The following morning Esposito awoke to the feeling of a cold wet nose on his back; twisting he saw Arturo standing beside the bed, a silly green bandana around his neck and reindeer antlers on his head.

'Poor guy, what'd Mere do to you?' 'Let's go find her, huh?'

They went downstairs to find Meredeth in the kitchen, brewing coffee and assembling a breakfast tray of croissants, jam, cheese and juice. She was wearing red and white striped pjs he assumed she'd put on when she'd gotten up since he knew they'd slept naked, too worn out after the chocolaty goodness they'd gotten up to the night before. An album of soft carols was on the stereo and she was humming along in her husky alto voice. He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling at her neck. 'Merry Christmas, my love.'

A sweet thrill slid in her veins as she smiled, tilted her head to give him better access to her throat. 'Merry Christmas to you too, my love. Did you check the tree? Was Santa by sometime last night?'

'Yeah, and I think he got Arturo and Rudolph mixed up.'

Meredeth turned, saw Arturo send her a pitiful look; relenting she plucked the antlers off his head. 'Fine, I'll play nice.'

'What time is it, even?'

'Almost seven.'

'What?' Esposito's hands slid away from her body. 'That's insane!'

'I know, we slept so late for Christmas morning!'

'You're crazy, you know that? I love a crazy Dane.'

'And I love a cranky Puerto Rican. Grab your coffee, it's time for presents.'

Esposito followed her into the living room, saw there was now filled stockings under the tree in addition to the presents that were already there. The fire place was sputtering with soft orange flames to warm the cavernous room and outside big fat flakes were drifting slowly past the window. He saw the stocking with his name on it and took it with him over to the coffee table, then grinned when Meredeth came in with the tray.

'Looks like the big guy in red did make a stop last night.' He snagged a croissant, tore off a bite with his teeth. 'Who goes first, me or you?' he asked around his mouthful of pastry.

'Stockings don't matter. Dig in.'

They spent an hour digging out tiny wrapped packages, found handy everyday things inside like toothpaste and soap they could leave at each other's houses along with some other interesting bits.

'I don't even want to know where you got these,' Esposito laughed as he unwrapped a pair of dark blue silk boxers polka-dotted with little NYPD's, gold shields and number 12s. 'But if I ever lose my badge in a fire-fight, they'll come in handy.'

'As will this. I take it you liked when I went shopping there the last time?' Meredeth grinned at the Victoria Secret gift card.

'Nope. Hated it. Why do think I got you out of it as quickly as possible?'

Meredeth just shook her head, smeared jam on a croissant. 'Well, why don't we clean up this paper and start on those other ones?'

Ten minutes later, after taking Arturo outside for his business and refill the coffee pot for Esposito, they were back in front of the tree, cross-legged and ripping into wrapped parcels like children. Esposito went banana-sandwich for his autographed Shark Week DVDs, as Meredeth predicted he would; he got the last laugh though when he told her he was going to replace his picture of them on his desk in the bullpen with his new snap of Brian the Shark and her expression went from loving satisfaction to abject horror. He pulled her in for a small kiss, assured her he was kidding and that he loved watching her expressive face change so dramatically.

'Just for that,' she told him, 'I get two in a row,' and ripped the dancing-elf paper to ribbons, finding a hard-cover journal-like book. 'The Homemade Cookbook?'

'It's like a do-it-yourself book.'

'Isn't that how all cookbooks work?'

'No, see,' Esposito opened the cover, showed her the blank pages inside, 'it's for recording your own recipes that you come up with so you can keep them all in one place.'

Meredeth smiled, knowing she would use it in a matter of hours for making the gravy for their small Christmas turkey. She turned her attention to the other one, a smaller one; her stomach did a double bounce when she saw it was a little jewelery box. Lifting the lid, she felt her heart go to mush - inside were a pair of earrings shaped like the writer's plume on the chain around her neck. Without hesitating a nano-second, she fastened them to her ears and pulled her man in for an equally mushy kiss by his shirtfront. 'You're turn,' she said against his lips.

'Okay.' He picked a present up, shook it. 'It's not rattling so I'm assuming it's not chocolate.'

'You're never going to give that dream up, are you?'

'Never, but this is a damn good replacement.' Esposito pulled the kitten-soft cashmere sweater from the box. 'Oh, babe, this is beyond cool, this is, like, iced.'

'I know you like soft squishy sweaters for at home, so cashmere seemed to fit the bill. And, of course, it's blue.'

'Of course.' He picked up the nearest box, passed it to her. 'This kinda goes along with it.'

'Oh. Oh, wow.' Meredeth torn through the paper, lifted the lid on the box to find a silky kimono inside. It was the colour of good merlot, threaded with a pearly-pink and golden bamboo print. 'This is gorgeous, Javi, thank you.'

'I figure you can wear that after one of your coconut baths, then we get to the good-stuff and then I wear the sweater afterwards.'

She giggled at him, shook her head. 'Or I could greet you at the door wearing it, showing off my sexy legs.'

'Don't tease me like that, it's bad for my blood pressure.'

'Then open your last one.' Meredeth handed him a small box, nervously linked her fingers. 'I thought about giving you this for our one month, but it seemed a little early for it.'

