Hey babes! Merry Christmas! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, then just happy Saturday to you. I've had a great morning so far, and if I didn't have to go to work, then this day would be perfect. But as promised, here's the second and final part of this little Christmas story.

Enjoy!


*One Year and One Day Later*

Groaning as she rolls over onto her stomach, Riley squeezes her eyes shut and buries her face as deep into her pillow as she can get it, waiting for the current wave of nausea to pass. Either it'll disappear after a moment and she can go on with the rest of her morning like nothing happened, or she'll end up hunched over the toilet for a solid five minutes emptying the contents of her stomach. She prefers the former.

Breathing deeply, she inhales the familiar scent of Mac's cologne from late last night when they'd gotten dressed up to go out to dinner to celebrate their anniversary after their guests left. She took one look at him in his all-black suit and they never made it past the bedroom door. She had barely managed to remember to call the restaurant and cancel their reservation before his lips found all the right places on her body.

Once she's sure the nausea has passed, Riley flips onto her back and stares up at the ceiling. She runs a hand down her face, grateful that for as smart as Mac is, he hasn't put all the pieces together yet. If he did, it would completely ruin her Christmas present for him, something that she's been itching to give him for weeks now. She can't wait to see the look on his face, as long as he's happy about it. Deep down she knows he will be.

Still feeling a little shaky from her bout of early morning nausea, Riley rolls onto her side and scoots across the bed to curl up against Mac, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes. She smiles when his arms wrap instinctively around her, pulling her close. She snuggles in further, pressing a featherlight kiss to his chest before settling back down.

She's not sure how long she falls back asleep for, just that when she wakes up again, Mac's side of the bed is empty. She frowns at his absence but then laughs quietly to herself when she hears a frustrated shout coming from the direction of the kitchen.

Tossing the covers off of her body, she stands slowly and then stretches out her limbs. She quickly goes through her usual morning routine before shuffling out of the bedroom and into the rest of the house. She finds Mac right where she suspected he'd be, in the kitchen in front of the stove, clearly trying to make food but not having a very good time with it.

"Need some help over there?" she asks, leaning against the nearest surface and casually crossing her arms over her chest.

Mac spins around to face her, his eyes going slightly wide. "Riles, hey. I thought you were still sleeping. You seemed like you needed it so I was trying not to wake you."

She smiles at his words, pushing off the surface and walking toward him. "You didn't." She wraps her arms around his waist and leans against him, tilting her head back to rest her chin on his chest. "Merry Christmas."

Mac smiles brightly, leaning down to kiss her as his arms wrap around her. "Merry Christmas." He lets out a small, content sigh as he gently sways them from side to side. "Can't believe it's been a whole year."

"I'm pretty sure you said that last night."

"And I meant it then, too. This has been the best year ever. No contest."

"I'd have to agree with you on that sentiment." She takes a deep breath and sinks a little further into Mac's hold, relishing in the moments like this where it's just the two of them in their home. "I love you so much, Mac."

"I love you too, Riles." He leans down to kiss her again, lingering for a moment before pulling back. "You hungry?"

Riley shrugs. "I guess. Let's just hope I can keep it down."

Mac's brows furrow tightly. "What do you mean? Are you feeling okay?"

She mentally chastises herself for her words, praying that Mac doesn't figure things out just based on that. "I'm okay," she tells him with a small smile. "I think I just might have come down with something, I'm not sure yet."

"How long have you felt like this?" he asks, removing an arm from around her to feel her forehead with the back of his hand. "Have you been having any other symptoms?"

She smiles at the gesture, reaching up to grab his hand and pull it away, holding onto it and pressing a kiss to his palm. "I'm okay, Angus," she tells him quietly. "I promise this is going to pass."

He swallows and nods, replacing his arm around her. "Okay. If you're not hungry right now we could do something else."

"Hmm…let's watch a Christmas movie. But I expect cuddles on the couch and a mug of hot chocolate."

