Their First Christmas

A Lucas & Riley Story

By Brown Eyes Parker

Rated: K+

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"I'm sorry Mrs. Friar but you have insufficient funds to complete your transaction," the sale's clerk told Riley Matthews as he handed back her credit card.

Riley frowned. "What do you mean insufficient funds? I could have sworn that I just paid the balance yesterday. . ."

"You could try another credit card?" The clerk suggested.

"A-A-another credit card?" Riley stuttered. "Sir, you don't understand. . . we don't have another credit card. My husband's a med student right now and Christmas is in two days. He needs this medical bag! Please. . ."

"Sweetie, I don't know where you're from but around here you need a valid credit card or cash!"

"Well you don't have to be so rude about it!" Maya Hart-Matthews, her best friend piped in, grabbing Riley by the arm. "Come on honey, let's take our business elsewhere!"

"But Maya. . . this is the only place with a medical bag in my price range!" Riley protested as Maya dragged her from the store. "And he still has my credit card!"

Maya marched back to the counter, glared at the sale's clerk and snatched the credit card up before going back to Riley.

"Maya, I still need a Christmas gift for Lucas!" Riley protested as they left the store. "We're not even sure my credit card will work anywhere else and he really does need a medical bag."

"Honey, I'll just lend you the money for the bag," Maya answered. "I sold another one of my paintings the other day and Josh just got a huge bonus at the architect firm for his design on the Tokyo project."

Riley sucked in a deep breath. "I couldn't. . . I can't believe I don't actually have the money. I saved for so long to buy him this present. I just paid the credit card yesterday. . ."

"It was an error on their end!" Maya said firmly. "Come on honey, everything'll be okay."

"No it won't!" Riley wailed. "Christmas is in two days and I still don't have a gift for Lucas! He probably got me something amazing. That's probably why my credit card bounced because he's wonderful and I'm not."

Maya placed a hand on her growing belly and sighed. "Come on Riles, you're being irrational. You are wonderful and Lucas will still think so whether you get him a gift or not."

"I know, I know. But this was our first Christmas together and I wanted it to be perfect!" Riley answered.

Maya shook her head. "Come on sweetie, I'm going to take you home now."

"Home?" Riley repeated. "I still don't have a gift for Lucas."

"You need to stop saying that," Maya said as she wove her arm through Riley's. "Everything is going to work out, you'll see.

"Like Santa Claus is going to magically deliver the medical bag," Riley grumbled. "You and I both know he doesn't deliver to adults!"

"He might very well make an exception this year," Maya answered, trying to figure out a way to text Josh and have him come pick up the bag without alerting Riley to what she was doing.

"Yeah right," Riley said, sighing deeply.

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"Denied?" Lucas replied. "How can it be denied? My wife just paid the credit card bill yesterday!"

"I'm sorry sir. Maybe you could pay in cash instead?"

"I just used the last of my cash to pay for next semester's textbooks," Lucas replied impatiently. "Maybe you could run it through again? It's Christmastime and I really wanted to give my wife this new strap for her camera. . ."

The girl checking him out nodded. "Okay. I'll try it one more time but if it doesn't work, you might have to go to the bank and see what's going on at their end."

She ran it through again and shook her head.

"They're still denying it?" Lucas asked, his heart sinking to his toes.

"I'm sorry," she said sympathetically. "We can hold it for you until tomorrow night but other than that, there isn't much we can do unless you have cash or another credit card."

Lucas sighed and scrubbed his hand across his face wearily.

"I could pay for it," his uncle by marriage, Josh Matthews, offered. "I just got a huge raise at work the other day."

Lucas sighed. "I couldn't take charity. . ."

"Charity?" Josh replied. "What is this? The 19th century? It wouldn't be charity, you're family! And if that bothers you then consider it a loan. You can pay me back when you have the money. I know you're good for it."

"Sir. . ." the girl said tentatively, looking slightly embarrassed. "We do have other customers waiting in line. Are you going to take your brother-in-law up on his offer or not?"

"Not today," Lucas answered, not bothering to clear up the assumption about Josh. "Maybe I'll come back later."

"Really Lucas," Josh tried again as he followed him out of the store. "I could just give you the money for it now and you can pay me back later. I know how special you and Riley wanted your first Christmas as husband and wife to be."

Lucas snorted. "A new camera strap is hardly special! What did you get for Maya? Oh that's right, one of those Pandora charm bracelets! I knew I should have waited until I was finished with vet school to marry her. Out of all the ideas I've had, this wasn't one of my greatest."

"You better not let Riley hear you say that," Josh advised as he fell into step with him.

