Episode 1.21 [Christmas Day]

Hallow Hills

The Davis family was casually dressed in jeans and sweatshirts as they sat around the living room, looking at the pile under the tree. Chad and Kip hadn’t even looked at their stockings yet. Both were still thinking about what happened last night, when Dr. Harrison barged in and revealed herself as Charlene, Adel’s younger sister. It was worst though when she announced she was the boy’s birth mother.

“Mom?” Chad said softly as he looked up at his mother, who looked as though she was about to lose her whole world.

“Yes Chadwick?” she asked as she watched the tree lights.

“Kip and I talked last night, and well no matter what Carla or Charlene whatever her name is, says. You are our mother. You raised us; you gave us these ridiculous names. You love us, you might not always know how to show it, but we know it.”

Adel felt the tears in her eyes and smiled, “Thank you boys.” She said before she went and hugged both of them.

Kip looked at Doug, “That goes for you to Dad.”

Maggie’s Room

The light broke in through the curtains and woke Maggie and Kevin. She looked over at the clock on the nightstand, “It’s alright we can go back to sleep.” She told him as she started to curl back up under the blankets.

“It’s 8 am, isn’t your family already up?” he asked as he sat up, and the cold air of the room hit his body and he was glad he wore his old high school t-shirt.

Maggie yawned, “Nope, we sleep till ten. It’s tradition and has been for ten years.”

“Ten years, why ten years?” he asked as he reached for his glasses and put them on.

Maggie realized she wouldn’t be getting any sleep until later tonight so she sat up and looked at her husband, “That was the first Christmas we had without my mother. I was fifteen and Cassie was so little. My mother had left that September, she was here when we left for school, but when we got back—she was gone. So when Christmas came, my Dad decided we would start new, have different traditions. So that year, we started the idea of not waking up at the crack of dawn, just at ten in the morning. So we’ll get up and get dressed. Then we’ll go and check out our stockings.” She said with a brilliant smile, as she had her husband’s entire attention. “After that we’ll have breakfast in the living room and watch whatever part of A Christmas Story that we catch. Then we open presents for a little bit and watch a movie, and then we finish opening presents and then have dinner.”

“Wow, that’s a planned out day. If I’m with my parents and Siobhan I’m lucky if she doesn’t wake me up eager to open presents.” He said before kissing the top of her head, “I love you Maggie.”

“I love you to Kevin.” She said with a soft smile and a slight sadness in her eyes as she thought about Conner.

Conner’s Apartment

Lysa was practically bouncing off the walls as she waited for her Daddy to get up. “Daddy!” She finally cried when she saw the clock said 8. She then opened his door and jumped on his bed, “Daddy! It’s Christmas, wake up!”

Conner opened his tired eyes, “Lysa, how early is it?”

“It’s not early Daddy, its late!” She said slightly whining.

He glanced over at the clock and saw the time. “Okay princess, I’m up. Lets go have breakfast and then get to presents.”

He climbed out of bed, wearing gray sweat pants that said PHH on them and pulled on a PHC sweatshirt.

Lysa grabbed his hand and pulled him into the living room where her eyes lit up at the site of the tree and the pile of presents underneath it. She ignored the tree for a moment an ran towards her stocking, and pulled out all kinds of things, from candy canes to an old fashioned top.

Conner went into the kitchen and made pancakes, as Lysa turned on the TV and left it on the Yule Log. “Daddy? Can we start?” she asked as she climbed onto the stool by the counter.

“After we have breakfast.” He said as he poured the batter onto the pan. “And we’re having chocolate-chip pancakes today.”

Her eyes widened, “Really?”

“Yup!” He told her as he flipped them over and then grabbed two plates.

After breakfast Lysa put her plate in the sink and ran to the tree and started digging through the pile and found a small box with Conner’s name on it and she recognized the M from Maggie. “Daddy! Maggie left you something!” she yelled and Conner came in and took the small box from her.

“Find one of yours Lysa.” He told her and she went straight for the large box that held her dream house.

Red paper was FLYING throughout the room as she unwrapped her Barbie Dream House. She was thrilled as she studied the graphics on the box.

Conner slowly unwrapped what Maggie had left for him. He opened it and inside was a silver paperweight shaped in a heart, with an inscription, “Conner, you have my heart always. No matter who I’m with. Love Maggie.”

“Daddy, what is it?” she asked looking up at him with the biggest smile.

Conner smiled, “Something I almost forgot about wanting.”

Adams Family Apartment

Abby and Dan were already digging through their stockings when Sam came into the living room. “What’s with you two, I mean my goodness its like Ya’ll can’t even wait like two minutes for me?” he asked as he looked at his siblings.

“You’re such a spoil-sport.” They said in unison.

It was moments like this that made Sam wonder if Abby was really their triplet or something.

“What did Santa leave us?” he asked as he began digging through his stocking and found a box of condoms, “Um, this is unexpected.”

“Well you know when you move to Hawaii you’ll be glad you had them.” Dan said as he started chewing on a candy bar. “Ya never know, miss Right might be there waiting.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Only you two would think of that.” He said shaking his head and then pulled out some magazines and candy bars.

“Okay, now that stockings are done. Time for what’s under the tree.” Abby said as she took up two identical packages and handed one to each brother.

They tore into the silver paper and were then greeted with boxes. Both were thinking the same thing, they needed to remind Abby that just because they’re twins they don’t need to wear the identical outfit. However when they opened the boxes they were each surprised to find that Sam was given three DVD’s of James Bond movies, and Dan had three CD’s, Good Charlotte, Blink 182, and to Sam’s surprise his brother had gotten Kelly Clarkson.

“Abby, how did you know I wanted these?” he asked.

