Forget the Mistletoe

Summary: Lily Mills is all grown-up and eager to attend another wedding this Christmas. But she is not too eager with the wedding tasks given to her by the bride and the groom, and with their insistent meddling on her love life. She doesn’t need anyone really mainly because she likes someone else already. The fact that he doesn’t like her back doesn’t matter, at first. She realizes she wants her chance underneath the mistletoe too. But she's not close to experiencing that so...maybe she should just forget the mistletoe.

A/N: Well, I'm done, guys!! (tear, tear) And what a way to end a story, than at the end of the year!! I hope this story was good and it made you feel all lovey-dovey and mushy as it has done for me! If not, well, I hope I can improve on whatever is wrong (of course, you have to tell me!) so I can please you the next time 'round. (hint, hint) Haha! Wheeee, I'm so happy and hyper! I've finished another story!! Here's to James and Lily, and their mistletoe moment. And hooray for Jordan and Lizzie for, OMG, tying the knot!!

Even though Christmas is over, I hope you all take that chance under the mistletoe!! I still see some around!! See ya next time!! Oh, and, where are my manners?! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! HAPPY 2008 AND WHATEVER IT'LL BRING!!

Epilogue – Two Wishes Come True

Two months later…

“Will you two get a room?” Charlie grunted as she entered the SLL, carrying some books and a biting on a sandwich. “Everyone down the hall is talking about you.”

“So?” Lily challenged, rolling her eyes. “I don’t care.”

“That’s my girl,” James grinned.

Lily grinned back at him, and welcomed the delicious feeling of being called his girl. She remembered when she first heard him say to that to her, and how hopelessly she tried to ignore it. Now, she was glad she didn’t have to ignore it anymore.

“Ugh,” Charlie groaned, and sat down in front of them, “What happened to the Lily who told me to keep quiet about my theories of you two getting together?”

Lily remembered all too well. She had admitted to herself she was in denial. Aloud, she merely responded with, “She proved your theory right.”

James smiled sweetly at her. “And she provided some pretty good evidence.”

“Pretty good?” Lily echoed. “I’d say, it was the best evidence.”

“What are we talking about now?” Charlie interrupted, shaking her head at them. “You know, I love you guys, and you know how much happy I am that you’re both not moping around anymore, but-”

“I wasn’t moping around!” James cried out indignantly while Lily said defensively, “I was never moping!”

Charlie tilted her head and stared at them incredulously. “You weren’t, and you never did? You, mister, was always moping with the whole Karen thing, and you, miss, always moped with the Randy thing.”

James and Lily didn’t say anything. They hung their head and looked at each other lovingly. Charlie sighed and turned her attention to her books.

“Charlie, what do you think of Don?” Lily suddenly asked.

Charlie’s head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes dangerously.

“Or, what about Nick?” James asked, following Lily’s lead.

Charlie snorted and took a bite of her sandwich. She chewed and opened her mouth to show them the disintegrated pieces. Lily and James recoiled, looking away but they laughed. When Charlie swallowed, she said threateningly, “They are just friends, nothing more.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, they could be more.”

“Stop it, you two! Don’t do to me what I did to you!”

James and Lily looked at each other and laughed. Ever since they got together, they had always teamed up against Charlie, much to Charlie’s annoyance. She said it was unfair because it was two against one, when it was one-on-one before. She pointed out that before, it was either her and James, or her and Lily. It was never James and Lily.

Now, it was always James and Lily.

Of course, on several occasions, James and Lily had assured Charlie that they wouldn’t always gang up on her. True enough, there were times when James and Lily were on opposing sides. However, there were times when they demanded Charlie to pick a side but she never did. She always said she was loyal to the two of them.

Lately, Lily was feeling guilty about going out with James too much. Sure, she still spent a lot of time with Charlie but she also wanted her best friend to be happy with a guy. Charlie kept insisting she was blissfully single but Lily often thought of going on a double date with her best friend. So she was on a mission to find Charlie a date, and James was offering to help.

“Since when do you study?” Lily challenged jokingly.

Charlie raised her head from a book entitled, Politics and Governance. “Since you started spending all your time with James Fielding and left your dear best friend all alone in the library.”

