Reflections

by evitascarlett

A companion piece to 'Apologize'. Chronicling the lives and love story of Jim and Johanna Beckett through the years. See Authors Note at the beginning of Chapter One for more details! Cover art by LordofKavaka

67. Chapter 67- Merry and Bright Part 1

Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 67- Merry and Bright – Part 1

"Jim," Melanie Thompson cooed at the law firm's annual Christmas party. "I just realized that I'm standing under the mistletoe."

Jim glanced at her, hoping that whatever Melanie was up to would be over with before Johanna found her way back to his side. "It's alright; I don't think anyone else has noticed that you're standing under it. You're probably safe."

His colleague giggled. "Who said I wanted to be safe?"

He shrugged. "Why else would you be worried about it?"

"Oh I wasn't worried; I merely pointed it out because of tradition…tradition does dictate that a person standing under the mistletoe should be kissed."

Jim nodded. "Yeah; I've heard that."

A sly smile slid across Melanie's lips. "Don't you think you should do the right thing and observe the tradition? You wouldn't want me to feel foolish standing under the mistletoe unkissed, now would you?"

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be," he told her. "I'm engaged and I don't think my fiancée would appreciate me kissing other women under the mistletoe."

Melanie gave a small wave of her hand. "Oh Johanna is so fussy about nothing; really, I don't know why you'd want to saddle yourself with her."

"I love her."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh yes; that's very sweet and all; but were not talking about an affair…although if you ever get bored, feel free to call me, I'd be more than happy to liven things up for you."

"Don't sit by the phone waiting for that call," Jim remarked.

His colleague smirked, her fingertips brushing against Jim's chest. "Don't be so stuffy, Jim; after all, we've had good times in the past…remember our little business trip?"

"Yeah, I remember," he replied; "But I was single then and now I'm not. I love Johanna and I'm marrying her. I'm not going to betray her."

"Men always say that when their still blinded by the haze. Trust me, you'll get bored sooner or later and the offer will always be on the table; but for right now we're only talking about a little kiss under the mistletoe."

"Not happening."

"I do love when a man plays hard to get," Melanie laughed; "It makes the victory so much sweeter. What if I just kiss you?"

"I wouldn't advise it," Johanna announced; "Because if you do; I'm going to rip your lips right off your face."

Melanie smirked as she turned to face her. "Wow, someone doesn't have any Christmas spirit."

"Oh I've got plenty of spirit," she retorted; "Trust me, if you put your lips anywhere near my fiancé, I'm going to jingle your bells."

"You really don't need to take on so much, Johanna; I was only asking him to help me uphold tradition as I'm standing beneath the mistletoe."

"Go ask your husband to help you uphold tradition, Mrs. Patterson," Johanna stated; "Or has the shine worn off your marriage after only two weeks?"

Melanie rolled her eyes. "Being married doesn't mean you can't have any fun anymore."

"Really? I was always under the impression that adultery was frowned upon…it is grounds for a divorce after all."

"Charles and I understand each other," Melanie huffed. "We don't have to be glued to the hip."

Johanna nodded. "Well maybe in the spirit of the holiday you should go get glued to your husband and leave other people's husbands, fiancés and boyfriends alone…that way you'll be guaranteed to make it into the new year."

"You're such a bitch, Johanna," Melanie said snidely as she moved away from Jim. "I don't know why on earth anyone would want to marry you."

"Funny, I feel the same way about you," she replied; "Of course I'm not alone; a lot of people are wondering what Charles was thinking when he married you on a whim."

"They're just jealous," Melanie snapped. "So many of them wanted him and I'm the one who got him."

"And yet you still want other women's significant others as well."

"You're just worried that I could take him from you if I wanted to."

Johanna laughed. "Oh look, you're adding delusional to your list of traits."

"You don't think I could?!" Melanie huffed.

"I know you can't," Johanna said, holding up her left hand. "Do you see this ring on my finger? Do you see all three carats of it? He wouldn't have put it on my finger if he wanted you; now get lost and don't let me catch you trying any of your little games again."

"Go to hell, Johanna."

"You first."

Melanie turned away from her and smiled at Jim. "Well, Jim; your taste in women is somewhat questionable but Merry Christmas anyway."

He smiled. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Patterson."

"Don't call me that," she sniffed before storming away.

Johanna's gaze met Jim's once Melanie had departed. "I swear, I didn't encourage it," Jim stated.

"I know; I heard most of it," she told him; "Lucky for you."

He smiled and tugged her closer. "You're really sexy though when you're being miss bad ass and threatening people with bodily harm."

"Mhmm," she said as she eyed him. "I would've hurt her…and you too if you seemed to enjoy whatever move she made."

"I wouldn't have let it happen, sweetheart."

"That's good to know."

Jim subtly nudged her to the right a few steps, causing her to look at him in confusion. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Putting you beneath the mistletoe," he answered. "You look like you need kissed."

Johanna laughed softly. "I always need your kisses."

"Then I better get to work," he quipped, his fingertips grazing her jaw line as he dipped his head to kiss her. "Feel better now?" he asked.

"Most definitely…but I still can't believe Melanie and Charles are married."

"It does seem odd, doesn't it?"

"I think they only did it to upstage the news of our engagement," Johanna huffed. "I know how that bitch operates."

Jim slipped his arm around her waist. "I have to admit; I agree with that theory. I think they did get married just to steal our moment. You know how they are; they can't stand for someone else to be in the spotlight."

"How long do you think their marriage will last?"

Jim pondered the question for a long moment. "Well they won't want to get divorced too quick because then people will question the real reason they got married; so I'm going to say they'll wait six months. What do you think?"

"Six months sounds like a good estimate…I'm sure the affairs will start sooner than that though."

"Most definitely," Jim agreed. "How come Sharon and Phil didn't come to the party? I thought they said they'd be here."

"Phil's mother decided that they should come for an early holiday dinner since Sharon's demanded to spend the holidays with her own family this time…Phil's mother doesn't seem to think that Sharon has a right to want to be with her own family once in awhile."

"I think I might be getting lucky in the mother-in-law pool," Jim remarked. "Seems like I'm getting the best one."

"You definitely are," Johanna agreed. "I just wish the one I was getting was the runner up."

He laughed. "Me too; I feel bad knowing that I've asked you to put up with her for the rest of her life."

"That just goes to show how much I love you," Johanna told him as she gave his waist a squeeze. "If I didn't love you so much, I wouldn't be willing to be her daughter-in-law."

"I know, sweetheart; and I'm grateful."

She sighed a little as she glimpsed Maggie chatting with some other colleagues across the room. "How's Jeff doing?" she asked.

"Not too good," Jim answered. "He's miserable."

She nodded. "I figured he was…he didn't come to the party."

"I know; I tried to talk him into it. I told him maybe the holiday spirit would inspire Maggie to change her mind about them taking a break. How's she doing?"

"She's trying to put on a brave front," Johanna replied; not knowing how else to describe it. "She's trying to act like she's fine publicly but she's not; she misses him. She cried all through lunch yesterday."

"Why doesn't she just take him back then?" her fiancé asked.

"Because she wants Jeff to give her a hint that they're going somewhere. They've been together longer than us and he hasn't given her any indication of wanting to marry her."

"He does want to marry her; he just doesn't think he's good enough for her," Jim commented. "Her father has that idea in his head."

"I know; and if he'd just tell Maggie that it would solve things. She'd understand and she'd reassure him that her father's opinion doesn't matter but she told me that when she and Jeff had their talk after hearing our news, he wouldn't give her anything; no indication that he sees them having a future, no indication of why he doesn't. He didn't give her anything…she feels like he's just stringing her along. She's not saying they have to get married next week; she'd just like to know that he wants to one day in the not too distant future. Why won't he tell her anything?"

"He doesn't want her to feel bad," he replied.

Johanna scoffed. "Like this situation makes her feel so much better."

"I know," he sighed. "It's a screwed up situation. He's been drinking a lot ever since it happened."

'I've noticed…have you said anything to him about it?"

"A little but not too much."

"Why is that?"

Jim met her eye. "I felt like a hypocrite; I did my share of drinking when we had that big blow up right before we started dating…and I did some more drinking when we broke up."

"And Jeff let you do it without a word?"

"He had plenty of words about the relationship stuff but he didn't bother too much with the drinking stuff. I guess he figured once we were back together it would take care of itself, and it did; and it'll be the same for Jeff."

"You need to convince him to talk to her," Johanna said, watching her friend from across the room, seeing the smile she plastered on her face fade as she walked away from the people she was talking with.

"I've tried," Jim replied; "But I'm having about as much success as he has with me when the situation is reversed. Why don't you talk to Maggie?"

"Honey, I've been talking to her; the ball is in Jeff's court; he needs to tell her what his hang up is. It's not like she's going to laugh in his face."

"Why don't you tell her what his hang up is?" he suggested.

"I don't really think it's my place. Jeff should tell her."

"I know but he doesn't seem able to," Jim replied. "Maybe if you told her it would move things along."

Johanna sighed. "But what if they accuse me of meddling?"

"Then they'd be hypocrites because they've meddled plenty in our business…that goes for Sharon and Phil too."

"That's true," she couldn't help but agree. "But maybe tomorrow, since we only have a half day of work, you can convince him to go see her…maybe they can work it out in the spirit of Christmas…tell him to take a gift."

"I already suggested gifts."

"Suggest it again; gifts and honesty," Johanna remarked.

Jim sighed. "Do you think Maggie would be open to a Christmas Eve visit from Jeff?"

"I think she would be receptive."

"What if Jeff isn't receptive?"

"Then he's a jackass," she declared.

"Well there's no denying that he's not immune to being a jackass…but if there's no Christmas reconciliation, will you tell her and end the misery?"

Johanna bit her lips for a moment. "Yeah; I guess so…but if Jeff gets mad and says I'm meddling, you have to defend my honor."

"No problem."

She sighed as she surveyed the room. "Why did we bother to show up to this party? I think this is the most boring party they've ever had."

"I know; even Sally and Sam didn't show up."

"Neither did Mark and Cathy; they already left for Connecticut."

"Antonio and Isabel already left for Argentina too," Jim remarked. "With the exception of Maggie and Zach; and a few people we can tolerate; we're basically in a room full of people we hate."

Johanna nodded. "It's like an extension of the work day since the entertainment is lacking, attendance is lacking…"

"Booze is lacking," Jim interrupted to add.

"Yeah; that would've made it a little more bearable. What the hell went wrong with the planning this year? It's never been this lousy."

"Didn't you hear? Stanley took care of the arrangements this year," he informed her.

"Suddenly it all makes sense," Johanna replied.

He patted her hip. "I'm more than willing to ditch this place; what about you?"

"I'm all for leaving," she answered. "We should've just went to a movie after dinner."

"Are you leaving?" Maggie asked as she approached them.

"Yeah; we seem to be leaning in that direction," Johanna replied. "This party is kind of dry."

Her friend nodded. "Yeah; it does seem that way…there's no life to this party."

"I hope the New Year's party is going to be better."

"I'm not sure I want to go to the office New Year's party," Jim remarked. "It just caused problems between us last year."

"Oh we have to come for a little while," Johanna said; "Then we can go somewhere better…and this year I won't let you out of my sight."

"Do you think Sharon and Phil will show up?" Maggie asked.

"I guess it depends on if Phil gets permission from his mother," Jim said lightly. "Seems most of their decisions have to meet her approval."

Maggie smiled softly. "Yeah; Sharon's mentioned that. Do you think Jeff will come?"

He shrugged. "I don't know; but I intend to try and convince him."

Johanna hated to see the forlorn look on her friend's face. "Did you run into him at the office today?"

"I saw him in break room but we didn't talk; he saw me and left," Maggie said sadly.

"I'm sorry," she murmured sympathetically. "I know the feeling."

Tears filled Maggie's eyes. "What am I going to do with his Christmas gift?" she cried. "I bought it back in November and I didn't really think he'd stay away so long."

Johanna pulled her friend into a hug. "Just hang on to it; you never know; he might show up for Christmas. I'm sure this isn't going to last forever."

"I hope not," Maggie cried as she clung to her friend. "I miss him…I even miss all the noise he makes when he gets up in the morning."

