Fic: The Beginning in the End
Title: The Beginning in the End
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (nylana)
Rating: G
Genre: Fluff, Romance, touch of Angst (because it's just not an apoca!fic without angst)
Word Count: 4,125
Characters/Pairings: April, Simon, Nathan, Penny, Evan, Harrison, Alex, Whitman, Lily (April/Simon, Evan/Penny, Whitman/Lily, Nathan/Alex)
Summary: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
A/N: So here we are. We've reached the end of the main arc, but this does NOT mean that we're finished with the apoca!fic, not by a long shot. Lindsay and I are both still brimming with ideas, so this definitely isn't the last you'll be hearing from these characters. It's hard to believe that this started with just a little casting picspam back in February, a meme I never even thought I'd do, and it just turned into all of this. I have to thank you guys, the "fans", whether you've been with this from the very beginning or caught up in the middle of it all, or even if it's a couple months from my writing this and you're just now getting here. There's only a few of you that I'm aware of, but your comments are something we look forward to with every new fic we post, and without your support and love for these characters, this probably wouldn't have grown the way that it did; I really hope you'll all continue to stick around for the fics we still intend to write and post. Most importantly, I have to thank Lindsay, my braintwin, for doing this with me. No matter what she says, I could not have done this without her. Without her, this whole thing would've probably ended after that first fic, but she encouraged me and supported me, listened to my ideas and contributed her own, and most especially contributed her amazing writing, and I feel so privileged to have been able to work on this with her. MY HEART, IT IS OVERFLOWING WITH LOVE ♥ And my brain, with ideas. This will never end, guys XD
B/N: I'll keep this short since Mary said most of what I wanted to say. This is really not the end, not by a long shot. Now I can work on all the plot bunnies that came up along the way! I didn't expect to love these characters as much as I do, but that's all Mary's doing. I thought maybe there would be a couple of fics, never that it would be this, never that I would enjoy and love this as much as I have. Thank you to the "fans" for your support and your love and your comments. I hope you keep sticking with us, there is so much more to tell.
Simon sat cross-legged on the bed, watching April sleep. He glanced over at the clock and wondered how much longer it would be until she woke up.
His stomach twisted and he took a breath, looking down at the ring between his fingers. He turned it slightly, watching it shine dimly in the early morning sunlight, and felt his nerve starting to slip yet again.
April shifted suddenly and Simon looked up, closing his fist around the ring as her eyes opened.
"Morning," she murmured, looking amused as she sat up and pushed her hair from her face. "You're up early."
"Yeah," Simon replied, smiling nervously at her.
The corner of her mouth rose slightly as she looked at him and Simon took another breath, looking down at his hands.
"I've been carrying this around for a couple of weeks, trying to get up the nerve to give it to you, and decided... what better day than Christmas? Plus, I think my dad might actually kill me if you're not wearing it today," he added, laughing slightly.
"What is it?" April asked, smiling curiously.
"This," Simon answered, blowing out his breath as he opened his fist. He took the ring between his fingers and held it up, raising his eyes to April's face. Her smile faded as her mouth fell open, a small frown creasing her brow.
"It's not - it's not an engagement ring," he said quickly, "unless - unless you want it to be." He frowned contemplatively down at the ring. "It was my mum's, and I was just thinking... if you wanted to, you could - you could wear it."
He stared anxiously at April for a moment and then looked down at the ring before taking a breath and laying it gently between them on the bed.
April was silent and Simon held his breath as he stared at the ring, not quite able to look at her face. A moment later he saw April reach forward and take the ring in her fingers; he followed her movements with his eyes, watching as she held it for a second before slipping it onto her finger.
His eyes snapped to her face and his breath left him in a loud whoosh when he saw her broad grin and bright eyes.
"Yeah?" he said quietly.
She nodded and laughed as he rose to his knees, moving towards her and pressing his lips to hers as he buried his fingers in her hair.
"I don't need for it to be an engagement ring," she said softly when he pulled away. "It can be a... a 'property of Simon Gates' ring."
Simon winced and shook his head. "You're not my property, you're just... you're my April."
April giggled softly, clasping her hands at the back of his neck as she kissed him again.
"All right, we can call it..." She paused, looking thoughtful, and then smiled. "We can call it a forever ring."
"Forever?" Simon echoed, grinning slightly.
"Yeah," April replied, her fingers threading in his hair. "Forever."
"I like that."
April's lips curved upward and Simon leaned forward to kiss her again, slipping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly.
Nathan looked up and smiled when he noticed that April and Simon had arrived. He made his way over to them, shaking hands and exchanging Christmas greetings as he passed through the crowd.
He clapped a hand on Simon's shoulder, grinning up at his son.
"You sure clean up nicely."
Simon snorted laughter. "Thanks, Dad."
"Aren't you going to tell me I look nice?" April asked, twitching the skirt of her dress.
"'Nice' isn't really the word I'd use," Nathan replied as he looked her up and down.
April's face fell and Simon frowned. Nathan grinned and stepped forward.
"You look beautiful," he said, pressing a kiss to April's cheek.
"Thanks," she said when he pulled away, laughing as she smacked his arm.
"Ow," Nathan muttered, rubbing his arm as Simon smirked.
April shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Is Penny here yet?"
"Yeah." Nathan turned to squint through the crowd. "Last I saw her she was with Evan and Harrison over there," he said, pointing.
April nodded and turned towards Simon. "I'm gonna go talk to her."
