I'm back! LOL I started back to school for the first time in over 5 years this August and started working an actual job instead of the occasional temp ones. Throw in a very active 2 year old and a long distance relationship and who has time to write? LOL But finals are this week and hopefully over the next month I'll be able to update/finish some stories. For now, enjoy the oneshot! Oh and Rachel, I love you.

Jack handed Rose another glass of wine and she sipped it, enjoying how sweet it was. "Can you hand me those ribbons over there?" she asked as she set the glass down. It was her fourth glass that evening and she smiled as she felt the warmth of it spread throughout her.

"Here you go sweetheart," Jack said as he gave her the ribbons she had asked for.

"Thank-" she was cut off by a hiccup. Jack laughed and she smacked him playfully. "I was going to thank you, but now forget it," she giggled.

"I think that's enough wine for you," he teased. Rose pretended to glare at him before she began to tie the ribbons around the branches of their Christmas tree. Their first ever Christmas tree.

Their home in Wisconsin was warmly decorated in garland and pieces of evergreen that Jack had snipped from outside. Red and golden ribbons accented them. Above the entrance to their bedroom, Jack had hung mistletoe. A few candles burned brightly, and as Rose's hands moved about decorating, the light of the flames flickered reflections in her emerald ring.

Rose tied the last ribbon in a bow and stood back to look at the tree. Jack encircled one arm around her middle and he kissed her temple before resting his chin on her shoulder. "Looks beautiful," he sighed.

"Looks completely cock eyed," Rose giggled. "And yet, so completely perfect." She turned in his embrace and planted a kiss on his lips. "Thank you."

Jack smiled and kissed her again. "You're welcome." Rose turned back around to look at the Christmas tree again. She looked around the whole room and smiled to herself. The decorations were sparse and far from fancy, yet she let out a peaceful sigh. "What's that for?"

"I'm just happy Jack. I used to dread this time of year."

"What?" Jack cried and Rose laughed at the sound of his voice rising a few octaves. "Why?"

"Because my mother was quite uptight about the decorations. There was a tree in every room that as a child I was barely allowed to look at, much less go near. And every tree was perfect. Neither ornaments nor needles out of place." Rose walked over to the small sofa and let herself plop down on it. Jack threw another log on the fire before settling down next to her.

"That doesn't sound horrible," he said softly.

"Actually the decorations were quite lovely. But that's what was so horrible. See, we celebrated Christmas with endless rounds of holiday parties and gourmet meals. I wore only the latest fashions and the prettiest ball gowns money could buy. I danced with Cal and made sure not to miss a single step. Christmas to them was just another way of showing off." Rose sipped her wine. "Even the perfection had perfection. But behind all of it, there was an emptiness."

Jack began to play absentmindedly with her curls. "What's Christmas like with me?"

Rose looked at him with a grin. "I don't know yet," she teased. "It's still two days away."

"Oh good I still have time to tilt it in my favor," Jack said as he stood up from the sofa, taking her hand and pulling her up too. "Dance with me?"

"I…" she looked around. "There's no music Jack," Rose said with a giggle.

"So?" Jack pulled her close and twirled her around. Rose squealed in delight, not at all minding the lack of music. She pressed herself to his body and they swayed together back and forth. Their music was the sound of the crackling fire and the rhythm was their hearts beating together.

Rose rested her head on Jack's shoulder and closed her eyes as he rested his chin against her head. Over the past eight months, Rose had learned so much from Jack, but she was still learning just how much he loved her. She wrapped her arms around his lower back and hugged him a little tighter.

"This Christmas is better than the combination of every one prior," Rose told him as they continued to dance.

Jack felt himself smile. "I thought you still had two days to decide," he teased. "Unless you're clairvoyant and never told me."

Rose giggled and pulled her head up to look at him. She moved her arms from his waist to encircle his neck. "Well I did tell you that you would find success as an artist. And was I right?"

"You just want me to say you were right," he challenged.

"Was I right?" she asked in response.

Jack sighed. "Yes darling. You were right," he conceded. He kissed the tip of her nose. "I never doubted that you were."

