Author's Note: I am so sorry for the delay! Crazy technical difficulties (the chapter posted but in code, then it posted but didn't load, then it loaded but didn't post) but please read on anyways!

Porches

Blanche was busying herself all night. Buck had gotten them a tree and she was decorating it, but she was also cleaning. Buck was eating his dinner and she was back to decorating. "Baby, what're you doin'?" He called from the kitchen.

She came in with a bowl of dirty dish water. "I'm just in the holiday mood, daddy." She kissed him on the cheek before dumping the water out the window.

"No, you're not usually this excited." Blanche wasn't much of a Christmas celebration person. She loved Christmas and respected it as a good Christian holiday but she believed Easter was more important. "What's got you all giddy?"

Blanche fixed herself a small sandwich and sat at the table with him. "Bonnie's comin' for Christmas. Clyde too. They wrote you a letter, I just read it and burnt it like you do."

Buck couldn't help but laugh. "You're decoratin' because my brother and that, I quote, 'poor misguided trash' are comin' to stay with us for the holidays?" It was a bizarre twist. Blanche didn't like Clyde, she never had. But suddenly she loved Bonnie. The first time they met it didn't start too well, but first impressions weren't a good basis he supposed.

"I just think it should be special; that's all." Blanche said with false subtlety. "Think about it, daddy, this is their last Christmas without a baby. Next year Christmas will be all about him or her. Shouldn't it be somethin' special?"He reached across the table and grabbed her hand.

"How did I end up so lucky that you're my wife?" She smiled at him with all the glowing glee she could've had.

...meanwhile Bonnie stands on her mother's front porch...

She turned around like she was going to walk away before she even knocked. "You know what, baby, this is a bad idea." He held an arm up to stop her. She walked straight into his arm and attempted to take him with her back off the porch. "She'll notice and we won't be here for just one night. What if she calls the cops, baby? You'll be dead and I'll be in jail and…" He just kissed her until she calmed down.

"You're just worried, Bonnie, you're going to be okay." He waited for her to get back to the door. "Just knock. She might not even be home."

Mrs. Parker was home. Bonnie knew her mother was at home. It was two days before Christmas and Bonnie and her mother always baked cookies together right before Christmas. Did Mrs. Parker bake alone now that Bonnie wasn't there? Bonnie figured she had to. Maybe Bonnie and her baby would find time to make little cooking traditions like that…

Her knocking was filled with dread, but the door opened immediately. Clyde hid behind a post beside the porch. Mrs. Parker quickly opened the door and saw her daughter standing there in a heavy trench coat that was probably two or three sizes too big (Bonnie wanted it to be far too big so that there wasn't a chance of her mother noticing while they were outside the home). "Bonnie!" She tried to pull her in for a hug but Bonnie kept her at a comfortable distance. "Bonnie, what's the matter baby?"

She couldn't even find the right words. What wasn't the matter? She wanted to hug her mama but she didn't want her mama to know how much she missed her. She didn't want her to know everything: the crime sprees, the constant road tripping, and especially the baby. "Mama, nothin's wrong." Bonnie lied through her teeth. It didn't feel right to lie to her mother, but telling the truth would probably have fearful outcomes. "I saw your letter in my bag… you wanted me to come back for Christmas."

"That was nine years ago, Bonnie." Mrs. Parker said with a laugh, putting an arm around her daughter. Bonnie hugged her at an awkwardly slanted angle. "But I'm glad you're here anyways, baby. Do you have your bag? Your room's still set up. I knew you'd be comin' home…"

Clyde made his way up on the porch. "Bonnie and I just wanted to see you, Mrs. Parker." Bonnie couldn't have been happier for Clyde to make his appearance then. She didn't want to tell her mama. She wanted to see her mama but for her not to ask any questions about the baby or about whether or not Bonnie was home for good. "She missed you a lot, and wanted to come and see you. We brought you some money too…" He reached into his pocket and handed her forty bucks. She had it in her hands but she still held it at a distance. Clyde wrapped his arm around Bonnie's neck. "It's the holiday season, and she wanted to spend some time with you…actually, we both did." Mrs. Parker rolled her eyes.

"I wish you would stay, Bonnie." Mrs. Parker said. All the sadness from trying to make her daughter happy was coming up.

Bonnie couldn't look at Mrs. Parker or at Clyde. She just stared down at the floorboards. Her mama had cleaned them: she had swept away the dust before Bonnie got there. She knew Bonnie was coming home. "We'll write to you, mama, and we'll meet you 'round Easter. Mama, we'll find a way." Mrs. Parker tried to hug her daughter again but she was already trying to lead Clyde away. "Goodbye mama." As Bonnie and Clyde left the house, both Parker women were crying: they had said goodbye to each other and both were unsure if they'd ever see the other again.

