(no subject)

[bytheoceantide]

Title: Joyful Reminiscence
By: Jessica
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairing: Eric Delko/Calleigh Duquesne
Prompt: #92 - Christmas
Word Count: 11,214
Rating: PG
A/N: Also doubles as my response to the TalkCSI EC Christmas fic challenge. The elements I used were ant-infested mistletoe, a cranky elf, glitter glue, crutches decorated with Christmas lights, and someone climbing something that's not a ladder.



It was half past ten on Christmas Eve, a night which found Calleigh in the hallway, pulling the door to her daughter's bedroom closed as slowly and as quietly as she could. She had been putting the little girl to bed for two hours. It took two hours of stories, of bedtime songs, and of threatening the little girl that Santa wouldn't come if she didn't go to sleep before the little girl's eyes finally drifted closed.

When Calleigh finally managed to close the door without hearing a peep from the other side, she breathed out a sigh of relief, her entire body relaxing. With the quietest steps she'd ever taken, Calleigh made her way down the stairs, following the light to the living room, where she'd told her husband two hours ago that she'd "be right back."

But Eric would understand. He'd put Maya to bed last year on Christmas Eve; he knew exactly the kind of energy the little girl could store up. Sure enough, as he heard Calleigh's footsteps creep up behind him, he gave a bit of a smirk. "Did Maya finally go to sleep?" he asked, a chuckle in his voice.

"Yeah, finally," Calleigh replied. She took a spot behind the couch where Eric sat, gently threading her fingers through the very short hair at the back of his neck. "What are you doing?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

Eric smiled. "Come here," he beckoned, patting the spot next to him on the couch. Calleigh obliged happily, and as she stepped around to the front of the couch and lowered herself next to him, Eric reached behind them, pulling the blanket from the back of the couch. As Calleigh snuggled in next to him, laying her head on his shoulder, Eric draped the blanket over her. "Comfortable?" he asked, wrapping his free arm around her.

"Mm, very," Calleigh replied, lifting her head a little. Eric took the cue, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

"I was feeling a bit nostalgic," Eric began, smiling as Calleigh lay her head back upon his shoulder. "I didn't know how long you'd be with Maya, so I pulled out one of the Christmas photo albums."

Calleigh's eyes lit up. "Oh, I love looking through our old pictures!" she cooed. Eric slid the album over, setting it evenly between them. Immediately Calleigh pointed to one, one that Eric wished he could forget. "Look at this one!" she said with a laugh. "You looked so funny in that hat!"

Playfully, Eric narrowed his eyes. "Thanks, princess."

Calleigh grinned. "Anytime," she chirped. "Besides, it's a sexy kind of funny," she added, giggling softly. She reached out and turned the page, but as soon as she did, she wished she hadn't. As Eric's embarrassing photo had been on the previous page, this one held a similar photo of Calleigh. Eric enjoyed it, certainly; but Calleigh kind of wished she could just burn that photo.

Eric smirked. "And you made fun of how I looked in that other picture…"

"Oh, shut up," Calleigh retorted, her cheeks tinting. For good measure she elbowed Eric in the side.

"I'm just saying," Eric continued, his amusement still very palpable. "That's a very sexy look you've got going on there…"

"Okay, that's enough of that," Calleigh chuckled, turning the page again. As her eyes landed on the photo on the next page, she felt a nostalgic smile stretch over her lips. The night that picture had been taken was a night Calleigh would never forget.

"And there's the night that started it all," Eric remarked, the photo sparking fond memories for him as well. The moment had long since become a memory, but thanks to Alexx and her camera, his and Calleigh's first kiss had been forever set into film.

--

His eyes had been glued to her for most of the night. The fact that she was beautiful had never been a secret to him, but tonight it seemed to be extra apparent. Maybe it was because he very rarely got to see her outside of the context of work anymore; this year, the holidays had brought on an exponentially increased crime rate, and everyone who physically could had been working back to back shifts for the past few weeks. But tonight they had all made it out of the lab for Alexx's annual Christmas party. It was a needed break for them all.

The break from work seemed to have an extremely positive effect on Calleigh. Tonight, Eric would swear that she glowed. Her eyes sparkled, her smile was radiant, and the first time she had spoken to him earlier in the evening, Eric had wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her like she'd never been kissed before. Maybe it was her soft makeup. Maybe it was the way her blonde locks curled ever lightly around her face. Or maybe it was just that Calleigh looked and sounded so happy tonight - whatever it was, it made Eric's heart flutter every time he looked at her.

But those were feelings that he had to keep to himself. He and Calleigh could never be anything more than friends - he'd convinced himself of that long ago. He didn't think he was out of her league, exactly; but he wasn't sure she could ever fall for him the way he'd fallen for her. It just didn't seem possible.

And so he would suffer in silence. But was it really suffering if he admitted how much he loved being around her like this? Was it really suffering if making her laugh and seeing her smile and losing himself in her sparkling emerald eyes made him feel just utterly amazing?

Eric would never know if it was that amazing feeling, or if someone had spiked the punch that night, but whatever it was, Eric for some reason was feeling rather daring. After watching her from across the room for what felt like forever, he found himself closing the distance between them, wanting to be near her.

But as he found himself in front of her, Eric suddenly wasn't quite sure how he'd gotten there, or what he was doing there. What he did know was how beautiful Calleigh looked up close; if she'd taken his breath away from across the room, there were no words to describe how she affected him now. "You look, uh, you look amazing tonight," he stammered, trying desperately to keep his eyes on Calleigh's eyes, instead of letting them travel down her body.

A light flush touched Calleigh's cheeks as she smiled. "Thanks, Eric," she murmured, her eyes sparkling. "You don't look so bad yourself," she added, touching his shoulder lightly.

All Eric could seem to do was grin. As he glanced around the room, catching glimpses of a few couples beginning to dance to the song that had come on the radio, Eric remembered that his first intent, before she had completely taken his breath away, had been to come over and ask Calleigh to dance.

But before he could even open his mouth, there was an excited cry from just a few feet away. It was Alexx, and she - as well as the entire room now - was watching them with the biggest grin on her lips. "I just knew it would be you two," she said knowingly.

Calleigh blinked in confusion. "Us…to what?" she asked, not following at all.

Alexx's grin only widened. "Look where you're standing."

Their movements were completely synchronized as both of them looked up at the ceiling, their eyes widening as realization dawned on both of them - Eric and Calleigh were standing right under a sprig of mistletoe.

Words completely failed Eric, yet again. He wanted to say something; maybe something reassuring to Calleigh, or maybe something irritated to the crowd of people now anticipating their next move. But instead of speaking, Eric found he could only watch Calleigh; noting painfully that she avoided his eyes.

