She felt him pull away slowly and she opened her eyes, needing to look at his face. There were moments now where she found herself struggling to remember the little bits of Fritz - the way he pierced his lips when he was deep in thought or the way he held his pipe. Jo never wanted to forget any bit of Nick; the way his hair curled around the tops of his ears or the slight curve of his nose where it must have been broken at some point. She tried to take in every part of him and she caught his inquisitive look as he opened his brilliant blue eyes. "I thought I was going to lose you," she murmured, her hand reaching up, feeling the stubble along his cheek.

"Never," he said as she began to trace her fingers along the side of his jaw. She watched him smile with enjoyment and his touch sent a shudder through her as he began to gently caress her back. His face became thoughtful, as if he was trying to make a decision, his forehead creased in reflection. Jo noticed his eyes suddenly light up, as if he had made up his mind and she felt the slight tremor from his hands against her back.

"I know it might be too early," he said finally, his voice wavered just a bit and she became concerned as he took her hand and led her over to the porch swing. She let him sit her down, his hand going into his coat pocket and retrieving a small velvet bag. "But I wanna make a promise to you," he said, crouching down in front of her. He took her hand and turned it upright, pouring the contents of the pouch into her palm. Jo gasped as a small gold ring fell onto her fingers, so simple and delicate; she found it hard to think. "It don't gotta be now or even soon - it's for whenever you're ready," she heard him say, feeling his eyes on her. "One day, I am gonna marry you, Josephine Bhaer."

She stared at the ring, her heart beating faster, her mind whirling. Whenever you're ready… was she ready? It had only been a year and a half since Fritz's death but maybe that was long enough. She loved Nick, with all her heart, there was no denying that fact. But they had only been courting for a few months - was that long enough? Jo felt like she knew Nick better than anyone and he could probably say the same about her - the time spent together since his arrival on Plumfield's porch had been better than any lengthy courtship could have ever been. But still, there would be so much to think about before a wedding - the school, the students, Rob. She knew that her young son adored Nick but they should probably tread lightly and make sure he understood the situation before making plans.

A wedding… the idea sent shivers down her spine. After Fritz, she hadn't allowed the notion of marriage to enter her mind. But she had missed the connection of a husband, the desires of marriage and she couldn't imagine sharing it with anyone but the man kneeling before her. Jo heard Nick cough, most likely due to her silence so she brought her eyes up to meet his and smiled, tears starting to pour down her cheeks. The love she had for this man couldn't be contained so she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. She must have caught him off guard as she felt herself fall forward as Nick dropped to the porch. He chuckled and righted them, sharing in the passion of the kiss. She slowly pulled away, not wanting to make him wait any longer for her answer. "Soon," she said with all certainty.

"Soon, it is then," Nick replied, picking himself up and placing himself next to her on the swing. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and she sighed quietly as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. She took the velvet bag from his hands and carefully replaced the ring inside. She knew how precious it must be, a symbol of their future together and she didn't want it to get lost. "For safekeeping," she said, returning the bag to Nick's coat pocket. She snuggled into his side and enjoyed the slow rocking of the swing.

And this is how it will be, she thought. A quiet calm came over her as Jo began to imagine what it would be like to be married again. She didn't want to always admit it but she enjoyed someone taking care of her. She delighted in the attention that only a husband could provide and having someone love her in that way again. That tingle flowed through her at the thought of sharing each morning with Nick, in his arms and she shivered.

"Let's go back inside," he suggested, rubbing her shoulder to warm her against the cold. The movement reminded her of the gift she still had, the box's weight against her hip. She smiled at him and hugged his middle. "Not quite yet," she murmured, sitting up, her eyes fixed with his as she dug through her pocket. "I haven't given you your Christmas present yet." She placed the small brown box into his hand, the red bow a little flat from being tucked away. She was anxious to give this to him, especially considering the present he had already given her.

"Ya didn't have to get me anythin'," Nick replied, gently holding the gift in his palm.

"Of course I did," she whispered, squeezing his arm. "Open it." She watched him smile and lift the box lid, revealing the antique gold pocket watch that her father had given to her. She could remember her father wearing it, always very proud of the heirloom and she hoping Nick could see its significance. But the look of confusion on his face prompted a bit of an explanation.

"It was my father's," Jo chuckled. "And his father's before him." She reached over and gingerly removed the watch from the box. "Since my father didn't have any boys and I was practically like a son growing up…" Nick knew of her tomboy tendencies, especially as a child. "My father gave it to me." She took Nick's hand and set the watch inside.

She followed his eyes as Nick turned the watch over and over, obviously noting the intricacies and details. He pressed the crown at the top, popping open the sprung lid and seemed hypnotized by the ticking. The watch had great significance for Jo, a treasure from the March family and she wanted to see the practice continue, even if it meant it wasn't entirely the same tradition.

"Wow," he murmured, still staring at the watch. She noticed him mulling something over and after a few moments, he looked up at her. "But don't you wanna give this to Rob? Pass it down to your son?"

Jo placed her hand on his knee, her gaze intense with his. "When he's older," she whispered, "I want you to give it to Rob… pass it down from father to son."

The tears that formed in his eyes delighted Jo, she knew the way Nick felt about Rob and he had already taken on that adoptive father role in the eyes of her son. And in her own.

"Thank you," he said quietly, leaning forward and gently kissing her lips. Jo savored the connection, the sensation sending a quiver through her. Nick broke the embrace and stared deeply into her eyes. "Now we should go inside," he said, planting another quick kiss on the tip of her nose. "You're gettin' cold." He stood in front of her, laying the watch back into the box and placing it into his coat pocket next to the ring. He reached towards her, taking her hands in his and helped her to her feet. Jo enjoyed the feeling of his fingers intertwined with hers as they made their way to the back door.

She stopped right outside and turned to him. After all that had happened, the most amazing man was still in her life and for that she was eternally grateful. She searched his eyes, finding a peace had settled in them. "Merry Christmas, Nick," she whispered, squeezing his hand.

She sighed as he brought their hands to his lips, kissing her fingers. "Merry Christmas, Jo," he said, smiling. "It certainly was wonderful."

The End

*** I don't own this characters – I'm just borrowing them for a while… ***