~*~

I wake up very early in the morning (morning)
When everyone is still asleep and snoring (snoring)
I tip-toe back to bed – you know what they have said
"Don't wake us up to early in the morning" (morning)

~*~

Christmas Day,
Early Morning

"Jimmy," Nerys whispered, giving her older brother a poke. Jimmy mumbled something and rolled over, clutching his monkey tighter, "Jimmy," Nerys tried again, louder this time. Jimmy continued to sleep soundly. Frustrated by his lack of response, Nerys whipped the pillow out from under his head.

Jimmy woke with a start, "Wha-? Nerys!" he cried, indignant, but Nerys silenced him with a finger to her lips.

"Let's go see if Santa came," she said, excited. Jimmy rubbed his eyes sleepily as he sat up, Nerys scampered to the door and Jimmy got out of bed to follow her. He deliberated by the side of his bed for a few moments before he picked up his monkey and joined Nerys at the door.

"We need to be quiet," Nerys insisted, "or we'll get into trouble for waking Katie," she added as they made their way to the stairs. Nerys stopped outside the door to the master bedroom, she made to open the door, but Jimmy stopped her.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"I want to see if Daddy's home," she told him, shaking off his hold and opening the door. As quietly as they could, both children peeped around the door.

Nerys forgot all about being quiet and let out a squeal when she saw that Michael was home, Jimmy clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her roughly back into the hallway. "Shh!" he said, closing the door quietly, "you'll wake them up!"

Nerys pulled a face at him before she went to the stairs and made her way down them, trying to avoid all the places where the stairs squeaked as she did so. Jimmy followed her, but he wasn't as careful and Nerys scrunched up her face a little every time he made the stairs squeak.

Both Nerys and Jimmy were pleased to see both of their stockings filled, along with other presents under the tree. Nerys was especially pleased to see that the reindeer had eaten their carrots and Santa had drunk his milk and eaten his cookies.

"Come on," she said, tugging on Jimmy's arm, "we should go back to bed before we get caught." Jimmy nodded, reluctantly putting down a present with his name on it.

Later that morning

"I think that's everything," Jackie said as she cleaned up the last of the wrapping paper.

Not that anyone was really listening to her. Jimmy was busy trying to set up a toy train set, Nerys was introducing George to her new doll and Katrina was more interested in the brightly coloured box than the toy blocks it contained.

Suddenly Nerys looked up, "Where did Daddy go?" she asked.

Jackie smiled secretively, "That's a secret."

Nerys looked panicked, "He is coming back isn't he? Daddy will come home?"

Jackie chuckled a little, "Of course he's coming home, sweetie, don't worry."

Nerys looked doubtful until she heard the front door open and close; "Daddy!" she cried and made to greet him at the door, but Jackie stopped her.

"Just wait here, baby, Daddy has a surprise for you both," she glanced across at Jimmy, "Jimmy, Daddy has a surprise for you, can you come over here please?" Jimmy looked up and put the piece he was struggling with down and came to sit near Nerys.

Jackie smothered a grin as she picked up Katie and caught sight of Michael attempting to contain the surprise.

"Is everyone ready?" Michael called from the hallway. Jackie looked at the children, Nerys was bobbing up and down in anticipation and Jimmy looked almost as bad.

"Everyone's ready!" Jackie called back.

"Here comes the surprise!" Michael called back, there was a noise and a scuffling sound before a plump black Labrador puppy came barrelling into the room.

"A puppy!" Nerys cried out in delight as it came up and licked her face. Jimmy's smile looked liable to break his face in half as he patted the excited puppy.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Nerys asked as Michael came into the room.

"A boy," Michael told her.

"Good," Jimmy responded absently before Nerys could reply. Michael fought back a laugh as he asked what they were going to call the puppy.

"Nelson," Nerys replied promptly, Jimmy nodded in agreement and they looked up at their parents. Jackie elbowed Michael in the ribs when she caught his amused expression, "I think that's a lovely name," Jackie told them with a pointed glance at Michael.

"Very nice," Michael managed, trying valiantly not to laugh.

Both children grinned and turned their attention back to the puppy.

That afternoon

"Well I think 'Nelson' was a hit," Michael said with a grin coming back down the stairs after putting Katrina down for her nap.

"What is so funny about his name?" Jackie asked as Michael joined her at the window where they could see Nerys and Jimmy playing with the puppy.

"Nothing. But...she's three and she comes up with 'Nelson'? You don't think it's a tiny bit amusing?" he asked as he slipped his arms around her waist.

Jackie shrugged as she leaned back into his embrace, "I think it's a nice name."

"I never said it wasn't a nice name, I just thought it was an interesting choice for a three year old, that's all," Michael defended himself.

Jackie chuckled softly. Michael kissed her shoulder, "Merry Christmas, Jackie," he said softly in her ear.

She smiled shifted slightly so she could kiss his cheek, "Merry Christmas."

----

A/N: Yeah, so I decided they needed a dog and I thought it would make a nice Christmas present :)