N.B. Hugs for the great reviews my friends. Dedicated as always, to the Dynamos and the Livettes. Also a shout out to Shanice, for reading my first story, all over again (you crazy chick lol)… x

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Chapter 5 Christmas Eve

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Although Sam had insisted she didn't, Donna had spent most of the day completing the chores and getting things ready for the boy's arrival that evening. She hadn't seen Ben and Zack since leaving New York and she and Sam had yet to tell them both about the baby. Discussing it, the Carmichael's had agreed to keep it a secret, until their sons came over for the holidays and they could celebrate together as a family. The one person missing from the celebration, was of course Sophie. As far as they knew, she was still in London with baby Emma and hadn't yet called to say when she would be coming back to Kalokairi. It was a sore point with Donna and everyone had tried to keep her mind of it, distracting her by whatever means possible. It was going to be hard the following day, as it was Christmas day and also her grandchild's very first Christmas. Sam had wanted to make the villa as festive as possible for his wife and with the help of the Dynamos, he'd arranged a huge tree for the courtyard to be delivered that afternoon.

Climbing up the ladders, Sam went to position the last of the lights on the fifteen foot tree. "How does that look?" He asked, looking down as the Dynamos, who stood bellow giggling.

"Oh it looks fabulous from here honey." Smirked Tanya, checking out Sam's rear and giving her friend a nudge, who was doing the same. "The lights look great too." She added, as she and Rosie burst out laughing at their blatant flirting with their friend's husband.

"Do you think Donna will like it?" Sam responded, he too laughing at his wife's friend and carefully making his way back down the ladder. "It's not too much?" He finished, standing back next to them, admire his handy work.

Nodding approvingly, Rosie gave Sam a pat on the back. "It looks fantastic Sam." She said, before clinking glasses with Tanya and taking a swig of champagne.

Gazing at the tree in front of them, the Dynamos both smiled in awe. It was perfect and they knew their best friend would absolutely love it. Thousands of tiny white fairy lights covered it from top to bottom and they had managed to hang all of Donna's decorations, she'd collected over the years. It looked magical and both women were extremely impressed. Sam had gone to so much effort and his hard work had definitely paid off, as Donna walked round the corner and gasped loudly, at the amazing sight in front of her. It quickly reminded her of Christmas as a child and her excitement grew just as it did all those years ago, when she'd sit gazing at the family tree.

"Oh my god." Whispered Donna, coming to a sudden stop and clasping her hands to her chest. "You got me a Christmas tree." She continued, with an excited giggle.

"You like it?" Asked Sam, walking over to his wife and wrapping his arms around her, as he smiled at her excitement.

Cupping her husband's face in her hands, Donna placed a slow, tender kiss on his lips. "I love it baby." She replied, after breaking for air and gazing into his dark blue eyes. "Thank you so much." She added, turning round in his arms to admire the tree.

Resting his hands on his wife bump, Sam smiled. "Merry Christmas sweetheart." He whispered into her ear, before placing a loving kiss on the side of her head.

Donna stood staring at the magnificent tree and all her treasured decorations… Since leaving home to go travelling all those years ago, she had collected an assortment of decorations from all over the world and every year, knowing how sentimental she was, the Dynamos would send her something to add to it. It really was a display of her past and a wonderful way to hold onto the memories of the places she'd visited… Frowning, she suddenly saw something hanging near the bottom of the tree. One decoration in particular, had caught her eye and breaking from Sam's embrace, Donna walked over to the tree and ran her finger over the glass bauble. Seeing it made her heart instantly ache and she had to try her hardest not to let her tears flow.

"Donna, are you okay?" Asked Rosie, seeing the tears forming in her best friend's eyes. "What is it love?" She continued, placing her arm around Donna's shoulder and glancing at Sam with a worried expression.

Taking a deep breath, Donna gently removed the pink and silver decoration from its resting place and peered down at it. "This is Sophie's." She answered quietly, rolling it round in her fingertips. "Look…'Baby's first Christmas'…" She said, showing Rosie. "Every year, Sophie places this on the tree and it's not going on until she comes home to do it…It's tradition."