"All right," Simon said, smiling and slipping his arm around her as he kissed her.
His hand lingered on her waist as she moved away, the fabric of her dress slipping through his fingers until she was out of reach.
Nathan glanced back at her as she walked away, and then looked again when he noticed the ring sparkling on her finger.
"You finally gave it to her?" he asked as he looked at Simon.
"This morning," Simon replied, grinning a little sheepishly as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Jesus, son, it's about damn time."
"Shut up, Dad," Simon said, laughing and shaking his head as he looked away.
April found Penny by the window and smiled as she pulled her into a hug, wishing her a merry Christmas.
"You look tired," April said when she pulled away, peering closely at Penny's face.
"Life with a two-month-old," Penny said, and then smiled contentedly. "It's a good life though."
"Yeah," April murmured and then grinned, reaching forward and tugging gently on one of Penny's curls. "Where's Evan?"
"Right here," Evan said from behind her, placing his hand on her arm as he bent to kiss her cheek.
April grinned at him as he moved to stand next to Penny, handing her a glass of juice. He asked April if she wanted anything and she shook her head.
"Where's Sammy?"
"Dad has him," Penny said, smiling slightly. "Showing him off to anybody who will let him."
April grinned and opened her mouth to speak just as Penny glanced down.
"What's this?" she asked, her eyes widening as she grabbed April's hand and stared at the ring on her finger.
"Simon gave it to me this morning," April said, amused at Penny's expression.
"Is it-"
April shook her head. "No, it's just... a ring." She frowned slightly. "I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it's not an engagement ring." She smiled as she looked at it. "He said it was his mother's."
"I thought it looked familiar," Penny murmured as Harrison appeared next to them.
"There's my Sammy!" April exclaimed happily. Harrison grinned as he handed her the baby; he knew better than to ask if she wanted to hold him. Sam smiled at her and she laughed, hugging him to her.
"He's getting so big," she murmured, bouncing him gently and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
"Yeah, he eats like his father," Penny said, grinning as she nudged Evan.
"Hey!" Evan said indignantly, and then laughed as he pulled Penny to him, kissing her temple.
April giggled, resting her cheek lightly against Sam's head as she lightly rubbed his back.
Alex stared uncertainly around, feeling out of place amid all of the White House staff and assorted congressmen and senators. She contemplated slipping out, sure that nobody would miss her, when Nathan appeared suddenly at her side.
"Hey," she said, slightly startled as she looked at him.
"Glad you came," he said, smiling at her.
"Harrison invited me, figured I should make an appearance." She paused, looking around again. "I didn't realize it was dress up, though," she said, self-consciously smoothing her skirt.
"It is the White House Christmas party," Nathan replied, sounding slightly disappointed as he took in her usual blouse and skirt.
"Well, it's not like I come to these often," Alex said, giving Nathan a sidelong look.
Nathan grinned. "Do you want something to drink?"
Alex shook her head. "Not sure if I'll stay very long."
"You have other plans?" Nathan asked, watching her closely.
Alex shrugged. "Get some work done at the lab; still trying to sort out the gene therapy. I'll probably get something to eat somewhere later."
"I wouldn't really call that 'plans'," Nathan said, frowning slightly.
"Well, I don't really have anybody to spend Christmas with. I haven't for a while."
"Then you'll have dinner with us," Nathan said decisively.
Alex looked at him sharply, already shaking her head. "Nathan-"
"I won't take no for an answer," Nathan said, talking over her. "Dinner's at seven, and don't you dare feel obligated to bring anything."
He raised his eyebrows at her and she laughed softly, pushing her hair behind her ears as she nodded.
"All right, I'll come."
"Excellent," Nathan said, grinning broadly.
Whitman walked slowly down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets as he stared down at his feet.
He'd gone home after his shift ended but found that he was too restless to sit in his small apartment by himself.
He thought back to the Christmas party; he'd seen the ring on April's finger and had wondered if it was an engagement ring. He supposed it wasn't, but he wouldn't have been surprised if it was.
He'd watched them over the course of the afternoon, noticing the easy way Simon's arm slipped around April's waist and the relaxed way she leaned against him.
He'd spent so much time over the past seven years convincing himself that they wouldn't last, that she wasn't happy with him, that he wasn't good enough for her, but over the last few months he'd come to realize, however begrudgingly, that Simon was better for April than he, Whitman, ever could have been.
He sighed and kicked a pebble with the toe of his boot, listening to it skitter across the road.
He was over April now, but found that he still felt a strange sense of longing every time he saw her. It wasn't until fairly recently that he realized what it was: he was lonely.
He'd always been lonely, throughout most of his life, really, but lately he'd been becoming more aware of it, and realizing how much he hated it. Maybe it was an age thing; he was 40, and certainly wasn't getting any younger.
It wasn't that he wanted kids; he knew he'd be a terrible father. He just wanted someone that got him the way Simon and April did each other, someone he could trust and who could trust him, someone who could look at all of the mistakes he'd made and still like him anyway.
He sighed again and looked up, glancing at the large church across the street as it loomed up on the right. His eyes followed the steeple to where it seemed to pierce the clouds hanging in the sky and he scowled at the idea of more snow.
He lowered his gaze and started to look away when he thought he recognized a figure walking down the sidewalk towards the church. He watched her for a moment, thinking the purse looked familiar, and then she glanced across the street, swinging her long brown hair over her shoulder.
