The Nexus

Amani was full of Christmas cheer. She was so excited for Gavin's first Christmas that she was unsurprisingly going overboard with everything. She had put garland around the banister, put up a tree inside the tree because why not and had put lights on the outside of the tree as well. She had baked a multitude of cookies and wrapped way too many presents for the few people she was giving them to. Gavin had been in holiday themed outfits for weeks. It made her overjoyed that Remy was home and that she could have a real Christmas as both a family and a couple. She was currently putting fake snow around the house while listening to Christmas music. She at least was remembering that Gavin was now big enough to get into things and would pull things down if she didn't put them high enough and therefore was putting thought into where she could throw it. She turned the music up louder when "Christmas time is here" came on.

Amani was so full of cheer she was wearing an elf hat with a bell on it and with her bouncing all over the house he was most likely driving both the boys nuts. She started singing along to the music completely out of touch with reality.

Remy was in the baby's room. Gavin had been put down for a nap and Remy was just making sure he was still sleeping soundly. He came out to find Amani throwing fake snow on things and his face fell. The little particles that came off the stuff made his nose tickle and then he was all out sneezing. "Amani, no." He grumped his way over to her and started to brush up the stuff. "Gavin can get at this and what if 'e eats it?"

Amani jumped when Remy sneezed. "But it's Christmas!" She pouted as he wiped up her snow. "I thought of that! It's wafer paper! Totally edible!" To prove the point she put some in her mouth. "It tastes terrible though!" She put it down for the moment. Remy seemed bent on getting rid of her white Christmas so she started helping to clean it up.

"It snows outside," he grumbled at her protest of it being Christmas. He continued to clean up the mess as Amani didn't stop him. Her demonstration only made his face twist into a 'why did you do that then?' face. "If you think it's terrible, 'ow will 'e think it tastes? You might make him cry." He was just looking out for his baby boy... and maybe himself since the stuff was irritating him.

She stuck out her tongue at him "It tastes terrible because its not sweet! You'd probably like it," she said defensively. "He probably wouldn't care either way since he puts everything in his mouth now a days!" She wasn't seriously defending her case but the fact that Remy was dead set on killing anything Christmas was making her sad. It was Gavin's first Christmas and their first one as a family. She wanted it to be over the top perfect.

Remy grumbled to himself and sneezed again. He was likely just using his son as a reason to rid himself of the stuff! "Better safe then sorry," he rumbled out and continued to clean up the loose snowy junk. He stopped a second and sighed. "It's just one thing; you can keep all the rest of it up." It had been a long time since he had any sort of Christmas at home and it was slightly overwhelming.

Amani sighed. She knew she had lost the battle as soon has he said no. She helped clean forlornly. When he said she could keep everything else she smiled and gave a quiet yay before throwing herself at him in a hug, dropping what she had cleaned up. "I'm making gingersnaps," she looked up at him happily hoping to sweeten his mood. They held special significance for her since they were the first thing she had ever fed him.

Remy had heard the yay and moved just in time to catch her as she flung herself; he knew it was coming. It was easier to just accept it than be bowled over by her love. He dropped all that he'd collected as well, sending it up in a spray as his moved his arms. He gave her a quick hug which he had to admit he didn't hate and held back another sneeze. Remy grinned a tiny bit. "I know." Of course he did, he could smell them.

She giggled as it "snowed" back around them. She gave him a quick peck on his neck since it was the place she could reach fastest and let go first before he could pull away from her. She bent down to pick up the snow they had dropped. "It's okay I'll clean up. Would you mind picking up Gavin's toys from the living room before Bade comes over?"

Remy rubbed his nose and gladly moved away from the stuff to go get Gavin's things. He'd tripped on them he didn't know how many times and knew how not fun that was. Once they were gathered, he took them to the babies room to quietly put away in the toy chest.

Bade had no problem finding the home tree. Not only were Remy and Amani's smells heavy in the area, but she'd done the trunk up in lights. He had to smile. Knocking, bade rocked on his heels and waited for someone to answer. He didn't want to be rude and just walk in!

