Hello all! I hope you all don't hate me too much for the slight wait. I am a little proud of this chapter and I hope you like it as well. As as I ask every time, please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with CSI: NY.

Chapter 11

Time seemed to pass slowly for Don and Madalynn. Thanksgiving had been a success and the happy couple was planning on spending their first Christmas together with just each other. It was two days before Christmas and Madalynn was putting the finishing touches on the small fake tree she bought for her apartment the first Christmas she spent alone in New York City when she moved to the Big Apple. It really wasn't much to look at, but it was a tree and that was all that mattered.

"Hey," Don said as he walked into her apartment and took off his jacket. She turned slightly and smiled at him, small ornament in hand.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she watched him hang up his jacket and put it away before she returned her attention to her small tree. Don slowly closed the closet door and smiled as he watched her place the last few mini ornaments on the small tree. It had been a long Sunday and he was glad to be home, well, to Madalynn's place anyway. However, he'd been spending less and less time at his place and more and more at hers. He walked over to her and took a deep breath as the light scent of her perfume washed over him.

"It looks great," he whispered as he slid his hands on her waist and rested his hands on her sides. She laughed and put the empty ornament box on the table the tree sat on and turned around in his arms.

"Sure it does," she said sarcastically as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It does," he assured her as his light eyes flickered to the glowing tree and then back to her hazel eyes. "It's been awhile since I've actually had a tree, I mean, aside from the one at my folks' place."

"Really?" she asked and he nodded. "I bought this one when I came out here so I'd have some sense of the holiday while I spent it alone."

"You spent your first Christmas alone?" he asked as he raised his right hand to her face and tucked some of the hair that escaped her ponytail behind her ear.

"Well, I moved out here the first of December and I didn't have time available to take off of work and with the city as expensive as it is I really couldn't afford it anyway."

"You're not going to miss flying home for Christmas, are you Mads?" he asked as he let his hand rest on her neck and she smiled up at him.

"No, Don, I'm not," she said. "I saw my parents last month and I think they can do with one, or two, less mouths to feed this year." Don chuckled as he looked down at her and she slid her hands down his chest. "Besides, mom already sent our presents."

"Our presents?" he asked as his thumb rubbed along her jaw.

"You didn't think they'd forget you did you?' she asked after she laughed quietly. "You're part of the family now."

"Speaking of families, ma wanted me to thank you for your pie recipes and that she'll give you her manicotti recipe like you asked for once she writes it out for you," he said and she smiled up at him.

"Good," she said. "She said it's your favorite and I want to give it a try before I make it for your birthday." She raised up on her toes, kissed his chin, and pulled away from him before she returned to the tree.

"Like I've told you a million times, you spoil me, Mads," he whispered wrapping his hands around her wrists stilling her hands from moving the ornaments around and fussing with the branches. Her heart raced as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her exposed neck, right behind her ear. She shivered as his warm breath danced across her skin and she closed her eyes while he pulled her arms close to her body, settling her forearms against her stomach.

"Don," she whimpered before she quickly pulled away from him and turned around so she was facing him. He frowned, confused as to why she pulled away. However, his confusion melted away when she took his hand into hers and pulled him through the living room. "I have something for you," she said quietly and he grinned.

"What?" he asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Nothing like that Donald," she chided teasingly as she guided him into the kitchen. Once she had recovered from her injuries she had been a little insatiable, but over the last couple of days leading up to the holidays she calmed down. He'd admit to no one that he was slightly disappointed, but he knew that they didn't have to sleep together all the time. He loved her and enjoyed just sitting on the sofa watching a movie with her or talking about mindless things; but he liked it when she took control like she had been. Gave him a new prospective.

She hopped up on the counter after she let go of his hand and he laughed quietly as he stood back. Then, she picked up something white from the counter. It took him a minute but he realized it was an envelope. Slowly, she held it out to him, waiting for him to take it. "What's this?" he asked as he took it and looked down at the plain white envelope.

"It is part of your Christmas gift from me," she said quietly and he looked at her with a slight frown. "Open it, Don," she urged.

"It's not Christmas yet," he said simply.

"You'll have several gifts from me on Christmas, but I want you to have this one now. I've had it for a week and it's driving me insane," she said and Don laughed before he gave in and opened the envelope. He pulled the slip of paper out and he unfolded the paper only to have his eyes widen. "You probably will miss most of them because of work but I thought-," he cut off her sentence with a searing, mind blowing kiss, and if she hadn't been sitting down on the counter she was sure her legs would have caved under.

"How in the hell could you afford these?" he asked, his hot breath dancing across her face as his remained an inch from hers. Madalynn's brain wasn't working quite right and she couldn't form a complete sentence.

"Um, what?" she asked and he laughed as he put the envelope and the paper on the counter next to her and put his hands on each side of her face.

"How in the hell could you afford to buy me Yankee season tickets at the new stadium?" he asked with more detail for her still recovering brain to understand the question. She smiled up at his surprised and amazed expression and reached forward, sliding her hands underneath his suit jacket and grasping the sides of his dress shirt. Her brain was working again and she was thrilled that he loved his present.

"Emily's uncle works in the Yankee's front office," she managed before she cleared her throat. "He worked some of his magic for me.

"Mads, there is no way I am letting you spend that much money on me," he said as he slid his hands to her neck, holding onto her firmly while his thumbs ran along her jaw; his blue eyes blazing into hers.

"I worked out a deal with him, Don," she said with a smile while he frowned. "I paid one third of their original cost and promised to do his income taxes for three years free of charge. Now you and Danny will be able to go to a game when neither of you have to work or when the Twins come into town we can go and be on opposing sides for once." He laughed and shook his head before he leaned in and kissed her once more, but that time he was far gentler than the first.

