The Twelve Days of Christmas
Title: The Twelve Days of Christmas
Chapter: The 2nd Day of Christmas, Oh Christmas Tree Pt. 2
Author: AGDoren
Rating: Mature
Genre: Family/Humor, Modern/AU
Spoilers: none
Characters, pairings and trioings: Guinevere, Merlin, Arthur, Tom, Elyan, Uther, Igraine, Morgana, Hunith as well as original characters Beverly- Gwen's mother and Tom's wife, Janine- Gwen's older sister. Merlin/Gwen/Arthur, Uther/Igraine, Tom/Beverly
Summary: Merlin, Guinevere and Arthur set out to find the perfect Christmas tree but with Christmas just twelve days away it's no easy task. How far will they have to go for the perfect tree?
Author's notes: This was a originally a much shorter fill an MC6 fic battle prompt but I always wanted to make it longer. The fic will include Twelve Chapters, a prologue and an epilogue, expect short updates daily through Christmas, and enjoy my gift to you. All location mentioned are real places in and around Chicago, IL.
2nd Day of Christmas, Oh Christmas Tree Pt. 2
When Gwen woke up in the morning Merlin and Arthur were gone, the bedding around her was cool. She had a text though, 'gone to the hardware store back soon. Then we'll go out for Christmas trees.' She'd already made up her mind to get the first nice tree she saw. All day Saturday on tree shopping was more than enough. Gwen wrapped herself in her fuzzy, calf length fleece robe and had a bowl of cereal for breakfast, more than a little pleased at being alone. As much as she loved her two men she cherished her time to herself.
She made a call to Holzkopf's Meat Market and ordered three ducks and a 15 pound rack of lamb; everyone agreed that they wanted leftovers. Holzkopf's was all the way north but they were one of the best butchers in the city and since Arthur couldn't cook he was de facto errand boy.
With that crossed off the list Guinevere settled in for a nice relaxing afternoon. She turned on her R&B playlist, had a nice relaxing bath and gave herself an avocado facial. She'd just settled down on the couch with a glass of red wine when her phone played the Michael Myers theme, her sister, Janine's ring tone. She ignored it and let the call go to voice-mail. They hadn't talked since their fight and Gwen wasn't going to let another argument with her sister ruin her Sunday afternoon.
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“Why don't you want to be happy?" Janine got to her feet. "Is it really that hard for you to be by yourself? Are you desperate?"
Gwen stared at Janine for a moment, she had thought she was prepared for the strength of her sister's reaction.
"It's not like that!"
"It's not? What, ya'll are in love?"
"Yeah as a matter of fact we are."
"Riiiight!" Janine rolled her eyes. "No, maybe they're in love with each other. I bet this was Merlin's idea."
"No we both wanted it."
"Both of ya'll?"Janine stared at her.
"Look Janine I know this is strange and it doesn't make sense but its right for us."
"No what's right is for you to have one straight man or try being alone, but this, this- whatever it is, is ridic. I know a therapist-" Janine picked up her phone as if to call this therapist on the spot.
Gwen leapt to her feet.
"I don't need a therapist!" She snarled and snatched the phone out of her sister's hand.
"Gimmie my phone. I was just gonna look up the phone number." Janine held out her hand and Gwen slapped the phone down on her sister's palm.
For a moment both women glared at each other and Janine looked away.
"Listen to me for a second Gwen. You're smart, you're pretty, you don't have kids, you have a job, you're kinda' light skinned, you got that good hair."
Gwen pursed her lips frowning with disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
"My point is there is nothing wrong with you. You could easily get a good guy, a great guy that is into women."
"Arthur and Merlin are into women. If you'd just listen-"
"Listen to you talk crazy while you let two white dudes take advantage of you." Janine said exasperated. "They don't love you; you're a novelty, some little black girl that they can just toss aside when they’re done with you."
"Get out. Get out of my apartment right now! Right now just go!"
Janine opened her mouth to say something else-
"Now! Go!"
"Fine bye. I gotta pick up my kids anyway." Janine grabbed her purse and left. As soon as she heard the door shut Gwen started to shake before sinking down onto the couch, crying.
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"Damn it!"
Gwen picked up her cell phone. No calls, no text messages from Arthur or Merlin except for the one they'd sent hours ago. Why did they have get up at who-ha early in the morning and sneak off without her? Why did they have to make her feel that Janine might be right?
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"Where have you two been?"
Arthur and Merlin looked at each other. This was not quite the homecoming they had expected. That Gwen was wearing a green face mask was not a surprise, that she had a glass of wine, or was listening to Boys 2 Men also not a surprising.
