Merry Christmas, Baby - Complete

[Jen]

Merry Christmas, Baby
Gus and Harley
Christmas 2004

[Jen]

Blake Marler opened the front door of their new house and saw Harley, Zach and Jude behind it.

“Hey, come on in!” she exclaimed and the boys ran to the other kids after shrugging their coats off onto the floor.

Harley sighed as she picked them up and stepped into the living room full of people.

“Blake, I hope you realize how much I love you, because this is about the last place I want to be tonight.”

“Oh Harley,” Blake replied sadly. “I know it must be hard without Gus. But all of your family and friends are here, and you’ll have fun, I promise,” she assured her with a hug.

“Just lead me to the bar, call me a cab later, and I’ll be fine,” Harley said and Blake pointed her towards the kitchen.

“The house looks great, by the way!” Harley called back and dodged Josh and Reva who she almost ran into kissing by the fire. She sighed and pushed her way into the kitchen.

She returned with a very strong martini and found Frank who just got there and was handing his jacket to Ross. She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight.

“Hey sis,” he said as he turned around and hugged her. “You okay?” he asked.

Harley shrugged, “Are you?”

“I guess so. I tried tracking down Darcy again but she’s nowhere to be found. I just wanted to wish her a merry Christmas, you know?”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Harley replied and hugged him again. “Well, aren’t we just the happiest people alive tonight?” she joked.

“We’re pathetic,” he replied.
“Well, at least we can be pathetic together. And vodka helps,” she added, holding her drink up.

“Not too many of those, okay?” Frank warned and she nodded as Cassie and Edmund came over to them.

“Merry Christmas!” Cassie exclaimed and hugged Harley.

“Yeah, you too,” Harley replied unenthused.

“We wanted to tell you that we set a wedding date. We’re getting married the week after New Year’s,” Cassie told them as she put her arm around Edmund and he kissed the top of her head.

Harley hesitated then put on a big smile for her friend, “That’s great Cass!” she exclaimed and hugged her again.

“I was hoping you would be one of my bridesmaids? I mean it’s going to be a very small wedding, but still…”

“Absolutely,” Harley nodded with a fake smile. “Will you excuse me?” she asked and downed the rest of her martini before heading back to the kitchen.

“Ooh, is she okay?” Cassie cringed, asking Frank.

“No…not really,” he answered.

“Ugh and here I am all happy about my wedding. God, I feel awful,” she replied.

“Don’t worry about it,” Frank assured her. “I’m just gonna go check on her,” he added and went into the kitchen.

“Umm, I think one was enough,” he said as he took the vodka bottle away from her.

“Frank!” Harley whined. “Will you please just let me get drunk and forget that I’m not spending Christmas with the man I love?”

“Harley, I know how you are feeling, but alcohol is not going to help. Go back out there, see your little boys playing and smiling and look around at all of the people out there who love you. I know you miss Gus, but you have to get through this,” Frank said.

“I know…I just don’t want to,” she replied sadly.

“Come on, we’ll do it together,” he said as he put his arm around her and led her back out into the living room.

When they got out there, they saw Santa at the door handing out presents to the kids.

“Mommy, look! It’s Santa!” Zach exclaimed as he ran over to her.

“I see that,” she replied and sent Zach back over with the rest of the kids. “Who is that?” she asked Frank as she looked around the room and all of the men were accounted for.

After Santa passed out little gifts to all of the kids but Zach and Jude, he looked up at Harley and winked.

“Gus!” she gasped and Frank looked over at her, surprised.

“I saved the best gifts for you two,” Gus said in a deep, Santa-like voice and pulled two gifts out of his bag and handed them to Zach and Jude as he knelt down in front of them.

“Gus?” Zach asked quietly and Gus put his finger to his mouth and shh-ed Zach while Jude tore into his gift.

“Merry Christmas Zach,” Gus said as he hugged him and Harley came over to them.

“Mommy look! Gus is Santa!” Zach told her and she nodded then he opened his present too.

Gus stood back up and moved Harley back a little bit so they were away from the boys and could ignore the noisy group behind them.

“I uh...I wanted to see them and I knew you couldn’t deny them seeing Santa, so I decided to crash the party,” Gus joked then got serious. “I wanted to see you too.”

“Me too. I mean, I wanted to see you too,” Harley replied. “That was really nice of you, bringing gifts for all of the kids.”

Gus shrugged and pulled off his Santa hat and beard, “This thing is driving me crazy,” he laughed as they heard Blake clear her throat and they turned to look at her.

She pointed up to the ceiling above them where mistletoe was hanging and Gus looked back at Harley who looked petrified.

“I think we have a Cupid in our midst,” he teased and Harley laughed nervously.

Gus took Harley’s left hand, held it in his, and kissed the top of it softly, his breath rushing over her skin, sending chills down to her toes. He looked up at her and rubbed her ring finger that held his mother’s ring again.

“You’re wearing your ring again,” he noted.

“Yeah, well it just doesn’t feel right without it on,” she replied.

“Nothing feels right these days,” he said sadly.

“I don’t know if I would say that,” she said with a slight smile, which he returned.

Blake broke the tender moment between them and asked Gus if he was staying.

“I uhh…” he began and Zach interrupted by tugging at his Santa coat.

“Please Gus?” he pleaded and Gus looked up at Harley.

“You should stay,” she nodded.

“Okay then,” he agreed.

“Great. So are you going to be playing Santa all night or do have something else to wear, cause those boots are tracking snow all through my new house,” Blake said.

“No, I have clothes on underneath this…” he answered.

“Oh what a shame,” she teased.

“I have to go get other shoes from the car though,” he added, but didn’t move.

“Okay then…” Blake said, waiting for him to leave so she could harass Harley.

“Okay,” Gus said and finally left and went out to his car.

“What are you gonna do?” Blake asked Harley.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, confused.

“Gus is here, he’s staying.”

“Yeah…well you kinda asked him to.”

“I know, but what does that mean for you?” Blake asked.

“I don’t know Blake, but you know, he just made Zach and Jude’s night…”

“I think he made yours too,” Blake interrupted.

“Well, yeah, you know I was glad to see him,” Harley agreed. “But that doesn’t mean anything. Nothing has changed.”

“Oh Harley,” Blake sighed, “I hope one of these days you get over this stubborn streak of yours,” she said and hugged her as Gus came back into the house and Blake showed him to a room upstairs where he could change.

“I’m not stubborn!” she scoffed to herself and got another martini from the kitchen before parking herself on the couch.

[Jen]

Zach and Jude came over and showed her the presents Gus brought them and a few minutes later, he joined them on the couch with a mug in his hand.

After he sat down, Zach crawled up between him and Harley and asked if he could have some of what Gus was drinking.

“Wait, there’s nothing in there, right?” Harley asked, not wanting Zach to end up drinking Irish coffee.

“Well, I did put a shot of marshmallows in it, but I think that will be okay,” Gus winked and held his cup of hot chocolate out for Zach. “Be careful, it’s hot,” he warned and Zach took a small sip.

“Mommy?” he asked.

“Yes sweetie?”

“Is Daddy going to be here for Christmas?” he asked sweetly.

“Oh honey…” Harley began sadly.

“Hey Zach,” Gus interrupted. “Do you remember that talk we had about how our daddies can’t come back?” he asked and Zach nodded. “And do you remember what I told you to do when you were missing your dad?”

“You said he was in here,” Zach answered as he pointed to his heart.

“That’s right. Come here,” Gus said and pulled Zach into his lap. “How about we both close our eyes and think about our favorite Christmases with our dads. Think that will help?” he asked and Zach nodded and closed his eyes tight while Gus did the same and held Zach tightly.

By the time their quiet moment was over, Harley had tears running down her cheeks and Gus’s eyes were filled with tears when he opened them.

“Feel better?” he asked Zach and he nodded and kissed Gus’s cheek.

“Do you feel better too?” he asked Gus.

“I sure do,” Gus smiled and hugged Zach before he sent him off to play with the rest of the kids.

