AN: Thank you for the reviews, here is the last chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Started with us

After dinner, and when the dishes were put in the dishwasher and whatever extra food that they had left was put away, the family that wasn't in the living room was in there now, which it may have been crowder than it was when the kids were younger, but nobody was complaining, they rather have a full house of family than nothing at all.

After a few minutes of talking, Jessica walks up to her grandpa and asked. "Can we open presents?"

Before he could talk though, C.J. speaks to his daughter. "Honey..."

But before he could object, she gives him those eyes, her mother's eyes, and asked softly. "Please, daddy?"

C.J. sighed and said. "Ok, we can open one now."

The younger kids cheered as Brenda whispered. "Softy." To him.

He smiled as he looked at his wife. "I blame you, she has your eyes." Brenda tried to hide her blush as she looked down at her hands while the family said aww and chuckled, then after kissing his wife on the cheek, he stood up from his spot on the couch and walked to the tree.

Once he grabbed and handed a present for each of the kids, Sarah-Elizabeth asked. "C.J., can you grab the one that is marked for mom and dad from me and Cody." C.J. nodded, then after finding it, he walked to his parents with the present before grabbing a present for everybody else.

After the kids took their turn opening their gifts, the grown-ups took their turn, then everybody looked toward Horatio and Calleigh, and Christy said. "Ok mom, dad, what did you get?"

Calleigh concentrated on opening the gift, then after taking the wrapping paper off, she opens the small box and pulls out an ornament, but it wasn't just any ornament, it was baby shoes. Everybody who knew what that meant, gasped as they looked at Sarah-Elzabeth and Cody, which they were both smiling with a nod.

B.J. looks at his grandma and asked. "Why did you get baby shoes, grandma?"

Calleigh smiled as she stood up from the love seat, and answered his question as she walked toward her youngest child. "Because my last baby is having a baby of her own."

Ever since Calleigh and Horatio had gotten their first baby shoe ornament from the kids, it has been a tradition, that's why the tree had so many baby shoes hanging on it, and once a name is figured out, it is painted on the shoes.

Cody helped Sarah-Elizabeth stand up, then mother and daughter hugged. "Congratulations, honey."

Sarah-Elizabeth had a few sniffles as she replied. "Thank you mom, I just hope I do as good of a job as you did with us."

Calleigh ran her hand up and down her daughter's back before pulling back and cupping her cheek. "I'm sure you're going to be just fine, I have faith in you." She looked over her shoulder to look at Cody and continued. "Plus, you'll have this guy to help you."

Cody smiled as he placed his hand on the small of Sarah-Elizabeth's back. "You got it Ma'am."

They chuckled, and after Calleigh gave her daughter another hug and kiss, she gave one to her son-in-law, including a congratulations, then while Calleigh walked to the tree to put the ornament in its place, the rest of the family followed through on their congratulations.

After Horatio did his congratulating, he walked up to his wife, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissed her head and whispered. "Another grandchild, sweetheart."

And with Bethany being 4 months pregnant, they'll get three more grandchildren around the same time, and they love it.

She nodded with tears in her eyes before looking at her husband. "Wonderful, isn't it?"

He nodded with his eyes equally misting up. "It sure is."

After pecking her on the lips, he brings her in his arms for a hug, but the two person hug didn't stay that long because Kyle, C.J., Christy, Josh and Sarah-Elizabeth gathered around their parents and hugged them too, which made everybody laugh, it also made the parents feel warm and loved.

Once everybody pulled out of the hug, they went back to their spots and sat down to have a little family time while the older grandkids played with each other and their new toys, and the younger grandkids were being held and passed around every few minutes so they could take turns holding them.

After a couple of hours went by, Mandy asked if she could spend the night with her grandparents, which it snowballed into all the older grandkids wanting to spend the night too before Josh commented that why don't they have the whole family stay since him and his little family were staying here until Sunday before they have to go back to Los Angeles.