But then she blushed, lowering her eyes to the floor as a shy smile touched her lips. Eric knew this was embarrassing for her; Calleigh was a very private person, and a firm believer in keeping her personal life separate from her professional life. And now, at the CSI Christmas party, in front of all her coworkers, she was going to be forced to kiss one of those coworkers.

Well, she wasn't forced to kiss him; Eric knew that. She could roll her eyes and comment on how silly this was and walk away, and that would be the end of it. To Eric's immense glee, Calleigh didn't do that.

What she did took Eric's breath away. Calleigh finally lifted her eyes from the floor, meeting Eric's gaze unwaveringly. That shy grin was still on her lips, and she shrugged at him, as if saying, "why not?"

She lay a hand on his chest as she raised herself to her tiptoes. Eric had long since frozen, unable to believe any of this was actually happening. He was actually beneath the mistletoe with Calleigh; she was actually going to kiss him.

And before he knew it, Calleigh's lips were on his. He heard a few whistles and catcalls in the background, but they only vaguely registered in his mind. The rest of the world had come to an end for him; all that he could even comprehend was the softness of Calleigh's lips.

It was meant to be a quick, chaste peck on the lips. That was all Calleigh had intended. But as soon as she touched her lips to Eric's, it was as though her entire world exploded in sensation. She forgot that she was in a crowded room. She forgot about all the people watching them. She forgot that the reason she was kissing him was because of the mistletoe.

Instead, now she was kissing him because of so many years of pent up feelings; now she was kissing him because she wanted to be kissing him, not because the rules of mistletoe dictated that she kiss him. The hand she'd placed on Eric's chest had migrated to his cheek, lingering there before it snaked to the back of his neck, pulling him closer as she parted her lips for him.

Oxygen very quickly made itself an opposition, especially for Eric who'd been caught by surprise. He could feel the world starting to spin around him, and while his first instinct was to hold on tighter to Calleigh, he forced himself instead to break away from her, as hard as it was to do.

And then she didn't say a word to him.

He watched her expectantly as she caught her breath, looking adorable with her bright eyes and her freshly-kissed lips. Eric wanted to swoop in and kiss her again and again. But he didn't quite get the chance, as Calleigh's eyes widened slightly, and with a glance upward, she backed away from him. The expression on her face was almost one of fright, and if she hadn't given him that coy grin of hers before she backed away completely, Eric would've known that kiss was a mistake.

During the next hour, Eric only spotted her twice, and both times she looked almost ready to make a run for it. If she'd been uncomfortable after the kiss; then okay. But why would she be so uncomfortable when she didn't even know Eric was watching? That intrigued him, and as Calleigh excused herself from her conversation with Natalia, Eric decided he had to follow her.

A few seconds later, and he was standing out in the hallway, just outside of the bathroom. He'd watched Calleigh race in there, and while he felt concern bubble up within him, it also served to fuel his curiosity. "Calleigh?" he called gently, tapping his knuckles on the bathroom door. To his surprise, the door swung ajar, having never been completely closed in the first place. "You alright?" he asked, biting his lip in concern.

"I - I'm fine, Eric," Calleigh replied, her voice shaking just barely; imperceptible to anyone else, but Eric, who had spent years upon years learning the subtle nuances of that Southern drawl, it was something he picked up on immediately.

He couldn't help it. He knew she would probably have his head for it, but he just couldn't stop himself. Eric quickly pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped inside - after all, if Calleigh hadn't cared to shut it completely in the first place, then what were the odds that she was in any way unclothed?

But then again, where Calleigh was concerned, Eric's expectations had a habit of being completely and utterly wrong.

Her back was to him...literally. Eric's mouth fell open; standing before him was Calleigh, her blonde hair cascading down over the creamy skin of her back, the color in sharp contrast to the black, lacy bra that hooked over the middle of her back. Her top was in her hands, and frantically she was shaking it out, as though something were lost inside of it.

Quickly Eric closed the door behind him, thinking of Calleigh's privacy, the fact that he himself was violating it never occurring to him. "What are you doing?" he asked, tilting his head.

Calleigh jumped, her eyes wide as she glanced over her shoulder to Eric. "Eric!" she hissed, her cheeks taking on that familiar rosy tint. But she didn't try to cover herself up; but then again, the way she was shaking out her top, Eric didn't think she would ever want to put that back on. "What are you -"

"Calm down, Cal," Eric coaxed, closing the distance between them. He didn't know how, but somehow he knew that Calleigh wouldn't hit him or yell for him to leave. As awkward as he had felt when they had first gotten caught beneath the mistletoe, this felt completely natural. "It's just me."

"I know that..."

Eric smiled. "What's the matter? Maybe I can help."

Calleigh took a deep breath. His offer was tempting; after all, he'd helped her out in a similar predicament before. She knew he wouldn't say no. But seriously; they were in Alexx's bathroom, and Calleigh was in her bra! It was more than a little embarrassing, especially after the kiss they'd shared in front of everybody.

Just thinking about that kiss sent the chills racing down her spine again. At that point, Calleigh realized that it wasn't only embarrassing to be in this position with Eric…it was downright dangerous. She wanted to feel his lips against hers again. She wanted to feel more than his lips; she wanted more than a kiss.

"Calleigh?" His voice was a bit more concerned now…and closer too. Calleigh realized with a jolt that he'd stepped closer to her. She could smell his cologne; the cologne she would swear he wore just to drive her crazy. "Are you okay?"

Calleigh let out a deep breath, regaining some sense of control. "I'm fine, Eric," she said quietly, making no move to put her top back on, despite every tiny voice in her head that told her to. "It's just…you know the mistletoe?"

"Yeah?" Eric asked, a sense of foreboding falling over him. He just knew this had something to do with their kiss. He wasn't sure how it all added up, though; but it had to be that.

"The mistletoe," Calleigh repeated, repressing a shudder, "I think it had - I think it had ants in it."

For a moment, Eric watched her. He couldn't help the smirk that broke out over his face. "Ants?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Calleigh turned to face him, and Eric gulped, his eyes immediately drawn to her lace-covered breasts. God, but she was beautiful. "One minute I was kissing you underneath the mistletoe," Calleigh continued frantically, and Eric forced his eyes back upward, gazing into her wide eyes. "And then the next minute, my shoulder was itching, and when I went to scratch it, I found two ants!"

Eric fought to keep from laughing. It was honestly amusing to see calm, controlled Calleigh nearly losing it in front of him, all because of some ants. Part of him hoped secretly that maybe it wasn't just the ants that had her all out of sorts, but possibly some of it was because of the kiss they had shared. "So you think some ants just happened to drop out of the mistletoe at the very moment we were underneath it," he said, grinning slightly.

