"Oh, Jimmy! No!" Abby cried when he came in from the barn and told her that it looked like they were going to be in for a big storm. It was four days before Christmas and they'd been planning for weeks on leaving the next day to go to Emma's place and spend the holidays with family. Jimmy had asked a neighbor over the next ridge to come and look after the livestock while they were away and all the gifts were made and wrapped, just waiting to be delivered. It would be the first time the family would be seeing Joshua and Abby had been so excited. Now, from the sound of things, they wouldn't be going after all. "I'm sorry Abby, but you know there's no way I'd risk going into town with a blizzard heading our way. Mark my words, by morning we are going to have several feet of snow on the ground again." With a sigh, he headed back outdoors to make sure there was enough wood in the house and next to the back door for the fire. Resigned to the fact that Christmas wouldn't be spent with the rest of the family, Abby went into the kitchen to start baking and making things for the three of them at home. By the time Jimmy came in from reading thing outdoors and in the barn, the house was bursting with delicious smells. "I sure got lucky that you can cook, you know that?" he asked slipping an arm around his wife's waist as she hummed while rolling out sugar cookies. Winking at her, he grinned. "Yeah, poor Kid, Lou can't cook worth a darn!" "Oh, you!" she teased back. "I'm just glad that I have enough time to make some things for us. Shall we have the ham or do you want to go see if you can find a turkey?" she asked starting to cut out stars and trees. Taking a peek at their sleeping son in his cradle near the fires, Jimmy wasn't sure if he felt like going hunting or not. "What do you want? I can go out if you want me to or we can just have the ham. I'm good either way." Laughing at him, she knew he wasn't to thrilled with the idea of possibly spending hours out in the cold and snow unless he needed to. "I think the ham will do nicely. We still have squash in the root cellar and more then enough canned goods. Good thing I put up so much this year. It looks like this winter's going to be a long one," she said slipping the cut out cookies onto a pan. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ As Jimmy had predicted, there was several feet of snow on the ground by morning and by the looks of things, it wasn't going to be stopping anytime soon. The wind was howling along the eves of the house and whistling down the chimney. As Abby held Joshua and rocked in the rocking chair in front of the fire she looked over at her husband who was cleaning his guns. Never a day went by that he didn't clean them and it amazed her still how meticulous he was in doing it. "Though I'm looking forward to Christmas with you and Joshua, I'm still going to miss seeing the others. Emma said in her last letter that Cody and Noah might even make it this year. Ike and Buck of course would be there and Lou and Kid, not to mention Teaspoon. I was just wanting to see everyone and have them meet Joshua…" Abby's voice trailed off as she became lost in her thoughts. "I know how you feel," Jimmy said nodding in agreement. "I was looking forward to showing off my son too. I can just imagine the teasing I'd get from the others about being a father can't you?" He set his guns off to the side and went over to kneel by the rocker. Leaning forward he placed a kiss on Joshua's still bald head. "I think Ike and Joshua would get along seeing how they both look the same…no hair," he commented moving up a bit to give Abby a peck on the cheek. "At least we have a tree and it looks nice to me." Jimmy had went out after getting the wood the day before and cut a tree down in the woods behind the house and brought it in for them to decorate before the snow started surprising Abby with it. "Yes it does," Abby stated, looking at the tree standing in the one corner of the room. "I'm glad we found the box with all the decorations. I wasn't sure where it got put when we moved here." "It's not like there were many places for it to get lost," he replied going over to the window to check the weather. "It's still coming down hard. You can't even see the barn from here." Making sure Joshua was still dry, Abby set him down for a nap in his cradle and covered him with a blanket so no drafts would chill him. Wrapping her shawl snugly around her she went to stand next to Jimmy. "Sometimes I hate the snow, don't you? Like now, when I wanted to see the others so badly…" Putting his arm around her, Jimmy pulled her close to his side. "I know sweetheart. Try not to think about it or you'll only make yourself sad," he murmured in her hair. Looking over her head, he could see that Joshua was sound asleep. With a devilish grin and a twinkle in his eye, he asked, "Why don't you and I go snuggle for a while? We could use some body heat to keep us warm…" Abby shook her head and smiled. "You mean make some body heat don't you?" she asked taking his hand in hers and heading for their room. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Christmas Eve morning they awoke to sunshine and no more blizzard. Looking out the window it was a sparkling wonderland. "You can just tell it's going to be freezing out there. The kind of freezing that makes the snow crunch under your feet," Jimmy stated putting on his boots to go out and check the animals. "Even with the cold the sun makes me want to put on my coat and go out in it," Abby told him as she started preparing breakfast. "Don't take too long out there. Breakfast will be on the table in about twenty minutes." Nodding to her, Jimmy ventured outside. Even though he didn't like it so cold out, he did love the way the air smelled so fresh and the silence was different then any other time of the year. By the time he went back into the house, Abby had gotten Joshua up and breakfast was just being set on the table. "Here, take your son while I go get dressed. I have your plate ready," Abby told him as she handed Joshua to him and hurried to the bedroom to change. "And how's daddy's boy today?" Jimmy asked setting his son on his lap, one arm holding him so he could eat. "I bet you'd like some of this wouldn't you?" he asked the baby who was staring up at him intently. "I have a feeling your mama wouldn't like