-six years later-

Despite her love of early morning sunshine, Calleigh could not be happier to awake to an overcast sky. On a morning like this, she knew what that meant, and it was enough to leave her smiling softly, content to simply lay in the arms of the man who had made the past six years of her life so very perfect. Her sleepy eyes drifted to the ring upon her left hand, her smile widening as memories of the day he'd placed it upon her finger swept over her. She could still see the reverence in his eyes; she could still feel the flutter of her heart as he mouthed a silent I love you to her. And she could still taste his lips against hers as they'd shared their first kiss as husband and wife…the memory still elicited goosebumps along her skin and shivers down her spine.

So much had happened in the six years since the very first kiss they'd shared that night, in this very cabin. It had led to the beginning of a whirlwind romance that had taken her breath away at every turn; every kiss, every embrace, every heated night together, and before she could even stop to catch her breath, it seemed she had everything she'd ever wanted and more.

And for the first time in her life, Calleigh had felt as if she belonged to a family. Certainly, she'd always had her brothers on her side growing up, but they'd all gone their separate ways, and Calleigh wasn't too keen on the idea of looking back. And her parents…even now, the relationship she had with both of them remained strained, if it existed at all.

But Clorinda Delko had taken her in immediately, she recalled with a smile. The first time Eric had brought her to dinner with his family, Calleigh had spent a great deal of the evening in absolute awe. It was the polar opposite of the family she'd grown up with – smiles, laughter, and certainly no lack of childhood stories that left Calleigh laughing and Eric grinning sheepishly.

It was the family she'd never had…and she'd felt a bit of a lump form in her throat the first time Clorinda had embraced her, addressing her as mi hija. She felt so at home with his family, and just the idea that they considered her to be a part of that family…it brought a smile to her lips every time she thought about it.

It always amazed her, how she'd grown so lucky after the childhood she'd experienced. But with Eric, it seemed everything had quickly begun falling into place…and quickly it had truly been. Looking back at the past six years often left Calleigh's head spinning, but as far as she was concerned, that was part of the thrill of it. She knew she wouldn't change a thing – not from the headfirst leap into the most serious relationship of her life, to the swift engagement that had led to the elaborate wedding that Calleigh had never imagined herself having, but which couldn't have been more perfect in the end. And every day since then, Calleigh had felt nothing short of utterly blessed. The happiness she'd found with Eric was everything she'd always secretly wished for as a child, but also everything she'd slowly stopped believing in, until he'd shown her that not only did it exist, but it existed for her.

A soft rustling of blankets drew her slowly from her thoughts, and Calleigh didn't have to wait for long before she felt a strong arm loop around her, drawing her back flush against his chest. Unable and unwilling to hold it back, Calleigh let out a peaceful, contented sigh, letting her eyes flutter closed once again. It was just one of the many things she loved about being with him – she had always been a morning person, but there was just something about waking up with him, with his arms around her, that always managed to create the perfect beginning to any day.

She smiled happily, feeling the goosebumps rise over her skin as he nuzzled softly into her hair, his low, husky voice leaving her shivering deliciously. "Mmm…merry Christmas…"

"Merry Christmas to you too," Calleigh murmured, giggling softly as his lips tickled her neck. "And guess what?" she continued, forcing her eyes open again. She paused, waiting for his questioning hum, low and sensual to her ears. "Look to the window…"

There wasn't much to be seen but the grey sky from where he lay, and truthfully, Eric wasn't exactly willing to move – he was perfectly content to stay where he was, beneath the covers with Calleigh in his arms. "What about it?" he murmured, pressing another kiss into her blonde locks.

Calleigh giggled softly. "The sky…it looks like snow," she whispered, unable to quench the excitement in the words. "Snow on Christmas…"

The excitement in her voice left Eric grinning – there was nothing more adorable than excited Calleigh. It made sense to him now, and as he glanced a second time to the window, he did notice the subtle difference between a simply overcast sky, and an overcast sky that held the promise of snowfall to come, or snow already on the ground. And because he knew that would make Calleigh happiest, he hoped it was both. "It does," he agreed. "Wow…how long has it been?"

"Since we've had snow?" Calleigh pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "It's been awhile…maybe three years?" she mused aloud, snuggling lightly into his embrace. "We had some flurries a couple years ago, but I think the last real snow was three Christmases ago."

