A big fat F for fluff.

1/1

"Halt!" Catherine Grissom cried, her eyes narrowing.

A blonde boy with bright blue eyes turned around and smiled guiltily. A little girl with the same blue eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair also turned around, flashing a guilty smile.

"Now, I'm interpreting the evidence, but I'm guessing that two little munchkins with jam on their faces might have been the ones to leave the open peanut butter and jam jars in my kitchen with sticky prints all over it. What do you guys think?"

"Twas new baby!" Ella grinned, pointing to Catherine's rounded belly.

"Oh, I don't think so, honey."

Joshua thought for a moment. "Lindsey!"

"Lindsey's at school. Try again."

Ella pointed to the hall closet. "Was closet monster!"

As the front door opened, Joshua's face spread into a big grin. "Was Daddy!"

Gil Grissom raised an eyebrow and closed the door behind him. "What was I?"

"The munchkin that helped himself to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

"Nuh uh! Was only 1 slice!" Ella cried. "Oops," she said, slapping her hand across her mouth.

Joshua grinned and folded his arms. "Was Ella and Daddy!"

Catherine groaned and turned to her husband. "I can't believe we're having another one."

Gil grinned and kissed her thoroughly, pressing his hand to her belly. "I can." He nipped gently at her. "Never turn your back on three-year-olds. You taught me that."

Catherine's eyes widened and she turned, discovering that the two imps had disappeared. "Joshua! Ella! You two come back here right this instant!" She sighed. "Do you know what they did? Instead of using a knife, they stuck their hands in the jar!"

Gil chuckled. "But Catherine, sweetheart, you told them they weren't allowed to play with knives."

Catherine growled. "That's not funny, Gil."

He kissed her gently. "I'm sorry. Bad day?"

"DADDY!" Joshua cried, racing out again, clutching a piece of paper.

Gil picked him up. "What have you got there?"

"Picta!" the little boy grinned, thrusting the picture onto Gil's nose. "Look!"

Gil took the piece of paper from his son. "Josh, I may have glasses, but my eyesight isn't that bad." He looked at the undecipherable red blob.

"Santa," Catherine mouthed at him.

"You drew a picture of Santa?"

Joshua's eyes widened. "You knew!"

Gil hugged him. "Of course I knew."

Catherine rolled her eyes and as an unidentified flying child raced through, she grabbed onto one of the straps that held the overalls up. "Ella, we need to chat about the kitchen incident." She glanced at her son. "That goes for you too Joshua."

Ella whimpered. "But I wanna show Daddy my picta! Not fair! Joshy got to!"

Joshua looked down at his sister and stuck his tongue out.

"Joshua Gilbert Grissom, behave yourself," Catherine told him. "You don't want Santa to know about that, do you?"

Ella took the opportunity to attach herself to Gil's legs, her picture grasped firmly in her hand.

"Okay, I'm looking," Gil smiled, picking up the picture. "Another Santa!"

Ella grinned at him. "You like picta, Daddy?"

"It's wonderful," Gil said, putting Joshua down and kissing his daughter on the nose. "They're both wonderful, and I think we better put them on the fridge." He glanced at his wife. "And then we'll discuss what happened in the kitchen."

Ella tugged at the skirt of her blue velvet dress, as Joshua fiddled with his red bow tie.

"Hey, cut that out," Catherine told them, as, the three stood in line to see Santa.

"Where's 'Indsey?" Ella asked, standing on tiptoes in her black Mary Jane's.

"Daddy's just gone to get her. She was looking at something in the music department." Catherine held onto their hands tightly, knowing how quickly her little 'angels' could get into trouble.

"We're back," Gil said, standing beside her.

Lindsey, in her blue skirt and top smiled broadly. "I know what I want for Christmas now."

"I hate to think," Catherine smiled.

"Next," a bored teenager dressed as an elf said.

Ella scrambled up the stairs, pulling Catherine behind her. Joshua followed, with Lindsey and Gil bringing up the rear.

"Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas," Santa smiled. "And who do we have here?"

"I'm Josh," Joshua said, as Gil helped him onto Santa's knee. "I want a car to drive for Christmas."

Catherine rolled her eyes as Gil helped Ella onto Santa's other knee. The little girl's eyes widened and she stared at Santa for a few moments.

"Ella," Catherine said.

"And Lindsey," Lindsey smiled, standing beside him.

"And what would you girls like for Christmas?"