"I know," she consoled. "He'll be back…you know how men are; they just have to be stupid first."

"Hey," Jim said, poking her in the back.

"Don't make me list examples, Jim."

"I retract my outrage," he replied.

"That's what I thought."

Maggie sniffled a few times and then did her best to pull herself together. "If you're leaving; I'm getting the hell out of here too. There's nothing to keep me here."

"We're leaving," Jim said; "Do you need a ride home?"

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind."

"We don't mind," Johanna assured; "Come on, let's get out of here; it's probably only depressing you more than you already are."

"Everything is depressing without Jeff," Maggie said, a fresh batch of tears pushing to the surface.

Jim gestured for the women to go ahead of him to the lobby to collect their coats, shaking his head a little as they went. He hoped Jeff would confess his worries to Maggie soon; neither one of them needed to be so miserable. Of course there was an extra interest in their state of affairs; he cared of course because Jeff was his best friend and he considered Maggie a friend as well…but soon Johanna would start planning the wedding and Jeff was the only person he could see being his best man…and Johanna had dropped a subtle hint that she would be most likely be asking Maggie to be her maid of honor. If they didn't reconcile; that could make for an awkward wedding party and he didn't see his fiancée being happy about that.

---

"I really hate that we have to go to work for a half day tomorrow," Johanna remarked as she entered her bedroom later that night.

"So do I," Jim replied; his gaze flicking away from the television to watch her as she shed the red silk robe he had given her as part of an early gift the week before in celebration of her finding the perfect peppermint cake recipe. "No candy cane apparel tonight?" he asked; wondering where the rest of that early gift was since she was clad in her favorite pink pajamas.

She smirked at him. "No; sorry; I feel a little too chilly tonight for that flimsy material of that nightgown."

"You would've been plenty warm; I'd make sure of it."

"I'm sure you would," she said as she sat down at her vanity to put some lotion on her hands; "But I don't think I feel up to the effort that warmth would require."

"That party was a bit of a mood killer; wasn't it?"

"It was," she agreed. "Going to work tomorrow is a mood killer too; I don't know why Roche is bothering to make us come in; I don't have anything on my schedule tomorrow. I didn't schedule any clients, figuring they have better things to do too. I'm not back in court until the 28th and I somehow managed to get everything in order for my appointments after Christmas in anticipation of the office having a long weekend."

"I know, sweetheart; I don't have anything on my schedule for tomorrow either but you heard what Roche said; if we want our bonus; we have to show up tomorrow to get it, with the exception of those who had already cleared travel excuses with him."

"Jackass," Johanna muttered as she slipped her rings back on her fingers. "Why didn't he just give them at the party like he usually does?"

"Because then we wouldn't show up for work tomorrow."

She sighed as she made her way to the bed and climbed in on her side. "Why didn't we lie and say we were going out of town?"

"Probably because we weren't paying all that much attention at the staff meeting."

"Which is probably why we shouldn't sit together at the staff meeting," she commented as she grabbed her book from the nightstand.

"You were the one that kept rubbing your foot against mine," Jim remarked.

"I wasn't doing it for the reasons you assumed; my foot was asleep and I was trying to wake it up, I can't help it that your foot kept getting in the way."

"A likely story," he said with an amused smirk.

"It was! It wasn't an invitation for you to try to get your hand up my skirt."

"No one saw; my hand was under the table."

"But still; it wasn't an invitation," Johanna replied; "And don't do it again at a staff meeting."

"It's not like you let me get anywhere; you dug your nails into me as soon as I bumped your hemline."

"That's what you get for trying to get fresh in the office."

"I was bored; I was trying to amuse myself."

"Uh huh."

"Anyway; rumor has it that Roche didn't close the office on Christmas Eve this year because his wife's family is coming into town that morning and he doesn't want to be there…so we all have to suffer…and to make sure we suffer, no bonus unless we show up to collect it."

"I know," she grumbled; "And believe me, it's the only reason I'm going. I want my damn money…it's small compensation for the crap I have to put up with all year long."

"I wouldn't say it's all that small."

"That's easy for you to say; your bonus is more than mine."

"I've been there longer."

"Let's not forget that you're also a man."

Jim smiled at her. "That's one of the things you love most about me."

"True; but you know what I meant."

"I know," he replied; "But it's hard to prove that I get a bigger bonus based on being a man. I have been there longer than you."

"I know; let's not even get into this debate," Johanna stated; "I don't have the energy for it."

"Me neither; and it's not a very happy holidays type of topic, is it?"

"No it isn't…but just for the record, in case I came off the wrong way; I wasn't blaming you for how the world operates."

"I know you weren't blaming me," he answered as he leaned over and brushed a kiss against her cheek. "We should get the same amount though."

"Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it and I'm not going to complain; I'd rather have some bonus than no bonus…and it is the only reason I'm dragging myself to a half day of boredom at work."

"Me too," Jim laughed; "But since we're on the topic of tomorrow; what are our plans?"

Johanna smiled. "Well, first we go to work and collect our money…and knowing Roche he won't start handing them out until 11:30 to make sure we don't skip out early."

He nodded. "I wouldn't be afraid to bet on that; but what else is on our agenda?"

"Since we're going to have nothing to do while at work; you're going to convince Jeff to go visit Maggie after work."

"I'll try but I have a feeling he'll say no."

"In which case, in the name of Christmas, I will refrain from slapping him upside his head," Johanna replied.

"You're sweet like that."

"Of course I am," she replied. "I'm hoping the bank will still be open when we get out of work so I can take care of my bonus. I don't like to leave checks laying around for several days; I'm always afraid of misplacing them."

"I understand that. What do you have planned for your bonus?"

"I'm going to take some of it as mad money for me to splurge with and the rest I'll save," she answered. "What about you?"

"I think I'll keep a little to be frivolous with and the rest I'm going to put away towards our honeymoon," Jim replied.

Johanna smiled. "That's sweet; you could take that portion of my bonus that I'm saving and put it with yours."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I will provide the honeymoon," he stated. "That's my job."

"And what am I supposed to provide?" she asked.

Jim glanced at her. "Yourself…wearing as little as possible."

Johanna smirked at him. "I probably should've seen that coming."

"Probably; but you did have half a glass of cheap champagne so your brain cells might be a little dulled at the moment."

"That could be it; but I could contribute to our trip."

"No," he said firmly. "I will take care of it. Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?"

She shrugged. "I don't know; should we be planning that before we even set a wedding date?"

"I figure the honeymoon is easier and more fun to plan than the wedding," Jim replied lightly.

"You're not wrong," she admitted.

"Well then, where do you want to go? Or if you don't have a specific location in mind yet; do you have an idea of what kind of destination you would like?"

Johanna thought about it for a moment and then met his gaze. "Somewhere I've never been but I want it to have a beach."

Jim smiled. "So were aiming for a tropical destination?"

"If that's okay with you," she replied. "It has to be something we'll both like."

Her fiancé grinned. "Trust me sweetheart; tropical suits me just fine and I'll provide it…you can provide yourself in an enticing array of bikinis."

She laughed. "So I should earmark my bonus as my bikini fund for our honeymoon?"

"I think that would be the perfect thing to do."

"Consider it done," Johanna said as her fingertips skimmed against his chin, pulling him towards her for a kiss.

"Merry Christmas to me," Jim said lightly, making her giggle.

"I think we got off topic; we were discussing our plans for tomorrow."

"I'm still waiting for you to fill in the blanks, sweetheart."

"Do you have anything on your agenda that needs done tomorrow?"

"Not really; I'm just following your lead; anything you need to do I'm willing to tag along for."

Johanna sighed and put her book back on the nightstand, figuring she probably wasn't going to get any reading done as she thought of how busy the following days would be. "Since you're willing to go along with me, I might run to the store and pick up a few things. We'll need to sort out the gifts for the nieces and nephews and get the gifts for other relatives ready and dealt with; for me, I'll need to take them on over to Mom's tomorrow night. I also need to pack a bag for tomorrow night."

"Do you really have to stay there tomorrow night?" Jim asked; his arm snaking around her.

"No, not necessarily" she smiled; "But I always have."

"So then technically; you could stay home with me?"

"Technically I could…but I'm not going to."

"Why not?"

"Because, depending on when we get married; this could be my last Christmas Eve stay with my mother…and I know it sounds silly but I want to do it one last time. Every Christmas Eve of my life so far has been spent under that roof and she knows as well as I do that once I'm married that won't happen anymore. So I'm going to stay this year…I want to observe the tradition for what is possibly the last time."

Jim nodded. "I understand that and I respect it."

"You don't mind?"

"No, sweetheart; we'll have plenty of Christmas Eve nights together…you should have one more with your mother."

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem.

"I will miss you though," she told him.

"I'll miss you too…but we could spend the majority of the evening together."

"We will be; I usually don't go over until late in the evening because of church."

"I know; and I know you do the driving to the service…but I was thinking that I could drive you and your mother and grandmother to church."

Johanna smiled a little. "You're volunteering to drive three women to church on Christmas Eve?"

Jim nodded. "Why not? They're going to be family."

"You'd have to come back and get us and it'll be late."

"Couldn't I just go in with you?" he asked; "Or is that not allowed since I'm not Catholic?"

She gave a soft laugh. "They don't card you at the door, Jim."

He chuckled lightly. "But still; am I allowed to go to one of their services?"

"Yes; you're allowed to come in," she answered. "A lot of non-Catholic people accompany Catholic in-laws to a holiday service; there's nothing wrong with it."

"Then I'll go with you," he stated; "If it's okay with your mother and grandmother."

"Are you kidding? Grandma will be thrilled."

"Oh yeah?" he grinned.

"Mhmm; she'll love it."

"What about your mother?"

"She'll like it too; definite points for you," she teased; "And it'll be a nice little gift for her to be able to tell Dad how you went with us voluntarily and he never does."

"Will I lose points with your father for that?"

"No; Dad just huffs a little to humor her but really he doesn't care."

"Good to know," Jim remarked; "I'm in. What about your sister; is she going?"

"No word on that yet," Johanna replied. "She usually has to go where Paul says but Mom has been leaning on her to come with us. Paul won't step foot inside a Catholic church. Mom was so disappointed that Colleen wasn't married by a Catholic priest but the Westons wouldn't hear of it."

Jim cuddled her close. "Well I already told you that I don't have a problem with a Catholic priest officiating our wedding; so if your mother has someone she prefers, that's who we'll get."

Johanna caught his lips in a soft kiss. "Thank you...that means a lot to me…I know I'm not exactly a 'good Catholic' and my church attendance is primarily on holidays now that I'm an adult who desperately wants to sleep in on the weekends…but it's always been a part of me, you know? I was baptized and I grew up going with my mother every Sunday; all three of us kids did. My family on my mother's side has never been anything but Catholic and its tradition, even if it isn't the full fledged Catholic ceremony, to at least be married by a Catholic priest. Colleen broke the tradition and I'm glad I don't have to…and I know it will mean a lot to Mom and Grandma."

"You don't have to thank me; I'm glad to help you uphold your family tradition. It's not an unreasonable request."

"Your mother might not like it."

Jim smiled. "It's not her wedding; it's ours. The person who officiates means more to you than it does to me. You know how I feel; all religion is the same to me, we all pray to the same God so I'm fine no matter what. It's important to you that it's done by a person of your religion and I don't have an issue with that…and if my mother does, she's free to stay home because this isn't about her. It's about us."

She smiled and kissed him once more. "I love you."

"I love you too…I do have one question about this midnight mass; and it makes no difference what the answer is, I'm still going with you."

"What?" she asked.

"My mother has always claimed that Catholic Church services are extremely long and dramatic…so how long is it going to be?"

Johanna's brow furrowed. "Dramatic? What the hell does she mean by that?"

"I don't know," he answered; "But that's what she always says."

"You see, it's people like your mother that give other religions a bad name," she remarked. "I don't recall attending any dramatic church services…I think she must have us confused with some other church. As for length, some churches do a very long service but the one we go to seems to take into account that kids need to go to bed, people need to rest to deal with their family, so it usually comes in between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes. It starts at 11:30."

