AN 12/2014: This seems to have turned into my fluffy GAMM Christmas story. I took a look at the original and gave it a cleanup – it needed some editing. Then I added a second part, both DG and CM have been after me since I wrote the first part last year. And as you will see this will require a third chapter sometime in the future; maybe next Christmas? Anyhow, Merry Christmas to all and my hope for a happy 2015.

Wishes

The Captain held Jonathan's shoulders as he heaved again into the bucket beside his bed, bringing almost nothing up from his now empty stomach.

"Thanks, Captain," he gave the Captain a weak smile as the older man gently wiped spittle from the boy's chin, and then setting the rag aside, felt his head.

"Can I lie down again?" Jonathan asked.

"Of course, lad, let me help." He settled the boy back into his bed. "You should drink some more ginger ale."

"Not now, it just all came back up," he complained.

"All right, when you next wake then," he gently brushed a stray hair out of Jonathan's eyes as he closed them.

"Thanks, Cap'n," he mumbled as his eyes grew too heavy, and then closed.

The Captain watched him for a few moments, as the small chest rose and fall, the boy settling into an uneasy slumber.

Blast! It bothered him to see the child so plagued with sickness, and he wasn't the only one. His dear Carolyn was also sick with this flu, she was currently being tended to by Martha. He wished there was something he could do to make them better, but like any mortal all he could do was to look after them and help them through it. He had an added advantage though, because he didn't need sleep he could look after them around the clock, and so he did. Jonathan had been sick for nearly a week now, and Carolyn fell ill just a couple of days after her son.

"Captain?"

He started as Candy came up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "How's the dweeb?"

"Candy, is that anyway to talk about your brother?" he reprimanded with a soft voice.

"Well you wouldn't know because you never had any brothers or sisters, but you can call them names and still love them."

"Ahh, I stand corrected. You are using 'dweeb' as a term of endearment then?"

"Well, not quite, but I think you get it," a sweet smile crinkled across her face.

"I do indeed, my dear, I do indeed." He sighed, still looking at the boy.

"Really, how is he?'

"Better, I think. His fever has broken and he did not throw up nearly so much as before, though I doubt the lad has much left. But he's resting more comfortably so I think he's on the road to recovery," he said softly and looked at the girl. "How's your mother?"

Candy made a face. "About the same though I think she's getting better faster, she ate some toast an hour ago and hasn't thrown up yet."

"Still no fever?"

"Martha says no, but thinks Mom should go to the doctor."

"Martha should know, she's taken care of the lot of you often enough." He reached out and put his hand on Candy's head. "Still no fever, that's good. How are you feeling?" He eyed her with concern.

"Good. I'm staying as far away from them as I can because I don't want to be sick."

"Smart girl," the Captain gave her a smile of encouragement.

"It's good you can help out. Learning to be solid is very cool. It's nice that we can touch you." She gave him a puzzled look. "Did that really happen because of our Christmas wish?"

"In part, I think, though that whole episode though wonderful is quite peculiar." He rubbed his chin in thought. "But I've made remarkable progress with being corporeal in the few weeks since then."

"And Saint Nick is real?"

"So it would seem." He sighed.

"Well, solid is good."

"Yes, I can manage it for almost an hour at a time," the Captain told her. "Come on, let's let him sleep. I want to give Martha a break and check on your mother."

"All right, I'm going downstairs to do my homework and stay away from the sickies," she grimaced.

"I'll check on you later."

"Okay, I know you won't make me sick," she said and turned to go downstairs as the Captain disappeared.

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Carolyn was propped up in her bed, book in hand, hand and book resting on her chest as her eyes remained closed. The Captain looked at her pale face, the tired circles under her eyes, and sighed. His poor darling was so tired, and sick, it disturbed him to see her in such distress.

Trying to disturb her as little as possible, he removed the book from her hand and set it on the nightstand.

She opened her eyes and blinked sleepily at him. "Daniel," she murmured.

