Author's Notes: This is a very, very belated Christmas fic. I nearly didn't post it, given that it's the middle of January, but my awesome beta, lightwarai, talked me into it. Plus, I figured that if I let it sit on my hard drive for another year, it might never get posted!

This fic takes place in the Holiday-verse, but you don't necessarily have to read those stories to understand this one. I've updated the chronology of the Holiday-verse fics on my profile so that it's easier to follow.

I'd love your feedback on the story -- it's been a while since I've written anything, so I was feeling a little rusty while writing this. I hope you enjoy it, despite the fact that Christmas is already over. But it's not too late for me to wish you all a very Happy New Year!!

Disclaimer: Let me check…nope, still don't own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys or any of their fellow family or friends. Alas!

Nancy Drew had just completed one of the most challenging missions of her life. As she sat in her warm car in the snowy driveway, she took a moment to reflect that going to a shopping mall on Christmas Eve was more terrifying, more nerve-wracking than most life-threatening situations she had ever been in. She never thought she'd see the day where she'd prefer unsavory criminals over insane shoppers.

At least she was allowed to put the criminals behind bars.

Nancy took a deep, cleansing breath, watching snowflakes fall lightly outside her car. Lily's going to have a white Christmas, Nancy thought, smiling softly to herself. Her daughter was finally old enough to truly understand what Christmas meant and to be excited about the holiday.

Of course, Nancy suspected that most of Lily's excitement had to do more with the idea of presents than with the spirit of Christmas. But considering that her daughter was only five years old, Nancy thought that was just fine.

And, of course, Nancy and her husband weren't any less guilty of going overboard with the gifts. They had both agreed that since this was the first Christmas that Lily was likely to truly remember, they wanted to make it extra-special for her. Which had resulted in Nancy's Christmas Eve trip to the mall, for that one last perfect present that she just knew her daughter would love.

Nancy took her cell phone out of her purse and dialed a familiar number, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel as it rang. Finally, a deep, warm voice answered.

"Nancy! Is everything okay?"

Nancy laughed at the unnecessary concern in her husband's voice. She cleared her throat, and then lowered her voice to what she considered "espionage-level."

"The package has been acquired. Is the target in sight?"

His concern turned to humor as her husband laughed. "The target is being held in custody by her grandmother, who is using the effective method of bribing her with holiday cookies to keep her in the kitchen."

"Alright, I'm making my move," Nancy intoned, and then ruined it by giggling before hanging up. She got out of the car and grabbed the shopping bag from the trunk, moving quickly to the front door. Just as she was about to open it, the door swung open, revealing her grinning husband. Before she could get a word out, he swept her into his arms for a warm, albeit slightly awkward hug. Nancy snuggled in, even as she laughed.

"Frank, I've only been gone two hours, not two days."

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, somehow managing to move her inside and swing the door shut all at the same time without letting her go.

"I know. I was just worried."

"I hardly think going to the mall on Christmas Eve is the most dangerous thing I've ever done. Although, it probably makes the top three, at least from an insanity standpoint."

Frank laughed, dropping a quick kiss on her lips before releasing her.

"I wasn't necessarily worried about you. I think I was more worried about the other shoppers in the mall who had the poor misfortune of being in Nancy Drew's way while she was on a mission."

Nancy gave her husband a playful shove. "Oh, is that why you almost didn't let me go to the mall earlier, even though you were swamped with the case?"

Frank smirked. "Well, that, and also because I felt slightly guilty for sending my eight-month pregnant wife to the mall on the craziest shopping day of the year."

"Sending me was a good strategic move. People actually made way for me, and one nice man even let me get ahead of him in line. I think they were afraid I was going to give birth in the middle of Macy's."

Frank chuckled, even though he secretly agreed with the shoppers' concerns. Nancy may have had another month until her due date, but she looked like she was nine months pregnant rather than eight.

Not that he'd ever tell his wife that.

"How's the case coming?" Nancy interrupted Frank's train of thought.

Frank sighed, dragging his hand through his hair. He knew she wasn't going to like the answer to that question.

