I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus.....

Cassidy blinked her eyes open slowly and smiled.
“Christmas……”
She quietly rolled from under the covers and tiptoed out into the loungeroom.
She felt butterflies in her stomach as she looked at the colourful presents under the tree. Walking over and kneeling down beside the tree she took one that had her name on it, shaking it gently next to her ear.

“No peeking…” A voice came from behind her.
“Um…hey Bec..I wasn’t peeking! I was just…listening..” Cassidy said cheekily.
“You wanna coffee?” Becca yawned, wrapping her robe tightly around her.
“Sounds great…” Cassidy smiled and followed Becca into the kitchen.

“Are you all packed to go to the Carters?” Cassidy asked as she sipped her coffee at the kitchen table.
“Yeah pretty much…when do we leave?” Becca asked nibbling on a poptart.
“Plane leaves around noon….god this is going to be so weird staying there….” Cassidy shivered putting her mug down.
“Why?” Becca asked confused.
“Cause! I dunno..it’s the whole family thing…and its not just a visit…it’s a ‘stay’…we’re ‘staying’…” Cassidy emphasized.
Becca looked at her amused.
“I honestly believe you are chemically imbalanced…” She said dryly.
“Shutup Bec! I’ve met Jane like…what? Once! Haven’t met the dad…or sister, or other sister or…what if we don’t get along? What if they don’t like me??” Cassidy stressed.
“I think you’re in with a chance if you could stop stressing for one second! Just be yourself….they’ll love you….they have to…” Becca shrugged.
“Oh thanks…” Cassidy said sarcastically.
“What’s the time?” Becca asked changing the subject.
“Quarter to ten…shit we’d better get moving…” Cassidy said looking at her watch.
“Let’s go and try to wake sleeping beauty up….you probably wore him out last night…” Becca teased.
“I wish…” Cassidy rolled her eyes getting up from the table and moving over to the sink.
“What? You too not having troubles are you?” Becca asked confused, she hadn’t sensed any tension between Nick and Cassidy.
“You could say that…” Cassidy sighed dramatically.
“What happened? What are you fighting about??” Becca said completely lost.
“Oh…we’re not…fighting…” Cassidy’s face showed a sign of a smile.
“Soooo…” Becca encouraged.
Cassidy looked around quickly to make sure Nick wasn’t suddenly in the room.
“You promise not to say anything…” She tried not to start grinning.
“Yeah course…” Rebecca replied confused.
“Nick…uhh….had a few troubles…down there….you know….” Cassidy whispered.
“What?!” Becca began to choke on her poptart.
“Becca!” Cassidy giggled.
“Poor guy…” Becca laughed softly.
“Yeah so the doctor said no sex for a month….” Cassidy finished.
"Oh my god….well should we go wake sleeping beauty up then…" Becca grinned.
"Remember not a word! Nick would kill me if he knew I told you…" Cassidy whispered as they approached her bedroom where Nick slept soundlessly.

"I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the Christmas tree last night…" Howie sung softly as he gently kissed Holly's soft lips.
"Merry Christmas…" Holly slowly fluttered her eyes open.
"I cooked you a special Christmas breakfast…" Howie smiled placing a small tra on the beside table.
"you're an angel…" Holly smiled sitting up.
"So….have you been a good girl this year?" Howie snuggled back under the covers.
"Hmm…what do you think?" She ran a fingernail along his toned arm.
"Well I just found this under the tree…" Howie pulled out a small present wrapped in beautiful gold paper.
Holly's eyes sparkled as Howie placed it in her hands.
"You shouldn't have…"
"Well I did….just a little something for my beautiful girl…"
"Howie…" Holly melted and reached over to kiss Howie sweetly.
"Open it…" Howie smiled.
"I don't want to rip the paper…" Holy giggled as she delicately removed the sticky tape.
Howie smiled and wrapped his arms lovingly around her waist.
"Oh god Howie…" Holly gasped as she opened the black velvet jewelry box to reveal an exquisite diamond pendant, that sparkled up at Holly in the morning sunshine.
"I love you! Its beautiful!" She gushed, speechless.
"Here I'll help you put it on.." Howie carefully draped the necklace around Holly's neck and clasped it at the back.
"Do you like it?"
"Like it?! I love it! Thank you so much Howie…" Holly gently kissed Howie's lips.
"Merry Christmas baby…."

