"Well, thank you, Kaplan..." Melinda said, letting out a slight blush then smiling wide at Chris. One of his thoughts might have slipped into her mind, them being alone at the room, but maybe that would have to wait. "...and you won't be disappointed." She added.

One slight nod, though firm was made by Mel towards Nick. "I promise by heart, that somehow, I will teach you to do the trick. Your brother is sort of learning.." She commented, looking up at Chris, then giving him a wink.

"You are very welcome Black." Chris said and smiled as he saw her blush. "I bet I wont. But I don't know if it will be as good as Hogwarts food." He said teasing Melinda.

"Ok you better." Nick said looking up at Melinda. "He is?" Nick asked and looked at Chris.

Chris looked at Melinda, but then saw her wink. "Nick it's true I am." He told him smiling.

ooc:-flails- new siggy...

Melinda widened her eyes when Chris mentioned the Hogwarts food. Nothing was compared to it, nothing. "Haha..." She laughed, sarcastically. "Maybe there is no comparison, I still can't do the mashed potatoes that they prepare at Hogwarts...not with the same taste, I mean..." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

Smiling at both, Mel smiled and nodded her head. Time will come, and maybe Nick could know all the truth.

Chris laughed. "No the mashed potatos are the best hands down." He told Mel. "But I think your chocolate cake has them beat." He told her smiling. "I think we should all probably be heading down now." He said standing up. But then relized he was still in his pajamas. "Righttt. Maybe I should go shower and get changed first." He said and chuckled.

Chocolate cake!!

More ideas came into Melinda's head as Chris mentioned it. "I don't want to make too many sweets, but that just made my mouth water..." She commented and laughed out loud.

She knew it was time for her to let Chris have a while for him to prepare and walk downstairs. "yes you do...Nick, let's head downstairs. I need to start on the turkey and ham..." She told him, thinking on what delicious treat she could say.

ooc. Let's skip til dinner, I seriously can't remember all the recipes...

occ: Yeah this post will be right before the dinner.

Chris was sitting in the living room when he wasn't staring at the fire he was messing with his vest. Yes he had gotten dressed up for the dinner well a botton down white shirt, nice blake pants and a black vest. But he was as nervous as could be. Lena would be there any minute and Melinda was already there. Eeeeep! This was so going to be a awkward dinner. At the thought of this his knee started to bounce slightly out of nervse.

Eww...Mel just smelled like a bunch of flour, random cooking ingredients and well, horribly, the clothes she had put during the morning, were all messed up by then. Knowing that it could be a mess, she immediately went to take a shower and dressed up a dress she loved, a black strapless and a small coat. She wasn't going to stand much the cold of Bulgaria. It was...inmense!!

And to add the situation, herself had adviced Chris to invite Lena to the dinner. She gulped, trying to maintain her mood under control. It was going to be a short night, she hoped.

Sigh...Walking out of the small bathroom, she put on her sweater and walked towards the living room. Chris was nervous, she could feel it, it was that sense that something inside his head wasn't exactly calm.

Helena hesitantly got out of the taxi and walked up to the Kaplan's front door, shivering slightly as she did so. There was a small package in her hand, neatly wrapped in green with a red bow on it, but she held it loosely at her side as she was wondering if it was right to bring it at all.

As Helena reached the door, she smoothed out her cream-colored coat and took a bit of a deep breath. Finally she knocked, resisting the urge to fiddle with her recently-smoothed-to-the-side dark ponytail as she waited.

Chris watched Melinda walk near the living room. He got up and hugged her. "No matter what happens tonight just remember I love you alright?" He asked holding her tight. Well not so tight that she couldn't breath but you get the idea.

Knock knock. Chris heard that noise and felt his heart speed up. He gulped slightly, he gave Melinda a quick kiss on the cheek and went to the door. Once there he waited a moment to open in. To tell you the truth he was scared, scared out of his mind of what might happen. He finally opened the door and saw Lena and smiled. "Hey, umm Merry Christmas." He said.

Helena smiled as Chris opened the door, glad he was the first person she saw, as there were so many new people she would be meeting. She felt herself calm down a bit. She chuckled slightly at his usual 'um' interjection. And you as well. Thank you so much for inviting me over. Her eyes were rather grayer than usual; had she known this, Helena would have assumed it was nerves, and it was.... mostly.

Melinda hugged Chris back, still nodding to what he had said. She was confused. No matter what happens tonight? The night was going to be long, it seemed. As the door knock was heard, she let go of Chris and felt the kiss, then saw him attend the door.

Lena was home, with the Kaplans. Mel tensed up, took a deep breath and smiled. "Happy Christmas, Lena..." She said, trying to sound as honest as possible.

As Helena caught sight of Mel, the latter had spoken. She smiled in return and said, Happy Christmas to you also, Mel. It's good to see you again. She felt a little awkward at the moment, standing there, but it was nothing to how she could have felt.... or would feel.

"You should probably come in if you don't want to get cold. Or maybe I will just have to throw more snow at you." Chris said smiling as he teased Lena. As she came in he shut the door, when he turned back around he saw Melinda tense up. Oh no this wasn't good. "It's really no problem." He said.

It was Nick to save the day. He walked out of the kitchen and were Melinda,Chris and the girl he didn't know were. He went over to Melinda and held her hand smiling up to her. "Chris mum said dinner will be ready soon." He told him. "Hi." He said to Lena a bit shyly which wasn't like him.

"Lena this is Nick my brother. Nick this is Lena a friend from school." He told them.

