N.B. Mwahs and hugs for you're fabulous reviews peeps…They really do mean sooooo much to me (they keep me going, when I'm tired and don't feel like writing lol)… Thanks to Mel, for being my mentor and reading through my chapters before I publish, Mwah hunni… For V, for all the wonderful M'ness she tries to kill me with on a regular basis lol, smooch babe & for Charliee and Shanice, for reading back through my stories from the beginning! Whoa, nuts! Hehe, hugs hunnies! …Enjoy all!

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Chapter 7 Christmas Day (Part Two)

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Things around the villa had been busy, yet full of holiday joy. The Carmichael's had spent an hour looking after baby Emma, whilst Sophie had volunteered to help out Rosie in the kitchen. The Dynamo couldn't wait to start preparing the Christmas dinner, with the new professional knives, her friends had bought her. Everyone, including the housekeeper, had got fed up with Rosie's moaning about not having the right cooking utensils and Donna had found the perfect set for her friend, on her last trip to New York. Popping her head round the door to the hectic kitchen, Donna smiled at the sight of her daughter laughing and joking with the Dynamos, as Tanya sat at the table, in charge of the huge magnum of Moet and Chandon she'd been bought. It was just like old times, when Sophie was a youngster and loved hanging out with her wild Aunts. To anyone outside the family, things would've looked perfect and for Donna it did too, for a short while anyway.

"You ready for your gift now, Mrs. Carmichael?" Asked Sam, as he walked around the corner from the courtyard and came face to face with his smiling wife.

Trailing her hands down Sam's chest, Donna bit her lip. "Well that all depends on what it is and how long it's going to take." She replied, giving her husband a cheeky wink. "I'm going to have to help the girls in the kitchen soon."

Sam held Donna close and kissed her lips tenderly. "Well we can save that part of your present until later darling." He responded, reaching into his pocket for a small box. "This one, we can do now." He added, passing it to his giggling wife.

Slowly opening the red velvet box, Donna stared down at it's contents and frowned. She was confused at what she found on the cushioned resting place. It wasn't the usual gift, you'd associate with such a box and Donna couldn't possibly work out why her husband had given it to her. It wasn't earrings, a ring, or any other piece of jewellery…It was a key.

"Ermm, thanks babe…But…" Said Donna, trailing off, as she looked up at her husband's grinning face and then back down at her gift.

"Come with me." Said Sam quietly, as he took Donna by the hand and lead her towards the reception area. "All will become clear in a few moments sweetheart." He finished, as he brought her to a stop outside Sophie's old bedroom.

Donna looked at the door, as everything started to fall into place…Not long after their daughter had moved into the goat house, Sam had started using her old room as something as an extra storeroom. She too had used it, until a few weeks ago, she tried to get in and realised that someone had placed a lock on the door. Donna had even asked her husband about it and Sam had given her an excuse, that he'd thought it'd be a good idea, seeing as guests often wandered in and out of the reception, day and night. She'd bought the idea and hadn't given it a second thought, until now…

"What are you up to Samuel?" Asked Donna, narrowing her green eyes at her husband and gripping even tighter onto his hand.

Taking the box out of his wife's hand, Sam took the key off its resting place and handed it to her. "Open it." He answered quietly, letting go of her other hand and stepping back.

Doing as her husband asked, Donna put the key in the lock and turned it, as the door slowly opened with a creak. Pushing it open even wider, Donna placed her hands over her mouth and gasped loudly, as she took in the unbelievable sight in front of her. She was utterly speechless, as she gazed around the once cluttered room and was now faced with the most spectacular baby nursery, she'd ever seen… Her husband had totally redecorated, in white and pastel colours, filled the room with gorgeous white furniture and placed two framed photographs on the shelf over the changing unit…

Walking forward, Donna stared at each of the picture frames. One said 'Daddy' and held a picture of Sam and the other said 'Mommy', containing one of her. She knew exactly where she'd seen them, it was in a very expensive baby store in New York and Donna had fallen in love with them, along with one other thing… After she had told Sam about the baby, Donna had gone on to tell him about the store she'd visited, whilst having to keep it to herself. She'd gushed about the cute frames and an exquisite, handmade Italian crib she'd seen, until she'd seen its eye watering, nine thousand dollar price tag… Little did she know, her husband had taken note and immediately called the store to purchase the items, arranging to have them shipped over Greece as quick as they could. Luckily for him, they had arrived a few days ago and he was able to get the Dynamos to distract Donna, whilst he and Pepper got them safely to the room.

