Title: Snowflakes
Characters: Audrey, Alec, Cady & Pete Townshend, John & Queenie Entwistle
Rating: PG-13 [innuendo, drinking]

Summary: Fresh off a US tour, Pete's Christmas spending has Cady on edge, especially with two young children in the house.




December 24, 1971
London, UK

With an eight-month-old son and a two-year-old daughter, Cady expected the holidays to be hectic, especially since Pete was newly returned from tour.  Normally she toured with him, but with two young children and Keith being completely uncontrollable, she did not think it prudent.  This meant many, many hours on the phone with Pete before and after shows, some of those hours drunken.  But now he was home, still flush with tour excitement.  It was certainly better than his bouts of depression with his failed Lifehouse project.

Yet she was still concerned.  He was already being a bit more careless than she would like, making her grateful she always made certain to keep him away from their household bank account.  She still could not believe he bought a hovercraft for his brothers.  She worried what he could have bought for her and the children.

Heading towards the kitchen, enticed by the smells from Queenie’s cooking, Cady stepped over Towser.  The dog’s head snapped up and he happily barked.  She paused and patted his head, before continuing towards the heart of the home.

“I really appreciate this,” she stated, stopping near John’s mother.

Queenie looked up from the stove, “It’s my pleasure, Cady.  No one should be forced to eat at a restaurant for the holidays.”

Cady smirked, “We’re kinda used to it.”

The older woman shook her head, “That’s nonsense, Cady.  We’ll get you a nice dinner for your family tonight and get you set up for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Queenie, that’s too much.”

She waved the younger woman off, “Not at all.  You have a young family to worry about.  Let this old girl take care of things for you.”

“Queenie…”

“Mum?” John stepped into the kitchen. “I could smell you here.”

She smiled at her son as he quickly kissed her cheek, “Had to make certain Cady’s family was taken care of this holiday.”

“Admit it, you just love hearing everyone’s praise,” he winked, before turning to Cady. “Hello, beautiful.”

“Hello, John,” she smiled as he kissed her cheeks as well. “Where is your wife?”

“She’s feeling a bit… pregnant today and decided it would be best to stay home for the night.”

Cady nodded, “The last few weeks are hard.”

“You’re telling me,” John murmured.

“The kids are probably ready to get up from their naps.  Wanna come get some daddy practice in?”

“Of course,” he quickly kissed his mother’s cheek once more. “Keep up the good work, Mum.”

Heading upstairs with Cady, John discreetly grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.  She glanced at him and smiled, squeezing his hand back.  They reached Audrey’s room first.  The two-year-old squealed and giggled upon seeing her godfather.  Without pause, John scooped her up and tickled her.  Leaving the two to their own devices, Cady continued down the hallway to the nursery.

Entering the room, she grinned at her son.  The eight-month-old had pulled himself up in his crib.  Upon seeing his mother, he giggled and let go, causing him to fall back down.  Before he even had the chance to sob about it, Cady scooped up the little boy and kissed him loudly.  He continued to giggle as she changed his diaper and dressed him in the little red outfit Queenie gifted him.

“Look at that handsome fella,” John commented once Cady stepped out of the nursery.

The infant instantly reached for his godfather, ignoring the fact his older sister already sat on John’s hip.

“Not now, Alec,” Cady said, pulling him closer. “You can play with John after dinner.”

The four headed back downstairs.  John set down Audrey, allowing her to go over and annoy the dog for a moment while Cady settled Alec in his high chair.  Without pause, the bassist set the table and started to take food into the dining room.  Audrey joined in, carrying a basket of rolls for him.

“Well,” Queenie set the last dish on the table, “everything is ready.  Where is that husband of yours?”

Cady set up Alec’s baby food on the table in front of him, “I have no idea.  And that concerns me some.”

“Why is that?  Get the drinks, John.”

“He has been rather…manic in his spending since returning,” she replied, helping her daughter up into her chair. 

“I’m sure everything will be fine, Cady,” Queenie commented.

As everyone settled down at the table, the front door opened.  Without pause, Audrey wiggled out of her chair and hurried down the hall.  Squealing in excitement, she wrapped her arms around his leg, causing him to laugh and walk awkwardly down the hall.  The toddler giggled as she rode her father’s leg down the corridor until he could stop and set down his packages and pick her up.

“How is my beautiful little girl?”

“You late, Daddy,” she declared.

“Late?  For what?”

Audrey pointed down the hall to the dining room, “Dinner!”

His eyes widened, “Oh no!  Did you leave anything for me?”

“We not start yet,” she declared.

“Well we better hurry up then!” Pete walked quickly down to the dining room.

Settling Audrey back in her seat, he approached his wife and kissed her forehead before heading to his own seat.  Cady grasped his hand before he walked away, making him stay by her side.  Her eyes searched his, silently asking where he had been.  Pete merely smiled, leaned down, and kissed her reassuringly before pulling away to his seat.

“This looks wonderful, Queenie.  You have outdone yourself, yet again,” Pete commented as he sat down. “Shall we?”
 



