Hey, guys! Since I did a Christmas Morganders story last year and the year before that I figured I might as well do one again this year! ;) Hope you like it!

A merry little Christmas

December 24, Las Vegas

"Morgan, do you know where Greg is?"

Morgan looked up at Russell from the magazine she had been flipping through. Shift had officially finished already, but she was waiting for Greg. As soon as he was done, they could go home and start celebrating their very first Christmas together.

"Yeah, he's in DNA," she told their supervisor. She smiled. "He decided to run the sample himself instead of waiting for Henry, just to get it done faster! Henry did not like it…"

She grinned for a moment until she saw Russell's serious face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him, feeling worried inside already. Russell let out a deep sigh. "I might as well tell you… I just got a call from Denver PD. They want Greg to fly out there and help them with a case."

Morgan froze. What?

"A few years ago Greg worked on the case of a serial killer," Russell continued explaining. "He had a really special MO: he shot his victims once through the heart and once through the brain. He then left a dead snake on their bodies. Apparently Greg was the one who figured out who he was back then and he became known as the expert on that case. The killer was sent to prison and he's still there, but now they found a victim in Denver with one shot through the heart, one through the brain and a dead snake on the body… They want Greg to help them figure out if it's just a copycat, if the wrong guy was caught or if he had help from someone."

Morgan shook her head. "Surely this can wait till after Christmas?"

The moment the words left her mouth she already knew the answer. Russell saw she knew it, so he just looked at her. Morgan kept shaking her head, an angry look slowly appearing on her face. How could they do this to them? It was supposed to be their first Christmas together as a real couple!

"Hey, I'm ready to go!" Greg appeared next to Russell with a happy smile on his face. His smile disappeared when he saw Morgan's angry look and Russell's sad face. "What's going on?"

After another angry look in Russell's direction Morgan stormed out of the breakroom.

"Morgan!" Greg immediately called out. He wanted to go after her, but Russell stopped him. "I can tell you why she's so angry… And you're not going to like it… Do you remember Pete Samson's case?"

"The guy who left dead snakes on his victims?" Greg remembered. "Yeah, of course I do! What about it?"

Russell repeated what he had told Morgan: that Denver PD wanted him to fly out there to help them.

"Come on, Russell, you've got to be kidding me!" Greg said with a sigh. "This is the first Christmas Morgan and I were going to spend together! And now you want me to go to Denver?"

"Of course I don't want you to go, Denver PD wants you to come and… well, I don't think it's something you can refuse to do," Russell said, also sighing. "I'm sorry, Greg, I know it was supposed to be your first Christmas with Morgan. If I could send someone else instead, I would, you know that, but they requested you… I'm sorry…"

"Well… then you better make sure both Morgan and I have New Year's off, that's the least you can do!" Greg said to him, sounding angrier than he actually wanted to.

"Done," Russell immediately said, also because he wasn't used to Greg being so angry. Greg calmed down a little after Russell's immediate response and nodded. "Thanks. Well, I guess I better go and find Morgan and then go home to pack… See you later then…"

He walked off in search of Morgan, finding her in the locker room.

"Hey…" He tried to pull her into his arms, but she stepped back and shook her head. "It's fine, don't say anything. It's work, you have to do it. Good luck."

Without even smiling at him she left the locker room.

"Morgan, wait!" Greg quickly went after her, stopping her to make her face him. "Do you think I like this? I was so looking forward to spending Christmas with you for the first time…"

Morgan shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter, it's just a stupid commercial holiday. I hope you have a safe flight."

She started walking away again.

"Morgan! Morgan!" Greg called after her. She of course didn't stop, she even seemed to quicken her pace. Greg groaned, what was he supposed to do now? She obviously wasn't in the mood to talk about the situation, something he understood, but also didn't like. He was angry about their first Christmas together being ruined as well, but didn't she understand it was hard on him as well?

After a few more moments of thinking he still went after her. Because of her quick pace she had already reached her car and got in just as he exited the building.

"Morgan… Morgan!" he called out. The only thing he saw were the lights of her car, not even her smiling or waving at him. With a sigh he returned to the building to get his things. This was the only thing he didn't like about her: how she sometimes kept her feelings so hidden inside instead of sharing them with him. She had to know he didn't like this either, why couldn't they then just be bummed about the situation together?

December 25, Las Vegas, 10 AM

On his way over to the dayshift supervisor's office Conrad Ecklie passed the breakroom. To his surprise he saw his daughter inside, flipping through a magazine.

"Hey, M, what are you doing here?" he asked her, stepping inside the breakroom.