“Thank you for that,” Harley said as she wiped her cheeks. “I just don’t know what to say to him when he asks about Phillip anymore.”

“Well, it’s hard for little kids. It just doesn’t make sense that someone would take their daddy from them,” Gus replied.

“When I think about how I almost lost them…” she began, but choked up. “I never umm…I never thanked you for finding them and bringing them home. I barely acknowledged you but things were pretty crazy…but I still should have thanked you and I’m sorry…” she rambled but Gus stopped her by putting his finger on her lips.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to thank me. They belonged here with their mothers. I just wanted them to be safe, I love them and I know you don’t like to hear that, but I do, and I always will,” he said.

“That’s not true. I know you love them and that…I just love that. Even after everything that has happened between us, you still put them first. It just reminds me why I love you so much, which is also why it scares me,” Harley explained.

“Oh,” he replied quietly then cleared his throat. “Santa forgot to hand out one present,” he said as he pulled a gift bag out from beside the couch and handed it to Harley.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Open it.”

She pushed away the tissue paper, pulled a book out of the bag and opened it. It was a scrapbook of the boys that Gus had made and she slowly thumbed through the pages.

“When did you do this?” she asked quietly.

“All year,” he answered. “I wanted to do something special for you this Christmas and then after…well, I still wanted to give it to you.”

“This is…wonderful. This means so much to me, thank you,” she said and leaned over and kissed him lightly then pulled away.

Gus reached over and ran his hand through her hair before resting it on her cheek, “You look so beautiful tonight,” he said softly.

“Thank you,” Harley replied, smiling a bit, then reached up and put her hand on his and pulled it away from her face. “I have to put this away before I just start sobbing. But thank you,” she said and put it back in the bag and pulled out a box that was at the bottom of the bag.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Oh no, don’t open that,” Gus said but she ignored him and opened it anyway.

She pulled out a snow globe and looked at it. On the inside were two Precious Moments figurines kissing in the snow and the base said

Our First Christmas

Gus and Harley

July 31, 2004

“Oh Gus…” Harley breathed and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I got that a while ago, I forgot it was in the bag,” he explained and tried to take it from her, but she held onto it.

“I think you just wanted to make me cry anyway,” she teased and Gus wiped her tears away.

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

“You know, technically, it wouldn’t have been our first Christmas together, it would have been our fourth,” she said after she cleared her throat.

“Third,” Gus corrected. “We weren’t together the first Christmas.”

“We should have been,” she said.

“We should have done a lot of things differently,” he replied.

“Both of us,” she nodded and Gus looked away.

She reached up and turned his face back towards her with her finger on his chin.

“Thank you,” she said as she ran her hand down his arm and around his waist.

He put his hands on her face and pulled her close until she closed the distance between them and covered his lips with hers in a deep kiss.

While they were kissing, Blake turned around to ask Harley a question, but saw she was busy and smiled before she said “nevermind” and went back to talking to Frank who couldn’t help but smile at the scene in front of him too.

When they finally broke the kiss, Gus kept his hands on Harley’s face and kissed her cheek softly.

“Wow,” she breathed.

“I know,” he agreed and kissed her again until Zach interrupted them by jumping onto the couch between them and Harley sighed.

“Gus, will you come back and read us a bedtime story and tuck us in?” Zach asked and Gus looked over at Harley who nodded.

“Okay, I can definitely do that,” Gus answered and Zach cheered before he ran off again.

“I uh…” Harley began but Blake interrupted her by leaning over the back of the couch between them.

“Are you two going to mingle or just keep your tongues in each other’s mouths all night?” she joked and Harley appeased her with a fake laugh. “Ross wanted to talk to you Gus. Wanted your opinion on some lawyer thing, I don’t know,” she shrugged.

“Oh okay…” Gus said and hesitated before he got up and went to find Ross.

“So?” Blake asked as she took Gus’s seat. “What was that??”

“That was…nice,” Harley answered with a smile before she got up and joined Cassie, Edmund, Reva and Josh on the other side of the room.

“Hey guys, Cassie, can I talk to you?” she asked and she and Cassie stepped aside. “I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I was just in a bad mood and I was rude. I am really happy for you about the wedding. I am.”

“No, I’m sorry, I should have been more sensitive about it. I know you’re still hurting from what happened with Gus. Although it looks like that might be about to change,” Cassie smiled.

“It was just a kiss,” Harley said.

“It’s never just a kiss with you two,” Cassie argued and Harley looked over at Gus who was only mildly interested in what Ross was saying, but was looking over at her and they smiled at each other.

Harley excused herself and started over towards him, but Rick stepped in front of her and asked about taking Jude the next day. They agreed Rick would pick him up after dinner and keep him for the night and when he finally left and Harley could get to Gus, he was gone. She turned around and found him over in the corner with the boys so she walked over to them.

“Are you guys ready to go?” she asked Zach and Jude, “It’s getting pretty late and you need to be asleep before Santa Claus comes.”

At the mention of Santa Claus, they ran to find their coats and Gus followed them to get Harley’s. When they got back, the boys were all bundled up and Gus helped Harley into her coat. He wrapped her scarf around her neck a few times and covered up her face and she laughed, pushing his hands away. When she was finally free of the scarf, he pulled her close and they shared a brief “should we or shouldn’t we kiss” moment before the boys started whining that they were hot.

“Okay, let’s go,” Gus said and they said their goodbyes and got the boys settled into Harley’s car. “Are you going to be okay to drive?”

“I will be fine,” she assured him.

“Well, I’ll follow you,” he said and she rolled her eyes before she got into her car and drove away towards the boarding house.

[Jen]

By the time they got there, Jude was asleep so Gus carried him up to the boys room while Harley and Zach got milk and cookies out for Santa. When they finally got upstairs, Gus had Jude in his pajamas and he was awake again, waiting for Zach so he could get his story and go back to sleep. Harley got Zach into his pajamas and into bed. She sat beside him with Jude in her lap while Gus read to them How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Before the Grinch even made Max his reindeer, Jude was fast asleep again, but Zach was enthralled with Gus’s storytelling, so Harley leaned back and watched Gus animatedly recount the story for Zach and thought of the countless times he read bedtime stories to Zach and how much Zach had missed them since Gus moved out.

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

And what happened then...?
Well...in Who-ville they say
That the Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And he...

...HE HIMSELF...!
The Grinch carved the roast beast!

When Gus was done reading the story, Harley put Jude in his bed and kissed him goodnight while Gus tucked Zach in.

“You better go to sleep right away so Santa can bring your presents,” Gus warned and Zach giggled and squeezed his eyes shut then opened them again.

“I love you Gus,” he said and pulled Gus down to him in a hug.

“I love you too Zach,” Gus replied and kissed him before he got up and let Harley say goodnight.

They shut the light off and closed the door then stood in the hallway awkwardly before they started walking down the hall to Harley’s door.

“Umm would it be okay if I brought some gifts for the boys by tomorrow? I know Alan has some for Zach too, so maybe we could come in the afternoon?” Gus asked.

“That would be nice,” she nodded. “Thank you for tonight…for everything, but especially the scrapbook. That really means a lot to me.”

“You already said that,” Gus laughed.

“Yeah well…”

“Can I…can I kiss you again without mistletoe?” he asked and she could barely nod before he had her backed up against the door in a deep kiss.

When they broke the kiss they were both breathless but Gus covered her lips again for a quick kiss then pulled her into an embrace.

“Can we do this?” she asked, breathing heavy. “I still want this…you, us…I just can’t do it all right now. But I still love you, I still want you.”

“I love you too,” he said, his voice deep and sexy.

“Can we do this? Can we have Christmas together? I mean, we can work on the other stuff later, but I want this for now. Do you?” she asked and Gus nodded then kissed her. “Will you stay?” she asked, her voice quivering.

“If you’re sure,” he replied.

“I’m sure,” she nodded and he opened the door and urged her back into her room.

They stood in the middle of the room in each other’s arms and caught their breath.