Donna was still silent, as she turned to face her husband and noticed something behind him. "Oh my god Sam…You didn't?" She asked, as he moved out of the way, to reveal the beautiful Italian crib.

"Oh yes I did." Said Sam, smiling as he watched tears spring to his pregnant wife's eyes. "It's the one you liked, right?" He then asked, stepping behind Donna and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Nodding slowly, Donna wiped her tears, as she stared at the crib in front of her. "Yes, but I can't believe you've spent all that money darling." She replied in almost a whisper.

Leaning down and placing a shower of delicate kisses to his wife's neck, Sam gently rubbed her bump. "Only the best for my girl and our baby." He whispered, feeling Donna relax back into his arms.

Completely overwhelmed, Donna wiped her flowing tears once more. She couldn't believe her husband had done all this for her and without her even knowing what he was up to. She hadn't had anything like this when Sophie was a baby. She had been all alone, working hard and saving every spare penny she had, to make sure they had nothing more than a roof over their heads. It had been a very difficult time in her life and for the first six months, Donna had actually had to share a bed with her newborn daughter. Now, it didn't matter about what things cost, her husband just wanted to look after her and his child and also Sophie and her child. To Donna, he couldn't be any more perfect if he tried.

"Thank you so much Sam. I love it. I love it all." Said Donna, slowly turning in his arms and reaching up to cup his face in her hands. "You're amazing." She finished, leaning up to kiss him passionately.

Holding each other for a short while, the Carmichael's finally broke apart and Donna took her husband's hand. She too had a gift for him, but it was upstairs and was no way as extravagant as his for her. Even so, it was something she'd been meaning to buy him for well over a year and now she had, she knew it'd be just right. Sam followed his wife up to their bedroom, obviously with other things on his mind, as he playfully slapped her rear as they reached the door.

"I thought, we were going to wait until later for the second part of your present baby." Laughed Sam, as Donna pushed him down onto the bed and giggled at him.

Turning her back on her husband, Donna opened the top drawer of her dressing table and searched for something. "Now, there has been something bugging me ever since we got married." She said, finally finding what she was looking for and placing it in her hand. "That day in the chapel, when you placed a ring on my finger." She continued, turning round to face him, with a smile. "I know you don't wear jewellery, but would you do me the honour of wearing this?" She asked, stepping closer towards him and handing Sam a well known, duck egg blue box.

Taking the Tiffany's box out of Donna's hand, Sam smiled at her and untied the plain white ribbon on top. "Of course I will sweetheart." He said, opening the lid, to reveal a shiny gold wedding band.

Pulling it out, Donna rolled it around in her fingertips, so her husband could see the inscription inside. "Forever yours." She whispered, taking his hand and sliding it onto his finger.

It was a perfect fit and as Donna held on tightly to her husband's hand, Sam pulled her closer between his legs. "Thank you darling." He whispered, closing his eyes and placing a slow kiss on her expanding baby bump. "Now everyone will know I'm married to the most amazing woman in the world." He added, looking up into his wife's sparkling green eyes, as she smiled back at him.

