It's Christmas Eve, two weeks since the last chapter. Patricia is now 14 weeks pregnant. I am so sorry for the long wait you guys. Enjoy a Christmas chapter before Christmas. It may seem kinda filler-ish, but just wait. (By the way, I don't own House of Anubis). Sorry for being MIA for a while. I've been behind on everything: typing, responding to PMs, reviewing, homework, and reading. I'm so sorry everyone.

"Don't wake me up," Joy mumbled as she flicked a strand of hair from her face. "I'm tired..."

"Like the song?" Patricia asked, and Joy awoke with a start at Patricia's voice.

"Why are you in my house?!" Joy panicked.

"Your parents let me in. It's Christmas Eve, Joy," Patricia said slowly.

"I almost forgot," Joy said sheepishly, and she slowly sat up. Patricia helped her friend up and to her crutches immediately.

"Everyone's waiting downstairs," Patricia said. "Go brush your teeth."

"Everyone is in my house because-?"

"Because it's fucking Christmas. Now hurry up."

Joy went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, but she didn't pay attention as she did. Her eyes trailed over to the window, hoping for snow like every cliché Christmas movie had. But no, it never snowed. So there went her hopes for a while Christmas.

"So, is this any one of your crazy goodwill-before-Christmas days?" Joy asked over the toothpaste in her mouth.

"Hey, that's rude," Patricia said. "Besides, I do need some acts of goodwill for Christmas."

"Because breaking in to my house is such a good act of goodwill," Joy quipped.

"Shut up and finish brushing your teeth. Mara's making breakfast," Patricia said.

"Wait, so who's here?" Joy questioned after she'd rinsed her mouth clean.

"Everyone. Fabian, Mara, Jerome, Eddie, and Piper," Patricia listed. "Now come on."

"And Mara is making breakfast because-?" Joy asked as she got her crutches.

"Because she's a goodhearted, generous person who doesn't burn pancakes." Patricia said, and she helped her friend down the stairs. "Why don't you just sleep on the couch? Wouldn't it be easier, with your leg?"

"I like my bed," Joy pouted as they reached the bottom.

"Patricia, you didn't get any bacon!" Eddie complained as he scoured through the bags that littered the kitchen table. Joy's parents were in the living room, sipping coffee and watching the kids cooking breakfast in their kitchen with amusement. Patricia and Jerome had boughten the ingredients for the meal, and all the bags there were of their account.

"It's right there, Slimeball." Patricia rolled her eyes.

"That's turkey bacon!"

"Piper doesn't eat red meat, doofus," Patricia said. "Besides, I don't mind it myself. And I'm the pregnant one here."

"You're not even supposed to eat unhealthy," Mara scolded, turning away from the griddle, a spatula held out accusingly.

"It's healthy, Mara. It's turkey." Patricia countered.

"You know that turkey bacon is actually considered less healthy than regular bacon, right?" Piper piped in.

"Shut up, Piper." Patricia complained.

"So, can I help?" Joy interrupted, gazing over the bags on the table.

"You can help me," Fabian looked at Joy somewhat shyly, which was something new on his part. "I-I could use some help finding the right spices to put in the eggs."

"Sure thing, Fabes," Joy smiled, and she joined her best friend.

"So we have pancakes, eggs, and bacon down," Patricia said.

"Wait, who's making the bacon?" Piper asked.

"Eddie is," Patricia said like it was obvious. She pushed Eddie towards the bacon, and Eddie rolled his eyes but took the job.

"I'll make potatoes," Piper said happily.

"And I'll relax," Patricia said. "Sounds like a plan."

"You're lucky you're pregnant, or I'd have taken that spatula from Mara and hit you silly," Joy remarked, and the group of friends fell into comfortable laughter.

"Amber, you're scaring me," Willow said as she watched Amber. Amber was sitting at her kitchen table chewing a piece of gum slowly and staring off into the distance.

"Eddie's going to be a father." Amber said suddenly, as though she hadn't been staring off into space for over ten minutes. (Which she had).

"And Patricia's going to be a mother," KT said slowly. "What of it?"

"Where is Eddie?" Amber wondered, ignoring KT.

