I'm sorry for the late update. I've started working on other story ideas and got side tracked. enjoy :)

New York City is always busy. It's one of the things it's well known for. The City that doesn't sleep, nor does the people in it.

At every corner and at the opening of every store there is some guy dressed as Santa ringing a bell.

Everything is so bright but what's new. A lot of Christmas trees, some red, white and green lights and decorations otherwise everything's the same. Everyone still carries on normally with their everyday lives.

She and Noah are adding finishing touches on the pie they are planning to carry over to Elliot's. She doesn't want to show up empty handed. It's a fun activity for her and her son to do but there's flour everywhere. On the countertop, her clothes, in their hair and floor because he thought it was a good idea to make snow. There are floured hand prints on the refrigerator, it's a mess.

They still have more than enough time to clean up and shower before its time for them to leave.

"Alright Noah you hop in the shower while I pop this in the oven and make sure you wash your hair."

"Okay mom."

She cleans up the kitchen then inspects Noah's hair before she goes in to shower.

"Mom can I wear the sweater I decorated at school?" She hears Noah yell from his room.

"Sure you can."

She adds curls throughout her hair, applies light makeup and they leave just in time.

During the drive to Elliot's she can't help but be a little nervous. She's seen and spoken to Bernie who seems to be her usual self. She's going to see his kids all grown up, adults. Hopefully there isn't any resentment toward her. She still thinks it is a bad idea that she spend Christmas with them after their mother's passing.

When they arrive and approach the door they can already hear all the bustle going on. Before she even has the chance or gathers the courage to, Noah is already knocking on the door. Great.

Her nervousness is put at ease when Elliot opens the door with a huge smile plastered on his face.

He invites them in and Kathleen's voice is the first voice to be heard.

"Olivia, you came. It's so nice to see you again." She approaches her with her arms out stretched for a hug.

"Oh it's nice to see you too and this is my son Noah."

She looks down at the blue eyed, curly head boy.

"Nice to meet you Noah." She shook is hand.

Elliot approached them from behind.

"Noah, these are my kids, Maureen, Kathleen, Richard, Elizabeth and Eli. And These three who neither of you have met are Maureen's sons Kieran and Seamus and her husband Carl." He said pointing to each one of them as he called there names.

"You have a lot of kids." Noah said making everyone laugh.

"Can't forget my Mom." Bernie waved from her standing in the kitchen.

"Olivia you look great." Maureen said also approaching her with a hug.

"Thank you, so do you. You look even more like your father than you did when you where younger." She laughed lightly when Maureen rolled her eyes playfully.

"Hey Liv." Elizabeth and Richard said simultaneously then grimaced at each other.

"I see you two still haven't grown apart."

Noah's eyes drift over to the twin boys kneeling on the ground playing with legos.

"Mom can I play with them?"

"Of course, sweetie"

Elliot watches from the kitchen where he and Bernie are standing, watching as they greet Olivia and Noah. Smiling as they did. It was going better than she thought it would. Way better than the idea she planted on her head.

His mother catches his attention when she tugs at the sleeve of his shirt.

"You didn't tell me Olivia had a son." She whispered to him.

"Sorry, I guess I didn't think to tell you."

"He has blue eyes…"

"Mama" He stops her because he knows exactly what she is insinuating and it's impossible.

"Whose his father?"

"I don't know."

He has already wrecked his brain instead of just straight out asking. He wants to give her time and wants to ensure that if she does tell him she's ready. His mind wants to think it possibly can be Tucker, he has blue eyes. But the math is all wrong. Noah would have been younger. Cassidy? But they both have brown eyes. He knows that isn't an excuse. Both he and Kathy have blue eyes and Eli's are brown.

His eyes beam to widen of hips. It can be caused by pregnancy and child birth yet again the timing is wrong. There is some kind of resemblance between her and Noah. She has told him everyone he's dated so who could it be. He's going to drive himself crazy trying to figure it out. He's just going to have to ask her.

He eyes move back to Olivia whose standing aside watching everyone. He moves to approach her with a glass of wine and hands it to her.

"You and Kathy did a great job raising them."

"Thank you but at lot more Kathy than me." He continues "Now that we're on the topic. I hope this isn't bad timing but can I ask you a question."

With the way he's asking, she knows he's definitely been wanting to ask this question for a while.

"Yeah."

"Noah…" Of course he wants to knows about her son, it's probably been killing him. "His father?" It's sort of a question.

She actually expected him to bring it up the second he found out she had a son. It's a surprise he held out for so long which gave her time to process how to tell him.

"Is father died"

So is his father Tucker?

"He's adopted El. I haven't told him yet and I don't think I want to."