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Pacing the bedroom floor in the goat house, Sky sighed and peered down at his already packed bag. He had agreed to accompany Sophie and baby Emma back to Greece, with a plan in mind, that he'd spend Christmas day with his daughter. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he got and he was seriously toying with the idea, of just slipping away unnoticed. Other than Sophie, he figured no one else would miss him not being there and it would mean he wouldn't have to come face to face with Sam…He knew full well that Sam wanted nothing more than to get him on his own for a chat and he also knew that the chat would more than likely turn into a shouting match between them. Yes, he'd been a jerk and treated Sophie badly, but he wasn't proud of himself for doing so. He'd been scared when she'd told him she was carrying his child and the only thing he could do was run. It wasn't until Sophie had actually turned up in London, with the baby girl in her arms, that he realised what he'd done. Sky still loved Sophie, but things had changed in their relationship. It wasn't just them anymore, there was a little girl that was dependent on them and that frightened the life out of him even more. He wasn't ready to settle down, he still wanted to be young and carefree, exploring the world. As his parents had reminded him, you couldn't do that with a baby in tow, he'd have to step up to his responsibilities and get a job. That's what he did and he was hating every minute of working in the city, secretly planning his escape from his interfering parents. It wasn't what he'd wanted. He'd never said he'd wanted kids…

"What are you doing?" Asked Sophie, walking up behind her ex-fiancé and noticing his packed bag.

Turning round to face the petite blonde, Sky sighed and placed his hands in his pockets. "I can't do this Sophie." He answered, now staring down at the floor. "I can't do this whole family thing. It's not me."

Shaking her head at him, Sophie refused to cry even though she could feel the tears forming in her eyes. "Sky, don't you dare do this to Emma today." She said, moving closer towards him. "Whether you like it or not, she's your child and it's her first Christmas. You owe it to her to be here, don't be so selfish."

Something inside Sophie had finally snapped. She couldn't believe her ex was behaving like this and that he was only thinking of himself yet again. Her mother had been right about Sky. He was selfish and if he really had feelings left for her, he'd not have packed his bags, all ready to make a sneaky getaway… Spending time with him in London, had made Sophie realise how much things between them had changed. Sky hadn't been so happy to see her and Emma this time round and it resulted in extra grief from his parents, to give it a try for the sake of their grandchild. Sophie could see right through them, knowing they weren't interested in their son's happiness, just using him as leverage, so they could spend time with Emma. It was all a big game to them, not one of them, including Sky, were bothered about her or her baby's feelings. It was time to stand up for herself and Emma, she didn't need him, she had her family.

"Right then." Said Sky, finally finding the nerve to look up from the floor. "I'll stay tonight and then I'm leaving." He finished, looking sheepishly into Sophie's huge, blue eyes.

Sophie snorted sarcastically and turned to leave. "Well that's really big of you Sky." She responded, walking down the first few stairs and pausing. "Dinner's in an hour. Let's hope you're man enough to make it." She ended, as she carried on walking down the stairs to the living room.

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After being thrown out of the kitchen by Rosie, Donna had made her way down to beach, to find the rest of her family. Sam was sat watching his sons, as they played in the surf with baby Emma and couldn't help smiling at how careful they were with the ten month old tot. It was wonderful to have all the family back together and he couldn't have been any prouder, as what he felt right now.

"Hey beautiful." Said Sam with a smile, as he turned his head and noticed his wife walking towards him. "You all done?" He asked, as Donna slowly sank down onto the sand beside where he was sitting.

"Can you believe I got kicked out of my own kitchen?" Answered Donna, snuggling up to her husband, as he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "Rosie's like a woman possessed and Tanya…Well Tanya's just drunk." She finished with a giggle, as she turned her head to gaze at her family in the distance.

It wasn't long before Zack and Ben had noticed their parents sitting on the beach and they headed over towards them. Zack had scooped up a squealing baby Emma in his strong arms and was blowing raspberry's on her little tummy, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. Donna's heart swelled with pride, as she watched how loving her stepsons were with her precious granddaughter. Neither of them seemed the baby type, but both guys were definitely as besotted with their little niece, as she was with them. Finally reaching their parents, Zack bent down and picked up a towel to wrap around Emma, as Ben sat down next to Donna.

"Merry Christmas Mom." Smiled Zack, as he handed the excited baby to his stepmother and grabbed a towel for himself.

