-Disclaimer in first chapter-
A/N: My Internet was broken for the longest time. And yes, I can only imagine the amount of heartbreak all my readers have. Well, sorry about the delay. And here we go……
Ch 5. Our First Noel
.:Christmas Eve Night:.
Months have passed, now the whole hospital knew about, "Carter and Lucy" (and not just in exam 6) they have been seeing each other when they can, a date at least once a week, and stolen kisses in the hallway. But nothing serious, nothing until their first Christmas.
Carter snuck into Lucy's apartment on his way to work. He had to be in, for the night shift and 11, it was 10:24, and he was pulling a double. Lucy has pulled a double the night before. She was exhausted, but Carter wanted to give Lucy her gift tonight. He slowly made his way up the stairs and quietly found Lucy's hidden key. He opened the door and looked around the peaceful, warm environment. He paused and took it all in, he wanted to be the way to lay with Lucy in bed, in a surrounding like this. He peeked under her small, plastic tree and saw a rectangular box marked for himself. He continued to tiptoe into her bedroom. There she was, Lucy Knight, breathing softly and slowly, he walked over and sat on the foot of the bed. He pulled jingle bells out of his pocket and began to ring them, softly, then louder.
Lucy stirred and rolled over, pulling the blankets over her head.
Carter bent down and whispered in her ear, "Luce, Santa's here."
Lucy opened an eye, saw Carter then rolled back over on her stomach, "I knew I shouldn't have told you where I hid my key."
"Come on get up! I want to give you my gift on Christmas!" He stood up and patted her back.
She rolled over and sat up, keeping the blankets close to her, "It's not Christmas for another hour and a half," she whined.
"Well I have a shift and I wanted to see you okay?" He walked into the kitchen and turned the lights on dim.
Lucy walked slowly out, wrapped up in blankets and yawning, "I hope this is worth it." She bent over and picked up a large rectangular wrapped box, then sat on the couch.
Carter sat next to her and laughed, "Are you even under all those blankets?"
She smiled and yawned, "Barely," she scooted over closer to him. "Ok, who first?"
Carter shook his head and smiled.
"Ok I'm going first," She set her present for her boyfriend aside and sat on her knees; with a smile and a glow her two blue diamond eyes.
"Aren't we greedy?"
"Oh come on!" She reached over to grab it.
"Hey that's no fair!" He picked her out of the layers of blankets, and pinned her onto the couch as he tickled her hips and stomach.
She giggled and kicked and squirmed, "Carter! Stop it!" She laughed and finally swatted his hands away and sat up still flushed and smiling, "Ahh now I'm cold." She laid down, resting her head on the arm of the couch as Carter laid on his right side, facing her and supporting his head with his hand.
"Well you are wearing a tank top and shorts in the December, Luce." He handed her the wrapped box and kissed her nose, "It's not much of anything, we were at the mall one time and I remembered you looking at these, and uh Merry Christmas."
She smiled and slowly tore the paper off the box, once it was stripped of all its paper; she smiled at Carter and slowly opened the black velvet square box. "Oh my god, Carter," her eyes widened and she pulled the necklace out. It a cluster of diamonds, placed into the shape of a heart, and collapsed by a white gold chain. She sat up and held it out in front of her, "Wow!" She gasped out staring at it, "Carter this… I can't believe you got this for me!" He took the necklace from her hands and tossed her hair out of the way, and clipped it. He straightened it around her neck. She looked down and took the diamond cluster with her two fingers and smiled.
He pressed his lips to her upper shoulder blade and whispered, "You look beautiful."
He had no idea what came in him that night; it must have been her. Sitting there so casually in shorts and a tank top, tired, late, on Christmas Eve which made him want to be with her every night like this. Just to watch her sleep and wake her up, kiss her whenever he wanted to.
She turned around and faced him, smiling ever so happy, "I can't believe you remembered this, and got it for me! It must have cost you like a fortune," she said as she stared at the diamonds around her neck.
Rubbing her shoulder he asked, "So you like it?"
Lucy smiled and kissed his hand, "I love it! Thank you."
He winked at her and pointed to the better-wrapped, larger box on the coffee table.
"No no no, mine sucks believe me."
"I bet it doesn't," he argued and tried to reach over, across Lucy and grab the present.
