Foreword:

To all those about to read this little tale, please be aware that none of the characters are mine and that I do not seek any profit from this story. This tale is only intended for entertainment.

This is also my entry into Whitem's 6th Annual SnowDaze Holiday Story Contest.

That said...please enjoy!

"Hi dad, you're early!" Kim Stoppable ushered her father through the front door and quickly closed it behind him, shutting out the cold and snow.

"I thought I might help out a little," the aging rocket scientist allowed his daughter to take the box of goodies from him and lead him into her home. "Is anyone else here yet?"

"No, you're the first," Kim set the box on a counter in the kitchen and rushed back to grab her father's coat and give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'm pretty sure Ronald won't let either one of us near the oven," he tousled her hair, affectionately. "But I can set a table, take coats and fetch drinks with the best. It sounds like you're going to have quite the number of guests here tonight."

"Some of our friends would have been alone tonight," she replied. "So we thought it'd be nice to have them over, so they can have some company on Christmas Eve."

"You know, there's another way you can fill this house," the middle-aged man suggested. He was rewarded with his daughter's immediate blush.

"Dad!" She protested.

Dr. Possible simply tousled her hair again before finding some serving bowls to hold the snacks he had brought. He had made his point, so there was no need belaboring it. Still, it would be nice to have some grandchildren while he was young enough to spoil...er...enjoy them.

"I still wish mom could have made it tonight," Kim told him, pulling plates from the cupboard to carry to the dining room.

"You know your mother," James replied, carrying the first batch of snacks into the living room to place at strategic locations. "Some of the younger doctors have new spouses or children, and she wants to give them the special time at home."

Dr. Anne Possible looked around the nearly deserted Emergency Department at the Middleton Medical Center. While she would have preferred to be with her family tonight, she had used her seniority to take this shift, freeing a younger doctor to spend Christmas Eve with his wife and new daughter. She and James had had plenty of holidays together and would hopefully have plenty more.

She reviewed her staff for the late shift, confident that they would be ready for anything that Middleton could throw their way. She hoped that it would be a quiet night but was certain that the snow falling on the icy roads, people out 'celebrating the season' before driving, and last minute travelers being in a rush would make sure that she saw some 'business' tonight. Still, with any luck she and her staff would be able to keep any incidents from turning into tragedies.

"I'll get it!" Kim scrambled to answer the door before her father felt compelled to cross the house to do so. She quickly opened the door to admit...

"Monique!" Kim shrieked with delight as soon as she saw her long-time friend.

The redhead would have thrown her arms around the young woman, but that would have threatened the package her guest was carrying. Instead, Kim contented herself with taking the box of dinner rolls, still warm from the oven, and ushering her friend into the warmth of the house.

"Let me take your coat, Monique," James offered, approaching the two young women.

"Thanks, Dr. Possible," Monique closed the door and tucker her mittens into the coat's pockets before handing over the garment.

"James, please," the older man protested. "You're almost family."

"James it is," she agreed. "Who all's here?"

"Just the three of us, so far," Kim's voice sounded from the kitchen.

"So where's Ron?" Monique asked, ambling into the living room and helping herself to a handful of party mix.

"Handing out goodie bundles," Kim answered, drawing a couple of cups of warm eggnog. "He could have someone else deliver them but he insists that as the public face of Bueno Nacho, he takes care of that detail in his own city."

Once Kim handed over one of the cups to her friend, the young women were free to share a sisterly embrace.

"So, when does Brick get off shift?" James asked, returning from the bedroom where the coats were being stashed.

"Sometime tomorrow," Monique answered. "We'll celebrate our Christmas tomorrow night."

Lieutenant Flagg looked around his station, Fire Station Three, smiling at the Christmas tree and the box of treats that Stoppable had just dropped off. His reduced crew was just digging into the edible gratitude his former classmate had provided. While it would have been nice to be home with his wife of two years, someone had to be standing by.

Looking out the window, he hoped for a quiet night while preparing for anything but. What would it be tonight? Would it be an automobile accident? Would someone try to fry a turkey and set their house on fire? Would someone get carried away with some Christmas lights and overload an antiquated home electrical system?

It didn't really matter. If trouble decided to show itself, he and his crew would be ready.

"Well, tell your husband congratulations on his promotion," Kim told her friend.

Any conversation was interrupted by the door opening and multiple sets of feet stomping the snow off of boots.

"Hello bondigity family and guests!" A very familiar voice called out. "I've brought more of each with me!"

Kim smiled at her husband's enthusiasm and hurried to the door to greet...

"Jim! Tim!" She quickly hugged her two brothers. "And Mindy Hubble?"

"These three showed up, told me I had to come over and wouldn't take no for an answer," the newest guest told the hostess.

"I found out that Office Hubble was on duty tonight," Ron told his wife. "And about the time I got here, your brothers showed up so I enlisted them to help."

"As well you should," Kim approved. "Mindy, it's wonderful to have you over tonight!"

