Chapter Title: A Holiday to Remember
AN: I'm glad everybody likes this so far. All of you have asked if Connie is pregnant. You'll find out in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. They belong to Disney. But I wouldn't mind finding Portman under my Christmas Tree this year.
Julie rolled over in bed trying to adjust to the sunlight streaming through the window. She opened her eyes and saw Portman sleeping on the floor beside the bed. His mom had laid down some ground rules when they showed up the night before. One of them being that he wasn't allowed to sleep in the same bed with Julie. He was able to find a way around that. He crawled into bed with her in the middle of the night. Then moved back to the floor early that morning. Julie smiled as she watched him sleep. His mouth was slightly open and if she was really quiet she could hear him snoring. She heard voices out in the hall so she got out of bed. Someone gently knocked on the door and she opened it seeing Justin in the hall. He had been asleep when Portman and Julie got in so he jumped into Julie's arms and started talking a mile a minute. Julie closed the door behind her as she walked down the hall.
Hannah was in the kitchen when Julie walked in still carrying Justin. She shook her head and rolled her eyes when she saw them. Julie gave her a helpless look in reply.
"Justin get down. She's not Dean. She's not going to carry you around everywhere."
"She's been doing it for ten minutes." Justin said shrugging his shoulders.
"You lasted longer than I would have." Dave said walking into the room.
"He still asleep?" Angela Portman asked not looking up from stirring something on the stove.
"He was still snoring when I left."
"I don't snore." Portman said coming into the room scratching his head.
"Yea you do." Hannah said smacking his chest.
"It's not a buzz saw or anything. But you do." Dave said nodding.
"Whatever." Portman said rolling his eyes.
He saw Julie holding Justin and gave him a warning look. Justin stuck his tongue out at him.
"Get down!" Portman said growling at him.
Justin got down and took off running before Portman could go after him. Portman stood behind Julie and wrapped his arms around her. Angela watched them from across the room. She was glad her son was finally happy. She had noticed a change in him over the summer. Even if they hadn't been able to see each other just knowing that Julie would be there for him when he needed her had changed him. He kept his cool more often now. He didn't argue with Hannah the way he used to. He didn't rough house with Justin like he had in the past. He had done a lot of growing up over the summer.
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The Moreau house was quiet for a change. Jesse's family had invited them over for Thanksgiving this year. So Connie wouldn't have to deal with her family constantly asking her what she was going to do. Her step dad had almost had a coronary when he found out, and her mom had cried for the first time since Connie's dad left. Her stepsister was afraid to come near her because every time she did Connie would threaten death.
Connie got out of bed when she heard someone knock on the door. She made her way down the stairs wondering where everyone was. She opened the door and Jesse pushed past her. He walked into the living room and then down the hall to the kitchen. Connie followed him wondering what was going on.
"He's not here is he?" Jesse asked turning around.
"I'm the only one here." Connie said trying to keep from falling over.
Jesse grabbed hold of her shoulders to steady her.
"I didn't tell you to follow me so close."
"What is wrong with you?"
Jesse didn't answer her. Someone else knocked on the door and Connie made her way back down the hall to answer the door.
"Don't! That's him." Jesse said putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Who?" Connie asked getting frustrated.
Jesse pulled her into the living room so she could look out the front window. Charlie was walking down the walkway and Connie gasped when he turned to walk back up the steps.
"What is he doing here?" Connie asked nervously.
"He showed up at my house first thing this morning. He came home for Thanksgiving."
"Oh no." Connie groaned when she heard a key in the door.
"He still has his key to the house." Jesse said pushing her down the hall to the kitchen.
"I never got it back from him."
"I'll take care of it."
"No. I can't have you protecting me all the time. He needs to know." She said walking back up the hall.
She was standing in the foyer when Charlie opened the door. She closed her eyes then sighed before looking at him. He was staring at her in astonishment when Jesse walked up behind her. She turned to Jesse and jerked her head towards the door. He nodded before walking outside. He closed the door behind him. Connie laughed nervously as Charlie stood frozen where he was. Connie folded her arms over her the small bump of her stomach before she said anything.
