A/N: Here comes the last chapter. :( I'm kind of sad I had to put an end to this story, it was like a baby to me right from the start, very special.
I'd like to thank everyone for reading and especially those who took the time to review. I might write a sequel someday, that will take place about 10 years after this story. I hope you'll read it if I do.
You'll realize that the ending is similar to something that happened in 416. It's only a coincidence, because I wrote this chapter long ago, I have proof too :D
This chapter has a slightly M rated smut part! (I know it's rather short though, sorry about that :P )
Chapter Fifty
They usually spent Christmas Eve on Aunt Diane's annual Christmas party, but none of them minded that their plans had to change this year. Even though it was Christmas, the celebration of the family, Diane could not forget the fight with her aunt from a week ago. Maybe it was just pride, but she decided it was time to start their own Christmas Eve tradition with a home cooked meal she and Will prepared together.
The dinner turned out to be delicious and the little family, including Sarah and her husband enjoyed the food, the Christmas spirit and each other's company. Roger had come to visit a couple of days before and ever since he'd found out about Sarah's pregnancy he'd treated her like a princess. Sarah couldn't have been more wrong about her husband's feelings, he was already behaving like a father with his unborn child and it made Sarah extremely happy.
Diane had baked her famous chocolate cake for dessert and she was about to cut it, when the doorbell interrupted her. They weren't expecting company that night, so it caught them by surprise.
"I'll get it," Will offered and a short while later their visitor appeared in the doorway of the dining room.
"Merry Christmas," Aunt Diane said with a shy smile, looking at her niece who couldn't have been more stunned, "Can I talk to you and Will for a moment?" she asked in an unusually soft tone of voice.
"Sure," Diane replied and followed her aunt to the living room.
"I'd like to apologize for the things I said the other day," the older Diane said looking from one to the other, "I didn't mean to hurt either of you and I had no right to talk to you like that."
Diane rarely heard an apology from that lady's mouth, so she had to appreciate it even more. She looked at Will, since he was the one her aunt had hurt the most with her statements and he gave his silent consent to say what she was about to say.
"We forgive you," Diane said with a smile and hugged her aunt.
"Thank you, you know the Christmas party just wasn't the same without all of you," she smiled at Will as well.
"Actually we're having a fantastic dinner and you're just in time for the dessert," Diane delivered a subtle invitation.
"Your chocolate cake?" her aunt guessed just right.
"Yes, will you join us?"
"Nothing would make me happier."
They walked back to the dining room together and Diane offered her seat at one end of the table to her aunt, who took it proudly. While Diane cut the cake she couldn't stop smiling, finally all dark clouds disappeared from her thoughts and as she looked at the wonderful family they had, she couldn't have been happier.
o-o-o
"Just one more story, please," Emma begged Diane for the second time that night.
"Your brother is long asleep, Santa won't come until you are too," she tried to reason with her daughter, which usually worked, but not this time.
"I just want one last story, I promise I'll sleep afterwards," Emma used her magical smile, which was hard to say not to.
"You said it before the last one as well," she chuckled, stroking her hair gently.
"But now I mean it."
"Aren't you too old for bedtime stories?"
"But the way you read them is so much fun, no one can do it like you," the praise warmed Diane's heart and she hugged her beautiful daughter with love.
"Mom?" Em's voice was a little different now.
"Yes?"
"I won't have a little sister or brother anymore, right?"
Diane couldn't believe her seven-year-old daughter was old enough to understand what was left unsaid between them.
"I don't think so, sweetie," Diane stroke her face gently.
"It's okay, I'll love Aunt Sarah's baby like my own sister or brother," Emma said so wisely that Diane couldn't have been more proud of her.
"I love you so much," Diane gave Emma a sweet kiss on her cheek then adjusted her blanket.
"I think I'm going to sleep now, so that Santa can come," Emma closed her eyes, forgetting about the next story and Diane stared at her dear face for a short while before she turned off the light.
o-o-o
"I'm exhausted," Diane lay next to Will on the bed after a quick shower.
"Tonight couldn't have been more perfect," Will said as he took Diane's hand and lifted it up to his lips, to place a kiss on it. Diane found this rather gentlemanly behavior very sweet. She turned to her side to face him and slowly ran her pointing finger on his lips.
"I'm afraid if I kiss you now, we won't be getting too much sleep tonight," she said with longing in her voice. She wanted to kiss him, but not in a 'just a good night kiss' kind of way which contradicted the tiredness she felt all over her body.
"And what's wrong with that?" he smiled and turned in her direction with his whole body.
"Have I mentioned that I'm exhausted?" Diane asked, without showing any other resistance, she felt the desire take over and there was nothing she could or wanted to do about it anymore.
"I know the best way for you to relax," Will gently pushed her to her back and got on top of her.
His face moved closer to her, but in the end it was Diane who pulled him by the neck and closed the gap between them to indulge in that long awaited kiss, which obviously wasn't meant to be just a that. She soon felt Will's hands invading her legs, reaching under her nightgown and after a few more eager kisses that ended with both of them grasping for air she got rid of her lingerie to let him go further. The warm touch of his lips made her skin burn inch by inch as he made his way down from her neck to her stomach, removing her panties from his way.
Her body was squirming under his mouth and hands, silently begging him to stop the teasing and do something about her unbearable desire that reached its limit as she felt his tongue gently licking her. She turned her head from one side to the other, tried to keep her mouth shut not to scream out loud due to the pleasure she felt. Soon his lips were back on hers to occupy them with kisses while he finally got rid of his underpants and made the move they'd been waiting for, over and over again.
o-o-o
The kids' joyful screaming was the wake-up call for Diane on Christmas Day, like it had been for the last few years. The two early birds sounded happy with their presents and Diane turned to her husband with a content smile.
"Merry Christmas," she said and kissed him softly.
"Merry Christmas," he replied and turned to the nightstand to take something, "I wanted to give this to you first thing today."
Diane took the wrapped flat object from him and opened it, just to find the same door-plate under the cover that she'd given him when she'd showed him their office space for the first time, almost a year ago. Lockhart&Gardner. She stared at their names carved on the piece of glass and could hardly believe that in just a few days their dream would finally come true.
THE END