"Then why is it called midnight mass?"

"Because it was always held at midnight…but some churches have started a little earlier because of the things I already mentioned; and you still end up being there at midnight anyway so no need for a name change."

"Makes sense," he replied; "Sounds like a typical length of time for a holiday service."

"Easter is the really long one," Johanna remarked.

"I'll skip the Easter one," Jim said; "No offense."

"None taken…I tend to skip it too."

He laughed. "How does your mother feel about that?"

"Not too good; but I usually just remind her that Dad didn't go either and she goes back to yelling at him."

"At least you've got a plan."

"True; are you sticking to your plan for Christmas?"

"Which plan would that be, sweetheart?"

"Ruining your mother's Christmas with the news of our engagement."

Jim smiled. "Oh yeah; I'm definitely keeping that plan. I haven't been this excited for Christmas since I was a kid."

Johanna laughed. "You do have a boyish glow about you every time you think about it."

"It's going to be a Christmas to remember," he declared. "And after I'm done tormenting my mother and spend some time with the family; I'll be over to spend the rest of the day with you."

"I'm glad you're coming to dinner," she murmured. "It's going to be so nice to have you there."

"I'm glad too; I'm also glad you're making another Peppermint Bliss cake."

Johanna laughed. "You can't have any until we're at my mother's…and I just remembered that baking that cake is also on tomorrow's agenda."

"We better have take-out for dinner," Jim remarked. "We're going to be busy."

"Sounds good to me; someone else can cook our Christmas Eve meal."

He grinned. "Maybe we can make it a tradition; we eat out on Christmas Eve."

"I like it," she replied, pressing another kiss to his lips. "Our holiday traditions are now Peppermint Bliss cake and eating take-out on Christmas Eve."

Jim nodded. "We're not even married yet and we already have perfect traditions."

Johanna giggled as she wrapped an arm around him. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think I've changed my mind about letting you keep me warm in your chosen method," she told him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm."

He smiled widely as he tossed the remote onto the nightstand and turned back to her, gently pushing her back against her pillow and moving over her. "This can be our Eve of Christmas Eve tradition," Jim declared.

She laughed. "You're suddenly all about tradition."

"Well, sweetheart; what can I say?" he replied; "I like making traditions with you."

Johanna's fingertips skimmed against the line of his jaw, her eyes full of warmth and love. "I like it too," she murmured before capturing his lips in a long, sweet kiss.

---

The next day, Johanna sat at her desk and dealt cards to Sharon for their second game of rummy that morning. "So," she said as she picked up her cards. "How was the impromptu early holiday gathering?"

The secretary sighed in disgust. "Just let me say this; being married is nice but when you factor in the mother-in-law, I'm not sure it's worth it. They don't tell you going in that the woman will be in your business; think you should always be at her home, and that nothing you do will ever be quite good enough for her son. Nobody warns you about any of that…but I'm warning you; so think long and hard about this marriage business because I have to tell you, it's not always what it's cracked up to be. Don't go running down the aisle. Just stay engaged…it makes separate holidays acceptable and then you don't have a week long raging headache."

Johanna frowned at the remarks; she hoped her future holidays with Jim wouldn't be marred by in-law drama…but Elizabeth had already served her a pecan tainted meal so that couldn't possibly bode well for the future. "So I guess the dinner was a bust?"

"Oh, yeah," Sharon answered. "I had to listen to Phil's mother cry about how this will be the first Christmas she hasn't spent with Phil and how she knows it'll always be this way now that I've gotten 'my way'."

"Wow," Johanna replied; "Way to lay on guilt and act like you're not entitled to see your family on the holidays."

"Uh huh; and the guilt always gets Phil, which she knows, so then he's saying can't we just go to my mother's for a few hours in the morning and then spend the rest of the day with his family because that was the original deal and I backed out and I need to reconsider. I said no; I want to spend time with my family this holiday; I want to eat dinner with my mother for a change. Ever since we got married I feel like I never get to see my family. Everything revolves around the Harpers and it's always the same damn thing every occasion; Peggy whines because she can't bring her boyfriend to dinner. Carol nitpicks everything I do and tries to instruct me on how to be a proper wife for her son and she does it in the most condescending way possible. If that's not enough, I also have to listen to Phil and his father bicker the whole time because Phil thinks it's his right to spoil his sister and Calvin disagrees as he should. I end up in the middle and I don't want in the middle."

"I think I'd have to fake sick and stay home."

"I've done that twice…then my mother-in-law comes over to bring me soup and nurse me back to health."

Johanna laughed. "Well I don't have to worry about Elizabeth Beckett doing that for me."

Sharon scoffed. "Yeah; you're probably going to have it worse than me."

"Thank you for that nightmare thought."

"Hey, I'm telling you," her friend remarked; "Think about it…you think you're just getting a husband, but actually you're getting the whole nut farm."

Johanna glanced at her. "Does this mean you're no longer happy for me to get married?"

"No; I'm happy for you…I just want to prepare you," Sharon replied. "Because there are things our mothers didn't tell us."

"That's usually the case about most things in life," she remarked. "God knows they didn't tell us nearly enough about men in general."

"Well believe me, they didn't tell us enough about marriage and dealing with in-laws either."

That wasn't a pleasant though but Johanna shook it off. "Maybe things are just a little rocky in the first year; you probably have to work out the bugs and learn to tell your mother-in-law to take a hike."

Sharon smirked at her. "You're going to tell Jim's mother to take a hike?"

"I'll tell her to go to hell if I have to."

"Jim will love that."

"Depending on my reason for it, he might back me up a hundred percent," Johanna retorted.

"Yeah; that's what they say before the marriage," Sharon replied. "After the marriage is a whole different ballpark, trust me."

"Sharon, you've been married for two and a half months, you're not a seasoned pro…you probably haven't even found your way out of the parking lot and into the ballpark yet."

"And you've had a diamond ring on your finger for what, three weeks?" her friend asked; "You haven't even gotten to the parking lot yet and you think you know what's in store? But then again, you have always fancied yourself a know it all."

Her brow arched. "Don't take your issues with your assorted nuts out on me; put your mother-in-law in her place and tell your husband to be a man and maybe you'll feel a little better."

"Easy for you to say."

"Sharon, I really don't want us to fight so let's just turn the topic away from marriage."

"Fine; have you set a date yet?"

Johanna sighed. "I thought we were changing the subject."

"We did; we changed from marriage to wedding planning."

"We haven't set a date yet; we want to get through the holidays before we start on any of the planning."

"Good idea. What did I miss at the party last night since my mother-in-law insisted that we have our holiday meal then instead of tonight?"

"You didn't miss a damn thing," she replied. "It was the most boring party I've ever been too. There wasn't much entertainment, the champagne was cheap and the food lacking but I found out Stanley was the one who set it up so I'm not really surprised."

Sharon shook her head. "Who the hell would put him in charge of planning anything?"

"No idea but I hope someone else is in charge of the New Year's party."

"Any news on the Jeff and Maggie front?"

"No," Johanna replied as she picked up a card Sharon had discarded. "She's not happy and Jeff isn't happy…Jim's going to try and get him to go talk to her today. She left with us last night."

"Who would've thought that Jeff would be the one who didn't want to jump on the marriage wagon?"

"I know; it is hard to believe. I just hope they fix it before too long."

Sharon smirked a little. "Now you know how we all felt when you and Jim had your blow up."

"Excuse me but you encouraged some of it."

"Oh I know; but still, it was painful."

"If you think it was painful for you, you should've felt it from my side," Johanna quipped.

Sharon laughed. "I know…I guess we're all going to have a moment this year, aren't we?"

"It looks that way…right now I'm waiting on the moment where I get my bonus and I can leave."

"You and me both," the secretary laughed. "I might need that money for bail before long."

Johanna laughed. "I'm supposed to earmark my bonus as bikini money for my honeymoon."

"Jim's always thinking about how to reward himself; isn't he?" her friend teased.

"It does seem that way at times," she said lightly; "But I am glad he's going to have dinner with me at my mother's tomorrow."

Sharon smiled. "After the disaster that your Thanksgiving was; you two deserve a good Christmas and I'm sure you'll have one."

"You deserve one too, Sharon."

The other woman nodded. "Sorry I got snippy earlier."

"It's alright, I understand…and I'm sure I'll even things up once I allow my mother to slip into full on wedding planning mode."

Sharon glanced at her. "You were pretty patient with me throughout mine so I'm going to return the favor."

"I greatly appreciate that," Johanna stated; "But I'm going to do my best not to make people crazy."

"Good luck with that," her friend laughed.

"Hey, I might surprise you and be way better about this whole thing than you were," she stated.

"Sure you will," Sharon said.

"I will be!"

"Okay; we'll see."

Johanna sighed deeply; where the hell was her bonus? She needed to make her escape; Sharon wasn't any fun when she was in one of these moods.

---

"You should've came to the party last night," Jim remarked as he sat in Jeff's office watching a game show on his friend's TV. "You might have livened things up."

Jeff scoffed. "I doubt it. Besides; why would I want a ring side seat to watch Maggie fawn over Chandler Simpson? She's not wasting any time picking up her husband hunt."

Jim gave him an odd look. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm not blind," his friend replied. "I've seen Chandler chatting her up; he's ready to move in on her…and from what I heard, she was more than willing to be moved on last night."

"Chandler's office is next to Maggie's; he tells her good morning and makes small talk when they happen to be in the hallway at the same time."

"Don't act stupid; you know there's something going on between them," Jeff huffed. "I heard all about how she hung on him at the party last night; well that's fine. Chandler's better for her anyway; he has the right pedigree and maybe he won't mind her fickleness."

Jim shook his head. "I don't know where you're getting your information but it's wrong. I was at that party last night; Maggie arrived alone and spent time with me and Johanna. She made the rounds of the room a few times, talking to other friends but she wasn't having a good time."

"And did Chandler Simpson happen to be one of those friends she was talking to?" Jeff asked tartly.

He blew out a breath. "She spoke to him in passing; he wished her a Merry Christmas and she did the same. She didn't spend any time with him."

"Sure she didn't," his friend said sarcastically. "I heard about her stop under the mistletoe with him."

"Maggie wasn't under the mistletoe with anybody! Who's telling you this stuff?"

"Melanie told me in the break room this morning," Jeff answered. "She told me she left with him."

"Now that's a damn lie! All of it's a lie! I know exactly who Maggie left with last night and it wasn't Chandler."

"Oh? She picked up another fool for her collection?"

"No, stupid; she left with me and Johanna. She came back to us as we were discussing leaving because the party was lame and I offered her a ride home; she accepted…and she cried about you to Johanna the whole way to her apartment. Why the hell would you believe Melanie about something like that?"

Jeff shrugged. "Why would she lie? What would she have to gain? Besides, I remember back when Maggie and I first started going out a bit…she liked to play hard to get; she liked to go to lunch or dinner with other guys because she claimed I hadn't said anything about being exclusive."

"Well you hadn't said anything in those days," Jim reminded him; "And for what it's worth; you were going out with other girls as well as her so I figure she took that as fair play. When you told her you wanted to be exclusive, she stopped going out with other people…and really, I don't think she was doing anything with those guys. She only went out with them to annoy so you'd quit going out with other girls."

"Maybe, maybe not," Jeff retorted; "But still, why would Melanie lie?"

"Hmm, I don't know…maybe because she's a bitch? I mean she did ask me to kiss her beneath the mistletoe and when I declined; she still offered her services if I should need a mistress in the future. Maybe she wants you and Maggie to stay broken up; maybe she wants another round with you."

"She's married now."

Jim met his gaze. "Trust me; the marriage hasn't changed her a bit."

"Yeah; well, I don't fool around with married women."

"When you're sober you don't…it's probably up for debate if she'd catch you while you're drunk."

"I can't deny that," Jeff said as he raked a hand through his hair.

"That's what I thought…and you really aren't going to take Melanie's word over mine about this, are you?" Jim asked.

"I don't know…I've got to take into account that Sassy might be working on you seeing as how Maggie is her friend. She wouldn't want you saying the wrong thing."

"You make me sound like I'm Johanna's puppet," he said tartly.

