A/N: Bit of a strange question. When you use terms of endearment like 'sweetheart', 'honey', 'mate' etc. do you start them with a capital or small letter?

o-xxx-o

By the time they'd made it out of the airport and into a cab, the sun had set over D.C. and to avoid the city traffic, their driver had taken a roundabout route.

"Look at the snowman, Daddy," Jilly stared open-mouthed out of her window. "His nose is red!"

Following her gaze, he spotted a large collection of ornaments on someone's front lawn. "There's a reindeer too…"

"And a sleigh…"

"Why don't we see how many different things we can find on the way home? We already have a snowman, a reindeer and a sleigh. That's three…"

"And a tree…"

"A Santa, up on the roof over there..."

"Snow…"

"Excuse me?"

"It's snowing."

"I don't think that counts."

"Course it does… There's always snow on Christmas cards."

"Touché"

"What's that mean?"

"It means, we count the snow," he agreed, admitting defeat.

Jack had been so engrossed in the game, that he hadn't noticed which way they'd headed until it was too late. They were travelling along a road he'd avoided for a very long time. Why was it that no matter how hard you willed yourself not to, and how much you dreaded it, you always finished up looking at the one thing you'd hoped never to see again? Whether it was lack of willpower or his mind playing cruel games he had no idea, but the shabby hotel across the street had claimed his full attention, stirring up memories so painful it felt as though someone was twisting a knife in his gut.

"Daddy… Dad-dy!" Jilly shook his arm, pulling him back to the present.

"What?"

"Doesn't matter, it's gone now, so it doesn't count," she sighed unhappily.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, where were we?"

The further they travelled into the more residential areas, the more things Jilly pointed out but after a while the sightings dwindled.

"Looks like the festive spirit hasn't reached this part of the world yet," the cabbie joked. "You might need to give me some pointers from here. I don't know this area very well and the sat-nav's not working."

"No problem."

Almost twenty minutes later, they turned into the driveway and Jack realised just how right his statement had been. The house was dark with no signs of life and it felt as though Christmas had indeed past them by. He was vaguely concerned that the security light hadn't come on when they approached but brushed the thought aside, putting it down to Sue forgetting to reset it when she left. After paying the fare, he went to the trunk to collect their bags and was so engrossed in making sure nothing was left behind that Jilly's shriek startled him.

"Daddy, Daddy, look!"

"In a minute honey…"

"No, Daddy, now…" She grabbed his hand and tugged "Daddy!"

"JillyBean, what…" Looking up from what he was doing, his question remained unasked. The darkness that had greeted them had been replaced by, what seemed like, hundreds of twinkling lights. Some were strung out across the house, under the eaves, forming white and blue icicles while multi-coloured strands lit up the hedges and a fully decorated tree stood in the entranceway.

"It's Christmas, Daddy! Now, Santa'll be able to find us."

Jack stared dumbfounded. "He certainly will."

After giving the driver directions to get him back to the city, he waited until the cab disappeared before bending to retrieve their luggage.

"Uncle Bobby!"

"Hi darlin'… welcome home." Picking her up, he spun her around and then let her go. "Let me give you a hand there, Sparks."

"Are you responsible for all this?"

The big man shrugged self-consciously. "Yeah well, couldn't disappoint JillyBean."

"Thank you." Jack found the gesture unexpectedly touching.

"No problem-o. So, how did it go with your Mom?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Did you get the chance to straighten things out?"

"Sort-of but I didn't go into detail. There was a bunch of stuff she really didn't need to know."

"True."

"How about here? Any repercussions..?"

"Nada, although…" He broke off, grinning from ear-to-ear when Jilly came running out of the house again.

"Laura's here, Daddy! Laura's here! Is she staying for Christmas? Say she can, please… Please…"

"Calm down sweetheart and go back indoors."

"But…"

"It's cold out here, do as you're told and I'll be in in a minute."

"Yes, sir…"

When she'd gone Jack turned to Bobby, a questioning look on his face.

"Sue's inside."

"I thought she was going to stay with friends."

"Actually, she was going back to that dive she calls home but I charmed her into staying… at least for Christmas." Jack's lack of enthusiasm bothered him. "Is that a problem?"

"Why should it be?"

"You tell me, Sparks. You're the one with a face as long as a wet weekend."

Ignoring him, Jack picked up the bag full of presents and took it inside.

Walking into the living room he found Sue on the floor, her back against the couch and Laura sitting between her legs as she read her a story. She looked up and smiled when Laura let her know he was there.

"Hi, I hope you don't mind but we decided to stay."

"So, I see." His expression was guarded, giving her no indication one way or the other.

"It is okay?"

"Sure."

"If you'd rather…"

At that moment, Jilly came charging in through the door with Bobby in hot pursuit, almost falling over her own feet in her haste to get to him.

"Slow down kiddo or you're gonna hurt yourself."

"Daddy, I wanted to show Sue and Laura my new dress but the cases won't open."

"That's because they're locked."

"Can you open them for me, pleeease?"

"Tomorrow…"

"But…"

"I said, tomorrow." His tone told her there was no use in arguing and her face fell but, for some reason even he didn't understand, her reaction irritated him. "Go and get cleaned up while I make us something to eat... Now, Jillian..."

