CHAPTER 49

A few mentioned characters in the chapter:

Nancy Sanders: Jackie's mother. Divorced from Jackie's father. She's visiting from Australia for the holidays and is staying with Mark and Jackie.

Shawn: Jackie's best friend from Sydney.

Jillian: Shawn's girlfriend. Also a close friend of Jackie's.

Eva Cohen: Mark's mother.

Thanks to Steph, Jan, and Michelle for the reviews on the last chapter! I'm really relieved to know that people are still reading this after all this time. The next chapter I'll be posting will be the Christmas chapter—and ironically enough it's Chapter 50! I can't believe I wrote this much, I never expected this to turn into what it did. I can't really thank you guys enough for all the great reviews. You all are my motivation for writing this, and without that, I would have never taken this story this far. Thanks again! And remember to keep reviewing. :o)

This chapter's just sort of a light, funny, pre holiday's chapter. About time, considering there's been so much drama in the past chapters! Enjoy.

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DECEMBER 20th

Mark walked over to his bed and planted a kiss on Jackie's forehead. "Good morning, sunshine," he yawned.

Jackie opened her eyes and yawned as well. "It would be a happier morning if your son didn't keep me up all last night."

Mark stretched out on the bed and wrapped his arm around her. "I know. Which is why my mom and your mom are sitting in the living room watching him."

"Really?"

"Yeah really," he laughed. "I think they hit it off. It's the third time this week my mom's been at my place. Considering she hasn't been here more than twice in the past four years, that's pretty fucking amusing."

Jackie ran her fingers over the neck of Mark's tee shirt. "And all it had to take was you knocking up some girl to get her back in your life," she mused back at him.

"Well that girl just so happens to be the love of my life." He kissed her and linked his hand through hers.

"Oh? Good, because I love you too," she smiled. "I have to send pictures to Shawn and Jillian, so can you get stamps for me from the post office? Plus my sister and my dad. Although I'm pretty sure when my mom goes back she'll have enough to fill a whole album."

Mark grinned and gently pulled her up from the bed. He rested his hand on her hip and grinned. "I don't think that's necessary."

"What? Fine then I'll have Roger to do it," she pretended to pout at him. "Since my own fiancé can't do it for me."

"I didn't mean that." He led her down the hallway. "Close your eyes."

"Did somebody get me an early Christmas present?" she laughed as he led her further down the hall.

Mark's mother was holding Luke and smiling widely at Nancy, Jackie's mother. A muscular, tanned man with bleach blonde hair was leaning against the wall. Shawn. An equally tan woman with dark brown hair had her head resting against his shoulder. Jillian. She too, was barely able to hold back her smile when she saw Jackie at the end of the hall.

"Okay you can open them," Mark said.

"It better be something good," she teased before opening her eyes. "Oh my god!" she shrieked. A part of her was about to run down the hall and tackle both of her friends, but considering she was still supposed to be taking it easy, she hobbled down the hall with Mark.

Shawn scooped Jackie up into a hug. "Surprised much?"

"Very," she laughed as he kissed her cheek. "I can't believe you're both here! Mom, did you know about this?"

Nancy walked over and nodded before handing Luke to Jackie. "I did. But I was sworn to secrecy by a very large, blonde, threatening roommate of Mark's."

"Oh I'm going to kill Roger Davis when I see him!" she laughed before giving Jillian a hug. "How was the flight? And how long are you here for?"

They all spent the majority of the morning catching up on things they had all missed. Shawn and Jillian were going to be in the city for a month, staying at Jillian's father's apartment downtown, which was reserved for his business trips to the States. Shawn told Jackie how Mark had called him the day after Jackie gave birth to Luke and set the whole surprise trip up, right down to having Roger and Collins pick them up from the airport. Pictures were taken, including ones with the baby, and baby presents were opened.

Mark was in the kitchen putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher when Jackie walked in and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Mark, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this meant to me. I can't believe you went out of your way to do this for me," she smiled, kissing him. "I love you."

Mark grinned and returned the kiss. "I know. I love you too. But I knew how much you missed your friends, so I figured that they might as well spend Christmas here too and get to know everyone back here."

