Disclaimer: LCV Productions owns Bernice and elements of Clarice, but everything else belongs to the Fab Five. :)

Note: OMG FINALLY. I'm really, really sorry, that's all I can say. Class plus lack of inspiration plus working on a huge chapter fic plus never having had an idea for this last chapter kind of killed this fic, but lo, a character revamp (which means I'll be revising previous chapters a bit) plus HedgehogQuill's establishment of Christmas in July and a do-or-die attitude today revived it. So since this is the product of about seven hours, I apologize for any quality lapses and hope very much that you enjoy the final chapter of the first longer-than-four-chapters work I ever finished.

For: Megfly, xXc0okieSsNcrEamXx, SheWhoDreamsByDarkness-x, Ash Light, LoveforEliot, and UnaOnimousIsAwesome, for being lovely enough to read and take the time to review. And most of all, for HedgehogQuill, who is pretty much completely responsible for this fic's being here. Merry Christmas in July!

—viennacantabile

merry christmas with love

nine : we need a little christmas

…in which Clarice makes a big deal out of Gee-Tar.

.

For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing,
Ringing through the rafter,
And a little snappy
Happy ever after,
Need a little Christmas now.

.

One week before Christmas, 1956

.

"So what're you two doin' for Christmas?"

Clarice, curling the telephone cord around her fingers, blinked. "What?"

"What're you two doin' for Christmas?" drawled Pauline again. "It's somethin' good, right? It bein' Big Deal, an' all," she added lazily. "He's a charmer, that one."

Clarice pursed her lips. The truth was, she didn't know what, if anything, Frankie had planned for Christmas. Last year, he'd taken her for a sleigh ride on a very makeshift sled made out of a trash can and tinsel, and then he'd made her dinner, complete with a lumpy cake shaped like a snowman, and then after he'd left through the door and said goodbye to her family, he'd dressed up as Santa, climbed through her window and asked her what she wanted. Before proceeding to give it to her. But this year…oh, she was going to see him, Clarice was sure of that, but he hadn't exactly said anything about anything special. Even though she'd hinted about maybe going to see the Rockettes at Radio City Musical Hall. "Well—"

"You should get a load-a what Ice's doin' for Velma," said Pauline with a tinkling little laugh. "He's been askin' all the Jets for advice, y'know. She's really got him on a string, don't she? An' here I thought he just didn't like girls," she sighed. "Oh well, at least now there's hope."

Clarice was just about to say that she really didn't think it was going to make a difference for Pauline what Ice thought of girls when a thought struck her. "He's doin' somethin' nice for her?"

"Yeah, it's some big secret," crackled Pauline's voice over the phone. "An' he an' Big Deal are real pals, y'know, so I figured I'd see what Big Deal was plannin'." She gave an airy sigh. "Y'know, it really is a shame he ain't single."

"Who?" asked Clarice, distracted for a moment.

"Well, both," Pauline said, as if no other answer were possible. "Ice's got that tall, mysterious thing goin' on, but Big Deal…well, he's a big deal, if ya know what I mean."

Clarice, feeling a little irritated at this reminder of Pauline's past experience with Clarice's boyfriend, huffed. "A-course I know what ya mean. You're a real pal, Pauline."

"Ain't I though?" said the older girl complacently. "So, what's he doin', then?"

Clarice's anger faded as she swallowed. She'd almost forgotten about Pauline's original question. But she wasn't about to admit that she didn't know the answer. Not to Pauline, at least.

"It's a secret," she said primly. "Frankie doesn't want anyone to know."

Clarice could almost hear the smirk in Pauline's voice. "Oh. Okay, then."

"What're you doin'?" Clarice asked, feeling a little desperate. "Got any plans with your family?"

"God, no," snorted Pauline. "It's more like who I'm doin'." She sighed happily. "There're a lot of 'em."

Clarice pursed her lips. She should have known better than to expect Pauline to be anyone other than herself. "Oh, right."

"Anyway, I gotta go," said Pauline lightly. "Lemme know when Big Deal figures out what you're doin'!"

And with that, she hung up.

Clarice's mouth dropped open. "The nerve!" she said aloud, grabbing a pillow and smushing it. "That—that—tramp!"

"What?" asked Bernice as she breezed into the room. "You done with the phone yet? I gotta call Graz."

"Pauline—Pauline was talkin' about Frankie like he was just any other guy she'd slept with!" sputtered Clarice. "An' then she started talkin' about all her dates for Christmas!"

"Oh," yawned Bernice. "Well, Mouthpiece'd better not be one of 'em. He's my Christmas present this year."