“Harley, are you absolutely sure about this?” he asked.

“Aren’t you?”

“What are you kidding me? I am, I just don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret.”

“It’s not like that. I won’t regret it. I never have,” she answered and kissed his chin.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too, Gus. I’ve never stopped loving you,” she replied as she started unbuttoning his shirt.

She pushed his shirt over his shoulders and onto the floor then ran her hands over his bare shoulders onto his muscular arms.

“God I have missed these arms,” she breathed and he pushed her backwards to the bed and she sat down on the edge of it with him standing in front of her.

He leaned down a kissed her then stood back up as she ran her fingers down his chest to the button of his pants. She unbuttoned them and moved her hands to his back and down over his butt to the back of his thighs as she kissed his stomach. She trailed her tongue under the waistband of his black briefs and Gus moaned as he pulled away from her. He grabbed the bottom of her sweater and tossed it away after pulling it over her head. He laid her down on the bed and kissed her deeply on the lips before moving his kisses down her body. He teases her stomach for a few moments then knelt on the floor in front of her and took her foot in his hands. Harley supported herself up on her elbows while he slowly pulled one shoe off, then the other and kissed up her leg to the hem of her skirt. He reached up and pulled down the side zipper and Harley lifted her hips off the bed so he could remove the skirt completely, leaving her in only her bra and underwear. She sat up and slid onto the floor with him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her close.

“Gus, make love to me,” she whispered and he kissed her softly before they both stood up.

Gus swept her up into his arms and carried her the few steps to the bed and laid her down and climbed on top of her, kissing her neck.

“Was that really necessary?” she asked.

“I thought it would be romantic,” he replied and she laughed.

“It was very romantic,” she said and pulled him back down to her in a kiss.

Within a few moments, the rest of their clothes were shed and they were absorbed in each other, making up for lost time.

[Jen]

Gus kissed Harley’s cheek as they lay together in afterglow and she ran her hand over his arm that was holding her tight.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

“I’m better than okay,” she smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he replied and she turned her head and kissed him. “Do you want me to go?” he asked cautiously.

“No,” she replied and rolled over to face him. “I want you to stay,” she assured him and he moved down on the bed, pulling the sheet that covered her with him, kissing her body.

He looked up at her with a devilish smile and pointed towards the head of the bed. Harley looked up and saw mistletoe hanging above her. Gus covered her body with his and kissed her deeply.

“Where did that come from?” she asked when they broke the kiss.

“Magic,” he answered.

“I’m serious,” she laughed.

“I stole it from the holly bush outside, just in case I got the opportunity to trick you into another kiss.”

“You didn’t need to trick me,” she said. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this.”

“I’ve missed this too,” Gus moaned as he kissed her chest.

She lifted his chin with her finger and laughed, “No…well, I’ve missed this too, but I miss talking to you. I miss looking over at night and seeing you beside me. I miss having you hold me after we make love.”

“We can do this, baby. I can make up for what I did. We can be happy again,” Gus said.

“I want that,” she nodded, “Let’s do it right this time. I mean, this doesn’t make everything okay. One night won’t magically fix what happened between us, but we can do this. We can work this out. No more lies, no more not trusting each other.”

“We can,” he assured her with a kiss. “I promise,” he whispered before they kissed again.

They laid together in silence for a few minutes until Gus spoke up.

“Now that we have the serious stuff out of the way for now, I have a question.”

“Okay…”

“Was it just me…I been, I know it’s been a long time, but I think that was just…unbelievably good,” Gus said, stressing the last few words and Harley laughed.

“It wasn’t just you,” she assured him.

“I mean, it was always good. But…wow!” he continued.

“I know,” she replied as she kissed his neck. “It has been a long time…too long.”

“Uh huh,” he mumbled into her chest between kisses.

“Hey Gus…” she began, but changed her mind.

“What?” he asked, looking up at her.

“It’s nothing.”

“Baby, come on,” he urged.

“Okay…while we were…apart. Was there, umm, did you…” she stammered and Gus got the picture.

“No,” he answered and covered her lips with his finger. “There was never anyone else. Never.”

“Oh. Because, you know we weren’t together, so if there was, I mean…”

“There wasn’t,” he assured her. “We may have been apart physically, but there was never a single moment that my heart, mind and soul weren’t completely yours.”

Harley sighed and he kissed her softly.

“Did you?” he asked after a few minutes.

“No,” she answered quickly.

“Not even Bill,” he smirked.

“Bill?!” she laughed.

“Well, you were spending a lot of time together and that one day I was over there and you came out of the bathroom…”

“Oh. That. Yeah, I kind of wanted you to think that…” she confessed.

“Nice. Well, you succeeded,” he replied.

“I’m sorry. There was nothing between Bill and I, ever. Or me and anyone.”

“So maybe it has just been too long for both of us,” Gus said, changing to a lighter subject.

“Maybe…but I think we should do it again to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke,” Harley suggested, her eyes sparkling with desire and Gus was happy to oblige.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gus woke up a few hours after they finally fell asleep with Harley sleeping soundly against his chest. He wanted to stay in that bed forever, holding her, but he didn’t want the boys to see them in bed together. It would only confuse them, and he and Harley weren’t even sure what was going on between them. He sighed and kissed Harley’s forehead before whispering her name.

She stirred and kissed his chest, then closed her eyes again.

“Baby,” he said and nudged her until she woke up again. “I’m gonna go.”

“No, I thought you were going to stay?” she asked sleepily.

“Well, I need to go and change and get the gifts. I’ll be back, I just don’t want the boys to see that I spent the night. I don’t want to confuse them…” he answered.

“No, you’re right,” she nodded, “but you’re coming back soon, right? I mean, I don’t want you to just visit today. I want you to spend the whole day with us. I want that for the boys…and for me,” she smiled as she finally sat up.

“I will be back as soon as I shower and change. When the boys get up, call me, and I will be over as soon as I can. I don’t want to miss them opening their gifts. Oh plus, don’t you need to play Santa here real soon?” he asked as he looked at the clock that read almost five o’clock.

“No, Frank was doing it after he got home.”

“Oh. Well, I still need to go,” he said as he kissed her then climbed over her out of the bed.

“I guess I should get dressed too since the boys will be jumping on me in a few hours,” she added and crawled out behind him.

He turned around and as she was walking past him, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into an embrace.

“I never want to let you go,” he said quietly as his hands caressed her bare back and she melted into his body.

“You know we have to get dressed eventually,” she sighed they stood there kissing for a few minutes.

“I know, I know. I better go so I can get back sooner,” he said as he hugged her again, then let go so they could get dressed.

He got back into his clothes from the night before and Harley put on a robe.

“I’ll walk you down,” she said and took his hand, leading him out of the room and down the stairs to Company.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Harley turned around and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her.

“Ahem,” they heard Buzz clear his throat behind them and they pulled their lips apart and looked over towards him.

“Good morning, daddy. What are you doing up?” Harley asked.

“I was just putting the turkey in the oven. I guess I don’t need to ask what you’re doing up,” he smiled and Harley smirked then turned back to Gus.

“I’ll call you,” she said quietly.

“Okay,” he replied and kissed her, “I love you,” he said cautiously as he pulled their entwined hands up to his mouth and kissed hers.

Harley smiled over at him, “I love you too,” she replied and he smiled. “What?” she asked.

“No, it’s…I was just afraid the morning would change things…”

Harley sighed and pulled his hand up to her mouth and kissed the palm of it while she shook her head. “It didn’t,” she said quietly and smiled at him again.

“I’m so glad,” he replied and kissed her. “Okay, I’ll see you later,” he said then waved to Buzz and left the restaurant.

Harley watched him from the window beside the door and was surprised when he turned around and came back.

“What?” she asked as she opened the door and he swept her up into his arms and gave her a big kiss.

“Merry Christmas,” he said when they broke the kiss.

“Merry Christmas,” she smiled and he kissed the tip of her nose before leaving again.

