A/N: Thanks for the reviews I love and appreciate them all so please keep them coming I'm such a review whore. Oh yea this chapter is going back to the first day of their holidays (the day that Dave went to Washington and Jamie and Eli went to Minnesota).

Dave

I was surprised to see Mel standing at my bedroom door. When we'd gotten home from the movie the girls had gone straight to bed and when I checked on them before calling Jamie all three were sound asleep. Seeing my daughter caused me to end my call and turn attention to her. It was a practice I would usually frown upon but this time together was about trying to rebuild a relationship with my children.

"Hey sweet heart, what's up?"

"Who was that?" She asked somewhat unsure of herself.

"That was Jamie"

"She's the girl you're dating isn't she?"

"Yes she is"

"How come you were talking to her?" Mel asked still standing at the doorway looking ready to make a quick getaway.

"Because I miss her and I wanted to check on Eli"

"Do you not miss us?" Mel's question nearly broke my heart, how could she even think such a thing?

"Of course I miss you why would you ask that?"

"Because you never ring to check up on us actually you never ring us at all." Did my girl's really believe that I never rang them? How wrong they were!

"Oh hun, come here," I moved over making room for my daughter to sit besides me. I put my arms around Mel and held her close hoping that in somewhat I could get rid of those feelings just by hugging her.

"Hun, I call you girls just about every night but you are either out or I have stuffed up the time difference and I find myself talking to a very pissed off Tyson because you are all sound asleep. In the end Tyson asked me to stop calling I'd try your cell phone but you don't have one and whenever I call your sisters' the lines busy or they're turned off."

"Really?" Mel looked up questionably and I couldn't help but sigh, changing my girls' thoughts was going to take a lot more than hugs.

"Yes really, I can show you the phone bills if you'd like. I miss you girls so much it hurts. It devastates me when I can't get hold of you. I've even been known to cry."

"Well why are you never around?"

"Sweet heart we've had this conversation a million times before. I was trying to give you the life that I never had and I was my following my dream. Just like I hope you girls will do." Then she hit me with the question I knew was coming but I still wasn't prepared for,

"Why did you marry Angie?"

"Because she needed someone and I needed to be needed not to mention a lot of things that you'll figure out when you're a lot older," there was no way that I was going to tell my daughter one of the main reasons I married the woman was because of the sex.

"That's why you married mom isn't it?"

"Sort of"

"What about Jamie?"

"What about her?"

"Does she need someone?"

"No, she's got everything under control. I think I need her more than she will ever need me."

"Are you going to marry her then?" Mel made eye contact and I could see the fear in her eyes.

"I don't know sweet heart. But she's nothing like Angie actually she's nothing like anyone I've ever met." I replied running my hand across my daughters back comforting her. Just then Mel let out a huge yawn causing me to look at the time.

"You should be in bed young lady,"

"Can I stay with you tonight?" Mel asked burying deeper into my chest not giving me much of a chance to say no.

"Sure." I replied pulling the bedding up and turning the lights off. I soon found myself listening to Mel's slowed breathing and thinking about the conversation we'd just had. I knew my girls never liked Angie but Mel was seriously afraid that I would make the same mistake again. After all I'd married two women for similar reasons what's stopping me doing it again? But I wasn't lying when I told Mel that Jamie was absolutely nothing like Angie or Michelle or anyone I'd ever met. Eventually I drifted off to sleep with my youngest still wrapped around me; a position I hadn't slept in since my girls were young.

The next few days were similar Mel spent another night in my room then Rachel interrupted my nightly call in Jamie and eventually Hailey had her night with dad. The only night I got alone that first week was Christmas Eve when I told them that they had to sleep in their own beds or there would be no presents. When they thought about it they understood, how could dad put presents out when he had to share his bed with his daughters?