"Why don't we go into the study? I don't want Lily to run out here and ruin her surprise."

Nancy gave her husband a suspicious look, but nodded and followed him silently into the study. As they entered, Fenton and Joe Hardy looked up from the case notes they were poring over on Fenton's desk.

Joe smirked at them. "Looks like she survived, big brother. And here you were afraid she was going to go into labor in the middle of Macy's."

Frank glared at his younger brother as Nancy gave Frank a disapproving look. Before she could comment, she was distracted by a warm body rubbing against her legs. She bent down carefully, giving Sherlock a loving rub across his back. He had taken to sleeping by the fire in Fenton's study since they had arrived at the Hardy home for the holidays. He had grown into the large, clumsy feet that he had as a puppy, coming up to about her knees now. He still had the adorable black patch of fur around one eye that Nancy sometimes thought made him look like a canine pirate. Until you saw the big, goofy doggie grin and his loving brown eyes, and realized that he was really a canine marshmallow instead.

She glanced up at Frank, who was watching her with Sherlock with a fond gaze, and felt her irritation with him melt away. Her husband was a big marshmallow too, and his over-protective instincts were simultaneously the most endearing and most frustrating thing about him. And she completely loved him for it.

"So what are you guys not telling me about the case?"

Joe turned to his sister-in-law in astonishment.

"How do you do that?"

Nancy met Frank's rueful look before she turned to Joe.

"World-famous detective here, remember?" She gave him a playful grin, even though she had a sinking feeling that the wonderful Christmas she had planned out for her family was about to change.

Fenton cleared his throat, obviously electing himself to deliver the bad news.

"After you left, Nancy, we got an anonymous phone call from someone who claims to have information about our case. He wants to meet us at 11:00 tonight out on the shipping docks."

"On Christmas Eve?" Nancy asked incredulously, even though she knew she really shouldn't be surprised. Crime waits for no man, after all. Not even if his last name is Claus.

"Nancy, I'm sorry," Frank apologized. "I know we were planning on doing the whole Christmas Eve thing for Lily tonight."

Joe cut in. "Frank, I've already told you, you don't have to go tonight. Dad and I can handle it," Fenton nodded his assent.

Nancy responded before Frank could. "No, you should all go. There's always more safety in numbers, in case something goes wrong." As she said it, she felt her chest tighten slightly. She knew it was partly due to the envy she felt that she could no longer be involved in the field work while she was pregnant. But part of it was the constant fear that came with sending the ones you loved into dangerous situations while you stayed home and waited.

Frank wasn't the only one with over-protective instincts in the Hardy-Drew family.

Nancy stepped closer to Frank, linking her fingers with his. "Don't worry about Christmas Eve. I'll make sure we have it covered for Lily."

Frank dropped a light kiss on her lips, then rested his forehead against hers. "I love you," he murmured.

"Love you too," Nancy whispered, just as Joe cleared his throat loudly.

"Well, as much as I enjoy watching public displays of affection between you two, I think I'm going to go see if my niece left me any Christmas cookies." He exited from the study quickly, Sherlock following closely behind him, ears perked up at hearing the word "cookie".

As Nancy blushed and Frank looked slightly abashed, Fenton gave them an understanding smile. "Don't mind Joe. I think he's just feeling blue that Vanessa isn't here for the holidays."

Nancy nodded in understanding. She gave Frank's fingers a quick squeeze before releasing them. "I'm going to get Lily's gift upstairs and wrapped, and then check on Laura to see if she needs help with dinner. See you both at the dinner table?" Frank and Fenton nodded, and before Nancy could even leave the room, they were both already engrossed in their case notes again. Nancy just shook her head, a fond smile on her lips.

"That was a wonderful dinner, Laura," Nancy complimented her mother-in-law. Laura Hardy beamed with pleasure, glancing around the table at the sated looks on her family's faces. There was nothing she loved more than having her whole family together at the dinner table at Christmas. The only people missing were Carson Drew, Nancy's father, and Vanessa Bender, Joe's fiancée. Carson had decided to stay in River Heights this Christmas and spend it with the woman he was currently dating. Vanessa had been assigned to a project at work that she thought was going to go through the Christmas break, so she hadn't booked her plane ticket out of Chicago with Frank, Nancy, Joe, and Lily. By the time Vanessa found out that she wasn't going to have to work over the holidays after all, the flights had been completely sold out. Laura knew that Joe felt terrible that Vanessa had to spend the holidays alone, and he was missing her terribly.

