darker_london | Awwww (Thomas, Abby)

"Happy Santa Claus day!" Abby chirped, appearing in Thomas' door. Thomas coughing violently in response and then he groaned and leaned his head back against the pillows. "Huh. Still feeling poorly?" Abby asked, stepping closer to his bed.

"I'm coughing my lungs out. Surely they're empty by now. Surely."

"Oh just a moment you big sook." Abby pulled out her stethoscope and she lifted Thomas' shirt so she could listen to his chest. She was able to ignore the scars there, though they brought a frown to her face. "Breathe in."

Thomas complied and then he looked up at Abby. "'m I better?"

Abby pulled the stethoscope away quickly and she shot him a glare. "Ow." She said pointedly. "You sound better, yes. Shouldn't be too long. The antibiotics are working."

"So I'm not going to drown in phlegm?" Thomas said, pleased.

"No, Disgusto. No drowning in...anyway." Abby pulled a chair over. "I brought you a present." She slipped a chocolate bar out of her pocket and she laid it across his still bare belly. She knew that since being brought back to life, Thomas had had an almost insatiable appetite. "Happy Santa day."

"Oh yum! I wish I could just ingest it from there!" Thomas said, but he reached down to grab it anyway, pulling his shirt down as he did so. "Thank you, Sunshine." Thomas coughed again, but he smiled at her. "Chocolate necessary. How are my kids?"

"They're just fine, Thomas. Everyone is just fine." She patted Thomas' strong arm and she looked down at him, sniffly and sink in bed, but still so very...Thomas. She watched as he unwrapped the chocolate and popped a bit into his mouth.

"Oh yeah. Oh yeah, that's the stuff." Thomas moaned in ecstasy as he chewed. "You always bring me the good shit."

Abby laughed and she shook her head at her older brother. "If you say so, Thomas."

Thomas broke off a piece of the chocolate and he held it out to her. "Wanna share?" Beware, I might give you germs."

"I had my shots." Abby assured him. "I'll be fine. But I wouldn't want to take your chocolate. Really...it's alright." Thomas left it on the blankets for her anyway and he went back to eating his share, happily.

Abby blinked and she was reminded of a Christmas a long time ago. In Bradford on Avon when they were young and poor Eleanor was the one with pneumonia, among other things. Expensive doctors meant there wasn't much to go around for Christmas. But somehow, Thomas had come through for her like he always did. She remembered being curled up in her room, just eleven years old, watching the snow fall from her bedroom window. It was cold in the house with no heating, and Abby had her blanket wrapped around her. She had heard a commotion at the door and she had turned to look. It was Thomas. He was thirteen and he smiled lightly at her. There was something in his hands.

"Can I come in?" Thomas asked quietly, not wanting to disturb Abby if she wanted to be alone. Quickly Thomas glanced at Eleanor's empty bed in the other corner of the room. She was in hospital. And would be for a while yet. "I have something for you."

Abby sniffed, but she nodded and sat up anyway, leaning against her bedroom wall. She was hungry, and they all had to wait until their mother got home from her shift...yes, on Christmas...to see if there would be any dinner tonight. Holidays were the worst. "Mums said there wouldn't be presents this year." Abby said softly.

"She didn't know." Thomas plopped down on the floor and he handed Abby a little box he had wrapped up with notebook paper and tied with a piece of red yarn.

"I don't have anything for you!" Abby cried in alarm, holding the box in guilty hands.

"No, Abby...that doesn't matter. Just open it, please." He wanted her to open it now. He wanted her to have what was inside it as soon as possible. The thought of her being hungry was horrible, and he could do something about it for once. He leaned against the wall, feeling quite hungry himself, but making his little sister happy on Christmas was more important. Abby unwrapped the small box which she opened to reveal that it was full of chocolates.

"Oh, Thomas... Where did you get these?! You...you didn't-"

"I didn't swipe 'em." Thomas said, though he had done that, on occasion. Not often. And nothing big. "I got them from Mrs Rosenthorpe. For getting top marks in RE. I saved them for you." He had wanted to split them between her and Eleanor, but at least Ellie was being cared for, where ever she was.

"You saved them...for me?" Abby asked, looking at him in awe.

Thomas nodded. "Yeah. You deserve something sweet." Thomas smiled and he tweaked her nose. "Eat up." His stomach growled then, at the thought of eating the chocolate himself, but he put a hand over his tummy to silence it. "They're yours." He said quickly, trying to stem any offers to share. But he was too late.

"Have one too." She said, handing him a foil-wrapped chocolate Santa. She was touched. Thomas could have eaten all the chocolates himself several days ago, and no one would have known. But he had saved them. Even when he would have been hungry enough to finish them off himself several times over, he had saved them for her. "It'll make me happy."

"Alright." Thomas unwrapped the chocolate and he popped it into his mouth. "Thank you."

"No. Thank you." Abby insisted. She leaned forward to kiss her brother's cheek and then she stood. "We should share with Adam and Joey too. You think?"

Thomas grinned at her. "They're yours. It's your choice." But he liked that that was the choice she would make.

"JOEY, ADAM!" Abby yelled and then she dumped the box on the floor. She counted out four piles exactly and then she looked up at Thomas. "Would they give Eleanor chocolate in hospital?"

"I don't know, Sunshine." Thomas admitted.

Abby bit her lip and then she put all the chocolates together again, before counting out five piles. When Adam and Joe entered the room, they were each given four chocolates, much to their pleased surprise. Abby cold have had twenty to herself, but she had decided to share, just like Thomas had. The pile for Eleanor was placed on her bed for when she came home. Whenever that might be.

When Lavinia arrived home a few hours later, she found her children crowded in the living room all brought together by Abby's selflessness which had been inspired by Thomas'. Joe had built a fire and they were talking and happy. She smiled at them and then announced herself. She was dreadfully tired, but the way they ran to her, happy and smiling themselves, filled her with newfound energy. "Hello my loves." She set the bag of things she had been carrying on the kitchen bench. She didn't tell her children she had been the recipient of food from a church charity drive. Instead, she pointed to the bag. "I'll have Christmas dinner ready in an hour."

They all pitched in to help. Abby set the table and Thomas made a salad. Joe cooked potatoes and Adam helped Lavinia with the rolled turkey. Abby opened the can of cranberries. Adam mashed the potatoes. Lavinia made the dressing. Thomas made the powdered gravy on the stove. Abby stirred the juice and when it was done, they all sat down and ate more than their fill. They didn't have presents, but they had each other. And that was more than enough.

All at once, Abby crawled up on to Thomas' bed and she curled up at his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Whoa...hi there, Abs. Something wrong?" Thomas asked, his mouth full and his tone concerned.

"No." Abby said softly. "Something's right."

Thomas finished his chewing, swallowed, and he turned to her as much as he could. "What's that, Sunshine?"

"You." Abby kissed his shoulder and she closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. She was more comfortable in Thomas' arms than in most other places. Thomas' arms were safe brotherly arms that would fight until they shattered to keep her from harm. "I'm so thankful for you."

"Oh, Abigail. And I for you." He kissed her hair and he smiled against it. He loved his little Abigail more than almost anyone in the world. And she was here with him now and no one would ever, ever take her away from him. He would see to that, for damn sure.