Everything I Want for Christmas

Zack sighed as he woke and reached for his girlfriend. She had spent the night but she apparently wasn’t in his bed. He started to sit up when she walked in the door carrying a tray of food. She had a smile on her face, and was wearing the shirt she had been so eager to get off of him last night. He raised an eyebrow as he sat up.

“Breakfast in bed for the birthday boy.” Chelsea said grinning. Zack laughed as she sat the tray in his lap and then crawled into the bed beside him. He watched as the shirt rode up and shook his head. She was running around in his shirt and only his shirt. He looked down at the waffles and eggs and bacon, knowing it would be great, because she was a chef.

“Thanks Chelsea.”

“Your welcome. So today you get to do anything that you want to do. Anything at all. And the guys left it up to you if you have dinner and then go out tonight.”

“I want to spend the day… decorating for Christmas with you, but that means we have to go to the store first. Because I don’t have decorations.” Zack said around a bite of waffle. He swallowed it and looked at her. “What time is it anyway?”

“It is seven in the morning.”

“Wow, I’ve never been up this early on my birthday. But that’s okay, gives us an early start. You want some of this?”

“I ate already.” Chelsea said but she still stole a slice of bacon. Which he knew she had a weakness for. When he finished eating he moved the tray and she moved to get off the bed. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him. He kissed her neck and slipped his hand down over her now exposed hip and she moaned as his hand slid down and his brushed over her center.

“I want something else before we leave.” He murmured in her ear. She pressed back against him and they somehow managed to find themselves laying on the bed with him above her, and the hem of his shirt was in his hands as she arched up so he could remove it from her body. A moment later she gasped as Zack’s mouth captured hers and his hand slid down over her side to grip her hip.

“Zack” Chelsea gasped out as a moment later he was entering her. Zack slowly moved inside and when her eyes met his he kissed her briefly before he began to move faster. With in moments she was an incoherent mess beneath him and he was about the same. He could feel her tightening around him and he knew she was as close to coming as he was. On a strangled gasp she came his name a moaned whisper on her lips. He all but growled hers as he emptied himself into her. Zack rolled so that he was laying on his back and she was beside him.

“Happy Birthday Zack.” Chelsea said once she could think straight and move. He grinned.

“I think this years gonna be the best I’ve had in years.” He said. “Not only did I get breakfast in bed, I got to have the woman who made it for me for breakfast too.” Chelsea turned her head and grinned at him.

“I’ll even do the dishes.” She said and he smirked.

“Oh, well damn, if I wasn’t already so damned in love with you I think I would’ve just told you I loved you for that reason alone.”

“Well then it’s good for me then, that you fell in love with me before I offered to wash your breakfast dishes after you fucked me senseless.” Chelsea said and kissed his cheek as she moved from the bed. He watched her and grinned. God he was a lucky man.

----

Zack sighed as they pulled back into his drive way almost five hours later. He was glad they had taken the SUV because they had bought a lot of stuff. He was just wondering if they could have it up before the sun went down. He watched her and smiled. She was excited about decorating. Like a little kid would be.

“This is going to be fun. We never had Christmas Decorations in our house growing up. And when I got older I just didn’t have time for them. Now that I make my own schedule I have time…”

“Yeah.” Zack said and knew immediately that this was going to be worth it.

“I always envied the kids who got Christmas trees and everything else. I mean we hardly got presents. But anyways, you have decorated before right?”

“Not my house, but I used to help my parents. Well okay maybe I kind of just handed them stuff.”

“Maybe we should call in some help.” Chelsea said after they got everything out of the SUV. Zack stood beside her staring at all of it and all he could do was nod. He started to pull his cell phone out and stopped when Brian and Jessica walked up.

“What the hell are the two of you getting ready to do?”

“Decorate.” Zack said. Jessica put her hand to his forehead. “What are you doing?” Zack asked.

“I was just checking to see if you had a temperature. You never decorate.”

“Shut up.” Zack muttered.

