A Merry Mantle Christmas

by formidables

Summary:

Genevieve and Beverly have their families over for Christmas. Chaos Ensues.

Notes:

enjoy this crack fic that i wrote because i simply can't deal with the fact that beverly is dead! she isn't! she just isn't!

“Well if you two didn’t fuck so loudly every time you stayed over-”

Beverly’s cutlery clatters onto her plate. Her chair scrapes across the floor, dragging through the tension clouding the room. She swiftly disappears out of sight.

“Can’t you just be fucking normal?” Genevieve bites, before following Beverly into her room.

Elliot raises an eyebrow and swallows a generous gulp of wine.

–

Tonight is important. Christmas Eve. The whole family. Meaning Genevieve’s parents, her brother, and all of the Mantles.

They had all been together before, at the wedding three years ago. Messy was an understatement. There were arguments over politics and Elliot, as always, was being rather controversial. She toned it down when she saw her sister beginning to get upset; she didn’t want to be a complete dickhead to her on her wedding day.

Elliot had been getting on surprisingly well with the twins. Genevieve didn’t trust her around them without supervision, which meant that the two of them were trying to get on. Elliot had promised to make an attempt, for Beverly, and for the children. They had made an agreement to tolerate each other.

They are five now, Sephy and Bea. They are beautiful and clever and a wonderful mix of Genevieve and Beverly.

Sephy loves all things maths, and most things Elliot. She has taken a liking to her aunt, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by anyone that the child makes Elliot incredibly soft. She tells her to say things like “fuck the patriarchy” whilst tying the laces of her little red shoes. She plaits her hair whilst telling her how to efficiently kick a man where it hurts. Beverly and Genevieve would smile at each other, and feel for a moment like a proper family.

Bea, on the other hand, has a wild imagination and constantly asks questions. She won’t sleep without a story from Genevieve. Beverly doesn’t allow her sister to tell Bea bedtime stories; they are too gritty, to say the least, and give her nightmares.

Each Sunday and Thursday, the four of them see Elliot, and occasionally Elliot will pop over at a random point in the week bearing expensive gifts for the children. Her rude remarks towards Genevieve have significantly lessened over the past five years, especially since the wedding, when she finally realised that she was going to have to accept having Genevieve in her life long-term. She saw then that the couple completed each other.

Seeing her sister happy is not as awful as she first thought.

–

Genevieve places a gentle hand on Beverly’s shoulder and kisses her cheek.

“I’m sorry, Genevieve.”

“It’s okay baby. She’s your sister.”

She pulls her closer, running her fingers through her hair.

“My parents will be here soon.”

“Fuuuuck. Do I look okay?” Beverly tips her head back and looks at her wife. She looks stunning, as she always does. She is wearing a Christmas jumper, and her hair is messily pulled back.

“You look beautiful.”

“I love you.”

Beverly smiles warmly and kisses her. There’s a knock at the front door.

“I’ll get it!” Elliot calls.

And with that, the two of them shout “Elliot!” and race back into the hallway.

–

There is raucous laughter from the table. The food is good, the atmosphere pleasant, and everyone seems to be getting on. There have been no arguments, other than a passive aggressive comment from Elliot, which was turned into a joke by Genevieve’s mother.

“What did you two get up to today?” Beverly asks the twins, smiling.

“We saw a dinosaur. It was huge.”

“Mhm. I want one as a pet, mum.”

The table laughs, and Beverly leans into Genevieve.

“Maybe one day, baby,” Genevieve wipes some sauce off of Sephy's face.

“Mummy. How are babies made?” Bea asks, always a curious little thing.

Elliot chimes in, waving about a piece of chicken with her fork.

“Well actually, your mum has a huuuge-”

“Elliot.” Beverly sternly stops her.

“Sorryyy.”

“There’s a lot of ways, my dear.” She strokes the back of her daughter’s head. “How about at bedtime I tell you the story of how you were made.”

“Yay.”

“Smooth,” Genevieve raises an eyebrow and playfully nudges her.

“Mummy, what’s scissoring?”

The turkey turns dry in Beverly’s throat. Elliot throws her head back and loudly cackles. Genevieve answers, voice like honey.

“Beatrice honey, will you please just eat your dinner?”

“I saw you girls in the paper last week,” Linda pipes up, voice tinged with pride.

“We cut it out and framed it,” Alan adds.

“Thank you guys.”

“I thought the bit about your marriage to Gen was beautiful, Beverly.” It is Genevieve’s mum’s turn to speak now. Her name is Alice. She has always supported Beverly and Genevieve, and decided to purchase an apartment in the next neighbourhood over from them so that they could help with the children, whom they adored greatly. “I’m so glad my baby found someone as brilliant and as lovely as you.”