Laura felt a light tug on her sleeve, and she shook herself out of her thoughts to look down at the bright, smiling face of her granddaughter. Lily had her arms raised, and Laura swung her up into her lap with a laugh. Lily leaned back against Laura, tilting her face up to her grandmother's. With an innocent smile on her face, the one she knew her daddy could never say no to, she asked, "Grandma, do you have any more cookies?"

Everyone at the table laughed. Joe beamed at Lily. "That is definitely my niece."

"Then as her uncle, I'm sure you'll be willing to cover her dentist bills from all the sweets that you like feeding her," Frank teased.

"Sorry Frank, I don't think that fell under the list of uncle duties that I received when she was born. Spoil her senseless, yes. Teach her how to throw a football, yes. Dentist, no. I'll leave that to her two very responsible parents."

Laura tuned out her sons' banter and leaned her head down to her granddaughter's. She ran a hand over Lily's soft, reddish blonde hair, so similar to her mother's. The imploring, wide-eyed innocence in her eyes was nearly impossible for Laura to resist, but she knew that Lily had indulged in plenty of sweets earlier in the day. Any more sugar and the little girl wouldn't be able to sleep that night! So Laura shook her head at her granddaughter and smiled gently. "Sorry sweetie, Grandma's all out of cookies."

As Lily pouted, Frank rose from the table. "Come on, Lily, it's bedtime for you." If it were possible, Lily's pout grew even bigger. Frank laughed gently. "Don't give me that look. You want to be sure to get enough sleep so that you can wake up early tomorrow and open presents, don't you?" At the mention of presents, Lily perked up instantly, and she raised her arms high up in the air so that her daddy could pick her up. Frank lifted her up easily, resting her on his hip. He looked over at Nancy. "I'll put her to bed tonight."

Nancy nodded, knowing how much Frank regretted not being able to spend Christmas Eve night with his daughter. They had been planning it for weeks now, with Frank dressing up as Santa Claus and putting the gifts under the tree at midnight. They both knew their daughter well -- she had inherited their natural curiosity and was sure to make a trip downstairs at midnight to try to catch a glimpse of her beloved Santa Claus. As if reading her mother's mind, Lily bounced in her father's arms.

"Daddy, we have to put out the milk and cookies for Santa first!"

Laura stood, laughing. "You're absolutely right, sweetie. I'll go get them from the kitchen." Frank looked at his mother questioningly. "I thought you were all out of cookies."

Laura winked at him. "I saved a special stash for Santa, somewhere where Joe and Lily couldn't find them."

Frank chuckled. "Good thinking, Mom." He kissed his daughter's soft cheek, smiling as she turned to wrap her arms around his neck. "Cookies don't tend to last in the house when Lily's around." In fact, he and Nancy had affectionately taken to calling their daughter Cookie Monster due to her love for the treat.

He set Lily on the ground, just as Laura returned from the kitchen with the prepared plate of cookies and glass of milk. She handed them carefully to her granddaughter, and Lily and Frank walked over to the breakfast table. Lily handed the items to Frank so she could hoist herself into a chair, and then took them back from him so she could set them on the table.

"Do you think Santa will see them here, Daddy?"

Frank smiled down at his daughter, looking into brown eyes that were so similar to his own. He felt a wave of love surge through him and marveled, not for the first time, how he and Nancy had been blessed with such a perfect little girl. He lifted her from the chair, kissing her forehead. "I think Santa will see them just fine." He winked at Nancy, who was watching them both with a warm smile. "Now, do you want a piggyback carry or an airplane ride upstairs?"