"You have it so easy," Lucas grumbled. "You were fresh out of school and you literally got a coveted position at one of the most prestigious architecture firms in New York City. How did you manage that?"

"I interned every summer," Josh answered. "It wasn't all easy. I had to get a lot of coffee and deliver a lot of mail before they even looked at my blueprints."

"I'm sorry," Lucas apologized. "I shouldn't be in a bad mood. But I'm so tired, Josh. I work hard busting my butt at vet school and holding down two jobs. All I wanted to do was get Riley something for Christmas."

"Well, life isn't easy," Josh told him. "What did you think? Marriage was going to be just like playing house?"

"You and Maya make it look like that!"

Josh laughed. "Believe me. Nothing about our life is like playing house. I mean, I'm still paying off student loans."

"Aw. You're just trying to make me feel better," Lucas said, waving him off. "Man, I really wish I had the money for that camera strap! She's probably gotten me a great present. What am I going to do when she has nothing to open on Christmas morning? I feel like a total loser."

"You aren't a total loser!" Josh insisted. "Riley is a very understanding person. I know she won't mind one bit if she doesn't have anything to open up on Christmas morning. There will be other December 25ths, Lucas. I understand why this one is important but it isn't the end all, be all of the holidays."

"Josh. . ."

"Who knows," Josh continued. "Santa just might pull through and bring that camera strap for Riley."

"Santa's for children," Lucas said cynically. "And even if he were real, he wouldn't have time for a lowly vet student and his new bride."

Josh sighed and pulled out his phone to type a message to Maya. Something needed to be done about Lucas Friar even if it meant going against his wishes and buying Riley the strap for her camera.

Maya texted him back almost immediately and said that she was having the same problem with Riley and would it be okay if they maybe got a gift for Lucas too?

Josh knew he had married her for a reason.

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The four of them met at the bank and traded off. Josh and Maya stayed long enough to find out the Friars were victims of identity theft. Riley and Lucas sent them off because there was nothing they could do to get them out of the mess they were in.

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"Christmas is ruined," Riley cried as they rode the elevator to their apartment.

Lucas couldn't have agreed more but he wasn't about to say it aloud. Not when Riley was standing next to him with tracks of mascara streaking her cheeks, her makeup almost all cried off.

Christmas, Lucas thought, Bah, Humbug!

"Next year will be better," he promised instead of voicing his musings to her.

Riley eyed him. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

He sighed wearily and wished he could do the whole season over again. But there were no do overs. It was what it was, this would be the worst Christmas of both of their lives, he just wished it didn't have to be their first Christmas as a married couple.

Lucas watched as Riley took their key of out of her purse and unlocked the apartment door without saying anything to him. He knew it was because she was disappointed more than anything because she rarely ever got angry.

Riley turned around and looked at him. "Maybe we're going about this all wrong," she said.

"What?"

"We shouldn't be this upset," Riley said. "They're just things, Lucas. We have our health and we have each other. We'll have years and years to give each other gifts but I don't want to look back and remember that our first Christmas was bad because we had bad attitudes about our lack of things. And besides, Christmas isn't about us. We both believe in God, we should know that. . ."

"You changed your tune rather quickly. . ."

"I know," Riley said, sighing. "I had a crummy attitude and I'm sorry about that."

Lucas felt contrite with every single word. He took a deep breath and approached his wife. "I'm sorry too. I guess I lost focus of what really mattered and all in the name of something that was probably going to be a pretty crummy Christmas present in the end."

"Oh? What were you going to get me?" Riley asked, putting her arms around his neck.

"I'm not going to tell you," Lucas answered. "I don't want to add anymore crushing disappointment to your day."

"So, it wasn't a Pandora charm bracelet?" Riley teased.

"Not even close," Lucas replied, grinning at her as he went in for a kiss but he stopped short when he saw two gifts under the tree. "Darlin', don't look now but I think we've got elves."

"Elves?" Riley repeated.

He whirled her around to see the two packages that hadn't been there when they left for the morning. "Elves."

"Oh my. I think those elves will probably look like my very pregnant best friend and her husband," Riley said. "And after I specifically told her not to help out. . ."

"We're really lucky to be part of this family," Lucas commented as he kissed her.

Riley smiled and kissed him back and they started to work on making it one of the best first Christmases ever.

_The End_

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Author's Note:

This was going to be a riff off the Gift of the Magi and then it took a turn. This is my first real attempt at a Rucas story. I hope you enjoyed it and that you will leave a review. And to all the Rucas shippers, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Keep your chins up, I'm sure our Riley and Lucas will get a very happy ending in 2016.

Lots of Love,

Holly, 12/22/2015_