Beverly smiles sweetly and feels the hand of her wife on her lower back. She kisses her cheek.

“And with a wonderful sister too.” She looks over at Elliot, who has gone quiet. “You’re simply amazing, Elliot. The Mantle twins!”

—

They all find spaces in the living room to sit together beside the tree, where gifts of all shapes and sizes swarm. Beverly fiddles with the fire and watches it flicker to life.

“DIY lesbian,” she grins, passing Genevieve with a high five. She sits beside her on the floor and pulls Bea into her lap. Sephy is attempting to climb Elliot’s back, who is completely unbothered by the hair-pulling and childish kicks that are pummelling straight into her spine.

“Right. Me first!” Elliot jumps to her feet, sending Sephy toppling backwards into the soft cushion of the couch. She giggles, and Beverly’s heart melts.

She has a gift for each pair of parents, a gift for Genevieve, Sammy, a gift for the children and a gift for Beverly.

The parents go first. Linda and Alan receive pillows with Elliot’s face printed on them, which say ‘the favourite.’ Alice and David receive wine glasses decorated with pressed flowers and Sammy gets a gold chain.

Beverly unwraps a painting of a boat on the water. She smiles at her sister and thanks her. Genevieve gets a cookbook and Elliot makes a joke about her sister’s questionable cooking skills.

The twins rip into their presents with ferocity. They peel back the wrapping and Genevieve furrows her brows with confusion. Elliot picks one of them up.

“Balenciaga.”

It is a cream, obviously expensive coat with a fur hood.

“They’re matching. So they can learn to dress from a young age.”

Beverly laughs, and Genevieve thanks her genuinely.

“Thank you auntie Elly,” Bea smiles, hugging her coat to her chest.

“I love it.” Sephy hugs her legs, and Elliot smiles warmly. She leans down and kisses her nieces on the foreheads, one by one.

They all finish trading gifts, or at least they think they have.

“We aren’t finished!” Elliot walks in with a square box, wrapped neatly. “This one is to Genevieve. ‘All my love, Beverly.’” She swans over to Genevieve.

“Uh, no.” Beverly shuffles in her seat. “That’s a private gift.”

“What is it, babe?” She takes the box off Elliot.

Beverly gives Genevieve a look.

“I’ll open it later, Elliot.”

“Nonsense! I’m curious.”

“Go on Genevieve,” Linda encourages, innocently unaware.

Beverly’s cheeks turn pink, and she looks at Genevieve’s parents. Her dad looks confused, and her mum is knowingly smirking.

“Elliot, put it back.”

“Why? I know you can be shit at giving gifts but surely it can’t be that bad.”

“Elliot.”

“God you’re acting like it’s a strap-on or something!”

The room goes quiet. Alice laughs, and Genevieve’s dad joins in. The Mantle parents are insanely confused.

“Oh you’re fucking awful, baby sister,” Elliot grins, taking the gift back from Genevieve and making her way towards their bedroom.

Though embarrassed, Genevieve snorts and kisses her humiliated wife on the cheek.

“Mummy, what’s a strap-on?”

“Oh God.”

Elliot squawks with laughter when she enters the room, scooping up Bea and slugging her across her shoulders, who emerges into a mixture of giggles and squeals.

“I want a turn!” Sephy moans, looking up at the pair.

“Do you want me to shake you upside down, Persephone?”

“Yes please auntie!”

“Oh God please don’t throw up again, that rug is new.”

–

“Thank you,” Beverly says, sitting at the breakfast bar beside Elliot with a glass of wine.

“For what?”

“Today. I’m glad you’re here.”

“You know I love you. I’ll always be here.”

She touches her arm and smiles. They both drink their wine whilst watching everyone talk and laugh together. It’s nice. It makes Beverly happy.

“I’m really happy, Elly.”

“Good. You deserve it. This. All of it.”

Sephy runs over to them and climbs into Elliot’s lap.

“Hello, piggy.”

“Hello! Can I have some of that?” She points at Beverly’s wine.

“When you’re older. This is mummy’s special juice.”

Elliot looks at Sephy with ounces of love pouring from her eyes. She holds her little hands in her own.

“I don’t think I need anyone, Beverly.” She looks at her sister. “I have you, and the twins, and myself. I’m okay, I think.”

“Are you having a sleepover, auntie?”

Elliot looks at Sephy, then back to Beverly. She nods.

“I’d like you to.”

“I am, sweetheart.” She weaves her fingers through the loose tendrils of silk that frame the child’s face. They go quiet. The only thing that can be heard is the familiar chatter of their family.

“I’m okay, Beverly.”

She says it as if she has finally found something that has been lost for countless years.