disclaimer: i own nothing except for the characters that i created.
Working on her first Christmas?
It wasn't unusual for him to work Christmas but this time it was different since his wife of two years wasn't working it with him. As well it was his little girls very first Christmas and he was going to miss it all, just because somebody called in sick and he was the one who was on the back-up list to call. So he was on Christmas morning sitting at his desk filling out reports and sorting through his mail all because of one detective figuring he can call in sick to spend the day at home with his loved ones while others had to miss out on that opportunity, especially if you're a first time dad who wont be able to see his little girls face when she wakes up and see all the Christmas presents under the tree.
By the time he looked at his watch he realized that his baby girl and darling wife would be waking up in the next hour or so and that means he'll miss the look on his girls faces when they wake up. He was just about to get up and get himself another cup of coffee when he's lieu came strolling into the precinct taking one look at his detective then asked him the simplest of questions.
"What are you doing here Flack? You should be at home with your wife and daughter after all it's your first Christmas as a parent"
"Yeah I know but I got stuck covering Johnsons shift because he called in sick"
"No your not, your going home to spend Christmas with your wife and daughter"
"What about the shift lieu?"
"I'm working it"
"Boss man, I can't ask you to do that you have a family yourself to be with. And I don't want to keep you from them"
"You won't be. Charlene and the kids understand my job and they say we can have Christmas, as in opening up; whatever presents my wife stops them at whenever I get home. But as for you…your wife may understand but how will you feel about missing your baby's first Christmas?"
"I'd feel like shit, just like I'm feeling now"
"Good then go! And if you're lucky you can get home before they wake-up"
"Thanks Mike, and Merry Christmas to you and tell Charlene and the kids thanks for me"
"Don't mention it. Oh by the way Charlene just wants one thing for Christmas from you"
"And that would be what?"
"A family picture of the happy family all decked out in their pyjamas on Christmas morning"
"Tell her, she's got it"
"Great now get"
"I'm gone". As fast as he had said those words Don had signed out and punched out he was gone from the building and heading straight for his car hoping to be able to make it home before his two girls even start to stir.
The time was just a little after nine and Don had managed to make it home with ease. After sneaking in through the front door of his three-bedroom apartment he headed straight for the spare room where they keep the safe where they keep there guns secure and out of reach of the little one. Once he got all of that done he went and changed into his pyjamas and crawled into bed next to his beautiful wife who was just starting to stir in their bed. When it dawned on Lindsay that somebody was in bed with her she thought she was dreaming, especially since Don was suppose to be working on Christmas and before she even had a chance to speak. She received the answer to the thought that was going through her head.
"Yeah it's me babe"
"What are you doing home; I thought you were working the whole day?"
"I was until Mike came in and sent me home"
"Now why would he do a thing like that for?"
"Simple, he didn't want a father to miss his child's first Christmas. Plus his wife and kids don't mind waiting for him to get home in order to open the rest of their presents"
"Well I'm glade your home and so will our girl when she wakes up". As if she knew that her parent's were talking about her she started to wake up her self and the one person she wanted to see more than anything in the world on this particular morning was her daddy. And as if it was a normal thing the two happy parents decided to go into their little girl's room and get her together.
Upon hearing her door creak open little Julia Aiden Flack quieted down in order to see who it was coming to get her, and when she saw who it was she got all excited and started calling out for him again.
"Hey, beautiful. How's daddy's and mommy's girl doing this morning?" the response from Julia was one of her heart stopping smiles that melts her daddy's heart. While Flack was changing his little girls diaper and fixing up her pyjamas, Lindsay was out in the living room sitting up the camera and camcorder in order to record their little girls first Christmas. As usual Don waited until Linds told him it was okay to release the little terror onto the floor in order for the girl to go in search of her mommy and then to find her newest past-time of late the shine lights from the Christmas tree. Seeing the look on his daughters face when she saw all the shining lights and shiny paper under the tree she headed straight for them.
Don had to think fast since the little one was making a bee line straight for the shiny paper.
"No way sweetheart, no opening for you yet. Besides we have to wait for mommy over there to come over here so we can start"
"Yes babe, I'm coming right now. Just thought I could get our girl a bottle since she's going to be needing it, in order to open up all these presents"
"Alright if she must, but what do I get if she gets a bottle?"
"You get one of these…" and with that Don got his usual knock-your-socks-off kiss from Lindsay.
"Now, that's what I'm talking about". That was something that always made his girls laugh, him showing slight complaint and over exaggerating to his girl getting something before anybody else.
After spending a little over two hours opening up presents and saving the tree from near accidents with a little girl trying to reach for things they had everything scattered all over the floor of the apartment and his promised Christmas picture for his lieu and family amongst the clutter of gifts and paper, the real work began. So once he had Julia far enough away from the tree he went over and put up the gate that kept her from reaching the tree and the presents that were under there for the team.
Three hours later the team started to arrive al bringing gifts for the little girls, each other and of course the parents the really Christmas party could begin. Even though they had cleaned up all the mess from earlier in the day they had more to come, but they didn't care. Seeing their little girl happy and around people who love and care about her made Don, realize that it doesn't matter when or where he is on Christmas as long as his family is with the people he trusts the most he'll gladly work a thousand Christmas shifts just to have this one to play though over and over again. But truth be told he'd rather be right where he is surround by the people who care about him and his family the most, is all he really needs and wants.
That night when he was lying in bed with his two girls next to him all he was thinking about was what he would have missed out on seeing if he had to work the entire shift.
"Hey, what are you thinking babe?"
"I'm just thinking about what today would have been like if I wasn't here to spend with the two of you"
"And, what did you figure out?"
"That I would have missed out on everything the look on her face opening presents, the mess she would have made with the paper and her first Christmas dinner. All things that I would have hated missing but would have missed"
"Well that makes two of us and just think in three and a bit week's our girl will be turning one and that is something huge. But as for today, let's just go to sleep and not worry about anything. Especially since tomorrow's going to be a really busy day, seeing your parents and picking mine up from the airport"
"The things that I wouldn't do to make this the best Christmas for my girls". Then without another word he turned off the light and moved in closer to wrap both of his girls up in his arms.
As for this particular family Christmas couldn't have been more perfect, and amazing.
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Happy holiday's to all and may the best be with you in the coming year.