I'm back. Again, sorry about the wait. I've been busy with family stuff and I had a little bit of a writer's block with this chapter. I only really cared about the Naley parts so I had difficulty putting things together. So - just ignore it if it's boring. I actually had some more stuff planned out but I short-cut a lot of it because I was tired of seeing this chapter for so long. Haha! So I do apologize if it's not the greatest flowing chapter. :)

As always, thank you so much for all the story/author alerts I have and continue to receive. And a big thanks to naley4ever1980 (chapters 1, 10, 13, 15, and 20), woz1971, saderia, NALEYAAF23, courtneylovejason, 2naley, SPNALEY, GRemy, Othfan48, vikinglovero4, Katie, HBJHOTH23 (chapters 18-20) and all the guests who left reviews. I am so blown away by the response I've received. You are all so sweet and encouraging with your words, instantly bringing a smile to my face. So again, thank you. :)

Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill.

December 24, 2006

Nathan sighed contently as he rolled over in the bed. He moved to wrap his arms around Haley when he hit the mattress instead. Cocking open his left eye, Nathan raised his eyebrows as he noticed she was no longer laying next to him. He lifted himself into a sitting position and glanced around the empty room. Rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes, Nathan climbed out of the bed. He exited the bedroom and walked through the short hallway, descending the stairs. Once he arrived on the fifth step, the mixture of different scents filled his nostrils. His mouth began watering as he smelled the wonderful aromas of sweets. Next, he felt and heard his stomach grumble, causing his movements to quicken.

Stepping in the kitchen, Nathan saw his mom bent over in front of the stove and Haley standing on the opposite side of the island with a cookie in one hand and a bag filled with icing in the other. As his eyes scanned the room, he saw at least a dozen baking sheets with different types of cookies as well as four different pans of uniced, undecorated cakes. There were tins containing nuts and chex mix and puppy chow. Various flavors and colors of icing filled mixing bowls. He felt like he had just walked into a baker.

"Am I in the right house?" Nathan teased.

"Good morning, honey." Karen greeted as her son nodded his head in her direction. "Haley and I are just putting together a few care packages for people."

"I can see that." He stated, walking over to where Haley was standing and grabbed the cookie she had just finished icing out of her hand.

"Hey!" She exclaimed as he shoved the entire thing into his mouth. Haley couldn't help but laugh as he managed to smirk even though his cheeks were puffed out while trying to chew. "You can't even enjoy the taste when you eat it like that."

Swallowing every piece of chewed up cookie, he wiped his mouth free of any crumbs and smiled at her. "Oh, I tasted it just fine. It was pretty amazing." Nathan said, watching as Haley playfully rolled her eyes before picking up another cookie and began icing that one as well. "So mom roped you into helping her."

"I heard that." Karen mumbled.

Nathan and Haley laughed as they glanced back at the older brunette who was shoving another sheet full of cookie dough into the heated oven.

"I'm happy to help." Haley said, turning back around and eying the sweet in her hand. "Besides, we all know Brooke won't lift a finger to help bake. She and Lucas are still sleeping anyway." She added as the three of them laughed.

"So..." Nathan began, looking around the kitchen, "is all of this for other people or do we get to enjoy some of this delicious smelling food?"

Haley tilted her head to the side. "What, the cookie you just snaked out of my hand and inhaled wasn't enough for you?" She smirked.

He shrugged.

Karen came to stand next to her son, placing her hand on his back. "Don't you worry - Haley and I are making plenty for all of us as well." She reassured and said she'd be right back, telling them she was going to go check on Lily.

Nathan watched his mom leave the kitchen before turning to face Haley once more. His eyes roamed over the length of her body. She looked adorable, wearing a thin-strapped, black tank top and some teal, black, and white plaid pajama shorts. A pair of fuzzy, black socks covered her feet. His eyes moved up to her face. Her hair was thrown up in a mess ponytail, looking like she had just woken up. Nathan couldn't help but chuckle as he saw that she had a streak of icing across her cheek. Raising his right hand to her cheek, he used his thumb to wipe it away.

Haley laughed as he told her she was a messy baker. She watched as he licked the icing off his finger. "That's kind of gross. I didn't wash my face this morning."

Nathan shrugged. "Tastes pretty good."

