Home for Christmas

Disclaimer: I own nothing relating to CSI: Miami, just borrowing the characters.

Summary: He'd never cared for Christmas, but he would have sung the most ridiculous Christmas tune one hundred times over if he could just wake up and be back in her arms. SC angst. Mild spoilers for 3x1, Lost Son.

I'll be home for Christmas…

Christmas Eve, 2004
The night air was cold and crisp, and the weatherman from the local news station was predicting snow. The temperature was holding steady at 30 degrees and the wind was blowing at a leisurely miles an hour. It was perfect Christmas weather, but for Tim Speedle there would be nothing merry about this Christmas. He wanted to be with Calleigh, the woman who had stolen his heart even as he had broken hers, but instead he was in a van, its windows tinted ink black, racing northwards through the California desert. The back of the van that Tim was riding in wasn't much warmer than the outside temperature - the van's heater had long since died, and the only warmth available was that pouring off the other four men sitting in the back with him, a number possibly now reduced to just three. Tim cocked his head and studied the bound and gagged body of the man on the floorboard. It had been a long time since he'd moved, or even made a noise. Tim had been worried about the man ever since they cracked him on the head and hauled him into the back of the van and zipped off, but he was apparently alone in his concern. They (of whom he didn't consider himself a part) hadn't even conclusively proven that this guy could help them, and he wasn't going to be able to do anything for them if they didn't get him medical attention soon.

Tim leaned back against the van's cold metal siding and closed his eyes. He was nearly four months into his new life, and he still wasn't sure how or why he'd ended up as an undercover agent for the FBI. It was Christmas Eve, and he was an unwilling participant in a high-stakes sting operation, along with three men whose broken noses, mashed faces and hulking frames hinted at former lives as professional linebackers. His friends and family – his beloved Calleigh – all thought he was dead, the unfortunate victim of a hold-up gone wrong and a malfunctioning gun. It was to be his first Christmas without them, and the homesickness that so often squeezed around his heart these days and made his breathing hitch had never been worse.

Growing up, Christmas had been a hassle for Tim, a holiday whose ending he had always anxiously anticipated. Christmas to him meant long dinners with distant family, nothing to watch on TV except football, and the inability to escape to his room and bury his nose in a book.

It had been better once he'd gotten out of the house – he had simply volunteered for the Christmas shifts, preferring the quiet hours which always paid overtime and earned him the gratitude of his more festive co-workers. It had always been like that, and Tim had never anticipated it changing – until Calleigh Duquesne sashayed into his life and turned it upside down.

Last year had been their first and last Christmas together, although neither knew it at the time. Calleigh had cancelled on her family for Christmas, electing to spend the holiday with Tim in Miami instead.

"Is it so bad that I want you all to myself?" she'd asked coyly when Tim expressed doubts over her plan to stay in Miami.

"But you always go home," he'd responded, desperate for her to stay but feeling unworthy to be the reason behind it.

"Exactly," she'd answered. "I've earned a year off. I'll just tell them it was my year to work Christmas – that I pulled the short straw."

"I don't even like Christmas," Tim protested weakly.

"Timothy Speedle, that's just sad. Now I'm definitely staying. By this time next year, you'll be absolutely giddy about it." Calleigh was on a mission now, and there was no stopping her.

"I'll never be giddy," Tim smirked, earning him a glare from Calleigh.

Five months later, Calleigh would board a plane to Louisiana for the long Memorial Day weekend. When she returned, Tim's life would have changed forever as he fell victim to a horrific set of circumstances which he would be forced to hide from everyone, even Calleigh. Two months later their relationship, which had begun dying upon Calleigh's return, would officially end. Calleigh would end it, but Tim's erratic behavior would be the cause, and as much as he would despair its passing, he wouldn't protest when she looked him in the eye and called it quits. Six weeks after that and he would be 'dead', gone from Calleigh's life forever.

Looking back on it now, Tim was glad that he hadn't known then what trials they were going to face in the new year. The memories of the previous Christmas, the only one he ever remembered enjoying, were all he had left of his previous life. There were other memories, for sure, but during this time of year, when normal people with their gloriously normal lives were caught up in the season's hustle and bustle, Tim's mind could only recall the sweetest - and warmest - Christmas he'd ever experienced.