The Dynamos both looked at each other and sighed. All had been going great, but who would believe, one tiny little decoration could set their friend off again. It had been Rosie's turn to keep everyone upbeat over the past few days and with Christmas day itself, not being a favourite of Tanya's, she knew the brunette would try to distance herself from Donna's sadness. It wasn't that Tanya didn't care, its just that she had her own grief to deal with and as all her friends were aware…Tanya rarely did emotion.

As if on cue, the already tipsy Dynamo, went into full denial mode. "Drink anyone? A bit of eggnog? Tequila?" Tanya asked in a cheery voice, knowing things were about to get far too emotional for her liking. "No… Okay, just me then." She finished, talking to herself as she walked over to the bar for something a little stronger than champagne. "Fill it up Pepper and keep 'em coming until I'm full of festive cheer." She instructed the young worker behind the bar.

Stepping forward to console his upset wife, Sam sighed at his mistake. Before anyone had time to say anything, Donna turned and walked away in the direction of her bedroom. She was wiping her cascading tears as she finally made it up to the room and placed the delicate glass bauble down on her dressing table. Placing a hand on her bump, Donna sobbed as she gazed at a photo of her absent daughter. It should have been a happy time for all, but now Donna was hating the prospect of spending Christmas day apart from her firstborn. Opening the door quietly, Sam didn't say a word, as he walked over to his wife and took her into his arms. He could feel Donna's body trembling as he held close and allowed her to let everything out, she'd been holding back for so long.

Wrapping her arms around her husband's waist, Donna wept into his shirt. "Why isn't she here? What have I done wrong?" Asked Donna, in between breathless sobs.

"Shhhh darling." Soothed Sam, gently stroking his wife's back. "You haven't done anything wrong." He added, planting a loving kiss on her forehead, as she looked up at him. "There's time yet…Soph might be back."

"Am I such a terrible mother, that my own daughter feels like she has to run away from me?" Asked Donna, peering up into Sam's eyes as even more tears sprang to her own. "This is the first Christmas Sophie and I haven't spent together…All because of what? Because I'm happy? Because I'm having a baby? I just don't understand." She continued, breaking from her embrace with Sam and slumping down to sit on their bed.

Sitting down next to his wife, Sam turned to face her and smiled. "First of all, you need to calm down… It's not good for you to be getting worked up like this." He said, pulling Donna close against him and trailing his fingers through her blonde waves. "You are not a terrible mother. So don't even think that darling…"

Shaking her head slowly, Donna wiped away her hot tears. "Then why Sam? Because I really don't know what to do anymore." She said, turning her head to peer back at her daughter's picture on the mirror. "I've done everything for that girl… Everything… Up until last year, my whole life revolved around Sophie. From the minute she was born, she has wanted for nothing and now she just throws it back in my face. It's so not like her."

"I know darling and Sophie knows too. She just doesn't know what's happening in her life at the moment." Answered Sam, laying back on the bed and gently pulling Donna down with him. "Just give her the space she needs to figure it all out on her own. She'll be back when she realises that she's wasting her time running after that idiot." He continued, turning onto his side and resting up on his elbow to peer down at his beautiful wife. "Remember it was you who told me to back off and let her get on with it? You should take your own advice sweetheart, because getting upset will only make you ill."

Swallowing softly, Donna turned her head to face Sam. "He doesn't deserve her." She said in a whisper, placing her hand over his, as he placed it on her bump.

"No he doesn't." Sam replied, leaning down to brush his lips against Donna's and hold her close once more.

Sam had managed to stay level headed for his wife's sake, when really, he had a few things to say about their daughter's behaviour. Now was not the time, nor the place to do so. Donna was already heartbroken over it all and to hear him start ranting on about Sky, would only make things worse. For now, Sam decided to bite his tongue and stay quiet, knowing the stress wasn't good for his wife or their unborn child. Until their elusive daughter decided to return to Greece, there was nothing that could be said or done, to make things right again. Only Sophie had the answers, they were waiting to hear and now, the ball was in her court.

