Everyone ready to brave the snow? ;)

Micky: Snow?

Davy: It looks rathah nasty out there.

Peter: It's really coming down! :o

Mike: I can't believe this. :p

(Micky and Davy wander out to the back room, each sporting their matching black eyes and still arguing over ornaments.)

Mike: This is crazy! Look at it!

Emma: I think we could get snowed in!

Mike: We'd BETTER not!

Lauren: It doesn't look fit for man or beast out there.

Mike: (Indicates Davy and Micky) Or even them. ;)

Lauren: I was actually thinking of them when I said it. ;)

Mike: Ain't surprisin'.

Emma: Well, what are we going to do? It’s a good thing Nyles and Jack already went home!

Mike: We're gonna go home before WE can't go home.

Emma: Ok, who wants to open the door and see if we actually CAN get out?

Mike: (Calls) Hey, Pete... ;)

Peter: (Coming in, munching on cranberry bread) Yeah, Michael?

Mike: Go outside and check on the weather.

Peter: Can't you just see it on TV?

Mike: We need to see it for ourselves.

Peter: Well, ok. (He opens the sliding glass doors and walks out. A couple of beats later, a moving snow mound runs back in, wailing about being cold.)

Lauren: That's not good.

Peter: IT'S SNOWING OUT THERE!

Mike: (As everyone brushes Peter off) Yeah, we noticed. :p

Valerie: (Comes out to join them) Guys did you see... (eyes widen; runs to Peter and starts vigerously brushing snow off of him) What did you do to my husband? Honey, are you ok?

Peter: I'll be ok when I can feel my toes again!

Lauren: *checks a thermometer suction-cupped to the outside of one window* It's 27 degrees out. I've dealt with worse.

Mike: Yeah, well, the only time I have is when we went to New England in January.

Peter: (Between chattering teeth) M..maybe we'd b...better s..stay h...here.

Mike: Yeah, but what about the the cruise?

Valerie: The snow has to end sometime, and anyway, this is California. It won't last.

Lauren: I say it'll be over by the end of the night and probably won’t last until the end of tomorrow.

Emma: The kids will love it. A sleepover!

Mike: Yeah, but will I love it? I had enough of listenin' to Micky snorin' when we shared a room. :p

Emma: You can sleep in the car, or in the snow. :p

Valerie: Maybe someone had better go announce to the kids that we're staying here.

Mike: But we...

Emma: Are not going anywhere in that mess. I don't particuarly want to have an accident, and I doubt snow plows are common around here. :p

Valerie: (Puts an arm around Peter) Lauren, where's the blankets?

Peter: Just make me some green tea. :)

Lauren: There's a walk-in closet down the hall. All the extra bedding is in there. I'll show you.

(They follow Lauren into the living room, where the kids are looking at the tree.)

Katie: "I like your ornaments. They look great on that big tree!"

Shelly: "Thanks!" :)

Jordan: "That's the biggest tree I ever saw! I didn't know trees got that big!"

Mick: "Daddy likes it."

Jordan: "I think it's bigger than the tree in the ballroom at home...and a lot more fun to decorate!"

Katie: "I'm glad we're going to get to be together a lot this Christmas. This is going to be the best Christmas ever! We get to ride a big boat, see a new place where it's warm in the wintertime, and Santa's comin'!"

Jordan: "Santa?"

Katie: "Santa Claus! He's the one who brings presents to all the good little boys and girls on Christmas Eve!"

Jordan: "Really?"

Katie: (Nods) "Mama sent my letter to Santa yesterday. She had to write it, but I told her what I wanted. I really want a tricycle with streamers on the handlebars!"

Mick: "I want a race car set!" :D

Jordan: "Do you think Santa would bring me a toy guitar like Katie's?"

Katie: "Sure! He brought my papa a guitar for Christmas last year. I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you a little one! :)"

Shelly: "I want a drum set!"

Katie: "Then we'll be able to have a band, just like Papa and our uncles!"

Mick: "Ooh! I wanna play music too! I'll take anything! Drum, guitar, piano..."

Shelly: *shakes her head* Oh, Mick.

Jordan: "I have a piano! I got it for my birthday!"

Katie: "I don't, but that's something else on my Christmas list."

(The kids look up as the adults walk through. Valerie pulls a blanket out of the closet and wraps Peter in it.)

Katie: Papa?

