First off, let me apologise for the song choice if it's not the best but seriously atm I'm practicing for my secondary school graduation Mass and ceremony so the only songs clogging up my head currently are "I believe", "Gold forever" and some holy Latin song so at a bit of a blank with the song on this chap! However it hopefully has some significance if you remember it played in emmerdale's most recent Christmas episode. As well sorry 4 putting an xmas chap in the middle of May! Hope you like it anyway.

Disclaimer: feck it at this stage. This version of song is the version that was in emmerdale (slow moving millie.)

Chapter 6

The power of love

A force from above,

Cleaning my soul,

Flame on, burn desire

Love, with tongues of fire,

Purge the soul

Make love your goal…

Jackson smiled half-conscious half asleep as he was being awakened one cold morning in his favourite way. He could feel warm breath on his face and kisses being trailed softly along his jawline and neck and back up to his mouth. He slowly opened his eyes to see Aaron propped on one elbow beside him, grinning sheepishly. He couldn't help himself, even ten years on he still loved the look of Jackson in the mornings. Most people he knew looked a complete train wreck in the mornings, dark circles around the eyes, mad hair, bad breath, but for some unknown reason Jay seemed to look even better than usual if possible in the mornings, and plain adorable while still asleep.

It helped also that he was a morning person. "That's one way of getting a wake up call." He yawned. "I didn't mean to wake you up." Aaron protested. "Well in that case you owe me a favour." Jackson replied.

"Which is?"

Jay pulled him so Aaron was leaning directly over him, which he didn't seem to mind at all, and with an impish smirk remarked "I'm cold, Aaron." Aarons face lit up and eyes darkened. "Can't have that now, can we?" he purred lowering his head down for a passionate kiss while letting his hands travel inside Jacksons t shirt. Jackson wound one arm around his husbands neck and with the other sought out the hem of Aarons vest.

A load buzzing caused them to both groan and smile at the same time. "To be continued." Aaron murmured smoothly before giving his husband one last quick kiss and jogging down the stairs. Jackson grinned, yawned and stretched contentedly while he waited.

Aaron returned after barely 5 minutes, now carrying a sleepy eyed but cheerful four year old with a serious bedhead of dirty blond hair. In his skinny arms he held his favourite train and also an old moth eaten teddy bear with more stains and tears and stitches than could be counted but the boys would never throw it away, as it had been given to him by his mum, and he loved it dearly.

"Someone wanted to say good morning." Aaron smiled as the child's face lit up at seeing Jay, as it had at seeing Aaron. "Hi buddy, did you sleep ok?" Jackson cooed brightly, sitting up and taking the child in his arms. Kalum did his funny little nod and rubbed an eye with a closed fist, letting out a small yawn. He then proceeded to run his train up and down the bumps of the bed sheet as the two men watched on happily.

The past month had easily been the best of the two mens lives. Although worried at first that Kalum might not settle as well as they'd hoped and want to return home to their relief Kalum seemed to never give it a second thought, he woke up the first morning bright and cheerful, as did Aaron even when he skidded on one of Kalums trains that Aaron had clean forgot were on the floor, causing the child to burst out in a fit of laughter, which was a beautiful sound to Aaron and Jacksons ears. Now even a month on he seemed perfectly at ease in his new home.

It was going to be Christmas soon, and snow was already falling outside the window. The boys couldn't wait to spend their first Christmas with their adopted son. As Aaron had promised they were determined that he be completely spoiled this year, and would soon be going over a toy catalogue asking him what he wanted on his Christmas wish list. He wasn't solely going to be spoilt by them however, Hazel completely doted on him and he now greeted her like he did the boys, with a hundred watt smile and small arms stretched up for a hug.

10 year old Josh was already playing the part of the devoted uncle. He would visit Kalum whenever he had the spare time and he was amazing with his nephew. He played with him on his new Xbox and like Aaron and Jackson was dumbstruck at how talented the boy was, he took Kalum on the slide and on the swing in the park, everything he bought in the shop he shared with the child and even took him for walks out in his chair before the snow hit. He even sat through Kalums favourite kids shows and chanted along with the characters on screen when they sang, clapping his hands and encouraging Kalum, or "Kay", as he came to refer to him as, to join in as well. While Kalum clapped his own hands and laughed, he still never said a single recognisable word.

Not that his new proud parents were impatient for him to talk. They knew he would talk whenever he was ready and they would never push him to, but all the same they hope he'd try sometime soon with a bit of encouragement. Between them they had decided, however a bit reluctantly, that Kalum didn't have to call them dad or anything like that if he chose not to whenever he did find his voice. It wasn't that they didn't want him to; in fact they wanted that more than anything else in the world, but just in case he still thought of his biological father as his dad, however much of a useless waste of space they thought he was, they would respect Kalums wishes.

Just on the thought of family troubles, Aarons mind turned to his own mother, with whom he still had not spoken with. It wasn't so much that he was keeping their feud going, it was mostly because he'd been so busy this past while with his new duties as a father. Both he and Jay had taken two months off to spend with their son, with surprisingly full agreement and even insistence from Cain and Declan who were even happy to negotiate flexible working hours afterwards so that at least one of them would always be home to look after Kalum.

He decided he'd at least make an attempt with his mum coming up to the festive season, which Jackson backed fully. He wasn't sure when or how, but he would, if even just send her a text or a call or something. He noticed that she seemed to want the exact same, especially as of recently. One of the snowy mornings when he took a short walk down to the shop to get some bread for the lunch with Kalum gurgling delightfully on his shoulders he could feel her eyes on him from the door of the pub. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her tough firm exterior start to soften as she gazed at the small happy giggling bundle of joy on his shoulders, looking seriously cute in his beanie, coat, scarf and gloves on her sons shoulders in the lightly falling snow. Every so often he'd place one of his gloved hands over his nose to stop it getting cold or poke his tiny pink tongue out to try and taste a snowflake and then grimace with distaste when he finally did, which doubled his cuteness. But most important of all, he looked and behaved just like any other child, which was what Aaron needed Chas to see.