"That's exactly what I think happened," Calleigh persisted, narrowing her eyes as she realized Eric didn't quite believe her. "Either that, or you're infested with ants, and if that's the case, then you can just get the hell away from me," she added, her face completely serious. Either she wanted to append her point, or she'd just realized she was standing before Eric in her favorite black bra, because at that point she quickly turned her back to him.

Eric snickered. "I promise you; I'm not infested with ants," he assured her, closing some of the distance between them. "Maybe you are," he added, only to rile her up.

Calleigh gave a visible shudder. "That's not even funny, Eric," she chastised.

A sudden movement caught Eric's eye, and he couldn't help but smirk. "Maybe it's not funny, but that doesn't mean it isn't true." Before Calleigh could question him, Eric reached out, gently parting Calleigh's hair, his fingers brushing ever lightly over Calleigh's bare skin. Knowing Calleigh wouldn't be too happy if he did, he didn't let himself be distracted by that, keeping to his current mission. "Ah, there you are," he muttered after a moment, the tiny speck of black standing out against the silky blonde of Calleigh's hair. Gently he shook a few strands, dropping the ant effortlessly into his waiting palm. "Gotcha."

Calleigh's breath caught in her throat. "Got what?" she asked as she turned to him, almost afraid to know.

"This little guy," Eric replied, grinning widely, holding his hand up to Calleigh's face.

"Eric!" Calleigh exclaimed, a hand over her heart. "Get that thing the hell away from me!"

She was breathing hard, and Eric found it difficult not to let his eyes wander to the rise and fall of her chest. "You, uh, don't want to keep him?" he teased.

Calleigh gave him a stern look. "Don't even play with me, Eric," she said seriously, her eyes darting warily to his hand.

Eric smirked. "Fine," he relented. Grabbing a tissue, he placed the ant inside and tossed it in the garbage. "He's gone now. What happened, anyway? I thought you got over your fear of ants."

Calleigh shrugged. "I did…sort of. But that doesn't mean I like them on me now or anything. And when I felt something drop on my head while we were under the mistletoe…I just knew it was ants."

Swallowing, Eric gathered his own courage to ask his next question. "So then, under the mistletoe, when you kind of freaked -"

"I didn't freak, Eric."

"Fine," Eric said, trying not to grin. "When you started acting strange after we, uh, after we kissed…that wasn't…" he trailed off, his voice failing him once again.

It didn't matter though, because Calleigh knew exactly what he was saying. "It was because of the ants, Eric," she replied softly, meeting Eric's gaze head-on. "But the kiss…I quite enjoyed that."

Calleigh couldn't help but blush as she watched the look of shock on Eric's face slowly turn into the biggest grin she had ever seen. "You enjoyed that?" he asked, his thoughts caught between confusion and smugness.

Biting her lip tantalizingly, Calleigh gave a quick nod. "I did," she replied low, a grin touching her own lips.

Eric couldn't believe this. After all these years, he had finally shared a kiss with Calleigh, and she wasn't going to shoot him like he had secretly feared. In fact, as he watched her, standing before him unembarrassed in her bra, biting her lip like that, Eric would swear she wanted him to kiss her again. With a teasing lilt to his voice, he made sure of that. "And, maybe you'd like it if…we did it again?" he asked, closing the distance between them.

Calleigh giggled, the sound nearly bringing Eric to his knees. She gave a coy shrug. "I think I might."

Despite her playful countenance, Calleigh was unprepared for the feelings that rushed through her body as Eric's fingers skimmed across her waist. She felt the goosebumps form beneath his touch, and as he chuckled slightly, Calleigh knew he felt them too. Her knees weakened as his face came ever closer to hers; his lips growing ever closer to her lips. She could see the desire in his eyes; she knew it was mirrored in her own.

It seemed like an eternity that they simply stood there, lost in each other's eyes, waiting for the other to make the next move. And then…thinking ceased. With one smooth movement, Eric lowered his lips to hers, capturing them in a soft kiss. But soft it didn't stay for long; Calleigh brought a hand to the back of Eric's neck, her nails scratching lightly as she brought him in closer to her, deepening the kiss. Eric responded with a groan, unable to stop himself as he pushed her to the nearest wall.

Calleigh shivered as the skin of her back met the coolness of the wall. It was such a contrast to the heat from Eric's body; the combination set all of her touch receptors alive. Every little touch of Eric's fingers was magnified by ten; every brush of his lips by a thousand. She breathed in deeply as his lips left hers, instead choosing to kiss a trail down over her jaw before stopping at her neck, suckling lightly at the skin there. "Eric…" Calleigh murmured, feeling herself completely swept away by this man. Everything he did sent another shiver racing down her spine, and she loved it.

She couldn't help the way her hands wandered, her fingers tugging at the buttons on his shirt. Once happy with that, she slipped her hands beneath the fabric, feeling his muscles ripple beneath her touch. She felt Eric shudder at her touch, and as he lifted his head to nip at her earlobe, Calleigh let out a moan. That tiny moan nearly did it for Eric, but before he could execute his plan - he wanted her higher; he wanted easier access to her lips; he wanted to lift her up and feel her legs wrap around him - there came the most unwelcome interruption of all.

It came as three quick knocks to the door, and a disgruntled voice. "Would you hurry up in there?"

Calleigh forced Eric away from her, breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. Before Eric could say anything, the knocking on the door continued. Eric cleared his throat, trying to find his voice. "Uh…just a minute!" he called out.

"What do we do?" Calleigh hissed, her eyes sparkling as she tried desperately not to laugh.

Eric let his eyes wander slightly southward before he bent down, retrieving Calleigh's forgotten top from the floor. "I think you should get dressed," he teased, offering the top to her.

Calleigh shook her head. "No, I mean, how do we get out of here? Obviously whoever's out there waiting -"

"I think it's Wolfe."

Calleigh groaned. "Of all the people…" She let out a breath, trying to think. "Obviously he's not going to go away though, so what do we do?"

Eric shrugged. "I guess we walk out of here."

"Both of us? Just like that?" Calleigh asked, slightly incredulous. "But Eric -"

"But what?" He grinned, loving the look on Calleigh's face. "They've all already seen us kiss. What's the big deal?"

"It's not about us, Eric," Calleigh argued, as though that much were obvious. She looked around, and her lips twitched as she tried not to chuckle. "It's about the fact that it's us…in Alexx's bathroom, and that nobody knows what really went on in here."

"So should we tell them what we spent the last several minutes doing?" Eric smirked.

Calleigh narrowed her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do." Eric smiled. "But I still don't think it's such a big deal." His smile widened as Ryan again knocked on the door. "I say we just walk out of here like it's something that happens everyday." He shrugged. "Besides, there are no secrets in this place. The entire lab is going to know about this whether or not Wolfe runs his mouth to everybody."