"Shh, go to sleep," he whispered.

"I'm feeling better," she said and gave him a wan smile.

"I'm very glad to hear that, I hate to see you sick."

"I'll be better soon."

"You're going to the doctor?"

"Yes, Martha made me promise."

"Good for her. I shall escort you if you wish."

"As a person?" Her eyes sparkled for a moment as she imagined him at her side.

"No, as a spirit, my love. I am not yet proficient enough to imitate a mortal for great lengths of time."

"Oh," she said, disappointed. "Then, no. I'd rather not drive so Martha said she'd take me into town. I'll let you know what the doctor says after I get back from town tomorrow morning."

"All right, but if you need anything just call out. You know I will be around."

"Of course. How's Jonathan?"

"Sick, but doing better. I shall keep an eye on him as well."

"Good. Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course, anything you want."

"Jonathan started his photo project for school. I'm sure they're scattered all over the alcove. Can you clean them up?"

"I will see to it."

She reached out her hand to him, and he took it within his own. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You are most welcome," he said and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

He watched as she faded into sleep, her even breathing calming his overwrought nerves.

Soon they would be well, he told himself and he could stop worrying about them so. With one last worried glance, he left Carolyn to go and check on Jonathan again.

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The next day while Carolyn was at the doctor the Captain took it upon himself to clean up the alcove as Carolyn had requested. Upon arrival he thought it looked remarkably tidy despite her protests to the contrary, but he could see that the children had been both working and playing in here, magazines lie haphazardly across the chairs, a few toys were on the floor, and there was an unfamiliar box and some large books on his desk. He cleaned up the room, taking his time to do so, rather enjoying the quiet of the moment. When at last the room was picked up and clean again, he paused and sat down, in the chair next to the desk. Curious about the box he had never seen before, he pulled it to him and removed the lid. Inside were photos, numerous photos with scribbled notes on the back of each picture with names and dates, it was a photographic history of Carolyn and her family. He looked further and saw there were photo books on the desk as well. After looking through a few of the photos in the box he realized that he knew very few of the people in those photos, most must be cousins and distant relatives, people he would never know and had no desire to know, so he pushed the box away and pulled the photo books towards him.

He smiled as the opened the first one and saw Carolyn's mother and father with baby Carolyn in their arms. She was such a cute baby that he found himself smiling. He followed her progression in life through her photos, saw her go from a baby to a toddler, and then a sweet young girl, and realized that Candy now looked at great deal like her mother at that age.

He saw what Carolyn wore on her first day to school, her first day of high school, and her first day of college. He drew in a sharp breath, or as near as he could do, when he turned the page and all photos of her college days stopped; instead he was looking at Carolyn's wedding photos. The most prominent one was the one with her and her husband Bobby. He scowled as he surveyed the image of the handsome face of the man that smiled at Carolyn. The man had thick, short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a strong jaw. He seemed trim and fit, but there was something in his face that raised the hackles in the Captain's composure.

He continued to stare at the photo, his jaw clenched tightly. Carolyn still hadn't said much about her former husband, though from what little she did say, Daniel knew it had not been a good marriage. In a singular, decisive thought he decided that the man was not good enough for Carolyn and had never been good enough for Carolyn. No one on earth deserved her, except of course he himself, but the problem with that was that he wasn't truly of this earth. At least not anymore.

The Captain remembered to relax, and he turned the page, going through the rest of the wedding photos, taking a moment in each one to regard how beautiful she was, to imagine himself in the role of groom at that wedding. How different would both her life and his life had been if that had been possible? If he had married Carolyn ten years ago then they'd be celebrating their first ten years together as well as having the wonderful children, Candy and Jonathan in their lives. And they would truly be his children. He smiled at that thought, allowing himself to imagine a different reality.

