Credits to: .Boo. (youcancallmeelle.tumblr.com)
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and a blanket of crisp snow covers Riverdale, the air is cold and brisk as families spend the special night together in preparation for more family time the following day.
Sadly, Veronica is without her true love, his military schedule clashing with the holiday and making it unable for him to come home to celebrate with his loved ones.
Her friend's and family try their best to console the saddened woman, it's no use and all Veronica wants is her fiancè, Sweet Pea, by her side.
But what if there's a surprise around the corner and Sweet Pea's just being his sneaky self with the help of Hiram Lodge?
It was Christmas Eve, one of the most magical days of the holiday season and arguably the best.
There was a blanket of thick, crunchy snow covering the entirety of Riverdale and it's landmarks to accompany the special day.
Every house between the edge of Riverdale to the other side of Greendale was covered with an abundance of multicoloured lights, all different shapes and sizes, some enough to light an aeroplane runway. It was like the neighbours were competing for the best set up, just like Martha May Who and Betty Lou Who.
Unlike the previous years she had celebrated, Veronica was struggling to find her inner Christmas cheer. Why? This year was her first Christmas without Sweet Pea by her side, it was also the first Christmas that she was with child and that only made not having him around much worse.
While many had been dreaming of a white Christmas, Veronica had instead been praying to whoever that the love of her life would return home for the holiday.
Sadly, her prayers hadn't been answered and she was finding it pointless trying to pretend to be happy.
The reason Sweet Pea wasn't present for the holidays was that his military schedule clashed with plane times and sadly, he wasn't able to leave the base to return home to his Fiancée. Veronica respected him and she admired him, he was tremendously brave and she knew that one day, there would be a time that he just wouldn't be able to come home.
They had met five years earlier when Betty and Veronica had just opened up their flower shop in the town centre of Riverdale, it was the middle of Summer and flowers weren't the only thing blooming. Sweet Pea had wandered in, military uniform and all, making Veronica weak at the knees. He was on leave for a few weeks, he'd come back to buy some flowers to put on his adoptive Mother's grave. Veronica had served him after Betty clearly noticed the instant attraction, they chatted as she made up a beautiful bouquet of lisianthus, carnations and chrysanthemums.
After that day, he came back in on the following afternoon but this time wore fitted jeans and a sweatshirt. Veronica had initially frowned, thinking that maybe he'd been unhappy with her arrangement but she was also confused seeing as he seemed overjoyed with it when he left.
To her surprise and to Betty's utter delight, he asked Veronica out for a drink when she finished work. After blushing and stumbling like a love drunk teenager, she accepted and from their first date that day, they had been inseparable.
Veronica was fully understanding of his career, each time waving him off and welcoming him back. They said 'I love you' on his second visit back, they moved in together and on their third Christmas Eve together, he proposed with a stunning, platinum, solitaire ring and of course, Veronica had accepted gleefully.
Bringing them to the present day and also their fifth year of being together, they were expecting their first child together.
Their little one had been conceived on Sweet Pea's last leave which was almost exactly five months ago, they had spent that majority of his break pressed skin to skin under their sheets, it hadn't been a surprise when Veronica fell pregnant with the number of times she'd jumped his bones after thinking about him leaving her again for another tour of somewhere he wasn't permitted to disclose, every moment she could be fulfilled and close to him, she took.
They didn't have the pleasure of finding out together, instead, Veronica had found out when she was feeling off one week and had taken a pregnancy test at Cheryl's suggestion. Betty had been there, holding onto the instructions and counting down with the timer on her phone until Veronica made her check it. The test had been positive and Veronica had kept it a secret from Sweet Pea until after her first scan at eight weeks, presenting him with a blurry ultrasound over Skype.
He'd cried, overjoyed by the news that he was going to be a Father and they both realised that their distance was only going to contribute more now that Veronica was expecting.
Sure, they Skyped multiple times a week. Each session included Sweet Pea demanding that Veronica show him her growing tummy and each time, he'd stare through the screen with so much love for his family. In true Sweet Pea fashion, he'd always beg for a little more and often times, Veronica would end up showing him more than just a glimpse of her tummy.
The night Sweet Pea had dealt the devastating blow of not being able to come home for Christmas, Veronica had put on a brave face and tried to smile through the pain she felt at his revelation, promising to send him a themed care package.
After hanging up the Skype call, she promptly curled up with her Macbook still open on the application and sobbed into his pillow with her fists curled up against her aching chest, the smell of him no longer present on the bed linen since he'd been gone for so long.
