A Modern Cowboy's Dream

Christmas Eve In The LW

The next day marks Christmas Eve and they all head over to the old Batson household. Sasha and her three children take off to the grocery store with a list of things to get while Doug heads out to his father's old shed. He unlocks it pulling the doors open finding everything the way he left it many years ago. Doug says "well Mama definitely hasn't been in here." He pulls the lawnmower out removing the old battery and grabs a gas can going to the gas station to get fresh fuel and to the hardware store to get another battery for the mower. He comes back installing the new battery and puts fresh fuel in letting the battery charge for several hours before cranking it mowing the yard. By then Sasha is back with her children bringing in all sorts of food and ingredients. Caroline wonders around the back yard curiously and a ruffling startles her. She looks finding a soft shell turtle. She smirks to her self considering placing the thing inside the house. Doug walks over and picks up the soft shell "not today girlie I saw that smirk." Caroline says "you're no fun!" Doug says "you think your mother's wrath is bad enough you haven't seen my mother's." To their surprise they hear Sasha and Doug's mother going at it arguing over something in the kitchen. Doug raises his eyebrow "your aunt is a brave woman. I ain't going in there." Doug carries the soft shell back to the pond and it scratches his arm with it's back claws making him bleed. Doug puts the turtle in the lake and it swims off quickly. Caroline says "Uncle Doug you're bleeding." Doug says "come here let me see your shirt." Caroline bolts yelling "hell no! You'll have to catch me!" Doug chuckles as he heads back knowing the young girl could outrun him any day. He walks inside holding his arm Doug's Mother and Sasha still arguing over something. Sasha spies the blood on Doug's arm and gasps making his mother turn who also gasps. Doug covers the cut with paper towels. Doug says "by all means continue your petty argument I'll be fine." Sasha lets out an irritated sigh grabbing his other arm and pulling him to the bathroom. He holds his arm over the sink washing it off and Sasha says "what did you do?" Doug says "picked up a soft shell turtle and it scratched me." Doug's mom says "another one?" Doug nods and suddenly they hear Katya scream. Doug's mom leaves and also screams at whatever she found. Doug says "spider I bet." Katya screams "Mikey kill it kill it!" Michael calmly walks over and smites the wolf spider on the wall. Sasha says "spiders do not scare me." Doug says "you liar." Sasha glares at him "that one in the apartment years was huge that even scared you." Doug says "I still had to kill it." Sasha cleans up the cut and bandages it for him. Doug asks "what did you and Mama get into it about?" Sasha says "what we're making for dinner." Doug makes a face "that was a legitimate argument?" Sasha glares at him "if she asks you side with me." Doug says "you are my wife." Sasha says "I want to make Stroganoff and some of my family's traditional side dishes for everyone since the boys asked for it but your mother insists on ham biscuits and black eyed peas." Doug says "just make everything there's enough people here to eat most of it." Sasha cuts her eyes at him again "I already suggested that." Doug says "did you tell her that her grandsons wanted it?" Sasha says "no." Doug says "well use that argument." Katya comes up to them "uh I need the bathroom." Doug and Sasha step out and go into his old room sitting on the bed. They hear Doug's mother ask the children what they want to eat. Immediately the boys answer "Mama promised us our favorite food!" She says "oh did she? Alright then, well I want you kids to try some southern home cooking too." Sasha smiles to her self "at least I can count on them for some things." Doug's mother comes into his old room. "Well I guess we will be having an over abundance of food." Sasha smiles "yes we will." Sasha gets up and they hug each other. "I can understand making something your kids asked for. I wish you would have told me beforehand." She looks at her son. "Anything you want Doug?" Doug says "I think we'll have plenty to go around." Katya screams again making Caroline laugh. "You fall for my fake spider everytime!" Katya throws it across the room and storms out the front door. Caroline follows her outside "lighten up will you?" Sasha and Dougs mother head into the kitchen. Doug's two boys enter his old room and gasp discovering his ancient PlayStation 4 he bought many years ago. Doug rummages around handing them some old games "enjoy." He gets up and heads into the living room where Ana is stretched out on the couch dozing off. Doug looks at Michael "wheres Katya and Caroline?" He says "they went walking." Doug looks at Ana who finally succumbs to her drowsiness and falls asleep. Doug smirks "somebody's out." Michael says "yeah she took some allergy medicine earlier it makes her sleepy. Hard to believe allergies in winter time." Doug says "that's Florida for you especially with this being a warm winter." Sasha comes into the living room "hey Ana..oh nevermind." She walks back to Doug's old room to summon her sons to help in the kitchen. They begin to protest but after a few stern words in Russian they immediately comply following her to the kitchen. Doug shakes his head "you'd think they'd know better than to argue with her." Michael just shrugs it off. They hear Ana starting to lightly snore and Doug can't help but smirk. Doug says "your mother will argue that she doesn't snore." Michael says "I just agree with her." Doug says "best for you in your case but she isn't my mother...so." Doug pulls his phone out and records her snoring. "I think I've done this before." Katya and Caroline come back from their walk to discover Doug recording. Doug turns his phone on them "good evening ladies." Caroline smirks and walks over plopping down on her mother's lap jolting her awake. "God Caroline! Don't do that!" Caroline lays on top of her mother "I love you Mommy." Ana sighs "I love you too baby." Ana looks at Doug and glares "what are you recording me for?" Doug says "to prove that you snore." Ana says "I do not!" Doug grins "ah but I have evidence! Click!" Doug ends the recording and Katya says "did you seriously have to say click when ending it?" Doug says "yes." Katya facepalms "you're embarrassing." Doug looks at his daughter "you've experienced worse." Katya just makes a face and sighs "yeah." Sasha steps in and says "Katya, Michael." She beckons for them to come and help her. She looks at Doug simply raising her eyebrows "what are you up to?" Doug says "nothing my dearest." Sasha says "mhm." She heads back in the kitchen and Doug sits in the recliner they watch a movie while dinner is prepared. Doug gets up and heads out coming back inside with presents placing then under the Christmas tree. He sits back down and notices Caroline asleep sprawled out on top of her mother who is also asleep again. He takes their picture and by the time he sits down again the food is set on the table. Sasha comes in "dinner!" Caroline groggily sits up and stands. She looks at her mom still asleep. Sasha comes over to Ana kneeling. "Ana darling wake up." She lightly slaps her cheek to get her up. Sasha says "dinners ready." Ana suddenly realizes she basically slept the entire time. "Why didn't you get me up before? I would have helped!" Sasha says "every woman needs her beauty rest." They all head into the dinning room Doug saying the blessing before they dig in. The Batson boys clearly are in love with the Beef Stroganoff as their father. Doug and little Doug fork the same final piece and Doug looks at his son intently. His son returns the glare and Sasha shakes her head with a smile. She sticks her own fork in the piece to claim it. Both concede to her and Sasha takes it giving it to little Doug. Doug cuts his eyes at his wife and she smiles delighted. She then says "oh get over it and eat a biscuit." She tosses one to him with some ham. After dinner Doug looks around "where is that meschivious girl?" Suddenly they hear firecrackers and a cat screeching. Doug walks outside finding the neighbors cat bolting and Caroline leaned against an oak tree unable to contain her laughter. Doug can't help but smile as he says "where did you get firecrackers?" Caroline says "I saved them from last 4th of July." Doug makes a face and says "oh, right." He then says "well come on everyone else is opening presents."