Bright are the stars that shine, dark is the sky - And I Love Her one-shots

Wonderful Christmas Time

24 December 1973, 12.52 pm London

"You know I can't resist you, ducky," Charli said as she held a dollop of cookie batter to Martha, who happily accepted the treat. "I would say, don't tell Paul...but he spoils ya's almost as much as Chloe"

Charli looked out the window seeing Paul and their daughter, Chloe playing in the snow. Chloe giggled wildly as she made what must have been her 5th snow angel.

Charli laughed to herself realising just how idyllic it all was.

"What do ya' say we surprise them?" she asked Martha, who excitedly wagged her stubby tail at the chance to play in the snow.

"Daddy!" Chloe said excitedly "Snowman!"
"Patience luv," Paul laughed "Let's wait for mummy, then we can finish him."

Paul glanced up noticing Charli had come outside, she made a 'hush' gesture, he winked and turned his attention to distracting Chloe.

"Now, what do ya' think Chloe?" he asked "Should his nose go on top of his head?"
"No!" she giggled.

Charli snuck up behind Chloe, wrapping her arms around her and picking her up as the small child squealed with joy.

"Mummy!" Chloe giggled.
"I'm not mummy," Charli said in a scratchy voice"I'm the dreaded Bean Nighe, come to take you away"
"No!" Chloe squealed "You're mummy, you're too pretty to be a Bean Nighe"
"I see you've learned how to charm from yer father" Charli laughed putting her down. After spending part of their years in Scotland, Charli had decided to learn more about her Scottish roots and taken to telling stories of Gaelic folklore to Chloe.

"We were just waitin' for ya' luv," Paul smiled "For the life of me, we can't figure out where to put Mr Snowman's nose!"
"Well, I would start by removing it from the top of his head," Charli suggested. "Otherwise, you've made a snow unicorn"
"Yer the artist," Paul grinned as Chloe giggled.
"Hmmm...I'm not sure," Charli thought. "What do you think peanut?"

Chloe made a motion to be lifted up which Paul obliged.

"It goes on his face!" Chloe said matter of factly as Paul handed her the carrot for the snowman's nose and she proudly placed it only slightly off centre of the snowman's face.
"Ah yes!" Paul said excitedly "Much better!"
"Well, then," Charli said, "We have a batch of Christmas cookies to decorate before Jenny gets here, and I'm not doing them by myself!"
"Aunty Jenny!" Chloe said excitedly.

**

"You got her that just to drive me mental, didn't you?" Charli whispered to Jenny as they watched Chloe eagerly play with her new talking doll.
"I wouldn't DREAM of doing such a thing" Jenny grinned. Charli elbowed her in the side softly and laughed.

"Mummy!" Chloe said holding the doll up excitedly "Listen"
"I have to potty," the doll said.

"Oh, that's lovely," Charli said stifling a giggle. 

It was later that evening, a few presents had been unwrapped, Jenny had played a rather rambunctious game of tag with Chloe before settling in with a wine with her best friends.

"Mind watching Chloe a moment?" Charli whispered "I should see how Paul is getting on"
"Play with my favourite niece?" Jenny said loudly as she sat on the floor with Chloe "I think I can manage, 'sides somebody has to be a bad influence on her"
"Yer the best bad influence I know," Charli winked before making her way upstairs.

"If only the fans could see ya's now," Charli giggled as she entered the bedroom and saw Paul stuffing a pillow into his Santa suit.
"The things I do for our daughter," he laughed as he adjusted the costume. "Don't tell Denny about this, he'll never shut up"
"Don't act like you don't love every bloody second," Charli teased as she pushed a bit of his dark hair under the Santa hat.