“Wait does this mean we can actually have the Christmas Party at your house this year?” Brian asked smirking.

“Again shut up… Jessica what are you doing?”

“Calling Adrienne, she has the kids, I’m going to ask her to keep them a little bit longer. We’ll stay and help with…” She waved at the piles of decorations. “…that…”

Zack just raised and eyebrow and wondered just how long it would take them to deal with the decorations. When he zoned back in it was to hear yelling and he turned and raised an eyebrow at Jessica who had stepped away from them and was holding her phone an arms length from her ear. Brian was shaking his head as he was trying to make out just what Adrienne was yelling through the phone. When the line suddenly went dead. They all looked at one another. Chelsea raising an eyebrow at Jessica. Brian was the one to speak.

“You left our kids with the psycho, crazy, I don’t know how Matt put’s up with her, pregnant red head?” Brian asked looking at Jessica. She just shrugged and smiled at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

“She is my best friend Brian.” Jessica said smiling at her husband. He just shook his head and sighed.

“I know. I honestly know, and I know that you two and Val have been through so much together the past god what’s it been?”

“Five years.” Zack supplied as her wrapped Chelsea in his arms.

“Almost six actually.” A blonde said walking up to them. Zack shook his head.

“So what’s going on here?” Val asked as Lily walked over and started poking around in the pile of decorations.

“Decorating for Christmas.” Zack said.

“Doesn’t look like you’ve gotten all that far.” Jimmy said and Zack shook his head.

“No, not really. Haven’t exactly started.”

“Need help? Considering Zack here never decorates. I mean why exactly the change of mind now?” Val asked.

“Never had someone really that special to share the holiday with…”

“You want to rephrase that Zachary?” Zack turned as he heard her voice. Everyone raised their eyebrows. Matt gripped her arm and she turned looking at him. She didn’t have to say anything for him to let go of her. She had murder in her eyes.

“Uhm…” Zack was at a loss for words.

“I told you she was crazy.” Brian whispered into Jessica’s ear and she elbowed him as they took their children from Matt and Adrienne. They glanced down the sidewalk as Johnny and Faith showed up as well. Zack just sighed. Well if they were all here then maybe this would get done before the sun went down. Adrienne however was standing with her hand on her hip and the other resting on her belly. Her engagement ring flashed in the sunlight. Her eyes were hard as she glared at Zack.

“I’m waiting for the answer to that.” She said and Dani looked up at her mom and Mason who was holding his dad’s hand looked up at his dad.

“Why don’t I take the kids inside.” Faith said gesturing for Dani and Mason to follow her, and Brian and Jessica took their kids inside as well. Faith was holding her son as they walked inside. She glanced down at little Garrett and smiled. She still couldn’t believe that she was a mother. Once they had the kids situated on blankets and such and Mason and Dani found the TV remote they walked back outside. Lily had run in behind them a moment later and plopped herself down beside Dani as they decided on ABC Family, since it was playing Christmas movies.

Outside the adults all stood and Chelsea said not a word as Adrienne and Zack stood there. She just bit her lip and kept quiet. She looked at Val as she moved over beside her.

“Are they always going to be like this?”

“Probably.” Val said and cleared her throat.

“Alright enough. Do I have to send one of you inside to set up the tree while the rest of us start outside?” Val asked. Adrienne turned to her and her eyebrow rose. Val looked pointedly at her.

“Matt, c’mon lets go set up this assholes Christmas tree and then come out and put lights up.”

“Alright.”

“Hey I’ll put the lights on it and then every one can decorate it.” Zack grumbled. Everyone shook their heads. Adri and Matt walked in, Matt dragging the tree box behind him. He glanced up at Zack’s ceiling and was glad that it was a tall one. Because the tree Zack had bought was really fucking tall. After about half an hour of the kids laughing at them for trying to get Zack’s tree up they finished and told the three oldest to leave it alone and keep the babies from yanking on the bottom branches when they woke up. The two of them walked outside and Adrienne tried not to laugh when she realized that Brian, Zack, and Johnny were arguing about who was going up the ladder to put the lights up and Jimmy was just watching amused.

