Winter Snow and Mistletoe

By: Calypso

Disclaimer: I don't own Days of our lives.

Summary: Loosing faith in holiday magic, Will makes a desperate wish involving snow and mistletoe – a wish that seems to come true when Lucas and Sami decide on a 'family Christmas'. But is it seasonal magic – or wishful thinking?

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Chapter 1 – Midnight Wishes

Will had given up writing to Santa Clause long ago – or so he claimed whenever anyone asked him about the practice. In reality, he hadn't so much given up on writing as he had changed the person to whom he addressed his letters. In his young mind, it occurred to him that on Christmas, Christ's birthday, God might have a little more pull than a fat man in a red suit. So for the third year in a row, with a patience unusual for a child his age, Will wrote his letter, made his wish and, (lacking a mailing address for God,) stuck the letter in his bible. "Third time's a charm," he whispered to himself fiercely before slipping into bed, "this time it HAS to work!" Before very long he had drifted off into a peaceful slumber

>

* * *

In the next room, sleep managed to completely elude Sami. As she listened to the clock tick she tried not to think about the Christmas tree she hadn't yet put up and the apartment she hadn't yet decorated. More than anything, she tried to forget the look on Marlena's face this morning when she'd asked about Sami's Christmas plans. It was a look of pity, but, more than that, it was a look that contained the message 'you brought this upon yourself'.

Unable to avoid these thoughts – and their implications, Sami got up and walked to the living room. Without looking, she knew that Will was fast asleep. I can't stand it, she thought, I can't stand her pity. As she sat down on the couch and pulled her knees to her chest, she suddenly realized that she was fighting back tears. Angry at herself, Sami fought back sorrow the only way she knew how – scheming. Suddenly, as if hit by a lightning bolt, Sami came upon an idea. Quickly, she went for her keys and, in her hurry, running out the door in her nightdress.

* * *

"Lucas!" Deep in sleep, Lucas thought that he was dreaming, much as he had during the previous summer. "Lucas, wake up!" Her voice was soft an cajoling, with a sleepy grin Lucas turned in the direction of her voice, quickly grabbing  her soft hand from where it rested on his shoulder and pulling her into bed with him. Turning, he effectively pinned her beneath him. "Lucas!" Her voice was suddenly panicky and Lucas frowned, this wasn't usually how his dreams went. "Lucas!" This time his name was accompanied by a gentle slap. "Will you wake up and get off of me?" Quite suddenly, his eyes snapped open. Shit, he thought, I'm not dreaming.

"Sami?" Surprised though he was, Lucas made no move to get off of or away from Sami. For a moment he simple stared down at her.

"No, it's the tooth fairy!" She answered sarcastically – and with difficulty since his weight on her upper body greatly restricted her diaphragm movement. "Care to get off of me? It might be easier for us to talk if I can breath." Had he been thinking clearly, Lucas would have immediately moved, as it was however Lucas was annoyed a Sami for waking him up so instead of lifting is weight off of her, he shifted his weight from his arms onto his torso, pinning her even more firmly against the mattress.

"Not until you tell me when you're sneaking into my apartment at one o'clock in the morning and depriving me of my beauty sleep." Sami tried to yell in outrage but was having trouble breathing. Seeing this, Lucas shifted off of her slightly but not before giving her one of his signature smirks.

"We need to talk about Will, and the holidays." Sami mentally grit her teeth, fighting hard to keep her cool and not lash out at him in anger the way that she wanted to. If Lucas was going to be receptive of her plan, it would be easier if they weren't arguing. "I would've come during the day but Will would've noticed and I didn't want to bring this up with him until we'd decided something amongst ourselves." Weak though the excuse was, she now had his full attention and Lucas let go of Sami, straightening into a sitting position as she did the same, leaning her body against the headboard. Because Sami was on the side of the bed that light didn't hit, Lucas failed to notice both her nightgown and the calculating look in her eye. She was only a shadow hiding in shad and as she continued talking he heard only her voice.

"I know that you technically have custody of Will this Christmas, but I was thinking maybe we could do a family thing." Seeing Lucas was about to talk, Sami raised her hand and stopped him. For once, Lucas obeyed and simply listened. "And I don't mean the thing we usually do where we have a lunch or a diner. I mean a REAL Christmas, the whole family trims the tree, decorates the house, that kind of thing. And when Christmas Eve rolls around that'll involve a whole two days Lucas. It'll be hard for the two of us but we could try not to argue or bicker – just give Will his first family Christmas." As silence descended on the room, the same thought entered both Lucas and Sami's head. This would be his first Family Christmas. In 10 years we haven't yet given him a REALY family Christmas.

Lucas was suddenly guilt ridden, partially because it had never occurred to him before and partially because it was Sami that came up with the idea. "Sami – as much as I would love a real family Christmas why should I give up my quality time with Will so I can pretend to be getting along with you?" The words stung, and they weren't what Lucas had intended to say but it wasn't until it was too late that he realized this. Suddenly pissed herself, Sami got up from the bed.

"Like you have something better to do?" She asked with a roll of her eyes. "I'm sure Will would *love* to spend Christmas with crazy Grandma Kate I mean –."