Lily pondered this question very seriously, her small brows furrowing in thought. "Piggyback!" she exclaimed after a moment. Frank laughed. "Piggyback it is." He set her back down on the chair, then turned his back to her and crouched down so she could wrap her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. He rose carefully, reaching back to hoist her up further and making sure she was attached to him securely.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready, Daddy!"

Frank started walking towards the stairs, pausing by Nancy to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Nancy smiled and rubbed a hand over Lily's back. "Good night, sweetie. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, Mommy!" Lily agreed, and she and her father headed upstairs, with her singing her own version of Jingle Bells the whole way.

Three hours later, Nancy eyed the Santa outfit laid out on her bed skeptically. Frank had set it out for her before he left, giving her an apologetic look before heading out with his father and brother. They had purchased the outfit from a party supplies store a few weeks ago, and had laughed over it at the time. Of course, that was when they were expecting Frank to be wearing the outfit, not her. She had a feeling that she was going to look like an anorexic Santa in the costume that was at least two sizes too big for her.

On the bright side, she at least had the belly to go with the outfit, she thought with a small grin, rubbing her very round stomach gently.

Enough stalling, Drew, she told herself firmly, and began pulling on the large velvet red coat with the white fur trim. The pants were pulled on next, but because the waist was too small to go over her stomach, she wore them low on the hips. Thankfully the elastic was taut enough that they stayed up. Next came the big black belt to cinch the jacket closed -- Nancy was slightly appalled that her stomach was so large that she had to close the belt on the widest possible notch. Deliberately ignoring that fact, she quickly slipped her feet into the large boots, feeling a small burst of gratitude that they were slip-on and not lace-up. Tying shoelaces had become quite the ordeal these days, given that she couldn't really bend down.

Being pregnant certainly is inconvenient, she mused. But then she thought of Lily, and of the new little one on the way, and her irritation instantly faded. She wouldn't trade the inconvenience for the world -- missed investigations and tacky Santa outfits and all. It was that thought that had her cheerfully finishing up the last of her outfit, applying the stick-on beard and mustache and tugging the large floppy hat over her head. Nancy turned to the floor-length mirror in the room with a flourish, and then laughed out loud at the sight she made. She was kind of sorry that Frank would be missing it -- she knew he would have enjoyed this immensely. But as long as Lily caught a glimpse of her dear Santa Claus, that was all that mattered. With that in mind, Nancy headed downstairs.

The lights of the Christmas tree twinkled at her as she reached the den, and she spotted the large bag of gifts for the whole family hidden behind the sofa. Frank had brought it downstairs on his way out, not wanting her to have to carry the heavy bag herself. Nancy shook her head affectionately. She knew that she was still capable of carrying things around, but sometimes it was just easier to indulge Frank and let him take care of her.

She dragged the bag out from behind the sofa and over to the tree, and then knelt to the ground carefully. She began placing the gifts under the tree, making sure to face the staircase so that Lily would have a clear view of her when she came down the stairs. Sure enough, just as the clock chimed the midnight hour, she saw a little reddish blonde head peek over the banister, then quickly duck down. Nancy smiled secretly to herself, making sure not to look at Lily directly. She continued to lay the gifts out, and then on a burst of inspiration, let loose a loud "Ho Ho Ho!" in the deepest voice she could muster. She heard Lily's soft giggle from the staircase, and the sound warmed her heart.

Then she realized she had a problem.

Getting up from the floor was not going to be as easy as getting down was. Nancy knew she could manage it, but it would be awkward and very un-Santa like. And Lily was a bright kid -- she would know something was wrong. In fact, Nancy wouldn't put it past her to run downstairs and try to help Santa herself!

Just as Nancy was trying to figure out the least conspicuous way to rise to her feet, she heard Laura's voice upstairs.

"Lily, honey, what are you doing out of bed? You know you're not supposed to spy on Santa Claus!"

Laura came halfway down the stairs and took Lily gently by the arm. As she turned to lead her granddaughter up the stairs, she winked at Nancy over her shoulder. Nancy could hear Lily's retreating voice exclaim excitedly, "Did you see him, Grandma? Did you see Santa Claus?" Nancy could practically envision the bounce in her daughter's step, and she grinned widely.

