A/N: Thanks Trinitystargazer3! :D I'm glad you liked it! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 19

"Hey Nancy! Clint! Merry Christmas!" Beverly greeted the pair, throwing the door wide open. "You're early!" she said, having exchanged hugs and kisses.

"Yeah, we figured you might appreciate two extra pairs of helping hands," Nancy said.

"One and a half extra pair of helping hands at most," Clint said, sending Nancy a stern look.

"Clint, I can help!" Nancy said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Sure, you can help, just not full-time. You've already spent a lot of energy when we visited Wendell and you know tonight is going to drain your energy completely. And you can call me selfish, but I'd quite like to see you back to work soon."

Nancy tried to glare at Clint, but didn't quite make it.

"You did look a bit tired last night, Nancy," Beverly interjected, having walked towards the kitchen, and therefore she'd missed the loving look her two early guests had shared.

"Oh fine!" Nancy put her hands in the air. "I know when I'm defeated. Now give me something to do before I go mad."

Both Beverly and Clint chuckled.

It had been a good thing that Nancy and Clint had come over to help, because they were only just finished with all the preparations, when the doorbell rang, and there were Derek, Nellie and Gracie Hebert.

"Merry Christmas, and happy birthday, Sweetheart!" Nancy said, giving the girl a hug, before Gracie skipped over to Clint.

"Hey there, Gracie. How are you doing?"

"I'm great!" Gracie exclaimed.

"Oh, that's good. Well, Merry Christmas, Gracie," Clint said, shaking her small hand.

"Merry Christmas," the girl replied, waiting expectantly for the man to congratulate her on her birthday.

"Say, Derek, that's an awful lot of presents under the tree; you'd almost think it was someone's birthday," Clint said.

Gracie jumped up and down in front of him. "It is, it's my birthday today!"

"No! Really?" Clint asked with mock surprise.

"Yes!"

"Come here, birthday girl," Clint said, spreading out his arms. Immediately the girl jumped into his embrace. "Congratulations, Gracie," Clint said with a smile.

"Thanks," Gracie said, looking up in satisfaction. Nancy looked at them contentedly, and Beverly and Nellie exchanged a grin.

"Hey, where's Donna?" Nancy asked all of a sudden. "I thought she'd be coming with you?"

"Oh, oh no." Doctor Hebert shook his head. "She would have come here too, if the weather didn't allow for travelling. But today things were looking alright, so she went ahead to travel to her parents."

Nancy gave herself a smack to the head. "True, she told me yesterday. My mind's a sieve sometimes."

She saw Clint chuckle. "No comment, Clint Cassidy! I've had to remind you of plenty of things you would otherwise have forgotten!"

Clint held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't say a thing! Did I say anything, Gracie?"

The girl shook her head. "No."

"There you go," Clint said with a wide smile. Nancy put her hands on her hips. "I'll get back to you."

Gracie looked confused. "But… he really didn't say anything."

Clint chuckled, and Nancy smiled, while the other adults were trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, I know sweetheart, Nancy and I are just teasing each other," Clint explained to the girl who was still sitting on his lap. Gracie looked at first Nancy then her parents for confirmation, and at seeing their nods, she shrugged. "Ok."

A few moments later Tippy and Paul had also arrived, and Christmas and birthday wishes were exchanged. Tippy's eyes immediately searched for any indication Nancy and Clint had talked about anything significant, but Clint was talking with doctor Hebert, and Nancy was holding Mattie and talking to Gracie, so she couldn't gather anything… yet. She would just have to keep a close look on those two. Next to her, Paul had made the same observations. His attention was diverted when Nate and Raul drew him into a conversation.

It wasn't long before everyone was seated, had something to drink, and was talking to someone. Gracie and Raul were entertaining Mattie. Nancy was talking to Nellie and Tippy when she saw from the corner of her eye that Clint got a call on his cell phone and left the room. She hoped it wasn't the hospital. It wouldn't be the first time he would have to leave an evening together because of an emergency.