Christmas Day, 2003
The temperature had climbed to 75 degrees by 11am, and the weather forecaster was predicting that it would hit 90 by 3 pm. Tim had thought that he and Calleigh might sleep in late for once, their pagers and cell phones off and Calleigh's alarm clock unplugged with the backup batteries removed. But Calleigh, usually a night owl, was wide awake at 6 am, ready to get the official celebrations underway. Tim could still recall with aching accuracy how her jade eyes had glimmered in the early morning sunlight that poured in through her windows.

"Tim," she said insistently, poking him in his side under the covers. "Tim, it's time to get up. It's Christmas."

Tim merely groaned, stuffing his head further under the pillow. Delko had drug a reluctant Tim and a curious Calleigh to midnight Mass the evening prior, and it had been close to 2am by the time the service let out. His twice-yearly duty fulfilled, Tim – the usual early bird in the relationship - wanted nothing more than to lie in bed all morning with Calleigh curled up at his side, but apparently his girlfriend had other plans.

"Timmmmm," Calleigh whined, the effect ruined by the edge of laughter in her voice.

"Calleighhhhh," Tim whined back mockingly, unable to suppress the sarcasm. Calleigh punched him gently before hopping out of bed. He could hear her padding across the bedroom and lifted his head to gaze at her through bleary eyes.

"Where are you going?" he asked, not wanting to get up but not wanting to remain in bed alone either.

"To get your stocking," Calleigh answered. "I want to see what Santa brought us."

Tim groaned, but slid out of bed to retrieve her stocking. Calleigh had insisted that they stuff each other's stockings, citing a long-standing Duquesne family tradition. "Nothing fancy," she'd reminded him when they'd taken down their empty stockings from the mantle the evening before.

"Guess I'll just have to take back this box from Tiffany's then," Tim had shrugged, avoiding Calleigh's eyes to keep from openly smirking. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen Calleigh stick her tongue out at him. Tim did in fact have a little blue box from Tiffany's, but that particular present would have to wait. The square cut sapphire set in platinum was hardly what he'd call 'nothing fancy.' It wasn't intended as an engagement ring, merely as an understood implication to Calleigh about what was to come. He'd seen the same hope of forever in her eyes that he knew she saw in his, and although they hadn't ever directly had a conversation about their future, they both knew what was coming.

Tim had taken Calleigh's empty stocking and retreated to her bedroom, where his duffel bag and Calleigh's gifts were stored. His own family had also done Christmas stockings, but on those his parents remained uber-traditional, stuffing them with apples, oranges and chocolates. Surprisingly, the fruit and chocolate had been a treat, for his restaurant-owning parents had had access to the choicest Vermont apples, the freshest Florida oranges and the creamiest Belgian chocolates. The oranges especially had been a treat, as they were long out of season in upstate New York by late December. He had usually received a book in his stocking as well, although the excitement of receiving a coveted hardback was always tempered by the fact that he could not disappear into its pages, forced to put the book aside until after lunch.

Tim had purchased several pieces of inexpensive but attractive jewelry that he'd caught Calleigh admiring at a small boutique a few weeks earlier. The pieces were unusual in their chunky design, which gave them an appealing uniqueness, and they had caught Calleigh's eye immediately. Along with the jewelry, Tim had decided to incorporate some of his own family traditions as well, knowing that Calleigh would be more pleased by the significance behind his efforts than the actual gifts. His baby brother, still in Syracuse, had shipped him a box of delectable apples and pears a week earlier, and he'd also bought Calleigh some premium chocolate pieces as well, knowing that chocolate was one of her few vices.

For a book he'd picked up a historical fiction account of the settling of New Orleans. Calleigh occasionally entertained fantasies about life in the Big Easy in the early 1800s, strolling down the cobblestone streets in a crinoline dress with a parasol perched on her shoulder. Tim always found it well worth the scowl he received to remind her that odds were that she wouldn't have survived her first year of life, falling victim to cholera or typhoid. If she had survived infancy, she would have risked dying from tuberculosis or hemorrhaging to death after giving birth. This novel, which conveniently ignored such possibilities in favor of unrequited love and angst, was his indirect way of apologizing.

The overflowing stocking had spent the evening in Tim's duffel, but he pulled it out that morning and contemplated its contents one last time. Pleased by his choices but concerned about Calleigh's approval, Tim picked up the now full stocking and headed into the front of the apartment. Calleigh was in the kitchen, preparing two mugs of coffee.

