Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
In the lane snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song as we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say, "Are you married?" We'll say, "No man"
But you can do the job when you're in town
Later on we'll conspireAs we dream by the fire
To face unafraid, the plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland

"So, you like dogs?"

Andy glanced away from TV at William's question. He'd been so engrossed in the football game, he'd hardly been aware that Guinness had jumped up on the couch and had his big golden head resting on his lap. Or that he'd been patting that head.

"Yeah, I do. I would love to have another dog. We had one when Nic was a kid. Cute little mutt." He'd lost Zeke in the divorce, along with Nicole. At least with Nicole he'd gotten visitation rights. Not so with Zeke. "After my divorce there was no way I could take care of a dog on my schedule. You can't have a dog when you're getting stuck at work for sometimes 13 or 14 hours. But someday, maybe when I retire, I'd like to get another one."

"That's why Mom never let us have a dog," Ricky said. From the tone of his voice, Andy could tell this had been a bone of contention in the Raydor household.

"Ricky, you know I would love to have had a dog, but like Andy said, it wouldn't have been fair to the dog. I didn't work the crazy hours he did, at least not once I moved to the PSB, but with work and you and Emily and all your extracurricular activities there just wasn't time." She left out the dealing with everything "on my own" but it was there, and they all knew it."

"Besides, Mom let us have cats." Emily jumped in to her mother's defense.

Ricky nodded. "Princess Buttercup."

Rusty raised an eyebrow. "Princess Buttercup? That's what you named your cat?"

"It's from the Princess Bride," Emily said.

"What's the Princess Bride?"

"You've never seen the Princess Bride? What did you, live under a…" Ricky stopped himself, horrified at his open mouth insert foot moment.

Rusty flushed, as the room grew quiet. He was embarrassed to know they were all thinking about his horrible childhood of abuse and neglect, but before the moment could become even more awkward with Ricky starting to apologize, Andy interjected.

"It's a great movie."

"You watched the Princess Bride? And you liked it?" Rusty snickered at the idea of Andy Flynn watching a movie with that title.

"Dozens of times. It was Nic's favorite movie. And yes, I liked it."

"It's still one of my favorite movies," Nicole said.

"Don't let the name fool you. It really is a great movie," Ricky agreed. "It's not just some sappy girly love story. It's funny."

"And full of swashbuckling adventure," Andy added.

"Swashbuckling?" Rusty was still skeptical.

"Yeah, you know, pirate stuff, sword fights. When we get back to LA, we'll have a movie night and watch it together. It's one of your mother's favorites too."

"Not that there is anything wrong with sappy girly love stories," Sharon ruffled Ricky's hair as she walked past him to sit beside Andy on the couch. "And as far as pets go, let's remember that against my better judgment, I let you get a lizard."

Andy turned to look at her. "You had a lizard?"

"I didn't have a lizard, Ricky did."

"After she refused to let me get a snake."

Sharon shivered at the memory. "No snakes in my house. We compromised on the lizard…What?" She asked at Andy's grin.

"Nothing. I was just thinking-you're the master negotiator at work AND at home."

"Yes, well, that negotiation came back to bite me on the…well, rear end," she said, keeping it clean for the little ones who were laying on the floor playing 'Chute's and Ladders'. "Ricky broke his arm playing Pop Warner football and guess who had to clean the lizard cage?"

"Terrarium," Ricky corrected.

"Cage, terrarium, whatever you want to call it, I had to clean it."

"Aw, Mom, you know you developed a nice little relationship with Draco."

"If by nice little relationship you mean I stopped nearly having a nervous breakdown every time I had to pick him up, then yes, I did."

Andy squeezed Sharon's hand. "You have a great mom, Ricky. If I'd ever had a lizard my mother would have let it die before touching it."

White wash!" Ricky raced out from behind his fort like a World War 1 soldier charging out of the trenches and chased Emily with a large pile of snow in his hand.

"Don't you dare!" She shrieked, slipping on the ice as she tried to avoid being slammed in the face with the pile of snow. "Ricky stop, I can't afford to hurt my foot again."

Ricky stopped, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Oh, you're good sis."

"What's a whitewash?" Scott asked, ducking his head behind the wall of snow that protected him from the snowballs whizzing overhead. Everyone had gone out to the front lawn bundled up against the cold to help the kids build a snowman, after which Ricky had suggested building forts, picking teams and having a snowball fight.

Andy grinned at the boys and bent to pick up a pile of snow before approaching Sharon with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "I'll show you what a whitewash is." Seeing what he was all about she turned to make her get away but he grabbed her by the coat before she could bolt.

"Andy, Andy stop!" Her tone was far more commanding that Emily's shriek.

"Just trying to educate the boys."

"Andy I mean it-"While trying to twist out of his grip, they both lost their balance and fell back into a large snow bank. Andy rolled on top of her his eyebrows twitching in what he thought was a menacing manner but which only made Sharon giggle.

"I've got you just where I want you pretty maiden."

