Author's Note: Well, this has been a fun little romp/writing exercise. Thank you for coming on the journey with me. Hopefully this final installment satisfies!

Twelve Drummers Drumming

They'd joked about calling into work sick that morning when they woke in a state of perfect bliss. The mattress was just right, like laying on a cloud. And the sheets were so soft. And her lover's body just -mm, yes- pleasantly warm, the sweaty heat from the previous night's exertions having dissipated. And then there was the affectionate mood Chris had awaken in.

It'd been extremely difficult to drag themselves out of bed and get ready for a day of chasing down criminals.

But they'd both sobered very quickly over the topic of what Pride's reaction would be if they both called in sick within a few minutes of the other. Because what would Pride's reaction to this be at all? Not that this had been clearly defined yet. But she was pretty certain it wasn't over. Rather, it felt like it'd just begun. And she was falling hard and fast.

She'd learned to guard her heart, because with the right kind of guy, she was extremely susceptible to falling in love. James had been a mistake. She'd known that even before he'd run off on her. She knew it when he came back begging for further affection. But Chris, he felt right. Like maybe it wasn't a completely foolish thing to do to let herself fall in love again. And he seemed extremely interested in continuing whatever this was, too.

Even though… When she asked him what he thought Pride was going to think if he ever found out about them, Chris' normally playful expression became disconcertingly serious. That deep furrow forming between his brows and a little frown tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Ya mean when he finds out, he'd said. And then he'd shrugged it off, giving her his stupid-charming grin and kissing her soundly.

Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up again, but it had bothered her all day. Mainly because their boss had made sure they were working on separate aspects of the case once more.

"Pride already knows," she said, as she walked arm-in-arm with Chris down the lively street. It was dusk and the city was coming alive.

"Knows what?"

Not going to fly, Chris. After over a year of working together, and a week and a half of, well, basically super-concentrated-dating, she would never buy into his 'dumb' act again.

"He doesn't approve, does he?" she asked, only realizing she'd tightened her grip on his forearm when he jumped a little as her nails dug into his skin through his light jacket. "That's why he's been keeping us separated at work."

"Nah," Chris said, shaking his head. "He's jus' makin' sure our newbie gets the benefit a' all her trainin' agents' expertise."

She tugged on his arm, making him stop and turn to face her. Foot traffic hiccupped for a minute but then seamlessly flowed around the obviously at-odds couple.

"Do you really think that, Chris?" she asked, trying to get a read on him. His flirty smile hadn't completely fled his face, but his eyes held some serious concern as he considered her in return.

"I uh... I talked wi' 'im taday, Mere," he said, looking a little nervous. And rightly so.

"About us?" She took a moment to calm herself. It agitated her a great deal to learn that people had been discussing her behind her back. But she had to take into account that their boss also happened to be Chris' best friend, a sort of father-figure. Of course, he'd turned to Pride when he was in emotional upheaval. Even if it was the good kind. Merri hoped he considered it the good kind, anyway.

She certainly did.

"Yeah, I... uh... I did," Chris seemed to gain some confidence, too, straightening to his full height and looking her straight in the eye. She could admit he knew a lot of her secrets now. But did she know how vulnerable she was to his pretty blue eyes? "He seen that we was diff'rent wi' one another an' he was testin' his theory by assignin' us sep'rate tasks."

"And what was his conclusion?" Merri asked, generally curious what she'd let show despite how careful she thought she'd been. But Pride had a decade or so more experience on the job than she did.

The tips of Chris' ears turned pink. "That t'was too late ta warn us off'n a relationship wi' a fellow agent."

Merri looked away, feeling a blush creep up her own cheeks. It was one thing to let Chris see precisely how much she cared about him while they were cuddled up on his couch or rolling around in her bed. It was an entirely other thing that she'd let their boss see the extent to which she was a lost cause.

"So he knows that we... um..." She trailed off timidly until Chris's hand gently chucked her chin made her raise her face to his again. Come on, Merri. You're a grown-ass woman! Just say it. "That we're... seeing each other?"

You wuss, Merri Brody!

Those blue eyes lit up and his mouth twitched with amusement.

"Yup."

She narrowed her own eyes at him. Really? That was all she was going to get? He was going to be all tight-lipped about what he and Pride had said when discussing his involvement with her?

