A/N It's an hour from Christmas Day here and I thought I'd leave a Christmas gift for all my lovely readers. I hope you all have a safe, happy and healthy Christmas. I'm going away for a few days but this is a extra long post and I'll post again as soon as I get back. Have a good one!

Ryan's confession

Ryan was chopping up peppers and mushrooms for the omelettes when he heard the phone ring. He panicked for a moment thinking that it was Dan calling back to try to get him to change his mind and keep his confidence but then realising that Dan would have called his cell … he relaxed again. The first thing that Ryan had done when he'd left the bedroom had been to call Dan but the call had gone straight to voicemail. Ryan had left him a message telling him of his intentions to reveal everything to Marissa. He had apologised but said that there was no other way. He refused to keep something like this from his wife any longer.

He had to admit to himself that he was quite happy that Dan hadn't answered. He suspected that they may have disagreed about what Ryan intended to do. But this way, it would probably be all over before Dan even knew about it. Ryan intended to tell Marissa just as soon as they had eaten. He was just about to stop what he was doing and clean up his hands to answer the phone when he heard it stop ringing and assumed that Marissa had picked it up. He smiled and continued what he was doing gathering together the rest of the ingredients for the omelettes and wondering to himself just what Marissa's surprise was. No doubt that was what the phone call was about. His smile widened as he thought about this new level of togetherness and understanding that they finally seemed to have reached. He couldn't wait to tell Marissa about Julie and finally have everything out in the open between them.

---

"Yes." She said flatly.

"Please don't hang up on me." Julie asked.

"I'm not even sure why I answered." Marissa replied. "What do you want?" she asked … her anger at her mother threatening to boil over.

"I … I …. " now that she had her daughter on the phone … Julie really had no idea what to say. After all this time she hadn't really dared to believe that Marissa would actually answer. "I wanted to see how you were going?"

"I'm better than ever." Marissa replied … venom in her voice. "But are you trying to tell me that you really care?" Marissa asked … the disbelief clearly evident in her voice.

Julie recoiled from the tone in Marissa's words and then meekly replied. "Yes … I do. You know I do."

"No I don't. You let me go through years of misery and depression that you'd created all on your own … and you never said a word. How can I ever believe that you care for anyone other than yourself?"

Julie flinched. She knew that she probably deserved everything that Marissa said but some how or other she wanted to make things right between them. Marissa was her only daughter. She couldn't imagine the rest of her life without her. "I … I … do care."

"Maybe you do …" Marissa replied dejectedly … the wind suddenly going out of her sails. Her mother wasn't worth getting upset about. " … just not as much as you care about yourself."

Julie didn't know what to say to that. How should she respond? She tried to change the subject "I'm pleased to hear that everything is going well. You must have the Chanel parades next week." She commented … hoping that talking about something that they had both been a part of for the last few years would make Marissa realise that they still had a connection … and a lot in common.

"Actually I don't." Marissa smiled. She instantly knew that she was going to enjoy this. "I was sacked."

"You what? Why?" Julie asked astonished. Marissa had done the Chanel parades for a few years now. She was one of their favourite models. What had she done for them to sack her?

"But it doesn't matter." Marissa smirked … thinking … this will be fun. "But then why do I need to work? You see you taught me well. I have a rich husband to support me. Isn't that what you always wanted for me?" Marissa asked.

Julie felt like she'd be punched in the stomach as the full realisation of what Marissa said sunk in. "So it's true?"

Marissa smiled. She could tell from her mother's tone just how she had taken the news. "What?" Marissa asked a huge smile making its way onto her face.

"You and …." Julie started.

"Ryan. Mom. His name is Ryan. And I love him … More than life itself. I always have. But then you knew that."

Julie didn't know how to respond. She'd guessed that in some ways she had been expecting it. But the full realisation of not just the fact that Marissa was married to Ryan but also that her only daughter had gotten married without her … just made her realise how bad things were between them.

"Are you still there?" Marissa asked pleasantly. She knew she held all the trumps in this discussion and she intended to make her mother pay.

"Yes. I'm here." Julie answered. There was a long pause and then she added. "I … I guess I should congratulate you?"

Marissa sniggered. "I'd rather you didn't. Because I know that you don't mean it. I suppose that you'll be jealous of me now. I have a gorgeous husband who is not only wealthy but loves me as well." Marissa taunted.

"Marissa … You know I only wanted what was best for you."

