Author's Note: Merry Christmas Eve! Hope everyone has a good couple of days. Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ducks, I do own Aimee, Layla and Sherry...the girls, not the songs they are named for.

Chapter 3: Skating and Dinner

"So," Adam sighed, "Um, last night, that was,"

"I don't know," Sherry looked at him, "I like you, to be honest, I didn't that I'd be able to even talk to you, and then we just sort of connected, and things with Derek aren't exactly stellar." She looked down, "I was just sort of looking to escape."

"Sure," He nodded, "I've been in bad relationships, I get it."

"I'm so sorry," She said, "I just can't be that girl."

"It's not a problem," He sighed, "Really." As they sat for another minute her cell phone started ringing, the ring tone, Eric Clapton's "Bell Bottom Blues."

"That's him," She said, "I should,"

"Yeah," Adam nodded, "Sure, I'll see you later." She picked up the phone.

"Hi baby," She said, trying to hide in her voice that she had just been making out with another guy.

"Hey," Derek's casual voice echoed on the other end, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," She said, "Um, how's home?"

"It's great," He said, "I miss you though."

"I miss you too," She sighed, "Aimee says hi."

"Sure she does," He mumbled, "I'll bet Luis sends his best."

"Derek, not today, its Christmas," She groaned. "We were both lucky to not have to work and get the few days we did off."

"And you decided to spend them with other people," He said.

"We've only been together a few months, I was comfortable going to your parents for Christmas!" She said, "I explained that to you. And my family's in San Diego and I couldn't afford the airfare, and Luis and Aimee had an extra ticket,"

"Whatever," He sighed, "I have to go, I'll call you later."

"Bye," She said, closing the phone. It was the same fight over and over.

"Hey," Charlie said as Adam walked downstairs, "Where have you been?"

"Nowhere," Adam shrugged, "What's up?"

"We're all going skating," Charlie said, "You look weird."

"I'm fine," He snapped, "Let's just go."

"Fine," Charlie said, "Dude, chill out, its Christmas."

"I've never gone ice skating," Aimee laughed as she and Luis walked into their room and saw Sherry sitting on the bed. "Oh no."

"Um, Sher," Luis said trying to avoid any kind of unpleasantness, "We're all going skating, wanna come?"

"Sure, yeah," She stood up, obviously distracted. "Um, Derek says Merry Christmas."

"Oh, you talked to him," Aimee nodded, "That's good."

"It was a lot of things," Sherry shrugged, "Good wasn't really one of them."

"Did you tell him?" Aimee said, grabbing a jacket out of her closet, "Baby, too thin?"

"No, perfect," He said, "And I wouldn't tell him Sher, a guy doesn't like hearing that his girlfriend kissed another guy, ever."

"I didn't tell him, but we had the same fight we always do," She shrugged, "It's over, I think we just both have to admit it."

After fifteen minutes of driving, the team arrived at the pond where Julie had learned to skate. After some shoveling to clear the ice and everyone laughing as Aimee fell on her butt, several times, everything was going really smoothly.

"So, is your perfect Christmas happening," Portman said. Julie smiled and kissed him. "I guess it is."

"Yes, it is," She smiled, "And I don't appreciate being teased about my need for perfection. I let a lot of my ideas go for this."

"That's true you did." He nodded. "So, what you said this morning, about not wanting to get married,"

"Yes," She nodded.

"You didn't mean like," He sighed, "You would marry me right?"

"Are you thinking of asking me?" She said.

"No," He shook his head, "I mean, yes, I mean, maybe someday, and you could see it right."

"Portman," She stopped, "I love you, and I have imagined marrying you a million times, but after college and a few years of work. Right now, I just want to have fun together, like we always have."

"He goes so fast." Aimee stood stunned watching Luis go around the pond.

"Wait until he tries to," Averman groaned, watching Luis glide clumsily into a snow bank, "Stop." Aimee giggled and skated over.

"I have braking issues," Luis shrugged.