"Well you two are kind of sickening this month," Jeff stated.

"It seems like you're the only one who has a problem with us," Jim remarked; "Not that I think we've been sickening."

"Of course you don't you're immune to it. Johanna's still walking around blinded from the glare of that rock on her finger and you walk around with the stupid grin on your face because she's clearly still thanking you for it."

"Watch yourself, Jeff," he told him.

"What? I didn't besmirch her honor," he said sarcastically; "But come on; you have to know you two have been in your giddy little bubble of happiness and it's disgusting."

"I didn't realize we weren't allowed to be happy."

"No one said you couldn't be happy!" Jeff exclaimed; "But Christ, can't you tone it down while other people are in mourning?"

Jim shook his head. "I think you're imagining things; you act like Johanna and I are constantly all over each other at work in celebration of our engagement. You act like that's all we talk about; like were shoving wedding plans down your throats…and it's not true. We haven't even made any plans so I know we haven't discussed any here at work or out in public with friends. I don't recall any extra discussions about our engagement once we told all of you our news. Are we happy? Yeah; we're happy; we're in a good place and it's our first holiday together as a couple and we're looking forward to it. I don't think there's anything wrong with that and we haven't done anything out of the ordinary. We know you're hurting; we know Maggie's hurting. We're doing our best to be there for both of you but you seem like you want to blame Johanna and I for your problem."

"Well it is your fault," his friend remarked. "If you had warned me that you were proposing to Johanna, I could've been prepared for this!"

"I would've told you if I had thought you wouldn't let it slip to Maggie."

"Believe me, I wouldn't have told her," Jeff said firmly.

"Regardless; this isn't mine and Johanna's fault. You seemed to be keeping the bitterness at bay there for awhile; you seemed fine last week; at least personality wise; I know you were already drinking though and now you're…well, you're this. What happened to cause this deep of a descent?"

Jeff threw his hands up in the air. "I can't imagine? Maybe it was when I realized that Maggie isn't going to take me back so I took her Christmas gift back to the store. Maybe it made me a little bitter…maybe it made me realize that she doesn't really care about me at all if she can't understand that I'm just not on that page yet."

"Maybe she'd understand if you told her why!" Jim exclaimed; "And why the hell did you take the gift back? You agonized over that bracelet all of November…you had it made for her! You could've taken it over there tonight and talked to her and maybe things would've been fine again."

"The only gift she wants is a ring; and I can't give her that yet."

"You need to tell her why."

"Why doesn't she tell me why she suddenly needs to change? Why is that Johanna gets a ring and now suddenly she needs one too?"

Jim laughed. "Oh wow, this is like karma coming back to bite you in the ass for all that time you spent chewing me out when Johanna demanded that I give her an official relationship. What you thought was funny for me isn't so funny for you, is it?"

"Shut up," Jeff said sharply.

"Come on," Jim told him; "Go see if you can get that bracelet back and take it to Maggie tonight; she would've loved that bracelet. You picked everything about it just for her; that would've meant a lot to her."

His friend shook his head. "It's not what she wants."

"She doesn't expect you to give her a ring for Christmas; she just wanted to know that you intend to give her one at a later date."

"Women are never satisfied," Jeff muttered.

Jim laughed. "I remember making a similar comment and you gave me some smart ass quip in response to it."

"Alright, Jim; I get it; karma has come for me and took away the only thing I care about and you're enjoying it."

"No," he said with a shake of his head; "I'm not enjoying it. I wish you'd just talk to her and tell her what your reservations are about marrying her. Maggie's not an unreasonable woman; she'll understand what has you worried."

"Yeah; and she'll say it doesn't matter…but it does."

"What if it matters to you more than it does her?" Jim asked. "What if you're the only one concerned about what her father thinks? Aren't you cheating both of you by letting that ass dictate who's good enough to marry his child? The decision of who is good enough is Maggie's; and she thinks you're more than good enough. Get the bracelet back; go talk to her. You're going to regret it if you don't."

"It might already be sold," Jeff remarked.

"I really hope not," Jim replied; "Because if it is and someone else is getting Maggie's bracelet for Christmas; you really are an ass."

"I'll go see if the bracelet is still at the jewelry store," Jeff stated. "The guy did mention that he'd hold it back for a few days in case I changed my mind."

"Good; go get it. Then go home, clean yourself up, no drinking, and go over to Maggie's and give it to her; tell you're sorry, tell her why you worry and you'll both have a better Christmas than what you're in for at the moment."

"You say that like there's a guarantee that she'll open the door."

Jim met his eye. "I have it on good authority that she's open to the idea of a Christmas Eve visit from Saint Jeff tonight."

"I'll think about it," Jeff said. "Are you sure she didn't spend any time with Chandler last night?"

"Yes! I wouldn't lie to you about something like that. Everything Melanie told you was a lie; don't listen to her. You know how she is. The only man Maggie is thinking about is you. Jo told me that when she had lunch with her the other day she cried the whole time."

"She's crying over me?"

"Yes," Jim answered; "It's a shock to all of us but she is."

Jeff smirked at him. "Gee, thanks."

"That's what I'm here for," Jim replied with a grin; "But seriously; just go fix this tonight. It's Christmas; it'll be your little Christmas miracle."

"We'll see," his friend replied.

Jim sighed and grew quiet; he had a feeling that Jeff was going to be stubborn about this…he might have to send Johanna in persuade him to see the light.

---

Later that morning, after Jim had paid a visit to Johanna's office; Johanna made her way down the hallway to Jeff's office. Noting the absence of his secretary in the outer room, she crossed the floor to the open door of the inner office and wrapped lightly on the doorframe.

"What?" Jeff asked as his gaze flicked to the doorway.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"I'd hate to try and stop you," he replied somewhat tartly.

Johanna smirked at him as she made her way into the room. "Does your attitude mean that all women are the enemy now?"

"I haven't decided yet," Jeff answered; watching as she sat down across from his desk. "What brings you by?"

"I hear that you foolishly believe some stupidity that Melanie whispered in your ear this morning."

"I didn't see why she'd lie about it."

"You know why," Johanna remarked; "She's a lying bitch who is always baiting her man trap. The wedding ring on her finger hasn't changed anything…she'd be more than willing to console you through this difficult time…just like she was willing to kiss my fiancé beneath the mistletoe until I threatened to rip her lips off."

The remark brought a small hint of a smile to his face. "I'm surprised you didn't."

"If she had tried it, I would have," Johanna said seriously. "Honestly, Jeff; how could you believe a word she said?"

"I don't know; maybe because I've seen Maggie talking to that idiot."

"And that automatically means she's doing something wrong?" she asked. "I'm here talking to you without supervision; does that mean we're having an affair?"

"No; you're not my type. I like blondes…and even if I was inclined to look at you that way; Jim staked his claim on day one so you've never been available in my mind."

Johanna smirked at him. "Clearly you were talking to bottled blonde Melanie this morning…is something going on there?"

"You know there isn't," he said sharply.

She shrugged a shoulder. "Well I just assumed since talking is proof of an affair that maybe it meant you were sharing a little Christmas cheer with Melanie."

"I'm not!"

"Good; and for the record, Maggie isn't having an affair with Chandler; so get that garbage out of your head. The only man Maggie cares about is you and you know it."

"She cares so much we had to break up," Jeff said bitterly.

"She asked for a break because she wanted to know what the future held for the two of you and you wouldn't give her anything. Don't you think that it hurt her when you refused to discuss the topic? She didn't want you to marry her the same day; she just wanted to know if you ever intend on getting to that point. She was frustrated by your lack of attention and participation in the conversation; she has a right to be upset about that."

"She didn't have to leave me though," he retorted. "Seems to me that the problem is her. You get a ring and suddenly she's not satisfied. Come on, Jo; don't you see that? We were fine…Sharon got married in October…here we are in December and Jim suddenly decides to propose and all of a sudden, Maggie needs a big 'where are we going' conversation. She just wants to keep up with the rest of you. She was happy until that ring hit your finger."

"So it's my fault that Maggie wants to know if you're ever going to marry her?"

"In a manner of speaking," he replied with a nod. "If you hadn't gotten engaged we wouldn't have had that conversation."

Johanna's eyes narrowed as she regarded him. "I'm sorry you feel that way…I won't however apologize for being engaged."

"I didn't ask you to…I just wish Jim would've given me some warning so I would've been better prepared to handle Maggie and her apparent matrimonial jealousy."

"It's not jealousy," she snapped. "Do you really think she's never thought about it before? Do you think she doesn't wonder about it regardless of who's getting married and who isn't? I've got a newsflash for you, jackass; every woman in a long term relationship thinks about it. When we love someone, we think about the future and wonder if a ring is in the cards. Maggie loves you; she wants to marry you one day. All she wanted to know was that you felt the same way but you wanted to make a joke out of it and brush it off so of course she's pissed at you and called the whole thing off. Why shouldn't she? You won't give her any answers, you won't give her any sign of hope that your relationship might move to the next level. You and Maggie have been dating for the entire time I've known you…Jim and I have been dating for six months; of course she's going to look at people who are getting married who've been together for less time than she's been with you. Of course it's going to make her wonder; but the one thing it isn't is jealousy. I know that for a fact because I've been in her shoes, Jeff; I know how it feels to see people moving on to that next phase and feeling like you're left behind. Everyone wants to call it jealousy but it isn't…it's a longing; it's the need to know that your 'someday' is still possible; that maybe it's closer than you think. All she wanted was some hope; all she wanted to know was that you love her enough to marry her one day when you're ready to take that step. You're the one being an ass; not her."

"Of course you're going to take Maggie's side," Jeff replied; "You're a woman; you all stick together."

"We have to," Johanna replied. "How else would we survive the male jungle?"

Her colleague rolled his eyes. "Everything's a cause for you women; if you're not burning bras you're hunting diamond rings."

"Wow," she said with a laugh that lacked humor; "Mirror, mirror on the wall; who's being the biggest ass of all? Jeff Campbell, you say? Hard to believe but so very true at the moment."

"You're not funny, Jo."

"Neither are you; and for the record, I have never burned my bra."

"I'm happy for you," Jeff said with a smirk.

"Look, Jeff; why don't you just tell Maggie whatever it is that's holding you back about marriage. She'd rather have the truth than your obstinacy."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion, Johanna."

"Funny; not asking for opinions has never stopped you when it comes to me and Jim. I guess you can dole them out but you can't take them in return. I thought you were better than that Jeff. This is a side of you I've never seen…and I have to tell you; it isn't appealing in the slightest. You want to sit around and have a pity party for yourself, acting like you're the only one who lost something while your drown in your booze; well guess what, Maggie hurts too and don't tell me she doesn't because I'm the one who's been listening to her cry. It didn't make her feel good to call for a time out; she hates it. She loves you; all she wanted was some assurance that you're going to move to the next level at some point but apparently that was a crime in your world. You can fix this if you want to; you could go talk to her and tell her what bothers you; she'd understand and probably make you feel better about the whole thing; but you don't want to do that; you'd rather sit and pout and blame Jim and I all because we had the nerve to get engaged."

Jeff sighed deeply; his gaze flicking to her left hand. His brow furrowed as he noticed that the stone of her engagement ring wasn't visible but that the band was. "What happened to your ring?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied; opening her hand and raising it so that he could see that she had turned the ring around so that the diamond was at her palm. "I turned it around before I came in."

"Why?"

"Well I didn't want the glare of my diamond to blind you," she said somewhat snidely. "I hear that the sight of it apparently causes you distress and makes you snarky."

Jeff gave a tight lipped smile. "I never knew Jim was such a big mouth."

"He only came and told me about his talk with you this morning because he wasn't sure you believed him about Maggie leaving with us last night and he didn't want you thinking that lowly of her. She did leave with us; she isn't seeing anyone else. Quit listening to lying, backstabbing sluts."

"Are you done now?" he asked.

"No," Johanna replied; "You go get back whatever that gift was and go give it to her!"

"And what if I don't?"

