- Ten years later -
Elliott was the first awake in the quiet house, but that didn't bother her. She crept down the staircase, quiet as a mouse, and into the kitchen. She brewed herself a cup of coffee, then looked out the window at the winter wonderland that was her backyard.
It was positively freezing outside, and so Elliott lit the fireplace and sat beside it, sipping her coffee and looked out the window into her perfect dreamland. And that was what it was to her: a perfect dreamland. She and Brent had saved up their money to purchase the land and the small house on it, way back in the woods and away from everything. It had been a hard buy, but one that was worth it for the small, budding family.
When Brent padded down the stairs, she was nearly done her coffee, but not quite ready to brew herself another cup. When her husband walked into the kitchen, shirtless and sleepy, she couldn't stop the warmth from spreading in her chest. Ten years later, and she was even more in love with him than when they were in high school. Thinking back to the day when she was officially adopted, she thought she was in love with him. But now, ten years later and a ring on her finger, she realized what she felt in high school was puppy love.
He didn't immediately brew a cup of coffee. Instead, he sat down and gathered her in his arms, tucking her head under his chin. He squeezed her tight, then pressed kisses to the crown of her head. "Merry Christmas, my pretty boy."
She let out a loud giggle, burying her face in his neck, cheeks blazing. "I kind of miss when you thought I was a boy and you still loved me."
Brent tightened his arms around her. "I really thought I was gay. And you know what? I immediately accepted it because that was how much I cared about you. Who would've thought that I'd get married to a woman instead?"
Elliott leaned back and swatted his chest playfully, grinning. "I hate you."
Brent leaned down for a kiss, then moved his lips to her neck. "You do not."
Elliott ran her fingers under the waistband of his boxers teasingly. "You could make me love you again by making me some more coffee."
Brent swung her up into his arms, and Elliott squealed as he carried her to the coffee machine. "Shh my love, or you'll wake Becca."
Elliott slid out of his arms, pecking him quickly on the lips before she moved to sit on the counter top, watching as her husband brewed her a cup of coffee. His dark hair was a lovely case of bedhead, but she loved the look on him. Twenty eight and he looked even more attractive than he did during their senior year of high school, when they met. If she concentrated hard enough, she could picture him in his soccer uniform, smiling at her after they'd become friends.
When he slid her the mug, he put his hands on either side of her hips and leaned forward, his mouth dangerously close to hers. "If you take a picture, it'll last longer."
She hooked her legs around his waist and dragged him closer to her, pressing a kiss below his ear. "Good thing I'm married to you, so I can look at you whenever."
Brent closed his hands on her hips, dragging her off of the counter. She tightened her legs around his waist as he carried her and her coffee to the living room, where their christmas tree was decorated and lit up with lights. Presents were crammed beneath the tree, but most were not for the two of them.
When Brent set her down on the couch, he pulled out her stocking, handing it to her. Her cheeks were rosy and her smile was infectious. He leaned down and kissed her, wondering how he ever thought she was nothing more than a pretty boy. To this day, it haunted him to know how he treated her before he knew who she really was.
He was lucky to be married to her. Even luckier that she forgave him.
When she pulled back from the kiss, she reached under the couch for his stocking. It was in the same hiding place it was every year, but he never peeked. And neither did she.
Brent sat on the couch, pulling Elliott's legs onto his lap. The two of them opened their stockings at the same time, kissing each other in-between opening the different gifts that were the perfect blend of usefulness, a shameful want, and an inside joke. Ten years of knowing each other had given them both ample leverage when it came to buying each other gifts.
By the end of the stocking and the kissing, little steps came down the stairs, announcing the entrance of Becca, their daughter. She was gap toothed, blonde, and incredibly outgoing for a nine year old.
When she entered the living room, she threw herself into Brent and Becca's lap. "Merry Christmas!"
Brent and Elliott shared looks, and then hugged her back. It was their first Christmas with their new foster daughter, and they wanted everything to be perfect for her. Becca had been taken away by CPS from a drug house at five years old, and lived in the foster system without a real stable household for years, until Elliott and Brent had found her.
Becca threw herself on the ground with the presents, then look at Elliott and Brent for permission.
"You may open gifts," Elliott answered the unsaid question, and Becca grabbed a large box, wrapped in superhero paper. It was no surprise that she went for that one first, as superheroes were her favorite thing.
Brent ran his fingers through Elliott's long, brown hair, kissing the ends of the strands as he watched his foster daughter open the first gift of their first Christmas. His heart was swelling with happiness. A happiness that he didn't think existed at eighteen years old when he was dating Natasha. He couldn't fathom this happiness coming from the red head, and he shuddered when he thought about how in love he thought he had been.
He had been a fool. There was nothing better than watching Becca tear open her gifts with his lovely wife in his lap, grinning like she was the one opening gifts. Elliott had the biggest heart, but she had suffered the most. He found that admirable.
"A batmobile for my Batman! Thank you!"
The rest of the morning followed in that fashion until Becca had opened all of her gifts, and was now immersed in the Grinch playing on the television, her hands wrapped tightly around her new blanket and her batman, of course.