"Kirstie! Please calm down about this….you don't know if its him…" AJ looked at the bunch of roses that were sent to Kirstie in a box the previous night.
"AJ! Please…there are 11 roses there…not 12…Matt used to send me bunches of 11 roses because he said that I made up the dozen…" Kirstie stressed as she packed her suitcase as fast as she could.
"He wants me to know that he's still around…" Kirstie finished.
"Ok ok….shhh…we'll be at mom's for a month…he can't hurt us there…and then we'll sort all of this out ok?" AJ soothed as he pulled her in for a hug, stroking her hair lovingly.
"I hope so…" Kirstie whispered, although she had a feeling in her stomach that this was all from over.

"Pull the blanket of him…." Cassidy whispered as she and Beca lingered over a sleeping Nick.
"Ok…" Becca carefully pulled the blanket away from Nick's sleeping form. He moaned slightly and rolled onto his back, his bare chest rising and falling slowly. Cassidy began to blow lightly on his bare skin.
"That's so cruel.." Becca laughed.
"What do you suggest….he's comatose!" Cassidy laughed.
"Icecubes…." Becca suggested mischievously.
"That's my girl…"

Rebecca returned a few minutes later with a glass of icecubes which they promptly began to circle on Nick's skin.
Goosebumps suddenly appeared on his flesh.
"Ahh!!" Nick sat up suddenly.
"Merry Christmas Nicky!!" Cassidy and Becca both jumped giddily on the bed. Nick grinned at their bright faces.
"Well….Santa was good to me this year…." Nick said, grinning slightly.
"What?" Cassidy asked confused.
"Two gorgeous christmas pixies….all to myself…" He smirked, biting his lip and raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"Nick!" Cassidy laughed.
"What?! We got us, the bed…icecubes…uhh..kinky but I'll try anything…" Nick looked around him.
Cassidy punched him lightly on the arm.
"You wish Nicky boy…." Becca laughed.
"A man can dream…." Nick shrugged.
"Ok but you have to open your present first!" Cassidy told Nick excitedly.
"I'm not gonna refuse that…." Nick smiled and picked his shirt up from the floor and pulled it on.
"I'll just get it!" Cassidy hopped of the bed and skipped out to retrieve Nick's gift.

Nick laughed, his eyes following her out of the room.
"Someone's on a christmas high already…" He smiled.
He promptly patted the bed beside him, motioning Becca to sit next to him.
"Merry Christmas Nick…." She kissed his cheek.
"How are you feeling?" Nick furrowed his eyebrows seriously.
"Don't look so serious!" Becca laughed, Nick cracked a smile.
"I'm fine…how's that head of yours?" Becca asked.
"Suprisingly good….but then again I don't get a wake up that good everyday…" Nick winked.
Becca rolled her eyes.
"Thanks Nick by the way…" Becca leaned her head on his shoulder.
"For what?"
"For letting me stay at your parents house and for not judging me…" Becca said softly.
"Hey I only have a few friends….I gotta keep them close!" Nick joked to lighten the mood.
"Anyway….we've gotta look after this bubba of yours…" He grinned and placed his hand gently on Becca's stomach. Becca laughed as Nick put his ear to her stomach.
"Merry Christmas little baby…this is your uncle Nicky…the coolest uncle you got…" Cassidy smiled from where she stood in the door way. Nick looked up and grinned sheepishly.

"Ok, your present isn't gonna fit through the door, so you'll have to open it out there…." Cassidy smiled.
"Ooo…you've got me all excited now!" Nick jumped off the bed and pimped Cassidy up in his arms, carrying her to the loungeroom where a huge box sat alone in the middle of the room.
"Well I'm going for a shower…" Becca decided and headed toward the bathroom.