With a smile on her face, Harley looked out the big window and watched Gus walk to his car. Buzz came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek. She sighed as Gus pulled away and leaned back against Buzz for a minute before kissing him on the cheek and going back up to bed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gus whistled as he walked into the study at the Spaulding mansion. He flipped the light switch on and Alan swiveled around in the desk chair to face him. He was in his robe and had a glass of scotch in his hand.

“Where have you been?” he asked Gus.

“Were you waiting up for me?” Gus asked.

“I couldn’t sleep…it still doesn’t feel right without Phillip here. Especially on Christmas. Where were you?” he asked again.

“I was with Harley.”

“All night?”

“Yes, all night. And I’m going back over there as soon as I get showered and dressed. Do you want to take Zach his gifts? We’ll have to go separately though, because I’m staying there,” Gus said.

“You’re not spending Christmas with your family?” Alan asked.

“Yes, I am. I’m spending it with Harley and the boys,” Gus answered simply. “Are you going to come or not? Because Harley’s going to call when the boys get up, which should be pretty soon.”

“I’ll come,” Alan finally agreed and Gus went up to his room to get ready.

[Jen]

A few hours later, Harley stirred from her sleep and rolled over. She opened her eyes and remembered that Gus wasn’t there and sighed. She already missed him. She wasn’t sure where they would go after this, but she knew she wanted to be with him. As she snuggled against the empty pillow and inhaled his lingering scent, she smiled and knew somehow they would work everything out. She was just about to doze off again when she heard her door creak open and soon she was bombarded with two little boys

“Merry Christmas Mommy!” they exclaimed in unison, and Harley was sure they woke up the entire building.

“Merry Christmas my two favorite little boys!” she replied and pulled them under the covers with her, kissing them.

“Can we open our presents now?” Zach asked excitedly.

“Oh not yet, let’s lay here for a little while, okay?” she suggested and the boys put up a fuss.

“Mommy!!” they whined and Harley gave in.

“Alright, alright, but listen to me. Go wake up Grandpa and Uncle Frank and Marina and Uncle Coop, but do not go downstairs, okay? There is one surprise left, and if you go downstairs, you won’t get it. Got it? Go wake them up,” she instructed and they tore out of the room.

Harley reached over onto her nightstand and got her cell phone. She dialed Gus and he picked up on the second ring.

“Hey, the boys are up. You coming back?” she asked after he said hello.

“Wow, they slept in later than usual. I’m on my way out to the car as we speak,” he replied and she of out of bed. “Did you get some sleep after I left?”

“Yeah, a few hours,” she answered. “Did you go back to bed?”

“No. I got a shower, got dressed, got the gifts together then laid on my bed and stared up at the ceiling,” he replied.

“Really?”

“No, not really. I was staring at a picture of us,” he said and she laughed.

“Well that’s funny because I was just laying here smelling your pillow.”

“Really? What does it smell like?” he asked as he threw the bags of gifts into his trunk and waved to Alan that he would see him at Company.

“It smells like you. Smoky and manly and very sexy,” she answered.

“You think I smell sexy huh?”

“Oh yeah. Very,” she replied as the boys came running back into her room.

“Well, I hear impatient little voices, so I’m going to hang up so I can get there faster,” Gus said.

“Okay, be careful,” she warned and they hung up.

“Everyone is awake, can we open presents yet?” Zach asked.

“In like ten minutes buddy, okay? Here you guys sit on my bed while I go brush my teeth. Do you want to get dressed now or after you open presents?” she asked and they glared at her. “Stupid question. Okay, just sit here for a little while please?”

Zach made a dramatic fall back against the bed, complete with a heavy sigh and Jude mimicked him. Harley laughed and went into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and hair and tried to make herself look presentable. She looked in the mirror and was faced with a dilemma. She was still in just a silky robe from this morning, but she had to put something else on for the rest of the morning. Who knows when she would get a chance to shower and get dressed. Should she wear a pair of comfy, flannel pajamas that would be respectable for a mother to wear while she watches her sons open their presents on Christmas morning with her father, brothers and niece? Or should she wear something a little sexier that she could pull Gus aside to show him and make his morning even better?

She decided on the latter and went back out to her closet to find something sexy, but conservative. She finally pulled a pair of black pajamas off a shelf. It was a see-through lace camisole that topped off a pair of black silk pajamas pants. She pulled out a red silk robe to cover up with and went back into the bathroom to change. She pulled her hair up after she changed and looked in the mirror, pretty satisfied with how she looked, then she laughed at herself. She hadn’t worried this much about what to wear around Gus since they first started dating. She smiled at herself in the mirror and went back out to her room where the boys had started wrestling on the bed.

“Alright boys, come on, we’ll go downstairs, but leave the presents alone until I tell you it’s time to open them,” she warned and they ran out of the room.

She yelled at them to stop running and they slowed down, not wanting to jeopardize the mountain of presents that were waiting under the tree. She finally caught up to them and they went down the stairs to the restaurant. The boys ran right over to the tree, but didn’t touch any of the presents. Harley went over to the bar and Buzz poured her a cup of coffee.

“Gus is coming back huh?” he asked.

“Yeah, why?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t think you’d wear black and red silk just for us,” he teased and she smirked at him as the front door opened and Gus and Alan came in.

“Ho ho ho!” Gus exclaimed and the boys came running, calling his name.

Zach jumped into his arms and Jude went around his leg and he struggled not to drop the bags of gifts in his hands.

“Gus! You came back!” Zach exclaimed.

“You bet I did. Did you really think I was going to miss Christmas with you guys?”

“And Mommy too?” Jude asked.

“And Mommy too,” Gus nodded as he smiled up at Harley then shook Jude off his leg while Zach went to hug Alan.

“I thought you said a couple of gifts,” Harley said as she pointed to the bags overflowing with presents.

“I said some…some bags,” he smiled and kissed her quickly before setting down the bags by the tree and taking off his coat.

He waved to Frank and Buzz then glanced over at Alan and cocked his head, motioning for him to say something to Harley.

Alan took the hint and kissed Harley’s cheek, “Merry Christmas, Harley.”

“Thank you, Alan, same to you. I’m glad you decided to join us,” she replied, a little surprised.

“Coffee?” Buzz asked and Alan grabbed a cup off of the bar.

Gus reached for one but Harley grabbed his hand, “Come with me,” she said and pulled him back to the hallway at the end of the dining room.

He pushed her up against the wall in a deep kiss then held her in a tight embrace when they broke the kiss.

“Merry Christmas,” he said after another quick kiss.

“Mmm…you too. I have a gift for you,” she said with a naughty smile.

“You do?” he asked and she nodded after she turned her head and made sure no one was around.

She undid the belt around her waist and opened her robe and his eyes got big when he saw the see-through top she was wearing.

“Wow!” he breathed and ran his hands down the sides of the top. “This is a very good gift,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her bare chest then slid his arms inside her robe around her waist and picked her up in a tight embrace.

“Hey, boys are getting restless,” Buzz said as he peeked his head into the hallway.

“We’re coming,” Harley said, still in Gus’s arms and Buzz went back into the dining room. “We better get in there,” she said and Gus nodded then kissed her.

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind Alan coming along. He had gifts for Zach,” Gus said before they left the hallway.

“Sweetie, not at all. I’m glad he’s here for Zach, and for you,” she replied. “Let’s go,” she smiled and tied her belt again.

“Mommy can we open our gifts now?” Zach pleaded at her feet.

“Yes, you may open them now, but you have to take turns with your brother,” she replied and sat on Gus’s lap to watch them.

They took turns for the first two presents then they both ripped into their gifts at the same time. Harley was going to stop them, but decided to let it go. She put her arms around Gus’s neck and kissed his cheek.

“I’m so glad that you are here,” she said quietly as she ran her hands through his hair. “I mean, besides the fact that I want you here, it means a lot to the boys. It’s been a rough few months for them. Us breaking up, you moving out, the house being destroyed, Phillip dying…”

“I’m glad I’m here too,” he smiled. “And I will always be here for them. And you. It is weird without a house though…”

“Zach asked me last week how Santa was going to bring them presents without a chimney.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him Santa came in through the vent in the freezer,” she answered and Gus laughed out loud.