"He and Nina had a falling out. He's probably hanging out with Patricia now," Alfie said. "Plus, he punched me, so, he's disowned."

"You kinda asked for it, mate," Mick teased.

"He insulted Amber! What was I..." Alfie trailed off and pretended he hadn't said anything.

"Whatever. Who needs him, anyway?" Nina looked down at her hands.

"We do," Amber surprised them all when she said that. "Where is he right now?"

"Who knows?" Mick shrugged.

"Text him, KT," Amber said, and KT did so.

"He's at Joy's." KT reported a minute later.

"Mick, do you have your car?" Amber asked.

"Yeah." Mick replied.

"We need a ride to Joy's house," Amber said, and her friends all watched her quietly, unsure. Finally they all got up as Mick and Amber left the house, ready to go.

"Do you know where she lives?" Nina asked as they drove off.

"I do," Mick said. When he received stares, he flushed. "No, not like that! Last year Joy and I had to do a project together. And unless she moved, we're good."

"You're so red in the face," Willow giggled, and she then received all the weird stares after that. The drive to Joy's was silent after Willow's words. Until they pulled up at Joy's, that is.

"This doesn't seem like a good idea anymore," Amber sighed, more to herself. Before anyone could say anything, however, she walked right out of the car. Mick shrugged and followed.

Amber gathered a huge breath before she knocked on the front door. Seconds later, Piper opened the door.

"Uh, hi," Amber tried to smile. Piper stared at her for a few seconds.

"Can I help you?" Piper asked kindly, but Amber saw it as sarcasm.

"Look, be snarky all you'd like, Patricia," Amber spat. "I'm here to- to- talk to Eddie. To you, too. To all of you. At least hear me out."

"I'm not Patricia," Piper said slowly. "Um, Patricia?" Patricia showed up seconds later. She eyed Amber in disgust.

"What is she doing here, Weasel?" Patricia turned and looked for Eddie.

"Amber," Eddie said, coming up. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, jail," Amber said simply. "Listen, Eddie, we have to talk."

"Jail? But-"

"That's what you get for not hanging out with us," KT said, but she said it teasingly. "No one told you?"

"No!" Eddie sputtered.

"Can we come in or not?" Amber asked, exasperated.

"Uh, sure," Eddie said, letting them pass. "So, what is this all about?"

"I'm trying to be nice," Amber managed to mutter. "Patricia is pregnant with your child, Eddie. And since you're our friend- and you like her- we're here to let you know that we're behind you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Am I the only one concerned as to who is that?" Alfie pointed at Piper, throughly freaked out.

"I'm Piper, Patricia's twin sister," Piper smiled. "You're the boy from the gas station, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Alfie managed to say. "I'm Alfie. So you're that other girl?"

"Yeah," Piper smiles shyly.

"Um, hello? Back to me?" Amber cut them off. "I want to say that we have come to apologize in a way. To all of you losers."

"Way to be nice," Joy muttered.

"Uh, right, sorry about that. I just want to make up for everything." Amber blurted. "That's what I'm getting at. I-I want to make up for what I've done. Maybe even to be a- a friend."

"What makes you think we want to be friends with the like of you?" Patricia snapped.

"You're right," Amber looked down. "I don't deserve your kindness. I was rude, mean, and a bully-"

"Don't forget a total bitch," Joy added.

"Being in jail really opened my eyes," Amber explained. "I don't want to end up like the man who tried to kill me."

"Someone tried to kill you?!" Eddie exclaimed, but he was ignored.

"I want to change who I am," Amber said softly. "Starting with all of you. I don't hate any of you. Pretending to hate you all is kind of what kept me through everything. Through my mother's boyfriend's abuse, through my failing grades...thinking I was better than most people helped me."

Mara, Jerome, Patricia, Fabian, Piper and Joy exchanged looks before they all turned around to converse quietly.

"Maybe it's time to give her a chance," Mara said softly. "What she went through...she couldn't have lied about that, would she?"

"I don't trust her," Patricia crossed her arms.

"I say we give her a chance, too." Jerome agreed. Being the school's previous player, Jerome knew all about being let in when he was once unwanted. Mara Jaffray had given him a chance to be better, and he did. Maybe their group could work the same for Amber and her friends.