Calleigh hesitated. "That's true…" She bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "Okay, fine," she sighed. "Since neither of us will fit through the window, I guess that's the only thing we can do."

Once more, Eric fastened the buttons on his shirt, and he waited for Calleigh to pull her top on and smooth out her hair. "Ready?" he asked, a hand on the doorknob.

"Yeah."

With that, Eric pulled the door open, revealing a waiting Ryan on the other side. "It's about…" his voice faltered and his eyes widened, seeing both Eric and Calleigh in the doorway, "…time."

Calleigh grinned. "Hi Ryan!" she greeted cheerfully, quickly pushing past him and making her way into the hall. "Nice party, huh?"

Ryan didn't reply; he stared at Eric, a questioning look in his eyes as he glanced past him into the bathroom, and then back again. "What…?"

Eric smirked. "Bathroom's all yours, Wolfe," he quipped, following Calleigh. Leaving a gaping Ryan behind, he and Calleigh made their way down the hallway, identical grins on their lips. "Now see, that wasn't so bad," Eric said. "Besides, the look on his face was worth it."

"I'll say," Calleigh laughed. "So, uh, are you doing anything after this?" she asked, completely changing the subject.

"You mean after the party?" Eric asked, wondering if she possibly meant what he thought. Calleigh nodded, smiling brightly. "No, I was just going to go home. Why?"

Calleigh bit her lip, hoping her suggestion didn't sound too forward. "I seem to recall that we were in the middle of something," she said quietly, leaning closer to Eric. "I thought maybe we could finish it later…if you wanted to, I mean."

The grin that spread across Eric's lips was answer enough. He could hardly believe what Calleigh was saying to him. He'd been dreaming about this for years. "I think I like that idea," he whispered low, his voice sending a shiver through Calleigh's body.

"Good." Without warning, Calleigh stepped up to her tiptoes, pressing a quick kiss to Eric's lips. "Because I love that idea."

--

"I think I got the best Christmas present ever that night," Eric remembered aloud, grinning. "I also think I gained a new appreciation for ants."

Calleigh gave a visible shudder. "Not me."

"Oh, come on, Cal," Eric coaxed, chuckling lightly. "If it weren't for the ants in the mistletoe, we might not be here now."

"Sure we would. If it hadn't been for the ants falling on my head, I wouldn't have run off and left you at the mistletoe. And I might've kissed you again right there. And we still would've left together that night. So see, we would've had the same outcome with or without the ants."

Eric couldn't help but smile. "You really believe that?" he asked, meeting her eyes as she lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Yeah, I do," Calleigh replied sincerely, returning his smile. 'We've been through so much together, and yet, we're still here anyway. Everything happens for a reason, and I think we're here now because we're meant to be here." She shifted slightly, pressing a soft kiss to Eric's lips. "But maybe the ants did help speed up the process," she conceded, chuckling softly.

Suddenly, Calleigh remembered just how happy Alexx had been when she'd found out about her and Eric. It was as though Alexx had been pulling for them for quite some time. But more than that, Calleigh remembered the day she'd told Alexx that she and Eric had gotten together at her Christmas party. It had only been there for a second, but Calleigh had seen it. In Alexx's eyes had been the quickest flash of knowing smugness, as if she'd had a part in pushing Eric and Calleigh together.

Calleigh straightened up, giving Eric a wondering look as she thought about it. "What?" Eric asked, seeing the perplexed look in her eyes.

"Do you ever wonder if Alexx put those ants in the mistletoe on purpose?"

Eric laughed. "Calleigh, baby, that's ridiculous. Why would Alexx put ants in her own mistletoe, inside her house? That's just asking for trouble. By the morning, her entire house would be infested with ants, not just the mistletoe."

Calleigh nodded. "Yeah, you're right," she said. "That is ridiculous. I don't know what I was thinking." With a chuckle of her own, Calleigh relaxed once more against Eric's body, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. Reaching out from under the blanket, she grasped the corner of the current page in the photo album, tugging on it gently to turn to the next page.

As Calleigh turned the page, revealing the next photo, neither she nor Eric could help the chuckle that escaped them both. It was a simple Polaroid, capturing only one simple, posed scene, but the events leading up to that pose needed no pictures in order to be remembered.

In the picture, a toddler-aged Maya was dressed in an adorable red dress, one that today's seven-year-old, tomboy, soccer-loving Maya would never go within ten feet of. Her wavy blonde hair had been gathered in pigtails that fell adorably at the sides of her head. Her green eyes sparkled brightly, leaving no doubt as to the Delko charm that she held within. Though she was posed, her beautiful smile was genuine.

It was the usual mall Christmas photo; Maya was sitting on Santa's lap, smiling brightly as a mall employee dressed as an elf took the picture. But as Eric and Calleigh looked at the picture, it wasn't just the scene that was captured on film that they remembered.

--

Eric had never been stuck in a bigger crowd. He would swear that he would wake up the next morning with bruises because those manic, nearly last minute shoppers held no regard for the people around him. Eric could barely take three steps without somebody bumping his elbow, without somebody forcefully pushing past him, or without somebody walking right into him. It was madness.

But that was the mall, and not only was it a Saturday night, which was a bad night at the mall during any season, but it was two days before Christmas. Everybody in the city seemed to be packed into the mall tonight, and it seemed they had brought every screaming kid within a five hundred mile radius. Eric knew his eardrums would never be the same after tonight.

Even while standing still in line, his body was taking quite the abusive beating. The kid in front of him kept bouncing back and on to Eric's toes, and the kid behind him kept kicking the back of his feet every time they moved forward. But standing beside him, Calleigh seemed unaffected. She even seemed...happy.

"I can't wait to get Maya's picture with Santa," Calleigh said, for what might've been the twentieth time in just as many minutes. "She's going to look so adorable."

Eric tried to smile, though he knew it was probably more like a grimace, as he'd just taken an elbow to the back. "I can't wait to get out of this line," he replied, thankful that the kid in front of him had been allowed through to Santa, leaving no one else in front of them.

Calleigh gave a sympathetic smile as she bent down to lift Maya out of her stroller. "Well, Maya's next, so it won't be long now. Then we can get out of here."

"Thank God," Eric said. "I know tonight is the only chance we've had to bring Maya, but this is ridiculous. There shouldn't be this many people in Miami."

Patting his arm, Calleigh gave a chuckle. "Sweetie, I promise you'll be rewarded for your patience tonight," she whispered low, so only Eric could hear. "Just hold out a little longer."

Being reminded once more what awaited him, Eric couldn't help but grin. "I think maybe I can make it," he said teasingly.

"Good," Calleigh said with a laugh. "Besides, this is nothing compared to what we'll face when we get up to go shopping the morning after Christmas."

