Second City.

Patrick sat in the backseat with Bristol and she slapped his hands away in an attempt to keep the red Santa hat off her perfectly styled hair. He insisted she wear it after implying she looked like with jolly man with her big belly and blushed cheeks. Although there had been quick minute of tears when she twisted his words, accusing him of calling her fat, Jon punched his friend in the shoulder while Dan went on damage control. In the past few weeks, he had never showered her with more compliments. Finally having enough, Bristol snatched it from his hand and tossed into the trunk, losing it in the monster pile of wrapped gifts.

“I paid good money for that. Had it embroidered and everything.” Sulking, Patrick crossed his arms over his chest and pouted his lips. Scooting into the center seat of the SUV, Bristol wrapped her arms around him and placed her head in the curve of his neck. She apologized and promised to find it once they got to the Quenneville household. In the rearview mirror Bristol caught Dan staring at her. Spreading her red lips in to a smile, she added a playful wink.

Since their argument in Florida, things had finally begun to settle down at the Carcillo house. Dan had pushed to go the extra mile—no complaining when she sent him running to the store for a midnight craving and rubbing her feet when she plopped them in his lap and wiggled her eyebrows. Although she still had no contact with Adrienne, she had learned of her sisters plans to move out to LA to be with Mike. When she received a phone call from the former Flyers captain begging Bristol to call Adrienne and make amends, she couldn’t bring herself to dial the phone.

The betrayal had nearly killed her emotionally and caused a devastating riff between she and Patrick which was thankfully sealed. It was Pat who made the first move—he missed Bristol’s company and took her out to one of her favorite downtown restaurants. While they dined over a fine French cuisine and all their mistrusts had been laid out and mended back into the friendship they had before; if not stronger. Patrick had even purchased a crib for the expecting parents as their Christmas gift.

The drive to the suburbs was one Bristol rarely took and if hadn’t been for the GPS they would have gotten lost. They pulled up to the large house just as the sun had set and large flakes began dusting the streets with a light sugar coating. Patrick helped Bristol out of the car as Dan and Jon headed to the trunk to unload the gifts. “You’re going to behave tonight, right?” Bristol joked as she knocked on the large wooden door.

Patrick rubbed the top of her head, messing the curls she had spent forty minutes trying to perfect. “Of course I’ll behave.”

Elizabeth—Joel’s wife—opened the door with a holiday smile plastered on her face. An apron was tied around her waist, protecting her expensive wool skirt. She moved aside allowing the two guests to enter before pulling Bristol into a welcoming hug. “I’m happy you guys made it.” Throughout the house they could hear the loud chatter and laughter of the friends and employees of the Blackhawks organization. Over the past few Christmases, Bristol had missed out on the fun and games of the team party after making commitments to her family. Elizabeth took their coats and pushed the two into the kitchen as she waited to greet Jon and Dan.

It didn’t take long for a drink to be pushed into Patrick’s hand. Bristol unfortunately missed out on Sharpie’s infamous cocktail but she was offered a Diet Coke. “You look like you’re ready to pop.” Bolland joked after letting her go from his hug. Bristol rubbed her belly, feeling her baby girl moving along with the excitement of the room.

“I am,” she looked around the room examining the other wives and girlfriends and becoming jealous of the cute pumps and stilettos they strolled around in. After her poor judgment decision of wearing her favorite five in pumps on Thanksgiving, Bristol traded in her heels for flats. “Just a month and a half left.”

Sneaking off to find the other women, she found Kelly, Abby and Jana sitting at a table near the extravagant tree. Pulling out a chair, Bristol rested beside Jana and cooed over the baby boy she held in her arms. He was only a few weeks old and already he looked exactly like Marian. The Slovak was overjoyed about fatherhood and cherished every precious second he had alone with his son.