She held his gaze. "If you don't; then you're just set on being stupid. It's sad to see you fall that low but I guess if you want to be miserable, so be it. She loves you though; she wants it to work…it would just be nice if you'd help her do that. That's all any of us want for you, Jeff; we want you and Maggie to be happy…and we all know that you're happier together than you are apart; we just want it to work out for both of you."

"Now you're done?" Jeff asked.

Johanna sighed. "Yeah; I'm done…the only brick wall I continuously yell at when the occasion calls for it is Jim. See you around," she said as she got up from her chair.

"Hey," he said as she retreated to the door.

"What?"

"Come here."

Johanna frowned as she turned and made her way back to his desk. "What is it?"

Jeff rose from his chair, pulling her into a hug before kissing her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Sassy."

"Merry Christmas, Jeff. Try to behave yourself over the holiday."

"I'll do my best," he said with a half hearted smile. "Turn your ring back around before you get out in the hallway…you don't need to hide it from anyone."

Johanna turned her engagement ring back around so that her diamond was visible to his gaze. "The glare isn't too much for you?"

He chuckled lightly. "I'll never comment on you being blinded by the glare of your diamond again, I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that," she replied as she turned and resumed her trek to the door. "Make me proud and go fix things with Maggie tonight."

"I promise nothing," Jeff remarked.

Johanna shook her head at him. "Stubborn men," she remarked before crossing the threshold of his office.

---

After leaving Jeff's office; Johanna made her way up the hallway to Maggie's door. She stepped across the threshold and found her friend sorting through the mail that the secretary had left on the corner of the desk. "Do you have a minute?" Johanna asked as Maggie glanced at her.

"Plenty of them," Maggie replied. "The only work I had left was finished the first hour and my secretary headed out of town yesterday. I wish Roche would just give us our bonuses and let us go."

"Me too," Johanna replied while following Maggie into the inner office.

"So what's going on out there?" her friend asked. "I haven't been out of the office all morning."

"Then you haven't heard the rumor about you?"

Maggie's brow rose. "What rumor?"

"Melanie told Jeff that you were hanging all over Chandler Simpson last night; that you were under the mistletoe with him and that you left with him."

"That lying whore!" Maggie exclaimed. "I swear, one of these days we're going to take that bitch down; first by fist and then in every other way possible!"

"Just name a time and place and I'll be there," Johanna remarked. "I hate that bitch. She goes and gets married and yet is hitting on Jim last night and probably telling Jeff this little story so she can pick him up as well."

"She's such trash," Maggie seethed. "Surely Jeff didn't believe her."

"Of course he did," she replied. "He's in the midst of a jackass period. He believes her because he's seen you talking to Chandler."

"Oh my God!" Maggie said angrily. "Of course I've talked to him; he's in the office next door."

"I know; I told him that didn't mean anything. He talks to me and it doesn't mean anything nefarious. That was when he informed me that I wasn't his type because I'm not blonde. I don't care that I'm not his type; he's not mine either but still it was a bit of a jackass thing to say."

"He's such an ass," her friend muttered.

"Jim and I both told him that everything Melanie said was a lie and that you left with us."

"And he didn't care, did he?"

"I'm not sure; he was too busy spouting things about women sticking together and that your break up is my fault because I got engaged."

"Really?" Maggie said; "I thought we were taking a break because he never wants to discuss anything serious with me. This isn't a new problem. Trying to have a discussion about the future of our relationship isn't a new issue. I don't know why he's acting like I never tried to discuss it before because I have tried."

"It's easier to blame someone else," Johanna replied.

Her friend sighed in disgust. "I don't know what to do about this situation…I mean I tried to be patient; I tried to talk about this with him a few times before I got fed up and called for this time out. I was hoping that would just wake him up and make him open to discussion but it hasn't and it drives me crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love him…but have you ever loved someone so much and yet also find that moment where you also hate them?"

Johanna nodded. "That's basically how I spent the month of May; remember?"

Maggie smiled. "Oh, yeah; I had almost forgotten."

"There were also a few of those moments during our brief breakup."

"I can imagine," Maggie replied. "I just wish I knew what to do. I love him; I can't see myself with anyone but him. I'm not asking for instant marriage but I want to know if it's in the cards. I want to have children one day; I want his children…and I'm not getting any younger."

"None of us are," Johanna said. "I had given up hope of marriage when Jim and I broke up over a joke about it. I resigned myself to being a long time girlfriend."

"I feel like I already am a long time girlfriend."

"Don't lose hope; he'll be around. Jim's trying to convince him to come visit you tonight."

"I appreciate the effort but Melanie's probably ruined any chance of that."

"Hopefully he's convinced that she's lying now that Jim and I both talked to him," Johanna said. "If not; we'll just slap him upside the head."

Maggie scoffed. "I'd rather we get Melanie…we've just got to bring that bitch down one day. One of us has to get to punch her in the face at some point in time."

"Believe me," Johanna said; "I dream about that day. I want to punch her every time I look at her. One day it will happen."

"God I hope so," Maggie replied. "I hope Jeff will still be a part of my big picture when that shining moment comes along."

"He will be," she remarked; "Don't worry; it'll get worked out. It is the season of miracles after all."

Her friend grinned. "Yeah but you might've gotten the miracle this year; you got the ring."

"No one said there's a limit on miracles," Johanna replied. "We're going to hope for the best."

"We'll hope for the best," Maggie agreed. "If it doesn't happen tonight; maybe it'll happen by New Year's."

"We'll make it a point to make it happen by then," she replied; thinking to herself that she was most likely going to have to spill Jeff's secret if he didn't do it himself in the next few days.

---

Johanna had just finished tucking her bonus check into her purse when Jim appeared in her office. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"More than ready," she replied as she hooked her purse strap over her shoulder.

"Sharon must've run out the door once she collected her check," Jim remarked as they passed through the empty outer office.

"She and Phil were in the midst of argument concerning their holiday plans," she replied. "Sharon was in a hurry to continue and end the fight."

"The perfect way to say happy holidays," he said as she locked the door of her office.

"I'm glad we're not spending our holiday like that," Johanna said; her arm looping through his.

"Me too, sweetheart."

Upon seeing the throng of people waiting for the elevator; Jim steered Johanna toward the door of the stairwell. "I'm not waiting there all day," he remarked.

"Good; because I hate riding on a packed elevator; it makes me feel claustrophobic."

"Did you talk to your mother?" he asked.

"Yes; I talked to her right before Roche came in."

"Is she alright with me coming with you tonight?"

"Yes; she was happy to hear it. She wants you to drive her car though."

"Why?"

"It's bigger and because she thinks Grandma can get in and out of her car easier than yours. We have to pick up Colleen on the way to church too; we'll all fit more comfortably in Mom's car."

"Makes sense," Jim replied. "I don't have a problem driving her car if she doesn't."

"Believe me, Mom is completely fine letting anyone drive her car if it means she doesn't have to drive herself."

"She doesn't like to drive?"

"Not really; if she can avoid it she will…to tell you the truth; she'd rather have me take a cab to the house so I can drive her in her car. She doesn't always have that option though and Dad occasionally tells her no so that she'll drive herself."

He laughed. "My mother would rather drive herself everywhere…until the car makes a noise, then she pulls over and finds a payphone and has one of us come drive her home; if it breaks down while driving, she doesn't want to be the one behind the wheel."

"Is that so she can jump out quicker if it's really bad?"

"That's Andrew's theory."

Johanna grinned. "Knowing your mother; it's probably true."

"I wouldn't doubt it."

"Speaking of the queen bee," she said; "Have you talked to your mother today?"

Jim gave a short laugh as they continued down the stairs. "You know I haven't called her."

"I thought maybe she'd try to call you today since it's Christmas Eve."

"No; she didn't call. Dad called."

Her brow rose. "A just because call or do you think he's working on her behalf?"

"A little of both," Jim answered. "He wanted to know if I'd be over tonight or tomorrow. I told him I'm going with you tonight and that I'll be over in the morning."

"What did he say about that?"

"Not much really; just that he was glad I was coming over tomorrow. He said he wants to see my visiting boycott ended although he agrees that I have a right to be angry."

"Did you tell him about your mother's extra special Christmas gift?"

"Hell no; I don't want him preparing her for it," he replied; "And in this case, I think he would…so he gets to stay in the dark until morning too."

Johanna laughed as they pushed open the door at the bottom of the stairs and stepped outside the building; cold air slapping their faces. "I guess you're going to surprise the whole family."

"Pretty much," he said as they headed in the direction of his car. "I guess we better get a start on our to-do list…do you think we'll get everything finished in time?"

"We don't have much choice," she replied. "We just have to keep our focus."

"We'll manage," he said; "At least we hope."

"Did you convince Jeff to go see Maggie?"

"All I could get him to commit to was that he'll think about it…he is on his way to get her gift back though so hopefully that's a promising sign."

"I hope so," Johanna sighed as they approached the car.

"I guess we'll find out for sure after Christmas."

"Yeah…and if he didn't go talk to her; then we'll have to form another plan."

Jim nodded. "But for now; we'll just stick to our plan and hope for the best for this holiday considering how the last one went."

She brushed a kiss against his cheek as he opened the car door for her. "Don't worry; it'll be okay this time."

He hoped so, he thought to himself as he shut the door for her. He didn't want another disaster on his hands.

---

It was early evening when Jim and Johanna were finally settled into a booth at McDonald's with burgers, fries and sodas. As they ate, Jim reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and a pen. He uncapped his pen and unfolded the paper, spreading it out on the table next to his meal. "We better check our list," he said as he met Johanna's gaze.

"Yeah; we killed five minutes of boredom at work making it," Johanna replied. "We may as well see if we stuck to it."

Jim swallowed the bite of his burger he had taken. "My thoughts exactly. Number one on the list; survive the boring half day of work."

"Check," she laughed. "But it was touch and go at times."

"That's the truth," he remarked. "Number two; collect bonus."

"Check."

"Number three; go to the bank."

"Done," Johanna said. "Honeymoon savings and a little mad money for now."

"Right," he replied as put a checkmark beside the item. "Number four; brave the grocery store during Christmas Eve madness for weekend junk food because clearly we're insane."

Johanna laughed. "We accomplished that feat in the midst of the apparent rush hour on the store."

"Hour?" Jim scoffed. "More like rush day."

"True; I'm surprised we weren't in line longer."

"You say that like twenty minutes is a short amount of time in line."

"It's better than an hour."

"I guess you have a point there."

"As always," she smiled while picking up a fry.

"Practicing being a wife?" he teased.

"Not really; it just comes naturally.

"I hope being a husband comes naturally," he quipped.

"Don't worry; I'll tell you if you're doing it wrong," she laughed.

Jim grinned at her. "I have no doubt about that at all, sweetheart."

She giggled as she picked up her soda. "What's next on the list?"

"Let's see; number five was organizing gifts."

"We did that; it didn't take as long as I thought it would," Johanna admitted.

He glanced at her. "I was relieved too."

"Number six on the list?"

"Bake a Peppermint Bliss cake…that I'm not allowed to have a piece of until tomorrow at your mother's."

Johanna smiled. "That guarantees that you'll show up."

"Sneaky and yet also very effective," her fiancé remarked. "But I wouldn't bail on you; I promise…even if you didn't have cake."

"It's a good damn thing," she laughed.

"Number seven," he went on, a smile clinging to his lips. "Start our Christmas Eve tradition of a fast food dinner."

"Check," Johanna said, bumping her soda cup against his in salute. "I'm glad we decided on this because I just do not feel like cooking today when I've had so many other things to do. It's a very convenient tradition that we're starting here today."

"See, sweetheart; I'm already making your life easier," Jim said lightly.

"You're off to a good start. What's number eight?"

"Go back to your place and get ready for the trip to your mother's; and then nine is the actual drive to church and ten is our goodnight kiss…and my eventual plea begging you to come home with me and model something Christmassy."

She laughed. "I'll model for you tomorrow night."

"You know what I just realized?" Jim asked.

"What?"

"If you're with your parents in the morning and I'm with mine…when are we giving each other our gifts?"

Johanna swallowed a bite of her burger. "I hadn't really thought of that."

"Me neither…what are we going to do?"