Mac smiles. "Of course. You go pick a movie and I'll make the cocoa."

She rises on her toes enough to press a quick kiss to his lips before she reluctantly steps out of his warm embrace to move into the living room. She grabs a blanket on her way and then settles herself on the couch with the tv remote.

She spends the next few minutes searching every streaming platform for something to watch, listening to the sound of Mac puttering around in the kitchen making their hot chocolate. When she finally decides on a movie, she lets it load and then pauses it while she waits for Mac to finish up in the kitchen.

She leans back into the couch, the blanket draped over her lap, her eyes drifting over to the Christmas tree in the corner, two wrapped gifts sitting in its branches. They'd agreed to only get one gift for each other this year, knowing that they don't need tons of crazy expensive gifts to have a good Christmas together. Plus, they got some good gifts yesterday when they had her mom, Bozer, and Leanna over to exchange gifts, watch movies, and make Christmas cookies. She's pretty sure it's her new favorite tradition that they accidentally started last year.

"One hot chocolate flavored with peppermint for the lady," Mac's voice interrupts her thoughts. He's standing next to her, holding out a mug of cocoa with a smile on his face.

She takes it from him with a smile, cradling it in her hands and letting its warmth seep into her skin. "Thanks." She lifts the cup to her lips and takes a tentative sip, though she knows Mac would never let it be too hot for her to drink; he's thoughtful like that. Her eyes drift down as Mac sits next to her, catching on a tray sitting on the coffee table in front of them. Her brows furrow slightly. "Is that supposed to be a charcuterie board?"

Mac shrugs. "I guess. You said you weren't feeling too well, so I figured I'd do this instead of continuing to try and make you an actual meal right now. As you can see, it's mostly just crackers and some cheese. Plus some of the cookies we made yesterday, if you wanted any."

Riley can feel the tears building in her eyes as she looks at Mac, though she quickly blinks them away, not wanting him to worry about her again. "It's perfect, thank you."

He smiles. "You're welcome." He takes a deep breath and leans back, lifting his arm onto the back of the couch, a silent invitation for her to lean into him. "So, what movie did you decide on?"

Riley shuffles closer to him, grabbing the remote as she does, and relaxes against his familiar form. "You'll see." She presses play on the movie and then lets her body relax further into Mac, pulling the blanket higher up onto her lap.

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas," Mac says when the movie starts. "Excellent choice."

Riley smiles to herself as she takes another long sip of her cocoa, resting her head on Mac's shoulder as she focuses on the opening scenes of the movie playing out across the room. It's definitely one of her favorite holiday films, hence why she picked it, and she loves that Mac enjoys watching it too.

At some point during the film, she pulls the cheese and cracker board into her lap to munch on. After feeling so nauseous that morning, she's genuinely not sure if she can handle eating anything substantial right now. Maybe later she'll be able to, but for now, crackers and cheese are good enough.

By the end of the film, she's finished the entire cheese and cracker platter (and nibbled a couple of cookies) and is lying across the couch with her head resting comfortably in Mac's lap. One of his hands is settled on her waist, his thumb gently rubbing against the small patch of skin exposed between her shirt and the hem of her shorts.

"I will never get tired of that movie," she remarks as she slowly pushes herself up so she's sitting up on her knees. She shuffles closer to Mac and leans down to kiss him. "Thanks for being so good to me."

"You make it pretty easy. What do you want to do now?"

Riley sits back on her heels and shakes her head. "You decide."

Mac takes a deep breath and nods. "Okay." He stands from the couch and crosses over to the Christmas tree, grabbing the presents and carrying them back with him to the couch. He sets both boxes on the coffee table and then sits, turning a little to face her and tucking one leg underneath his body. "I think we should open our presents now. We've waited long enough."

Riley nods. "I agree." She glances over at the two gifts. "So who's going to open theirs first?"

"You go," Mac tells her, reaching out to nudge the small gift box a little closer toward her. "But you need to do it out on the deck."