"Suit yourself." She chuckled as she focussed on the task at hand. "You're up pretty early. I thought you'd sleep in at least a couple more hours."

"I didn't like sleeping without you next to me." He replied, placing his hands around her waist and drawing her closer to him. He saw her eyes quickly shift around him, probably checking to make sure nobody was coming, before leaning forward and capturing his lips in a lingering kiss. "Good morning." He murmured against her lips.

"Hmm..." She moaned quietly. "Good morning."

The two kissed once more, knowing they had some time before getting interrupted. He cupped her cheeks as she dropped both the cookie and the icing bag onto the island surface. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Their kiss deepened as their tongues intertwined. The kiss only lasted a few seconds longer before they reluctantly pulled apart.

Nathan wiped his mouth as he watched Haley resume with her decorating. He strolled to the opposite side of the island and took a seat on one of the stools facing her, watching her silently. He watched as she moved swiftly yet gracefully about the kitchen, switching from icing two more cookies to one of the cakes. He watched as she covered her hands with some hot pads before pulling the sheep pan from the oven. She sang quietly, beautifully, to the music playing in the background. It was Christmas music - probably Frank Sinatra or Gene Autry or some other older artist that both his mother and Haley were obsessed with during this time of year.

"So..." Haley began hesitantly.

He waited for her to continue with whatever was on her mind but she was obviously stalling so he prodded, "What?"

She glanced up at him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Nathan knew exactly what she was referring to. "No." He answered, shaking his head.

Haley sighed. "Well, maybe you don't but I have something to say."

"Of course you do."

She could tell he was teasing by the tone of his voice and the smirk he was currently sporting. "I just wanted to say that no matter what your dad and grandpa said to you last night, you have been playing amazingly - this year and every year prior. Please don't let them get to you. I know that's easier said than done but it doesn't make a difference what they have to say. You are so talented."

He only smiled softly at her response as his mind briefly drifted back to the previous night - another fun-filled dinner with the Scotts, complete with the typical "encouraging" words both Dan and Royal always had to share while Deb and Mae tried their hardest to keep the conversations away from the topic of basketball. Dan Scott was back to his old ways - not as severe as before but still an ass and seemed worse with his own father in the room. Nathan knew it was just a matter of time - that nice version of Dan was way too good to be true. Luckily, Haley was sitting right across from him at the table with Lily sitting in her lap. When he felt himself on edge, he just glanced in her direction and watched as she sent him that peaceful, comforting smile of hers.

Nathan found himself incredibly grateful that his grandparents couldn't stay in town until the twenty-fifth due to other scheduled engagements. Since Nathan usually stayed at his mom's house throughout the Christmas holiday, this meant that he had two more days of total relaxation before going back to Duke. He knew there would be no arguing, no hard words - no negative feelings of any kind. He now got to spend the holiday with people who were actually warm and caring, friendly and loving - people who understood what Christmas was all about and didn't want to dampen the holiday spirit but rather enjoy the simplicity of spending their days together.

"Now - eat a frosted reindeer and put all negative thoughts out of your mind. 'Tis the season to be jolly." Haley demanded with a smile as she handed him a sugar cookie.

He laughed, accepting the sweet immediately.

Karen came waltzing back into the kitchen. "Well, your sister is up and fully energized. Keith is getting her dressed for the day. I'm gonna get breakfast started..." She paused, glancing around the messy room, "as soon as I get this disaster a bit more organized."

"Do you want me to go wake up Lucas and Brooke?" Nathan asked.

"Not yet." She shook her head. "Let them sleep in a little while longer - at least until breakfast is ready." Karen turned to Haley and softly said, "I talked to Jimmy and Lydia yesterday."

"Yeah?" Haley mumbled quietly as she continued icing the cookies without looking up.

"Yeah. They wanted to wish all of us a Merry Christmas." Haley only nodded slowly in response. "They said something about coming home for New Years."

Haley laughed sarcastically. "I'll believe that when I see it."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I never should have brought it up."

"No, don't worry about it, Karen." Haley quickly reassured and sighed. "I'm fine. It's just...it still doesn't get any easier as I get older."

"I know."

Haley inhaled a deep breath. "But I am more than grateful to be here with you guys. Thank you so much - not just for this year but for everything. And if I'm being completely honest, as much as I miss my parents, I would rather be here with all of you. My second family."

