


So This is Christmas

by Jaiaelle



Category: Zoey 101
Genre: Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-16
Updated: 2009-01-07
Packaged: 2013-07-21 06:35:56
Rating: K+
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,476
Publisher: www.fanfiction.net
Story URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4721400/1/
Author URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/258396/Jaiaelle
Summary: Two people, five Christmas' and the songs they remember them by.





	1. Last Christmas

**As a Christmas present, I have been working on a Chase/Lola Christmas story. It's only five short chapters but...maybe you'll like it. I hope. Right now I'm procrastinating studying for a final (yeah, real smart) but this has been sitting on my computer for some time. Read and review please!**

**Oh, and each chapter is related to a song. I will start each chapter by naming the song and the group that I prefer singing that song. And, by the way, the title of this story, So This is Christmas, is a song by John Lennon but that will not be the title of one of the chapters.**

**_Last Christmas by Wham!_**

Loud Christmas music pounded through the small yet grandly decorated room where five friends lounged, drinking eggnog out of red plastic cups. The absence of a sixth was noticed but only commented on by one.

"Hey," said Chase. "Lola's not here."

Pulling her red cup away from her mouth, remnants of eggnog clinging to her upper lips, Quinn met his eyes. "Vince asked her to meet him somewhere."

"Oh." Scrunching his brow, he wiped his own upper lip with his index finger. "You, uh, got something…"

"Huh?"

Grinning, Logan snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap, kissing the eggnog away.

"Thanks baby," Quinn cooed as everyone else in the room groaned.

"Do you two always have to do that?" Zoey complained.

"Yeah, now I can't drink my eggnog. Thanks a lot!" Michael added.

The couple simply rolled their eyes but resisted from engaging in any more public displays of affection, though Quinn remained firmly planted in Logan's lap.

Feeling the lull in conversation, Zoey reached under the bed and pulled out a couple of board games. "Alright guys, now for the game portion of the party. What does everyone want to play?"

Before Chase could enthusiastically call out "Pictionary!" his phone chimed, alerting him to an incoming call. Four sets of eyes landed on him as he scrambled to pull his phone out of his back pocket, muttered an apology and headed to stand outside the door to answer it. Once there, he frowned when a glance at the phone revealed to him just who was calling.

"Lola. Hey. What's up? Where are you? We're wait-" He was cut off by her voice but he couldn't quite make out what she was saying between the sniffles. "Lola…I can't understand you. What's wrong?"

"Viiiiiiii…" Erupting into tears, Lola didn't finish her sentence.

"Alright, just…don't move. I'll be right there." It occurred to him, as he snapped his phone shut, that he should probably explain to the better equipped Quinn or Zoey about Lola's distress but something compelled him to dash away without wasting any time. He had been walking for five minutes, in the nippy Southern California winter air, when something else occurred to him: he had no idea just where Lola was. Groaning, he reached back into his pocket but stopped just short of actually grabbing his phone. He had an idea of where she might be.

Not ten minutes later, he was at PCA's small theater, standing at the back of an empty auditorium. And there she was, sitting in the middle of the stage, head in her hands looking miserably sad. Emotions of pure rage shot through him as he headed down the aisle and he pictured himself hurting Vince a dozen different ways, for surely it was he, PCA's very own golden child, who had made her so miserable. As he got closer to the stage, he heard a faint noise emitting from Lola's cell phone. Once on the stage, his feet making barely a sound, he realized that her phone was also an mp3 player and a song was quietly playing. He settled next to her just as the song ended and, quickly, her slim finger hit the play button, beginning the song again.

_Last Christmas/I gave you my heart/But the very next day you gave it away/This year to save me from tears/I'll give it to someone special_

The song was halfway through the second verse when Lola murmured. "Didn't tell the others?"

Shrugging, even though she wasn't looking at him, he responded, "I, uh, should have. Probably. But…I didn't give it much thought. I just came because you needed me."

When she lifted her head, the cover of her hair moving to one side, the unmistakable sheen of tears was visible in her brown eyes. "You're probably wondering why I called you. Not Zoey or Quinn but you." Curious as to the answer, he nodded. "The truth is," she went on, trailing her fingers along the stage. "I'm not exactly sure myself."

The song came to an end once more but, this time, Lola didn't hit the play button. Her eyes caught on the phone then transferred to Chase's. "That doesn't sound like a cheery Christmas song," Chase told her, his voice soft.

