I (Won't) Be Home For Christmas (Chloe, Lois, etc., PG, 2/5)
Title: I (Won't) Be Home For Christmas
Series: Road Less Traveled
Author: Karen U
Pairing/Character: Chloe, Lois, Jo, Ellen
Disclaimer: No one you recognize belongs to me
Rating: PG
Prompt: #92 Christmas. This is for crossovers100
Summary: a change of scenery for Christmas... and maybe beyond it.
Spoilers: for Smallville, my own version of season 7. A lot of elements of season 7 will show up, but not necessarily in order, and probably with my own twist. For Supernatural, post-season 2. Starts several months after season 2 ended.
Warnings: Nothing, really. There may be some mild language at some point in the fic.
Part Two
Ellen Harvelle arched a brow, watching as her only daughter pulled the curtains aside to look out the window. "Joanna Beth, looking out that window five times in ten minutes isn't going to make them get here any sooner," she said, though her tone was mild rather than scolding. It had been three days since her niece Lois Lane had called and proposed a quick visit for the holidays, and Ellen hadn't been able to say no. Not just because Jo had been sending her pleading eyes, but because she also really wanted to see the girl. It came with a nice added bonus, too... Lois wasn't the only one coming. Chloe was coming, too. Ellen hadn't seen either of the girls in quite some time, and even though they came from Bill's side of the family and he'd been gone for years, they were still her nieces. They were family. And damned if it wasn't nice to be having family come to visit for the holidays.
Jo sent her mother a look, wrinkling up her nose as she stepped away from the window. "I can't help it. I'm just excited."
"I know you are. It's good to see you excited," Ellen said, then continued after a brief pause. "It's nice to have something to look forward to. The past year's been real tough."
"But we got through it," Jo reminded her. "We have a new Roadhouse, and it's open, and... We're making it."
"I know we are," the older of the women said, her eyes on her daughter. "You know, I probably don't say it nearly enough, but you're my daughter, and I love you, Jo."
"I love you, too, Mom," the blonde said, making her way across the living room to give her mother a hug, and if both of them held on a moment longer than they usually would, that was okay. They'd been through a hell of a lot in the past year and a half, and they both needed the hug. Jo managed a smile as she stepped back from her mother. "You know, for once, it's a good thing that we were so late getting gifts ready to ship, because this way... The presents for Chloe and Lois are already here. Or, rather, they're still here."
Ellen smiled slightly at that, then glanced at their tree, which was actually now decorated - Jo had decorated in almost record time since finding out her cousins were coming to visit. There were even gifts under the tree... The gifts they'd bought for each other, as well as the ones for Lois and Chloe. There were also gifts from Lois and Chloe to them. Chloe had sent them a week or so before the decision to visit had been made, and Ellen and Jo had decided to wait until Christmas to open them. Now, they were glad they'd waited. "Been awhile since we had any family around for Christmas. Aside from the two of us, that is."
Jo was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, it has. With Dad gone and Lois's mom gone and Chloe's mom..." She trailed off, shook her head. "Our family's all sorts of screwed up, you know."
"I know. But that's part of what makes us family," Ellen replied, putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders... Both of them freezing at the unmistakable sound of someone coming up the drive. Their house was behind the new Roadhouse that had been built, set back about a hundred yards away from the building, and it had its own separate drive. They rarely got visitors back here, and the Roadhouse was closed at the moment, seeing as both Ellen and Jo were back at the house, which could only mean one thing: Chloe and Lois had finally arrived.
"They're here!" Jo practically chirped as she headed for the door, Ellen shaking her head as she followed behind. She wasn't sure when they last time she'd seen her daughter this happy was... Hell, she wasn't sure she'd ever seen her daughter this happy.
"Joanna Beth, you're not even wearing shoes! At least stay on the porch," the older woman scolded as she stepped out as well, taking a look at the vehicle that her nieces had arrived in. Chloe got out from the driver's side, leading Ellen to believe that the dark red SUV belonged to the little blonde. If it was, then it had to be - by Ellen's estimation - at least the third or fourth vehicle the girl'd had since the age of sixteen. The girl could be hard on cars.
