Page 14 of Christmas with the MacLeod's
“Um, mum, I don’t think we have enough plates for everyone here.” Marcus started, sharing a look with Jack and Tommy, letting them know the surprise was on their way down the drive now.
“What are ye yammering about now, Marcus?” Sylvia glared at her son.
“Aye, we should set up the kiddie table over there, We’re going to need way more room here. Um Da, can ye grab the table we brought and placed on the porch? I’ll help ye.” Jack nodded towards the front door. Trying hard to hide his smile.
“Jack, What the hell are you boys yammering about?” Will Sr asked as there was a loud knock on the front door.
“Why, who in the world would be coming to visit this late in the evening?” Sylvia asked, following her husband to the front door.
“What the hell?!” Will Sr asked, looking out the door, seeing the two vans in his driveway.
“Oh, my word, William, it’s Michael, Bryson and Kaitelyne! They’ve come home! Oh my, it’s the rest of the children from London and Edinburgh!” Sylvia yelled out in excitement, tears streaming down her face.
“Merry Christmas mum!” Mike said, hugging his mother tight before shaking hands and doing the man hug with his father then moving on to his other siblings that were already there.
Once everyone was in the house, Sylvia and Will Sr were standing there looking at all their children under one roof, tears streaming steadily down Sylvia’s face. Will Sr clearly was fighting the tears because he was choked up when he tried to speak out.
“Who planned this?” Sylvia asked, speaking out for him.
“It was a joint effort between Tommy, Jack, Elizabeth and those of us in the States, mum. We knew how much ye have been wanting all of us home for Christmas. This was actually the first time we’ve all been home, not on a mission or working a heavy case and could make it happen. We wanted it to be a Christmas surprise and decided to do it for Christmas Eve dinner.” Marcus informed his parents.
“Thank ye boys. This is definitely the best Christmas ye could have given us. All of our children home, ye boys bringing Laura, Lindsey and ye wee ones to visit. We will definitely need photos of all this. And that means ye too Jacob. Ye will be in these photos if I have to hold onto ye arse. Ye may be taller than me, mister, but I can still tan ye hide.” Sylvia warned her son who was sitting with Ryleigh on his lap, through the excitement.
“Mommy, Daddy, can I stand next to Uncle Ash so he doesn’t have to take his spanking from grandmum? I don’t want him getting into trouble.” Ryleigh asked, hugging Ash tight, as if she was protecting him from Sylvia.
“I don’t have a problem with that sweetie. But you might want to ask Uncle Ash if he’s ok with that.” Pratt softly told her daughter, watching Ash to make sure he was ok with all the attraction going on.
“Hey babe…” Pratt got Highlander’s attention. “Why don’t you and one of the boys take Ash outside, let him get calmed down. He seems like he needs some quiet time.”
Highlander looked over at Ash who looked like he was fighting the fight or flight mode. Highlander nodded to his wife, giving her a quick kiss before he nodded towards Mike then to Ash. Mike got the hint and walked over to Ash.
“Hey, brother. Let’s go for a walk outside. Ryleigh, love, can I borrow ye uncle for a moment?” Mike asked, squatting down to the little girl’s level, keeping his voice calm.
Ryleigh, ever perceptive, noticed her favorite uncle’s face. Looking back at her Uncle Mike, she nodded. Before climbing off Ash’s lap, she hugged him tight and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Once she was down, she walked over to her mother and climbed up in her lap, talking a mile a minute.
Highlander and Mike walked out with a quiet Ash. The three brothers walked in quiet, sticking with the driveway road at this time of night. After several moments, Ash breathed in deeply.
“Thank ye. I’m sorry, it just hit out of nowhere, the noise, the crowded room. Then with Ryleigh in my lap I was scared of hurting that little girl.” Ash mumbled, looking over at Highlander. “She’s very perceptive. One of the others that normally are at mum’s wouldn’t have noticed. They tend to stay away from me. Polin says I scare the kids.”
“Eh, Polin is a wanker. His wife is proof of that. Those kids of his are going to be wankers too.” Highlander chuckled as he shook his head. “Hell, even as kids, Polin was a damn wanker. Always ran to mum when one of us beat his arse. Always tried to get Elizabeth and Catherine in trouble so they would have to do his chores since he hated getting dirty.”
“Aye, I think he’s the only one of the boys that didn’t go military. He went to college instead. Hell, even the lasses joined for four years.”
“Aye, even Anna made fun of him and she’s the free spirit of the clan.” Mike laughed, finishing up Highlander’s memory.
“I have to say, despite everything, it is good to see ye lads. How is the States treating ye?”
“It’s good. Granted it’s not home, but whereever my lass is, that’s home to me. We could move to Timbuktu, and I’d be home.” Highlander smiled, looking at his brothers, standing in the middle of the road.
“Well, his arse can say that. I’m enjoying the ladies. Not one will tie me down.” Mike laughed, dodging Highlander’s fist.
Ash laughed at the joking between his two brothers. “Aye, I have to agree with Mike on this one, little brother. I’m not going to put a lass through the hell of dealing with me. I can barely stand to be around my own family. There’s not a lass in this country. or in the world, really, that can handle what I deal with when I have my episodes.” Ash quietly sighed, looking out into the darkness as he talked with his brothers.
“Has mum ever asked how ye got the nickname ‘Ash’?” Highlander asked, watching his brother’s reaction.
“Has she ever asked how ye got yours?” Ash countered, staring at his brother, confusion at the question.
“Aye, she’s asked how me, Bryson, Mike and Marcus got our call signs.” Highlander confirmed.