"It's not." Clearing her throat, she let her gaze sweep towards the back of the room. "When my dad left us, ten years ago, at Christmas, it was the only song my mom would listen to over the holidays and I could never understand why." Sensing that she needed his support, Chase instinctively wrapped an arm wound her shoulders. "I do now. Now that Vince brok-broke up with m-me." The flow of tears was unstoppable so she simply allowed them to fall, curving down her face and dripping from her chin to soundlessly hit the stage on which they both sat.

He wanted to tell her that Vince was an idiot, that she could do so much better, that one day she would find someone better but, instead, he brought up his other arm and held her in a tight embrace, feeling a damp warmth as her tears seeped through his shirt.

Her hands grasped the front of his shirt, balling the material into her fists as the sobs wracked her body. Maybe she was being dramatic but, for the first time, her heart had been broken and she didn't know how to handle it. But Chase's arms, strong and secure around her, made her believe that it could be mended somehow.

As she cried herself dry, almost involuntarily she stretched out her hand to press play and let the lyrics wash over them, one more time, just one more time, as she clung to Chase and he held her close.


	2. I'll Be Home for Christmas

**Thank you everyone for the reviews! I'm still super busy but I wanted to post chapter two! Here it is:**

**_I'll Be Home for Christmas by Bing Crosby_**

The snow was in full flurry outside the window but, inside, Chase sat, nice and warm, watching the white flakes hit the glass pane. However, although he was safely away from the storm, Chase was not very happy. Perhaps it was because the middle age lady sitting next to him kept moving her head to rest against his shoulder. Perhaps it was because the book he had intended to read while seated had been jostled out of his hands and sent flying into a snowy puddle before entering the building where he currently sat. But the most likely reason that Chase was not happy stemmed from the fact that he was one of hundreds waiting an in airport on the eve of Christmas eve, one of hundreds annoyed because all flights had been delayed due to the bad weather. Some had given up and decided to spend the night before Christmas eve away from the cramped airport but Chase was not one of them. The words of a famous Christmas song came through the speakers overhead, causing Chase to cringe.

_I'll be home for Christmas/You can plan on me/Please have snow and mistletoe/And presents on the tree_

Because Chase had a Jewish father and a Gentile, as they always referred to her in a joking manner, step-mother, his family celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas. Unfortunately, because of his job as a teacher's assistant at NYU, he had missed the first holiday but he was bound and determined not to miss the second. Sighing, he shifted in his seat momentarily, feeling only a tad guilty when the head of the lady next to him hit the hard plastic of his chair. Barely roused, she blinked several times than continued in her slumber. Deciding that maybe he should get some rest himself, Chase slouched down in his seat and closed his eyes, only to be rudely awakened by a pair of hands shaking him. Annoyed, his eyes snapped open, a harsh comment on his lips. The comment quickly died away when he found himself staring into the eyes of one of his closest friends.

"Lola!" he cried, grinning in spite of his situation.

"Hey friend," she responded, glowing with a happy radiance. "Got your message and, so, of course, I came right down here to keep you company!"

Amazed at her thoughtfulness, although he really shouldn't have been since he knew her so well, he grabbed her hand, pulling her down into the chair next to him. "Thanks Lola."

Smiling mischievously at him, she reached into her purse and revealed two candy canes. "Merry Christmas!" she said, loudly, throwing one at him.

Raising an eyebrow, he took his candy cane and begin to unwrap it. "Why do you have that look on your face Lola? Giving me a candy cane isn't all that sneaky." Wondering why she hadn't yet opened hers, he placed his mouth over the red and white striped hard candy. As soon as he did, she burst out laughing and he knew exactly why. "This is plastic!" he cried.

"Yup!" she sang joyfully, bouncing in her seat. "But here are two real ones."

Cautiously, he licked the newly offered candy cane, grateful to find that it really was candy. Silently, they worked on making their candy canes disappear for a few minutes before Chase asked, "Hey, how did you get here?"

Quiet, her eyes drifted to the snow that repeatedly hit the window. "Brandon," she almost whispered.

In a voice that matched hers in volume, he asked, with a barely controlled anger, "The guy that dumped you two weeks ago?"

Frowning, she protested, "It was mutual."

