Rachel shouldered her bag with her files and laptop as she pulled her keys from the ignition. That morning she had decided to hike at Runyon Canyon. After showering she had spent the afternoon at the office before calling it quits.
Pulling the handle and pushing the door open she grabbed her phone from the cupholder and climbed out.
"Need help?"
Rachel yelped; her phone and keys falling to the ground. She turned around and there stood JC. Her eyes widened in surprised both at him being there and his appearance. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." JC knelt and picked up the items she had dropped when he scared her. He handed her the phone but kept her keys.
"I live here." Rachel knew she wasn't going to be able to shake JC.
"Yeah you do." JC hit the button the the key fob and locked her car. "But you're not supposed to be here." He fell in to step with her as they walked to the door to her apartment building. They didn't speak as she entered the code to unlock the door. He held it open allowing her to walk through first. He had walked the same path a couple hours ago when he knocked on her door to no avail.
When they reached her door on the third floor he took advantage of having her keys and unlocked her door. He turned the knob and pushed it open, following her through. The door latched behind him as he stared in shock at the living room. The empty tree. The absent decorations. There wasn't even Rubbermaid bins out waiting to be stored for another year. Two days after Christmas, Rachel's apartment looked like Christmas hadn't been there at all.
Rachel dropped her shoulder bag and purse down on the table. Her plans of takeout and work wasn't happening tonight. She thought she'd be able to make it through without anyone realizing she was lying. Maybe she shouldn't become a defense lawyer. Lying to her family had only lasted two days. At least lying to JC had only lasted a couple of days. She took a deep breath and turned around to find him staring at her. His blue eyes piercing. "You came home about five pounds lighter," she teased unable to believe he had finally gotten his haircut. She been trying for months for him to get rid of its ridiculousness. "Santa brought you a barber huh? I'll be leaving him a little something extra in his milk next year."
"You're gonna pretend nothing is wrong?" JC asked, crossing his arms as he stared at her.
"How'd you figure it out?"
"Speaking to you on Christmas..."
"Damn," Rachel cursed. "I was ready to become a defense lawyer I was slinging stories so well. Breezed right by my parents, Stacy, and Lance."
"I didn't know you were lying to me. I knew something was wrong but I didn't know you were downright lying. Then you were ignoring me."
"Yeah I figured that probably wasn't my smartest move." She sighed. "So how'd you figure out I wasn't with Stacy?"
"Lance called me looking for you. After a runaround, we connected with Stacy."
"You didn't have to ruin your vacation and come back to check on me. I'm fine." ‘Fine-ish.' She amended in her head.
"You wanna try something I'll believe? Because it's gonna take something good to make me believe you're fine when your place looks like this."
"What's wrong with how it looks?" She sighed when JC sent her a look. His arms were still crossed. She knew she wasn't getting out of this with anything less than the truth. She pulled out the table chair and plopped down with a sigh. This wasn't going to end well for her. Her emotions were out of whack. It had been why she was ignoring JC and Lance. They would have picked up on something immediately.
JC moved to Rachel's side, sitting down at the table with her. From the moment he realized Rachel had lied to them and was back in California alone, he started making preparations. His parents had been behind him going back to California when they found Rachel was alone. They went so far as to tell him to bring her back to Florida for what what was left of the holidays. "You didn't tell them. They didn't know you weren't with me. Why didn't you tell them?"
"If I told them I wasn't going to Orlando anymore Mom and Dad would have cancelled their cruise and they were looking forward to go. Mom already had their itinerary planned."
JC understood why she didn't tell her parents. Their plans were different than Stacy's or Lance's. "You could have told your sister or Lance, they would have let you..." he trailed off before the word he'd been about to say could come free.
"Tagalong?" Rachel offered. "Yeah. That sounds like a great time." She sighed and went to get up but JC blocked her. She sat back in the chair with a sigh.
JC had sat sideways in the chair, facing Rachel and slid forward after she sat back down. Her chair was angled toward him from when she pulled it out earlier. When he moved closer, one of her knees was between his. He leaned in, resting his elbows on his knees. He reached out and took her hand in his. Before he could speak, she started talking.