Karen embraced the petite brunette in a tight hug. "And we love having you here with you. You're always welcome."

Nathan smiled as he watched the two of them. He reached across the table and picked up a cookie, stretching his hand out to Haley. "Here - eat a frosted snowman and put all negative thoughts out of your mind. 'Tis the season to be jolly." He smirked.

Haley narrowed her eyes playfully at him and shook her head.

"I'm just sorry that we no longer have a spare bedroom for you to sleep in and you're stuck with him." Karen teased, cocking her head towards Nathan.

"Hey!" Nathan protested, glaring at both his mother and Haley who were laughing. "I'm not that bad."

Karen smiled as she pushed herself away from the island and began to clear and area to give her some space to work.

"No, he's not so bad. Sometimes he likes to invade my personal space, but I just wrestle him to the point of exhaustion and he falls asleep." Haley smirked, watching the blush for on Nathan's cheeks. She had to bite back the laugh that was threatening to fall as he quickly glanced at his mom, gauging her reaction and looking for any sign that she knew the double meaning behind those words. Haley looked back at Karen and grinned. "I usually come out of it on top."

Karen laughed, waving her hand in the air. "You two were always so rough with one another growing up."

"You're telling me. I had some bruises to prove it." Haley laughed, ignoring the look Nathan was giving her. "And a couple of times, we were wrestling so roughly that we accidentally fell off the bed. I'm surprised you didn't hear us.

Karen shook her head, still laughing.

Nathan glared at Haley. All she did was continue smirking and grinning at him. He wanted to kill her...or himself. He wasn't sure which one exactly at the moment. His cheeks felt so hot; he knew he had to be as red as a tomato. Nathan Scott hardly ever got embarrassed but he couldn't believe Haley was saying all of that stuff in front of his mom. His mom.

OTHOTHOTH

Brooke bounced boisterously into the family room, balancing the stack of unwrapped presents in her hands. She smiled brightly when she saw Lily in the pack 'n play, standing up and staring at her with a wide, toothy grin. Brooke waved at the little girl who waved enthusiastically back before walking further into the room. She saw Karen sitting on one side of the coffee table while Haley was on her knees on the carpet nearby, both were diligently wrapping presents and humming quietly along to the music.

"What the heck are you guys listening to?" She asked, her forehead wrinkling.

"Judy Garland." Karen answered.

"Who?"

Haley immediately stopped what she was doing, looked up at the bubbly brunette and incredulously said, "You're kidding, right?"

Confusion settled into Brooke's features as she shook her head. "No. Seriously, who is she?"

"She played Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz'."

"Ew. I hated that movie." Brooke said as she plopped down on the carpet next to Haley. "Wouldn't you guys much rather listen to something else? You know, I have a Christmas cd from Mariah Carey."

"No." Haley declined immediately. "All I want for Christmas is to never hear that annoyingly played out song again."

"Oh, and this old stuff is so much better?"

"Hey, be careful with your use of the word old. This music is close to my time period." Karen said, pointing her scissors toward her soon-to-be daughter-in-law who smiled sweetly in response. She laughed before focussing once more on her task. "Sorry sweetie, but I'm with Haley. Even I hate that song."

"Besides, the music we're listening to is classic - true Christmas music. This is the only stuff worth listening to around this time of year." Haley added.

"Fine. You guys win." Brooke relented with a pout as she set to work on some present wrapping herself.

"So Brooke," Karen began, capturing the dimpled brunette's attention once more, "are you excited to go ice skating with Lucas tonight? He told me you've never been."

Brooke shook her head. "Never. I am so excited!"

"Well, hopefully you're better than he is." Haley joined in, sharing a look with Karen.

"Oh, is he bad?" Brooke asked as both Karen and Haley nodded. "That's no good. He's supposed to be my teacher. He said he's good." She pouted,puffing out her bottom lip.

"That's because Lucas lives in the land of denial sometimes." Haley said, rolling her eyes.

"I remember the first time we took the boys and Haley ice skating. Lucas was eleven; Nathan and Haley were ten. Dan and I were separated. Things had been tense for a while and it was the first Christmas that the family wasn't together. I wanted to get the boys out of the house and do something fun - something they've never done. I always wanted to take them ice skating as a family but Dan was always busy - either at the dealership or something related to basketball."