"I really, really appreciate this."

"Well you're welcome."

Luke's cries started to fill the apartment. "Jackie? He's hungry," Mark's mother called over.

"Okay, thanks." She called over. "I better go feed him."

"You better," Mark grinned.

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"Danny?" Mimi called out into the loft. She held the door open with her foot as she dragged the shopping bags inside. "Hello? Anyone around? Dan?"

She groaned and shut the door behind her. "Daniel Leone!"

"Oh damn," Jackie laughed. She walked into the apartment. "I thought you were Roger."

"Nope, sorry," Mimi said. She opened the closet door and shoved the shopping bags into them, covering them with a blanket. "Where's Mark and everyone? And where is Danny? He's supposed to be watching Jaylynn."

Jackie walked over to the couch and sat down. "He took Maureen and Harvey to the airport about an hour ago. And Mark went to help Shawn and Jillian get some groceries and to make sure they didn't get lost going to their place."

"What? Then who's watching Jaylynn?" Mimi panicked. She ran over to the baby's room and peeked her head in just as Roger walked out of their bedroom, yawning. He took one look at Jackie and started laughing.

"Don't kill me. The rumor is you're going to slip arsenic into my food," he winked at her.

"I can't believe you did this without telling me!" she laughed at him. "You're such a—" She gave him a hug.

"Nice guy?" Roger added. "Hey, where's my nephew?"

"Sleeping next door. It's about time, he kept me up all last night," she groaned.

"So I heard. Literally."

Mimi walked out of the baby's room and smacked Roger on the side of the head. "You moron! Why didn't you call and tell me you came home!" she yelled at him.

Roger playfully grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. "Because right after I got home from the bar, Dan left to go to the airport. I put Jay to sleep, and then I fell asleep. So when was I supposed to call you?"

"But—"

Roger kissed her. "But nothing. It's not like Dan or anyone would ever leave her here by herself. What, did too much Christmas shopping go to your brain?" he teased her. "Did you and Collins actually get anything accomplished?"

"Yeah we did, thank you very much. And you better start being nicer to me or I'll take your presents back," she stuck out her tongue at him.

"Ooh baby, don't tempt me," he winked at her.

Jackie made a gagging sound and stood up. "There is another person in the room, you know."

"You. Be quiet," Roger pointed a finger at her. "Go and make out with Mark or something. Or hang out with the Crocodile Dundee clan I gathered from the airport this morning."

"Don't call them that!" Jackie laughed. "At least not to their faces."

"Seriously Roger, where are you manners lately?" Mimi asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"I don't know. I have great bedside ones though."

Jackie shuddered and headed towards the door. "I'm leaving now. At least wait until I'm outside the door."

"Bye!" Mimi laughed over Roger's shoulder. He picked her up and dropped her on the bed, slamming the bedroom door shut.

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"Which one is the garland again?"

Mark pointed to the silver and gold strands sitting in the cardboard box. "That stuff. Didn't you ever pay attention when your mom decorated the tree?"

"Sort of. Not really." Roger pulled out a red strand out and tossed it to the side. "That it?"

Jackie was seated on the couch, untangling the Christmas lights while Mimi was plugging and unplugging them in the outlet. "No. That's tinsel."

"What's the goddamn difference?" Roger blurted out.

"Tinsel's thinner, and garland's thicker," Mark said through a mouthful of turkey sandwich.

Mimi shook her head. "No, garland's thinner, and tinsel's thicker."

Jackie shrugged. "Isn't tinsel what you wear in your hair on New Year's Eve?"

Mark looked over at her and started laughing. "Uh, no. That's streamers."

Roger shot a look his way. "What the hell? It's tinsel Mark, not streamers. Streamers and confetti is what falls out of the sky on New Year's Eve. At least in Times Square."

"Okay whatever. But I'm telling you that tinsel is the thin one and garland is the thick one!"

"No it's not!"

Mark rolled his eyes. "Yes, it is."

"You're Jewish! What do you know about Christmas?" Roger argued back.

"Um, I sort of spent every Christmas at your house, or did you forget? Besides, you know I'm right."

