A/N: Okay, so I make a return on the Vignettes. This one has been brewing since December, and it's rather holiday-themed. I'd originally had a larger story that this was an outtake from, but that story just refuses to get going. So, this is probably all you'll get to see of Emily and the O'Brians.

Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own "Count Your Blessings" or the movie White Christmas. I own the DVD of the movie, a VHS copy, and a book of the vocal selections. The Peanut Butter Blondies are real, and I own a copy of the recipe, but I didn't create it. The characters are mine. The plot is mine. I'm not getting any money off of this and I'm a poor college student, so back off!

Homestyle Holiday

It was the Christmas season at the O’Brian household. Barbara and Frank O’Brian had a large house and gladly welcomed everyone over for the holidays, once their children had started leaving the nest.

Their eldest, Eric, had gotten married to Alana over five years ago. Now, they showed up with their two kids, five-year-old Jacqueline and three-year-old Andrew. Andy and Jackie couldn’t wait to see their grandparents (or their presents on Christmas morning).

Amanda, the only girl of the family, had just finished college the year before and had her boyfriend visiting with her, since they had gone to his family’s house for Thanksgiving. His name was Ryan and he was quite the gentleman. Rumor around the house was that he had a very special question to ask Amanda either on Christmas or on New Year’s.

Daniel, the baby of the family, was a senior in high school, so he spent a good amount of time on the phone and online talking to his friends (and girlfriend.)

Lucas was the second youngest, and he’d begin the second semester of his junior year of college in January. He came home with his girlfriend, Caroline. They planned to visit her family for New Year’s.

The biggest surprise to the O’Brians was that their second eldest son, William, had brought a girl home for the holidays. This was something he never did. He was the confirmed bachelor of the family. What was also a surprise was that the girl in question was an old friend of his from high school, Emily Rowlands, whom everyone in the family had liked even then.

About a week before Christmas, everyone was in the kitchen of the Pennsylvania estate. The men of the family were working on the traditional spaghetti and meatballs. Frank was presiding over the sauce. Eric and William were teaching Andy how to roll the meatballs, while Ryan helped Lucas with the garlic bread and Daniel made a nice big tossed salad.

It was trait of this family that all the men knew how to cook, and often would, but they left the baking to the women-folk, which always worked out best on holidays like then. There was a good deal of cookie-making going on at the other end of the kitchen. Barbara and Amanda worked on the chocolate chip cookies. Alana and Caroline took over sugar cookies, while Jackie stirred the batter both happily and energetically.

Emily wasn’t quite sure where she would fit into this happy scene, or if she did at all. It wasn’t that she couldn’t bake. It was just that… she didn’t see any room for her.

Barbara looked up and caught William’s eye. He nodded in Emily’s direction and his mother immediately understood. Leaving the classic cookies in her daughter’s capable hands, she headed over to the lone figure in the corner.

She had to feel a stab of sympathy for the girl. There had to be a reason why she couldn’t go to her own family right now. Barbara didn’t know it yet, but was certain her son did. When she reached the younger woman, the green eyes snapped up from the ground with a look of surprise and confusion. It was then that she was struck with inspiration for how to get this poor child in on the fun.

“Well, my dear, would you like to help us?” The older woman started kindly. Everyone continued what they were doing, but all but the youngest listened in on the conversation.

“Um, I’d love to Mrs. O’Brian, but I don’t know what I could do. I think I’d get in the way more than help,” came the soft reply from the auburn-haired actress.

“As I recall, William hosted a Christmas party one year, back when you were in college, and you brought the nicest little treats. What were those again?” Barbara inquired, hoping to pull her out of her shell and get her to act like the lively young woman she was when they last met.

“Those were my peanut butter blondies. I wish I could make them, but I don’t know if I remember and I left the recipe at home when… when I came for Christmas,” Emily stumbled over her muttered explanation, and Barbara sensed a hint as to why she was so changed. The motherly woman put her arm around the girl and led her towards the activity-filled center of the kitchen.

“Oh, I don’t know if you’ll need that. If they’re truly yours, then you’ve probably made them so many times you don’t even need the recipe. Now then, maybe you can teach me and the girls? What are our ingredients?” As Barbara opened the cabinets, she heard a movement near her. For a second, she worried that Emily had gone back to the corner, but she smiled when she saw the bespectacled girl at her shoulder, surveying the storehouse of baking necessities.

“I know we need peanut butter and chocolate chips. Brown sugar, too. Oh good! You have confectionary sugar. We’ll need that. It’s part of how I make these my own,” The change in Emily in that second could only have been caused by a longing for something homey and comforting.

Within seconds, Emily was teaching them the art of blondie-making. She’d also agreed to possibly show them how to make her special spice cookies, after a call across the kitchen from William reminded her of them.

William happily observed Emily as she taught the women. Years seemed to melt away from her face, until she was a happy college student again; doing one of the few things she loved other than acting. A smile was spread wide across her face as she stood behind Jackie, helping the child to fold in the chocolate chips. She had a tenderness as she dealt with girl that made him think of what she would look like doing this with her own child, who (in his mind) strangely seemed to have his dark brown eyes.

He knew the reason why Emily didn’t go home for the holidays. He knew all about the fight that took place after she graduated from college, where her grandmother, the stern matriarch of her family, was appalled that she intended to be a struggling actress, rather than make something useful of herself. He was familiar with the fact that her grandmother had disowned her after Emily had refused to give up on her dream. William had been told how the only person who kept occasional contact with her from her own family, which had been so close, was her mother, who couldn’t entirely give up her only child.