Helena smiled and thanked him as she walked into the house; well, it would've been much worse if it was her first time here. I'll pass on the snow, thanks, she said with a small laugh. As Nick came out of the kitchen, Lena was a bit surprised. Where was this rambunctious seven year old she was told to expect? She smiled at him. Hello. It's very nice to meet you, Nick.

Looks like the new couple had an adventure. Snowball fight, maybe? Melinda was thinking so hard, she was trying to concentrate on not to lose that strenght to hold herself from just exploding against Lena by being one of his actual crushes. "It's good to see you again, as well...Helena..." She pronounced her whole name for a reason, but it was unknown to her consious side of her mind.

Feeling Nick's hold of her hand, she let out a sigh of relief and smiled down at him. "Maybe I shall go help your mum get everything on the table. I can smell most of the food is ready by now..." She said, letting go of Nick's hand, though if he wanted to follow her, he was welcome.

"You sure?" Chris asked raising an eyebrow slightly. Chris looked at Lena she looked suprised. Oh probably because Nick wasn't acting all crazy like he always did on Christmas. Snort. Must be Melinda.

"Nice to meet you too." He told Lena and smiled widely towards her.

"Yeah mum was just getting everything on the table when I came out. I want come!" Nick said folowing Melinda into the kitchen.

"I promise he is never this calm on Christmas." Chris told Lena he then noticed the box in her hands. "Here let me take that." He told her and headed into the living room to put in next to the tree.

Yes, she said with a smile in reply to the snow question. She chuckled at his comment about Nick and graciously allowed him to take the present, thanking him again, before following him into the living room as she undid the buttons on her coat and slid it off to reveal a knee-length black dress that was just a little bit flowy and had straps about an inch in width. She folded the coat over her arm. As he put the gift next to the tree, she said, You look really nice, by the way, with another small smile, still nervous like crazy.

Chris heard Lena say he looked nice. He felt his ears get red. No! No not now, but there was not way she wasn't going to notice. He turned around from putting the gift under the tree. "You look nice too." He told Lena and smiled. "Let me take your coat as while." He took her coat and went back out near the door a hung it up on the coat rack.

"Chris dinner!" Charlie called out to the two of them.

"Coming." He said as he walked towards the living room waving Lena to folow him. "Lena this is mum and dad. Mum and dad this Lena." He said introducing them as he walked into the kitchen.

Helena saw his ears redden; wow it was just a comment, but it was kind of cute. Thanks, she said with a smile as he returned the compliment and then went to hang her coat. She took a deep breath before following him into the kitchen after Charlie called them into dinner, but she entered with a smile. It's very nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan. Thank you so much for having me over for dinner.

Mel had finished putting all plates to be used on the table, six it seemed and smiled at the work her and Emily did all morning and afternoon. A sigh let out, trying to get the strenght to call everyone to dinner, well just Lena and Chris.

But no, she had to walk out of the kitchen, still wearing an apron to protect her perfect dress. "Dinner is ready, you may come to the table..." She announced and went back inside the kitchen.

Chris could feel his ears turn back to their normal color. He hated anytime anyone commented him like that, that's what happened. Oh well it's just one of those things you can't change.

Charlie watched as Lena and Chris walked in. "Nice to meet you too. And it's our pleasure." He told her.

"It's very nice to meet you too." Emily told Lena and smiled.

Charlie took his seat at the head of the table and Emily on his left. Nick sat next to his dad and Chris sat at the other end of the table. Leaving the two seats next to him. And that meant Melinda and Lena would sit across from each other...

Helena smiled in return to Charlie and Emily and waited for the rest of the family to be seated before taking one of two seats remaining - this one being the one on Chris's left. She didn't want Melinda to feel as if she were overstepping boundaries. Everything looks wonderful, she commented with another smile.

Maybe it was a bit too late to regret herself from suggesting Chris to invite Lena to the Christmas dinner. She felt insecure, she was trying to maintain that little pacience she had after so much work at the kitchen. Going back to the dining room, she smiled at everyone and took the seat to right from where Chris was sitting. Trying to cheer up, she looked back at Lena and grinned from her comment.

"Yes...Mrs. Kaplan...is a great cook and she made this quite special..." She hoped no one mentioned her helping out. What about if they thought she was to poison Lena?

It was crazy to think that...because she would never do that to anyone. She was not insanely obsessed with Chris, she wanted the best for him. And if it meant that he chose Lena...oh well, Mel must accept it.

Chris watched as Lena sat next to him on his left. Will that was good at least Melinda would be next to Nick then. And knowing Mel she wouldn't get mad with Nick, and his mum and dad right there. Or at least that's what Chris hoped.

"Yeah mum their right everything looks great." He told her smiling as he took his napkin and placed it in his lap. He then smiled slightly towards Mel knowing she helped but wasn't going to make a big deal about it.

"Well thank you all three of you. I hope you enjoy it." She said smiling.

Charlie took some of the ham and started to cut it. He then looked at Lena. "So Lena I understand you live in Bulgaria where do you live exactly?" He asked curiously as he to a bit of his ham.

Chris was taking some of the mash potatos when he heard his dad ask Lena where she lived. Oh boy here we go with 20 questions. But he couldn't do anything about it so he put his head down and started to eat.

At least she didn't feel like she was on an interview - it was just curiosity, and rightly so. She smiled slightly, spooning some corn onto her plate as she replied, I live on the outskirts of Brezovo. It's a very charming little town, one that I've grown fond of. Not mentioning she had only lived there for about a week, but had known it previously through her grandparents.