Author's Note: I'm getting into the holiday spirit here! Woo hoo! Thought I'd write a Miami holiday story with my favorite little Delko :o) Hope you like it!

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A tiny whisper broke the silence early Christmas morning. "Daddy"

Eric felt a finger rubbing his nose, followed by a giggle and a soft voice.

"Daddy"

Eric opened his eyes and saw the dark outline of Adriana's body standing beside him. It wasn't even light outside yet. He didn't want to look at the clock, but he did anyway. 3:27 glared back at him. He turned to look at Adriana in the darkness.

"Adriana, honey it's very early and daddy is tired. Don't you think you need to go back to bed?" he asked.

He knew what she wanted. Calleigh and Eric had been trying to break their 3 year old of this "getting up and crawling into bed with mommy and daddy" routine, but he was just too tired after a double shift to get up and put Adriana back into her bed. He lifted her up and laid her beside him.

"Want mommy." Adriana whispered.

Figures, Eric thought, you wake me up, but you want mommy.

"No, no mommy. Let mommy sleep." he said. Eric knew better than to wake Calleigh during the night unless it was absolutely necessary. He didn't want to face the wrath that was a tired Calleigh. He'd done that before and it didn't end pleasantly. Eric kissed Adriana's hair and rubbed her back until he was sure she was asleep. Man, she's such a good kid, would be kinda cool to have another. He thought as he drifted off to sleep.

The next thing he knew, it was morning. Adriana had somehow gotten in between Eric and Calleigh during the early morning. He glanced at the clock. 7:03. How'd I manage to be the first one up? He thought. He looked over at his wife, brushed a stray blond hair out of her face and kissed her nose.

"Cal," he whispered.

She opened her eyes.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful." he said.

Smiling, she kissed him back. "Merry Christmas. Looks like someone joined us last night."

"Yeah, she wanted you but I wouldn't let her wake you up. Hey, Cal?"

"Mmm?" she answered, running her fingers through Adriana's hair.

"Wouldn't it be fun for Adriana to have a little brother or sister?" Eric asked.

"Ha, well, yeah. I've been thinking about that too. I'm just worried about our job schedules. How in the world would we balance a newborn and Adriana? She'll be four in March." Calleigh responded.

"Remember how scared we were with Adriana. We made it work." Eric said, putting the cutest expression on his face that he could.

"Eric, quit!" Calleigh said, hitting him playfully. "If I gave in every time you used a face like that we'd have ten kids."

"Would that be a problem?" he asked.

"We'd have to open our own daycare in the crime lab." Calleigh joked.

"Hey! We could call it Ballistic Babies!" was Eric's answer to that.

"Eric, you're such a dork!"

"Mommy" Adriana stirred and turned over, cuddling close to Calleigh.

"Hey sweetie, Merry Christmas! Want to go open presents? Let's go see what Santa brought you." Calleigh said, wrapping her arms around Adriana.

"Yes. Daddy comes too. Get up daddy. Want to open pwesents?" Adriana answered, sitting up and pulling Eric's arm.

"Okay, princess let's go." He said, picking her up.

____

An hour and a half later, Calleigh and Eric's living room floor was covered in torn wrapping paper and boxes in every color imaginable. A mess to most, Adriana loved it. She jumped in the pile of paper and crawled around on her hands and knees before spying on Eric through a hole in the paper. She then ran over to him. Eric had just finished putting together Adriana's new play kitchen.

"Let's play house. You be the daddy and I will be the mommy." she said. "I make cerleal."

"Cereal?" Eric asked. "Oh Adriana, I love cereal. Thank you."

"We need to go to work. Where are my keys?" Adriana asked.

"Work, huh?" Eric said with a laugh. "Where do you work."

"Minami-dade police, wif you, silly" she answered.

Eric had to silence the laughter rising up in his chest. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. He wanted to see how far he could take this. "Oh, I see. Uh, what do you do at your work?"

"Get bad guys." she answered laughing.

"What do you do with the bad guys?" he asked.

"Yoooouuu knoooow, daddy! You fro them in jail!" Adriana said.

"Whose going to jail?" Calleigh asked, walking in from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready, by the way."

"Bad guys. Don't ask." Eric said, smiling. "I'm starving, let's eat!"

______

After breakfast, Eric and Calleigh sat on the couch with their coffee and watched Adriana play. She would come up to them and show them something or point out a color to them and then go back to what she was doing.

"Ding-dong."