"She got you what?" Danny asked, practically spitting out his coffee as he and Don stood in the break room of the lab on Christmas Eve. Don had gone up to wish everyone a happy holiday at the end of his half day. He was going to his folks' place to spend a few hours with them before he went off to Madalynn's. He was going to bring her with him to his parents' place, but she wanted to get a few extra hours in at work, so, she told him to go on without him.

"Yankee season tickets, they're a hell of a pair too. I checked out the seating and they're four rows up from the Yankee dugout. I really don't know how she did it," Don said as he leaned back against the counter. He still couldn't believe she'd done that for him and now his gifts for her seemed mediocre.

"Sure she doesn't have a sister?" Danny asked and Don laughed. While Danny grinned over his coffee; even though it was nearly one in the afternoon Danny still downed the hot liquid.

"Don't let Monroe hear you say that, Messer," Don warned and Danny shook his head as he shrugged and took another drink of his coffee. "It's quiet today."

"You're going to jinx us and your holiday plans will be shot," Danny said and Don smiled.

"I put in for this time back in October, so, I am not planning on working any later," Don said. "I should get going anyway."

"Tell Madalynn I said Merry Christmas," Danny said and Don nodded as he headed out of the break room.

"I will and you too, man," Don said. He left the building and just as he was climbing into his car, his phone rang. Sighing, he pulled it from his coat pocket and smiled when he saw 'Mads' flashing on the screen. "Hey, how's my girl?" he asked and his answer was the soft laugh he loved to hear.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I was just calling to see if you were on your way to your parents' house."

"I'm just leaving the prescient and I'll be heading out there," Don said as he nodded at a few of his fellow detectives and left the building, pulling his jacket a little tighter to ward off the sudden drop in temperature the city took on that day.

"You remembered their presents right?" she asked and he laughed.

"Yes, Mads, I remembered their gifts," he said as he climbed in the car. "I've got them in the trunk."

"And you remembered Mackenzie's stocking and Joshua's too?" Don rolled his eyes.

"Are you trying to tell me I'm forgetful?" he asked and Madalynn was silent for a second.

"No, I just didn't want your family to think we forgot anyone," Madalynn said.

"We normally just do the secret Santa thing with each other, with ma and pop excluded," he said. "You've broke the tradition already."

"Will Kathy be upset?" Madalynn asked and once again Don rolled his eyes before he sighed.

"She won't, Mads, now quit worrying that beautiful head of yours. I want you in one piece when I get back."

"I will be," she said quietly. Don froze as he put the key in the ignition. Something didn't quite sound right in her voice.

"Is something wrong?" he asked and he heard her laugh nervously.

"No, nothing's wrong. Everything is fine. I'll see you around eightish?" she asked, but something still sounded off to him. However, he'd wait until he got home to talk to her about it.

"Okay, Mads," he said gently. "Love you."

"I love you too, Don; so much," she said and his frown only deepened. "Drive safe okay?"

"Okay. Bye," he said.

"Bye." Their line disconnected and he started the car and made his way to his parents' house. However, he couldn't get his mind off of Madalynn, what it was that was troubling her, and how he could fix it.

"Emily, what am I going to do?" Madalynn asked as Emily walked into Madalynn's apartment brown bag in hand.

"You don't know anything for sure yet Madalynn," Emily assured her slightly panicked friend.

"I lied to him, Em," Madalynn said her voice shaking with her obvious distress. "I lied and I told him that I was working late. I've never lied to him. Ever."

"Madalynn, calm down," Emily ordered as she put her purse down on the dining room table and handed her the brown bag. "I bought three of them. Take them all at the same time." With shaking hands Madalynn took the brown bag and nodded before she went into the bathroom. Emily sighed and ran a hand across her forehead as she sighed heavily. About five minutes later Madalynn came out of the bathroom, and grabbed the egg timer from the kitchen setting it for fifteen minutes and sitting at the dining room table with Emily. "How late are you?"

"Just two weeks, but . . .," Madalynn trailed off. "I haven't been on birth control since the shooting and, well, when I was feeling better I went a little crazy and I know we weren't always so careful." Madalynn face flushed with mild embarrassment and frustration.

"Gotta love the rush of hormones," Emily said with a stiff smile. Madalynn sighed and put her head in her hands as she leaned on the table. "Madalynn, will it really be that bad if you are pregnant?"

"No, but I've sort of done all of this backwards haven't I?" she asked as she stood fully and looked at Emily. "I rushed into everything with him."

"You love him don't you?" Emily asked with a frown and Madalynn scoffed.

"Of course I love him. I love him more than I have ever loved anyone. I'd do anything for him. I'm just scared," Madalynn said and Emily reached over and covered Madalynn's hands with hers.

"Don loves you too, Madalynn, you should have seen him when you were lying in the hospital," Emily said. "I thought he was going to collapse and when I talked to Lindsey she told me that they put him on desk duty because he could barely focus on anything. Give him a little more credit, Madalynn."

"It's not Don I'm worried about," Madalynn said and Emily frowned. "I went on birth control because I wasn't ready to have kids, because I don't know if I'll be . . . if I'll be a good mom."

"That's ridiculous," Emily said as she pulled her hands back and looked at Madalynn with a frown. "You'll be a great mom, Madalynn, but are you ready to have a child now?" Madalynn thought about everything and before she could answer the egg timer dinged. Madalynn looked down at it and that Emily whose eyes flickered to the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, Madalynn stood and slowly walked the short distance to where her test results waited.