Eric hummed in acknowledgment. "Three years…"

Spending Christmas at this cabin had become tradition, and Calleigh knew she would have it no other way. But out of all those years, only two had brought them the same white Christmas they'd shared together that very first year…three if they counted the occasional flurries a couple years back. And since the snow had been such an integral part of that first excursion six years before, it had felt as though something important was missing. "I missed the snow," she sighed, gently drawing her fingertips along his arm. "It felt like something was missing without it…"

In response, he tightened his arms around her, drawing her closer, never wanting to let go. He grinned, pressing a kiss behind her ear. "Well, we could always move…" With a chuckle, Eric shifted slightly, lifting his head enough to drop a kiss to her temple. "Somewhere with snow year-round, if that's what you want."

Calleigh giggled softly. "That's okay," she replied, smiling as Eric's lips continued to caress her skin. "Snow at Christmas is…it's special, you know? But I don't think I could handle it any other time of the year."

"Somehow, I didn't think so," he teased good-naturedly. A slow smile crept across his lips as he loosened his arms around her, only enough to allow his fingertips to flutter over her abdomen. "Not right now, anyway." He paused for a moment, gently splaying his palm over Calleigh's softly rounded tummy. When he spoke again, Calleigh found herself melting at the affection in his voice, despite the playful teasing in his words. "You let me know in a few months though, once it starts getting hot again…you might be changing your mind this year."

Watching the motion of his hand over her abdomen, Calleigh smiled softly. Over the last few months, it had seemed that he just couldn't keep his hands off of her, almost as if protecting her, protecting the tiny life growing within. It left her heart fluttering wildly, and with a slight tremble in her fingers, she brought her own hand to her abdomen, gently laying it atop his, interlocking their fingers.

It never failed to take her breath away, the sight of their fingers entwined like that. His hand, large and caring; her hand, small and seemingly delicate. They fit together so perfectly, the perfect mix of caramel and vanilla, visual evidence of how perfectly and how easily they fit in each other's lives. And every time she thought it couldn't get any more perfect, it did – case in point, the tiny life growing within her, half her and half him.

She wasn't sure how long they lay there intertwined like that, but eventually it was Eric's low voice that brought her from her thoughts and back to a reality that was just as perfect as those thoughts. "Is baby Delko awake yet?" he breathed, gently squeezing her fingers.

Calleigh smiled softly. "Don't think so yet," she replied quietly. "Shouldn't be long, though, she's always right on time…"

Eric chuckled. "Punctual. Like her mother."

Calleigh gave a soft hum of amusement. Squeezing his hand, she shifted against him, slowly rolling onto her back beside him. Immediately she sought out his dark eyes, her heart swelling at the affection, the love she quickly found in them. "You know, I've been thinking again," she admitted softly. "About names…"

The simple admission brought a quick smile to Eric's face. "Oh really? You don't think it's a bit early?" The statement completely contradicted the excitement in his voice, though. "We're still only a little over five months," he added, his fingertips skimming gently over the cotton fabric covering her softly rounded tummy.

She couldn't help but shiver, though she was unsure if it was due to his subtle touch, or if it was from the intensity in his deep brown eyes. Or perhaps – and this was much more likely – it was the use of we in his sentence, rather than simply you. Smiling softly, she lifted a hand to his lightly stubbled cheek. "Well, if there's one thing we've learned, it's that it's never too early…"

"This is very true," Eric agreed with a chuckle, beginning a slow caress of gentle circles along her abdomen. "So what are you thinking about?" he asked, and though he'd been the one to suggest it was too early, there was no way he could hide the fact that he was much too excited to discuss names himself.

Thoughtfully, Calleigh simply watched the motion of his hand for a moment, reveling in just how natural it all felt – the motion, and the entire moment. Laying in bed beside him, wearing the ring he'd placed upon her finger, carrying his child…it was all perfection, and Calleigh felt the inevitable smile tug at her lips. "My favorite is Emma," she breathed, losing herself in his eyes. She grinned. "But that's just today. Tomorrow it might be Holly, the next day it might be Ana or Isabelle or…Kendall is pretty too…" She trailed off, and Eric couldn't help but smile warmly at the excitement in her voice.

