All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Eight

(9:00 AM December 24)

"You made breakfast?" Eliot looked confused.

"Just because I don't cook all the time doesn't mean I can't." Nate handed him a plate of bacon.

"Point taken." Eliot set the plate on the table.

"What's up with you and Kenna?"

"What you mean?"

"You're smiling and she's glowing."

"It's Christmas Nate."

"I haven't seen your smile this much since I've known you."

"We exchanged presents early." Was all he said. Nate shook his head.

"This is going to be a long day." Nate went to the table with the rest of his crew. He watched the people around him talk and exchange witty banter. '

"You okay Nate?" Kenna asked from next to him.

"Just enjoying the noise." She touched his hand and the glint of the ring on her hand caught his eye. "I guess asking if you and Eliot worked things out is kind of a moot point." Kenna smiled.

"He wanted to make sure it was alright with you before we told the rest of the te…family." Nate looked at Kenna.

"How are you with it?"

"I would rather a simpler way of him knowing that I'm okay with how things are between us but he won't believe me."

"I think this way is the best for both of you. The more ties that hold you both, the less likely you are to turn tail and run." Nate smiled. "Eliot, it seems you have an announcement to make." Eliot looked at Nate and then Kenna. She smiled.

"Okay, than…Ah, last night I ask Kenna to marry me…and well this morning she finally said yes." Eliot looked around the table. Their friends looked truly happy for them. There was hugs and congratulations and Eliot thought he saw a little more of Kenna's resolve fade. He held her hand and hoped that this happy Christmas would be the first of many for them both.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

(3:00 PM)

"You didn't say I had to put the suit on again Nate." Eliot looked at him.

"The flu is going around and I'm guessing the man who was playing Santa got it. It's for the kids Eliot."

"You always play that card and one of these days your gonna be surprised when I say I don't care."

"When you say that I know it's time to put a stake in your cold frozen heart." Nate turned and walked out the door. Eliot watched him leave. The man was more confusing than Parker, some days. He went into Nate's spare room to change and found Kenna trying to zip up her elf costume.

"He sucked you in too?" She turned.

"Who the hell makes a maternity elf costume in beyond me." She smiled. "I look ridiculous."

"Baby you look hot." He helped her with her zipper as the doorbell rang. "Everyone is down stairs."

"I'll get it, you need to change." She grabbed her elf shoes and went out to answer the door. The doorbell rang again. "I'm coming." Kenna opened the door. An older blond woman stood at the threshold. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"I might be in the wrong place." She said.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Nathan Ford."

"No, you're in the right place." The woman looked at Kenna, eyes wide. "I think he might be downstairs."

"Kenna, did you see those damn suspenders?" Eliot came out of the bedroom holding up his pants. "Maggie?"

"Eliot." He came behind Kenna.

"What are you doing in town?" She looked at him.

"On my way to LA. I thought I'd stop and have a drink with Nate."

"He doesn't drink anymore." Kenna said, sounding more like Parker than she wanted to.

"I'm sorry, Maggie Collins, Kenna Hawks." The women looked at each other.

"I've heard a lot about you." Kenna said.

"All good I hope?"

"Mostly." Kenna smiled. "I'll go find your suspenders." She looked at Eliot and excused herself.

"Nice, she belong to Nate or you?" Maggie said sarcastically

"Me. Nate's in to brunets now." Eliot looked at her. "Sorry, Kenna's rubbed off on me a bit."

"Should I leave now?"

"I think a cup of coffee together to say goodbye is a good thing."

"Is that an order?"

"That's me telling you that he needs to move on. I know you share memories and you shared Sam but he needs to find a way to be happy. Sophie is good for him." Kenna came from the hall and handed him his suspenders. "Kenna, why don't you show Maggie down to the Poker room? I'll meet you down there." He turned and walked back toward the bedroom. Kenna motioned out the door and Maggie headed to the elevator.

"When are you due?" Maggie asked as they waited for the car.

"February." Kenna looked at the older woman. "I'm sorry about before. I'm not rude by nature. Late I've been rude and hor…" Kenna shook her head. "And I over share." Maggie smiled. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." The elevator opened and they got in. "Have you known Eliot long?"

"Since I was seven." Maggie raised her eyebrows. "I know, it sounds funny doesn't it?"

"I just have a hard time picturing Eliot as a child, let alone a father."

"Yeah, he's been a real trooper lately." The elevator stopped and the doors opened. "Take a left and the first door on the left."

"Thanks. And good luck if I don't see you before the babies born."

"Thanks." Kenna headed the opposite direction. She didn't think she wanted to be in the same room as Nate, his ex wife and Sophie. The bar was nearly empty on Christmas Eve so Kenna hid out there waiting for Old Saint Eliot. Parker came and sat next to her.

