Music and a Wayward Elf

"Nope, just my girlfriend." Gia stepped closer to her, unable to contain herself.

"Best Christmas present!" Caitlyn celebrated as she opened her arms to the petite woman.

"Just wait until you have a chance to unwrap me. I get better." Gia took advantage of the opening and pulled Caitlyn in close. Her girl's blue-green eyes gleamed at the moment, begging for the impending kiss. Who am I to keep her waiting? There was another flash of lightning as their lips connected. Gia's insistent flurry of kisses pressed against Caitlyn until they tumbled and giggled over the back of the sofa.

Hands explored as Gia ended up atop her girlfriend. Caitlyn wasn't wearing a bra or panties beneath her workout gear. The passion was so intense it seemed to threaten to engulf the entire loft in flames. Gia wasn't the only one exploring, but she had better luck than Cait; her elf uniform and tights did not welcome easy entrance.

Caitlyn gasped as Gia found her breasts and toyed with the nipples. They hardened under her fingertips almost instantly. She's going to be fun. G's fingers slid down a taut tummy, reaching beneath the elastic on Cait's voluptuous hip. One kiss bled into another as Caitlyn managed to get under her skirt and through a layer of tights.

Before they could get too far, past the point of no return in which Gia wouldn't be waved off until she had her new woman screaming in pleasure, the electronic peels of her cell phone filled the apartment. "I swear Holly can sense when I'm having fun!" Gia sat up with a frustrated grunt. It was a schedule reminder, and another delivery was added to her slate.

"Worth the wait?" Caitlyn smiled as Gia grabbed her phone.

"It's probably good that Holly's reminder interrupted us. Why do I have to be parked in a loading zone!?" G protested.

"You'll see me tonight." Cait picked up Gia's elf hat that had been dislodged in the exuberant struggle.

"I... I actually won't. We had two call-offs, so I'm going to be running until eleven or midnight. After today, though, I'm off until New Year's. You can get your fill of this elf."

"Aww, that's too bad. I doubt I'll be getting my fill of GG anytime soon. What're your plans for tomorrow? Christmas at the Quay's will wrap up by four or so, and it's only forty-five minutes back to the city."

"I don't have any. Kendrick canceled on us." Gia blushed, slightly embarrassed that she didn't have anything planned.

"That won't do." Caitlyn held up a finger, skipped over to the island that divided the living space from the kitchen, and grabbed her phone. In a blur of motion, Cait had the phone to her ear. "Mom? Set an extra space at the table. I'm bringing someone that had her Christmas plans canceled." Cat winked at her from across the room while she nodded to something Gia couldn't hear. "I didn't think it would be, but I thought I'd give you a heads-up." Cait was smiling broadly. "Merry Christmas, I love you, and I'll see you early tomorrow."

"Are you sure, Cait?" Gia smiled. She used to dream of having a big family Christmas as a girl, but three weeks after she met her girlfriend was some serious pressure. She hoped it wouldn't lead to another lousy brain day for Cat.

"No girlfriend of mine will spend Christmas alone if I can help it. Oh, shoot, I should've asked before I did that." Cait blushed most adorably.

"Look who's trying to be spontaneous." Gia smiled before looking away from her beaming girlfriend. "We don't have to let your parents know we're dating. I'm feeling this, but let's not jinx anything." G hoped the spontaneity wouldn't cause any undue anxiety in Cait.

"Okay, but I'm not going to hide you, Gia. Not this time." Caitlyn stepped close for another slow, passionate kiss. "It's not all good news. I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow to get to my folks by eight."

"I get to spend the day with Kitty? I don't think you'll hear a peep of complaint from me but bring coffee."

"I got a pair of travel cups ready to go in the morning. Also, we'll be relegated to the kids' table. Or at least one of them. I have a lot of nieces and nephews."

"Is this because I'm so short?" Gia tried to look offended, but a smile was on her countenance.

"Maybe, it could also be that I'm dating a young'n." Caitlyn giggled before collecting another kiss. "Now, get outta here before you get towed!"

"Yes, ma'am." One more slow lip lock was all she could afford before she left.

Caitlyn -- The following morning

The thought of spending almost an hour in the car alone with anyone was a typical trigger; even with Jerome, it would make her uneasy. Maybe it was because everything was still new with Gia, but she felt hopeful instead of nervous. What should have only taken forty-five minutes took an hour and a half as several inches of snow had fallen overnight. G kept her entertained as they drove and discovered more about each other.