"Lily?" Whitman muttered, frowning as he watched her climb the steps of the church and disappear inside.
He stood in place for a moment and then started across the street. He debated going inside and then moved to lean against the wall while he waited for her to come out.
It didn't take long for her to appear on the steps again and he said her name as he walked forward.
She turned to look and then smiled when she saw him.
"Hey," she said. "Merry Christmas."
"Same to you," Whitman replied, hands in his pockets as he looked at her. "What're you doing here?" he asked, glancing pointedly at the church.
"Even hookers have morals," she replied, grinning slightly.
Whitman frowned and Lily's expression softened.
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Whit."
He stared at her for a moment, and something suddenly clicked into place, like the last piece to a puzzle he'd been working on for months.
"I'd like to learn," he said softly.
She was silent, contemplating him, and then she stepped forward, gripping the lapels of his jacket in her hands and pulling him down to kiss her.
"Buy me dinner," she said when she pulled away, smiling slightly.
"Buy you dinner?"
Lily nodded. "I'm a cheap date -"
Whitman's eyebrows shot up as a disbelieving snort escaped him.
"Shut up," Lily said, laughing as she pushed lightly against his chest. "There's this restaurant on the corner, just up ahead, that makes some of the best burgers in the city. One of those little places that's actually open on Christmas."
Whitman grinned, bemused as he looked down at her.
"That's where I was headed."
Lily's smile widened. "Then it was meant to be." Her hand slid down his arm, her fingers weaving through his as she started to tug him down the sidewalk.
He chuckled softly and allowed himself to be led.
Alex stood on Nathan's front porch, feeling self-conscious for the second time that day as she raised her hand to ring the doorbell.
Her grip tightened around the wine bottle in her hand and she had a moment to wonder if this was a mistake before the door opened.
"Hey," April said, smiling brightly as she stood to the side. "Come on in."
Alex smiled back as she stepped over the threshold, her eyes sweeping over April. She took in the younger girl's shining green dress, noticing the way it hugged her curves, and felt a brief flash of envy which quickly disappeared when April pulled her into a warm hug.
"I'm so glad you came," April said when she pulled away. "Wasn't sure I wanted to spend Christmas with just these two for company."
"Hey," Simon said as he stepped into the foyer, "don't pretend like you don't enjoy our company. You love us."
April grinned up at him as he came to stand beside her. "Yeah, I suppose I do."
Simon smiled and bent to kiss her before she stepped into the dining room to finish setting the table.
Simon moved to stand behind Alex and tugged gently on her coat. She allowed him to slip it off, turning towards him as he hung it on one of the hooks next to the door. She took a moment to really notice how nice he looked, so different from when they were together while she was working, and then he turned to face her. His eyebrow shot up when he saw her dress and she eyed him as she adjusted the straps on her shoulders.
"Shut up," she muttered, pointing a finger at him as he opened his mouth to comment.
He laughed and held his hands up. "I was only going to say that Dad's in the kitchen."
April giggled softly and Alex glanced over at her.
"Through there," April said, gesturing with the knife in her hand before she laid it on the table.
Alex nodded and started to turn away when she noticed something strange about Simon.
"What?" he asked, eyeing her warily.
"You've got something..." She raised her hand and he shied away from her. "Will you hold still?"
"You have been known to smack me upside the head before," Simon said, raising his eyebrows at her as April snorted laughter.
Alex gave him a look. "I'm not going to smack you, you've just got -" Her fingers closed over his earlobe and she frowned as she pulled her hand away. "Is that flour?"
Simon's hand flew up to his ear as he looked sharply at April. "You said I got it all!"
"So I missed a spot, stop whining and go clean it off," April said, rolling her eyes.
Simon hurried off to the bathroom and April and Alex shared a grin before Alex continued to the kitchen.
Nathan looked up at the sound of her footsteps and froze in the act of moving an empty pot from the island to the sink. His eyes widened slightly and Alex nervously smoothed the skirt of her dress, and then jumped when the pot slipped from his hands and hit the floor with a loud clang.
"Shit," Nathan muttered as he glanced down and then back at Alex. "Hi," he said, smiling broadly.
"Hi," Alex replied, smiling back as she hesitantly stepped forward.
Nathan retrieved the pot and dropped it into the sink before he stepped around the island, wiping his hands on a towel as he looked down.
"Oh, good, you brought wine," he said, taking the bottle from her and staring at the label.
"You were expecting me to?" Alex asked, raising her eyebrows. "You told me not to bring anything."
"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to actually listen to me," Nathan replied, the corner of his mouth rising in a smirk as he set the bottle on the counter. He pulled a corkscrew from one of the drawers and held it out to Alex.
"If you want to open it while I finish getting dinner ready?"
"Sure," Alex said, her fingers brushing his as she took the utensil from him.
She stepped over to the counter and had just placed the corkscrew on the neck of the bottle when a hot wave of embarrassment flooded through her.
"I just realized, you can't drink this," she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head at her own stupidity.
"You and April can," Nathan said absently, the sound of a spoon clanging against ceramic as he poured something into a bowl. A moment later he was beside her.
"Hey," he murmured, "it's all right. It's no big deal, Simon and I will get by on water and coffee like we always do." He reached up and opened the cabinet door, pulling out two wine glasses and setting them carefully on the counter.
She looked up at him and he smiled gently before he stepped away again.
They were in the living room after dinner, Simon, April, and Alex on the couch as Nathan sat in his usual chair. April and Alex were slightly giggly from the wine, and Simon glanced over at Nathan.
