लंडन Rafferty, the sly, smooth-talking assassin-retiree, awoke in the early morning hours as the sun peaked in through his bedroom windows. He figured he had to get up now; the sun was just begging him to get up. He slowly arose from his bed; his sheets all ruffled on his side. He looked over at his lady. She was sleeping soundly, purring in low hums. लंडन tiptoed over to her, covered her up, and kissed her head before he grabbed his लबादा, बागे off of his door hook. As he draped the लबादा, बागे over his dago tee and boxers, he headed down his spiraling staircase. As he entered the kitchen, he glanced at the clock. 8:00 A.M. Perfect, he could call his older brother and make sure his younger sister got to his house सुरक्षित and sound.
His older brother, Danny picked up the phone, "'Ello…Rafferty residence."
"Hey arsehole, did Naida get there okay? She didn't call," लंडन said.
"Cheers brother. Yeah…she's here. We picked her up and she's out. Must have been a rough flight. द्वारा the way, Ma called. She कहा आप aren't answering her calls," Danny replied.
"God damn it…. आप know how I try to avoid Ma whenever possible. Da is the only man that gets me, and he doesn't speak!"
"Lond….stop being such a dick and call her back. She's worried sick about आप and she believes you're living in sin. आप and your….lady at the moment are….well," Danny trailed off.
"Yes, Danny…..we're fornicating! And आप can tell Ma I कहा we are and we're going to raise demon spawn!" लंडन snapped. "I'll call आप later!" लंडन quickly clicked the phone.
"Damn brothers…..damn Ma and her religious ways…" लंडन muttered to himself.
"Jesus….you really do have some family issues."
लंडन jumped. He turned around, only to see his best friend, Charm, sitting in his office chair.
"Fuck Charm….you scared the hell out of me. Must आप always do this?" लंडन stammered.
"Yes….yes I must. I came here for the pancakes," Charm कहा with a huge grin.
"What pancakes?" लंडन asked. लंडन then heard someone humming in his kitchen.
लंडन and Charm walked down the hall, through the saloon doors, and into the kitchen. There stood Aria flipping flapjacks.
"Hey boys! Breakfast is almost ready!" she कहा with a wink. "I think I've perfected my pancake recipe."
लंडन rolled his eyes. "God damn it…..I swear I need to get these locks changed." लंडन felt very awkward around Aria. Hell, he had even dated her! He knew they had a good run in their relationship and they both still loved each other, but he knew in his दिल that they could never be what they once were.
लंडन headed through the archway into the family room. He plopped on the couch. Charm followed, but sat in one of the large ottoman chairs अगला to the couch.
"Why is she here!?" लंडन hissed through clenched teeth.
"She makes me pancakes. I brought her over. आप guys made amends…..just relax!" Charm sniggered.
"How am I supposed to relax? Aria's here and the woman I chose over her is upstairs still sleeping!!!"
"Well….that is a predicament," Charm कहा through a low chuckle. "They'll get along….they did before."
लंडन let out a low groan and started to mutter to himself.
"Hey Aria, is Alucard coming over this morning with his pack of boys?" Charm called out to her in the kitchen.
Aria peeked out of the archway, still stirring the pancake batter. "He better not! He still has a serious thing for me, remember? Plus, I invited Evan over to help with the tree….and we all know that she and Thane don't get along."
"Tree, what tree!?" लंडन yelped from the couch.
"What makes आप think Thane will come?" Charm asked inquisitively.
"Thane is Alucard's little puppy….Thane follows Al wherever he goes. Plus, Thane happens to like Vannie, and she'll be here," Aria कहा with a giggle.
"Tree? Van's coming over!? What in the hell is going on? Why does no one ever tell me about these events taking place in MY house?" लंडन yelled as he jumped off the couch.
Suddenly, the back door in the रसोई, रसोईघर swung open. वैन, वान ran in. "Merry क्रिस्मस everybody! Conner's coming with the tree! Sorry we're so late….traffic was awful," वैन, वान said.