“Creative,” he nodded.

“I thought so,” she shrugged. “I have to get them out of here. They should have a house, you know?”

“I know,” he replied and kissed her neck.

Two hours later, all of the boys’ toys were opened and the floor of the dining room was covered in wrapping paper.

“Come on guys, clean up all this paper, then we have to get dressed,” Harley instructed and the boys picked up the paper and put it in a big trash bag Frank was holding for them.

“Honey, why don’t you go get a shower and get dressed and I’ll get the boys ready,” Gus suggested.

“Are you sure?”

“Yep. It will give us a chance to bond some more,” he teased and Harley smiled.

“Okay,” she said then went upstairs.

[Jen]

Gus took the boys upstairs a little later and got them dressed, then sent them back downstairs while he snuck into Harley’s room. He heard the water still running and was glad she was taking a long shower. He stripped out of his clothes and pulled back the shower curtain.

“That better be you Gus,” Harley said and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Don’t worry, it is,” he replied.

“Are the boys dressed?” she asked as she leaned back against him.

“Dressed, hair and teeth brushed and downstairs playing with Uncle Coop, who by the way, still shoots me dirty looks every five seconds,” he teased and she turned around in his arms.

“I’m sorry. I’ll talk to him,” she replied and buried her face in his neck.

“Don’t worry about it. I just don’t want him to punch me again. The kid has a mean right hook!” he joked but Harley didn’t laugh. “You can laugh.”

She shook her head, “I’m sorry. For a lot of things.”

“So am I,” he replied, lifting her chin with his finger. “But we’ll work through all that later, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed quietly and he traced her lips with his finger before covering them with his own.

“How much time do you think we have up here?” he asked as he ran his hands down her slippery back.

“Dinner isn’t until three,” she answered and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

“So we have lots of time,” he said between kisses as he put her back against the wall and thrust up into her.

Their lips crashed onto each other in deep kisses and Harley moaned into his mouth, causing him to move faster and her to moan more. They broke the kiss and she buried her face in his neck, muffling her cries of pleasure until they found their release and sank to the floor in each other’s arms.

“Well…” Gus said, breathlessly, “It has been far too long since we have done that.”

“It sure has,” Harley agreed as she kissed his chest. “I love you,” she added softly.

“I love you too,” he replied as he leaned his head down and kissed her wet lips. “We should probably finish up here and get back downstairs.”

“I don’t want to,” she protested. “I just want to crawl under the covers and lay together forever. Can we do that?”

“Not today, sweetie,” he replied, kissing her wet hair. “Want me to wash your hair?” he asked.

“Okay,” she smiled and he helped her stand up and positioned her under the spray of water before he lathered up his hands and washed her hair.

Five minutes later, they dragged themselves out of the shower and slowly got dressed. Gus laid on the bed and watched Harley in the bathroom getting ready.

“You know how I used to lay on the bed and whine about how long you take in the bathroom?” he asked and she looked up at him in the mirror and nodded. “Well, today you can take as long as you want because I am enjoying the view.”

Harley smiled and tossed her tube of lipstick into the open drawer before she ran her hand through her hair and went back into the room. She knelt on the end of the bed and crawled up to Gus with a detour to tease his stomach with kisses. She laid on top of him and kissed him deeply.

“I was enjoying the view myself,” she said quietly.

“What view is that?”

“You in my bed again,” she answered, kissing his neck.

“I like that too,” he smiled and they kissed again and she slid down beside him and nestled into the side of his body.

They laid together, kissing and talking for awhile, and then went back downstairs to join the rest of the family.

“Nice of you two to return,” Buzz teased and Harley smirked as Gus went and joined Alan and Zach at a table.

“Can I talk to you and Frank?” Harley asked and pulled them over to the bar.

“What’s up Sis?” Frank asked.

“I wanted to talk to you guys about Gus. Obviously we are…well I don’t know what we are at the moment, but we’re going to try to work things out and I really want things to work out so I hope the two of you will support me…us,” she corrected.

“Well you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve been trying to push the two of you back together for months,” Buzz said and walked away so Harley turned to Frank.

“Look, sis, I can’t forget what Gus did to you…to all of us. And I can’t forget all the tears he made you cry or the look on your face they day after the wedding. But I also can’t argue with the fact that you just aren’t the same without Gus. Today was the first time I’ve seen you really truly happy in months. And if he is the reason for that, then I will support you no matter what happens,” he replied and kissed her cheek. “He is a good guy, and he loves you like crazy. Sometimes I think he’s the only person in the world who can love you as much as I do,” he smiled and Harley hugged him tightly. “You may have one problem on your hands, though,” he added and pointed over towards Coop who was glaring at Gus and Alan.

“Coop. Yeah, I know,” Harley nodded as Gus came over to them.

“Honey, the boys want to go outside. Okay if I take them out for a little bit?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’ll go with you,” she answered. “Boys, let’s go upstairs and get your snowsuits on,” she called over to them and they cheered and ran upstairs.

While they were playing with the boys outside, throwing snowballs at each other, Alan came out with his coat on.

“I’m going to take off,” he said and Gus stopped mid-throw.

“You’re leaving?” Gus asked.

“Yes, I think it’s time I go back to the mansion. I have some gifts for Elizabeth and James,” Alan answered.

“Well, you are welcome to stay for dinner,” Harley offered.

“Thank you, but I’m going to go,” he declined.

“Zach, come say goodbye to Grandpa Alan,” Harley called and Zach ran over and hugged Alan goodbye.

“I’ll walk you to the car,” Gus said and Alan said goodbye to Harley.

“Will you be home today at all?” Alan asked after they were away from Harley and the boys.

“Uh, I don’t know. If I am, it won’t be until late, but I don’t know…” he answered.

“Okay. Well, Merry Christmas,” Alan said sadly and patted Gus’s arm before getting into his car.

“You too,” Gus replied then went back to Harley and the boys.

“Alan okay?” Harley asked.

“Well, I think he’s just a little lonely. Phillip’s gone, Alan-Michael is in Europe and I’m here. You know…”

“Yeah…Do you want to go the mansion?” Harley asked cautiously, not sure she wanted the answer.

“No,” he answered quickly. “No. Look, technically, they are my family, but besides Alan, they’re just relatives. You are my family,” he said as he grabbed her hands and pulled her close. “You have always been my family, and you always will be. There is no place I would rather be than right here with you. And I don’t just mean today.”

Harley smiled and sighed, “That was really sweet.”

“I mean it,” he assured her. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied and he kissed her softly and ran his hand through her hair and the boys pummeled them with snowballs.

“Hey!” they yelled as they pulled apart laughing and chased after the boys.

A half hour later, the boys were soaking wet and ready to go inside, so Buzz got them some hot chocolate while Harley took them up to change.

When they came back down, Gus sat with them while they drank their hot chocolate and Harley went to the bar where Coop was pouring a drink.

“Hey Coop, can you help me in the kitchen?” Harley asked and Coop followed her into the kitchen.

“What’s the problem? Need a strong guy to open up a jar or something?” he teased.

“Haha. No, I wanted to talk to you…about Gus,” she began and Coop rolled his eyes. “Don’t,” she warned. “Listen to me, I know you don’t like Gus, and I understand why that is, but I need you to know that I love him. And I want things to work out between us, and I hope you can be mature enough to not shoot him dirty looks every time he comes in the room. Gus is a great guy and I think you would really like him if you give him a chance. Can you do that for me, please?”

“Harley have you forgotten what he did to you? He lied to you and those same lies cost our brother his job! His family tried to destroy us. How can you stand there and ask me to forget all that?” Coop asked angrily.

