Christmas music plays.
Nikolas: Hmm. Was having Jax here too difficult for you?
Emily: I was going to ask you the same thing.
Nikolas: Well, yes. Yeah, seeing him brought up memories of our marriage ending and the time I missed with Spencer. There are so many things that I wish I could've done differently.
Emily: All we can do is make the most of what we have now.
Christmas music plays.
Emily: You have a beautiful son who you wouldn't trade for anything.
Nikolas: I know.
Emily: Yeah, and we have a second chance to be together. So there is no point in dwelling on what is thankfully in the past.
Nikolas: But I failed you.
Emily: Maybe you needed to. Maybe we both had to let go, I mean, really let go to find our way back. If it took us being with other people to get to where we are now, then it was worth it. Because now you have a beautiful son, and we're finally free to love each other again.
Nikolas: Yeah.
Michael: Spencer --
Carly: Yeah?
Michael: Is now going to be playing baby Jesus in this year's Christmas pageant.
Carly gasps.
Michael: And thank you, Jax. Thank you for talking Nikolas into that.
Jax: Well, you know what? You were right. Spencer's absolutely perfect for it.
Carly: Okay, congratulations, but it's late. Go upstairs, you two, and put on pajamas, okay?
Michael: Okay.
Carly: Okay.
Michael: But this is going to be an awesome Christmas pageant year.
Carly: Great.
Michael: Come on.
Jax: Good night.
Carly: Go, go, go.
Michael: Come on, come on.
Jax chuckles.
Carly: Wow.
Jax: The kids are really excited about this.
Carly: And you're their hero. Isn't that exactly what you wanted?
Jax: Yeah. Michael is starting to see me as his ally instead of the bad guy, which is good. It's great.
Carly: No, you're the great almost stepfather that talks someone into letting them use their child in an outdoor Christmas pageant.
Jax: Wait a minute, it's -- it's outside?
Carly: You didn't tell Nikolas?
Jax: Well, no. Michael didn't mention it to me.
Carly: Well, its no big deal -- they put a snowsuit underneath the swaddle blanket. He'll be fine.
Jax: Yeah, but I should probably still warn Nikolas, you know. Or, you know, maybe you could -- you could talk to him.
Carly: It was hard seeing Nikolas with Spencer, wasn't it?
Jax: Well, Nikolas is a -- he's a good father, you know? You know, what happened was -- was for the best.
Carly: I'm sure that you couldn't help thinking about what might've been.
Jax: You know what? Actually, I was thinking about how far I've come since then. I was thinking about the future I'm going to make with you.
Christmas music plays.
Emily: And no more questions about me. You're the one who's been preoccupied ever since Michael and Morgan left here.
Nikolas: What? What do you mean?
Emily: Admit it, Nikolas. You are nervous about Spencer making his acting debut as baby Jesus in the Christmas pageant.
Nikolas: Well, you admitted that there's a lot that could go wrong.
Emily: Such as?
Nikolas: Such as Spencer screaming his head off because he's scared of all the faces around him.
Emily: Oh.
Nikolas: Or one of the other children tipping over the manger.
Emily giggles.
Nikolas: Or Michael being responsible for Spencer, for all of the above?
Emily: Oh, okay --
Nikolas: Come on.
Emily: Well, listen, there are going to be lots of adults nearby, and I'm sure that they'll let you play a shepherd so that you can hover to your heart's content.
Nikolas: You'll be there, too, won't you?
Emily: Yeah -- are you kidding me? I'm not going to miss it. I'll be cheering you on from the audience.
Emily laughs.
Nikolas: Gosh. I must sound so neurotic, huh?
Emily: No, you're just a first-time father.
Nikolas chuckles.
Nikolas: I'm not sure there's a difference.
Emily: Don't worry. It'll be fine.
Christmas music plays.
Christmas music plays.
Emily: Did you see Michael and Morgan's eyes light up when they saw the tree?
Nikolas: Huh. I think it was the candy canes on the tree - they each walked out with three apiece.
Emily: God, it was so nice having them here.
Nikolas: Yeah, well, we should do it more often. I'd like Spencer to be close to his cousins.
Emily: Even though Jax is marrying Carly?
Nikolas: Listen, if -- if you had asked me last summer what I thought about Jax being in my house, I would've said, "I was being generous not having him charged with kidnapping."
Emily: And now?
Nikolas: And now? Well, I don't know. As they say, "time heals all wounds," I guess. I mean, after -- after we fell apart and -- and Courtney died, I thought -- I thought that was -- that was it. I thought any happiness I might hope to find was behind me. And then -- and then I found out Spencer was mine, and now this. It really is more than I expected, Emily.
Emily: Yeah, life has a way of surprising you when you least expect it.
Nikolas: Yeah.
Emily: Speaking of surprises --
Nikolas: Yeah? What?
Emily: This one, I think, is for you. "Open before Christmas" -- see?
Nikolas: Well -- what did you get me?
Emily: Oh, it's not from me. It's from Santa.
Emily laughs.
Christmas music plays.
Colleen: Hmm. Hmm. Oh.
Christmas music plays.
Nikolas: "Nikolas," "Emily," "Spencer."
Emily: To hang by the fire so Santa can bring us lots of presents.
Nikolas: Well, thank you, Santa, but I already have everything I want -- my beautiful son and you.