Curious now, Esposito flipped open the lid on the jeweler's box he'd found underneath the festive paper. Inside was a gold tie-clip fashioned like a pair of handcuffs. 'It's gorgeous, Mere, just like you.'

'Aw, come here.' Meredeth pulled him in for a kiss, left her arm around his shoulders as she looked back at the tree. 'Happy Christmas, us.'

'Actually I think there is one more gift on the tree there.'

'Where?'

'There.' Esposito pointed vaguely, trying to hide the smile. He'd gotten up to use the bathroom in the night and sneaked downstairs as noiselessly as possible - not an easy feat to accomplish since Arturo was asleep in front of the fire place and always assumed whenever someone came in the room, it made him the center of attention.

'I don't...' Meredeth trailed off as she spotted a globe-shaped glass ornament twinkling against the lights she didn't recognize. Turning it in her hand, she saw it read 'From Me to You - 1st X-mas' in iridescent silver paint. She bit her lip as she felt tears spring to her eyes; holidays always brought out her sentimental side but this was the first time she'd really shared one with a man. A man who evidently believed, as did she, there would be many more Christmases together. 'It's wonderful.'

'I thought so too, it's why I made it.'

Meredeth turned to look at him, saw the bashful expression on his face. 'You made it?'

'Well, technically Honey-Milk did, but it was my idea. She's got better handwriting than me, she does all that calligraphy stuff.'

'No kidding. I could barely read my birthday card from you.' Meredeth let the globe hang loose on the branch again, sat back on her heels. 'Our first Christmas ornament.'

'For our first Christmas morning.'

'To be followed by our first Christmas dinner, which I need to put in the oven, so that means you are on paper clean-up.' Meredeth kissed his cheek. 'Bags are under the kitchen sink. I'm going to deal with the turkey.'

'Javi?'

'Wha-?' Esposito looked up from his generously heaped plate of Christmas dinner to see Meredeth looking at him with a mix of concern and impressed bafflement.

'Can you still breathe?'

'Whayamen?'

'Well, you just inhaled that turkey drumstick, I thought for a moment you were going to start breathing gravy.'

Esposito swallowed the mouthful of roasted meat, chased it with whipped potatoes. 'But it tastes good. Why shouldn't I eat up?'

'There's a difference between eating up and scarfing down like the bird might run away from you.'

He only laughed, reached for his wine. 'Maybe I'm eating quickly so we can get to dessert.'

'Aren't you supposed to wait an hour before that, you know, like with swimming?

'Not that kind. The chocolaty kind.'

'Given last night, that could still mean-' Meredeth was interrupted by the ringing phone; wiping her mouth with her napkin she answered. 'Happy Christmas, Momo.'

'Hello, pige, happy Christmas to you too. Was your man good to you?'

'Very, and I to him. How's Miami?'

'Rainy, but rain beats snow any day of the week.' There was the sound of movement on the line, a door being shut. 'Terrence just came in from walking that yappy little slipper he calls a dog. I keep trying to explain to him that your Arturo would make his Lorenzo into an hors-d'oeuvre but he insists it's a dog and not a rodent on steroids.'

Meredeth smiled at the mention of her grandmother's 'companion'; she refused to use the word 'boyfriend' though technically that's what he was. In Constance's mind, anyone who could claim Social Security didn't have boyfriends. 'We're just finishing dinner, Momo-'

'Oh, good, so your man, he's free to talk?'

'That depends if he's willing to part with his drumstick.' Meredeth held out the phone to Esposito, who gulped the last of his meal mightily. 'Momo wants to say hi. I have to go take Artie outside.'

A lick of panic coated his throat but he took the house phone, got up from his seat. 'Hello, Mrs. Dakkars, Merry Christmas.'

'Hello, Javier, it's nice to finally speak to you after hearing so many wonderful things about you.' Her English was lilting in a way that made Esposito think of crystal-clear mountain lakes and down-hill ski champions. 'And please call me Constance.'

'Okay, Constance, I am very happy with your granddaughter. I love her very much.'

'And you've told her?'

Esposito blushed, even though he knew she couldn't see him. 'Yeah, last night.'

'And she feels the same way?'

'Yeah. I'm a very lucky guy to have her in my life.'

'Good. That'll make it very easy to be friendly with you when I visit next month. Yes, yes, I'm coming. Javier, I have to go, but I'll see you bright and shiny on the sixteenth.'

Esposito hung up the phone, chuckled a little as he heard Meredeth come back in, the jingle of Arturo's tags as he shook himself and her low murmur as she spoke to him. When she came in the kitchen, she went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

'How was your chat with Momo?'

'Good, she didn't dress me down like I thought she would.'

'Of course not.' Meredeth gave him a peck on the cheek. 'She'll save that for her visit.'

'I figured as much.'

'So did you two start telling Meredeth stories?'

'Nope, just told her how much I love you.'

Meredeth's heart glowed brightly. 'You did?'

'Yep, and that you love me back just as much.' Esposito wrapped his arms around her waist now, brushed his index finger down her lips before tasting them. 'Because it's the truth. I love you very much, Meredeth.'

'I love you very much too.' Meredeth slid her hands around to his stomach, up his chest before finally linking them behind his neck. 'Best Christmas ever.'

R&R&Enjoy.