"Go back to bed," she said. "I'll be there in two seconds with coffee."

Tim did as he was told, relieved to be sliding back under the sheets. It was turning out not to be such a bad morning, even if it was ridiculously early. Calleigh was happy, and that in turn made him happy. She appeared a moment later, carrying two oversized coffee mugs with Tim's stocking stuffed under her left arm. It was rapidly slipping from her grasp, and Calleigh's body was contorting further with each step to keep it from falling. She just made it to the bed before it fell, landing on Tim's lap. "Merry Christmas," she said, bending down to kiss him on the lips before handing him a steaming mug.

Tim inhaled the rich scent of the coffee, his mug untainted by sugar or cream. His coffee was as dark and bitter as Calleigh's was creamy and sweet. Neither could understand how the other "drank that stuff," but Tim accepted Calleigh's preferences and now kept sugar and cream in his apartment specifically for her. Calleigh slid into bed next to him.

"Open yours first," she insisted in a sweet tone that implied that arguing was pointless. Tim took one last sip of his coffee before setting it aside and opening the stocking. As he pulled the first gift out, he smiled in spite of himself. The stocking was stuffed with books, all childhood favorites of his. When he'd fled New York after his best friend's death he'd taken nothing with him, and after five years with no word from her son, his mother cleaned out his three stuffed bookcases and donated the contents to the local library. Tim had never been able to justify the expense of repurchasing the books.

"I can't believe you remembered all these titles," Tim said softly, his hands cradled around a copy Jack London's "The Call of the Wild." Tim set it aside and pulled out a second book. "I don't even remember telling you about this one," he continued, turning over a copy of Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and quickly scanning the summary on the back cover. "It changed my life."

"You didn't," Calleigh said, reaching over to squeeze his forearm. "I called your mother." Tim tensed, but Calleigh continued. "She feels really bad about giving away all your books, and even more so about not realizing how important they were to you. She remembered all your favorites – said it wasn't hard; they were the ones that were ragged around the edges and dogged-eared."

Tim sniffed, surprised at the emotion that had welled up in him. Calleigh had found all of his favorites, ranging from his childhood fascination with Kipling's "Riki Tiki Tavi," up to the one of the advanced novels he'd read his senior year of high school, William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying."

"I thought you said nothing fancy," Tim protested, meeting Calleigh's eyes for the first time.

"They're hardly fancy," Calleigh replied, shrugging. "I got them all at second-hand bookstores. I think the most expensive one set me back three dollars. Your mom told me how you would only buy used books as a child because you were enamored with the idea that some complete stranger had read and cherished the book before you. She also said that you gave away most of your books after you finished them for the exact same reason, keeping only your most favorites. Honestly Tim, I don't need how you managed to fill three solid bookcases with just favorites."

"I don't know what to say," Tim answered, his fingers tracing lightly over the cover of one the books.

"Just say thank you," Calleigh teased, squeezing his arm again and kissing his scruffy cheek.

Tim leaned over and lay his body on top of Calleigh's, kissing her insistently as his rough stubble scratched her chin. Calleigh responded by wrapping her arms around Tim and pulling him against her, her unopened stocking forgotten for the moment. It was almost an hour later when Tim, breathing heavily, rolled his head to the side and met Calleigh's eyes, her own heaving chest visible in his periphery.

"Does that count as a thank you?" he asked, the familiar smirk appearing on his face.

Calleigh laughed. "I think so," she drawled. "But maybe you need to say thank you separately for each book."

Tim's smirk turned into a genuine smile. "Babe, there were eight books crammed into that stocking." He reached over and pulled Calleigh to him, holding her tight to his side as his chin settled on the top of her head.

"Now you know why we had to get up so early. I told you it was going to be a busy day."

Despite Calleigh's exuberance, she settled into Tim's embrace, her breathing quickly evening out. Satisfied that she was now asleep, Tim slid from the bed, sliding a pillow into her arms when they reached out into the open space his body had previously occupied.

Tim went into the kitchen and began to pull out various kitchen utensils and ingredients. Calleigh might be orchestrating the day's events, but that didn't mean he couldn't plan intermission. Tim didn't cook much these days, having spent the majority of his youth busing tables at his parents' restaurant, but he was perfectly capable of doing so, and was far more proficient than Calleigh, whose culinary skills were limited to rich southern-style casseroles, the sort of which were only seen around the holidays. Breakfast was his favorite meal to cook, and it wasn't long before the smell of fresh blueberry pancakes drew Calleigh into the kitchen.