"Ah, mommy, doorbell!" Adriana said, jumping up.

"Oooh go see who it is." Calleigh answered, following close behind. She peeked through the window. She knew exactly who it was. She unlocked the door for Adriana.

"Open the door, Adriana, see who it is." she said.

Calleigh helped Adriana turn the door handle, then Adriana pulled the door open and froze, her mouth open wide. There stood Horatio, with a present in his arms.

"Howatio!" She exclaimed.

"Let him in, tell him Merry Christmas." Calleigh told her, holding the glass storm door open for Horatio.

"Mewy Kisstmas." Adriana said, overcome with happiness. She jumped up and down at his feet, never taking her eyes off of him. He knelt down to her level and took his sunglasses off.

"Well Merry Christmas to you to, my dear." Horatio told her. He gave her a big hug. Then picked her up when it was evident she wasn't going to let go. Calleigh led Horatio into the living room where she offered him a seat.

"Merry Christmas and good morning, Horatio." Calleigh said.

Eric stood up and shook Horatio's hand. "Merry Christmas, H." Eric said.

"Thank you, Merry Christmas to you three." Horatio said. "I believe I have something for Miss Delko, who apparently has missed me since you've been clinging to me this whole time. I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you in a while. I have been very busy."

Horatio handed her the box as Adriana jumped off his lap and sat on the floor busily tearing the paper off. With Calleigh's help she took the lid off the box. A little pink tutu skirt lay at the bottom of the box.

"Ooooh pitty!" Adriana exclaimed, picking it up.

"That is pretty. Do you want to try it on? Make sure you tell Horatio thank you." Calleigh told her.

"Tank you, Howatio."

"You're very welcome, sweetie." he responded.

"Mommy help me." said Adriana. She hadn't quite mastered dressing, but with some help was getting quite good. Luckily the tutu was one where she could pull it right up over her jeans and run around like a ballerina or a princess in no time.

"See Howatio, I'm pitty." Adriana said, when Calleigh finished helping Adriana with the tutu.

"Yes, you are. You are beautiful." he told her before she ran off, looking at how the tutu flowed in the breeze while she jumped and ran. It was definitely a good present.

"Horatio, won't you stay for lunch? We've got more than enough and won't have any family over until 3:30 or 4:00. You're very welcome to stay.

"I suppose I could do that." he responded.

Adriana ran back into the room carrying a pretend pan with plastic eggs in it. It was from her new kitchen set. "Howatio," she started, "Will you play with me?"

"Yes, of course, what are we playing?" he asked. "House?"

"Yes. I am the mommy. Daddy is the daddy." she answered. "We will make you food."

"I promise lunch will be more appetizing than plastic eggs." Calleigh said, laughing.

_______

As the day winded down and family and friends went their separate ways, Calleigh, Eric and Adriana laid down on the couch and watched Christmas cartoons. Soon Eric excused himself for a second and came back. He gave Adriana a small red velvet box without Calleigh seeing him and gave Adriana the "shhh" sign, by placing him index finger on his lips. He hoped Adriana would remember what he told her to do earlier.

"Mommy."

"Yes, sweetie" Calleigh said lifting her head.

"Daddy loves you tis much." Adriana said, handing the small box to Calleigh.

"Oh my gosh." she said taking the box from Adriana and lifting the lid revealing a pair of sparking ruby and diamond earrings. "Oh my gosh, Eric." she said whispering, tears in her eyes. "They're beautiful....Eric, you didn't have to..."

Eric cut her off, placing a delicate finger on her lips, then moving his hand to lift her chin slightly. "But I did. I did because I love you and you and Adriana mean the world to me. I'm so lucky that you are my wife and that we made this little girl together. I couldn't ask for anything more. I love you Calleigh."

"I love you too, Eric." she said back, still gazing at the earrings she knew had cost him a fortune.

"Look, mommy." Adriana said, showing her a gold necklace with a tiny gold heart pendant that she was wearing. "Daddy gived me tis, too. I have to be carecul."

"That's right, you have to be careful." Calleigh responded. "Eric, that is the cutest little necklace. You are so thoughtful!"

Eric just smiled. He knew that he had a great life and a wonderful family. It was just fun to surprise Calleigh like that and leave her nearly speechless. It made her that much more beautiful to him. He drew Calleigh in and kissed her, then brought Adriana a little closer and the three enjoyed family time and Christmas cartoons until Calleigh and Adriana fell asleep in his arms. The perfect way to end Christmas day.