Rosalita was singing as she gathered her things to load the car on Christmas Eve, as she checked her charges and made sure the appropriate frivolities were laid out in readiness.

"Go," Shannon laughed, buzzing the woman's cheek as she fastened an earring. "Your plane will be leaving and-"

The nanny simply swatted her butt as she would one of her charges-in a loving way that clearly indicated she didn't want any "pert" from them. "I've been getting myself where I need to be on time for fifty years. And you're going to be the one to start telling me what to do?" she asked in her heavily accented English. She adored 'Miss McGarry' and Mr. Zeigler as much as she did their young ones. And she'd have had to be blind-or stupid-not to notice the change of pace in the apartment this last week. She was neither. She'd noticed.

Mallory stepped through the door as the women were laughing companionably at each other. Leo McGarry's girls had done as they always had for Christmas Eve-gotten matching dresses. So when Toby swung out of the bedroom still working on his cufflinks his breath was taken by the double whammy of two beautiful women in scarlet Donna Karens. Both were boned and had corset-like bodices. Shannon's was gentler somehow on her fuller figure, with wide straps and a u-shaped neckline plunging a bit more deeply in the back than the front. Mallory's was strapless, the bustier cut straight across her straighter figure. Both dresses nipped in at shapely waists to flare out in yards of fabric. The deep, cheerful red was matched perfectly in Mallory's full lips and in the drops of rubies and diamonds dangling from Shannon's ears. Mallory's short hair hid whatever wonder of jewelry she'd chosen for the evening-the burnished red curls gleaming as they teased her ears and the nape of her neck. On the other woman long, dark locks had been swept back and intricately knotted to showcase the show-stopping stones. Both girls would don old fashioned hooded capes against the winter cold. As a matter of fact, those capes were draped across the back of the couch where three of the best-dressed children in D.C. were killing evil invaders in some castle game with fairies and dragons and gnomes with automatic weapons.

Rachel's dress was a proper little girl's Christmas party dress. The same silk of the older women's made up the long sleeves and bodice. Red velvet was held out by tiers of flounced underskirts beneath. The requisite white tights and black patent leather Mary James completed her outfit. A cluster of tiny red rosebuds, holly, and evergreen waited to be pinned just below the little girl's shoulder. A more masculine boutonniere of mistletoe and a white rosebud awaited each of the little boys dressed in identical black tuxes. Toby still shuddered at the idea that the boys' tuxes were probably more costly than his own. He hadn't realized when Shannon had made the announcement that she was getting them matching outfits for her mother's annual event that there'd be this kind of need. Then she'd rejected the idea of him paying for his half's duds. Which didn't seem fair to him. He was letting it go for now, though.

Mallory stooped to where the baby waited in her department-store Santa dress-something warm and soft and velvety trimmed in something white and fluffy. Shannon had even found little cloth Mary Janes for the youngest of the group.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Shannon asked the woman who was closer than a sister.

Mallory simply looked over her shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. She chose not to dignify the question with an answer.

"Ignore her," Rosalita told Mal. "She just wants an excuse not to have to go out tonight."

Shannon lifted her chin and put her hands on her hips. "I do not."

"She just doesn't want to go to work first," Joe called without looking, zigging his shoulders as he killed something that looked like tiny hordes of brown bears on the video game. "She wants to go to Jenny's."

"Well, we get to go first," Mallory told him. "And we need to be moving."

And, like a miracle, the oldest three stood up and began storing their toy. No arguments, no requests for five more minutes, nothing. Shannon was going to find the secret for that kind of obedience if it killed her.

They all rode downstairs together. Rosalita walked with Mallory and the kids to where her little VW wagon waited out front. After kissing them all soundly Toby led Shannon to the parking area one level down. In the elevator she sighed. He watched her pretty face, the smooth lines of her cheek and neck disappearing under the warmth of the wrap she'd snugged on over the evening gown.

"Half an hour," he promised her.