"Oh, waiting for a call to come in," she simply replied without looking up from the magazine. Conrad sat down next to her, taking the magazine away from her so she'd look at him. "You're not supposed to be working today…"

"Well, I didn't exactly feel like sitting at home all by myself, okay?" she snapped at him. "I came here, I offered to work instead of Martins, so he could be at home with his family, and the dayshift supervisor was okay with it, end of story. It's quiet anyway, so it's no problem."

Conrad wasn't fooled by her brave act.

"I know he misses being with you as well," he softly said. Immediately the tears appeared in Morgan's eyes, but she pushed them back. "Well, that doesn't change anything. I'm here and he's in Denver!"

"Which is where you should be," Conrad understood. He thought for a moment before he nodded and strictly said: "Go home, Morgan, now…"

"I don't wanna go home!" Morgan protested.

"And pack a bag," Conrad finished his sentence. "I'm getting you on the first flight to Denver so you can be with Greg today! Don't worry about the dayshift supervisor, I'll take care of it. Now go!"

It took Morgan two seconds to process what her father had just said, then she hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, Dad, I love you!"

"I love you too, M," Conrad smiled. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Dad!"

December 25, Denver Airport, 3 PM

Looking around to find out where the taxi stand was Morgan left the gate at the airport. She followed the signs to the Arrivals hall, suddenly feeling her phone vibrate. By the time she had managed to get it out of her pocket, the caller had already hung up again. Apparently it had been Greg, who had called her six times earlier as well. A little worried she called him back.

"Morgan!" He sounded happy and relieved, although it was hard to tell because of all the noise in the background.

"Greg, are you okay?" she worriedly asked him. She could almost hear him smile through the telephone. "I am now! Look, Morgan, I know you think Christmas is a stupid commercial holiday, but I was really looking forward to our first Christmas together! For me Christmas is about being with the people you love… and I love you, Morgan!"

Morgan felt her heart skipping a beat: this was the first he had ever said that.

"I love you too!" she almost breathlessly said. "And you're right, Christmas should be about being together with the people you love, not about the presents."

"Exactly! Although I have a present for you which will look great with that red sweater you're wearing…"

Shocked, she looked down at her sweater. How did he know what he was wearing? Surprised, she looked around the airport. Suddenly it seemed like her heart stopped. He was standing right there!

Without caring about the people around them, she ran up to him and caught him in a tight hug. Tears almost automatically started running down her cheeks. She was so happy to see him!

"I'm so sorry about yesterday!" she said in between two kisses. "I should have realized it was difficult for you too…" More kisses followed. "I acted so stupid and I'm really, really sorry!"

Greg quickly stopped her from kissing him again so he could say: "It's okay, I understand! You had every right to be angry, I was too! I just took it out on Russell instead of on you…"

Morgan grinned for a moment. "Yeah, maybe I should have done that too…"

She looked up at him. "But how did you know I was here?"

"Well, it didn't take me very long to realize this murder was the work of a copycat, so I could leave Denver PD rather quickly," he explained to her. "I came here to catch a last-minute flight to Vegas, but I decided to call you first. When I couldn't reach you at home, I figured you might have gone over to your Dad's, so I called him. He told me you were on your way over here and… well, that's how I found you!"

Smiling happily Morgan hugged him, her head on his shoulder to just enjoy the fact that he was really here. Greg pulled her close for a minute, but then he said: "Wait! Why don't we first see if we can get a flight back to Vegas? That one I was supposed to catch probably already left, but we'll get on the next one!"

Unfortunately the next flight to Las Vegas didn't leave for another eight hours.

"So… we'll be spending Christmas in an airport?" Greg said. Smiling, Morgan took his hand. "Don't you remember? Christmas is about being with the people who you love… Who cares then that we're in an airport? Merry Christmas, Greg!"

He smiled back at her. "Merry Christmas, Morgan!"

They found a seat in the waiting lounge, where they could hear 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas' playing in the background. Greg got both of them some coffee while Morgan moved a little Christmas tree from a table to their seats to make it look like Christmas a little more. When Greg returned, he got the gift from his bag he had been talking about on the phone: a beautiful silver necklace with her name as a charm. On the back of the letter M 'I love you' had been engraved.

"It's beautiful!" Morgan whispered, deeply touched by his wonderful present. She carefully touched the charm of the necklace, which he had put around her neck. She then got his present from her bag.

"Oh, wow, Morgan, this must have taken you ages!" Greg slowly flipped through the new day planner Morgan had bought him. She had decorated it with photos of the two of them together and on special dates she had written memories like 'Our first official date' and 'Our first kiss'.

Morgan smiled at Greg a little shyly. "I was happy to do it… I love you, Greg!"

"I love you too, Morgan!"

Smiling, Morgan crawled into Greg's arms. In the background she could still hear the song playing:

Through the years we all will be together

If the fates allow

Hang a shining star upon the highest bow

And have yourself a merry little Christmas night…