Natalie's red hair made it easy to spot her and Jonas among the crowd of passengers emerging from the gates. John smiled as he walked towards them. It still felt so surreal—that little boy hurrying towards him was his son. He was picking his son up at the airport. His son and… what could he call her anyway? "The mother of his son" was certainly a title that carried a lot of weight, but it didn't seem to capture everything.

Jonas stopped a few feet in front of him and grinned up at him. That was definitely Michael's grin; they could be in trouble another eight years down the road he thought to himself remembering how Michael had been in his late teens and early twenties. Apparently trying to act grown up Jonas nodded up at him and said in a very serious tone, "Hi Dad."

John stooped down and wrapped his arms around him and the boy eagerly returned the hug. "Hey you," he said, "it's good to see you."

"Good to see you too," Jonas mumbled in his ear.

He stood up to face Natalie who had caught up with them by now. She smiled wearily at him. His heart skipped a little; damn she looked beautiful. Even with her hair escaping her ponytail wearing a pair of baggy khakis and a long sleeved t-shirt she could still take his breath away.

"How was your flight?" he said wrapping an arm around her and kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Bumpy," she said with a tense sigh, "not fun."

"Mom doesn't like to fly," Jonas explained as they walked towards baggage claim, "but it's a lot safer than driving."

"That's very true," John said as Natalie rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know," she said. "But at any rate I'm glad it's over."

"Want me to get that?" John asked seeing her hoist her heavy looking bag higher onto her shoulder.

She shook her head. "I've got it." He felt surprisingly awkward around her but with all the phone calls they'd made arranging this trip they hadn't talked much about their relationship. It was much easier to discuss Jonas and how everything fit around him than to address where they stood with each other.

Natalie seemed just as unsure of their situation as he was; when they reached to take a suitcase off the conveyor belt at baggage claim at the same moment she actually blushed feeling his hand graze hers. Hmm. This would be an interesting week.

"So I figure you guys are probably hungry," he said directing them towards the car.

"I am," Jonas said eagerly, "I am sooo hungry. I could eat my backpack."

"Please don't," Natalie said with an indulgent smile, "we might need it for the trip back. And I'm sure Dad can find something with a little more nutritional value."

"Nutrition?" John asked with a playful smile. She swatted him gently on the arm.

When they reached the car Jonas clambered into the backseat as Natalie helped him load the suitcases into the trunk. He slammed the trunk shut and realized that she was still lingering at his side. She flashed him another one of those embarrassed smiles and peered up at him under lowered eyelids.

Looking back he could never be sure which one of them initiated it, but somehow they began to move closer to one another until finally their lips met. They'd shared so many kinds of kisses over the years; this one was a long, gentle, intimate kiss. The kiss of two people whose lives were inextricably wound around one another and who had finally given up fighting that.

When she finally pulled back Natalie giggled softly. "It's good to see you," she said.

"Yeah it is," he replied with a smile.

"Now seriously, if it's too cramped just let me know," he said when they arrived at his apartment after stopping for dinner. "We can still move you to a hotel--I won't be insulted."

"It'll be fine," Natalie assured him, "the whole point was to spend time with you. That becomes a lot harder if we aren't with you."

They stepped into the living room which still bore traces of its usual clutter despite his concerted effort to clean it—an empty soda can on the coffee table, papers scattered on the computer desk, a bag of trash he'd forgotten to take out that morning. The only Christmas decoration was an undecorated artificial tree he'd hastily erected in one corner. He felt a little embarrassed to have them see the place; they were used to living in a mansion. They deserved living in a mansion. Neither of them seemed to mind though, judging by the expressions on their faces.

He cleared his throat. "So um… Jonas your mom said you'd be okay sleeping on the couch."

Jonas walked over and flopped down on his back on the couch as though testing it out. "It'll work," he said. Sitting up he looked around and asked, "Where's Mom gonna sleep though?"