"Andy." Her voice grew low, threatening. "I swear to God if you whitewash my face there will be a certain part of your anatomy that will not be functioning properly for the rest of this vacation."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, wouldn't I?"

"You'd be cutting off your nose to spite your face."

Sharon lifted her knee. "Try me."

Andy dropped the snow and quickly rolled off her. "Okay, you win."

"Oh for goodness sakes. She can't knee me in the balls."

With that statement, Sharon felt an icy handful of snow smashed forcefully into her face.

"Now that boys, is a whitewash."

Gasping and sputtering, Sharon quickly rubbed the snow out of her eyes so she could see her assailant. There she stood, familiar hazel eyes dancing with mirth, her hands on her hips and a cocky smile.

Sharon rose, eyes narrowing in her best Darth Raydor glare. "Christine Mary O'Dwyer Simmons, YOU are going to pay for that."

"Oh yeah, who's gonna make me?"

Before Christine could even blink Sharon had hooked a foot behind her calf and pulled her feet out from beneath her so she fell into the same soft pile of snow, then treated her to her very own whitewash.

"That's enough girls." Colleen had come out of the house when she'd heard the car drive up and was surveying her daughters with a shake of her head. "You two sound exactly like you did when you were eight and nine years old."

Sharon and Christine grinned at each as Sharon extended a hand to help her sister up out of the snow. "Good to see, sis." She said.

"You too." Christine pulled her into an exuberant hug. "Where the hell did you learn how to do that? I didn't even see it coming."

"You don't mess with a cop, Chrissie."

"Geez. I guess not."

Andy watched the sisters with amusement. This was a completely new side of Sharon. "You must be Christine," he said stepping forward with interest. There was no denying the two were blood. Though Christine was a little shorter than Sharon was and as he got closer he noticed that her eyes were hazel rather than Sharon's vivid green, they shared the same porcelain and rose complexion dotted with a few whimsical freckles and the same thick auburn hair, though Christine wore hers in a shorter pixyish cut while Sharon's fell over her shoulders in waves. If he had to classify them, he'd call Christine cute, while Sharon was beautiful. Then again, he might be a touch biased. No one, in his eyes, could hold a candle to his Sharon.

"Must be. And you must be the very dashing Andy Flynn." After shaking his hand, Christine looked him up and down. "You're even better looking in person." Andy laughed at the flirtatious flutter of her eyelashes.

Sharon groaned. "For God sake Christine, do you have to say absolutely everything that pops into your head?"

"Uh, yes." Christine was as irreverent as Sharon was circumspect.

"Are they always like this?" Andy turned to the heavyset bearded man who was also watching with amusement.

"Pretty much."

"Hey Ed." Sharon stepped into the big man's embrace.

"Hey, gorgeous. I don't know how you do it Sharon; you get more beautiful every time I see you."

"Quit flirting with my sister." Christine's protest was belied by her affectionate smile.

"Just stating facts. The O'Dwyer girls are something to look at, wouldn't you say?"

"I would," Andy agreed.

"Andy, this is my brother in law Ed Simmons. He's not even Irish but he's got the gift of the blarney. Ed, Andy Flynn."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too. You're a cop right?"

"Yes, a lieutenant with the LAPD."

"And Sharon's your boss."

"Yep." Andy grinned, not at all put out by that fact. "Best boss I've ever had.

"I bet. So, what's that like? Is it kind of sexy, being bossed around by your girlfriend? That can be a turn on."

"Ed!"

"Actually, sometimes it is."

"Andy!" Sharon shoved at him with her shoulder.

"What? I'm just saying…. "

Sharon cut him off, turning to the rest of the family. "Why don't we all go in for some hot chocolate? How does that sound? "

"It sounds like you're changing the subject." Andy fell in step with her as everyone began heading back toward the house. "And you're turning a pretty shade of red."

"Must be a hot flash."

"Yeah, that's it." Andy chuckled at her discomfort.

"You need to behave. " Sharon pointed a warning finger at him, which only made Andy laugh harder.

"There you go again, getting all bossy. " He leaned in closer so only she would hear. He didn't want to completely embarrass her. "It is a turn on, you know."

"Andy Flynn you're incorrigible." Her reprimand was laced with amusement. This boyish, playful, slightly naughty side to Andy had always been irresistible to her.

"Mmmhmmm. And you love me for it."

Oh yes she did.

Once inside the foyer, with coats and hats removed, there were hugs all around. Sharon was hugging her youngest niece Bridget who was in grad school and had come down from Massachusetts with her parents when she saw Christine hugging Ricky. Her sister's eyes clouded over with pain, but it was only for an instant and anyone who didn't know her as well as Sharon might have missed it. By the time she had pulled back, to look up at her nephew Christine was grinning and teasing him about his scruff.

"Hard to believe this tall young man came from your body, isn't it?" she said to Sharon.

Sharon turned wistful. "It is. I can still remember so clearly how easily he fit in the crook of my arm."

The sad look touched Christine's face again compelling Sharon to take her hand, squeezing it gently. Their eyes met, acknowledging that pain without a word.

TBC