"Did we look that dumb when we drank?" he asked in an undertone, frowning slightly.
There was a beat of silence and then Nathan shifted in his seat.
"Well, I didn't, but you were always pretty giggly."
Simon rolled his eyes as April and Alex laughed, and then he grunted when April elbowed him in the stomach.
"Did you just call me dumb?" she asked, her gaze sharp as she looked at him.
Simon glanced at Nathan, who shook his head slightly before standing.
"Who wants dessert?" he asked as he started towards the kitchen. "Alex, do you want to help?"
"Yes," she said quickly, glancing at Simon and April as she stood to follow Nathan.
She laughed quietly as Simon began to stammer his apology and Nathan grinned as he and Alex entered the kitchen.
"He'll be fine," Nathan said as he pulled two pies from the microwave. He placed them on the island and removed the foil coverings. "He's done worse than that."
"They're very sweet together," Alex murmured, watching Nathan pull a knife from the drawer.
"Yeah," Nathan said, smiling fondly as he sliced into each pie. "Right," he said once he finished. "What's your flavor? There's pumpkin and apple."
"Did you bake them?" Alex asked as she walked around the island.
"My kitchen prowess ends at cooking," Nathan said, chuckling. "Could never quite get the hang of baking. April made these; Simon tried to help."
"Explains the flour," Alex murmured, laughing softly. She edged closer to Nathan. "Which one will you have?"
Nathan's mouth twisted as he contemplated the two pies, drumming his fingers on the countertop.
"Well, April will probably want the apple, and Simon the pumpkin. I may have to try a bit of each."
"I think I'll do that too," Alex said decisively before looking up at Nathan.
He smiled at her and she realized suddenly just how close he was. There was a heartbeat's hesitation and then he turned towards her. His hand moved along the counter, his fingertips brushing against the side of her hand, and her skin very nearly tingled from his touch.
Her heart pounded in her ears as he leaned towards her and his breath was warm against her mouth when footsteps suddenly sounded from the hallway, followed by Simon's voice.
Alex gasped softly and stepped away from Nathan, putting some space between them just as Simon stepped into the kitchen. Her face felt like it was on fire and she busied herself with looking for some forks.
"April told me to see if you guys needed any help," Simon said, completely oblivious to what he had almost walked in on. "And she said she wanted apple."
"Right," Nathan murmured, clearing his throat.
Alex heard the clink of plates as he took one from the small stack on the island and she took a breath to regain her composure before she turned around, laying four forks on the counter next to the plates.
Nathan served up Alex and April's portions first and Alex seized the plates, needing to get out of the overly warm kitchen.
She handed April her plate and she murmured her thanks as Alex sat down beside her on the couch.
"Are you all right?" April asked after a moment, peering closely at Alex. "Your face is awfully red."
"Fine," Alex replied, probably a little too quickly. "It's just really warm in the kitchen. All the - all the cooking."
"Right," April murmured, a small smile on her face as she turned her attention to her plate.
The evening wore on and by ten o'clock April was leaning comfortably against Simon, her head on his shoulder and her eyelids heavy. Alex and Nathan were discussing something to do with her research and April was only half listening, smiling slightly as Simon's fingers absently stroked the skin of her upper arm.
"Think it's time for you guys to go home," Nathan said suddenly, his tone amused.
April's eyes snapped open and she realized she'd dozed off.
Nathan smiled warmly at her when she looked at him and the corner of her mouth rose as she sat up.
"You ready to go?" Simon asked softly, looking down at her.
She nodded, stifling a yawn with her hand. "Sorry," she said to Nathan, smiling sheepishly.
He waved a hand at her. "Don't apologize, it's late and you're full of my delicious dinner and your delicious pie. Speaking of which," he said as he stood, "come into the kitchen, Simon, and I'll give you guys some food to take with you."
April shifted over and Simon stood, following his father into the kitchen.
"Where's the bathroom?" Alex asked once they'd gone.
"Down the hall," April replied, pointing. "Third door on the left."
"Thanks," Alex said, smiling slightly as she stood.
April smiled back and watched Alex go before standing as well, stretching her arms up over her head as she wandered over to the window.
She looked up at the sky, eyeing the clouds and wondering if it would snow tonight, and then lowered her gaze to the small table under the window. She smiled slightly as her eyes traveled over the pictures of Simon when he was young, some of just him and some of him with his parents. She found herself wishing, as she sometimes did when she looked at these pictures, that she could have known Simon's mother; she wondered from time to time if Emily would have liked her, and if they would have been friends.
She sighed softly and pulled her gaze from the table, turning away from the window and thinking about going into the kitchen to see if Simon and Nathan needed help.
She glanced at the bookshelf against the wall as she started to walk around the couch and then stopped when her eyes fell on another picture. She slowly stepped over to the bookshelf, frowning slightly as she stared at the black and white photo.
It was of Sam, younger than when she'd known him, leaning back in his chair with his feet up on his desk. He was laughing, looking utterly relaxed, and even as tears fell from April's eyes, she smiled.
Simon came up beside her and looked alarmed when he noticed the tears on her cheeks.
"Are you all right?" he asked softly, his hand light on her back.
"Yeah," April said, smiling as she swiped at her face.
"Ready to go?"
April nodded and Simon touched his lips to her forehead as he took her hand. She allowed him to pull her towards the door, glancing back just once and smiling again as a thought rose in her mind.
