Chapter 25 – Christmas Day, December 25, 2006

12:15am

Lindsay sighed. She'd wanted to be asleep by eleven, out of habit rather than anything else. Her focus on the clock and depression about being awake at midnight had made her forget Danny was behind her.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered in her ear.

She groaned. "I wanted to be home an hour ago," she said softly, glancing at the brightly wrapped boxes under the tree.

"These things happen, Linds," he replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and following her gaze. "You want to open those now?"

She shook her head. "It's not Christmas morning."

Danny chuckled. "Montana, it's after midnight."

"Semantics," she shot back with a wave of her hand. However, she couldn't stop the tell-tale tilt of her lips.

"So we go to sleep for a few hours, then wake up at four to open presents?"

This time she laughed outright. "You're such a child."

"I'm excited. I saw everything you gave the team and I'm a little curious as to what you've made me," he answered, nudging her.

"You're still acting like a five-year-old," she said with a yawn. "Bed?"

"I'll take the couch," he agreed. "Just point me towards blankets and pillows."

"We're not having this argument again, Danny. I'm not going have you sleep on the couch and you won't let me. We slept last night."

Danny sighed. "You know you're gonna be the death of me, right?"

It took a few seconds for her tired mind to catch up to his innuendo. Then she smiled shyly steeling her courage. "You think it's any easier for me, Messer?" She watched his jaw drop and giggle. He knew she could hold her own, but she'd never allowed him to see that she wasn't just an innocent little country mouse. "But I really am tired."

"You and me both, Montana. Come on, you can have the bathroom first."

Danny was shaken awake just after half past nine. He rolled over with a grumble to find Lindsay standing over him, a mug in both of her hands. "Coffee?"

"You couldn't have waited another half an hour?" he groused, accepting the mug and taking the first sip in bliss.

"And have Mac call half way through opening presents? Not a chance. You were the one that wanted to open presents last night," she pointed out. She grabbed his hand and tugged on it, telling him to hurry up.

"I'm comin'," he grumbled, through a smile blossomed over his face at her childish impatience. Apparently he wasn't the only one that was childish at Christmas time.

"Faster," she urged with a grin, almost skipping to her couch. Now that she was awake, she noticed the sheer number of gifts under the tree. "Where did these come from?"

Danny shrugged. "My ma sent you somethin'," he started. "An' some of these are mine."

"From who?"

He shrugged again, trying to throw it off as not a big deal. "Allie, some of my aunts and uncles."

"You normally spend Christmas morning with family?" she asked, suddenly feeling bad that she'd stepped on his traditions.

"I prioritized this year, Montana, and you hit the top of my list. Allie won't mind that I'm not there this year and the rugrats opened their presents from Uncle Danny when we were there for dinner."

"Danny…" she said softly, shaking her head. "You have traditions…"

"And I'm startin' new ones. Now you were happy just a minute ago, so let's focus on openin' these before Mac calls, huh?"

He stepped around her, aiming for the tree and the stocking he'd hidden behind the tree when she asked him to bring over her gifts the previous day. He couldn't imagine his immense luck when Mac had relayed her message. He'd brought his gifts along, hoping and anticipating her invitation to stay with her again, being a little presumptuous if he was completely honest. Mac's call gave him the perfect opportunity to bring his gifts in and place them under the tree as well as the stocking he'd brought for her from his family. Stockings were his Christmas tradition.

She was sitting on the couch with her mug of coffee. "We always opened stockings first at home but since I don't… Danny, what's that?" She'd caught sight of the bright red and green object he was trying to hide behind his back.

"Stockin's were always traditions with my family too. Ma sent this over for you," he answered, presenting the red-and-green plaid sock to her.

Lindsay knew her face was complete and utter surprise and awe, but couldn't find a way to remedy that. The fact that she could feel tears prickling the corners of her eyes and burning her throat didn't affect her and she jumped when Danny bent down to wipe them away.

"You're crying on Christmas."

She sniffled. "You have no idea what this means, Danny," she whispered. "You've… I've done everything in New York that I would do at Christmas in Montana and you…. You made it all happen and I don't know how and I'm not sure why but you did and now you're mother's sending me a stocking like she knew exactly what my traditions were and you're sitting beside me and I… it's so overwhelming."

He smiled. He'd been wondering what he'd say to her if this occurred, but the small gift wrapped in the tree would probably make her outright cry and he was willing to wait until he gave her that to pass on whatever speech he could come up with for the time. "Which one are you gonna open first?"

"Stocking. Your mother gave you yours too?" She'd noticed the other stocking in his other hand.