"I love you Jack," she whispered before catching his mouth in a kiss. Jack let himself melt against her and deepened the kiss. His fingers became tangled in her curls as she tried to pull him closer.

Very quickly Rose's breath became heavy. She started to loosen the buttons on Jack's shirt before sliding it off his shoulders. Jack caught it in his hands and tossed it behind him. He began to kiss Rose's neck and she let her head fall back as his lips tickled her throat. His mouth found its way to her shoulder and he nipped at her skin. Rose gasped and her eyes fluttered open.

"Shit! Jack!" she suddenly cried out in a panic. She pushed him away and he followed her startled gaze. He quickly walked over to the fireplace and grabbed the poker. Instantly he grabbed his shirt with the poker, now burning from landing a little too close to the hearth and tossed it into the fire. He looked down at the floor, making sure there was nothing left burning. Behind him, he heard Rose try to contain a fit of laughter.

He smiled to himself before turning around to face her. Rose tried to keep a straight face, but when he reached out with one arm and wrapped it around her waist to pull her close. "Are you laughing at me?" Rose opened her mouth to reply, but all she could do was laugh. "I'll take that as a yes."

"You almost burnt the house down!" Rose cried in between her fits of giggles. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as she laughed. "I'm sorry," she said with a smile.

"So much for making this your best Christmas yet," Jack said with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't say that now." Rose wiped her face with her palms and regained her composure. Despite her best efforts, a smile remained on her face and her cheeks were flushed. "You just got to try to stop setting our home ablaze," she teased him.

"Oh come on. That was only the second-"

"Third."

Jack rolled his eyes in defeat. "Third time." He pulled her into an intense kiss. "I can't help that you turn me on that much," he whispered before kissing her again. Rose's giggles disappeared instantly as she kissed him back.

Neither of them knew how they ended up on the floor next to the Christmas tree, but neither cared as Rose squirmed beneath Jack as she felt him hard against her thigh. Jack rolled them over so that she straddled his hips. Rose smiled as she bent down to kiss him.

Two hours later they still remained on the floor, tangled up in skin and a blanket. Jack got the fire going again and snow had begun to fall outside. Rose sat up, letting the sheet slide from her as Jack poured them each a fresh glass of wine.

"Thanks," she said quietly as Jack handed her the wine. He settled back on the floor and pulled the blanket back over his still naked body. "Why are you obstructing my view?"

"Because it's cold," Jack replied with a wink. He wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulder and pulled her to him. She laid her head on his shoulder. "That's a little better," he said as he kissed her curls. "What are you thinking about angel?"

Rose never got tired of that question. It was something he had asked almost every day since they landed in New York. He continued to ask when they moved to Chicago and still asked now that they lived just outside Chippewa Falls. "When I told you that I was getting off the ship with you, this is why."

"So we could make love next to the Christmas tree? I can't really argue with that." Rose laughed and kissed his shoulder.

"I guess you could say that," she agreed. "I saw us carefree like this. Yes, we have our hardships and occasionally we fight, but at the end of the day we have each other. We have this," she said, gesturing to the room with her arms. "We may not be rich, but we're secure and free. We have a home full of Christmas decorations that we put up together with love. Even the best servant or hired decorator can't match that." Rose took a sip of her wine and thought for a moment. "We should make this a tradition. Drink a little too much wine, put up a crooked Christmas tree and make love beside it every year. Does that sound silly?"

"Not at all. It sounds wonderful." Jack set his glass of wine on the table and took Rose's to set it next to his. Gently, he cupped her face in her hands and inched closer to kiss her. Rose let herself get lost as his mouth captured hers. Jack's tongue parted her lips and she moved closer until she was all but sitting on Jack's lap. Together they lay down, Jack pressing himself against Rose. He smiled as she rolled to her back, pulling him on top of her. She smiled back at him.

"You want me," Rose said hoarsely, grinding her pelvis against his. Jack groaned in response.

"Yes," he responded in a ragged whisper as Rose pressed her lips to his chest.

It wasn't until four AM that Jack and Rose fell asleep, exhausted, in a tight embrace. A light snow still fell but the fire was dying out. The fire would have proved unnecessary though, as lying on the small rug under the blanket provided warmth where ever Jack's body heat did not.