Christmas Morning
Christmas morning had finally arrived, and with it a fresh coat of snow that covered Rhy'Din - or at least, Maple Grove - all in white - a winter wonderland worthy of a Currier and Ives print. Not only was it Christmas morning, but it was the morning after the big Granger Family Christmas Eve party at the main house the night before, hence a good many of Maple Grove's inhabitants would be found sleeping late that day, but when Jasmin finally awoke, she'd find the other half of the bed empty, Jack nowhere to be found.
Used to late nights, Jasmin wasn't asleep too late, but late enough and deep enough not to have noticed Jack slipping out of the bed and leaving her. As she rolled onto her back, blinking up at the ceiling, her first thought was that he must have woken and gone to the bathroom, but the sheets on his side were cool. "What happened to lying in until we have to be up?" she grumbled to herself, moving to climb out of the bed. She shivered, the air a little too cool for comfort, and groped for a cardigan to wrap around herself over her tank and shorts. After a moment's thought, she stuffed her feet into her favorite pair of winter boots, too, finally venturing out onto the landing and down the stairs with a weary yawn, rubbing a hand through her hair. "Jack?"
No response came from anywhere in the house, no sound at all, like the line in Clement Moore's poem, "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Or so it seemed. Nothing was heard but the occasional creak of the wind in the eaves, though the smell of coffee brewing was proof that someone had been about, at least for a little while.
Bemused, and a little irritated that she'd been left to wake up all alone on their first Christmas morning together, Jaz thumped down into the living room, hugging her cardigan about herself as she yawned once again. "Baby' Are you here?"
There still came no reply or response but the sound of silence, though if Jasmin was observant, she'd noticed a stocking beneath the tree that hadn't been there the night before. Further exploration would prove that Jack's jacket and boots were missing, as if he'd gone somewhere.
Bereft of her boyfriend, Jaz didn't notice the stocking for a long moment, moving to pour herself a cup of coffee and begin her day's intake of caffeine while trying to work out where Jack could have gone. The remains of his breakfast were there on the counter. Perhaps he'd stepped over to Willow Manor to wish Tommy and Lena a Merry Christmas. She smiled to herself, thinking of her cousin and Jack's friend, who had gotten engaged the night before during the Granger party. She was happy for them, despite the faint flash of envy that went with it for their happiness together.
Sipping her coffee, her attention was caught by the sight of the unexpected stocking under the tree, next to the one she'd put there when she'd woken up at the crack of dawn in need of a glass of water. Tempting though it was to open it, she wanted to know where Jack had gone, instead turning to open the front door and step out onto the porch, ignoring the chill around her knees as she squinted across the brittle white landscape.
It was when she stepped outside onto the porch that it became a little more apparent where Jack had gone, as his footsteps in the snow clearly led toward Willow Manor. But that wasn't quite as puzzling as what else she found there. There were other footprints in the snow, along with Jack's, and from the look of them, they didn't appear to be human, but it would be hard to tell from the porch just what sort of creature had made them. Jasmin didn't have to wonder too long, however, as the silence of the snowy morning was broken by the sound of Jack's voice, followed by what sounded like a dog barking.
Puzzling, yes, but not immediately inexplicable. Cosmo was in the habit of barreling across the grounds to pounce on Jack if he could get loose from the big house, and it wasn't beyond reason that he might have done just that this morning. In which case, Jack taking the hyperactive collie for a walk would make perfect sense. Stifling yet another yawn, she smiled as she heard Jack's voice, a little confused by the unfamiliar bark, and moved to lean on the porch railing, sipping her coffee. "Hey, isn't anyone gonna wish me a Merry Christmas this morning?"
Jack's voice was heard again, a little more distinct this time. "Shh, you're gonna ruin the surprise!" he scolded someone or something. After a moment, he peeked his head around the corner of the house and flashed a bright, but slightly guilty smile up at Jasmin, his face flushed red from the cold. There was no telling how long he'd been out there. "Morning, baby! Didn't wake you, did we, er, I?"
It took a fair amount of effort, but Jaz kept the suspicion out of her expression as she grinned over at Jack, noting his flushed face and the fact that he was apparently not alone. "No, I was all alone, that's what woke me up," she told him, twisting to face him. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"I, uh....I wanted to surprise you," he blurted, flushing further either from the cold or embarrassment, unable to lie for long, even when it was because of a surprise. And then there was that sound again, which sounded like a bark, but was definitely not the familiar sound of Cosmo.
Her smile softened at his unintentional confession, touched by the effort he'd obviously put into this surprise of his. "Want me to go back to bed, then?" she offered quietly through her tender smile. "I'd hate to spoil anything."
"No, I, uh..." He stumbled over the words a moment, as if he wasn't quite sure what to do or say next. His little surprise wasn't going quite they way he'd planned, but before he could do anything about it, there was that sound again, something small and furry was bounding its way through the snow past Jack on its way toward the porch.
Startled, Jaz wasn't entirely sure what to make of the furry bullet headed her way. She assumed it was a dog of some kind, given the barking she'd heard before, but beyond that was something of a mystery while the creature was in full flight. Chuckling, she dropped onto one knee to let the little canine greet her, looking up at Jack with a grin. "Is this a dog, or an over-excited rabbit with a few mutations?"
