Michael's POV

The turkey was, somehow, okay. I can't remember the last time I'd had a Christmas lunch that wasn't burnt to ashes. Probably before my mom and dad left Morganville. We all sat down at the dinner table, Carrie chatting away to Eve about something (probably girl stuff) and Claire was still in the kitchen. I took the opportunity to talk to Shane because besides the snowball fight we'd had earlier, we hadn't really had a full conversation all day.

"So, Shane," I started, not quite sure how to carry it on.

"What's up, bro?" he looked up from his already-full plate. Some people never change.

"Got enough to eat there, dad?" Carrie asked, interrupting us. Shane pulled a face and stuck his tongue out at her. She raised her eyebrows and gave him an I-Asked-You-A-Question-Aren't-You-Going-To-Answer-Me look.

"Nope," he said and grabbed some food off her plate. She came round the table and took it back.

"That was not fair! Mom!" she yelled over her shoulder to Claire, who had just come out of the kitchen.

I saw Shane reach out and take Carrie's entire plate from where she was sat.

"Shane, Carrie please for the love of God, behave! Shane, you are not five, give Carrie her food back. Carrie, sit down. Now," she gave them both a stern look and sat down to eat her own dinner. Carrie and Shane both looked down and I saw a smile creep onto both of their faces. Shane's shoulders were shaking and I could see tears rolling down Carrie's cheeks. They were both laughing.

Claire and Eve turned to each other and started talking. Carrie started eating while trying desperately to stop laughing. I restarted mine and Shane's conversation.

"So, Shane," I said again, shovelling food into my mouth.

"Yes, Michael. Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted by a certain sixteen-year-old who thinks she knows everything?" he said, shooting a look at Carrie and getting a glare back.

"How's it going?" I asked. Not really sure what else to say.

"Great. Claire got me a new video game, wanna play it later?" his face was lit up when he mentioned the game.

"Dude, when have I ever turned down a chance to kick some Collins' ass?" He laughed at me.

"Man, I can kick your ass at Guitar Hero and you play the real guitar. You'll never beat me in a zombie-killing game. I'm the master of zombie-killing video games," he smirked and looked extremely happy with himself.

"Things change, bro. Things change," I grinned and he grinned back. We started eating as fast as we could, desperate to grab the TV first so we could start up the PlayStation.

"Dad. You're a forty-year-old man. That is not something to be proud of," Carrie said, rolling her eyes.

"Carrie, I am not forty yet. Stop making me look old. Also, not something to be proud of? That's not what your last boyfriend said. You know, the one who came round that once to see me not you just so he could see how good I really was? Yeah, I kicked his butt and he congratulated me. Said I was sick. In a good way," Shane, everyone thought, had won that argument. Being Shane's daughter, however, Carrie had an even better comeback. Of course. We really should stop underestimating her.

"Dad, you look forty, so I'm not making you look old. Stop lying. My last boyfriend did not come round to see you, he came round to see me. You just wanted to 'get to know him' so you knew if he was 'good enough' for me or not. He congratulated you so you wouldn't kick him out and tell me I could never see him again. Said you were sick. In a bad way. Get it right," Shane didn't have anything to say to that. Nothing. Not a word.

We all looked at Shane, waiting for him to say something. Apparently, they'd gone into a staring – well, more like glaring – contest.

"Wow," Claire said. "Carrie won. Shane has nothing to say. I never thought I'd see the day that happened."

Carrie looked away first, leaving an over-proud smile on Shane's face.

Shane's POV

After lunch, I helped Carrie set up her new laptop while Michael set up the PlayStation and got the controls working. She said she could do it herself. I guess I still just see her as a toddler, waddling around, needing – and wanting – help with everything. I did help her put all her photographs and videos and music on there though. We sat next to each other on her bedroom floor going through them all. There were thousands on there. She had pictures from every year of her life. Some of the childhood ones she skipped right over. They must have been her 'embarrassing' takes. Personally, I didn't think any of them were embarrassing, but then I wouldn't; I'm her dad. There were also some home videos from when she was little that I asked her to play. She did, to my surprise, even if she was a little reluctant. She clicked on the first one and the playback screen popped up. A five-year-old Carrie was looking up at the camera, curly hair in braids, smiling with chocolate around her mouth. She clicked the play button.

"Hey Carrie. What you got on your face?"

My voice came from off the screen. I must have been the one holding the camera.

She put her hand over her mouth and looked up with those big blue eyes.

"Umm...nothing!" she said, giggling.

"You sure?" I asked. "Looks like chocolate. Have you been eating chocolate?"

"No," she said, eyes wide.

"Mmm, hmm,"

I could picture the face I would be pulling right now. Eyebrows raised, smiling.

"Come on, you're gonna be late for school," I said, wiping her face. Claire came down the stairs with Carrie's backpack in one hand and her car keys in the other.

"Ready?" she asked and walked over, pulling Carrie into a big hug. "My little girl's going to big-girl school!" she said smiling down at her daughter.

The video came to an end and Carrie clicked the next one. It was a few years later. She was ten.

"Dad, dad, dad, dad, dad!" Carrie yelled, running out of the kitchen and right into me.

"What, what, what, what, what?" I asked, matching her enthusiasm and excitement and wrapping her in a hug.

"Guess who's touring and is coming back to Texas?" her eyes looked up at me, bright and wide.

"Oh, oh! I got this one! The Killers? Please tell me it's The Killers?" I knew it wasn't, but it made me laugh when she rolled her eyes and had to correct me.

"No! Dad, why would I be excited about The Killers touring here? Sure, they're good, but it's you that gets excited when they're touring," she said.

"So, you gonna tell me who?" I asked although I already knew.

"Carrie Underwood!" she screamed and started jumping up and down. "Can we go? Please, please, please, please, please?"

"Um, sure I guess. But I've heard they don't let you in the doors if you don't have tickets," I said and pulled out three tickets. Front row. "So you might need these."

Carrie started screaming even louder and jumping on the couch.

"Thank you! You are the best dad ever!"

The screen went blank. I'm pretty sure I remember Carrie running into Claire and knocking the camera out of her hand.

"I remember that concert," Carrie sighed, snapping me out of my thought bubble. "Front row. Carrie Underwood touched my hand! Like, she actually touched my hand! Best night of my life so far!"

"Shut up! You only like her because she has the same name as you," I said looking across at her and winking.

"Sure I do," she said, winking back.

"Carrie! Shane!" Claire was yelling up the stairs to us. "Shane, Michael's waiting for you! Carrie, Eve has something to tell you!"

We looked at each other and, in a silent – almost telepathic – agreement, raced each other downstairs.

A/N: Okay, I didn't even think about the fact that Carrie Underwood and Carrie Collins have the same name until I got to the conversation between Carrie and Shane after the second home video. I wrote her in because I'm a huge fan of Carrie Underwood. ;)