He lowered his head, softly brushing his lips over her forehead. "They're beautiful…"

Calleigh lifted an eyebrow, though her smile didn't fade. "But?"

Eric grinned. "Nothing. Just…you do know that those are all girl names, right?"

She gave a soft giggle, gently lacing her fingers with his. "I know." Pausing for a moment, she searched his eyes, shivering just a bit at the intensity of the affection, the love found within. She grinned playfully. "What's your point?" she teased, her eyes sparkling.

With a smirk, Eric lay their joined hands once more over her belly. "I'm just saying," he said playfully, brushing a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. He did it again when Calleigh giggled – he adored that sound, utterly adored it. "Could be a boy…"

Calleigh smiled, glancing at their hands. "I don't think so," she replied quietly after a moment, her eyes contemplative. "You ever have that feeling about something, where you just know?" Pausing, she offered a sheepish smile. "I just know."

Her conviction was enough for him. He glanced down at their joined hands with a newfound reverence, gently squeezing her hand. "A girl…"

His words led them into a contemplative silence, and Calleigh could tell by the faraway look in Eric's eyes that he was happily entertaining the idea of another little Delko princess to spoil. The thought left Calleigh smiling as well, though there were other things lurking just beneath the surface. "You know, we might have to find a new cabin next year too…" For the first time all morning, Calleigh felt her smile fade slightly. Sometimes, more space was a necessity, even on a short vacation away. But that didn't mean that the prospect of seeking out a new winter getaway didn't sadden her. There were just too many memories here, memories she wasn't ready to leave behind.

As soon as the words had fallen from her lips, Eric had perceived the shift in her mood. Ducking his head, he pressed his lips softly against her forehead, feeling more than hearing the soft sigh that escaped her. "Luckily, we don't have to think about that right now," he pointed out, dotting playful kisses along her cheeks. Calleigh giggled as he nuzzled against her, his stubble tickling her skin. "It's Christmas."

He pulled back then, offering a playful wink as he slowly made his way down the bed, bringing his face level with her stomach. "And Baby Girl Delko doesn't like when Mommy is sad on Christmas…do you, beautiful?" he breathed, nuzzling softly against the soft swell of her tummy. "You'll still be a tiny little princess next Christmas, so maybe we still have another year or two here…"

Calleigh felt her heart melt as Eric continued to murmur softly to the baby, bringing a hand to his lightly stubbled cheek. It was the moments like this that Calleigh couldn't deny just how truly lucky she was. "I love you," she murmured softly, the emotion clear in her emerald eyes.

Eric smiled softly, and with the gentlest fingers he tenderly brushed the bottom hem of her top upward, just enough to expose her lightly rounded tummy. "I love you too," he breathed, and Calleigh shivered as he pressed his lips to her skin. Once more, and again he did it before allowing Calleigh to draw him upward again. His hand, however, lingered against her soft skin, fingers tracing gentle circles, just light enough to quicken her breath.

He hovered above her for a moment longer, playfully brushing his nose against hers before closing the space between and capturing her lips in a tender kiss. One kiss quickly became two, and two soon became too many to count. It was never anything less than perfection, the way his lips caressed and teased hers, melding together again and again, and Calleigh knew that if there was nothing else on the agenda, she could quite easily be content to lay here and kiss him like this for hours and hours.

It would be so easy, too easy to lose herself in his kisses, to silence everything but the deepest desires of her body, but things weren't the same as they once were, and Calleigh simply couldn't ignore that. "Eric," she murmured against his lips, shivering beneath the feel of his fingers teasing her abdomen, creeping higher and higher along her skin. "Eric, we can't…" She trailed off into a moan as he nipped gently at her lips, and Calleigh had to force her lips away lest she lose herself completely. "It's Christmas morning," she protested, as though that simple declaration explained everything.

Eric pulled back, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "I know…" he breathed, his fingertips oh so lightly skimming the underside of a breast. Calleigh's breath hitched softly, and Eric couldn't help but grin. "Means I get to open my Christmas present," he added, ducking his head to draw his lips along her jaw.