The present was pulled off the table and behind Lucy's back, "Trust me, it's nothing compared to yours."
"I think I'm going to like it," He pulled the box out of her hands, behind her back and began to untie the red ribbon, "Nice wrapping job."
Her eyes fell with disappointment and her face turned red from embarrassment, "Carter really…"
"Really nothing," he slowly unwrapped the gold wrapping paper and every now and then glanced up at her worried face, "You know you worry too much."
Lucy shrugged and watched as her boyfriend opened the box.
"Oh my god! Lucy!" He exclaimed and pulled the dark leather coat out of it's brown cardboard box "This is great!"
Her eyes met his doubtfully and she shrugged, "I know it's not what you usually get your boyfriend for Christmas but you're always cold in that coat," She pointed to his brown, dirty coat, which was hanging on the clothes hanger, "And I just saw it and thought of you."
Carter stood up and placed the smooth leather around him and onto his shoulders, smiling, "Ahh it is warm," he sat back down on the couch and hugged the coat around himself, "Thank you, Lucy." And with that he kissed her lips, while touching the glowing rocks on her neck.
Her hands traveled under his coat and her lips so perfectly fit with his.
.: Back to the Present:.
Bridget's eyes were beaming wide and staring throughout the whole story. She was quiet and never made a peep until now, "Dad," she interrupted and tapped Carter on the shoulder.
Carter stopped talking, and looked at his little girl, "Yeah babe?"
"Do you still have the necklace?"
Carter stood up and pulled a box out of under his bed, "I think so," he kept the box on the floor. There were things in there Bridget couldn't see, things he hadn't looked at for years. It was funny, after years of being a couple, everything that was left, everything Carter could, he saved inside a box, everything from all those years. He pulled out a jewelry box and opened it slowly. There were necklaces and bracelets sparkling all throughout the box. He pulled out the necklace he had given Lucy on their first Christmas. Once the box was back under the bed, the father sat back on the bed and clamped the necklace around Bridget's neck. She smiled and looked back at Carter, "Do I look like mommy?"
With his eyes welling up, he touched the diamonds on her neck, nodded and smiled at her, "Yeah…you look beautiful."
She flushed and stood up, "I have to go to the bathroom, but don't start without me!" She ran out as fast as she could.
While she was gone, Carter thought about the rest of that Christmas Eve night. He smiled and closed his eyes while he recounted everything.
.: Back to Christmas Eve:.
He laid next to Lucy and smiled, she smiled too.
She was staring at her diamonds that fell so glamorously around her neck looking at Carter she said, "If you don't like it, I can take it back,"
"Lucy, I love it! Best present I ever got now please drop it!"
She sighed, "Ok ok, its dropped."
He smiled at her, and leaned over her and kissed her tender lips.
She sighed and kissed him back.
While kissing, he moved one his hands onto her face and struck it so softly, while the other was smoothing her shoulder.
She closed her eyes and kissed just as passionately, just as hard.
He moved his lips from hers, and onto her neck. He sucked and kissed her neck and shoulders, every part he could.
"Carter…" She whispered and sat up, "John, wait."
Carter took his face away from hers and looked at Lucy, "You okay?"
"I don't think we should be doing this, not tonight anyways," She looked at her hands.
Carter pushed himself up and sat up straight, "Yeah…" he agreed as he felt like hiding under the couch out of embarrassment.
She smiled and looked at him, "I just… I don't want to do anything until we are sure of things, ok?"
Carter nodded and smiled slightly, "Yeah, and I have a shift."
Lucy laughed and took his hands.
Again smiling and looking at his girlfriend, she asked, "This is really going somewhere though isn't it?"
He nodded and put his arm around her shoulder, "Afraid?"
"No." she said softly, as she rested her head onto Carter's chest.
Their smiles met as they kissed one another passionately, even though it was just for a little while, it meant the world to Carter.
They pulled away and looked at each other before Carter stood up, "Well, I'm late."
She also stood up and hugged the blankets tightly around herself, "Yeah, I'll see you… when I see you I guess."
"I'm guessing whenever I page you down."
She nodded, placed her hands on Carter's shoulders and kissed him one last time, "Merry Christmas, John."
"Merry Christmas, Lucy," he winked at her, walked away, locking the door on the way out.