(I did a family tree so I could wrap my head around the family I've given Fitz and let me tell you it's crazy there are about 62 people on it… what!)

5 minutes later and Fitz still hadn't managed to locate Gemma. Maybe she'd gone upstairs?

He was edging behind his Cousin Jerry Stewart, who was crouched down talking intently to his twin five year old sons, both dressed smartly in white shirts and tiny kilts (no doubt endorsed by their Grandpa, Fitz's Uncle Marty) and so Jerry was completely oblivious to Leo Fitz's struggle to squeeze past him. Just when Fitz thought he was finally in the clear a hand reached out and grabbed the back of his collar. Fitz was dragged backwards into his parent's dimly lit utility room, complete with his father's drying underwear and a rumbling dry cleaner.

Fitz's initial response was, "Mam!"

"Na', it's me ye Dunderhead." Alfie's voice hissed, "An' stop ya yellin' I just wanna talk tae ya."

"Alfie!" Leo shrugged his brother's hand off, "What'a you doin'?"

"Argh, stop ya yellin' Leo. Calm down." Alfie flicked the light switch so they could see each other.

"Ye coulda just asked me to come talk tae ya?" Leo rubbed the base of his neck where his brother had knicked him with a fingernail when he'd grabbed him.

"Yeah, well, this family is damn nosy an' I didn't want anybody askin' awkward questions. I got your back really, Leo." Alfie shrugged.

"I wish you'd jus' get tae the point already." Leo scowled at his older brother.

"'kay then. What'a you think your doin' exactly?" Alfie asked outright, staring straight into Leo's eyes.

"What on earth are ye talkin' about?" Leo's scowl turned into more of a confused frown.

"Gemma, Leo. I'm talkin' about Gemma." Alfie punched Leo firmly in the arm in frustration.

Leo rubbed his arm, still perplexed.

"Why won't ye admit you an' Gemma are together? It would make mam so pleased tae see another one of her boys start settin' down some roots of their own, 'specially since I've kinda failed her."

"But… Gemma an' I. We're not together?" Leo shook his head.

"Right... so ye just share a bed, an' give each other goo goo eyes, an' kiss, an' do all that kinda stuff… but you're not together?"

Leo huffed, "I don' give Gemma 'goo goo eyes'!"

"Ah hah! But you're not denyin' the rest of it!" Alfie pointed at Leo triumphantly.

"Alfie!" Leo protested, his ears going red.

"What'a ye now? 24? 25?" Alfie continued, "Hamish was 23 when he an' Mandy got together. I was 20 when I met Lottie, and ye all joke about me not bein' tae marriage type or whatever, but if she hadn' left I'd probably be married tae her right now."

"That's different…" Leo trailed off softly. Lottie was a touchy subject. Leo was pretty sure he hadn't heard her mentioned since he was at the academy.

"I bloody well know it's different, Leo. I know that." Alfie's chest was heaving and his eyes where heavy. Leo sometimes forgot what Alfie went through, given all his joking around and playful nature.

Lottie Harrison had been an Architecture student at Strathclyde University with Alfie. They moved in together after graduation when Alfie started working for Fitz and sons. Long story short they were great together, Alfie even considered buying a ring, but one traumatic experience later and the relationship fell to pieces. It hit Lottie especially hard, and once she got offered a job near her family in Aberdeen she ran, and Alfie moved back home and never left. That was that, but three years later and Alfie had barely been on so much as a date.

"I'm… sorry."

"I don't want ye to be sorry, Leo. I want ye to not make tae same mistakes as I did." Alfie shook his head. "Make sure she knows, before she leaves. I ne'er said enough. I ne'er made it clear tae her."

"But… what if I scare Gemma away?" Leo leant back against the dryer.

"Doesn' matter at this point, you're gon' lose her if ye say nothin'." Alfie answered sadly. "An'… I think ye'll be okay."

"Gem?" The door to Leo's room squeaked as it opened further. He could see her silhouette in the dim light of the desk lamp that lit up her face as she read one of the papers laid out on the desk in front of her.

Her head shot up, "Oh! I was just working on these reports. I thought…." She trailed off. Her eyes falling back to the paper.

"Gemma, its Christmas eve." Leo clenched his teeth in anticipation as he went to stand right behind her, leaning over her as if to read what she was working on. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, his hands sliding down her arms.

"Yes…"

Leo reached into her lap to take one of her hands. Gemma let him lead her away from the desk into the space in the middle of the room. She turned around to face him, their noses inches apart.

"What are you doing, Fitz?" Gemma was terrified, she tried to distance herself emotionally before they really ruined their friendship for good.

"I didn' really think this through." Leo admitted. "Bringing ye here, and expecting me family not to notice, 'specially me mam."

Gemma stood in silence and listened.

