Author's Note: Come on people, you were so good to me for a while there! Keep the coming please, please, please!

I disclaim

Chapter 37: A Very Riley Christmas Eve

"Hey," Rick called out from the couch, "According to the baby book, you should be experiencing intense cravings for things you used to like a lot." Cassie popped her head out of the bathroom.

"What's your point?" She said.

"OK, so have you wanted coke?" He smirked.

"Asshole!" She squeaked and plopped on the couch. He smiled, "You can drink at Christmas you know."

"What?"

"At Thanksgiving," She shrugged, "You didn't drink, at all, and I don't care, really. You can drink."

"Are you going to cry again?" He said. She looked at him. "You've cried like four times today. I'm just asking."

"I can't help it," She whispered and crossed her arms. "I'm fat and we're poor so I can't even afford all those really cute maternity clothes that I saw in the mall and I have nothing to wear to your dad's tomorrow, because it was either pay the heating bill or buy a Christmas dress."

"Oh was it?" Rick smiled. She nodded. "Cassie," He kissed her. "I was going to wait until tomorrow but, Christmas Eve is just as good." He went into the bedroom and brought out a box.

"Rick!" She looked at him, "We said no presents."

"I couldn't help it," He said and handed her the long black box tied up with red ribbon, "Kelly usually wraps so, excuse the lameness." She squeaked and opened it.

"Oh Rick," She held up the green velvet dress.

"You never wear green anymore," He kissed her. "That was my only condition. Tammy picked it out." Cassie nodded.

"How's she doing?" Cassie asked. Rick shrugged. "Poor thing. Maybe I should talk to her."

"If you think it would help," He sighed, "But, tonight, is our first Christmas as a family." She smiled. "So, do you want Thai or Chinese."

"You bought me a dress and you're getting take out?" She squealed, "It must be Christmas!" He laughed and kissed her again. "Thai."

"Alright," He said, "Eva does love her Asian Cuisine."

"Yeah," Cassie stroked her belly, "I've been thinking about what she'll look like, I hope she has green eyes, like your dad." Rick laughed. "I do. Not blue eyes, everyone expects pretty girls to have blue eyes, and I don't want my baby girl to be anything expected."

"If she's anything like her mother she won't be," He smiled and kissed her.

Julie sat out on the porch sipping hot chocolate looking out at the snow. Steve sat next to her both of them wrapped up in blankets. She smiled and closed her eyes as the alarm on her watch went off at midnight.

"Merry Christmas," Steve whispered.

"Merry Christmas," She said and looked at him, "Steve-o?"

"Cat?" He asked back.

"Thanks," She said.

"For what?" He looked at her, confused.

"For everything," She shrugged. "You've been so good." He nodded. "I really needed you and you were here." She scooted closer and put her head on his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too," He whispered. "You should call Jimmy." She looked at him. "It's Christmas."

"It's not Christmas there yet," She shook her head.

"You haven't talked to him in a couple days," He said, "Trust me, that makes me happy, but I gotta ask why?"

"Everything's good here," She said, "You know except my parents," He laughed. "And everything back in Minnesota is just a mess. Tammy's a mess, and Connie's a mess, and Jimmy's a mess," She sighed, "Here, it's just us, and the snow and Mikey. It's simple and it's not scary."

"Well, I've had fun having you home," He smiled, "The rumor mill at Park Street is going crazy with it, you should know," She laughed. "'Julie Gaffney's home, I heard she killed some guy and the Coach is keeping her locked in the basement so she won't get caught.'"

"No!" She hit him.

"Swear to God," He said, "Apparently you shot a man in Reno just to watch him die." He laughed.

"Steve," She said softly. He nodded, "Kiss me."

"Julie, I don't," He looked at her. She smiled softly. "Why?"

"Just to see what it would feel like," She whispered. He smiled. They were in the exact same place they were in when they were eleven years old. He leaned down and kissed her. She opened her eyes and pulled away.

"I should go," He whispered.

"Are we actually replaying this scene?" She teased.

"I said I should," He laughed, "Not that I was going to," He leaned back. She smiled. "Do you love him?"

"Yeah," She whispered, "I do. But I love you too."

"It doesn't work that way," He shook his head.

"Didn't you love me and Taylor at the same time?" She asked.

"I didn't really love Taylor," He sighed. "That night that you came to room, I think about that night a lot."

"Yeah, me too," She whispered. "It felt right. Me and you."

"That's because it's how it would have been," He smiled, "If you hadn't gone away."

"Yeah," She whispered. "I do love you both. I don't care if you think that that's not how it works, it's how I feel."

"Whatever Cat," He shook his head, reached over and plucked a marshmallow out her coco.

"Hey!" She said and hit him playfully.

"So," Kelly settled in snuggled close to Scooter in front of the fire at the Riley house, "Are you going to read to me?"

"Are you going to be a demanding little bitch?" He teased. She looked at him and kissed him. "I don't feel much like reading."

"I love listening to you read," She whispered, she leaned forward and handed him the copy of A Christmas Carol she'd bought him for their first Christmas together. "Please?" He smiled.

