Hi all, yes I know I didn't finish this in time last year but hopefully this year I will as my other fics are taking me a little bit of time...Hopefully the fact I'm the lead in Sinbad the Sailor Pantomime won't hold up this fic either! Enjoy. Let's get in the holiday spirit again, I've been listening to Christmas songs for ages getting prepared for this! (and because I just love 'em! Lol) AJ5 ;-)

Chapter 3.

'Come on aunt Cate!' Rebecca hollered from the lounge still sat between Kelly and Kris. Cate was in the kitchen with Jill making hot chocolate for everyone, Jill helped by tossing lots of mini marshmallows into each cup.

'I think your niece is calling for you.' Jill smiled as she poured mallows into another cup.

'Hurry aunt Cate, hurry!' Rebecca urged. Cate and Jill could hear the laughter from the other Angels sat in the room.

'You got any snack food in here Cate?' Scotty asked as he walked into the kitchen.

'Top cupboard Scotty, grab the chips and popcorn.' Cate pointed to the cupboard she meant without turning to look at it as she knelt down taking bowls out of the lower cupboard in front of her. Putting the bowls on the kitchen counter, Scotty filled them with potato chips and popcorn as directed by his sister then carried them out to the room ahead of Jill and Cate who took in the drinks.

'All right Becca, where did we get to?' Cate asked as she sat on the floor again with Scotty beside her.

'You were leaving great aunt Joan's place and driving to the airport.' Rebecca recanted excitedly.

'Right ok, well let's see what happened next?' Cate said looking up to the ceiling making her little niece linger in anticipation as to what would happen next in her story.

'Aunt Cate!' Rebecca called lingering on Cate's name getting impatient.

'All right, all right, so I drove on towards the airport and was doing fine, the roads were clear and traffic light and then the truck I was driving started to make some very strange noises.

Three years earlier…

Cate happily drove along the roads listening to great music and thoroughly enjoying her drive through to the airport, when the truck started to sputter and have few problems.

'Oh come on! Don't do this to me, come on, we were making such good time.' Cate complained to the truck wishing it on. Unfortunately the truck didn't want to play along as it continued to sputter and make other strained and strange noises, Cate pulled over as soon and safely as she could. Getting out of the car Cate walked round to the front it opening the hood. 'Ok let's see what's going on in here.' Cate said aloud to herself as she looked over the engine. 'Right, ok, terrific.' Cate said as she slammed the hood shut again. 'Not a clue.' Cate sighed walking back to the driver's side and getting back into the truck. 'That's just brilliant.' Cate sighed leaning back into the driver's seat. Switching on her hazard lights Cate hoped that a highway patrol officer would stop by soon. Leaning back Cate turned on the radio again finding something to listen to as she listened to the end of Elvis Presley's 'Blue Christmas' the DJ started to play 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' sighing Cate rolled her eyes looking out the side window just as a Highway Patrol officer pulled in behind her. The officer came along side the truck and tapped on the window, which Cate rolled down.

'Morning officer.' Cate smiled.

'Morning Cate.' The officer smiled

'Ryan?' Cate looked at the officer and smiled. 'Ryan!' Cate opened the truck door jumping out to hug the officer who returned the tight embrace. 'I can't believe it's you! Look at you!'

'I know, uniform and all, I am now a respected man of the law.' Ryan joked standing straight and pulling his jacket down straight again. The two old friends began to laugh. 'So what's happened here, the old truck give out on ya?' Ryan asked as he looked around to the front of the vehicle.

'Certainly seems to have done so.' Cate glumly answered.

'Where you heading to?'

'The airport, I'm heading back home to L.A. for Christmas with my sister, but if I don't get there soon then I'll be disappointing her, our friends and even myself.' Cate explained. Ryan stood listening looking confused.

'I'm sorry, did you say sister? Did Bette have another kid and not tell us?' Ryan asked only half joking. Cate pulled a face of mild disgust slapping Ryan in the arm.

