Soon It Will Be Christmas Day [Open]

[Kathy Martin]

Kathy was finally on Christmas break from school and was using up every inch of her time to get the house decorated for the big day that Santa would be coming. She’d cleaned what she could and had asked her mom to help her with the things she couldn’t reach. They’d gotten a tree from Stuart’s lot, picking out the biggest and best one they could. Now all they had to do was decorate it, and Kathy knew exactly where the decorations were with everyone’s special ornaments in it.

Pulling the heavy box out of the basement she took it upstairs and put it on the couch, before opening it slowly and peering inside. There was everything she needed to get the tree looking lovely, even a few extra things, including the angel for on top. When she found her ornament, the tree shaped one with her name and the date she’d been given it, she smiled and took a seat down on the couch, running her fingers along the edges. However the sound of someone coming, had her sitting up and looking over, curious to see who it was...

OOC: Hope this is okay! I didn’t really ask anyone if I could make this thread and I decided to leave it open if anyone wants to join in.

[Jamie Martin]

It's Jamie's first Christmas in a few years back at home and he can only wonder how it's going to go. Would him and JR be able to get along? Will things be peaceful? Maybe Christmas will be able to be salvaged for Kathy's sake.

"Hey, I thought I heard someone in here.. What ya have there?'Jamie asked her as he took a seat on the couch next to Kathy and glances down at her ornament in her hand."Seems like someone is ready to decorate the tree, do you need some help? It's a pretty big tree, you may need some help reaching the spots near the top. I could be your man if you want me to!"

Hopefully this was a step in the right direction to getting the Holiday's off to the right start. The tree was looking pretty naked, and getting the tree lit up would be the first step to beginning to feel like Jamie is home again..

[Kathy Martin]

“Hi Jamie!” Kathy exclaimed when her brother came around the corner and made himself known. As he asked what she had, she glanced down at the decoration in the shape of a tree and held it up for him to see better. “It’s the decoration daddy gave to me. He told me we all have one, the whole family! So that must mean yours is in this box...” She shifted the heavy box closer to where they were seated on the couch and then looked up at him as he asked about decorating the tree.

“I want to get it all decorated before Santa comes, but I’m not sure if I should be doing it without mommy or daddy,” she told him with a worried glance at the tree itself. “Do you think they’d be mad if we got it started but left some things for them to help us with? We don’t have to put on the angel, or the ornaments, but maybe the lights and tinsel?” She gave a small shrug then slowly started to nod. “I would need help, it’s really big. Thank you Jamie!” Standing up, Kathy lifted the box up carefully and brought it over to the tree, beginning to remove some of the things they needed before she frowned and looked up at him once more.

“I think the lights aren’t in there, but they’re still in the basement, want me to go get them?” she asked.

[Dix C. Martin]

Dixie had been upstairs with the twins all morning and well into the afternoon, after spending the night in the nursery with a sniffly Nolan.
To avoid his sneezing turning into something worse, she'd been keeping a close eye on him, and sent Jamie a text to stop over if he could to keep Kathy company. Tad was working on a major case and had gone with them to pick out a tree, but now he was paying for it by working overtime at the office. And with him not around Dixie didn't want her little girl feeling lonely.
Finally though she'd gotten Nolan down for a nap, and his twin out of the nursery with the incentive of them decorating the tree and baking some cookies.
Coming downstairs with Tara in her arms, Dixie overheard Kathy mention the lights still in the basement, and figured she'd sneak down there and grab them herself.
"C'mon little girl...you wanna help get the pretty lights downstairs? Huh?"
"Lights!!"
Laughing, knowing Tara was a fan of all things shiny and colorful like her, Dixie brought her downstairs and after finding the box, plugged in the strands to test the bulbs.
"Perfect, no duds."
Going to unplug the strand she saw Tara trying to drape it around her like a colorful sash.
"What are you doing Tinkerbell, trying to be a Christmas tree?!"
Letting her daughter hold onto her strand, Dixie watched her run up the stairs and into the living room, and followed close behind with the box.

"It's okay Kathy we're one step ahead of ya."
Setting the box down on the couch, Dixie gave Jamie a big hug while Tara ran over to her sister.
"Hey you! I'm so glad you're here!", she exclaimed, then gave her stepson a teasing grin.
"Needed someone around that could reach the top branches."

[Jamie Martin]

Seeing his step Mom and Tara come up with the lights brings a smile to Jamie's face before speaking and looking over at an excited Kathy.
"Seems like we have more help Kathy!"

Jamie then gets a big hug from Dixie, which he ends up returning the favor. "It's really good to be back here, Africa was pretty awesome, but I did miss everyone here" When Dixie then mentions about to top branches, it makes Jamie laugh knowing him and Kathy were just talking about that. "Bringing up the lights... Top of the tree.. You sure you weren't spying on mine and Kathy's conversation?" Jamie says letting out another small laugh.

[Kathy Martin]

“Tara! Mommy!” Kathy exclaimed as her sister and mom came around the corner. When Tara came towards her, Kathy spread her arms wide and wrapped them around her little sister tight before pulling back and frowning at the lights that were still draped around her. Where had they come from? The answer came quickly as her mom told her they’d retrieved them.