The presents dwindled little by little as they tore off paper one by one revealing clothing, practical household items and knick-knacks. Lindsay laughed at the childish glee when Danny ripped off the paper on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and laughed even harder when he defended against the perceived 'nerdy-ness' those movies brought to mind. Danny returned the favour when she opened a photo album of pictures from Montana including four pages dedicated to wheat fields.

Finally two gifts were left, hers in the tree and his underneath.

He approached the tree first. "Since I opened the last one, it's your turn," he said.

"You open yours first," she protested.

"I was always taught to be a gentleman, so ladies first."

"You've never been a gentleman, so you first," she shot back teasingly, sticking out her tongue.

"Just open it, Montana."

She took the beautifully wrapped gift gingerly in her hands, carefully and meticulously opening the gift and playfully sticking the bow on the side of his head. Finally she looked at the object she was left with. Her fingers shook as she pried open the lid.

"Danny," she gasped. Inside was a charm bracelet, seemingly simple but so much more complex. There were already charms on it, a tiger, a football, a wheat stalk, the Statue of Liberty, the state of Montana and the state of New York, a Christmas tree and a star and Lindsay felt tears absolutely flow down her cheeks and she did nothing to stop them. "Danny."

He'd rendered her speechless, something he knew was a rarity. She always had something witty to say, something that kept him on his toes. "I lied to you, Lindsay," he said softly, smiling reassuringly when her head snapped up, apprehension in her eyes. "I told you I only wanted drinks and laughs, but I lied. I don't want just drinks and laughs, the same way you don't just want my companionship. I know what the gossip is and I know things aren't going to be easy because we both have issues in the past that are bound to come back, but I want to make this an exclusive and at least semi-permanent thing. We have more than attraction between us and we both know it. I was telling the truth when I told you I'd take this at your pace, whatever that may be, but I don't want to be sittin' on the fence with you. I want you to know what I want and I want the whole enchilada."

She was almost sobbing at this point and he'd made her open his gift first. All she could do while she untangled her thoughts was to hold out the bracelet and her wrist. He grinned, pulling the silver from it's cushion and gently fastening it on her wrist. She was completely blown away when he didn't just drop her wrist, but pulled it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her pulse point.

His was the last one under the tree and she tearfully handed it to him before wiping at her wet eyes with her shirt sleeve.

He opened the paper slowly, keeping some sort of contact with her at all times, whether it was a thigh, a knee or a shoulder. He carefully inspected the fabric-covered book before flipping it open to the first page. When he did, he did a careful skim of the rest of it. "A scrapbook?"

She nodded. "Allie and I were talking. This is from her as much as it's from me."

"You conspired against me. That's why my mother was so serious about gettin' you this stuff." His voice was soft and hoarse, his throat burning. No one had ever gotten him anything this thoughtful and he knew that she'd picked everything about it. "How did you do it?"

"It took a lot of time and effort," she admitted. "I'd already started it with help from Stella and the team, especially Flack after the bombing. With everything that happened, I wanted to make sure you had a book of memories…"

He flipped to the pages about him and Aiden and she took his hand. "…The good and the bad."

Danny put the scrapbook on her coffee table, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto his lap. His lips crashed down onto hers and he could taste the salt of her tears on her lips. His started flowing as they deepened the kiss. She was the one that pulled away, snuggling closer to his side as she did.

"Thank you, Danny.," she said softly. "This is the best Christmas I've had in a long time."

"Anything for you, Montana," he responded, kissing her temple, forehead, cheek and then her lips again.

It was only then the full effect of that statement hit her. He'd shown her he would literally do anything for her, anything to make her smile and laugh and feel like she belonged in New York.

"Breakfast?" he proposed. "I thought I saw pancake mix around somewhere."

She grinned, holding his hand tightly as they made their way to the kitchen.

Please excuse me while I go brush my teeth. I actually enjoyed writing this chapter in the car on my way home from my relatives. I tried to make it sweet, while still sticking to the slow movement of their relationship.

I do think Lindsay would have guts to make him a scrapbook, especially with everything that happened with them, regardless of the state of their relationship. I also think Danny would be thoughtful enough to put all of those things on her charm bracelet. Let me know if there's any charm meaning you didn't get but remember to sign in or leave an e-mail so I can get back to you!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to decide a few things to keep this going. If you guys have something you'd really like to see happen between them let me know. These 7 chapters (okay, 5 because of 29-30) are for you guys. I do have a couple of ideas for New Years, especially since they didn't have a formal Christmas ball. How many want to see what I can come up with for a formal dress for Lindsay?