A/N: Merry Christmakwanzikah!

This is my Christmas present to all of my Give Me a Sign readers. You guys are the best, and I hope you enjoy Jake and Nessie's first Christmas together. Considering the fact that this takes place six months into the future of the current story timeline, I probably shouldn't have to warn you that there could be some spoilers of things to come. I will anyway.

Although the few spoilers are not huge, they are there. If you don't want to find out anything before you read it in GMAS, don't read this.

Enjoy the story! There is some drama/angst/heartache—you know these two. They stay away from it as best as they can, given the circumstances. They aren't shy about the lovin', though, so if you're not a h00r, watch for the citrus. And, of course, it's not mine. All recognizable characters belong to SM.

Bittersweet Christmas

A Give Me a Sign Christmas Future-Take

Jacob

"What do you want for Christmas?" I asked Nessie as we wrapped the gift for Leah's week-old baby, Joshua. The kid was damn lucky; his birthday was just far enough away from Christmas to warrant two parties. The little prune had been born on the twelfth of December, and Leah said he already loved the blanket Ness and I got for him.

Nessie shrugged and looked at me with a serene smile. "I don't know. I have everything I want."

At that moment, our black Lab-terrier, Faith, came bounding down the hall. I still wasn't very fond of the name, but it was the one she'd come with when we adopted her, and Nessie wouldn't let me change it to something better like "Little Fucker." Faith was a good dog when she didn't shit in the house. One thing I could say was that Nessie and I were now experts at getting rid of stains and the smell of dog crap.

Nessie turned on her knees and wrapped her arms around the dog's neck as it licked her face. I grimaced. "Don't let her lick you like that, Ness. We won't break her of the habit if you don't stop her." She never did it to me. Probably because I yelled at her when she did. I hated that shit. Nessie never minded it, though.

"I know." Nessie pushed the dog away and sighed. "Now, Faith, you can't do that anymore." The dog sat down and whimpered. Nessie was the biggest pushover I had ever witnessed when it came to animals. That single whimper caused Ness to coo and kiss the mongrel's muzzle. "I know, but you know the rules. Daddy says no licking."

I smirked. Nessie purposely called me the dog's dad. I had tried, in the first few weeks we had the dog, to tell Nessie that I was the owner, but she didn't care. She was mommy, I was daddy, and there was no way in hell she was changing her mind about it. I learned to let it go after it caused a fight between us. She had been right; the whole reason we got the dog to begin with was to learn how to take care of something. Her logic was if we were taking care of the dog, then we were its human parents. I gave in because it made her happy, and because I didn't see any point in letting it get between us. I'd learned that lesson.

Faith licked her nose and sighed, and I swear she gave me an exasperated look. I was sure that if she could speak English, she would have told me to go fuck myself. She laid down next to Nessie and reached out her paw to Nessie's leg.

"She's just saying she loves me," Nessie said as she scratched Faith's ears. If a dog could purr, Faith would be doing it. "Aren't you, baby?"

I smiled. "I know, Ness." I finished wrapping Joshua's rattle and set it under the tree next to Leah and Sam's present. "You have to think of something, though, because I'm not letting you get away with nothing from me."

She pursed her lips, still absentmindedly scratching the dog, and looked at her knees. I raised my eyebrow and thought about how I would get it out of her. Finally she looked up at me. "I really don't know. Maybe we could go see my dad?"

"Sure, but we can go do that anytime. Think about it, babe; it's got to be something special."

"How about an iPod?" She looked down when she asked and spoke quickly, as though she thought I might not be able to catch it.

I laughed and crawled over to her. "That's more like it." Her face was still a little shiny from dog spit. I wondered how in the hell she could stand that and reached up to wipe it off for her.

"What about you, Jake? What do you want for Christmas?"

I kissed her. "I want Faith to quit shitting in the house."

Nessie grinned and pushed my shoulder lightly. "She's learning, Jake. You can't expect her to just know after only two months."

"Yeah, but she's a year old; she should know."

Faith whined and sat up. Sometimes I swear that dog could understand us. Nessie reached out to scratch both sides of her head. "She didn't have the right upbringing, did you?" She spoke to the dog as if she was speaking to a small child. "No, you didn't. It's not your fault, huh? You're doing your best."

I snorted. "Her best would be to go when she's actually outside."

Nessie turned to glare at me. "Jake, be nice. I agree it would be good if she stopped going in the house, but you have to acknowledge that she is doing better than when we first got her. Two months ago, she might have used the bathroom outside twice a week."

She had a point. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Once a week inside is better than the other way around." I leaned forward and patted Faith's side. "You're a good dog."

Nessie smiled at me. "You're so cute when you talk to her." I just shook my head. "So really, what do you want for Christmas?"

"I don't know. I'll have to get back to you on that."

She smirked and leaned down to kiss the dog. "I'm going to Leah's tomorrow to help get her place ready for the party on Saturday. I could ask her for ideas." She looked up at me with wide, innocent-looking eyes. I knew this trick.

"You'll do that anyway, even if I do come up with something."

She pouted. "Okay, you get back to me."

Faith whimpered and stood up quickly, pulling herself away from Ness. I looked at Ness and raised my eyebrow; that dog never pulled away from her favorite person. I understood when she all but ran to the back door and barked. Nessie grinned and stood up.

"See, Jake? She's doing so good!" She ran to the door and let Faith out. I had to admit, I was proud of the dog for letting us know.

