December 1979, Minneapolis

"What is the occasion that Herb is allowing us to have the afternoon off?" OC asked as they skated towards the locker room. I was walking along side of them.

"Herb and dad have to meet with the USOC this afternoon." I told them. "Hey, why don't you guys come over to the apartment this afternoon? I was going to decorate for Christmas and it's always more fun with friends." I said.

"You're just one big Christmas elf, aren't you?" Coxie said with a smile.

"Sure I'll be there." Rizzo said.

"Rizzo, you were going to be there anyway." I said with a smile. "If some of the other guys come it'll be less suspicious should dad come home early or something. And besides, we're all going to be together for Christmas anyway!"

"I'll come as long as I don't have to string popcorn." Silk said and we all looked at him. "My mom makes me do that. I hate doing that."

"Is there going to be eggnog?" Mac asked. "I'll come and 'spice it up'."

"Great, so far I have my boyfriend, one that hates stringing popcorn and one that wants to get drunk." I said rolling my eyes.

"I'll come. I love Christmas." Cox said.

"I'll be there, my mom loved Christmas too." Jimmy Craig said and I reach over and squeezed his hand.

"Well now if I don't go, I'll be considered a Scrooge, so I better go too." OC said.

"How about you Johnson?" I asked. "We always got room for more."

"Sounds fun." Johnson said.

"Coneheads?" I asked looking at Buzz and Bah.

Buzz whispered something to Bah and then looked at me, "Do you have any mistletoe?"

"Yeah Chev, do you have any mistletoe?" Mac asked me.

"Mistletoe? If she doesn't have any, I can find some." Johnson said.

"Hey get in line." Cox said and winked.

"Hey hey hey, this is my girlfriend you're talking about." Rizzo said and put his arm around me. "I'll bring the lip balm so she doesn't get chapped lips." He said with a wink.

"Thanks a lot dear. I love you too." I said sarcastically. "But I am glad you are all coming."

I left the arena and went to the apartment so I could get things ready while they were showering up. The whole team had perked up since Tim Harrer had been sent home. Rizzo was still struggling but seemed comforted that if he was cut it would be fair and he could deal with it. I was trying to enjoy the holidays and not worry about which one was going to be cut.

I fixed the boys some hot chocolate and dragged out the decorations I had bought earlier that week. I told daddy that I insisted on decorating for Christmas, even if we were away from Detroit. He smiled and said it was okay with him. And I was really looking forward to having the boys decorate with me. Silly as it sounds, it was like an old-fashioned family tree trimming.

And I was especially excited to be sharing the holidays with Rizzo. He and I were so close and I loved him so much. I had always felt the holidays were a time for love and family, but this year it was a lot of love. I was to the point that every time I thought about Rizzo my knees went weak and I felt all mushy inside.

I heard a knock on the door. I peeked out through the peephole and saw the boys standing on the deck.

I opened the door, "Come on in guys, there is hot chocolate on the coffee table for all of you." I told them. Rizzo kissed me as he walked by.

"You really are like the young sexy version of Mrs. Claus." Silk said.

"Thanks, I think." I said. "Christmas in Minneapolis is as cold as Christmas in Detroit."

I joined the boys in the living room. I grabbed my own mug of cocoa and sat on Rizzo's lap. This was so cozy; it really felt like holiday time.

"So what all do we have to do?" OC asked.

"Where is the mistletoe?" Bah asked.

"Bah, you wouldn't kiss me anyway because I am not a blonde!" I said sarcastically.

"I am an equal opportunity hair color kisser. Where is that mistletoe?" Cox said.

"I gotta say Coxie, besides Rizzo. I'd kiss you before I would the rest of these jokers!" I said with a wink.

The guys all mock protested and I giggled. "Where is the Christmas tree?" Rizzo asked.

"In a box in the spare room. There are like 12 bags of ornaments in there too. And Patti sent over a couple stocking with mine and daddy's names on them." I said. "And I bought a few other decorations too."