“Because I am. I know what Gus did. And Gus knows what he did, and he is sorry for it. He hurt me, and I haven’t forgotten that, but I’m on my way to forgiving him. And if I can, I would think you could too,” she added. “I really…”

“No way! The Cubs are definitely making it to the Series this year!” Gus told Buzz as they came into the kitchen, interrupting Harley.

“Okay, Gus, whatever you say,” Buzz laughed.

“I think he’s patronizing me,” Gus scoffed as he wrapped his arms around Harley and kissed her cheek while Coop glared at him. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Nothing, just catching up with my big sister,” Coop answered and Harley smiled.

“What are you two up to?” she asked Gus and Buzz.

“Just discussing baseball while Buzz checks out the turkey,” Gus answered.

“Oh okay. I’m gonna go…out there,” she said and left the kitchen leaving Gus and Buzz standing in there with Coop.

“What’s going on?” Gus asked and Coop shrugged.

“Hey Gus, will you get a bag of ice out of the freezer and put it behind the bar?” Buzz asked.

“Sure…” Gus replied and went into the freezer.

When he took the ice out to the bar, he noticed that Harley wasn’t around so he asked Zach where she went.

“She went upstairs,” he answered and Gus started over to the stairs.

About halfway up, he ran into Harley who was coming down with her coat in her hands.

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

“I’m just going outside for a few minutes. I need some air,” she answered.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just need a few minutes,” she said and then left the restaurant after a quick kiss.

“Okay…” Gus said and went back to the boys.

[Jen]

Outside, Harley sat on the bench and thought about what Coop said. She did know what Gus did, and she still wasn’t okay with it, but she also knew how miserable she had been since they broke up. And she knew how great the night before and that morning had been. She thought the days of her family hating her boyfriend were over. Buzz, Frank and Marina all really liked Gus before their wedding, now it was like they were back at square one, except Buzz. Maybe Coop was right. She hadn’t forgotten what he did, and she couldn’t forgive him yet, but that didn’t change what happened between them the night before. She knew their kisses and lovemaking were real, and not something done out of desperation or drunkenness. And she knew it wasn’t something either of them would regret in the future. She wanted so badly to forgive him and start rebuilding their life together, but the thing that came between them was still there. Gus still covered for Alex. He still lied to her for months. Even worse, the Spauldings were still in his life. But he had just ditched Alan to spend Christmas with her and the kids. Harley put her head in her hands and let out a heavy sigh as her phone rang.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Just calling to see if you were happy,” she heard Gus on the other end and she smiled, forgetting all about the doubts she was just having. “So, are you?” he asked again.

“Yeah, I’m happy,” she finally answered, her eyes filling with tears. “I miss this too. You calling me ten times a day to see if I’m happy. Keep doing that, okay?”

“I will,” he replied. “Okay, so hang up, and I’ll call you back in like 10 seconds and ask again,” he said and Harley laughed.

“I don’t miss it that much.”

“Oh alright. You coming back in?” he asked.

“Yeah, in a little bit.”

“Okay, see ya,” he said and they hung up, with Harley still smiling.

“Hey,” she heard Blake, Ross and the kids come up behind her. “What’s up?” Blake asked when she saw Harley smiling with tears in her eyes. “Is something wrong?”

Harley shook her head and smiled again.

“Well this is new,” Blake said as she reached over and touched Harley’s cheek.

“What?” Harley asked.

“You. Happy,” Blake smiled.

“Yeah, it is,” Harley replied as she looked over at the window and saw Gus holding both boys, all three of them waving at her with big smiles on their face.

“That’s new too,” Blake added as she turned and raised her eyebrows in question.

“Why, yes it is,” was all Harley said in response.

“Ross…why don’t you take the kids inside,” Blake suggested and Ross took the hint and herded the kids into Company.

“So what’s going on?” Blake asked when the kids were gone.

“Well…last night after we left the party, Gus came back and helped tuck the boys in…”

“And then he tucked you in?” Blake asked with a naughty twinkle in her eye.

Harley laughed, “I guess you could say that. I don’t know. It just kind of happened. I mean, we had kissed at your place and then seeing him with the boys and…” she sighed, “it was just perfect.”

“Okay, so you slept together. Does that mean you’re back together?” Blake asked.

“I don’t know. I think I hope it does. I mean, we have a lot of stuff to work through, but I’m willing to work through it. I am, because I’m just miserable without him, you know?”

“Oh I know,” Blake nodded. “And I haven’t seen you this happy since…well, since your wedding day. Can you do this? Can you forgive him?”

“I was just wondering that myself, but yeah, I think I can,” Harley answered.

“I’m so happy for you,” Blake said as she hugged Harley. “Can we go inside now? It’s freezing out here!”

When they got inside, Harley took Blake’s coat and took it upstairs with her. Blake went over to Gus and hugged him.

“Hey, do me a favor,” she said, “don’t mess it up this time, okay?”

“Well thanks for the vote of confidence, Blake,” he laughed, “But I won’t. I promise.”

“Good,” she smiled as Harley came back down to the dining room and went over to Blake and Gus.

Gus reached out for her hand and pulled her over to him, “Have you been crying?” he asked, running his thumbs under her eyes.

“Good tears,” she smiled and he kissed each of her closed eyelids and hugged her.

“Gus! Will you help us?” Zach asked as he held up a new game the kids wanted to play.

“You okay?” he asked Harley again as they pulled away from each other.

“I’m fine,” she nodded and he went to help Zach after a quick kiss.

“So…I want the dirt!” Blake said as she pulled Harley over to the bar and poured two glasses of wine.

“I already told you,” Harley replied and took a sip of wine.

“You told me he came back here, tucked the kids in and then you slept together. That’s not dirt. That’s…dust, and not even!” Blake protested.

“Well, what do you want to know? You ask questions and maybe I will answer them,” Harley suggested.

“Oooh, okay. So who made the first move? You or him?” she asked.

“Well, when?”

“Between him kissing the boys goodnight and kissing you.”

“Oh…well, we left the boys room and he walked me to my door…”

“The five steps it takes to get from the boys’ room to yours?” Blake interrupted.

“Yes,” Harley rolled her eyes, “Anyway, then he asked if it would be okay if he and Alan brought some gifts over for the boys today, I said yes and I thanked him for a gift he got me, then he asked if he could kiss me again. And the next thing I know, I was asking him to stay.”

“What did he get you? Was it that bag he gave you at the party?” Blake asked.

“Yeah, it was a scrapbook of the boys. He started it a long time ago and wanted to give it to me for Christmas,” she answered. “It was so…sweet,” she gushed.

“Do you regret it? Asking him to stay?” Blake asked cautiously and Harley shook her head.

“No. Not at all. Last night was amazing,” she smiled, then let out a little laugh thinking about their conversation about how amazing it was.

“What?” Blake asked.

“Nothing, it was just really good. Really, really good,” she sighed.

“Wow. Good for you,” Blake smiled. “Did he stay all night?”

“He left early to go back to the mansion to shower and change. We didn’t want the boys to see us in bed together. We are confused enough without adding them to the mix,” Harley answered.

“Harley, can I just give you some advice as your best friend?” Blake asked and Harley nodded.

“I was with you on the day of your wedding, and I saw how happy you were to finally be marrying Gus. And I was with you the next day and saw how hurt you were. The past few months, you have been miserable, I mean your life has sucked, but going through all of that without Gus just made it worse. Today, for the first time since before the wedding, you are happy. Really happy. You have your boys, and your dad is healthy, but you have Gus to share all of that with again. What you and Gus have is beautiful, and it’s rare, and precious, and real. I just don’t want you to brush all of this off as some Christmas thing and throw away what has been the best thing to ever happen to you,” she finished and Harley hugged her.

“Blake…I love you. You’re right and I know that, and that whole speech you just did only assured me that what I am doing is right. This is not a Christmas thing, yeah...Christmas gave us the little push that we both needed, but this is not something that is going to disappear after the holidays.”

“Wait, did I hear you correctly? I’m right?” Blake teased and Harley laughed.

“Yes, but don’t let that go to your head,” she replied and hugged her again.

