The Mag 7 aren't mine never will be. I only sneak them out to play. I make no money off them but I can dream. Edgar is mine.

If it's in italics it's thoughts. //Between backslashes it's telepathy or a close cousin.//

This story takes place starting the Friday evening before Christmas. Due to scheduling the boys are celebrating Christmas on the next day Saturday. So our story unfolds.

The Gown

10:30 p.m. Friday before Christmas

Nathan was humming to himself happily while he built a fire in the fireplace. Soon the fire was burning cheerfully. A bottle of wine was nestled in a bed of ice in a bucket sitting conveniently close to the comfortable nest Nathan had created.

We've got the whole night, just the two of us. The answering machine will pick up. We've promised to let the strays take care of themselves for a change, after all, there are hospitals and health clinics all over Denver. I refuse to feel guilty. This is going to be the only chance we have to just spend time together until after Christmas, between Raine's shifts at the hospital, going to her family's, then my family's get together. Tomorrow the team is getting together for Christmas. Raine was so touched that everyone wanted to wait until she could attend too. As she said, trying to work around everyone's schedule it would be next Christmas before we got together.

Nathan smiled warmly as he heard his wife slip into the room. Turning around he spread his arms to welcome his beloved Raine into his warm embrace. She stumbled to a halt when the smile disappeared from her adoring husband's face.

"Woman go change, right this minute," Nathan scowled. His censoring eyes took in the lilac next-to-nothing nightie.

"Nathan?" Raine asked her lip quivered slightly at his rebuff.

"I'm sorry, baby, it's not you," Nathan sighed sheepishly. "It's that gown!" He scowled.

"What's wrong with my gown?" Raine demanded. "You picked it out on our honeymoon yourself."

ONCE

"Baby what happened the first time you wore it?" Nathan asked softly.

"Oh things was hot, big fella." Raine waggled her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, Lady! Think. We were all cuddled up. We started to get friendly and then what happened?" Nathan asked.

"Josiah called . . . Chris and Ezra were in intensive care," Raine frowned. "We decided to come home early," she breathed shakily, remembering just how bad things had been for the two men.

"Yeah we did." Nathan nodded. "Ezra bounced back just fine. Chris though, that fever got a hold of him. Even after he was put in a regular room it would just suddenly climb for no reason. The hospital never did figure out what was causing it did they?"

"No, we never did find any one thing to have caused it," Raine sighed. "Did you know he got so bad about the 'vampires' there at the end they were sending me to draw blood? They thought he wouldn't shoot family," Raine smiled.

"Chris didn't give you a hard time did he?" Nathan demanded.

"He was a perfect gentleman. Even the time the fever had him hallucinating," Raine winked. "I never would have dreamed that Chris was that good at hopscotch," Raine giggled remembering the game she had to play before Chris would allow her to take him back to his room.

"Somehow he just isn't as intimidating after you've seen Mister Bad-in-Black Larabee playing hopscotch in an open backed hospital gown with his ass hanging out," Nathan chuckled impishly.

"That was funny once the fever was gone. Scary as all get out when it was up though," Raine sighed.

Nathan snickered, "I'm sorry I can still see him standing there with his jaw all thrust out accusing you of cheating."

"'You are too cheating. Girls can't jump that far.' he says. Well I showed him," Raine sniffed.

"You sure did baby, strained some muscles while you were at it too," Nathan snickered. "Sure put a dent in our love life for a few days."

MEANWHILE