"I mean my mam's a psychologist, Gemma." Leo continued, "I know she sees how I feel a'bout you."

Gemma's eyes were wide and unblinking.

"An' I know I have to tell you," Leo breathed out, "but I don't know what to say. I'm a little awkward with words sometimes. But, I need to tell you… you've made my life… better. I don't know how else to describe it, Gemma, you jus' make everything seem a little brighter to me Gem, an' I ne'er want to lose that." Leo put his head in his hands and waited.

Two smaller hands curled their fingers round his wrists and pulled them slowly away from his face, "Oh, Fitz." Gemma sighed. Leo tried desperately to gage whether the words conveyed pity or fondness as he raised his gaze to meet hers. He got his answer.

Gemma Simmons raised her palms to his face and this time she leant in first. Leo was too overcome with relief to react immediately and so Gemma pulled away shyly. Leo came after her, eyes half closed, his hand coming to rest on her lower back to stop her moving away, he reclaimed her lips as her chest came in to meet his. One of Gemma's hands slipped from his jaw into his short curls, as the other came to rest on the nape of his neck. The warmth of Leo's hands radiated through Gemma's jumper, the electricity coursing up her spine and sparking off. They'd never felt more like Fitzsimmons.

Gemma pulled away, her arms reaching round his neck, placing her forehead against Leo's, their noses brushing against each other. He held her tighter, his arms wrapping further around her waist, their hips meeting.

"Leopold," Mrs Fitz opened the door, switching on the main light.

Both Leo and Gemma tensed and jumped apart, straightening their clothes. Leo stared in horror at his mother as Gemma suddenly became very interested in the carpet, crossing her arms.

"Oh! Sorry, Sweethearts." Jane Fitz didn't seem the least bit fazed by the position she had found her youngest son and his supposed 'best friend' in, "Just to say, we're opening the Christmas eve presents now." And with that she was gone back downstairs to tend to the rest of Leo's rowdy family.

Gemma raised her eyebrows looking at Leo, "Christmas eve presents?"

Leo's smile slowly grew into a grin, "Come on," He grabbed her hand and led her back down the stairs into the main sitting room, the few members of the Fitz-Stuart family who hadn't begun to make their way home yet were gathered around a rather large Christmas tree that sat proudly in the bay window, fairy lights twinkled and baubles shone among the green needles.

Alfie caught Leo's eye from where he was sat in the corner, holding their two year old cousin Billy as he chewed the corner of his present. Alfie looked to where Leo's and Gemma's hands where still interlocked and gave Leo a proud nod, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh good! Leo, me lad, come over 'ere. I 'ave yours an' Gemma's." Angus Fitz waved his son over and handed him two smartly wrapped packages, about double the size of a loaf of bread each.

"Everybody seated?" Jane Fitz asked rhetorically. The party had shrunk down from about 60 plus to around 20, five of which were under the age of ten, if you didn't count a baby bump. Most of the Fitz's had opted for returning to their homes for Christmas, with a few spending Christmas with Grandpa Fitz, and a number of the younger families choosing to accept the invitation to Christmas at Leo's parent's house.

Little Martin, the three year old that had tried to evade Hamish's capture earlier, started chanting, "Presents! Presents! Now please." Billy, who had stopped chewing and had been busy napping and drooling on Alfie, jolted awake. Martin was the only child that wasn't almost dropping off to sleep in someone's lap. Jed and Joe, the five year old twins whose dad, Jerry, had backed Leo into a wall right before he'd been tugged aside by Alfie, were already snoring on their father, whose eyes were also drooping

Martin's mother, Leo's cousin Phoebe, shushed him and told him to be patient.

"Okay, open!" Angus Fitz declared, with a flourish of his hand.

There was the sound of paper ripping, squeals of delight, and noises of appreciation and thanks.

"Thanks, Janie Love." Angus Fitz leant in to press a kiss to his wife's temple, a thick red jumper held in his opposite fist.

Fitz lifted up the contents of his present; a set of soft blue stripy two piece pyjamas. New pyjamas. It was a tradition, going all the way back to his first Christmas, and it made him grin. He looked across to Gemma who was analysing with wonder a red version on his sleepwear.

Leo was lying on his back in the pitch black darkness of his room. He'd often found it hard to sleep on Christmas Eve, but it had never been for this reason. He turned onto his side and buried his face in the pillow, tugging the duvet closer around himself to trap all the warmth he could. It was early now, nearing 1 o'clock.

The door creaked open and a small form flitted into view as they moved in front of the slither of light that entered through the open door. Then the door clicked shut again and the mattress dipped as she crawled in next to him.

He didn't say anything, he just let her snuggle into his chest, glad of the warmth radiating off her. He guessed this was the way it was going to be now. He wasn't complaining. Not in the slightest.