Gia's rounds of singing carols on the radio had Caitlyn smiling and looking forward to getting the elf back home. Her girlfriend spoke of Christmas as a child. It was only the three of them most years, though one Christmas when she was thirteen, she had spent winter break across the pond. It had nearly been the holiday she had dreamed of, but being far from home was a little different.

Everyone else was already at her parents', which wasn't surprising given they all lived closer to home than Cait. Since the divorce, she had been considering moving closer to home but having access to artists that completed her compositions was essential. Being near an airport to get to meetings or have people come to her was also advantageous. Even if she felt lonelier in the city since the divorce, it had its tendrils in her.

Someone had been out and cleared the wide driveway of snow this morning. They must have gotten eight inches of the stuff in the recent storm. These winter conditions were the closest that her SUV had gotten to real off-roading since vacation a couple years ago. It held its own on the trails, but a couple scratches on the paint and the need for a complete realignment afterward relegated it to pavement.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Caitlyn parked out further from the veritable used car lot number of vehicles arrayed around a large ranch-style house. Her eldest brother and his family lived in the home she grew up in; this farmhouse was purchased after her father and mother retired. It was the only place to hold family gatherings with all her siblings and their children.

"Too bad you can't hold my hand. I'm kind of nervous."

"Aren't I supposed to be the anxious one?" Caitlyn hoped that her teasing tone would come across in the statement. "I'll go big and walk in holding your hand if you need me to."

"Really?" Gia questioned with a shocked look that held just a peek of an incandescent smile.

"To get a smile out of you, yeah. I would."

"There are a lot of people here." Gia looked flustered.

"That's what happens when you date a girl with a big family." Cait scanned to make sure they were alone and out of view of the house. She leaned across the console and collected a quick kiss from the woman she had fallen hopelessly for. "Most of them are tiny humans, though. They'll love my favorite elf."

"You think so?" Gia's apprehension transformed into a smile after the kiss.

"Especially when I tell them who helped me get presents. Come on, I'll let you carry in the cookies. It'll make you friends even faster."

"What about all the presents in the back?" Gia hopped out of the SUV and grabbed the tray of cookies.

Snow crunched loudly in the tranquil mid-morning air. "You really are an only child. What do you think that brothers are for?"

"Noogies and pranks?" Gia surmised.

"Maybe when my siblings were younger. Being so much littler spared me a ton of their wrath. They'll come and get all the presents, though I'm sure they'll delegate those duties to their kids." Caitlyn explained as they stepped up onto the porch. "Last chance to retreat, GG."

"Are you kidding? I've always dreamed of having a big family Christmas." Gia looked cute in her festive green dress, tall red boots, and elf hat.

"Just a warning, it'll be much more chaotic than the movies." Cait pressed the doorbell and awaited her family.

"Cait! Come in, come in! Were the roads bad?" Her father answered the door in the ugliest Christmas sweater imaginable. "I'll take those."

"Aunt Cat!" A mob of five elementary-aged kids came running up to collect their hugs.

"Has Santa Claus been here yet?"

"Yeah! Come see!" Matt, their ringleader, yelled out.

"Okay, just let me take off my coat and take the cookies into the kitchen. You want to grab your dad for me?"

"I got it!" Gail, one of the girls in the mob, ran off before her cousin could.

"That bought us about five minutes; come on, if you ever want to get a chance to take off your coat and gloves."

"Lead the way."

Her mom and her brother Steve were busy making the typical breakfast. Cooking for thirty-two people was no small task, but they managed it every year.

"Caitlyn! We were worried that the snow would keep you at home." Her mom came in for a hug. "And who's your friend, baby?"

"This is Gia. She was my elf helper this year, and when her Christmas plans were canceled, I couldn't let her go without."

"Nice to meet you, Gia! She warned you this place is a little crazy, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Please call me Jane or mom, ma'am, is far too formal. I like the dress and hat."

Within a few minutes, Gia had been whisked away by a roving band of children proudly showing off what Santa had brought them. In her family, a few significant gifts from Santa sat unwrapped on the fireplace. That left the kids with prizes before the gift exchange started. Caitlyn had little doubt that there was still at least one gift and a stocking set on top of it. Her parents never stopped playing Santa with their kids, even with a ton of grandchildren.