Mike: Um, kiddies, we...might not be goin' anywhere tonight.

Jordan: Huh?

Valerie: The snow is coming down so hard, we might have to stay here tonight.

Jordan: No go?

Mick and Shelly: *exchange looks; in unison* Slumber party!!!

Katie: Sleep wit' Shelly n' Mick!

Mike: (Mutters) You won't be excited when you hear their dad snorin' down the hall. :p

Emma: (Elbows Mike) Be nice to the hosts, Honey. They might just toss you out in the snow. Besides, Katie's slept here before.

Katie: Lotsa fun! :D

Mike: In that case, maybe we'd better get the kids settled down.

Emma: (Picks up Katie) Come on, gang, time to get into pajamas and have a bedtime story.

Katie: Yay!

(A fast instrumental version of "What Child Is This (Greensleeves)" begins as various adults lead their little ones upstairs...leaving Davy and Daphne to indulge in some hugging and smooching under the mistletoe.)

(We see Mike and Katie brushing their teeth together, Katie making sure to make lots of foam.)

*Lauren takes a seat in the rocker in the corner of the twins room while Micky chases the kids around the room, who laugh heartily.*

(Jordan and Peter sit on one of the twins' beds wrapped in blankets and watch them, laughing.)

(Katie runs in, wearing pajamas borrowed from Shelly, and joins the kids in chasing Micky and now Mike around the room.)

(Emma, Lauren, and Valerie come in, Emma carrying some books.)

(Valerie shakes her head and says it's time to calm down, because they're going to read some Christmas stories.)

*The twins crash onto one of the beds and right themselves, waiting attentively for the reading to begin.*

*Micky flops in front of the bed, looking a bit winded.*

(Jordan snuggles into his daddy's arms. His mother joins them on the other side. Katie climbs next to her papa. Emma joins them. She opens the book and begins reading, and we have a short montage of everyone listening to the stories while the snow falls outside.)

(Emma finally closes the book. Mike settles Katie down in bed with Shelly and kisses his daughter's head. Peter settles Jordan in bed with Little Mick. The adults head out the door, Lauren pausing to look at the sleeping children with a gentle smile before turning off the light.)

(The kids lay down for barely a few seconds before they shoot right back up again, giggling.)

(Katie grabs a pillow and throws it at Little Mick, who sticks his tongue out, crosses his eyes, and puts his fingers in his ears and wiggles them.)

(Jordan giggles as Mick throws a pillow back. Katie tries to duck a stuffed bear Shelly throws at Mick, but gets hit with it, so SHE hits Shelly with a stuffed cat. ;) )

*Mick drags out a long-legged stuffed turtle and throws it at the girls.*

(Jordan picks up a little fat stuffed bear and hits Mick with it, though his "hits" are more like taps. )

(Katie throws the turtle back at Mick!)

*Mick fall over and dramatically acts out the turtle "attacking" him.* ;)

(That gets all of the kids laughing and jumping up and down in bed as well as they can...until they hear voices and see a light turning on in the hall outside the room. Katie puts her finger on her lips in a "shh!" motion and points to the door.)

(As the music ends, Emma and Lauren peek in...but the kids are all laying in bed again, sound asleep, though there are now toys and a few pillows gathered in the center of the room.)

*The two women exchange looks, then close the door again.*

Emma: I KNOW I heard giggling and things falling in there...

Lauren: And I know I heard something coming from in there...

Mike: (Joins them) Hey, are the kids ok? I thought they might be startin' a war in there!

Emma: That's what we thought, too, but when we looked in, they were all out.

Micky: *also joins them* You probably just heard the wind blowing outside.

Emma: I guess. (Sighs) Well, now that the kiddies are as settled as they're ever going to get...where are all of us adults going to sleep?

Micky: We've got three guest rooms, and there’s room downstairs.

Mike: I already claimed ours.

Emma: Don't tell me, it's the furthest away from Micky. ;)

(Mike just grins.)

Micky: Oh, good, saves me the trouble of giving you that room.

Mike: Pete n' Val can have the middle room, and Davy and Daph can have the one closest to the stairs so they can get Lizzie whatever she needs in the middle of the night.

Micky: *quirks an eyebrow* Handing out rooms in MY house, are ya? *Lauren elbows him*

Mike: Just doin' what needs to be done.