'Ryan! God no, no! My real sister, we found each other recently.' Cate explained as Ryan laughed moving round to the drivers side of the truck opening up the hood which once popped Cate opened up.

'You found each other?' Ryan asked raising an eyebrow quizzically. 'I didn't even know you were looking Cate.'

'I wasn't, it's kind of a long story, but you know I now work as a private detective right?' Cate asked to which Ryan nodded. 'Well I was working a case and things happened and we discovered each other.'

'You work together?'

'We have been for nearly two years and we didn't even realise. I was very much undercover all of the time so I didn't really get to know the rest of the team closely until these last few months.'

'What's her name?'

'Kelly, Kelly Garrett.'

'She's older?'

'By a couple of years, almost three I suppose.'

'Has Bette and your brothers met her?'

'Oh yeah.' Cate said her eyes widening as she remembered that and the case that came with it. 'Hasn't Scotty told what's been going on back in Mustang?' Cate asked tilting her head to one side.

'He said there was stuff going on but he'd tell me about it later. This isn't taking you anywhere I'm afraid Cate.' Ryan regrettably said after looking over the engine of the truck.

'Great.' Cate pouted.

'Fear not, your knight in shining armour is here to help.' Ryan smiled lowering down the hood of the truck. 'Come on, I'll take you to the airport and you can fill me in on everything along the way.' Ryan smiled a handsome grin as he walked to the passenger door of Cate's truck taking out her luggage and carrying it to his car. Cate shut the doors, took the keys from the ignition and locked up the truck.

'You'll let my uncle know the truck is here?'

'Sure, I'll radio it in for the guys to come and collect and take it back to the ranch, let them know your ok at the same time.' Ryan smiled as he started his patrol car. 'So tell me all about your sister and how you met.' Ryan said pulling out onto the road.

Back in L.A. Kelly was finishing decorating her home ready for both her and Cate to celebrate Christmas day there before heading to Oklahoma. Thinking of Oklahoma Kelly finished what she was doing in the lounge and rushed into her bedroom to start pulling out clothes for her trip when the doorbell rang. Kelly briskly walked through from her bedroom to the door opening it to reveal a beaming, smiling Jill with Kris stood just to her side.

'Merry Christmas!' Jill called out her arms opened wide as she moved to Kelly who returned the greeting as Jill wrapped her into a big bear hug.

'Merry Christmas Jill, oh, it's so good to have you home for the holiday.' Kelly enthused as the two friends broke away from each other Kelly backing away to let Jill and Kris into the house.

'Have you heard from Cate Kel?' Kris asked as she placed her handbag down on the coffee table before sitting down on the couch next to her sister.

'No, not yet, she said she'd call before her plane departs which should be in about an hour or two.' Kelly said looking to her watch. 'Drink anyone?' Kelly asked both sisters nodding as Kelly headed towards the kitchen to put the kettle onto the stove setting out cups for tea.

'So is Cate coming here or to hers or straight to the party?' Jill enquired from her seat on the couch.

'She should be coming here. We're meant to be getting ready for the party together and going together, just one big part of our first Christmas together.' Kelly said with a big happy smile bringing out a tray with all of their drinks on. 'So hopefully her plane will be on time.' Kelly looked to her watch again and then the telephone.

'Don't worry Kel.' Kris reassured her friend rubbing her knee as she set her cup of tea down on the coffee table. 'Cate will call and she'll be here.'

'Of course she will.' Jill agreed. Kelly smiled to her two dear friends.

'I know I just have this feeling is all, that something is going to go wrong.'

'That's just the skeptical detective side of you.' Jill smiled leaning back into the sofa.

'Maybe.' Kelly smiled taking a sip of her tea but it still nagged her at the back of her mind.

'So what are we all wearing tonight?' Jill asked changing the subject to help get Kelly's mind off of worrying just for a little while.

'You have got to be kidding me.' Cate said to the check-in assistant at the airport.

'I'm sorry ma'am, the flights have been cancelled.' The young woman explained.

'All flights?' Cate asked knowing full well the answer but she liked to have hope.

