A/N: So I have a confession… I've actually been sitting on this one since last Christmas. I started it, wanting to get as much of it written as possible before I began posting. But life got crazy and I never got around to finishing it. :( I thought about posting it later in the year but figured it would be more fun to wait until Christmas rolled around again!

I was going to wait until December 1 to start posting this story, but I can't wait anymore. And the way I figure, if they're starting to air Christmas movies on TV already, then I can post a Christmas story. Right? Right. *nods emphatically* Plus, a reliable source tells me you've all been very good this year! ;P

This story is kind of set in the High School Daze universe (which I hope is obvious from the title), although it is obviously not following the same timeline. Basically, I started writing this shortly after I had Lindsay and Danny return home from Montana. So as far as this story goes, everything after that in High School Daze never happened. Keep that in mind while reading. It might come in handy ;)

So take a break from decorating your tree, grab a glass of eggnog and enjoy!

Danny let himself into the apartment, closing the front door behind him and dropping his keys in the bowl on the table in the entranceway. He breathed deeply as he kicked off his shoes, taking in the delicious scent of the holiday feast Lindsay had been busy preparing all day. Hanging up his jacket, he looked around the apartment, smiling at the festive sight before him. Not only was their place spotless – he and Lindsay having spent the better part of the night before cleaning like maniacs – but she'd also lovingly decorated their home with subtle hints of Christmas. A small snow globe sat on each of the tables bookending the couch, boughs of evergreen were carefully arranged along the mantle piece with twinkling lights nestled within, flickering softly. But the crowning glory was the tree, covered in fairy lights, with red, green and gold ornaments sprinkled throughout and a delicate gold angel perched on the top.

He could hear Lindsay banging around in the kitchen, muttering to herself as she worked. Moving through the apartment, he leaned against the door frame separating the kitchen from the living room and smiled at his wife, her back to him as she checked the progress of whatever it was she had baking in the oven.

"Wow, baby. Something smells really good," he said, walking up behind her and placing a soft kiss to her shoulder while wrapping his arms around her waist.

She sighed and leaned back against him. "Thanks. I didn't hear you come in."

"I was trying to be quiet. Didn't want to wake Luce." Close up, he realized she looked slightly frazzled, her face flushed and her hair disarranged, as if she'd been running her fingers through it all day. He tightened his arms around her, tenderly kissing her cheek. "You okay?"

"Just a little tired."

"You've been working hard, Linds. Why don't you take a break? I can look after things in here for you while you take a load off for a few minutes."

"Oh, no. I'm fine," she said, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. "Everything's almost ready."

"All the more reason to take it easy, sweetheart," he pressed. "Come on. You've been slaving away all afternoon. Let me look after you for a bit, okay?"

"Danny, you just got home from work… you must be exhausted," she sighed. "I'm really fine. It's just… I want everything to be perfect, you know? This is a really big deal for me. And for us."

"I know it is, babe," he said, nuzzling into her shoulder, smiling when she tilted her head to expose more of her slender neck for him. "But you don't have to do it all by yourself."

"I know, but…"

"No buts, Lindsay Messer," he said, a hint of sternness in his voice. "Go sit down for five minutes, will you? I'll bring you a drink." She turned her head and looked up at him, a trace of defiance in her eyes. "That's an order, Missy. Now go." He patted her backside while pushing her in the direction of the living room.

"Fine. But only five minutes," she capitulated, glaring at him. She flopped down onto the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table, resting her head on the back of the couch.

"That's all I ask, baby. Now, what do you want to drink?" He grabbed a glass from the cupboard, waiting for her answer. "Babe? Linds?" Walking out into the living room, he smiled, looking down at his wife. She had dozed off the moment she'd let herself relax and was already sound asleep. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over her prone form and gently stroking her hair before he returned to the kitchen to keep his eye on things while she took a much needed break.

Lindsay was right. This Christmas was a big deal for them. Last year they had spent Christmas alone, just the three of them. Lucy had been only a few months old, and Danny had only recently gotten out of his wheelchair. They had received an invitation to join the Monroe clan for Christmas in Montana, but Lindsay had turned it down, much to Danny's chagrin. He had felt bad, depriving her of the chance to show Lucy off to her side of the family. But after taking so much time on medical leave, he hadn't been able to get the necessary time off. He'd encouraged Lindsay to go on her own, but she had insisted on staying with him, not wanting him to spend Christmas alone. They had similarly turned down an invitation from Danny's parents, knowing that with a new baby, the loud and raucous celebrations that would take place at the Messer's over on Staten Island would be a little overwhelming. So they'd stayed home. And it had been wonderful. There had been no stress, no expectations. It had been simple and intimate and perfect.