"Jack mate, the kid's just excited. Why don't I treat you all to take-out, it'll save all that faffing around?"

"Whatever…"

Sue and Bobby watched perplexed as he strode out into the hall but when she tried to follow, the Aussie stopped her.

"I've got it."

"If he doesn't want us, tell him we'll go back to the apartment."

"Nah, you're good. There's something else going down here."

o-xxx-o

Tapping on the bedroom door, he walked in without waiting to be asked just as Jack exited the bathroom.

"Geez mate that was some entrance, you really know how to put a dampener on a surprise, don't you?"

"My house, my entrance..."

"Yeah well someone had to do something, or did you just plan on shutting the door and letting the entire holiday season pass you by? What's up, mate?"

"Why should anything be up?" He asked without looking in his friend's direction as he opened one of the cases and started to sort through it.

"You've been back for all of ten minutes and you've already yelled at Jilly for being a kid and…"

"I did not yell."

"As good as... And, poor Sue would probably have felt more welcome in Nazi Germany than she does here, right now."

"I know," he sank down onto the bed while Bobby made himself comfortable against the dresser. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting all this."

"It was supposed to be a pleasant surprise, mate."

"It was…"

"Then why the mood..?"

"The drive home..."

"Now you've lost me."

"…The cabbie took a different route."

"Don't tell me… He ripped you off for the fare."

"You think I would have let him do that?"

"Guess not. When it comes to money, you're almost as tight as Myles." It had been intended as a joke but didn't even raise a smile. "You wanna give me a little more info, here?"

Jack looked up, distress written in every feature. "It wasn't the cost, it was the location. I didn't notice until it was too late."

"The loc-?" the Aussie winced as the penny finally dropped. "Oh geez, sorry mate, perhaps I should have picked you both up, but it's not like you could avoid the place forever."

"I was planning on trying."

"Look Sparks, I know it's hard but you have two kids in there who deserve at least a shot at a happy Christmas, not to mention Sue; her life hasn't exactly been a barrel of laughs lately either. Maybe you've all been given the chance to turn it around, after all, tis the season for a reason."

"You're right, about Laura and JillyBean anyway" he rubbed his hands over his face and massaged his temples. "Give me a few minutes to regroup and then send Jilly in."

"You got it and I'll organise the grub, even us agony aunts need refuelling occasionally. Maybe I'll make that my second job. 'Ask Agent Manning, he'll put you right'."

"Will you get out of here!?"

o-xxx-o

The meal, when it arrived, came from two different sources since they hadn't been able to reach a compromise. Sue and Jack had the Chinese food while Laura and Jilly had pizza and Bobby helped himself to a lot of both. When they'd finished they all adjourned to the living room where both agents caught their ex-colleague up on the goings-on of Howie, Otis and all their other mutual acquaintances.

"I hate to break this up but its way past a certain two peoples' bedtime." Laura had fallen asleep in her mother's arms while Jilly was in her usual position, snuggled into Jack's side with her eyes closed.

"I think that's my cue," Bobby stood up and stretched.

"You don't have to leave."

"That's okay, gotta work in the morning and wouldn't want to get caught napping at my desk, not that there's anyone to catch me... seems our unit supervisor's gone A.W.O.L."

"Hey I'm injured, remember."

"Not to mention, persona non grata."

"Thanks for reminding me."

"Jack, I'll put the girls to bed, you see Bobby out."

"Thanks."

"Ah, domestic bliss, you can't beat it." Bobby snickered as they stood outside in the cold night air.

"How would you know?"

"True, true... By the way, Sue has this whole scenario in her head about you and Jilly and you don't exactly come out of it smelling of roses. It's one of the reasons she wasn't going to stay."

"Did you say anything?"

"Nah, but I think you should."

"I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, it's…"

Bobby cut him off. "You need to let it go and if there's anyone in this world you could talk to, it'd be her."

"I talk to you."

"Not the same and you know it."

"What makes you think it would be any easier with Sue?"

"Simple mate, you're in love with her, always have been…" Jack opened his mouth to protest but his friend cut him off. "Don't try to deny it, not to me. Give it a chance Sparks, see where it leads."

"And if it leads nowhere, then what? I have to think of Jilly."

"Look, if there are two people in this world destined to be together, it's you two."

"Perhaps you should consider that career move after all, you're worse than Lucy ever was."

"At least think about it Sparks, that's all I'm asking."

"If it'll get you off my case..."

"It's a start," he fished around in his pocket for his keys. "Then have a good one and I'll see you in the New Year. Call me if you need to talk, I'll be around somewhere but I can't guarantee I'll be sober. Merry Christmas, Sparky."

"Merry Christmas, Buddy." He turned to go inside but Bobby called him back.

"Geez, I almost forgot."

"What now?" Jack walked over to join him at the car.

"They tracked down the SUV Ramirez had been using."

"Anything..?"

"Wiped clean but they found this jammed down the side of the backseat." Taking out a large brown bag, he handed it to his friend who peered inside and then looked to the skies mouthing a 'thank you'.

"Don't you want to give it to her?"

"Put him under the tree when you get one, tell her Santa brought him home. Night, mate, and remember what I said, okay."

o-xxx-o