"I noticed," She said helping him to his feet. "This is fun."

"You're freezing aren't you?" He laughed. She nodded. "Come here." He hugged her tight and kissed her. "Better?"

"Much better," She smiled.

"Why are you with me?" Layla said wistfully, holding Charlie's hand.

"Why am I with you?" He looked at her, "I thought we determined that. We're together because of fate."

"Charlie," She said, "I mean really. Why? Being around your friends, seeing how angry they all still are, I wonder, why were you able to,"

"To forgive you?" He said. She nodded. "Because I'm the best version of myself when you're around, I smile more, and of course there's the sex." She blushed. "At the time it was mostly the sex, but since then, you know I've started liking your personality too." She whacked him in the chest.

"Hey!" They heard Goldberg shout, "Has anyone seen Connie and Guy?"

"Speaking of the sex," Charlie laughed.

"I love you," Connie whispered, in Guy's arms, back at the house. "I love my ring."

"I'm glad," He smiled, "I picked it out myself."

"After ten years, if you can't pick out jewelry," She laughed, "I'd be very disappointed in you." He kissed her. "Merry Christmas Guy."

"Merry Christmas," He smiled.

"So," Connie said, "We're getting married."

"Yeah," Guy smiled as they weaved their fingers together, "I mean, I always figured we sort of would anyway, and I figured why not make it official."

"I'm glad," She said.

"Hey you two!" They heard shouting and laughed, "Get dressed and come down for dinner."

"So you've never had a real Christmas?" Layla stared baffled at Goldberg.

"I'm Jewish Layla," He explained. She nodded.

"Oh," She nodded.

"I got a Menorah," Julie pointed to the window, "Not easy to track down in a small town in Maine where a majority of the population is Presbyterian." Everyone laughed.

"And I appreciate it Catlady," He laughed. She smiled.

"Should have known that if anyone could make us a perfect Christmas dinner it would be little miss control freak over there," Fulton nodded at Julie, between stuffing his face with mashed potatoes.

"I had my mom's recipes," She laughed, "I just followed it all exactly, including her little side notes and cross outs, but thank you."

Sherry sat quietly, watching everyone laughing and talking. She longed for this feeling. Her family was in San Diego California, and she was living in Orlando, she had Aimee, it was true, but no real close group of friends to make into a surrogate family. She tried hard to keep her eyes from meeting Adam's, and when they did he smiled softly. He was being so understanding, it unsettled her a little bit.

"You feeling OK Sherry?" Luis whispered to her. She shrugged.

"I just need some air," She stood up, "I'll be right back." She grabbed a jacket and stepped out onto the front stoop.

"Need some company?" Adam said coming out after a couple of minutes. She turned around and laughed.

"To be perfectly honest, I was wishing you were someone else," She said with a sigh. "No offense."

"None taken," He shrugged. "So, you talked to him."

"Yup," She nodded, "We had a fight. Not about you, I'm keeping this little tryst to myself."

"You want to talk about it?" Adam said, "I'm a good listener."

"He's in love with my best friend," She sighed, "Who, as you know is very taken." She looked down. "You probably think I'm stupid."

"Nah," He shook his head, "When we were in high school, Charlie had this girlfriend," He smiled, he hadn't actually thought about Linda in a while, "I had a major crush on her. She didn't know I was alive, at least, I didn't think she did."

"What happened to her?" Sherry asked.

"She changed school's sophomore year," He laughed, "But I get it." Sherry nodded. "Listen, maybe the next time we run into each other things will be more together for you." She smiled.

"I think I'm ready to head in now," She said softly. He nodded. They walked in.

"We were just coming out to check on you," Aimee smiled, she and Luis were standing in the foyer. Sherry nodded and she and Aimee linked arms and skipped back to the living room.

"She's a mess dude," Luis said softly. Adam nodded.

"Yeah," He smiled, "I kind of want to help get her straightened out."

Merry Christmas everyone!