Calleigh giggled, the soft, sweet cadence trailing into little more than a moan of delight as his lips found the sensitive spot beneath her ear, the one that, once he'd discovered it, he'd made it his mission to tease and nuzzle every time the chance presented itself. And Calleigh certainly couldn't say she minded…

But it still didn't change the current situation – they had, after all, left the door ajar before they'd gone to sleep the night before. "I – I believe you opened your present last night," she quipped, drawing his face back to hers with gentle hands. He met her eyes, and she shivered again before pulling him close, murmuring just one playful word against his lips before claiming them in a slow, shivery kiss. "Twice."

"So I did," he breathed. "Not my fault it keeps rewrapping itself…"

Calleigh laughed softly, fighting back the shiver that threatened to consume her. "Well, maybe if you behave right now, you'll get to open it again later tonight," she teased suggestively, drawing a gentle fingertip along the curve of his jaw.

Seemingly satisfied, Eric rolled back to his side, gazing down at Calleigh with a playful grin. "Is that a promise?"

"If you're good," Calleigh smirked, drawing him in for one last kiss. "Right now, I think we might be running out of alone time…"

Almost as if on cue, a slight creaking sound echoed through the room as the bedroom door began to open slowly, almost timidly. With a glance to Eric, Calleigh smiled softly as she pulled herself up, reclining against the headboard as Eric did the same, just in time for their early morning visitor to be revealed. Standing shyly in the doorway was five year old Isaiah and, just behind him and toting along her ever-present plush penguin was three year old Avery, yawning slightly and looking all of two minutes away from falling back asleep.

Isaiah, on the other hand, immediately perked up as soon as it became clear his parents were awake. He bounded into the room and catapulted himself onto the bed, his deep brown eyes brimming with excitement. "Merry Christmas!" he exclaimed, and Calleigh didn't have the heart to reprimand him for jumping on the bed this morning – it was, after all, Christmas.

Avery's approach was more delayed, her tiny feet shuffling almost heavily along the carpet. She'd had a much later night than Isaiah had – Isaiah had been eager to get into bed early, knowing he had to be good and go to sleep for Santa to come. But Avery had held onto wakefulness as long as she could, begging her father to share four bedtime stories before finally succumbing to the dreams that beckoned her. She yawned heavily, pausing at the side of the bed and looking expectantly upward. "Up?"

Before either Eric or Calleigh could move to reach for her, Isaiah, ever the perfect big brother, was reaching out to her, carefully helping her onto the bed. "Avery wants to go open presents now!" he said excitedly, his eyes wide. Once Avery was securely atop the bed, Isaiah resumed his enthusiastic bouncing, clearly eager to tear into his gifts downstairs. Eric recognized immediately the grin on his son's lips – it was a grin that could only be found on the face of a child on Christmas morning.

While Isaiah bounced happily on the bed, Avery was content to quickly climb into Eric's lap, snuggling into his arms in a way that never failed to melt Calleigh's heart. Even at three, she was already a Daddy's girl, and if ever there was anything certain, it was that Avery had had Eric wrapped around her little finger all the way from day one. She watched for a moment, delighting in the way Eric's eyes lit up – it was clear just from that how dearly he adored the little girl in his lap.

Isaiah was babbling again, and Calleigh couldn't help but chuckle softly, turning her attention back to him. "I told her we had to wait, though," he continued. He was obviously very proud of himself, and that pride had clearly been inherited from his father. She knew that look in his eyes, as many times as she'd see it in Eric's eyes. In Isaiah's eyes, however, it was more innocent. Eric's pride, on the other hand, was often mischievous. But even despite the innocence in Isaiah's eyes, Calleigh could see just a bit of mischief beneath the surface. "Did you, now?" she asked, stretching lightly.

"Uh-huh!" Isaiah smiled brightly. "She wanted to open them earlier, but I told her we had to wait until after eight. Just like you said."

Turning her head, Calleigh grinned softly as she took a good look at her daughter. She was adorable; tousled ringlets of dark blonde framing her face, the occasional yawn sneaking up on her and taking her by surprise. And as she rubbed lightly at her sleepy eyes, Calleigh didn't need much more to see through Isaiah's little scheme. Isaiah was smart, playfully cunning, just enough mischief inherited from his father. Despite the straight face he'd kept as he'd uttered the words, it was clear that Avery had not been awake long enough to generate the kind of enthusiasm rushing through Isaiah's veins.