"I didn't call Stacy because she was spending time with her family. I know I'm family. But not like Ford and the kids. I know she would have told me to come. I know she would have been fine with it. I just would have felt like I was intruding. It's different when we're all together. It feels like we're all the same level. We're all celebrating together. Separated though..." she trailed off. She stared at her hand, in JC's grasp watching as his thumb ran back and forth over the back of her hand. "Maybe I should have just gone to Miami. Might have been easier with just Lance and Michael, but I don't really know Michael's family all that well. I barely know Ford's after all this time. And I'd still be that third wheel. That little sister trailing after everyone." She shrugged. "I figured it was better to stay home. Save myself from feeling that way. But it didn't matter. I'll be fine when Christmas rolls around next year. I'll be better prepared for it next time."
JC didn't like the sound of that statement and what it might mean. "Rachel, I told you this on the phone. You're family. You're my family."
"I know. I'm family like Lance is. Like Joey is. Chris." Rachel named off a dozen more names of JC's close friends.
"No." JC reached out and with his index finger under her chin, he raised her head so she'd meet his gaze. He hated how she wouldn't look at him. When she finally looked at him he saw her eyes were wet with tears and his heart clenched. "You are my family. You are not in the same circle as any of those people. I invited you to spend Christmas in Orlando because I wanted you there."
"Sometimes circles don't mesh together and I guess that's what happened."
"What are you talking about?" He held her chin firmly when she went to drop her gaze. "Rachel, my parents wanted you to come. They were looking forward to your visit. So were Heather and Tyler."
"But..."
"It was Jennifer's family who were raising issues. You understand? They felt you shouldn't be there and Mom thought it would be best if you didn't come. Not because she didn't want you there or because she felt the same at they did. But because she didn't want them to say something to you. She didn't want you to get hurt."
"Oh..." Rachel said her gaze falling to the side. It hadn't worked.
"You got hurt anyway,"JC said as if he read her mind. "I'm sorry for that."
"It's okay." Rachel shrugged.
"No it's not. It's not okay. It's not okay that you couldn't come to Orlando. It's not okay that you spent Christmas alone thinking you didn't belong anywhere. Rachel," he said her name softly and waited for her eyes to drift back to his. "You belong with me" JC closed the distance between them and brushed her lips gently with his. Their lips moved slowly together testing as if unsure. JC felt the touch of her lips with every part of his body. It filled him. It was new. It was exhilarating. It was everything he never knew he needed.
"Wait..." Rachel said softly breaking the kiss. She licked her lips, tasting him. That small taste would never be enough. She craved it. "No," she shook her head. "We can't."
"Yes we can. I might have been slow on the uptake but I'm caught up now." JC whispered. He cupped her face with his hands. "I told you. You're my family." He watched her eyes shut and twin tears rolled down both cheeks. He brushed them away with his thumbs. "You are my center. You are to me what Mom is to Dad. What Diane is to Jim."
"But Jennifer..." She didn't dare let herself hope. Not after all this time. Not after how the last few days have gone.
"We broke up on Tuesday when I realized I was putting you in my life where she should have been."
"JC..."
"No." He whispered cutting her off. "It's alright. It's not your fault. It's not anything you did."
Rachel ducked her head, letting her forehead rest against his. She let her hands drop to his knees. Her eyes drifted close and she felt one of his hands drop from her cheek to rest in one of her hands on his knee. His other hand threaded through her hair cupping the back of her head pressing her forehead more firmly against his. She closed her eyes and just breathed.
"You'll never spend another Christmas alone." JC whispered.
Rachel lifted her head and met his eyes. She lifted her hand and cupped his unshaven cheek. The stubble rough of her palm. She loved it. Using that hand she drew his lips back to hers.
*~*
JC cringed as the click of the door echoed through the silent apartment. He froze in place as he waited for a sound coming from the back bedroom. He breathed a sigh of relief - not too loudly - when everything remained silent. Stepping lightly he made his way into the living room. He carefully sat the packages he had in his arms down on the coffee table. Pulling his phone from his pocket he tapped the flashlight, illuminating the room. He was so close to being finished, he hadn't wanted to take his chances with the lamp. With his phone providing the light, he placed the brightly wrapped packages under the tree one by one.
Rachel had told him why all her Christmas decorations had been taken down and why the tree still remained. His heart had ached listening to the story and how on Christmas Day she had spent the whole day working; passing the hours until the holiday was over. It made him wish that he ignored his mother's wishes and done what he wanted to do the whole time - bring Rachel to Orlando. If he had done that, Rachel wouldn't have been alone on Christmas. She would have been with him and his family.