She thought about it for a long moment. "Well, we could leave my mother's around eight; or earlier if it seems possible and then go home to my place and open them while we watch whatever Christmas special is on TV. I know it'll be nighttime but it'll still be Christmas."

Jim nodded. "Sounds good to me…and that way if there are any certain thank yous to be given; we won't have to worry about waiting."

She laughed. "You always find a way to open that door; don't you?"

"Only because I don't want to disappoint you," he replied. "I know how much you enjoy a good proposition."

"Mhmm," she said with a knowing look. "More like you don't want disappointment for yourself."

"You can't prove that in court," he jested as he recapped his pen and put it and his list back into his pocket. "Anyway; I think we're doing pretty good at sticking to our list."

"Yeah; we are…and we've done everything on it together."

Jim's fingers gently caught hold of hers. "We're a good team."

"The best," she smiled.

"We're going to do the marriage thing really well, don't you think?"

"I hope so," Johanna replied as she gave his fingers a soft squeeze.

"I know so," he stated with conviction. "We're already good at so much."

Her laughter rang out merrily. "Are we adding conceit to our to-do list?"

"It's not conceit if it's true," Jim replied, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"We'll pretend that's true," she said lightly. "But I agree; I'm pretty sure we can handle the job."

"Can't be that much different from what we're already used to," he stated.

"Except I get to change my last name and have the privilege of looking at your mother and reminding her of how she said I'd never have your name."

Jim grinned. "You enjoy that all you can, sweetheart. It'll be a bonus wedding gift."

"What's your bonus gift going to be?" she asked.

"Watching you enjoy yours…because I'm going to enjoy watching her eat that big helping of crow."

"Are you prepared for the news breaking tomorrow?" Johanna asked.

"I'm ready," he said. "I'm going to wait for an opening and slide it right in there while I give her her gift."

"What if there isn't an opening?"

"I'll create one," he replied. "It's definitely happening tomorrow."

Johanna gave a soft smile. "If you need to come over to my mother's early; please feel free to do so; no one will mind."

"I'll remember that," Jim stated; "Because you never know; I might have to make a hasty exit."

"Am I going to have to hire a bodyguard after she hears the news?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'll protect you."

"I'm definitely not eating anything she hands me…even if it's sealed in a package that she bought at the store."

"I don't blame you," Jim replied. "But I am looking forward to the morning."

"I'm sure you are," she laughed. "Are you looking forward to being in a car full of my family tonight?"

"I'm feeling confident," he stated. "I think it's going to be fine. Why doesn't your father go?"

Johanna shrugged. "He hasn't gone since he was a kid. Mom has always told us that she figures it reminds him of his mother and he doesn't want anything to do with it. I think Mom knows way more than she claims in that area but she doesn't share much about it."

"It seems like a shame that no one ever talks about your grandmother…she should be remembered; not hidden away."

"I know; I feel the same way," she replied. "Mom always lights a candle for Sarah after mass on Christmas."

"At least she isn't totally forgotten," Jim remarked.

"She's never totally forgotten," Johanna said as she snatched on his fries. "I think about her at times; wonder what she was like and if I'm like her somehow."

"I'd say you must have some of her traits based on your grandfather's reactions to you and what he said and gave you in the will," Jim replied. "Whatever the case may be; I'm sure that wherever she is up there, she loves you."

"I like to think so," she smiled. "But as I mentioned, Mom always lights a candle for her after mass and Grandma lights candles for other relatives so we'll have to stay for a few minutes after mass is over."

"No problem," he replied. "Is there anything I need to know for tomorrow?"

"Like what?" Johanna asked.

"Anything I should or shouldn't say or do?"

"No; not that I know of…the only thing you must do is to eat the piece of biscotti that Grandma will give you. You have to try it or she'll be offended and you don't want that."

"I'll eat the biscotti," he promised. "I definitely want to keep her happy."

"Mom will want you to sample all of the baked goods she makes for the holidays."

Jim grinned. "That will be a real hardship."

"Oh yes; I know how difficult it will be for you," she laughed. "If there's something you like a lot; she'll most likely make you your own batch of it next year."

"Hot damn," he replied; "I'm definitely winning the mother-in-law lottery…unless you're just telling tales."

Johanna shook her head. "No; she makes everyone their favorite thing; except Paul…there's really no pleasing Paul and his strange high society wannabe pallet."

"What does she make for you?"

"Butter cookies," she replied.

"Will I get to sample those?" he asked.

Johanna smiled. "Yes, darling."

"That's good because I don't believe in cookie discrimination."

"Oh I know; I'm not worried at all. You really don't have anything to worry about though tomorrow; my family likes you…even my father likes you."

"Is that still blowing your mind?"

"A little," she admitted. "And it has nothing to do with you…I just figured that since you're going to be my husband that he'd find some flaw or issue or anything really. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he likes you…it was just…surprising how quickly he took to you."

"Maybe he's just lulling me into a false sense of security," Jim quipped.

Johanna laughed softly. "Knowing him that could be possible…but he better hope not or he'll deal with me and he won't like that."

"You'd unleash Hurricane Sassy on him?" he teased.

"You better believe it."

"Hopefully you won't have to do that."

She nodded. "I hope not…I might need that energy for your mother."

Jim laughed. "That could be true; better conserve the force of the hurricane for the right moment."

Johanna took a sip of her soda and smiled as she reached for his hand. "I think we're on track to have a better Christmas than Thanksgiving."

"I certainly hope so."

"We are," she said with conviction; at least she had faith that things would be better this time around.

---

Robert Beckett folded his newspaper, studying his wife as she fussed with a few ornaments on the Christmas tree. "What's on your mind, Lizzie?"

"Nothing," she muttered; a frown clinging to her lips.

"Must be something; you've been fussing with that tree for an hour and there's nothing wrong with it."

Elizabeth shrugged, her fingers busily rearranging tinsel. "William isn't coming home."

"That's nothing new," Robert replied; "He rarely ever does."

"I don't understand why he doesn't take the time when it's offered to him."

"I think it's me, Lizzie. We just don't seem to mesh well despite me always trying. He was always different than the others; he never wanted my attention and I guess he feels like I always forced it upon him in my effort to have the same bond with him as I did the other boys. I guess we don't have much in common."

"Maybe Germany is just more appealing than we are," Elizabeth commented.

Robert nodded. "Maybe he has a girl over there; he probably wants to spend the holiday with her."

"My sons are good at shoving their heads up their backsides over a girl," she stated as she continued to rearrange ornaments.

Robert allowed that comment to pass without remark upon the topic. "Did Andrew get back from Mexico?"

"Yes; but he's not coming to church with us because of some stupid office Christmas party. God forbid if he did a little more church going than partying."

"Now, Lizzie; you can't blame the boy for wanting to go to his company party. Most likely they'll be giving out the holiday bonuses and Andrew deserves to collect his. He'll be here tomorrow."

"I wanted him to go to church!" she exclaimed. "It's bad enough that Michael isn't going. He uses those kids and their gifts as his excuse."

"It's not an excuse," Robert replied. "You know how hard it is to get kids to bed on Christmas Eve…and the long hours spent putting together bicycles and other toys once they're finally asleep."

Elizabeth's gaze darted toward her husband. "It would be easier to put them to bed if they'd stop with this Santa nonsense. Those kids are far too old to be believing in that clap trap. Mikey will be eight years old in a few months and Angela will be seven; Danny will be five and Alicia just turned two could be spared getting in on the nonsense. I told our kids when they were four."

"Against my wishes," Robert said firmly. "I didn't approve of it then and I still don't. There's nothing wrong with the kids believing in Santa; let them keep innocence and magic in their hearts as long as possible; it isn't hurting anything. This very well could be the last year that Mikey believes since he's getting to that age; he'll most likely find out on his own before next Christmas and that's the way it's supposed to be. Don't rush it…and don't take it in your head to tell them yourself; you know Michael already warned you about that and said that if did, they wouldn't come around anymore."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Such nonsense. Have you heard from Jimmy?"

"Yes; I've heard from him. I called his office this morning."

"I guess he won't be over tomorrow since he's still boycotting me," Elizabeth said with a huff.

"It's like you didn't give him a reason to be angry with you. You were way out of line at Thanksgiving and you know it."

"Spare me a repeat of the lecture," she muttered. "I guess he'll be spending Christmas with Miss Hot Pants."

"Elizabeth," Robert said firmly.

"I call them as I see them; but I'm right, aren't I? He isn't coming."

"Jimmy assured me that he's coming over tomorrow," her husband replied.

"What about church tonight?"

"He didn't mention it."

"Of course not," she spat. "He'll have to get his Christmas cheer tonight from…"

"Lizzie, don't say it."

"Prissy pants; there, is that better?" she asked.

"No; address her by her name."

"I'm not even believing that Jimmy is showing up tomorrow," Elizabeth said; ignoring the command. "He hasn't spoken to me in a month."

"And you know why," Robert said as he eyed her. "If he doesn't show up; you'll know it's because of what you did, Lizzie. He's not going to easily forgive that."

Elizabeth smirked as she kept her attention on her Christmas tree. That was fine; her son didn't have to forgive her…and she didn't have to forgive him for picking a tramp over his own mother.

---

"When they arrived at the McKenzie home that evening, Jim helped Johanna carry her bags of gifts to the door. Frank answered her knock, looking like a man who was completely over the holiday hoopla.

"Where's Mom?" Johanna asked as she and Jim stepped inside.

"Changing her earrings," her father said tartly. "And God only knows what she'll have to change after that; you know how she is."

"I take it that you're cranky tonight?" she said as she put her gift bags near the tree.

"Yes," he snapped.

"Why?"

"Sophia won't let me have a damn piece of biscotti!" he exclaimed, waving a hand toward the kitchen. "She's got two goddamn containers full."

"You poor abused thing," Johanna laughed.

"Well it's just wrong," he declared. "I went and picked her up this morning, in all that traffic, carried all of her bags, drove her all the way from Brooklyn in that same mess of traffic and she won't let me have a piece of biscotti because it's not Christmas day yet! She's just a hateful old woman!"

"Flattering me won't get you anywhere, Frank," Sophia said as she crossed the threshold of the kitchen and stepped into the living room.

"Grandma," Johanna said with amusement; "Why are you picking on Dad?"

"Three reasons; one, he deserves it; two, it brings me special joy; and three, it's my job as a mother-in-law."

"Well if that's the job of a mother-in-law; I'd say Jim's mother is going to win the gold medal in that department," Johanna remarked.

Frank shifted his gaze to Jim. "Does your mother have a problem?" he asked sternly.

Jim nodded. "Yeah; she seems to have a problem. Don't ask me what it is though; we haven't been able to have her head examined yet."

"Rumor has it that Jim's mother doesn't think our girl is good enough for him," Sophia announced.

"Is that right?" Frank asked, his chin jutting up a notch in offense.

"She's just mad because she couldn't personally handpick the person I'd marry," Jim replied. "Believe me; she doesn't speak for the rest of the family."

Frank shifted his attention to his daughter. "Has she given you trouble?"

"Nothing I can't handle…except for the Thanksgiving pecan incident…I figured Mom would've told you or I wouldn't have said anything."

"No; she didn't tell me but now you can," her father said sternly.

Johanna gave Jim an apologetic look which made me him smile slightly as he shrugged, silently telling her that she may as well tell the tale. "Jim told his mother about my allergy so she wouldn't be offended when I turned down her pie…she hates me and figured I was a picky eater so she ground up pecans and put them in everything possible and I ate them. I had a reaction to it of course and Mom took me to the doctor the next day."

Frank's eyes blazed as he turned to Jim. "You tell your mother that if she ever harms my kid again; I'll ground her up like pecan and see how she likes it…that is if there's anything left of her."

"I'll give her the message," Jim replied.

"Mom already threatened to kill her, Dad," Johanna remarked.

"I promise you, I can do it better," Frank said. "You don't eat there anymore."

"No problem," she told him. "Jim, I forgot the cake in the car; can you get it while I take my overnight bag upstairs?"

"Yeah; I'll get it," he said without hesitation, hoping it would be enough time to take Frank's mind off the knowledge he had just acquired.

"Cake?" Frank repeated. "What kind of cake?"