The time apart for such a joyous occasion made Veronica's chest hurt, there wasn't anyone she wanted to be with more and with the baby on the way, it meant even more to her to have him around.
Being away for Thanksgiving was bearable and welcoming in New Year wasn't a big deal but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? She held those days close to her heart, they were made to be celebrated with your love.
For Christmas this year, all the young couples along with Hiram and Hermione Lodge, gathered in the Lodge winter residence which was a humongous cabin in the middle of the woods where the scenery was spectacular and the privacy great, they were staying in the cabin until the New Year hit.
Veronica called it an intervention, they called it just being close friends and caring about her wellbeing.
Everyone had come together to support Veronica and try to ensure she still had a fabulous Christmas, she was extremely fragile and everyone was trying their best to do well by her, it wasn't that their efforts weren't good enough or not appreciated, they just couldn't fulfil her only wish of having Sweet Pea home.
When Veronica started dating Sweet Pea, she knew that him being in the military was going to be hard and the distance between them painful, it was now nearly unbearable.
Veronica sat on the padded window seat in the lounge with her legs folded beneath her, the lit 10ft Christmas tree was behind her and the whole establishment was scented with eggnog, cinnamon and twisted peppermint. Thankfully, none of the smells tickled Veronica's morning sickness that had followed her into the 2nd trimester of her pregnancy.
Following tradition, they were having Chinese food which was obligatory on Christmas Eve and Hiram had offered to collect it since none of the restaurants in Riverdale would deliver so far out of town in the heavy snowfall. Hiram's car got through the piled snow with no problem but he had been gone an awfully long time, Veronica had been camped out by the window for nearly an hour since he'd left in a rush.
She'd frowned to herself at his suspicious behaviour, he'd never been that enthusiastic about Chinese food before, his usual order of boiled rice and beef in black bean sauce actually rather bland and nothing to literally be bouncing with excitement over.
Some of the guests staying at the cabin were in the kitchen, they were all consuming copious amounts of mulled wine and munching on Betty's homemade cookies.
Betty and Jughead were cuddled on the couch on the other side of the room, Kevin and Fangs were deep in a game of Monopoly and Cheryl, along with Toni, was couped up in the kitchen watching Hermione prepare some of the trimmings for their dinner the following day.
Veronica had distanced herself, just wanting a second alone before she tried to plaster on a smile and join in with the festivities.
There was nothing that could appease Veronica, not even her favourite Christmas song 'Baby, it's cold outside' had been listened to over the Festive period.
Hermione had served up a small buffet for lunch that day and since she was pregnant, Veronica wasn't allowed to consume any of the soft cheeses, smoked salmon or delicious looking deli meats on the cheese board to try and eat away her feelings.
Therefore, she had labelled everything pointless and a waste of time, the whole cheese thing just the icing on the cake and now she was riled.
To add to the blue mood, Cheryl had purchased matching onesies for all the girls to wear and Veronica's didn't fit right, the zip wouldn't do up over her bump and after a hissy fit which consisted of a wild turbulence of pregnancy hormones, Toni had stepped in and given Veronica the biggest pep talk of her life and assured her that it wasn't the end of the world, she was carrying a life inside of her and she needed to be proud of the wonders her body was doing to accommodate the baby.
The words of Frank Sinatra twirled around and filled the room, the calm and encouraging words doing nothing but annoying her, she was one verse from tossing the Amazon Alexa out into the snow to perish.
Veronica rolled her eyes at her dramatic inner demons with a shallow feeling in her gut, she smoothed a hand over her abdomen and experienced a feeling that couldn't be blamed on her baby but instead on the heartache that was slowly transforming into a harmless jealousy as she looked around herself at the couples who held each other so closely.
She felt cold, so lonely in the cabin full of her friends and family, even with her child growing in her womb and thriving off the nutrients and goodness she provided, she still felt so empty, just like the last Russian doll in a set.
She would have done anything at that moment to be wrapped in Sweet Pea's arms, she wanted to be held like Jughead cherished Betty, she wanted to feel full to the brim with love.
Betty's heart shattered as she sat with Jughead and saw how vacant Veronica was, she felt the misery leaving her and travelling across the room in heavy waves.
"Look how sad she is, Juggie." Betty whispered to her other half, he stopped nuzzling Betty's cheek with his nose and followed Betty's pained gaze to Veronica and her perch.
"It sucks that SP couldn't come home, it's so quiet without him here, I hadn't noticed it until tonight." He responded, his voice gravelly and thick.