"Yeah Merry Christmas Mom." Ben also said, leaning closer to plant a loving kiss on Donna's cheek. "Zack and I would like to thank you for our present… I can't believe it, Spring Break in Barbados with the guys." He added, as his younger brother laughed and threw a towel over for him.

Rolling her eyes at the boy's, Donna sat her granddaughter on her lap and quickly glanced at her smiling husband. "Well it wasn't my idea. You have you're dad to thank for that." She said smiling, as Emma placed her thumb in her mouth and snuggled against Donna's chest. "I can't say it would've been my first choice of gift for you two…I know what goes on at Spring Break." She continued, smirking at her stepsons, as they both burst out laughing at her.

"Oh really?" Laughed Zack, raising his eyebrows at his stepmother, as he pulled on his t-shirt. "That sounds interesting."

Feeling her husband staring at her, Donna threw her head back and let out a throaty laugh. "Really interesting…But you will never know what I got up to." She answered, before giving Emma a kiss on top of her head and passing her to Sam. "Come on, let's go get ready for dinner." She finished, taking Ben's hand, as he helped her up from the soft sand.

As the boys ran on ahead, Sam took hold of his wife's hand and held baby Emma in his free arm. Donna smiled, as she peered at her gorgeous granddaughter and realised, she had fallen asleep with her little head rested on Sam's shoulder. She looked so peaceful and contented in her grandfather's arms, that all Donna could do, was imagine that's how Sam was going to be with their own baby, once it was born. The day had been great so far and all that was left to tackle, was dinner around the table with Sky…Let's hope it stays peaceful, Donna thought to herself, as she tightened her grip on her husband's hand and carried on their walk back up to the villa.

"So are you going to tell me about what you got up to?" Asked Sam, wiggling his eyebrows at his wife, as he pulled her to a stop in the courtyard.

Laughing, Donna leant close next to Sam's ear. "I don't think you want to know darling." She whispered, before placing a slow, seductive kiss on his cheek.

Before Sam had time to say anything else, Sophie emerged from the kitchen and smiled at the sight of her baby girl asleep in his arms. She walked over and took the sleeping tot from him, kissing Emma's forehead, as she cuddled her in her arms. Since returning from her trip to London, Sophie had been thinking more and more about whether, or not, Sam was her biological father. On the day of her mother's wedding, she had said she didn't care who her father was and the truth was, back then, she really didn't mind. Now, was a different story though. Thinking about how much things had changed over the past year and how happy Sam made her mother, Sophie wanted to know, if he was in fact her real dad. There was only one way to go about it and that was, of course going to the hospital for a DNA test. She didn't know how her mother or Sam would react when she asked him, but she knew she had to do it, for her own peace of mind if nothing else.

"Thanks for looking after Em for me." Said Sophie, smiling at her mother and gently rocking her little girl in her arms. "It really is great to be home."

Smiling back at her daughter, Donna let go of Sam's hand and wrapped her arms around Sophie. "It's good to have you home baby girl. It's where you and Emma belong." She whispered, gently kissing her forehead and then bending down to do the same to her granddaughter.

"After dinner…Can I have a talk with both of you? There's something I need to ask." Asked Sophie, nervously biting her lip, as she peered at her mom and Sam.

Donna nodded and watched as Sophie walked away cuddling Emma. There was something about what her daughter had just said, that left her feeling a little uneasy about what she wanted to talk about. Sam could sense it too and silently placed his arm around his wife's shoulder. Whatever it was, that Sophie wanted to talk about, they'd handle it as a couple and deal with whatever it was. For now, they both had other things on their minds…Dinner.

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A short while later, Tanya staggered out of the kitchen, champagne flute in hand and gently tapped her glass, to get everyone's attention. The whole family was stood by the bar talking, except for one missing person, Sky. Sophie was chatting and laughing with her stepbrothers, the Carmichael's were engrossed in one another and Rosie was rushing back an forth from the kitchen, looking rather flustered.

Tapping on her glass once more, Tanya cleared her throat. "Dinner is served." She announced, as everyone took a seat at the festively laid table.