“It’s your house Zack!” Johnny exclaimed.

“Yeah but I’ve never put lights on a house before. You’ve already done so at your house.”

“Which is probably why he doesn’t want to do it again. And now’s a good time to learn how to put up lights.” Matt said holding Adri to his side. She moved away from him and walked over to see what the women were doing. All the while muttering under her breath that she was special he just didn’t see it. Val cocked an eyebrow at her and she shut up.

Almost several seven hours later the light was starting to go down in the sky and they were storing boxes and totes in the garage. The parents went inside to get the kids and they all stepped back to admire their handy work. Jessica smiled as she held seven month old Jacoby Brian Haner on her hip. She glanced at Brian who held Bethany Lynn. Both babies eyes were glowing from the Christmas lights that were now on the house.

“So I say we order something to eat and go in and decorate the tree.”

“Have you told your parents that you’re decorating yet?” Matt asked as they all made their way back inside. Zack looked over at his friend and raised an eyebrow.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes.” Adrienne said with a smirk as she watched Dani and Mason and Lily run over to the tree.

“Can we help?” They were looking at Zack and Chelsea and not their parents. Zack laughed and Chelsea and she smiled.

“Sure.” Zack said.

“Sure suck up to my kids and goddaughter.” Adrienne muttered under her breath. Matt nudged her and she glared at him.

“Stop baby.”

“No.” Adrienne said and Matt gave her a look that clearly stated to behave, because the kids, especially Dani were in the room. She sighed and looked over at the auburn haired little girl that she loved so much. Dani didn’t need to know any of it. Still Adrienne glared at Zack and he rolled his eyes. She watched and handed ornaments to her kids and Val handed them to Lily who excitedly hung them. Adrienne wondered briefly if she should warn Zack that there was going to be a spot on the tree where all the ornaments would be grouped together. She had left the lower tree the way it was like she did every year because Dani loved it. And so for that matter did Mason. When all the ornaments were on the tree Zack and Chelsea smiled at one another.

“Oh it’s amazing.” Chelsea said smiling at the tree. Adrienne sighed and realized Chelsea didn’t know completely what was going on. Adrienne had a feeling that Chelsea didn’t know she had once been with Zack. Adrienne looked at her children and noticed that they were asleep. She smiled at them. Matt saw her watching them and smiled. The kids were her world and he knew it. When she rested a hand on her stomach Matt moved to her. He could tell that something was wrong. He took her hand and they walked into the kitchen where they could be alone.

“Honey, what’s wrong.”

“This is gonna sound stupid, but you remember when…” She started crying at this point. “You remember the Christmas I was pregnant with Dani and we weren’t together, and I was well…”

“Living here?”

“Yeah…”

“Oh baby, it’ll be okay.”

“It’s just really makes me think that maybe, I’m not special at all.”

“You’re special to me Adrienne. You know you are my world. You, the kids, you’re everything to me. Does it really matter what Zack thinks?”

“Does what matter about what I think?” Zack asked walking and straight to the fridge.”

“She’s just being pregnant. It’s nothing.” Matt said.

“It isn’t nothing. I want to know why, when everyone knows Christmas is my favorite holiday, I wasn’t special enough for you to decorate!” Zack’s eyebrow shot up and he set his can of soda on the table.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Zack asked crossing his arms over his chest. “I thought we put all of that behind us.”

“Yeah until you were stupid enough to say that you never had anyone special that gave you a reason to decorate! That’s fucking bullshit Zack!”

“Hey guys what’s going on in here?” Chelsea asked walking in. Adrienne turned to her and watched as she picked up Zack’s soda and opened it before taking a drink. Matt touched his fiancé’s arm and Adrienne turned to him.

“What?” She asked harshly.

“Baby, maybe you should just let it go.”

“Why should I? Do you know how that makes a person feel, knowing that they weren’t special enough to someone when they were with them?”