When I got home from work the next day, Nessie was already home. She was sitting on the floor in front of the tree, Faith at her side like usual. She'd put on some Christmas music as well. Almost as soon as I closed the door behind me, Faith stood up and ran over to me. She wagged her tail excitedly and jumped up with her front paws on me. Nessie smiled as she got up and came up to me.

"Faith, dammit, get down." I pushed her away and leaned down to kiss Nessie. "How was your day, baby?"

Nessie bent to hold Faith. "Baby, you've got to stop. Sit down."

I almost rolled my eyes when the damn dog sat. She listened to Nessie almost all the time, but it never failed that she did the opposite of what I said. Nessie stood up again and reached up to hug me.

"I had a good day. Leah's pretty much ready for the party; there wasn't even a whole lot I could do there. Sam brought me home about an hour ago. How was your day?"

I shrugged and followed her to the kitchen. "Wasn't terrible. I still wonder why the hell I took this job."

She turned and smiled at me. "Because you're smarter than you think you are. I think it's great, Jake. You can't tell me you don't like it at least a little bit."

She knew me too damn well. "Yeah, I guess I do. I had three guys asking for Christmas off, though."

Nessie narrowed her eyes. "You told me you don't work on Christmas."

I chuckled and kissed her. "I don't; Friday and Saturday are my days off anyway. The whole company has Christmas and Christmas Eve off, though, which is why it was annoying when they asked for it."

She smiled and kissed me back. "Oh. Okay. So I figured we could do pizza for dinner tonight."

"Sounds good, babe. I'm going to take a shower, I'll be right back."

After dinner, we watched A Christmas Story, then sat in the dark and just watched the lights blink on the tree. She started yawning around nine o'clock, so we turned the tree off and went back to the bedroom. It was pretty obvious that Nessie wasn't in the mood for sleep when she stripped her clothes off but didn't bother getting any pajamas on. She got on the bed next to me but didn't lie down. Instead, she straddled me and kissed my lips.

"Jake?" she said softly.

I smirked and held her hips. "Yes, baby?"

"I want to make love."

I loved how she said that. I wrapped one arm around her waist and flipped us over so I was on top. She squealed in surprise, then giggled when I hovered over her. "I do, too."

She bit her lip seductively and stared into my eyes as she pushed my sweats down. It took some maneuvering, but I got out of them without getting off the bed. I kissed her deeply and palmed her tits for a moment before I started to work my way down. She squirmed and whimpered, begging me with her hands to get where she really wanted me. I smirked and finally got down to lick her pussy. Her back arched, and her hands gripped the blanket under her tightly. I looked up to see her and saw Faith out of the corner of my eye. She sat panting by the side of the bed, staring at me. I swear she was glaring, probably thinking something like, nolicking,huh? I did my best to ignore her and please Nessie. She reached her climax a few minutes later, and I kissed my way back up her body to her lips.

She put her hands on my face and kissed me. "I love you."

I kissed her nose. "I love you, too. I'll be right back."

She furrowed her brow as I pulled away. "Where are you going?"

"Your dog is annoying me; I'm kicking her out of the room."

It was a little scary getting the dog out of the room when she was staring at my boner like it was a real bone. She sat down right on the other side of the door and whimpered when I closed it.

Nessie frowned as I made my way back over to her. "Jake, she's our dog, and now she's sad."

"She likes you better. Besides, she can survive without you for a while." I got a condom out of the drawer and put it on as I climbed over her. "Trust me."

I took her ankle and lifted her leg up to my shoulder, her other leg between mine. She smiled and helped me get into position, then reached up and held my fingers on her knee. She licked her lips and sighed softly as I began to move. I leaned forward and rested my weight on my hand above her shoulder.

"How are you, baby?" I asked. "Do you like this?"

She nodded. "Oh, yes. I like it a lot." She squirmed, and her fingers tightened on mine.

I loved knowing she felt good. "So do I, babe. Tell me, Ness."

Her back arched, and she moaned loudly. "It feels so—" She was cut off by a cross between a bark and howl. I met her eyes, and we both laughed. "Good," she finished.

I chuckled and kissed her leg. I shifted a little bit, pulling her hips closer to me, and started to move faster. She cried out, and it was promptly followed by another input from the dog. Nessie giggled, her smile radiant. I reached between us and rubbed her clit lightly at first, determined to make her cum again. She grabbed my wrist and arched her back again. We were both a little distracted thanks to the dog answering each and every one of Nessie's moans with one of her own, but eventually we got to that moment when nothing else mattered but the impending orgasm. Nessie froze for a second before her release hit, and mine came a few seconds later.

I took the condom off and laid down next to her, both of us breathing heavily. She turned on her side and kissed my shoulder. "I love you."

I slipped my arm under and pulled her closer. "I love you, too, babe. Not too sure about your peanut gallery."

She laughed and leaned up on her elbow. "You love that dog as much as I do, and you know it."

I grimaced. "I highly doubt that." She was right, though. I did have a soft spot for Faith, but I still liked to tease Ness about it.

She rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss my neck. "Regardless, we should probably let her back in."

"You let her back in. I'm comfortable." I yawned dramatically and made a show of pretending to go to sleep. Nessie lightly pushed my shoulder, then climbed out of bed. She came back a few seconds later and got under the blankets with me. Faith whined twice before she curled up on her bed at the end of ours. Nessie snuggled up to me, and I held her tightly.

"Goodnight, Jake."

I kissed her head. "Goodnight, baby."