"I can't let her be like this for the rest of the holidays, she's so unhappy and I don't want her to be - not when she's pregnant and already battling some intense hormonal changes." The blonde beauty said, biting her perfectly flushed bottom lip in anguish. "I don't want her to fall into a depression, Juggie, it happens and right now, she's vulnerable." Betty added factually.
Veronica patted her tummy when she felt the baby swirl and nudge her, a gentle reminder that as alone as she felt, she wasn't.
"Maybe you should step in, Betts." Jughead said earnestly, he knew first hand how tough long distance could be, not in a romantic way but he'd been separated from Gladys and Jellybean since he was sixteen.
"You're right." Betty confirmed, standing up and smoothing down the arms of her cashmere sweater in a delightful shade of pastel blue that complimented the blue undertones in her eyes. "Hey, Ronnie?" Betty caught Veronica's attention and she looked over from the snow-lined window pane, she looked empty and almost lost.
"Hmm?" Veronica replied, seeing how Jughead was watching intensely.
"I brought over a batch of sugar cookies, my Mom and I made some this afternoon if you'd like some?" Betty offered, not forcing too much on Veronica but tempting her with a sweet treat that she knew would have her mouth watering.
Veronica stared at Betty, seeing the warmth and love in her eyes that were directed at her. Veronica decided that it was time to at least make an effort, Betty and her friends, along with Hermione, had been trying hard all day and the least Veronica could do was sample one of Betty's cookies.
Truth be told, Veronica had smelt them before Betty was even through the door and her taste buds were dying for a chunk of the baked goods.
"Okay." Veronica agreed with a light smile, Betty offered out her hand and Veronica took it, climbing down from the window seat with Betty's assistance.
"Come on, V, let's get you a drink of something sparkling." Betty suggested, looping her arm through Veronica's and walking with her through the lounge, over the Monopoly game board and into the kitchen.
Seeing as Jughead Jones couldn't resist a snack, he followed the girls and so did Kevin and Fangs, the whole kitchen full.
Betty sourced out a bottle of sparkling apple juice from the fridge and found a crystal glass for Veronica, she poured out the golden beverage and handed it through the masses to her.
"Thank you, B." Veronica graciously said, taking the glass and then a cookie.
"Hiram won't be long!" Hermione scolded the youngsters when they began to dive into the baked goods that littered the central island of the spacious kitchen, Cheryl and Toni also selected some cookies to eat with their glasses of Prosecco.
"I've got a really fast metabolism." Jughead defended, Hermione rolled her eyes at the young Jones boy.
"I'm pregnant with your first grandchild." Veronica excused, already on the last bite of the pink iced cookie she'd chosen from the silver platter.
"I'm just hungry." Fangs shrugged, gulping down a mince pie.
"You're all vultures." Hermione tittered, returning to the preparation of the next day's Christmas feast. "Thinking about it though, Hiram has been an awfully long time, I hope he's okay." She fussed, making Veronica feel perturbed too.
"Should I call him, Mom?" Veronica asked, ready to reach for her phone that was safely tucked away in the pocket of her batwing, thick and woolly cardigan.
Hermione pondered over Veronica's offer while the whole group watched on, quietly munching on the iced cookies and gulping down the alcohol with their significant others.
"No, I'm sure we're just fussing over nothing, honey." Hermione replied, tucking a piece of Veronica's hair behind her ear and squeezing her chin with a motherly touch.
Veronica shrugged and sipped on the bubbly drink provided to her by Betty, the bubbles popped and fizzed in the flute shaped glass, Veronica hadn't realised she'd spaced out again until Betty started to address her.
"You know, I can't wait for you to open our gift in the morning, V." Betty squealed, leaving Jughead's side to wrap an arm around Veronica. "I hope you like it."
Betty and Jughead had put their heads together and Betty had come up with a spa voucher, they'd gotten the same for Toni and Cheryl in the hopes of a girls weekend together.
"I'm sure I'll love it, B." Veronica assured her blonde headed friend, hugging her waist briefly. "These cookies are insanely yummy by the way, B! You're going to have to teach me the recipe for when madam is here, I want to be the Mom that turns up to the bake sale with goods that could be compared to those of Prestige Patisserie." Veronica said smugly, nibbling the corner of a tree-shaped cookie that had been iced with a vibrant green and red.
Overlooking the fact that Veronica had put a gender to her child, Betty enthusiastically agreed to give Veronica the recipe that had been passed through the Cooper households over many generations, she was flattered they were such a hit.
