Charlie looked down at her two sleeping children- Jackson, or Jack as they sometimes called him, was curled up next to her in the wagon with his head resting on her lap. His three year old body lay curled up underneath a blanket to shield him from the cold. She gently ran her fingers through his beautiful blond curls, so much like his daddy's.

Mia lay nestled in her arms, only six months old and swaddled in a blanket covering warm clothes. Charlie gazed at her two sleeping angels and suddenly couldn't remember what life had been like before their presence or how she got on without them. As she turned her head to look at her husband who drove the wagon she thought to herself, 'that's how'.

Fatherhood definitely agreed with Bass and it showed; once so serious he was so happy with his life now and felt like he was going to burst at the seams with the pure joy of it. While he drove he hummed a tune…some Christmas carol that Miles liked to sing while playing his guitar- Jingle Bell Rock.

The family was on their way home from Austin- a trip they wouldn't normally make this time of year with two young children but it had been under special circumstances. It turned out that Rachel's physician was leaving for Pittsburgh to work with PTSD patients from the bombings and the ensuing wars. Rachel, who had become a valued assistant while still under his care, was accompanying him- she most likely would never be back.

Charlie had visited her two times before since her time in Austin but never with the children- it was Rachel's last wish that she be able to meet them just once. In the end, Charlie could not deny her mother her grandchildren although she'd still been wary of their meeting.

But any worries she had that Rachel would once again think that Jackson was Danny went right out the window as soon as she met him. Because Jackson, adorable as he was, was a miniature replica of his daddy. Rachel was so startled by this fact that it took her a couple minutes to compose herself. Charlie became worried that this would affect how her mother treated her son, which would lend itself to being a very short visit, but Rachel recovered and treated him with love and adoration.

"Well, hello Jackson. Do you know who I am?" she had asked him. He had nodded but not made any move to leave his mother's side. "Well, I have a present for you- would you like to come and see?" Jackson's eyes lit up and he looked to Charlie for reassurance.

Charlie took his hand and led him over to his grandma, "I wonder what it could be sweetheart." Rachel pulled something from behind her back and handed it to the eager little boy.

"Ohh…twuck!" he said with glee. A beautiful hand-made wooden truck that was painted blue and white with black tires. He sat down on the floor and began pushing it back and forth. From that point on Rachel could do no wrong as far as Jackson was concerned.

A movement in the grass behind them broke her reverie. "Do you know we're being followed?" she asked Bass.

"Oh yea…for about a mile or two now…seems harmless," he replied.

"Well, when Jackson wakes up- if he's still there- could provide endless entertainment," she smiled.

"Just what I was thinking, Charlotte," Bass chuckled.

The dog was a bit scraggly and looked in desperate need of a bath but didn't appear too malnourished.

Just then Mia decided to wake up and cried out from underneath her blanket- Charlie peaked in at her and the baby smiled and cooed as if in hello. "Hi sweet darlin'…did you sleep well? Does this mean you're hungry?" She gave the child her breast to which she latched onto immediately.

"Wish I could do that all day long…" Bass smiled.

Charlie swatted at him playfully and said, "As if you don't get enough as it is."

He laughed, "Yea I'm a lucky man…I know it." They gazed at each other for a moment, still so much in love.

When Bass entered Rachel's room with Mia in his arms Rachel stiffened…but only for a moment. She composed herself and said hello- perfectly civil albeit not friendly. But when she focused her gaze to look at Mia her eyes lit up and a smile took over her face.

"Charlie, she's you! She looks just like you did as a baby! Oh my goodness…may I hold her?" Rachel asked.

"Of course," Bass replied.

"Oh dear sweet baby, I have a present for you too," Rachel cooed. She gave her a wooden rattle that was also great for teething; between Charlie, Bass and Mia it was hard to decide who was most thankful as the child kept them up at night because of it.

"Looks like we're heading into a storm, Charlotte- we're going to have to stop somewhere for the night; better to not risk it with the kids," Bass said grimly.

"Yea, I agree," Charlie said sadly, "I wanted to make it home in time for Christmas but it looks like we'll be spending it out here somewhere."

"Just as long as we're safe and dry, that's all I care about…and together," Bass sighed.

"Always," Charlie said squeezing his hand.

"There are old hunting cabins along this route…part of the reason I came this way in case we got stuck. Maybe we can find one and hole up there for a night," he said.

"Sounds good," Charlie said just as Jackson began to stir. "We're about to have a hungry boy on our hands too." Jackson slowly sat up and rubbed his tired eyes. "Hi sweet boy," Charlie said.

"Hey buddy," Bass said from up front.

Jackson slowly climbed into his mama's lap and cuddled with her and the baby. Just then they felt the first drops of rain, cold on their faces.