"I don't want to be a bother..." the older woman started to protest.

"Don't be silly," Kim silenced her, taking her coat. "Ron has a bird in the oven that could have probably beaten that giant, yellow thing from the kids' street show in a fair fight."

"Besides," Tim chimed in. "We kind of owe you."

"I think we caused half of your husband's gray hairs." Jim concluded.

The smells coming from the goodie basket prompted Office Hubble to pull into an empty parking lot for a few minutes to sample the treats. The snacks, with a thermos of hot coffee, would be more than enough to see him through until his shift ended at midnight. He sighed; another Christmas Eve his wife would have to spend alone.

What would it be this year? How many people would sample a little too much of the 'holiday cheer' before trying to drive home? How many people would take in too much of the cheer and then get into it with their family and neighbors? Would anybody get depressed at the thought of being alone and decide to end things?

Whatever happened, Officer Hobble was determined to deal with it.

Kim and her father were starting to work harder keeping the snack dishes filled, as the smells coming from the kitchen were affecting everyone's appetite. Sure, everyone knew enough to not spoil their appetites but keeping that resolution while smelling a turkey nearing completion was a tough sell. The doorbell rang again, prompting Kim to answer the front door.

"Felix!" She looked down at her husband's close friend. She quickly held the outer door open, allowing the young man to roll his wheelchair inside.

"Hey Kim," he greeted his hostess. "How's it going?"

"Better, now that you're here," She smiled back. "Maybe you and Ron can keep Jim and Tim too busy fighting zombies to modify the decorations, like they did last year."

"Speaking of the Ron-man, where can I find the big lug?"

"Where else? The turkey's almost ready so he's going to be a whirlwind in the kitchen. Go on in, I'm sure he'll enjoy the company. Too bad Zita couldn't make it."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But pencil us both in for New Years Eve, she'll be free that night."

Zita walked through the vehicle bay, patting a bucket truck in an almost affectionate manner. She didn't like being away from her husband for any great length of time and especially despised such separations on cold nights. Part of the problem with being a tough, capable young woman was that your employer treated you like a tough, capable young woman. In this case, that meant that while several other linemen on the utility crew were on call...just in case...Zita was holding down the fort, alone.

She walked into the control room and turned on the radio, waiting for trouble. She hoped there wouldn't be any...in fact, she expected that this night would be as quiet most nights but you never knew. Would the wind blow branches onto power lines tonight? Would it drive snow into a small gap in a transformer's casing, causing a short? If there was a problem, chances were that she'd be able to re-route the electrical grid and not need to go out and fix the problem until daylight. Still, if any problems were bad enough she'd climb in that bucket truck and despite the cold wind, hoist herself into the air and fix any problems.

Going up in the air was miserable during a blizzard, but nobody was going to spend Christmas Eve cold and in the dark because she didn't meet her responsibility.

"I'll get it," Kim called to the house at large, weaving her way through the growing crowd in the living room. Opening the inner door, she looked out to see a slender young blonde with a basket in one arm, a newborn in the other and a bag over her shoulder.

"Penny!" Kim quickly opened the outer door and took the newborn, deciding that the child was more precious than the other loads the young woman was carrying. "Welcome!"

"Thanks for having us over," the visitor answered.

"You see Kim, aren't they nice to hold?" James Possible couldn't keep himself from making the comment as he showed up to assist.

"You never give up, do you dad?" Nevertheless, Kim couldn't resist giving the little girl a little extra cuddle as her father took the latest guest's coat.

"Trade you," Penny offered, handing over the basket, which held several bottles of wine and getting her daughter back. "Thanks for having us over."

"We love company," Kim assured her. "How's Big Mike doing?"

"He'll be happier when he gets off," she admitted. "But a job's a job and any overtime comes in handy these days."

It was lonely in the Department of Transportation's maintenance shop and Big Mike didn't like being alone, especially when he could be spending time with his wife and new daughter. Still, the overtime would be welcome. It wasn't that he and Penny were hurting for money, but her leaving her job meant that they had to adjust their spending. The extra income made that adjustment easier.

The big man hauled himself out from under one of the snowplows. Rather than just sit around, waiting for something to happen and feeling sorry for himself, he had decided to change the oil in all four trucks. If the Department was going to be paying him to be here, it might as well get something for the money. He stood up and walked to the window, looking with distaste at the building blizzard.

He hoped he would be able to spend a boring, lonely night at the shop but he had to be ready if he couldn't. If the snow got too deep and anybody needed anything; be it an ambulance, police, utility truck or a host of other vital services, he would clear a path and spread sand for the responding vehicles.

Shaking his head at the snow, he went to service the second truck.

"Are we all here yet?" Ron asked his wife.

The host had just finished his preparations and was now making the first of several trips from the kitchen, hauling the feast out for his guests to enjoy.

"One more to go," Kim informed him. "We're still waiting for..."