"It is Christmas," Joy softened.

"And Nina's great," Fabian blurted, "so Amber mustn't be so bad."

"I knew you were still after her!" Jerome crowed. "Pay up, Trixie."

Joy shot Patricia an accusing look. Patricia made a show of moaning as she forked over a ten dollar bill.

"I'm not after Nina," Fabian snapped. He didn't like Nina that way. So why did this still feel wrong?

"Blah, blah, blah," Patricia said, snatching her money back from Jerome. "Now the question is, do we let them be our friends? It could lead to possible embarrassment, social suicide, reao suicide..."

"I don't care," Mara said. "I don't need other people's approval to be who I want to be, and any embarrassment isn't going to change that."

"Amen." Joy gave Mara a high five. "So, it's agreed?"

"Sounds good to me," Piper smiled.

"She doesn't even go here!" KT yelled from the background.

"KT, now is not the time for Mean Girls quotes!" Nina face palmed.

"It's Christmas," Patricia and the others turned to Amber and her friends. "I guess we can forgive a little teasing. But if you make us regret our decision, I will beat you bitches up, pregnant or not. Now...who spread the rumor I was pregnant?"

"Yacker, let it be." Eddie laughed, and he slung an arm around her shoulder. Patricia made a show of pushing it off, and Eddie just grinned and laughed along, but his eyes met Nina's.

Green on green, hers soft, his firm. He walked right over to her, their eyes keeping contact the whole time. Quietly they forgave each other, but that didn't stop them from speaking.

"I'm sorry, Eddie. I overreacted." Nina said shamefully.

"No, I'm sorry. You were making sense. I'm telling everyone it's mine. I just want to be loyal to Patricia and show her I'm not going anywhere. And I-I want to be that kid again, the one that grew up with you and was your best friend," Eddie said.

"Deal. But no sand throwing," Nina smiled.

"That was always the best part!" Eddie joked, and he smiled right back.

"She's moving on your man, Trixie!" Jerome hooted.

"Jerome Clarke, I can and will kill you!" Patricia blushed.

"Hey, what happened to peace and goodwill?" Jerome faked hurt.

"Never heard of it," Patricia stuck out her tongue at her friend even after the conversation she'd had with Joy in the morning.

"So, who's ready for breakfast?" Mara called, beckoning to their finished meal.

"Food!" Mick cried, and he and Alfie raced for the table. The others shrugged and followed. Joy's parents left upstairs with their plates to give the teens privacy to hang out.

It was the start of something beautiful. And possibly dangerous.

"Bye mom!" Joy hollered as she and her friends left her house. "We're going over to Fabian's, alright?"

"Okay!" her mom called.

"So, whose car are we taking?" Amber asked awkwardly.

"Jerome's." Joy said. "SHOTGUN!"

"No fair!" Fabian complained, but he said this with a laugh.

"Probably take Mick's, too," Nina whispered in Amber's ear. They did, driving a little ways to Fabian's house. Fabian's place was bleak and empty. His parents were never around the house at Christmastime, so every year, his friends would take over to decorate. This year they were on some fancy trip, and Fabian had opted not join them.

"Fabian, do you even have a tree?" Joy asked as she hobbled out of Jerome's car. Fabian rushed to help her, but he smiled sheepishly at her question.

"Well I- er- no."

"Jerome, Mick, Eddie, you three go get a tree," Patricia ordered. "Just a small one."

"Have any money? I'm broke," Jerome said.

"Take the ten, but that's it," Patricia gave him the ten she'd taken away earlier.

"I'll pay for it. It's going to be my tree, anyway," Fabian said.

"Nope, that's not in the Christmas spirit," Mara said, and she passed Jerome another ten. Amber threw in fifty and received stares.

"What? I'm rich." Amber shrugged.

"Save that for shopping later," Joy said. "We have cookies to bake, gingerbread houses to decorate..."

"Presents to wrap, mistletoe to hang..." Jerome listed along.

"Ugh, mistletoe. It's unnecessary when you're hanging out with friends," Patricia scoffed. "Last year you all made me kiss Fabian."