"How shocking?" Brooke mumbled as all three girls shared a look with one another.

"Yeah." Karen stated with a sigh before continuing. "Anyway...Keith came with us. We got to that rink and I remember the look on the kids' faces. Well, on Lucas and Haley's faces. Nathan was entering that 'too cool' stage which started so early." She paused, laughing along with Brooke and Haley. "He secretly loved it, though. He won't ever admit it but I know he did. Haley and Nathan skated onto the ice as if it were second nature to them both. And no offense, Haley James, but I was a little surprised by that."

"I know." Haley quickly responded, taking no offense. "It surprised me as well considering my clumsy nature."

"Not this time, though. It was Lucas with the clumsy nature. He stepped onto that ice and plummeted face down. We all hurried over to him as Nathan stood in place, laughing and pointing as he tried to make sure every other person out there saw his big brother's humiliation. I have to say, it wasn't funny at the time but now thinking back - it was pretty hilarious."

Haley laughed. "It was."

"You guys are so mean." Brooke said, shaking her head. "Was he hurt?"

"No." Haley answered, waving it off. "His ego may have been but he was fine."

The boys arrived home shortly later and everyone joined together to decorate the tree, singing "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives over and over again. Haley and Lily were on tinsel duty but the two girls had more fun playing in it themselves. Mistletoe floated around the room as well. When it got to Nathan, he bent down to his little sister and hung it over their head, smiling as she planted a wet, sloppy kiss against his lips.

Nathan was half awake, his eyes were still closed but he was vaguely aware of the sounds surrounding him. And he was certainly aware of the bright, morning light that was shining directly onto him through the window. He felt the bed shift slightly and before he could open an eye, her lips fell down against his skin as she peppered light kisses along his bare chest. Nathan smirked as her kisses ascended to his neck until finally, landing on his lips.

Never detaching their lips, Haley shifted her body so she was laying directly on top of him. Her legs straddled his waist as her arms rested against the mattress at the sides of his head. His hands wrapped tightly around her waist. She felt him grow hard beneath her, causing her own want for him to increase.

Just as his hands disappeared under her tank top, the sound of Lily's crying had them halting their movements.

Nathan let out a groan at the interruption.

"Well, I guess that's that." Haley sighed.

"We're gonna start spending the holidays at your house." He stated. "That way - we are completely alone where the chances of being interrupted are slim but closer to none."

She chuckled, staring down at him.

He shrugged. "It's just as well anyway - you should probably brush your teeth."

Haley's mouth opened wide as he started laughing. She slapped his chest. "That was mean."

"I'm just kidding. I love your morning breath." He said, leaning forward and capturing her lips in a chaste kiss. "Merry Christmas, Hales."

"Merry Christmas, Nathan."

The two shared one more quick kiss before climbing out of the bed and headed down to the living room. They plopped themselves comfortably on the couch and waited for everyone else to wake and gather in the room as well.

A typical Christmas morning ensued after that - presents were handed out and opened. Everyone watching and giggling as Lily tore open her presents, throwing the pieces haphazardly all about the room.

Haley had finished opening all of her presents except for a small stack that was sitting to her left. She ran her fingers over th tag sticking to the wrapped box on the top of the pile. The presents were from her parents. Karen informed her they arrived a few days ago. Haley knew she should feel happy that her parents thought to at least send her something but she wasn't. Opening sent presents wasn't the same and lost its finesse after a few years. Besides, it wasn't even about the presents. Haley didn't care if her parents bought her a new car - she wanted them here. That would have been the greatest present she could have received. So like she does every year she doesn't spend with her parents, Haley set them aside to open later.

"There's one more present." Brooke announced, glancing at both Lucas and Nathan who were sitting next to each other on the love seat before handing a lightweight, rectangular package to her fiancé.

Lucas tore open the wrapping paper and found four Knicks tickets inside.

"The games are on back-to-back nights. There is a hotel reservation in your names. We already checked your basketball schedule and cleared everything with Coach K, Nathan, so he knows you won't be in town if there are any practices." Brooke exclaimed in that typical Brooke Davis over-dramatic fashion.

Lucas's eyes went wide when he saw where the seats are. He quickly showed his brother. "Do you guys realize where these seats are? These things aren't cheap."