Shrugging, he allowed the remainder of the candy cane dissolve in his mouth and didn't say anything.

"Chase," she said, plaintively, wrapping the fingers of one hand around his upper arm. "I was really happy when you decided to attend NYU because I was glad to at least know one person already. But I haven't appreciated the attitude you've taken toward my boyfriends for the last three semesters. I don't understand why you can't just…" She let her thought trail off and didn't seem prone to continue.

Glancing up, he glimpsed a thoughtful look in her eyes but he couldn't grasp what the look meant. "I care about you, that's all. And I know that you deserve better than…than Kyle, than D.J., than Brandon."

Her hand dropped from his arm as she continued to stare at him with that look in her eyes. "Why?"

"What?"

"Why don't you think they're good enough for me?"

Befuddled, Chase found himself at a loss for words. Why _did_ he think they weren't good enough for Lola? He was on the verge of making up some sort of an answer when the overhead speaker announced that the storm was, at last, dying down and flights would begin boarding soon. Overjoyed, Chase turned to Lola, only to find that she was already standing.

"I better call Brandon and ask him to come take me home."

Not wanting her to leave mad at him, he also stood, forcefully pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry Lola. About my behavior," he said in hushed tones. "But I can't help but think that you're too good for any of the guys out there." When he let go of her, she smiled, the smile touching her eyes. "Merry Christmas Lola."

She opened her mouth, presumably in order to speak. When nothing came out, she closed her mouth, swallowed, then tried again. "Th-thanks Chase. Merry Christmas to you too." The scratchy sound in her voice alerted him to the emotions rising inside of her. He wondered what could have caused the rising emotions. "I'm glad you'll be home for Christmas." Without another word, she sped off, leaving Chase to only watch her go.

"Hmmm," hummed the woman in the chair beside him, who was suddenly awake. "You have a pretty girlfriend."

"Oh," blushed Chase. "She's not really… I mean, she's not my girlfriend. Just a friend."

The words echoed in his head as Lola's question reentered his mind. Why was it that he never liked her boyfriends? The possible answer made his head ache.

Shaking his head, he refused to let himself to further ponder the matter, instead thinking about the wonderful pies that his step-mother had surely baked for the coming holiday…


	3. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

**_Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry_**

The crisp air seemed to shoot right through his thick jacket and warm sweater, touching his skin and causing a shiver to run up his spine. He shivered again, for another reason altogether, when her felt her hand, light and hot, in the crook of his arm. Like the wind, her touch ignored the clothes that he had taken care to choose for the chilly weather and soaked into his skin. Wildly grinning, she pushed away from and raced around the ice rink, occasionally spinning around to send him another grin. Slower than her, and more awkward, he made his way around the circle, making certain that the short wall surrounding the rink was always within reach. Once more she came to his side, placing her hand on his arm.

"Hey Chase," she sang, her breath creating puffs of steam in the air. "You're slooow!"

"Gee, Lola," he huffed out, moving his feet cautiously. "Thanks for the confidence booster."

"Don't worry, Chase," she went on, a teasing tone in her voice. "You'll get the hang of it…eventually."

And then she was gone again, her dark brown hair streaming out behind her and her giggle bouncing off the ice. Sighing, he went on, watching as she made the circle. Something stirred in his heart as his eyes followed her but, as he had the previous Christmas sitting at the airport, and as he always did, he ignored it. Soon she was back again, still laughing at him.

"Do you hear the song Chase?"

Tilting his head, he strained his ears to hear the tune of the very familiar Christmas song.

_Rudolph the red nosed reindeer/Had a very shiny nose/And if you ever saw it/You would even say it glowed_

"Yeah. What about it?"

A mischievous glint twinkled in her eyes as she spoke the next words. "It's a song about you. Rudolph had a red nose. You have a red nose. So...you must be Rudolph."

Narrowing his eyes, he stretched out a hand to grasp her wrist but she darted away, skating backwards and taunting him with her eyes. Determined to win the game she had begun, he tried to skate a little faster but felt his legs grow wobbly. Crashing into the side, he held on tightly, glancing to his right to see a family skating at a pace he could match. The mom, dad, and older sister were all helping the younger sister along. Grinning, a plan formed in his mind. Crouching down, he moved behind the family, peering around them to see Lola, head moving side to side as she searched for him. They came around the bend, where she had paused, and then Chase made his move, smoothly sliding out from behind them and catching Lola around the waist. Propelled by his momentum they moved as one until her back lightly pressed against the wall. "Got you," he exclaimed, victoriously. "You're trapped!"