Eric chuckled, and Calleigh turned her head again, suddenly enthralled by the gentle way his fingers threaded through Avery's dark blonde locks, softly stroking her hair. "Who says there are presents?" he asked teasingly.

At that inquiry, Isaiah was silent, suddenly not wishing to give away the secret – the secret that Calleigh was very sure she already knew. But it didn't matter whether he spoke or not – Avery spoke up finally, her quiet, tired voice muffled slightly by Eric's chest. "Under the tree…"

Isaiah had the good grace to pause his bouncing, a sheepish look coming over his features. Calleigh laughed softly, lifting an eyebrow. "You two have already been downstairs this morning?"

Before Isaiah could offer an explanation, Avery was babbling softly again, her tiny hands gently flapping the wings on her plush penguin. "'Saiah woke me up and made me see the tree."

"I did not!" Isaiah protested immediately, and Calleigh couldn't help but smirk. He was, in all aspects, a miniature version of Eric, identical from his slight indignance all the way down to the way he'd stolen her heart. "We just wanted to see if Santa came!" he said, resuming his excited bouncing. "And he did! I knew he would!"

"He ate the cookies too!" Avery chimed in, finally beginning to perk up. "Milk too! They were all gone!" She paused, her face serious. "He was hungry!"

Calleigh exchanged a knowing look with Eric. "He sure was, wasn't he?" she teased, smirking.

Eric grinned. "Santa does love cookies. Especially ones made by little angels like you," he added, softly tapping Avery's nose.

Avery giggled, though Isaiah pouted indignantly. "I helped too!" he protested, and Calleigh couldn't help but grin. He had definitely helped with the cookies…until he'd become more interested in sneaking bites of cookie dough. Just like his father, Calleigh mused happily. She drew her attention back to the three of them, her family, smiling contentedly. "So what else did you find downstairs…when you should've been still in bed sleeping?" she asked playfully, grinning at Isaiah.

He looked sheepish for a mere moment, but it was soon replaced once more with excitement. "Lots of presents!" he exclaimed, his eyes bright. "Maybe hundreds of them!" Calleigh and Eric exchanged a playful smirk; there were definitely not hundreds of gifts beneath the tree, but Isaiah liked to exaggerate. "Some of them were too big to fit under the tree; I wonder how Santa got them down the chimney?" He paused for dramatic effect. "Must be magic." Calleigh fought to stifle a giggle as Isaiah continued. "Because some of them are just too big!"

"Uh-huh!" Avery chimed in suddenly, grinning brightly. She released her penguin long enough to hold out her arms descriptively. "One was this big!" she chattered excitedly. "It was red and white and had a big bow on it!" At that, she twisted in Eric's arms, turning her deep emerald eyes to him, her gaze expectant. "Can I have it, Daddy?"

Eric chuckled, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "How do you know it's yours, sweetheart?"

Avery tilted her head, a slight pout already forming on her lips. "'Cause I want it?"

"Well," Eric laughed softly, gently ruffling Avery's curls, "we'll see in a little bit, okay? What else was down there?"

The diversion was successful, and Avery quickly launched into a long, energetic report of nearly every present that had been placed under the tree. Her descriptions were extremely animated, and Calleigh's smile stretched so widely that she almost felt that her cheeks might burst. Avery had been a quick talker, and it seemed that from the very first word she spoke – dada, to the immense delight of Eric, she had yet to stop.

And it seemed she had no intention of stopping now, much to the chagrin of Isaiah. As Avery continued, it was clear to Calleigh that the little boy was growing antsy; his enthusiastic bouncing had become anxious fidgeting, and Calleigh reached out, gently ruffling his hair. Isaiah was always so patient with his sister, but sometimes, there was only so much he could take. "Avery," he groaned, drawing out the syllables of her name as she simply kept babbling, not even entirely about the presents anymore. "Don't you want to know what's inside the presents?"

Avery's eyes suddenly lit up, but what Isaiah didn't know was that she hadn't latched onto the idea of opening presents – instead, the toddler's mind had only picked up on a single word – want. An excited smile on her face, Avery brought her penguin to her chest, squeezing it tightly. "I wanna see the pingins!" she exclaimed, bouncing lightly in Eric's lap. "Pingins!"

