After the therapy session, Bobby and Raven's marriage has been on a break and every day it seems to get more and more difficult to be distant from each other.
Raven stayed at their multi-million mansion in the hills. When he got home he noticed how quiet and abandoned the house was. He knew the house was going to be empty but this was too much for him. He wanted to go to Bobby's place in Sandy Shores and tell him "to come back home", but he was too stubborn to do it.
As the holidays were getting closer Bobby hoped that Zelda would go to both him and Raven homes to celebrate Christmas. Bobby was looking forward to having his first Christmas as a family, but now he wished that Zelda could have a decent Christmas. He felt guilty for putting Zelda in an awkward situation.
Bobby was up late in the Sheriff 's Office in Sandy Shores, and he was finishing up some last-minute paperwork. He checked the time on his phone.
"SHIT!" Bobby shrieked. "It's almost Christmas, I need to buy gifts soon." he sighed. He got lost in his thoughts:
Okay, Christmas can work! Raven and I can be adults, Zelda doesn't have to worry about our marriage. I'll get the family gifts, make my mom's cheesecake and everything will go smoothly.
Bobby's phone rang, startling him out of his thoughts, Zelda was calling.
"Hello, Zelda!" he answered
"Dad?" Zelda spoke quietly.
"Yes, Honey?" Bobby replied.
"After Christmas will you and dad be back to normal?" Zelda asked.
"Sweetheart, I — I don't know" he stuttered "You know Zelda, I'm not going to lie to you. Raven and I are going through a rough moment right now."
She mumbled, "I know that. I just..." silence filled the air.
" I just wanted a family Christmas. I know you and dad aren't good currently. I was expecting that you and dad would need one day apart from each other and then everything would go back to normal." she sniffled.
He comforted Zelda, "I know it's a lot and it's not your fault. It's just hard, I love your dad, you know that. Sometimes I — I" he paused,
"I'm just a fucking idiot! It's my fault that we aren't good. He honestly deserves someone better." Bobby sobbed, "We are supposed to be happy and enjoying the holidays together, but look what I did, I just separated the family. I couldn't just let it go, I had to get an answer. I should've been more trusting."
Zelda interrupted "Dad that's not true! It just means that you truly love Raven. I'm sorry I brought it up I just..."
"Zelda it's okay, I guess I needed to vent a little bit." Bobby suggested, "I know that Raven and I are rocky right now, but I think we can be adults and work with each other, and can have a nice Christmas as a family, and ignore what happened in therapy for the night."
"Really!?!" Zelda exclaimed cheerfully "you'd do that for me?" she doubted.
"Honey, I would do anything for you," Bobby stated "I'm not going to let our arguments get in the way of Christmas. Um... Who should call him, me of you?"
Zelda encouraged "I think you should call him. You guys need to talk, it's been a while since you last talked to each other and maybe you guys can sort something out. Okay bye dad, love you and see you at Christmas!" she ended the call.
Bobby stared at his contact list for what seemed like minutes but was only seconds away. He inhaled and exhaled thinking about what to say to Raven, he picked up his phone and called "Hubby <3" on his contacts list. The phone rang and rang and rang and there was a moment of silence.
A disgruntled Raven greeted "Chief Raven, what the hell do you want?"
"Oh shit, is this bad timing? Sorry, should I call later?" Bobby excused himself.
"NO! wait-" a loud sigh came from Raven "I was getting false report phone calls and I didn't see who called me. Sorry I didn't mean to be rude. What's going on?"
"So... I know that we are still feuding but I want to forget it just for one night. You don't have to agree but I think it'll be good for us." Bobby proposed the Christmas idea he had with Zelda. Before Raven gets to answer the proposal, Bobby interjects.
"Zelda was talking about wanting to be a family for Christmas, and I couldn't say no. I feel bad for putting Zelda in an uncomfortable situation, and this is a way I can hopefully make it up for her. "
Bobby could hear Raven smile as he said, "Yeah! Christmas can be at the house, and we could invite some close friends too."
Bobby was overjoyed that Raven agreed to have a family Christmas until he was slightly bothered by a 10-90.