Blushing, she pouted, her bottom lip slightly jutted out. "Not fair! You cheated."

"Did not. I didn't hear any rules anyway."

"They were implied," she said softly, eyes drifting to his chest. When she swallowed, he realized she was nervous.

Feeling slightly nervous himself, but not willing to let her go just yet, he shifted his position. "Were they?"

Biting her lip, she once again lifted her eyes to him. The emotions glimpsed there made his heart skip a few beats. "I…thought…" Whatever thought she had was not communicated to him. Slowly, the blush on her cheeks spread until her whole face was flushed. "Let me go Rudolph," she commanded, finally finding her voice but speaking her words in only a flat tone.

The situation was tense but, even knowing that, Chase wouldn't budge. "Not until you take it back."

"Never," she declared.

"Then I'm never moving," he asserted, standing firm on his skates.

Both deciding to be equally stubborn they stood there, staring at each other, for several minutes. Without meaning to, his eyes continually flicked to her moist lips and he was sure that her eyes landed on his lips a couple of times also. Wondering if this was the moment, the one he had secretly been dreaming about since their first semester at NYU, he leaned forward. His motion spurred her to action and she also began to close what little distance was between them. Before their lips could touch, however, her hands pressed against his chest and suddenly his world was spinning. He found himself sprawled out on the ice, the cold seeping through the seat of his pants, his eyes on the sky. One small snowflake hit his nose and then several more started to fall. Not far away, Lola stood, hands on her hips.

"Hey, Rudolph, nice trick. But don't think it'll work again!"

Grunting, he managed to get up off the ice, then slowly skate towards the gate. Plunking himself down a bench he removed his skates, glancing up now and again to watch Lola glide through the snow. When their eyes met, she smiled, good naturedly, then continued her dance around the rink.

As he put his shoes on, he reflected on what had happened only a few minutes earlier. It seemed that they both had been denying how they felt and he could only wonder how much longer they could continue to do so...


	4. All I Want for Christmas is You

**Ah, so sad. Not many reviews on the last chapter (only one actually) but I understand. It's Christmas time so that means people are probably really stressed and busy...oh joy of joys. Well, here's the second to last chapter. The next should be out either tomorrow, which is Christmas day, or the day after. Please review! **

**_All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey_**

More than a few minutes passed as the boy stood silhouetted in his best friend's dorm room watching her stuff clothes in a suitcase. Several times he opened his mouth to speak but each time he lost courage and shut his mouth quickly, his lips making a resounding smacking noise. Clearly, she was ignoring him for the noise wasn't all that quiet. Finally, he forced himself to walk in, seating himself on the edge of her bed.

"So...this is it, huh? No more Chase and Lola charades."

"I guess not," she responded, not even bothering to glance up at him.

Trailing two fingers along her pinkish comforter, he struggled to find the right words to speak his heart to her but, as usual, nothing came out. Cursing himself, he let his gaze skim over the top of her head to the closed window where he could see small flakes dancing across the dark sky. "It's, um starting to snow."

"That's great," she told him, tucking a shirt into the suitcase. "You'll get the white Christmas you love so much."

A lump formed in his throat at the monotone voice she was using. "Lola," he said, reaching one hand out towards her arm. Before he could touch her, however, he retracted his hand and used it to grip the bed. "I wish you wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't what?" she snapped, lifting her eyes to him at last. Inside her brown orbs burned a fire that surprised him.

"I want..." he paused, words failing him again. "It seems that you're mad at me and I don't want...don't want you to leave angry. After all, we don't know when we'll see each other again."

Her face softened for a second before her eyes drifted to her haphazard packing job once more. "Yeah. You'll be in Baltimore for the holidays, I'll be in New York...and then next semester I'll be in Italy." When she raised her eyes to his again the sheen of tears was unmistakable. The sight of her sorrow aroused something within him, something that whispered to him to act, but he ignored that something and sat as still as he possibly could. "I can't believe that we won't have next semester. Our last one, apart."

Hands trembling, he said, his voice hoarse, "Really sucks."

"More than that."