The week passed as uneventfully as the week before Christmas could. My whole fucking team wanted to slack off and joke around, but thankfully they were intimidated enough by me that I didn't have to threaten anyone to get them to do their jobs.

Friday was Christmas Eve. We had planned on going to see her dad and my parents that night, but the day turned out overcast with some snow. We revised our plan, bundled up, and went out to see them around two o'clock. We took some small wreaths that Nessie had made a few days prior and spent about fifteen minutes at each grave. Nessie was freezing even in her coat, and I was glad we decided to go during the day rather than when it got colder at night. When we got home, Nessie and I made some hot chocolate, let the dog in, and sat on the couch for a bit.

"Which present to I get to open tonight?" I asked after a while.

Nessie looked up at me. "None."

I pouted. "Aw, Ness, it's Christmas Eve; we have to open one."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah. Didn't you do that when you were growing up?"

She shook her head. "No. On Christmas Eve, we'd go see my mom's grave then set out cookies and milk before bed. When I got old enough to realize that Santa wasn't real, we'd eat the cookies together, and I'd help my dad fill the stockings." She licked her lips and scooted closer to me. I pulled her onto my lap and held her tightly.

"Yeah, I did the same with my dad. We always had an orange and a bag of peanuts go in first, then a whole shitload of sugary stuff." I kissed her head. "I can't believe you didn't open a present; I thought that was like a national tradition."

She looked up at me with a smile. "We can tonight if you want."

"I do want. We can even give Faith her, uh . . . you know." The dog's ears perked up at her name.

Nessie laughed. "She knows, Jake. I'm sure she could smell it before it even came in the house."

"Yeah, but still. Are you hungry?" She nodded. "Let's eat dinner, then open something."

She leaned up to kiss my lips. "Sounds wonderful, Jake."

I was eager to give her the one I wanted her to open tonight. I had first thought I'd get her the iPod she'd talked about, but then I saw something better. Once I got the idea into my head, I couldn't let it go. Nothing seemed right, though. It had to be perfect, and finding something good enough was more trying than I'd thought it would be. I hoped she liked it. We made pork chops and pasta for dinner.

"Tell your dog to beat it," I said as we ate. Faith was staring up at me hopefully.

Nessie shook her head and threw the mutt a small piece of meat. "Our dog, Jake. And no; she's just as much a part of this family as either of us."

I sighed. "Really?"

"You're the one who insisted she needed a stocking," she pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but you would have if I didn't."

"Certainly, but that doesn't change the fact that you brought it up first." She smiled brightly; she knew she was winning.

"Should I get her a plate?" I asked, teasing.

Faith cocked her head to the side as if to say she really liked that idea. Nessie laughed. "Don't be ridiculous."

I smiled and shook my head. After feeding half her meat to the dog, Nessie said she was finished. We cleaned everything up and went to change into our pajamas.

"Okay, so how do we do this?" she asked as we walked back to the living room.

"We sit on the floor and open one present each. I'll pick out which one you open, and vice versa."

Nessie nodded and sat cross-legged in front of the tree. I sat down next to her and took a deep breath as I picked up the one I wanted her to have first. I handed it to her, and she took it with a smile.

"Thank you." She snuggled up close to my side and turned it around in her hands, examining the lopsided wrapping. "Did you do this all by yourself?"

I nudged her shoulder. "Knock it off and open it already."

She kissed my shoulder, then began to pick delicately at the tape on the side. I watched her for a moment, getting more impatient by the second. She looked up at me, obviously nervous about something.

"What's the matter, baby?"

She shook her head and looked back down. "I remember laughing with my dad as we joked about which cookies Santa would eat first. He always said the oatmeal ones would be last." She took a deep breath. "I feel empty."

I hugged her shoulders and kissed her head. "Me, too, Ness."

She nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm—"

"Don't even say it, Nessie. I know what you mean; I wish my dad was here, too. You're not ruining anything or making anything miserable, so don't say it. But you do need to open that present."

She smiled sadly. "Okay." She finally ripped into the paper and held up the small, black velvet box. "What is it?"

I laughed. "I'm not telling you; you have to see for yourself."

She looked at me and swallowed. "I'll tell you what it looks like, Jake. This is a ring box."

I smirked. "Nice try. Open it before I do; I'm dying over here."

She smiled, more relaxed than before, and finally lifted the hinged lid to reveal the small gold heart-shaped locket with a smaller silver heart in the middle. She drew in a sharp breath as she looked at it, turning it to make it catch the light. "Oh, my God, Jake . . . this is beautiful."

Her reaction made every frustrating second of shopping for the damn thing worth it. I couldn't wait to see it on her. I reached out and took the box, gently pulling the necklace chain free. "Open it," I said, holding it out to her.

She furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"It's a locket, babe."

"Oh . . ." She took the dangling heart and pulled it open. She stared at the pictures I'd put in it for a few seconds, completely silent. I knew she'd like the one of us; it was the one Leah had taken on my birthday. For a moment, before she looked up at me, I was afraid I'd made a mistake by putting her dad's picture on the other side. She sniffled and thrust herself at me, her arms going around my neck. "Jake . . . Thank you so much."

I held her tightly around her waist. "Do you like it?"

She didn't pull away from me as she nodded. "I love it. I love you. God, I . . ." She hesitated on her words and kissed my neck. "I love it," she said again.

Faith got up from her spot in front of the couch and sat next to Nessie with a whimper. She leaned her head down and nudged Nessie's leg. Nessie sniffled again and pulled back, turning to pet Faith's head. "Mommy's okay," she said softly.