"He was under the mistletoe with you," Jerome grinned at the memory.

"But trying to make me kiss Joy, too?" Patricia raised her eyebrows at Jerome.

"That was all him," Fabian nodded.

"Girl on girl is totally sexy," Jerome said. "It's not like you did it anyway."

"Ew, Jerome," Joy whined. "Please, Eddie, Mick, take him away."

"Hey, I was kidding. I was joking that year, too," Jerome said.

"Uh-huh." Patricia wasn't convinced. "Now what, Mara?"

"Hang the lights," Mara said. "And get a fire going in the fireplace."

"I call the fire," KT said. "It's way easier."

"I'll help KT," Nina said, "because she doesn't realize how hard it actually is."

"Patricia, you're not helping us," Piper ordered.

"Good thing I wasn't going to regardless." Patricia quipped.

"Piper, Amber, Willow, come with me," Mara said. "We'll string the lights."

"What about me?" Joy piped up.

"You can hang out with Patricia," Piper said kindly. "With your leg and all-"

"I get it, I don't mind," Joy said.

"A-And me?" Fabian asked, hopeful.

"Oh, yeah, uh- you can go and pop popcorn." Mara said brightly, trying to make it sound important.

"But that's hardly anything," Fabian protested.

"It's important," Mara fidgeted nervously. "Okay! Let's move."

"Fabes, it's 'cause you're clumsy," Joy patted his shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry though; I'm worse."

KT and Nina entered the house and set to work. Nina passed KT the wood and KT lit a match, setting a sheet of paper on fire first. The fire died out soon afterwards.

"KT, this is going to suck," Nina sighed as she got another log. "Try it again."

"It'll burn me." KT complained, but she lit it up anyway. Nina placed another sheet of paper on it, this time carefully between the logs. KT set it on fire and they waited a little longer. It burned, but when the paper died, so did the fire. Finally Nina googled how to start a fire on her phone.

Concentrating the fire in the center, making sure the fireplace was stocked with cardboard and kindling, they finally succeeded in starting a small flame. They fed the fire when it grew small, proud of their work.

"Popcorn?" Fabian went up to the two girls and offered them the bowl he'd popped somewhat reluctantly.

"Is it butter?" KT eyed the bowl.

"Uh, kettle," Fabian said.

"I love kettle," Nina said, taking a handful. Her eyes met Fabian's and she smiled kindly. Fabian licked his lips nervously and looked down at the bowl.

"It's my favorite," Fabian said with a light laugh after a few seconds.

"Mine too." Nina said, licking her fingertips.

"Um, guys, please remember that I'm here too," KT called as she started to put the matches and such back.

"KT," Nina laughed, "we're not...I mean..." She paused and stared at Fabian. Fabian fidgeted and looked down again.

"Oh boy," KT stared at Nina, then at Fabian. "I'll let you two work it out."

"But it's nothing," Nina protested. KT left anyway, presumably to help Mara and the others stringing lights.

"She's right, Nina," Fabian sighed. "Do you want to sit down for a little while and just talk about us?"

"Sure," Nina said. "I just don't think there's much to talk about."

"I mean, before, I wanted to be your boyfriend." Fabian said sheepishly.

"Fabian...we're good friends. I don't want to-"

"I said before. Nina Martin, you're a great girl. And I love to spend time with you, but I just want to make sure what your feelings are for me." Fabian said slowly.

"I-I like you," Nina blushed. "But as a friend. I don't think of you as much more. Maybe if we'd have spent more time together, who knows, but...right now, you want Joy."

"W-What?" Fabian stuttered. "I'm not...I don't..."

"You're so cute when you stutter." Nina grinned at him, but she didn't say it flirtatiously.

"Joy's like my sister," Fabian countered. "I don't like her that way."

"Fabian, it's so obvious," Nina laughed a little. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." She gave him a shy, beautiful smile.

"Nina?" Fabian said, giving her his usual shy, quiet smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," Nina gave him a sideways hug.

"MISTLETOE RANDOMNESS!" Willow dangled a strand of mistletoe over their heads. "You two have to kiss." Amber was at her side, a camera in hand.