When he came back though, he didn't say a thing about the phone call, and just sat back down. He did look over at them briefly with a slight smile though, and when he caught Nancy's eyes, his smile widened, but then he just continued his conversation with Nate. Nancy decided she'd ask him about it later.

After a while, Beverly rose to refill some glasses, and Nellie went to the bathroom, leaving Nancy and Tippy. Nancy had been waiting for the opportunity. Ever since she'd seen Tippy come in, she'd seen the sad undertone in her expression.

"Hey Tippy, are you ok?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh yes, I'm fine," Tippy said, forcing a smile on her lips.

"You sure? 'cause you look a little bit sad…" Nancy prodded. Tippy gave her a half-hearted smile.

"Well… you know… I tried getting a hold of Steven, but… still can't reach him. And I discovered my cell phone died during the night, so I left it at home to recharge." She shrugged. "Guess I'm a little sad I couldn't reach him even on Christmas day."

She took a deep breath, and smiled bravely at her friend. "Don't worry, I'll see him next week."

Nancy smiled and gave her a hug. "You're a brave woman, Tippy."

Tippy gave her arm a squeeze. "Thanks. Now," she said, sadness covered back up and a gleam coming in her eyes, "I believe we have something else to talk about…"

"What's that?" Nancy asked, just as there was a knock on the door.

Tippy rolled her eyes, while Beverly went to open the door. "You and Clint of course! What did you talk about this morning?"

Nancy shot Clint a look and discovered his amused attention was on the door, so she turned her head around. Immediately a smile spread across her face.

"Well?" Tippy prodded, oblivious to what was happening around her.

"I think you should turn around," Nancy said, nodding towards the door.

"Huh?" Confused, Tippy realized everyone was looking at her, and she turned around. Her eyes widened, and she jumped up. "Steven!"

Within moments, the receptionist and the military officer were entwined in a tight embrace. Tears of happiness flowed off Tippy's face, and Steven wiped them away with his thumbs, as he held her face in his hands. "I missed you," he whispered before giving her a kiss. When the kiss was over, Tippy looked up. "I missed you too. I didn't think you'd be home for a few days yet at least!"

"I know. I first didn't think so either, but I took some unconventional types of transport to try and still get home for Christmas. I tried calling you, but…"

"…the lines were bad, your battery died, and you just couldn't reach me," Tippy finished for him. She gave him a smile when Steven nodded. "Same here."

"Your cell phone needs to be recharged as well?"

Tippy nodded. "Doing so as we speak."

"Well, that explains it then."

"Explains what?"

"Doctor Crane allowed me to use his cell phone, but you didn't pick up, either at home or on your cell phone. So I called Clint." At this, he looked at the country doctor, who nodded back at him. Immediately, Nancy realized that that was what the phone call earlier had been about. "And he told me you were here, along with the rest of you."

"Doctor Crane? Clint?" Tippy asked in confusion.

"Yes. Doctor Crane's wife picked us up from the train station, and they brought me here." He turned around. "Thanks again, Mrs. Crane. I'm much obliged."

Only now did everyone really take notice of the couple who still stood mostly outside the door, hidden partly by Tippy, Steven and Beverly.

"Oh, don't mention it. If it hadn't been for you, Oliver wouldn't be home now either, so lets call it even," the woman said. Steven nodded.

"Won't you come in?" Beverly asked.

"Oh no, we wouldn't want to cause any inconvenience," Oliver said immediately.

"Come on, Oliver," Clint spoke up. "You're as much part of this group as the rest of us. Unless you've got other plans, come on in."

"There's plenty of food, so you don't have to worry about that either," Beverly cut back in, seeing the hesitation on the two faces. When Oliver sent his wife a questioning look, she gave a slight nod, at which Oliver turned around. "Well, we didn't really have any plans… Yes, we'd like that."

Beverly sent them a wide smile. "Well then, come on in! Have a seat. Here, I'll take your coats."

TBC