“Yeah but you gotta look at both sides of that Adri…You weren’t exactly…”

“Not helping Zack.” Matt said.

“Uhm, do I even want to know what is going on here? Or should I just stay lost?” Chelsea asked looking between the three. Zack looked at his girlfriend and swallowed.

“Oh what she doesn’t know?” Adrienne asked. The look on her face was one that neither Matt nor Zack liked. Matt tried to get her to stop talking by grabbing her arm and turning her to face him.

“Adri…”

“What she deserves to know. I mean seriously how could he not tell her?”

“Adrienne” Zack said warningly. She spun around and faced him.

“Just shut up, shut up! I’m so tired of every time we’re in the same room people walking on eggshells since the day of that cook out five years ago. I’m so sick and tired of not being able to say how I feel. I always have to listen to everyone else tell me to just forget it or worry about it later.” Adrienne exclaimed and Matt sighed. When she turned on Zack he thought about backing up or hiding behind Chelsea but immediately thought better of it.

“And for the record Zachary, for what it’s fucking worth, no matter what happened I did love you at least a little. But to go and fucking say that no ones ever been special to you. Is just fucking bullshit. I know I did a lot of shit wrong five years ago…”

“Six” Jessica said walking in.

“Six, stay out of this Jessica, doesn’t mean that I was the only one that fucked up. You, me, Matt, we all did. I don’t honestly know why you apparently don’t think you didn’t but you did. What if she was yours? What if?” she didn’t know that her voice had risen a few octaves and that her daughter was now standing in the doorway to the kitchen watching.

“She wasn’t and we’ve been through this. I’m tried of having this conversation with you. Why can’t you just fucking let it go? It was a long time ago!”

“Hey guys what in the hell is going on?” Val asked walking in. She stepped in front of Dani and motioned for Jimmy to take her back to the living room.

“I’m outta here.” Adrienne said and turned to leave the room and saw that Dani was staring at her. “Dani honey…” But the child was old enough to understand what was going on and had taken off for the front door. Matt didn’t think but reacted quickly and was after her. When he got outside she was collapsed on the ground crying her eyes out. He picked his daughter up and held her close to him. She clung to his chest and cried. Sitting down on the porch with her in his arms Matt said nothing, just stayed quiet for a moment.

“Dani do you want to talk to me?” Matt asked. She pulled away from him her eyes clouded and the tears still falling from her face.

“Daddy, was mommy talking about me?”

“Baby girl…” But the look in those eyes had him sighing. “Yes. Mommy was talking about you.”

“Was mommy with Uncle Zack before?” Matt sighed before answering his daughter.

“Yes. We…your mom and I broke up for a little bit after she got pregnant.”

“Because mommy was pregnant?”

“No, not because of that. We were having problems. Your mommy and I love you Dani and there is nothing that is going to change that. Mommy and Uncle Zack just haven’t gotten a long very well since then. It has nothing to do with…”

“Did mommy think that I was Uncle Zacks?” Matt stared at her. She was way smarter than he ever gave her credit for. What in the hell was he supposed to tell his five year old. He sighed and was about to speak when Adrienne answered for him.

“I did yes. It was very possible. Dani this isn’t your fault. Honey look at mommy.”

“I don’t understand. I thought you and mommy always loved each other.” Adrienne sighed and moved to sit beside her fiancé and daughter.

“I have always loved your daddy. But mommy made a mistake before you were born and we split up. I was with Zack for a while before me and daddy got back together after you were born.”

“But…”

“Dani it’ll be okay. Sweetie. Mommy’s sorry.” Dani moved from her dad’s lap to lean against her mom.

“But I am daddy’s right?”

“Yes, we’re positive of that. You are your fathers daughter.” Adrienne said just as Jessica opened the door and Mason ran out. Matt pulled their son to him and Adrienne smiled. Jessica went in a moment later on Adrienne’s request and made the family’s excuses as they left.