"Since when do आप drive? आप do realize आप could have flown here with the पेड़ and your boy-toy…..way easier and cheaper," Aria कहा as she continued to beat the batter.
"We're trying to adapt to a normal life," वैन, वान कहा as she ran up and kissed Aria on the cheek. "You look lovely, honey. Must be this pancake diet that आप and Charmy are on."
Charm sheepishly smiled, but then turned his head over towards Conner as he walked in carrying the पेड़ with his one arm.
"Where do we want her? She's a beauty," Conner said.
"Put the damn पेड़ in here," लंडन कहा with a groan.
Conner carried the पेड़ through the kitchen; the tree, however, was shedding its pine needles everywhere.
"Hey….watch out! The needles are getting in the batter!" Aria shouted.
"NOT THE PANCAKES!!!" Charm snapped.
"Yeah, yeah…." Conner said. "Hey, Van, baby… go get the decorations from the car."
वैन, वान nodded and took Charm with her. She needed to get him out of the रसोई, रसोईघर before he exploded at every needle that dared to ruin his breakfast of champions.
Ava creeped into the kitchen. "Looks like we've got a party going on in here."
लंडन turned to her and turned a pale white. Wonderful. Ava, his current lover, was in the रसोई, रसोईघर with Aria, his ex. लंडन began to sweat. Today was going to be eventful…he could already tell.
वैन, वान and Charm came back in with several boxes of ornaments and lights. "Ava! आप look fabulous! I haven't seen आप in ages!" वैन, वान sang as she plopped the boxes on the तालिका, टेबल and ran over to Ava.
"Pigtails, good to see you," Charm कहा with a nod. Ava blushed every time Charm called her that. Some nicknames never get old.
After a feast of pancakes, the clan all began to work on the tree. Well, mainly the men all struggled with lighting the tree. All of the women were in the रसोई, रसोईघर when Evan finally arrived. Evan walked in, already having a खट्टा look on her face.
"Hey everyone….sorry I'm late. I had something I had to do," Evan said.
"Was this something a man?" वैन, वान asked with a wink.
"Maybe…." Evan कहा with a smirk. She peered into the living room. Charm, London, and Conner all were टैंगल्ड up in lights bitching at each other about who was supposed to do what. All three of them were trained fighters, yet none of them could put up a damn पेड़ properly. "What did I miss?"
"Just them fighting with a damn tree," Aria कहा with a chuckle.
"I'm surprised no one else showed. Where the hell is Alucard and his gang of misfits?" Evan asked.
"He better not be here," Aria warned, "or things aren't going to be pretty. Where's your team?"
"They all were on duty last time I checked. I'm just glad Thane's not here. I hate that guy so much. He and I constantly argue over every little thing," Evan said. "He's the kind of guy I'd like to torture in my spare time."
"Damn Evan… scary much?" वैन, वान said. "Thane's not that bad….he's just misunderstood."
"He seems kind of shy. He kind of reminds me of how लंडन used to be," Ava कहा with a laugh.
"By the way, honey, speaking of London…does he know yet?" Evan smirked.
"Know what?" वैन, वान and Aria asked.
"Go on…tell them," Evan कहा with a big grin forming on her face.
"I-I'm pregnant…" Ava said. "How did आप know Evan?"
"I'm psychic….no, I just can tell these things." Evan कहा with a cocky smile.
"I haven't told him yet. I'm afraid of what he's going to say. He's never been good with commitment….I'm amazed he's stayed this long," Ava कहा as she touched her stomach.
Aria looked away; she knew things were over between her and London, but this news just made everything और evident. She was happy for Ava and London, but she always felt that there still was a chance for her and London's relationship.
"Congratulations," Aria कहा as she hugged Ava. For now, she was going to be the bigger person.
