Title: Christmas Presents Author: Tracy Author's Note: Summary: Lindsay has a little Christmas mystery on her hands, as well as some shopping to do. If you don't like Bobby and Lindsay together, then stop reading now! Disclaimer: If I owned any of these characters, you would be seeing this story on your television, as opposed to your computer screen. But you are seeing it on your computer screen, which means, despite that I have wished otherwise, these characters belong to David E. Kelley, 20th Century Fox and the ABC network. I promise not to mess with them too much as long as you don't sue me. I will stop writing these stories all together if Dylan McDermott is under my tree on Christmas morning. But until that happens, I'll keep going. No harm intended. --------------------------------------------------------------------- When Lindsay Dole got home late on a Thursday night, there was a form in her mailbox from the post office. It stated that there was a package that they had attempted to deliver, but since no one was home, she would need to pick it up at the post office herself. "Ugh. The post office at Christmas." she grimaced, knowing the lines would be long and the people in them grouchy. She tossed the notice aside and put on a kettle of water for tea. She was tired from shopping since three o'clock that afternoon. Her quest for the perfect gift for Bobby was still unsuccessful, and she only had three more days to find something for him. But what? The kettle began to whistle as she mulled over the possibilities. She didn't want to get him anything boring. She wanted to find something special, something different. "Something good." she said out loud, pouring her tea. "What's good?" asked Bobby as he came into the kitchen. "I didn't even know you were here." She was so startled, she nearly dropped her cup. "I was in working in the computer room. What's good?" he asked again. "Hopefully this package that came from the post office." she answered evasively, hoping to disguise the fact that she did not have a present for him yet. "Who's it from?" "I'm not sure. It's not here yet. I have to go pick it up and sign for it." "Does it say on the form who sent it?" Lindsay grabbed the notice off the counter and turned it over. "Sender is listed as S.C.. " "Who's S.C.?" Lindsay frowned and shook her head. "I don't know." "You don't know?" "I don't think I know anybody with the initials S.C.." "Do you know anyone in South Carolina?" Bobby wondered aloud. "My Aunt Maddie, but she's never sent me anything before." "Well, there's a first time for everything." Bobby responded cheerfully, heading back to the computer room. Lindsay picked up the phone and called her mother. "Hello?" "Hi Mom!" "Hi Lindsay! This is a treat! Two phone calls in one day!" Grace Dole teased, referring to the fact that Lindsay had called her earlier that day as well. "Well, I have a question for you." "Shoot." "Have you talked to Aunt Maddie lately?" "No, Honey. Why?" "I have to go pick up a package at the post office and the sender's initials are S.C. . I don't know anyone with those initials, but Bobby thinks maybe the package is from South Carolina, which made me think of Aunt Maddie." "But Lindsay, don't you remember? Aunt Maddie moved to Texas last year." "That's right!" Lindsay exclaimed. "Now I really have no idea who this could be from. Thanks anyway, Mom." "Sure, Lindsay. I'll talk to you later. Say hello to Bobby." "Bye." Lindsay hung up the phone, more puzzled than ever. Who was S.C.? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Late that night, as Bobby slept fitfully beside her, Lindsay was still wracking her brain to come up with a name. "S.C., S.C." she repeated in her head over and over again. Finally, at two o'clock in the morning, she gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed. The curiosity was killing her. She tiptoed out of their bedroom and shut the door quietly, so as not to wake Bobby. She went into the computer room and dug up her address book. Quickly she scanned it. "No S.C. here." she muttered. She glanced around the room and found a box that remained unpacked from when she had moved in with Bobby. She unsealed it and unearthed her old high school yearbooks. "Well, that girl certainly wouldn't be sending me anything." she commented, finding only one S.C. amongst her old classmates. She sighed and dove into some boxes that contained some of her stuff and some of Bobby's. As she was searching for the mysterious S.C., she found something she knew would be the perfect Christmas present for Bobby. She quickly hid it in her briefcase and continued to look for the name behind the initials. After nearly an hour and a half, she had exhausted all possibilities. "Who the hell sent me that package?" she fumed as she put back the contents of the last box. "Maybe it was Santa Claus." Lindsay jumped about three feet at the sound of Bobby's voice. "God Bobby! You scared me." She had her hand over her heart and could feel it beating in triple time. "Lindsay, what are you doing?" he marveled, rubbing one hand over his sleep laden eyes. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd investigate who could have sent me that package." "And?" "I still don't have the first clue." "So tomorrow you'll go pick it up." "I don't think so. I have court all day. I won't get to the post office." To herself she added "Plus I have to run an errand for your present." "Well, then before we go to my dad's on Christmas Eve, we'll go to the post office and pick it up. No big deal. Now come to bed, please." Reluctantly she followed him back to bed, still curious, but excited that she had stumbled across the perfect gift for Bobby. