5AM

Alex and Casey were loading up the car. They were all going to Boston (Koji too) for Christmas and they had to find a way to get all of the presents, suitcases, and dog supplies in the car.

Casey could feel her teeth chattering. "It's so cold."

"One more suitcase and we can go warm up inside." Alex still couldn't believe how much stuff they had. Olivia had gone a bit crazy with the shopping; she had wanted to get Maggie the perfect present, and Alex was struggling to fit everything, and have enough room for Koji and Olivia to sit comfortably.

"I think we'll have to stick the suitcase between them," Casey told her.

Alex sighed. "They'll have to sit with the smallest one."

While they were wrestling with the luggage, Olivia and Koji were inside of their warm house.

Olivia was on the couch with a mug of cocoa. She had on a fuzzy sweater and jeans, along with a pair of boots.

"ARK!"

Koji knew they were going somewhere because she was wearing boots.

"You're coming too," Olivia rubbed his fur.

The door beeped when Alex and Casey came back to the house.

"We're leaving in 15 minutes," Alex declared. She wanted to make some coffee for the road.

Casey let out Koji before they left.

Olivia got up to use the bathroom.

Exactly 15 minutes later, Alex was pulling out of the driveway. Casey was wrapped up in a blanket. The seat warmers were on, but her front was still cold.

Olivia had Koji to keep her warm and Alex was just fine with the thermos in her hand.

Christmas songs played in the car, adding holiday cheer as they made their way to the highway.

Within five minutes of their departure, Casey fell asleep.

"So much for you navigating," Alex teased. She knew Casey would fall asleep.

Olivia yawned, "I can help."

Alex gave her ten more minutes before she fell asleep as well.

Seven minutes later, Olivia was fast asleep.

"It's just you and me Koji."

The dog perked his head up. Everyone else was out for the count. He barked.

Alex changed the music and hit the gas. She and Koji were both fans of Steppenwolf and driving fast.

"Urg!" Olivia woke up with a terrible crick in her neck. She opened her eyes and realized she fell asleep in an awkward position in the car, also … "I have to pee!"

They were almost at the rest stop. "Can it wait ten minutes?" Alex could get off at an earlier exit, but that would take them a bit out of the way.

"Yes."

Casey was snoring. She denied that she snored, but both of her lovers knew better. She kept snoring until the car came to a stop.

SNORT! "What?"

"We're at the rest stop," Alex told her. "You can stop snoring now!"

"I don't snore!"

"Sure."

Alex took Koji for a walk while Casey and Olivia went inside.

Some of the stores were just opening. Casey saw Dunkin Donuts and went to get them some breakfast.

Olivia came out of the bathroom to see Casey at the front of the line.

"Please tell me you're getting chocolate."

"I got you a box of donut holes."

Olivia kissed her cheek. "The baby and I both thank you."

10 minutes later, they were all back in the car.

Koji wanted a donut.

"Chocolate's bad for dogs," Olivia told him. I'm so not sharing!

"AROH!" he whined.

"There's pupperoni for him in the pouch," Casey told Olivia.

Olivia gave him a treat, which he ate readily.

The rest of the drive was much like the start. Casey fell asleep as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot, donut in hand.

Olivia, however, had a chocolaty reason to stay awake.

They spent about two more hours on the interstate before getting onto the local roads.

Koji had a lot of fun barking at other dogs and people on bicycles.

"ARK! ARK!" Koji pressed his nose to the window.

A poodle was in the backseat of the car next to them.

"You got a girlfriend?" Olivia teased.

This romance only lasted about five minutes. The Volvo turned to the left as Alex kept going straight.

Alex managed to make it to Boston before 10. It was expected to snow later that day, so she wanted to get there in the morning.

"We're here!"

Casey rapidly blinked as she woke up. "Already?"

"You snored through the whole trip," Olivia told her.

Alex snickered. "Let's get Koji settled and then we'll get the stuff." She snapped on Koji's leash and led him inside.

When she opened the door, Koji escaped her control and ran towards Maggie. Her mother had a scared look on her face before the Irish settler licked the little girl and flopped on his back.

"Fuzzy!" She started to rub his red fur.

"What's his name?"

"This is Koji. We rescued him earlier this month."

Casey helped Olivia into the house.

"My legs are so stiff from that car," the detective pouted. "This 100lb baby isn't helping."