Sam held out a chair for his wife and took a seat at the head of the table. He glanced around the table, at his happy family and winked at Donna. Checking that Emma was still fast asleep in her playpen, Sophie took a seat next to her mother and smiled as she took her hand. Everything looked amazing and Rosie had gone to so much effort cooking for, what she classed as, her family. Walking out of the kitchen, for the last time, the Dynamo brought a huge cooked turkey to the table and placed it down in front of Sam. She stood back and admired her good work, as Tanya gave her best friend a pat on the back.

Suddenly, the tall brunette's attention drifted away from the table and towards a figure walking towards them. "Fucking hell, the ghost of Christmas past." She muttered, as all eyes followed hers and instantly found Sky.

Seeing her husband's body tense and the colour quickly drain away from his face, Donna took hold of his hand and gave him a subtle squeeze. "Sam, relax." She whispered, giving him a reassuring smile, as Sky took a seat next to Sophie.

That of course, was easier said than done. Sam could feel his blood begin to boil, as he stared at the young man that had abandoned his daughter. Everyone was starting to feel uncomfortable and Donna knew she'd have to take matters into her own hands and stop dinner from being a total disaster. It was the first time she too had seen Sky and although she had things she wanted to say to him, she knew she couldn't right there and then, she'd have to bite her tongue. Taking a deep breath, Donna stood and raised a glass of champagne, smiling at the rest of the speechless table.

"Well Merry Christmas all... I'd like to thank Rosie for making this wonderful meal for us." Said Donna, raising her glass to her best friend, as everyone turned to congratulate her. "To friends and family, who couldn't be here with us today." She finished, raising her glass once more towards Tanya and her stepsons.

"Friends and family." The rest of the table chorused, as Donna sat down and placed a hand on her husband's leg.

The rest of the meal went as planned, with Donna doing well to keep Sam focused and the conversation flowing. Opening the eighth bottle of expensive champagne, Tanya threw Donna a confused look and topped her glass up, before passing the rest round the table. With the alcohol flowing, it seemed to be the way forward to keeping everyone happy and thankfully Sky kept quiet, only talking if someone spoke to him.

It soon grew dark and the courtyard looked absolutely beautiful, with the huge tree and fairy lights, illuminating the Christmas dinner. Baby Emma was soon awake too and thoroughly enjoying being passed around the table, being fussed over by her doting family. Right there and then, everything seemed so perfect. Everyone appeared to be having a great time and Donna felt herself relaxing fully, for the first time all day. She sat back in her seat and placed her hand on her bump, as she listened to the various conversations going on around the table. It wasn't until Rosie served the coffee, that Sam turned to his wife and smiled sweetly at her.

Leaning close, Sam placed a tender kiss on his wife's welcoming lips. "Are you okay darling?" He asked in a whisper, as he slowly ran his hand up her inner thigh making her jump slightly.

"Yes, I'm fine honey. Just a little tired that's all." Answered Donna, before returning his kiss and gazing lovingly into his steely, blue eyes.

She could tell her husband was a little drunk, but she didn't care. At least Sam wasn't still wanting to rip Sky's throat out just yet. As the Dynamos began telling stories about their wild nights performing with Donna, the boys sat open mouthed, hearing all about their stepmother's crazier years. She had to throw her backup girls a few warning glares, to make sure they didn't say too much, especially in front of her husband, but she was actually enjoying reminiscing with them. As Tanya came back from the bar with the brandy in hand, Sophie asked Sky to take their daughter back to the goat house and get her ready for bed. She wanted to spend a bit of time with her mom and prepare herself for their talk.

Noticing her daughter's fidgeting, Donna turned and smiled at her. "Do you want to go upstairs and have that talk now honey?" She asked, stroking a stray blonde curl behind Sophie's ear.

"Yes." Whispered Sophie, slowly standing from the table and watching as her mom whispered something into Sam's ear.

All three of them made their way up to the Carmichael's bedroom and with every step, Donna didn't know why she was so nervous, but she held tightly onto her husband's hand for support. Sitting down on her mother's bed, Sophie smiled as Donna sat down next to her and Sam leant against the dressing table, waiting eagerly to hear what the young woman had to say. It seemed like forever before Sophie finally cleared her throat and turned to face her mom.