"Veronica, in the last ten years when have you ever baked?" Cheryl quizzed, rolling her eyes.
"I can bake." She defended, causing Hermione to scoff downwards towards the food she was preparing. "Mom!" Veronica yelped, insulted by not only her friend's lack of belief in her but her Mom's too.
"Honey, you can't cook to save your life. That's exactly why your Dad and I have been feeding you up and making sure you get all your vitamins, I can't wait for Sweet Pea to get back and give us a break." The older Lodge laughed as did everyone else, Veronica directed an annoyed glare towards them all but didn't defend herself this time, she was an awful cook and when Sweet Pea was home, he did all the cooking.
If it wasn't for Hiram and Hermione, Veronica would have only consumed take out for the majority of her pregnancy.
Another cookie later, Kevin chose to tell an anecdote that was bound to get him into trouble with the temperamental being of Veronica Lodge.
"My Mom ate nothing but cake frosting and twinkies when she was pregnant with me, apparently she had to have twelve stitches after I was born." Kevin nonchalantly told the kitchen full of his friends and boyfriend, everyone stared at him with pure horror and Veronica was less than impressed at his contribution to the conversation.
The high mood dropped and on the inside, everyone was quaking with fear at the inevitable wrath that was going to come at the unneeded contribution of Kevin Keller.
The last thing Veronica needed to hear while at a low point in her pregnancy was about the damage Kevin had caused his Mom on the way out, the prospect of giving birth was already terrifying enough and she didn't need anyone telling horror stories of torn vaginas when she had to experience labour for herself.
"Get out of my sight, Keller." Veronica demanded bluntly through the silence, pointing to the door and waiting until Kevin hung his head in shame and silently plodded out of the kitchen with his glass of bubbly.
The whole kitchen was fearful, none of them wanted to push Veronica's buttons and upset her, they had all been walking on eggshells and Kevin's story was just an example.
Cheryl twiddled her thumbs, shooting Toni a frightened glance, she returned it and then forwarded it on to Fangs, he tossed it to Jughead and he shoved it upon Betty as if she knew what to do - she didn't and threw the worried look to Veronica's Mom.
There was a pause, Veronica was oblivious to it and just as she was reaching forward to pluck the last cookie from the plate, there was a commotion at the front door and everyone's heads turned towards the source of the noise.
Hiram was back from collecting the food and he couldn't have arrived at a better moment, poor Kevin was lounging on the leather couch with a childish pout after being banished by Veronica for his insensitive story.
"Yes! Food!" Fangs was the first to cheer, throwing his fist in the air.
"Thank God, I was getting worried." Hermione sighed, relieved that her husband had returned with his arms full.
"A little help here!" Hiram called through, the sound of his snow boots squelching against the doormat travelled through to the kitchen and Hermione grimace when she thought about the soggy carpet. "Veronica! Can you come and help please?" He shouted, causing everyone to stop in their tracks when they went to relieve Hiram of the many styrofoam containers of food her was juggling.
The group of seven in the kitchen had paused, their faces were all identical and Veronica couldn't make out what they displayed.
In the lounge, Kevin's face was the same and his jaw was locked like it was never going to close again, the glass of fizz in his hand threatened to fall to the carpet and soak it.
"Oh sure, get the pregnant the woman to help while everyone else enjoys themselves and gets merry on the Prosecco." Veronica huffed to herself, heaving her bottom from the stool and cautiously stepping on the linoleum when she felt her back spasm a touch.
She didn't notice that it was eerily quiet in the lounge and upon padding into the room that had once had Christmas music playing on a loop was quieter than before, she lifted her chin upwards and very promptly stopped in her tracks.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Her jaw dropped and her heart stuttered, stood behind her Dad in the uniform that made him look so brave and sexy, was Sweet Pea.
Veronica had to blink and focus on his form, she had to be sure she wasn't hallucinating and it wasn't her eyes playing a cruel trick on her. They weren't deceiving her, he was really there, with his hair trimmed a touch, wearing his combat boots, military trousers, dog tags and a grey t-shirt that was speckled with melting snow.
They stared at each other in the flesh for the first time in five months, all the sorrow, emptiness and the pining stopped when she concluded that he was there.
Sweet Pea kicked his duffle bag to the side and stepped around Hiram, smiling brightly at the sight of his petite fiancée bundled up under a thick cardigan with her neat bump on show. Before Sweet Pea had even managed to gain his balance from moving, Veronica had launched herself across the room and was jumping into his arms, the force caused him to stumble back but he caught her and held her like she was the lightest thing in the world.
