John fell into step beside Alex as they entered the

grocery store. " Now what?" Kerry

glanced over at him with amusement, for the last six

hours John had been helping her shop.

" Now we pick up some groceries for Christmas dinner

and go home." John nodded taking a

thick list from his pocket and crossing something off.





" What's that?" John glanced down at the three page

list grinning sheepishly. For once he'd

out planned the planner. " A list of things for Alex.

Furniture, clothes, toys, not to mention

Christmas shopping....." Kerry laughed at him. "

What's so funny?"



" You're acting like an expecting father." John

blushed as Kerry took the list. " So what did

you have to trade to get the day off?" John tried to

look innocent, " Did it occur to you that

today might be my day off?" Kerry put on her glasses

scanning the list.



" Your day off is Thursday." ' Busted.....' John

started pushing the shopping cart trying to

keep some of his dignity intact. He knew Kerry thought

it was only a crush and that made it

worse on him. She tolerated it, but never once had she

noticed that it wasn't just a simple

crush.



Kerry glanced down at Alex removing her glasses. "

Alex?" The small girl peeked up at her

from were she was holding Kerry's hand. " Is there

anything you want to get?" Kerry asked

as the girl stared down at her shoes shrugging

slightly.



They paused on the ice cream aisle, " How about some

ice cream?" Again, all she got was a

shrug. John perked up happily grabbing several

different tubs of ice cream for her. Kerry

kneeled down speaking softly to Alex, " Go ahead and

pick out something. Any flavor you

want."



Alex studied her intently then slowly made her way

down the aisle. Her eyes scanning each

and every flavor and brand. She finally came to a stop

staring at one, then glancing at Kerry

unsure what to do. Kerry walked over and opened the

door. " Which one?"



Alex pointed to the moose tracks. Kerry smiled and

placed it in the cart. All day Alex had

been like this, never making any real decisions. Not

only that but from the girls reaction she

got the idea that Alex had never been in a store

before.



Kerry grabbed a couple cans of tomato puree, dumping

them in the cart. A loud crash

made her spin around. Alex was standing in the middle

of a vinegar puddle, glass scattered

around her. The young girl was crying softly and

started to back away.



" Alex don't move." The girl froze shaking

uncontrollably. Kerry walked over and picked

her up. Setting her down in the cart. " I'll go get

someone to clean that up...." Kerry nodded

dimly at John. Trying to calm her daughter, she took a

tissue from her pocket, and wiped her

cheeks gently.



" Hey it's no big deal......" Alex raised her eyes

to Kerry's face with cautious surprise. Kerry

smiled, "... accidents happen. You just have to be

more careful, okay?" Alex nodded and

watched as one of the employee's began cleaning up the

mess.







Kerry pulled the pan of lasagna out of the oven glad

to see that Alex had climbed up into

one of the chairs. She was watching Kerry and John

closely. Hearing the phone Kerry

handed the knife to John, and answered it. John cut

out pieces for the three of them.



"...........You're joking right?.....How's that

possible?........." John sat the plates down staring

at Kerry. Her eyes had turned into steel, gazing so

hard at the wall he expected it to catch on

fire. Kerry left the room her voice strangely steady.



" What the hell do you mean that she has legal right

to?....No forget it, good bye..." He

winced as Kerry calmly walked into the room gently

lowering the phone to the counter. He

had learned the hard way that when she was calm her

temper was more dangerous than

normal.



" What's wrong?" Kerry turned unable to look at her

daughter, " Maybe we should go into

the living room." John followed her, " Jasmine's

lawyer managed to get the charges dismissed,

and as of this morning she's suing me for custody."



" She can't do that." John said quietly. "

Apparently she can, her and Abasi have been

married for the last four years." Kerry closed her

eyes not wanting to deal with having to go

through another custody battle. A soft pressure on her

leg made her look down.



Alex gazed up at her frankly, looking indecisive.

Kerry smiled warmly at her, as the girl

shyly wrapped her arms around her leg. Alex stepped

away quickly searching her mother for

her reaction. Kerry kneeled down taking the girl into

a tight bear hug.



Alex squirmed from her arms and took off into the

kitchen holding her now empty plate up

hopefully.







Kerry glared at everyone in the conference room

short of her lawyer. She still couldn't

believe she was here. " Dr. Weaver do you have

anything to add?" Kerry turned her sharpest

gaze on the elderly judge unable to keep her temper

down anymore.



" Yes I do. I have never been part of a more

ridiculous display. The fact that we're even

sitting here discussing the possibility of letting a

kidnapper and child abuser take custody of a

child that isn't even her's is nothing short of a

embarrassment to this cities legal system."



" Are you finished?" Kerry narrowed her eyes at the

elderly woman, trying to decide

whether she get away with giving the old woman a

tongue lashing. Despite the woman's dry

amusement she decided she couldn't, " For now......"