Thirteen days later Zack woke with Chelsea’s head on his shoulder. He had explained everything to her on the night of his birthday and she had listened and after he had finished told him that she still loved him. That it hadn’t changed anything about the way she felt. He smiled and wrapped his arm tighter around her. He knew that tomorrow night was gonna be a night to remember, but for now, Christmas Eve was there’s. At least until seven when everyone got there for the Christmas party.

How he had gotten talked into that Zack didn’t know but he also knew that Chelsea planned on being in the kitchen most of the day. She said she wanted to make snacks for that night. Zack knew that she was going to end up making more than that. But he knew that she couldn’t help herself. She loved cooking.

When she woke and immediately went downstairs, still in her pajama’s Zack rolled out of bed and walked to his dresser and made sure the little velvet black box was still where he had left it. He was nervous about the fact that hopefully by the end of tomorrow Chelsea would be his fiancé. Sighing he walked downstairs and shook his head as he realized she already had out about a dozen different things to make a dozen different things. He knew she wouldn’t be able to just make a few things. He also noticed that she had a phone to her ear.

“Yes, no Mr. Dummel, it’s fine, I can have it to you by six. Okay, yes that’s very gracious of you. No you don’t need to do that. Of, course, I’ll see you then. Bye.” Chelsea hung up the phone and turned as Zack slipped his arms around her.

“What was that all about?”

“Mr. Dummel fired his catering service because they called this morning and said that they can’t make him what he ordered so he called me and since he’s used me before he knows what I can do on short notice, I just need to run to the store and pick up some stuff. I’m gonna be in the kitchen all day I’m afraid. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“I can go use the kitchen at…”

“No, I like when you work here in my kitchen.” Zack said and she smiled. “I’ll just tell everyone that they need to bring something tonight so that you don’t have to over work yourself.”

“Thank you Zack. You’re the best.” Zack just smiled and picked his cell phone up off the counter by the microwave and dialed his friends to let them know. He wasn’t going to make Chelsea do it all, plus whatever for this guy.

“What the hell do you mean you told him we’d bring something? Are you fucking insane Matthew?”

“Adrienne, chill out. You’re scaring Mason.”

“Mason, c’mon, come here, mommy’s sorry.” Adrienne said to her son.

“It’s not that big of a deal, we can just pick something up on our way over…”

“Oh no, I would never hear the end of that one. Get out of my kitchen…” Adrienne said as she pulled a cookbook off the shelf. Matt sighed and knew that he was better off listening to her when she was like this. He shook his head and walked into his office. He glanced at the desk and smiled at the picture that sat beside his computer. It was from when Dani was only a few months old. She had still been so small. He had fallen asleep holding her. She was asleep on his chest as they lay on the couch. He remembered that he had been so exhausted and had just gotten done with a show. He smiled and sighed. She was then, and now, and would always be his little girl.

Zack was sitting in the living room on the floor wrapping presents for the kids that would be there that night and glanced up when the telephone rang. He let Chelsea answer it in case it was for her. When she walked in all covered in flour and baking ingredients he said nothing just shook his head as he took the phone.

“Hello?”

“What time do we need to be there?” Matt asked. He was standing in his kitchen staring at the mess Adrienne had made.

“Uhm… Seven thirtish…is something wrong?”

“We should be there on time, but there was a disaster in the kitchen and well, yeah, we may be late.”

“Okay… did Adrienne try to cook?”

“Yeah, I’m leaving it at that because I am not sleeping on the couch.”

“Okay, well I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah.” Matt hung up the phone and watched as Adrienne paced in front of the oven. The timer was supposed to go off any moment. Matt was just afraid that the cake she had baked wouldn’t turn out the way it was supposed to and wanted to be there to make sure she wasn’t going to break down when it didn’t. She was no good in the kitchen, but she tried.

At seven thirty that night Zack opened the door so Jessica and Brian could carry in their kids and the gifts that they had brought. Everyone had bought one thing for everyone else. And everyone had bought something for the kids. Jimmy and Val were right behind them and Johnny and Faith were next. Once they were all inside Jimmy looked around.

