Dereck's Pov:

The days passed and before we knew it, it was less then two weeks before Christmas. Veronica left town a few days after our meeting.

Things aren't perfect between them but they're getting better. She calls a few times a week and checks on Vin and Sams.

Vin was a little stand offish at first but he's warmed up and will now have an actual conversation with her.

Yesterday was the last day of school this term. So we're officially out for Christmas vacation and exactly half way through our Senior year.

We set up the Christmas tree and decorated it yesterday. So today we can go shopping for everybody's gift. We're staying here until the 23rd then we're flying out to my cabin in Breckenridge, Colorado.

We're going to stay there until the 3rd and we'll fly back the day before school starts up again.

Peter hasn't come by but he has called more then a few times. All of them when he was drunk. He was all over the place, concerned about Veronica, sad, bitter, outraged. You name an extreme emotion and he acted it.

Of course we never answered his call but he left a very long voicemail every time he called. So today Vin just went ahead and called Verizon and had all his father's lines blocked from both of our phones. No more crazy drunk dialing from daddy dearest.

Things with Vin are great. Better then great actually. Every day I love him more then the previous which is just insane because I was head over heels in love with him from the start. I really see no wrong in him. Even when he rips one and stinks up our room I just laugh.

It really is amazing that we can be hanging out and playing xbox then the next thing you know we're fooling around.

Things in the hot and heavy department are great even if we haven't actually had real sex. I don't know why we haven't yet, he's ready and I know I am. But I'm not gonna rush it. It'll happen when it happens.

"Hey you." He nudged my shoulder and brought me out of my thoughts.

"Sup boo-boo?" I said putting my coffee mug in the sink.

He leaned against the counter next to me and grinned. "You're seriously gonna call me that? I was joking when I said we were like yogi and boo-boo."

I shrugged. "I like it. They were two guys that spent their life together causing havoc to those around them with their mischievous ways. Definitely fits us. So go get that ass ready so we can hit up the mall. We gots some serious shopping to do."

He scrunched up his nose. "Yogi you know I hate shopping! Cant we just give everyone money and they can buy whatever the hell they want?" He whined.

I grabbed the hand towel off the counter and popped it at his abs. "Get a move on babe or it'll be so packed we have to spend all day there just waiting in lines."

He walked off grumbling about mean boyfriends that used cruel and unusual torture. I shook my head chuckling at his silliness.

"Making you shop is not cruel or unusual. You're just weird." I hollered to his retreating back.

Fifteen minutes later we were driving to the mall with a sulky Vin taking his attitude out on the stereo.

"Vin, Chill we'll be as fast as we can. I already made a list of everything I'm getting. You have any idea what you're getting everyone?"

"Yeah gift cards. So if you hurry we can be out of there in an hour" he brightened at that and I rolled my eyes.

"Gift cards are just as bad as money. You have to get real gifts for people. Jeez... you've never gotten people gift cards before so why now?" I asked

He laughed and grabbed my hands. "No, I always give everyone a plain envelope with cash but since you vetoed that idea I went with the next best thing. You and Sammy are the only ones I ever actually spend time picking out a present for. So feel special babe."

I blushed because in a weird way that was more proof that I was always special to him. Out of everyone he only did that for me and Sams and I've seen what he gets her. He doesn't get nearly as thoughtful with her gifts as he does mine.

Hehe I like being his number one. I know that's selfish but hey, cant help how ya feel.

We walked into the mall and I took a second to look around at the stores. "We'll go to Best Buy first to pick up Jared and Mitch's gifts. They'll be the easiest." I said dragging him to the electronic heaven that held every game and electronic gadget a teen boy dreams of.

"How about we get both of them a console and game bundle from both of us? See this one has the xbox360 kinect with like 10 games and an extra wireless controller follows voice commands and has bluetooth . We'll split it and it'll be like $1000 each. So we'll end up spending like $500 on each of them" Before I was even done talking he had already grabbed two of the big boxes and put them in our basket.

"Sounds good. Who's next?" He asked impatient to get shopping over with.

"We still have Ariel, Sams, Veronica, and Lisa. Any idea's for theirs yet? "

He nodded. "I'm gonna get Sammy a new Ipod. She dropped her other one in a toilet on campus and left it there because of 'all the icky germs' and was whining on the phone that she wanted a hot pink one." He walked over and spent a total of two seconds picking out one for her.

"Babe you sure that'll be one she likes?" I asked examining the box.

He shrugged. "It's small, has the most memory and it's pink. Why wouldn't she? Besides if she doesn't like it she can exchange it for another. It's the most expensive and girls like expensive shit right? So it's all good." He tossed the box in the basket and looked around.

"You think I can get Ariel the same thing? That'd be cute right? Both of them with matching ipods." He muttered grabbing another one.

I rolled my eyes. "You're gonna try and get everyone's gift here aren't you" I said laughing when he gave me that duh look of his.

I sighed. "Fine, but get her an Ipad not the same thing you got Sams. Your mom would probably like an ereader or maybe a Kindle fire. She likes reading but was complaining on the phone about her books taking up too much space. Hmmm let's see Lisa... get her a camera she cracked her screen a while back and hasn't replaced it yet." He grinned and leaned forward to give me a quick kiss.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you. Beauty and brains." He said pulling back and rushing off to grab whatever was top of the line in each of those categories.

