Arc The Lad Fan Fiction ❯ Deimos' First Christmas ❯ Deimos' First New Year ( Chapter 2 )

Deimos' First New Year

Lilia smiled as she heard laughter from the living room. The entire group had come to Cathena to celebrate the coming New Year together.

Paulette entered the room. "Lilia, do you need help? You shouldn't spend all your time in the kitchen."

Lilia smiled. "Thanks, Paulette." She gestured to a tray. "Will you take that tray of drinks? I'll get the other one."

After passing them out Paulette reclaimed her seat next to Kharg.

Lilia sat down in a big easy chair with a content sigh. She was proud of her home. It had been a long time since she'd been able to settle somewhere for any amount of time. Suddenly she laughed.

Kharg glanced at her. "Want to share the joke?"

Lilia giggled. "Just remembering the look on you and Paulette's face when you walked into your new house."

Kharg groaned. "Don't remind me. You never told us that though Darc and Delma paid for the house all of you chipped in and furnished it."

Lilia smiled. "It was a surprise."

Paulette laughed. "It was a surprise alright, you did a wonderful job. We both love it."

Just then the twins burst into the room and immediately clambered into Darc's lap. They were extremely careful not to jostle Delma, who sat next to him.

Kharg sighed. "Nafia, Lloyd, stop climbing all over your poor uncle. He's not a tree."

Darc shifted to a more comfortable position. "It's alright, Kharg. I don't mind."

Tatjana looked at Ganz, who smiled and nodded. "I have something to tell everyone."

Everybody's attention turned to her. "What is it?" Paulette asked.

"Don't make us die of curiosity. Tell us," Camellia said.

"Yeah, come on, Tatjana," Maru chimed in.

Tatjana smiled. "We're pregnant."

Camellia let out a joyous squeal. "Congratulations!"

Darc smirked. "Why Ganz, I didn't even know you were expecting."

Volk guffawed loudly.

Delma choked on the drink she just taken then started laughing.

That started a chain reaction and soon everyone laughing, even Ganz and Tatjana.

Bebedora looked from one person to another then laughed too. She had improved dramatically in the last five years.

The twins laughed too, though it was unlikely they understood what was funny. It was more likely they were laughing because everyone else was.

It took nearly twenty minutes before the laughter died down. Kharg grinned at his twin. "Nice one, Darc."

Volk raised his glass. "A toast to the parents to be!"

The others raised their glasses and drank the toast.

"How long, Tatjana?" Paulette asked.

Tatjana rested her hand on her stomach. "The doctor says that I'm three months along."

Ganz draped an arm around Tatjana's shoulders with a proud smile. "We just found out three days ago."

Paulette mock pouted. "That was the day before we arrived and you didn't tell us."

Tatjana smiled. "We wanted to tell everyone at the same time."

Kharg smiled. "I think it's great. Congratulations you two."

That spurred a chorus of well-wishes then Ganz stood. "Well, I better go fetch our other surprise."

Paulette and Kharg grinned.

Ganz left the room, but soon he returned carrying a lidded basket. He put it down on the floor then gestured to the twins. "Come on, consider this a late Christmas present."

The twins got down and went to the basket. Just as they reached it the basket rocked. They both stopped and stared at it then looked at Ganz.

Ganz waved them forward. “Don’t worry, go ahead and open it.”

Finally Lloyd reached out and took of the basket's lid.

A ball of white fur leaped out, tackled Lloyd and began washing his face with a pink tongue.

"Doggie! You got us a doggie!" Nafia squealed. "Thank you."

The puppy got off Lloyd and looked around. It was a beautiful animal, a pure white Shepard with blue eyes.

Lloyd looked at Ganz. "Thank you! Is it a girl or a boy?"

Ganz smiled. "You're welcome and it's a girl."

Volk studied the puppy. "Beautiful creature, I suppose."

The Lupine's voice caught the puppy's attention. It's nose quivered as it sniffed the air then it growled.

Volk scowled at the puppy. He bared his teeth and growled back.

The puppy yelped, tail tucked between it's legs it sought a hiding place behind Nafia.

Everyone burst out laughing again.

Maru grinned. "Stop scaring the animals, Volk."

Nafia coaxed the puppy out from behind her and patted it. "It's alright girl. Volk won't hurt you."

Volk grinned toothily. "I might eat it."

Nafia giggled. "We know you wouldn't."