They all looked at Horatio, then Horatio looked at Calleigh, knowing it was ultimately her choice, of course he would love to have them all here, but it was up to his wife.

Calleigh didn't even hesitate. "My whole family under the same roof for the first time in years, is that even a question that needs to be answered?" She smiled so bright it could have rivaled the sun if it wasn't night time, then she continued. "We'll make it work, I would love for you guys to spend the night, it's up to all of you though."

Significant others looked at one another, and one by one they smiled with a nod, then C.J. looked at his mother and said. "Then I guess you have a packed house for the night."

The grandkids cheered while Calleigh sniffled, then she looked at the older grandkids and said. "Alright gang, let's go make up the beds."

They nodded before Brittany, B.J., Katie, Mandy and Jessica followed their grandmother upstairs to help.

When they were out of the room, Horatio looked at his family with love and pride. "Thank you guys, you just made her Christmas Eve more special."

The Caine 'kids' smiled as Kyle spoke. "It is no problem, dad."

They all nodded in agreement to Kyle's words.

Once Calleigh and the grandkids came back downstairs, they set up the sleeping arrangements, which were as followed: The older grandkids were going to share a room, and since they only had three extra bedrooms after the grandkids took one, C.J. and Brenda, and Christy and Tyler were setting up their 'beds' in the living room, but they didn't mind too much, and the younger kids were going to be in whatever room each of their parents would be in.

After the sleeping arrangements were set up, they enjoyed some Christmas movies before the kids had to go to sleep, then a few hours later, Horatio and Calleigh called it a night, so after kissing them and wishing them a goodnight, Horatio puts his hand on the small of his wife's back and they started walking toward the stairs, and as they were walking up them, they heard laughter, which it warmed their hearts to hear that for the first time in a long time with all of them together.

When they made it to their room, they shut the door, then Horatio cups her cheek when he saw that she had tears in her eyes. "You ok, sweetheart?"

She sniffled while waving off his concern. "I'm fine, don't mind the weeping old lady, she's just happy that her family is back in the house, even if it's only one night."

He chuckled as he wiped her tears away. "Weepy? maybe, but old? I don't think so."

She looked into his sparkling blue eyes as she smiled. "You're too kind, handsome."

He shook his head as he leaned down and pecks her on the lips before replying. "Only stating the truth."

She gives him another smile before walking toward the dresser to grab her night clothes, and after grabbing them, she looked at the family photo that she was looking at earlier today. "This really happened to us, didn't it?"

After wishing one day that she could build a family that was filled with so much love, it was hard to imagine that her dream had come true and then some.

Horatio walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, looked at the photo and whispered with emotion. "It did sweetheart, this family is all yours and no one is taking it away from you."

She sniffled as she amended his words while turning around in his arms. "Ours, handsome, our family." She knew he had also wished for a family like this, and she wasn't going to take all the credit for what they had built together.

He smiled with his eyes misting. "Our Family."

She cupped his cheek before brining his face down to her level so they could kiss, and after a few pecks, she whispered. "I love you." Before bringing him in her arms.

He holds her too him while he whispered back. "I love you too."

After holding one another for a few minutes in silence, they pulled back, and after another kiss, they went through their nightly rituals before climbing in bed and wrapping their arms around one another. Once they gave each other one more kiss, they closed their eyes and fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

A few hours later

When Calleigh opened her eyes a few hours later, she realized she was a little thirsty, so after moving her husband's arm from her waist, she quietly got out of bed and grabbed her robe to put over her night clothes before walking out of the room and down the hall. When she made it to the stairs, the living room light was off so she figured they had decided to go to sleep so she walked down the stairs and through the living room quietly.

Once she made it into the kitchen, she was kind of surprised that one 'child' of hers was still awake. "You ok, C.J.?"

C.J. jumped a little, surprised of his mother's voice, then smiled as he watched her get a bottle of water from the fridge. "Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking."

After shutting the refrigerator door, she walked over to the kitchen table and sat down next to her son, then asked. "Anything particular?"