The photos after were of exactly that, Candy and Jonathan as babies, then toddlers as they grew into the fine children he had come to know and love. He spent a great deal of time pouring over these photos, touching them, ignoring any photos of Bobby Muir and projecting himself in his place. He imagined himself as Carolyn's husband, holding Candy as a newborn infant, watching her first steps and being proud as a peacock after that. Then just as she was becoming a toddler, learning that another blessed event was on the way, and the overwhelming pride he would have felt at producing a son like Jonathan. Yes, that was what life was made of, finding the right woman and having the family with her. He had discovered far too late the importance of such a life. But that wasn't entirely true because he was convinced that had Carolyn Muir existed in his time he would have found her and made a life with her, and his proof in that belief was that despite his death he had found her anyway.

Much to his regret, he couldn't truly marry her, but they had made a family of sorts. They thought of themselves as married, and since he was learning how to be corporeal he knew he could learn how to please her even if he couldn't quite manage to be as physically intimate as he wished to be. And her dear, sweet children regarded him as their father, so he was blessed. No spirit could ask for more, but his biggest regret was that he wasn't truly alive to marry her and maybe add to their unconventional little family.

He chuckled to himself, knowing that would certainly knock the ghostly world on its ear. Imagine, producing a child that was half spirit and half human. He wondered if it was even possible. He had heard tales of such things but it seemed to him that it was just that, only tales. And he really wouldn't know how to explain that to his beloved as he wasn't supposed to be capable of such an act.

Lost in his thoughts he continued to imagine his way through the photos from Carolyn's life.

Gull Cottage was quiet when Carolyn returned from town in the mid afternoon. Candy was at school, Jonathan was asleep upstairs, and Martha had some errands in town to finish. Which was all good because Carolyn needed to talk to her favorite ghost.

She knew he had promised to help out with some cleaning while they were gone, and was somewhat amused as he was becoming quite domesticated even though she didn't dare to tell him so. Walking quietly, she entered the alcove and saw him pouring over her photo books, a soft smile on his handsome face. She loved watching him when he didn't know she was there, it happened so rarely as he seemed aware of every nuance of sound in his house, but at the moment he was totally absorbed in the photo books. As she watched he studied each photo intently, sometimes allowing his fingertips to graze them as if he were reliving a moment in his life, and suddenly she realized exactly what he was doing; he was reimagining his life as though he had lived all those moments with her.

The thought warmed her soul and she wished he had been with her from the beginning instead of Bobby, what a life they would have had. Carolyn imagined that Gull Cottage, warm, loving and filled with the sound of their children's laughter. It was a wonderful image, no wonder he was so lost in it.

She blinked and studied him, he was still so absorbed in the photos that he hadn't even noticed her. She wondered if she should leave him to what he was doing but reluctantly had to push that thought away as she had something important to tell him. Something impossible, completely crazy, but a truth she couldn't escape. Something that seemed like it had to be out of some absurd novel that stretched the bounds of credibility, something she was still trying to come to terms with herself.

"Carolyn? How long have you been standing there?" he asked.

"A couple of minutes, not long," she assured him."

"Jonathan is asleep upstairs, and is Candy has not returned from school."

"I know. Martha went back to town to finish up some errands."

"Then we have some time to ourselves," he said and flashed her that devastating smile of his that made her weak in the knees.

"What are you doing?" she asked and indicated the photobooks.

"I hope you don't mind, but I was looking through your photos. It seems they were left on my desk. After I finished cleaning the alcove I found I couldn't quite help myself." He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. "I saw you as a baby you know."

"Oh no, those photos?" Carolyn covered her mouth and laughed. "Did you look at all of them?"

"Aye, and I enjoyed every last one of them, except for the ones with your ex-husband," he growled softly. "But I concentrated on you and I placed myself in them instead and all was well." He looked away from her and back to the photos and she caught his look of longing.

"Corporeal, please."

"As you wish," he concentrated and after a few moments, he reached out his hand to her. Surprising him, she stepped over to him and placed herself on his lap. He pulled her close and kissed her, a long, sweet kiss.