Now free of an audience, she braced herself on the nearby armchair and used her leg and arm muscles to hoist herself up. Slightly worn out from the night's activities, Nancy knew that there was just one last part to her duties as Santa Claus, and personally, her favorite part. She headed over to the breakfast table where Lily had set out the cookies and milk earlier, and reached for a chocolate chip cookie that had red and green M&Ms baked into it. As she bit into it, Nancy's eyes drifted closed in heavenly bliss -- Laura Hardy made the absolute best cookies. It was no wonder that Joe and her daughter were addicted to them. Nancy took a sip of milk, and just as she was reaching for a second cookie, she heard the front door open. Guiltily brushing cookie crumbs from the front of her outfit, she turned to watch Frank, Fenton, and Joe trail in, dejected looks on their faces. She did a quick scan of each of them, checking for injuries or signs of blood. They were thankfully unharmed, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He was a no-show," Joe grumbled. "What kind of a no-good informant doesn't have the decency to show up on Christmas Eve?"

Fenton sighed. "Looks like we're back to square one on the case."

"That's not true," Nancy argued. "We have a lot of evidence and data gathered. The answer has to be in there somewhere. We can go over it again in the morning -- I think some sleep and some Christmas spirit will help us approach it with clearer heads."

"That's a great idea, Nancy." Fenton smiled at her in gratitude. "I'm happy that you're still part of the team, even if you can't join us for the field work."

Nancy patted her stomach gently. "Give me another two months and I'll be back full time."

She waited for Frank to challenge the statement, to insist that she needed to take more time off after the baby came, but he was suspiciously silent. Nancy turned to look at him, and her eyes widened when she realized he was completely doubled over. She rushed to his side quickly, laying a bracing hand on his shoulder. "Frank?" she asked, her voice alarmed. "Are you okay?"

He looked up at her, and his eyes were full of mirth, not pain like she had first thought. His deep laugh rumbled out of his chest as he straightened up. Nancy narrowed her eyes at him.

"What's so funny?"

Frank gave her one of the widest smiles she had ever seen. "You are the most adorable Santa Claus."

Fenton laughed at the indignant look on Nancy's face. "On that note, I'm off to bed. And Nancy, you do make a lovely Santa Claus. Have a good night, kids."

"Good night," Frank, Nancy, and Joe echoed.

Joe turned to his brother and Nancy, his blue eyes twinkling. "Well, kids, it's been real, but I'm gonna call it a night too." As he said that, he snatched the last cookie off the plate.

"Hey, that's my cookie!" Nancy exclaimed.

Joe smirked. "Sorry, Drew. Better luck next year." Then, to her surprise, he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"What was that for?"

Joe pointed up. "Mistletoe." He grinned impishly and winked. "Well, I'll leave you two to it." As he headed towards the stairs, he turned around briefly. "Oh, and Nancy, nice Santa outfit."

They could hear Joe laughing to himself as he headed up the stairs. Frank looked down at Nancy, giving her a rueful smile. "Once again, I apologize for my brother." Nancy arched an eyebrow, giving him a sly look, one that Frank knew all too well.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"Don't you think you should be thanking him instead?" At Frank's quizzical look, Nancy tilted her head up. "He did, after all, point out the mistletoe."

A slow grin spread across Frank's face, the one that never failed to make Nancy weak in the knees. He lowered his head to hers, stopping with his lips mere centimeters from hers. She could feel his breath against hers, and the weakness in her knees spread throughout her whole body. She wrapped her arms around his neck for support, threading her fingers through the fine hair at the nape of his neck.

"Merry Christmas, Nancy," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Frank," she replied softly, standing on tip-toe to bring her lips to his. His arms went around her as he deepened the kiss, yet he was careful not to squeeze her to him too tightly. One kiss led to another, then another. When they finally pulled apart, they were both slightly out of breath and grinning like teenagers.

"Love you, Drew."

Nancy smiled. "Love you, Frank."

He stepped back, and then held out his hand gallantly. "May I escort you upstairs, Santa?"