"Peppermint," Johanna answered.

"Peppermint?" he said with a frown. "I don't know if I'll like that."

"It's very good," Jim said; pausing in his trek to the door.

"Is that a legitimate opinion or the opinion of the man who wants to go home with my daughter and crawl into her bed?" Frank asked.

"Dad!" Johanna exclaimed.

Jim smiled. "It's a legitimate opinion…and I'd still like to go home with her."

"Jim!" Johanna said. "He's my father!"

Frank actually smiled. "I like him; he's honest."

"I do my best," Jim replied as he resumed his trek to the door.

By the time Jim had retrieved the cake and Johanna had put her bag in her old bedroom, Naomi was in the living room, digging through her purse to find her keys. "Don't you want to come with us, Frank?" she implored.

"No," he replied.

"It wouldn't hurt you to go along with us," Naomi stated firmly.

"Well I'm not and you know it," Frank retorted.

"Jim's going with us," Sophia remarked. "He's a nice young man."

Naomi nodded. "And he's not even Catholic; if he can go, you can go, Frank."

Frank smirked at her. "The only reason he's going is because their still in the honeymoon period of their engagement. He just wants to go home with her."

"She's staying here tonight like she does every Christmas Eve," his wife replied as she finally located her keys.

Frank glanced at Jim. "You're not spending the night here with her so don't even think about it. I don't care how many church services you attend with the women; it's not happening."

Jim nodded. "I didn't entertain that notion at all."

"Good; because if you had; you'd be entertaining it alone in your car as you drive home."

"Can we just go?" Johanna asked; desperate to end that line of conversation.

"Yes; let's go," Sophia declared; her gaze darting toward Frank as she jabbed a finger in his direction. "And if I come back here and find my biscotti missing; you're going to pay."

Frank scoffed. "What are you going to do about it?"

Sophia gave him a stern look. "Do you remember what happened the last time I put the eye on you?"

"Yeah; we ended up with Colleen," he replied.

Johanna glanced at Jim. "Another piece of the puzzle falls into place."

"That's enough," Naomi stated. "Mother, we don't give the eye on Christmas. Frank; stay out of the baked goods."

"What if I don't?"

"Then you'll be up all night helping me make replacements," Naomi said as she stepped toward him and kissed him. "So behave yourself while we're gone."

"Why can't you just stay home?" Frank muttered.

"Why can't you just go with me?" his wife responded.

He frowned. "Go."

"I'm going," Naomi replied, grabbing her coat from the sofa and handing it to him to hold for her to slip into.

Frank glanced at Jim. "See what you're in for? Wives just do what they want."

"So do girlfriends," Jim said with a grin. "I figure things won't be all that much different."

"Trust me," the older man said. "It's different…the first few months are a haze and then it hits you."

"Okay, time to go," Johanna announced, clapping her hands for emphasis. The last thing she needed was for her father to give Jim marriage advice before they had even set a wedding date.

"We have to pick up Colleen," Naomi stated as she handed Jim her car keys.

"I told him," Johanna remarked as she gently shooed her grandmother and mother toward the door.

"Do you want some earplugs, Jim?" Frank asked. "The hens can get a little loud when they congregate in the car."

Frank was met with the sharp glare of three women as Jim gave a soft chuckle. "I would take you up on that offer but then I wouldn't know if they were talking about us."

"Good point," his future father-in-law stated. "Get them home safely."

"I promise," he replied as they all made their way to the door.

---

"I said I'm going and that's final!" Colleen Weston yelled at her husband as he stood at the door of their home.

"Colleen," Paul yelled after her.

"Shut up!" she exclaimed as she stormed to the car, flinging open the back door and climbing in.

"Colleen!" Paul yelled once more.

Colleen slammed the door. "Drive," she demanded. "Just drive the hell away from here."

"That's the plan," Jim remarked as he put the car in drive.

"What was all that commotion about?" Naomi demanded to know.

"It's because I'm married to a jackass who thinks his mother is my boss," Colleen stated. "Oh my God, I can't stand it, I want a divorce."

"You're not getting divorced!" Naomi declared.

Colleen ignored her mother and glanced to Johanna who had turned around in her seat to glance at her. "Sissy; how much would it cost me to get divorced."

"Not a thing; I'll do it for free," Johanna replied. "If you had given me notice; we could've given him the papers for Christmas."

"Johanna!" their mother declared.

"What?" she said with a shrug. "You told me all my life that I had to take care of her; if she wants a divorce I'll take care of it."

"We are not going to be the kind of family that starts getting divorced!"

"Why not?" Sophia asked. "She should've never married him in the first place. I told her not to marry that little weasel but she wouldn't listen."

"Believe me, I wish I had," Colleen muttered as she glanced at her sister. "I really don't recommend marriage."

Naomi smacked Colleen's arm. "Don't tell her that!"

"Why not?!" Colleen exclaimed. "Let her be warned; I wish someone had warned me!"

"I did try to warn you, you little ninny," Sophia declared; making Jim choke back a laugh. "You were too busy being up on your high horse and now apparently you've fallen off and right into the pile of manure you married."

'Mother," Naomi said firmly. "Paul is not a pile of manure. I'm sure Colleen could work out her issues if she'd just give a little effort."

"Yeah; that's all marriage is," Colleen declared; "I've got to give all the effort; I have to go to all of his mother's stupid dinners and parties; I have to cook what he wants and only what he wants, I have to be home exactly at the time specified, I have to be available whether I'm in the mood or not…"

"That's enough of that talk!" Naomi declared; "For God's sake, Colleen; it's Christmas!"

"Well pardon the hell out of me," her youngest daughter exclaimed. "I didn't realize I couldn't express my feelings on Christmas. You're my mother, I thought you'd care!"

"I do care; but you don't need to be crass and talk about such things in front of Jim."

Johanna laughed as her sister gave their mother an annoyed look. "Don't worry, Mom; I'm sure Jo's told Jim all about sex…in fact, I'm pretty sure she's demonstrated."

"Colleen!"

"What?" she asked as she leaned up closer to the front seat. "You know all about it, don't you, Jim? You've had that talk, haven't you?"

He grinned. "I've had more than the talk."

"That's what I thought," Colleen said, patting his arm. "Thanks for picking me up."

"No problem."

"We really shouldn't be discussing these things," Naomi said once more.

"Oh, Naomi; lighten up," Sophia said. "I don't think we're going to get struck down; it's not like it doesn't get discussed any other time of the year."

"Yeah," Johanna said; "Grandma once told Jim to get me pregnant and we weren't even dating."

"Oh my God," her mother exclaimed, her gaze turning to Sophia. "Tell me she's lying."

"It's no lie," Sophia replied. "I told them I wouldn't mind having another great-grandchild; he seemed interested in the job and I had already told her that she could use some more sex in her life so I figured they could go get to it."

"Oh my God," Naomi said again. "I apologize for my mother, Jim."

"No apologies needed," Jim laughed. "I didn't mind; I had a very nice time at that dinner."

"I can attest to that," Johanna remarked. "He didn't mind at all."

Her mother sighed. "I don't know where I've gone wrong."

"I think it might've been when you married Dad," Johanna commented.

"That's enough out of you, Johanna Elizabeth."

"It was just a suggestion of an area to consider in regard to your comment."

"Don't lawyer talk me; you know I don't like that."

"You lawyer talk all you want," Sophia commented from her place in the backseat. "It let's everyone know that you're not just a pretty face."

"Thank you, Grandma."

"Seriously though," Colleen said; getting back in the conversation. "Is getting a divorce difficult?"

"No," Johanna told her; "I don't think it would be much of a problem for you; there aren't any children involved. Did you sign a pre-nup?"

"Hell no; I wasn't signing that damn thing. Paul lied to his mother and said I did but I can assure you I didn't…and if my name is on that paper; he forged it."

"We could probably prove that easily enough," Johanna said; "But if there is no signed document; then we'll get you the house and half his money and call it a day."

"Sounds good to me; sign me up."

"No!" Naomi exclaimed. "You're not getting divorced because of a little squabble, Colleen; and Johanna; you quit doling out free legal advice!"

"Fine; Colleen, slip me a dollar later for my services, would you?"

"Sure thing."

Their mother sighed in annoyance. "You don't just give up on a marriage!"

"Why not! Paul annoys the hell out of me. He wasn't like this before we got married; I'm telling you, the marriage ruins everything good about a relationship."

Johanna cringed at that comment but said nothing, hoping Jim wasn't taking notes.

"That's not true," Naomi retorted; "And besides; annoyance is a part of marriage."

"How big of a part does it have to be?" Colleen asked.

"It depends on what day it is," their mother stated. "Marriage is full of annoyance but you grin and bear it and learn to fight the urge to grab the skillet and wham him in the head with it."

Johanna smiled. "You think about that skillet a lot, don't you, Mom?"

"No, I don't."

"I think you do."

"I don't! But as I was saying; marriage is wonderful but it's also full of annoyances, grievances, arguments…days when you just want to rip your hair out and scream because he's an idiot, but you love him and you learn to live with it as God intended!"

Sophia nodded. "That's all true; but if you can't fight the urge to hit them with a skillet; make sure you knock them out…that way you can find all the money in the house, pack your underwear and get the hell out."

"We really shouldn't be discussing such things on the way to Mass," Naomi stated. "This is a holy day."

"We're not in the church yet, Naomi," Sophia replied. "All we're doing is agreeing that marriage isn't always what it's cracked up to be but you learn to live with it."

Johanna turned in her seat to glance back at her family. "Can we not discuss the downfalls of marriage in front of my fiancé? You're not making it sound very good."

"It's not good," Colleen said with a shake of her head.

"Well he doesn't need to know that!" she exclaimed.

"Johanna's right," Sophia said; "We shouldn't talk too much about the bad side right now; she hasn't gotten that boy down the aisle yet. She can find out after the wedding."

"That's the problem with you people," Colleen remarked; "You don't tell us anything until it's too late."

"Well how the hell do you think we all ended up married?" Sophia asked her. "Do you think my mother told me that I'd have to put up with my husband leaving dirty socks in the kitchen? Do you think she told me that there would be days when he'd be annoying? No; she didn't tell me. Do you think I told your mother that there would be days when she'd want to hit her husband with a skillet? No, I didn't. We all learned the hard way; that's the way God intended. Now shut up before we scare off the young man that Johanna finally hooked."

Silence fell over the car for a moment as Johanna glanced to Jim. "Are you regretting offering to come along?" she asked him.

He smiled, allowing his hand to fall away from the wheel to pat her knee. "No; I'm kind of having a good time."

Her brow arched. "Really?"

"Yeah; I'm getting inside information about what women think…I also get to drive around in a car full of beautiful women; what's not to like?"

"I like him," Sophia declared. "You get him down the aisle, Bambina."

"I'm doing my best, Grandma," she replied; "If he doesn't run away after spending a holiday with us, then I'm sure he's going to stick around."

"Of course he's going to stick around; we're not letting him out of it," the old woman remarked. "You make sure you try my biscotti tomorrow, Jim."

"I'm looking forward to it," he told her.

"I hope you'll like dinner," Naomi added.

"I'm sure I will," he assured; "After all, Jo says she learned everything about cooking from you and her grandmother so I have no worries about dinner being anything but perfect."

"You see, Colleen," Sophia stated; "You could've had a nice man like that. You should've had your sister do your shopping. Do you have a brother for Colleen, Jim? I can't remember if you said all of your siblings were married or not."

He laughed. "My oldest brother is married. My second oldest brother is in the military and mainly lives in Germany. He doesn't have a good personality; she wouldn't want William. My younger brother is available…Andrew would be a good choice if she would suddenly become unmarried."

"She's not getting divorced," Naomi declared.

"I'm not ruling it out," Colleen replied; "And it's good to know that I might have options. Jo; what's his brother like?"

"He's very nice; he's got a good personality; he's funny; he travels for work though…could he take her along?" Johanna asked Jim.

"Probably," Jim answered; "At least to some places I'd think."

"Sounds good," Colleen said; "Keep him single for awhile."

"Their mother leaves a little to be desired," Johanna remarked.

"Do you have food allergies?" Jim asked Colleen.