"Careful, careful." He exclaimed gently, worried that she'd hurt herself or cause their baby a shock with her energetic spurt.
She clung to him, afraid that he was going to disappear in a cloud of smoke and when she heard his husky voice in her ear and breathed in his comforting smell, she couldn't help but begin to cry.
At that moment, it was just them in the room, nobody else.
It was an intimate moment, raw and different from the other times where he'd come home on leave, most of those involved Veronica picking him up from the airport in his Jeep and then him demanding she let him drive in fear of her crashing his precious car, she had a mad case of road rage but it only made him love her more, his woman was a feisty thing.
A sob ripped from her chest and it was muffled by his skin, he held her impossibly close and absorbed each heartwrenching cry she let out. Since getting pregnant, her emotions had been heightened by the increase in hormones and they left her feeling overwhelmed.
Even if she wasn't with child, she was almost certain that her reaction to his unexpected return would be the same.
Jughead took the box of Chinese food from Hiram and stepped back, allowing the Lodge's to share the moment.
Their family and friends watched on with tears in their eyes, Hermione had her hand covering her mouth where she had followed Veronica out of the kitchen and scurried over to Hiram, wrapping herself around him and holding back the emotion she felt.
"You didn't tell me what you were planning." Hermione accused her husband, swatting him in the chest. "No wonder you were so long!"
"I knew you'd tell her and besides, we didn't have long to plan it and look how happy she is." Hiram defended, watching on as his daughter appeared to be the happiest she had been in weeks.
Betty, Jughead, Toni, Cheryl, Fangs and Kevin were all wearing the biggest grins, happy for Sweet Pea to be back and stunned all at the same time.
Basically, they were creating their own scene in a romantic Christmas movie. Veronica had watched many of the greatest ones with a box of tissues to hand, she'd shouted at the TV through mouthfuls of salted caramel truffles.
You know the scene in Love Actually when Natalie meets the prime minister from the airport and flounces into his arms?
That was literally Veronica and Sweet Pea, except Sweet Pea didn't have a hand in politics and Veronica was without the red pea coat and cream beret.
Still, it was romantic all the same and unscripted.
"You're home." She whimpered, shaking against him and pulling back to examine his face. Veronica ran her fingers through his hair, tugging and stroking as she became familiar with all of his feature. She skimmed her fingertips down his temple and over the bridge of his nose, coming to the bow of his lips where her own lips replaced her fingers before he could reply to her.
It was electric, feeling his lips move against hers, soft and plump. He tasted like peppermint and his lips were tinged with frost from the cold weather, they began to warm up from the deep kiss and he smiled into it.
There was a resounding cheer and then whistle all throughout the cabin, Veronica giggled breathlessly into his mouth and pulled away, leaving a sparkle of lipgloss behind when she finally managed to pull herself back after pecking his lips one more time.
"We'll give you guys a minute." Betty piped up from the other side of the room, winking at Veronica who smiled gratefully back from where her head rested against Sweet Pea's shoulder.
The group filed out into the kitchen to begin plating up the food and upon passing him, Jughead clapped Sweet Pea on the back and nodded at him, it was a masculine greeting and a very Jughead one - silent but strong.
Once they were alone, Sweet Pea helped her steady herself on the ground after unwrapping her shapely legs from his waist, he cupped her face and wiped away the stray tears that had fallen down her pink cheeks, she was no longer crying but her heart hammered against her chest and she felt the baby wiggle inside of her at this, nothing major, just a gentle prod in her side.
She giggled to herself and pressed her hand where she had felt the movement, the movements weren't forceful enough to feel from outside of her skin yet but she thoroughly enjoyed feeling her baby move and bump against her like a goldfish blindly swimming in a bowl.
Sweet Pea felt for himself, this was the first time he'd seen Veronica pregnant and not over Skype. She was radiant, glowing and more beautiful than ever. He caressed the firm skin over her top, silently greeting his unborn child with a lump in his throat. He felt blessed, he'd never had a proper family before and with his own on the way, he felt like the luckiest bastard on earth.
He took Veronica in his arms again, kissing her on the head and weaving his fingers through her midnight black hair.
"I had to be home for Christmas, I couldn't not be here with my babies while everyone else got to enjoy being with their families." He told her, stroking her hair, he'd missed feeling her silken locks between his fingers.