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Climbing the stairs to her best friend's bedroom, Rosie approached with caution and listened before quietly knocking on the door. It had been well over an hour since Sam had followed Donna up to the room and the Dynamo was concerned about her friend. She hated seeing Donna so upset, especially when it was supposed to be a happy time in the Carmichael's life and now with a few drinks in her, she was feeling all emotional herself.

"Donna, Sam…Is everything alright?" Asked Rosie through the door, before lightly knocking again.

Hearing movement coming from inside the room, Rosie stepped back as the door slowly opened. Sam smiled and placed a finger over his lips, to signal to his wife's friend to be quiet. Staying silent, Rosie glanced over Sam's shoulder and soon realised that her best friend was fast asleep on her bed. Donna had fallen asleep almost instantly in Sam's strong arms, no doubt through sheer exhaustion from the days activities. Her husband knew she was tired, as she'd definitely overdone things with the chores, even after he'd asked her to slow down.

"Is she okay?" Whispered Rosie, looking up at Sam with tears in her eyes. "Tan and I were worried about her."

Placing his arm around the Dynamos shoulder, Sam smiled at the woman's concern for his wife. "She'll be okay sweetheart. We just need to keep an eye on her that's all." He responded, giving her a squeeze. "I just hope Sophie sees sense and comes home…What did she say to you when she called?" He asked, as he and Rosie started to walk down the stairs.

Shaking her head, Rosie paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at Sam. "Nothing much, she was pretty vague to be honest…I asked her if she'd be home for Christmas and she kind of blew me off." She answered, walking over to the desk and rifling through some papers. "Tanya managed to find out the number she was calling from, but when we called it back, no one picked up." She finished, finding the piece of paper with a telephone number scribbled on it.

"For fuck sake, I could kill that kid for doing this to her mother." Said Sam, taking the paper from the Dynamo and looking at it. "As if she hasn't got enough to deal with."

Nodding in agreement Rosie smiled at Sam. "Yeah and isn't it all about to get even busier around here?" She asked, walking towards the doorway of the reception. "What time do your kids get in?"

Looking down at his watch, Sam soon remembered the boys needed picking up from the dock. "Shit, now." He answered, quickly reaching over the desk to grab the keys to the jeep. "Thanks for the reminder Rosie." He finished, rushing past her and down to the entrance of the hotel.

Rosie smiled to herself…Although Kalokairi wasn't officially her home, she and Tanya had practically moved in and they were both thoroughly enjoying living with Carmichael's. She had managed to finish her second cookbook, with the help of the course Donna and Sam sent her on and with things in the hands of the publisher's, everything was looking positive for once. Life couldn't be sweeter for the Dynamo at the moment and she'd even received a letter from Bill, telling her all about his latest adventure. They had kept in touch, as best they could and Rosie was looking forward to meeting up with him sometime in the near future. There was something so romantic in the way Bill wrote to her, always referring back to their night together after the Carmichael's wedding and causing Rosie to blush, even though she was alone when reading…My lone wolf, Rosie giggled to herself, as she made her way out of the reception and over to the bar.

"Is Donna alright?" Asked Tanya, looking round as her friend joined her and took a seat. "I saw Sam leaving." She added, passing Rosie one of Pepper's cocktails.

Nodding, Rosie smiled at her friend and took a quick sip of her drink. "She's sleeping. I think all the excitement has worn her out bless her." She answered, placing her glass back down on the bar in front of her. "How are you holding up honey? I know you don't really like this time of year."

Shrugging her shoulders, Tanya smiled at her fellow Dynamo. "It's getting easier I guess…I can't believe it's already three years tomorrow since I lost my mother…She'll be up there now, drink in hand and no doubt working out a plan on how to haunt my father." She said, picking up her cocktail glass. "Well, merry Christmas Mom." She finished, holding up her glass for a few seconds and then downing it's bright pink contents.

"Merry Christmas Elizabeth." Toasted Rosie, holding up her glass too and then downing it in one.