it though. Not yet anyhow," he said taking a bite of bacon. "What are you going to do today?" Jimmy asked Abby as she sat down at the table with a plate she'd left warming on the stove. Taking a sip of hot tea she shrugged. "Depends on if you want the big dinner today or tomorrow." Looking curiously at him, she waited for him to answer her. Abby smiled as she watched Jimmy with Joshua. He looked so at ease holding the baby now instead of like he was holding a china doll that could break like he used to when Joshua was born. Tilting her head to one side she grinned. "I sure wish everyone could see you like this," she told him. "They'd never believe it was the same Jimmy Hickok they used to know." Jimmy snorted. "Bet none of them expected me to be the first to get married or have a baby!" Abby laughed. "Probably not. I doubt anyone ever expected Wild Bill to end up a family man." Giving his wife a disgruntled look, Jimmy stated, "I don't know nothin' about that but I do know that it suits James Hickok just fine thank you!" So saying, he pushed his plate away and stood up. "My son and I are going to go spend some time together, if you need either of us just give a call." Abby watched as Jimmy went over to the couch and laid down on it with Joshua on his chest. She couldn't hear what he was saying to the baby but the look on his face showed how enthralled he was with his son. Clearing the table, Abby couldn't help wishing once more that there was someway the family could be together for Christmas and that they could all meet Joshua. By the time she was done with dishes, Jimmy and Joshua had fallen asleep on the couch. Quietly Abby covered them with an afghan and then went into the bedroom closing the door behind her softly. From the box she'd hidden under the bed, Abby pulled out two shirts she'd sewn when Jimmy was out working, a new pair of leather gloves she'd gotten the last time they were in town and a bag of red licorice. She still found it funny that Jimmy had such a liking for the treat but refused to admit it to anyone, even her. But on more then one occasion after he'd been in town, she'd found a bag with several whips of the red candy stuffed in his pocket or saddlebags. Wrapping each gift in the brown paper, she set them off to the side, planning on hiding them in the living room when Jimmy went out to check on the animals later. She'd put a pot of stew on for supper later after Jimmy and Joshua woke up. With nothing else to do, Abby lay on the bed and began reading a book that Emma had sent with Jimmy on his last visit to town. It didn't take long for her eyes to close and she ended up napping too. Abby didn't know how long she'd been asleep and wondered what it was she'd heard that had woken her. Lying still, she waited to see if she heard the sound again. Wait, there it is again, she told herself sitting up. It sounded like bells…lots of them. What on earth can that be? She wondered wiping the sleep from her eyes and opening the door to the living room. Jimmy and Joshua were just waking up also. "What the heck?" Jimmy said as the bells came closer. Hurrying to the door, Abby threw it open and let out a squeal. "Oh, Jimmy! I don't believe it!" she called back to him. Coming out of the tree line were three sleighs, all filled with smiling, laughing faces of their loved ones. Keeping a blanket wrapped around Joshua, Jimmy came to stand behind Abby with a big grin. "Well would you look at that!" he declared as the first sleigh came into the yard and stopped nearby. "Merry Christmas!" called out their friends and family. Buck helped Emma out of the sleigh and she hurried to the door of the house giving her sister a big hug. "You'd better get inside before you catch cold," Emma said shooing Abby into the house. "Oh, would you look at that precious baby!" Emma exclaimed as she put her bonnet on the table and made for where Jimmy was standing with their son. "Merry Christmas, Emma," Jimmy told his sister-in-law as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'd like for you to meet your nephew, Joshua." Jimmy carefully handed over his son to the waiting arms of the baby's aunt. "Oh aren't you the most darling little boy!" Emma gushed, her eyes drinking in the little one's face. As she talked to the baby the others entered the house, shedding their outer things and made their way into the room to see their 'nephew' and 'grandson'. Standing, looking like the proud grandfather he was, Teaspoon declared, "Why he looks just like me!" "What?" cried Cody who looked at the old man like he was crazy. "That there baby don't look nothin' like you Teaspoon. He's way cuter then you are!" Teaspoon rolled his eyes at the others chuckles. "I meant, he's good lookin' like me, you fool" Slipping an arm around her husbands waist, Abby couldn't help but grin at them all as she said, "Then he definitely takes after Jimmy for a handsomer man I've never met then my husband!" "Why thank you darlin'," Jimmy said giving the others a look of pride. As the others began to find places to sit around the room Kid, slipped an arm around Louise's waist and at her nod, he stated to no one in particular, "Joshua will have a cousin to play with in about six months." The couple stood waiting eagerly for their friends and families reaction to their news. "Congratulations!" Teaspoon told them thumping Kid on the shoulder and hugging Louise. The two had been hoping for a little one of their own for some time now and it was a blessing to hear that they were going to have a baby of their own. As the women began preparing for dinner, the men sat around the living room, each taking a turn holding Joshua and declaring that the baby had smiled at them. When he started crying, they all quickly gave up the honor of holding him and returned the Joshua to his father who happily handed over his son to Abby for feeding. By the time Abby returned to the kitchen, Emma and Louise were setting steaming platters of food on the table. Putting Joshua in the cradle near the fireplace, Abby took her place next to her husband. "Shall you say grace or shall I?" Jimmy asked his wife with a squeeze of her hand in his. "I think I'd like to," she told him. "Thank you Lord for the blessings you have given us this past year, for our friends and family and Christmas wishes granted!" Drop me a note and let me know what you thought!