"What do you buy the man who has everything CJ?"

The young woman with the mass of dark curly hair and sparkling eyes reached for her friends hand and shook it slightly. "Houston, your dad won't care too much about the cost of the present or whether it's the latest trend…all he will care about is that YOU chose it, and you are spending Christmas with him…he loves you!"

"Yeah?" Houston laughed, "Sometimes I wonder!"

CJ gently thumped his shoulder. "Idiot, you know he loves you, he's just a tough old Texan…kinda like his son!"

With a slightly embarrassed grin Houston nodded. "Yeah, I know he loves me CJ, just find it so hard to talk to him sometimes, share things…good job I have you huh?!"

"Yeah…good job!" she grinned back.

Connie and the older Houston fell into step behind the young couple as they waked around the Mall, buying presents together, stopping for coffee, giggling over daft jokes and daft memories…or sitting in silence as they watched the crowds passing by. Several times the younger man reached for CJs hand or wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, something Connie noticed and would nudge her Houston and point it out to him mouthing "Just friends" each time and winking.

"Shut up!" he muttered back, not noticing that CJ had stopped walking in front of him and literally walking right through her. CJ shuddered slightly and looked a bit surprised, but quickly shook her head and shrugged it off, instead reaching out for her young friends hand and pulling him to her. "Look!" she pointed to a small shop. "How about that for you dad?"

"A camera?" Matt asked as he squinted at the shop front

"No idiot, look again!" she giggled

He stepped closer, a triumphant smile on his face as the penny dropped. "Perfect, but…on one condition"

She looked at him and raised her eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"You come in to, and consider it a Christmas present to me!" he tried to look as hound dog as possible, appealing to her softer nature

She laughed at his pathetic attempt. "Houston, I already have a whole stack of presents for you…"

"You do huh?" he grinned

"Yes…so why should I do this?" she asked

He looked serious for a moment as he told her. "Cos it would mean so much to me, please? I mean…you get a couple…send one to your mom!"

CJ frowned a fraction. "So she can remember what I look like?"

"To show you care CJ, cos I know you do…so…come on…please?"

After a quick shake of her head she took his proffered hand and followed him into the shop

Connie and Houston didn't follow them, but without thinking he reached for his wallet and took out a dog eared picture. Connie peaked over his shoulder then back at the shop. "Your dad loved his present that year, a portrait of his son, he carried a copy in his wallet from that day on…just like you carry your copy of CJs portrait…her present for you!"

He grinned at her as he told her. "We had so much fun, we had a makeover in there…then posed in individual photos, but the one I have framed in in my lounge at home…it's the two of us in these bizarre Christmas jumpers!"

Connie took the wallet of him and glanced through it. "You have a few photos in here…a lot of CJ…unusual for someone who is just a friend!"

Houston snatched the wallet back and shoved it back in his pocket. "It's how we work best!"

"Uh huh!" Connie smirked and grabbed his sleeve, with one quick spin Houston found himself outside CJs first apartment in LA, he looked to the staircase and grimaced as he saw his younger self bounding up the stairs, whistling a jaunty Christmas tune. "No, don't do it!" he muttered, flinching as he watched himself knock on the door

It took a few seconds but he heard CJ call "Just a minute!" He took a slight step back as she opened the door and took his breath away. "Wow!" he breathed, "You look…amazing!"

"Thanks!" she grinned, "I'm on my way out to a party, one of the guys who I worked with at Van Gilders when we bought them out…he asked me out so…treated myself to a new dress…you like it?" She did a little spin, and so did Houstons heart…both the young mans at the door, and the older one watching from the shadows. "What are you doing here anyway? Thought you had a date with that red head…the temp?"

Both Houstons blushed, but it was the one at the door who replied. "That was last night!"

"Oh" CJ nodded, "right. So…who is it tonight?"

Houston looked at her for a few seconds then quickly said. "Oh, no one you know…but ah, as I was passing your place I thought I would just pop up and wish you Merry Christmas!"

Her grin widened as she bent forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, you to big guy!"

"Oh, and I wanted to give you…this!" He reached inside his jacket pocket and handed her a document

"What is it?" she asked with a giggle

"A present!"

