The relief on Al's face was palpable as Cait walked in through the kitchen door. "Cait! Thank God you're back. You are OK aren't you?"

Cait smiled and nodded. " All fine, just being dumb, overthinking and plain ole'.." Cait shrugged her shoulders. "Stressed. So what have you been up to?"

Alice smirked. " Trying very hard not to cook anything?" She gestured to the pots. " Marella peeled the carrots, I prepped the sprouts. String put the spuds in the oven. I swear I did not touch them."

The front door of the cabin opened, and Michael crept in. Marella, sat on the couch with her legs crossed, was nursing a glass of eggnog. She grinned slyly as he sauntered in. Rising to her feet, she sidled across to the bar and poured a glass of scotch for him. Cait glanced across as Michael sauntered through the cabin in his casually arrogant way to meet Marella. Marella raised her eyebrows, smirked, and handed Michael the glass. "Sir?" She savored her eggnog. "You've been gone a while." She murmured into his ear.

He downed the scotch in one as he perched on the edge of a barstool. "Yes, and stop calling me Sir. YOU don't work for me anymore." His eyes twinkled as his face creased into a grin.

"Sorry, Sir...Michael. Force of habit." She peered at him slyly. So, did you tell her?"

He shot her a steely glare. "Tell who what?"

"It's written across your face, every time you see Caitlin."

He pursed his lips and sighed. "I hope like hell it's not obvious to anyone but you, and the answer is no, I said nothing." He glanced across at Cait, now with Hawke's arms wrapped around her waist.

"She's in love with Hawke and he loves her." He exhaled deeply. "I Should've taken my chance a year ago. I didn't. I can't turn back time." He slipped his hand into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small box. "Before I forget again, Merry Christmas." He gave Marella the box and a kiss on the cheek.

Marella blushed. "I thought we'd agreed, no presents? I have got nothing for you." The box was small and blue, the type that contained jewellery. Opening the lid revealed a small gold stethoscope on a gold chain. She took it from the box. "It's perfect." She smiled.

*****AW*****

Hawke pulled Caitlin close to him. She snuggled into his arms and he whispered in her ear. "You were gone a while. I missed you." He kissed her earlobe, sending chills down her spine. "I know what you want me to say, Cait, but I can't." He pulled back to look at her, the muscle in his jaw twitching. "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

Cait picked at his shirt collar. "I can't promise nothing will happen." she patted his shoulders "I hope it won't. We just have to look out for each other, OK?" She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.. "You don't have to say it anyway, just show it and..." she frowned and screwed up her nose. "Trust me, sometimes you're just too damn paranoid!"

"You're too good for me." He smirked and pulled her close.

"Well, I know that." A cheeky grin spread across her face. As she reached up to kiss him, she frowned. "What is that in your pocket?"

"Your present." He pulled a burgundy velvet-covered box from his jeans pocket and opened it.

Cait gasped, her eyes wide. "It's beautiful!" Nestled in the satin lining sat a heart-shaped gold locket. Intricately embossed on the front, with a small white diamond in the centre. She picked it up.

"It was my grandmothers." His voice hoarse. "She gave it to my father, to give to my mother. Now I'm giving it to you." He took it from her hand and turned it over. Engraved on the back were the words "l love you."

"I can say it for both of us. I love you String." her lips grazed across his with the lightest kiss.

He studied her face carefully. "You've been talking to Michael, haven't you?"

"Yup. He told me some things I needed to know." She glared at him. "Some things that you should probably have told me." He frowned at her. "Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right." She grinned as her fingers trailed across his cheek, "And I can promise you, you have nothing to be jealous about."

*****AW*****

"Gross! Stop kissing, come and play a game with us?" Le whinged.

Cait pulled away from Hawke and grinned. "OK, OK! What game are we playing?"

She looked across to where Marella was laying down a mat with Alice.

Hawke groaned and rolled his eyes skyward. "Who in hell bought Twister? My bones are gettin' too old to play games like that."

Cait giggled "Oh, don't be a spoilsport." She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the lounge. "It'll be fun. We can play in teams of two if I remember right, so that's four teams." Her eyes darted around the room counting heads and frowned. "Where are Dom and Elaine?"

Marella glanced up from her position, seated on the floor by the fireplace, assembling the spinner for the game. "They headed down to the dock with Elaine's present from Dom."

"The mind boggles." Caitlin muttered.

Marella sniggered. "Dom bought her a saxophone. She wanted to practice."

Hawke smirked as he flopped onto the couch with a glass of wine. "Don't suppose that's all he's practising in the Ranger."

Alice snorted. "Yuck! Should I disinfect it before we head back tomorrow?" She poured herself a glass of wine and passed the bottle to Michael.

Cait pursed her lips, struggling to look stern. "Now don't be unkind." She giggled "It's a vision I'd rather not to have in my mind though! Let's start without them. "

"I want Marella on my team!" Shouted Le

Marella raised her eyebrows, "I'm flattered Le. Why?"

Le looked her up and down and folded his arms across his chest. "'Cos you're hot."

Michael laughed loudly, He glanced at Cait, but Hawke wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Then I'll take Al."

Ali raised her eyebrows. "Do I have a say?"

