Holidays with Joann were always a shit show, but she was Daryl's mother and she was moving out of state soon anyway. Fiona could do this one more time, and as luck would have it she was on 7-3 at the NICU on Thanksgiving. That meant she would only have to spend about three hours with her mother in law. Thank you, Lord, she had said when she got her holiday schedule, only three hours with Joann!

That was three hours too long though.

Joann was still holding a grudge from twenty years ago when Fiona had left Daryl to go away to nursing school even though she herself was also a nurse and knew how difficult and all consuming the programs were. That didn't matter, it also didn't matter that they had been so young and shouldn't have been as serious as they were. Fiona and Daryl had made peace with that long ago, obviously since they had been married almost ten years now.

Daryl's mother blamed Fiona for his disastrous first marriage and said it outright, even though it was Fiona who tried to break it up two weeks before the wedding( driving home from school in the middle of the semester too) and Daryl had told her to fuck off, but it was still Fiona's fault. But Daryl loved his wife completely, they were together again and that was all that mattered, Fiona loved him and only him all her life and had his back no matter what.

They joked about it sometimes, "I tried to talk you out of it," Fiona would say and Daryl would tell her to "Fuck off," Like he had twenty years ago and they laughed about it now.

He loved everything thing about her and always had, the fact that she worked so hard, yet still found time to take care of him, Travis, Leslie, and Sabrina every day. He loved that she and her daughter's blended perfectly with him and his son, and their house was full of laughter all the time.

He loved that she got jealous when the one of the secretaries at the garage tried flirting with him, the woman he bought him a gift for no good reason and Fiona saw red. Of course he had told her, they had no secrets, and this girl was new, clearly, she didn't realize he was married, although he wore his ring every day. Maybe the girl didn't care, so his wife made sure she knew what was what.

Fiona was tight with Axel's wife, their co-owner at the garage, along with Daryl and Merle and Fiona had shown up at the office to see Janice and inquire about this new girl.

After lunch with Janice, who gave her the info she needed Fiona had marched herself right into the girl's office and told her all how it was; "Its' nice to meet you, Heather, I'm Mrs. Dixon, Daryl's wife." he was hers and she better keep her hands to herself and off her man, or Fiona would break them. Fiona meant it too, and the fact that she was a little psycho over him made Daryl smile. He liked that she was that way, his first wife hadn't been at all.

Fiona couldn't stop anyone from looking, although she wasn't happy about it , if she could she would and he loved her for that.

After years of put-downs by Sheila, his ex, having a woman that was as into him as she was, well it was life-changing. There was so much to love about her; he loved that she threatened to withhold sex from him if he forgot to take out the garbage when he knew damn well she'd never stick to that in a million years. He loved that she was addicted to ID TV and watched it on her days off while she cleaned their little house; Fiona wrote poetry and he loved that too. He loved the way they fought, on the few occasions when that happened, it was as passionate as they were. Fighting with Fiona was like trying to piss into the wind, they argued, cursed each other and always, always made up in bed the same day.

/

Joann had called it a perceptual problem and that enraged Fiona more than it should have but she couldn't help it. Daryl and Merle were both dyslexic, and there was no shame in it, but Joann made it feel that way by refusing to call it what it was. It didn't change the way anyone felt about either of them and they were both so smart when it came to cars, so they didn't read all that great and reversed certain letters sometimes, there was no need to hide it.

No need to be ashamed, no need to outright lie.

At Christmas dinner one year, at a table of thirteen people, the same they always had; Joann and her husband, her sister and her husband, both teachers, and various other relatives, Joann had once again said it was a perceptual problem. This was a table full of teachers and Fiona, a nurse, plus Joann's widowed friend Sally who was also a nurse didn't know what she was talking about.

"It's dyslexia," Fiona mumbled, and all eyes were on her now. "It's not a big deal."

Joann didn't speak to her for months after that but she and Daryl had a laugh about it. He didn't care, Fiona read to him if he needed something read and he couldn't figure it out. She read her poems to him too and penthouse forum, which was so much better when someone read it out loud to you anyway.

/

Joann's house and life was something out of a snooty magazine, pretentious and over the top with her fine china and pressed linens. Joann had come from humble beginnings, but she had forgotten her struggles as she aged, she had forgotten how hard her life was before Daryl's father died and she collected on his insurance policy when her boys were young.

She also refused to age gracefully, dressing like a woman in her thirties when clearly she was not and trying every beauty treatment on the market that promised she would stay young. She had the money now, both from the insurance and her second marriage to a very wealthy doctor she met after she finished nursing school.

It had been Joann that encouraged the directionless Fiona as a teen to go to nursing school, yet she hated the outcome as it affected her son, there was no pleasing her, ever.

Daryl was not like his mother, and neither was Merle, so Fiona usually spent holiday dinners next to her husband and across from her brother in law, rather than be engaged in mindless conversation with people she didn't really have much in common with.