"What is this, Tim?" she asked, stretching her arms above her head and yawning.

"Breakfast," he answered, shooing Calleigh into a chair when she attempted to help. Calleigh regarded the mound of pancakes on the table.

"This wasn't part of the plan," she said when Tim leaned over her shoulder to hand her a fresh mug of coffee.

"There's a lot in my life that didn't go according to plan," Tim responded as he brought the last of the condiments to the small breakfast table. "But if it had, I wouldn't be sitting here with you. Now eat before the food gets cold. I know we still have a lot to do."

Calleigh dug into the pancakes without further protest, closing her eyes and chewing slowly, a small, satisfied smile on her face. Tim preferred to watch Calleigh eat, fascinated that she could make the innocuous act of eating look both angelic and sexy.

"Tim, you're staring at me again," she said once she swallowed her first bite, her eyes still closed.

Tim ducked his head and began to work on his own plate, again entranced by how Calleigh always seemed to know when he tried to study her unaware.

After breakfast, Calleigh insisted on cleaning the dishes, but Tim told her to go retrieve her stocking instead. He needed something to focus on while she opened her gifts or he would be unable to stomach the anxiety over what he had chosen.

Calleigh retrieved her stocking and returned to the table. "Aren't you going to…" she began, before realizing what he was doing. Wordlessly she turned to her stocking, pulling out the first wrapped gift. Tim watched her out of the corner of his eye as he dried dishes, smiling to himself when she opened the box and recognized the necklace and earring set.

"Oh, Tim," Calleigh began, her voice trailing off.

Tim panicked. "You do like it, don't you?" He couldn't look at her, focusing intently on a non-existent spot on one of the plates. Maybe he'd been wrong, mistaking Calleigh's distaste as interest.

The kitchen was silent. Tim continued to scrub at the plate, feeling his stomach begin to sour and twist. He was just about to open his mouth when he felt Calleigh's presence behind him, immediately followed by the feel of her arms wrapping around his waist. She kissed him in between his shoulder blades, causing Tim to shiver involuntarily. An instant later she slipped under his right arm and wedged herself in between Tim and the sink. Tim blinked several times, focusing on Calleigh's face. Her hair had been loose earlier, but was now tied back in a bun at the nape of her neck, revealing her ears and collarbone, now adorned with the jewelry Tim had bought her.

"How do I look?" she asked, a serious look on her face.

"How do you think you look?" Tim asked, still not sure whether she liked the jewelry or not.

"Tim, you're impossible," Calleigh sighed, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. Her hands moved up to cradle his face, forcing him to look at her. "I love it," she said. "I'm just so surprised that you remembered." She kissed him again, this time leaving her lips against his until he kissed her back. "Do you believe me?" she asked. Tim hesitated.

"Tim, I don't know why you think everything you do isn't good enough. You are the kindest, most thoughtful man I have ever known. I love the jewelry, and I love you."

Tim smiled, hesitantly at first, then fully when Calleigh pinched his side.

"Now let's see what else you got me," Calleigh laughed, slipping away from Tim and returning to dig in her stocking. She pulled out the book.

"What's this supposed to be about?" she asked, flipping the book over. She eyed Tim suspiciously. "Cholera? Typhoid? TB? Perhaps the heroine dies in childbirth?"

"No," Tim said, moving to where Calleigh was sitting and leaning down over her shoulder. "It's a historical fiction account of New Orleans in the mid 1850s, told Calleigh-style without any of my unwanted input. I'm sorry I've been so negative –"

Calleigh turned her head to capture Tim's mouth in a kiss. "It's okay," she whispered. "And I love the book, so don't even think about freaking out on me about it, okay?"

"Mmm," Tim murmured, too distracted by the recent onslaught of Calleigh's kisses to think about much else. "You're not going to make it through your stocking if you don't stop kissing me like this." He pulled Calleigh up out of her chair and against his body, leaning on the countertop to brace himself.

Calleigh giggled and began walking backwards, pulling Tim with her in the direction of her bedroom, stopping momentarily to grab her stocking before continuing. Once Tim realized where she was headed, he began to move forward on his own accord, and Calleigh could feel his lips curling up in a smile.

