Disclaimer: Sam Bennett, Pilar, Miguel and Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, Charity Standish, Sheridan Crane (or in this case Lopez-Fitzgerald) and Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald are not mine (although I do wish I could have Luis…). They belong to NBC. Melody and Maria Lassiter are mine. I promise to take very good care of them, and give them right back as soon as I'mdone with them.
Rating: PG-13
Sometime in the future…
"Melody!!!" Seven-year-old Melody popped her head from the closet in her grandparents bedroom. It was Christmas, Melody's favorite holiday of the year, and she was in her most favorite place in the world – her grand parents house for Christmas dinner. As always, as soon as she got there she started to wonder through all the rooms in the house. She always liked to look in all the old photos, trying to guess who all the people she saw there were, see the clothes they were wearing. She always chose one picture and begs her grandmother to tell her all about the people in that particular one. And this time was no exception.
"Melody!!! Where are you?" Her grandmother's voice wasgetting closer. As Melody was about to pick the picture of the day, she noticed something else. Something that she has always saw her grandmother carrying in her pocket or bag. It was the first time she had seen it just lying around like that. She picked it up and studied it. It was round and silver and so clean that she could see her own face on it. What was it??? She held it carefully, like her mother told her, and rushed to find her grandmother and start asking the questions.
When she entered the kitchen she almost bumped into her mother. "Melody sweetie, where have you been? Grammy is looking everywhere for you." "I found this mommy." Melody answered. Maria Lassiter looked down at her daughter's hand. "That's Grammy's compact. Where did you find it sweetie?" "In Grandma and Grandpa's room. What is it?" "That's the first gift that your grandfather gave me." Melody heard her Grandmother answer, as she walkedinside the kitchen. Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald looked down at her granddaughter. "Do you want to hear the story?" Sheasked with a smile.
Back to present time…
Sheridan Crane was sitting in her bedroom, getting ready to go to bed. As she was brushing her hair her mind drifted to a different place, to a certain person. ‘How could Luis think that I would throw away a gift?' That was the question that bothered her the most. ‘I thought that after what we've been through in Santa-Fe he would trust me a little bit more'. She sighed and turned her gaze to the silver compact that sat on her dresser. She reached out and touched it, a smile crossing her face when she remembered the look on his face when he gave it to her.
‘I never thought that Luis could be so considerate'. She thought to herself. ‘This is the most precious thing that anyone had ever given me.' "I'll never let it out of my sight…" She found herselfwhispering. "Not again." It was the first night in a very long time that Sheridan Crane fell asleep with a smile on her face.
In the meantime, Luis was just coming home after the tree lightning ceremony. He was trying to help Sam find out who sabotaged the wiring and almost killed Miguel and Charity. Unfortunately, they didn't find anyone who could have done it. However, all the events of the evening seemed unimportant to him in comparison to one thing. Sheridan still had the compact. He was so shocked to see it in her hand at the park, and so touched, that he didn't know what to say. He just stared at it, and than at her, peechless. For the first time since he met her, Luis didn't have anything witty or sarcastic to say to Sheridan.
‘She kept it'. He thought to himself, a smile crossing his face when he remembered the soft tone of her voice when she told him that she would never have thrown it away. And when he finally went to bed, the last thing on his mind before he fell asleep was Sheridan Crane.
The next morning Luis woke up to the sound of his younger sister and brother laughing. Ever since they were small, Theresa and Miguel always woke up at the crack of dawn to get to the presents first. And it always made him smile to go into the living room and find them sitting in the middle of a huge pile of wrapping paper. When his father was around he used to hear his mother's laughter as well, and for many years he hoped that those Christmases would repeat themselves. However, after what he found out in Santa-Fe he knew that it would never come true. As he thought about Santa-Fe, he suddenly heard another voice coming from the living room.
‘What's Sheridan doing here?' He thought to. Suddenly he caught himself getting out of bed and getting dressed as fast as he could. ‘Why am I so anxious to see her?' He wondered. He put on a pair of faded jeans and a sweater and went to the living room. Sheridan wasn't sure that she was doing the right thing. When she woke up that morning she remembered the gift that she bought Luis and decided to bring it to him. She also brought presents to Pilar, Theresa and Miguel so her feelings for Luis won't seem too obvious. She didn't intend to buy Luis a present, but when they were in Santa-Fe she noticed something in one of the stores that she thought he would really like, so she had to buy it.
She wasn't sure if she would give it to him but after he bought her the compact she knew she had to, that it would be the right thing to do. It was an antique pocket watch that was still working. The owner of the store told her that the watch hasn't broken even once since it was made and that it was once belonged to the sheriff of Santa-Fe in the old west. Sheridan thought that it was perfect.