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Both Ben and Zack were greeted with open arms by the Dynamos, upon their arrival at the villa and Sam left them to have a drink with the girls, whilst he went to check on his wife. Creeping into the bedroom, he was pleased to find her already up and getting ready in the bathroom. Donna was in the process of clipping her hair up in the mirror, when Sam walked in behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. She smiled, hoping to reassure him, she was now feeling a lot better after her rest… Hating herself for getting so emotional and bringing the mood down with her, Donna had vowed to push thoughts of her daughter to the back of her mind for now and concentrate on the rest of her family, the Dynamos included.

"Hey handsome." Said Donna, placing the last hairgrip in place. "Are the boys here?" She asked, grabbing hold of her pale lip-gloss by the basin and applying the finishing touches to her makeup.

Showering his wife's neck with tender kisses, Sam's hands slid up to her breasts. "Yes." He managed to whisper, as Donna laughed and grabbed hold of his hands.

Turning round to face her husband, Donna slid her hands down his chest. "Behave yourself Samuel. We shouldn't leave Ben and Zack for too long with the girls…They'll have them rolling drunk before the nights even started and you know how badly Zack holds his liquor. It's probably best to keep an eye on him." She said, trying not to laugh as Sam stared wide eyed down at her boosted cleavage.

Not taking in anything his wife had just said to him, Sam's mind was on other things. "Jesus Christ, where did they come from?" He asked, not able to take his eyes off her breasts and plunging neckline.

"It's what happens when you're pregnant Sam." Giggled Donna, rolling her eyes at her husband's question and guiding his face up to hers. "You can stop drooling now honey. It's not very attractive." She finished, placing a slow, teasing kiss on his lips.

"No, maybe not, but they are." Laughed Sam, his eyes returning to Donna's breasts once more, after breaking from their kiss. "I don't know if I can let you go out like that tonight sweetheart. I'm at risk of walking around with a permanent hard-on."

Donna burst out laughing at her husband's remark about her cleavage and purposely grabbed hold of the crotch of his jeans. "Hmmm, so I see Samuel." She replied seductively, leaning in close to find his lips once more, after feeling his evident arousal. "Unfortunately, you're going to have to hold that thought darling. Dinner reservations are for eight and if we lose the table, we'll never get another one."

Quickly glancing down at his watch, Sam was desperately trying to work out if he had enough time for a bit of fun with his wife, before they had to head out for their meal. Donna laughed at her husband's persistence and took his hand to lead him from the bedroom, before he had other ideas. She loved the thought of her husband finding her blooming pregnancy body, a turn on and it made her feel even more confident, as she adapted to the final few months of carrying his child.

"You look gorgeous by the way Mrs. Carmichael." Said Sam, bringing his wife to a stop at the foot of the stairs and taking her into his arms. "You ready to tell the boys?" He asked with an excited smile, before tenderly kissing her lips.

Smiling back lovingly at her husband, Donna stepped back from him and placed her hands on her hips. "I don't think we'll have to tell them anything honey. I think it's pretty obvious you've impregnated me, don't you?" She asked, now laughing as Sam looked her up and down with raised eyebrows.

Dressed in a classic long sleeved little, black dress, that ended at her knees, Donna looked and felt fantastic. Tight fitting, to show off her neat bump and accessorised with her black Louboutin heels, it was perfectly clear to all that looked at her, that she was indeed pregnant. She never really used to make such an effort when going out for dinner, but then again, she never used to have the time, or anyone to go with. This was all still relatively new to Donna and she had to admit, she did enjoy being wined and dined by her charming husband.

"Impregnated?…You make it sound so romantic." Laughed Sam, staring at his wife's cleavage once again and nodding. "Come on." He finished, taking her by the hand and leading her out into the courtyard.

As the Carmichael's walked towards the bar, their sons soon noticed and stood to greet their stepmother. Donna couldn't help but giggle, as both boy's mouths dropped open, as their gaze fell instantly to her pregnant belly. Standing back, Sam watched as his wife wrapped her arms around Ben and Zack, giving them both a kiss on the cheek. It was such a heart-warming sight for him, knowing that only a few months ago, his sons had been hit quite hard by the tragic death of their mother. They had both come to terms with Lorraine's death, in their own way and on his recent trip back to New York, Sam had discussed their future and the possibility of them moving over to Greece after college. Something they said, they'd both seriously consider.