She smiled at him. "That's a lie and you know it."

He shrugged and made a face. Then he brought her close to him. "I'll try to make it short at the White House if you try to make it short at the McGarry's."

"No can do, sailor," she told him, wrinkling her nose. "I look forward to this party every year. It's my favorite get-together."

"I thought Thanksgiving was your favorite."

"That was my last favorite. Now it's this. Next up is Easter."

He rolled his eyes. That was one to look forward to. He might even have the state's stamp of approval to claim Rachel and Ben as his by then. Idly he wondered how they would handle that little conflict in religious background as he toyed with one of the curls artfully draped over her shoulder.

As she watched his face paled. His gut had clenched. Realization had dawned that there might not be a team effort by then. If this last hearing went as anticipated he'd have no reason to continue this 'temporary' set-up. He'd need to find something more permanent.

"What?" she asked softly as his gaze continued into some middle ground, as he stared right through her.

Swallowing he shook his head and lifted one side of his mouth in a sad smile. "Just missing life the way it was before it changes again."

She lowered her brows and looked at him quizzically. She looked away before he could see the disappointment in her eyes. Settled in the car she tried to see the bigger picture.

"I know this has been a lot for you. Your life was pretty well organized the way you liked it before, wasn't it?"

She snuck a side-long look at his face and caught him nodding.

"It's a funny old world, isn't it?" he asked. "You think you have everything you want, then something that seems like such a burden comes along and makes you realize what you've been missing."

She tilted her chin toward him. "I admire you taking on Rachel and Ben. Especially when you could have gotten your sister to take them. I know she offered at Thanksgiving."

His head shook. Then he broke out in a grin. "They're mine now. I may have to move to Uruguay or something if the court doesn't come down on my side."

"She thinks you need help."

"I know. I keep putting off what I know I'm going to have to do. And I owe you an apology for that."

"About what?" she laughed incredulously. She didn't know when she'd had more purpose in her life. She loved having Ben and Rachel join her and Joe and Rosie. She loved her alone time with each of them as well, but together they were a hell of a unit, a hell of a team.

"Have you given more thought to what you said the other night?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrows in question. There were so many nights when they'd discussed so many things. "I'm not certain I know what you mean."

"Job-wise."

"Oh."

Now his eyebrows lifted. They neared the gated entry to the White House. She shook her head.

"Nothing?"

She shrugged. "You know what I was just thinking, just this minute before you asked that?" She continued without letting him make any of the predictable responses. "That this-phase I guess you would call it-means more to me than anything else I've ever done. I love it. I love curling up with Joseph and letting him read to me or show me pictures in catalogs. I love listening to Ben with his dry wit and that droll way he has of describing everything. I love pampering Rachel. I can't remember what I did before there was a crib in my room. When Rosie's in another room it feels strange not to listen for her. I love this. I wish they were mine. More than anything else, I wish they were mine. I'm not making any major decisions now. I understand what you meant about that. It's too soon for a couple of disparate reasons. For one thing, probably every new parent feels that tug of inadequacy. For another I don't have any real claim to them. My heart's going to break and I don't really want to dwell on that."

He didn't look at her. He didn't say anything. He just reached over and covered her hand with his own and gave her a little squeeze.

She turned it over beneath his and laced her fingers through his, squeezed back. His breath was coming very deeply and deliberately.

"So," she said finally. "I'm with you about Uruguay."

And she hoped that wasn't saying too much. Because the other feelings of fear and uncertainty stemmed from him and what was going on between them. On the one hand she'd wanted him for a long time and wasn't opposed to using whatever she had to keep him. On the other she wanted him to want her because of who she was-not because she was conveniently located and a competent caregiver for the children.

So instead of talking they went inside, had a couple of drinks, and made nice with the president's guests. Then they went to Shannon's godmother's, where the kids were enjoying the company of some of Washington's finest families' youngsters, and really enjoyed themselves.