"How about we get you on the couch? I bet they have cocoa."

By the time they got inside, Alexander had come out from his study. "You look lovelier every day," he told his daughter before kissing her forehead. "And my granddaughter is almost here. You all must be so excited."

"No one more than me," Olivia insisted before Alexander kissed her cheek. "How have you been?"

"Just swell."

Sally put on some cocoa while, Alex and Casey got the suitcases from the car. The last things they brought in were the presents.

Maggie's eyes went wide when she saw so many colorful boxes under the tree.

"What's for me?"

The girl wiggled away from her mother and started shaking the boxes under the tree.

"Margaret Elizabeth Harriman, stop that at once!"

Alex laughed before scooping up the child. "You'll see in two days Maggie."

"Aw!"

Koji settled in quickly. He found a corner in the living room and he could see who was in the living room, the kitchen and the hallway from his spot.

He had been asleep, until the front door opened.

Koji barked and ran to the door.

Warren and Vivian had arrived.

As soon as he opened the door, Koji started searching his pockets.

"Whoa boy!" Warren had some jerky in his pocket and Koji wanted it.

"Koji here!" Olivia called the dog.

He looked at Warren and then ran to Olivia.

"He's very pretty," Vivian commented as Warren went to hang up her coat.

Before they got to the living room, Vivian and Warren stopped in the kitchen where Alex was making an apple pie and a pecan pie.

"How are you sis?" Warren hugged her warmly.

"Wonderful." Alex punched his chest. "Have you been working out again?" He looked firmer than the last time she had seen him.

"We're having a fitness contest at work. There are cash prizes."

Alex ruffled his hair. "It's good you got rid of that beer gut!"

"I did not have a beer gut!"

Vivian nodded behind his back.

"You conspiring against me?"

"Never, dear," she said before kissing her husband's cheek.

As soon as the pies were out of the oven, Alex turned around to see her father, Casey, and Warren in the kitchen, all of them eyeing the pies.

"They need to cool!" Alex chased them out of the kitchen.

The smell of sugar and cinnamon was too tempting.

"Those pies look perfect," Warren had already decided to screw his diet for the holidays. It was time to chow down!

"Is there any ice cream?" Casey questioned.

Alexander shook his head, "but there's a corner store about five minutes from here!"

Casey was off. Ice cream was a necessity.

15 minutes later, everyone tried to squeeze into the kitchen, even Koji.

They had eight people and 16 potential slices of pie. Alex had a feeling it would all be gone quickly. Before she could cut the first slice, the doorbell rang.

"Let's leave them outside until the pie is gone," Warren said shamelessly.

Alexander shook his head and got the door.

"Bill Margo, Welcome."

Behind the Harrimans were Seth and Molly.

"Is that pie I smell?" Bill questioned.

The pies did not last 20 minutes. Between 12 people, all of the slices got demolished. Alex herself only got a bite of apple that she stole from Olivia's plate when she wasn't looking.

"I should have made more pie," the blonde lamented as her family was too busy eating to speak.

"We still got ice cream," Casey told her.

"You can always make more tomorrow," Olivia hinted oh so subtlety.

"Let me guess, the baby wants pie."

"You know she does!"

Tim and Sarah didn't arrive until after dinner. Their flight had been delayed twice and by the time they got to the house, they were exhausted.

Casey had offered to pick them up, but Tim didn't want them driving in the snow. In hindsight, Tim had wished he had taken her offer.

"I can't believe the cab took us half way to BU." The cabbie had gotten off at the wrong exit and then wanted to charge them for the entire fare. Tim wasn't having it.

"Let's just get inside and go to bed!"

Tim raised his brow.

"To sleep," Sarah chided.

"Alright!"

Casey was there to let them in. "Tim!" She gave him a big hug. "Sarah, you're here."

"Finally, we're beat!"

They got their stuff upstairs. The house was pretty quiet. Willy and his family had gone home for the evening. Bill and Margo were in their own home as well and Uncle Leo wouldn't be joining them until the following day.

Koji barked at their arrival.

Olivia chastised him. "You'll wake everyone up!"

Tim poked his head in to say hello and Koji ran to him.

"Aw who's a good boy?" Tim ruffled his fur. "Isn't he pretty? He looks just like Casey."

Olivia burst out laughing. "Don't let her hear you."

Everyone turned in early that night. The real festivities would start tomorrow.