" Thank you for agreeing to this Vlad. I'm so excited for Christmas, Zelda is going to be so happy, although now I have to respond to a bank robbery, love you bye!"
Bobby hung up the phone Raven knew that he made a good decision that day. He was looking forward to seeing Zelda and Bobby mostly to see Bobby because he missed how Bobby's eyes would get when little flashbacks of him and his sister when they were little kids, or when his smile would widen when Zelda or I would visit him at work. He would have the biggest grin when he talked about anyone he loved. Raven thought to himself,
Why did I say those things in therapy? I just wanted a reaction and took it way too far. I loved it when he'd talked about Matilda, it made it special that he was sharing his childhood with me. This can work, Bobby and I can be civil and maybe Bobby and I can get back together after Christmas.
"Love you too," he said out loud to the phone.
Christmas Day
Raven is running around the house making sure that everything in the house looked well decorated and perfectly placed.
"Raven, you should calm down the guests aren't even here," Snow told him as Raven moved the Christmas tree for the fifth time in a row.
"Bobby is coming with Zelda for Christmas, everything needs to look perfect. He hasn't been here in a month and I just want him to feel at home again." Raven expressed
" I don't think Bobby is going to be interested in the house." Snow reassured " He'll probably care more about how you have been doing that the house."
Raven groaned " I know, but I'm just really anxious. No one knows that me and Bobby have been fighting. I just want everyone to feel comfortable, hopefully there isn't any awkward tension."
" Trust me Raven, everything is going to go smoothly, everyone is going to be happy and you and Bobby will be just fine." Snow convinced Raven.
"Zelda! Does blue go with Christmas colors?!" Bobby frantically touching up his outfit for dinner.
Zelda annoyed yelled "Yes Dad! You already changed outfits like 3 times, we need to go, or we'll be late!"
"Alright, I'm coming" Bobby grabbed his keys then set the alarm and ran out the front door,"How do I look? Do you think he'll like it." Bobby twirling around, so Zelda can see the front and back of his outfit
Zelda giggled "Dad you look beautiful, and Raven likes anything you wear".
The trip from Sandy Shores to the Vinewood Hills was short but it seemed long for Bobby,
"I'm a little nervous, you know. Our friends don't know that Raven and I are arguing. The only one that knows is Copper, but she's back in her hometown. I don't want to make people uncomfortable." Bobby confessed, "I just hope I don't screw anything up".
"Why would you screw up? Everything is going to be perfect, you and dad will talk, and we'll act like... we've been... a perfect... family." Zelda slowly trails off, looking down at the cheesecake Bobby made.
Bobby looked at her frowning at the idea that Zelda thinks that they'll never be a happy family. When they were stopped at a red light he reached his hand out to hug Zelda,
"Sweetheart, I know we aren't perfect, but Raven and I love you very much. Yes, we aren't together right now and honestly, it has been hurting me every day. I miss being in that house enjoying our Sunday family time. What I'm trying to say is that it'll be okay, no matter what happens. Your father and I will figure it out, we'll be happy again, I promise."
When they arrived at the house, Bobby took the gifts from the back of his truck, while Zelda had the cheesecake and knocked on the door. Raven greeted them motioning to come inside and Bobby struggled to make sure none of the gifts fall off.
Inside they were met by their friends from PD,
"Sorry I'm late! I had to buy some last minute gifts." Bobby apologizes for the fabricated excuse.
as everyone greets Bobby and Zelda, Raven plants a kiss on Bobby's cheek. Bobby smiles and sets the gifts down by the tree. He turns to Raven to kiss him back on the cheek, but gets interrupted.
Matt Rhodes yelled from across the room, "Hey Smith, look up!"
When he looks up, he sees Jerry Perkins holding a broom with mistletoe hanging off of it. ""You've got to kiss Raven now, Bobby" Perkins instructs.
Without hesitation Bobby leans forward and passionately plants a kiss on Raven's lips and Raven returns the kiss, the crowd praised them at the moment. Although the moment was short Bobby craved Raven's lips, it had been a while since they last kissed and he missed it.
Raven was surprised that Bobby kissed him. He thought that he'd make an excuse like, he had a cold or something. He hoped that it would lead to them having a better relationship.