"I can't believe her!" said Clarice, utterly miffed. "An' then she acted like Frankie wasn't gonna do anythin' special for Christmas—"

"Is he?" asked Bernice with interest.

Clarice reddened. "Well, I don't know," she admitted. "He hasn't said anythin' yet. But that don't mean he won't!" she added immediately. "He just—hasn't yet, that's all."

Bernice arched an eyebrow. "Okay."

Clarice squirmed. "Really!"

Bernice shrugged. "I didn't say anything."

"No, I mean it. You'll see," Clarice insisted, more to herself than her sister. "Just wait. Frankie'll give me the best Christmas ever."

.

But as Christmas drew nearer, Clarice only grew more discontent. Sure, Frankie said he loved her every time he saw her, and sure, he wasn't exactly any less affectionate than normal, but he still wasn't saying anything about Christmas. It was like he didn't even know it was coming. And the more Clarice thought about her conversation with Pauline, the more she wondered. Ice and Velma hadn't even been together for six months and there was Ice, working his heart out to surprise her. Even Riff, Clarice was pretty sure, had something up his sleeve for Graziella, even if no one knew what. But Clarice and Big Deal had been together for a year and a half and if anyone should have been planning something, it was Big Deal. And by Christmas Eve, she still couldn't understand it.

"I just don't get it," she sighed one day in Holliday's Soda Shop, glancing up at the counter where Big Deal was paying for her strawberry ice cream. "Why ain't he sayin' anything? You don't think he forgot, do ya?"

"Tell me about it," groused Graziella from across the booth, slurping her milkshake. "Riff still won't tell me what he's gettin' me for Christmas."

Clarice blinked. "But I thought ya liked surprises."

"Well, I don't really want him to tell me," said Graziella with a sniff. "I just wanna know he's thinkin' about it, y'know?"

Clarice nodded, feeling perturbed. "Yeah. I know."

"I'm sure they're thinkin' about it," offered Gee-Tar from beside Graziella. Riff, upon being confronted with the prospect of last-minute Christmas shopping with his girlfriend, had gotten a very uncomfortable Gee-Tar to take his place. Which, of course, hadn't made Big Deal very happy. "I mean, if you were my girl, I'd wouldn't ever stop thinkin' about ya. It," he corrected, flushing.

Clarice sighed. Even wimpy, pathetic, covered-in-shopping-bags Gee-Tar knew something was off here. "Thanks, Gee-Tar. You're real nice."

"Yeah," Graziella said, rolling her eyes. "Now if you two excuse me for a minute, I'm gonna go get some more ice cream."

"Okay," Clarice said, feeling very glum as Graziella hopped out of the booth and headed for the counter.

Gee-Tar glanced around before leaning forward. "Y'know," he stumbled, "if Big Deal still don't say anythin'—I been savin' up, an' I got two tickets to the Radio City Music Hall show tomorrow at seven."

Clarice gasped. "But they've been sold out for weeks!"

"I know people in the business," Gee-Tar said, a touch of pride coloring his voice. Clarice stifled the urge to roll her eyes—Gee-Tar's band wasn't exactly known for being all that great. "But whaddaya say? D'ya wanna go?"

Clarice hesitated. Sure, she'd been wanting to go see the show for years, but Gee-Tar wasn't Big Deal. In any case, her boyfriend might still have something planned. "Well—"

"Hey," interrupted Big Deal, flashing an annoyed grin as he put a dish of ice cream on the table and slid in next to Clarice. He wrapped a possessive arm around her. "Where's Graz?"

Clarice barely heard Gee-Tar's mumbled answer. That was right, she thought, glancing between the two boys. Gee-Tar. Even though she had told the Jet she wasn't interested in him, he still kept hanging around her, much to Big Deal's annoyance. She could see that he was jealous right now, in fact. And maybe if she made it clear that she had other options on Christmas…

"Actually," Clarice said airily, doing her doing her best imitation of Pauline, "Gee-Tar was just askin' me to go see the Radio City Music Hall show with him tomorrow. On Christmas," she added, giving Gee-Tar a big smile. "Tickets're real hard to come by; I don't know how he got 'em!"

Big Deal frowned, and Clarice felt his grip tighten. "Really."

"Uh, yeah," said Gee-Tar, shrugging. He turned to her. "I think you'd love it, Clarice."

"That sounds nice," she said sweetly, and cut her eyes to a scowling Big Deal, feeling very satisfied. "No one's ever asked me before, so I've never been."

Gee-Tar turned purple. "So—you'll come?"