Michael smirked. "I don't think you have an alternative, Hawke, Cait or Yours truly."

"And I'm playing with Cait." growled Hawke.

"So you're making my decisions for me too?" Scowled Cait. "Al, would you team up with me?"

Al grinned. "suits me!"

*****AW*****

Marella spun the arrow. "This might be the killer move." She chuckled, looking at the tangle on the floor in front of her. "Right foot and green."

Cait swiftly lifted her right foot from the yellow spot it had been occupying, slipping it under Hawkes leg and taking the green spot in front. Michael needed to get his right leg across him to the left, an action made more difficult by the position of his left hand on a blue spot. "Ah, Ha!" He grinned. Twisting himself round, he swung his leg to straddle Hawkes shoulders.

Al twisted herself round, slipping her right leg under String and landing on the green spot next to Cait.

"Don't fart. I have never had my nose this close to your ass." Hissed String.

Ali snorted. "New meaning to kiss my ass then. If I were you I'd be more concerned about your teammate's butt. I know what he ate last night."

"Michael? Did you have broccoli?" Hawkes tone was accusatory.

"I may have had a little, in soup with Stilton." Answered the agent defensively.

Marella shrieked. "This one… This will end it… Right hand, red."

"You have got to be kidding!" Hissed String, as he moved across for the one red circle he had any chance of reaching. Caitlins hand was already on it.

"Hey get your own circle, this is mine." Cait slapped Hawke's hand.

"Christ Michael, you're damn well sitting on me!" String grumbled as he leant back to try to reach a different red circle. His foot slipped and his knee hit the mat.

"You're out, Uncle String!" Le hollered.

"Ha! A win for the girls!" Cried Cait, as she sank to the mat, taking Michael down with her on top of Hawke and Alice.

The four of them were sprawled in a jumble of limbs, laughing when the door opened, and a confused Santini and Elaine walked in.

Dominic put the saxophone case he was carrying behind the pullout in the corner, gazing open-mouthed at the spectacle in front of him. Elaine chuckled.

"What in hell is going on?" Dom stood and stared.

"Twister…" Cait struggled to get the words out in between fits of giggles. "you two, are…" She heaved in a deep breath. "... Up next against Le and Marella."

Dom's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "Me?" He pointed to his chest. "Play that?"

He gestured to the spot where the four lay, trying to disentangle themselves. He shook his head. "I ain't built for games like that. Uh huh, no way."

Hawke had extracted himself from the pile and helped Cait to her feet. "Dom, you ain't built to fly a Stearman, but you do it anyhow. Come on, it's fun, and it's Christmas."

Elaine grabbed Dom's hand and pulled him toward the lounge. "Come on, honey. I wanna play. Please?"

Dom held his hands up in surrender. "Mamma Mia, me and my back. OK, OK. I'll do it."

*****AW*****

"Smells real good String. Is it ready yet?" Cait asked while she melted butter for gravy.

Hawke poked the tip of the knife into the turkey meat. "Another half an hour should do."

Cait checked her wristwatch. "So half-past one?" She opened the lid on the Christmas pudding boiling on the back burner.

Hawke wrinkled his nose in disgust as he peered at the foil topped basin boiling away. "So this is an English tradition, is it? Not sure about the smell."

"Al says it's not Christmas without it. It's mostly fruit, bread and brandy boiled for hours. Al made it."

"Really? Al makin' anything doesn't exactly commend it." Hawke pulled a face.

"String, we did it together. She followed the recipe exactly. And it looks like the picture in the book. Besides, If you don't like it, there's Elaine's trifle."

*****AW*****

There was a raucous shriek from the lounge. Hawke smirked as he glanced across. "Come on, I think Dom's almost done for." He reached for Cait's hand and the pair walked through, pausing at the bar to refill wine glasses.

Dominic Santini's bulky frame dominated the centre of the Twister mat, Marella's left leg threaded through his arms, Elaine's right leg and left arm threaded between his feet, and Le threaded underneath.

"Mamma Mia. I dunno how long I can stay like this. Le I don't wanna squash you kid."

"Right foot and blue." Snorted Michael.

"What? How in Hell d'ya think I'm gonna get that foot to there without splittin' my pants?" Dom grumbled loudly.

Hawke nudged Cait and gestured to the mantelpiece. Ptery was weaving round a small Oriental statue and a picture frame. The cat came to a halt above Dom's back and looked for a way down. With a slight wiggle of his hind quarters, Ptery launched himself from the mantelpiece on to the older man's back, all claws out.

Dom shrieked as he collapsed on to the Twister mat, while Le rolled out from underneath. "YEEEOWWCCH! Damn cat. We were robbed, honey." He fumed to Elaine.

Le leapt to his feet "We won! Marella we won!"

Elaine flopped on to her back. "Dominic Santini, if you want a rematch you are on your own." She stood up and grabbed Dom's hand. "Come on, let's get a drink, my mouth's drier than an Arab's boot."

Marella extracted her long legs from under Dom's. She grinned as she sat up and high fived Le. "Yeah, but we still need to crush the dream team over there." She gestured to Cait on the couch and Al on the floor.

Cait glanced at her wristwatch. "It will have to be after lunch. Anyone want to help?"