Christmas Morning: Pittsburgh, 1996
It was Christmas morning, and Angela was jostled awake by Danielle.
"Angela? It's Christmas. We have to get up."
Angela blinked one eye open and goggled at the clock. "It's 7:30. Can we sleep?"
Danielle pouted. "But I know mom got me a CD player and I really want to open it." A pause, then a burst of charity: "I'll let you use it if you wake mom and dad up."
That was a deal, and 15 minutes later, the four Chases and Marty were settled downstairs with mugs of coffee or cocoa and a platter of warm muffins. Graham waved his mug at Marty. "Do you want to go first, son?" he asked.
If Marty was looking a little more awkward than usual? It was because he was feeling that way. His usual family Christmas was never... well anything like this.
"Um. Sure," Marty said looking around under the tree. "Um. How do you guys do this? Giving? Receiving? Everyone dives in and every person for themselves?"
"We used to just dive in," Patty said. "But since the girls got older, we try to do it one at a time and take turns."
"It usually lasts until Angela gets grabby," Danielle added.
The maligned Angela gave Marty a look, and grumbled, "Do not."
Marty snickered and held up a rectangular felt box which had a smaller box on top with a tag that had Angela's name on it. "So you wouldn't want to open this?"
Angela's look was a millimeter away from a glare, but she quickly softened it. "I didn't say that ..." she admitted, grabbing for the gift.
Her face broke into a grin as she opened it. "It's beautiful," she said, admiring the journal. "Thanks, love."
Marty flushed slightly as he gave a sidelong glance to Angela's parents. "Well I figured you... New York. Writing."
"Your boyfriend is so articulate," Patty said to Angela, a little more sharply than she meant it. she smiled at Marty. "We're so excited Angela is following her dreams."
Danielle poked a box toward Marty. "Open this," she ordered. Inside, he would find a hand-held poker game.
"Yes Ma'am," Marty said dutifully. "Oh this is cool! Texas Hold 'em! Thanks Danielle! I think I have something for you as well."
Marty reached under the tree and pulled out a present and handed it over the younger sister which contained a collection of CD's that any normal teenage girl would like but her parents were less likely to approve of.
Danielle's eyes lit up. "Coooooool," she said, and went for the big box before anyone else could think about opening anything. "And this is my CD player," she said, tearing the wrapping off. "Mom, can I listen to this?"
"It's not very Christmasy," Patty sighed, then added with the patience of a woman with two teenagers. "Go ahead. Not too loud!"
Danielle managed to refrain from breaking anyone's eardrums, but barely. Her parents grumbled indulgently as they opened sweaters and mugs from Angela and Danielle.
Angela smiled shyly. "And this is for you, too," she told Marty, holding out a large flat box. "I hope it's the right style and everything."
Marty gently played with the collar on the pin-striped dove grey suit before leaning over to give Angela a kiss on the cheek (when he thought her parents might not be looking). "It's perfect. It'll shock everyone to see me not wearing black but I think they'll get over it."
"I figure we need to introduce color into your life slowly," Angela said. "Maybe next year you'll be into navy, and then maybe browns."
"Whoa. Hey now," Marty said holding up both hands. "Let's not get crazy now. Brown? I mean really."
Graham chuckled as he reached behind the tree and pulled out a padded envelope with a big bow on it. "And now for Angela's big gift. I think you'll like it honey. It's just the right size."
Angela frowned in concentration as she opened the thick packet. The return address had been masked with a patch declaring the envelope a delivery from the North Pole, but as soon as a shiny brochure slid into her hands, she knew what it was.
Pure joy erupted over her face, and she gave both of her parents hugs before turning to Marty. "University of New York," she explained rapidly, shoving brochures at him. "I applied early decision? And look, they accepted me for a slot in the creative writing program, class of 2001. With a 50-percent merit scholarship." She was bouncing. "New York!"
Marty gave her a soft smile and followed it up with a big hug. "New York!" he tried to say with excitement of a brave little toaster.
Marty faked brave-little-toasterdom pretty well, or maybe Angela just really needed to be happy right then. "It will be awesome," she said, adding "I'll miss you" into his neck.
Then she straightened and grinned at her family. "Merry Christmas."
[OOC: Preplayed with chasingangela and NFB due to distance. University of New York is a fictional version of NYU from the program Felicity.]