"I wish I could have been with you from the beginning," he lamented.

"So do I, but I've come to accept that for us things have to be the way they are now," she said.

"I suppose," he agreed glumly.

"Hey, don't be sad, we're together, aren't we?"

"Yes, my love, as much as we can ever be." He gave her another kiss.

"And we did have our Christmas miracle, didn't we?"

She looked deep into his clear blue eyes for so long that he began to wonder what she was searching for, so he asked. "My love? Perhaps you will know the answer to what you seek if you ask me?"

"Oh," she said, broken out of her thoughts.

"What is troubling you? You did see the doctor, didn't you?" His concern was palpable.

"I did see the doctor, and don't worry, I'm fine, but troubling may not be the right word." She sighed. "Daniel, have you ever believed something to be completely impossible?"

He gave her a lopsided grin. "My dear, you are sitting on the lap of a corporeal ghost who is hopelessly in love with you, the spirit of a man who died over a hundred years ago, what are you saying about things being impossible?"

At that she laughed, he really did have several valid points.

"Everything about us really is impossible, isn't it, Daniel?"

"You mean the fact that we've found each other despite the odds? The fact that we are together at all? That we seem to keep breaking whatever rules exist between the physical and spirit realm? If that is what you mean than I would have to agree."

She sighed and leaned into his chest, closing her eyes. They stayed like that for several minutes until the Captain broke the silence, but gently putting his fingers under her chin so that she was forced to look into his face.

"Carolyn, we promised no secrets between us. What is it?"

"I really don't know how to say this, how to tell you…"

"You haven't found another man?" he growled, anger in his eyes.

"Oh, heavens no, even in your spirit form you are more than enough man for me."

"Good," he said, calming his temper. "What then?'

"You love the kids, right?" she bit her lower lip.

"Of course, as if they were my own. You know that."

"Would you like your own?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Would you like your own child?"

"With you? Of course, but you already know that, we have briefly discussed that in the past. But given my current status of being I am unfortunately unable to marry you, or to have a child with you," he sighed in frustration. When he looked at Carolyn, she was biting her lip again.

"For God's sake woman, spit it out."

"You're remarkable, you know that, right?"

"Yes, of course, what does that have to do with what has you so concerned?"

Good God, he was obtuse sometimes! But in truth there was no reason he should pick up on her hints of something he believed impossible.

"Daniel, maybe you can't marry me but it seems you are capable of fathering a child." She watched him, waiting to see what his reaction would be.

"What? What did you just say?" He blinked at her in confusion.

"Even in ghostly form you are apparently the most virile man in New England, maybe the entire United States. You're going to be a father."

He made a few strangled sounds and then shut his mouth and remained silent, but she knew his thoughts were going a million miles a minutes so she just waited. After another couple of minutes he finally opened him mouth and formed a coherent word.

"What? What did you say?" he asked again.

"I said that somehow you have managed the impossible once again. You have managed to father a child. I'm pregnant."

Again, he blinked at her in complete astonishment.

"Oh, for God's sake, Daniel, say something constructive. You look like an owl."

"It's impossible," he murmured.

"I thought so too, but I've been to see my doctor and it's true."

"But I'm a spirit!" He protested.

"I know that. But you certainly behaved like a living man during our intimacies at Christmas…"

"Aye, and making love to you feels much the same as it did when I was alive." He stroked his beard. "I don't understand," he said at last.

"Neither do I. But there is so much I don't understand about us, I've just come to accept it." She sighed.

"Could what he said have been true? Was I a mortal man for those two days?"

They exchanged a long look of shock and astonishment.

"Are you happy or unhappy?" he asked, moving a stray hair away from her face.

"Shocked more than anything, but happy," she allowed a small smile to creep out. "I never thought this was possible."

"Blast! This isn't right, we aren't married."

"I don't know how you can possibly manage that," she said, and leaned in to kiss his full lips.