Emily had told him how hard it was for her to be here right now, within a short drive from her childhood home and her beloved family, and know she wouldn’t even be acknowledged by most of them if she was to turn up on their doorstep on Christmas Day itself. William had brought her here because he couldn’t bear the thought of her spending Christmas in the dingy little apartment she called home, where she only had a miniscule kitchenette, a futon bed, a dresser, and a bunch of boxes where neat piles of old books and scripts rested.

He knew all his efforts were rewarded when, as she caught his eye as she helped Jackie spread the blondies into the pan, her smile brightened and she mouthed ‘thank you’. He just smiled back at her.

That evening, everyone had gathered in the den to enjoy a cozy fire and the baked goods. All the couples sat together, talking softly and laughing to themselves. Daniel and William were talking as well, but William was also taking in the scene before him.

His niece and nephew took immediately to Emily, as children often do when they have found a mothering soul, no matter how old the person may be. Currently, she was teaching Jackie a soft little tune from an old Christmas movie as she smoothed Andy’s hair out of his eyes. The boy currently had his head on her lap, slowly falling asleep to the lullaby sound of the song. When Daniel went to talk to their parents instead, William moved closer to the small group. From a spot next to the fire, he could make out the lyrics of the song.

“When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep. And I fall asleep counting my blessings,” They sang, not noticing him there. Jackie and Emily sang it as a duet, the child’s bright high tones contrasting prettily with the young woman’s deeper alto sound. When they stopped and Jackie giggled a little, he moved closer and knelt down behind Emily. He knew his niece had seen him, but he gestured for her to keep quiet.

“I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads. And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds,” He sang softly, reaching a hand out to invite Jackie to sit on her favorite uncle’s knee. Emily gave a little start at his sudden appearance, but smiled all the same as he sat on the ledge she leaned against. Together, all three of them finished off the verse.

“So if you’re worried and you can’t sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep. And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings,” The trio finished off the song, all unaware of the pretty picture they made to the rest of the family. Andy had fallen asleep in Emily’s lap, with his light brown curls softly being stroked with an absent-minded hand. Just next to, above and behind them, William leaned against the fireplace wall with Jackie snuggling into her uncle’s chest, her dark brown head right below his stubbly chin.

Soon after, Jackie drifted off to join her brother in dreamland. Eric and Alana took their progeny from the duo as everyone slowly began drifting off to bed. Finally, Barbara and Frank left to go to their room, leaving only William and Emily thinking by the fire. Emily’s head was resting on his knee and he had a hand on her shoulder. His parents smiled at each other when they were out of sight, wondering if the young, not-quite couple would finally own up to their feelings.

As soon as they were alone, Emily got up and moved towards the sliding glass door, looking out at the silent expanse of freshly fallen snow. William watched her, observing the glow the moonlight gave her pale face, and noticed glistening trails down her cheeks. Concerned, he followed her over.

“Hey,” he whispered, resting a hand on her shoulder and causing her to whip around, “What’s wrong?” His brown eyes filled with concern as he saw the glimmer of tears in her green ones. She stood there for a moment, looking unsure of what to say.

“It’s just… I miss them, Will,” her voice broke as she tried to deny the tears in her voice. William pulled her into a hug as she kept talking, “We always watched White Christmas as a family. I always made those cookies, while she made the rest of them. My mom, she used to say that I sounded like Rosemary Clooney when I sang that song.” Her shoulders shook as she cried her memories out. He didn’t bother to say anything. This was a moment when he knew there was nothing he could say. He just held her and rubbed her back gently as she cried into his chest. After a few minutes of moonlit silence, William felt it was safe to speak.

“You know, my family loves that you’re here. I know that they can’t make up for yours, but I just wanted to make sure you knew that,” He whispered into her hair. He realized just how much he cared about her, how much he wanted her to be happy. She had been through so much all alone. He wanted to be there for her, to let her know she didn’t have to go through it alone. Despite his insistence that he would remain a bachelor, he realized that the little flame he’d harbored for her in high school and college still remained. He realized that… he was in love with her, and had always been.

At that moment, Emily felt like she was home. She felt safe and protected and comforted. Lately, she had been completely without that feeling of safety. She smiled as she realized that it made perfect sense. In high school, he was one of her sworn defenders, ready to take on anything that hurt or insulted her. How appropriate that, when she had just about no one else to turn to, he was there. She hugged him tighter, knowing that they would be separated, likely enough just after the holidays were over and his company would probably decide to send him on a long business trip. She didn’t want him to go. She didn’t want to be alone again. Without him, her troubles seemed overwhelming, like a tsunami ready to drag her under with the rip tides and drag her under its crushing depths. With him there, she felt like she didn’t have to always be strong and tough. She was able to be vulnerable, able to cry, able to be herself.

She looked up into his chocolate-colored eyes and discovered something in herself. She discovered that, despite all she had endured and all the changes she had gone through, she was still as in love with him as she had been in high school. She saw in his eyes a curious spark, one that hadn’t been there before and one that she was strangely certain was mirrored in her own. And all at once, she knew what those sparks were.

Without even knowing it was happening, they slowly moved closer to each other. Then, in what seemed like no time at all, their lips met. It was perfectly sweet and gentle, yet at the same time said everything they had felt for the past eleven years. This moment had been waiting to happen since they were high school sophomores. Perfected by time and the maturing of the pair of them, this moment was one to be prized above all others.