Author's Note: Thanks you sooo much for all of the reviews you guys, you have no idea how much it means that you all aren't sick of me after the past couple days. I know you're all mad at Julie, but come on guys, I've done three stories of Julie and Jimmy being the perfect bulletproof couple. They're due for some tension

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 38: Remember Ellie?

"Merry Christmas," Elena said bouncing into the Riley's foyer.

"Merry Christmas Ellie," Scooter nodded. He didn't know why he'd volunteered to answer the door. She looked at him and then looked down. She felt a little guilty seeing him. "How are you?"

"Good," She shrugged, "Is Jimmy home?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "Jimmy!" He shouted Jimmy came running forward and smiled. "I'll go."

"Was that awkward for you?" He winked at her.

"God yeah," She laughed, "Just wanted to come over and say hi."

"Hi," He smiled. "Kelly put mistletoe up." He pointed and grimaced jokingly.

"Well then," She smirked, "You should kiss me; I think its bad luck or something if you don't."

"You won't tell Portman?" He snickered, "I think he'd kill me."

"Yeah, Julie would too," She laughed, "Get it over with." He laughed and leaned down and kissed, what was meant to be a brief peck grew into a real kiss and they pulled away just as they were about to escalate to open mouth. "Alright, um, we shouldn't do that again."

"Yeah," He nodded, "Right, um, that was nice though."

"A little too nice," She whispered. "I can't keep switching boyfriends."

"Um, right," He nodded. "And I have girlfriend."

"Julie," Ellie laughed awkwardly.

"Yes, Julie," He said, "Who's going through a tough time right now."

"Yeah," Ellie said, "Um I brought you your Christmas present." She handed him a box. "I'll go now." She turned around and walked away. He walked up stairs dazed. He walked into his room and saw Tammy stretch and wake up. "I did something bad."

"What?" She looked at him.

"I sort of almost Frenched Ellie," He sat down.

"Oh that's OK," Tammy shrugged, she was still half asleep, "Julie almost hooked up with Steve when she was home for Mikey's birthday, so she owes you one," She stopped. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"She almost hooked up with him?" He asked. "Like, how?"

"Like they were going to have sex," She said, pulling the covers over her head, "You can't say anything, I was sworn to secrecy!"

"She was going to have sex with him?" He said. "Tammy?" He pulled the covers off her, "Don't lie, you suck at it."

"Yes," She mumbled, "But Jimmy, she like instantly regretted it. She chose you." He closed his eyes. "Jimmy," She said, "She needs you right now."

"Yeah?" He stood up, "Then why's she there with him?" He through Ellie's present across the room. "Damnit!" Tammy shrunk back and swallowed taking a deep breath. "Oh, God, Tam, I'm sorry!"

"It's OK," She looked down, "I'm OK." She slid out of the bed and hugged him. "You can actually French Elena now if you want. I wouldn't think you were a jerk or anything." He laughed.

Julie lay in bed watching Steve pull his shirt back on. He leaned down and kissed her. She whimpered.

"You should really go before Cal and Elyse wake up," She whispered.

"Are you going to break up with Jimmy?" He asked. She bit her bottom lip, "Because I'll honor this whole we're not having sex while you're still with him thing, but if there's no end in sight."

"Can we just see?" She sighed.

"Are you going to tell him?" He asked. She looked at him and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He'd let it grow out and she couldn't help but smile at the silly attempt. She kissed him again guiding him onto the bed and on top of her. "Cat." He whispered.

"I changed my mind," She whispered. "I want you." They kissed for a few minutes more, she slid her hands under his shirt.

"No," He shook his head, standing up, "I can't do this. It's not right."

"What?" She looked at him, "You've never had any problem with the fact that I have a boyfriend before!"

"It's not about Jimmy," He said, "This is about you." She sat up on her knees, "You don't want me, Julie, you're just hiding." She frowned. "It won't go away if you hide from him."

"What are you talking about?" She laughed and took his hands, "Come here, please?"

"Julie," He whispered. She shuddered, "You have to deal with it." He put his hands around her head, "Baby please? It's not his fault."

"What?" She whimpered.

"Jimmy didn't do this to you," He said, "It wasn't him, and you can't blame him."

"He left," She said softly, "He left at the pond, and that night at the shop, he left and you were there." She ran her hand through his hair. "You love me, and you take care of me."

"Only because you wouldn't let him," He said, "I want you to choose me Julie, but I'm going to fight fair." She pressed her forehead to his. "It wasn't his fault."

"You should go," She pulled away and crossed her arms. He sighed. It wasn't easy to say no to Julie throwing herself at him.