“I never did that!” Lily exclaimed. Turning her attention to Charlie, she said, “Charlie Brown, you know I would never leave you alone.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “I know you won’t, Tiger Lily.”

“Ooh, nicknames,” James remarked cheerfully. He draped an arm around Lily. “What’s my nickname, huh?”

“If you’ll check your email tonight, you’ll find out,” Charlie announced naughtily as she looked meaningfully at Lily whose jaw dropped.

“You wouldn’t!”

Charlie’s eyes glinted mischievously. “Oh, I would.”

“Charlie! You can’t!” Lily exclaimed, scandalized. “You’re breaking the code of best friends!”

“There is no such code,” Charlie countered, waving a hand dismissively. “Besides, what’s the harm? You’re together now, aren’t you?”

“So this is about me?” James suddenly cut in.

Lily was desperate. Of course, she and James were together now but she didn’t want James to read all her pathetic emails about him. When she tried to recall what she had said, she cringed inwardly. “I’m making a code now! And rule #1 says, don’t do it, Charlie!”

Charlie laughed evilly. “Beware of the technological age.”

“I know your password,” Lily shot back, giving her best friend a challenging stare.

Charlie’s laughter subsided. “You wouldn’t!”

“I should, I could and I would!” Lily responded triumphantly.

“Not if I do it first,” Charlie announced haughtily as she gathered her things and stood up. She blew a kiss towards an open-mouthed Lily and an amused but confused James.

As Charlie walked to the door, she came face-to-face with Don. He grinned at her, and then at James and Lily. “Hey guys, what’s up?”

Lily looked at pointedly at Charlie. Raising her eyebrows, she crossed her arms and smiled impishly. “Well,” she began slowly and prolonging the word, “I think we have a winner.”

Charlie groaned loudly. She turned around, dropped her books on the table and sat down, glaring at Lily. James shook his head at them and chuckled heartily. Don looked curious. “What was the game?”

That afternoon, after classes, Lily and Charlie met up with James. Mrs. Mills mentioned something about a family dinner, even though it was a Tuesday. Lily didn’t know who was coming but she figured her brothers and sisters-in-law were coming. She had asked her parents if she could invite James and Charlie, since both of them were with their families, and they agreed.

“So, are you sure you don’t want to bring a friend?” James was still apt to tease Charlie.

She scowled at him. “I know when you’re teasing, James.”

Lily laughed as all three of them climbed in James’ car. It was a short drive to Lily’s house and when they arrived, Lily recognized Ethan and Jordan’s car but she didn’t recognize the third. She looked up at the house and saw the lights on.

“Looks like a lot of people,” Charlie commented from the backseat. “Are you sure we’re invited here?” she asked Lily cautiously.

“Duh, you’re my best friend,” Lily replied loyally, “sometimes, there’s no need for invitation.”

“I hope that goes for me too,” James joked.

“No,” Charlie retorted, smiling evilly at him, “you need about a year’s worth of asking permission.”

All three of them went inside the house, which was loud with people’s chatter, coming from the kitchen. Lily raised her eyebrows, and headed straight for the kitchen. “Whoa!” she exclaimed as she saw her parents, her brothers and her sisters-in-law, the Daniels and…the Fieldings!

“Mom, Dad!” James called, clearly surprised. “I didn’t know you’d be here!”

“Aunt Lily!” Emily squealed as she ran towards Lily with Debbie in tow.

“Hey, you two,” Lily greeted as she bent down to get her kisses from them. She straightened up and waved at everyone.

“Hi, darling,” Mrs. Mills greeted first as she went to Lily and kissed her. “Hello, Charlie and James,” she said as she also kissed them.

Lily, Charlie and James were suddenly swept in a whirlwind of hugs and kisses from everyone else in the room. She managed to introduce Charlie and James to everyone in the middle of all the hugs and kisses.

As it turned out, her parents had invited Ethan and Jordan for dinner, if they could. Her brothers immediately accepted and so did their wives. Lizzie and Jordan were at the Daniels so Mr. and Mrs. Daniels also came. Hearing about it, and not wanting to miss an opportunity to see James, the Fieldings came too.