They lapsed into the first uncomfortable silence they had known as his mind raced. "Maybe...maybe I could visit you over break."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up in anticipation of such a visit.

Swallowing, he shrugged. "Sure. We could have one last hurrah."

Smiling, she shut the top of the suitcase, grasping the zipper with one hand and tugging on it. When it didn't budge, she sent her patented puppy-dog look his way. "Help?"

Never one to resist a plea of assistance from any lady, especially not this one, he leaned forward, hand touching the zipper and, in the process, her hand. At the touch, they both jumped and their cheeks flushed deep crimson. Quickly, she removed her hand so he could zip up the suitcase. Slowly, he pulled the zipper along the track, not trusting himself to shift his eyes in her direction. Heart pounding, he finished the task then angled his head in her direction. Bright eyes met his. Emotions played behind the eyes but he wasn't able to decipher what the emotions meant.

"Chase," she whispered, apparently ready to speak the emotions that weren't so easy to understand. Ready to hear what she had to say, he rocked forward on, almost falling off the bed in the process. Noting his eagerness to hear her words, she stopped. Shaking her head, she wrapped her fingers around the handle of her suitcase. "Help me carry these suitcases down stairs." Nodding to the other two matching suitcases that sat in the corner, she grabbed hers and marched out. Hanging his head, Chase picked up the other two and followed her.

They hadn't walked very far when she dropped her suitcase, sending it to crash loudly against the floor. Muttering expletives under her breath, she bent down to pick it up but, before she could, Chase set his down and lunged to grab it for her. Glaring at him, she said, "I can do it myself."

Deflated, he muttered, "Sorry for trying to be helpful."

He straightened and she put her hand on the handle, turning her head slightly as the faint sound of a Christmas song from one of the dorm rooms reached her ears. "Chase," she asked suddenly. "What do you want for Christmas?"

Caught off guard by her question, he started. "Uh...what do I want? World peace? No wait...that internship at the _New York Times_." The answer he gave was obviously not what she had wanted to hear. She looked hurt so, not knowing how to remedy the situation, he asked her, "What about you? What do you want?"

The tenderness in her eyes was all the answer he needed. Inside his chest, his heart rattled his rib cage as he finally understood why she had been treating him so indifferently recently. For so long, too long for him to put an exact number of days on it, he had been harboring feelings for her but had been uncertain of her feelings and had been too scared to ask her. But, staring into her eyes in that moment, he knew that she would return his feelings but what she really wanted was for him to utter that first syllable that would change everything.

The song from the nearby dorm room was on repeat and it began again. In that moment, Chase knew he had to amend his answer to Lola concerning what he wanted. "What I want for Christmas, Lola. What I really want...is...you."

_I don't want a lot for Christmas/There's just one thing I need/I don't care about the presents/Underneath the Christmas tree/I just want you for my than you could never know/All I want for Christmas is...You_

Face beaming, she grinned at him before uttering, "Finally!"

"Excuse me?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Finally? Really?"

"I've been waiting for so long for you to tell me how you felt. Ever since last Christmas."

"But...at the rink.." he sputtered, confused by her revelation. "...at the rink you pushed me away, remember?"

A small smile graced her lips as she moved towards him, placing both hands flush against his chest. He was fairly certain she would be able to feel the pounding of his heart as it beat inside of him. "And you didn't chase me."

"I didn't..." As her grin turned mischievous, he understood. He had let her glide away, had given up. Fortunately for him,_ she _hadn't given up. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked, shaking his head and bringing his arms up to wrap around her waist.

"Oh," she said, suggestively. "I can think of a few things..."

Grinning, he leaned his head forward, barely brushing his lips against hers. At the brief contact, a sigh exited her mouth. Wanting to deepen the kiss, he stepped closer to her, eliminating any space between them. Also eager, she went up on her tip toes, sliding her arms over his shoulders and gripping his shoulder blades with her hands. After a few minutes of what Chase categorized as uninterrupted bliss, he, rather relunctantly, broke the kiss. "Isn't someone waiting for you downstairs?"

Frowning, she nodded. "Yeah. Grandpa should be down there to drive me home for Christmas."

Separating away from her, his body feeling cold, he took her suitcases up once more and glanced at her. "You being away for a semester will be hard."

One petite hand lighted on the small of his back. "It will be hard but we'll be okay."

"You know that?"