"Good morning Steve," Elyse said, her arms crossed at the bottom of the stairs. He laughed awkwardly.

"So this looks bad," He smiled.

"Uh huh," She nodded, smiling sarcastically. "Steven, did you just come out of my slightly traumatized step daughter's bedroom at five in the morning?"

"Yes," He said, "But to be fair, she asked me to stay."

"Get out before Cal wakes up and Jaime gets here and they kill you," Elyse snapped and pointed at the door. He nodded and ran out the door. She walked upstairs and into Julie's room. "Care to explain Steve?"

"Nothing happened," Julie whispered and wiped her eyes, "I'm horrible."

"I'm not gonna disagree with you," Elyse said, "Julie, if you want to be with Steve, be with Steve, but you can't keep doing this to him, or to yourself, or to Jimmy." Julie burst into tears.

"Jimmy," She whimpered, "Jimmy loves me, and I almost cheated on him with Steve twice! I suck!"

"Oh honey," Elyse sat down, "You're going through a really tough time right now. They'll both understand." Julie nodded.

"Can we not tell Cal and Jaime about this one?" Julie whispered as Elyse wiped her eyes.

"You read my mind," She laughed. "Now smile, you have forced family snapshots to take while your father tries to get Mikey to actually hold that baby hockey stick he insisted on buying him."

Dean stood outside of church waiting for Lisa to finish schmoozing. He folded his arms and leaned against a wall and loosened his tie.

"Dean," David tugged on his pant leg. He crouched down, "I open presents now?"

"When we get back to your house yeah," Dean said. "As soon as Mommy decides to stop talking."

"Patrick said he got me special present," David said.

"Did he now?" Dean sighed.

"Why you no like Patrick either?" David scrunched his face, "Daddy no like him, you no like him. I like Patrick."

"It's complicated," Dean said, "But I promise when you get a little older I'll tell you."

"Tanya!" David ran over to her.

"Hey Davey!" She smiled and scooped him up, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," He laughed, "Dean's home."

"Would you look at that," She said and glared at him.

"Hey Tanya," Dean waved.

"Dean," She nodded, "Hey, Dave, wanna play guess who's a big fat chicken?"

"That's mature," He nodded.

"Lisa said you're back with Elena," Tanya said, "How's that going?"

"Can't be half as good as what you've got going on," He shrugged, "Half the neighborhood sneaking out of you kitchen before your mom wakes up."

"That is so typical," She laughed, "You can sleep around all you want, but,"

"Sleep around?" He said, "I've been with three girls, one of them you."

"So Jillian Palazzo didn't count?" She shrugged.

"I didn't have sex with Jillian!" He said. He realized a little too loudly, because people looked at them, "I didn't, I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."

"Whatever," She shrugged, "I can do whatever I want because my ex boyfriend is an arrogant coward. Merry Christmas," She handed David over.

"She's mad at you," David said poking him in the face. "She said so last time she stay wid me."

"Yeah," Dean said, "Thanks for the warning kid."

Elena lay on her bed flipping through a magazine. She was ecstatically happy. True things weren't exactly perfect, but her mom was home and healthy, she was in love and there was no complication to it. Well, except for that kiss with Jimmy.

"Hi," Jimmy walked in.

"Hi," She smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"How serious is this you and Portman back together thing?" He asked sitting down next to her earnestly.

"I don't know," She said, a little confused, "Um, we're just sort of seeing what happens. Why?" He kissed her. "OK, Jimmy, I'm really confused."

"You told me once that you were always going to love me," He whispered, cupping his hands around her head, "Do you still love me Ellie?"

"Kiss me again," She whispered. He pressed against her and they kissed this time opening their mouths and exploring each other. "You were always the best at the kissing." She whispered. She slid her hands down his chest.

"I could be the best at the other things too," He whispered. She lay down and he guided her arms over her head. He kissed down her neck.

"James," She whimpered, "Am I dreaming?" He kissed her softly. She whimpered as his hand rode up her leg. "Mm," She groaned, getting more and more heated. He nibbled down her neck, "Ah, James," She moaned softly, "What about Julie?" She stopped him putting her hands on his chest.

"Julie left," He whispered. He kissed her again, "You're the one for me, Ellie," He said, "You always were."

"I have to be dreaming," She smiled. This was unreal, this was her James. She'd had this dream a million times.

"You're awake, baby," He smirked. Julie could have Steve, he had his Ellie. He knew she'd always come back to him. They kissed hard and she sat up pushing into him. It really didn't help that she was so incredibly horny.

"Take me," She whimpered as he nibbled down her neck. He smiled and she yelped as he pressed her onto her back.

So, that's out there now...enjoy the cliff hanger.