“You are my best friend, and I want you to be happy, and I know Gus is the one to keep you happy,” Blake said.

“I know that too,” Harley nodded as she looked over at Gus and saw Jude sleeping in his lap. “I think it’s nap time,” she said and went over to them.

“He always did go to sleep better for you than me,” she said as came up behind Gus and kissed his cheek as she ran her hand through Jude’s long hair.

Gus smiled, “I think the other one is getting sleepy too,” he said as Zach yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“I’ll get him if you’ll take Jude up,” Harley said and went over to Zach.

“Come on buddy, let’s go upstairs for a nap before dinner,” she said and Zach protested that he was playing with Clarissa.

“Clarissa’s going to take a nap too,” Blake said and Clarissa put up a fuss.

“Frank, we’re going to put the kids in your bed, is that okay?” Harley asked and Frank nodded.

Gus started up the stairs with Jude and Blake and Harley dragged Zach and Clarissa behind him. They got the kids all settled into Frank’s bed and Harley told Blake to go back downstairs and she would read them a story. Blake left and Gus sat in the easy chair on the other side of the room while Harley read Zach and Clarissa The Polar Express. They were fast asleep in a few minutes and Harley put the book away before she had finished reading it. When she got back to Frank’s room, she saw that Gus was asleep too and she smiled. It was no wonder he was exhausted. He had been awake since five and they didn’t get that much sleep the night before. She was going to cover him up and go back downstairs, but she thought about how tired she was too and crawled into his lap instead. He stirred a bit and wrapped his arms around her, but went right back to sleep. Her heavy eyelids fell in a few minutes and they were both fast asleep.

[Jen]

Downstairs, Buzz was in the kitchen checking on the food and Frank, Coop and Ross were in front of the television, watching some football special. Blake was sitting with them, bored out of her mind, so when the phone rang, she jumped to answer it.

“Susan! Merry Christmas!” she said when she answered and Susan was on the other end.

“Merry Christmas, Blake. Is Harley around?” she asked.

“They just took the kids up for a nap, but I will take the phone to her,” Blake answered and started upstairs.

“They?” Susan asked.

“Oh…yeah, her and Gus,” Blake cringed.

“Gus is back?”

“Yeah…kind of.”

“Kind of isn’t good enough. She is miserable without him- you tell her I said that. I mean, I hate what he did to her, but that doesn’t change how happy he makes her,” Susan rambled as Blake pushed open the door to Frank’s room and saw Gus and Harley asleep in the chair.

She went back out to the hallway and shut the door, “Susan, I think your mother has finally realized the same thing. They’re asleep too. Can I have her call you back?” she asked.

“I’ll call in a few hours,” Susan replied. “And tell her I’m very happy for her.”

“I will. I’ll tell her you called,” Blake said as she went back downstairs.

“Tell Grandpa and Uncle Frank I said hello and I will talk to them later too,” Susan said then they said goodbye and hung up.

“So Frank…your sister is happy, her best friend is happy and her daughter is happy, how about her brother?” Blake asked as she put her arm around Frank’s shoulders.

“You mean about Gus? I’m happy for her. They should be together,” he answered and Coop scoffed.

“Coop…” Frank began, but Blake interrupted.

“No, it’s nice that Coop is worried about his sister. He wasn’t here to see Gus and Harley together. He doesn’t know how happy they were together and how perfect they are for each other,” she said. “He’ll learn soon enough.”

Forty-five minutes later, Gus and Harley finally woke up and the kids were awake too, laying quietly in bed, surprisingly.

“Mmmm, that was a good nap,” Gus said as he kissed Harley deeply.

“It sure was,” she smiled and looked back at the kids. “You guys ready to go back downstairs?” she asked and they jumped out of the bed and raced downstairs.

“I think I am more tired now than I was before I fell asleep,” Harley said, yawning.

“Want a ride downstairs?” Gus teased and Harley jumped on his back.

“If you insist,” she laughed and sucked on the back of his neck.

Gus moaned, “You keep doing that and we’re not going downstairs,” he said and she stopped with one final kiss and squeezed him tight before he carried her downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, they were met with Rick, Mel, Leah, Danny and Robbie coming in the front door.

“Merry Christmas!” Harley exclaimed and Rick leaned over Gus’s shoulder to kiss her cheek and they followed the guests into the dining room.

Frank took everyone’s coats and Danny and Robbie went over to Marina while Rick and Mel took some gifts to Jude. Gus watched as Danny kissed Marina softly on the other side of the room and grabbed Harley’s hand as she was walking away and pulled her back.

“What is that about?” he asked, pointing at Danny and Marina.

“Oh yeah…I have no clue. They’re friends,” Harley shrugged.

“We didn’t kiss like that when we were friends,” he said.

“No, our kisses were a little more urgent and secretive,” she teased and kissed him deeply.

“Isn’t he still married to Michelle?” Gus asked after they broke the kissed.

“Well, technically, but she’s with Tony now. I don’t know sweetie, Marina says they are just friends…with benefits apparently,” Harley answered.

“Well, I hope not too many benefits,” he replied and Harley laughed and patted his cheek.

“Sorry, I’m just being an overprotective pseudo-uncle. Is Frank okay with this?” he asked, unbelievably.

“Honey, look at Frank…does he look okay with it?” Harley asked and they looked at Frank who was glaring at Danny kissing his daughter. “Of course he’s not okay with it, but Marina is a big girl and Frank can’t control who she kisses anymore.”

“Hmm…maybe I’ll go say hello to Danny,” Gus said and started over towards them.

“Gus…” she warned as she pulled him back to her. “Don’t.”

“I’m just going to say hello,” he said and kissed her before he left her and went over to Danny and Marina.

“Hey Robbie,” he said as he patted Robbie’s head and Danny and Marina pulled apart.

“Hey Gus…” Danny said and Gus smiled.

“Hi Danny,” Gus replied, “Marina, I think I heard Buzz say he needed your help in the kitchen.”

“Really?” she asked.

“No, but why don’t you go help him for a few minutes anyway,” Gus smiled and she hesitated before she went over to Harley.

“What’s up Gus?” Danny asked.

“Oh you know…” Gus replied. “Actually, I was going to ask you that. What’s up, Danny? And by that I mean, what’s up with you and Marina?”

“We’re friends,” Danny answered.

“Yeah, I heard that. But now I want the truth. It’s obvious you are more than that,” Gus said.

“Well, maybe we are. Things are complicated right now, and Marina has been a good friend.”

“Just…you know, she’s young and try to keep in mind that she may be more into you than you are into her and she could really get hurt. And if you think I went after you when I first got to town…you hurt that girl, and you won’t know what hit you. Got it?” Gus asked with a smile.

“Yeah, Gus. I got it,” Danny replied. “What are you doing here? Harley finally forgive you for destroying her life?”

“Ha. You’re a funny man Santos. For your information, Harley and I are trying to work things out. If you think you want to do the same with your wife, don’t drag Marina into it,” Gus said then went into the kitchen to help Buzz.

“Gus,” Harley said as she followed him. “What did you do?” she asked.

“Nothing. I just told him not to hurt her,” he answered.

“Who?” Buzz asked.

“Danny,” Gus answered.

“Oh.”

“Come on Buzz, you can’t be happy about them,” Gus said.

“Well, no…but lately I’ve been focusing all of my energy on staying alive, out of jail and pushing the two of you back together. Frank worries enough about Marina for all of us. And if Danny hurts her, he’ll hear from me. You did,” Buzz said. “But, now that you two have gotten your brains back, I can worry about Marina. Never a dull moment in the Cooper family, huh?”

“Oh Daddy…”

“Is everyone here? Because this turkey is done. Why don’t you two start taking this food out and have everyone sit down,” Buzz suggested and Harley and Gus did as they were told.

Ten minutes later, everyone was seated at the large table that was filled with food. Buzz asked Ross to say grace, and after he did, he stood to make a toast.

