Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Author's Note: I meant that last beginning to an author's note! I love the reviews. Keep 'em coming! Hehe. This story is for Mattitude who is awesome because she's made me cool banners and wrote ME an awesome Christmas story that made me smile. And heck! She just seems to attract them wrestling dudes. ;) Anyway. I hope she enjoys! And everyone else too! Enjoy!

Christmas Morning Surprise

There was no way that he was waking her up at four in the morning. No, scratch that. There was no way he was waking her up at four in the morning on Christmas morning. While she was more than happy than to spend time with his family on this day, he couldn't do this. She was going to have kids around her all day long – she needed the energy to play along with them. So what the hell was he doing waking her up when she had a few more hours of sleep left?

"Evan," Nicki whined, brushing away his face full of smiling teeth. "Go away."

"Someone isn't in the Christmas spirit," he teased. "Come on. It'll just take a second."

"Why can't it wait til sunlight?" she mumbled, peeking out from under the covers. Evan was already dressed and looking adorable as ever, a look of hope under twinkling eyes.

"Because…" he paused, smiling wider. "I'm impatient?"

"Evan…" she chuckled. "Fine. You're lucky I love you." He continued to smile as she got out of bed and threw on a robe, shivering from the winter's cool air, despite the heat. She then followed him out of the room and down the stairs. "Where are we going?"

"You'll need these," he said, tossing her winter boots toward her. "And this." Once she got her boots on, scowling just a little, she saw a piece of paper that he was holding for her.

"What is it?"

"It's a scavenger hunt, Nicki."

"Uh, Honey. I think you have the holidays mixed up…" She looked down at the paper and stared at it, trying to decipher his somewhat messy handwriting. Evan only scowled at her attempt of humor and shoved his rarely-seen glasses up his nose. "Fine, fine."

"It will be," he promised, yawning. "Go ahead."

She turned but then stopped and stared at Evan. "You're not coming?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Where do I start?"

"Just read the directions," he instructed. "Okay?"

"There better be a damn car waiting outside for me," she growled playfully while he pecked her on the cheek. Quickly, she grabbed her coat and slipped it on, seeing that her first clue would lead her outside. Evan had already disappeared out of sight, so it was just her. Why she was even doing this, she didn't know. She could be sleeping still… "I'll get it over with," she decided. "Okay. Let's see…"

A half hour later, she had plowed through several clues (and several drifts of snow leaving her soaking wet) and was stumped near what had led her to the shed. The scavenger hunt only left her other clues to the next "treasure" and so far, nothing that seemed important she had found. "Evan?" she wondered out loud. "What do you want from me?"

She wandered around the snow-clad ground, shivering as the wind picked up and dusted new areas with powdery white precipitation. It was supposed to snow more that day, as well. A White Christmas. Nicki had to smile: she loved Christmas and having a white one was even better. Now, if only she could find the end to this charade…

Boom.

Just off in the distance, something crashed. Nicki rolled her eyes and smiled, realizing that Evan wasn't too far away. He tried to be handy man a lot, but often came up short. If he was trying to fix something, something told her he had broken it.

Her eye fixated on the shed where just a little bit of light was flowing from in the darkness. With a smile, she took off toward it, hearing the snow crunch below her boots. When she got there, a little puppy crawled out looking afraid and somewhat cold.

"Oh my God," she said, seeing the puppy trying to hide. "What on Earth are you doing out here?" Nicki was quick to pick up what seemed to be a Golden Retriever and nuzzled him close. "Hmm, what's this?"

Attached to his collar was a note in an envelope. Nicki carefully took it off and read it. It said,

You've found one part of your gift. Turn around for the second part.

She did as she was told and before she could even get the words out to ask Evan – who was standing there – a question, he sunk one knee into the snow. "Nicki, I love you…"

"Evan," she said out loud, her mind spinning. Maybe it was the cold, or maybe it was the squirming little ball of life in her arms, but everything was beginning to confuse her. The snow was spinning all around her, a true beautiful sight for all and it just seemed more than perfect. Was he on one knee… was this going to be the most important moment of her life?

"Nicki?"

"… Evan?"

"Nicki," he repeated, when he was satisfied she wasn't going to faint on him. "I love you. And I never expect that to change. So I wanted to do something I've had in mind for a long, long time… and something I should have done a long time ago. Maybe this will make up for waking you before I should have. Will you marry me?"

The muscles in her face must have been much smarter than her brain at that moment because they smiled for her. And the tear ducts must have worked better too, because they cried for her. And maybe her spinning little brain did work, because then it spoke for her. She managed to choke out a yes as it began to snow heavier on an early Christmas morning.

"Hey, Evan?"

"Yeah?" he smiled as they began to walk back toward the house.

"What did you break?"

"Uh, well, hey, look we have plenty of presents back at the house and we still have plenty of—"

"Evan?"

"Yes, Nicki?"

"Stop making excuses," she teased. "We'll deal with it tomorrow. After we announce our engagement."

Evan grinned sheepishly and slipped his arm around her. "Merry Christmas, Nicki."

"Merry Christmas, Evan."

Yay for more cuteness. Yay for Evan Bourne and his cuteness. Yay for cuteness in puppies too. Okay, I'll stop saying cuteness. REVIEW ... please! :)