"You forgot the partridge in a pear tree." Jimmy Craig said. We all laughed.

"Well let's get started. I want to go shopping when this is all over. I want to send a few things back home." Silk said.

"Yeah, we should go Christmas shopping together." Johnson said.

"Me and Rizzo have to back at the dorms by 9:00 tonight. It's Dallas night." I said and heard a few chuckles.

"Yeah, heaven forbid we miss seeing Miss Ellie, JR and Bobby." OC said sarcastically.

"Hey somebody knows their names." I pointed out. "Anyways, Rizzo you help me carry stuff in from the back room. Coneheads, clear out the area in front of that picture window, move that table somewhere. Johnson, Mac clear off the mantle."

"No making out in that back room." Silk yelled after me and Rizzo as we started out of the room.

"Chev, I can't believe you bought this much stuff." Rizzo said.

"What can I say? I love the holidays. Besides, I didn't want dad to feel like he had dragged me away from my home at the holidays. My home is anywhere as long as I am with him." I said.

"You really love him, don't you?" Rizzo said picking up the box that had the tree.

"Yeah, he is the best. I couldn't have asked for a better father. He raised me all alone and never once complained. Put me through college." I said as I picked up several bags of ornaments and decorations. "But now that I think about, home isn't just as long as I am with daddy anymore. It's also as long as I am with you."

"You mean that, Chev?" Rizzo asked.

"Yeah, I really do. I love you so much. And I think I could be in New Zealand and as long as I was with you, I'd be happy." I told him.

"I love you too, Chev. And no matter what happens with the team, you know if I get cut or something…I love you." Rizzo said.

I started to cry a bit. Rizzo set down the box and pulled me into his arms. It was funny; we were making these beautiful declarations of love to each other in a spare room while holding Christmas decorations!

"We better get out there before they think we really are making out!" I laughed.

"Maybe we can make out later, like after Dallas because heaven forbid you miss Patrick Duffy!" Rizzo joked.

"Sounds great." I said giving him a quick kiss and carrying my decorations to the living room.

The boys opened the box and started assembling the tree. Silk read the directions as we all tried getting the branches in the right places.

"Hey Jimmy, why don't you and Mac start putting lights on the tree?" I said and then turned to the others and whispered "because I hate doing that."

"Where is the mistletoe?" Bah asked.

"There is no mistletoe!" I pretended to freak out. "There is no mistletoe. Do you all honestly think that I would let any of you, besides Rizzo, kiss me?"

Bah and Buzz did put some garland and tinsel around the mantel. I hung up the stockings. "It was so nice of Patti to make you and your dad stockings." Buzz said.

"She is a sweetheart. She has also invited daddy and me over on Christmas day for dinner." I said. "And of course you all know that Doc and his wife are having us for Christmas Eve."

"Hey Chev, where do you want these candles?" Cox asked holding up two red candles.

"Oh put those in the window." I told him. "I like to put a candle in the window. Symbolizes hope."

"And we all know the US needs to put hope in something right now. Those poor hostages in Iran, transportation problems are getting worse; President Carter is getting heat from all sides." OC said. "A candle in the window is kind of a nice thought."

"How are the lights coming guys?" I asked them. I looked at the tree. "Oh Silky, Mac, Jimmy the lights look wonderful."

"Are you going to cry?" Johnson asked.

"Not until the star is put on top." I said. "But it looks so beautiful."

"Coxie, the candle display in the window looks nice." Johnson said.

"Let's start on the ornaments, everybody grab a bag and some hooks." I said.

For the next hour the boys and I hung ornaments on the tree. The resulting tree looked beautiful. It really felt like Christmas. We all stood back to admire the tree. I hugged Rizzo.

"It's time to put the star on the tree." Jimmy said.

"Which one of you wants to do it?" I asked.

"Well it's your tree Chevon, you should do it." Johnson said.