After holding the boys in a tight embrace for a few minutes, Donna finally parted from them and smiled. "Looking good guys." She said, as Sam walked up behind her and took her hand.

"Holy shit, how did that happen?" Asked Zack, pointing down to his stepmother's stomach and laughing.

Nearly choking on her cocktail, Tanya snorted with laughter. "Now Zack, I would've thought that was quite obvious sweetie." She said, throwing her arm over the young man's broad shoulder. "Maybe after a few more drinks, I'll tell you all about the facts of life…In detail, Dynamo style." She added, raising one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows in a seductive manner.

Laughing at her best friend, Donna shook her head at her. "You'll do nothing of the sort Tanya." She said, as everyone laughed at poor Zack's embarrassment.

"Well I guess we know what you asked Santa for this year then." Said Ben, leaning forward to place a kiss on Donna's cheek. "Congratulations…When are you due?" He asked, giving his dad a cheeky wink, as he moved back.

"Valentines Day." Answered Sam, narrowing his eyes at his son. "And what was that wink for?" He asked, with a sly smile, as Ben started giggling.

Shaking his head, Ben took a swig of his beer. "I think it's amazing, that your not firing blanks at your age old man." He commented, causing the whole group to burst out laughing at him.

"Now, now children. Let's not start winding your father up so soon. There's plenty of time for that and we better get a move on." Said Donna giggling, trying to change the subject and spare her husband's blushes.

Gathering their belongings, the group of six made their way down to the old blue jeep and began their cramped, yet short journey down to the dock. Tanya was in her element, laying like Cleopatra, across the laps of the two young men and still managing to sip on her bottomless cocktail. Everyone was in high spirits and Donna was finally starting to enjoy the holidays once more. Upon arriving at Valentina's, they were greeted with a party atmosphere and a smiling Nikos. The handsome Greek, had grabbed hold of Tanya and kissed her passionately under the mistletoe, before doing the same to an unsuspecting Rosie. As the hours ticked by, Christmas day fast approached and all but Donna and Sam, were a little worse for wear. The meal had been perfect, the drinks flowing and everyone, even a pregnant Donna, had participated in a spot of traditional Greek dancing. Donna and Rosie had burst out laughing at the end of the night, when Nikos had invited Tanya to do some plate smashing. Having had a lot of practice over the past year, the swaying brunette had quickly taken him up on the offer and thoroughly enjoyed herself in the process.

Sam had sat with a huge smile on his face most of the evening, just taking in the sight of his stunning wife and happy sons, as they partied away with the locals. Things couldn't have gone any better and as the restaurant slowly emptied, Nikos had wished them all a Merry Christmas before locking up for the night. The short walk back to the ferry had also been quite eventful, with Sam challenging the boys to a race, much to the delight of the cheering Dynamos, as they and Donna followed them onto the waiting boat. Feeling like a school mistress, she had had to make sure everyone stayed seated, as the ferry made its way over the choppy waters and even had to literally sit on Tanya at one point, to stop her falling overboard.

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Arriving back at the villa, Sam and Donna had let the others go ahead to the bar, so they could take a slow stroll back up on their own. Guiding his wife carefully up the rocky steps to the hotel, Sam held on tight to her. He was protective of her anyway, but now Donna was carrying his baby, Sam was even more so now. The thought of anything happening to them, worried Sam on a daily basis, sometimes making Donna feel like an invalid when he wouldn't leave her to her own devices.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight sweetheart?" Asked Sam, pulling Donna to a stop as they eventually reached the even ground of the courtyard and turning to gaze into her sparking eyes.

Nodding, Donna smiled and glanced over at the direction of the bar. "I had a great time. It's so good to have the boys here with us and once this little one's here, it will be even better." She answered, taking hold of her husband's hand and placing it on her bump.

Pulling her close, Sam trailed his hands down Donna's back. "Oh yes it will darling." He responded, leaning close to kiss her eagerly on the lips. "Now, you know that thought I've been holding?" He added, as he slowly pulled away and peered into her eyes.

