This story has been written as a Christmas gift for my dear friend Melissa. Hope you like this, Melissa. Merry Christmas!
~*~Chapter One : Christmas Surprises~*~
Todd entered LaBoulie wearing a Santa Claus suit. He wanted his first Christmas back with his family to be special. He couldn't wait to see his granddaughter Hope's reaction when she saw him dressed up as Santa. He also wanted to surprise his nephew Sam, considering this was the boy's first Christmas after the death of his father.
"Ho Ho Ho!" Todd called out in his merriest voice as he stepped through the door, a bag of gifts slung over his left shoulder.
"Ohhh myyy!" Blair exclaimed as she approached him. "It looks like Santa is here!"
"Santa has brought gifts for everyone," Todd said as he handed Blair the huge red bag which was packed full of presents.
"First you dress up as Spiderman, then the Wolf-Man. Now it's Santa Claus," Blair said to him quietly. "What will it be next?"
"Ohhh I dunno," said Todd with a laugh. "Where are the kids?"
Suddenly Hope came running in from the livingroom. When she saw "Santa" standing there in the foyer, she stopped in her tracks. "Hope, it's Santa," Blair said to her little granddaughter. Staring at her grandpa in the Santa suit, Hope didn't look too pleased.
"Ho Ho Ho!" said Todd as he reached out for his little Peanut.
"Not Santa. Gampa," said the little girl as she quickly jerked off Todd's fake beard.
"Ouch!" grumbled Todd as the glue from the beard got stuck to his skin. "Well, I guess that didn't go so well."
Blair laughed. "Where is the food?" asked Todd. "Santa's starved."
Blair put the gifts under the tree, then lead Todd into the kitchen as he carried Hope. Todd reajusted his beard as he walked into the kitchen to see Sam and Starr decorating Christmas cookies. "Something smells good," said Todd with a grin.
"Ho Ho Ho!" Todd said to Sam as he attempted to hug the boy.
"You're not Santa; you're my uncle!" Sam exclaimed.
"You're just not fat enough, Santa," Blair told Todd when she saw his downcast expression.
"I've failed as a Santa Claus," Todd said with a laugh as he put Hope down and went over to raid the food. "Ohhh, well. There's only one way to fatten Santa up!"
Todd grabbed a Christmas cookie and began munching on it. "Dad, you're crazy," Starr said with a smile. "We haven't even had a chance to frost those yet."
Todd shrugged. "Tastes good anyway," he said as he gobbled the rest of the cookie down and went to pour himself a tall glass of milk.
"Having a good Christmas, Shorty?" Todd then asked his daughter.
"Yes, I'm taking Sam and Hope on a sleigh ride later," Starr informed him.
Just then, Jack walked into the kitchen and approached his family. "Why is dad dressed up as Santa?" he asked Blair.
Blair and Todd looked at each other in amazement because it was the first time ever that Jack had referred to Todd as "Dad" and not "Scar-face." For Todd, that was one of the best Christmas gifts ever. He could not stop grinning under his fake beard.
"I want some money," Jack said to Blair. "I am going to the movies now with my friends."
"On Christmas day?" Starr said in surprise.
"Stay out of it, Starr. I just want to have some fun tonight," Jack said snidely to his sister.
Blair handed Jack some cash and the teenager hurried out the door to meet up his friends. "I can't believe you just did that!" Todd complained to his ex-wife. "Why would you let him go off on Christmas to be with his friends? Christmas is for family!"
"I'm sorry, Todd. But I really don't feel like arguing with him today," responded Blair. She was tired of fighting with Jack and having him ruin everyone's fun.
"Speaking of family, where are Tea and Dani?" Starr spoke up.
"Tea wasn't feeling well, so they are having Christmas at home," Blair said sadly. "Things have been tough on her with Victor being gone and considering that she's expecting a new baby and all..."
"Ohhh, that's terrible. They should be here," Starr stated with disappointment.
"Yes... and now I am spending Christmas without TWO of my kids," spoke Todd with a grumpy look on his bearded face.
"Cheer up, Santa," Blair encouraged. "The festivities have only just begun."
No sooner had those words left her mouth when the doorbell rang. "I wonder who that could be?" said Starr as she scooped up Hope in her arms and went to answer the door. Blair, Sam, and Todd followed after her.
Starr pulled open the front door to find Marty and Patrick standing there in the frosty December air. "What in the world?" gasped Starr.
"Well, what a surprise this is!" exclaimed Blair.
Todd didn't know what to think. Looking at Blair, he was convinced she had known all along that they were about to recieve 'surprise' guests.
