The boys took off the dress shirts they were wearing and put on their Nutcracker shirts.

"Melissa did a great job with sizes," Nicole said to Sharon.

"Mmm... yes, she did. I only told her their ages. She did an amazing job with all of it, actually. She wants us to call her shortly to see how the boys liked their present."

Nicole smiled, "They liked it."

Sharon hummed, and looked at them again. They had all of the pictures on the coffee table and with Andy were pushing them around, trying to identify the dancers in the press shots.

"He's good," Josh said, coming over to join Nicole and Sharon. "Andy is picking out the dancers and giving the boys hint where to find them.

"Well," Sharon smiled, "he has to do that at work every day, so he should be good."

Josh laughed, "Right, I hadn't thought of that. Listen, Sharon, we have something for you."

Sharon turned away from watching Andy with his grandsons, and looked at them in surprise. "For me?"

Josh pulled it from behind his back and gave it to Nicole. "I hope you like it," she said self-consciously. "I... we found it at a small shop when we were on our honeymoon. I just had a feeling you'd be around at Christmas," she shrugged, then passed the parcel to Sharon, and looked for reassurance from Josh.

The box was quite long and thin, and Sharon set it down on the table beside her to open it. "Oh..." she uttered, when she pulled the paper back and saw the carving, "this is beautiful." She lifted it out of the box and held it up in front of her, looking at all the intricate patterns carved and cut out around the edges, and the unmistakable outline of two people dancing in the middle. "It looks like lace," she exclaimed, turning it over and seeing the sticker on the back. "From Kenya... Oh... I don't know what to say." Sharon put the carving back in the box to look at it again, and her hands went automatically to her mouth, covering the laugher and tears she was feeling. "Nicole, that is exquisite," she said, and hugged the other woman tightly.

"I'm so glad you like it," Nicole hugged back.

"You have no idea. I'll treasure this always."

"It reminded me of you and Dad dancing at our wedding."

Sharon tilted her head and smiled at the younger woman, then reached out her hand and squeezed Nicole's arm. No words needed to be expressed.

Rusty sat restlessly, watching everyone around him. Since arriving it had been one big moment after another, but none of it involved him. Andy looked over and realized what the young man must be feeling. "Ah, Josh..." he called over to his son-in-law, "you got that thing we talked about?"

Josh looked over to Andy and saw him nodding at Rusty. "Oh yeah, it's under the tree. I'll get it."

Sharon's interest was piqued, and she went closer to watch what the men were up to.

"Rusty, we didn't forget you," Josh said, handing him a gift.

Taken aback, Rusty looked at him then up at Sharon. "Ah... thanks," he said awkwardly.

"Open it, Kid," Andy encouraged him.

"Um... sure... okay." He pulled off the coloured paper and looked at the box in front of him. "Wizard's Chess?" he looked at Sharon in confusion then back to the box.

"Oh, cool," Tyler exclaimed coming closer and looking at the chess set in Rusty's lap. "Does it smash and everything?"

"I don't get it," Rusty said.

Josh nodded, "Okay, that brings us to gift number two. Here you go."

Rusty opened the second package to find a book and a movie. "Harry Potter?" he said, looking surprised.

"It's in the movie," Matthew told him excitedly. "At the end they go down in the dungeon and they have to play on this big chess set, and every time they move they have to smash the other piece, and rock goes flying and Harry gets hurt. Can we watch it now?"

Rusty was still unsure of what the kids were talking about, which pulled at Sharon's heartstrings. Anyone Rusty's age should have had Harry Potter memorized, she knew, but those were the years he was struggling to survive.

Andy shared Sharon's thoughts, "It's like this, Kid. Everything chess you have is serious, so me and Josh were talking, and we thought we'd get you something fun. Read the book. Watch the movie, and it will all make sense."

Matthew pulled at Rusty's sleeve. "Open the movie, and we'll watch it, okay?"

"Um..." Rusty looked unsure as he glanced from one adult to another.

"Go on, you and the boys watch it," Josh said and gestured to the TV.

Rusty shrugged and did as the boys asked. Before long the three of them were sitting way too close to the TV, and the boys were excitedly interrupting as they watched.

"That was sweet," Sharon told Andy when he joined she and Nicole.

Andy smiled, "Yeah... well part of what we're doing is giving him back his lost years. I thought is was worth a shot."

"It was a good call," she said, patting him on the chest.

"Um Dad, this is for you."

Andy looked surprised and took the small box from Nicole's hand. Opening it, he started to laugh. "This is great," he said, pulling out the voucher for a season's pass to the Dodgers.

"We figured you might already had your pass for next year, but if you don't you could use this, or buy a second pass, or use it the following year. Whatever you want. It's got a two year limit on it."