A few years ago Joann had tried to sit Daryl and Fiona on opposite sides of the table, but they had put an end to that right away, which lead to Joann calling them "a couple of high school kids who were pushing forty." They got their way through and it was never an issue again.

/

They sat together on the love seat after Fiona arrived straight from work on Thanksgiving and he made sure she had something to eat and drink. She got up at four am every day to go take care of premature babies and although she loved her job, she was tired. Daryl made sure she always had what she needed and they took care of each other. That devotion was clearly missing from Joann's marriage and Fiona suspected that was why she had such a problem with the affection between her and Daryl. You didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

That was sad though, sadder than the holidays with Joann. Wouldn't a mother want her son to be happy, after all he had been through? It made no good sense why she was so antagonistic to Fiona, but she was. That was the reason Fiona's two girls chose to stay home on holidays, or go to their father's house, they could not stand to watch Joann's holiday antics, not just the way their mother was treated, but they didn't like Joann as a person.

Next year would be different, Joann and Steve were moving out of state and they would all be together, instead of separated as they were now.

Travis went, because he didn't see his mother, she had abandoned him and Daryl long ago and until his father bumped into Fiona by accident in a restaurant ten years ago, they had lived with Merle. Travis welcomed a mother figure and loved Fiona since the day she walked into his life when he was five years old.

Travis leaned over to Fiona shortly after she arrived as she sipped her diet coke with a laugh, "Grandma is hammered, she and that Sally lady drank half a bottle of champagne already."

"Travis!" Fiona laughed.

"Totally wasted." He snickered and Fiona again was amazed at how much he looked and acted like his father.

/

Merle was engaged now too and Joann was just as flip with Teagan, his woman, and they had only just met a year ago.

Her beef with Fiona was somewhat grounded in history, but Merle's girl hadn't done a thing, so it was a mother thing plain and simple. She just didn't like her son's women, but oh how she loved to put on a show. She invited every straggler and lonely person she could find so they would fall all over her in gratitude, and it was so obvious.

She made sure that everyone knew how she slaved over the meal making her pies from scratch (three different kinds)and how it took all day to make her special stuffing. Then casually she would remark how she would send leftovers home for Daryl since "his wife didn't cook", and "please Fiona this time give my Tupperware back." She baked twelve kinds of cookies and made sure to remind everyone that she was diabetic and couldn't eat them but "Look what I did for you."

Fiona didn't cook, that was true, she worked twelve-hour shifts usually and Daryl did most of the cooking because he got home earlier than she did. Also, she gave back Joann's Tupperware every year, yet the woman insisted on telling people she didn't. If that was the worst thing she could say about her daughter in law it made her look like an ass.

/

Fiona's widowed mother, who was always invited was becoming more and more confused and soon Fiona knew she would have to take her car keys away; she thought the sun rose and set over Daryl's head, and often said he reminded her of Fiona's father, Robert.

But she was not always lucid and Fiona was getting scared over what that was going to mean for the future.

This year she inquired about Joann's dog who had been dead for three years during the appetizer course and you could have heard a pin drop as no one, absolutely no one wanted to reorient her to the facts.

"Um, Mom?" Fiona finally answered, "Buddy died."

"Oh," Her mother had replied as Joann shot Fiona a dirty look, from across the table Teagan offered her a sweet smile; they were mates on this sinking ship but her smile reminded Fiona that it would be over soon. Joann was moving and they planned to throw a party that very day.

Before Thanksgiving, Joann had texted everyone to ask what they wanted weeks ago and informed them too that once they chose between the fruit or the antipasto, there was no going back. This was who she was. But Daryl and Fiona always shared anyway, a fact that was commented on every time.

Fiona felt his hand on hers as the comment was passed again and he squeezed her hand, brought it up from under the table and kissed her palm.

"There ain't nothing we don't share Mom," Daryl said effectively cutting Joann off at the knees and Merle shook with laughter across the table.

When their hands made it back under the table, Fiona slid hers over his knee, and Daryl tried to stay cool, but it was no use, they hadn't had much time together since she was working holiday overtime all week. He was hard already and her hand hadn't even got to his junk yet. But she was going to do it, this wouldn't be the first time either.

She ran her left hand up and down his thigh slowly to not draw attention to them and with her other hand forked a piece of pineapple from her fruit cup, which was very good. The only one who might have noticed was Merle and he made quick eye contact with his brother, Daryl just shrugged with a lopsided grin on his face.

Fiona leaned over and whispered something dirty in his ear, a dirty promise for later when they were alone. Then her hand reached his dick and Fiona noticed his leg was shaking ever so slightly, she smiled to herself, then turned and asked Joann for her recipe for stuffing.

Joann loved bragging about her cooking, she was enthralled with the sound of her own voice, she always had been; and this time Fiona actually wanted to hear what she had to say, while her own hand was on Daryl's dick under the table.

/

Daryl and Merle both smoked yet Joann only rode Fiona's ass about smoking "I can smell it on you," She hissed in the kitchen to Fiona as she did the dishes, "I have nothing to say to you, Fiona."