I couldn't wait anymore. I lifted the locket to clasp it around her neck. "Move your hair, babe." She did, scooping it up and out of my way. The clasp was tiny, and it took me a few tries to get it, but finally it worked. I kissed her neck and took her shoulders to turn her around. She smiled at me and reached up to play with it, dangling perfectly right in front of her heart. "It looks good on you."

She leaned in and kissed me. "I'm never taking it off."

"You might want to reconsider that, babe; those pictures aren't waterproof."

She frowned. "Okay, I'll take it off only when I shower. Thank you, Jake."

I kissed her again. "You're welcome, Nessie. Now, where's my present?" I rubbed my hands together in anticipation.

She laughed and got on her knees to reach under the tree. I admired her ass for the few seconds it swayed in front of me. She came back with a box a little bigger than the one I'd given to her. "I feel kind of bad, Jake; I didn't get you anything as nice as the locket."

I smirked and took the present from her. "Don't be silly, Nessie. It's not about who got the nicest or most expensive thing; it's about presents in general."

She smiled and scooted up next to me. Faith laid down with her head in Nessie's lap and looked up at me with a hopeful expression. I was sure she knew we had something for her, too. I did my best to ignore her for now and just open my gift. I lifted the top off the plain white wooden box and frowned at all the tissue paper. Nessie giggled when I all but ripped it out and sent the actual present flying. It landed by my feet.

"Oops." I leaned over and picked it up. It was a black leather wallet with the Disturbed amulet and name on it. "This is cool, Ness." I opened it up and looked around on the inside. It was nice.

"I noticed your other one is starting to fall apart, so I thought you could use a new one."

I smiled and kissed her. "Yeah, I've had that other one going on five years. I really like this, though. Thanks, babe."

She smiled brightly. "You're welcome." She scratched Faith's neck. "I'll keep her here; you go get her present."

I kissed her one more time and got up to get the rawhide bone Nessie had picked out. As soon as I opened the closet in our bedroom, I heard Nessie laugh and call out that the dog was on her way. Half a second later, Faith was right at my feet, her tail wagging excitedly. Nessie came in and smiled at me as I got the treat down.

"Sit down," I said. No luck. "You want it, you gotta sit."

Nessie came up and patted Faith's hip. "Sit down, baby." I rolled my eyes when she obeyed. Nessie shrugged. "You just have to know how to do it."

"No, you just have to be you." I dropped the bone. "Merry Christmas, mongrel." She took it and bolted out of the room eagerly.

Nessie laughed and slapped my chest. "Jacob!"

I grabbed her hips and pulled her close. "What? Oh, merry Christmas, baby. I love you."

She stood on her toes and kissed me. "Merry Christmas. I love you, too."

"Are you getting tired?"

She licked her lips. "Kind of, yeah. We need to do the cookies and stuff for in the morning."

I nodded and hugged her. "Yeah, we do."

We went back to the living room, and I turned on the radio to whichever station was playing Christmas music while Nessie got the stockings out of the box by the couch. She set them up on the couch, ours on each end and Faith's in the middle.

"How's that?" she asked.

I nodded and walked up to her. "We put them on the couch, too." I put my arm around her shoulders and listened to What Child Is This playing quietly. I hadn't thought too much of it earlier, even when we'd visited the cemetery, but I was really starting to feel the absence of my dad. I remembered the year before; the first Christmas without him. He'd lasted through Thanksgiving, but he died on the first of December. I took a week off work and spent every single day in the house. Leah had tried to talk to me, but I didn't care to see her or anyone else. Two weeks before Christmas, she told me she refused to let me spend the holiday alone. If not for her, I would have. She dragged me against my will to go shopping and start being around people again, but I was grateful to her for it. It made me open my eyes and realize what I'd been missing.

Nessie turned into me and took a deep breath. I tightened my arm around her and bent to kiss her head. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She looked up at me with wet eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Just remembering. Are you?"

I nodded. "I'm okay."

She smiled and reached up to touch my cheek. I cleared my throat and tried to pretend I didn't feel like crying. "It's okay to be sad, Jake."

I smirked. "Says you, the one with PTSD."

"And Dr. Furst, and all the people on the forum." She stood on her toes and reached up to clasp her hands behind my neck. "It'll be okay."

I kissed her then put my forehead against hers. "I know it will. Two years ago, I wondered how many more years I'd have with him."

"This is the first year I've done anything remotely festive since the accident." She pushed herself closer to me and shifted to rest her head on my shoulder. "The first year, I all but locked myself in my room for the better part of two months."

I rubbed her back gently, still looking at the couch. "The year before last, he was able to come home for dinner. He was weak and had a hard time eating by himself. He was too embarrassed to ask for help. I remember getting so frustrated with him; Leah had invited us over, but he didn't want everyone to see him like that. We stayed home instead." To this day, I still wished I'd had more patience with him that year. I wished I would have appreciated my last year with him.

She didn't say anything else; she just hugged me tighter. I planted my face in her hair and took a deep breath. It felt so good to have her with me. We were both quiet for a few minutes before I pulled away and cleared my throat again.

"I love you, Ness."

She gave me the kind of smile that meant she was on the verge of tears and nodded. "I love you, too."

I kissed her. "Santa's gonna be pretty pissed if we don't get the cookies out for him."

She laughed and wiped under her eyes. "We should do that, then."