Isaiah gave an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes in an almost perfect imitation of his mother – Calleigh couldn't help but chuckle. "Penguins, Avery," he sighed, accenting the second syllable, the one that Avery still had difficulty with. Even though she was just three, this wasn't entirely acceptable to Isaiah, who was a bit of a perfectionist in his own right. It was clear that this exchange had taken place before, perhaps more than a few times. "Penguins."

Avery pouted. "Pingins!" Before Isaiah could speak again, Avery turned once more to Eric, her emerald eyes bright. "We go see them?"

Eric blinked, his confusion evident. "Penguins, querida? he asked gently, his fingers lightly twirling her soft ringlets. Avery's fascination with penguins was nothing new, and both Eric and Calleigh could easily remember the similar phase Isaiah had gone through with dinosaurs. It had all started with a Saturday afternoon trip to the aquarium – Eric had always been fascinated with life under the sea; that was part of why he loved diving so much. And Isaiah had already voiced his desire to accompany Eric on one of his dives – only problem was that he was much too young right now, as Calleigh was consistently adamant about. The next best thing, Eric decided, was a trip to the aquarium.

Isaiah had been excited about everything, but when they'd finally made it to the penguin exhibit, Eric knew he'd never seen his daughter become so animated. Ever since that afternoon, the penguins had been at the very front of Avery's mind – she now had coloring books, toys, clothes, and countless other items she'd just had to have because they had penguins on them, including a now very well worn copy of Happy Feet. The singing and dancing penguins could occupy her for hours, and nothing was more adorable than watching her as she tapped her little feet on the carpet, balancing herself occasionally with a tiny hand on the coffee table.

Now, however, Eric still couldn't shake the confusion. Avery knew they weren't in Miami, knew that they couldn't go to the aquarium. He glanced quickly to Calleigh for help, only to find the same baffled expression in her eyes. They were saved though by Isaiah, who merely gave another quiet sigh of exasperation – his patience was quickly wearing thin; there were presents to be opened and talking about penguins wasn't his favorite pastime. And, as Avery's big brother, he certainly spent a lot of time doing that as it was. "I told you downstairs, Avery, there are no penguins," he said, still emphasizing that second syllable.

Avery whipped her head around, her lower lip out in a very convincing pout. "You don't know!" Seeking confirmation, she turned back to Eric. "Pingins, right Daddy? They like white stuff."

It clicked for Calleigh first, and she gently nudged a still confused Eric in the side. "Snow, Eric," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.

And suddenly, it became apparent that Eric was going to have to say no to his daughter's most adorable pout, the one he could never deny. "Avery…"

Avery's eyes widened, and Eric could detect the tiniest quiver at her lip – she knew that tone. "But at the 'quarum, the pingins were on white stuff. Now we got white stuff. I want pingins!"

"Avery," Isaiah chimed in, having sat himself down on the bed. "There are no penguins in the mountains." He glanced to Eric for verification. "Right, Daddy?"

Eric's heart broke when Avery turned her eyes back to him, and from the soft exhale at his left, he could tell that Calleigh's had done the same. "No pingins?" she asked, her voice small.

Calleigh reached out then, gently cupping Avery's cheek. "The white stuff is called snow, honey," she explained softly. "We don't get snow at all back home, and it only happens here a few times during the year. Penguins have to live where it's always cold and snowy."

"But I wanna see them…"

"Tell you what, mi princesa," Eric suggested gently, drawing Avery's attention back to him. "As soon as we go home, I'll take you to see the penguins again, okay? And we can stay as long as you want."

Avery sniffed. "Promise?"

Eric's heart melted. "I promise." He glanced to his impatient son, smirking as he saw how hard Isaiah was trying to keep his edginess in check – Isaiah was smart, and he knew that patience often got him what he wanted more readily than whining. "For now, how about we go downstairs and see what Santa brought?"

Isaiah brightened immediately. "Yeah!" he exclaimed. "Can we? Please?"

Calleigh chuckled at the eager look in Isaiah's eyes. "I think Isaiah has been patient for long enough," she observed, playfully ruffling his hair again. "You wanna go open presents now?"

"Uh-huh!" Cheerful again, Isaiah leapt from the bed and bounded to the door, his face falling slightly as he looked back – the other three were still on the bed, moving much too slowly for him. He tapped his foot, the motion so like his mother that Eric couldn't help but give a snort of laughter.