"Sami – just shut up!" Leaping off of the mattress himself, Lucas glared at Sami. "This is about Will – not my mother." Or…it suddenly occurred to Lucas that maybe this *was* about his mother. "Wait a minute; this isn't about Will is it?" As Lucas' voice went from anger to arrogance, Sami froze in place. It really was true that he knew her too well. "This is about my mom and your dad. You're just trying to make up an excuse so you can avoid spending Christmas with them… and probably Marlena and John to." The confident smirk again returned to his face. "Well, well, look who needs me to 'lend a hand' again."

Flushed an angry at being found out – at least partially - Sami turned around and snapped at Lucas. "You arrogant bastard! For once I try to do something right by this family - yeah family Lucas, because as much as we both hate to admit it that's what we are - and you throw it in my face." Picking up something on the nearby table Sami hurled it at Lucas. In the dark, she completely missed but the anger behind the motion hit its target.

"Damn it Sami, it's not what you're trying to do that I'm against it's your freaking reasons. All your trying to do is use us – yeah that's right us ME and WILL to your own ends and –."

"Shut up Lucas just –." So angry she couldn't think of something to say, Sami ended her tirade finding another object to hurl. This time, Lucas caught it and immediately dropped it onto his bed.

"Fine you want to do right by this family then prove it!" Lucas stalked closer to Sami, knowing that what he was about to say was going to make her livid and not willing to have any more of his personal possessions thrown around. "Sign those annulment papers Brandon sent you so your son can see you moving on with your life. You do that, and this Christmas deal is on other –."

"Don't you tell me to –." Sami cut off Lucas' sentence; in turn he cut off hers by pushing her against a wall and pinning her wrists near her shoulders. With more anger than fear, Sami realized that Lucas was holding her wrists so tightly that they hurt.

"Consider this an early Christmas present Sami because what I'm about to tell you is what you NEED to hear." Glaring at her, he dared her to interrupt. "Brandon doesn't give a damn about you anymore and you don't have any reason to keep hanging on to him. Will doesn't need him and you don't either. Your marriage was a sham from the start and there's no point in prolonging it – so just get off of whatever little daydream you're living in and just sign those damn papers!"

Sami was angry, but more than anything the words made her want to cry. Lucas had just said everything she had been denying in her mind and to hear them out like that suddenly made al her denials seem weak and invalid. For the first time, she didn't try to outstare Lucas and only turned her gaze downward in shame – desperately trying to hide her tears. In the silence that followed, it wasn't Sami blinking back tears that Lucas noticed, it was her white nightgown. For the first time he realized that neither of them was wearing very much and that the only thing separating them was his boxers and the thin layer of white silk. Suddenly flustered he let go of her and stepped back.

"Screw you Lucas. Screw you." Angrily, Sami vehemently whispered the words at him before turning and stalking out of his apartment. When he heard the door click shut – Sami had more sense than to slam it and possibly wake a noisy neighbor – Lucas sat down on his bed and angrily berated himself for ruining what could've been the best – and only – family Christmas the three of them might've shared.

 * * *

In her apartment, Sami sat on the couch with the annulment papers in front of her. As much as she hated Lucas for putting that ultimatum before her, Sami realized that she didn't have much choice – what he'd said about Brandon being gone had been painfully true. More importantly, (though she refused to acknowledge it,) the idea of divorcing Brandon was actually less awful than the idea of spending Christmas with Kate or a condescending Marlena. Silently, she looked hard at the annulment papers. Afraid to not sign, and yet not yet able to face the truth enough to sign them. Please God, give me a sign.

As if God were listening, the door to Will's room suddenly opened. "Mom?" He whispered groggily, "What are you doing up?"

"Hey honey," Sami smiled as Will walked towards the Kitchen for a glass of water. "I'm just… looking at something." Sami watched her son, suddenly she seized upon something Lucas had said earlier. "Will, honey, how would you feel if Brandon never came back." From where he stood in the Kitchen, Will froze, trapped between protecting his mother's feelings and telling the truth. Being his father's son, he chose the truth.

"Mom, the only reason I never told you I didn't like Brandon was because he made you happy." He shrugged in a very Lucas-like motion. "I couldn't care less if he never came back but if it would make you sad…" Sami's face suddenly brightened, and she couldn't help from walking over to her son and giving him a quick kiss.

"Thank you." Not quite sure what his mother was thanking him for, Will yawned and went to bed. In the living room, Sami finally pulled out a pen, with a deep breath and a head full of excuses she signed the annulment papers as Lucas had asked.

* * *

"Here," Sami dropped the papers onto Lucas' bed, snapping on the light switch so he could see, "I signed the damned papers like you asked – but if you want this annulment to happen mail them out yourself." Lucas, for one, was speechless. When Sami had stormed out of his apartment an hour ago he hadn't expected to see her again that week – never mind that same night. Even more unthinkable, she had actually listened to him and signed the papers.

"Sami I…" At a loss for words, he simply didn't know what to say.

"Don't Lucas." Sami glared and assumed her most commanding tone. "I've done my share, now I expect you to try and make this work! No arguing for the rest of this month around Will and there is no way in hell your skipping out on Christmas. We'll discuss this at Breakfast tomorrow – try and show up on time." Without even giving him time to answer, Sami whirled on her heel and left – this entire night felt surreal. In his bedroom, Lucas pondered what had just happened and while he couldn't exactly sort it out in his head, he couldn't exactly keep from smiling either.

~ End Chapter 1

Feedback Appreciated – I apologize for typos but I just wrote this at 1am.