Christmas morning had finally arrived, and with it a fresh coat of snow that covered Rhy'Din - or at least, Maple Grove - all in white - a winter wonderland worthy of a Currier and Ives print. Not only was it Christmas morning, but it was the morning after the big Granger Family Christmas Eve party at the main house the night before, hence a good many of Maple Grove's inhabitants would be found sleeping late that day, but when Jasmin finally awoke, she'd find the other half of the bed empty, Jack nowhere to be found.
Used to late nights, Jasmin wasn't asleep too late, but late enough and deep enough not to have noticed Jack slipping out of the bed and leaving her. As she rolled onto her back, blinking up at the ceiling, her first thought was that he must have woken and gone to the bathroom, but the sheets on his side were cool. "What happened to lying in until we have to be up?" she grumbled to herself, moving to climb out of the bed. She shivered, the air a little too cool for comfort, and groped for a cardigan to wrap around herself over her tank and shorts. After a moment's thought, she stuffed her feet into her favorite pair of winter boots, too, finally venturing out onto the landing and down the stairs with a weary yawn, rubbing a hand through her hair. "Jack?"
No response came from anywhere in the house, no sound at all, like the line in Clement Moore's poem, "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Or so it seemed. Nothing was heard but the occasional creak of the wind in the eaves, though the smell of coffee brewing was proof that someone had been about, at least for a little while.
Bemused, and a little irritated that she'd been left to wake up all alone on their first Christmas morning together, Jaz thumped down into the living room, hugging her cardigan about herself as she yawned once again. "Baby' Are you here?"
There still came no reply or response but the sound of silence, though if Jasmin was observant, she'd noticed a stocking beneath the tree that hadn't been there the night before. Further exploration would prove that Jack's jacket and boots were missing, as if he'd gone somewhere.
Bereft of her boyfriend, Jaz didn't notice the stocking for a long moment, moving to pour herself a cup of coffee and begin her day's intake of caffeine while trying to work out where Jack could have gone. The remains of his breakfast were there on the counter. Perhaps he'd stepped over to Willow Manor to wish Tommy and Lena a Merry Christmas. She smiled to herself, thinking of her cousin and Jack's friend, who had gotten engaged the night before during the Granger party. She was happy for them, despite the faint flash of envy that went with it for their happiness together.
Sipping her coffee, her attention was caught by the sight of the unexpected stocking under the tree, next to the one she'd put there when she'd woken up at the crack of dawn in need of a glass of water. Tempting though it was to open it, she wanted to know where Jack had gone, instead turning to open the front door and step out onto the porch, ignoring the chill around her knees as she squinted across the brittle white landscape.
It was when she stepped outside onto the porch that it became a little more apparent where Jack had gone, as his footsteps in the snow clearly led toward Willow Manor. But that wasn't quite as puzzling as what else she found there. There were other footprints in the snow, along with Jack's, and from the look of them, they didn't appear to be human, but it would be hard to tell from the porch just what sort of creature had made them. Jasmin didn't have to wonder too long, however, as the silence of the snowy morning was broken by the sound of Jack's voice, followed by what sounded like a dog barking.
Puzzling, yes, but not immediately inexplicable. Cosmo was in the habit of barreling across the grounds to pounce on Jack if he could get loose from the big house, and it wasn't beyond reason that he might have done just that this morning. In which case, Jack taking the hyperactive collie for a walk would make perfect sense. Stifling yet another yawn, she smiled as she heard Jack's voice, a little confused by the unfamiliar bark, and moved to lean on the porch railing, sipping her coffee. "Hey, isn't anyone gonna wish me a Merry Christmas this morning?"
Jack's voice was heard again, a little more distinct this time. "Shh, you're gonna ruin the surprise!" he scolded someone or something. After a moment, he peeked his head around the corner of the house and flashed a bright, but slightly guilty smile up at Jasmin, his face flushed red from the cold. There was no telling how long he'd been out there. "Morning, baby! Didn't wake you, did we, er, I?"
It took a fair amount of effort, but Jaz kept the suspicion out of her expression as she grinned over at Jack, noting his flushed face and the fact that he was apparently not alone. "No, I was all alone, that's what woke me up," she told him, twisting to face him. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"I, uh....I wanted to surprise you," he blurted, flushing further either from the cold or embarrassment, unable to lie for long, even when it was because of a surprise. And then there was that sound again, which sounded like a bark, but was definitely not the familiar sound of Cosmo.
Her smile softened at his unintentional confession, touched by the effort he'd obviously put into this surprise of his. "Want me to go back to bed, then?" she offered quietly through her tender smile. "I'd hate to spoil anything."
"No, I, uh..." He stumbled over the words a moment, as if he wasn't quite sure what to do or say next. His little surprise wasn't going quite they way he'd planned, but before he could do anything about it, there was that sound again, something small and furry was bounding its way through the snow past Jack on its way toward the porch.
Startled, Jaz wasn't entirely sure what to make of the furry bullet headed her way. She assumed it was a dog of some kind, given the barking she'd heard before, but beyond that was something of a mystery while the creature was in full flight. Chuckling, she dropped onto one knee to let the little canine greet her, looking up at Jack with a grin. "Is this a dog, or an over-excited rabbit with a few mutations?"