White Christmas

Lou and Lydia sat back watching their husbands decorate the Christmas Tree, and telling them how to do it. Kid and Buck were fast becoming exasperated, but they knew that if they quit, the women would be up and finishing the job; something that the men did not want them doing, with Lou being eight months pregnant and Lydia five months.

"Not that Star." Lou said as Buck picked one up from the decorations.

"I thought you wanted a star at the top."

"Yeah, just not that one. This one," Lou produced another star from the folds of her skirt. "It's my Lucky Star."

"You're not still goin' on about that are you, Lou?" Kid shook his head.

"Why not? This year I need all the Help I can get. This Time for once, I want the whole family here for Christmas."

"Don't get your hopes up, Lou. You know that may be an impossible dream."

"Yeah, but that's the Power of the Dream, Kid. You can keep on hopin'." With that, Lou levered herself into a standing position and plodded out, with her husband Following, telling her that she should rest.

Lydia shook her head. "Do you think that this Christmas will be what Lou is dreamin' of?"

"Well," Buck smiled as he leaned in closer. "I don't know about Lou, but I think this year will be Better than Last Christmas."

"Really?"

"More Than Words can say. It's our first Christmas married."

Unfortunately, Lou's hope for a family reunion was not to be. Jimmy sent word that he was not able to make it, Rachel and Teaspoon were stuck in Rock Creek due to illness, and no one had heard from Cody. Not only that, but things just seemed to go wrong. Teresa called out, "Hey, there's Cats in the Cradle!" which revealed that her cat had had kittens in the crib Lou was getting ready for her baby. Buck regarded turkey to be Bad Medicine, so they had no idea what to cook him for Christmas dinner, and Jeremiah had taken up with a bad crowd.

"They're Bad Company, Jeremiah," Kid tried to warn his brother-in-law. "They're determined to go down in a Blaze of Glory, and they'll take you down with them.

Lou was beginning to despair. It looked like a Miracle was needed to save this Christmas.

Christmas Eve dawned clear and cold, with not a hint of snow in the air. This caused Lou to grumble when the baby did a back flip and woke her. "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go," she muttered to her belly, then frowned, wondering where those Words had come from. She glanced out the window. No Snow. It was just a Hazy Shade of Winter.

Kid stirred as Lou groaned. "I don't believe this. What's a Christmas without snow?"

"What are you on about?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Don't worry, Lou. Maybe it'll snow later. Be happy."

"Don't Worry, Be Happy," Lou muttered half sarcastically under her breath. "Some Christmas this is gonna be."

Kid sat up and put his arm across his wife's shoulders. "Hey, It's Alright. Everythin' will be just fine, you'll see. It's gonna be just fine."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I Have Confidence."

Confidence was in short supply. Lou and Kid's son, Jed was teething and fretting. Emily's son Ike was getting into everything and refusing to stay with his "aunt" Teresa. And Lou still hadn't heard from Cody, which unnerved her during this time of war.

"I don't know why he couldn't tell me he couldn't make it," Lou complained to Lydia while the latter was dressing her eighteen-month-old brother, Bryce.

Lydia shot Lou a look. "You're kiddin', right? Billy, get Back To You? You know what he's like. He always forgets thing like that. Besides, maybe the message just got lost."

"Maybe," Lou remained unconvinced.

"Lou, I know that you wanted the perfect Christmas, with all the family here, but even if that's not possible, we can still have a great Christmas. We just need to Deck the Halls, eat, drink and be merry."

In spite of herself, Lou smiled. "Thanks Lydia. I don't know what's gotten into me. Why are you so good to me?"

"You're My Best Friend, and That's What Friends Are For. Besides, you're pregnant. You can't help it."

"I Can't Help It?"

"Sure, you were like this with Jed."

"I don't remember feelin' like this with Jed."

"Trust Me. Come on, let's see what mischief Ike is up to." Lydia winced as a crash sounded in the kitchen. "What's to bet that was the mince pies."

Lou shook her head. "It could only happen On A Day Like Today"

"Lou!"

"What now?" Lou mumbled, following the sound of her brother's voice. She found him on the front porch, grinning. "Why do you look like a Cat Among the Pigeons?"

"Why Lou, have you forgotten me already?"

Lou turned to see the familiar figure in fringed buckskins. He had a lopsided grin on his face, and a twinkle in his Blue Eyes. "Cody?"

"Hi Lou. Merry Christmas." "That was Kid's idea."

"I wanted to surprise you." Kid came up behind Lou. "Besides, we weren't sure whether Cody could make it."

"Are you kiddin'? I wouldn't Miss This for the world."

After supper, everyone moved into the sitting room, to sit by the roaring fire, drink eggnog, and talk about old times. Lydia was amazed at some of the things that Buck and the others had gotten up to while riding for the Express. She laughed when Buck told her what they did to Cody when he thought the Spirits were mad at him; and reacted with mock horror when Lou mentioned what happened when somebody left a baby at the bunkhouse.

"You didn't!" she exclaimed, gaping at Buck who had the sense to look sheepish. "You really told Teaspoon that she'd sprung a leak when she wet her diaper? Why am I suddenly afraid for this baby?"

"Don't worry," Buck said, shifting Bryce to his other arm so that he could place his hand on Lydia's slightly swollen belly. "I know what I'm doin' now, and I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing with this baby." Lydia smiled tenderly, and Buck rewarded her with a tender kiss.

"Will you two cut that out. Who Do You Think You Are, a Cut Above the Rest?"

Buck threw Cody a wry look. "This comin' from someone who wants to be in dime novels."

"Billy Get Your Guns," Lou murmured.

"Hey, that sounds like a good title. Maybe I'll write it and be a national Hero."

"Don't even think about it, Cody. We ain't Holding Out For A Hero."

"Yeah Billy, Don't Be A Hero."

"Besides, you promised not to write like that anymore."

Cody turned away from the naysayers, and looked out the window. "Hey, look. It's snowing."

Everyone looked up. " Looks like we'll have a White Christmas after all," Kid said.

"Everything's Perfect," Lou sighed.

SONG TITLE	ARTIST
Star	Bryan Adams
Lucky Star	Madonna
Why	Annie Lennox
Help	The Beatles
This Time	Bryan Adams
Following	The Bangles
Better	Helmut
Last Christmas	Wham
More Than Words	Extreme
Cat's in the Cradle	Ugly Kid Joe
Bad Medicine	Bon Jovi
Bad Company	Bad Company
Blaze of Glory	Jon Bon Jovi
Miracle	Jon Bon Jovi (Young Guns 2 soundtrack)
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go	Wham
Words	The Bee Gees
Hazy Shade of Winter	The Bangles
Don't Worry, Be Happy	Bobby McDarin
It's Alright	East 17
I Have Confidence	Rodgers and Hammerstein (Sound of Music)
Back To You	Bryan Adams
Deck the Halls	Traditional Christmas Carol
You're My Best Friend	Queen
That's What Friends Are For	Dionne Warwick
I Can't Help It	Bananarama
On A Day Like Today	Bryan Adams
Cat Among the Pigeons	????????????
Blue Eyes	Elton John
Miss This	(from the Twister soundtrack)
I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing	Aerosmith
Who Do You Think You Are?	Spice Girls
Cut Above the Rest	Bananarama
Billy Get Your Guns	Jon Bon Jovi (Young Guns 2 soundtrack)
Hero	Mariah Carey
Holding Out For A Hero	Bonnie Tyler
Billy, Don't Be A Hero	Paper Lace
White Christmas	Irving Berlin
Perfect	Fairground Attraction.

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