Chapter 7

Song: Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas, by- Mel Torme'


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


Avery's POV


Christmas' Eve


I awoke slowly at first feeling a hand on my shoulder shaking me softly. I groaned and pulled the thick wool blankets closer to me feeling their warmth soak into my skin.


"Avery.... Avery baby wake up..."


I moaned rubbing at my eyes as the fuzzy voice that was speaking slowly started to cut through the fog of sleep.


"Mmmnmmnnng.... Rick?..."


I blinked a few times trying to see past the darkness that blanketed the room and saw Rick kneeling in front of where I lay in our bed wearing a big grin on his face.


"Baby wake up, I've got a surprise for you."


I yawned trying to slowly untangle myself from the blankets hearing Rick's muffled chuckles as he began to help me out of bed.


"MMmwha-what time s'it it?" I looked sleepily over at the night stand to see the bleary analog clog ticking away stating quite clearly that it was an ungodly hour.


I looked to Rick who was pulling clothes from my drawers and handing them to me.


"Here, get dressed. It's chilly out."


I looked at my mate like he was crazy but all he did was give me a soft kiss on the forehead, a sweet smile playing upon his lips, and quietly shuffle into the bathroom.


I sat there for a while rubbing at my tired face feeling stiff and about ready to fall back asleep. I had just fallen asleep a few hours ago after a day filled with Christmas goodies and family games.


We had woken up a bit late for breakfast and spent the day watching Christmas specials and playing board games. It was a day filled with family fun and love. I hadn't had a Christmas like this in years and it wasn't even over yet. Tomorrow morning we'd wake up and open presents and have another fantastic day of fun and family. We had even invited Evie and Scott over for Christmas lunch along with their family.


I had gone to bed early after snuggling up on the couch with a hot chocolate and Rick so I could get up early Christmas morning to help Mary make Christmas dinner.


But now...


I unfolded the clothes Rick had handed me and saw that they were my thick winter clothes. I just shook my head as I began to pull them on over my pajamas feeling the faster we got this done the faster I could go back to sleep.


I had just gotten on my thick jeans over my two pairs of long johns when Rick came out of the bathroom. He beamed at me before he helped me into my sweater and wrapped my wool scarf about my neck. He pulled me to the door and made the motion with his forefinger to remain quiet.


We tiptoed about the living room where Jakob lay sound asleep after having lost the game against his brother to be able to sleep in the guest room.


Rick took me to the foyer were we squished ourselves into our coats and boots. He then pulled me outside and to his truck. It was snowing pretty thickly but not harshly. It was a soft, fluffy snow that drifted down and coated everything in a thick blanket of white.


Rick remained happily quiet as he helped to buckle me in and settled into the driver's side. It was only when he started the truck that I turned to him, "Rick, what are we doing?"


He just smiled humming a Christmas Carol and put his hand over my own driving slowly through the blizzard we now found ourselves within.


I just remained quiet as we drove on through the thick snow until it seemed Rick had come to the place he wanted. The forest was dark and shadowed about us and I wasn't quite sure where we were. We began to slow down as Rick slowly applied pressure to the brakes until we rolled to a stop.


"Alright." He breathed in deeply before turning to me securing the stocking cap I had on over my ears and forehead in a sign of his nervousness.


"Close your eyes."


I quirked an eyebrow trying to display my disbelief and in turn Rick put on his 'puppy' face.


"Please?"


He stuck out his bottom lip and I laughed seeing him with those big honey brown eyes looking at me in silent pleading.


"Ok, ok..." I closed my eyes tight and heard Rick exit the truck and after a few minutes come over to my side to open my door letting in a rush of cold air and snow.


"Don't peak."


I chuckled as he lifted me out of the truck and literally carried me around to the bed of his truck. I felt surprise hit me when he set me down in the back and the cold metal of the bed didn't greet me. Instead I felt the warm plushness of blankets before I felt another thick blanket fall over my legs and a large warm body sidle up beside me.


"Rick?"


I both felt and heard his deep chuckle vibrate into the cold air about us as he pulled me into him and then breathed into my ear, "Ok... open them."


I raised my eyelids and gasped at the sight before me.


The bed of the truck was layered in blankets and pillows which Rick and I were now sitting atop and within. On top of the cab sat a bungeed flood light that was aimed up into the trees illuminating the forest before us giving us the most beautiful view of the fat flakes of snow falling down about us in the silence of the forest.


It was the most breathtaking thing I had ever seen and I soon felt my eyes begin to water as the memories of sitting outside to watch the snow fall with my father flooded my mind.


I felt Rick's arms circle about me and hug me close as I gasped for air feeling warm tears fall down.


"R-rick... h-how..." I hiccuped and turned to see his features softly illuminated from the floodlight and I cupped his cheek with my gloved fingers, "You... you remembered?..."


He smiled and kissed me softly filling me with a soft fuzzy warmth and caused hot tears of happiness to trickle down my chilled skin.


Rick pulled back slightly leaving an inch between us allowing the hot puffs of our breaths to rise between us as I silently cried as he chuckled brushing tears away with his thumb, "How could I forget?"


I tried to give him a wobbly smile as I turned back to the magical view before us.