The doorbell interrupted the redhead.

"I bet we're all here now," she told him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before hustling to the door. She didn't want any guest standing outside on a cold night. She opened the door and sure enough, there was..."

"Liz!" Kim greeted her former squad-mate. The redheaded hostess quickly drew her redheaded guest into the warmth of her home.

"Sorry I'm late," the latest arrival apologized. "I finally got an email from Ron, I stayed to read it and the roads are getting kind of bad."

"Never apologize for being cautions, young lady," James smiled at the young woman. "Especially when you're carrying an extra passenger."

Liz Reiger smiled and rested one hand on her expanded midsection while Kim took her coat. While the former cheerleader sometimes wished for her old figure back, such thoughts were rare and fleeting. Becoming a mother was more than worth the temporary weight gain. Still, she wished her husband could be with her.

"Well, let's get you to the table," the elder Possible told her, offering her his arm. "We were just about to be seated."

"So, when does Ron get back?" Kim asked her latest guest, as her father graciously seated the pregnant woman.

"In June," Liz answered, with another pat at her stomach. "The youngest Reiger should be three months old by then."

"Well, if you have any problems picking him up, just let me know," Kim offered.

"Or any problems in the meantime," Ron added, carrying the last of the meal to the table. "My schedule is pretty flexible." He paused for a moment before addressing all of the occupants. "Please be seated everyone, and let's eat."

Captain Reiger stared into the dark night with an impassive look on his face. Would they come tonight, before sunup? While Captain Reiger was sure that his opponents knew that the Americans' night vision devices gave them an enormous advantage in the dark, there was something primal that prompted a man to prefer to attack at night. That same primal thought made Captain Reiger long to see the sun come up, as he felt safer during the daylight.

The former skinny kid who had skipped high school gym class vaulted out of his bunker and started his circuit, confident that his men remembered the proper challenge procedure. Captain Reiger had a son on the way and very much wanted to get back home to see him. Of course, you could say that the men around him; privates and sergeants, specialists and lieutenants, were all his sons.

It took time, but the captain visited every fighting position, receiving a challenge and exchanging the challenge and response at each one. He exchanged a few words with all of his men, letting them know that he was there and sharing in their hardships. They were good boys, good men. Everyone was up; everyone was ready. They slept during the day and stood watch at night. By the time he finished his patrol, the faintest bit of light had appeared in the east.

Captain Reiger slipped back into his bunker, nodding to the men who manned the field phones and the radios. Should violence occur, they would be ready to deal with the situation, managing the company while calling for support. The commander looked to the east, watching the sky grow lighter.

Back home the sun would be down yet here, in this dry, war-ravaged land far from home, the sun was just coming up. By now, his wife would be visiting neighbors, former classmates that were happy to invite her. Captain Reiger...he hardly ever thought of himself as 'Ron' anymore...was glad that she wouldn't be alone on this night.

In a few hours, his company would receive a hot breakfast and he hoped that the enemy would have the manners; and the good sense, to just take a break from the fighting. After a few more days in this forward position, his company would return to the base camp, where they could enjoy the relative comforts available. But for now, it was the vigilance of a fighting man on the frontier.

Ron Reiger hoped for peace and quiet the way only a fighting man could but if trouble decided to pay a visit, he and his men would be ready.

For several minutes, the conversation was muted as the food containers were passed around the table, surrendering some of their contents to each plate they passed. Ron and Kim were a whirl of activity, making several quick trips to the kitchen to re-fill those containers whose contents had been particularly coveted. However, there was plenty of food and it wasn't long before everyone had a full plate and was ready to begin.

"I'd like to say a few words," Ron announced, standing at the head of the table. His wife and guests halted their conversation and turned to him.

"I know that we represent many faiths and many beliefs," he announced, looking at his varied guests. "But I think we can all agree that we should take a moment to be thankful for food, for shelter, for safety and for friendship, on this night."

A murmur of agreement answered his statement.

"I'd also like to say that most of you have a loved one that couldn't take the time to be here tonight, and that Kim and I feel honored that you've taken the time to join us. We're humbled that we can, in some small way, make an effort to stand in for those you'd rather be with on this night. We hope that your loved ones are returned safely to you soon, and that you'll all be able to join us in the near future."

Another round of agreement sounded from the table.

"Thank you Ron," Monique said, from her place near his left side.

"No Monique," he corrected her. "Thank you. Thanks to all of you."

Author's notes:

A much better writer than me wrote, long ago "Good men sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf". While I would never presume to correct Mr. Orwell, I would like to add a little to this sentiment. We also sleep peaceably because a lot of people are willing to perform lonely, tough and sometimes dangerous tasks.

In this, the Christmas Season, I wish to express both my admiration and my thanks for anyone who performs such tasks. For those whose loved ones perform these tasks, thank you for the sacrifice.

To everyone who may be reading this, Merry Christmas and my best wishes to you.

daccu65