Surprised? Yes! Talk about a twist. It's all makes complete sense to him now. He can't help the guilt he feels from being a little glad she didn't carry someone else's baby. It's a possessive characteristic he's not completely proud of. He's working on it. The realization hits that she hasn't had a chance to carry her own baby. It's in a woman's nature to want to have a biological child and it hurts him that he couldn't give it to her. There is a influx of emotions that spark a woman instinct to reproduce, it's what made her want a baby so badly but Brain didn't. It's not like she would've just found some random guy to have a baby with. She is passed the age of naturally have her own child. It crosses her mind every so often be not as much. It saddens her but she wouldn't change what she has with her son now for the world. They both know if she were still able to have a child he wouldn't hesitate in giving it to her.

Every need she needs fulfilled, he's going to do it to the best of his ability. He promises he's going to make her the happiest she has ever been.

"You don't have to Liv, you're to only mother he knows."

"I know" she says in a whisper.

He gives her a light squeeze before returning to the kitchen where his assistance is needed.

There's a heart warmed smile the creeps on her face when one of the twins exclaim "I can't wait for Santa to come tonight." It reminds her of the excitement Noah use to have. Sometimes he wouldn't even sleep.

At that Noah smoothly make his way to her side and tugs at her clothes. He motions for her to come closer so that he can whisper in her ear.

" Yes, sweetie?" She says dropping her tone of voice.

"They don't know."

Her eyebrows frowned because she has no idea what he's referring to.

"Don't know what?"

"Santa's not real."

She glad he decide to whisper that to her. She doesn't need the younger boys hearing that. When it came to her as a child she never got the chance to believe or imagined in some way, her mom shut that down quick. She was an English professor after all, she focused on what she called the more 'realistic' things.

"Well Noah they're still so young and I don't think they've grown to realize that like you have."

When did that even happen. He use to be so excited to sit on Santa's lap when they went to the mall. She has a picture for every year they did it.

It's really getting to her to see how much he's growing and maturing. She not ready to let go of her baby yet. When did he get too old for santa?

"Okay"

There's a lot of laughs at dinner. So much excitement and happiness. A lot of memories resurface as she sits at the table listening to the different stories being told. She didn't even realize how much she has been smiling until she catches Elliot's eyes on her.

She helps on clearing the table while the others pulled out a board game. Seeing Noah so comfortable like he's know them his whole life has her eyes burning red trying to keep the tears at bay. Elliot approached her to the corner where she's leaning on to counter.

He moves to stand directly in front of her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just really happy. He's happy." She says referring to Noah. "I haven't had a Christmas like this in a long time."

Her Christmas' were definitely nothing like this growing up. She doesn't experience the nostalgic Christmas feeling that built from childhood.

"It's a lot better than I experienced growing up." She tells him. "Whenever my mom managed to she'd at least get me one gift. But that doesn't matter. When the morning came she'll just sit if she wasn't too drunk at watch me open the gifts but there wouldn't be a crack of a smile on her face. There are very few times I remember her smiling, I guess there still good memories."

"I'm sorry you went through that Liv."

Elliot squeezes her shoulder in an effort to comfort her without pulling attention to themselves. Then tells her to meet him out back in five minutes.

She walks outside in the soothing cold breeze admiring the varied plants she's sure has nothing to do with him.

She stands way from being seen through his doors or windows. When he joins and her eyes glimpse at the small narrow box in his hand. She says,

"El I'm sorry I didn't think to…"

"It's okay Liv I didn't expect you to."

Voices and music can still be heard from inside but between them there's deafening silence. They eyes he's giving her makes her body go weak.

"I met to give you this years ago. Before I left."

He opens the box and takes whatever is in outside before she has a chance to see. He places the box onto one of the lawn chairs before revealing to her what it has inside. A gold necklace with 'Sempre Fi" in cursive writing attached. Elliot moves closer to her. She visibly inhales as his hand brushes against her clavicle until they're behind her hooking the necklace.

Before his hand moves complete from her body she take it in hers holding them over her chest.

His body leans forward placing a kiss on her forehead.

"You make me cry on Christmas Eve and all I get is a kiss on the forehead." She jokes with a tear trickling down her face.

He pulls her in and kisses her softly brushing his thumbs against her cheeks wiping away her tears. He can't have her walking back inside teary eyed.

" Always faithful, thank you El."

"Where have you two been?" Bernie says drawing the attention they tried on avoiding.

"Mama"

"I'm just asking." She said walking along with her hands thrown up.

Olivia can tell their still glancing over at them. Their attempt at pretending their attention isn't on them is at its weakest point. Not in a negative why, just out of pure curiosity. He shakes his head laughing lightly at Kathleen who isn't even trying to hide it.

He's once again facing her. Taking all of her in. The woman he wants to spend the rest of his life. She stares at him and it's so unrealistic the emotional hold he has over her.

"Thank you for coming."

He wants to kiss her but it's too soon to do in the front of everyone, especially since they don't know they're together yet. With that they really should discuss what this makes them now.

"Always"