Merry Christmas, Sam.
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (nylana)
Rating: G
Genre: Fluff, Romance, touch of Angst (because it's just not an apoca!fic without angst)
Word Count: 4,125
Characters/Pairings: April, Simon, Nathan, Penny, Evan, Harrison, Alex, Whitman, Lily (April/Simon, Evan/Penny, Whitman/Lily, Nathan/Alex)
Summary: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
A/N: So here we are. We've reached the end of the main arc, but this does NOT mean that we're finished with the apoca!fic, not by a long shot. Lindsay and I are both still brimming with ideas, so this definitely isn't the last you'll be hearing from these characters. It's hard to believe that this started with just a little casting picspam back in February, a meme I never even thought I'd do, and it just turned into all of this. I have to thank you guys, the "fans", whether you've been with this from the very beginning or caught up in the middle of it all, or even if it's a couple months from my writing this and you're just now getting here. There's only a few of you that I'm aware of, but your comments are something we look forward to with every new fic we post, and without your support and love for these characters, this probably wouldn't have grown the way that it did; I really hope you'll all continue to stick around for the fics we still intend to write and post. Most importantly, I have to thank Lindsay, my braintwin, for doing this with me. No matter what she says, I could not have done this without her. Without her, this whole thing would've probably ended after that first fic, but she encouraged me and supported me, listened to my ideas and contributed her own, and most especially contributed her amazing writing, and I feel so privileged to have been able to work on this with her. MY HEART, IT IS OVERFLOWING WITH LOVE ♥ And my brain, with ideas. This will never end, guys XD
B/N: I'll keep this short since Mary said most of what I wanted to say. This is really not the end, not by a long shot. Now I can work on all the plot bunnies that came up along the way! I didn't expect to love these characters as much as I do, but that's all Mary's doing. I thought maybe there would be a couple of fics, never that it would be this, never that I would enjoy and love this as much as I have. Thank you to the "fans" for your support and your love and your comments. I hope you keep sticking with us, there is so much more to tell.
Simon sat cross-legged on the bed, watching April sleep. He glanced over at the clock and wondered how much longer it would be until she woke up.
His stomach twisted and he took a breath, looking down at the ring between his fingers. He turned it slightly, watching it shine dimly in the early morning sunlight, and felt his nerve starting to slip yet again.
April shifted suddenly and Simon looked up, closing his fist around the ring as her eyes opened.
"Morning," she murmured, looking amused as she sat up and pushed her hair from her face. "You're up early."
"Yeah," Simon replied, smiling nervously at her.
The corner of her mouth rose slightly as she looked at him and Simon took another breath, looking down at his hands.
"I've been carrying this around for a couple of weeks, trying to get up the nerve to give it to you, and decided... what better day than Christmas? Plus, I think my dad might actually kill me if you're not wearing it today," he added, laughing slightly.
"What is it?" April asked, smiling curiously.
"This," Simon answered, blowing out his breath as he opened his fist. He took the ring between his fingers and held it up, raising his eyes to April's face. Her smile faded as her mouth fell open, a small frown creasing her brow.
"It's not - it's not an engagement ring," he said quickly, "unless - unless you want it to be." He frowned contemplatively down at the ring. "It was my mum's, and I was just thinking... if you wanted to, you could - you could wear it."
He stared anxiously at April for a moment and then looked down at the ring before taking a breath and laying it gently between them on the bed.
April was silent and Simon held his breath as he stared at the ring, not quite able to look at her face. A moment later he saw April reach forward and take the ring in her fingers; he followed her movements with his eyes, watching as she held it for a second before slipping it onto her finger.
His eyes snapped to her face and his breath left him in a loud whoosh when he saw her broad grin and bright eyes.
"Yeah?" he said quietly.
She nodded and laughed as he rose to his knees, moving towards her and pressing his lips to hers as he buried his fingers in her hair.
"I don't need for it to be an engagement ring," she said softly when he pulled away. "It can be a... a 'property of Simon Gates' ring."
Simon winced and shook his head. "You're not my property, you're just... you're my April."
April giggled softly, clasping her hands at the back of his neck as she kissed him again.
"All right, we can call it..." She paused, looking thoughtful, and then smiled. "We can call it a forever ring."
"Forever?" Simon echoed, grinning slightly.
"Yeah," April replied, her fingers threading in his hair. "Forever."
"I like that."
April's lips curved upward and Simon leaned forward to kiss her again, slipping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly.
Nathan looked up and smiled when he noticed that April and Simon had arrived. He made his way over to them, shaking hands and exchanging Christmas greetings as he passed through the crowd.
He clapped a hand on Simon's shoulder, grinning up at his son.
"You sure clean up nicely."
Simon snorted laughter. "Thanks, Dad."
"Aren't you going to tell me I look nice?" April asked, twitching the skirt of her dress.
"'Nice' isn't really the word I'd use," Nathan replied as he looked her up and down.
April's face fell and Simon frowned. Nathan grinned and stepped forward.
"You look beautiful," he said, pressing a kiss to April's cheek.
"Thanks," she said when he pulled away, laughing as she smacked his arm.
"Ow," Nathan muttered, rubbing his arm as Simon smirked.
April shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Is Penny here yet?"
"Yeah." Nathan turned to squint through the crowd. "Last I saw her she was with Evan and Harrison over there," he said, pointing.
April nodded and turned towards Simon. "I'm gonna go talk to her."