"They made you wear one too?" Kenna looked at Parker.

"Yours looks a hell of a lot better than mine." Kenna said.

"It's because yours was made for two." She raised her eye brows.

"Don't remind me."

"I thought you liked being pregnant."

"Once I got over the morning sickness everything was uphill from there."

"So I can't find any presents at your apartment, Nate's or Hardison's. Did you all forget it was Christmas?" Kenna smiled.

"Is that coming soon?" Turning around in her seat and watched at Nate, Maggie and Sophie walked through the bar.

"Maggie's here?"

"Yeah, and it looked like they all played nice." Kenna said as Eliot came in, wearing his Santa suit. "Hey Santa." He did not look happy.

"Let's get this over with." He growled.

"What ever happened to the jolly old elf thing?" Parker asked.

"Screw you Parker and if you ever crawl around my vents in the middle of the night again I'm gonna let Kenna load the shot gun she's got in the closet." He snarled.

"Next time you play hide the candy cane turn down the volume." Parker stuck her tongue out at him. "You're in a crappy mood."

"No, I'm not, and I'm sorry Parker." He looked at Nate talking to Maggie at the front door. "I just don't want him to go back to his old ways."

"He won't. Not with Sophie doing better. I've never seen him so happy." Parker said.

"Let's hope not. Come on ladies, we have a party to get to." Hardison came around the corner in an elf costume.

"Oh somebody is gonna pay for this. Y'all got sucked in too." Nate looked over to see his Santa and his helpers and smiled. This was going to be a really great Christmas. He said his goodbyes to Maggie and he and Sophie went to the others.

"So we're all set to go." Four pairs of eyes glared at him.

"No elf costume for you and Sophie?" Hardison asked.

"They only require three elves." Nate looked at them. "Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to Mr. Nicolas. It means a lot to me. The five of you have become my family and that's what Christmas is all about." He put his hands in his pockets. "Let's go make some kids happy." He walked out the back door followed by Sophie.

"Damn that man can make a speech." Hardison said and followed him down the hall.

"You know he's just sucking up to us because we look ridiculous?" Kenna said, getting off the bar stool and headed in the direction of the back door.

"This will be the last time I put on this suit, for anyone, even you Kenna." Eliot followed her.

"What about next year when you can pretend for the baby?" Parker added as she followed Eliot.

"We'll talk then." He growled and they all headed out to make Christmas special for some needy kids.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(10:45 PM December 24)

"Eliot, this is too much." Nate looked at him over the Monte.

"I knew it meant something to both of you." He answered. Kenna smiled. Eliot had put so much thought into his gifts but he was prepared for the attention and the appreciation giving those gifts would entail. Sophie was tearing up.

"Thank you Eliot." She said softly. He nodded. Eliot had intentionally left his presents for last so then he could play the 'it's getting late' card.

"Your welcome." Kenna stood and went to the cupboard that housed the team's foods of choice in their apartment. It housed Parker's cereal and fortune cookies, Hardison's gummy frogs and orange soda, Nate's coffee and Sophie's tea. Kenna pulled out a two large boxes of cereal and handed one to Parker and one to Hardison.

"You hid them in the cereal?" Parker shook her head.

"The last thing on your mind the last few days was cereal." Eliot smiled. Kenna curled back up next to him and Hardison and Parker opened their presents.

"Eliot…you…" Hardison looked up at him. "I would have known if these came up for sale man." Eliot took a drink of his beer.

"You're not the only one who has people." He told the hacker. Parker ran her hand over the fluffy tribble and then threw herself at Eliot, hugging him.

"I can't believe you hid him in the cereal."

"Okay Parker." Kenna laughed.

"Thank you." She went and sat next to Hardison.

"Your welcome." Eliot answered. They all were quiet. It had been a great day. The kids, the food, the presents. This is what Christmas should be like. Kenna stood and got the last present from under the tree. She handed it to Eliot.

"Kenna…"

"I know, you have everything you ever want…or need." She sat next to him. He opened the box and a file was in there. He opened it. There was a picture of a horse and papers saying it belonged to him.

"Kenna…"

"I couldn't resist." She pointed to the name of the horse.

"Spencer's Pride." He looked at her.

"He's at the farm. I hired a guy from Denver your mom and Charlie recommended to run the farm."

"Wow, Kenna…this is…." He looked up at her. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." She kissed him. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Eliot took her in his arms and they looked at the people around them. They all had sad family stories and hard childhoods and somehow they all found each other. Kenna closed her eyes and felt Eliot tighten his hold on her. This is what it was like to be a family and Eliot was glad he had found Kenna again and she was going to be part of his life forever. It was all he ever wanted for Christmas.