She leaves the box somewhere she is sure her uncle will find it, it isn't exactly a small box which ensures he will most certainly find it.
The colourfully and carefully wrapped box is topped with a purple ribbon, there's a small card also taped to the top that says
"Season's beatings from your favourite niece."
And within the box it holds a knit Christmas sweater wrapped around a limited edition box set of Star Trek: The Original Series while beneath it lay a purple bow she had picked and customized herself.
Finally, at the bottom of the package is an almost childish drawing of two people exchanging gifts in front of a Christmas tree; one smaller and blonde while the other is taller and red headed.
On the back of the page, written seemingly in pink crayon, it says:
"Merry Christmas, Uncle Barney!
Love, Evelyn Barton.
P.S. Space, the final frontier.
These are the adventures of Charles Bernard Barton."
Synopsis:
A beautiful baby girl with large blue eyes is born at exactly 12:01 on May 21st after six hours of labour and Caitriona names the new baby Evelyn Avacula Barton, her fathers last name, with her last dying breath.
Caitriona Cecilia Cassidy, Cee-Cee due to her initials, was never one to cry. Since childhood she had always dealt with pain like it was her main purpose in life and took it like punching bags take beatings. So when her water broke and her contractions started, all she could do was sit on the edge of her bed with gritted teeth and clawed fingers. She couldn't scream— that would be a dangerous mistake to make seeing as how her mothers side of the family was known to be, well, sonic screamers. It would be bad timing to discover she was a mutant, imagine the headlines— 'O'Sullivan heiress discovered to be mutant during labour! More on the story at eight!'.
Instead she awaits her half-brothers arrival patiently and he doesn't disappoint, thank God "Cee-Cee, y'missed a grea' nigh' a'th' gala" Cathaoir [ KA-heer ] tells her as a casual greeting, stripping off his tacky olive green suit jacket before grinning at his younger sister. "Con," she gripes out his nickname through grinding teeth "M'goin' in t' labour ye half minded dunce!" The soon-to-be-mother shouts at her sibling and his face turns from one of greeting to one of pure horror "Yer no' serious, are ye?" He questions with wide eyes, which Caitriona simply answers with a frustrated growl "Shite" Cathaoir mutters as he rushes to his sisters side.
"Jus' hel' me up carfully, y'hear?" She manages to get out before falling into a fit of heavy panting. "Aye, I go' i' m'no' completely incompeten' y'know" the male informs, helping his pregnant sister get to her feet as he helps her toward the door and tries to get a hold of her mother.
"Ma, Jesus Christ, she's goin' in t' labour as we speak!" He huffs into the phone while his sister groans in pain as the contractions work their 'magic'. "Are ye sure she's goin' in t' labour?" His step-mother inquires in order to make sure "T'is happened las' time, luv, an' she was fine—" he interrupts her, shouting "MA, I'S NO' LIKE LAS' TIME, FUCKIN' CHRIS' WOMAN JUS' LISTEN T' ME FOR ONCE, WOULD YE!?" His sister starts to squeeze his hand in her bone crushing grip as they get out to the car, the arguing not helping her condition whatsoever.
Caitriona hears their father on the phone with her half-brother now, suddenly thankful to hear his voice seeing as how he was the rational one of the family "Boy-O, ye know no' t' talk t' yer mot'er li' tha'" he tells his son with a sigh and Cathaoir replies with "Cait is goin' in t' labour an' ma won' listen, da', RATIONALIZE WOULD YE!?" And with that, he hangs up the phone angrily as he helps his sister into the car.
At the hospital, Caitriona could be heard screaming throughout the entire hospital and it wasn't surprising that her screams had broken almost every light in the hospital, she was half Cassidy after all and being a mutant certainly wasn't the worst thing on her mind. "Miss Cassidy, I'm goin' t' need y' t' take deep breaths, alrigh'?" The male doctor says, standing between her legs with a stance that could rival one of a football players. "I AM BREATHIN' YE SODDIN' TWAT, IF I WASN' BREATHIN' I'D BE DEAD" The red headed woman screeches at the top of her lungs before continuing to take deep breaths, the nurse at the side of the doctors urging her to push.
With her best friend and brother by her side, Caitriona Cassidy realizes she's dying— she feels pathetic and weak. It's Cathaoir's turn to take her hand in a bone crushing grip "Yer no' dyin', Cee-Cee" he forces out through his tears "Y'can', no' now" and Caitriona smiles at him weakly, barely able to squeeze his hand. "Aye... I' seems as though ye still canna tell me wha' t' do, big bro'ter" she sighs with a small wrinkle of her nose "M'no' scared o'dyin', Caithaoir, m'scared fo' m'baby" Her brother simply cries harder, knowing that she'll always be stronger than him— always stronger for him and their parents. "Cait, don' do this t' me, please" he sobs, clinging to her for dear life and burying his face into her side "Con... Y'need t' be strong f'r ma an' da', y'hear?" She tells him, softly running her fingers through his hair "Y'need t' be strong f'r y'niece, yer newborn niece who'll need ye some day so she can grow up no' wonderin' wha' i's like t' 'ave a family." His cries grow louder and she looks to her best friend, Vanessa, with a look in her eyes that tells her clearly to take care of her brother and baby. Vanessa nods as Cathaoir's sobs turn rough and haggard, shaking his entire body as his cries are muffled by the hospital sheets. Caitriona tilts her brothers head up gently a smiles widely from ear to ear "Bring me my baby" she instructs "I wan' t' hold her one more time."
The pink bundle fits perfectly within her arms— like it was meant to be and her baby places her tiny hands on her mothers face, as if comforting her with small strokes, when the little girl smiles for the first time and suddenly, Caitriona's entire world is made completely right and bright— 'that rhymed' she hums mentally. "Evelyn" Caitriona whispers, gently stroking the babys face with the knuckle of her index finger "Evelyn Avacula Barton"
And then, Caitriona Cecilia Cassidy is no more.
Her brother screams for doctors as her best friend holds the baby in her arms for the first time "Oh my, little bird" she sighs before looking over at the raving man "what have you done?"