"And that would be your version of 'best'. Would it? Save it mom for someone who might believe you. Do you want to hear about my version? The version that has always had Ryan and I together."

"I … I … " Julie stuttered. "If you are going to be so horrible to me then why did you even answer the phone?" Julie asked.

---

Once he'd beaten up the eggs and was about to start cooking, Ryan decided that he'd better find out exactly what Marissa wanted in hers. He moved to the door of the bedroom surprised to see that she was still on the phone. He hesitated for a moment thinking that she may have been still organising his 'surprise' and not wanting to spoil it. But he couldn't help but overhear. He stopped dead and smiled listening to her words.

---

"Because I thought I should give you a chance to make things right. Or maybe I should correct that and say that I knew that … for whatever reason … Ryan would want me to give you a chance. You see mom … since we've been together I have stuffed up and let him down … a number of times … and yet I'm still here. I needed him to give me a chance to make things right and he did. And guess what … he still loves me. That's what true love is all about. So I thought that I should give you a chance. But that's not really what you want is it? You want everything your own way. You always have."

"I can change." Julie said knowing that if she didn't think of something quickly that she could lose her daughter for good.

"You have to want to. You have to be sorry for what you've done wrong." Marissa replied.

"I am." Julie stated plainly.

"Not just sorry that you were caught." Marissa added.

Julie nodded and then realising that Marissa couldn't see she added. "Just give me a chance."

There was a period of silence and Marissa looked up to see Ryan standing at the door of the bedroom. She tried to read his expression wondering if their dinner was ready but it was as if he was holding his breath in expectation.

"Okay. I can't promise anything …. But … we'll see. But I have to go now my dinner's ready. Think about what I said and I'll call you in a few days." Marissa said and hung up. She looked over at Ryan puzzled by his expression. "Is dinner ready?"

"No not yet." He said. He had been going to wait until after they ate to tell her about her mother but in light of the situation he knew that there was no time like the present. He moved to sit beside her on the bed and took her hand in his. "Do you have any more of those chances to spare? I think that I need one."

---

Marissa sat running through everything that Ryan had said. She knew that he was waiting nervously to see her reaction but she couldn't work out why? He had asked for her forgiveness. But as far as she was concerned there was nothing to forgive.

Dan had asked him to keep the details of Julie's depressed state from Marissa and Ryan had done that for him. All because Dan had insisted that Julie would not want pity. How could she blame Ryan for that? If anything she was glad that he had. If she'd known about her mother then it would have just put extra pressure on Marissa to try to make contact with her. And she knew that she hadn't been ready to do that until today. It wasn't until now, when she and Ryan had opened up completely to one another … that she had felt strong enough to deal with her. Marissa now knew that nothing her mother did could come between them. Before this she would have always had her concerns.

Noticing Ryan still sitting quietly beside her, wringing his hands and tense … obviously waiting for some reaction from her, she gently placed her hand on the side of his face and turned it towards her so that his eyes met her own. She smiled softly and said. "I love you ... I love everything about you. I love that you were a man of your word to Dan and didn't tell me about my mother. But I also love the fact that now … when we have laid all our cards on the table … you chose to tell me … but not until you had told Dan of your intentions. You are a man of honour Ryan Atwood and I am privileged to be your wife." She said and kissed him softly.

Ryan smiled. He couldn't believe that she would forgive him so easily. "So … you don't mind?" he asked … still puzzled by her reaction. It was better than anything that he'd ever hoped for.

"I can see the awkwardness of the situation that you were put in. A lesser man would have taken the easy way out and told me. But you kept you word. Even when it caused problems between us because I was unhappy about you talking to Dan and trying to convince me to talk to my mother … you still didn't crack and take the easy way out."

"I have to admit … when we were on our way to Las Vegas and you kept pulling away from me … I was wondering why I had ever agreed to Dan's request. I wanted to tell you so badly."

Marissa smiled thinking back to the frostiness that had existed between them. Thank goodness it hadn't lasted for more than a day. But all this had done was prove, yet again, that Ryan was a man of his word ... a man to be trusted. And somehow she was going to win back his trust that she had so severely dented by not telling him earlier about her situation with Karl. "It doesn't matter now. It's finally all out in the open. I've spoken to my mother. We've taken the first tiny steps in … " Marissa hesitated trying to find the right word. " … maybe " she qualified her statement "not a reconciliation … but maybe … being able to maintain a connection … but I'm not guaranteeing anything. …AND she knows that we're married. She even congratulated us." Marissa commented.