Volk snorted and took a long drink from his mug.

Kharg threw Darc a wicked smirk. "Careful Volk, you've been around Darc to long. You're starting to sound like him."

Everyone laughed again. Darc threw a couch pillow at his twin, hitting him in the face.

Kharg tossed it back at him, grinning.

Darc caught it easily and dropped it back on the couch. He leaned back comfortably and slung an arm around Delma's shoulders.

The puppy clambered off Nafia's lap and went over to Bebedora and sniffed her foot.

Bebedora eyed the puppy uncertainly then leaned forward and patted the puppy on the head. The puppy wagged her tail and lapped at her fingers. "Soft, warm, an appealing little creature."

Maru patted the puppy too. "She's a nice dog."

The puppy began wander around, checking everyone out. He sniffed Darc's foot then sat down and stared up at him. Her pink tongue lolled out of her mouth.

Darc scowled at the tiny animal. "Don't even think of it, mutt."

Delma laughed.

Lilia giggled too. "Awww, I think she likes you, Darc."

The puppy jumped onto the couch, climbed into Darc's lap and promptly went to sleep.

Darc glared down at it. "Why me?"

Camellia smiled impishly at Darc. "Animal magnetism?"

That started everyone laughing for the third time. Darc rolled his eyes with annoyance.

Lilia got up. "Dinner should be almost ready."

Paulette and Tatjana rose as well and followed Lilia into the kitchen to help.

Paulette gestured to the twins. "Come set the table, Nafia and Lloyd. Uncle Darc will take good care of your puppy."

The children got up and ran into the kitchen after their mother.

Darc shifted slightly. The puppy raised his head and yawned then gave him a sloppy kiss on the face. "Cut that out, mutt or I'll make a throw rug out of you."

Delma reached over and touched the puppy's head. "She is soft."

The puppy yawned again and snuggled up to Darc then went back to sleep.

Delicious smells floated in from the kitchen. Kharg smiled appreciatively, taking a deep breath. "That smells wonderful."

Volk drained his mug. "It does for cooked food. I still prefer raw meat myself."

Ganz looked towards the kitchen. "Sorry Volk, if you eat raw meat in front of Tatjana she'll probably get sick."

Delma wrinkled her nose in distaste. "And if she gets sick then you can bet that I will too. I can't even eat raw meat myself right now, even though I like it"

Darc snorted. "Some of your cravings make me sick."

Delma jabbed Darc hard in the ribs, making him wince. her pregnancy hadn't weakened her any.

Twenty minutes later Lilia stuck her head into the room. "Food's on, come on in and sit down."

Darc shoved the puppy off his lap and stood up then helped Delma to her feet. He escorted Delma into the dining room.

After dinner the twins took the puppy to the back room which Lilia had turned into a playroom.

The adults moved back into the living room to talk about old times.

Lilia grinned at Kharg and Darc. "Remember the party we had on your twenty first birthday?"

Kharg groaned. "I don't think I'll ever forget."

Darc snickered. "I'm surprised that you remember. You were damned drunk."

Kharg scowled. "Rub it in. Just because we discovered that you're immune to alcohol that night."

Darc laughed at the memory. "At least you were a fun drunk."

Paulette smirked. "But it's to bad the table you were dancing on broke. You were pretty good."

Kharg blushed while everyone laughed.

Maru grinned. "You actually danced on the table, Kharg?"

Kharg scowled. "Shut up, Maru."

After the laughter died down again and a while had passed Paulette stood. "It's awful quiet in the playroom. I'd better go make sure everything's alright."

Kharg stood up. "I'll come along just in case they're destroying anything."

They left the room. Soon they returned, each of them carrying a soundly sleeping twin.

Lilia smiled. "That's a cute sight."

"We'll take them upstairs to the extra room if that's alright? " Kharg asked.

"That's fine," Lilia said.

Kharg and Paulette took the twins upstairs then came back down and sat back down. and the evening seemed to fly by.

At ten minutes to midnight Lilia and Paulette fetched goblets filled them with wine. Everyone got one though Tatjana and Delma had fruit juice instead. They began counting down the final seconds.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...Happy New Year!" They shouted and ten goblets clanked together as one.

A little New Years story just to get it out of my system. I‘ll go back to Aftermath, I know it‘s been awhile since I updated it, but I needed a break. HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL! R/R please!

& nbsp;

& nbsp;

& nbsp;

& nbsp;