"No, she won't," Big Deal interrupted, looking thunderous. "I an' Clarice got plans, buddy, an' you better stay outta them."

"Frankie," scolded Clarice, enjoying herself immensely, "that ain't very nice. He's just askin'."

"Yeah, an' you ain't sayin' no quick enough," snapped Big Deal, "so I'm sayin' it for ya!"

Clarice frowned, feeling a little annoyed. Sure, she didn't actually want to go—not with Gee-Tar, at least, but who was Big Deal to assume that? "Well, maybe I don't wanna say no."

Big Deal glared. "What?"

"I mean, I guess I don't mind if ya don't wanna go, Clarice," said Gee-Tar, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "I just thought I'd—"

"No," interrupted Clarice with a glare of her own. "You invited me, an' 'less ya don't wanna go anymore, I'm sayin' yes."

Gee-Tar looked surprised. "Well, that's great—"

"You ain't goin', Clarice," said Big Deal with a ferocious scowl. "I ain't lettin' ya!"

Clarice's mouth dropped open. "Lettin' me?" she repeated, really angry now. "Who says you got a say in it? I ain't askin' your okay on this, Frankie, 'cause I don't need to! Who're you to say I can't go, huh?"

"I'm your boyfriend, that's who I am," snapped Big Deal, "so 'scuse me for thinkin' ya might care about that!"

"Oh, really?" retorted Clarice. "Well, keep this up, an' ya might not be for long!"

There was a pause as Big Deal's eyes widened. Gee-Tar looked terrified. And Clarice's heart hammered—she knew she'd gone a little too far, but she wasn't about to take it back.

When Big Deal finally spoke, it was in a growl. "No girl-a mine—"

"Don't tell me what to do!" snapped Clarice, incensed.

Big Deal continued as though he hadn't even heard her. "No girl-a mine's spendin' Christmas with Gee-Tar," he said flatly. "You ain't goin', an' that's that."

Clarice narrowed her eyes. It took her all of ten seconds to come to a decision. "Gee-Tar," she said sweetly, "d'ya think we should go out to dinner before the show, or after?"

Big Deal's jaw clenched, and without another word, he jumped up and stalked out of the soda shop. Clarice watched him go, feeling triumphant even as she registered the sinking feeling in her stomach that told her exactly what she had just done. Sure, she loved Frankie more than anything, but it really had been all his own fault. Hadn't it?

After a minute, Gee-Tar gave her a feeble smile. "So…I'll pick ya up at five for dinner, then?"

"Five," Clarice confirmed with a scowl. "I can't wait."

And at that moment, Graziella returned with an ice cream sundae heaped high with nuts, fudge and a cherry. "Hey," she said, popping the cherry in her mouth. "Did I miss anything?"

.

"So," said Bernice that night as she plopped down onto the bed across from Clarice's. "A little birdy tells me someone's goin' to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show with Gee-Tar."

Clarice, already in her nightgown and tucked into her own bed, flinched. "Yeah, maybe."

"Thought ya didn't like Gee-Tar," said Bernice lightly. "Ain't that what ya told him?"

"Yeah," said Clarice, feeling frustrated. "But—I don't know, Bernice, it's such a mess."

"Oh yeah?" asked Bernice, sounding interested. She patted the space beside her. "C'mon, tell."

Clarice eyed her. The twins hadn't been quite as close in recent years—not since Bernice had discovered boys, at least—but when push came to shove, they were there for each other when it counted the most. So Clarice, still feeling horrible about the whole thing, crossed the room to her sister and got under the covers with her.

"An' that's what happened," she sighed after she had finished the whole story half an hour later. "An' now he's mad at me, an' I'm mad at him, an' I just wish he weren't so stupid, Bernice."

"Well, at least ya get to go see the Rockettes," said Bernice practically. She sniffed. "I can't believe Mama an' Papa still won't buy tickets. I know Cousin Bruno left Cousin Felicia for one-a the Rockettes, but that was eight years ago!"

Clarice moaned. "But I don't wanna go. At least, not with Gee-Tar!"

Bernice rolled her eyes. "Then why'd ya say ya would?"

Clarice squirmed. "'Cause—'cause Frankie said I wouldn't!"

Bernice stared at her. "That's the stupidest thing I ever heard, y'know that?"

"He didn't even ask me if it was okay!" sputtered Clarice. "He just got all jealous an' said it for me!"

"Clarice," her twin said very slowly, "don't you try an' make him jealous every chance ya get?"

"Well—yeah," Clarice admitted in a small voice. "But that's different. If I don't do that how do I know he's gonna pay attention to me?"

