Brave - FanFic CHIM/CHERYL COLE

Part 207

A/N: Short update x
Author's POV

The holiday season; it was all-new to Julie - the Christmas music filling the house, the ornaments being hung on the tree. She's seen it all - but she was never allowed to participate in the festive activities.

"I've got you something" Cheryl said, walking over to her excited daughter holding a custom made stocking behind her back

"What? What is it?" Julie asked all giddy, she was in high spirits all day - her smile was making her cheeks sore, the dimples put on full show.

"I got you a stocking" Cheryl said shyly - suddenly nervous to see her daughter's reaction. 'It's silly' she kept thinking to herself, 'Why would she get excited over a stocking?'

"Aren't these the ones you hang over the fire place?" Julie asked with a confused pout - Cheryl's heart swelled up and broke all at once. Her little girl didn't know what a stocking was, she barely even knew what an ornament was - she was going to make this the perfect Christmas; the most memorable one.

"Do you want to hang it together?" Cheryl asked, taking her daughters hand and walking them over to the lit fireplace - they pinned the pink stocking, with Julie's name stitched at the top. Julie's stocking stood out next to her parent's stockings - the pink hung up in the middle of the reds. That's exactly what Cheryl wanted - she wanted her daughter to stand out this holiday.

"My class starts in twenty minutes! I'll try and get as much done, but I've already put the decoration boxes on the side" Kimberley said, she wanted to decorate with her family but she really wanted to go to her dance class - they encouraged her to go, knowing she was eager for her next class

"Tell us everything when you get back" Cheryl said, giving a kiss to her wife - she wanted to motivate Kimberley; she was going to help her through this. They said their goodbyes to a giddy Kimba and got started on the tree - Cheryl needed to have a think for a second, she didn't want to mess up this moment with Julie.

"So where do we start?" Julie asked with a confused shrug - there was so much to do.

"We'll start with the tree and work ourselves around the house" They did just that, Cheryl teaching her little girl where and how to place the ornaments, the lights, the tinsel - the giggles and laughs that rose up to the ambiance. Cheryl stood behind her daughter helping her decorate the tree, she was going to have Julie decorate it however she wanted - because it wasn't just about Christmas it was about Julie. It was always supposed to be about Julie - her Julie. They danced, Cheryl sang and most of all they made memories - the memories that would always come back to Julie during the festive season

**

Julie's POV

"Gingerbread cookies or a Gingerbread house?" Mam asked; we had finally finished beautifying the house with decoration's making it look even more stunning than it already did. We were stood in the kitchen with baby Izo in her rocking basket - sleeping soundly after her feeding session

"I think I've had a gingerbread cookie before" I said, trying to remember a time as a child tasting the cinnamon goodness.

"We're making gingerbread men" She said, I was just going with the flow - not really knowing what she was on about

"You know how to bake cookies?" I raised my eyebrow; she gave me a playful shove followed by a long raspberry blown in my face - spit landing everywhere

"Mam!" I groaned, wiping the saliva away

"And to answer your question, I've got the pre-made ones" She giggled, pulling out the box of gingerbread looking men

"We just have to decorate them" She said, going over to the cabinet and taking out a variety of icings and sprinkles

"Can we make gingerbread women? I'm a bit of a feminist" I said, making her go into hysterics - we spent the rest of the afternoon decorating the cookies. I haven't laughed so much in my life and as we lay against the sofa in the front room - cuddled up and eating the cookies we had just drowned in icing I take a moment to take it all in. All of it, this moment exactly, where Mam is telling me stories about her childhood. The fire roaring - ignited with our love.

"You didn't tell us what you wanted for Christmas" She said, I took the last bite out of the cookie and snuggled into her - our legs tangled up and my arms wrapped around her

"When I was little, I used to wish that Santa would find my parents-" I began, it was an intimate moment and I wanted to share my memories with her - even though I would wish to forget them all. She listened to me, just like she always did.

"-He never did, that Christmas morning I would go down with the rest of them finding an empty front room, my parents no where in sight. Of course I wouldn't get any presents from them.. I didn't want any, I just wanted my Mam and Dad.. But now that I think about it, all I really wanted was my Mam" I was staring at the lit fire the entire time - mesmerized by it as it danced away.

"I don't want anything this year.. I've got everything I need" My arms tightening around her, I didn't want her to reply - I just needed her to know.

**

Authors POV

The words were stuck, locked away, and held hostage in Cheryl's throat. She couldn't find the words to tell her daughter that she meant the world to her - that she was over the moon glad to have her in her life. So instead she held her close, kissed her emotionally. The film being played ignored as they cuddled up on that sofa - Cheryl was getting saddened as she imagined her daughters' disappointment that Christmas morning.

"I'm going to make this the best Christmas ever" Cheryl said through her tears - this alarmed Julie, turning around to meet her teary eyed Mam. She didn't want to talk about it - she knew why she was upset. So she took her into her arms, both sinking down into the sofa - her Mam hid in the crook of her neck; arms grasping tightly around each other

"It already is"