Nancy giggled. "Why yes you may, my dear elf."

They went upstairs hand-in-hand, the Christmas tree twinkling into the night behind them.

___________________

The next morning, Nancy was up early making breakfast for the family to enjoy after they opened their presents. She was just putting the coffee in the pot when she heard the pitter-patter of little feet on the staircase. Nancy smiled, leaving the kitchen to walk to the foot of the stairs, waiting with open arms to greet her daughter. Lily burrowed in, her head just reaching her mother's stomach.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," Nancy murmured, squeezing her daughter tightly. She bent down to smooth stray strands of hair away from Lily's face, and frowned slightly at the perturbed look in her daughter's eyes. "Lily? Is everything okay?"

Lily nodded. "Just tired, Mommy. Merry Christmas!" Her voice was enthusiastic, but to Nancy's trained maternal ears, it sounded off. Before she could question her daughter further, Joe came down the staircase.

"Do I smell muffins?"

Nancy laughed, even as she smoothed a concerned hand over her daughter's hair.

"Yes, but you don't get breakfast until after we open presents."

Joe groaned loudly, eliciting a giggle from Lily. She seemed to have perked up at the mention of presents.

"Mommy, do I get to open my presents now?"

"Sure sweetie, just as soon as the rest of the family gets down here." Just as she said that, Frank appeared at the top of the staircase, followed closely by his parents. Fenton and Laura were already showered and dressed, but Frank was still in his pajamas and robe, with his hair rumpled and sticking up in random places. Nancy felt slightly guilty for that. She wasn't able to sleep very well at night because of her pregnancy, and unfortunately, that kept Frank awake as well. She had suggested that she or he could move down to the couch, but he wouldn't hear of it.

Lily made a dash for the Christmas tree, reaching it before the rest of her slower-moving family. As they all settled in on the couches, Lily picked up one of her presents. Nancy was certain that her daughter would open it, unable to resist the temptation any longer. But then Lily put the gift down, and picked up another one that wasn't hers. She read the name on the label, then got up and walked over to Laura to hand her the present.

"This one's for you, Grandma."

Touched, Laura leaned down to give Lily a hug. "Thank you, sweetie. But don't you want to open your presents first?"

Lily shook her head. "No, I want us to open them together."

Nancy looked over at Frank, and he was wearing the same expression of pride and love that she knew was shining on her face. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him on the couch. "That's our girl," he murmured in her ear. Nancy rested her head against his shoulder, smiling softly.

Lily handed the next present to her grandpa, then one to Joe. She continued to distribute the gifts until her entire family had theirs laid out next to them on the sofas or on the floor. Even Sherlock had a gift -- a giant bone with a bow on top that Joe removed for him before the dog tried to eat it. Once the only gifts left under the Christmas tree were Lily's, she clapped her hands in joy. "Time to open presents!" she exclaimed. Everyone laughed, and began ripping through wrapping paper or opening gift bags. Nancy and Frank, however, continued to peek at their daughter surreptitiously over their own gifts. They couldn't wait to see her reactions to her Christmas presents. She laughed, clapped, and squealed at all of them, clearly loving everything she had received from her family. It just so happened that the last gift for her to open was the one Nancy had gone out for on Christmas Eve. Nancy reached for Frank's hand and squeezed it in anticipation.

Lily's squeal of joy stopped all conversation in the room, and everyone turned to look at the little girl. She was holding up a Disney princess comforter, her eyes lit up brighter than the lights on the Christmas tree. Nancy knew that her daughter adored all things Disney, especially the princesses from their various movies.

"What's this for, Mommy?"

Nancy looked at Frank, and he nodded at her to go ahead and share the big surprise with Lily. "Well, sweetie, your Daddy and I decided that it's time for you to have your own big girl bedroom. So when we go back home to Chicago, you can have that on your very own bed."

Lily's jaw dropped, almost comically, and then she squealed in excitement and ran towards her mother. Nancy laughed and held her arms open for her. Lily climbed into her mother's lap, hugging her awkwardly around her stomach. Frank reached over to tug gently on her ponytail. "We're glad you like it, honey. You're growing up so fast, we knew it was time for you to have your own room." His voice was just a little wistful, and Nancy knew how hard it was for Frank to admit that his little girl was growing up.