"Barbie," Ella grinned.

"The new karaoke dance stars machine," Lindsey smiled.

Catherine widened her eyes. Gil gripped her hand.

"And are we getting a photo today?" the bored elf asked.

Catherine nodded and she and Gil stepped out of the way.

The first shot had Josh sticking a finger up his nose. The second involved Ella sticking her tongue out.

Third time was the charm however, and after the photo was taken, Catherine corralled the children together while Gil paid for the photos.

When he had finished, he helped Catherine strap the twins into the twin stroller and they headed off down to the food court.

The children pointed and giggled at all the Christmas decorations.

"A karaoke dance stars machine?" Catherine said, glancing at Lindsey.

"It's so cool!" Lindsey grinned. "Everyone wants one."

"I don't," Gil replied helpfully.

Catherine smiled at him.

"Yeah but that's because you're…" Lindsey stopped.

"Go on," Gil grinned.

"You!" Lindsey finished. "Look! McDonald's! Can we have McDonald's?"

"We're having real food," Catherine told her. "And then we'll go have a look at the Christmas lights."

"Is the baby moving?" Gil asked, wrapping his arms around his wife. "And what are you doing?"

"Making gingerbread cookies." She slapped his hand. "Don't stick your fingers into the batter. You're as bad as the twins."

Gil nuzzled her neck. "Do you know how to make these?"

Catherine pointed to the recipe in front of her. "But it's not going to help if you distract me like this."

"I'm sure the cookies can wait." He turned her around in his arms and kissed her deeply, pulling her close to him. "You taste like gingerbread."

"Is that a complaint?"

"A compliment actually."

"Good," she murmured, pulling him down for another kiss. "Want to help decorate?"

"Where are the twins?"

"Having their afternoon nap. I just put them down. Lindsey went to a friend's house."

"Should we perhaps take an advantage of being alone together?"

Catherine didn't reply, but kissed him instead, giggling as his hands slid up her shirt.

"Mommy?" came Ella's voice. "I'm tirsty."

Gil kissed Catherine once more on the forehead and picking his daughter up, began to get her a glass of water.

Catherine eased herself into the bed and her eyes closed. She smiled as a warm body slipped in beside her and pulled her into their arms.

"Hello, Santa," she murmured.

"Hello, Mrs Claus," Gil smiled, kissing her gently. "So, I estimate that after finally getting the kids to bed, then playing Mr and Mrs Claus, and when Josh and Ella will wake us up…we've got about three hours to sleep."

Catherine burrowed her body into his, making sure to tangle herself around him in the process. "Okay. Night night Santa."

Gil smiled and kissed her forehead, as he turned off the light. "Night, Mrs Claus."

Joshua slid out of his bed and padded downstairs and stood on the landing, peeking into the loungeroom. His eyes widened and he raced back into his bedroom, tugging on his sister and eventually pulling her out of the bed until she crashed on the floor.

"HEY!" Ella cried at him. "That hurt!"

"Santa's been! Santa's been!"

Ella scrambled up from the floor. "Santa! Santa!"

Catherine buried her head into her husband's chest.

"Sounds like our little Christmas angels are awake," Gil murmured, pulling her closer.

All too soon, they felt heavy weights bouncing on the bed. Suddenly, Gil and Catherine had a Mickey Mouse alarm clock thrust in their face.

"The big 'and is on the five!" Ella instructed them.

"Santa's been!" Joshua cried, jumping up and down. Then he climbed on top of his father and shook Gil's shoulders. "Up! Up!"

"Okay, we're up, we're up," Gil groaned, sitting up and hugging Joshua tightly. "We're up."

"How about you guys go and make sure Lindsey is up? Daddy and I will be downstairs in a minute," Catherine told them.

Catherine Grissom stood on the landing and watched her children examine the presents that "Santa" had left for them. Gil had gone downstairs with the camera and was happily snapping photos.

"Okay, I'm here."

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Finally!"

She sat on the couch and watched as Ella tore the paper off a new Barbie, Joshua found a toy car and Lindsey found a new book she wanted. Gil came and sat on the couch next to her.

"You okay?"

Catherine smiled. "Mhm. I love Christmas."

"I like all times of the year," Gil replied. "These kids make every day interesting and fun." He turned to her. "And I don't think you can ever really now how important you are to me."

Her eyes widened at the compliment and then she settled into a soft smile. "I know. I've always known."

FINIS