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, during a recess in court, Lindsay ran down to a small shop on the corner, Bobby's present tucked safely in her briefcase. She smiled to herself as she thought of how much Bobby would undoubtedly like his gift. "Can you do it?" she asked the shop owner sweetly, after explaining to him what she wanted. "I know it's short notice, but I just know he would love it." "Ms. Dole, I would be glad to help you. You were an angel when you helped me out with that lawsuit. It's my turn to help you, now." "Thank you!!!" she practically squealed. "You can pick it up tomorrow morning after ten, OK?" "Great!" And with that accomplished, Lindsay headed back to court. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Christmas Eve day, the office was only open until noon. No clients were coming in and no one was scheduled for court. Jimmy wasn't coming in at all and Lucy left at eleven because it was so slow. "Bec, can you do me a favor?" Lindsay asked. "What do you need?" Rebecca looked up from her file. "Can you distract Bobby while I run out and pick up his present?" "Sure. I need his opinion on this case anyway." she said and went into Bobby's office, shutting the door. Lindsay bolted out of the office and down to the store. "Hello Ms. Dole. Are you ready to see?" her former client asked. "I can't wait." she said, eager to the finished product. She gasped when she he brought it out to show her. "It's perfect. Better than I imagined." She complimented, delighted it had turned out so well. "I'm glad you like it." Lindsay paid him and left the shop, her great gift securely in hand. She stashed it in the trunk of the car before she went back inside. Rebecca was just leaving Bobby's office as Lindsay sat back down at her desk. "Hey, Bobby?" called Lindsay. "Yeah?" "Are you almost ready to go? We promised your Dad we'd be there by two." "It's noon. There's no hurry." "I know. But if I don't get to the post office and find out who this mysterious S.C. is, I'm going to die of curiosity." "I still think it must be Santa Claus." Bobby replied. Then, seeing the impatient look on her face, he relented. "All right. Get your coat and let's go." "Yes!" Lindsay exclaimed, jumping out of her chair and nearly sprinting for the coat rack. "What's all this about?" Rebecca wondered aloud. "Lindsay has a package at the post office and she doesn't know who it's from. The suspense is more than she can take." answered Bobby, his eyes twinkling. "Bobbyyyyyyy! Let's goooooo." whined Lindsay from the door, shaking her leg up and down in anticipation. Bobby laughed. "Bec, will you lock up?" "You bet. Merry Christmas, you guys." "Merry Christmas!" Bobby and Lindsay chimed in unison as Lindsay dragged Bobby out the door. --------------------------------------------------------------------- As expected the post office was a mess. The line was all the way out the door and onto the snowy steps outside the post office lobby. Lindsay was practically jumping up and down with excitement in the cold winter air. "Look at you!" teased Bobby. "You are like a little kid on Christmas morning!" "I just cannot imagine who this package is from and I'm dying to know." She took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, her warm breath making "smoke" in the cold air. "I love Christmas. Everything about it makes me happy." "Yeah. Christmas is good." agreed Bobby. The line for the post office inched forward slowly, but finally, after almost forty-five minutes, they reached the front counter. Lindsay handed the clerk the slip from the mailman and a few minutes later the clerk came back with the package. Lindsay signed for it and squealed with delight. Look, Bobby! It IS from Santa Claus!" Sure enough the sender was written in as Santa Claus. "Who could this really be from?" She began to rip the package open. "Why don't you wait until we get outside of this crowded lobby?" Bobby suggested. But once they were outside, she could not contain herself any longer. She tore the package open and found a plain brown box inside, taped completely shut. "Such a mystery!" she gasped and started yanking on the tape. But when she finally got it open, there was only a note inside. "Look down and to your left." it read. "What?" asked Lindsay, but did as instructed. And then she started to cry. Down and to her left, in the cold winter snow, Bobby was kneeling on one knee with a beautiful diamond ring between two fingers. "Lindsay Dole, will you marry me?" "Yes, yes, yes!!!!" she screamed. Bobby slipped off her glove and placed the ring on her finger. He stood up and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him right back. "I love you." he grinned, after they parted. "I love you, too, Santa." she giggled. but then she said "Wait! Don't move!" "What?" asked Bobby. But Lindsay was already running toward the car. When she returned, she had a silver bag in her hands. "It's not really wrapped, but, since we're exchanging presents now........" "What is it?" Bobby wanted to know. "Open it." she urged. Inside the bag was the most thoughtful present Bobby had ever gotten. It was a picture of his mother and father on their wedding day. "Lindsay.......How did you get this?" "I found it in your things." "But this is in perfect condition. My copy was yellow and had tears in it." "I had it restored and framed. Do you like it?" "It's perfect. It's the best thing I've ever gotten." he whispered, then added "Thank you." "No, Bobby. Thank you." And they kissed again as the snow began to fall once more. THE END --------------------------------------------------------------------- OK, so you have to pretend the proposal on the show didn't happen the way DEK wrote it. But I like the idea of a Christmas proposal. Happy Holidays, Everyone! -Tracy ---------------------------------------------------------------------