"I know!" Brooke chirped, clapping her hands together. "Why do you think Haley and I went together on this?" She asked rhetorically.

"We figured the two of you could have a weekend away - hang out, watch some basketball...share some brotherly love." Haley said, smirking at both Scott boys.

"Thanks, you guys." Lucas said.

"Yeah, thanks."

Haley looked at Nathan and shook her head, letting out a small chuckle. "Really, Nathan - don't sound too excited there."

Nathan laughed. "No, seriously. Thanks. This is awesome." He said with a more upbeat tone.

As Keith and Karen ventured into the kitchen to start breakfast, complete with pancakes molded into various Christmas shapes, toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon, the others went into the living room to watch Christmas movies. Lucas and Brooke cozied up with one another on the wide chair with their feet propped out on the ottoman. Nathan and Haley plopped down on the couch, side-by-side with Lily sitting comfortably on Haley's lap. They started with Lily's favorite movie - Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.

The rest of the day flew by fairly quickly, mostly consisting of lying around in the living room and watching Christmas movies. It was around five o'clock that evening when everyone got up to take showers and dress nicely for dinner.

After dinner, they all decided to take a drive through town to see all the lights. Karen filled some travel mugs with some of her hot chocolate for everyone as they all went upstairs to dress themselves in some warmer clothes before heading outside. Keith and Karen strapped Lily into the car seat in the backseat of Keith's truck before climbing in the front. Lucas and Nathan waited as Brooke and Haley hoisted themselves into the cab of the truck before following suit. Call it ironic luck, but Keith and Karen had just purchased a new outdoor love seat for their back patio but had yet to unload it. Lucas and Brooke quickly claimed it, plopping down while Nathan and Haley sat down on the raised parts above the tires.

About five minutes in, Nathan glanced at Lucas and Brooke. He stared at them as they cuddled together under the warm blanket, their arms wrapped around one another. A small pang shot through him. He glanced at Haley, watching the boisterous smile on her face as she took in all the many lights. She looked just like kids do when they see something so exciting for the first, even second or third times. Haley was always such a young soul - finding joy and happiness in the simplest things.

For the first time in his life, Nathan was envious of his brother. He wanted to be able to be so open and affectionate like that with Haley. He wanted to proudly introduce her as his girlfriend and hear her call him her boyfriend. Those thoughts popped into his mind so suddenly - so unexpectantly. But the even more surprising thing was that he wasn't confused by them. His feelings for her have grown into something so much more than just casual friends who sleep together. He doesn't know when it happened and he doesn't really care - all he does know is that they're there.

At that moment, Haley glanced at him. The lights hit her face perfectly. She looked so beautiful - of course, she always does. Haley could be sitting in front of him, decked out in a ratty, oversized pajama set with her hair a frizzy mess and not a single trace of makeup, looking her ugliest - but she would still be the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. She smiled softly at him before turning away, admiring the lights some more.

Tonight, driving and looking at all these colorful lights, feels romantic - really intimate. All he wanted to do was pull Haley to him and wrap his arms around her, share a little peck with her every once in a while. For Nathan, it wasn't enough to just simply be near her and have their "fling" on the side. He was growing tired of the secrecy - having to make sure nobody was watching them. And if people knew about them, they would get to spend more time together considering they wouldn't have to hide. That was definitely a plus.

OTHOTHOTH

Haley basked under the hot water for a few extra minutes before turning the knob, waiting as the water shut completely off. She opened the curtain and grabbed the towel hanging on the medal rack nearby. After wrapping it around her body, tying the ends together over the right side of her chest, she then pulled another towel from the linen closet and ran it through her hair, drying it the best she could before throwing it up into a bun. Wiping off any excess water droplets from her body, Haley threw on a simple pair of white underwear and an oversized, blue t-shirt with the words Duke Basketball written in white across the chest - the one she stole from Nathan's pile of freshly washed clothes.

She switched the bathroom light off and exited the room. Haley arrived in Nathan's bedroom and saw him sitting upright against the headboard and his feet stretched out in front of him. A text book was laying open in his lap with his eyes glued to the pages. She grabbed the lotion off his nightstand and sauntered over to the bed.

"Are my eyes deceiving me or is Nathan Scott working on school work during break?" Haley asked, smirking as she rubbed some of the lotion over her arms and then her legs.