She got the milk while I got the flimsy plastic container with all the treats. "What kind of cookies didn't you make?" I asked. She'd made a ton to give away as gifts to people I didn't think deserved them, but that was Ness.

She glanced at me while she got down a glass. "I didn't make anything with raisins."

I picked out a chocolate chip one and took a bite. "I'm glad you grew out of that 'I can't bake anything' phase."

She smirked. "Those are for the fat man in the red suit, Jake."

I shrugged. "Don't care; they're good."

"Would you at least put on the hat?"

We took everything to the living room and set it on the coffee table. "Sure." She went back to the bedroom with me to get the bag with all the stocking stuff and other things we'd need. She found my Santa hat and stretched up to put it on my head.

"You look adorable"

I grimaced. "No, I don't."

She took the other one and put it on herself. "What about me?"

I kissed her before we went back out to the living room. "You're sexy."

"I'm sure." She shot me a teasing grin before she started to dig into the bag. She worked on my stocking while I worked on hers, both of us eating the cookies.

Neither of us said much, but it was pretty obvious we were both remembering our younger years. I thought of what I remembered of my mom. She'd read 'TwastheNightBeforeChristmas to me before I went to bed. It never failed that on Christmas morning, there'd be a special treat for me in the place where Santa's had been. One year there was an extra thick sugar cookie in the shape of a reindeer with colored frosting. The year after she died, all of the cookies were still there, and there was nothing special for me. My dad had said that Santa was too sad to eat them because he missed my mom. I remembered hugging him and saying I understood because I felt the same. After that, I never got anything like that again. It was a few years before I realized it was because my mom had been the one setting it out.

Ness and I did Faith's stocking together, and we both wondered where she was. I hadn't seen her since I gave her the bone.

"She's probably chewing on it somewhere," Nessie said. "We should put hers up so she doesn't rip it apart during the night."

"You're right." I took it and put it on the entertainment center. "Think that'll work?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Good." We stood there for a second as if we weren't sure what to do next. Truthfully, I did feel a little off. I knew we'd set everything out and should probably go to bed, but it still seemed like I was missing something. That something was telling my dad merry Christmas and that I'd see him in the morning. I didn't get to squeeze his hand or even beg him to remember who I was. Nessie sniffled and wiped her eyes, and I knew she was just as lost as I was.

"How are you?" she asked me. "Are you okay?"

I ran my fingers through my hair and cleared my throat. "I guess."

She smiled sadly and nodded. "Come here." She held out her arms, and I went to her. We sat the middle of the couch, her straddling my lap with her arms around my shoulders. I held her tightly and leaned into her, my face in her neck. I felt her tears on my skin; I was sure she could feel mine, too.

We sat that way for a while, just taking comfort in the other. Eventually the tears stopped, but we didn't pull away. It felt too good having her close. I took a deep breath and kissed her neck over the chain of her locket.

"Thank you, Nessie."

She nodded against my shoulder. "You, too."

I squeezed her tightly and sniffled. She finally pulled back a few minutes later. She wiped her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. I smiled at the gold heart resting right between her breasts. I touched it lightly and leaned in to kiss her chest.

"I'm tired, Jake."

I nodded and moved up to kiss her neck. "Me, too." I kissed her again.

She laughed and kissed my lips. "And by tired I mean I want to sleep."

"I know. I still get to kiss you, though, right?"

She pressed her lips to mine again before she leaned in and hugged me tightly. "Yes, but no funny business."

I sighed. "Okay; I'll hold off on the Christmas jokes."

She snorted and pushed herself up. "I'd appreciate it." She got on her feet and looked around. "I still haven't seen Faith. She must have really liked her bone."

I got up and took her hand. "Let her do whatever she's doing. I need to get you in bed." I gave her my best lopsided smile. She laughed and followed me down the hall.

She was serious about just going to sleep. We made out for a few minutes, but then she snuggled into me and took a deep breath, bidding me goodnight. She was out within minutes. I sighed and closed my eyes. There was always the next night. Or even in the morning.

I woke up to Faith jumping on the bed. She landed right on my stomach. I pushed her off and grunted. "Damn dog," I muttered. She whined, but I didn't give a fuck. Nessie had moved over, so I rolled on my side and started to scoot up to her when she whimpered. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. We should have prepared for this. After the emotional day she'd had, we should have done the damn exercises. Faith jumped back up on the bed, this time by my feet, and laid down between Nessie and I. She licked her nose and rested her head on Nessie's hip.

No matter how many times I cursed the mutt or pretended I didn't like her, there was absolutely no denying that she loved Nessie almost as much as I did. She knew when her mommy was sad or upset, or when she was having one of her nightmares. Her presence on the bed never seemed to make a difference in the dream itself, but it helped after she woke up. I didn't kick her off again. I reached down and scratched her head.

"I know, Faith," I said, propping myself up on my elbow. "I'd like to wake her up, too."

Nessie whimpered again, and her back arched. I looked down at the sheet and clenched my jaw, waiting for the screaming to start. It was the only way I could tell which dream she had. If she screamed, it was the other woman and I couldn't touch her or even speak to her. If she cried, it was her dad and I could wake her up.

After a few more soft moans, she started to cry. My eyes watered as I listened to her sobbing. Faith whined and looked up at me like she was wondering what was taking me so long. I shook Nessie's shoulder lightly at first and scooted as close as the dog would let me.

"Nessie, wake up, baby." I kissed her shoulder and shook her harder. It usually took a few minutes. Faith stood up and licked her arm. I told myself not to push her away; it could help.