This time both Tim and Calleigh fell asleep afterwards, unable to stave off the drowsiness. When they woke up it was after eleven, and Calleigh finished going through her stocking, smiling at Tim lovingly as he explained the significance of the fruit and chocolate. "You know," she said, running her finger in small circles over his chest, "You act like you're the original Scrooge and Grinch all rolled into one, but you've got a sensitive side to you that's just adorable. Does anyone else know about this part of you?"

"No. I've worked very hard on my grumpy reputation, and I won't risk you exposing it." Tim's face took on a serious look. "So it looks like I'm going to have to keep you tucked away in this bed forever." Tim growled playfully and nuzzled Calleigh's shoulder. She shrieked as he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the mattress above her head before mercilessly beginning to tickle her sides.

In no time at all they were both out of breath, the sheets in a tangled mess at their feet. Tim pulled Calleigh's body against him and sighed happily. He was ready for a second nap, but Calleigh was again bristling with energy.

"Do you still want to go to Alexx's for dinner?" she asked. Alexx was the only one of their co-workers who knew about Calleigh and Tim's relationship. Even though Tim and Calleigh were the epitome of discretion at work, Alexx had seen through them in less than a week. She'd agreed to keep the couple's secret, but only if they agreed to join her family for Christmas dinner.

"I don't think Alexx gave us much of a choice," Tim remarked. "Not that I believe for one second that she'd actually expose us, but I'm not willing to risk her wrath by not showing up."

"Can we wait and exchange gifts when we get home then?" Calleigh asked.

Tim gave Calleigh an incredulous look that she'd come to know well, one that said he wasn't sure why she was bothering to ask the question in the first place.

"I want you to enjoy this day too, Tim," Calleigh said. "You're the one who swears you've never enjoyed Christmas before."

In a rare moment of emotional display, Tim pulled Calleigh tighter against him and whispered in her ear. "I have you," he began. "And that's all I need to make this day – or any day – the best day of my life."

The merry couple finally managed to separate long enough to shower and dress, and just after one they exited Calleigh's apartment, headed for Christmas dinner at the Woods'.

"Can you believe this weather?" Calleigh asked. She was wearing white Capri pants and a bright green tank top, the pants cinched in place by a wide red belt with two thin white stripes. She'd wanted to wear a skirt, but knew Tim wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of taking his bike out in such uncommonly warm weather. Still, it had surprised Tim when she'd pulled their helmets out of the hall closet and tossed his to him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, the helmet already on his head.

"It's Christmas," she shrugged. "Now let's go, before I change my mind."

Tim didn't question her offer twice, and the couple headed for Alexx's, Calleigh's arms wrapped securely around Tim's waist. In no time they were standing on Alexx's doorstep. Tim leaned over to kiss Calleigh quickly before she rang the bell, nodding his head upwards to indicate the conspicuously displayed strand of mistletoe.

"Hey, sugar," Alexx said, embracing Calleigh as she opened the door. She looked at Tim over Calleigh's shoulder and winked. "I'm not even going to ask how your Christmas has been. I can tell by the glow on both your faces." Alexx released Calleigh and embraced Tim, who met eyes with Calleigh, noting that her cheeks were as red as his own felt.

"Oh, sweeties," Alexx said, smiling knowingly at their blushes. "Don't be embarrassed. It's about time you two realized how you felt about each other." She squeezed Tim's red cheek for good measure. "Especially you, Timmy. Let's get inside - I have to finish up in the kitchen."

Tim and Calleigh followed Alexx wordlessly, Calleigh slipping her hand into Tim's and squeezing it reassuringly. The Woods' house was overflowing with people and noise, and the couple had to pause twice on their way to the kitchen to allow a string of giggling young children to race across their path.

Once in the kitchen, Alexx finished up the last of the dinner preparations, swatting away both Calleigh and Tim when they tried to help. "Calleigh, baby," she said, stirring the potatoes one last time. "Why don't you show me what Timmy got you."

Calleigh wasted no time showing off her jewelry to Alexx, who oohed and ahhed over the pieces before smiling at Tim in approval. "This was one of my stocking gifts, Alexx," Calleigh added. "We haven't gotten around to exchanging our main gifts yet."