‘Then you wouldn't be here right now.' His mind told him. ‘You wouldn't know how it felt to kiss her, to hold her...to make love to her.'
The words were true. If Rachel had accompanied him to Orlando with Jennifer he wouldn't have realized his feelings for her. He would have still been oblivious thinking Rachel was just a friend. Her not coming had been the catalyst that set everything in motion. It caused him to truly think. If she had come, it was hard to tell if he would have ever realized his feelings for her. Her not coming had been the best thing to happen to both of them. He just wished she hadn't been hurt in the process.
It had taken everything JC had to pull himself from her arms. Earlier in the night he had offered to pick up dinner. There his plan had formed. While picking up take out, he dropped by a couple of stores. Picking out gifts had been easy. Which should have told him something. He knew her favorite stores and ducked in quickly browsing the racks. In the end he was piling bags containing her gifts into his car. Her favorite perfume. Two outfits that could be mixed and matched with other items in her closet. A new legal thriller paperback book. She loved reading them and pointing out any errors. A Christmas ornament he had picked up off the clearance rack on a whim. Two snowman (a girl and boy) standing together holding a square where a small photo could slide in. The top of the square said ‘1st Christmas together'. On the bottom was the year. Knowing Rachel as he did, she would immediately get a photo to put in and hang it on the tree. In the perfect spot. Finally a diamond necklace. It was another purchase on a whim. He hadn't been looking for jewelry specifically but he'd seen the graduated pendant with five diamonds and he saw it resting on the skin he had just lined with kisses.
When he returned to Rachel's apartment, he had do some dancing on why it had taken so long. He knew the fibs would be worth it once he finished his plan. Unfortunately his plan couldn't be put in to motion until she was sleeping. It had been hard to drag himself out of her arms, out of her bed. His body protested the whole time, still on east coast time. But he pushed through the tiredness.
Working as quickly as he could knowing Rachel could wake up at any time, he dug the Christmas decorations out of the spare bedroom where Rachel had shoved them and began transforming her apartment back into its Christmas cheer. The tree has taken the longest, especially wrapping the lights. He had dropped plenty of silent curses. Figurines went back on shelves and other flat surfaces. The wreath back on the door. Decorations hung on the wall. A blanket on the back of the couch with two throw pillows leaning against either arm. The tree skirt went back under the tree. He had brought the gifts from his parents and Tyler and Heather. He placed those under the tree as well as the gifts he had just purchased; all wrapped with the paper he had found in the Christmas bins. Her stocking was placed under the tree as well. He had put the book and the ornament in it. As he laid the stocking down, he remembered he should have thought to grab candy to put in as well. Too late to amend that oops.
At four in the morning he was finally all done. All the decorations were put back up. The DVD player was loaded with The Christmas Story he had picked up while shopping. The movie on the menu screen just waiting for play to be pushed. Before that happened, he had pulled up the YouTube app on the smartTV and searched for and favorited a Yule Log video. That would be played first. The coffee pot was set up. It would automatically start perking at 7. Thanks to another run in the middle of the night, there was food for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage. Biscuit mix. Pancake mix. OJ. Anything she could possible want, he had picked up thanks to an all night grocer.
Everything was finished. All that was missing was Rachel. JC carefully walked down the hallway and slipped into her bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Pulling his clothes off, he let them fall to the floor next to the bed. It crossed his mind to pick them up, but he was exhausted. He worried Rachel would be able to slip out of bed in the morning without him noticing. Rachel moved as he settled and he froze. When she rolled toward him and reached out, he smiled and shifted closer. He drew her into his arms. With her head on his chest and her against his side, he fell asleep a smile on his face.
*~*
The smell of coffee pulled Rachel from sleep. She groaned and snuggled deeper into the blankets and warm body she was tangled with. Arms tightened around her and she nuzzled the naked chest beneath her head. "I don't remember setting the coffee pot up."
"I did." JC's voice rumbled in her ear, low and sleep filled.
"You're a prince."
JC tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her hair. "I know your addiction."
"My addiction?" Rachel asked affronted. "Need I remind you who's the diva when they don't get their coffee?"