He shook his head as he took a sip from his water bottle. "Not really." She nodded before she took a sip of her water, then he asked after a pause. "Did I ever tell you thank you?"

Calleigh smiled as she places her hand on his left hand. "Lots of times, honey."

He shakes his head. "I don't mean just for taking care of me, but moving us here, I don't think I have before."

"Well if I remember correctly you weren't very happy at first."

"I think I do remember that." After taking another sip of his water, he continued. "I also remember you calling it a new adventure, and you promised we were going to go through it together, no matter what."

She nodded with tears in her eyes, then replied. "And we did, all of this started with us."

He smiled with a nod. "Yeah it did." Then he smirked. "But that 'us' didn't stay an 'us' very long."

Calleigh chuckled quietly before replying. "Well it isn't all my fault, I wasn't expecting to fall in love so fast, so sue me."

He also chuckled a little, then shook his head. "No, I'll give you pass, because I think he fell in love just as fast."

She cups his cheek with her free hand while replying. "And not just with me."

C.J. had tears in his eyes when he spoke again. "We've come a long way, haven't we?"

"We have and it has been more than I could have expected." She cleared her throat before finishing. "The only thing I wish, is that..."

She trials off, but he knew what she was trying to say. "I know, I wish she could have been here too. I just hope she would have been happy with how I turned out."

She ran her thumb up and down his cheek while speaking with emotion. "You are a wonderful man, a loving husband and father, not to mention one of the best doctors in Miami. Any mother would be proud of you, and that includes me."

After wiping a few more tears off her son's cheek, she gets off her chair and wraps her arms around his shoulders, which he wraps his arms around her waist and whispered. "I love you, mom, and thank you for everything."

Calleigh turned her head and kissed his temple before replying. "You're so welcome and I love you too, C.J."

After a few minutes, they pull back from each other, then after cupping his cheek again to wipe the remaining tears off, she removed her hand and kissed his head before stepping back. "We better get some sleep, you know the kids will be up bright and early to finish opening their presents."

C.J. chuckled as he stood up. "Oh, the joys of kids."

She smiled while looking into his eyes, knowing how he truly felt about his kids. "Yeah, but you wouldn't trade them for anything."

C.J.'s eyes get bright as he replied with love. "Not for one second."

Calleigh's eyes were equally bright as she agreed with him, and after he kissed her on the cheek, she grabbed her water bottle before saying. "Goodnight, honey, see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, mom, see you in the morning."

After a smile, she walked out of the kitchen with him following her while they both felt that the late night chat felt like old times too, so in her mind, tonight was more perfect than she could have predicted.

When she made it back to the master bedroom, she sets her water bottle on her nightstand before crawling back into bed to lay next to her husband, then a few seconds later his arm wrapped around her waist from behind and he whispered, sleepily."You ok, sweetheart?"

She smiled as she slipped her fingers through his. "I'm fine, handsome, go back to sleep."

"Ok, goodnight, love you."

She snuggled her back into his chest as he tightened his hold on her while she whispered. "I love you too."

A few seconds later she felt his breathing had changed, indicating he was fast asleep again, then she looked at the family photo on her nightstand, which was different than the one on her dresser, the kids were younger in this one, before closing her eyes.

As she fell asleep, her last thought was they have definitely come a long way since the move to Miami, which is a move she'll never look back and regret because her life had started here, and she might even say on the first day she looked into the blue eyes of the man she loves more than anything, it has been a wonderful life.

AN: Wow, seven months and twelve stories later, the series is now complete, and for it not being a planned series, I think it was pretty good, in fact one of my favorite series that I have shared, I hope you guys all think so too.
I want to thank many of you for sticking by me from the first chapter of the first story to the last chapter of this story, your constant reviews and support have kept the series going. Just know that I may be done with the series, but that doesn't mean I'm done with Ducaine.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your the week, have a happy and safe new years, and I'll hopefully have something new up sometime next year, so if you enjoyed my stories so far, be sure to be on the lookout for more. Take care, and for one last time in the series, please review.