Lily smiled at her father and then turned back to Nancy, hugging her again. But Nancy caught her daughter casting another sideways glance at Frank under her lashes, and she was reminded again of something bothering Lily that morning. She decided there was no time like the present to investigate.

"Lily, honey, is something on your mind?"

Lily inhaled deeply, then in one long breath, confessed, "."

Nancy blinked, her brain taking a second to catch up. She saw Frank give her a conspiratorial wink, and she looked down to smile at her daughter. "And did you see him?"

Instead of her face lighting up in excitement like Nancy expected, Lily instead looked perturbed. Nancy glanced over at Frank, and he just gave her a small shrug, indicating he had no more idea than she did why Lily seemed upset.

"Lily?" Nancy prompted.

Lily took a deep breath, and then to everyone's surprise, she pointed an accusing finger at Frank. "I saw Daddy kissing Santa Claus last night!"

Absolute silence followed Lily's statement. Then, a low rumble. Which quickly turned into a roaring laugh from Joe, who was bent over double and shaking with laughter. Fenton and Laura just blinked, and Nancy could feel herself turn bright red. She snuck a peek at Frank, and saw that he was bright red too. She honestly didn't think she had ever seen her husband really blush before, but if there was ever a moment for it, this was it!

Joe finally regained his breath. "Didn't…know…you…swung that way, Frank," he gasped out between laughs

Frank glared at his younger brother, irritation warring with embarrassment. Lily just peered around at the adults, clearly wondering if they had all lost their minds. Nancy knew she would have to respond to her daughter soon, but for an ace detective who was great at coming up with cover stories on a whim, she honestly had no idea what she was going to say.

Thankfully, at that moment, the doorbell rang.

Saved by the bell! Nancy thought, barely refraining from wiping her brow in relief. One glance at Frank told her that he was thinking the exact same thing. The sound of the bell had successfully distracted Lily, who was now bouncing lightly in Nancy's lap. "Mommy, can I get the door? Can I?"

"We'll go together," Nancy responded, gently nudging Lily off her lap. She rose to her feet and grasped Lily's hand, and together they walked to the front door. Joe moved over to take Nancy's seat next to Frank on the couch, and he promptly punched Frank in the arm.

"Way to go, bro, traumatizing your daughter at such a young age. What will she think of Santa now?"

Before Frank could respond, or even just hit his brother, Laura admonished him.

"Joe, don't tease your brother." But she was barely containing a grin, and Frank just rolled his eyes.

Joe was about to respond, when he heard a voice. A very familiar voice. He turned to the door, and his eyes widened in wonder.

Standing there, beaming at him, was the most beautiful trio of women he had ever seen. Nancy, with a wide smile, and Lily, bouncing up and down in excitement. And between them, Vanessa Bender, sheer joy shining on her face.

Frank nudged him, breaking him out of his stupor.

"She's real," his brother said softly, clearly realizing that Joe was seriously wondering if he was hallucinating. That was all it took to have him off the couch and heading for Vanessa. He let out a whoop of joy and picked her up, swinging her in a wide circle, with Vanessa laughing joyfully. He set her down on her feet and, before she could catch her breath, kissed her. Then he just simply rested his forehead against hers. "You're here," he whispered in awe. "I'm here," Vanessa whispered back, squeezing him tightly. Just then, Joe felt a light tug on his pants. Reluctantly breaking away from Vanessa, he looked down to see Lily grinning up at him.

"Merry Christmas, Uncle Joe!"

Joe looked at Lily, then Nancy, and then the rest of his family, all of whom were grinning at him mischievously. "You guys did this?" he asked in wonder.

Vanessa answered for them. "Nancy called in a favor and got me a flight," she explained. "And we swore the rest of the family to secrecy."

Joe looked at Nancy in surprise, and she smiled at him. "It wouldn't have been Christmas without the whole family here," she said softly.