"I am doing no such thing!" Eric argued, vehemently holding up his hands. He was doing this tonight for Maya, and because Calleigh wanted to do it for Maya. There was no way he was going to fight an even bigger crowd just for the sake of shopping. No way.

Calleigh giggled. "I'm kidding, Eric!"

Warily he glanced at her. "You'd better be."

"Trust me," Calleigh reassured, her eyes sparkling, "I don't plan on leaving the house again until we have to go back to work. I've waited too long for this break, and I plan on taking just that - a break."

Eric nodded. "Me too," he agreed wholeheartedly, watching as the little boy currently on Santa's lap jumped down and made his way back to where his mother waited. He couldn't help but smile as he heard Maya give a quiet cheer in Calleigh's arms.

"Alright, next!" called the attendant at the gate. He reached across, unhooking the tinsel that separated the line from Santa's chair. The attendant looked barely more than fourteen, and by his expression, Eric could tell he was a little less than thrilled to be there. Eric could sympathize; he himself would be sour if he were dressed like that. The boy was dressed in green from head to toe, with pointy shoes that curled up at the toe, and a matching hat that curled into a point. The shoes and the hat were adorned with bells, so that he couldn't move without jingling. The constant jingling only seemed to exacerbate the elf's bad mood.

But Calleigh didn't seem to notice him; her attention was devoted solely to Maya. "You ready to go see Santa?" she cooed, carrying her forward.

Maya reached out, her tiny hands outstretched toward Santa. "Santa!" she squealed happily, squirming a bit against Calleigh's arms.

Eric waited as Calleigh carried Maya forward, glancing around at the surroundings, happy to have some semblance of personal space again. He dreaded the moment that Maya was back in her stroller and he and Calleigh had to venture back into the crowd.

His eyes drifted back to the kid dressed as the elf as he took the money Calleigh had paid him. His fingers bashed almost menacingly on the cash register, and Eric found himself wondering how anybody was even still waiting in line. If he were a little kid, Eric knew he'd have been a bit scared of the angry-looking elf.

Suddenly, his head snapped up, his beady eyes boring into Eric's. "What are you lookin' at?"

Eric merely shook his head, turning his gaze back to where Calleigh was trying to settle an excited Maya on Santa's lap. But no sooner than he'd turned his head. he felt a finger poking at his upper arm. "What?"

"I asked you a question, and I want an answer!"

Eric gaped. Standing beside him was Santa's helper elf, looking up at him with quite the murderous look upon his face. "I wasn't looking at anything," Eric persisted. "I was just watching my little girl."

The elf nearly growled. "Are you lyin' to me? Are you?" He placed his hands on his hips, attempting an intimidating pose. It didn't quite have the desired effect, not when Eric would've had to kneel to meet his eyes. "Because let me tell you something. See that guy over there?" he continued, pointing to Santa, "he doesn't like lies. And don't think he doesn't hear every one you tell."

Eric couldn't help but snicker. Was this guy serious? A quick glance to his face told Eric that the elf was indeed serious, or as serious as one could be in his current state of dress. "Okay, fine," Eric relented, smirking. "I was looking at your silly hat."

The elf crossed his arms, obviously not happy with that reply either. "What's wrong with my hat?" he pressed, bringing his hand to it and jingling the tiny bell that hung down over the front of it. "Huh?"

"Nothing. It's very festive. I was just, uh, admiring the handiwork," Eric quipped.

"You know, Blinky doesn't like sarcasm," the elf, apparently Blinky, retorted.

Eric snorted. "Blinky?"

"You think it's funny?" Blinky challenged, raising himself to his full height, where he still remained a full foot shorter than Eric.

"Well, of course it is," Eric reasoned, grinning. "You're a Christmas elf. Elves are supposed to be funny. Not to mention cheerful."

"I've been working since seven this morning," Blinky growled. "Let's see how cheerful you are after twelve hours."

"Twelve hours ushering people to see jolly old St. Nick is hardly taxing," Eric countered. "Try twelve - no, twenty-four - hours staring at fingerprints and DNA and tire treads, and then we'll see who has the right to be cranky."

Blinky glared, looking about ready to start kicking at Eric's shins. "At least fingerprints are quiet. They don't scream at you while they wait in line to see Santa." He huffed. "I'm not even supposed to be here tonight. But no, Floppy just had to get fired two days before Christmas. And Happy is gone."

Eric smirked, though he decided not to comment on the names of the elves. "I hope Happy is, well, happier than you are."

"She'd better be," Blinky replied bitterly. "Skippin' out on her last few shifts to run off to Jamaica with the loser from the calendar kiosk over there..."

This was quite easily the strangest conversation Eric had ever had. He let his eyes wander back to his wife and daughter. Maya had finally settled down enough to have her picture taken, and she even sat still and smiled for the camera. As Calleigh waited for the photograph to develop, Eric could see the smile on her face, a smile that made every little annoyance Eric had put up with tonight worth it. He knew he'd go through hell and back just to make her smile, and he'd do the same for Maya.

After a moment, Calleigh walked back up to Santa and pulled Maya into her waiting arms. Maya clapped happily and waved to Santa as Calleigh set her back into her stroller. As they made their way back, Eric found his own lips curving in a smile that matched the smiles on their lips. "Did you get the picture?"

"Yeah," Calleigh replied happily. "She was such an angel. And look how adorable she is!" she cooed, showing Eric the picture.

Eric chuckled, feeling a surge of fatherly pride, as well as a bit of protectiveness - even from this one picture, he knew his daughter was going to be a heartbreaker when she grew up. "She's a cutie," he said, kneeling down to gently tap her nose. "Yes, you are."

Maya giggled, her quiet laugh trailing off into a small yawn. Calleigh smiled. "Looks like somebody's getting sleepy," she commented, taking Eric's hand as he rose to his feet once more.

"Not s'eepy," Maya mumbled, attempting to hide what both her parents knew to be another yawn.

Calleigh chuckled softly. "We should get her home and into bed," she said quietly to Eric, who nodded in response. "She's had enough excitement for one day."

With that, they turned and prepared to head back into the crowd to fight their way to the mall exit, hoping that getting out wouldn't be as bad as making it from store to store. With a smirk, Eric turned back to the elf at the gate. "Merry Christmas, Blinky."

"Oh, bah humbug."

--

"I remember that night," Calleigh murmured amusedly. "Maya was what, two and a half? Almost three?"

"Yeah," Eric replied, a note of pride in his voice. "Remember how excited she was when we told her we were going to see Santa?"

Calleigh chuckled. "How could I forget?" she replied, recalling that afternoon with a smile on her lips. "And I remember how you tried to calm her down, too."

"You say that like something bad happened," Eric quipped.