लंडन looked over at the girls talking in the kitchen. So far, neither of them had tried to kill each other and neither of them had tried to kill him. Maybe today wasn't going to be as bad as he thought.
Charm looked over at लंडन watching Ava and Aria. "See, I told आप it wouldn't be so bad. They look like they are getting along great," Charm कहा reassuringly.
"I just hope it stays like that," लंडन answered.
His older brother, Danny picked up the phone, "'Ello…Rafferty residence."
"Hey arsehole, did Naida get there okay? She didn't call," लंडन said.
"Cheers brother. Yeah…she's here. We picked her up and she's out. Must have been a rough flight. द्वारा the way, Ma called. She कहा आप aren't answering her calls," Danny replied.
"God damn it…. आप know how I try to avoid Ma whenever possible. Da is the only man that gets me, and he doesn't speak!"
"Lond….stop being such a dick and call her back. She's worried sick about आप and she believes you're living in sin. आप and your….lady at the moment are….well," Danny trailed off.
"Yes, Danny…..we're fornicating! And आप can tell Ma I कहा we are and we're going to raise demon spawn!" लंडन snapped. "I'll call आप later!" लंडन quickly clicked the phone.
"Damn brothers…..damn Ma and her religious ways…" लंडन muttered to himself.
"Jesus….you really do have some family issues."
लंडन jumped. He turned around, only to see his best friend, Charm, sitting in his office chair.
"Fuck Charm….you scared the hell out of me. Must आप always do this?" लंडन stammered.
"Yes….yes I must. I came here for the pancakes," Charm कहा with a huge grin.
"What pancakes?" लंडन asked. लंडन then heard someone humming in his kitchen.
लंडन and Charm walked down the hall, through the saloon doors, and into the kitchen. There stood Aria flipping flapjacks.
"Hey boys! Breakfast is almost ready!" she कहा with a wink. "I think I've perfected my pancake recipe."
लंडन rolled his eyes. "God damn it…..I swear I need to get these locks changed." लंडन felt very awkward around Aria. Hell, he had even dated her! He knew they had a good run in their relationship and they both still loved each other, but he knew in his दिल that they could never be what they once were.
लंडन headed through the archway into the family room. He plopped on the couch. Charm followed, but sat in one of the large ottoman chairs अगला to the couch.
"Why is she here!?" लंडन hissed through clenched teeth.
"She makes me pancakes. I brought her over. आप guys made amends…..just relax!" Charm sniggered.
"How am I supposed to relax? Aria's here and the woman I chose over her is upstairs still sleeping!!!"
"Well….that is a predicament," Charm कहा through a low chuckle. "They'll get along….they did before."
लंडन let out a low groan and started to mutter to himself.
"Hey Aria, is Alucard coming over this morning with his pack of boys?" Charm called out to her in the kitchen.
Aria peeked out of the archway, still stirring the pancake batter. "He better not! He still has a serious thing for me, remember? Plus, I invited Evan over to help with the tree….and we all know that she and Thane don't get along."
"Tree, what tree!?" लंडन yelped from the couch.
"What makes आप think Thane will come?" Charm asked inquisitively.
"Thane is Alucard's little puppy….Thane follows Al wherever he goes. Plus, Thane happens to like Vannie, and she'll be here," Aria कहा with a giggle.
"Tree? Van's coming over!? What in the hell is going on? Why does no one ever tell me about these events taking place in MY house?" लंडन yelled as he jumped off the couch.
Suddenly, the back door in the रसोई, रसोईघर swung open. वैन, वान ran in. "Merry क्रिस्मस everybody! Conner's coming with the tree! Sorry we're so late….traffic was awful," वैन, वान said.
"Since when do आप drive? आप do realize आप could have flown here with the पेड़ and your boy-toy…..way easier and cheaper," Aria कहा as she continued to beat the batter.
