Chp 11
Tony's POV
Christmas Eve

I knocked on Annabeth's apartment door and went in, knowing it was unlocked. "Mel?" I asked. I heard her call out from her room and waited. She came out, pulling her suitcase with her. I couldn't help staring at her.

She was wearing high heels with stockings and a green dress with her leather jacket. She looked up and gave me a smile. "What?" She asked, looking to see if there was something wrong with her dress that I was staring at.

"Sorry, you just look - wow." I said, finally trailing my eyes back to her face. She blushed as she came towards me. "You look very handsome yourself." She said, slinging her arms around my neck with a smile. I smirked and slung my arms around her waist. "Is that so?" I asked, kissing her.

She smiled into the kiss and mumbled, "Oh yeah." We were kissing for a few moments till I said, "We're going to be late." She nodded, gave my lips one mast peck and got her bag. I took it from her and got it down in the elevator. I showed her to my Mercedes G class and she whistled. "This is a really nice car." She said, admiring it.

I chuckled. "Yeah, thanks." I put her bag in my boot and opened her door for her. I went around to the other side and got in. I started the drive to Boston. It was one o' clock on Christmas Eve, and we were on our way to her parents place. I was nervous. What if they thought I was weird? What if they didn't like that I was a rich boy? What if they didn't like me altogether?!

As we drove she glanced over to me. She had her hand resting on my thigh, making my skin feel hot. "You know you didn't have to wear a tie and a fancy suit." She said, laughing at me. She tried numerous times to get it off but gave up after she discovered I really wasn't going to budge.

"I want to look respectable, make your family like me." I said. "Yeah, by wearing Lacoste?" I rolled my eyes. "You're judging." I said. She was silent for a moment, which gave me a fright, and I looked over to her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." She said, genuinely worried that she had upset me. I chuckled and took one hand off my steering wheel to rest it on hers. "No worries." I said.

The drive seemed like forever due to Christmas traffic but four hours later, we arrived at her parents place. I bit my lip as I pulled up into the drive. "Uh, are you sure it's okay for me to trash your family Christmas?" I asked, getting really nervous as I realized I was actually here now and I couldn't turn back.

She looked over at me. "You aren't having cold feet are you?" She asked, an amused look on her face. "I thought I was the first timer in relationships." She said, making me chuckle. "Yeah, but I never did the 'meet the family' part of it. I never thought I was up for it." I admitted.

She leaned over and said, "They're very laid back, don't worry. All they are going to think about is how amazing you are and they'll see straight away what I fell in love with." I smiled at her comment and rubbed her cheek with my thumb.

"So you love me?" I asked, grinning cheekily. She chuckled, blushing deep red. "I said that, didn't I?" She joked. I smiled and gave her a kiss. She kissed me back, warming me to the core. "Come on." She said, pulling away and getting out. Oh my.

I got out too and locked my car. I laced our fingers and we walked to the front door. Before we knocked, the door was opened. "Melody, my sweet pumpkin!" A lady said, moving up forward and pulling Mel into a bone crushing hug. "Mom, I can't breath." She said, chuckling as her mom finally let her go.

"Mom, this is Tony. Tony, this is my mom, Sheila." She said. The lady looked at me and gave me a warm smile. "Tony! How nice to finally meet you." She said, surprising me as she pulled me into a hug. I chuckled and smiled at her as she pulled away. "Oh, you two must be freezing out here, come in." She said, ushering us in.

I was speechless. There were Christmas decorations up, and the it smelt of freshly baked cookies. The house was cozy and seemed like a real family home. No wonder Mel loved Christmas. We were taken through to a lounging room where a middle aged man sat along with Tony standing with some guy that looked a bit older.

They all looked our way. Tony grinned at us and came forward. He gave Melody a hug first, kissing her cheek. He turned to me and we had a 'bro hug'. "Tony, I assume you left the apartment all clean and tidy for us all when we go back." He joked. I chuckled and nodded.

I was introduced to the guy he had been standing with, his cousin Ben. "So you and Mel are a thing?" He asked. I nodded with a smile. "Oh, and this is Mel's boyfriend Tony." I heard Sheila say. I swallowed and shook the mans hand. "Hi, I'm Samuel." He said, giving a smile.