Veronica idly stroked the back of his hand with a manicured nail, she looked up at him with glassy eyes and slyly smiled at him, deciding that now was the best time to fill him in on a secret she'd been keeping since her eighteen week scan the past week.
"Well, both of your girls are happy you're home." She murmured nonchalantly, watching him carefully and staring into his warm orbs, the hazel flecked iris' brightened at her casual statement and he broke out in the biggest smile she'd ever seen him possess.
He was having a daughter - a little girl that he just knew was going to be the vision of Veronica and probably just as audacious.
"You found out?" He was still smiling, the news of their baby's gender sinking in.
Initially, they had agreed to keep it a surprise until the baby was born but Veronica's impatience got the better of her and at her last scan, she had the sonographer tell her what she was having, only Hermione knew since she attended the scan with Veronica.
Sweet Pea placed his hands on either side of her stomach and felt the firmness of her baby bump, Veronica was still quite small and Hermione often commented on how neatly she was carrying herself.
It finally felt real, five months away without physically being able to touch or see his pregnant fiancée had been difficult. Their Skype calls were amazing though and he loved to see her grow, listen to the new symptoms she listed and the developments of their baby she read from a week by week guide that was an app on her iPhone.
Veronica always went to the effort of mailing him copies of the sonograms, wanting him to see how his child was growing with every month that passed, the pictures from eight weeks right up until her most recent scan.
"I couldn't wait." She professed excitedly.
"A little girl." He said to himself, dropping to his knees until he was eye level with her bump.
"Another girl in the house, you're outnumbered." Veronica jeered, Sweet Pea pressed a kiss to her stomach over the stretched material of her top and as he did this, he rubbed his thumbs in circles as if to spur his daughter to finally kick hard enough for the family to feel.
"Is she moving?" He asked, looking up at Veronica hopefully and she nodded down at him, feeling the twitches and digs in her womb that her daughter created as she danced.
"She knows her Daddy is home." Veronica said, playing with his hair and twirling one of his wavier pieces around her index finger. "Or she's on a major sugar high, I have eaten about twenty of Betty's cookies in the last ten minutes." She then admitted guiltily, making Sweet Pea chortle and press another kiss below her navel for his baby girl.
Looking down at him bond with his daughter from the outside, she was able to envision a girl with tufts of hair blacker than the night sky, a mischevious smile and eyes as warm as her Dad's.
"I love you, Veronica." He told her, getting to his feet and staring deep into her eyes, seeing his face reflected back in the tears that plagued her eyes.
"I love you too." She mimicked, pulling him in for a kiss that spoke a thousand words of love.
He sighed against her soft lips, oblivious to the peering eyes that came from the kitchen, their friends were eager to rekindle their friendships with Sweet Pea.
"You're a MILF, Veronica Lodge." He nipped her bottom lip, the temptation of giving her backside a cheeky squeeze too much for him and she squealed into his mouth, he let out a bellowing laugh.
"Halt, my Dad is in there." She cursed, looking over her shoulder and hoping he didn't see Sweet Pea copping a feel.
"I think he knows what goes down between us when I'm home, you are pregnant by me after all." He snorted, she glared at him but then fluttered her lashes.
"The only thing going down tonight is you." She whispered, another sultry flutter of her lashes was delivered to him and the smirk on his face grew.
Being away meant sexual frustration was an emotion felt by them on a regular basis, sex and intimacy were a huge part of their relationship.
"Yeah? That's fine by me." He retorted, trying to kiss her again but she pushed him back, spinning on the spot and trying to evade him when he darted forward too.
They stumbled into the kitchen together, Sweet Pea had enveloped Veronica from behind and she giggled when he shoved his face in her neck.
"Great, the sexual tension is back." Fangs complained lightly, watching them with a pleased yet taunting smile.
"Nice to see you too, Fogarty." Sweet Pea beamed, letting go of Veronica to shake his hand and bump his fist against Fangs'.
"Welcome home, sweetheart." Hermione greeted him, stepping in for an embrace from her future son in law.
"Thanks, Mrs L." He said back, ducking to hug her and accept the kiss on the cheek she dealt.
"It's been very quiet without you." She told Sweet Pea, smudging away the lipstick stain left on his cheek.
"I wouldn't count on it staying that way tonight." Cheryl sang, picking at her nails and ignoring the uncomfortable shift Hiram and Hermione did in synchronisation, both of their faces a little paler and not because of the bleaching lights. Toni knocked Cheryl in the side with her elbow and she gasped. "What? I'm just saying what everyone is thinking, TT." She defended, looking around at everyone with her eyebrows pulled tight against her hairline.