"But I am way too short to reach the top of the tree." I said.

"Hey I can fix that." Rizzo said. "Here Chev, I'm going to lift you on my shoulder and you put the star on top."

"Just don't drop me." I said

Rizzo lifted me up and onto his shoulder, OC handed the star up to me. I carefully leaned over and placed it on the top of the tree. The boys all started clapping. Rizzo set me back on the ground and I hugged him tight. I was crying a few tears.

"Let's go shopping everybody." Mac yelled.

"Yeah, we have to be back in time for Mrs. Eruzione to watch Dallas." Silk said with a laugh.

"Damn, we got married and I missed it." I said with a wink to Rizzo. "I missed my own wedding."

"Damn, I missed the wedding night!" Rizzo said. The guys all laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"Let me leave daddy a note so he knows where I am and then we can leave." I said.

On the bus ride down there, I was sitting next to Rizzo. We were talking about what we should buy his parents for Christmas and send back to them.

Mac and Jimmy Craig walked back to where were seated. "Chev, we need a favor." Mac said.

"Sure, anything boys." I said.

"We need a pair of women's panties." Mac said.

"What?" I asked and looked at Rizzo who just shrugged.

"Yeah, would you buy a pair of women's panties for us?" Jimmy said.

"Guys, I know there was a gay rights march in October in DC but let's not get carried away here." I said sarcastically. "Why would you need women's panties?"

"We just do. If we buy them, well people would think we were rapists or perverts or something. But no one would mind a woman buying panties." Jimmy said.

I looked at them, wondering what they were up to. "Okay is there any particular color you want?"

"No, color doesn't matter but make sure they are something a little fancy." Mac said. "Like something you would wear if you had a hott date."

"I think you guys are insane, but okay." I said.

"And don't tell anyone else about this. It's a kind of surprise." Mac said.

I sighed, wondering what they were up to. Once we arrived downtown, we all went shopping. I decided to go ahead and get the "panties" for the boys.

"Rizzo what should I get for Mac?" I asked him as we walked towards lingerie.

"How should I know, you never let me see your panties." Rizzo said and I rolled my eyes. "You don't actually expect me to go in the women's underwear section do you?"

"Of course not, you can hang out somewhere and wait on me." I told him.

I gave him a quick kiss then went into women's lingerie. I had no idea what to get. 'What would I wear to show off for Rizzo?' I wondered. I found that I had been contemplating that question more and more lately as Rizzo and I grew closer. I found a bin of what looked like silk and lace underwear. I sifted through looking for something pretty. I finally decided on a light purple pair that was made from silk and lace.

I walked back over to where Rizzo was standing. "Hey, what do you think of these?" I asked holding them up for him to see.

"I think you should model them for me. You know, help me make a better judgment." Rizzo said.

"I'll take that to mean you like them." I said. "I just wish I knew what those two wanted with them."

"Who knows?" Rizzo said. "Do you actually own any underwear like those?"

"Good grief Eruzione, your hormones are on overdrive today. Take a cold shower or something!" I said with a laugh. "And yes, I do own underwear like these."

"Ooohhh, you're breaking my heart here." Rizzo said taking my hand.

We left the store and caught up with Mac. "Here you go? What are they for anyway?"

Mac looked inside the bag. "These are perfect. Thanks, Chev. You're the best." Mac kissed my cheek and ran off.

"Perfect for what?" I called after him. "Is he cross dressing in private or something?"

"I don't think so." Rizzo said.

Just wanted to once again thank all my readers/reviewers! I really appreciate all the feedback. I get so excited when I see review messages! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

meadow567- I appreciate that you continue to send reviews! You're my most faithful reviewer!

Emador- Thanks so much for the reviews and all the nice things you said! I am so glad you liked the dream date chapter! There wereonly 3 guys that I could picture actually doing that for Chevon. (Obviously Rizzo was one of them!) The Christmas chapter will be coming soon. It is going to long!