"Aunt Ellen! Jo! You both look so great!" Lois declared as she climbed out of the passenger seat, the tall brunette skidding slightly across the snow as she worked her way to the porch to give her cousin and aunt hugs. She was the tallest of the women by a good two or three inches, her height coming from her dad's side of the family. Her mother, like Moira Sullivan, had been Bill Harvelle's sister, and none of them had been all that tall. That trait had been passed on to both Chloe and Jo - both of whom were about five foot four or so - which sometimes made Lois seem to tower over them since she stood at five feet eight.
Ellen smiled at the girls that were coming to stand in front of her. "You both look so gorgeous," she said, accepting the hug from Lois, then hugging Chloe in turn. "And you both look so grown up. Makes me feel old."
Jo smiled slightly. "You know, Mom... Lois is only a year or so older than me. Chloe is only a few months older than me," Jo reminded her mother, and Ellen sent her a look.
"Yes, I know. That's part of what's making me feel so old," the woman declared, then pointed toward the door. "Go put some shoes on, Jo. I'm sure that Chloe and Lois could use a little help getting their things inside."
For once, Jo didn't argue with her mother, instead heading inside to get her shoes and Ellen, who actually already had her shoes on, made her way down the porch steps with her nieces, intending to help them unload. She arched a brow when Chloe opened up the back of the vehicle.
"How long are you two planning on staying again?"
Chloe laughed. "Some of it's presents. We picked up a couple of extra things for you and Jo, and then we have our gifts for each other, and some gifts that friends sent us that we hadn't opened yet, so... Yeah. Then... When Mrs. Kent found out that we were heading out of town for Christmas, she sent some pies, so that's what's in the cooler, and then we have our clothes, and..." The blonde shrugged. "It turned into a lot of stuff."
"Things do add up," Ellen said with a nod, reaching in to grab one of the bags. "You brought someone else's pies, huh? That mean you don't trust my baking?"
"Of course not!" Lois protested, all innocence as she tugged the cooler out. "But we couldn’t very well turn Mrs. K down when she offered them to us - that would be rude - and well... This way, you don't have to spend as much time in the kitchen," the brunette said, and Ellen smiled at her niece.
"Good answer," she told her before heading toward the house, the older woman content in the knowledge that, for the first time in awhile, she was actually looking forward to Christmas.
end part two
Series: Road Less Traveled
Author: Karen U
Pairing/Character: Chloe, Lois, Jo, Ellen
Disclaimer: No one you recognize belongs to me
Rating: PG
Prompt: #92 Christmas. This is for crossovers100
Summary: a change of scenery for Christmas... and maybe beyond it.
Spoilers: for Smallville, my own version of season 7. A lot of elements of season 7 will show up, but not necessarily in order, and probably with my own twist. For Supernatural, post-season 2. Starts several months after season 2 ended.
Warnings: Nothing, really. There may be some mild language at some point in the fic.
Part Two
Ellen Harvelle arched a brow, watching as her only daughter pulled the curtains aside to look out the window. "Joanna Beth, looking out that window five times in ten minutes isn't going to make them get here any sooner," she said, though her tone was mild rather than scolding. It had been three days since her niece Lois Lane had called and proposed a quick visit for the holidays, and Ellen hadn't been able to say no. Not just because Jo had been sending her pleading eyes, but because she also really wanted to see the girl. It came with a nice added bonus, too... Lois wasn't the only one coming. Chloe was coming, too. Ellen hadn't seen either of the girls in quite some time, and even though they came from Bill's side of the family and he'd been gone for years, they were still her nieces. They were family. And damned if it wasn't nice to be having family come to visit for the holidays.
Jo sent her mother a look, wrinkling up her nose as she stepped away from the window. "I can't help it. I'm just excited."
"I know you are. It's good to see you excited," Ellen said, then continued after a brief pause. "It's nice to have something to look forward to. The past year's been real tough."
"But we got through it," Jo reminded her. "We have a new Roadhouse, and it's open, and... We're making it."
"I know we are," the older of the women said, her eyes on her daughter. "You know, I probably don't say it nearly enough, but you're my daughter, and I love you, Jo."
"I love you, too, Mom," the blonde said, making her way across the living room to give her mother a hug, and if both of them held on a moment longer than they usually would, that was okay. They'd been through a hell of a lot in the past year and a half, and they both needed the hug. Jo managed a smile as she stepped back from her mother. "You know, for once, it's a good thing that we were so late getting gifts ready to ship, because this way... The presents for Chloe and Lois are already here. Or, rather, they're still here."