"All right," Simon said, smiling and slipping his arm around her as he kissed her.
His hand lingered on her waist as she moved away, the fabric of her dress slipping through his fingers until she was out of reach.
Nathan glanced back at her as she walked away, and then looked again when he noticed the ring sparkling on her finger.
"You finally gave it to her?" he asked as he looked at Simon.
"This morning," Simon replied, grinning a little sheepishly as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Jesus, son, it's about damn time."
"Shut up, Dad," Simon said, laughing and shaking his head as he looked away.
April found Penny by the window and smiled as she pulled her into a hug, wishing her a merry Christmas.
"You look tired," April said when she pulled away, peering closely at Penny's face.
"Life with a two-month-old," Penny said, and then smiled contentedly. "It's a good life though."
"Yeah," April murmured and then grinned, reaching forward and tugging gently on one of Penny's curls. "Where's Evan?"
"Right here," Evan said from behind her, placing his hand on her arm as he bent to kiss her cheek.
April grinned at him as he moved to stand next to Penny, handing her a glass of juice. He asked April if she wanted anything and she shook her head.
"Where's Sammy?"
"Dad has him," Penny said, smiling slightly. "Showing him off to anybody who will let him."
April grinned and opened her mouth to speak just as Penny glanced down.
"What's this?" she asked, her eyes widening as she grabbed April's hand and stared at the ring on her finger.
"Simon gave it to me this morning," April said, amused at Penny's expression.
"Is it-"
April shook her head. "No, it's just... a ring." She frowned slightly. "I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it's not an engagement ring." She smiled as she looked at it. "He said it was his mother's."
"I thought it looked familiar," Penny murmured as Harrison appeared next to them.
"There's my Sammy!" April exclaimed happily. Harrison grinned as he handed her the baby; he knew better than to ask if she wanted to hold him. Sam smiled at her and she laughed, hugging him to her.
"He's getting so big," she murmured, bouncing him gently and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
"Yeah, he eats like his father," Penny said, grinning as she nudged Evan.
"Hey!" Evan said indignantly, and then laughed as he pulled Penny to him, kissing her temple.
April giggled, resting her cheek lightly against Sam's head as she lightly rubbed his back.
Alex stared uncertainly around, feeling out of place amid all of the White House staff and assorted congressmen and senators. She contemplated slipping out, sure that nobody would miss her, when Nathan appeared suddenly at her side.
"Hey," she said, slightly startled as she looked at him.
"Glad you came," he said, smiling at her.
"Harrison invited me, figured I should make an appearance." She paused, looking around again. "I didn't realize it was dress up, though," she said, self-consciously smoothing her skirt.
"It is the White House Christmas party," Nathan replied, sounding slightly disappointed as he took in her usual blouse and skirt.
"Well, it's not like I come to these often," Alex said, giving Nathan a sidelong look.
Nathan grinned. "Do you want something to drink?"
Alex shook her head. "Not sure if I'll stay very long."
"You have other plans?" Nathan asked, watching her closely.
Alex shrugged. "Get some work done at the lab; still trying to sort out the gene therapy. I'll probably get something to eat somewhere later."
"I wouldn't really call that 'plans'," Nathan said, frowning slightly.
"Well, I don't really have anybody to spend Christmas with. I haven't for a while."
"Then you'll have dinner with us," Nathan said decisively.
Alex looked at him sharply, already shaking her head. "Nathan-"
"I won't take no for an answer," Nathan said, talking over her. "Dinner's at seven, and don't you dare feel obligated to bring anything."
He raised his eyebrows at her and she laughed softly, pushing her hair behind her ears as she nodded.
"All right, I'll come."
"Excellent," Nathan said, grinning broadly.
Whitman walked slowly down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets as he stared down at his feet.
He'd gone home after his shift ended but found that he was too restless to sit in his small apartment by himself.
He thought back to the Christmas party; he'd seen the ring on April's finger and had wondered if it was an engagement ring. He supposed it wasn't, but he wouldn't have been surprised if it was.
He'd watched them over the course of the afternoon, noticing the easy way Simon's arm slipped around April's waist and the relaxed way she leaned against him.
He'd spent so much time over the past seven years convincing himself that they wouldn't last, that she wasn't happy with him, that he wasn't good enough for her, but over the last few months he'd come to realize, however begrudgingly, that Simon was better for April than he, Whitman, ever could have been.
He sighed and kicked a pebble with the toe of his boot, listening to it skitter across the road.
He was over April now, but found that he still felt a strange sense of longing every time he saw her. It wasn't until fairly recently that he realized what it was: he was lonely.
He'd always been lonely, throughout most of his life, really, but lately he'd been becoming more aware of it, and realizing how much he hated it. Maybe it was an age thing; he was 40, and certainly wasn't getting any younger.
It wasn't that he wanted kids; he knew he'd be a terrible father. He just wanted someone that got him the way Simon and April did each other, someone he could trust and who could trust him, someone who could look at all of the mistakes he'd made and still like him anyway.
He sighed again and looked up, glancing at the large church across the street as it loomed up on the right. His eyes followed the steeple to where it seemed to pierce the clouds hanging in the sky and he scowled at the idea of more snow.
He lowered his gaze and started to look away when he thought he recognized a figure walking down the sidewalk towards the church. He watched her for a moment, thinking the purse looked familiar, and then she glanced across the street, swinging her long brown hair over her shoulder.
"Lily?" Whitman muttered, frowning as he watched her climb the steps of the church and disappear inside.