"So we both have a dependence." He ran his fingers up and down her back, lightly touching the skin. He made no move to push her out of bed. He wasn't ready to get out himself. It might have had to do with only getting three hours of sleep. Could be the fact that he was laying in bed with Rachel who was all sleep warm and snuggly, wrapped around him like an octopus. He was going with the latter. He turned toward her and pulled her closer yet. They both dozed for a little while longer before he was disturbed again with Rachel trying to untangle herself and get out of bed. "Where you going?" He mumbled pulling her back to him.
Rachel chuckled softly as she fell back into his hold. "To the bathroom. Then to the kitchen for the coffee. I can't take the smell anymore. It's yelling to me. Very loudly. My heart isn't going thump-thump anymore. It's chanting co-fee co-fee."
"That's because you have a coffee deficiency." JC teased.
"My low coffee light is on." She laughed as she tried to crawl out of bed once more but JC wouldn't let her go. "I'll bring you back a cup."
"Not ready to let you go." He mumbled, holding her. He had a smile on his face; his eyes still closed.
"Let me at least use the bathroom. I'll come right back."
"I don't believe that," JC said, cracking one eye open. "You'll make a break for it."
"I'm gonna need coffee soon." Rachel relaxed into his hold. ‘A bathroom sooner.' She thought.
"If I let you go to the bathroom, you promise not to leave the room?"
"What's going on?" Rachel turned to face him. His blue eyes were fully open, looking at her. The stubble on his face was more pronounced today.
"I have a surprise for you..."
"That's not a line is it?" Rachel raised an eyebrow, giving him a look. "Like ‘I have a surprise for you, it's in my pocket. Just reach in and grab it.'"
"You've been hanging out with Joey too much." JC rolled his eyes. "And I'm not wearing any pants."
"Now there's a line," Rachel grinned ruefully. She watched as JC rolled his eyes playfully. "So a surprise. For me?"
"Yes. Promise to stay in the bedroom?"
"Okay."
While Rachel went into the bathroom, JC pushed the covers back and pulled on the pajama pants he wore last night. He left the room, pulling the door closed. He didn't put it past Rachel to try to sneak out, so he quickly moved through the apartment. The TV was turned on and the YouTube video was started, the volume low so not to give anything away. He turned the tree on then lit the candles that were placed around the room and in the kitchen. When he was finished he went back into the bedroom where Rachel had started to get dressed.
"Wait," he stopped her.
"This surprise have a dress code?" Rachel asked standing in her bra and panties. She had passed the time by brushing her teeth and washing her face. She also ran a brush through her hair, piling it high in her head in a messy bun. Instead of her contacts she had slipped her black rimmed glasses on her face. The call for coffee was getting louder.
"Yes." JC picked up the scarf he had found in the top drawer of her dresser and moved toward her.
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked slowly, taking a step back.
"Please?" JC asked and grinned when she nodded. When she slipped her glasses off her face he tied the scarf around her head, covering her eyes. "Can you see?"
"No."
"Good." JC moved away and opened the bedroom door again.
"Where you going?" Rachel asked with alarm.
"No where." JC reached out to take her outstretched hand. He brought it to his lips. "There is a dress code and unfortunately for me, you're gonna have to get changed."
Rachel was frowning but let JC dress her. Her one arm was threaded through a sleeve and the shirt wrapped around her back and she lifted her arm so he could send her other arm through the sleeve. His fingers brushed against her stomach and chest as he buttoned the buttons. When he was finished, she caught his hand in hers. Using touch alone, she following his arm up to his shoulder to his neck to where she finally palmed his cheek. Raising her other hand, she cupped her other cheek and ran her thumbs over his lips. With her hands, she guided his lips to hers.
"You're distracting me," JC whispered against her lips before kissed her again.
"You could reverse course and unbutton these buttons."
He kissed her again before forcing himself to pull away. "Hold that thought." He grabbed the bottoms from the bed and knelt down at Rachel's feet. He put both legs through before pulling the pants up her legs, over her her thighs and onto her hips.
"Keep running your fingers over my body like this and we're not making it out of this bedroom, surprise or not."
"This is torture for me too. Only a crazy man would be dressing you instead of undressing you. Don't move." He took a couple steps away and quickly changed. He slipped her glasses in the pocket of his pants. "Ready?"
"Lead the way." Rachel gripped his hand in hers. "Don't let me stub a toe."
"I gotchu."