Nessie finally opened her eyes and sat up, pushing me and the dog back a little. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, then turned and reached out to me. I pulled her close, forcing Faith to get on her other side. She didn't mind; she laid down again and put her head back on Nessie's hip.

"Thank you, Jake," she said softly after she calmed down.

I kissed her head and squeezed her. "Anytime, baby."

"It wasn't as bad this time. I saw him, but I wasn't in long enough to throw up."

I smiled. "I'm so glad to hear it."

She sniffled again and reached down to scratch Faith's head. "You're my good dog, baby." She took a deep breath. "I need a drink."

We got up and went to the kitchen. I leaned against the counter and watched her quietly for a few minutes. After she took a few sips of water and poured the rest down the drain, she turned to me and put her hands on my chest. I rubbed her back and kissed her forehead.

"Any ideas?" I asked.

She smiled. "I would have told Dr. Nicks to go fuck himself. Or at least make sure his eyes were closed."

I hugged her tightly. "I like the first option better. Next time, imagine there's a crowbar in the hallway, and you pick it up on your way. Then when you open the doors and walk up to the table, you bash him and the other bitch upside the head then bolt."

She scrunched her nose. "That would be messy."

I shrugged. "So? If you don't want so much carnage, pick up a stun gun. Or, you could imagine the doors are locked and you can't get in."

"They'd unlock it."

I clicked my tongue. "That's counter-productive, Nessie. They can't unlock the door if they've accidentally misplaced the keys."

"I guess you're right. Thank you."

"I love you."

She stood on her toes for a kiss. "I love you, too. What time is it?"

I glanced at my wrist out of habit, but of course my watch wasn't there. Instead, I looked at the microwave on the counter behind her. "It is just about three o'clock. Ready to go back to bed?"

"Yeah."

We went back down the hall and climbed into bed next to each other. Faith was still there, and Nessie insisted we let her stay. I grumbled about it, but eventually gave in. She was on Nessie's side anyway.

"Jacob!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and grunted. Whatever time it was, it was too fucking early.

"Jacob, wake up." The bed jerked suddenly, and I opened my eyes to see Nessie on her knees beside me, a grin the size of Texas on her face.

I furrowed my brow. "What?"

She smacked my shoulder. "What do you mean what? It's Christmas morning; you have to get up now. I made you coffee with that new chocolate almond mix."

"You pilfered my stocking already?"

"No. Kind of. I woke up almost an hour ago and have been waiting for you; I had to do something other than open all the presents, and coffee seemed like the best choice."

I laughed and leaned up on my elbow. "All right, I'm up. Good morning, babe. And merry Christmas."

She kissed me. "Merry Christmas. I love you. Now get up before I go open more stuff without you."

I glanced at the clock as I got out of bed. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet. Nessie had already taken her pills, so I took mine with the coffee. It had turned out good, and I made Nessie taste it. She scrunched her nose and said it could use a lot more sugar and milk, and a lot less bitterness. I shrugged and took my cup with me to the living room. She'd turned on the stereo already and had a Trans-Siberian Orchestra CD in. The music definitely fit her perky mood. I was glad to see her so happy, especially after the night before. We went through our stockings first and gave Faith the treats from hers. For the first time ever, she sat down when I told her to, so I gave her two at a time.

With stockings done, Ness and I sat in front of the tree to open the rest of the presents. She bounced giddily beside me and handed me a large wrapped box. I smirked and took it, handing her one in return. She shook it.

"What is it?" she asked.

I ripped into the paper of mine. "I'm not telling. You have to open it."

She didn't hesitate. She stopped when I lifted the top of the white gift box and licked her lips, staring at me. She blushed when she knew she'd been caught. I could only assume that whatever was in the box was somehow sex related. I was a little surprised when I saw jeans. Nessie's cheeks got a little darker. I pulled them out and held them up, and that's when I realized why she was so pink. I laughed and leaned over to kiss her.

"Thanks, babe."

"I'm not even going to tell you how hard it was to find those in your size. You're too tall."

"You love it."

"Yeah, but that's not the point."

They were the same brand as the jeans Nessie loved on me because they sat lower than my other ones. She thought it was a crime that I only had one pair that were starting to wear thin.

She finally went back to hers. She froze when she uncovered the cell phone box. She pursed her lips and looked up at me. "Jake—"

I held my hand up and shook my head. "It's a Christmas present, Nessie. You can't say no."

"Yes I can."

I sighed. "Do you really want to? At least look at it."

She took a deep breath and dug the phone out. She held it out to me, and I turned it on for her.

"You said you liked Leah's droid, so I got this one. It's similar, but it slides and has a full keyboard." I showed her the features. "Give it a week. If you really don't like it, I'll take it back."

She leaned in and kissed my cheek. "It's not that I don't like it, Jake."

I nodded. "I know. It's because you don't want me to spend that much on you. You're my girlfriend, Ness, and I want you to have it."

"You got me a phone and the most beautiful necklace, and I get you a wallet, some pants, and a shirt."

I made her look at me. "Nessie, listen. I didn't get anything for you because I thought it would prove how much I love you, and I don't see what you got me as that either. If you want to compare prices, I can guarantee you spent more on the wallet than I did on the phone. It doesn't matter, though. All that matters is that we are together and we have a good time. I love you, and I don't want this to get between us, okay?"

She smiled sadly and leaned in to hug me. "Okay. I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I am anyway; I'll get over it." She kissed me and pulled back to examine her phone.