"Will you both be quiet! You're going to wake Luke up," Jackie said grumpily. "And if you wake him up he won't fall asleep until later. Then he'll be cranky. That means I have to sit up with him later and I won't get any sleep."

"Sorry," Roger apologized. "We need a second opinion on this garland and tinsel thing."

Mark walked over and kissed the top of Jackie's forehead. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

"Finally! They work!" Mimi said, flattening the strands of lights out. "Not even a bulb burnt out."

"Just wait until you get them on the tree. One's guaranteed to burn out by them."

"Shut up Mark! You're going to jinx it!" Mimi laughed, playfully tousling his hair.

"Yeah really," Roger voiced. Mimi handed him the lights and he started to wrap them around the Christmas tree. "You better watch it or I'm stealing your menorah."

"Oh yeah? Like you used to steal all my chocolate gelt coins?"

Mimi laughed and pinched Roger's ass when she walked by. "Don't steal Mark's gelt."

"Hey! I'm the one who does the ass grabbing around here, okay!" he joked. "Baby can you get me a beer from the fridge?"

Mimi shook her head. "Nope, I think I'm going to check on Jaylynn and Luke instead."

"Mark?"

Mark shook his head. "Nah. Get off your ass and get it yourself."

"You're gonna pay for that," Roger warned. He jumped off the chair and dove for Mark, grabbing him in a headlock. "Noogie time!"

Mark's leg shot out and accidentally caught Roger in his "area", which gave Mark enough time to free his head and jump over the back of the couch.

"Ow! Fucking hell!" Roger shouted out, wincing. "Damn Mark!"

Mimi closed the bedroom door and started laughing hysterically when she saw Roger walking painfully around the loft. "Oh babe," she giggled.

Jackie had covered her mouth and was turning red, she was laughing so hard. Mark grinned up at Roger sheepishly from the floor. "Sorry," he apologized. He couldn't keep a straight face when the doorbell rang.

Collins and Dan walked in and surveyed the scene in front of them. "Bad time?" Collins laughed. Roger was now lying face down on the floor, doubled over in pain. Mark was now standing on the chair, finishing up the lights. Both Jackie and Mimi were trying to hide their laughs so as not to hurt Roger's feelings any further.

"Not a bad time. Mark just knocked Roger in the sac. Accidentally," Mimi answered him.

Dan and Collins glanced at each other and winced.

"Or was it?" Jackie laughed.

"This isn't funny! I'm not laughing. It hurts, okay!" Roger groaned from the floor.

"Want me to get you some ice for it?" Mimi suggested. She crouched over him and kissed the top of his head.

"No."

"I said I was sorry," Mark added. "If you hadn't been an ass and put me in a headlock in the first place it wouldn't have happened. Besides, it's not the first time you've gotten hit there. I think we all have."

"Okay enough." Jackie pointed to the box. "Collins is that garland or tinsel? Dan?"

Dan looked in the box and pulled out the strands. "These two are garland." He held up the silver and gold ones. "This one is tinsel." He tossed the red strand at Mark's feet. "It's not hard. Garland's thicker, tinsel's thinner."

"Told you!" Mark said to Mimi.

"I thought—hmm, never mind. Someone still has to hang up the mistletoe," she pointed out. She plugged the lights back in the outlet.

Roger walked into the living room with a few beers and set them on the coffee table.

"That was a quick recovery." Mark rolled his eyes and jumped off the chair. "Big baby."

"Yeah seriously Roger, that was completely staged. It couldn't have hurt that bad," Jackie laughed. She grabbed a beer off the table and took a sip out of it.

"Oh what is it? Gang up on Roger Davis day? Did everyone drink their haterade this morning?"

"Come to think of it, I had some of it with my coffee and bagel before class," Collins chuckled. "Yes Roger, we are all out to get you."

Roger grabbed the mistletoe and hung it over Mimi's head. "Do I get a kiss?"

"Hmm. Are we done being dramatic?" she asked. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood up.

"Maybe," he smirked. He leaned in to give her a kiss. "Better?"

"Much."

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