"Baby, how long has it been since you went home?" Roger asked laying next to Alexandra.
"About 4 years." she said playing with his chest hair.
"How come so long?" he asked curious looking down at her.
"Well, Dan isolated me from everyone. He didn't want me going home. He was afraid they would see the bruises and talk me into leaving him." she said looking up at him.
"Do you wanna go? I mean for Christmas?" he asked playing with her hair.
"I've thought about it. But only if you come with me. I want them to meet you." she said turning onto her stomach.
"I was hoping you would ask me. I want to meet them too." he told her leaning down to kiss her.
"Yeah?" she asked smiling up at him.
"Yeah I do. I mean if you want me to." he said caressing her hair.
"Of course I do. Roger, I love you." she said sitting up in the bed.
"I love you too Alex." he said sitting up with her.
"You do?" she asked as tears formed in her eyes.
"Yeah, I do. I've been waiting for you to say it for 4 months." he told her caressng her shoulders.
"Why?" she asked quietly looking back at him.
"Alex, I didn't want to rush you. I mean, I know how hard it's been for you. Trusting yourself and me. I wanted to wait for you to be comfortable." he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her shoulders.
"I always trusted you Roger. I just didn't trust myself not to mess this up. I love you Roger." she told him leaning in to kiss him.
"I love you too Alex." he told her taking her into his arms.
"So I guess I'm going home for Christmas next month and you're coming with me." she said smiling up at him.
"I can't wait Baby." he said leaning his forehead into hers.
"Me neither. Everyone is gonna love you." she said smiling up at him.
"Now who's everyone?" he asked leaning back.
"Well there's my mom, my sister and her husband, their 2 kids, my brother and his girlfriend, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, and some extended family. Friends of my parents that I call aunt and uncle." he said laughing as his eyes widened.
"Wow, that's a lot of family." he said laughing.
"Yeah, and my brother and my uncles could be protective. Even though I'm the oldest, they could still be jerks." she said laughing as he took her face in his hands.
"That's OK. I'm willing to prove to them that I love you." he told her leaning in to kiss her.
"Well the simple fact that you got me to go home is gonna be good enough for them." she said smiling at him as she threw her arms around his neck to hold him close.
"Yeah well, even though I'm not that close to my family, it doesn't mean I don't want you to be close to yours." he said smiling down at her before kissing her head.
"I love you Roger." she whispered holding him.
"I love you too Alex." he whispered back laying back down, taking her with him.
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"Mark, will you move away from the window please? Collins said he'd make plenty of noise in the hallway to warn us." Alexandra said looking over at Mark.
"I'm sorry Alex, it's just that we don't exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to throwing surprise parties." Mark said looking at Maureen.
"Hey listen, last year was not my fault. Who told him to come home so early from band practice?" she said in her defense.
"Maureen, he knew for weeks. You kept dropping hints to him." he told her as they heard Collins yelling in the hallway.
"Oh my God, hide. Go in my room. Quick. Go." Alex said ushering them into the bedroom and closing the door a little.
"Hey Baby." Roger said entering the apartment.
"Hi Sweetie. Did you boys have fun today?" she asked smiling at them.
"Oh yeah, a blast. I love going Christmas shopping." he said leaning down to kiss her before plopping on the couch.
"Do you want a beer Baby?" she asked smiling at him as Collins went towards the bedroom to signal the others.
"Yeah, I could use one. Thank you Baby." he answered smiling up at her as everyone came out of the bedroom.
"SURPRISE!!!" they yelled as Roger jumped off of the couch definitely surprised.
"What the hell?" he yelled nearly falling on the floor.
"Happy Birthday Baby." Alexandra said smiling at him holding out his beer.
"How did you guys do this without me finding out?" he asked holding his chest.
"I planned it and didn't tell Maureen until this morning." Alexandra said laughing as Maureen put her hands on her hips.
"Maureen, last year I knew everything except what you guys got me and that's only because you gave me lousy hints." Roger said laughing as Maureen shifted her weight to one side.
"I gave you excellent hints. It's not my fault you're dense." she said going to the kitchen for a beer.
"How do you get guitar case out of this?" he asked holding his arms in a swaddling position as he rocked back and forth.
"A case holds you're guitar, duh." she said opening the refrigerator.
"Maureen, you had me scared out of my mind. I thought you were pregnant or something and I got drunk one night and that was your way of telling me I was the father." he said laughing.
"Oh you wish, Davis." she said taking a swig of her beer as everyone else laughed.
"OK, now that the portion of the evening when I get freaked out is out of the way, who wants presents?" Alexandra asked laughing as she rushed to the bedroom.
"Baby, where are you going? My party is enough." Roger asked getting up and following her.
"No it's not. I got you a present." she said smiling at him holding out a rectangle shaped box with a small blue ribbon on it.
"Baby, you didn't have to do this. I love my party." he told her quietly as he took the box.
"Roger, you're 30 years old now. When are you gona stop whining?" she asked laughing at him.
"Can you not say that too loud please?" he said wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.
"What, that you're 30? Roger, what's the big deal? So you're 30." she said laughing as he buried his face in her hair.
"Yeah, that's easy for you to say, you're 26." he said whining into her neck.
"Oh stop it. Roger, you are being ridiculous. What's wrong with being 30. You look really good for 30. And still so life like." she said laughing as he stood up to look at her.
"You are not funny." he pouted looking down.
"Oh quit your pouting you big baby and open your present." she laughed leaning up to kiss his pouty lips pulling away from him.
"What did you get me?" asked looking down at the box as he opened it. It was an ID Bracelet that said Roger on it. "Baby, this is amazing." he said quietly looking at it.
"Look on the back." she said smiling at him.
"Love Always, Alexandra. I love it Baby." he said leaning down to kiss her.
"Happy Birthday Roger." she whispered wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her.
"I love you Alex." he whispered kissing her head.
"I love you too Roger." she said smiling at him.