This is my contribution to the Secret Santa challenge. I had hotforteacher. I must admit I was really worried when I saw who I got cause I love reading your fics. I only hope this does you justice. I've had a blast writing it. Merry Christmas!

AN: I own nothing, I'm again just taking them out and playing with them for a while. And though Zoe is a part of this chapter, I promise it IS Callian! Oh, yeah, and a HUGE dose of Emily in this one.

December 1997

Four year old Emily Lightman stepped back from the newly decorated Christmas tree she'd been regarding for the last several minutes to see her mom standing on a step stool reaching for a spot on the ceiling above the entrance to the kitchen. Emily leaned her head to the side watching the scene before her for a second before asking, "What you doing, Mommy?"

Zoe grunted a bit, trying to force the thumbtack into the ceiling but meeting more resistance than she expected. Looking down at her daughter, she was struck by how much Emily looked like her father standing there with her head cocked to the side, clearly taking in everything she was doing. "Mistletoe," she said showing the sprig to the young girl.

"Why aren't you putting it in a vase?" Emily asked.

Zoe laughed softly at the innocent question. "Well, Emily, mistletoe is special. See you hang it up and whoever stands under it…" she pushed one more time on the thumbtack, relieved as it gave way securing the sprig into the ceiling, stepping down and turning her attention back to her daughter, "gets a kiss." She motioned for Emily to stand where the stepstool just was. When Emily took her spot, Zoe leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "Like that" she told her with a smile.

A few hours later Cal was leaning on the doorframe at the entrance to the kitchen in simple conversation with his wife when he noticed a giggle coming from beside him. He looked down to see Emily with her hand covering her mouth, stifling a laugh. "Oi, whats so funny?" he asked her.

She looked quickly to her mom. "Mousey toes, Mommy!" she pointed above Cal. Zoe gave a laugh at the mispronunciation as she turned her attention to her husband.

"So I see." She made her way to stand before him and pointed above her head. Cal followed her gaze and smiled as he saw the mistletoe hung there. Cal wrapped his arms around his wife and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips as their daughter giggled beside them.

Cal was sitting in the recliner later reading the paper as Zoe bathed Emily. He heard her softly pad to her room and then down the stairs. "I need milk before bed," she announced to him as she headed to the kitchen. He poured her a glass and placed it into the dishwasher when she finished. He went to follow her to her room but found her standing in the entrance with a huge grin on her face. "Look, Daddy, I'm standing under the mousey toes!"

He laughed at her. "MISTLE toe, Em," he tried to correct. "Now, what is it you're supposed to do when someone is under the mistletoe?" he feigned ignorance.

"Daddy!" She whined, "you 'sposed to kiss whoever is under the mous…miss…" she faltered. Giving up she simply pointed above her head," That! You 'member!"

"Oh, yes! I do remember" he scooped up his daughter and noisily kissed her cheek. She giggled as he put her back down and watched her run off to her room for the night.

December 2000

Cal stood back and looked at the mistletoe sprig he'd just placed above the kitchen entranceway. Emily made sure that the mistletoe would always be present in the home. He thought back over the last few years, the way Emily would hang around the entrance waiting for someone to walk by and notice where she was. He was standing there looking up at the memory trigger as Emily walked by him, glancing up but saying nothing. He looked at her with a gleam in his eye. "Hey, Emily, look where I am" he called in a sing song voice. "You know what that means!"

Her eyes went wide and she started running toward her room. "Come back here" he called chasing her. The sound of her laugh was music to his ears.

"NO, Daddy! Boy kisses are yucky!" she called.

Catching her he answered, "But I'm not a boy, love, I'm your dad!" he proceeded to kiss her dramatically on the cheek.

December 2003

Zoe was reaching for her coat when there was a knock at the door. She reached over to see who would be visiting to find a shy looking Gillian Foster standing before her. She knew very little about this woman. She knew that the Pentagon had requested Dr. Foster analyze her husband. She also knew that Cal had been quite intrigued with her, to the point of asking Dr Foster to join him in a business venture despite requests and objections from his wife.

"Mrs. Lightman, " Gillian began.

"Landau." Zoe responded curtly. "My name is not Lightman, its Landau."

Gillian looked a bit embarrassed for not knowing that Zoe had refused to take Cal's last name but recovered quickly. "Forgive me, Mrs Landau. I apologize for bothering you, but I was wondering if Dr. Lightman was available."

Zoe regarded the woman in front of her a second before yelling for Cal while never taking her eyes off Gillian. "Love?" he asked as he appeared behind Zoe.

"Someone's here to see you," she stood aside allowing Cal full view of who the caller was.

"Doctor Foster," he called a little too cheerfully. He took her hand as he welcomed her inside. "Please come in."

Zoe watched the interaction. She did not like this woman. She was just …too damn cheerful. Grabbing her almost forgotten coat she looked to Cal who had to drag his eyes away from Gillian to turn his attention to his wife. "I'm running to the store. I'll be back in just a few." Cal simply nodded and waited for the door to close before ushering Gillian to the kitchen table where he had a bunch of documents strewn about.

"I'm so glad you stopped by."

"I had a little time, Alec wont be home for a while so I thought I'd come by and see if you wanted to tell me a little more about what you are proposing." A huge smile split his face. She was interested. The Lightman Group as he had been calling it was one step closer to a reality.

They talked for a few minutes when 10 year old Emily entered the kitchen. "Oi, Em!' Cal called her over. "I'd like for you to meet Doctor Gillian Foster." Emily extended her hand and Gillian shook it while instructing the young girl to refer to her as "Gillian" that she liked that better. Emily liked this lady immediately. Cal went on to explain that Gillian was going to be his partner in opening up his new company. Emily seemed excited but excused herself quickly to finish her homework.

Cal and Gillian talked for another hour, looking at figures and proposals, when they finally came to the end of the information Cal had compiled. She assured him that she would give him her final decision by the end of the week. He smiled and gathered his stuff together. She leaned against the entrance to the kitchen watching him finish filing all his papers and just talking in general. She was quickly finding Cal to be very easy to talk to and that she enjoyed the atmosphere that was created as they worked together envisioning this new entity. She didn't notice as Emily approached until she giggled slightly with a call to her dad.

"Look Dad," she called. "Someone's under the mistletoe" she sing songed.

Cal was already approaching Gillian as she looked at him wide-eyed, a true "deer caught in headlights" look.

Gillian looked back at Emily. "Emily, I.." she started but faltered. She was so embarrassed. "I really don't think your mom would like that very much."

"Oh, please!" Emily responded. "Mom's not here, besides, its just a tradition!"

Gillian looked back at Cal who was surprisingly little help. He looked at the mistletoe and then back at Gillain. He smiled and nodded toward Emily. "Its easier to just go along with it really. Doesn't give up, that one." He moved closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "And you are standing under the mistletoe, love." She blushed as he closed the distance between them, softly kissing her cheek. She responded in kind and smiled back at him.