“Hey Zack, where’s Chelsea?”

“She had to run some stuff over to a clients. She should be back soon.”

“I thought because is was your first Christmas together…”

“That was the plan, but this apparently was a client she couldn’t afford to loose so. But it’s alright. It’s not like it was Christmas Day or something like that.” Zack said and a moment later Chelsea ran through the garage door and up the steps shouting that she wasn’t late she just had to change and then she would be down. They all laughed and looked around.

“Hey where in the hell is Matt and Adrienne?” Val asked. Lily was looking around for her best friend.

“Matt called earlier, said that they would be late.”

“Ah, how long ago did he call?” Brian asked.

“This afternoon.”

“She was in the kitchen when he called.” Zack said.

“Well that explains it…hey they aren’t that late.” Jessica said as Matt pulled in the drive.

Zack just shook his head and looked up when he heard someone on the stairs. He smiled as she stepped off of the steps and walked to him. He grinned down at her and brushed a strand of her blonde hair out of her face. He placed a gentle kiss to her lips and they all moved so that Adrienne and Matt and their two kids could come in. Matt was muttering something under his breath.

“What was that Matt?” Adrienne asked as she turned to him.

“Nothing.”

“You didn’t say nothing.” Brian said.

“He has a point. What’d you say?” Adrienne asked.

“I said I knew I was going to hell for that night.”

“What night?” Chelsea asked. Adrienne just smirked. She knew what he was talking about.

“Oh really now? So this is hell? See if I give it up to you again anytime soon.” Val snorted and Matt raised an eyebrow at her.

“What I knew there was a reason I actually liked the woman you cheated on me with.” Chelsea stared at them and Zack started laughing at the same time that Jimmy and Adrienne did. Val grinned and Adrienne wrapped an arm around her.

“C’mon lets go put this stuff away.”

“So what’d you bring?”

“Cake” Adrienne said smiling.

“Oh really what kind?” Faith asked walking in with them.

“German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Cajeta Frosting.” Faith’s eyes went wide and Val stared at her.

“Wait you bought this where?” Val asked. Matt groaned when he heard her as he walked in behind them. Adrienne just raised an eyebrow and laughed.

“Who said anything about buying it.” Everyone just looked at her. “What? Oh that’s right, I just pretend I can’t bake, so that I don’t have too.” Matt shook his head and Adrienne smiled at him. When he pulled her against him a moment later and crashed his lips to hers she wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him.

“I love you Adri, and you are so seriously special to me.” She pulled back and grinned.

“Well I suppose as long as I’m special to you it doesn’t matter what Zack said.”

Thank God

Everyone was sitting around the living room later as the kids played with their new toys and everyone else ate cake. No one said a word other than that the cake Adrienne had made was amazing, because it was. Zack was smiling later as everyone left. They were spending Christmas’ at their respected houses. And with their families. Zack couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

----Christmas Morning----

Zack smiled as he woke before Chelsea. She had her head resting on his chest and was curled against him. He loved waking with her beside him and knew that this time it was real. He wasn’t fucking it up. He reached over to the nightstand for the box he had sat there the night before after turning the light out and crawling into bed. He was very careful not to wake her as he opened and pulled the ring out of the box. He rolled so that she was now using his pillow instead of his chest. She woke almost immediately once her head was no longer on his body. She rose up on her elbow and looked at him.

“Zack is something wrong?” She asked waking the rest of the way when she saw him watching her.

“No, nothing’s wrong, in fact I couldn’t be better. Chelsea…I love you baby.”

“I love you too Zack.”

“Will you marry me?” Chelsea stared at him and nodded and didn’t even look at the ring that he put on her finger as she moved to him, wrapping her arms around him.

“You know baby, this sis the best Christmas ever.” Zack said. She pulled away from him.

“Well hopefully I can make it better.’”

“How?”

“I’m pregnant.” Zack stared at her and a smile formed on his face. He kissed her and when he pulled back he looked at her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

“Merry Christmas.” they said at the same time.