"The temperature is dropping- that's sleet, not rain- could be ice later. Keep your eye out for a place," he said determinedly.

It didn't take long for them to find one- one in amazingly good shape considering. As they pulled up to it Charlie said, "This is too good to be true!"

"Yea, and when something seems too good to be true it usually is…which worries me," Bass said.

"Well, we don't have much of a choice- it's sleeting even harder," and both babies were crying.

As sleet pelted them in the face they made their way up onto the covered porch- Bass was holding Jackson but handed him to Charlie so she had a child on each hip and said, "I'm going to check it out first." He pulled out his gun and his sword and slowly opened the front door. As Charlie waited he scouted out the small two room cabin and came back out. "All clear! Go on in and I'll unload the wagon and find a place to bed the horses."

Charlie took the kids inside and began to look around- one full size bed, a cot, a tiny couch, table and two chairs as well as a wood burning stove and fireplace. "What more could you ask for," she said out loud. She set the kids down and spread the blanket the baby had been wrapped in on the floor- she laid Mia down on top of it on her stomach and the baby lifted her head, looking around. Jack sat down next to her and started patting her head. "Gentle," Charlie reminded him as she began collecting firewood for the stove. She soon had a good fire going and the place began to warm up. As Bass brought their belongings in she began to sort through them, setting their food out on the table and their dampened blankets on the sofa and across the chairs to dry.

Bass came in half an hour later soaked to the bone. "Get out of those clothes, babe. You're soaked," Charlie said. She pulled out a thermal shirt and some sweatpants for him and handed him a towel to dry off.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked referring to the towel.

"It was here- this place has everything- and look, there's even a note," she smiled handing it to him.

Bass read the handwritten note:

Welcome to our cabin- we like to share whenever we can

So please make yourself at home. There is no food here but

Plenty other things to help you with your stay. We just ask

That you leave our place in the same condition you found it.

Thanks,

The management (aka Owens Family)

Charlie laughed at his confused expression, "Can you believe this place? It seems for real don't ya' think? Like a Christmas miracle…" she giggled. Bass, of course, was still skeptical. "Honey, we'll be out of here by tomorrow anyway," Charlie continued, "and this storm is only getting worse- even if this is some kind of trick…which I doubt…no one could even get here with the ground turning to ice."

Bass let out a breath, "Yea, you're right- it's nasty out there," he said pulling on his sweats. "I put the horses in the lean-to out back and put the wagon up against it so they don't freak and try to bolt. They should stay dry and I've got blankets on both of them."

"Great," Charlie said. She didn't like the idea of Flame and Cola suffering while they had this luxury. "Did you feed them?"

"Yea, there was a little bit of hay back there as well as more wood and I gave them the carrots we got in Austin- they can have the apples tomorrow."

"Ok, I'm making some coffee so you can warm up," she said as she started taking off the kids extra clothing. She got out their toys from Grandma Rachel which kept them happy for a while. Bass poured himself and Charlie some coffee and then sat on the floor with his kids. Jackson immediately wanted to wrestle- he was his daddy's boy through and through. Although he usually wanted Charlie if he was hurt or hungry he wanted Bass for just about everything else. Bass set his coffee on the table and crouched down on the floor- Jackson jumped on his back and began to laugh. Charlie, busy changing Mia's diaper, watched the two and smiled- she loved watching them play- Mia watched too and began to giggle.

"Oh you want some too?" he said in a baby voice to Mia. He crawled over to her and kissed her forehead…then gave her a raspberry on her bare tummy—the baby laughed hysterically at that.

"Me! Me! Me!" Jackson yelled while crawling off his daddy's back- he laid flat on the floor, lifted his shirt up to expose his belly and said, "Right here, daddy." Bass laughed and gladly complied much to his son's enjoyment. Pretty soon all four of them were laughing and playing.

It wasn't long after this that they heard a sound coming from the front porch- some scratching and crying. Bass grabbed his gun and went to check it out. "We have a visitor," he said as he opened the door to the scraggly dog. As soon as Jackson saw him he went bananas and got very excited and laughed.

"Well, we can't leave him out there in this," Charlie looked at Bass, "especially now that our son has seen him."

"First of all, it's a her and second of all, I agree," as he let the dog in. They toweled her off and she licked all their faces which Jackson thought was hysterical. "He's got a new best friend."

"Aww, honey…jealous? Besides no one or no dog can take your place," she smiled at him. "Should we name her? It seems she's ours for the taking now."

"Yeah," Bass said looking at his little boy rolling on the floor with the dog. "I had a dog like her when I was a boy…Sadie…how 'bout we call her that?"

"Okay…Sadie," Charlie smiled.

"A-dee," Jackson echoed.

