Jingle Bells Rock - Advent Calendar

7th ~ Briar

Coming Home for Christmas

"Why is anyone expected to travel around Christmas time? It's madness!"

Briar hauled her suitcase off the carousel, almost fell over under the weight, and scrambled to catch herself before turning and speed through customs as the rest of the Christmas travelling crowd swarmed around her, finding trolleys, tracking children and trying to figure out if that ninth black suitcase in a row was theirs... or had theirs been number three?

She raced out into the arrivals hall, facing the wall of people who were craning their necks to try and find their beloved one – or their designated passenger – before spotting an arm shoot into the air and a blonde head bob over the crowd.

"Miss Briar!"

Charlie appeared, barging his way through the crowd as only tall young men could, carving a way for Edward and Stephanie as they hurried to meet her at the end of the walkway, all hugging her tightly in greeting as Charlie took her luggage.

"It's so good to finally have you back," Stephanie said, squeezing her before they all finally stepped back.

"How was your flight?" Edward asked as they made their way towards the exits and waiting car.

"Oh! A nightmare! You know Christmas," Briar said, pulling on her coat as they stepped out into the icy chill. She smiled. "It's so nice to be home, though."

"After all your adventures, I'm hardly surprised. Finally, some time to relax," Charlie said. "You'll be driven half mad with requests for stories by the kids though."

"I'm ready and prepared with an excess of three hundred stories, ready to go. From tales of when I was travelling by camel through the desert to the glamour of Dubai, followed by my trip to Canada and then over to China and up into the mountains, where I sent time with the monks – it was excruciating."

"I bet the show will be amazing though," Charlie said as they grinned at each other.

"They will be but, since the episodes don't air until January, I am armed with stories."

They reached the car and Charlie sorted out the luggage in the back while Edward took the wheel and Briar got into the front passenger seat, Stephanie behind her when she returned from paying the ticket.

Charlie eventually jumped in and Edward turned the key, blasting them with air that didn't heat fast enough.

"Now," he said as they all shivered against the cold air – seemingly completely unphased as he steered them out of the carpark and merged into the traffic. "Where shall we take you first? Would you like to go directly home or shall we take your stuff home and you stop by the hospital to see Kilan?"

"Stop by the hospital," Briar said, looking up at the night sky through her window.

She smiled slightly as she watched the empty darkness – there was too much light pollution here for stars, completely unlike the skies of the Chinese mountains.

She was already missing travelling – though there was a huge season planned next year so she would soon resent that longing.

But it was nice to be home, even if Christmas wasn't exactly time to relax – whatever Charlie said. 

~~~~

Music By: Richie Mcdonald

Seriously, Airports are a pain at the best of times, Christmas is... egh -.-