Amani had gathered all the snow in her shirt. When she heard a knock at the door she rushed over and threw it open smiling. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" She threw herself at him in a hug. Luckily all the snow landed outside.

Bade was surprised by the door being opened so quickly. He was wearing a flannel like usual with a scarf and jeans, no jacket. He'd been holding a little Christmas tin in his hands when Amani flung herself and tried to hold it out of the way. "Ha! Merry Christmas to you too." He was all lopsided grins at that greeting and dusted the fake snow off himself when she let go. "You didn't already kill the grinch did you?" He was meaning Remy and no doubt Amani would get that.

Amani was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater with reindeer on it, a tiny plaid skirt and loose red and white striped socks that came up to her knees. She let go and shook out her shirt before moving out of the way to let him in. "No but he is killing me." She giggled. "I better get started on dinner, want a beer?" She would walk toward the kitchen hoping he would sit at the table and keep her company for a while.

Bade followed her in and pulled the door shut behind them "Yes, please!" He said emphatically. "I brought over some cookies. They're not as good as yours but Romy and I decorated them." They were basic sugar cookies cut into Christmas shapes. It was actually hard to tell which ones the child had decorated and which ones Bade worked on. He'd followed Amani into the kitchen to put the tin down and shifted his weight. "Baby sleeping?"

"Aw that's so sweet. I'm sure they will be amazing! Thank you!" She grabbed a beer from the fridge, popped the top and set it on the table for him. She pulled on a Christmas themed apron that was covered in candy canes and snowflakes before she pulled out the ingredients she needed for dinner. "How is Romy? Yeah, Gav just went down for a nap." She smiled at him while she got started.

"Don't be so sure," he joked. He wasn't exactly a culinary expert! Bade moved over to take the beer and sipped it as he plopped into seat. "She's good." He was playing with the label on the bottle and smiled as he said so. Remy was finally making his way back from Gavin's room and nodded a hello at his friend. He moved over to the sink to get himself a glass of water and sat next to Bade. The friends chatted a moment before Bade's stomach rumbled. "What's dinner?"

Amani smiled, "they will be delicious." She had not had a cookie that was not bakes by her in so long she would savor them. She smiled at Remy when he came in the kitchen. "Lasagna!" She gave a very perky reply. It was easy and comforting and perfect for having leftovers...if there were any after the boys. She was busying herself with browning meat since she hadn't been following her normal vegetarian diet ever since she had gotten pregnant with Gavin. She half hoped when she stopped nursing she wouldn't crave it anymore.

Bade made a mmm sound and sat back in his seat. "Any food I didn't have to buy or try to cook is definitely welcome." He'd been living a pretty bacheloresque life before there was a little kid in it. Take out was his go to dinner! Remy made a noise which was hard to decipher as good or bad, something both Amani and Bade would be used to. Bade let the silence hang for a moment before continuing chit chat. "So... how have things been?"

Amani's first reaction was to spew that things were great. She did leave out how non lovey dovey Remy was to her dismay. He was cuddly enough with Gavin and she hated that she was almost jealous of her son. She was talking about the baby while layering the lasagna when there was another knock at the door. That seemed strange to her but also not at the same time. She gave a pleading look to Remy hoping he would get it.

Whoever opened the door would do a double take between the girl in the kitchen and the girl at the door. Inama was standing there with a look of impatience. She was wearing tight black pants with heeled black boots, a camel colored peacoat and a green scarf around her neck. Everything she wore looked expensive. After a moment she would say something rude along the lines of "are you going to let me in or what?" In the bitchiest of tones.

Bade was happy to just listen to Amani talk. She didn't want to hear what was going on with him anyway, it wouldn't have been pretty. He let her go on until the door was knocked on. Both Remy and Bade turned towards it with concerned looks. "Are you guys expecting someone else?" Bade was a bit iffy with strangers since he wasn't himself. Remy got the look and pushed his chair out.

Remy stared at the person outside hteir door and nearly shut it in the girl's face. Too weird. He didn't want weird! Remy was not the one to deal with impatient people. "Who are you?" He immediately thought shape shifter or skin changer and didn't want this person in his home.