Elliott watched her with a dopey smile as Brent cooked breakfast in the kitchen. He was making Elliott's favorite: chocolate chip pancakes. He was trying his hardest to make a Mickey Mouse shaped pancake for Becca when his phone rang.
"Merry Christmas!" he answered as a greeting. On the other end was his mother, who was going to be coming over in a few hours for dinner, like she had been since he and Elliott bought the house.
"What time are you guys coming?"
"Probably around noon. Your sister's really sick, so she'll be staying home with your father. But Eric and I will be there."
Brent flipped another pancake. "Sweet. Adrian, Mat, and Anna are coming around noon also, so that'll work out well for everyone."
Brent felt arms wrap around his waist, and felt Elliott press her nose against the back of his neck. The loving embrace made his heart beat hard in his chest, and he momentarily forgot what he was supposed to be doing.
All it took was her arms around him and he lost all rational thought.
"Daddy, look!"
Brent froze at the words that left Becca's mouth, and he didn't answer his mother as he looked towards the young girl. She was holding her batman action figure with a homemade cap around his neck.
"You called me daddy."
Becca looked down at her feet, then looked back up at Brent and Elliott. "Can I call you that? That's what you're gonna be right? My new mommy and daddy?"
Elliott began to cry, shaking against Brent's side as he scooped their daughter into his arms. "Yes. That's exactly what we're gonna be."
* * *
"We're here!"
Elliott opened the door to find Mat and Adrian standing there, holding gifts in their arms. She ushered them into the loud and warm house, and when they set down the gifts, she wrapped her arms around both of them. Despite her age, the two of them were inches taller than her, including Mat. He was so much younger, but he definitely made up for his age in height.
"Merry Christmas Ellie!" Mat ruffled her hair, looking down lovingly at his older sister. His role model.
"Yeah, Merry Christmas. Where's Brent?" Adrian looked around the room, searching for Brent's tall frame. Despite his dislike of the boy in high school, Adrian had come around to Brent, even going as far as to consider the two of them friends. And while Elliott found it hilarious, Brent genuinely enjoyed Adrian's company.
"He's in the living room with Becca. Please don't freak her out like you did on Thanksgiving."
"No need," Adrian grinned, "I left the dog at home."
Anna walked in afterwards, and Elliott was excited to see that she brought her newest longterm boyfriend with her. Bruce had been dating Anna for years now, and Elliott approved. Even if Mark had thrown her for a loop, Elliott was reasonably sure that Bruce was not an assassin. "Merry Christmas mom." Elliott pulled Anna into a hug. She was brimming with happiness at seeing her brothers and Anna here, in her house. Even though she saw them for Thanksgiving, it felt too long.
"Merry Christmas Ellie. Where should I put this wine?"
"I'll take it, Anna." Brent grabbed the bottle of wine and then placed a kiss on Elliott's head. "Dinner will be ready real soon."
Elliott ushered Anna deeper into the room, away from the front door, then looked around for Becca. She was conveniently playing with her toys in the quietest corner on the first floor of the house, ignoring the family that was over.
"Becca, are you going to come out and say hello to everyone?"
Becca looked up at her with wide, terrified eyes. "I'm afraid they will hurt me. My last family didn't like me very much." Elliott pulled her daughter into her arms, feeling on the verge of tears. She hated the thought of her daughter feeling this way, but she understood it all too well. Growing up, Elliott couldn't even recall a good Christmas, or even a good holiday her family had. Growing up, there were no gifts. There were no other family members.
She wanted different for Becca, but she wouldn't force her daughter into anything she wasn't comfortable with.
"Becca, honey, no one here is going to hurt you. Okay? But, if you don't want to come out just yet, you don't have to. But, if you do, you can hide behind me or daddy. Alright?"
Elliott took the nod from Becca, then moved back to the group. She watched as Mat and Adrian bickered about something with Brent, and it made her smile. Ten years ago, she felt that her family was more separated than ever. She felt like she was always fighting with Adrian, and she felt like she wasn't the appropriate role model for Mat. But now, she was proud to say that things had turned around for all of them.
Including Anna.
She watched as her husband hugged his own brother, Eric. After going through what he had, Eric had grown up timid and afraid of strangers. Even now, at thirteen, he was still struggling with coping with the fear and the nightmares that came with his kidnapping.
Elliott hated that she had been the cause of the kidnapping, but she wasn't sorry for meeting and befriending Brent. He was the best thing that happened to her. And now, they had a foster child of their own.
As Brent called the family to dinner, and everyone joined them at the table, Elliott realized just how lucky she was. She may still wake up with nightmares, and still shake at the thought of her mother, but Elliott was on the path to recovery. One day at a time, right beside the man of her dreams and now the perfect daughter. She knew just how good she had it. And just how merry of a Christmas this one turned out to be.
* * *
Alrighty. I'm not one to continue writing a story, but it's Christmas. And I kinda wanted to write them a Christmas ending.
It was sappy, and ended well. But sometimes, I don't think that's a bad thing. I think happy endings are what keep us hoping for a better tomorrow.
I hope you enjoyed some Elliott and Brent love. I know I did <3
AND ALSO. BECCA????? A cute lil foster daughter? How PRECIOUS.
Okay. I love you all. MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, and XOXO