Ah he's just too cute for his own good.

I rolled my eyes and stifled my laugh when he asked the young sales clerk if he could pay extra to have it wrapped and delivered home.

The clerk gave him an are you dumb look and shook his head. "We don't gift wrap"

He rang us up and gave us a condescending look when he said. "Your total is $5487.23 are you sure you kids have enough money for all those little toys. Or should I cancel the order."

Vin smirked and handed over his debt card. "Betcha wish we were Christmas shopping for you huh? Maybe if you stop the dirty looks and pissy attitude Santa will bring you something other then coal." He said signing the receipt.

I elbowed him. "Be nice."

He rolled his eyes. "I was. I was giving him advice on how he could improve his customer service. I'm trying to help him keep his job. How is that not nice?" He retorted shrugging when I quirked my brow at him.

We grabbed the basket and wheeled it out to the car and put everything into the trunk.

"When we finish we can take everything to the gift wrapping center and drop it to be wrapped while we get lunch. I just need to pop over to the jewelery store, perfumania, Godiva and Saks then I'm done."

He grabbed my hand and towed me back into the mall. We walked into the jewelery store and I looked around for just a few minutes before I found what I was looking for. I asked the sales associate to look at it and nodded my approval. It was a white gold, Sapphire and diamond ring and pendant set. The matching earrings were sold separately but I got them too.

Vin walked around looking at everything. While I checked out. I looked over my shoulder to make sure he wasn't paying attention. "I also need to pick up my order. It's under the name Dereck Smith and I already paid for it when I had it engraved," She smiled and shot a quick glance at Vin.

"I'll sneak it in the bag so your boyfriend doesn't notice. It's so sweet. Me and the girls were admiring it but don't worry we polished the fingerprints off." She cleared her throat and smiled when Vin walked up to me.

"Your total is $619.89 cash or charge sir?" I handed her my card and signed the receipt. She handed me the two bags and I slyly looked inside. Two boxes in one and a flatter longer box in the other.

"So Sams taken care of, I'm gonna get Ariel and Lisa next." I said walking into the perfume shop. I walked to the women's section and got the biggest gift box sets of both the girl's favorite perfumes.

Hugo Deep Red for Ariel and Guess by Marciano for Lisa. I swiped my card and signed off on the almost $375.00 purchase. We went into Godiva and I got a huge gift basket for for Lisa and laughed when Vin rolled his eyes.

"I cant believe you just spent over a hundred dollars on some chocolate. Hello ever heard of Nestle? You could have gotten Lisa like 200 candy bars for that price." He said eyeing the candy.

"Yeah well Lisa isn't exactly flush like we are and I remember her saying she loves Godiva but it's too pricey for her budget. So stuff it mister and let me finish my shopping."

We walked into Saks and I picked up the pair of ballet flats Ariel made sure to tell me to surprise her with and a pair of heels fit for a cougar for Veronica, and a silver charm bracelet for Lisa.

I walked into the dress section and browsed. Thanks to Sams I know what size dress to get Veronica. I had it down to two and held them out to Vin.

"Which one's hotter?"

He eyed both of them then quirked up a brow. "Thinking of taking up cross dressing? I don't think those are your colors babe." He teased.

"Haha very funny smart ass. Now which one is sexier?"

He looked closer and smiled. "Definitely that little black one that is low cut in the back. Classy and sexy and leaves you wanting to see what is under the high cut front and the not being able to wear a bra is a plus. Sammy's definitely gonna like seeing Ariel in that." He said nodding his approval.

I smiled. "It's not for Ariel it's for your mom. She's an attractive single woman. Time to get her to look the part. Maybe land her a hot nice guy."

He glared at me. "You purposely didn't say that was for mom so I'd pick the sexier one didn't you? Ughh I'm gonna need therapy now. Mom and sexy do not belong in the same sentence." He complained as I checked out.

We picked up the stuff from the car and dropped it all off to be wrapped. I stopped at an Atm outside the food court and pulled out the cash I owed him for Jared and Mitch's gift. Then chowed on some Chinese.

"So you have anything specific you'd like for Christmas? Cause I have a few ideas but if you have something you have your eye on my stuff can wait." He asked stealing a bite off my egg roll.

I grinned. "Is that your way of telling me that you have no idea what to get me?"

"No I just want to make sure that there isn't anything you wanted before I did my thing. Since when have I ever not had a kick ass gift idea for you?"

"I wanna start a beanie baby collection." I held in my laugh at his scandalized look.

"You're f*ckin with me right? Because I love you too much to let you turn into a freak and even talking about getting beanie babies is the first step down Weirdo Avenue."

I shook my head. "Anything you get will be great. Just don't go overboard."

He laughed. "When do I ever go overboard?"

I ignored that because he seems to go overboard in everything he does for me.

"Oh on the way home we have to make one quick stop. I wanna get Veronica, Ariel and Sams all a spa package. Ya know a day of being pampered and girlie bonding."

He dropped a slow kiss on my lips. "I love that you wanna help smooth things out between the girls and mom."