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Right up until Christmas Eve all of them were working in the studio with the album. The album to had to be finished by the end of January and were only half done. Christmas shopping had been done. Working 12-16 hour days was taking it’s toll on everyone but they had to deal with it. It definitely took its toll on Brianna who had never done this kind of intense pressure. Fortunately for Nick and Brianna, they weren’t doing Christmas so they could sleep in for a bit on Christmas morning.

But they didn’t get a sleep in. They eventually went to bed around 1am after finishing wrapping up presents for Mark and each other, Mark waking up at 6am. “Santa’s been, Santa’s been.” He cheered running down the hallway. Nick and Brianna giggled.
“This is the year where the fun starts. They sure know Christmas and Santa.” Nick laughed.
“He started last year. Thanks to Alex.” Brianna replied. They walked downstairs to where there was a big Christmas tree in the living room. Mark running around the front of the Christmas tree to locate his presents. One by one, he ripped open the presents until there was no more. Brianna and Nick brought Mark a tricycle, basically everything that was lost in the fire.

Arriving at Angel’s house for Christmas, they were loaded up with presents. Brianna felt out of place as she had never had a Christmas this big before. “A Carter Christmas is different from a Carter Thanksgiving. You’ll see why.” Nick warned her as he closed his car door and balanced himself with the presents that he was carrying.

Inside Angel’s house the house was decorated from one end of the house to the other. It was a warmish day for Christmas. Angel and their Mom Jane were in the kitchen finishing the final touches to the turkey, Aaron was on the phone to his girlfriend who was with her family for Christmas and Leslie was in the living room rearranging the presents.

“Wassup! Wassup!” Nick called out as they entered the house.
“Nick, you took your time.” Leslie said as she greeted them.
“Little guy wanted to play with every single thing he got from Santa.” Nick laughed scruffing Mark’s hair.
“I tried to tell him that we had to come here but he insisted on playing with everyone of them.” Brianna said.
“From 6am mind you.” Nick added as he unloaded all the presents.
“Like the good old days.” Jane spoke up giving her son a hug.
“Yeah.” Nick replied hugging back. Brianna followed Nick to where the presents were, Mark tagging along, shy, and placed her pile of presents there.

“Hey Aaron, any word if Carly is coming?” Angel asked him as they were sitting round to Christmas lunch.
“Yeah, was just on the phone. She’s got family all day and today. She’s got her Mom’s family now and then all of her Dad’s family for supper.” Aaron replied grabbing a leg of turkey.
“Oooh, you haven’t met the Dad’s family have you?” Nick remarked.
“Better yet. Haven’t met the Dad.” Aaron added.
“Oh god! Your doomed! Doomed!” Nick laughed, an arm around Aaron’s neck in a pretend headlock.
“And your there tonight aren’t you?” Leslie asked.
“Ah, yup. Tonight is the night.” Aaron sighed.
“Haha, dude! You like said that as if tonight was THE night.” Nick cracked up laughing as he was putting some food on Mark’s plate.
“Dude! Settle here. Mom’s here.” Aaron blushed.
“Ah!” Angel and Leslie giggled.

After a lengthy lunch, Brianna helped Angel, Leslie and Jane with the cleaning up. Aaron and Nick were with Mark outside playing with Angel’s dogs while trying to get him to settle down after lunch. Once things were cleaned up, it was present time. It felt strange giving presents where they were from Nick AND Brianna. Mark’s few presents excited him more and more til he eventually fell asleep in Brianna’s arms playing with the airplane he was given from Leslie. Angel showed her to the spare room and let Mark sleep there, the bedroom door ajar so Mark wouldn’t be scared waking him in a strange place.

“There’s just one more gift.” Nick announced as the girls started to clean up.
“What? I thought this was it?” Brianna remarked.
“Now it is.” Nick answered holding out a small bag. Brianna opened the bag, a jewellery box from Tiffany’s. Opening the box was a locket. It was the first ever photo of Nick and Brianna together as a couple, taken by Alex.
“Nick it’s beautiful. Thankyou.” She gasped taken a back by it. Nick put it on her. Fit her perfectly. As he kissed her, Mark started to stir upstairs.
“I think he guessed on what we’re going to do.” Aaron chuckled.
“What’s that?” Brianna asked getting up and going to the spare room where Mark was to bring him back to the living room.
“You’ll see.” Nick replied. Minutes later Brianna and Mark were downstairs again, Mark rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. When Brianna looked, she saw that both Nick and Aaron had their guitars with them.
“You can’t have a Christmas without Christmas music.” Leslie told Brianna as she sat next to her, Mark on her lap. They then started singing Christmas carols.

As Nick drove in the driveway at their place that night, Brianna looked back and saw Mark sound asleep. “He enjoyed today.” Brianna remarked.
“I think he did too and I think you too.” Nick replied looking in the rear view mirror.
“Thankyou.” Brianna said.
“No thank you.” Nick replied, holding her hand.