Alexx shook her head and laughed. "I don't even want to know." She handed Tim and Calleigh each a casserole dish and shooed them into the dining room.

"How many people did she invite?" Tim whispered to Calleigh, staring in awe at the long row of chairs.

"Fourteen," Alexx answered, coming up behind them. "Let's go meet my family." She inserted herself between the two and looped her arms with theirs, bringing them into the living room. Bodies were sprawled on every available surface and across most of the floor as well.

Alexx began the introductions. In addition to her husband and two children, her mother and her father-in-law were present. Her sister Samantha had brought her husband Matt and their three children, and her husband's sister, Barbara was the fourteenth guest. "Barbie's husband is a doctor too," Alexx explained. "We were in the same class together at med school, and it was Robert who introduced me to my husband. He's on first call today, so you probably won't get to meet him."

It took a while to get everyone seated, the children whining slightly about being pulled away from their toys, but eventually Alexx's husband bowed his head and led the blessing. As he finished he added, "Now I know it's not Thanksgiving, but I think it's still appropriate for everyone to say one thing that's happened in this last year that they're thankful for."

One by one they offered their own thanksgiving, with several of the younger children's responses earning smiles and laughter, and many of the adults' answers earning nods of approval and agreement. When it came Tim's turn he said without hesitation, "Calleigh." Calleigh in turn echoed his answer with, "Tim." Alexx smiled at the couple, while Calleigh reached under the table to hold Tim's hand.

Sam and Matt's youngest child, Mary, blurted out, "Are you two going to get married?"

Sam looked mortified and began to apologize, but Calleigh waved her off. "I don't know, Mary," she answered. "What do you think?"

The precocious seven year old wasted no time with her answer. "I think you should. He's cute, and he gave you nice jewelry."

The entire table burst into laughter. Tim, who had tensed with the question, relaxed and remained relaxed through the remainder of the meal. Normally awkward in such situations, unsure of what to say and concerned with saying the incorrect thing, Tim felt at ease with Alexx's large family. Calleigh smiled at him often, and when she wasn't smiling at him, Alexx was. He'd sat through many similar Christmas dinners as a child, but had never enjoyed one the way he was enjoying this one, and he knew that it was all because of Calleigh.

It was almost five pm by the time Tim and Calleigh left, loaded down with leftovers from Alexx and well wishes from the rest of her family. "I'm stuffed," Calleigh announced as they walked back into her apartment. "Let's take our presents out to the balcony and watch the sun set."

Tim picked up the two presents from underneath Calleigh's tree and headed for the porch. Calleigh joined him a moment later. She had splurged earlier that fall on an oversized adirondack chair that was on seasonal clearance and wide enough to seat them both. Without hesitation she curled up on Tim's lap, placing one arm around him and allowing Tim to rest his head on her shoulder.

Tim expected Calleigh to jump right into opening the presents, but instead she sighed contently. "What a great day," she murmured. "Is it okay if we just sit like this for a while?"

Tim's arms, which had already snaked around Calleigh's waist, tightened. "We could sit like this forever," he said softly.

"I like the sound of that." Calleigh sighed happily.

The sunset was beautiful, its center a bright orange ball that turned the rest of the sky a dusty rose, while the purple edges began to bleed towards the middle. As the minutes ticked by, the purple hues began to take over, and when the sun finally disappeared from sight, the sky was entirely lavender. Within minutes the lavender too had faded, giving way to a black sky, its darkness interrupted only by the brightest stars that dared to peek through. Calleigh and Tim hadn't spoken a word, content merely to be in each other's presence, their bodies curled against each other. It was only when Calleigh's porch light popped on automatically that they began to stir from their trance.

Calleigh leaned down to kiss Tim on the lips. "I love you," she said simply, and Tim whispered the words back, amazed that such bliss was his reality.

An instant later Calleigh was all business, reaching over to grab her present to Tim. "I hope you like it," she said, her face scrunching with concern.

Tim kissed Calleigh on her temple. "You worry too much," he teased, before focusing on unwrapping the present to reveal a small jewelry box. He opened the box to reveal an attractive silver watch. Tim couldn't resist nettling Calleigh.

"How'd you know I needed a watch?" he asked, pulling the watch out and sliding it onto his wrist.

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, okay?" Calleigh had washed some of Tim's clothes a few weekends back, including a pair of jeans that he'd tucked his wristwatch into. The jeans had survived the washing; his watch had not.