"Well, considering I went to the bank and to the grocery store that afternoon, and I came back to find my living room all sparkly and sticky. Not to mention the explosion I found in my kitchen."

Eric grinned innocently. "Maya wanted to make cookies. And you have to admit; they were good cookies. Made from the special, secret Delko family recipe."

Calleigh laughed. "Yeah, they were good cookies. But where in that recipe does it say that butter has to be melted on the counter, and that cookie dough has to stick to the ceiling?"

"I can't tell you; it's part of the secret family recipe," Eric teased.

"Oh, come on," Calleigh laughed, elbowing his side. "I'm a Delko too, now. I've been one for years!" Eric still didn't spill the secret though, and Calleigh only shook her head, knowing exactly what the secret was. "I don't think there is a secret recipe. I think you just say that so I won't know that you and Maya had a cookie dough fight in the kitchen," she hypothesized, her eyes sparkling.

--

Calleigh would never forget the mess she'd found in the kitchen that afternoon, those few years ago. As she'd walked in, her jaw had literally dropped. It smelled wonderful, the scent of baking cookies permeating the air and giving a homey, Christmas-like feel to the atmosphere. But Calleigh wasn't too far mesmerized by that to miss the destruction to her kitchen.

There was cookie dough everywhere. On the kitchen counter, smeared on the door of the refrigerator, crushed on the floor, and even stuck to the ceiling. Calleigh was amazed there was actually any cookie dough in the oven. But it wasn't just cookie dough that was everywhere. Part of the counter was greasy with melted butter, the floor had splashes of water here and there, and the entire kitchen looked as though it had been caught in a sprinkle storm. And Calleigh didn't need any kind of powder to find the two sets of sticky fingerprints on every surface in the kitchen.

Carefully Calleigh found a seemingly clean, dry surface on which to set her purse as she prepared to search out the culprits. To her surprise and immense relief, the cookie mess seemed to stay in the kitchen, none of it tracking to the carpet leading to the living room. "Thank God for small favors," she murmured, somewhat irritated, somewhat amused. After all, it wasn't like she could ever stay mad at Eric and Maya, so what was the point in trying?

Apparently she'd spoken too soon concerning the mess, though. As Calleigh stepped into the living room, once again her jaw dropped. The mess in there was not the stickiness of cookie dough; however, it had a different kind of stickiness. And it was sparkly.

It wasn't in the carpet, thank goodness. And it wasn't anywhere near the television, nor the computer, nor any of the other electrical appliances. It seemed to be confined to the coffee table, which had been transformed into a makeshift art studio.

Granted, Eric had laid out newspaper over the table, sparing it from much damage. Calleigh did have to give him credit for that.

Huddled around the coffee table were Calleigh's daughter and husband, their entire attention devoted to their current projects. Despite the mess, Calleigh couldn't help but smile as Maya babbled happily, busy with her fingerpaints. Also spread out over the table was a small canister of glitter, several sheets of construction paper in various colors, a box of crayons, some markers, and a bottle of glitter glue.

It was the recipe for disaster, spread out there on her coffee table. Calleigh knew she had to step in and make her presence known before the living room actually did become a disaster. "What are you two up to?" she asked, smiling at her family.

Taking a quick glance at the table, Eric gave Calleigh a sheepish look, but Maya smiled happily. "Make cards, Mama!" the toddler said excitedly. Lifting her current creation from the table, Calleigh tried not to grimace as glitter went flying through the room. "It's snowman," she explained, showing it to Calleigh.

"That's so pretty, sweetheart!" Calleigh cooed, kneeling down next to the table. Maya beamed and went back to her project, her tiny hands growing sticky with paint. With a glance to Eric, Calleigh lifted an eyebrow, amusedly begging an explanation.

"She wanted to make Christmas cards," he explained, a grin on his lips.

As he looked up and met her eyes, Calleigh couldn't help but burst out in giggles. "That's a nice look for you, Eric," she smirked, gently touching his nose. "I love the glitter."

Eric chuckled, realizing what she was talking about. "Yeah, we had a bit of an incident with the glitter glue," he said, knowing he was currently sporting that glitter glue on his nose and cheeks, along with a tiny bit of blue paint on his forehead.

"I can see that," Calleigh chuckled. "Is that what happened with the cookies, too?"

Eric had the good grace to look away, embarrassed. "So, uh, you saw that?"

"Yeah, I'd say I saw it, all right."

He reached behind his head, scratching his neck. "We were going to clean it up when the last batch of cookies finished. I thought we'd get to it before you got home."

Calleigh smiled. "It's okay," she said, instinctively reaching out her thumb to rub at a spot of paint on Maya's cheek. "Just as long as we get the two of you and the kitchen cleaned up before we go to the mall tonight to see Santa."

Maya's ear's perked immediately, and she gave an excited squeal, sending even more glitter into the air. "Santa!"

--

"I could've killed you that afternoon," Calleigh joked, lifting her head to meet Eric's eyes. "I swear I'm still finding glitter lodged between the couch cushions."

Eric snickered. "Please. You are not," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me," Calleigh countered, sticking her tongue out at Eric.

"Now that's not very nice, is it?" Eric chastised playfully, shaking a finger at his wife. "Santa's not going to bring you presents tonight since you're being naughty."

Calleigh laughed. "At least I haven't been naughty all year long, like somebody I know," she said pointedly, her eyes sparkling.

"You make me naughty," Eric pointed out suggestively, grinning devilishly. "And besides, you love it when I'm naughty," he added low, leaning over to nuzzle against her neck.

As shivers raced through her body, Calleigh let out a soft giggle. "Maybe," she replied cryptically, a grin on her lips. She felt him lift his head, capturing her earlobe between his lips, making her tremble again. "Come on, Eric," she protested with another giggle. "I want to finish looking at the pictures."

Eric pouted slightly as he pulled back from her. "You're no fun," he teased.

Calleigh winked before settling back into her comfortable position against him. "There'll be plenty of fun later tonight," she assured with a smirk.

"Is that a promise?"

Laying her head back atop his shoulder, Calleigh gave a devilish snicker as she reached once more for the photo album, turning to the next page. "If you're good."

As the next page of the photo album was revealed, Eric had to smirk. "And you were making fun of my art skills," he joked, looking amusedly at the picture before them. It was a picture Calleigh had taken the year before, of Eric standing in the living room, showing off his crutches; crutches which were far from plain-looking.

Calleigh grinned. "Oh come on, this was festive and you know it," she argued, pointing at the picture. "And it made you laugh, which was something you really needed then."

"What I needed was for my ankle to be healed," Eric replied darkly, wincing as he remembered the pain.