He stood in place for a moment and then started across the street. He debated going inside and then moved to lean against the wall while he waited for her to come out.
It didn't take long for her to appear on the steps again and he said her name as he walked forward.
She turned to look and then smiled when she saw him.
"Hey," she said. "Merry Christmas."
"Same to you," Whitman replied, hands in his pockets as he looked at her. "What're you doing here?" he asked, glancing pointedly at the church.
"Even hookers have morals," she replied, grinning slightly.
Whitman frowned and Lily's expression softened.
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Whit."
He stared at her for a moment, and something suddenly clicked into place, like the last piece to a puzzle he'd been working on for months.
"I'd like to learn," he said softly.
She was silent, contemplating him, and then she stepped forward, gripping the lapels of his jacket in her hands and pulling him down to kiss her.
"Buy me dinner," she said when she pulled away, smiling slightly.
"Buy you dinner?"
Lily nodded. "I'm a cheap date -"
Whitman's eyebrows shot up as a disbelieving snort escaped him.
"Shut up," Lily said, laughing as she pushed lightly against his chest. "There's this restaurant on the corner, just up ahead, that makes some of the best burgers in the city. One of those little places that's actually open on Christmas."
Whitman grinned, bemused as he looked down at her.
"That's where I was headed."
Lily's smile widened. "Then it was meant to be." Her hand slid down his arm, her fingers weaving through his as she started to tug him down the sidewalk.
He chuckled softly and allowed himself to be led.
Alex stood on Nathan's front porch, feeling self-conscious for the second time that day as she raised her hand to ring the doorbell.
Her grip tightened around the wine bottle in her hand and she had a moment to wonder if this was a mistake before the door opened.
"Hey," April said, smiling brightly as she stood to the side. "Come on in."
Alex smiled back as she stepped over the threshold, her eyes sweeping over April. She took in the younger girl's shining green dress, noticing the way it hugged her curves, and felt a brief flash of envy which quickly disappeared when April pulled her into a warm hug.
"I'm so glad you came," April said when she pulled away. "Wasn't sure I wanted to spend Christmas with just these two for company."
"Hey," Simon said as he stepped into the foyer, "don't pretend like you don't enjoy our company. You love us."
April grinned up at him as he came to stand beside her. "Yeah, I suppose I do."
Simon smiled and bent to kiss her before she stepped into the dining room to finish setting the table.
Simon moved to stand behind Alex and tugged gently on her coat. She allowed him to slip it off, turning towards him as he hung it on one of the hooks next to the door. She took a moment to really notice how nice he looked, so different from when they were together while she was working, and then he turned to face her. His eyebrow shot up when he saw her dress and she eyed him as she adjusted the straps on her shoulders.
"Shut up," she muttered, pointing a finger at him as he opened his mouth to comment.
He laughed and held his hands up. "I was only going to say that Dad's in the kitchen."
April giggled softly and Alex glanced over at her.
"Through there," April said, gesturing with the knife in her hand before she laid it on the table.
Alex nodded and started to turn away when she noticed something strange about Simon.
"What?" he asked, eyeing her warily.
"You've got something..." She raised her hand and he shied away from her. "Will you hold still?"
"You have been known to smack me upside the head before," Simon said, raising his eyebrows at her as April snorted laughter.
Alex gave him a look. "I'm not going to smack you, you've just got -" Her fingers closed over his earlobe and she frowned as she pulled her hand away. "Is that flour?"
Simon's hand flew up to his ear as he looked sharply at April. "You said I got it all!"
"So I missed a spot, stop whining and go clean it off," April said, rolling her eyes.
Simon hurried off to the bathroom and April and Alex shared a grin before Alex continued to the kitchen.
Nathan looked up at the sound of her footsteps and froze in the act of moving an empty pot from the island to the sink. His eyes widened slightly and Alex nervously smoothed the skirt of her dress, and then jumped when the pot slipped from his hands and hit the floor with a loud clang.
"Shit," Nathan muttered as he glanced down and then back at Alex. "Hi," he said, smiling broadly.
"Hi," Alex replied, smiling back as she hesitantly stepped forward.
Nathan retrieved the pot and dropped it into the sink before he stepped around the island, wiping his hands on a towel as he looked down.
"Oh, good, you brought wine," he said, taking the bottle from her and staring at the label.
"You were expecting me to?" Alex asked, raising her eyebrows. "You told me not to bring anything."
"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to actually listen to me," Nathan replied, the corner of his mouth rising in a smirk as he set the bottle on the counter. He pulled a corkscrew from one of the drawers and held it out to Alex.
"If you want to open it while I finish getting dinner ready?"
"Sure," Alex said, her fingers brushing his as she took the utensil from him.
She stepped over to the counter and had just placed the corkscrew on the neck of the bottle when a hot wave of embarrassment flooded through her.
"I just realized, you can't drink this," she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head at her own stupidity.
"You and April can," Nathan said absently, the sound of a spoon clanging against ceramic as he poured something into a bowl. A moment later he was beside her.
"Hey," he murmured, "it's all right. It's no big deal, Simon and I will get by on water and coffee like we always do." He reached up and opened the cabinet door, pulling out two wine glasses and setting them carefully on the counter.
She looked up at him and he smiled gently before he stepped away again.
They were in the living room after dinner, Simon, April, and Alex on the couch as Nathan sat in his usual chair. April and Alex were slightly giggly from the wine, and Simon glanced over at Nathan.