Ryan looked at her surprised and she burst out laughing and added. "Yeah I know. I'm not too sure how sincere she was … but she did it. The words came out of her mouth … maybe not from her heart ... but definitely out of her mouth. Unfortunately, with my mother, the two are not necessarily connected."

Ryan smiled. "I can only imagine how hard that must have been for her. She obviously is trying to make amends." Ryan suggested.

"I think you may be reading a little too much into it. I suspect that the call was more a spy mission to find out if the rumours were true. But it will give her something to stew over for the next few days."

"So … you are going to keep in contact with her?" Ryan asked.

"I'm not sure. I'll take it a day at a time." She shrugged. "If you'd asked me this morning what my plans were for today then I would never have imagined that I would have been going to speak to my mother. When I realised who was on the phone I very nearly didn't answer. But some things in life just happen when you least expect it. I knew that you would want me to speak to her and I guess that was what made me pick up the phone in the first place." Marissa said glancing at him to see the effect of her words. She knew that she had done it for him but at the same time she didn't want him to think that he had forced her into it. She'd just felt strong enough to do it. The time was right. "And I'm sort of glad that I did answer. I guess the ice has been broken … but we have a long way to go before she's likely to get back on my Christmas Card List." Marissa smiled. "Whereas … you …" she kissed him and pushed him so that he was lying back on the bed. "are at the very top of the list."

Ryan returned the kiss with passion … things between them heating up yet again until he pulled back and took a deep breathe and said "What about the omelettes?"

"Suddenly … not so hungry." Marissa said as she moved to take his lips again. She kissed him passionately and then added. "At least not for food … something else … or should I say someone else … has awakened a different kind of hunger in me." she added.

"Can I be of assistance?" Ryan asked between kisses.

Marissa hesitated. "Is the kitchen going to catch on fire if we don't make it out there for a while?"

"No. I hadn't started cooking yet. It's all laid out ready to go." Ryan replied.

Marissa smiled and then slipped her hand inside his boxers taking his hardness in her hand. "Speaking of 'ready to go'" she said.

"If you keep doing that … "Ryan smiled as she slipped the boxers from his hips and moved down to take him in her mouth. He hesitated as the waves of pleasure washed over him …he smiled and continued. "then I'll be the one on fire. Forget about the kitchen." He said as the last conscious thought left his brain to be replaced by nothing but thoughts of Marissa.

---

Saturday morning, Marissa couldn't get rid of Ryan quickly enough.

"Should I be offended by how much you are trying to get rid of me?" he asked as she herded him out the door.

"No. I just have a lot of things to do and I can't do them while you're still here." She said and then added. "You distract me." to soften her words.

"But you were invited to brunch as well. Why don't you come with me?" he asked.

Marissa sighed frustrated. They'd had this conversation a number of times already. "Because I have too many other things to do. Would you please just leave. The cab will be waiting downstairs to take you and I'll be there to collect you at 2."

"Okay I guess." Ryan said leaning in for a kiss. "But you don't have to come and get me. I can just get a cab back here."

"Uhuh" Marissa shook her head. "That wouldn't do at all. There will be paparazzi camped out here all day I imagine. If we leave separately and a few hours apart then I figure that we have at least some chance of getting out of here without being followed. I'll come and get you when you've finished and then we can go from there."

"Go where?" Ryan asked.

Marissa just smiled. "I can't tell you. It's all part of the surprise." She kissed him again and pushed him out the door. "Now just go! I'll see you at 2."

Ryan smiled as he made his way to the lift but then decided to take the stairs. He was too excited to stand still for too long and the thought of waiting for the lift seemed tiresome. He had no idea what Marissa's surprise was all about but he knew that he couldn't wait. Whatever it was it would be good … because he would be spending time with her. That was all he ever needed.

---

Marissa quickly sat back down and wrote out a list. She had a number of calls to make and a lot to do and only a few hours to achieve it in and make it all happen. Hopefully James and Emma would have their part under control for the first surprise. But even though it would be fun … it was just to get Ryan off the scent. What she needed to do was organise the second surprise. The one that she hoped that he would never see coming. After completing her list she reached for the phone. First things first. She knew that she was being overly optimistic thinking that everything would come together but she'd just start at the top and work down … and keep her fingers crossed. For some reason … now that they had opened up to one another … she truly believed that everything was going to go their way for a change. Surely it was about time? Wasn't it?