They had spent Christmas in a cabin in the Appalachians last year, neither Eric nor Calleigh wanting to travel too far north, but both of them hoping for once to grant Maya a white Christmas. From Eric, it was just as much a gift for Calleigh as it was for Maya, since out of the three of them, Eric had been the only one who had ever seen snow in person. It was his excitement for it that had convinced Calleigh that this would be fun.

And Calleigh had thought it was fun, as had Maya.

But for all his excitement, Eric had been the one who had been grumbling to come home. The magical white Christmas had become more painful than he'd anticipated, and after the third day, he hadn't been able to enjoy the rest of the trip.

After day three, Eric had been unable to go shopping with Calleigh or go out and play with Maya in the snow. He could barely make it up and down the stairs, and had instead taken to sleeping on the downstairs sofa.

On day three, Eric had taken Maya ice skating.

Maya had picked it up just like that; within moments of stepping on to the ice, she was zipping around the rink like she'd spent her entire childhood on the ice instead of on the beach. "If she can do it, then so can I," Eric had said, completely sure of himself, choosing not to listen to his wife's pleas to stay near the wall. No, Eric just had to take off toward the middle of the rink.

It wasn't until it was too late that Eric fully realized that ice skating wasn't the same as rollerskating. He was only separated from the ice by a thin blade, and with one wrong move of his foot, he discovered just how difficult ice skating actually was for somebody who'd never done it before.

He'd heard the sickening crack before the pain had hit him. Sitting dazed on the ice, he had yet to notice the odd angle of his ankle. He thought he was okay. And then the pain had overtaken him; it was like nothing he'd ever felt before.

A trip to the ER had proven that his ankle was broken in two places. For the remainder of the holiday, Eric was supposed to rest and keep his weight off of that foot. And he had thought it wouldn't be that difficult.

--

Eric groaned, a sharp burst of pain making its way up his right leg. His ankle was absolutely throbbing; he would swear it was about to burst right out of the cast, that was how bad it throbbed.

He felt terrible. This was supposed to be a wonderful, family vacation, and here he was, in so much pain that he could barely sit up. He knew the pain would start to fade once the bone started to heal, but Eric didn't know how he was going to make it until that point.

He was all for going the tough route; he saw nothing wrong with proving he could ride out the pain. That was the manly thing to do, wasn't it? And at first, that was what he had tried to do. He had eschewed the provided pain medications, deciding early on that he didn't need them. It didn't hurt too badly.

But then, the adrenaline had worn off, and he had grown tired. Just as he was ready to lie down and go to sleep, it felt as though a train had run straight over his poor ankle, and then two more trains had followed it. By the middle of the night, he had nearly been in tears because it hurt so damn badly.

From that point on, he had taken the pain meds regularly. But because he had denied himself the meds early on, the pain never fully went away. His ankle continued to throb dully even after taking them.

And at this point, because he'd fallen asleep, he'd missed his last dose and awoken to a sensation that he likened to having a thousand kids jumping on his ankle as though it were a trampoline. No matter what metaphors Eric called forth with his mind, none of them could accurately describe how terrible the pain was.

Obviously it was time for some aspirin. The question, though, was whether or not he could make it to the kitchen to retrieve it.

And, with a groan of dismay, Eric realized after he'd sat up that his crutches were missing. Even if he could've, he wasn't about to try walking on his ankle, not as badly as it was hurting him right now.

As much as it pained his ego to do so, the only thing that Eric could do was call Calleigh for help. With a deep breath, he mustered all his strength, hoping she would be close enough to hear him. "Calleigh!"

The pain in his voice was evident, and Calleigh wasted no time in getting to him. Only one room away, it was mere seconds before she was in front of him. "Eric?" Concern in her eyes, she kneeled beside the couch, gently stroking his forehead. "What is it?"

"Aspirin," he choked out, and a flash of realization passed through Calleigh's eyes. Immediately she was on her feet and in the kitchen, quickly retrieving two pills and a glass of water. Within moments Eric was greedily swallowing the pills and the water, awaiting that blessed time that they dissolved into his system, numbing some of the pain. "Thanks, Cal," he murmured, once more lying back on the couch.

Calleigh gave a sympathetic smile. "You're welcome, hon. I hate to see you hurting so bad," she said, gently linking her fingers with his.

Eric put on a brave face. "It's not so bad," he lied, knowing that Calleigh didn't believe him for a second.

But she didn't argue with him; she simply put on a smile, indulging in Eric's need to appear tough in the face of pain. "Okay, sweetie. But if you need anything else, just call me, okay?"

Eric nodded, finding himself overtaken by a yawn. Calleigh dropped a gentle kiss to his forehead before she stood, ready to go back to what she'd been doing before.

But Eric still didn't know where his crutches had disappeared to. "Hey Cal?" he asked, wrinkling his forehead in confusion. "What happened to my crutches?"

Calleigh gave a sly smile. "Don't worry about that right now," she said cryptically. "Just try to get some rest, okay?"

Despite her reassurance, Eric was worried. Telling him not to worry about something was pretty much a sure sign that Calleigh was up to something. Maya too, probably. But Eric was tired, and he found himself pushing the idea from his mind, figuring whatever they were up to, he would find out in due time.

Sure enough, two hours later, Eric woke up to find his crutches next to the couch, right where he had left them. The only difference was that now, they twinkled brightly back at him, decorated from top to bottom with Christmas lights.

--

"Come on now, Eric, you've got to admit it was clever," Calleigh teased. "And it was Maya's idea. She thought it would make you feel better."

Eric smiled. "It was amusing," he conceded, chuckling lightly. "Except for when I got tangled in the Christmas lights."

Calleigh laughed. "That was the funniest part of all!"

"Yeah, you would think that," Eric grumbled, smiling nonetheless. Shaking his head, he reached out to turn to the next page in the photo album.

The photograph that was revealed to them on that page was one that brought back a bittersweet memory. It was taken on Christmas morning, when Maya was four. She was ecstatic; there was wrapping paper tossed all about the living room, and there remained even more gifts to be opened. Maya had just opened her biggest present, and she was all smiles for the camera.

The only part of the photograph that gave any semblance of there being something wrong was the tiny bandage that Maya wore just above her right eye.

Calleigh sighed. "I don't think I'll forget that Christmas anytime soon," she said darkly, remembering the very first real scare they'd had with Maya.

--

"You know, in a little bit we're going to have to start setting out Maya's presents," Calleigh murmured, though she made no attempt to lift her head from Eric's shoulder, just as Eric made no attempt to let her go.

Eric glanced to the clock on the wall. "I don't know; maybe we should give it another hour or so," he said, threading his fingers gently through his wife's hair. "I don't want her to hear us."

"She's been in bed for three hours though, baby," Calleigh replied.

"But she's a restless sleeper, Cal," Eric pointed out. "Like you," he added, gently tapping Calleigh's nose.