Natalie raised an eyebrow at John. They had not discussed their sleeping arrangements. "Well I uh-" he stammered, "I figured I'd let her have my bed."

"That's nice of you," Jonas said, "where are you going to sleep?"

He was fairly certain his face was turning red. He looked to Natalie for assistance but all she provided was an amused smile. "Well um… we'll work it out."

"There's one problem," Jonas said eyeing the tree, "How's Santa gonna put the presents under the tree if I'm in the room?"

"He'll um… he'll leave them someplace else," Natalie said, "like the uh- kitchen. Or the hall closet."

"Santa's very resourceful," John said.

"I know," Jonas said, "like the reindeer don't like Louisiana cause it's not cold enough so he has to come in a skiff with alligators pulling it."

"Does he?" John laughed, "I had no idea."

"I have a book about it," Jonas explained.

"Jonas spent his first Christmas in New Orleans," Natalie said with a melancholy smile.

"I didn't realize," John said softly, "you told me you spent time here but I didn't ask when-"

She nodded, "He was born up in Lafayette, but we came down here when he was a couple months old." She dabbed the corner of one eye with a fingertip. They still had so much catching up to do; he knew she regretted the parts of their son's life he'd missed just as much as he did.

"Yeah," she continued, "it was just him and me and some take out Chinese because it was the only place open-- Speaking of which, what are we eating tomorrow?"

John grinned at her sheepishly, "Probably take out Chinese. It's either that or-"

Jonas cleared his throat. "Um… excuse me… Mom, he doesn't know?"

She smiled, sitting down next to him on the couch, "I guess not. You want to tell him?"

Jonas sat up and looked very seriously at John. "We have a Christmas dinner tradition."

"Oh," he said looking anxiously back and forth between the two of them, "your mom didn't tell me. I mean I don't have much here-"

"You probably have this," Natalie assured him.

"Well what-?"

"Macaroni and Cheese!" Jonas finally said, "We always have it for Christmas dinner."

John laughed. "What?" Jonas asked indignantly, misinterpreting the cause of the laughter.

"Your father and I have a long history with Mac and Cheese, Jonas," Natalie said ruffling his hair.

"You do?" he asked bewildered.

"Mm hmm," she said, "the year we met it was right before Christmas and I was really sad about something and your dad came and we ate Mac and Cheese together and he made me feel a lot better." She and John exchanged a smile over the fond memory.

"Is that why we started eating it for Christmas?" he asked looking up at her.

"It is," she said.

"Well Mac and Cheese I have," John said with a laugh. "That's about all I have."

"So what time do you have to work tomorrow?" Natalie asked.

"Should be nine to five," he said, "they just need someone in the office really. Even big nasty drug lords tend to take the day off."

She thought for a second, "So we need to get up at like 5:30 or six."

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"Well you don't think we're waiting until after you get off work to open our presents," she said.

Jonas gave him a look to confirm this wasn't an option. "Six in the morning it is," John said with a laugh.

"You know," John said in a more serious tone, "it's really good to have you guys here. I just feel bad—like you're missing out on Christmas with the rest of your family."

"We're not," Jonas assured him, "Sophie already figured out this is an excuse to celebrate Christmas twice. They're having another Christmas when we get back."

"Besides," Natalie said, "it's worth it to be here with you." She looked at her watch and stood up. "But I am going to go take a shower if I have to be up that early. And you young man," she said looking at Jonas, "you're gonna help your dad get your bed all made up and then you're gonna go to bed yourself, right?"

Jonas nodded obediently. As soon as she was out of the room, however, he beckoned his father closer. "I have to tell you something," he said when John sat next to him on the couch.

"Okay," he said.

"There is no Santa Claus."

John looked at him in confusion, not sure what Jonas meant in telling him this, did he think he didn't know?

"Don't tell Mom I know," Jonas added, "she'll be so disappointed I figured it out."

He smiled, "Okay."

"So what did you get her for Christmas?" the boy asked eagerly.