Riley smiles at Mac's enthusiasm as she reaches for the box, despite her slight confusion at having to open her present outside. "Alright. I guess I'm opening this on the deck." She holds onto the tiny box as she stands from the couch and shuffles past her boyfriend to head toward the back of the house.

As soon as she steps outside, she moves a little closer to the unlit fireplace, peeling the wrapping paper off the box and letting it fall. She pulls the lid off the box and turns it over, dumping the contents into her hand.

It takes a split second for the realization of what the box is to hit her. A quiet gasp escapes past her lips, tears immediately springing to her eyes before she even opens the small black box. Seconds later, something small and white lands on the box, then another and another.

Tilting her head back, Riley lets out a laugh when she sees what looks like snow falling from the sky, but it's only landing on the deck. A sense of deja vu washes over her, making her smile brightly.

"It's been a while since you've had a white Christmas, so I decided to fix that."

Riley turns around to see Mac walking up the steps and moving toward her across the deck, a wide smile on his face too. "You made it snow for me the first Christmas we spent together."

Mac nods as he stops right in front of her. "Indeed I did. One of my favorite inventions, because it made you smile. And I love your smile."

Riley smiles as she steps closer, rising on her toes just enough to give him a quick kiss, one of her hands automatically finding its place in the hair at the nape of his neck. She holds the box between them when she pulls back a little, her heart already racing in her chest with excitement and anticipation. "I take it that whatever's in here has something to do with this trip down memory lane?"

"You would be correct." Mac takes the box from her and then takes a small step back, her hand falling from his hair.

Riley has to blink a few times to clear away her building tears, watching the love of her life as he lowers himself to one knee.

Mac takes a deep breath, staring straight up into her eyes. "Riles, I have loved you for so much of the time that I've known you. I love everything about who you are and the way you interact with the world around you. Every day I wake up with the knowledge that I am the luckiest man alive to get to be loved by you, and I want to hold onto that feeling for the rest of my life. So, Riley Davis, will you marry me?" He lifts the box closer to her as he flips the lid.

Riley laughs quietly when she sees what's sitting inside. It's an engagement ring, yes, but one that's very clearly made out of a paper clip that's been twisted together into a circle, with a smaller circular shape sitting on the center to resemble a jewel. "That doesn't look like any engagement ring I've ever seen."

"That's because it's one of a kind. Just like you."

Riley laughs through her tears at Mac's sweet words. "It's perfect," she manages to get out. "I love it. And I love you, Mac. So much."

"Does that mean you'll marry me?" Mac asks her, tears shining in his own eyes.

Riley nods. "Yes, of course." She grins as Mac plucks the ring out of the box and slides it onto her finger. Without a moment's hesitation, she crashes her lips to Mac's, sinking down to sit on his knee, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck for balance. She kisses him deeply, smiling against his lips when he kisses her back just as passionately.

After a moment, she reluctantly pulls away, laughing quietly when Mac's lips chase after her. She leans her forehead against his, letting one hand fall away from his neck so it can rest on his chest. "Here I was thinking I got you the most perfect Christmas present, and then you go and do that."

Mac chuckles, lifting his head to smile at her. "Guess I'm just the best at giving gifts."

Riley smiles knowingly. "Uh-huh. We'll see about that. Wait right here." She gives him another kiss, brushing a few of his snowflakes off of his face, and then stands to make her way into the house, heading straight for the coffee table where her present to Mac still sits. She picks it up and holds it carefully in her hands, taking a deep breath to settle her nerves before turning around to go back outside.

When she steps onto the deck, she finds Mac standing near the railing, looking out at the city below. She stands at the bottom of the steps watching him with a smile; he's a picture of perfection with their personal winter falling on him. After a moment she forces herself up the stairs and across the deck toward him, the Christmas present in her hands growing heavier with each step she takes.

He turns as she gets closer, greeting her with a bright smile.

She stops right in front of him and holds the box up in her palms. "Merry Christmas."