"OK," He said, "Get me another egg nog will ya kid?" She giggled and stood up trotting to the kitchen. He ran his fingers over the book. Kelly knew how he felt about Dickens, about books in general, it had been what they first bonded over.

"OK," She said handing him the warm mug. "Now read."

"You're like a child," He shook his head. "Alright," He cracked the book, "A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Chapter 1: Marley's Ghost." Kelly settled her little brown head to his chest, "Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that," Kelly closed her eyes and listened to his voice. "Are you going to sleep, or are you going to listen?" He looked at her.

"I'm not sleeping!" She looked at him. He shook his head. "Keep going. I like this part." He kissed her. "I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah," He laughed, "It was this or Christmas in the islands with the family including my own little ghost of Christmas past."

"He's still with her?" Kelly said sitting up, "Ew!"

"I know," Scooter shuddered, "I think he's in love, which is so weird, because you know it's Dave." She kissed him. "What?"

"You stopped reading," She whispered.

"What am I going to do with you Kelly Maura?" He sighed. "Are we sleeping in your bed tonight?"

"You can," She shrugged, "I'm sleeping with Jimmy."

"Right," He nodded, "Christmas Eve." She nodded. "I haven't seen James much, what's going on with everything?"

"He's been very," Kelly nodded her head from side to side, "Off, I guess is the right word."

"Hey," Jimmy said laying on his bed with his phone to his ear. "It's me. Again. This is the fifth message I left. I'm a little worried about you, Jules. Call me back. I love you. I miss you. Call me, please."

"Hi," Tammy walked in.

"Hey," He whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"I went for a drive and I ended up here," She whispered. "Can I sit?"

"Sure," He nodded and she sat on the bed. "How are you?"

"I'm better," She sighed. "I had another one last night." He nodded. "Have you heard from her?"

"Not for a few days," He shook his head. She nodded, "You?"

"Not since she went home," Tammy said. "I miss her."

"I miss her too," He said. She hugged him. "Hey," He whispered, "It's OK." He'd coaxed Tammy out of a panic attack a few days before when he'd gone with her to buy Fulton a Christmas present. This didn't feel like that. "It's Christmas Eve Tammy, you should home."

"Can't I just stay with you?" She asked. He nodded.

"Kelly and I sleep in the same bed on Christmas every year," He said, "Since Mom died, your welcome to be in on the party."

"Kelly won't mind?" Tammy whispered.

"Nah," He said, "You're my sister too." She smiled. "At least your pretty face is back, hm?" She laughed. His cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey," Julie said on the other end, "I'm sorry, it's just been crazy here, with my mom and everything."

"It's OK," He said, "Tammy's here."

"Oh," Julie said, "Yeah, um, I guess I should talk to her."

"Sure," He passed the phone. "She wants to talk to you."

"Hey," Tammy said walking into the bathroom.

"Hi honey," Julie said, "I'm sorry, I'm the world's suckiest friend."

"It's OK," Tammy said, "I was worried about you."

"I'm OK," Julie said, "You?"

"I've been having panic attacks," Tammy sighed.

"Oh my God!" Julie said. "Why didn't you call me?" Tammy sighed, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," She sighed, "After Christmas I'm going to go to this shrink that Kelly went to after their mom died, Tom said the guy specializes in teen trauma."

"Jaime's bugging me about the lawsuit," Julie sighed.

"Jaime's there?" Tammy said.

"Yes," Julie whispered, "They're driving me crazy! All they do is fight. No wonder they couldn't stay married, if I could I would run away too." Tammy laughed, "How's Jimmy?"

"He misses you," Tammy shook her head. "He's really worried. I think he's got Steve on the mind."

"This has nothing to do with Steve," Julie groaned, "If you could get away wouldn't you?"

"Of course," Tammy said, "I'll explain it to him. Merry Christmas baby."

"Merry Christmas," Julie whispered. "Hang in there."

"Yeah," Tammy sighed, "Love you."

"Love you too," She said, "Feel better." They hung up and Tammy wandered out.

"How is she?" Jimmy said anxiously.

"Jaime's there," Tammy said, he nodded, "Pushing for the lawsuit. It's upsetting her." He nodded, "She just needed to get away Jim, it's not about you."

"Hey," Kelly whispered walking in. "Hi Tammy."

"Tammy's taking Rick's place in the bed tonight," Jimmy said, "If that's OK."

"Of course," Kelly shrugged, "She's our sister." Tammy smiled.

"What are you thinking about?" Cassie asked as she and Rick lay in bed after making love.

"Jimmy, Kelly and I have done this weird thing on Christmas Eve since Mom died," He whispered, "We all sleep in the same bed. The whole family."

"Our whole family's here," She whispered, guiding his hand to her belly, he felt Eva kick and then kissed Cassie. "Have you read that letter yet?"

"No," He shook his head. "Soon. I managed to open it, so I figure actually reading it will come next." She nodded. "I want to be a good father Cass."

"You will be," She snuggled as close to him as she could get. "I know you love her. I can tell."

"I do love her," He smiled. "And her green eyes." Cassie laughed. "And I love her beautiful mother." He kissed her again.

"And I love her father," She whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Oh my God," He laughed, "You're crying again." She looked away.

"You're still an ass hole," She mumbled and fell asleep.

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