She shook her head and smiled, “You drool whenever she comes on MTV.”

Dan blushed, “well open yours.” He said and handed her a gift wrapped in pink paper.

Tearing the paper she discovered her brother had given her “Damn thank you.” She said as she pulled out the silver locket.

“No problem baby sister.”

Siobhan’s Apartment

She hung up her phone having left Kyle Roberts a message. A rush of cold air came over her as she finished off her morning coffee before going and getting dressed for work. She would of course get the Christmas shift as one of the few single people on the force. At least it would be quite, it seemed most people took a break on the holidays from their criminal activities.

Williams Home

Cassie knocked furiously on Maggie’s bedroom door at the stroke of ten am, “Wake-Up Maggie, Kevin! It’s Christmas Morning!”

Maggie opened the door and looked at her younger sister, “We’re up, we’re dressed, my hair and make-up is done.” She said looking at her young counterpart, “I see you’re make-up isn’t on.”

Cassie smiled, “Oh you, you know I don’t ware make-up until noon on Christmas.”

“I know.” Maggie told her and then hugged her, “Is Dad up yet?”

“Of course who do you think woke me up.”

PHPD

Siobhan sat at her desk staring at the television the station had mounted on the wall to keep up with the news. She had some sitcoms on and was mildly entertained. She sighed and took a sip of her coffee.

“Merry Christmas Lane.” Came the husky voice of Chief Becker.

She looked up and he balanced a gift back on his index finger. “Since I made you work today and you’re missing Christmas with your parents and brother.”

She took the bag and smiled and then opened her desk drawer, and took out a small gift-wrapped box, “Thank you and merry Christmas Becker.”

They each unwrapped the firsts and Siobhan found a large coffee mug filled with several different packets of Hot Coco. She smiled, “Thank you Becker.”

He then opened his package and smiled, “Siobhan, why did you give me a name book?”

She looked up at him, “I thought it might inspire you to tell us your name.”

“That is a secret that only certain people will get to know.”

Bethany’s Hospital Room

Bethany flipped through the channels, A Christmas Story, Sitcoms, and NBC soap opera’s were basically all she could find. She felt depressed, knowing she was missing Christmas with her daughter, and with Chad.

She smiled as she thought of Chad, and the look in his eyes when she found out about the pregnancy. She placed her hands on her stomach, “You little one are a miracle.”

“Is someone talking about miracles?” Chad asked as he came in with a small tree covered in colorful lights. “I got something to bring Christmas to you.”

She studied him, something was off, something was wrong. “Chad, what’s going on? Did your mother start in on you and your brother again?”

“No, actually last night,” He started as he set up the tree on the meal table, “we found out that Adel isn’t our Biological mother, apparently my therapist is really my mother’s thought to be dead little sister Charlene, who’s mine and Kip’s biological mother.”

“Oh Chad, you should be with your family, not with me.” She said as she sat herself up.

Chad shook his head, “This is where I need to be.” He told her before placing a kiss on her forehead. He then handed her a package, wrapped in green paper with a silver bow, “This is for you.”

She undid the bow, and carefully removed the paper. She then took the lid off the box and pushed aside the tissue paper. Her eyes lit up when she saw an Angel tree-topper with a message written on it.

Chad is this for real?” she asked as she took the angel out of the box and ran her fingers over the proposal.

“It is Bethany, will you marry me?” he asked as he sat down on the bed next to him.

She smiled, “Yes Chad, I will marry you.”

I’ll have a blue Christmas without you;
I’ll be so blue thinking about you.
Decorations of red
on a green Christmas tree
Won’t mean a thing if
you’re not here with me

Maggie stood at the large picture window in her father’s living room and looked out at the falling snow and wondered if Conner had found her gift to him. As she began to get lost in thought, Kevin came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

I’ll have a blue Christmas, that’s certain;
And when that blue heartache starts hurting,
You’ll be doing all right
with your Christmas of white,
But I’ll have a blue, blue Christmas.

Conner took his spare key and walked into Maggie’s apartment and under the tree he placed a red gift bag with a giant Santa face on it.

If every day could be Christmas
What a wonderful world it would be
We could carry this feeling within us
All through the year
If every day could be Christmas

Chad sat next to Bethany, letting his fingers run against her soft blond hair as they stared up at the television and watched A Christmas Story.

Christmas lights up the city
Rooftops covered in snow
Lovers sharing a sleighride cuddle close
And their eyes seem to glow
Window shopping on Main Street
Bundled up head to toe
Children ice skating around the Christmas tree
I see smiles, young and old

Kip was alone in his room, looking at a picture of Pam. He put it down on the bed and then looked out of his window at the snow that was building on the trees.

If every day could be Christmas
What a wonderful world it would be
We could carry this feeling within us
All through the year
If every day could be Christmas

Adel and Doug sat in the living room, drinking hot chocolate and watching the fire burning in the fireplace. Adel resting her head on her husbands shoulder, “I love you so much Doug.” She said softly. He looked down and smiled, “Ditto.” He said before kissing her softly.

Church bells ring in the distance
Peace on Earth fills the air
Sidewalk Santas handing out candy canes
I feel love everywhere

The twins and Abby were in the midst of a wrapping paper fight throughout the living room of their apartment when a timer went off and Abby ran to the kitchen and took a nice sized turkey out of the oven.

If every day could be Christmas
What a wonderful world it would be
We could carry this feeling within us
All through the year
If every day could be Christmas

Siobhan and Becker were sitting in the squad room, eating Chinese food and laughing. Smiles present on both their faces, as they reached for the same fortune cookie.

It’s the time
We open up and give from our hearts
Let love shine
Brighter than any star