"W-What?" Fabian turned red. Nina giggled, but she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Fabian," Nina said.

"This is so going into my Fabina scrapbook." Amber whispered to Willow, who gave her a thumbs up in return.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Your what?" Nina echoed.

"My Fabina scrapbook. See, your name and Fabian's combined is Fabina." Amber smiled proudly.

"First of all, that shouldn't exist," Nina said, "and second, when did you take up scrapbooking?"

"My counsler says I need an activity to keep me busy," Amber snapped. "This is perfect. Now let me ship you all in peace. Willow, let's go!" Willow eagerly followed as Amber walked out of the room.

"She's a character," Fabian laughed.

"Yeah," Nina smiled after her best friend. "She's changed. Before she'd have complained how I was out of your league, but now...I like this Amber. She's finally making an effort to show her niceness to others other than her friends."

"She probably learned it from you," Fabian nudged her playfully.

"Stop that, you're making me blush," Nina complained.

"Ow!" Jerome gave Mick the evil eye. "You stepped on my foot."

"Well if you'd move out of my way, it wouldn't have happened." Mick spat.

"Maybe if you'd watch where you were going, it wouldn't have happened," Jerome snapped.

"Maybe if both of you get along, we can get something done," Eddie interrupted. "We have a tree to pick out."

"Something small," Mick said.

"Something tall," Jerome crossed his arm.

"Do you two have to disagree over everything?" Eddie sighed.

"Yes." Jerome said.

"No." Mick muttered.

"This is ridiculous," Eddie grumbled. "Now can you please stop that and help me get a tree?" The two other boys sighed heavily and helped Eddie pick out a tree, which was roughly medium in size.

"Now, we have to carry this?" Mick eyed the tree.

"I thought you were all for lifting heavy stuff." Jerome taunted.

"Bring it on, then," Mick challenged. "Let's see if you can even compare."

"This isn't a competition," Eddie tried to say, but Jerome and Mick were already challenging each other.

"Have you thought of any baby names yet?" Willow asked Patricia, plunking herself down next to the unsuspecting pregnant girl.

"No, I'm not keeping it." Patricia said curtly, and she continued to pick at a plate of Chinese food Piper had brought for her.

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why? Would you keep it?"

"Oh, definitely," Willow didn't seem fazed. "It's a part of me. A child that carries my genes. Someone that would grow up looking like me. Besides, as an adult, I'd probably have kids anyway. So why would it matter if I had one younger?"

"It would ruin your life," Patricia argued.

"Not if you have good support," Willow countered. "My parents would support me if I kept a kid. I don't think they'd like me to give away their grandchild, anyway. Besides, if my kid grew up, I'd be the young mom every teenager wants." She winked at Patricia.

"You're weird," Patricia said bluntly.

"Funny," Willow mused, "everyone tells me that."

"Willow, can you, Fabian, and Mara go to the store?" Nina beckoned to Willow. "Fabian can drive, and you and Mara can bake. We're going to make cookies and stuff. Make sure to pick up a gingerbread house, too."

"How are the lights coming?" Willow asked.

"Slowly," Nina admitted. "We're probably going to wait until the guys come back, because we don't like manual labor. Especially Amber."

"We all know that," Willow laughed, and she left the room. Patricia was alone again, sitting in front of the lit fireplace. KT entered the room and jumped when she saw the pregnant girl.

"Oh," KT said, "hi."

"Hi," Patricia said awkwardly.

"Patricia, right?" KT took a seat next to her on the couch she was sitting on. "Are you and Eddie pretty serious?"

"Hardly. He's immature." Patricia said simply, prompting a laugh from KT.

"You're lucky, you know," KT said. "So is he."

"For what? Originally hating each other and eventually ending up as a couple? We're pretty stupid," Patricia disagreed.

"You guys are good together," KT said. "You both really like each other. I don't know why I never noticed all the sexual tension between you two."

"What?" Patricia sputtered. "There was no such thing!"

"Everyone saw it," KT said, laughing. "You know something, Patricia? I was ready to hate you when I saw you and Eddie on that bed. But I couldn't even if I tried."