Calleigh giggled softly. "Okay, maybe you're right." She gave a soft yawn, stretching luxuriously against him. "Or maybe I'm just too comfy to move right now."

Eric grinned. "I don't have any objections to that."

Calleigh certainly didn't either, and she snuggled closer to Eric, loving the hypnotic feel of his fingers tracing circles over her back. A few minutes of this could easily have her slipping off to dreamland. But just before Calleigh could fully doze off, there came a loud crash from the kitchen, followed by the sound of their daughter's anguished wails. Calleigh was up in a flash, and within a second, she rushed into the kitchen, Eric right on her heels. What she saw there nearly gave her a heart attack.

The refrigerator was open, the soft light from within illuminating the kitchen. On its side in the middle of the floor was one of the chairs from the dining room table, and just a few feet away from that was the gallon jug of milk, miraculously unopened; unspilled. But to Eric and Calleigh that made no difference, as their four-year-old daughter lay bawling in the middle of the floor.

"Maya!" Calleigh called out shakily, immediately dropping to the floor beside the little girl. Her stomach flipped when she saw the blood, and though it wasn't a lot, Calleigh still felt as though she might be sick.

"Mommy!" Maya cried, allowing Calleigh to scoop her into her arms. "It hurts!" she sobbed, burying her face against her mother's shoulder. But before she'd done that, Calleigh had noticed fearfully that her daughter clutched at her right eye.

"Eric," Calleigh whispered worriedly as he fell to the ground beside them, a warm, damp cloth in his hands. "Her eye."

Eric felt his heart skip a beat, the fear beginning to spread through his entire being like wildfire. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself enough to take a closer look. "Maya," he said gently, laying a hand on her wrist. "I need you to let me see, okay?"

"No!" Maya cried, squirming away from Eric the best she could, considering Calleigh still held her. "Hurts!"

Eric could see the fear in Calleigh's eyes, knowing that it mirrored that in his own eyes. "Maya," Eric tried again, "I need to look, sweetie. The sooner you let me see it, the sooner it'll stop hurting; I promise."

Maya thought about it for a moment, but eventually she faced Eric, slowly pulling her hand down from her eye. Eric couldn't help but gasp as he took a good look. "Is it bad?" Calleigh asked, her voice shaking.

Gently Eric lifted the damp cloth to Maya's face, softly wiping away some of the blood and her tears, his heart breaking as the little girl whimpered in pain. What caught his attention the most was how fast the cut seemed to be bleeding. It was deep; anybody could see that, but thankfully, it appeared to just miss her eye. It was very close, though. "I think we need to take her to the ER," Eric replied, after what seemed like the longest moment of Calleigh's life.

Calleigh's eyes widened. "The ER?"

Eric nodded, laying a hand on Calleigh's shoulder. "I think Maya's okay, but she needs stitches. That cut's pretty deep. And it is a bit too close to her eye for comfort. I don't feel comfortable waiting to take her to her doctor in a couple of days, especially not with how much it's bleeding."

The next couple of hours all passed in a blur for Calleigh. She could barely remember numbly being able to pull on some clothes and make it to the car. As Eric had sped them down the highway toward the ER, Calleigh had been able to concentrate on nothing but Maya's pained whimpers. She had held the crying little girl as Eric had checked them in, not caring about the stray drops of blood that fell upon her sweater - but then again, that was nothing compared to the blood that had soaked through her pajamas as she'd held Maya on the kitchen floor. Just thinking about that amount of blood sent a shudder through Calleigh's entire body.

Numbly she'd stood with Eric as the doctor on call examined the cut along Maya's eyebrow, feeling her knees weaken as he said something about stitches, something about infection, something about antibiotics. Eric held her securely, one arm wrapped around her waist as he questioned the doctor, and Calleigh was thankful for his parenting skills. Calleigh could barely even breathe, let alone comprehend the enormity of what was going on. Her daughter had nearly lost her eye - it was a wonder Calleigh could even stand upright. Her heart still hadn't returned to it's usual pace.

Maya was relatively quiet and still as she was stitched up, her eyes watering with the pain. Eventually she was completely patched up, and Maya even smiled as the doctor presented her with three stickers.

"Just make sure to keep that area clean," the doctor warned. "Just do that, and she'll be fine. You'll need to make an appointment with her pediatrician to get the stitches out and to make sure everything is healing."

"Thank you," Eric said gratefully, while Calleigh could only nod. She rushed forward, gathering Maya into her arms.

Calleigh didn't find the strength to speak again until they were stopped at a red light, halfway home. Her shock was finally starting to wear off, and an immense feeling of relief was taking its place. "Maya, sweetheart," she began, her voice slightly hoarse. "What on earth were you doing?"

"I got up to see if Santa had been here," she explained, a note of remorse in her voice. "I'm sorry, Mama."

Calleigh gave a chuckle of relief. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm just glad you're okay." She paused, letting out a deep breath. "But what were you doing in the kitchen?"

Maya smiled. "I saw the plate of cookies, but no milk. What was Santa supposed to drink?"

Calleigh closed her eyes, nodding slightly. She knew exactly what had happened next. "So you climbed up on the chair to get it."

"Uh-huh. I just wanted to make sure he had some milk."

--

"I think that was the scariest night of my life," Calleigh recalled with a sigh. "I couldn't believe how well you held it together. I was a mess."

Eric chuckled. "You were just worried, Cal. Like any good mother would've been."

"I guess," Calleigh replied, still not fully believing it though. "I was just glad when Christmas morning came and Maya was fine again." Fine was an understatement though; as the sunlight crept up over the ocean, it was as though the previous night hadn't even happened for the resilient little girl. She was up at seven on the dot, all but jumping on Calleigh and Eric's bed, ready to get up and open presents. If not for the stitches and the small bandage over her eyebrow, nobody would've even known she had spent half of Christmas Eve in the emergency room.

With a sigh, Calleigh turned the last page, coming to the end of the album. As Eric closed it and set it on the coffee table, Calleigh stretched luxuriously against him, a slow smile curling along her lips. "I can't believe all this time has passed," she remarked. "I swear it was just yesterday that we were bringing Maya home for the very first time."

"I know," Eric replied softly, a reminiscent smile on his lips. "Time goes by so fast."

"That it does, Eric." Sighing softly, Calleigh pulled herself up from the couch, already missing the comfort of Eric's arms. "It's getting late," she said, gazing down at Eric. "We should probably get to bed…"

Eric tilted his head. "But I'm not that tired," he protested, unable to hide his sly grin.

Calleigh extended a hand to him, a seductive grin coming over her own lips. "Who said anything about sleeping?" she asked innocently, her eyes sparkling as Eric stood from the couch with her. "Maybe I wanna give you your Christmas present…"