“Lara wanted so badly to come,” Mrs. Fielding was saying to Lily. “But we couldn’t let her. She was still at class, and it’s a school night.”

“I sure do miss her,” Lily replied smilingly. They talked for a few more minutes about how Andy and Simon were before her mom came to fetch Mrs. Fielding. Lily looked around the room and groaned when she saw Ethan and Jordan talking to James.

“I hope they won’t beat him up,” she muttered.

“They wouldn’t,” Charlie replied, overhearing her. “He’s a nice guy.”

“Oh, they won’t indeed,” Dana said confidently as she watched them.

“No, they’re just catching up on things,” Lizzie added cheerfully, next to her. “Lily, listen, I have something to give you. Will you come with me?”

Lily nodded distractedly as she worried over what her brothers might be telling James. Of course, her brothers had already grilled James on the night they got together two months. Yes, even Jordan who was the groom for the night.

She had been grateful when he left for his honeymoon and Ethan left for work that at least she was able to spend time with James for the remainder of the Christmas vacation without her overbearing overprotective brothers.

Catching an anxious look over her shoulder, Lily followed Lizzie out the kitchen. “What are you going to give me?” she queried. “Christmas is over,” she added jokingly.

“Well, because Valentine’s Day was a week ago,” Lizzie announced happily, “call it a late Valentine’s Day gift.” She rummaged through her purse for something, and then held out a square packet wrapped in red paper covered in hearts and tied with a red ribbon.

Lily raised her eyebrows. “People don’t give gifts on Valentine’s Day,” she reasoned as she accepted the gift from Lizzie.

“Only the couple, are allowed to give each other gifts?” Lizzie guessed to which Lily nodded.

She looked at Lizzie questioningly again before she opened the gift. Removing the ribbon, and tearing away the wrapping, she saw it was a CD. On the case was a sticker of a blurred picture of a couple...kissing, and the letters L&J were written in fancy lettering. “Lizzie, if this is your make out video with my brother, I don’t want to see it.”

Lizzie laughed. “Oh, it’s hardly mine. But I don’t deny it’s a make out video.”

“Hey, what’s that?” Charlie asked as she and Dana arrived. “Ooh, a CD! Let’s play it!”

Lily opened the case and saw on the CD the title. “Forget the mistletoe…” she read, and then paused, knowing the words vaguely from somewhere. She looked up at Lizzie who grinning evilly. “Lizzie, is this…what I think it is?” James had told her to forget the mistletoe just before he kissed her… “No!” Lily exclaimed realizing what was on the CD.

“Ooh, is that what I think it is?” Charlie hooted as she grabbed the CD, too quick for Lily. She ran towards the living room, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Home videos everyone! You’re going to want to watch this!”

“Charlie!” Lily hissed furiously, and glaring at Lizzie and Dana who were both laughing. “Oh this is going to be so embarrassing!”

In the living room, Charlie, who was familiar with the place, began assembling the VCD. Suddenly everyone came out from the kitchen, looking curious. Lily walked backwards, away from the living room and backed into someone.

“Hey, be careful there. What’s going on?”

She whirled around. “James! They’re showing the video!” she cried frantically.

“What video?” he asked questioningly.

“Oh, you know!” Lily burst out, as she heard cheers coming from the living room. “That night when I- when you- when we kissed-”

The volume had been increased and they could hear their voices. She could clearly hear James’ voice saying, “You’re so cold!”

She paled. “I can’t believe we didn’t notice them!”

“Uh, what happened after I said that?” James asked, looking very much embarrassed.

“We kissed,” Lily replied timidly. Then she laughed pitifully. “I can’t believe my brother and Lizzie made a CD out of it, and I’m sure everyone’s bound to see it. I don’t even want to know where it started! I’ll be so embarrassed if they find out I kissed you first.”

“You’ll be embarrassed? I will be too!” James blurted out. “They’ll think I wasn’t man enough or something like that. And your brothers will probably…” He stopped and blushed.

“Oh, what did they say now?” Lily demanded, exasperated. She knew her brothers were up to something!

“Never mind about your brothers. Anyway, I have an idea,” he said softly as he looked over Lily towards the living room. “They have a couple more minutes ‘til it ends. Let’s get out of here.”