“A lot more help!” she couldn’t help but agree with Jamie as he said they had more help with the tree now. She helped untangle the lights around Tara and looked up when her mom was accused of spying on her conversation with Jamie, which made her think...

“Were you spying mommy?” she asked with a tilt of a head and a smile. “That’s okay though, right Jamie? Because we do need the help to decorate the tree.” She grinned and went over to the box of ornaments she’d brought up from the basement, pulling out each one with a specific name on it and handing them to their respected owners. When she went over to her mom and held hers up, one of which that happened to be a star shape, she grinned. “It’s like your necklace and the stars above. Did daddy make this for you like he made mine?” She looked over at her Christmas tree one she’d gotten when she’d attended her first Christmas at the Martin house (before she was a Martin), and then to the one for Jamie, before back at her mom again.

[Marissa Tasker]

Upon hearing that the martins were going to be decorating for Christmas. Marissa picked up AJ and began to drive towards the Martin home. Marissa was defintly in the holiday spirit exspecially since she was able to spend the day with AJ and the Martin family. She knew AJ would love to go see Kathy and Tara they were all really good friends and it would give her a chance to apologize to Dixie for the way she acted at Krystals..

"So AJ are you ready to decorate the christmas tree at the martin's house with you Kathy and Tara... And I will even pitch in if you need any help with anything..."

AJ's face instantly lit up and he gives Marissa a huge smile, as he begins to speak while eagirly looking at all of the christmas decorations that people had out in there yard..

"AWESOME!!! I'm defintly ready to decorate the tree, Daddy picked me up and let me put the angle on the tree back home. You should of been there me and daddy had alot of fun and he even told me that we were going christmas shopping to get you something for christmas..."

Marissa smiles as about 20 minutes later they pull up at the Martins house. Marissa steps out of the house wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, a black turtleneck with a white velst over top and a pair of black knee length high heeled boots. Her long brunette hair spills down her back in soft waves, her makeup is done to perfection and the soft scent of jasmine clings to her skin. After grabbing a couple of things from the car Marissa and AJ makes there way towards the house, once they reach the door Marissa rings the door bell then steps back and waits for someone to answer the door.

[Dix C. Martin]

"Spying! Well! The things that you two accuse me of!"
Dixie teased, pretending to pout as Kathy absolved her and asked for her help.
"Well, out of the goodness of my heart I guess I can help. It is Christmas after all."
Trying to unknot a strand of tinsel, Dixie glanced down at Kathy when she held up the ornament and smiled.
"Yeah he did. Your daddy got this made for me a long, long time ago. Here, you wanna help me find a spot for it?", she asked, before Kathy picked one of the upper branches of the tree. No sooner though did they get the ornament hung that Dixie heard the doorbell.
"Oooh, wonder who that could be."
Walking into the foyer she answered the door and saw her grandson and Marissa smiling at her.
"Hey you two! Ooh..c'mon in it's chilly out here."
Letting them inside Dixie shut the door behind them.
"So this is a nice surprise. Good timing too, we could use some help decorating."
"Grandma Dixie is Kathy around?"
"Yeah she's over in the living room with Jamie..why don't you go in and surprise 'em, huh?"
"Okay!"
After A.J bolted over to the living room Dixie turned to Marissa. Not sure if the younger woman was up to talking about what happened at Krystal's, or if she wanted to forget about it, she decided to not bring it up at all. See what happened.
"So I was just about to put out some hot chocolate and cookies for the crew. You wanna give me a hand?"

[Kathy Martin]

“Could I?” Kathy asked with surprise, when her mom offered to let her help pick spot on the tree for the special ornament. She examined each potential place before pointing up at one of the higher branches. She watched as the star ornament was carefully, yet perfectly placed before grinning and then glancing at the door when the bell rang.

“Is it daddy?” she called after her mom, trying to get a good look at the door when it was open. Although who came in wasn’t her dad, she still brightened at the sight of who it was. Only she hadn’t seen AJ enter the house and when she went back to decorating she didn’t hear him coming until she felt him hug her.

“AJ!” she exclaimed in surprise, hugging him back tightly. “You came to help us with the tree!” She looked to Jamie to see if he was just as surprised before she took off towards the front door where her mom and Marissa were. “Aunty Marissa! Is... is my brother here too?” Kathy noticed right away that the door was shut, but that didn’t mean JR wasn’t out at the car bringing things in. “Is he still not feeling good? Is that why he didn’t come?” She gave her mom a worriedly look before glancing at Marissa for answers. “It wont be Christmas if he isn’t here...”

[Dix C. Martin]

Hearing Kathy ask excitedly if Tad was at the door, Dixie bit her lip and crossed her arms. She was relieved that Jamie had shown up as well as Marissa and A.J, but she missed her husband and her son, and her feelings just amplified at Kathy's words.
Swallowing hard though she managed a small smile, and slipped an arm around Kathy reassuringly.
"Well, baby just because J.R's not here now doesn't mean that he wouldn't stop by later on to see you. And if he does I think that all of us right now should make the house look extra, extra Christmasy. For him and for when Santa comes.", she reminded, but glanced over to Marissa and back to Jamie nearby hoping they could help boost spirits back up.