Gia was already endearing herself with the munchkins, and they hadn't even unwrapped their carefully selected treasures. Being around family was fantastic, even if it would leave her feeling drained for a few days afterward. She needed the connection. Caitlyn checked in with her girlfriend when she could, but each of her family members wanted at least a few minutes to catch up with her.

For instance, Gia would play dress up with some of the younger kids, then have coffee and chat with Cait's parents wearing a pink boa and violet dress over her own. A smile seemed to be plastered on G's face perpetually. Breakfast was always buffet style, with the family finding any spot to eat something before presents and snowmen.

Caitlyn helped with dishes as her father and Henry started working on the crown roast that would cap the day. A couple of turkeys were also roasting in the pellet grill outside as they were cooking for a small army. Gia stepped in and started drying things as the family regaled her with Christmas stories that they didn't often get to tell so boisterously, as they had all heard them hundreds of times.

Her present selection went over like gangbusters with all the children. Even though they were smiling and thanking Aunt Cat, Caitlyn's pride was in the extraordinary elf sitting across the room.

"Hey, Cait. I know it's Christmas, but If you want to sign something for me, I won't have to send a courier." Amanda approached her before everyone could get dressed for the snowman contest.

"Yeah, sure. How's the contract look?" Caitlyn followed Amanda.

Her sister-in-law and lawyer were rarely in anything that wasn't formal, but her Christmas sweater looked good on her dark skin. It looked like a present was bulging over her pregnant belly. Her husband was likely wrangling their very energetic toddler. On a typical workday, Amanda wore a wig over her shortly trimmed hair, but at the family home, she eschewed it. It had taken the woman half a Christmas celebration with Cait's family to feel comfortable.

"Good, though I think if you pick up another contract this size, you may need to get a manager to handle this part of your business. This is going to be huge for you, Caitlyn." Amanda closed the door to the office.

"Really?" Cait was a bit surprised.

"Yeah, this place is a rising star in animation. This score will be worth more than all the work you've done the last couple of years."

"Huh," Cait always went after jobs for places with good reputations and not necessarily big paydays. She had done well professionally in the last two years. Paying for her apartment mortgage and leasing her studio space were never one of the things that had concerned her after the divorce.

"Sign on all the blue arrows and initial the red ones." Amanda pointed unnecessarily. The woman had been her lawyer before Caitlyn's career took off and always used the same markings. She had only passed the bar a couple weeks before Cait needed a lawyer. Now the brainy and emphatic African American woman was a named partner at that same firm.

"I should have this down by now," Cait remarked.

"So, how long have you and Gia been dating?" Amanda leaned back with a smirk.

"What!?" Caitlyn's heart rate took off for the first time today.

"Come on, Cait. Don't forget that Tyler recommended me. I know about Michelle, Mika, and Anne. You two make a cute couple."

"I don't want my parents to know yet." Caitlyn was disappointed that she couldn't keep Gia's wishes.

"Ah-ha! I knew it! Steve's going to owe me five bucks! Don't worry, I won't tell him until later."

"A couple weeks."

"Your parents are going to be happy for you, Cait."

"Are you sure?"

"They want you to be happy, and if Gia makes you happy, they'll be thrilled." Amanda squeezed a hand on Cait's shoulder. "I see how you two are smiling at each other. You're not quite as sneaky as you think, Cat. She's really into you."

"Really?"

"I don't know if you realize this, but your family can be intimidating. A girl that comes to Christmas this fast digs you. Where did you meet her?"

"She works for Wayward Elves. I needed some help finding presents for the kids this year, and she was who they sent."

"No wonder you won Christmas this year; you have a secret weapon."

"Just don't tell anybody yet."

"Since I know your secret, I'll let you in on our own. It's a boy." Amanda smiled slyly as she flipped through the contract. "I have a feeling that Gia's going to be here for Christmas for years to come." Amanda smiled as she put the signed contract into her briefcase.

"It's only been a couple weeks, Mandy."

"I have a good feeling. Jerome never made you smile like this."

Gia -- A little later

A big Christmas was louder than she had imagined, but everyone was so warm and welcoming to her. She'd already played dress up with one group of kids and built a track for toy cars. Okay, kids are on the future checklist. Every time she met Caitlyn's eyes, there was a proud smile on her angel's face. Yup, she has my heart.