"We're trying to adapt to a normal life," वैन, वान कहा as she ran up and kissed Aria on the cheek. "You look lovely, honey. Must be this pancake diet that आप and Charmy are on."
Charm sheepishly smiled, but then turned his head over towards Conner as he walked in carrying the पेड़ with his one arm.
"Where do we want her? She's a beauty," Conner said.
"Put the damn पेड़ in here," लंडन कहा with a groan.
Conner carried the पेड़ through the kitchen; the tree, however, was shedding its pine needles everywhere.
"Hey….watch out! The needles are getting in the batter!" Aria shouted.
"NOT THE PANCAKES!!!" Charm snapped.
"Yeah, yeah…." Conner said. "Hey, Van, baby… go get the decorations from the car."
वैन, वान nodded and took Charm with her. She needed to get him out of the रसोई, रसोईघर before he exploded at every needle that dared to ruin his breakfast of champions.
Ava creeped into the kitchen. "Looks like we've got a party going on in here."
लंडन turned to her and turned a pale white. Wonderful. Ava, his current lover, was in the रसोई, रसोईघर with Aria, his ex. लंडन began to sweat. Today was going to be eventful…he could already tell.
वैन, वान and Charm came back in with several boxes of ornaments and lights. "Ava! आप look fabulous! I haven't seen आप in ages!" वैन, वान sang as she plopped the boxes on the तालिका, टेबल and ran over to Ava.
"Pigtails, good to see you," Charm कहा with a nod. Ava blushed every time Charm called her that. Some nicknames never get old.
After a feast of pancakes, the clan all began to work on the tree. Well, mainly the men all struggled with lighting the tree. All of the women were in the रसोई, रसोईघर when Evan finally arrived. Evan walked in, already having a खट्टा look on her face.
"Hey everyone….sorry I'm late. I had something I had to do," Evan said.
"Was this something a man?" वैन, वान asked with a wink.
"Maybe…." Evan कहा with a smirk. She peered into the living room. Charm, London, and Conner all were टैंगल्ड up in lights bitching at each other about who was supposed to do what. All three of them were trained fighters, yet none of them could put up a damn पेड़ properly. "What did I miss?"
"Just them fighting with a damn tree," Aria कहा with a chuckle.
"I'm surprised no one else showed. Where the hell is Alucard and his gang of misfits?" Evan asked.
"He better not be here," Aria warned, "or things aren't going to be pretty. Where's your team?"
"They all were on duty last time I checked. I'm just glad Thane's not here. I hate that guy so much. He and I constantly argue over every little thing," Evan said. "He's the kind of guy I'd like to torture in my spare time."
"Damn Evan… scary much?" वैन, वान said. "Thane's not that bad….he's just misunderstood."
"He seems kind of shy. He kind of reminds me of how लंडन used to be," Ava कहा with a laugh.
"By the way, honey, speaking of London…does he know yet?" Evan smirked.
"Know what?" वैन, वान and Aria asked.
"Go on…tell them," Evan कहा with a big grin forming on her face.
"I-I'm pregnant…" Ava said. "How did आप know Evan?"
"I'm psychic….no, I just can tell these things." Evan कहा with a cocky smile.
"I haven't told him yet. I'm afraid of what he's going to say. He's never been good with commitment….I'm amazed he's stayed this long," Ava कहा as she touched her stomach.
Aria looked away; she knew things were over between her and London, but this news just made everything और evident. She was happy for Ava and London, but she always felt that there still was a chance for her and London's relationship.
"Congratulations," Aria कहा as she hugged Ava. For now, she was going to be the bigger person.
लंडन looked over at the girls talking in the kitchen. So far, neither of them had tried to kill each other and neither of them had tried to kill him. Maybe today wasn't going to be as bad as he thought.
Charm looked over at लंडन watching Ava and Aria. "See, I told आप it wouldn't be so bad. They look like they are getting along great," Charm कहा reassuringly.
"I just hope it stays like that," लंडन answered.
