Disclaimer: All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth and Numb3rs. Since I already have my two front teeth that only leaves Numb3rs.

Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Jo and Math for giving me the feedback and comments that I needed.

"…I'll be home for Christmas. You can count on me…"

From the stereo Bing Crosby crooned to the lone occupant of the warmly lit living room. The dark haired beauty was curled against one corner of the couch, a thick throw covering her with only the red painted tips of her toes peeking out. Rocking back and forth, she sang along with the holiday station:

"…Please have snow and mistletoe."

There wasn't any snow to be found in the city of Los Angeles. However, hanging merrily from the top of the entrance way into the living room was a small clump of mistletoe. Her sister-in-law had strung it up a week ago after her son, Amita's two year old nephew, had come across the parasitic plant in the market.

The two of them had gotten quite a laugh out of the whole thing, especially when Peyton had managed to ensnare her husband by surprise, not that Don had minded all that much.

It was quiet in the house. The only sounds came from Bing Crosby and the distant hum of the dish washer.

Sitting up, Amita reached over and picked up her mug of cocoa. She took a large sip and surveyed the living room of the Craftsman, the home that had she and Charlie had shared since their wedding a year and a half ago.

Only a few lamps were on. Brightly colored lights from the Christmas tree in the corner caught her eye, the reds, yellows, blues, and greens twinkling. Resting on the wooden surface of the shelves that Charlie had built a few years ago was the Hanukiah.

Her husband had dug out the Hanukah menorah three years ago. It had been a sudden thing that no one had questioned, though Amita suspected that the idea had come about due to a case of Don's that had involved a missing painting belonging to a Jewish family.

Amita sat her mug back down and moved her left hand back to where it had previously rested: her stomach. Absentmindedly she rubbed her shirt and the skin resting beneath it, something that she had been doing for the last few days.

Rolling her neck and easing the kinks, she wished that Charlie was here. Professor Eppes had agreed to attend a seminar on his latest book, a follow up to the one dealing with friendship and relationships he had written a few years back. The only problem was that Charlie had agreed to the seminar back in August, well before thoughts of the holidays and Christmas had not existed in his mind. By the time he had remembered his promise, it had been too late to back out. In all honesty, he never would have reneged on his commitment.

She looked over at the clock on the wall. The hands told her it was nearly thirty minutes past eight. Assuming that Charlie had left before noon, had escaped any major traffic flows, and hadn't gotten lost, he should have been home already. At least that's what Amita thought. Whether or not he had left on time or managed to avoid traffic was another story altogether.

She just wanted him home. Home and here with her. Amita had news to tell him and her news was not the type to be told over the phone.

"…where the lovelight gleams…"

The wooden door of her home opened and the person she wanted more than anyone else entered.

Charlie closed the front door with a snap. He dropped both his suitcase and laptop case, and turned to face her with a warm smile. His brown eyes danced and his smile made her heart flutter in her chest.

The throw blanket was tossed aside in her haste to get up to run to him. A moment later and she was in his arms, breathing in his scent and holding him tightly. When he had first told her he was only going to be at Stanford for two days, it hadn't seemed bad. But, God, these two days had been forever.

"I missed you too," Charlie murmured before kissing her. "Oh how I missed you."

Amita smiled and pulled him towards the couch. He looked weary, his curls mussed and shirt wrinkled.

Once seated, she curled herself underneath his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. His head dropped on top of hers and one arm pulled her closer. "I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you too. Promise not to leave me anymore?" She peered up into his brown eyes.

Charlie chuckled and kissed her playfully on the nose. "I can't. Not that I don't want to stay here with you forever. However, if I never have to drive anywhere that's thirty miles from here or CalSci that will be just fine with me!"

"That bad huh?" Amita grinned at his annoyance of long distance trips.

"Yes. I left on time to be home at six. I figured in the time I would need to stop, allowing for refueling and food. I even did the calculations for traffic patterns in the San Francisco area and combined them with the net flow of travelers on the interstate."

"Did you factor in that it's Christmas Eve?"

Charlie blinked and after a moment grudgingly said, "No. I hadn't thought of that."

"The great Charles Eppes didn't think to factor in all of the families going to visit relatives on Christmas Eve?" Amita teasingly added.

"Percentage wise only forty-three percent of people actually travel on…Oh never mind," he glanced around the house. "Say, where's Dad?"

"Oh. He's out with Millie at that new Thai restaurant. They left around seven. We have a little while longer until they come back. And Don called while you were gone. I talked to him for a little bit." It felt so good to be lying here with him.