Mac takes the gift box from her, holding it in his hands for a moment before he begins unwrapping it.

Riley waits with bated breath as she watches Mac remove the ribbon, then the wrapping paper, tossing both to the floor of the deck. Her fingers absentmindedly play with her newest piece of jewelry as she watches him pull the lid off the box, then peel back the tissue paper that's covering his gift.

She keeps her eyes trained on his face, watching first as confusion crosses over his features, which is quickly replaced with shock, and then joyous disbelief. She has tears in her eyes as she watches the realization hit him, his face finally lifting to look at her.

"Riles…" he breathes out, nothing but pure and genuine love for her shining in his crystal blue eyes.

Riley nods with a smile, reaching out to grab one of his hands and gently place it on her stomach. She doesn't need to say a word.

Mac grins, tears filling his eyes as he pulls her into a fierce hug, his arms encircling her back as he buries his face in the crook of her neck. His present falls to the ground, a simple positive pregnancy test and a sonogram, but neither of them pays it any mind as they embrace under their own snow-filled afternoon sky.

Riley holds tightly to Mac, one of her hands sliding up into his hair, her fingers lightly scratching at his scalp. "I take it you like your present," she mumbles quietly.

Mac lifts his head to look at her, tear tracks clear on his face. "Riley…of course I do. Hands down, the best Christmas present I've ever received. When did you find out?"

"A few weeks ago. I wanted to tell you right away, but when I remembered that Christmas was coming up, I thought it'd be a good present."

"It absolutely was. I love you so much." He kisses her again and then drops to his knees in front of her, leaning forward and pushing her shirt up just enough so he can press a kiss right above her navel. "And I love you too. Mommy and daddy can't wait to meet you. I promise that we're going to do our absolute best to raise you right. And we will always love you, no matter what."

Riley's heart swells with his words, nearly bursting with how much love she has in it for this man. And now it has all the love for her kid in it, too. She never thought it'd be possible to hold so much love for two people, one of whom she hasn't even met yet, but here she is.

"You know, I think this is my favorite Christmas, by far," Mac tells her, smiling brightly up at her, his hand still resting on her belly. "No other Christmas can or will ever top this one."

Riley quirks a brow at him. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Riley laughs quietly. "Next year it'll be baby MacGyver's first Christmas."

Mac just beams and then stands to pull her in for a searing kiss, his hands gently squeezing her hips.

Riley smiles against his lips as she kisses him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Seconds later she's being lifted off the ground and spun around, her legs immediately wrapping around Mac's waist as one of her hands digs into his hair and gently tugs. He groans against her lips, sending a shiver down the center of her spine.

Before she knows it, they're back inside the house and she's lying on the couch with Mac hovering above her, his lips attaching themselves to every part of her body he can find. She's panting heavily before too long, eager for Mac to just get on with it, but he keeps teasing her, never going exactly where she wants him.

A familiar buzzing echoes loudly, breaking the bubble they'd encased themselves in. She reaches out blindly to grab her phone off the coffee table so she can silence it, glancing at the screen to make sure it's nothing important. A smile tugs at her lips when she sees the new text on the screen, a photo attached to it.

She quickly opens the message and smiles a little wider at what she sees. "Babe," she says, getting Mac's attention. "Jason's grandmother just texted me. She said that he loves the gift we sent him."

Mac smiles. "That's great. I miss that kid."

"Me too." Riley quickly sends a reply to the message and then silences her phone, setting it back on the table. "You know, last year was fun with Jason and I will always love that kid, but I think it's going to be a lot more fun doing all of that stuff with a baby that's all ours."

Mac smiles, leaning down to kiss her gently. He pulls away just enough to rest his forehead against hers. "I know exactly what you mean. And I can't wait to experience all of that." He kisses her again, slower this time. "Merry Christmas, Riles."

Smile on her face, Riley reaches up to run a hand through Mac's hair, lightly scratching his scalp before sliding it down to cup his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Mac."


So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!