I managed to call Jamie on Christmas Eve however this time Michelle and Tyson rang the home line wanting to talk to the girls. I found myself wanting nothing more than to tell Jamie I loved her but only managed to stutter out 'I' and her name about three times. Eventually I just gave up and said goodbye. The girl's spoke to their mother she asked to speak to me. As bad as it sounds I just sat there pretending to listen. Not one word actually sunk in, I was too busy thinking about Jamie to care. The girls went straight back to bed and I was finally able to put the presents under the tree.

Mel was the only one to wake up early. With the other two now teenagers they didn't care the day as long as they got to sleep. After being woken by Mel and watching her go insane with excitement for half an hour I finally woke up Hailey and Rachel. I sipped my coffee as the girls slowly began to open their presents. When I found out they were coming for Christmas I went out of my way to get them presents they really wanted. For Rachel knowing she'd be off to college soon I got her a new laptop and a $1000 shopping card for the all important new college wardrobe.

"For college and a new wardrobe"

"Thanks dad!" Rachel rushed out hugging me; she was the easiest one to buy for.

Hailey, the violist, broke her bow recently so I bought her a J. Kronsnowski silver mounted bow.

"I have no idea if it's any good but the person I spoke to promised that it was"

"It's great thanks dad," Hailey muttered turning the bow over in her hands. She eventually moved on to her second present; a new Bobelock 1006l Oblong Student Adjustable Viola Case, another thing I had no idea about.

"I saw your other one and figured it was about time you upgraded."

"Oh man thanks dad," Hailey replied giving me a hug. Two down one to go.

Finally it was Mel's turn to open her main presents. The girls had received smaller presents but I'd ensured that Santa gave them two 'big' presents each. Mel was also easy. She'd mentioned the Tomorrow Series and while I couldn't track them down in time for Christmas I happened to be dating one of the world's biggest John Marsden Fans.

"Dad where did you get these?" Mel asked as she opened John Marsden book after John Marsden book.

"Jamie is an Australian who happened to grow up on John Marsden. She has every Tomorrow Series and Ellie Chronicles book and now so do you. When I ordered them the Christmas rush meant they wouldn't be here until mid-January. Jamie thought it would be unfair if you had nothing to open so she got her books out for you to borrow." My daughter's jaws dropped.

"Angie would never even considered helping you," Mel muttered.

"Open your other present," I smirked pushing a medium sized box towards my youngest. This was another present gained with the assistance of Jamie. A Canon EOS Rebel XTi with an extra EF 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens.

"Holy shit!"

"MEL!"

"Sorry but do you know how good this camera is?"

"I've been told, constantly. I'll admit Jamie gave me a lot of help with all your presents. I mentioned that you were very keen on photography and that I wanted to get you a camera so she made sure that I got one of the best."

"What would she know?" Hailey muttered clearly annoyed at Jamie's imput.

"A lot actually, she's a professional photographer." Hailey had no retort to that nor did she get much of a chance as Rachel handed me a present.

"This is from all of us." Like the girls I'd also been given small presents but it was clear that this was my main one. I removed the paper to reveal a scrapbook.

"You missed so much of us growing up we decided to make this for you." The girl's said as I began to flick through the book - a picture time line of my girls' life. Their first teeth, first steps, first words then as they got older their first days at school and first boyfriends – all the things I missed by following my dream. Tears were streaming down my face by the time I reached the last page. At the end there were a few blank pages,

"They're for us to fill in now.We want you around and in our lives dad. We can accept you following your dream but we never see you," my girl's pleaded and I wrapped them all in a hug.

We were beginning to clean up when Rachel found something else,

"Hey dad there is another present here for you. It says Davie, Merry Christmas, Jamie." I smiled having forgotten the present that Jamie had said she'd sent to my place.

"Open it dad! I want to see." Still not saying a word I took the present and opened it to reveal an envelope that said 'open when alone' and a nicely framed photo. It was of Jamie, Eli and myself taken by another WWE photographer just weeks earlier. Despite me hanging Eli upside down we looked like a real family and my heart skipped a beat just remembering the day.