Rachel let herself be led from the bedroom. The smell hit her first. The scent of coffee filled the room but underneath it was a hint of gingerbread. She was certain JC hadn't baked cookies. The music was next. It was low, but she still could make out the strains of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful' on the piano and the crackling of a fire. "JC...what's going on?"
"I'm making things right." JC reached up and released the scarf.
"Making things..." Rachel gasped as she stared at the room. A room that was completely decorated for Christmas. A room that only had a bare tree yesterday. She covered her mouth with her hands; eyes filled with tears. "But..." she had no words. The tree had lights and ornaments. The angel sat proudly on top. The tree skirt was underneath; presents spread out on it along with her stocking with gifts inside. The TV had a crackling fire. It's speakers playing instrumental Christmas music. Three gingerbread candles of varying heights were placed together on... she looked closer seeing her pizza sheet. Lying on the circle sheet was a small bit of green garland and pinecones and a couple tiny red bows. It looked ridiculous. It was perfect. She loved it.
"You deserve to have the Christmas you wanted." His heart sang proudly at the look at Rachel's face. "We won't look at the calendar. We'll pretend it's the 25th. There's coffee complete with your Santa mug. There's presents under the tree all with your name. You must have made the nice list." His heart stumbled when she whirled to look at him. Her eyes were full of tears. The tracks on her cheek let him know some had already escaped. "I have A Christmas Story in the DVD player ready to go for a marathon. We can sit here listen to music, open presents, drink our coffee. We'll have breakfast...with the items I bought last night," he continued after seeing Rachel's mouth open. More than likely to tell him about the dismal contents in her kitchen. "Then we'll refill our coffee cups and cuddle on the couch in our Christmas pajamas watching A Christmas Story until we can quote the whole thing."
Rachel looked down at his words and for the first time noticing what he had dressed her in. The bright red cotton print had Santa's face all over them. The piping around the cuffs on the sleeves and up the chest and the collar was white. It had a breast pocket on the left side. The pants were the same red print. Looking up she saw that JC had changed. He wore red and black plaid pajamas pants and a red t-shirt with Santa's face.
"But I..." No words came. She was truly speechless for once in her life. "I... but..." she opened and closed her mouth a few times before she gave up. She buried her face in her hands and burst in to tears.
"Hey..." JC chuckled softly and pulled her into his arms. "Come on now. Don't cry."
Rachel's arms wrapped around him and she hugged him. Tight. "How did you do this?" She was finally able to get out.
"There's gonna be a Christmas nap in my future." He laughed and then explained, coming clean on why it took so long to pick up dinner the night before and how he stayed up most of the night.
Rachel shook her head still in disbelief. She cupped his face and kissed him thoroughly, her tongue sweeping into his mouth. "I love you." She pressed her lips to his again. "This is amazing." Kiss. "I love you." Kiss. "This is the best thing that anyone has ever done for me." Kiss. "Best Christmas ever."
JC laughed, his heart singing. He stopped the quick peeks and captured her lips in an all encompassing kiss. When the kids ended he waited for her eyes to open. When her green ones met his, he whispered, "I love you." The smile she sent him was better than any gift or accolade he had ever received.
Rachel took his hand and pulled him to sit on the floor in front of the tree. She rifled through the boxes seeing them all addressed with her name. "None for you?"
"Guess I've been naughty."
Rachel tossed the rectangle clothing box back under the tree and launched herself at him. They fell back onto the carpet full of laughs and a tangle of limbs. She raised up on her arms looking down at him. "Santa must have made a mistake. After this... after what you did... you're permanently etched on the nice list." She leaned down and kissed him. She felt his hands move beneath her shirt to the small of her back. Her skin tingled where he touched.
"I hope he's not watching because what I'm about to do will put me right back on the naughty list."
Rachel shivered at his words and let herself be rolled over. She lay on her back on the living room carpet. The tree lights twinkling next to her. Her hands gripped the hem of his t-shirt, slipping under. His skin trembled beneath her hands. Her eyes dropped to his lips before meeting his eyes again. "All those traditions I do each year are nice and all... but this one...this one is my new favorite."
"What's that?" JC whispered, a breath away from her lips.
"Making love to you under the tree." Rachel tilted her head back and he captured her lips in a demanding kiss. With the smell of coffee and gingerbread in the air and the sounds of Christmas music and a crackling fire around them, they began a new tradition.
Together.