"Is it water-proof?" he asked.

Calleigh pinched him. "Do you like it or not?"

Tim gave up his teasing and squeezed Calleigh tightly. "I love it," he said sincerely. "It's perfect."

Calleigh gave a sigh of relief. "Now just don't go leaving it in your pants' pocket, okay? What kind of idiot does that anyways?"

Tim laughed. "One who's not used to having anyone else do his laundry." Calleigh snorted.

"It's your turn," Tim said then, handing Calleigh her present. Despite having thoroughly enjoyed the day, he was now a bit anxious, wondering how Calleigh would interpret his gift. Was it too soon? Would it result in a conversation he wasn't sure he was ready to have? Tim paused. Actually, that was one conversation he now knew he was ready to have. He loved Calleigh more than life itself, and he was certain that fact wouldn't change. The length of their relationship up to now was inconsequential. He had no intention of ever letting her go, and he was fairly certain she felt the same way. With any luck, he'd be making a second trip to the jewelry store very soon.

Calleigh was examining the present, turning the wrapped box one way and then the other before shaking it gently. "Just open it already," Tim said.

Calleigh ignored him and continued to study the box. Finally, when Tim didn't think he could stand it one moment longer, Calleigh ripped into the box, tearing the wrapping to shreds.

"Oh my god," she whispered. "You really did go to Tiffany's."

Tim couldn't suppress a smirk. Calleigh opened the box and gasped again. "Tim," she said. "I don't…what…" she stuttered, unable to finish a thought.

Tim pulled the ring out and slid it on her finger. "I love you, Cal," he said. "And I wanted to let you know that I am completely committed to this relationship. I know we haven't been together very long, but I can't imagine being with anyone else – ever. You have my heart completely, for as long as you want it. I'm yours forever Cal, and I hope that someday you'll feel the same about me. I'm willing to wait for as long as that takes – we have plenty of time."

He would have continued to babble on senselessly, but Calleigh shushed him with a kiss. "I'll always be yours, Tim," she whispered.

They fell silent after that, tired but content. Tim's declaration had caused a feeling of peace to settle in both their hearts. Perhaps it was too soon to discuss their future, but as Tim had said, they had plenty of time. They were in love and they were together, and for now, that was all that matter.

Calleigh eventually yawned. "Sorry," she said, covering her mouth with her hand.

"It's okay," Tim said. "I know you didn't get very much sleep last night."

"I was just so excited," Calleigh said, "and nervous too. I wanted this day to be perfect."

Tim scooped Calleigh into his arms and stood up. "It was," he reassured her, kissing her forehead. "Let's go to bed."

Calleigh yawned again and nodded, her eyes already closed and her head resting against Tim's shoulder. Tim smiled down at her. There hadn't been anything different about this Christmas, not really. He'd opened his stocking, had eaten dinner with a ridiculously large number of people, and had exchanged gifts. The only thing different was Calleigh. She was his world, his heart and his soul. She was everything to him, and it was her unwavering belief in him that had made this Christmas perfect.

Tim reached the bedroom and laid Calleigh gently on the bed. She snuggled into the pillows as Tim pulled the covers up to her chin. He quickly removed her necklace and earrings, but when he reached for the ring she mumbled, "no," and pulled her hand away. Tim chuckled softly as he placed her other jewelry on the bedside table and added his watch to the pile. Stripping down to his boxers, he climbed in next to her.

"Love you," he whispered, stroking her hair away from her face.

"Love you too," she mumbled. Tim wrapped his arms around Calleigh and pulled her to him, knowing that they would stay entwined that way for the entire night…and for every night thereafter.

Christmas Eve, 2004
"Hey Speedle," the guy named Chuck yelled, effectively bringing him out of his daydream and back into his living nightmare. "We're stopping for gas soon, so if you've gotta take a piss, you better do it then. We want to be in Portland by day break."

Tim grunted a non-committal response and closed his eyes again. Portland or California - the names had ceased to matter. The one place he wanted to be never changed. He'd often despised Miami during his time there, but now he longed for its perpetually sunny skies and Calleigh's constant presence. He'd never cared for Christmas either, but he would have sung the most ridiculous Christmas tune one hundred times over if he could just wake up and be back in her arms.

…If only in my dreams

The End