Disclaimer: I own nothing…I'm just playing with them.

Set in the mess of the whole Paraguay situation…I've changed a few key details and ended it with just a bit of Christmas Spirit.

Conclusion!

This one's for all those needing a little more Christmas Spirit or just something to believe in….

---------------------------------------------------JAG-----------------------------------------------------

December 25th

Squeals of delight met the gifts Santa had left from Jimmy. The twins, too young to comprehend the purpose of the celebration, were just as delighted with the colourful bounty before them. AJ ignored his sack of presents and watched his siblings instead.

"Morning," Harm croaked, coming into the room.

"Merry Christmas, Harm," said Bud, moving to shake his hand.

"Merry Christmas, Harm," said Harriet, kissing his cheek. "Come and sit down."

Harm sat next to AJ on the sofa.

"Hi there, kiddo," said Harm, ruffling his hair.

"Hi," replied AJ without enthusiasm.

"Are you going to have a look at what Santa brought you?" asked Harm concerned.

"Nah," he shrugged.

"Why not?" Harm asked, studying his godson.

"Don't want them," he said bluntly.

"Why not? Didn't you write a list for Santa?" Harm asked.

'Yep, but they weren't on it." AJ stood up and moved towards the kitchen

"What was?" Harm called after him.

"Doesn't matter, didn't get it anyway."

--------------------------------------

After a day of forced celebrations and little Christmas Spirit, Harriet finally settled the children in bed and returned to Harm and Bud in the study.

"No, you're not," said Bud forcefully, as she entered.

'He's not what?" asked Harriet.

"Leaving. Harm was just saying he'd call a cab but I am insisting he stays," Bud explained.

"You're not going anywhere Harm. You're not well…" She felt his forehead. "You still have a temperature."

"It's probably just a cold – I was outside a while yesterday. But I'll be fine, at home in my own bed." Harm stood.

"Yes, you will," said Harriet. "But you're still not going. You can sleep in the guest room; you didn't quite make it up there last night."

"No, this sofa's fine," he said, sitting back down.

Bud stoked the fire and Harriet grabbed the blankets and pillows from the cedar chest which doubled as a coffee table.

"Do you need anything else, Harm?" she asked.

There was so much more he needed but he simply said no.

Bud slid the door closed and joined his wife in the kitchen to clean up the remnants of their day.

"Not much of a Christmas, hey sweetie," he said, cleaning the table.

"No, but I guess it was to be expected," Harriet said sadly.

"Yeah."

Silence ensued, both engrossed in their own thoughts and sense of loss. When the last piece of cutlery was placed in the drawer, Bud declared the work done. "And look, there's still twenty minutes left of Christmas Day."

"Good, can't wait 'til it's over," said Harriet hanging up the dish towel.

AJ sat up in bed. He'd been having a dream which hadn't disturbed him but excited him. He switched on his bedside lamp and looked around. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, only that he would know it when he saw it. AJ stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, before spying a bright red envelope on his chest of drawers. He scrambled out of bed and ripped it open. In neat precise handwriting was a poem.

Dearest AJ, you are unlike other boys,

They wanted Nintendo's and other such toys

Your Christmas wish was simply for Aunty Mac

And I have done everything to bring her back

In a moment there'll be a knock at the door

And you'll have her back now and forever more

Dearest AJ, you are a beautiful boy

May every Christmas be filled with such pure joy

from Santa Claus

He grabbed his robe and quietly headed down the stairs; he sat on the second last step and watched the front door. Hoping against hope the letter was real and not imagined.

Bud and Harriet moved to the living room, Bud turned off the Christmas tree lights and Harriet drew the curtains. As she turned around she saw AJ on the stairs.

"AJ, what are you doing up? Are you okay?" she asked, sitting alongside him and hugging him.

"I'm fine, mom," he replied, his eyes firmly fixed on the door.

"Why are you on the stairs, AJ?" asked Bud.

"I'm waiting for someone," he said with half a smile.

"Who?" asked Harriet.

"A friend." AJ started tapping his foot impatiently.

"AJ, it's nearly midnight. Which friend would be coming at this time?" Bud asked

"A special one," AJ replied, a fully fledged grin spreading across his face.

Bud and Harriet looked at each other. A soft knocking was heard. AJ jumped up.

"Aunty Mac," he squealed before he went to open it.

Bud put his hand on the door to prevent it from opening. "AJ, we've talked about opening the door without checking. It could be anyone."

"It's Aunty Mac," he said insistently.

"Now, AJ…" Harriet began.

"Hello?" they heard from beyond the door. Bud opened it. "Merry Christmas." Mac stood there looking dirty and tired but smiling happily. AJ hugged her tightly. "I knew it, I knew it!" he said.

Bud and Harriet both took their turn at welcoming home their friend.

"How…? I…I mean…we thought…" Harriet tried to speak but the words wouldn't come.

"Santa Claus!" said AJ proudly. "This is all I wanted and Santa always makes good on his promises." AJ hugged Mac again and took himself back to bed, happy with his Christmas Day.

Harriet ushered Mac into the living room, while Bud got her a drink. "Mac, we thought you were dead. How did you get here?"