Joe finally released his hold on Vanessa to walk over to Nancy. "You are the greatest sister-in-law ever," he stated, kissing her cheek. "And the best Santa," he whispered in her ear, winking at her.

Nancy laughed and quickly checked to make sure Lily hadn't heard. But Lily was already dragging Vanessa into the living room, eager to show her the presents she had received for Christmas. Sherlock was running circles around Vanessa excitedly, wagging his tail like crazy. Nancy linked her arm with Joe's.

"C'mon, let's eat breakfast."

"Greatest. Sister-in-law. Ever." Joe repeated fervently, making everyone laugh.

_________

It wasn't until long after everyone had finished eating and they were just sitting around the dining table chatting that Nancy realized Lily was missing. She rose from the table, and at Frank's questioning glance, said, "I'm just going to go upstairs for a bit." He nodded and resumed his debate with Vanessa over the merits of network versus hard drive acquisitions in computer forensics. Just as Nancy was leaving the dining area, she heard Joe interrupt them loudly.

"Hey Vanessa, let me show you our little breakfast table area over here." As Vanessa protested that she had obviously seen the area before, Nancy chuckled softly to herself at Joe's attempt to lead his fiancée to the same mistletoe that she and Frank had discovered the night before.

Nancy headed up the stairs, listening for any sounds from her daughter, but it was suspiciously quiet. She moved towards Lily's bedroom, but then after a second thought, headed for her and Frank's room instead. The door was open just a crack, and Nancy pushed it open silently. There, standing at the foot of the bed with Nancy's Santa outfit laid out in front of her, was Lily. Her little brow was furrowed in thought, and Nancy knew she was trying to understand why her mother and father would have Santa's clothes in their room.

My little girl, the sleuth, Nancy thought fondly. While she may have been a little sad that her daughter was about to stop believing in Santa Claus, she was mostly proud that Lily had investigated something that had been puzzling her. Nancy had hung the costume in her closet the night before, so Lily had obviously done some searching.

Time to catch her in the act. Nancy cleared her throat loudly, amused when Lily nearly jumped a foot in the air. If her daughter was going to be a detective, she was going to have to learn to watch out for people sneaking up on her!

"Lily, what are you doing?"

Nancy expected reproach, shock, or even anger from her daughter, but instead was surprised to see her incredibly excited.

"Mommy! You were dressed up like Santa Claus last night?"

"Um, yes?" Lily had figured out her secret, but Nancy was more confused than ever at why her daughter was happy about this.

"You've talked to Santa! He asked you to help him with our gifts, didn't he, since he has so many places to go in one night!"

Nancy breath whooshed out in a laugh, and she hoped it didn't sound as relieved to her daughter's ears as it did to hers.

"Yes, sweetie, that's absolutely right. Santa needed some help, so he asked me if I could make sure everyone in our house got their presents on time." Nancy felt a small twinge of regret at the white lie, but knew it was worth it for her daughter to keep on believing in Santa Claus. She wasn't ready for her daughter to lose that part of her childhood innocence just yet.

Lily ran to her mother, hugging her around her legs. Nancy stroked her hair, breathing an inward sigh of relief. Her secret was safe, and Lily could go on happily knowing that her father had been kissing her mother under the mistletoe, not a jolly elderly man. It truly was going to be a perfect Christmas, after all.

"Everything okay in here?" Frank asked, standing in the doorway and surveying the scene before him. He looked at the Santa outfit on the bed, and then raised his eyebrows at Nancy questioningly. She nodded her head slightly, and saw him smile in relief. Nancy knew he didn't know exactly what story their daughter had concocted, but he understood that she and Lily had cleared the air. He walked over to his two girls, and lifted Lily up into his arms.

"Did you have a good Christmas, sweetie?"

His daughter's brown eyes smiled into his own. "The best, Daddy."

Frank hugged her, and then turned to Nancy. "How about you, Mrs. Hardy?"

"The very best," Nancy agreed. Frank wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her tightly into his side, making them a unit in the truest sense of the word. Nancy wrapped her arms around Frank and Lily, tightening their little circle.

Now it was the perfect Christmas.