Hearing embarrassing Christmas stories about the kids as she helped with dishes had her laughing and smiling along with the adults. Considering that Cait's family was a little conservative, she had an image that it would be a family of lily-white protestants, but that was far from the case. I could fit in here; Anyone could. They were all so welcoming and loving.

"Snowman contest time, and then we'll watch some football until dinner is ready," Jane announced as the family started to get the kids bundled up. Raj and his wife Sarah would take the first shift watching the kiddos that were too young for the contest or taking naps.

"What're the rules this year?" Steve questioned as he got his five-year-old's coat on.

"Eight snowmen, one for each of the children, then one for your mom and me. Your immediate family is on your team. Gia, do you want to help Cait?" Caitlyn's dad answered. Her whole family was tall, each of her sisters was at least a couple inches taller than Cat, and her brothers were over six feet tall. Amanda was the only other woman shorter than her girlfriend.

"Sure." She couldn't help her bashful smile in Cait's direction.

"Great, seems like fair enough teams. As always, the spouses will be the judges when we get done. We're going to need a tiebreaker for that, Gia. If you're up for it." Jane clapped together her gloved hands.

Gia nodded in the affirmative again.

"Alright, let's start the clock. Teams get one hour. Buttons, carrots, and charcoal are on the picnic table if you need them." Mr. Quay rallied the troops.

"What's the plan, Kitty?" Gia asked when they were out of earshot of the rest of the family.

"Make a snowman and kick everyone else's asses. I told you we were competitive, right?" Caitlyn smiled.

"Okay, do we go big or artsy?"

"Both?"

"What do you think of a snow sculpture?" Gia started rolling snow into a large ball.

"Aim for Santa instead of Frosty?"

"I like the way you think. Do you do this every year?"

"If there's no snow, we do cookie decorating or gingerbread houses."

"What are we going to win?" Gia smiled.

"It's the prize present. Something that my parents bought, wrapped, and set aside." Caitlyn looked around and then leaned close. "Amanda knows. I don't know how she does, but she knows."

Gia thought perhaps she should be panicking, but it wasn't something she wanted to run from. She could see herself spending a lot more Christmases here. "Oh well. Maybe if we could stop looking at each other and smiling, it wouldn't be such a dead giveaway."

"You being amazing with my family is making that impossible." Caitlyn smiled shyly at her. "Are you okay with it, GG?"

"I'm not looking for a fling, Cait. If that's all I wanted, I would have let you take me home on our first date. I want more. Sorry if that scares you." Gia looked up from the snowball, now up to her waist in height.

"With you, it strangely doesn't. Don't get me wrong, I'll still have my bad days. Being with the right woman isn't going to instantly fix me, but I haven't missed a therapy session since you came around. I think you make me want to be a better woman." Cait blushed demurely.

"I think... I think I'm falling for you, Caitlyn." Gia could feel her cheeks get warm as she joined in a blush.

"Whew, good. One less thing for me to worry about. I feel the same, GG." Caitlyn pulled her behind a shed and kissed her out of sight of the rest of her family. "I'm going to tell my parents. If it's okay with you."

"You don't have to, but if you want to, I'm not going to say no." Gia returned a peck before they came back out from behind the barn with a couple sticks in hand to keep up a charade of looking for something and not kissing.

Gia and Caitlyn put all their effort into creating the best mono-color representation of the head elf sitting on a chair. Molding the figure was a little like making a sandcastle, only on the beach; her hands didn't get numb. Gia was pretty happy with the creation when the one-hour alarm sounded.

"Okay, times up. Raj and Sarah have another half hour to get done, but everyone else, drop your snow and come get some spiced cider or hot chocolate to warm up."

They weren't the only ones that had gone snow sculpture, but Gia was happy with theirs. She and Caitlyn found a table to conspire as they warmed up, as many of the kids and their parents took a few minutes to go sledding after they collected a quick round of cocoas.

"Mind if we join you two?" Mr. and Mrs. Quay walked over with a pair of hot ciders and a bottle of spiced rum.

"Not at all, mom and dad."

"You've been quite the hit with the grandkids, Gia." Jane slid onto the bench beside her. "How'd we get lucky enough to steal you from your family this year?"

"You don't need to interrogate the poor girl, Jane."