Calleigh was next to stand, stretching lightly as she did so. "You ready for presents, Avery?" she asked, peering momentarily out the window with a smile. She loved seeing the snow on Christmas morning; it was just so very magical.

"P'esents!" Avery squealed, having seemingly forgotten all about the penguin debacle. Eric grinned, though, knowing that this was not so – he'd be hearing it again rather soon, he knew. "Open p'esents!"

Calleigh quickly slipped into her robe and slippers, shielding herself against the chill in the air. She glanced back to Eric with a grin. "You'd better get out of bed – your son is getting impatient," she teased, beginning to cross the room. She stopped in her tracks though as a small voice called out from behind her, immediately grabbing her attention.

As she turned back, her heart melted at the sight of Avery's outstretched hands, her tiny fingers flexing in the air as she reached for Calleigh. "Mommy!"

Eric grinned, watching as Calleigh made her way back to the bed. There'd once been a time when he'd wondered why Calleigh seemed so fascinated by the way he interacted with kids, but now, as he watched her with her own daughter, he understood completely. With careful arms, Calleigh scooped the little girl into her embrace, plush penguin and all. She snuggled against Calleigh, her dark blonde ringlets tickling her neck. It was fascinating to watch, and Eric couldn't deny that the sight of his two favorite girls together was always enough to steal his heart.

That vision firmly implanted in his mind, Eric finally pulled himself from the bed with a smile on his face. And then, with Isaiah taking the lead, the four of them made their way downstairs to see just what Santa had left behind.

--

The sky above was still overcast and heavy with snow, but as she stared up into the endless grey, Calleigh smiled, knowing she had never felt happier. Presents had been opened and breakfast had quickly been eaten during the morning hours, and the afternoon had been spent having snowball fights and making snow angels. Calleigh sighed, laying on her back in the middle of one now, listening contentedly as Eric played with the kids, their combined laughter music to Calleigh's ears.

The occasional snowflake fell from the sky above, and Calleigh couldn't bring herself to brush away the ones that drifted onto her cheeks, lingering for a moment before melting from the heat of her flushed skin. No matter how many times she experienced this, Calleigh knew it would never get old – she was just as mesmerized as she'd been all those years ago. All that had changed was that her life had grown even more perfect since then.

She felt Eric drop into the snow beside her, and she turned her head toward him, a grin on her lips. "Havin' fun?" she drawled, her eyes sparkling.

Eric chuckled. "Those two sure know how to tire me out," he replied, smiling nonetheless. "I love it, though."

"Yeah," Calleigh murmured, turning her eyes back to the sky. "Me too." She reached a gloved hand out to him, lacing her fingers with his in the snow. "This is the best Christmas ever, you know…"

Again Eric chuckled, rolling onto his side beside of her. He gazed down at her, falling in love all over again with her emerald eyes and rosy cheeks. "You say that every year," he reminded her softly, brushing his nose against hers in a playful Eskimo kiss.

Calleigh grinned. "Well, every year is always better than the last. And next year," she paused, feeling Eric lay a hand instinctively atop her tummy, "will be even more perfect."

"What if it doesn't snow?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

"The snow is magical, but…" She lifted a hand to his cheek, her eyes never wavering from his. "But it's enough just to have you and the kids. That's all I really need."

At her heartfelt confession, Eric ducked his head, allowing their breaths to mingle in the minute space that separated them. "Me too," he breathed, setting Calleigh's heart fluttering in her chest. "Me too."

And as Isaiah instructed Avery in proper snowman building technique not too far away, Eric closed the distance between their lips, capturing hers in a slow, sensual kiss that warmed the both of them from the very depths of their hearts.

And from the overcast sky above, the snow finally began to fall in earnest, truly cementing that overwhelming sense of perfection.

-the end-
-

This one is dedicated to the fabulous Lemon Green, without whom this chapter would have likely never happened. Thank you so much for all the suggestions and the endless support; I truly owe you one. :)

To everyone else, those of you who have stuck with this from the beginning, those of you who always left such lovely reviews and even the occasional PM, and most especially those of you who pushed and pushed for me to finish this - I thank you all so much and I have the greatest gratitude to those of you who never lost interest, even when the story seemed to slow to a complete halt. To those of you who've been with this since the beginning, and to any new readers who jumped in along the way, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. :)