"Awe Nic, this is perfect," he hugged his daughter. "I'm definitely using this for a second pass. I've got to teach those boys about baseball."

They all chuckled. Then Andy pulled a small box from his sweater pocket. "This is for you, Sweetheart," he said, passing it to his daughter.

Nicole grinned and pulled the paper away to reveal and antique jewelry box. "Dad, it's beautiful."

"Open it."

Inside the box was an amethyst pendent, surrounded by silver scrollwork. "Oh Dad, I love it," Nicole said, giving her father a hug.

Andy hugged her tightly then pointed at the box. "That necklace belonged to your great-grandmother. I remember she used to wear it all the time. You're named after her."

"Really?" Nicole was stunned for a moment, then caught herself and took the pendant from the box. "Would you?" she asked, handing it to her father.

"Yeah," he said gruffly, and opened the clasp to put it around his daughter's neck. "Perfect," he said, kissing her on the head.

"That is a real treasure," Sharon said, lifting the pendant from Nicole's neck and turning it gently in her hands. "It's completely handmade by a true artist. It's lovely."

"Thanks," Nicole smiled, taking it from Sharon's open hand and looking at it more closely.

"This has been quite the night for presents," Sharon said, pulling away from the group and looking over at the one she left under the tree. "So much thought..."

Andy grabbed her arm and pulled her back, "Not so fast, I'm not done."

"Hmm?" Sharon looked confused.

He pulled a small envelope out of his other pocket, "This," he said, and gave it to her.

Sharon was speechless as she turned the envelope over to open it. Inside were two tickets, and she pulled them out to read them. "Opera?" she exclaimed. "You're taking me to the opera?" Looking back at the tickets, she noted the date was two months away. "Billy Budd... I haven't heard of that one."

"I don't know much about it either, except it's all guys at sea. I figured we could both get something out of it. Those are for opening night."

"Grand Circle? Oh Andy, those are some of the best seats in the house."

"Yeah, Melissa said you liked the balcony best."

"Melissa was in on this?"

Andy just shrugged and smiled.

"Thank you," Sharon said, looking deeply into his eyes, and nearly crushing the tickets in her hand."

Nicole noticed. "Perhaps you should put them in your purse so they stay safe?"

"Mmm, yes... that's a good idea."

"And didn't you say something about calling Melissa so she could talk to the boys."

"Oh right, I'd forgotten," Sharon said, wiping a tear from under her eye before turning back to them. "I brought my computer in with me. We can call her now."

"Boys, turn that off and come over here," Nicole said as Sharon set the computer up and contacted her family.

"It's about time," Melissa rolled her eyes as she came on the screen, big smile as always. "So, what did they think?"

Sharon brought the two boys in front of the computer so they could see and be seen. "Hi Melissa," Matthew said. "Look", he stood back a little and put his shirt on display."

"Look at mine, too," Tyler copied him.

"Oh good, they fit," Melissa clasped her hands together. "What did you think of the movie I made?"

"That was really cool," Tyler answered first.

"I like Count Vlad," Matthew laughed.

"We do too. Everyone was happy to make that with me, and when I see the guys in a couple of days, I'll let them know you liked it."

"When we come see you, can you show us around for real?" Tyler asked.

Josh tried to censor him, but Melissa just laughed, "Absolutely! I'll show you everything. All the trap doors and the secret passages and the costumes and where we keep the sets when they're not in use."

"Can we go, Dad?" Matthew asked his father.

"Hey guys, I'm going to be in Japan and the Middle East for the next few months. But I'm back home in May, so maybe we can figure something out then."

"May give us plenty of time," Josh said to them. "Why don't you let Sharon talk to Melissa now."

"Alright," Tyler said grudgingly.

"So Mom... what did you think?" Melissa grinned again. "Andy gave it to you, right?"

"Yes he did, just a few minutes ago. I'm going to have to keep a tighter eye on the two of you. You're getting quite good at going behind my back."

Melissa just shrugged and laughed, "Yeah, well... you grow up with a detective in the house, you just learn to sneak better. Oh, Merry Christmas Andy," she said when she saw him enter her screen.

"Merry Christmas, Melissa, and you were right. She loved it."

The next half hour was spent exchanging greetings between the two households and catching up. All of Sharon's family opened their gifts from her while she watched.

"You have to be here with us next year, Dear," Sharon's mother told her.

"I'll see what I can do, Mom."

"See that you do."

Sharon waved kissed at everyone and wished them a last 'Merry Christmas', before she turned it off and closed her computer.

"This is the best Christmas Eve I've had in a long time," Nicole said dreamily, as she leaned into Josh's arms.

"Yeah..." Andy agreed.

"I think there might be one more gift to give," Sharon said, moving towards the tree.