Judge Anderson eyed her momentarily with something

resembling admiration. " I agree with

you whole heartily, which is why I'm throwing this

case out." Jasmine opened her mouth to

protest, snapping it closed with an audible snap when

the judge leveled a glare at her.



" I will not take up my courts time with this case.

You are directly responsible for the

kidnapping of Alex, you stood by letting her father

beat her countless times, and I will not let

that child get returned to your care." The judge

snapped the file closed sharply.



Standing up she glared down at Kerry's former

friend. " If you ever try for custody again

and manage to get another judge, I will personally

make sure they hold you in contempt." The

judge turned briskly walking from the room.



Kerry slumped back staring at Jasmine as their

lawyers left. The silence between them was

deafening, " Why?" Jasmine stared at her darkly, "

Why did I sue for custody or why did I

help him?" Kerry said, " Both." Jasmine turned away.



" If you don't know......." Kerry slammed her hand

down hard on the table, " Damn it

Jasmine answer my question." Her former friend turned

blazing eyes on her, " You stole him

from me, and then had his child." Kerry's mind didn't

want to process her response.



" This is over.........Jasmine you......you stole

four years of my daughters life because you

were jealous?" Kerry stood violently, her voice

raising with each word. Jasmine meet her

gaze trying not to flinch, " Kerry I loved him. I

thought........then one day you announce that

you're getting married."



" You could have had him......after the

divorce....." Kerry moved to the door wanting to get

out of there. " Kerry ................" Kerry turned

to her, " Stay out of my life, and stay away

from my daughter."







' What a way to spend Christmas eve........' She

stared at the sofa where John and Alex

were watching Mary Poppins. Both heads glanced over at

her, " Well?" Kerry dumped her

crutch unceremoniously to the floor, collapsing next

to Alex. " Jasmine can't contest it."



Alex glanced from one to the other, " Alex she can't

take you from me." The girl got to her

knees shyly touching Kerry's cheek. When Kerry didn't

get angry, she awkwardly crawled

into her lap. Kerry tenderly embraced her and started

to watch the movie.







A loud snicker shot through the room that was lit

only by the fireplace. " Shhhhh you want

to wake her........" The tall shadow glared over at

the shorter one indigently. " Me you're the

one............"



" Shhhhhhhh......." The tall shadow snorted at the

loud whisper of the shorter shadow who

promptly slapped his chest. John blew hard at the

white puffy ball of the Santa cap as it fell

into his face. It flew up then bounced off his nose.

In frustration he flung it back ignoring

Kerry's soft laughter.



John's eyes raised to the door frame she was under

and grinned. Kerry followed his gaze

suddenly remembering the mistle toe. John walked

toward her gently taking her into his arms.

" John......." He cut off her protest's with

passionate lips.



Kerry moved closer to him unable to deny that she

wanted this. John tightened his arms

pushing her gently into the door frame. The sudden

bundle that hit their legs caused John to

break the kiss. Glancing down he saw Alex wrapped

around Kerry's leg staring at him.



Kerry patted her back, " And what are you doing

awake?" Alex glanced at the Christmas

tree curiously while Kerry checked the clock, it was

almost four thirty. " Alright go on......."

Alex slowly walked toward the tree crowded with

presents, and sat down not touching any

of them.



Alex reached for the first package carefully

unwrapping it. John walked over sitting next to

her, " That's not how you do it......" Alex froze fear

taking over, " .....you have to rip it open."

Alex frowned slightly looking at the package.



John grabbed some of the paper ripping it off, "

Like this......" Throwing the paper down, he

grinned proudly at Alex. The small girl's lips

twitched as she copied him. Her little hands

ripping into the package happily. Seeing what the gift

was she smiled at her mother.



Alex struggled with the box tearing it open. She

carefully removed the bulky play station

staring up expectedly. " Hey, aren't you going to open

your other presents?" Alex squinted

her face undecidedly as Kerry broke in. " John why

don't you hook it up for her while she

opens the other stuff?"



John grabbed the play station, watching Alex from

the corner of his eyes. The girl had

already unwrapped several movies and books, her eyes

wide with wonder. He glanced over

at Kerry to gauge her reaction. She seemed to be

caught between extreme joy and sadness.



Kerry sat on the floor next to her daughter handing

her a small box. Alex opened it gently

somehow sensing that it was important. Tossing the

wrapping paper to the floor she

uncovered a black jewelry box. Alex opened it staring

at the necklace inside.



" It was the only thing my parents left with me when

they put me up for adoption. Whenever

I was scared or alone I would touch it and know that

somewhere out there I had a family."

Alex crawled into her lap so that Kerry could put it

on her.



Neither women noticed as he slipped from the room.

They needed time alone to heal each

other's scars. Maybe then Kerry would be ready to give

him a chance.