Chris chuckled. Actually chuckled.

"Don't look so dang 'fraid," he said. "Ya know Pride likes ya."

Yes. But she somehow doubted the man would think that her, with her history of running away from her problems, was good enough for his beloved surrogate son.

"An' he said it makes 'im happy ta see us happy." He rubbed her arm gently. "So quit worryin' 'bout it, Mere. He ain't gonna interfere wi'... us."

Well, at least they'd gotten to the point where they'd acknowledged they were an 'us'.

"C'mon," he took her hand and began leading her down the street once more. "We's gonna miss it."

"What is it, exactly?" she asked, forgetting about her worries as she was caught up in her...um... lover's excitement.

"Yer surprise," he said still dragging her along through the crowd.

"Whaddya think?" He felt like a cat watching a ping-pong tournament, unable to decide whether he wanted to watch Merri's face or the spectacle being put on by the street performers.

Merri was winning. She was glowing in that way she did when genuinely happy. And Chris was a little startled to realize he could spend the rest of his life thinking of ways to make her glow like that. Willingly. Ecstatically.

"It sure is something," she said, leaning in close and talking loudly to be heard over the noise. He'd lucked out. A group of Trinidadian immigrants had begun a little group to continue to practice their talent-hobby-passion for the steel drum. And it had grown since it'd formed last fall to about a dozen or so. They performed in a small park in the French Quarter every Tuesday and Thursday at seven pm. It had worked out perfectly.

"I can't imagine the skill and practice it takes."

"Ya sayin' ya like 'em better than my pipin'?" He put his arm around her and she laughed as she snuggled into his side. He could spend the rest of his life with her pressed up against him, too.

"Nothing can beat your rendition of 'Hot Cross Buns', Chris," she said, her voice taking on that extra melodic tonality it acquired when she was filled with laughter. "It will always be my favorite memory of being serenaded."

'So ya been serenaded, before, huh? Guess I better up my game." He gave her a wink and a kiss on the cheek. "Dinner at Billie's probably ain't gonna cut it."

"Oh, I love their jalapeno poppers!" She even bounced a little in her shoes, like a small child. He absolutely adored this side of Merri Brody, light-hearted, carefree and exuberant.

"You didn't have to do all of this," she said, after they stood for a few more minutes, cuddled close together watching the performance wind down. He gently pulled away so he could turn to face her, look into her big brown eyes. So gorgeous.

"Hey. When I commit ta somethin', I always follow-through, Merri Brody." He continued to stare into her, unwilling to take two steps back after taking one forward. They'd been playing this game for nearly a week, now. Maybe longer, if he was honest about feelings he'd always ignored since the day he'd met her. But he'd accepted them, now. Embraced them. And he wasn't ever letting go. "Have I scared ya off yet?"

Her eyes had gone big and round. Well, even bigger and rounder. And butterflies flitted around his stomach. Maybe he had frightened her off by coming on so strong so soon. But the way she'd been looking at him... The way she'd made love to him last night…

"You wish you could be so lucky," she said, relieving the anxious knot in his chest. She grabbed the loose lapels of his unzipped jacket and tugged him towards her. "I'm not going anywhere."

The heat of her body pressed up against him warmed his stomach and chest as much as the acutely affectionate look in her eyes and her words.

"I probably don't deserve you, Chris LaSalle. But I'm going to enjoy every minute until you figure that out."

He couldn't keep the stupid grin off his face. Played it up, let his accent thicken.

"If ya'll recall, I ain't none too bright, Miss Brody." He grabbed her waist, pulling her hips flush to his. "An' I ain't never gonna believe yer not dang well outta my league."

Her hands flattened against his chest and smoothed over his jacket to his shoulders and further until she'd wrapped her arms about his neck. Her dark eyes never wavered from staring straight into his soul.

"Guess we're just too stupid to call it quits before we're in too deep," she said, smile curving her lips.

"Darlin', we's in so deep I done already drowned."

He only had to lean in a little because she was already meeting him halfway for the kiss, one that ran the gamut of expression, sharing their tender affection and their lusty physical desires alike. They were both a little breathless when it broke.

"I love ya, Mere."

"I love you, too, Chris."

END

A/N: Well, I hope that satisfies. This little holiday fluff ficlet is finito!