"How could I forget honey?" Donna laughed, running her hands down her husband's chest. "You've been staring at them all night." She finished, biting her lower lip, as Sam's gaze wandered down her body again.

"Let's have a drink with the party animals and then head up to bed." Suggested Sam, taking his wife's hand as they walked over to join the others.

The truth of the matter was, even though she'd had a wonderful night with her friends and family, Donna was exceptionally tired and making love to her husband the furthest thing from her mind. Her bed was calling and thinking about how busy she was going to be in the morning, made Donna want to crawl under the covers right that second. She smiled at the sound of everyone laughing and having fun and as she walked across the courtyard with her husband, until something caught her eye. Pausing for a moment, she looked over in the direction of the goat house and soon realised it wasn't her mind playing tricks on her. There was a light shining from the upstairs window and knowing for a fact, no one had been in there since Sophie had left the island, it could only mean one thing…Sophie was home.

Quietly excusing herself from the rest of the group, Donna made her way unnoticed to the goat house. Her heart was beating hard in her chest and a smile crept onto her face, as she thought about seeing her precious daughter and grandchild again, after spending weeks parted from them both. Donna prayed, Sophie had thought things through whilst away and realised that her mother having a baby with the man she loved, was not such a bad thing. It was far from it, as the thought of raising a child with Sam, had been something she'd always dreamt of during her lonely nights alone over the years. Being as quiet as she could, in case her daughter was asleep, Donna climbed the stairs to the bedroom and came to a stop at the top. The room was dimly lit and she could just about make out Sophie's outline laying in the bed with the covers over her, but there was something else. There was someone else laid on top of the bed next to her. Donna took a few steps forward and stared at the figure… Sky, was fast asleep, still fully clothed and baby Emma was asleep too, laid in between her parents. Under normal circumstances, the scene before Donna would have been picture perfect, but she was so disappointed with her daughter for bringing the root of their problems back to the island, that she could feel herself getting increasingly more angry, the longer she stood there.

"Fucking fabulous." Whispered Donna to herself, turning around and leaving the goat house as quickly as she could.

Her daughter knew full well what she and Sam thought about Sky and Donna couldn't believe Sophie's mentality, bringing him back here at Christmas of all times. It was supposed to be a joyful time for all, everyone enjoying a fully prepared Christmas dinner, sharing gifts and now all that would be difficult, knowing it would probably turn into a Christmas massacre, if her husband found out about the unwelcome visitor.

"Is Sophie home?" Asked Sam with a huge smile on his face, as he found his wife closing the goat house door behind her.

Donna forced a smile and took hold of her husband's hand. "Ermm yes…But she and Emma are sleeping. I didn't have the heart to wake them." She answered, desperate to stop him going in there and discovering Sky, before she had chance to try and rectify the situation.

Wrapping his arms around Donna and kissing her lips with passion, Sam finally pulled away and peered into her emerald green eyes. "See, I told you she wouldn't miss spending Christmas with you darling." He Said softly, gently stroking a loose strand of her golden hair to the side. "The whole family's together."

"Let's go to bed." Whispered Donna, leaning close to plant a slow, alluring kiss on her husband's mouth. "It's going to be crazy around here tomorrow and a girl's got to get her beauty sleep." She finished, leading him round the corner and up to their bedroom.

Even though she was unbelievably tired, Donna knew she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight and had to think of a way making her daughter see sense. Although her husband came across as diplomatic, when now talking about Sophie's relationship with her ex, she knew it might be a front to keep her from getting stressed. If she didn't act fast, things were at risk of getting complicated and could quite possibly, end up ruining everyone's Christmas…Oh Sophie, what are you doing you silly girl? Donna silently asked herself, closing the bedroom door behind them and slowly turning towards her smirking husband.

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A.N. Hope that wasn't on the boring side for you all…Had a little writers block for a while grrr. There could quite possibly be some drama in the next chapter lol (writers block permitting lol)…Please press and let me know what you thought. Am I heading in the right direction for you all? Is there anything you want me to add, or not do for that matter? Hehe… This is your story! Loads of love, Liv x