“Yeah, you’re right…a few more minutes and- What?”

“Postpone the embarrassment for later?”

“I thought it was better to get it over and done with?”

“Well, if you want to stay…”

“You’re right, let’s!”

In seconds, they were out the door and laughing as they ran towards James’ car. They got in, and drove just a few blocks until James parked the car. Lily covered her face in her hands and laughed hysterically. “Oh I can’t believe this! I don’t know how they’ll react when we get back.”

“That we eloped?” James guessed, smiling. “Man, I can’t believe this. You sure have made my life more interesting,” he added as he glanced fondly at Lily.

“You call this an interesting life?” she burst out. “It’s an embarrassing life! And how can you look so happy?”

He shrugged and grinned. “It could be worse, right?”

“Oh don’t say that or you might jinx us,” Lily begged. “Who knows what Lizzie might have up her sleeve,” she explained with a sigh.

“I think it’s safe to say that JJ is definitely going to kill me now,” James spoke up with all seriousness. “Anything you want to say before I die?”

Lily decided to humor him. “Oh, I can’t bear to live without you, James! I’ll try to stop him, but I might be no match for him!”

“He’ll want you for himself,” James retorted, pretending to be hurt, “he won’t hurt you.”

“Oh James, don’t leave me!” Lily whispered dramatically.

They looked at each other then burst out laughing. Lily collapsed back in her seat, taking deep breaths. “We’re complete idiots,” she announced, rolling her eyes.

James reached over and held her hand. “Nah, we’re just fools in love.”

Lily tilted her head towards him, leaning against the headrest and smiled. “You’re right,” she agreed. “No matter how embarrassing, it could’ve been worse so this is better.”

James wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Want to go in the backseat and make it better?”

“James, you are such a naughty boy!”

“I did tell you that you have made my life more interesting.”

“Interesting and naughty,” Lily corrected, chuckling.

It was a few minutes more before they went back to Lily’s house. They hadn’t realized it but they were gone for an hour, and Lily worried over her mom. “She might ground me for the rest of my life, and she’ll ask me to stop seeing you because you’re a bad influence.”

“Cool,” James grinned as he drove, “I’ve never been a bad influence before!”

“I was just teasing you,” Lily retorted with a laugh. “You’ll always be Mr. Nice Guy Fielding,” she said smugly as James shot her a withered look. “But that’s why I love you best.” He shot her a loving smile.

James parked his car where he had before and turned off the ignition. It was dark now and they could see the silhouettes of everyone through the curtains. “Well, here we go. Get ready to be embarrassed to death.”

Lily sniffed. “Yeah, and I have to warn you, get ready to be creamed by my brothers.”

“Yikes,” James winced, “it would be best if I didn’t fight right?”

Lily bristled and giggled. “It’s like we’re going to our execution.”

James chuckled with her. “I can tell you one thing, though.”

She turned to him as they began walking up the house, her heart pounding. She knew her parents wouldn’t get mad but she was steeling herself for all the teasing she would have to endure. “And what’s that?”

“There is no one else,” James replied as they stopped a few steps from the porch. He fully faced her and continued, “There is no one else I’d rather be executed, or embarrassed with, than with you.”

Lily felt a tear in her eye, and her heart burst achingly sweet. She smiled at him and she agreed to what he said. “And I with you.”

As they leaned in close to each other, Lily was distinctly aware that everyone else in the house was probably watching. But she didn’t care, and she knew neither did James. She and James were laughing as their lips met and sure enough, there was a resounding cheer from inside. With all the noise, their neighbors were probably looking.

Let them look, Lily thought, wrapping her arms around James as he held her closer. I’m proclaiming to the world that I love Mr. Nice Guy Tough Man James Fielding.

“I love you too, Ms. Lily Moira Mills,” James whispered huskily and tenderly.

She had said it loud after all.

THE END

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P.S. I realized I could've posted this epilogue two months from now, to go with the timeline but...what the heck! Why prolong the agony, right? Heehee. And anyways, what more perfect time than now! See you soon!

P.P.S. Watch out for my third mistletoe story! Y'all figure out who it'll be this time!