After dinner, everyone moved the furniture to make a mini dance floor. Everyone was energetic and kept on dancing while some stayed by the dinner table standing to talk to each other. A lot of people were surprisingly dancing, both Bobby and Raven were not,they were across the room chatting to their colleagues
Slow songs started to play, and the people started to scatter. Raven saw Bobby getting water and called to dance with him, Bobby approached Raven with a big smile on his face.
They went by a corner where no one was watching or looking at them as they held onto each other, swaying to the music, neither of them talked until More Than Words by Extreme came on.
"Hey, how have you been doing?" asked Raven
"Not that well, but I've been going to the gym at the beach to be distracted" Bobby answered " I've been putting on a brave face for Zelda. I just don't want her to worry about me, but I know she does. How have you been coping?"
Raven trying to deflect the question " You know I've been working on myself." mumbling "by...drinking...whiskey.."
Bobby knew the answer but was still disappointed "Raven, please that's not healthy, you need to take better care of yourself. It worries me"
Looking down at his feet "I'm sorry! I'm trying to not drink as much. I don't want you to worry about me. I just — I just .... I don't know"
"I miss you." Bobby whispered, "I want us to stay like this forever."
Raven told Bobby, "Well we can keep on slow dancing, no one can see us."
Bobby corrects him "Not like that Raven, I want us to be happy again. I love you so much. being away from you made me realize that I'm the happiest being with you. I miss being a family, and I hated every second of us being separated. You're my husband and I want it to stay like that. Maybe we can try again, I know that Zelda want us together, and I think she's right. I can't see myself with anyone else in my vows I remember that I said that 'I will work to always be the husband you deserve' and I'm willing to keep my promise."
Raven was speechless, he was in awe of his husband's words, tears started forming in his eyes, he embraced Bobby and pulled him in for a long kiss, "I missed you too, It was miserable without you." he hugs Bobby tightly, kissing him on the cheek. "Bobby, I'm willing to try again. Without you here I was in my thoughts and I was battling the demons in my head again,but when you called me about Christmas, I was the demons started to go away again and now they're gone. Bobby, you have no idea how lucky I am to have you. I know in therapy I was being rude to you and I'm sorry, I'll promise to communicate more. I fucking love you"! The couple shared another long kiss.
Everyone leaves the dinner party. Raven, Bobby and Zelda all change into Pajamas, they go by the Christmas tree to get gifts to exchange with each other.
"Here this one is for you Zelda! I had this specially made for you. Raven might freak out but this was the list you gave me." Zelda unwrapped the gift Bobby gave her,
"Oh my god! Bobby what if she hurts herself" Raven scolds
"I love it! It's what I wanted, a new knife. Ooh and it has Zeld Harth on one side of the handle and Raven-Smith on the other side" Zelda hugs Bobby tightly.
Raven gives Zelda and Bobby a brown gift box "This gift was also specially made, but it's not dangerous. Open them at the same time." They open the box and there's a gold necklace with three charms on them: a bee, bird and a knife.
"Cool! There's a knife charm" Zelda appreciates.
Bobby is grateful for his gift "Raven, you didn't have —" Raven cuts him off "You don't need to thank me."
Bobby coughs "Okay so now I feel bad." He handed Raven a slim cardboard box to Raven, he opened the gift and it's a framed photo "I noticed that in your office you don't have a family picture, so I decided to use our family wedding photo and frame it. Sorry it's not as expensive or special."
Raven tearing up, "What do you mean it's not expensive, or special? Our family is priceless." Hugging the framed photo "I love it Bobby, you're the best at giving sentimental gifts." Raven hugs Bobby tightly..
"Should we tell Zelda the news?" Bobby asks Raven,
"Yes!" Raven replies.
Confused Zelda questions "Wait! What news?" Bobby and Raven look at each other quietly smiling, wondering who will tell her.
Bobby breaks the ice "We are moving back in! Raven and I are going to try being a family again."
Zelda whoops " It's freaking Christmas miracle! My dad are back together." She runs to Bobby and Raven and hugs them " I love you guys"!