Ellen smiled slightly at that, then glanced at their tree, which was actually now decorated - Jo had decorated in almost record time since finding out her cousins were coming to visit. There were even gifts under the tree... The gifts they'd bought for each other, as well as the ones for Lois and Chloe. There were also gifts from Lois and Chloe to them. Chloe had sent them a week or so before the decision to visit had been made, and Ellen and Jo had decided to wait until Christmas to open them. Now, they were glad they'd waited. "Been awhile since we had any family around for Christmas. Aside from the two of us, that is."
Jo was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, it has. With Dad gone and Lois's mom gone and Chloe's mom..." She trailed off, shook her head. "Our family's all sorts of screwed up, you know."
"I know. But that's part of what makes us family," Ellen replied, putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders... Both of them freezing at the unmistakable sound of someone coming up the drive. Their house was behind the new Roadhouse that had been built, set back about a hundred yards away from the building, and it had its own separate drive. They rarely got visitors back here, and the Roadhouse was closed at the moment, seeing as both Ellen and Jo were back at the house, which could only mean one thing: Chloe and Lois had finally arrived.
"They're here!" Jo practically chirped as she headed for the door, Ellen shaking her head as she followed behind. She wasn't sure when they last time she'd seen her daughter this happy was... Hell, she wasn't sure she'd ever seen her daughter this happy.
"Joanna Beth, you're not even wearing shoes! At least stay on the porch," the older woman scolded as she stepped out as well, taking a look at the vehicle that her nieces had arrived in. Chloe got out from the driver's side, leading Ellen to believe that the dark red SUV belonged to the little blonde. If it was, then it had to be - by Ellen's estimation - at least the third or fourth vehicle the girl'd had since the age of sixteen. The girl could be hard on cars.
"Aunt Ellen! Jo! You both look so great!" Lois declared as she climbed out of the passenger seat, the tall brunette skidding slightly across the snow as she worked her way to the porch to give her cousin and aunt hugs. She was the tallest of the women by a good two or three inches, her height coming from her dad's side of the family. Her mother, like Moira Sullivan, had been Bill Harvelle's sister, and none of them had been all that tall. That trait had been passed on to both Chloe and Jo - both of whom were about five foot four or so - which sometimes made Lois seem to tower over them since she stood at five feet eight.
Ellen smiled at the girls that were coming to stand in front of her. "You both look so gorgeous," she said, accepting the hug from Lois, then hugging Chloe in turn. "And you both look so grown up. Makes me feel old."
Jo smiled slightly. "You know, Mom... Lois is only a year or so older than me. Chloe is only a few months older than me," Jo reminded her mother, and Ellen sent her a look.
"Yes, I know. That's part of what's making me feel so old," the woman declared, then pointed toward the door. "Go put some shoes on, Jo. I'm sure that Chloe and Lois could use a little help getting their things inside."
For once, Jo didn't argue with her mother, instead heading inside to get her shoes and Ellen, who actually already had her shoes on, made her way down the porch steps with her nieces, intending to help them unload. She arched a brow when Chloe opened up the back of the vehicle.
"How long are you two planning on staying again?"
Chloe laughed. "Some of it's presents. We picked up a couple of extra things for you and Jo, and then we have our gifts for each other, and some gifts that friends sent us that we hadn't opened yet, so... Yeah. Then... When Mrs. Kent found out that we were heading out of town for Christmas, she sent some pies, so that's what's in the cooler, and then we have our clothes, and..." The blonde shrugged. "It turned into a lot of stuff."
"Things do add up," Ellen said with a nod, reaching in to grab one of the bags. "You brought someone else's pies, huh? That mean you don't trust my baking?"
"Of course not!" Lois protested, all innocence as she tugged the cooler out. "But we couldn’t very well turn Mrs. K down when she offered them to us - that would be rude - and well... This way, you don't have to spend as much time in the kitchen," the brunette said, and Ellen smiled at her niece.
"Good answer," she told her before heading toward the house, the older woman content in the knowledge that, for the first time in awhile, she was actually looking forward to Christmas.
end part two