"We've brought a Christmas present for Starr and Hope," said Marty with a bright smile.
Suddenly Cole stepped out from behind his parents. He went into Starr's arms and hugged her so tightly. Starr was so shocked she could not speak. Cole then kissed his little girl on the cheek. "Surprise!" said Cole as he gazed into Starr's eyes.
"How-?" Starr asked him when she had finally found her voice.
"I just got out of prison and my parents came to get me so I could spend Christmas with you and Hope," explained Cole.
"Come in, everyone," Blair offered. "Come in out of the cold." Marty, Patrick, and Cole stepped inside the foyer. Marty was brushing the snowflakes off her red coat as she gave Todd a beautiful smile.
"Hello, Todd," she said as she looked him over in that Santa suit.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked her with a little frown.
Marty just laughed softly as she stood next to Todd. She kept gazing at Todd, amazed to be in his presence again after all these years. She had to admit; he looked kind of cute in that Santa suit. Todd wondered what she may be thinking about when he noticed a slight smirk upon her face.
Meanwhile, Blair had taken Patrick into the kitchen to prepare him a mug of hot chocolate. "This is great, Blair," he said with a grin as he sampled the sweet, chocolatey treat. He hadn't seen Blair in years, and he was surprised that the spark was still there. He suddenly couldn't wait to get her alone and away from the house full of people. If only he could...
"Mom, Cole and I are taking Hope and Sam on that sleigh-ride now," Starr called out to her mother.
"Have a good time!" exclaimed Blair. "And everyone stay warm!"
"Alright. We'll get the kids all bundled up," replied Starr.
She returned to the foyer where she got Sam and Hope bundled up into snow pants and heavy coats with Cole's help. Very soon they were all ready to go. "See ya soon, Dad. Love you," Starr said as she kissed her father's cheek.
Todd hugged his daughter tightly. "Hurry back so you can open all those presents. Ho ho ho!" responded Todd.
"Dad, you're crazy," Starr told him again as she left with Cole and the kids.
"Santa doesn't have many brain cells left..." Todd spoke after they had gone. Now he and Marty were standing all alone in the foyer together. Where Blair and Patrick had gone was a mystery.
"I'm changing out of this Santa suit now," Todd said to Marty as the beard and velvet suit had become quite itchy. He was thankful he had thought to bring a change of clothing along. "Be back in a second." He headed up the staircase. Unbeknownst to Todd, Marty had followed along a few steps behind him.
Back in the kitchen, Blair and Patrick had finished the mugs of hot chocolate. "How would you like to go with me to the stables, Blair? We could ride our horses for old time's sake?" Patrick asked.
Blair happily agreed as she longed to spend some time alone with Patrick. "Let's go," said Patrick as he took her hand and went with her into the foyer to get bundled up. Neither of them even stopped to wonder where Todd and Marty may have gone.
Todd did not realize he was all alone in the house with Marty. He stepped into a bedroom and closed the door behind him. He removed the beard and the Santa cap, tossing them both aside. He was half out of his Santa suit when Marty entered the room. Todd looked at her in surprise when she just came strolling in.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Why did you pick this room, Todd?" she questioned him.
"I dunno. I just picked a room. Shouldn't you be off with Patrick or something?" Todd asked.
Marty knew why Todd had chosen this room in particular. It was the very room that had once been hers, the room where they had made love all those years ago. She couldn't stop the huge smile that came to her face.
"Patrick and I are no longer together. We didn't work out. We are just spending Christmas together here for the sake of our son who just got out of prison and for our sweet little granddaughter."
"Ahhh, well, I guess that's sort of a bummer for the Christmas memory book then, huh, Marty?"
"Not really. I wanted to come back to Llanview. I wanted to see you."
Todd stared at her in shock. "Me? Why?"
"You and I have unfinished business between us. Would you like a little help removing that Santa suit?"
Todd's eyes got huge when he heard her suggestion. "Wait. Why did you want to see me, Marty?" Todd insisted.
"Todd, when I heard you were back in Llanview and you escaped your mother's compound, I just had to come back and see you. I had to tell you how much you mean to me... how much you have ALWAYS meant to me," Marty said as she was gazing into his eyes. "I'm glad that you're back and that it's REALLY you. I'm glad Victor wasn't you, because I knew you would never hurt me like that... not again."
"It's true," said Todd as he drifted closer. "I could never hurt you again. I have regretted hurting you everyday of my life since that moment."
Todd pulled Marty into his arms and kissed her. As he wrapped his arms around her, neither noticed when the pants of his Santa suit fell silently to the floor. Todd could think of nothing but her sweet lips on his as she pressed herself against his chest.