"Is that Jamie?" Mel asked quietly. She seemed to be dealing with the concept of dad's new girlfriend the best.

"Yep"

"She's so young, how old is she?" Rachel asked.

"28 turned 28 last week."

"28! That's barely 10 years older than me and like 12 years younger than you!" Rachel seemed angry at the concept of me dating someone so much younger.

"So?"

"She's so young! How can you date someone so young?"

"I think you're old enough to hear this, I've dated people a lot younger than Jamie. Not like its any of your business."

"Who's that?" Hailey asked quietly pointing to Eli,

"That's Jamie's son Eli." I replied grateful for the change of subject.

"She has a son? How old is he?"

"He's three."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I did! Several times. Now we can spend the rest of the day discussing this picture or we can go out for Christmas dinner." My voice was firm and the girl's sighed in defeat before opting to go out for dinner.

That night I asked my girl's to let me have at least one phone call with Jamie without interruption. However when I first called she was just putting Eli to bed. I spoke to the boy for a few minutes before asking when I could call back. I had to wait 45 minutes so I took the opportunity to clean the kitchen after our 'Christmas dessert'. We'd bought all our favourite sweets and had a massive pig out session. After cleaning I checked on the girls who, with the exception of Rachel, were sound asleep. I said goodnight to Rach and headed back to my room with enough time to change into my favourite Scooby Doo boxer shorts and get into bed.

"Hey handsome," Jamie answered the phone causing me to smile.

"Hey, how was your Christmas?"

"Good though Santa is starting to wonder if getting Eli a scooter AND a water pistol was that good of an idea." I could just imagine the situation. The middle of winter and Eli was probably running around on a scooter spraying everyone. I burst out laughing only to get a scoff from Jamie.

"Bite me"

"Come here so I can," Jamie opted to ignore my comment and I smirked in victory.

"Did your girl's enjoy their presents?"

"Oh yea they loved them. I think you've gained a fan in Mel. Though Rachel was also impressed that you actually helped me, Angie would have never done such a thing. Thank you." I smiled and hoped she understood how sincere I was. "And thank you so much for the present. It is one of my favourite photos. The girl's weren't impressed at how young you are but they'll get over it, you still have more brownie points than Angie."

"I may be young but I'm not your ex-wife. I suppose I'm going to have to just deal with that constant comparison. The girls have two women to compare me to and until they actually meet me I'm probably going to have two heads to them. No matter what you say." I could hear her sighing. She was clearly struggling but has herself had the experience of dealing with new people in both her parent's lives. It was quite a weird conversation we were having, albeit necessary since she would be meeting my daughters in just over a week. The four most important women in my world would be meeting and spending time together, I was just praying that they'd all get along a lot better than when the girls met Angie.

I shuddered at the memory of that horrible day, why didn't I pay attention to my girl's reactions. They hated her from day one and I just passed it off as them being negative to anyone who wasn't their mother. Angie wasn't much better she looked them up and down like they were dog shit that she'd just stepped in. Why didn't I pay attention and notice the signs back then? Oh yea, because the sex was amazing. Well on the rare occasion that she actually felt 'well enough' to have sex. Who was I to know that the only reason she didn't feel well was because she'd been screwing her doctor's brains out while I was at work?

"DAVID MICHAEL BAUTISTA JR? Are you still alive?" Jamie's voice snapped be back to reality. I'd totally forgotten that I was still on the phone.

"Oh yea sorry… Was thinking," I replied. We continued our conversation for another hour talking about everything and anything. It was great to finally have a chance to have an actual conversation with my girlfriend. With both Angie and Michelle sex was the centre point of our relationship. We'd slept together the first night we'd met and it was that, which kept me coming back. This time sex wasn't important. Sure I would love to sleep with the woman but I would rather wait until we were both ready. I would even take up a life of celibacy if it meant being with Jamie. The thought absolutely petrified me and it wasn't because it meant giving up sex. It was the realisation that I would do anything just to be with that woman.