Chapter 26
“Rudolph the rednose reindeer had a very shiny nose! And if you ever sa-” Frank sat on the couch with her watching the movie about a bullied reindeer that he hadn't seen in years, this not being the first christmas themed movie they watched today. Frosty the snowman, home alone, Charlie Brown Christmas among many others.
Soph was very excited- the understatement of the year!
“This is the last one Soph, then we’ll put the cookies out an look up where Santa is on google before getting ready for bed, Okay?” The little girl nodded before continuing singing and watching the movie. It had been a long and tiring day for both Karen and Frank, but for Sophie it had been a day full of anticipation- she couldn't wait for Santa to come and for her to rip open all the gifts he had promised.
After the shopping trip the two girls had made they returned back to a very annoyed looking Frank, whose face immediately lit up when he saw them. Being surrounded on both sides by screaming children and yelling parents for almost an hour and a half all alone had been worse than Frank had expected. The last half hour had been a lot better once the girls showed up, Frank could finally relax, with an excited Soph who jumped up and down and begged Frank to put her on his shoulders s she could have a better view of Santa- while Karen smiled gratefully at him and grabbed his hand. It was a few minutes later that he realized she hadn't pulled away, and he refused to be the one to do so, her soft pale hand was a complete contrast to the rough tan hand that belonged to him. Frank could hardly believe that those hand which Karen trusted so much with both herself and with Soph were the same ones that pulled the trigger almost every night. Things were obviously different now- it being harder and harder for him to leave Karen's bed at night, and yet every other day he told himself he had to do it.
“So what are you gonna ask Santa for? Anything specific, Soph?”
The little girl looked down at Karen thoughtfully before answering, “I know what i'm going to ask for, but it's a secret. I can't tell you what it is or it won't come true.”
“Nah, nah that's birthday wishes, those ones are secrets- you can tell us what you want for christmas, sweetheart.” Frank laughed up at the little girl.
“I'm not sure if that's true- but I won't risk it! Maybe i'll tell you if it comes true, okay?”
Both the adults chuckled at her before turning forward to see they were only two people away from the end of the line. Frank pulled Soph down from his shoulders to put her in front of him, telling her she had to walk up to Santa by herself.
“Next in line….” The elf in front of them guided Karen and Frank behind the camera, while Soph walked up to the big man by herself.
“Why hello there! What's your name?”
“My name is Sophie…”
“Well it's nice to officially meet you Sophie, wanna come up?” Sophie nodded her head and Santa picked her up to put her on his lap.
“Have you been a good girl this year, Sophie?”
“Yes, I think I've been good.”
The man in red nodded his head before asking her what she wanted for Christmas this year, at that both Karen and Frank leaned closer- hoping it would give them a better clue on what to get her.When Soph leaned in to whisper in his ear, it was one of the only times Karen wished Matt was here with his freaky hearing abilities- then she berated herself for calling anything freaky about one of her dead friends.
More than a week later Soph had kept it a secret from both of them what she said to Santa, neither of the adults thinking she would have been able to keep it to herself that long. Sophie was very private about the wish she had made, and kept saying it wouldn't come true if she said it to them.
“I want Karen to be my mom. Like forever….. And maybe- maybe Frank can be there forever too.” Santa nodded at her at that, a look in his eyes Soph couldn't explain. A swirl of happiness and sadness that she thought weird to see on Santa.
“I'll try my best, little lady- now why don't we take the picture.” Then they both turned towards the elf holding the clicker for the camera, and the flicker went on and off a few times.
Karen and Frank couldn't help but smile at the little girl who looked so happy- a stark difference from the girl they had found a few months prior.
“Mom? Dad? Do you want to get in there for a family picture as well?” The voice brought the adults out of their bubble, and they looked over at the elf who had asked.
“S-sure… Frank?” The question was unasked but Frank knew what she was asking, wanting to know if this would be too much for him. Karen had a look so desperate and hopeful it was almost painful to look at- like looking at the sun, something dangerous but oh so amazing.
“Yeah-lets go. C’mon…” He grabbed her hand and pulled Karen over towards their girl and the man in red-
Karen blamed the tears in her eyes on the flash of the camera, a moment so beautiful she had a hard time describing in words- yet no problem recalling the memory perfectly in her mind. When the woman asked if she wanted some of them printed up and the digital copies as well, Karen greedily nodded her head wanting to be able to look at these pictures as often as possible.
And now she looked at that picture everyday, walking past the one she framed and put up in the living room of all three of them- hoping and praying there would be more photos of the three of them in the future. Soph had insisted on having one in her room as well of the trio with Santa, while Frank had secretly printed the one of just Karen and Soph that sat in the breast pocket of his coat everywhere he went. Now his jacket had two one family and another- both equally loved, and both equally undeserved.
Watching Karen and Soph plate the cookies in ‘a way Santa would like’ and then moving over to the computer to look up where he was, left Frank with a feeling in his chest that made it hard to breathe- not in a bad way, but in beautiful way.