"Come in here and sit down. We need to talk."
"You've got some explaining to do."
"What you don't know where babies come from Conway?" Connie asked giving him a cold stare.
"You know what I mean. Why didn't you tell me?" He asked sitting on the couch.
Connie sat in the recliner across the room. What he was asking was a valid question. He did have the right to know.
"I didn't want you to come home just because I was pregnant."
"How far along are you?"
"Almost four months."
"So it's mine?"
"No it's Goldberg's! Yes it's yours!" Connie said raising her voice.
Charlie glared at her before shaking his head. He crossed the room and knelt in front of her. He took her hands in his before looking her in the eye.
"This changes everything. I can't go back. I'd feel guilty if I did."
"You think I wanted this to happen?" She asked getting defensive.
"I didn't say that."
"Sorry, my hormones are crazy lately."
"That happens when you're pregnant."
Connie laughed as she shook her head.
"You're not mad at me are you?"
"No. Just surprised."
"I'm sorry for not telling you."
"It's okay. But don't ever keep things from me again."
Charlie pulled her up from the chair and led her over to the couch. He sat down the pulled her down to sit next to him. She laid her head on his shoulder before sighing.
"I'm going to do everything I can to be in this kids life."
"It's a girl by the way."
"You know the sex already?" He asked giving her a quizzical look.
"No. Just call it a mother's intuition."
Charlie chuckled before draping an arm over her shoulders. Things had changed while he was away and he knew they would never be the same. He would take things as they came. Just as long as Connie didn't pull out anymore surprises.
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Thanksgiving dinner at the Portman house was one Julie would never forget. She had never laughed so much in her life. They had mocked each other, tossed insults back and forth more times than the rolls were passed around. It was something she wasn't used to. Then again it had always been just her dad, Jason and her. She was the one who would spend all day cooking while her dad watched football and Jason spent the day with friends. Angela Portman made sure everyone had something to do. Julie had been assigned to help Dave and his dad set up Christmas lights outside while everyone else cooked. Angela had told her that she had the year off from cooking this year. That was fine with her, Dave and Chuck were much more entertaining than being stuck inside all day.
Everyone was decorating the tree after dinner when Julie felt someone kiss the back of her neck. Portman wrapped his arms around her from behind and she stepped into the embrace. She couldn't have imagined spending Thanksgiving anywhere else. He rested his chin on her shoulder watching everything going on around them. He was glad that she had come. He had promised he would spend Christmas in Maine. He hoped things would go as easy there as they had today.
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Connie stood on the Halls back porch watching snow fall all around her. She had needed to get away from everyone. They were all asking questions. When were her and Charlie getting married? Was Charlie going back to Canada? Charlie had shocked everyone when he said he was staying in Minneapolis. Connie needed time to think. She had told him she didn't want him to stay just because of the baby, and that's exactly what he was doing. She didn't need his pity.
She heard the door open behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see Charlie standing in the doorway. He stepped outside and shut the door behind him.
"What are you doing out here? It's freezing."
"I needed to get away from the noise." She said not looking at him.
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked sounding confused.
Connie looked up at him then rolled her eyes. She sat on the steps with her head in her hands.
"Did you have to tell them you were staying in town?"
"Why wouldn't
I?"
"Charlie I told you I didn't want you stay just because
of the baby."
"I'm not. We have a second chance, don't you want to take it?"
"I don't know what I want." Connie said fighting back tears.
Charlie sat next to her and pulled her to him. She cried into his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. Neither of them saw Jesse and Fulton standing at the back door. Fulton pulled Jesse away before he could reach for the doorknob.
"They don't need us out there. Let them work this out on their own. You can't always save them."
"I wish I could though."
"I do too." Fulton said nodding his head.
The two walked away before Charlie and Connie saw them. Things were going to take a while to get adjusted to. Things were going to get harder before they got easier. And they both knew that.