"He did? How are they?" Charlie shifted a bit and his hand covered her hand on top of her stomach.

"Don says they're fine. Peyton's already gotten into a yelling match with her grandmother once already. Something about how pregnant women shouldn't move about. Donovan is doing great and Damin is thrilled to see his grandson again. Apparently Peyton's father is much like Alan. Peyton's stomach didn't take too well with the flight, but other than that they are fine. He says to tell you that Peyton loves you and that you shouldn't leave your wife alone on Christmas Eve."

Amita smiled as Charlie scowled at her last two sentences. "Yeah well, I distinctly remember him being out on a raid during the birth of his first child," he snorted and then went on. "So my little niece isn't a flier either? She's already taking after me. I don't know what Don was talking about. He should feel honored if his children take after their Uncle Charlie."

She reached up and smoothed his curls away from his face. "You know he only loves to tease you."

That brought a smile to his face. "Ever since Don's had children he's reverted back to his own childhood."

That was true. Don had taken to fatherhood rather quickly and Charlie had taken to being an uncle as well; though neither of them had been as excited as Alan, whose wish for grandchildren had finally come true.

Amita was happy for her brother in-law and his wife. She loved Peyton like a sister and she loved playing the aunt with Donovan. It was just that after a year and a half of marriage, she and Charlie still didn't have a child of their own. She didn't want to play the aunt anymore. Instead she wanted to trade off with Peyton.

She wasn't jealous and had never tried to seem that way at all. Charlie had done his best to soothe her whenever the topic had come up. They had simply accepted the fact that they would just have to wait. Until now that was.

"I'm sorry for being late, 'Mita. You know I didn't want to be. I would choose you over the road every day." He looked down at her, his fingers interlacing with hers.

She smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek. "I know. You can make it up to me underneath the mistletoe later."

Charlie's gaze strayed over to the hanging plant. "You know that mistletoe is a parasitic plant. It grows in the tops of its hosts and with enough time can even prove to be fatal. It's a rather silly tradition, dating back to Scandinavia. Though both Peyton and my nephew seem to get quite a laugh out of it."

She let out a small little hum, wondering if this was the right time tell him her news. Taking a deep breath she lifted their intertwined hands and said, "Charlie, I have something to tell you. You're not going to be an uncle anymore."

His head snapped back to her so fast she was afraid that he might have broken his neck. "What? I don't understand."

The look on his face was priceless and she laughed. "What I mean is that you won't be just an uncle anymore."

The neurons in his brain started firing and Amita watched as he processed her words. Charlie's mouth opened and closed several times before he finally said anything. "You mean…"

Amita nodded. "Yes. You're going to be a father."

Her husband was stammering now, his thoughts running all together. "When? How?"

"Well, I would hope by now that you know where babies come from. If not then I think we're going to have to sit down with your dad. As for when, I felt something was wrong earlier this week. I went to the doctor yesterday and he said that I'm five weeks along."

Charlie swallowed. "So we're having a baby?"

"Yes."

"A little you and a little me?"

"That's usually what a baby is." Amita waited for some other reaction from him.

"Wow. Merry Christmas indeed. This is just…" He let out a shaky breath.

"So you're okay with this? You're happy?" Amita asked.

Charlie looked at her funny. "Okay with this? How could you think…? Happy? I'm ecstatic. We're having a baby. I'm going to be a father. You're going to be a mother. I love you." He was breathless as he finished.

His eyes were shining again, all traces of tiredness gone. Amita grinned as he beamed at her. Laughter erupted from both of them. Cupping her face in his hands, Charlie pecked her face with kisses, murmuring words of endearment over and over again.

After a moment he suddenly sprang up. Dazed for a second, Amita followed his movements towards the phone. "What are you doing?"

"I have to call Dad and Larry. We have to call your parents. I…I have to call Don. This will totally blow his mind." He was muttering to himself now as he furiously punched the keypad.

Amita's hands covered her mouth as she giggled. Watching Charlie pace the hardwood floors, awaiting his brother's voice and launching into speech as soon as Don picked up, she couldn't help the swelling of her heart.

It was Christmas Eve, her husband was finally home with her and he had been thrilled over her news. She was rejoiced over her news. They were having a baby. A little Charlie and a little her.

"…if only in my dreams…" Bing Crosby ended his song, his voice finally dying out as the notes trailed off.

No longer just a dream, Amita thought.

Come summer it would be real. Their house would be filled with a new member who would capture their hearts.

Not a dream at all.

Happy Holidays.