Joann used I a lot; "I have nothing to say to you." "I think, I know, I'm right." Fiona just let it go in one ear and out the other. Joann's husband Steve and Fiona usually did the dishes together and this year was no different, they were the outsiders so to speak and they shared many common interests. Fiona loved Steve, like a surrogate father, not just because he loved Stephen King like she did. They always talked about books and TV shows and had common tastes. During the dinner dishes, they had been discussing the new movie IT, Fiona had seen it and Steve had not, they had both read the book.

As Fiona struggled to clear the countertops to sit the dishes to dry and finally when she couldn't find any room at all she leaned over to Steve who was drying dishes.

"Steve," She whispered so Joann wouldn't hear, she was flitting around the kitchen in her leggings, gypsy shirt, and thigh high boots and out of earshot, "There's too much crap on this counter, I can't think."

"Fiona, welcome to my fucking life." He deadpanned and Fiona roared with laughter. She hugged Steve and thanked him for being the man he was and told him she loved him.

"Hey Fi?" Daryl was in the doorway now, leaning against the door jam calling her by her preferred nickname, "Can I see you in the hallway for a second."

"Jesus Christ Daryl can't you two be apart for five minutes." Joann complained.

"No Mom we can't, she's on overtime and I hardly see her." He crooked his finger at his wife, "Fi?"

She dried her hands and he led her out to the garage where everyone smoked but he locked the door this time. When he turned back with his hands on his belt buckle she was staring at him with that look in her eye.

"You're kidding right?"

Daryl shook his head as he walked down the steps to her, "I'm not."

He backed her up to his mother's Lincoln Continental and lifted her up onto the hood.

"You got a problem?" He asked as he brought his hands up over her thighs, "Cause you started this."

Fiona grinned, she had started it, but she had meant later.

"I meant for later, Daryl." She explained as he pulled off her nurse's shoes and slid her scrubs and panties off, and she didn't object.

"Can't wait till later," He purred against her neck and reached under her top to palm the most perfect pair of breasts he had ever been lucky enough to touch, "We can be quick right, get back in time for dessert?"

Fiona nodded and he pressed his lips to hers, pushing her lips apart and filling her mouth with his tongue, she moaned out loud and that made him smile. It had been over a week since they had sex and both of them were on fire in seconds.

"I figure we got eight minutes before the cookies hit the table," Daryl continued as he kissed and sucked his way down her neck and over her shoulders. Fiona's hands were on his jeans and reaching inside to take hold of him, eliciting a deep groan from him.

"I'm sorry I keep falling asleep on you," She said bringing her mouth to his and kissing him, "After new year's let's go away for a weekend, just you and me."

"Anywhere you want baby," He pulled her closer by her thighs and knelt down before her, spreading her legs wide.

"Daryl?!"

"Shhhh," was his only reply as he buried his face in her pussy, "Seven minutes."

It never took long on a good week, but because they hadn't been together for so long, or what seemed like so long, Fiona was quietly moaning and digging her fingers into his hair in no time.

"I missed ya Fi," He groaned against her and that was all it took, within two minutes Fiona was losing her mind on the hood of her mother in laws car.

She pulled him up to her and grabbed at his jeans trying to pull them down, "Hurry."

"Easy, we got like five minutes." Daryl laughed as she fumbled with the buttons trying to get his dick free.

"Just give it to me now." She pulled his hips against her and watched him grasp his cock and rub it against her, all around her pussy, "Stop fucking teasing," She hissed and he grinned at her then he pushed inside her.

They wrapped their arms around each other and both groaned in relief, "Jesus," Daryl moaned and kissed his way up her neck while Fiona's hands found his ass and pulled him deeper inside her, "Oh fuck me, sweetheart!"

"You got it," She wrapped her legs around his waist and met him thrust for thrust.

"Fuck yes!" He dug his hands into her thighs and gave her everything he had.

"Come on baby cum," She whispered hotly in his ear, "Fill me up."

She knew those words would rock his world and she kept whispering dirty things to him and running her hands through his hair until he exploded and unloaded every drop into her. They stayed that way a few minutes, catching their breath as sweat rolled down their bodies and just holding each other. The garage was quiet, and there was no noise by the door, Daryl had half expected Merle to start banging on the door just to bust balls, but nothing. It was possible no one knew they were gone, but not likely.

"God damn!" He pulled her to him and kissed the side of her head, "I feel better already."

"Me too," She sighed and lay her head on his shoulder.

"Same time, same place at Christmas?" He said with a laugh and she hugged him tightly, this was why she married him because he was the only person that could make her smile when she was having a bad day. He didn't let anyone give her shit and he could make her laugh even in the worse situations.

She laughed softly.

"And wait till we get home..." He kissed the side of her head again, "This is just the first course."

As always, I love each and every one of you that leaves me love, kudos, comments on my stories. Without your feedback I would never know if I should keep writing or not, so thank you xoxoxo. Happy New Year to everyone, may all your dreams come true in 2018.