"You saw us?" Patricia eyed KT. "Is that why you and Eddie broke it off?"

"Pretty much." KT nodded.

"That's awkward," Patricia winced.

"I guess so," KT shrugged. "So, is that how you got pregnant?"

"Yeah," Patricia said glumly.

"Well your baby is going to be adorable," KT smiled good-naturedly.

"I'm not- we're not- I'll never know," Patricia opted to say. "We're giving it up for adoption."

"I'd have done the same," KT said. "My parents aren't even in this country. On my own, I could never handle a kid. Maybe, though, with my friends' support I could do it."

"Maybe," Patricia looked away. KT took the hint and she stopped their conversation. She restocked the fire and went into the kitchen, fiddling with the oven to preheat it. "Hey, KT?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you hate me, exactly?"

"You remind me too much of my friends," KT said. "I always thought we- you and I, that is- could be friends." She looked away, somewhat embarrassed, but her remark made Patricia start to rethink everything.

"Baking cookies? We can just buy them," Alfie eyed the packages they'd brought back from the store.

"So, do we have to participate in all your Christmas stuff?" Mick asked.

"Mick, you can't bake," Willow scolded. "Don't even think about it. Us girls will bake, and the guys can go hang the Christmas tree lights."

"This is boring," Eddie complained.

"Don't care," Patricia said breezily, and she and the other girls eagerly went into the kitchen.

"Patricia, Joy and I are going to decorate the gingerbread house. You can come help us." Mara said.

"Works for me," Patricia said, and she took a few candy pieces. They set to work decorating the house while KT, Willow, Amber, and Piper took over the cookies. Amber kept mixing flour instead of powdered sugar. KT kept spilling the flour over the floor and was soon covered in the thin white dust. Piper and Willow worked well, but they couldn't help eating the chocolate pieces and Willow was soon very hyper and wasn't getting much done.

"Is all cooking this much work?" Amber complained as she finally got the mix right, making sure to set the flour bag on the floor and far away from the mixture. KT was about to reply but she tripped over the flour Amber had set on the floor and went flying.

"Is all cooking this painful?" KT mumbled as she blew air out of her lips.

"Here," Piper took Amber's mix and she began to take out spoonfuls to get the cookies baking. As the girls finished up their tasks, the boys struggled with the lights. Jerome was working at the top and Mick on the lower branches, and they kept colliding over how everything looked. After several tries, they reached a point where it looked fine and got Amber's approval, as well as Mara's.

"Now we can all sit down, eat cookies, drink hot chocolate, and watch Christmas movies." Joy said contentedly.

"That's so childish," Amber made a face.

"It's what we do," Patricia said cooly.

"Or sing Christmas carols," Willow's eyes lit up. "Dashing through the-"

"Shut up, that song's copyrighted!" Joy yelled.

"Joy!" Mara exclaimed, but Willow was giggling like a child at Joy's outburst.

"I like it," Willow said dreamily, and she skipped out of the room as if going to analyze what had just happened.

"So...cookies?" Alfie asked hopefully.

"Cookies," Piper grinned.

Yes, believe it or not, this story has a plot. The idea is two groups- the populars and the regular people- trying to connect as friends, all while battling the stereotypes of high school. I realized that I'm pacing this story WAY too fast, so Peddie seems to have developed too fast. I'll try to slow it down, and make sure the other ships are paced well. Well, thanks to my reviewers:

houseofanubisfan2- I never replied to you, I'm sorry! I still love you!

writingdawn

cruzguadalupe6

Kayleighann5

artsoccer

Moneytooth- Gurl you make me blush. Stop being so awesome.

SilverPebbbles

Sibuna4260

FloraIrmaTylee

stuckbeingrachel

4everSibuna

xXAquaMangoXx

Just Juice

I've noticed that fewer people are reviewing. School is taking its toll on you guys, isn't it? I know the feeling. As long as people still read, I totally understand. On the bright side, I got an A on my first Music 101 test! Yay! My college is going well, but my high school grades SUCK. Oh well...how are you guys doing? Review if you want to tell me, review if you want to, review if you can...you know me already. Just thanks in general!