Sam sighed and sunk into the couch as soon as Chet let them into the apartment. The day had been a whirlwind, shuttling between Sam's parents and Chet's family. As expected, much of the talk surrounded planning the wedding, and everyone had their own ideas and suggestions. Sam was utterly overwhelmed and now wedding planning was the last thing she wanted to think about.

But she barely had a moment to rest, she knew that. She still had to make cookies to take to Johnny's and Diane's tomorrow. What the hell had she been thinking? Someday she would learn to not say 'yes' to absolutely everything.

"Dammit." She muttered to herself.

"What's the matter, babe?" Chet turned from where he was choosing an album from his extensive collection.

"I still have to make cookies for tomorrow." Sam replied.

"You want help?" Chet offered as he set the record on the turntable and turned it on, dropping the needle. "I'm a great recipe tester."

"You are." Sam laughed. "But I think I could use a dishwasher."

Chet crossed to the couch and leaned over to give her a kiss. "Whatever you need."

"…and a partridge in a pear tree…"

Sam immediately started laughing. "John Denver and the Muppets?"

Chet laid a hand on his chest in mock offense. "FIVE..GOLD…RINGS!" He bellowed.

Sam merely shook her head as she pushed herself off the couch and started toward the kitchen, pulling out cookie ingredients and her cookbook, flipping to the cookie section and finding her recipes. Gingersnaps and snickerdoodles were simple enough, Sam thought.

She soon got to work heating up the oven, mixing up ingredients and humming along with the album. The first time Chet had played this for her, she couldn't stop laughing at the rendition of "Twelve Days of Christmas". But once she heard "The Peace Carol", she was hooked, and now she hummed along with it as she scooped the gingersnap dough and deposited them on the cookie sheets.

Chet kept a sink of soapy water going, washing implements and bowls as Sam used them, singing along with the album as it played. "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat…"

Sam joined in a few measures in, feeling a bit of her Christmas spirit returning as she started the next batch of cookies. Once she had the dough mixed up, she started dropping the dough balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Soon the timer went off, and Chet almost immediately stepped in. "I'll roll these balls around while you get the oven."

She glanced over at him, that mischievous look in his eye as he waggled his eyebrows at her, and she couldn't help laughing at him. "Great, thanks. Don't play with them too much."

Chet gave her a quick kiss. "I'll let you handle that…later."

Sam smacked him on the shoulder, and they continued on through the evening, making what seemed like endless batches of cookies while Chet occasionally switched out albums on the turntable. Finally, all the cookies were out and cooling, and Chet washed up the last of the dishes before taking a snickerdoodle and a gingersnap. "Do we have any eggnog left?"

"I think so." Sam answered. "Otherwise I can make some coffee."

"Are you trying to keep me up all night?" Chet teased her around a mouthful of cookie. "Babe, these are really good. Probably your best batch yet."

"Not all night." Sam replied, taking one of each cookie for herself and taking a bite. "You're right. These are good."

"Told you." Chet kissed her. "That's the real reason I asked you to marry me. I can't make these as well as you can."

"I knew it." Sam replied with a laugh. "The way to your heart is truly through your stomach."

Chet laughed in response, pulling her in close. "Got me with the chicken and dumplings and landed me with the cookies."

Sam let out a short sigh. "Do we have to talk about wedding stuff? Between my mom and your mom and your sisters I don't want to even hear the word 'wedding'."

"Vegas is still an option." Chet reminded her.

"I'm actually considering it." Sam told him.

"Wow." Chet sounded surprised. "I was mostly kidding."

"Oh, forget it." Sam told him, laying a hand on his chest. "I'm just tired and cranky, I guess."

"Look, it's been a crazy day, and it's late." Chet told her. "Why don't we pack up the cookies and call it a night. We can talk about all that wedding stuff some other time."

"That's the best idea you've had all day." Sam replied.

Chet smacked her behind. "Brat."

"But you love me, remember?" Sam reminded him as she found the zipper bags, pulling out a few and handing the box to Chet.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Chet nodded as he started packing up cookies, humming along with the album.

There was something about being here with Chet for Christmas that just felt right. It was cozy and intimate, neither so stuffy and formal as it could be with her parents, nor so noisy and chaotic as it could be with Chet's family. And before long, they would have their own place where they could start their own holiday traditions.

In the meantime, this suited Sam just fine.

"Holy cow, how many cookies did you make?" Chet's voice broke into Sam's thoughts. "We'll be eating these things until Valentine's Day."

"The way you guys go through them at the station, they won't last a week." Sam pointed out.

"Johnny not being there might slow that rate down a little." Chet reminded her. "You know he'll be out for surgery the first of the year."

"Oh, that's right." Sam answered. "Supposed I'll have to make him an extra batch or two."

"He'll love that." Chet replied.

Finally, all the cookies were packed up, with a plateful reserved just for them, and Chet kissed her cheek. "I'll switch out the album and meet you in the bedroom, how about that?"

"Sounds good." Sam agreed.

She put away the bags and wiped a few crumbs off the counter before turning out the kitchen light. The apartment was quiet and dark now, save for the music playing quietly and the lights of the tiny Christmas tree on the table in front of the window twinkling.

"Babe?" Chet's voice called out from the bedroom. "You coming to bed?"

"On my way." Sam called back.

She checked the apartment door before heading into the bedroom. The sight immediately made her burst out laughing.

"What's so funny, babe?" Chet asked, his expression all wide-eyed innocence. How he managed that while lounging on the bed with only a large red bow covering him was beyond Sam's powers of comprehension.

Sam climbed up on the bed and leaned over to kiss him, the ribbon crinkling as she did so, causing her to go into fits of laughter once again. "You are a very silly man, Chester."

"Samantha. Babe." Chet replied with mock indignation, a hand sliding under Sam's shirt. "Do you not like your present?"

"I do like it." Sam responded softly, barely managing to contain her laughter. "Best present ever."

Chet kissed her again, and Sam tugged at the ribbon to pull it loose. Before long they were tangled up together, completely lost in each other.

Afterward, Chet pulled back for a moment, his expression serious as he tucked back a piece of her hair. "You're the best present a guy could get. I'm a damned lucky man."

"Yes, you are." Sam teased, and Chet groaned and blew a raspberry on her neck, evoking a shout of laughter.

"Merry Christmas, babe." He told her as they finally settled in for the night.

"Merry Christmas, hon." Sam murmured as she started to fall asleep. With any luck, it would be only one of many to come.