It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

34.

Derek drove down the road carefully. He had decided that taking the back roads would be easiest, he could drive a little faster on them, and it would get him to her sooner. He sighed as he looked down at the gift he had bought for her, shaking his head, he sighed. "Why the hell would I get a gift for a woman that drives me so insane...puts up such a fight over everything, argues... doesn't give an inch when it isn't in her favor... a woman that broke up with me over the phone...on a message... why would I give her a gift?" He whispered as his mood started to darken slightly.

"Meri...?" Derek said softly as he stepped into his apartment, hearing her swearing and cursing from the kitchen. A strong pungent odor took over his senses and he could see smoke coming from the kitchen. He picked up his pace. "Meri, are you alright?" He asked as he stepped into the kitchen quickly, finding her standing at the stove stabbing something on a tray. "Meri..." He said quickly as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so stupid! So, so stupid!" She exclaimed as she stabbed the charred remains of what must have been dinner on the tray in front of her.

He placed his hand on hers, gently prying the knife from her fingertips, he turned her around into his arms. "What's going on in here?"

"I was... I was... making dinner... and I messed it up... I was going to surprise you with dinner, and I messed it all up..." She said as she started to cry into his chest, her arms wrapped around him as he rubbed her back gently. "I messed it all up..."

He looked over her shoulder at the crispy black disks that sat on the tray, filled with stab marks as he soothed her. "Aw... sweetheart... it doesn't look that bad..." He whispered.

"Derek! Did you look at them? They're officially carbon!" She exclaimed as she buried her head in his chest again.

"Oh, baby... you tried... at least you tried..." He whispered as he kissed her head.

"I wanted to surprise you..." She mumbled into him as he held her.

"You did surprise me..." He said softly. "Now what were you going to make me?" He asked.

"See! You can't even tell what it was supposed to be!" She exclaimed.

"No..." Derek laughed. "No, I mean... I see that it's chicken... what were you going to make with it?" He asked.

"I don't know... maybe some beans or a salad or something... Maybe... um... something less complicated than using the oven..." She sighed, sniffling.

"Why don't we make that... we can eat that... and then we'll go out and maybe get some ice cream or something... and we'll forget about the chicken all together." He shrugged.

"I bet you never want me to cook for you again..." She mumbled into him as she sighed.

"I love anything you do for me, baby... even if you... kill it after you burn it to a crisp..." He said, picking up the knife with the charred chicken sticking to it and giving it a disgusted look.

"Oh, you're hilarious..." She pouted with a little smile.

"See... you're smiling..." Derek said with a laugh. "It must not be as traumatic after all..." He chuckled.

"I'm only smiling because when we're all rich and famous... we're going to hire a cook..." She sighed with a laugh as she leaned up and kissed his nose.

"I love you, Meri, Meri, quite contrary..." He whispered, watching her grin, her tears gone as she giggled, squeezing him in a tight hug as she flitted off to try to make them something different.