"Maybe just for us and the family? Not official, but as official as we're likely to get. At least the children will know that I'm not just using you."

"They already know that," she assured him.

"Yes, but I want to make sure. Maybe we can have Claymore marry us. Again, as close to official as we are likely to get given that I technically don't exist. Blast! I never should have given in to my desires for you. It was selfish of me."

"Selfish of you to love me?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's not what I said."

"That's what it sounded like." She paused. "Do you love me?"

"Of course I do, you know that." He scowled at her for even asking such a question.

"Then we will just deal with it much as we have dealt with everything else."

"But you are unmarried, or that's what everyone else will think, there will be a scandal…"

"People will think what they want. I can always wear a ring and let it slip that I got married in secret. There doesn't have to be a husband in attendance."

"They will think I've run off and left you with child!"

"They will think that someone ran off and left me with child, there is no need to specify who. And in the meantime you will still be here with us right where you're supposed to be."

"It's just not right," he groused. "You deserve better than this."

"Do you want me to be with someone else?"

"No!"

"Are you planning to go anywhere?" she couldn't help the smile that touched the corners of her mouth. He was so damned concerned about proprieties sometimes.

"Of course not. Where would I go?" he blustered.

"We will be fine, Daniel. As long as you are around as my husband, as the children's father, we will be fine. And maybe someday we will find a way to get you legally into the world and then we can officially get married and you can officially appear in town.

The Captain grimaced but nodded.

It was her turn to put her fingers under his chin and force him to look into her eyes. "And how do you really feel about this? Put aside your proprieties, the nature of what we are, and think about us. Are you happy to be the father of this child we created?"

He closed his eyes and after a few moments, opened them to look deep into the depths of Carolyn's own green eyes. The feelings she saw were overwhelming, shock, gratitude and deep, unexpressed joy shone from his eyes. He looked away as he felt tears begin to prick the corners of his eyes, but Carolyn stopped him, and wiped away the tear that had escaped.

"You're happy?" she asked in a whisper because it was all she could manage.

He nodded, unable to say anything.

"Oh, Daniel. I don't know what I would ever do without you no matter how impossible the two of us are," she kissed him full on the lips.

"Carolyn," was all he could murmur as he pulled her close into a tight embrace.

"Daniel, not so tight," she squeaked after a moment.

"Apologies, my love," he loosened his hold enough to look into her face. "If this is something you do not want I am sorry…"

"Don't you ever think that! This is completely unexpected, but not unwanted." She grinned at him. "What do you want? A boy or a girl?"

He laughed joyfully, and stood up, still holding her within his arms. "It does not matter, either is beyond anything I thought possible." He stood her up and she leaned into him as they kissed. Lightly at first then with deepening passion, until he stepped away.

"Daniel?" she queried.

"I find that I want to continue this upstairs, but I cannot make love to you as I wish, at least not at this time."

"Oh," Carolyn was disappointed, but not deterred. "But you can be corporeal? We can still kiss and touch."

"Yes, we can." A grin spread across his face. "I can still pleasure you, my love. Shall I do so?"

Carolyn laughed and took her Captain's hand in hers. "What do you think?"

"I will take that as a yes."

"Hopefully you will learn to do more by the time I hit the hormonal stage," she said as she led him out of the living room.

"Hormonal stage?"

"You'll find out in a few months," she laughed.

"I don't understand," he said.

"You will, my dear Captain, you will," she said and the door shut behind them.

With the exception of the Master Suite Gull Cottage was quiet once again, the only sounds were that of a pair of exceptional people that seemed to cross every barrier, defy all odds but still create a home filled with happiness and warmth. A couple that exemplified the belief that love would conquer all, and with them it usually did.

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AN: So I hope you like my addition to this Christmas story and there will be at least one more chapter, probably next Christmas as I quite like posting something up for people. Kind of a present to anyone that chooses to read this.

Thanks for reading and please send reviews.