Bernice smacked her hand across her forehead. "Dio Mio, do you listen to yourself?

Clarice frowned. Bernice just didn't seem to understand. "Why would I, when I got you to do it for me?" she said, rolling her eyes.

Bernice just shrugged. "Well, okay. But you're the one who's gonna be sittin' next to Gee-Tar on Christmas Day. It's your funeral."

Clarice winced. "I—I don't wanna talk about it," she said in a huff, getting up and retreating to her own bed. "It's almost midnight, anyway. We should sleep."

Bernice snorted. "Why, still believe Santa's comin'? Suit yourself."

Clarice grabbed a pillow and hugged it. It just wasn't fair, she thought, frustrated. Gee-Tar was a dope, but at least he cared about her. And Frankie was her dope, but he didn't at all. He hadn't even said anything about Christmas. What was she supposed to do, let him take her for granted like that?

And then she heard it:

"Angels we have heard on high! Sweetly singin' o'er the plains!" warbled Bernice, a wicked grin on her face.

Clarice, glaring at her through the darkness, narrowed her eyes at this reminder of the previous Christmas, when she had been able to dodge Gee-Tar. "Bitch."

Bernice just smirked and glanced at the clock, which now read 12:01 AM. "Merry Christmas, sis."

"An' a Happy New Year to you, too," grumbled Clarice. With a sigh, she burrowed under the covers. A Christmas without Big Deal, she thought a little sadly, couldn't come and go soon enough.

.

It wasn't until the doorbell rang at five o'clock on Christmas day that Clarice actually realized what she had done.

"Dio Mio!" she hissed, grabbing her purse. "Bernice—"

"Yep," said her twin cheerfully, coming in the room, "it's Gee-Tar."

Clarice bit her lip, feeling torn. As she was getting ready to go she had had a lot of time to think about the argument, and Clarice had the smallest, slightest feeling that she had been a little bit more responsible for the fight than she had thought before. The truth, she thought miserably, was that she didn't care what Frankie had or hadn't planned for Christmas, as long as she was with him. She had been the one who had pushed him into being jealous, after all, so it was her own fault if he'd spoken for her. And all she wanted to do now was go and tell him that.

Clarice took a deep breath. "I can't go."

"But ya said ya would," Bernice reminded her, clucking her tongue. "It ain't nice to get his hopes up an' send him crashin' down like that again, y'know."

Clarice moaned. "I know, I know." And she did. On the one hand, she really didn't want to spend Christmas with Gee-Tar. After all, Big Deal was really in the right—he shouldn't have been inviting another Jet's girlfriend to go with him. But on the other hand, she'd said she would go, and Bernice was right, too—Gee-Tar would be awfully disappointed. And it was Christmas. How could she do that to him?

"Ya really do play with him, y'know," said Bernice, coming over and putting an arm around her. "I mean, I know I ain't no kinda saint neither, but y'do. An' then Big Deal gets mad, so that's jerkin' him around, too."

"I know," Clarice admitted in a tiny voice, feeling very wretched. She leaned into her twin. "I just—I wanna go say I'm sorry now, but he's here now, an' I'm stuck. What'll I do?"

Bernice sighed. "Dio Mio, Clarice, sometimes I don't know what I'm gonna do with ya. Out the window."

Clarice blinked. "What?"

"You heard me," said Bernice, waving toward the fire escape. "I mean, it's Christmas, an'—look, just go. I'll take care-a Gee-Tar." She hesitated, then muttered, "Wouldn't be the first time."

Clarice couldn't believe it. "But Mouthpiece—"

"Won't even notice if I tell him a story about trains or somethin' tomorrow. A-course, you owe me," Bernice said in a long-suffering voice. Then she smirked. "Anyway, I've always wanted to see if Cousin Bruno's little Tina is as tarty as Felicia says."

"I'll pay ya back," Clarice promised, hardly daring to believe her luck as she scrambled to put her coat and shoes on. "I will, I promise!"

"Yeah, yeah," said slightly pink Bernice, waving her hand. "Just go, will ya? I'm gettin' a toothache just lookin' at ya."

Clarice hesitated, then gave her surprised sister a quick hug. "Thanks," she murmured. "I mean it."

Bernice gave her a small smile. "Merry Christmas."

And Clarice smiled back. "Merry Christmas."

.

Halfway to the Schmidt apartment, Clarice caught sight of a tall, familiar figure and felt her heart leap. "Frankie!"