Nathan looked up and rolled his eyes. "Laugh it up."

"Oh, no. I would never laugh at that." She said, placing the lotion on the floor before climbing onto the bed. She swung her left leg over and straddled his legs, sitting on top of his book. "Watching you do homework is kind of a turn on, you know."

"You are so weird, Hales." He laughed.

Haley shrugged. "What can I say - it's the nerd in me."

"Well lucky for you, I happen to like nerdy Haley." He said, bringing his hands up to her waist and began tickling her.

"Stop!" She pleaded through her laughter as she scrambled off his lap.

Nathan watched as Haley twisted her body and pushed her legs underneath the blankets, slinking further down into the bed. He watched as she turned on her left side so she was facing him and found a comfortable position. He watched as her eyes glanced up, catching his eyes. They smiled softly at one another. He rested his right arm against the mattress and watched as she began to run her fingers lightly up and down the inside of his arm. He instantly felt tingles shoot up through his skin.

"Haley?"

"Huh?" She mumbled, absent-mindedly.

"Do you ever think about telling people about us?"

Haley stopped her hand movements and looked up at him. "Do you want that?"

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know. I don't want to deal with everyone's reactions. We both know nobody is gonna be happy about it at first. They'll probably think we're joking and laugh. And if not, I can already hear Lucas. Hell, I can already feel the pain in my jaw where he's going to punch me." He began as they both let out a strained laugh. "I don't know, though. I guess...I guess it would be kind of nice to not have to hide anymore. And I would really love to kiss you whenever I want, in front of anyone I want."

"I want that, too. I want to be able to talk to my friends openly about you - about us. And I really hate lying to everyone. But what do we tell people. I mean, do I introduce you as my fuck buddy or what?"

He didn't hide the surprise on his face at her choice of words. Nathan briefly wondered if he has ever heard her use that word before realizing that was so not important at the moment.

"How do we explain what we are?" She paused before quietly asking, "What are we, Nathan?"

Nathan smiled, leaning to his side slightly and brought his hand up to cup her cheek. He leaned into her and kissed her lips lightly. "You and I are together."

"Together as in...together?" She questioned, biting her lower lip.

"Yeah - together as in together." He smiled, loving the way she got so nervous about this. That's just further proof that she is feeling the same ting, wasn't it? He couldn't be sure so he added, "Unless that's not something you want."

"No." Haley quickly interrupted. "No, that's exactly what I want."

Nathan expelled a quiet, relieved breath. "Good." He said, kissing her once more. "So what do you want to do? Do we tell people or what?"

"I don't know. I'm afraid that everything is gonna change. And as much as I hate lying, especially to Lucas, I don't know if I'm ready to deal with all of that drama right now. And with the wedding coming up..." She inhaled a deep breath. "I don't know if it's the right time. Maybe we should wait until after Lucas and Brooke get married. That way we aren't taking the focus away from them or causing any problems before."

"That's probably a good idea." He agreed, nodding his head.

"Besides, I'd really love to have a few more months like this - no drama. I love this feeling - just insanely and ridiculously happy."

"Me, too." Nathan said and saw something was still weighing heavily on her mind. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I can't help but think about their reactions. What if nobody is happy about this? What if nobody supports us with this. What if..."

"Who cares about everyone else?" Nathan interrupted, shaking his head. "Haley, they don't matter. Let's be real - we both know they're not going to be exactly receptive at first which is why we should wait until after this wedding. But we're not telling them for them. We're doing it for us. This is about us - not them. We're together now. That's all that matters."

Haley smiled softly, tears filling her eyes. She brought her right hand up to his chest, fisting the collar of his t-shirt and pulled him down. Her lips connected with his, moving slowly and sensually. His mouth opened slightly and she enclosed her lips around his bottom one first before alternating this pattern with his upper lip.

After a few minutes, she sighed contently against his lips. "Merry Christmas, Nathan."

"Merry Christmas, Hales." He returned, caressing her cheek lightly. "I think this might be my favorite Christmas."

Haley smiled up at him. "Mine, too." She said, meeting him halfway for another kiss.

There you go. I apologize for the waits for these last two chapters. All I can say is life gets in the way. :) Thanks for being patient with me - at least I hope you all are. Haha. I hope to have another chapter soon.