"Here."


I turned to see Rick offering me a cup of his mother's famous hot chocolate and smiled as I took the steaming deliciousness. I inhaled its rich scent deeply into my lungs and sighed.


"Thank you."


He smiled and sipped at his own cup all the while keeping me closely tucked into his side. We sat in silence for a while just enjoying the view before I felt the need to speak.


"You didn't have to do this Rick." I sniffled feeling slightly embarrassed by my reaction.


But he just chuckled, "Of course I did. You wouldn't tell me what you wanted."


My cheeks reddened because I knew he had been bugging me for some time for something for him to get me. But in all honesty I felt embarrassed asking for things. I didn't need much and I felt even more embarrassed getting things from Rick. I didn't want him to go through all the trouble of getting me something when I was just happy with what I already had.


"But this isn't it..."


I lifted an eyebrow and looked up at him as he moved to reach into the open back window of the truck.


"Rick... you don't have to... Really...."


My words were stopped as Rick handed me a medium sized box wrapped in white paper and light blue ribbon. I lifted it carefully and looked at him as he smiled nervously down at me.


"Go on."


I sighed nervously and started to peel back the tape.


"Oh come on, we're not here to the save the wrapping paper. Dig in!"


I laughed at his joling and started ripping into the package as he goaded me on.


I chuckled as I ripped open the box but it slowly died down as I removed the white tissue paper and found the gift underneath.


I stopped for a moment just looking down into the box as Rick sat silently next to me looking for a reaction.


A shuddered sigh left me as I gently lifted out the hand-made teddy bear. The soft plush fur sticking with freshly fallen snow as Rick moved the box from my lap and I set the bear down in its place.


"Oh... Rick..."


It was an old fashioned styled teddy bear with arms and legs that were attached with pins that allowed them to move forward and back. The fur was soft and the large amount of stuffing within made it thick and plush. The eyes were two black buttons along with a black stitched nose. The bear itself was a warm honey brown with dark brown corduroy paw pads and tummy.


You could tell it was hand made for every so often you could see mistakes in the stitching or patches where fur had to be replaced by squares of dark brown corduroy. It was a bit of a patchwork teddy bear but I adored it none-the-less for that very fact.


I gently cuddled it to my chest and looked down to its left paw to see words stitched into it. I gently tilted the paw to the side to read the words and felt a warm smile crawl onto my lips.


from Me to You


-With Love, Rick


"Rick... Did you make this?"


Rick took hold of my hand and smiled with a soft twinkle in his eyes, it was either from the floodlight or from within I couldn't tell.


"I know lately we've both been pretty busy with work and getting ready for Christmas... we haven't had a lot of time to ourselves...And I know you wanted to make this the best Christmas you could and I've tried so hard to help you... You've been so stressed and worried so...So I just... I just wanted you to know that no matter what I will always be there for you... No matter what..."


His voice was warm and roughened by emotion as he ran a hand nervously through his hair. I smiled holding the bear Rick had made with his own hands close to my heart.


I chuckled, "I didn't know you could sew."


He laughed, "I had Mom teach me while you were out shoveling the other day. I've been working on it at night after you went to bed."


I chuckled along with him just imagining Mary trying to teach her eldest son how to make a teddy bear.


"Teddy bear..." I laughed, "I thought you didn't like it when I called you that?"


He smiled warmly as he ran his finger along my cheek, "Actually... I kind of like it... But don't tell anyone. If anyone knew my secret that under all of this," He motioned down to his large muscled body, "was just a bunch of gooey fluff, all would be lost."


We both fell into a fit of laughter until we finally ended up laying down in the bed of the truck snuggling close together looking up as the snow fell down upon us.


"Do, um, do you like it?"


I smiled burying my face into Rick's chest inhaling his warm apple scent, "No."


"Oh... um..."


I kissed his chilled lips and chuckled, "I love it."


He sighed in relief and grabbed at my sides dotting my giggling face with kisses, "That wasn't funny!"


We chuckled out puffs of steam as I cuddled into his chest with Rick's arms holding me close.


"Is it everything you hoped it would be?"


I looked up at him, "What?"


He tilted his head to the side and I could see the hesitation in his eyes, "Having a family for Christmas?"


I paused for a moment.


All of my memories of my family were fuzzy. It had only ever been my father and I and that was still when I was very young. But I did know that my best memories of him were in the winter around Christmas as we ran through the snow and sat outside watching the snowflakes fall.


I had been working so hard these past few months to make a fantastic family Christmas just like the ones I remembered, like the ones I dreamed of having. And while those few Christmases with my father will always hold a very special place in my heart I knew the Christmases I've had and the ones to come with Rick's family would too.


I love Rick's family from the bottom of my heart...


I loved my family...


I smiled at that thought and looked up to Rick.


My Rick.


My handsome, patient, thoughtful, kind-hearted, bearded Rick Kodiak.


How could I have ask for anything more for Christmas?


"It's better."


A look of surprise took over his features before they melted into pure love and adoration as he pushed our foreheads together, "I love you so much. Never forget that."


"And I will always love you more."


"Merry Christmas Avery."


Merry Christmas 


-the end



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