Christmas Eve came quickly and the three of them had a great day. Aaron and Jay took Kalum and Leo sledding down the hills, much to the two boys delight. Then Leo started throwing snowballs, which soon turned into full on war as Cain, Sarah, Paddy and Marlon joined in. Although he couldn't physically run around like the rest of them, Kalum surprised the lot of them by demonstrating a good aim and powerful throw, hitting his own share of people even sitting down. Not for the first time the boys wondered if what he lacked in his lower half he made up for in his top half, as if his arms had developed just as strong as his legs were weak.

Later the small family lounged on their sofa, exhausted by the day of playing in the snow. The living room was warmly lit up by a Christmas tree that Kalum had helped them decorate, having great fun getting caught up in the tinsel and being lifted up by Aaron to put the star on top of it. His brown eyes lit up wondrously as the lights were switched on and he ran his small slim fingers over the bright colours of the ones he could reach, entranced by them.

The foot of the tree was now littered with more presents for Kalum than the child had ever received in his young life. Typically he seemed more interested in the shiny wrapping paper than what was actually inside them, lying sideways on the floor to better see the array of colours as light hit the metallic sheets.

But tonight he was curled up on Aarons lap in his pyjamas, taking frequent sips of Aarons hot chocolate while Jay had his customary cup of tea. They were watching a film that the two men had never seen before, which shocked and disgusted Sarah, Leo and Josh. Kalum loved it, he had been given it as a gift from the orphanage as he had adored it so much that he'd happily watch it any time of the year. The films name was The Polar Express and Aaron especially had to admit although he wasn't much one for the whimsical rubbish the film wasn't that bad.

It might have been the warm fire, it might have been just the thought of Christmas the following morning; of Kalums little face opening his gifts, or it might just have been the fact that his two favourite people in the whole world were here beside him, but Aaron had never felt more at ease and at peace.

One thing did worry him though, as it did Jay. All that day and the day before at various times Kalum was making these strange unnatural gargling noises with his mouth. It sounded like a sort of drilling noise at times. They hoped he wasn't coming down with something but he seemed healthy and lively enough so they decided to give it a couple of days but keep a close watch on him in the meantime.

As the film came to an end he saw Kalums eyes starting to droop heavily. Ruffling his hair gently he started to stand up with him in his arms. "Come on mate, Santa will be here soon and you need to be asleep when he comes."

Jackson gave the sleepy child a kiss on the forehead "Sweet dreams, buddy." He smiled as Aaron carried him into his room.

Aaron tucked the tired boy into his bed and like his partner had done he kissed the child gently on his forehead. Looking intently at the cute worn out face with eyes now shut he was prompted to softly and emotionally say what he had only ever said to less than a handful of people "… .we love you, Kalum, Jay and me, we love you so much. You probably don't even understand what I'm saying, but I just hope you always know that you are loved so much. You're by far the best thing that's ever come into our life." At this he noticed the time on the clock on Kalums bedside locker, next to the picture he had of his mum. It was later than he'd thought, the time read 12:14.

Christmas day.

Aaron Walsh, who had only started appreciating Christmas really since Jays return home on Christmas Eve fully recovered from paralysis seven years earlier, couldn't contain the childlike excitement and smile he felt coming on. He gave Kalum one last kiss, muttered "Merry Christmas sweetheart." And got up to leave, as he and Jay had work to do before the night was out.

Then he got the fright of his life as Kalums eyes shot open and he pushed himself bolt upright in bed and started the strange oral noises again, this time more emphasised and demanding sounding.

Aaron was back over like a shot and worriedly started asking the child lots of questions "Whats wrong mate? Do you feel sick? Does it hurt anywhere?" the child shook his head for all and kept gargling. Nerves completely shot Aaron sprinted to the door of the room.

"Drrrrrrrrrrrrrr…!"

"JACKSON COME QUICK SOMETHINGS WRONG WITH KALUM!"

"Derderderderderdrrr…!"

"CALL A DOCTOR JAY QUICKLY! I DON'T KNOW WHAT-"

"Darrrrrrrrrrrrrrr… drrrrrr…. daaaad!"

Aaron stopped yelling and froze as if he'd been hit by a bullet. He turned slowly to face the small amused face looking back at him, feeling as if the wind had just been kicked out of him. He couldn't have heard..

"Da...ad." Kalum tested out the word again, a word he hadn't had much cause to use in a long time. He seemed satisfied with how it sounded.

"Aaron what –" Jackson came running into the room panicking but then stopped, confused as he took in the sight of a perfectly alright Kalum and a totally rigid and shocked Aaron with wide eyes and mouth open. Scared now Jackson tried to ask again "What is going-"

Aaron in his complete state of frozen shock couldn't have answered him if he tried.

He didn't need to.

Kalum started licking round his mouth as he saw Jay enter the room. While he had been staring confusedly at Aaron Kalum had pushed himself to prepare his tongue and mouth for his second word.

"….daaaaadddeeee." he said slowly and taking advantage of the stunned silence that followed he attempted it a second time.

"…Daaad…dddy."

And completely satisfied with how the words tasted in his mouth, Aaron and Jacksons son could now only giggle at the funny weird looks his parents wore on their faces, like they'd seen a ghost or something.

…TBC

That's it for another chapter! I feel I must apologise if it's not that good, I needed something to lead me on to other chapters I have in mind and this was all I could come up with, so sorry. Also just on that note, call me corny, but I like to think of Christmas as a time for miracles anyway. Thanks for reading!