Even though the shower was running and he was fairly certain she couldn't hear them he leaned closer and asked, "Can you keep a secret?"

By the time Natalie emerged from the shower she found Jonas asleep on the couch and John standing by the window watching him, a smile playing across his lips.

"It doesn't get old," she said coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around him.

"What?" he whispered.

"Watching him sleep," she said kissing him on the shoulder.

He turned and kissed her deeply on the mouth. "That doesn't get old either," he murmured against her lips.

"No it doesn't," she said with a smile. She turned her back to him to look out the window. "I always liked this city," she said leaning back against him.

"Yeah," he said breathing in the scent of her hair, "kinda sorry my assignment here's up in June."

"That's right," she said, the muscles in her shoulders tightening slightly as she asked, "do you know where they're sending you next?"

"They're not," he said simply.

"What?" she asked, not understanding his statement.

"I'm getting out," he explained. "When this assignment's over, I'm out."

"Really?" she asked with growing interest, "what are you going to do?"

"Not sure," he said, "Been thinking about moving to this little town in Pennsylvania. Spent some time there a while back and there's some people there I'd like to see more of."

"Interesting," she said a smile spreading across her face as she turned to look at him, "anyone I know?"

"Well this gorgeous red head for one," he smiled back, "and this amazing kid of hers."

"Yeah?" she asked.

He nodded. "And now that I'm done planning this trip I'm gonna start making some arrangements to move up there. Just have a few details to work out."

"Like what?"

"Like getting a place to live," he said, "I'm not sure how many bedrooms I need."

"Well you know," she said slyly, "I've been thinking I might be old enough to move out of my mom's house. If you're interested we could maybe get a place together, split expenses."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Could be fun," she said kissing him lightly on the lips.

He searched her eyes for a moment, looking for any hesitation, and barriers left between them and finding none kissed her again. As scalding hot as their kisses had once been they were nothing compared to their kisses now. Now neither of them could find any excuse to hold back, any secrets dividing them.

"So did you figure out where you're sleeping yet?" she whispered in his ear.

"Well I don't know about sleeping..." he murmured in response. Natalie cast him a sly smile as he took her by the hand and led her back to his bedroom.

As they were finishing up dinner the next night John suddenly reached across the table and took Natalie's hand. His eyes silently asked her a question and she nodded in response, understanding him perfectly. She turned to Jonas and said, "Jonas, baby, your father has one more Christmas present for you, if you want it."

Jonas looked interested but a little confused by her phrasing. "What is it?" he asked.

She turned to John silently urging him to explain. "Well," he said sounding more than a bit nervous, "now feel free to say 'no', but I was thinking, that if you want. And only if you want. I'd like for you to have my last name."

Jonas didn't answer immediately.

Natalie took a breath and prodded, "What do you say? You ready to be Jonas McBain?"

After half a moment's more consideration he smiled and said. "Yeah. I kinda like the way that sounds. Besides, after Mom's last name changes to McBain it would be weird for me to be the only Buchanan."

"What?" Natalie asked.

He clapped his hand over his mouth and gave his father an endearingly guilty look. "I'm sorry," he said, "I ruined the surprise, didn't I?"

"What surprise?" she asked.

John stood and retrieved something from a drawer in his computer desk. "Well I was gonna wait until a little bit later, but I guess this is as good a time as any." He knelt beside Natalie's chair and opened the velvet box. Natalie let out a giggle of mixed shock and delight. "I know things are happening fast, but I still feel like this has been a long time coming. What do you say? Make an honest man out of me?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "Do you even have to ask?" She leaned down and kissed him. "Yes," she said before kissing him again. Straightening up to let him slide the ring on her finger she added, "I mean, you know, for the sake simplifying the names…"

"Merry Christmas Mom!" Jonas grinned.

"Merry Christmas," she said wiping tears of joy from her eyes.

To be continued (but only in the epilogue)