"I thought we weren't doing presents until tomorrow night, after your party"

"Well this one is as much a thank you present as a Christmas one…so…open it!"

"Flying lessons!" CJ gasped "Houston?"

He grinned as he explained. "I know how disappointed you were not to go home to Texas and see my dad and the crew out there…and know how hard you have worked all year…learning to fly will give you just a little more freedom! The lessons are for your pilots licence…planes mainly…but then….well…uh…"

"Then?"

"Well I bought myself a present…a helicopter…make it easier to get to the office…especially if I can get that ranch out of town in the new year! Maybe…you could get that house you had your eye on to…said you couldn't buy cos it'd take to long to commute…well…this'd help right?"

She laughed. "You bought a chopper? And you're gonna let ME fly it?"

"I trust you CJ, always have…always will" he said simply. They stared at each other before he suddenly shook his head and grinned, "But I best be getting' goin'…don't wanna keep my date waiting…and you're one sexy Cinderella ready for her Prince…so I should make way for the lucky guy I guess !"

"Guess so!" she nodded, but reached out to hug him and kiss his cheek again before adding. "Thank you Houston, thank you so much….and Merry Christmas!"

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, count on it!" she smiled…and waved as he turned and headed back down the stairs. Connie and the older Houston followed him, watching as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and leaned against the wall, taking in two deep breaths before reaching back into his jacket pocket and pulling out a small square box, opening it he swallowed and closed his eyes, before snapping it shut and pushing it quickly back in his pocket.

Connie glanced at her version of the man and gasped. "Houston, that's a ring! An engagement ring…you…you were gonna ask her to marry you?" When he didn't reply she gasped again. "Well…oh my!" She looked back at the younger man as he walked over to a pay phone at the end of the hall. With a grim look on his face he routed through various bits of paper loosely stuffed in his wallet…selecting one he dialled a number and waited for it to ring out. "Hi, Bobby-Jean? It's Matt…Matt Houston. Yeah, hi! Listen…I know it's short notice, especially on Christmas Eve…and I DID mean to ring sooner, just got caught up with work…but ah, I was wonderin' if you might like to do something tonight…dinner, drinks or a club? Oh, your sister is having a party…? Right well then uh…you don't have a date…really? Well then…I can be at yours in ooh say 20 minutes…how do you like that idea…great…gonna be a great Christmas…just great!"

"And was it?" Connie asked

"I don't remember!" the older Houston told her truthfully, "I just didn't wanna be alone"

Connie reached over to pat his arm, and in a blink of an eye Houston found himself back in his penthouse office. Automatically his eyes sought out the framed photograph of a young CJ, smiling brightly, her long wavy hair curling around her face, her eyes sparkling. Connie saw where he was looking and smiled as she came to stand behind him. "Just friends, the two of you have used that mantra as long as I have known her…and I never believed it…certainly don't now! What I don't understand is why you kept telling yourselves that lie?"

"It was safer!" Houston replied softly. "I need her in my life, I could never risk losing her. So, I accepted that she didn't see me in that way…that when she said she loved me, she saw me as family, when she held my hand and hugged me or showed me any kindness it was just CJ being CJ…she is kind to everyone, makes anyone feel special…it's her gift…a kinda magic, and I feel blessed to have her in my life"

"Yet just two hours ago, you let her up and quit, walk out on you!"

Houston sighed and slumped down on to the sofa. "Yeah, I did…didn't I"

"She has stood by you through the death of your father, seen you as a fugitive and risked everything to clear your name…she has taken bullets for you, yet she never quit. Why do you think she has walked out this time?"

Houston sighed. "Cos I took her for granted, and I just pushed too hard…just pushed too damn hard"

"And now you have to pay the consequences…now you're losing everything!" Connie said softly before standing and glancing at the clock. "My time with you is done, your past has taught you all it can, now a different friend will come to help you, show you what your actions are doing to your friends and family, show you why they are so worried…watch, and listen Houston…and learn."

Houston looked up at her, just as she disappeared in a bright swirl of colours, and he was left alone in his penthouse, his eyes once again locking on the portrait of his best friend