"I know," she assured him, her brown eyes illuminated by her heart.

Grinning, he felt that same light enter his eyes. "I...I love you Lola."

Trying to keep her bottom lip from trembling, she clamped her teeth down on it. "I love you too Chase."

Before they could exchange any more sentiments, Lola's cell phone rang and she answered, discovering it was her grandpa asking if she would be down soon. She confirmed that she would be then shut the phone and grabbed her suitcase. "You're visiting me over the break, right?" she asked Chase as they sauntered down the hall.

"Why, of course." They lapsed into silence, of the comfortable kind, for a few seconds and then Chase, quietly, whispered, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too. And Happy Hanukkah."

As they exited the building, they saw piles of snow everywhere. It was a white Christmas, a wonderful Christmas, a merry Christmas indeed.


	5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

**So it's two weeks after Christmas but I just had to publish the last chapter of this story, even if it's only reviewed by one person. Sorry...**

**_Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra_**

A tune that sounded almost melancholy came from the small radio that Lola had placed on the arm of the couch. It teetered there a second before finding a balance. Smiling, Lola hummed along to the song, pulling a long string of silver garland from a box and stringing it around the Christmas tree that stood in the corner of the small living room. Cocking her head to one side, she squinted at the tree before nodding in satisfaction. "Have yourself…" she sang with the song, trailing off as she plucked the menorah from the box and placed it next to the nativity scene on the narrow bookshelf that was near the front door. The song played on as Lola continued to rummage through the box, removing various decorations.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas/Let your heart be light/From now on/Your troubles will be out of sight_

Just as the song was coming to an end, the door was thrown open, a gale of cold wind rushing into the apartment with the man who tumbled inside.

"Close the door!" Lola chastised.

Grinning, he obeyed her command, as his eyes scanned her handiwork. "I thought you were going to wait until I got home."

"Sorry, Chase," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Just couldn't wait."

Rolling his eyes, he dropped his briefcase on the couch and headed her way, dropping next to her on the carpet. One hand reached out and caressed her protruding stomach. "How's the little one today?"

"Oh…she's good." Lola placed her hand over his, loving how fragile her hand looked on top of his, adoring how the two rings on her left ring finger shined as the light from the lamp touched them. "I felt a lot better today. That's why I started giving this place some Christmas cheer. It's already Christmas eve for goodness sake! And this place was lacking in cheer."

Chuckling, he turned his hand over, so that their palms touched, then bent his fingers and squeezed hers. "You're right. Well, it looks great in here. Very cheery." His eyes glanced around the room once more as her fingers tightened around his. "I think-" He stopped short when he saw her face, contorted, her eyes glazed and fixed on him. "Lola, honey, what's wrong?"

"My…water just broke," she whispered. "I think I'm going into labor."

Moving into action, Chase sprung up, grabbed the already packed suitcase and practically pushed Lola out the door, almost forgetting to help her into a warm coat. Twenty minutes later they were at the hospital. Chase frantically rushed them in while Lola quietly urged him to stay calm. It didn't take long for Lola to be placed in a room. Hours passed as Lola breathed the way she had been taught in her Lamaze class while Chase took turns pacing in the room and the hall. Two sets of parents alternately sat with Lola in the room and paced with Chase, trying to convince him to relax. Stubbornly, he refused to listen. Fifteen minutes to midnight, Lola was wheeled into another room, with Chase right behind her. Exactly at midnight, the most perfect little girl was pushed into the world, shrieking louder than Chase had a thought so small a creature could.

A couple hours more passed before Chase finally took a seat next to Lola, in her hospital room. The lights had been subdued for the night and he couldn't help but think how serene she looked, holding the small sleeping baby to her breast. They shared a smile over the top of the baby's head. Carefully, cautiously, Chase allowed this fingers to stroke his daughter's beautiful cheek.

"Let's name her Amanda. Amanda Marie."

Frowning, he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "I thought we settled on Tamara."

Glancing at the baby, Lola softly shook her head. "No. Her name is Amanda."

"Okay. Amanda," he said, trying it out. Nodding, he moved his touch down to Amanda's back. "Yup. That's her name alright."

Neither moved or spoke for several moments, then Lola said, softly, "Merry Christmas Chase."

Smiling, he replied back, feeling the sentiment in the deepest part of his heart. "Merry Christmas Lola."


End file.