But this year was different. It was Christmas Eve and Lindsay's parents were flying out from Montana to spend the holidays with them, and his own parents had been issued an invitation as well. Not only was it the first time he and Lindsay would be hosting guests for Christmas, but it was also the very first time that their parents would meet, something that had he and Lindsay feeling both excited and slightly nervous. They had been married for nearly two years now, and he felt like somehow they had done everything wrong – weren't the parents supposed to meet one another before the wedding? He shrugged off that thought - it was in the past and there was nothing they could do about it now. All they could do was make sure everything was perfect and hope for the best.

He sneaked a glance at Lindsay; she had shifted positions and was now curled up in a tight ball on the couch. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. She had been anxious for weeks, fretting about this meal. She wanted to make things that were traditions in her own family, but she didn't want to make her in-laws feel left out. She had begun to plan a menu that would have easily fed twenty people, and he gently reminded her that there were only going to be six of them, plus Lucy. Staring back at him, her lip had begun to quiver and she promptly burst into tears.

He had soothed her, whispering supportive words in her ear, and rubbing her back as she sobbed into his chest. There had been several of these meltdowns over the past few weeks, and he had put it down to the stress Lindsay was putting upon herself to please everyone. Finally, he had been able to reason with her and they had agreed to make food that they liked, never mind what their parents expected of them.

He had been trying his best to help her, not wanting her to get overwhelmed by the pressure of the holidays. He offered to cook the things that could be made in advance, or take care of the side dishes – anything to make things easier. But she was so stubborn, for the most part refusing to let him lend a hand and as a result, she was running herself ragged. She had been unnaturally moody with him over the past few weeks, and he was secretly glad that the Christmas Eve had finally arrived. Hopefully, once it was all over, he would get his wife back.

"Danny?" her sleepy voice from the living room roused him from his thoughts. He took one last look at the food in the oven before pouring a glass of water and taking it with him into the other room, handing it to Lindsay and sitting down at one end of the couch. He smiled as she downed the water thirstily, then wiggled down to where he was sitting and curled up with her head on his lap. "Thank you, honey. I needed that."

"It's what I'm here for sweetheart," he said, his fingers winding their way into her hair, massaging her scalp. "Feeling better?"

"Mmm hmm," she sighed. "Much."

"You know you're not in this by yourself, right?" he asked. "I wanna help, babe. There's no reason for you to get so worked up. Besides, it's just our families. They love us… well, they like me. They fucking love you."

She giggled and smacked his leg. "Don't say that. You know they love you."

"Yeah, well I come in third after you and Luce," he chuckled before he turned more serious once again. "You know they're going to love whatever it is you make for them, Lindsay. Please, just relax. I don't want you to wake up on Boxing Day only to realize that you missed Christmas because you were worried about whether the roast was too dry, or…"

"You think the roast is too dry?" Lindsay asked with a hint of panic in her voice, sitting up like a shot and staring at him with wide eyes.

"What? No! That's not… I didn't mean…" he trailed off with a sigh and closed his eyes. He heard a soft giggle and cracked an eye open to see Lindsay staring at him with an impish grin on her face.

"Gotcha," she said, scootching over and settling herself across his lap, her arms winding around his neck. "You are just too easy sometimes, you know that?"

"Not funny, Montana," he chastised.

She reached up and cupped his face in her hands, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you so much, Danny," she whispered. "I know I haven't exactly been a walk in the park recently, and I just want to thank you for at least trying to keep me sane through all of this."

"Anytime, Linds," he replied, pulling her closer, his lips seeking hers for another, deeper kiss. She sighed, angling her head and allowing him access to her mouth, their tongues tangling together. She moaned with frustration when the sound of their daughter waking from her nap interrupted their moment and she pulled back, resting her forehead against his.

"I guess playtime is over," she said.

"Mmm… for now," he murmured, running his hands up and down her back. "But I'll take a rain-check for later."

She smiled at him, kissing the tip of his nose before getting to her feet and rearranging her clothing, crumpled from her nap. "I'll go check on dinner. Can you get Lucy?"

"You got it," he said, accepting her offered hand to help pull him up from the couch. "And then I want you to go and get yourself ready, okay? I can look after things out here for a bit if you want a shower or something."

"That sounds perfect," she replied, smiling at him before disappearing into the kitchen.

Hearing Lucy's cries becoming more urgent, Danny began to make his way down the hall toward her bedroom. "It's okay, Luce. Daddy's coming."

So there we be. Chapter One. I've got four or five chapters planned for this story (but we all know what happened to High School Daze, don't we? Yeah. Had 12 chapters planned for that one and we're working on Chapter 51 right now!).

I would love to know if you guys are interested in where this is going. I mentioned to a few folks that I was working on bringing the Messers and Monroes together for Christmas this year and while the chapters have been planned out, nothing is set in stone. If there's something you're dying to see happen when the two sides meet, I'm open to suggestions!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

*rhymes*