…Bonnie and Clyde are on another porch, but it's not her mother's…

"Bonnie, just knock. You know how it goes." Three slow knocks followed by three quick: that was exactly how he taught her and exactly how she executed it. With her free hand she wiped away the tears that were still dripping down her cheeks. Thank God it was dark, she didn't want Clyde to know how much she was crying. Blanche would have a hissy fit if she saw Bonnie in tears; naturally she would blame Clyde, she'd yell at Clyde until he and Buck would sulk off and probably shoot things in the woods. Despite her struggling to wipe up her tears they just kept streaming. How did she know how hard it was going to be to say goodbye to her mother? They had said goodbye before… why was this time different?/

A hand flew outside the window to gesture them into the house. It wasn't locked so they could just walk in. Clyde had their suitcase and carried it into the house. Bonnie just walked in and Blanche gave her a hug before taking her coat. "Merry Christmas!" That hug was the most comforting thing for Bonnie in that very moment. Clyde went up to his brother and they shared their little not-so-secret handshake. Bonnie unbuttoned her coat and took it off. Blanche noticed the tearstains on Bonnie's cheeks and instantly became concerned. "What happened, Bonnie, are you okay?"

Bonnie nodded. She knew Blanche was going to be concerned. Clyde answered for Bonnie while she hung up her coat by the door. "We just went to see her mama; we didn't exactly stay long." Blanche nodded and pursed her lips. She went and gave Clyde a friendly hug as well. Had hell frozen over? Clyde thought that when hell froze over would be the only time Blanche was nice to him. "Eh, Buck, alright if I take our bag to the back bedroom?" Buck nodded and followed him over to the back bedroom.

"I think he's going to put sheets on y'all's bed." Blanche informed her. "My oh my, Bonnie, you look nice!" That was a compliment coming from Blanche who only gave compliments when she had to. "Well where are my manners? Why don't you sit down? I've got some leftovers from dinner on the table, I can fix you a plate…"

"Bonnie politely refused the dinner but sat willingly in Buck's chair when Blanche offered it to her. "I'm much more interested in how things have been 'round here. Are you and Buck doin' alright? I know money's tight…"

"We're makin' do. Times are hard but we'll make it work." Blanche stated quickly. Buck and Clyde came back into that parlor. "Well, daddy an' I are glad to have you two with us for Christmas. Now I hope you know we'll be goin' to church Christmas mornin'." Clyde made a sour face and stood behind Bonnie in the chair. She put a hand on his as if to convince him on the subject. "Then we'll be back here for dinner an' we'll have over mom an' dad. Won't we, daddy?" Buck nodded. That was the plan. "But that's still two days away. You can invite your mama, Bonnie, if you want to."

Bonnie shook her head almost as vigorously as Clyde did. "She doesn't know." Bonnie cradled her stomach sadly. Blanche was incredibly sympathetic but she didn't really know how that felt. Bonnie and Blanche were really in opposite situations. The brunette was a wife without a child; the redhead was a mother without a husband. Neither was sad, but neither was happy with their situation./

"It's okay, sugar." Clyde tried to comfort Bonnie. He didn't know how she felt, but he figured it was all kinds of awful. "And Blanche, how 'bout you an' Bonnie spend tomorrow together? I think Buck an' I'll help pa at the house. Y'know how many of the windows've been busted out by hoodlums."/

Buck and Clyde exchanged knowing glances, but their women were still in the dark. Buck wrapped his arm around his wife and kissed the top of her head. She shrugged. Did she want to spend time with Bonnie? Well, it couldn't be embad./em "I dunno what we'll do, but I'm sure we'll find somethin'." Blanche didn't know what those two sneaky boys were planning, but they sure as hell weren't fixing any windows.

Author's Note: Howdy guys! I feel bad, my notes are constantly at the bottom but I want to thank you all who reviewed, and such sweet words from everyone I've heard from! much like—from the sound of it—most of you, I wish I could've seen Bonnie and Clyde live onstage, but via youtube I found (and fell in love with) this show, and I'm so glad I did! So yes, this chapter was difficult for me because I feel like it's just a fluffy filler, but the next one with (hopefully) be up a little quicker than this one was. And there's still the poll of what gender the baby should be, and I'm also taking name suggestions! Thank you once more and please review!