'All flights at least until the weather lifts, it's just not safe.'

'Of course it isn't.' Cate sighed. 'Are there any buses leaving, trains anything?'

'You'll have to check with the information office.' The young woman pointed in the direction of the office towards the front of the airport.

'Ok, thanks.' Cate nodded gathering up her ticket and wallet stuffing it into her messenger bag. Cate walked over to the office to find the line of people outside the door and heading around the side of the office building. Looking at the line Cate laughed to herself shaking her head. 'That's not going to happen.' Cate carried on walking towards the telephone bank to call Kelly and let her know what was going on when she noticed parked in the side parking lot a small group of trucker's cabs. An idea forming Cate smiled and headed out to the trucks. Cate rushed up to a burly man stood leaning against the front of his truck smoking.

'Excuse me.' Cate interrupted the truckers smoking thoughts as he turned to look at her. 'Any chance you're heading out towards the train station?' Cate asked.

'Afraid not miss but I think you'll find that lot over there are.' The trucker pointed to a group huddled around the engine of their bus, which they were obviously having troubles with. Thanking the trucker Cate made her way to the bus.

'Excuse me, any chance you're heading to the train station?' Cate asked again.

'Not if we can't get this old lady moving again.' The man with his head deep in the engine explained. The voice was deep but there was something about it she recognized, the accent mostly. 'But I'm sure if you take a look at it Catey girl you can get us moving.' Four Leaf looked up, the glow of his cigarette lighting up the smiling creases on his face.

'Four Leaf!' Cate cried out as the two friends threw themselves into a hug. 'What are you doing here?' Cate asked as they separate again.

'We were trying to get to L.A. but that isn't going quite as we planned.'

'Tell me about it.' Cate agreed disheartened.

'But if we can get this old wagon moving we might just get the train station. Where you heading Catey?' Four Leaf asked.

'Like you I want to get back to L.A. I don't see it happening today though.' Cate said glumly. Four Leaf put his arm around her guiding her towards the bus engine.

'Don't say that Catey, it's Christmas, we might just get us a miracle. Why don't we start with this old lady.' Four Leaf pointed to the engine, Cate smiled to him as she leaned in to the machine seeing the problem straight away she sent Four Leaf and the others in his group to go out and beg for as much as she needed to fix the problem.

'Well that should do it; easier than my uncles truck anyway.' Cate smiled wiping her hands on the towel Four Leaf had handed her. Four Leaf gave the signal to the guy behind the steering wheel who switched on the engine, after a little negotiation the engine turned and the bus coughed and started to cheers and applause from Four Leaf, Cate and the other passengers with Four Leaf.

'Come on the sooner we get to the station the better.' Four Leaf beckoned for Cate who was helped by some of the other men to grab her luggage and get it all on to the bus. Once seated with Four Leaf the bus moved out on to the road. 'Knew you could do it Catey girl, had every faith in ya.' Four Leaf smiled winking at Cate.

'It was nothing really, oh damn!' Cate exclaimed.

'What is it, did you forget something?' Four Leaf asked worried.

'I forgot to call Kelly. She'll be expecting me on my flight, I was going to call her to explain but I got sidetracked.' Cate smiled to her friend. 'It's al right I'll call her as soon as we're at the station. I don't think I'm going to make the Christmas party though.' Cate sighed; she was really looking forward to it, dressing up all glam and having a fun night out with Kelly and the other Angels.

'You'll get there.' Four Leaf assured.

'How Four Leaf, how am I meant to get there, it will take at least a couple of days on the train or even to drive it. Flying is the quickest way and that's out right now too.' Cate said thoroughly dejected. Four Leaf smirked at Cate's sulk.

'Catey girl, at this time of year anything is possible.' Cate looked to him eyebrows raised before they both started laughing.

'So you didn't make it home?' Julie asked completely absorbed in the story as Rebecca began to drift off to sleep snuggled into Kelly. Cate looked to Julie smirking.

'You don't want me spoiling the story now do you?' Cate asked.