"Now, onto the question, we've all been dying to ask you both..." Betty began but was cut off by Kevin screeching, Veronica jumped and looked at him questioningly.
"Not that we were eavesdropping or anything but is it true? You're having a baby girl?" Kevin asked eagerly, impatiently bouncing on the soles of his loafers.
Veronica could only nod and smile widely, wrapping her arm around Sweet Pea's waist and looking up at as he looked down at her, a picture of perfection.
"Yeah, we're having a girl." Veronica confirmed and everyone created an uproar of noise, the girls in the room clapping and squealing amongst themselves that there was going to be another female to join the clan and outnumber the boys.
"Mi hija! A girl?" Hiram gasped, outstretching his arms towards his daughter.
"Yes, Daddy." Veronica giggled, hugging her Dad tightly.
"Oh, mi amor." He breathed, his eyes glossy like he was about to shed a tear at the joyful news he was going to be blessed with a granddaughter.
"I can't wait." Betty clapped, thinking about theme ideas for Veronica's baby shower and all the lavish gifts she could buy in various shades of pink.
"How did you manage to get home, dude?" Jughead left the girls to their gushing and quizzed Sweet Pea, upon hearing the conversation start, Veronica made her way back to Sweet Pea's side to listen to how he'd managed to pull off the Christmas surprise.
"I figured out a free space in the schedule and found a corresponding flight with the help of Hiram, we literally planned it so fast and all I wanted to do was tell this one that I was coming home for Christmas." Sweet Pea looked down at Veronica and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, dragging her closer and never wanting to let go.
"Well, I think your sneaky antics definitely paid off." Kevin joined in, seeing how Veronica had perked up and how the glow had returned to her face, he knew that wasn't from her pregnancy.
Being hand in hand with her partner and seeing the spread of Christmas food, bright decorations and warm smiles of her friends, she felt as light as a feather.
"How long are you back for?" Cheryl questioned.
"I'm here until the second week of January and then I go back for another tour, I'll be back before Veronica has the baby." He squeezed Veronica's waist and she forced a smile, the sickness in the pit of her stomach coming to life in a whirlwind of dread.
"Just in time then." Cheryl smiled, sipping her glass of Prosecco.
"I'm starving, can we eat now?" Fangs whined, rubbing his stomach in a circle.
"Yes! Man, I'm so looking forward to some proper food." Sweet Pea dreamily thought, looking at the box of Chinese food that sat on the marble countertop beside a dish of cranberry sauce.
Hermione hurried over to begin unboxing the cartons of cuisine, Fangs got up too and started to gather plates and glasses for another round of prosecco and sparkling apple juice for Veronica
"Have a sugar cookie to tide you over, Veronica spared one." Betty giggled, offering Sweet Pea the plate with a heap of crumbs and one, single cookie in the shape of a snowflake.
"Am I allowed this or does baby girl want it?" Sweet Pea asked Veronica, waving the cookie in her face.
"I was saving it for later but I suppose you can have it." She decided, playfully pinching his side when he pretended to be taken back by her generosity.
The kitchen became chaotic as everyone started to clear up some space to place the cartons of noodles, rice, curries and egg rolls. The laughter and the harmless jibes that were tossed between his friends made him feel grounded, the dazzling woman clinging to him made all his worries vanish.
"Let's eat!" Fangs cheered, bogarting the carton of egg rolls until Toni slapped him upside the head and forced him to share.
After a meal filled with stories and general chatter, Veronica and Sweet Pea excused themselves to have another moment alone, nobody had a problem with it and finished tidying up ready to watch a movie in the lounge to top off Christmas Eve.
The young couple sat on the porch, making do with the bench that had started to frost over with a glaze and they huddled beneath the furry throw that Veronica had grabbed on the way out.
She rested her cheek on Sweet Pea's shoulder, clasping his hand under the blanket and stroking his knuckles. He kissed her head, nuzzling her hairline and pulling back to look down at her curled against him for warmth.
"Your nose is red like a cranberry." Veronica scowled up at him with a twitch of a hidden smile, Jack Frost had indeed nipped at her nose and it had begun to turn a shade of dark pink.
"It's freezing, what do you expect?" He heartily laughed at her defensive response and fell silent, thinking back tot he last five months he'd spent without her and his growing child.