"So where's this shirt you mentioned?"

She laughed and leaned forward to grab the last present under the tree. "I guess I spoiled that one, didn't I?"

"No. I have no idea what it might be. It could be a silk Hawaiian print thing that I'll hide in the back of the closet for the rest of time."

She scoffed. "Right; like I'd get something like that for you."

"You never know." I opened the box and pulled the shirt out. It was gray t-shirt with a wizard on the front and the words "I got the magic stick." I snorted. "I like this. Thanks, babe. Think I should wear it to Leah's party?"

"She might kill you."

I laughed. "She probably would."

We cleaned up all the mess we'd made and ate breakfast, then I tried on the clothes Nessie'd given to me while she played with her new phone. She texted Leah a few times, and I was happy to see it. She even figured out how to take a picture of me and send it. Of course Leah replied saying she knew where I lived. I told Ness to reply asking if that was her attempt at a threat.

"You do look really good," Nessie said. She licked her lips seductively, and I watched her eyes move slowly down my body. For good measure, I lifted the shirt to show her just how well the pants fit. She smiled and walked up to me.

"I know why you picked this shirt," I said with a grin.

She made a pathetic attempt at hiding her smile. "Why's that?"

I put my hands on her hips and pulled her closer. "Because you like my magic stick." I wiggled my eyebrows.

She snorted. "You can be so cocky."

"But I'm right."

She hesitated for a second before she nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"I knew it." I kissed her and started to back her up toward the bed. Thanks to our early start, there was plenty of time to play.

"Babe, we're going to be late," I called. I glanced at my watch; we had ten minutes to get to Leah's place.

"I'm almost done," she answered from the bathroom.

I sighed and leaned back on the couch. I would normally be in there with her watching her get ready, but she wouldn't let me see her until she was all done. She hadn't even let me see the dress she and Leah picked out almost a month ago. The anticipation alone was killing me.

"Okay, here I come."

I stood up and straightened my suit jacket just as Nessie came down the hall. My jaw just about fell to the floor. The dress was short, tight, and dark silver. It looked almost layered, each section getting bigger until it ended at the middle of her thighs. She'd curled her hair and let it fall down her back. The contrast between her auburn hair, the dark dress, and her almost white skin made every single part of her stand out in the best possible way. She stopped in front of me and spun in a circle. "What do you think?" I noticed her lips sparkled.

I opened my mouth, but I wasn't sure what to say. I looked down to see black, high-heeled sandals on her feet. Her legs looked longer than usual, and so goddamned tempting. Finally I managed to roll my tongue back up and cleared my throat.

"You are so fucking sexy, Nessie. Jesus, you look good."

She smiled brightly and put her hands on my chest. "Thank you. So do you, Jake."

I kind of smirked. "Thanks." At least I didn't have to wear a tie.

She was already on her toes as much as she could be, and she leaned in for a kiss. "Do you think Faith will be okay in the back yard? It's cold." She pouted and walked to the kitchen.

My eyes were glued to her ass. The way the dress clung to her form made me want to pull it up just to expose what I knew lay underneath. I wanted to squeeze her perfect ass cheeks and spread them to lick her pussy.

"Jake?"

I looked up, startled. "What?"

She laughed. "I asked if you think Faith will be okay."

This was going to be a long night. "Oh . . . yeah, she'll be fine, babe. I put some extra blankets in her doghouse earlier. You know we can't leave her in the house, and Leah's mom is allergic to dogs so we can't take her."

"Yeah, I know. I just feel bad for her."

I pinned her against the counter and kissed her lips. "You feel bad when all she has to eat for two meals is dog kibble."

She frowned. "It's not fair when we have meatloaf and sandwiches and all kinds of other good things."

I rubbed my nose against hers. "I love you, Nessie. You're too sweet. That dog is lucky to have you, and so am I."

She smiled softly and kissed me again. "I love you, too. We should probably go, don't you think?"

"Yeah, we should."

I stepped back and took her hand.

My imaginary body count was up to twelve within the first hour at Leah's. Nobody did anything worse than look at Nessie, but that was enough for me to come up with a few new places to hide a body. I blamed the dress entirely.

Overall, the party was nice. Nessie showed her locket off to a few select people she felt she could trust and exchanged a few numbers on her new phone. We had a huge dinner with a ham and countless sides. Joshua was passed around to damn near everyone. Nessie cooed about how adorable he looked in a tiny Santa outfit, complete with the hat. She took her turn holding him eagerly and lightly bounced him against her chest.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Isn't he cute?"

I never once in all my life thought I'd enjoy the sight of a woman I loved holding a baby, but fuck me if she didn't look good with Joshua nestled in her arms. She literally glowed.

I smiled and reached out to touch his arm. "Yeah, I guess." He was so goddamn tiny. He squirmed in her arms, and it seemed so natural the way she adjusted herself accordingly. No matter how good she looked, though, I couldn't see myself actually having one all the time. Joshua was basically my nephew, so I felt obligated to tolerate him.

"Do you want to hold him?"

I grimaced. "Do I have to?"

She pouted. "Please?"

I had somehow gotten out of holding him when he was born; my luck couldn't hold out a second time. I sighed and held my arms out. "All right, but only for a second."

She smiled. "Not like that, Jake. You have to be careful. Hold him like I am."

She managed to coach me on how to take the baby. I was terrified of dropping him. He reached up with one hand and tried to grab hold of my shirt. He didn't like what he felt, apparently, because he squirmed again, then opened his mouth and let out an impressively loud wail. I winced and held him out for Ness. She laughed and took him.