"By an amazing string of coincidences actually. It's such a long story and…"

"We have time," Bud encouraged.

"The basic details are that Clayton and I were taken hostage on September 5; we were kept at a highly protected compound for about six weeks. Then, late one night, there was a lot of chaos; gunfire, explosions and the like. In the mayhem, Clay and I got separated. I escaped but I don't know about him." Mac paused, and then a brief smile lit her face, "I know it was probably wishful thinking but just before I scaled the wall I could have sworn I saw Harm there."

"You did! He went to find you," Harriet exclaimed, holding her friend's hand tightly.

'Well, he may not have found me, but he certainly saved me. If I hadn't escaped that night, I'm sure they would have killed me," Mac said.

Shivers ran down her spine as she remembered how she suffered at the hands of her captors.

"What happened after you escaped?" Bud asked.

"It's all a bit hazy, I'd suffered a blow to the head but I remember waking up in a convent. I stayed there a couple of weeks until I was fully recovered and they managed to smuggle me out through a contact of their's. He kept me hidden until he could arrange for me to get back here. Every plan seemed to hit a hurdle. This morning I was still sitting in the basement of his house when his cousin came for Christmas Day. They exchanged a few words, his cousin made a few calls, another man, Nicolas Santos, picked me up and by pure luck I made it here. I haven't slept or showered or eaten in a while but I just had to get here." Mac sighed deeply.

"Get here as in the US or…?" asked Harriet.

"No, here, your place. I didn't even ask Nic, he brought me here directly. Come to think of it, I never gave him your address." A look of confusion spread across her face.

"Nicolas Santos, Mac – Saint Nicholas," smiled Bud.

"Nah," said Mac "couldn't be." Although she had no other explanation.

"Well, I am going to find you some fresh clothes, you can have a shower and Bud will fix you something to eat," said Harriet, patting Mac's arm.

"Um, no," Mac said, declining the offer. "I know I had to get here but really…I…um…I really just want to see Harm and …"

"Easy fixed," said Bud, pointing towards the study.

"He's here?" Mac's face lit up.

"Where else did you expect him to be on Christmas?" asked Bud.

"Is he okay?" she asked, in an almost whisper.

"He will be now that you're back," Harriet said, smiling. "Are you sure I can't get you anything?"

"No," said Mac as she quietly slid the door back. "I think everything I need is in here."

Mac slid the door behind her and took a moment to watch the light from the flames flicker on Harm's face. He looked as handsome as ever, yet she could see how he had aged in the few months she'd been away. Mac walked to the sofa and pulled back the blanket. Carefully, she lay down and wrapped herself around him. She pulled the blanket back up and rested her head on his chest. Mac looked up at him and gently trailed her fingers down his check.

Harm's eyes opened and she smiled at him. "Hi Flyboy, Merry Christmas."

"Mac," he said, dreamily. "You're here?"

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," she cooed.

"Good," he said, closing his eyes again. Mac watched in anticipation for the moment of realisation to come. She didn't have to wait too long.

Harm's eyes opened and he went to sit up but Mac kept him lying with her.

"You're real?" he asked, running his hand through her hair.

"Yes I am," she smiled.

"But you're…" he began, his hand trembling as it touched her face.

"I'm here with you." Mac caressed his face.

"How? I mean…God, you're here." Confusion screamed in his deep blue eyes.

"Just think of this as your Christmas present." Mac reached up and kissed him.

"Merry Christmas, Mac, I love you," Harm said. He was still unsure if this was a dream or not but either way he'd take this opportunity any way he got it.

"And I love you, Harm." She kissed him again and again. "Merry Christmas, Flyboy."

Mac snuggled back down with him, she couldn't truly explain the sequence of events which brought her to him on this night, she just knew it was the only place she truly wanted to be.

--------hohoho-----------

"Mark two down for me," said Barney, as he moved from the monitor.

"Stop bragging," said Charlie, going away in a huff.

"I got two humans with one stone," he enthused.

"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in," Charlie snarled.

"What's happening in here?" boomed a voice from behind them.

"Oh, sorry sir," replied Barney. "I just got a bit carried away."

"What did you achieve, son?" came the disembodied voice.

"You know the Paraguay case with AJ Roberts, it came through. His Christmas wish came true, and so did his godfather's," Barney said proudly.
"Great to hear, Barney. Did you add their names to the book?"

"Just about to, sir," he replied.

Barney walked over to the huge ledger which sat alone on a long silver bench. In gold embossed writing 'True Believers' was written across the cover. Carefully, Barney turned the pages, and then added AJ's and Harm's names to the list.

"You know something, sir. I know I put in a lot of the leg work after meeting AJ at the mall, but I thought it was a lost cause. I mean, there seemed no way out for Sarah," Barney admitted.

"Things are not always what they seem, Barney. Sometimes you have to rely on strangers to help you out and sometimes you have to do things yourself."

"Should I put Sarah MacKenzie on the list too?" Barney asked.

"No, Barney, her Christmas dream hasn't come true. It won't happen for another two years when she has a… Oh, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Barney smiled and closed the ledger, knowing AJ Roberts and Harmon Rabb Jr would now have the spirit of Christmas forevermore.