When Luis entered the living room he didn't see Sheridan. As usual, he saw Theresa and Miguel sitting in the middle of the room, near the tree, surrounded by wrapping paper, and his mother sitting in her chair looking down at them as if they were still small children. "Good morning everyone, merry Christmas." He smiled at them and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I thought I heard Sheridan's voice in here."
"You did". Pilar answered with a smile. "She's in the kitchen, making some hot cocoa". "What is she doing here?" He asked, still puzzled. "She brought some presents. I think that she even has one for you." Pilar said, and continued when she saw the look of surprise on her son's face. "I told you that Sheridan is different than most Crane's, Luis. Why don't you go into the kitchen and give her a hand?"
Sheridan was standing with her back to the door, near the stove, mixing the hot cocoa. She was deep in thought so she didn't hear the door open and close. But than she felt like someone was watching her. She turned around and found Luis leaning against the wall staring at her. But it wasn't his normal look, which always made feel like she did something wrong or that she was being blamed for something. This time there was something else in his eyes, something she hasn't seen there before. She thought that she saw affection, and maybe love, in them, but than she told herself that it couldn't be that. ‘I'm a Crane.' She thought. ‘He would never feel that way towards me.' She suddenly realized that it made her sad to know that Luis will never feel this way for her. She realized that she wanted him to feel this way. The same way that she felt for him.
They still hadn't said a word to each other when Pilar popped her head inside the kitchen to see if they needed help. They just stood there, looking at each other.
Luis broke the silence first. "That's ok mama. We've got it under control." He started to move around the kitchen, still without taking his eyes off of Sheridan. Pilar went back to the living room, sensing that they needed a little more time alone with each other, and a little bit surprised to see how they really felt towards each other after all those weeksof fighting and arguing.
In the kitchen, Sheridan was the first to break the eye contact. She turned around to pour the cocoa to the mugs. "Thank you Luis, but I really don't need anyhelp". She told him. "What are you doing here Sheridan?" She felt him standing behind her. She didn't realize how close he was until she turned around and found his face just inches from hers. Suddenly embarrassed, she looked down before she answered him. "I brought some presents. Pilar is more of a family to me than my real one, so it only seemed right."
She raised her eyes and looked at him. He looked surprised. "Everyone else already opened theirs. Yours is right here." She pointed to the kitchen table.
Luis finally took his eyes off of Sheridan, and turned to look at the table. There was a small box sitting on it, wrapped in a red paper with a green bow. He suddenly felt embarrassed. "I can't accept this, Sheridan. I didn't get you anything." He picked the box from the table and held it to her.
"Yes you did." Sheridan gently pushed his hand back. Reaching into her pocket, she took out the compact he gave her. "You bought me this, Luis." "Alright." He smiled to her and started to open the box. All this time there was one thought racing through his head. ‘She is carrying it with her!' And than, his smile faded and a look of shock took over his face. "This is beautiful." He whispered, holding the watch in his hand, still looking at it.
"I'm glad you like it." She smiled at him. He took a few steps and was now standing right in front of her. "Thank you." He said, and than leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Both of them were suddenly very aware of how close they were. Without even thinking they both turned their heads, so when Luis leaned down again it was their lips that met. It was a very gentle kiss, like a butterfly. They moved back and looked at each other.
This time there was no mistake in either of them as for what they saw in each other's eyes. There was a question – do you want this to happen? But instead of an answer, there were actions.
Luis reached his hands and wrapped them around Sheridan's waist, while she reached up and hugged his neck. And when their lips met this time, their kiss was full of love and affection and passion. It was like the whole world stopped moving and time froze still. There wasn't anything around them or anyone else in the world. There was only Luis and Sheridan. It was their universe and their time. And it seemed as though they were kissing forever.
When the kiss finally broke, and they were looking into each other's eyes, they knew that it was right. And as Luis tightened his embrace, Sheridan rested her head on his chest. "Merry Christmas Sheridan." Luis whispered, kissing the top of her head. She closed her eyes and smiled. "Merry Christmas Luis."
Back to the future…
Melody gave her grandmother a hug and ran outside to play with her brother and sister. When Sheridan looked up, she saw her husband standing at the doorway, smiling at her. She placed the compact in her pocket and walked over to where he was standing. "Merry Christmas Luis." She whispered right before she kissed him. "Merry Christmas Sheridan." Luis kissed his wife back and held her close in his arms. And as she came out of the kitchen to call everybody to the table, Maria watched her parents with a smile on her face. "Merry Christmas mom and dad." She whispered.
THE END
