Note From the Author—Okay, so I was originally going to do this as a part of The Holly and the Ivy, but then I was writing it and it just seemed to click so well with the way I ended What You've Got (I think you'll understand why when you read it). So here we have a little sequel to What You've Got, of the holiday variety of course since that's just how my brain works lately : ) Enjoy.
Disclaimer—I don't own the characters of CSI:NY and the story and title were inspired by Josh Groban's wonderful song Believe from Polar Express.
When Stella opened her eyes and saw the alarm clock, she couldn't help but wonder why the hell she was up at six on Christmas morning.
"Mommy, come on!"
Oh yeah, that was why. She rolled to find her four year old son staring at her from the foot of the bed. "Liam, what's so urgent?" she teased.
His big blue eyes just about rolled all the way back in his head. "It's Christmas!"
She smiled. "Oh yeah, it is, isn't it? Well where's your dad?"
"He's in the living room with coffee and he won't let me open anything until you get up!" Liam, cried incredulously.
Christmas morning was a huge deal, and Stella knew he was probably dying not being able to touch any of the presents. "Okay, okay. I'll be right out."
He tore out of the room shouting for his father, and Stella felt herself smile as she pulled on a sweatshirt. Their little guy hadn't gotten his letter to Santa written in time, so he was both excited and terrified to see what the big man had brought him. Fearing that said emotions would drive her son crazy, she decided it would be best to hurry.
When she made it to the living room Stella wasn't surprised to see Liam sitting eagerly in front of the tree, bouncing up and down. Still grinning, she took the cup of tea Don offered and sat down with him on the couch. "How long has he been up?"
"Somewhere in the neighborhood of two hours," he told her with his own smile. "I figured we should wake you before he exploded."
"Good plan." She snuggled up into Flack's side with a contented sigh. "Go for it buddy."
With enthusiasm only a child could manage, Liam began to tear into the packages under the tree. Wrapping paper flew as he uncovered presents from his parents, grandparents, friends, and the team; being a Crime Lab Kid clearly had its advantages. Soon he was surrounded by a mountain of presents, including a little mini chemistry set from Sheldon and a game of Operation from Sid. There were also a variety of dinosaurs, spaceships and Hot Wheels.
Finally, there was only one present left with his name on it, and it was from Santa. Don and Stella watched as their son eyed the package, trying to figure out if this could possibly be the my size Hummer he had forgotten to ask for.
"Go ahead, Lee," Don told him. "You'll never know what it is if you don't look."
Liam nodded, and they watched as he reverently pulled at one corner of the paper. It didn't surprise them when reverence turned to urgency and he ripped into the wrapping; then came something akin to a war whoop as he uncovered his own personal Hummer.
"But how did Santa know?" he asked as he turned to look at his grinning parents. "I didn't get to send my letter!"
Stella and Flack's eyes met momentarily then she smiled and shook her head. "You didn't, but remember, Santa knows everything. He knew that you wanted it and that you were good, and he knew you believed in him."
"Exactly," Don told him as he turned to freak out some more over the present. His smile grew wider as Stella leaned a bit further into him to rest her head on his shoulder. Turning his head to press a kiss to her forehead, he let out his own contented sigh. "Anything can happen if you believe."