"Now before I start, I want you to know, you can both say no." Said Sophie, sounding like she already had everything rehearsed in her head, as she played with a strand of her golden hair.

Donna rolled her eyes at her daughter and took her hand to stop her from rambling. "Sophie, whatever it is…Just tell us darling." She said in a calm reassuring manner, giving Sophie's hand a squeeze.

Staring into Donna's eyes, Sophie took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, I want to have a DNA test done…I want to know if you're my Dad." She said quietly, now looking up at Sam and biting her lip.

As her daughter's words registered, Donna looked up at Sam too. She could tell her husband was a little shocked by what Sophie had said and to be honest, she was too. It had come out of the blue, out of nowhere and after so long. Thinking about Sophie's earlier explanation, as to why she had been acting so strange, it all began to make sense to Donna. Sophie was feeling pushed out with her mother's marital status, two new siblings and another on the way. They were all Carmichael's and she was the only Sheridan left, she didn't feel like a real member of their family.

Straightening up, Sam slowly nodded. "Well if that's what you want sweetheart, then I'm happy to go along with it." He said, smiling down at the two most important women in his life.

"Can I ask you something baby girl?" Asked Donna, gently stroking her daughter's cheek, as she turned to face her with a smile. "And what if Sam isn't your real dad? Are you going to be able to handle that?"

Sophie nodded and stood from the bed. "Nothing will change. I feel in my heart you're my dad." She said walking over to stand in front of Sam. "But I just need confirmation. I need to know who I am." She finished, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

"I understand Soph." Sam whispered, hugging her tight and smiling down at his wife. "Leave it to me. I'll sort it out with Doctor Christou."

"Thank you." Whispered Sophie, breaking from the tight embrace and walking over the bedroom door. "It means so much to me right now." She added, before walking out and closing the door behind her.

The Carmichael's remained silent for a few moments, both of them taking in the conversation. Donna shook her head and peered up at her husband, who looked completely lost in thought. Standing, she walked over to where he was standing and ran her hands down his chest. Sam pulled his wife into his arms and softly kissed the top of her head, as he felt her body trembling against him.

Gazing into Donna's watery eyes, Sam smiled at her. "Hey, what is it sweetheart?" He asked, as he watched her wiping a stray tear from her cheekbone.

"All this." Answered Donna, pulling away from her husband and proceeding to pace the floor. "What if you're not her father Sam? What if she's Bill's, or Harry's?…I don't know about Sophie, but I don't think I could handle it if you're not." She continued, nibbling nervously on her nail. "That poor kid must feel so confused…And it's all my stupid fault."

Watching his wife getting more and more wound up, Sam shook his head at her. "It's not your fault Donna." He said, grabbing hold of her as she moved nearer to him. "So she wants to know if I'm her dad or not… And if she isn't…Well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"It is my fault Sam." Said Donna, shrugging her husband off. "If I hadn't have been so fucking stupid, sleeping with those two other guys straight after you, then we wouldn't be in this predicament would we?" She asked, pacing the bedroom floor once more and placing a protective hand on her bump.

"Donna, stop it." Pleaded Sam, trying desperately to calm down his pregnant wife and grabbing hold of her again. "I don't care if Sophie isn't my flesh and blood…She is still mine, just as much as the boys and just as much as this little one." He continued, delicately stroking Donna's tummy.

Throwing her arms around her husband, Donna buried her face into the front of his shirt and inhaled his calming, familiar scent. She was worried, she was scared, but those last few words from Sam was enough to make everything alright again. Deep down she felt almost sure, that Sam had fathered her firstborn all those years ago. Really, she knew she should have seen it coming, that her daughter would want to find out who her dad was…But will it be the answer we all want? She silently asked herself. Only time and the test would tell.

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A.N. Hope it was okay? Wasn't very happy with that chapter, but wanted to get something up for you all… Loads of love, Liv x