"I'm sorry that I made you think I wasn't coming back, princess. I just wanted you to be surprised, I never intended on you being so down and upset." Sweet Pea apologised, wracked with guilt knowing he was the cause of Veronica's sorrowful state.
He had always promised to never intentionally hurt her, he'd sworn it when he proposed to her.
"I forgive you." Veronica responded, kissing his sculpted jawline and facing forward until a thought she could only describe as selfish popped out of a dark corner in her mind and left her lips in a blurt. "I don't want you to leave again."
"Huh?" Sweet Pea frowned at her outburst.
"I don't want you to leave." He could see the distress in her eyes, they looked dull at the mention of him going back to base. "God, I sound so selfish." She then wailed, hiding her face like she was ashamed to confess her feelings to the man who consumed her entire life and was her only love besides their developing baby girl.
"No, baby - no! That's not selfish." He tore her hands away from her face, engulfing them in his own and forcing her to face him at an angle.
"I just can't imagine more time apart, Sweet Pea, not with this little one on the way." Veronica whimpered, taking her hands back and smoothing them over her bump. "Please, don't leave us again." She was begging, pleading for him to listen.
Sweet Pea didn't want her to get worked up, he hushed her gently and hugged her close, surrounding her in a cloud of warmth and adoration. He stroked her spine, feeling her relax under his touch.
He took a deep intake of air, letting it swirl around his lungs and oxygenate his blood. Sweet Pea bowed his head, using the tip of his finger to lift Veronica's chin.
"When I said that I was going back to the base for tour, I meant what I said about coming back in time to see you through the last few months of your pregnancy and to welcome our little girl into the world." He began to fiddle with her hair, she sniffled into the thick sweatshirt he'd changed into.
"You can't promise me you'll be able to come home, plans change all the time and what about when I've had her? You'll be leaving us again and I don't want you to, Sweet Pea, I can't do this on my own - I need you." She cried, nearly hyperventilating.
"Veronica, listen to me." Sweet Pea demanded, taking her heart-shaped face to ground her again. "I won't be leaving again after the baby's born, I'm getting discharged, Ronnie." He professed loud and clear, seeing the surprise.
"Wh - what?" She stammered.
"I'm getting officially discharged after my next tour and when I'm home, that will be it. I'll find a new job and be there to support my girls, it's been on my mind for a while and since finding out you were pregnant, it's been my priority to get it sorted."
Since he was eighteen, the military had been Sweet Pea's whole existence, until Veronica came into the picture and blessed him with the most love he'd ever experienced and his daughter who was due to be born in only four months if all went to plan and she wasn't early or late.
It was time for a new venture, one that consisted of fatherhood and being there for his partner. It had been a wild ride, he was immensely proud of all he'd accomplished in the military but he was moving on now.
"I don't know what to say." Veronica admitted honestly, her mouth open just a millimetre. "Are you sure that's what you want?" She pried, searching his face for hesitation and regret.
She knew it was what she wanted, it just wasn't her choice to make and because she loved him so deeply, she would support him no matter what, even if he wasn't sure about leaving the military.
"I've never been so sure in my life, princess." He promised.
"Sweet Pea, I love you so much." She followed with, pressing her palm to his cheek and feeling the frost beneath it, she was bursting at the seams knowing that he was going to be coming home for good and knowing that made the idea of him leaving again just a touch easier.
"I love you too and I can't wait until I'm home for good to be with you both, you girls are my entire world and I think I've served my country well, it's time to move on." Veronica threw her arms around his neck, coughing out a breathless laugh that was coated with surprise, awe and the most happiness she'd felt in a long time.
"Hey, lovebirds! Get in here or we'll pick a movie without you and make sure it's one you hate, I'm thinking Die Hard!" Fangs hollered at them through a crack in the door, he obnoxiously banged his fist against the square pane of glass hard enough for it to rattle.
"No! I'm not watching Die Hard, Fangs!" Veronica whined childishly, slapping her hands against her thighs. "It's not even a Christmas film!"
"I don't care! You've got two seconds to get inside or it's going on, no exceptions for you being pregnant." Fangs said sternly, pretending to tap the dial of his watch.
"Come on, my love." Sweet Pea laughed wholely, pushing the throw off himself and standing up to offer Veronica his head. She tucked the entirety of the flurry throw around herself and took his hand, their fingers entwined and when their palms came to rest together, she felt the emptiness leave her body.
She got what she wanted for Christmas after all and it wasn't Santa she had to thank, it was her Dad and pure luck.
Credits to: .Boo. (youcancallmeelle.tumblr.com)