I was shown to the kitchen with Mel and there was a wife and husband in there, apparently her aunt and uncle. "Oh, you're going to have to get out the mistletoe, Shelly!" Mary said making Mel and I laugh. "Wasn't that part of the deal?" I murmured in Mel's ear and she blushed deep red, making me grin before taking a sip of my red wine.

We all looked to the door as her grandparents and another aunt and uncle came in. Yet again, I was introduced. "So, Tony, what are you studying?" Granny Janet said. I grinned. "Culinary skills." I said.

They all looked really interested when I said that. "He's a really good cook - it kind if sealed the deal." Mel said, making them laugh and me grin as I put an arm around her waist. "Well I got an assistant chef now." I said.

"Oh, and how long have you been interested to in it?" Sheila asked, enthusiastically. "I moved to Paris when I was fifteen, and we had this French cook in the house. She taught me all she knew." I said. More oohs and ah's sounded.

"Well in that case, you are going to have to show off your skills for us." Mary said, grinning. I smiled. "Consider it a test." Grandpa Joe said. I laughed and nodded. "Sure, I'd love to."

Sheila and Mary are amazing cooks, and made up the most amazing homemade food I had ever had in America. I was walking around and chatting to people after supper, and walked past the door that lead outside. It was open, and I could see Sheila sitting there.

"Can I get you anything Sheila?" I asked and she looked up with a smile. "No, thank you." She said. I nodded and gave a smile before going around to find Mel. I ended up getting pulled into a conversation with Ben.

"So you first lived in America till you were eight, moved to Singapore and stayed there for two years, stayed in London and traveled around Britain for two years, moved to Canada for three years, had one year in Paris then moved back here?" He recalled from our conversation.

I chuckled and nodded. "Spot on." I said. By now, some of the others were all over hearing whilst having separate conversations. He shook his head with a grin. "I'd love that." He said, sighing in content.

"Well next time you travel wether it's to Switzerland or Australia you are taking me along." He said, making me laugh. I saw Mel standing in the kitchen doorway listening as her aunt talked to her, but her eyes were on me. She gave a smile and I excused myself from Ben.

I went over and was lucky that her aunt was just moving on to where her husband was calling her. "I see you finally ditched the tie." She said, fingering the button that was undone due to me having taken my tie off with a smile.

"Do I still look good?" I mused, smirking lightly. She grinned and nodded. "Mistletoe." Her mom said, squeezing between us with a grin as she came out the kitchen. I glanced up and sure enough there was a mistletoe. She lowered my chin and kissed me. I cupped her cheek and kissed her. Wolf whistles sounded and mistletoe was shouted out.

I laughed, breaking the kiss. She laughed with me and I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side. "One for the family album." Her grandmother said, looking at the picture she had taken.

Mel was slightly embarrassed, but I didn't care about the photo. It was something I definitely wanted to hold onto forever. Soon it became quite late and everyone left, leaving Mel, Will, Sheila and myself.

I wasn't even aware that her parents were divorced until he left. "We need to get out stuff out your car." Mel said. I nodded and went to my jacket that was hung up at the front. I got out my car keys and went started following me, but I stopped her before she even stepped out the front door.

"What?" She asked. "It's cold, stay inside." I said, smiling at her. She rolled her eyes with a smile but listened. I went to the car and got out our bags. Will joined me and took Mel's stuff for me as I went to my car door to get something out the front.

"Can I park my car again?" I asked, pointing to the place off the grass. Will nodded and took my stuff from me, taking it inside. I got in the car and parked my car under the shelter. I went back inside and took my suit jacket off the hook, taking it up stairs with me along with my bag.

I found the guest room and went in. I started unpacking my things, the things I would wear for the week we were going to be down. "Knock knock?" Said a voice, opening the door slightly. Mel smiled as she stood in the partially opened doorway.

"Come in." I said, smiling at her. She came in and I put down the empty, unpacked bag. "So, what are your views on Christmas now?" She asked.

I grinned and rested my hands on the small of her back, her slinging her arms around my neck. "Absolutely amazing, one of my favorite holidays." I said. She smiled and kissed me, leaning into me. I kissed her back and rested my forehead against hers.

"So I guess I'll be heading to bed." She said. I nodded and cupped her cheek. I kissed her once more before saying, "Sweet dreams." I smiled as she kissed my cheek and left. If I could only trade all the money my dad had for a family like hers.