“Ooh look he's coming up the coast- Santa and the sleigh are in South Carolina right now. He’s getting close!! You got to get to bed before he gets here, little lady. Lets go!” Sophie screamed before running to the restroom to brush her teeth, another place Frank had interjected himself. Karen having set aside a towel that was specifically ‘his’- a toothbrush he had brought over, a new more intense first aid kit Karen had bought a while back for anything serious.
Putting the hyper little lady to bed was a lot harder than she thought it was going to be, Soph wanted to stay up and catch him to make sure she got what she wished for until finally Karen had to threaten that Santa wouldn't come until she was asleep that she got out of the room.
It was only around eight thirty, but Karen knew she would have to get to sleep early because tomorrow would be an extra long day, with Soph being so excited Karen fully expected to be up at the crack of dawn. She headed to her room and saw Frank already in bed, a sight it was still strange to see, something that took a while to get used too. Frank Castle reading Moby Dick, under her covers, in her bed, in her home.
Karen crawled in bed facing towards him she yawned the tiredness of the day out of her, “Merry Christmas Eve Frank… Can you wake me up at like three thirty to put the presents out? I know for a fact Soph is going to get up at least once tonight and the stuff can't be out yet, and I know that time is more aligned to your schedule, so can you?”
Her eyes were already closed when he looked down at her, “Sure, I can do that.”
“Thanks, Frank..”
He was about to let her catch up on the much needed sleep she was going to need for her first Christmas with a kid, but then he remembered the two little packages he brought with him when he came over.
“Wait before you go to bed I gotta ask you something…” Her eyes sleepily opened, letting him know it was okay to keep going. “I got you and Soph a little something.”
“Oh that's sweet of you Frank…”
“And I wanted to show em to you before I gave it to Soph, I wanted to make sure you were okay with it without letting her know about it- incase you're not okay with it.”
At that Karen finally sat up while rubbing her eyes, “Okay with it? What wouldn't I be okay with? What’d you get us some matching guns or something?”
“Well I saw these things at a store that would be perfect for the both of you, but then I made some tinkering of my own that I'm not sure you're gonna be cool with, so I just want to ask first.”
Her curiosity was piqued and she was dying to know what it was he could have done, “So what is it? What did you get us?”
He pulled out the first box and then the second opening them both at the same time, the first a little charm bracelet with a little duck on it that almost broke her heart with how sweet it was, and she couldn't comprehend how this could be anything she wouldn't approve of.
The second was a necklace with a triangle in the center, made of some metal that she wasn't sure she could describe, and a little heavier than she would have expected- simple, and Karen couldn't deny that she loved both of them. Still confused at why she wouldn't like them, she turned back towards the man in question.
“I love them, Soph will love it- what’s the problem?” A look of embarrassment- or shame crossed his features before he looked down at his twiddling fingers.
“You know how I am- I need to know- okay here we go... In the necklace I had David place a sort of panic button that will activate a tracking device in both your necklace and in Sophs bracelet- this is the part I don't know how you'll feel about it. I know it seems strange to have a tracking device or whatever but it's not like I'd be tracking you all the time or anything- only if you hit the button, in case you're in trouble. I just need to know so that if you do activate it David will know where you are then I will come for you- I will always come for you, for both of you.”
It took a few minutes before Karen spoke again, a few minutes to process what he had just said. Decide if it was something they would need, if this was something they needed- and despite all the misgivings she had about the whole thing, about being tracked- it was probably for the best. With the luck she had, combined with all the shit Frank had been through this was probably something that would make both of them feel better whether they needed it or not. And she prayed to every God out there they wouldn't need it.
“Okay Frank, okay- it's okay. I'll wear it.” She nodded her head at him and a surprised yet grateful look crossed his face before he swooped down towards her. A mix of kisses that covered her face, from her forehead to her eyes and lips- everywhere. A hug so tight she could hardly breathe, he brought her down to her sheets and it was the most comfortable she had been in a long time.
“Merry Christmas, Karen…” It was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep, warm and safe- and happy.
“Wake up! Wake up! It's christmas morning!!!!” Soph’s voice tore her from her sleep and Karen almost had a panic attack when the little girl tore her from the bed and Karen thought she was going to kill Frank for not getting her up- then she went into the living room and saw all the presents around the tree. As if Santa really had come in the middle of the night and setup all the gifts in the tree and in the stockings.
Soph ran to the presents and didn't look up for the longest time, the only thing that distracted her was the cup of coffee that was placed in front of her.
“Merry Christmas sweetheart, have some coffee.”
She looked up at him with amazement and thankfulness for the glorious cup of coffee, “Why didn't you wake me up last night?”
“You looked like you needed the sleep, I couldn't wake you- I had to let you sleep ma’am…”
Frank sat down next to her and put his arm behind her on the couch watching the little girl shred the wrapping paper like a shark, “Well thanks, I did need it. I mean it's only like five thirty in the morning. Seems like she couldn't wait any longer.”
“Neither could I, you gonna wear it?” He pulled out the necklace and she couldn't help but smile at him, pulling her hair back and letting him put it on her. The smile on her face was bright and happy, a moment in time she would hold onto- frozen in her mind to keep help her through the rough and tough shit that was bound to come.