"Angela? It's Christmas. We have to get up."
Angela blinked one eye open and goggled at the clock. "It's 7:30. Can we sleep?"
Danielle pouted. "But I know mom got me a CD player and I really want to open it." A pause, then a burst of charity: "I'll let you use it if you wake mom and dad up."
That was a deal, and 15 minutes later, the four Chases and Marty were settled downstairs with mugs of coffee or cocoa and a platter of warm muffins. Graham waved his mug at Marty. "Do you want to go first, son?" he asked.
If Marty was looking a little more awkward than usual? It was because he was feeling that way. His usual family Christmas was never... well anything like this.
"Um. Sure," Marty said looking around under the tree. "Um. How do you guys do this? Giving? Receiving? Everyone dives in and every person for themselves?"
"We used to just dive in," Patty said. "But since the girls got older, we try to do it one at a time and take turns."
"It usually lasts until Angela gets grabby," Danielle added.
The maligned Angela gave Marty a look, and grumbled, "Do not."
Marty snickered and held up a rectangular felt box which had a smaller box on top with a tag that had Angela's name on it. "So you wouldn't want to open this?"
Angela's look was a millimeter away from a glare, but she quickly softened it. "I didn't say that ..." she admitted, grabbing for the gift.
Her face broke into a grin as she opened it. "It's beautiful," she said, admiring the journal. "Thanks, love."
Marty flushed slightly as he gave a sidelong glance to Angela's parents. "Well I figured you... New York. Writing."
"Your boyfriend is so articulate," Patty said to Angela, a little more sharply than she meant it. she smiled at Marty. "We're so excited Angela is following her dreams."
Danielle poked a box toward Marty. "Open this," she ordered. Inside, he would find a hand-held poker game.
"Yes Ma'am," Marty said dutifully. "Oh this is cool! Texas Hold 'em! Thanks Danielle! I think I have something for you as well."
Marty reached under the tree and pulled out a present and handed it over the younger sister which contained a collection of CD's that any normal teenage girl would like but her parents were less likely to approve of.
Danielle's eyes lit up. "Coooooool," she said, and went for the big box before anyone else could think about opening anything. "And this is my CD player," she said, tearing the wrapping off. "Mom, can I listen to this?"
"It's not very Christmasy," Patty sighed, then added with the patience of a woman with two teenagers. "Go ahead. Not too loud!"
Danielle managed to refrain from breaking anyone's eardrums, but barely. Her parents grumbled indulgently as they opened sweaters and mugs from Angela and Danielle.
Angela smiled shyly. "And this is for you, too," she told Marty, holding out a large flat box. "I hope it's the right style and everything."
Marty gently played with the collar on the pin-striped dove grey suit before leaning over to give Angela a kiss on the cheek (when he thought her parents might not be looking). "It's perfect. It'll shock everyone to see me not wearing black but I think they'll get over it."
"I figure we need to introduce color into your life slowly," Angela said. "Maybe next year you'll be into navy, and then maybe browns."
"Whoa. Hey now," Marty said holding up both hands. "Let's not get crazy now. Brown? I mean really."
Graham chuckled as he reached behind the tree and pulled out a padded envelope with a big bow on it. "And now for Angela's big gift. I think you'll like it honey. It's just the right size."
Angela frowned in concentration as she opened the thick packet. The return address had been masked with a patch declaring the envelope a delivery from the North Pole, but as soon as a shiny brochure slid into her hands, she knew what it was.
Pure joy erupted over her face, and she gave both of her parents hugs before turning to Marty. "University of New York," she explained rapidly, shoving brochures at him. "I applied early decision? And look, they accepted me for a slot in the creative writing program, class of 2001. With a 50-percent merit scholarship." She was bouncing. "New York!"
Marty gave her a soft smile and followed it up with a big hug. "New York!" he tried to say with excitement of a brave little toaster.
Marty faked brave-little-toasterdom pretty well, or maybe Angela just really needed to be happy right then. "It will be awesome," she said, adding "I'll miss you" into his neck.
Then she straightened and grinned at her family. "Merry Christmas."
[OOC: Preplayed with chasingangela and NFB due to distance. University of New York is a fictional version of NYU from the program Felicity.]