Emma: (Takes her husband's arm before he can argue with Micky) Ok, you two, why don't we settle down for bed ourselves?

Mike: I ain't no kid.

Emma: Who said anything about sleeping?

Micky: *leans closer to Lauren, but says loud enough for Emma and Mike to hear* Good thing that room is sound proof from the inside.

*Lauren rolls her eyes, but she's grinning.*

(Mike smirks; Emma blushes.)

Mike: Like you're one to talk, Mick. Who's the one whose wife is pregnant again?

Micky: Hey, I never said that our room isn't sound proof. *winks*

*Lauren turns a few shades of red.*

Emma: Okkkkkaaaayyy, that's enough, boys. Swap sex stories another time, where small ears that might not be entirely asleep can't hear. Bedtime. (Leads Mike away)

Mike: (Loud whisper over his shoulder) Have a good time.

Micky: *as Lauren pulls him in the opposite direction; loud whisper* You too!

Lauren: Mick!

(Cut to a montage of everyone going to bed, to the tune of a soft instrumental "Silent Night." Emma and Mike snuggle together, wrapped so tightly in each other's arms, they look like a mound of black, brown, and light tan under heavy blankets.)

(Peter sleeps easily in the next bedroom, a small smile playing on his lips, but Valerie tosses and turns next to him, her mind on the movie, Headquarters, Christmas, and the possibility of having to cancel the upcoming Bahamas cruise trip...)

*Micky and Lauren lay snuggled together. Micky’s hand rests on Lauren's stomach. A small smile plays across his face. Lauren has a contented, peaceful look. Unfortunately, she flinches when Micky's first snore cuts through the quiet, but she doesn't wake up.*

*In Davy and Daphne's room, there's a pile of blankets on the bed with a couple lumps under them, occasionally moving, along with a few giggles.*

(We end at the kids' room as the music ends. Katie keeps rolling over on Shelly, sleeping in every position but a normal one. Jordan is curled up in a ball.)

*Mick is asleep sprawled out, taking up whatever space Jordan isn't. Shelly gets fed up with getting rolled on. She moves herself to the foot of the bed and settles there.*

(The camera moves to the view from the twins' window of the snowy night as the last notes are heard. We fade in on morning. Shelly is the first to awaken. She looks up and rubs her eyes sleepily.)

Shelly: *glances at the window* It's morning!

Katie: (Looks up) Already?

Jordan: (He's still curled up) Huh?

Shelly: Morning!

Mick: Too early, Shel... *snores again*

Katie: No, it isn't! (Runs to the window) Wow, guys, look! Come see all the snow!

Jordan: Snow? What's that?

Katie: White stuff! Haven't you ever seen snow?

Jordan: (Shakes his head) Is it like the stuff Mary Jean puts in the washer when she cleans our clothes?

Shelly: Um, yes and no...

Katie: Come over here and see! :D

(Shelly and Jordan join Katie at the window. Katie helps Jordan to stand so he can look. The camera cuts to a world of nothing but snow, snow, and more snow. Trees are frosted with white flakes; only half of cars can be seen.)

Jordan: Wow. Where'd everything go?

Katie: Under the snow, silly! ;)

Jordan: This is cool! Hey, Mick, come and look at the snow!

*Mick snores.*

Katie: Miiiiccckkk!

(Lauren and Emma walk in, both yawning but dressed. Emma smiles at the group by the window.)

Emma: Hi, guys. I guess we don't need to tell you about all the snow we got last night.

Shelly: We see snow!

Katie: Lotsa an' lotsa snow! :D

Jordan: Yay! (Tries to jump up and down, but looks more like he's wiggling)

Lauren: *goes over to Mick* Come on, sleepyhead, time to get up.

Mick: *peeks one eye open* Do I have to?

Jordan: Go! (Points out the window)

Lauren: *nods* Yes, you do.

Katie: Mick, we wanna play in snow!

Mick: *sits up* Okay.

Emma: But you can't play in the snow if you don't get dressed, have breakfast, and get everyone ELSE up.

Katie: Papa! Let's get Papa! (She grabs her mother's hand and pulls her out)

Jordan: Ma? Da?

Lauren: They're downstairs in the kitchen, sweetie. I'll bring you down to them. *turns to the twins* Why don't you two wake up Daddy? ;)

*The twins nod and run out of the room.*

Lauren: Works everytime. *picks up Jordan and heads out*