Bristol smiled at Abby after noticing the glow which washed her face as she placed a hand on her very own bump. Time seemed to past by Bristol before she had a chance to even blink an eye. Just last year they sat around the same table, but instead of babies and marriage being the topic of conversation, it was the pair of shoes they saw at Macy’s and what pair of earring they hoped would waiting for them under the tree in the morning. The boys Bristol had introduced to were no longer worrying about hang overs and practice but the comfort and happiness of their growing families.

“How are you and Dan doing?” Kelly asked Bristol. She caught a glimpse of Dan in the living room as he stood in a small a circle laughing over a story the young Nick Leddy voiced.

Squirming in her seat as she tried to find a comfortable position, Bristol crossed her ankles. “We’re doing well. I never thought I’d say this but I actually look forward to him leaving for road trips just so I can have the bed all to myself.” Kelly agreed. As much they all loved snuggling close to their men when they were home, it was easy to become accustom to having the large bed to sprawl out in a few times a month.

After eating a fantastic meal prepared by Elizabeth, the dishes were tackled in the kitchen and done in no time with nearly fifteen pairs of hands helping. They exchanged small gifts with the front office staff and by nine o’clock it was just the guys. They were all anxiously awaited the time to tear into the gag gifts which they purchased for each other. Joel wanted to save his friends the embarrassment by waiting until later, and although they had been warned to keep it appropriate, everyone knew that was like asking a fish not to live in water.

Bristol sat on the floor with her back resting against the sofa and her legs stretched while Sharp stood in the mess of gifts and played Santa. He handed off a small pile to Kane. When he tore the paper off the book which Sharp had picked out himself, it sent the already loud room into an even bigger fit of giggles. “1001 Ways to be Romantic,” Patrick read. “Very funny, Sharpie.”

Jonathan had been given a large supply of condoms in response of introducing his new girlfriend at dinner before they left for the circus trip. The young captain seemed giddy with love and his older teammates found it fit to prepare the man in case he decided to get hot and heavy. For Leddy, the boys picked up a book on puberty. Now that Kane had long since passed the days of puberty jokes, it was time for the vets to focus on their young blue-liner.

Bristol could only imagine what Dan was opening when a large package had been passed off to him. They patted the table in a drum roll as he anxiously pulled back the paper. A deep rose color brightened Dan’s cheeks as he pulled out a large bottle of hand lotion and a copy of Hustler magazine. “For when the baby comes.” John Scott called out. It was defiantly tamer than some of the things he had received with in Philly, but it was enough to embarrass the team’s enforcer.

“This one’s for Bristol.”

Grabbing the box with swollen fingers, Bristol rested the package in her lap and ripped the corners. She revealed a white and tossed the lid aside. Pulling out a bottle of diet pills and a pair of size zero—which she would never fit into whether or not she was knocked up—jeans. Everyone couldn’t help from bursting in laughter as most of the women punched their men in the arms embarrassed they would come up with such a gift. Bristol took it in stride, knowing it was all in good fun and put it aside to open another. This one was more serious, a collection of baby onzies with clever sayings ironed on the front. And if she hadn’t been embarrassed enough, Sharp passed off another small box claiming it was Adam. Bristol knew this wasn’t going to end well and she’d be on major damage control for the next few days.

“Oh my god,” Bristol couldn’t believe her eyes. With the box wide open for everyone to see, there was no need for her to lift up the lacy thong and matching baby blue bra.

She recognized them right away—once upon a time she had owned the bra and panties and Adam must have accidently packed them when he moved to Dallas. What she didn’t understand was why he decided now would be the best time to give her garments back. The room filled with loud whistles and cat calls and she had to slap Kaner’s hands away when he tried stealing the box. Dan grabbed the box from his wife’s hands, his expression wasn’t as playful as every else’s. She shot him a sympathetic look and he assured her he was fine, but Bristol didn’t need a degree in psychology to know he wasn’t. And for the sake of Adam, Bristol hopped he would be out with an injury the next time the Stars came in to town. If history served her right, Bristol knew once he was on Carbombs hit list there was no getting off.