"Out," Arthur said and groaned inwardly.
"We went to get you a surprise." Merlin explained and shot him a glare.
"And you had to sneak off at the crack of dawn for this surprise?"
They started to explain but Gwen held up both hands stopping them.
"I'm trying to relax," she said, clearly not at all relaxed. Gwen laid back down on the couch and put the cucumber slices back on top of her eyes.
"But the surprise-" Arthur said bewildered.
"In fifteen minutes."
"But-"
"I said 15 minutes. Is that too much to ask for?"
Arthur glanced at Merlin who looked back at him with helpless confusion. After a moment he went back into the hallway. He was tempted to just drag her stupid tree into the apartment and let her see it for herself but that wasn't how they'd planned to present it. He'd wait her stupid fifteen minutes and then she could see for herself.
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Merlin looked at the apartment door and Gwen determinedly relaxing on the couch and sighed. They hadn't been a trio long but they each took turns going out in pairs so Gwen demanding where they'd been and accusing them of sneaking out left him just a bit confused and mildly annoyed. He took off his coat and shoes and put them away in one of the bedroom closets and went back into the living room. She didn't seem to have moved.
"Gwen-"
"Ahhh," she held up one hand. "Damn! Didn't I say I wanted fifteen minutes, can't you wait fifteen minutes?"
He started to say something but sighed and gave up. Merlin wandered into the kitchen. They hadn't bothered with breakfast before leaving and he had had a taste for potatoes and eggs for breakfast. He didn't really know what was bothering Gwen but she didn't really get mad or short or snippy for no reason. Perhaps disappearing for hours without an explanation hadn't been the best plan after all. Merlin smiled to himself, he could do a lot in the kitchen in fifteen minutes.
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At first she didn't hear anything but the occasional sound of Merlin moving about in the kitchen and her playlist. After a while the most delicious smells started to waft into the living room, butter, onions, garlic, sausage and the incongruous fragrance of cinnamon. Her stomach rumbled and her mind supplied the words omelets and French toast. She told herself not to move to lie on the couch and pretend Merlin probably hadn't started making her favorite breakfast. Her stomach rumbled again with a fierceness that startled her, apparently a bowl of cereal wasn't going to cut it. Gwen got up from the couch and went into the kitchen.
She found Merlin standing over the stove, with his ear buds in humming happily and bopping his head to some jaunty song she couldn't hear. She crept up behind him and peaked at skillets on the stove. In pan there were onions, garlic, red and orange pepper and chorizo in another battered for slices of battered bread sizzled contentedly. She smiled a bit and then Merlin took a step backwards.
She yelped and jumped backwards even as Merlin whirled around to stare at her in surprise.
"When did you-" he paused. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She said one hand to her nose and waved him off with the other."Where's Arthur?"
"In the hallway with your surprise," Merlin said.
"Oh. I guess I should go tell him the fifteen minutes are up."
"Probably."
"Breakfast smells wonderful by the way."
"Thanks." He smiled and Gwen held his eyes.
Gwen hurried down the hall feeling both curious and a bit guilty. Merlin was making her favorite breakfast and Arthur was standing guard over some surprise in the hall like a little boy exiled to his room. She opened the apartment door.
"Arthur I-" Gwen froze. He was standing picture perfect next to a full, lush red cedar fir, (which of course had no red in it) nearly a foot taller than himself and grinning like he was in some sort of Christmas tree ad.
"Oh my god, it’s the most beautiful tree." She smiled "Thank you." She put her arms around him. "Thank you, thank you. It's just like the ones my dad and granddad used to bring home. Thank you."
She stood on tiptoe to give Arthur a kiss on the cheek.
"Well you're welcome." He smiled down at her and gently leant the tree against the wall. "But Merlin helped too. He has this picture from when you two were about fourteen and he helped you guys decorate your tree. That's how we decided which tree to get."
For a long moment she just stared at him with a disbelieving smile on her face.
"Guinevere can you help me get the tree in the apartment?"
"Yeah," She nodded. They got the tree back onto the old bed sheet and lifting the four corners brought it into the apartment.
"I have to go thank Merlin," she said as soon as they sat the tree down. Gwen found him still in the kitchen with a stack of French toast four slices high and two perfect looking omelets covered with lids to keep them warm.
"Merlin," she said and he turned from the stove to face her. She went to him without a word and put one arm around his waist, gently pulling out the ear buds with her other hand. "You still have that picture from when we were fourteen at Christmas?"
"Yeah."
"You kept it all this time?"
He nodded face and ears just a bit pink.
"Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss. "I love you Merlin."
"I love you too."