It was the day before Christmas Eve and Carson and Rodney were lounging on the couch, being very lazy.

"Don't you boys still have presents to wrap?" Peg asked as she placed the last of her wrapped presents under the tree.

"I finished last night," Carson answered. "Rodney still has the majority of his, however."

"Now would be the perfect time," caroled Peg.

"But that would ruin my plans for the day," Rodney replied without opening his eyes.

"What plans are those?" asked Carson.

"The ones that involve me and you sitting on the couch all day."

Carson and Peg exchanged a look. "Well, those plans would have been grand if you had talked to me about them. But as it is, we're going to the station to pick up Jeannie."

Rodney sat up. "What? Why are we picking my sister up?"

"She called us yesterday and asked if she could stay here. Apparently she got into a fight with your parents and couldn't cancel her tickets. We thought you wouldn't mind," explained Peg.

"No, not at all." Rodney then bounced up and went to wrap his presents.

"I hope this cheers him up a bit," Carson said as Rodney left the room.

Peg gave his son a questioning look. "Is something wrong?"

Carson sighed. "I think it's getting to him that his parents don't want to spend the holidays with him. I think the fact that his sister still wants to be around him will help."

"I didn't realize that this was affecting him so much."

"He tries not to let it show, but sometimes it really gets to him."

"Is that why he was distant after you got back from your party the other day?"

Carson nodded. "Just seeing where he used to live and knowing that he could never go back was hard."

"I can imagine." Peg was silent as she thought about what would make a parent turn away their children. She came up blank. "Have you heard from any off the universities you applied to?"

Carson shook his head. "No, but I only sent in the applications a few weeks ago. I don't really expect a response quite yet."

"How about Rodney?"

"I don't think he's heard anything. He would have said something."

Just then Rodney came out. "What time do we have to leave to pick up Jeannie?"

"You have a few hours yet. She was going to call as she was coming in."

Rodney nodded and went back to wrapping. At least that what they assumed he was doing since they only heard the sounds of The Postal Service emanating from the room.

As soon as Peg stopped the car at the station, Rodney hopped out and looked around for his sister. "Jeannie!" he yelled when he spotted her.

"Rodney! Hey, how have, what's wrong?" she asked as her younger brother attached himself to her. She looked up in confusion at Carson who just shook his head slightly.

Rodney finally pulled back and looked at Jeannie. "Why didn't you call me and tell me you were coming in? I only heard about this a few hours ago!"

"Well, at first I couldn't reach you. And then after I told Carson, we decided it would be better to surprise you. Surprise!"

After giving his boyfriend a slight glare for keeping this a secret from him, Rodney turned back and asked, "How long are you staying for"

"I head back on the first. Classes start back up on the second this year."

"Are you serious?"

Jeannie nodded. "So John tells me that you got him a giant pink teddy bear for Christmas?"

"Did he also tell you that I got him Sonic tickets? The little wanker."

Jeannie stopped dead in her tracks. "You willingly bought tickets to a sporting event?"

Peg and Carson chuckled. "No, he had me go and buy them for him. When I told him that he could just buy them online, he stammered a few words and then muttered something about the principle of the thing," answered Peg.

Jeannie sighed. "Oh, that's a relief. I was afraid that a pod person had replaced my brother."

"No, Rodney is still Rodney, but we love him regardless," Carson said as he wrapped his arm around Rodney's waist.

"I think there was an insult in there somewhere," commented Rodney.

"Of course, luv."

The car ride back was filled with updates on how the two McKay children had been since they saw each other last. When they got home, they both proceeded to the guest room where they shut themselves away.

Carson sighed when the door clicked shut. "I guess I'll just start dinner then."

"I'll help. I can't think of the last time we cooked dinner together," said Peg as she looked in the cupboards.

"That would be grand. I'm sorry I haven't been the best of sons for the past few months," started Carson.

"Carson," interrupted his mom. "You are the best son a mum could hope for. You are just growing up, making your own life. I'm proud of you." Peg then gave him a kiss on his forehead. "I know your father would be as well. But I also know that dinner won't cook itself."

Carson gave his mom a hug before opening up the fridge. "Chicken, potatoes, and vegetables?"

"I call the potatoes."

"Oh sure, take the easy one."

Rodney and Jeannie still hadn't emerged by the time Peg and Carson had finished with dinner. Carson tentively knocked. "Dinner's ready."

"We'll be right out," replied Jeannie.

Carson became very concerned when he saw Rodney. It was very evident, to him at least, that he had been crying. While Carson knew that Rodney was torn up about his family situation, he didn't know it was affecting him so much.

Dinner was a little strained, what with Jeannie trying to put on a happy face and Rodney barely saying a word. That in itself was enough to alert Peg and Carson that there was something wrong. Normally they couldn't get Rodney to shut up at dinner.

It was later that night when Carson finally had a chance to talk with Rodney. They had just gotten into bed when Carson started talking. "Rodney?"

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you ever talk to me about how much this has been bothering you?"

Rodney raised his from Carson's chest. "Nothing's bothering me."

"Rodney, luv, you know you can tell me anything."

Rodney opened his mouth to deny everything again, but seeing the concern in his love's eyes broke his resolve. "I didn't want to tell you since there really wasn't anything you could do about it and you wouldn't understand."

"Sometimes just talking about a thing can make it better," Carson softly answered.

Rodney was silent for a while. "It does bother me that my parents want nothing to do with me. I've always seen all my friend's parents doing things with them, for them. I've never been grounded or punished for anything. John's always complained about that, but I look at it as his parents are caring enough. Did you know that for a science fair I built a prototype atomic bomb? You know what my parents' response was? 'That's nice.' No punishment for building that had the potential to wipe out a city. The FBI had more to say than my parents. How sad is that?"

Carson had no reply. He brushed away the tears that had fallen and then gently placed a kiss on Rodney's lips. "I know nothing I say can change the past. Nothing I say can make your parents love you. All I can say is that right here and right now, I love you. Everyone in this house loves you and cares about what happens to you."

Rodney grabbed Carson's face and poured all the love he felt into the soft lips under his. "What did I do to deserve you?" he asked when the broke apart.

"I ask myself the same question."

"I have a question though. How do you know your mom cares?"

Carson smiled. "Besides the fact that she told me? Didn't she take away your Internet, phone, and television privileges for a few when she learned what you did to some of the teacher's cars at school?"

"I had forgotten about that. It really wasn't a big deal to me since I had no one to talk to and I could just go online at school. Huh." Rodney laid his head back down on Carson's chest.

Rodney was silent for a long time and Carson thought he had fallen asleep. So he was totally unprepared for a pair of lips attaching to his and hands wandering under his top. "Rodney?"

"Less talking, more action." Action it was.