The figure paused, and headed her way. And Clarice waited nervously, her stomach in knots. What was he going to say? she wondered. What if he'd gotten tired of her? What if he was glad she'd said all those things yesterday? What if he didn't love her anymore? She fidgeted as Big Deal reached her. "Frankie, I—"

Big Deal held up his hand. "No, wait, Clarice, there's somethin' I gotta say," he said in a rush.

Clarice chewed on her lip, fearing the worst. "But—"

"No, no," said Big Deal, shaking his head, "I'm gonna say it now, 'fore I lose my nerve, an' ya can't stop me 'cause if ya do I might not be able to get up the courage again. Clarice, I'm sorry," he said, reaching out for her. "Look, I know I got jealous an' said some stupid stuff, but jeez Louise, ya drive me crazy, y'know? I'm mad about ya an' I can't help it." He paused and gave her a shamefaced look. "Forgive me?"

Clarice couldn't stop the relieved smile that came over her face. "Forgive you? Frankie, it's all my fault! I didn't even wanna go with Gee-Tar, an' I didn't mean any of it, an' I'm real sorry, Frankie!"

Big Deal shook his head. "Schatze, it's my fault."

"No, It's my fault," Clarice insisted stubbornly. "It's just I didn't think ya remembered about Christmas, an' everyone else seemed like they were gonna do somethin', an'—oh, I don't know, Frankie, it was just so stupid," she sighed. "I was stupid. Forgive me?"

Big Deal buried her in his arms. "Forget it," he said, shaking his head. "It's my fault."

"No, it's my—" Clarice began, then stopped sheepishly. "I don't wanna fight about that, either."

Big Deal grinned. "That'd be kinda sad. It's Christmas, did ya know that?" he asked, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "We're s'posed to be happy."

Clarice smiled. "Well, I am now. I really didn't wanna spend today with Gee-Tar."

Big Deal chuckled. "I can't believe I almost made ya do that."

Clarice made a face and shuddered. "Yeah."

"An' oh—about it bein' Christmas," Big Deal said, scratching his head, "I know I didn't say anythin' about it this year. It's just—" He sighed. "I was havin' trouble thinkin'-a somethin'. Nothin' was good enough, y'know?"

Clarice melted. "Oh, Frankie!" she sighed. "That's so sweet!"

Big Deal grinned sheepishly. "An' then yesterday when you were so mad at me, I got to thinkin' about how I could make it up to you, and…there's this German church around my place that my folks go to. An' every year they have this Christmas service at night, see? With lotsa music an' carols." He hesitated. "It ain't the Rockettes, but…it's real pretty."

Clarice smiled. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I'd like that. It sounds nice." She glanced up at the darkening sky. "Do we still have time to make it?"

Big Deal put his arm around her. "Sure," he said. "C'mon, let's go."

As they began the walk to Big Deal's neighborhood, Clarice snuggled into him. "Frankie, let's make a rule," she said, feeling very penitent now. "Okay?"

Big Deal gave her a hopeful glance. "No talkin' to Gee-Tar, ever?"

Clarice blushed. "Well, no," she said, feeling guilty. "I was just thinkin'—alla this started 'cause we just got mad an' left each other that way without talkin' out what was botherin' us. How about we make it so that we don't ever walk away angry? We could—I don't know, kiss, or somethin'. That way, we won't ever fight."

Big Deal looked thoughtful. "Ya mean like this?" Without any warning, he dipped her back into a very Hollywood kiss.

"Yeah," Clarice gasped when she was upright a few minutes later, trying to catch her breath. "Maybe like that."

Big Deal smirked as they began to walk again. "I could get used to that. Long's it's just us, an' no Gee-Tar," he said with a snort. "I don't think he'd be a real good kisser."

"Nope," agreed Clarice, feeling very warm. She wasn't about to stop making sure Big Deal paid attention to her, but at the same time, he was the only one for her, and she was glad he knew it. "Not like you."

Big Deal took that as his cue to demonstrate again. And several minutes later, when Clarice was back on her feet, she grinned.

"Nope," she said contentedly. "Nothing like you."

.

.end.

Music: I first heard this song in a Christmas production I used to do with my high school youth orchestra. I have since found a few fun recordings, two of which I'd particularly recommend: Patrick Wilson's version from the Broadway Cares album (possibly just because it's fun hearing Raoul sing Christmas songs) and a very random but fun version from an iTunes album named Caribbean Christmas. Heh.

Hint: I do have a sequel planned. Which I am starting to doubt I will ever complete, but if I have time? It will so happen. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me all the way through, and Merry Christmas! :)

love, viennacantabile