Over the next few weeks, Tim found himself growing more and more attached to Ava and T.J. Yes of course, he didn't have clue how he was actually being a father to the kids but for some reason, he, Calleigh, and their children bonded quickly.
"Hey beautiful." Tim snaked his arms around Calleigh's waist and she turned her head to look at him.
"Hey yourself handsome. What's got you so happy?"
Tim bent his head and kissed her quickly.
"You."
Calleigh smiled and turned back to the stove.
"Did you get the kids up?" she asked.
"It's Saturday. No school or daycare."
"True but it's also a good day to go Christmas shopping."
"And you want to tag those two along?"
"Sure. It'll be fun." Calleigh said, a humorous tone in her voice.
"Oh I see how it is." Tim smirked. "You go shopping while I deal with our children and hours of screaming and crying and..."
"And Santa pictures. That's why we better get a move on because everyone wants to see Santa."
"Please tell me I'm getting something for my services." Tim joked. Calleigh turned the stove off and then turned in his arms, sliding her arms around his neck.
"I'll see what my mom is doing tonight." she said.
"I like the sound of that." Tim leaned down and captured Calleigh's lips in a soft kiss.
"But first you have to go wake them up." she smiled. "Now go."
Tim gave her another kiss.
"I love you."
"Not gonna make me change my mind."
Tim sighed and headed back upstairs. He stopped in Ava's room first and lowered himself onto the toddler bed. Tim smiled, watching the three-year-old sleep. He had to admit, when he woke up that morning, he thought he was going crazy and wanted nothing to do with her or T.J. But now, Tim didn't want to live if she, T.J, and Calleigh weren't in his life.
"Ava..."
She ignored him but Tim could see the smile creeping up on her face.
"I know you're awake."
"I'm not awake." she whispered, pulling the blanket over her head.
"If you're not awake then why are you talking?" Tim whispered back. He reached over and pulled the blanket away from his daughter's smiling face.
"Hi Daddy."
"Hi princess. Come on. We gotta wake your brother up." Tim stood up.
"Daddy, can I have a piggy back ride?"
"Hop on."
Ava squealed with delight. She jumped on Tim's back and locked her arms around his neck. Tim walked down the hall to T.J's room and over to his bed.
"T.J get up."
"Too early." he mumbled.
"Come on. We got to go shopping."
"I don't wanna go."
"Neither do I but your mom is making us. She's also made pancakes."
T.J was out of bed and downstairs before Tim left the room.
"Daddy, Momma made pancakes?"
"Yeah. Why you want some?"
"Yup!"
"Then we better go get some before T.J eats them all huh?"
----------S/C---------
"Dad, this is stupid." T.J whined. "I want to go buy a video game."
"Okay." Tim shifted Ava to his other hip. "Honey, can I please put you down?"
"No." she buried her head in his shoulder and Tim sighed.
"T.J, your mom is shopping right now. She decided that it would be good if we used this time to get the pictures with Santa done. Once we're done then we'll go get a video game. I promise."
Slowly, they progressed through the long line of kids and Tim put Ava down so T.J could take her up to see Santa. He watched as T.J pushed Ava forward and she sat down on Santa's lap.
"And what's your name?" Santa asked. Ava mumbled her name and looked down at her lap, her curly pigtails bouncing slightly. "And what do you want for Christmas?"
Ava started crying and Tim sighed. Why couldn't Calleigh do this?
"Daddy!" she wailed, stretching her arms to him. Tim walked over and picked her up.
"Shh... T.J, please hurry." he said quietly. T.J nodded and sat down on Santa's lap.
"Alright T.J what do you want for Christmas?"
"A dog. That's it. Nothing else." T.J said and hopped off his lap. "Let's go."
Tim wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"Thanks Sport. Now lets find your mother."
They didn't have to look far. By the time Tim found Calleigh in KB Toys, Ava was down to sniffling.
"Oh honey, what's the matter?" Calleigh took Ava from Tim and through a couple of packages at him. "Tim, what happened?"
"Santa asked her what she wanted and she started crying. I did not get the pictures." Tim leaned closer to her and lowered his voice so T.J wouldn't hear him. "And I think we need to go to the pet store."
"Why? Honey what did you ask Santa for?" Calleigh shifted Ava slightly.
"A dog." T.J mumbled.
"T.J, we talked about this." Calleigh sighed.
"Cal..." Tim gave her a look and she pulled him away from T.J.
"You said no."
"Well let him get it."
"You said he was too young."
"Calleigh, he's gonna be eight. Get it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'll go alright?"
"Okay."
Tim leaned down and kissed her quickly. He reached over and fingered Ava's dark curls.
"You okay baby?"
Ava nodded and Tim wiped the tears off her cheeks.
"Be good for Mommy." he kissed her forehead and nudged T.J lightly on the shoulder. "Come on."
----------S/C---------
Calleigh glanced over her shoulder tiredly, hearing the sheets rustling behind her. Tim rolled over and stayed there for a couple of seconds before rolling onto his other side.
"There hasn't been any change."
"How long could he be like this?"
"It could be days, weeks, months, even years before he comes out of it. Have you notified his parents?"
"Yeah. They're... on their way. My team comes in, you let them see him."
"Sure thing Lt."
Tim moaned slightly and rolled onto his left side. Calleigh bit her lip and shook his shoulder.
"Tim, Tim, baby wake up."
"What?" he glanced over his shoulder at her. "S'wrong?"
"I should be asking you that. You looked like you were having a nightmare or something." Calleigh rubbed his back slowly.
"I don't know what it was." Tim admitted, sitting up. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"You okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine. Would you choose me over your job?"
"Of course. You were thinking about when Horatio got suspended right?"
"What?"
"When Horatio got suspended back when we first got engaged and we had that new lieutenant for those few weeks and he gave us the ultimatum of either our job or breaking up. Luckily Horatio came back that next day. I threatened to quit but the chief intervened, saying that the lab would never find another ballistics expert like me." Calleigh smiled at the memory and Tim gave a small smile. "Are you sure you're okay Tim?"
"Yeah honey, I'm fine." But Tim really wasn't. That had to have been the weirdest dream he had ever had. Everything was dark and all he heard were voices. One sounded familiar, Horatio but the other was unfamiliar, though Tim thought he had heard it from somewhere. He wouldn't worry about it right now.