"Did we look that dumb when we drank?" he asked in an undertone, frowning slightly.
There was a beat of silence and then Nathan shifted in his seat.
"Well, I didn't, but you were always pretty giggly."
Simon rolled his eyes as April and Alex laughed, and then he grunted when April elbowed him in the stomach.
"Did you just call me dumb?" she asked, her gaze sharp as she looked at him.
Simon glanced at Nathan, who shook his head slightly before standing.
"Who wants dessert?" he asked as he started towards the kitchen. "Alex, do you want to help?"
"Yes," she said quickly, glancing at Simon and April as she stood to follow Nathan.
She laughed quietly as Simon began to stammer his apology and Nathan grinned as he and Alex entered the kitchen.
"He'll be fine," Nathan said as he pulled two pies from the microwave. He placed them on the island and removed the foil coverings. "He's done worse than that."
"They're very sweet together," Alex murmured, watching Nathan pull a knife from the drawer.
"Yeah," Nathan said, smiling fondly as he sliced into each pie. "Right," he said once he finished. "What's your flavor? There's pumpkin and apple."
"Did you bake them?" Alex asked as she walked around the island.
"My kitchen prowess ends at cooking," Nathan said, chuckling. "Could never quite get the hang of baking. April made these; Simon tried to help."
"Explains the flour," Alex murmured, laughing softly. She edged closer to Nathan. "Which one will you have?"
Nathan's mouth twisted as he contemplated the two pies, drumming his fingers on the countertop.
"Well, April will probably want the apple, and Simon the pumpkin. I may have to try a bit of each."
"I think I'll do that too," Alex said decisively before looking up at Nathan.
He smiled at her and she realized suddenly just how close he was. There was a heartbeat's hesitation and then he turned towards her. His hand moved along the counter, his fingertips brushing against the side of her hand, and her skin very nearly tingled from his touch.
Her heart pounded in her ears as he leaned towards her and his breath was warm against her mouth when footsteps suddenly sounded from the hallway, followed by Simon's voice.
Alex gasped softly and stepped away from Nathan, putting some space between them just as Simon stepped into the kitchen. Her face felt like it was on fire and she busied herself with looking for some forks.
"April told me to see if you guys needed any help," Simon said, completely oblivious to what he had almost walked in on. "And she said she wanted apple."
"Right," Nathan murmured, clearing his throat.
Alex heard the clink of plates as he took one from the small stack on the island and she took a breath to regain her composure before she turned around, laying four forks on the counter next to the plates.
Nathan served up Alex and April's portions first and Alex seized the plates, needing to get out of the overly warm kitchen.
She handed April her plate and she murmured her thanks as Alex sat down beside her on the couch.
"Are you all right?" April asked after a moment, peering closely at Alex. "Your face is awfully red."
"Fine," Alex replied, probably a little too quickly. "It's just really warm in the kitchen. All the - all the cooking."
"Right," April murmured, a small smile on her face as she turned her attention to her plate.
The evening wore on and by ten o'clock April was leaning comfortably against Simon, her head on his shoulder and her eyelids heavy. Alex and Nathan were discussing something to do with her research and April was only half listening, smiling slightly as Simon's fingers absently stroked the skin of her upper arm.
"Think it's time for you guys to go home," Nathan said suddenly, his tone amused.
April's eyes snapped open and she realized she'd dozed off.
Nathan smiled warmly at her when she looked at him and the corner of her mouth rose as she sat up.
"You ready to go?" Simon asked softly, looking down at her.
She nodded, stifling a yawn with her hand. "Sorry," she said to Nathan, smiling sheepishly.
He waved a hand at her. "Don't apologize, it's late and you're full of my delicious dinner and your delicious pie. Speaking of which," he said as he stood, "come into the kitchen, Simon, and I'll give you guys some food to take with you."
April shifted over and Simon stood, following his father into the kitchen.
"Where's the bathroom?" Alex asked once they'd gone.
"Down the hall," April replied, pointing. "Third door on the left."
"Thanks," Alex said, smiling slightly as she stood.
April smiled back and watched Alex go before standing as well, stretching her arms up over her head as she wandered over to the window.
She looked up at the sky, eyeing the clouds and wondering if it would snow tonight, and then lowered her gaze to the small table under the window. She smiled slightly as her eyes traveled over the pictures of Simon when he was young, some of just him and some of him with his parents. She found herself wishing, as she sometimes did when she looked at these pictures, that she could have known Simon's mother; she wondered from time to time if Emily would have liked her, and if they would have been friends.
She sighed softly and pulled her gaze from the table, turning away from the window and thinking about going into the kitchen to see if Simon and Nathan needed help.
She glanced at the bookshelf against the wall as she started to walk around the couch and then stopped when her eyes fell on another picture. She slowly stepped over to the bookshelf, frowning slightly as she stared at the black and white photo.
It was of Sam, younger than when she'd known him, leaning back in his chair with his feet up on his desk. He was laughing, looking utterly relaxed, and even as tears fell from April's eyes, she smiled.
Simon came up beside her and looked alarmed when he noticed the tears on her cheeks.
"Are you all right?" he asked softly, his hand light on her back.
"Yeah," April said, smiling as she swiped at her face.
"Ready to go?"
April nodded and Simon touched his lips to her forehead as he took her hand. She allowed him to pull her towards the door, glancing back just once and smiling again as a thought rose in her mind.
Merry Christmas, Sam.