For dinner they were able to make grilled cheese on the stove, one of Jackson's favorites- they also had salami and apples. Mia had some mashed apples and then Charlie breast fed her before laying her down in the middle of the bed. Jackson fell asleep on the cot and they put the chairs up against it so he wouldn't roll off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Charlie stood at the large living room window watching the storm while Bass built a fire in the fireplace. They had splurged on some wine while in Austin and decided they would ring in Christmas by having a glass. She didn't even hear him as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist- she tensed as his hands rested on her stomach and pulled away slightly.

"Heyyy, don't do that," he whispered, "This is me- no need to be shy with me."

"I'm sorry," she said, "I just…well when Jackson was Mia's age I had lost all the extra baby weight- this time it's harder- and Emma said she never lost the extra weight after Sam was born…not those few last pounds anyway. I just feel…self-conscious, that's all. I just worry that…that I won't be as attractive to you."

"Never ever gonna happen," he said profusely. "Babe, do you realize that even when I see you from across town, down the street, my heart still beats out of my chest…that I get hard?" he whispered that last part.

If there had been much light in the room he would've seen her blush. "Really?" she asked.

"Yes, really," he said, "You have always been and still are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen with or without those extra pounds. I don't see them as something to be ashamed of anyway. You carried our two beautiful children in your womb and protected them for the first months of their lives- I worship you for that. You should look at your womb and any scars or pounds that remain as a badge of honor- I know I do."

Charlie tried to hold back the tears but they flowed anyway.

"Baby, some day I'm going to be old and rickety and crotchety like Miles reminds me every day- and you'll still be young and hot! Then I'll be worried!" he said half laughing, half serious.

She slowly turned around and hugged him will all her strength, "I love you."

"I love you too. Come sit by the fire and have some wine with me and let me show you just how much," he said taking hold of her hand.

If Charlie had any doubts about what he'd said to her she didn't after their lovemaking. He was sweet and gentle while also very passionate and needy. Afterwards, they lay there legs entwined, giving each other gentle kisses.

"Merry Christmas, baby," he murmured.

"Merry Christmas," Charlie smiled back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They awoke a little while later to a tremendous clap of thunder that seemed to rock the cabin followed by two very plaintive wails coming from their children. Add to that the loud barking from the dog and basically you had, as Bass put it, 'all hell breaking loose.'

They weren't even dressed but Bass ran to grab Jackson while Charlie went for the baby. "Oh my God, she nearly rolled off the bed," Charlie gasped, picking up Mia and hugging her small frame. Jackson clung to Bass' neck as if for dear life and screamed frantically. Charlie sat down long enough to put on underwear and a night shirt while Bass squeezed into his underwear while his son hung onto him and then they tried to calm them.

This was hard as the storm was directly above them and sounded like it would bring down the house- they finally got Sadie to stop barking although she still whimpered. The lightning strikes lit up the entire room and looked like something out of a horror movie. Each time one of the kids would start to calm down another thunder clap would produce more screaming. Trying for levity Bass began to sing: 'Oh the weather outside is frightful…but the snow is quite delightful…so since we've no place to go- let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...' Charlie burst out laughing and then joined in, 'It doesn't show signs of stopping…and my dear, we're still good bying…'

To their surprise it began to work- Jackson was still crying but the screaming lessoned and he was watching Bass as he mouthed the words- he reached up with his hand to touch his lips as they moved, enthralled. Charlie covered Mia's ears with a hat which helped and as the storm began to pass she calmed down too. They were both freezing, still not fully dressed, and were finally able to put their things back on and climbed into bed. The bed had a lovely warm comforter on top which they all climbed under- Charlie fed and changed Mia before lying down with the baby lying on her chest. Jackson curled up next to Bass in the crook of his shoulder with his arms clinging tightly around his arm like he was clinging to a tree limb. The dog let out a little whimper from where she was on the floor.

"Oh, I suppose you want up here too?" Bass said to her, "All right come on." The sandy brown Sadie jumped up on the bed and curled up at the bottom of his feet, happy once more.

Eventually, all was calm and they all fell to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Charlie was the first to wake the next morning- the scene she took in around her brought a deep smile to her face. Outside the window the land and trees were covered in ice- it looked like a beautiful sculpture and it was one of the most surreal visions she had ever seen. She was quite sure she would never see anything quite like it again in her lifetime.

She looked about the bed she was in—they were a jumble of bodies, all limbs and torso's and faces. Faces of the ones she loved; everyone she loved most in this world was right here in this bed beside her and she wouldn't have it any other way. She reveled in the scene wanting to remember this for what it was and what it always would be- life with the ones she loved on one of the most memorable Christmas mornings she'd ever had.

Life was good for the Monroe's.