"No; that pecan allergy skipped me."

"Then you'd be safe enough…at least food wise."

"On second thought maybe I'll just stay single since Sissy will get me half of Paul's money."

"That's enough," Naomi said. "You'll learn to work through the issues of your marriage; not run from them."

"I should've ran before the wedding," Colleen muttered.

"Quit talking about marriage being so terrible," Naomi demanded. "For God's sake; I don't want your sister changing her mind; I haven't even gotten to go dress shopping with her and you're trying to talk her out of it!"

"I'm just warning her that it's not as good as I thought it would be."

"Okay," Johanna said; "I appreciate all the unsolicited warnings and advice but I'm going to do it anyway…if you all refrain from scaring off my fiancé."

"Don't worry; I'm not scared yet," Jim told her as the church came into view.

"Don't say it like that; they might take it as a challenge," she replied.

"No we won't," her mother stated; "We're going to behave now…we're going into church as a happy family as always."

"Remember the rules, girls," Sophia stated; "No whispering, giggling or fidgeting."

"Yes, Grandma," Johanna and Colleen said out of reflex.

"Do I get rules?" Jim asked.

"Yes," Sophia replied. "No funny business with my granddaughter while inside the church; you save that for later."

He laughed. "Okay."

"I apologize for my mother, Jim," Naomi said as she leaned towards the front seat. "She hasn't been quite right since she turned seventy…we thought it was just a phase but clearly it's stretching into her eighties."

"It's alright," he told her. "My grandmother is just like her."

"You should've brought her along," Sophia declared; "Colleen could've set up front with the two of you."

"Maybe I'll bring her next time," he stated as he spotted a parking spot.

"Are you still having fun?" Johanna asked as he pulled into the spot.

Jim smiled. "Yeah; I don't have these kind of fun car rides to church with my mother."

"I'm not surprised."

"We're glad you decided to come with us," Naomi remarked. "People will see that we do have a man in the family."

He couldn't help but laugh as Johanna shook her head. "I'm glad I could accommodate you, Naomi."

"Yeah," Sophia agreed; "We're pretty sure that by now everyone probably thinks that both Naomi and I are widowed and the girls are spinsters and that we all live together with a few cats."

Johanna glanced at him in amusement. "But now you've saved us from that sad assessment."

"It's a good thing I came along," Jim quipped. "I can't have you ladies unfairly maligned."

"We better get in there," Sophia declared; "I like a pew toward the back and they go fast sometimes."

They all got out of the car and Johanna's hand slipped into Jim's as they allowed the others to walk ahead of them. "See, I told you they'd be thrilled to have you along," she told him.

He gave her a smile. "You even have to say I told you so in front of the church, don't you?" he teased.

"Yes," she laughed; "And don't forget what you're supposed to say the next time we're in a church with my family."

"What's that?"

"I do," Johanna replied with a wink.

His arm slipped around her waist. "That's a guaranteed promise, sweetheart."

---

It was nearly 1:30 in the morning as Jim and Johanna stood by his car in front of the McKenzie home. They waited until Naomi and Sophia were inside the house before they turned toward each other, her hand slipping into his.

"So what did you think?" Johanna asked as she met his gaze.

"It was nice," he replied with a smile; his fingers gently squeezing hers. "I'm glad I went with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah…it felt right…and I liked getting a glimpse of this part of you; seeing you interact with your family…going through your traditions."

"We didn't neglect you, did we?"

"No," Jim said with a quiet laugh. "I didn't feel neglected at all."

"Good," Johanna replied. "Sometimes we get caught up in a topic of conversation."

"I felt included," he assured; "But I also enjoyed just listening…and don't worry; they haven't put me off the idea of marriage."

"Thank God," she said with a small laugh. "I'd hate to have to hit them…especially on Christmas."

"We definitely don't want that; after all; it's my Christmas to create chaos," he teased.

Johanna laughed softly. "Speaking of your mother; because I know she's the chaos you meant; did the service live up to your mother's descriptions?"

"No; she was wrong as usual. It wasn't any longer than any other Christmas service that I've been to and there wasn't anything dramatic. It was all perfectly normal and I'll be sure to tell her that."

She grinned. "Maybe you better take a medic with you tomorrow; between springing the news of our engagement and then telling her you put foot in a Catholic church…well; she might not be able to handle it."

He chuckled. "She better learn to handle it because she can't change any of it."

Johanna stepped closer; her arms looping around his neck. "I'm glad you came tonight…it made it feel more special…as silly as that might seem."

"It's not silly," he said, a grin tugging at his lips. "But since it feels like an extra special night, are you sure don't want to come home with me?"

She gave a quiet laugh. "I do want to go home with you," she whispered lovingly. "But I'm going to stay here anyway."

"So much for Christmas miracles," Jim jested.

Johanna grinned. "Well just think of it this way; our separation tonight will only make tomorrow night all the sweeter when we're back together."

"The thought only increases the longing," he replied. "What if I wait an hour and come back with a ladder and climb up to your window?"

She giggled softly, being mindful of the hour. "As much as I'd like that, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well for one, my parents will be right downstairs…and two; my grandmother will be right across the hallway from me."

"She won't tell," he laughed.

"Probably not but knowing her, she'd cheer us on," she remarked.

Jim pondered that for a moment. "The only cheerleader image I want in my head is you."

"Then I guess we're spending the night apart."

"I guess so," he said with a dramatic sigh. "I hope you won't miss me too much."

"Oh I will," Johanna replied, drawing him closer for a kiss. "Do you promise to miss me just as much as I'll miss you?"

"Count on it," Jim remarked; capturing her lips in a kiss.

They got lost in their own little world as they continued to share soft kisses while the stillness of night wrapped around them; the cold air unnoticeable as they held on to one another. They weren't sure how long they had been locked in their embrace but Johanna knew without a doubt that the flash of porch lights that managed to get her attention had come from her parents house.

"Did they really just flash the porch lights at you?" her fiancé asked.

Johanna nodded. "Yeah, I think so…unless we both imagined it."

As if to prove that they hadn't; the porch lights went on and off once again. "Who do you think did it?" Jim asked. "Your mother or grandmother?"

"Oh, I have a feeling that's my father…he won't go to bed until everyone who's supposed to be in the house is inside."

"I guess that means you have to go now," Jim quipped; amusement gleaming in his eyes. "After all, I don't want you to get grounded on Christmas…they might not let you marry me if you break curfew."

Johanna laughed and tugged him closer once more. "You behave; Jim Beckett or you'll get a lump of coal."

"Not a chance; I'm definitely on the nice list this year," he replied; "And since I'm such a good influence, so are you."

"Uh huh," she said as she eyed him. "I think you might have that backwards."

"Possibly; but who are we to quibble about such things on such an important holiday?"

"True," she remarked. "Maybe we should just settle it with a kiss."

"I knew I was getting a smart wife," Jim replied before capturing her lips in another kiss which soon turned into a second and a third.

And then the porch lights came on and stayed on, the door opening and Frank McKenzie stepping out onto the porch. "That's enough, Johanna; tell him goodnight and get in the damn house before dawn!"

"You're in trouble now," Jim laughed quietly.

"I'm used to it," she quipped; stealing one more kiss. "I love you, see you tomorrow."

"I love you too; I'll be here."

"Johanna!" her father yelled.

"I'm coming!" she yelled back; and then just because he irritated her, she hurriedly stole one more kiss from Jim and told him to be careful driving home.

She watched him getting into his car, knowing he'd set there until she was in the house despite her father's presence on the porch. She gave Jim a wave and turned; heading up the walk, feeling her father's stare the whole way.

"Christ," her father muttered as he followed her through the door. "I thought I might have to get the hose."

"It's alright, Dad; he's going to marry me," she Johanna remarked.

"He damn well better the way you two carry on," Frank grumbled. "Go to bed…and don't even think about sneaking anyone in here tonight; I'll be listening."

"I'm not a teenager, you know. I'm a grown woman."

"A young woman."

"What's your point?"

Frank eyed her. "Do you think I've forgotten what it's like to be young?"

Johanna met his gaze with a wary one of her own. "I don't think I like where this conversation could be headed so I'm just going to assure you that he's going home and that the knowledge of you and Mom being downstairs and Grandma across the hallway is enough to kill any romantic mood anyone might have in mind."

"Good," her father stated.

She smiled. "Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Johanna…by the way; the cake was good."

She paused on the bottom step and turned to face him. "You ate my cake?" she asked; eyeing him sternly.

The look she gave him reminded him of Naomi in every way and he smiled. "Just a little piece."

Johanna kept her gaze pinned on him. "What else did you eat?"

"It's my house; I eat what I want," Frank declared.

"Did you eat the biscotti?!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice.

"Only three pieces," he replied.

"You know Grandma probably counted how many pieces there were…she'll get you for eating any before you were supposed to."

"I'm not afraid of her and her eye," Frank stated; "The worst curse she ever conjured up was Colleen and your mother is out of the baby business."

"You're sure it was the curse that created Colleen?" she asked.

"You've met your sister; what else could it have been?"

She smiled a little despite herself. "But we love her anyway."

"That's the story for publication," Frank remarked.

"You better not let Mom hear you say that."

"I'm not afraid of her either."

Johanna's brow rose. "Does that mean you ate the fudge?"

"Just a few pieces."

She sighed. "You ate cake, fudge and biscotti while we were at church?"

"Your celebrate Christmas your way; I celebrate it in my way," her father remarked.

"You're going to be sick."

Frank shook his head. "I had a glass of whiskey with it; I'll be fine."

"Whiskey?!"

He eyed her. "How else can I get through these holidays with every relative known to man waltzing through here?"

Johanna pondered that for a moment. "Okay; you've got me there; but still…you're going to be in trouble come morning."

"She'll be too busy to do anything about it."

"At least you hope so."

"Frank," Naomi's voice called out from their bedroom. "Did she come in?"

"She's in, Naomi," he answered. "We were just having a little chat; she's going to bed now and so am I."

"You didn't upset her did you?" his wife asked.

"I'm fine, Mom," Johanna called out. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, dear," her mother answered.

Frank remained in his place by the stairs, looking at his daughter as she began her trek once more, only to pause on the third step when she continued to feel his gaze on her back.

"Did you forget to confess something else that you ate?" she asked.

"No," he replied.

"Something wrong?"

"No," Frank said as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Then what is it?"

"Nothing," he said with a shrug. "I guess this is the last Christmas you'll be here like this."

Johanna was quiet for a moment as she digested that statement. "Yeah; most likely," she said softly.

Frank nodded. "That's the way it's supposed to be though…you know…once you're married."

"Yeah; I know…but a little part of me will miss it…and it'll probably feel a little odd."

"It'll be different," her father stated; his quiet tone somewhat odd to her ears; the hint of sentimental feelings in his eyes and it all seemed so strange.

"It'll be different," she agreed; "But it's not like I won't be here at all…I'm sure as hell not spending the majority of every holiday with Elizabeth Beckett. I'm definitely not eating there either"

"That's good; because I already said you're not allowed to eat there."

Johanna gave a nod; feeling like he needed her to remember that he was still her father and that he liked to think that he still had some kind of parental control. "That's the excuse I'm using; my father said I can't."

"If anyone has a problem with it; tell them to call me."

She gave him a small smile. "I will, Dad. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Josie," Frank murmured; watching as she made her way up the stairs. He didn't know why he had to remain rooted to that spot; watching each step she took. He had seen her climb those stairs hundreds of times over the course of her life…but suddenly the image that stuck out to him was the memory of her as a little girl; her favorite doll clutched in the crook of her arm, her hand in Naomi's as she led her upstairs to put her to bed. There was a tightness in his throat that he couldn't explain…the memory of the little girl with dark curls and a baby doll fading, the reality of a young woman with long dark hair and a diamond ring meeting his gaze once more as she reached the landing.

It was going to be different, Frank thought to himself as Johanna headed to her old room, leaving his line of vision. Christmas Eve would never be the same once she was married…and he wasn't sure how he felt about it…other than that odd little stinging feeling that he had lost his little girl.

A/N: Christmas Day and Lizzie's 'reaction' in the next chapter!