"What are you doing to my baby?" Leah asked as she came up to us.

Nessie looked up at me with the most serenely satisfied look in her eyes. "I talked Jake into holding him."

"He doesn't like me."

Leah laughed and lightly touched his tiny shoulder. "Don't take it personally, Jake. He doesn't like anyone without tits unless it's Daddy." She held out her hands, and Nessie surrendered him easily.

She stepped up close to me and rested her head on my shoulder. "I really love you, Jake."

I kissed her hair and put my arm around her shoulder. "I love you, too."

She looked up at me. "I can't even begin to tell you how sweet it was to see you holding him. Thank you."

I shrugged. "You're welcome, I guess."

She smiled and lightly tapped my chest. "Jake . . ." she reached up and tugged on my shoulder lightly. I bent down, and she whispered in my ear. "Start thinking of something you want to try now, because I really, really want you." She kissed my cheek and pulled back.

I smirked. I knew exactly what I wanted already. If she wanted to give me something in return for holding the baby, I'd let her.

Not long afterward, Sam gathered everyone in the living room to do presents. Harry passed them out, which I thought was odd. He seemed to have mellowed out a lot more in the last few months of Leah's pregnancy, though. He and Sue were both excited to be grandparents. Everyone loved the cookies Ness made. Leah thought the hammer-shaped rattle we got for Joshua was the cutest thing. She gave Ness the iPod she'd asked for and me the dock to go with it.

After another hour, we were finally able to leave. Nessie made sure she got enough food to at least give Faith a good dinner. The dog was on the verge of combustion from excitement when we let her back in. Her tail wagged so hard her entire back end moved with it. Nessie laughed and gave her the ham she'd brought.

After she gave the dog enough love, she turned back to me. "I think it's time for bed, Jake," she said with a smirk.

I nodded and took her hand. "I couldn't agree more, Ness."

"Have you thought of something you want?" Nessie asked as we walked to the bedroom.

"Yes, I have. I want to see you shake your ass for me."

She snorted. "I can't dance for you, Jake—"

"I didn't say dance for me; I said shake your ass. I don't care if there's a rhythm or not." It felt like I'd waited all my life for this.

"I guess I can try. Will you unzip me?" She turned and pulled up her hair.

"No. I want you to keep the dress on for now. I'll even stay dressed if you want me to." I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her back against me. "I love you."

She turned her head and kissed me. "I love you, too. I don't understand your fascination with my backside, Jake, but I'll do what you want."

I grinned. "Back side, front side . . . all your sides are incredible, Ness. I just have a fascination with your luscious body."

She laughed, but it sounded anxious. "How do you want me to do this, Jake?" She swallowed.

I kissed her again and let her go to sit on the side of the bed. "Come here." I held out my hand. She came to me and took it. "You have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about, okay? Just turn around and let me see how fine you are."

She nodded and turned. Her back alone was sexy and seductive, but goddamn, her ass had me harder than a fucking rock. She started off slowly rocking her hips from side to side. I could tell by her awkward movements that she was nervous. I reached out and held her hips, showing her what to do. My eyes moved with her as I helped her give me what I wanted. It took a while, but eventually she got to the point where she could make her ass bounce a little when she bobbed. She even leaned forward, dipping down to touch her toes. The dress rode up enough for me to see the cream-colored thong panties she had on. The thought that she'd worn that sexy lingerie under her dress the whole night made me delirious.

"Oh, fuck, Nessie . . ." I pushed her dress up and didn't hesitate to bite her ass cheek. She laughed and stood back up. "I'll unzip it now."

It slid slowly down her body, exposing her tits and the soft curve of her hips as it went. I all but ripped my suit off and got her on the bed as fast as humanly possible. "I need to fuck you, baby. I'll take care of you afterward, okay?" I got a condom out and put it on quickly.

"I don't think you'll have to, but okay."

I didn't bother taking her panties off. I just pushed the string to the side and leaned over her. She grabbed my shoulders and kissed me deeply as I pushed into her. She moved with me, her body pulling me closer and deeper. She broke the kiss and arched her back, her arms holding me tighter as she cried out and begged for more. I lost myself in her, my face in her neck until my orgasm rocked through me. I growled and thrust harder than before.

I had to take a minute to recover before I could move again. I kissed her neck, following the path of her chain down to her heart. Her chest heaved almost as hard as mine did. I looked up to see her eyes closed and a slight smile on her lips. A moment later, she opened her eyes to look at me.

"Merry Christmas, Jake," she said breathlessly.

I smiled and slid up to kiss her lips. "Merry Christmas. I love you."

"I love you, too. God, I'm tired."

I chuckled. "Me too, but I have to take care of you first."

Her brow furrowed, but she didn't lose the smile. "You already did."

"I didn't feel you cum."

Her lips spread further and she ran her fingers through my hair. "But I did. It was incredible, too."

It probably wasn't the first time I hadn't felt her cum, but at that moment I couldn't think of another time. I kissed her again. "So you're okay?"

"I am so much more than okay."

"All right." I pulled back to get rid of the condom. When I came back, she snuggled against me and sighed happily. "Goodnight, baby."

She kissed my neck. "Goodnight, Jake. Thank you so much for everything."

"You too, babe." I hugged her tightly.

A/N: Thank you for reading!

I promise I'm still working on chapter 48 and will have it up as soon as I can. I'm on Twitter, SheeWolf85.