"Woah! Is this for me??" Nick asked confused.
"Well..yeah…well actually, its kinda for you and for me…" Cassidy smiled.
"That'd be right…" Nick laughed.
"Shutup!" Cassidy said as she helped him take the wrapping off the huge box and they looked inside.
"A authentic asian wood hanging love seat…." Nick read the side of the box. He looked at Cassidy amused.

"And we're just what? Plopping this in the middle of the living room here Cass?" He guessed.
"I swear sometimes you are so blonde…"
"I resent that comment…"

"Well I just wanted to give you this because….I want to know that I did hear what you were saying last night…and this is a symbol of my commitment to you…and I want to you put up this seat on your back porch as my promise that I'm going to move in with you after we come back from your mom's….." Cassidy smiled.
Nick's eyes widened.
"Really?" He smiled wide.
"Yep! If you still want me?" Cassidy looked up at him.
Nick brushed a strand of hair away from her face and pulled her in for a long simple kiss.
"You and me own a love seat…." He whispered excitedly.
"An authentic asian wood love seat…" Cassidy whispered back.
"Isn't that the most exciting thing…" Nick laughed not taking his eyes off her.
"Hell yeah…" Cassidy grinned…but then her face changed as another thought entered her mind.

"I have another present…." She said reaching into her pocket.
"Cass….you didn't have to…."
"Shh…now, since I know you can't take our beautiful love seat around everywhere as a sign of my commitment for you….I got you something a little more portable…and I really liked it…soo…" Cassidy laughed.
"Its all about you isn't it?" Nick teased.
"Here…" She handed him a blue velvet box.
Nick opened it and there was a gorgeous plain gold promise ring shining up at him.
"Woah, Cassidy baby…this is nice….how much did you…." Nick said in disbelief.
"Read the inside of the band…" Cassidy interrupted him, butterflies in her stomach.
Nick looked at her and then at the inside of the ring and read the inscription.

"I promise you with everything I am"

"Oh my god….that's…" Nick breathed.
Cassidy smiled slightly and swore she saw a twinkling of a tear in his eyes.
"I hope you like it…" Cassidy said, but Nick didn't hear her, he just kept reading the inscription, an idea forming in his mind.

"Nick!" Cassidy said a little louder.
Nick snapped out of his little world and looked at her.
"What do you think this is? Presents for Nick day?" She hinted not so subtly.

"Ok I'll get your presents…." Nick laughed said heading over to the tree as Cassidy plopped down on the couch.

Rebecca walked past them laughing and quietly slipped into the kitchen, just as she did the phone began to ring.

"Hello?" She picked up the phone from its cradle.
"God bless you merry gentlemen let nothing you dismay…"
"Merry Christmas Brian…" Becca smiled.
"Merry Christmas Becca…how are you feeling?" Brian's voice suddenly became concerned.
"I'm fine…how was your flight?" Becca sat down on a chair.
"It would have been better with you…"
"Brian I…"
"I know I’m sorry….Kev says Merry Christmas…."
"Say hi for me…" Becca felt suddenly lonely.
"Have you checked your letterbox yet?"
"No..why?"
"Well I uhh…I left you a little something in there before I left…" Brian's voice cracked on the phone.
"Brian you shouldn't have…" Becca bit her lip from bursting into to tears.
"Yeah I did…its Christmas! Anyway I really have to go…."
"Ok…give your mum a hug for me…" Becca said sadly.
"I'll call…take care ok…I love you…" Brian finished and hung up the phone.
"I love you too Bri…" Becca slowly replaced the phone in its cradle and walked out front to the letter box. Inside was a crisp white envelope.
She opened it slowly , her hands shaking slightly. Inside was Brian's silver ring which she used to wear and inside the band was engraved.

"Becca and Brian - Forever"

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she slipped the ring back onto her finger and walked slowly inside.