about it as he popped a mushroom-type thing in his mouth. "When ya want me there?"

He did not hold any excitement out of his voice.

[redheadspy.livejournal.com]

"Hello Rogue. You look great...and pregnant! Congratulations! When are you due?"

[pastthegumbo.livejournal.com]

"Thank ya." She smooths out her shirt for no apparent reason. Then she thinks better of it. She is proud of her baby bump but doesn't need to show it off. Especially to someone who's already had a baby. "Ah'm due October 16th. We're stayin' here 'til then. Maybe later. Depends if things get settled back home or not."

[light-in-sound.livejournal.com]

Alison had deposited Hana with a bottle in the playpen. She and her brother could entertain each other for a little while. They also seemed to be enjoying watching all the people and activity.

Then she wandered over to where her hubby was chatting with his mom and Rogue. "Rogue's been getting a lot of diaper changing practice in while she's been here," Alison teased. Thee was a lot of baby cuddling practice happening, too.

"You ladies better join me at the tables while there's still some food left. I saw Dakota's boys making eyes at it for seconds..." She winked at Rogue.

[sonofarize.livejournal.com]

"Don't go looking for chocolate milk though," Longshot advised around the next bit of food. "I think Dakota drank it all."

He grinned at Rogue and then quickly went back to chewing.

[clericpreston.livejournal.com]

"Longshot left food on the table?" John teased as he walked past the couch to take a seat in a nearby chair. He watched the twins in their playpen with their bottles. Aiden was holding his like a monkey, lying on his back with his feet up in the air and the bottle end propped up on them. Hana lay on her side watching her Mommy and Daddy through the side of the playpen.

Robbie and Miyuki had gotten their food and taken up a corner of the room for themselves. Lisa was nowhere in sight. Also conspicuously absent was Gloria Jean. No surprises there.