Sitting on the loveseat, sipping a glass of wine, Cady watched as Pete slid wrapped package after package under the tree.  No matter how much she pushed, he would not tell her what he purchased that day — nor would he allow her outside.  She attempted to peek out the front window, but he quickly interceded and kissed her.  His secrecy set off all kinds of alarms in her mind.

“Pete, what did you—”

“No,” he quickly interjected. “I’m not telling you.  That’s what makes them Christmas surprises.”

“At least tell me what’s outside,” she stated.

Pete shook his head, stashing a small package in the branches of the tree, “Tomorrow.  Can’t you wait just a bit longer, Cady?”

Her blue eyes glanced at the clock, “It’s after midnight now, Pete.  That means it’s now Christmas.”

He started to object, but quickly smiled, “That it is.  Shall we wake the children?”

“No!” her eyes widened. “Are you bloody insane?”

Pete chuckled and approached her, leaning down to kiss her lips, “I love when you let a little bit of Brit slip out.”

“Maybe you’d prefer it if a little bit slipped in,” she countered.

He grinned, “Maybe more than a little bit.”

“And now it’s time for me to leave,” John finished his whiskey and got to his feet, wavering slightly.

Cady’s eyes snapped to him, “Oh I don’t think so.”

“Yeah, I do.  You and Pete have… things to do.”

She pushed her husband aside and stood up herself, “You are not driving in your state.”

John smirked, “I’m fine, Cade.  Just fine.”

“When is my birthday?” she quickly asked.

“Um…um… more wine?” he smiled sheepishly.

As the bassist had never once missed her birthday that was enough sign to Cady that he was too inebriated to drive.  Yet John continued to fight with her about it, insisting he was fine.  Plus he lived nearby, so he did not have to worry about driving all that far.  They continued to argue while Pete continued to unpack all of his gifts, figuring if anyone could handle John it was Cady.

“If you walk out this door right now, I am never spe—”

Before Cady could finish her threat, John quickly kissed her mouth, “Bollocks, Cade.  I’m fine.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Just stay, John,” she pleaded softly, her eyes locked with his.

“I’ll be back in the morning,” he kissed her cheek and pulled open the front door. “I promised Audrey, too.”

Sighing, she watched him head towards his Rolls Royce.  He waved once he reached the vehicle and slipped inside.  Shaking her head, Cady closed the door and returned to the living room.  It had not occurred to her to look for whatever Pete was hiding out front while convincing John to stay.  The thought crossed her mind as she sat back down on the loveseat.

Pete turned to ask her about John’s whereabouts.  Before he could even utter a single syllable, the loud sound of two vehicles colliding cut through the softly playing Christmas record.  Pete’s eyes widened and he bolted towards the door, Cady not even a meter behind him.  As he flung open the front door, a slur of profanities left his mouth.

Halting at the end of the walk, wrapping her arms around herself, Cady surveyed the scene.  John’s questionable sobriety no longer mattered.  Whether from the booze he drank or something else, the bassist had not noticed the Mercedes parked behind him.  He must have slammed on his gas, because both cars were very much crunched.  From Pete’s yelling, she surmised the ruined vehicle was part of his Christmas gifts to the family, the one he had not wanted her to spy out the window.

“John?” she approached his vehicle while swearing Pete went to assess the damage to his own. “Are you okay?”

He slowly pivoted out of the car, “I think I should stay the night here.”

She glanced at her husband, “If Pete will allow it now.”

The bassist slowly moved towards the guitarist, “Sorry, mate.  I didn’t see it.”

Pete yelled and railed at his best friend for a few minutes, until Cady stepped up to the two men.  Turning towards her husband, she placed both hands on his shoulders and kissed his angry mouth.  Pete resisted, mumbling against her mouth.

“Pete, relax.  It’s just a vehicle.  No one was hurt,” she glanced at John. “You’re not hurt, right?”

The bassist shook his head.

“Let’s just go inside, have a nightcap, and go to bed.  We can take care of this in the morning,” she stated calmly, shivering in the cold night’s air.

“But he ruin—”

“He did not.  Now come inside,” she instructed, grabbing his hand.

Holding John’s hand with her other one, Cady headed back towards the house slowly.  Pete’s anger was as palpable as the snowflakes fluttering down sky.

Snowflakes.

Cady stopped just outside the house, making both men stop as well.  Releasing their hands, she turned and looked up to the sky.  Both men followed her lead, doing the same.  Pete’s anger waned slightly, though he could easily see the wrecked Christmas car.  Cady turned to her husband and kissed him gently, smiling as snowflakes clung to their eyelashes.

“I love you, Pete.  Merry Christmas,” she muttered.

His face softened even more, “Happy Christmas, love.”

Turning, she grabbed John’s hand and squeezed it once, “Merry Christmas, John.”

“Merry Christmas, Cade,” he glanced at Pete. “You too.”

Pete grunted in response.

“Pete,” Cady warned, her eyes meeting his.

“Happy Christmas, John,” he grumbled. “There, you happy?”

She shook her head, smiling slightly, “Come on, guys.  Let’s get back inside before I freeze to death.”