Caparo Christmas

It came totally unexpected.  When she went to bed on the night of the 24th December after having celebrated Christmas with her parents, everything was normal.  Well, as normal as it could be for a packmate.

She awoke when the smell of bacon infiltrated her nostrils.  Surprised she opened her eyes.  Blue eyes stared down into her own.  Surprised she fell back over and groaned when her head hit the headboard.

Laughter drifted in from the doorway.

“Faythe Isobel, what did I tell you about waking up Aunt Nix, hun?”  Lexy moved into the room and picked up her daughter.  “Morning lil’ sis.  You slept well?”

“No wakey Aun Ix, cose she's getting baby soon” the toddler replied dutifully

“Good girl” her mum replied

“It's ok Lexy, the smell of bacon woke me.”

“I told Dan not to make bacon while you're here.  Are you going to be sick?”

“Surprisingly not.  No.  I feel surprisingly good.”

“You know, we worry ’bout you.  All of us” her sister said when she sat down besides her on the bed.

Nix sighed “Let's not talk about that today.  It's Christmas.  Please.”

Lexy gave her little sister a long look, “Ok if you're sure” For a moment both of them watched the little girl climbing all over the bed.

“I missed her.  It has been so long since I have been here.  She's grown so much.”

“Soon, you're gonna stay here forever.  Your house will hopefully be finished by the time your baby gets here.”

“Hopefully yes.”

“You up for Christmas with the Pack tonight?” Lexy asked

“Wouldn't miss it for anything in the world.”  Again a comfortable silence engulfed the sisters.  Nix rested her head on her sister's shoulder.

“Thank you again for letting me stay here, while my husband is away.”

“You are my little sister” Lexy said “There's nothing I wouldn't do to help you.”

“I am moving to Huggs’ house soon.  Probably after New Years.”

“What?  Why?  You really don't need to.”

“Yes, I do.  You have been letting me stay here for so long.  And you really don't need the added stress of an highly pregnant woman or a Newborn in the coming months.”

“How do you know?”

“You thought I wouldn't notice, dear?  I'm a doctor and a woman, I can read the signs.”

“I just didn't want you to feel like my pregnancy is more important than yours.”

“You know I wouldn't feel like that.”  Nix looked at her sister.  “You thought I would care?”

“With your pregnancy still at the iffy stage, hun you would have cared.”

Nix sighed.  “True, doesn't mean I like to admit it.”

“I know.  That's why I didn't tell you.”

“Have you at least told Dan yet?”

“No.”

“Why not?  He will be happy.”

“Are you sure about that?  After the scare we had after Faythe's birth, we weren't even sure if we want more children.”

“I'm really sure he will be happy.”

“He will be happy about what?” a male voice asked from the door.

“Dada” the little girl leaped out of her mothers grasp towards her father.

“Hey princess.”

“My husband, about whether we're having a girl or a boy.  He will be happy no matter what, as long as our child is healthy.”  Nix said without missing a beat.

The day was spent with phone calls to relatives, wishing them a Merry Christmas.  Welcoming the last Pack members that arrived that day, it was spent with a lot of hugging pack sisters and brothers and a lot of cuddling cubs born in the year between now and their last meeting.  Not all pack members had came to live at Caparo, yet, but all made sure to be home for the traditional Caparo Christmas Dinner and Christmas Den.  The last few Christmas presents were being unwrapped as nosy children yelled and played.  One Dad said “Lets go play in the snow.”  And the Mums all yelled “NO” it was too close to dinner time.

The big Christmas dinner was prepared, and while the women were in their individual kitchens preparing some food or another for the evening, the men were running errands or entertaining the kids.  After all as one wise Pack woman once said, years ago, most of them were still kids themselves.

In the evening, when she sat at the giant dinner table in the den, seated between Lexy and Huggs, Nix thought about how lucky she was.  She was married with a child on the way.  She was with her sisters and brothers, her nieces and nephews.  Even though her husband couldn't be with her right now, she was loved and well cared for.

She observed the people around her.  Laughing and talking and just enjoying their time.

Life in Caparo was not perfect.  It wasn't without faults.  But on nights like these, when they were all together, it came pretty close, and no matter what the world would throw at them.  They would make it through, because they were pack and that's what they did the best.  Keep loving their pack, fighting for their dreams and what they believe is right, enjoying what they had, and living their lives with the people they loved more than anything.

When she woke up the next morning, in her parents’ house, in her own bed, Nix didn't know whether to be happy or to cry.  She decided on happiness.  She had lived her dream.  Even if it was just that, and even if it was just for one night, she had been in Caparo.  And while she was forced to leave, no one could take her memories from her.

The time of the pack would come.  And then Caparo Christmas wouldn't be just a dream of a lonely packmate but their reality.

And whenever things got tough in the following years before the founding of Caparo, Nix closed her eyes for a moment and remembered Caparo Christmas.  And then she knew why she kept going.

So her dream would become reality.