“I just have a few things to say,” he began, “I wanted to thank Buzz for preparing what looks to be a wonderful meal, and for inviting us to spend the day with him and his family. I know Thanksgiving is the holiday to remember all that we are thankful for, but I think we have just as much to remember today on Christmas. Our children are safe and healthy. Buzz is healthy, Coop is home, love has been rekindled and all seems right with the world again,” he continued and Gus and Harley smiled at each other as Harley squeezed his hand.

“So to friends and family here, and those who can’t be with us today, Merry Christmas,” Ross finished and held up his glass.

“Merry Christmas,” everyone replied in unison and toasted each other.

“Merry Christmas, baby,” Gus said quietly.

“Merry Christmas,” she replied and they kissed softly while everyone else passed around food.

[Jen]

“We’re going to head out,” Rick told a few hours after dinner was done. “Do you want us to take Zach for the night too?”

“No, you’re taking Robbie too,” Harley replied.

“Yeah, so one more kid isn’t a big deal. Come on Harley, let me take them both for the night. I think you need a break. Besides, we love having Zach around because he keeps Leah entertained,” Rick smiled.

“It’s true love,” Harley laughed.

“You know if they end up getting together, he could marry his brother’s sister,” Rick joked.

“Only in Springfield,” Harley laughed and hugged him. “Are you absolutely sure?” she asked and he nodded. “Okay. Thank you,” she said then went upstairs to get the boys’ things together.

“Rick said he’s taking Zach too?” Gus asked when she came back down with a bag and handed it to Mel.

“Yeah,” she replied and pushed him back against the bar. “So I hope you won’t make me stay here all by myself.”

“No way,” he said and kissed her.

“Good. I’m going to say goodbye to the boys,” she said and went to kiss Zach and Jude goodbye.

The boys said goodbye to Gus, Buzz and Frank and Coop helped get them settled into Rick and Mel’s car while Harley and Gus helped Buzz clean off the table.

“I am glad Mom is coming to get the kids now that Zach is gone too or else Clarissa would drive us nuts all night,” Blake said and Holly entered the restaurant as if on cue.

A half hour later, all of the kids were gone, and the adults were sitting around the table with bottles of wine, talking. Gus was just pouring Harley another glass of wine when Cassie and Edmund came.

“Merry Christmas!” Cassie exclaimed and they all exchanged hugs.

“So it looks like there won’t be any awkwardness with you two at the wedding,” Cassie said after a few hours of seeing how Harley and Gus were acting.

“What do you mean?” Harley asked.

“Well, Gus is one of Edmund’s groomsmen,” she answered.

“Really? You didn’t tell me that,” Harley said as she looked at Gus.

“I didn’t really have a chance,” he smiled.

“So are you guys all ready for the wedding?” Danny asked. “It’s only in a few days.”

“Yeah, we’re ready,” Cassie answered and Edmund nodded in agreement. “The sooner we get married, the sooner we can start our own little family together,” she continued.

“What does that mean?” Blake asked.

“Well, we’re trying to have a baby,” Cassie answered and everyone but Gus gave their congratulations.

“We’re hoping it’s soon,” Edmund said. “We’ve already started looking at names and nursery themes. I can’t wait,” he beamed.

“We’re very excited,” Cassie added.

“Yeah, we can see that,” Harley laughed and looked over at Gus who had gotten quiet.

When the conversation switched and Gus was still quiet she ran her hand over his chest and kissed his cheek.

“You okay?” she asked and he nodded.

“I’m fine,” he answered unconvincingly.

“Okay. You ready to go to bed?” she asked quietly.

“If you are,” he replied and she nodded.

“We’re going to call it a night,” she said as they stood up.

“Already? We were just about to start a game of poker,” Frank said.

“Frank, I think they’ll be having more fun,” Blake teased and Harley laughed before they picked up their glasses and dessert plates and took them into the kitchen, where they could still hear the conversation from the dining room.

“Wait, are they sleeping together again?” Cassie asked.

“Yeah, didn’t you see the look of utter satisfaction on her face all day?” Blake asked.

“I just thought she was glad he came,” Cassie replied. “Oooh!”

Harley looked at Gus and laughed before taking his hand and going back to the dining room.

“Good night!” she said and kissed Buzz and Frank.

“Good night,” everyone replied and they went upstairs.

When they got to Harley’s bedroom, Gus sat down on the bed and took his shoes off while Harley started undressing.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he shrugged.

“Liar, you’ve been acting strange ever since…Cassie said they were going to have a baby. What’s up?” she asked again.

Gus hesitated for a bit, “I just always thought that if anyone was going to have a baby, it would be us,” he finally answered.

Harley came over and sat on his lap without her shirt on and wrapped her arms around his neck, “I did too,” she replied.

“You did?” he asked surprised, “I mean we never really talked about that.”

“No, I know, but I always figured after we got married…maybe not right after, but eventually, we would have a baby.”

“I still want that,” he replied and Harley got up and walked over to the closet.

“I know you do,” she said quietly.

“Do you?” he asked and Harley turned around and looked at him. “Because I do. I want to marry you, I want to buy a house. For you and me and the boys, and Buzz and Frank and Marina, I don’t care if the whole town moves in, as long as you’re there too,” he continued as he got up and stood front of her. “I want to have babies with you, and I want to watch all of our kids grow up and I want to grow old with you. I know you’re not ready for that right now, but do you think there will ever be a time when you will be?”

“I was ready,” she answered honestly. “I was ready for all of that. In July, but I don’t know when I’ll be ready again,” she finished and Gus nodded sadly. “I’ll tell you what I do know. I know that I love you. And I know that no matter what happens, there will never be another man for me. If the past few months have taught me anything, it’s that I don’t want to be with anyone but you,” she said as she walked over to him and grabbed his hand.

“I can’t forget what happened. And I can’t just completely trust that something like that won’t happen again...” she continued.

“It won’t,” he interrupted.

“No, okay maybe you won’t cover for Alex again, but that’s not even what it was. It’s Alan. It’s the hold he has over you. But I understand that. That’s the ironic thing. The way that you love Alan, I love that. Because I wouldn’t expect you not to love him. He’s your father, and I know how much that means to you,” she said. “I’m just afraid of what you will do for him. And with Phillip gone…that just makes him want to control you even more. You’re already running the company. Is that even something you want to do?”

“No, of course not…” Gus answered.

“Then why are you doing it?” she asked.

“I don’t have a choice. Phillip left it to me.”

“Phillip was crazy! There’s no way he was competent enough to make a valid will. Contest it if you don’t want it,” she argued.

“Well, I am working on that,” he answered.

“You are?”

“Of course I am,” he sighed, “I don’t want to run that company.”

“Oh…I’m sorry,” she said. “What would you do if you don’t?”

“Go back to the force, maybe. Or I was thinking about opening up my own practice,” he answered.

“But you love being a cop.”

“Yeah, but I’m kind of digging this lawyer thing. And it’s safe, you know? And if I have something to stay safe for, I’d rather do that,” he replied and touched her cheek.

“I’m sorry for going off like that,” she apologized. “I just worry about you, because I know how much you love Alan and how much you want him in your life, and I respect that, I do. But I’m afraid of what you will do for him.”

“I know, and I understand that. But you are all I want, and I will do anything to be with you. But I won’t give up Alan, and I don’t think I should have to..”

“You shouldn’t…” she shook her head and he continued.

“I can have him in my life without turning into him. I can. I promise.”

“You understand that I need time? I mean, I don’t know how much, but we have a long way to go before we’re back to where we were. But I love you and I want to be with you and I want to work on this,” she said as she ran her hands up his arms.

“Good. Because I wasn’t going to let you go so easily this time,” he said as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “I love you too. More than you will ever know.”

“You know since the boys aren’t home, so you can stay as long as you want tomorrow,” she said.

“Good, because I’m not going to be ready to leave anytime soon,” he replied and kissed her deeply.

“Merry Christmas, Harley. You are the best present I have ever gotten,” he said and she smiled before she unbuttoned his shirt and they celebrated the holiday in their own special way.

THE END