"Well what's a partridge, and what's a pear tree? Well I don't know so please don't ask me. But I can bet those are terrible gifts to give," Adam sang as he opened the door and took his coat off, shaking the snow off of it and hanging it on the hook by the door. He was in a good mood, despite an extra long shift and lots of tiny bits of trace to be identified. He supposed though that no matter how long and tiring the day was, he was so glad to be home that he seemed to forget about all the rest. The place was quiet for the most part, though he could hear the washer and dryer running. Lindsay never really started the laundry, and the fact that she had tipped him off that she wasn't in the most grand of moods.

"Hey honey?"

"Back here."

He found them in the nursery, Colton playing on the floor while Lindsay looked through his dresser drawers.

"Hi beautful. What's goin' on?"

"Not a lot. Have you seen that clip on tie?"

"You're going to make him wear a tie to the Christmas Eve party?"

"He'll look cute. And he can rip it off if he hates it."

"Guess so. Are you alright? You started the laundry."

"I called my mom today."

"Uh-huh."

"She's in a bad mood because the boys are all going to be with their in-laws this year, so she gets no grandkids for Christmas. And she started saying that we should have planned ahead better so we could have gone out there, and that even if we had the time we would probably go to Phoenix anyway. And then she has the audacity to tell me that she thought this New York thing was just a phase and I would be home in a few years but now I'm stuck here or something and I'll never move back there and Colton's going to grow up not knowing her and it was just so stupid."

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling her into a hug which she accepted gratefully with a sigh.

"It's not a big deal. I know it's because the boys aren't there and she's feeling neglected, but why didn't she get after them?"

"Because she sees them every Sunday night for family dinner. And you're an easy target."

"I hate that I feel guilty about it. I told her that this would happen though. I said that we were going to go between your parents and them every other year in the summer because that's the easiest and we would be here for Christmas. And it's not like they couldn't have come out here if she was that desperate. I'm just annoyed."

"That's okay hon. We'll call her in the morning and it will be all better."

"I know. Are you going to change before we go?"

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"Well I'm changing, but nothing too fancy. You look fine if you don't want to change."

"I'd better swap shirts at least. I mean, if the kid is wearing a tie, I don't want to look like a dude you picked up off the street."

"I appreciate that, baby."

They went into their bedroom to change clothes, Colton crawling after them and babbling.

"So how late do you want to stay tonight?" Adam asked, tossing his t-shirt towards the dirty clothes hamper.

"I don't know. Not too late, I'm kind of tired."

"Me too. Did you get any sleep today?"

"A few hours. Graveyards always throw me off."

"You know what I think is funny?"

"What?" she asked, pulling a red sweater out of the closet and shaking the wrinkles out of it.

"Mac. This whole thing was his idea. He's been getting really… domestic lately."

"That's what it is! I've been wondering what's up with him."

"I think it's being around the kids. Makes him all family oriented or something."

"Must be. Wouldn't it be weird if he settled down though?"

"Maybe. I guess the right time with the right person though. No one thought I would ever settle down."

"Ah, that's just because you're so attention deficit that you literally can't settle down."

"Gee thanks."

"Hey, it's one of the things I love most about you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean pretty much everything is the thing I love most about you, but for the sake of this conversation…"

"Dada?" Colton whined, grabbing onto the side of the bed and pulling himself into a standing position.

"What bud?"

He grunted and pointed at the bed, and Adam picked him up, gently tossing him onto the mattress. He squealed a laugh and rolled over, crawling over to the pillows and snuggling underneath them.

"Hey monster boy, get back here," Adam said, chasing after him with a playful growl. Colton snorted as Adam pulled him out from under the pillows and tickled him. They laughed together as they play wrestled on the bed, Colton's laughter loud and hearty. Lindsay chuckled as she watched them, loving the way they interacted and hoping it would always be like this.

"Mama!" Colton shrieked as Adam blew a raspberry on his stomach.

"Do you need to be saved?" she asked with a grin, climbing onto the bed with them.

"Get mama!"

Adam launched a tickle attack on her sides while Colton giggled and bounced up and down on his knees in excitement.

"No, no stop!" she laughed, fighting his hands, but only a little. He swooped down and kissed her then got up off the bed, taking Colton with him.

"Alright man, lets find your tie and get your coat on so we can go."

Lindsay watched them go, grinning wildly for a moment before getting off the bed and going in the bathroom to fix her make-up. This sight of her happy expression in the mirror almost stilled her, and made her smile even more. How she could be so annoyed one minute and absolutely blissful the next, she didn't know. She was convinced that Adam had some kind of magical powers.

"Babe, are you ready yet?"

"Yep," she said, shutting off the light and going into the other room. She slid into her coat, and they headed out into the winter night.

"So what are you guys doing tomorrow?" Lindsay asked, watching Colton out of the corner of her eye as explored Mac's living room.

"Hitting the Messers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hopefully intervening any bonding between Isa and Louie because that man was born to be a bad influence."

"It amuses you."

"Well yeah, but…"

"Are you going to see your parents?"

She sighed.

"I don't know. I don't usually try to plan that."

"Hmm."

"It would be like Adam seeing his dad next time you're in Phoenix."

Lindsay wrinkled her nose in sympathy and shook her head.

"I wish… I don't know. I wish that I could say that I wish people like that would never procreate, but if they didn't I wouldn't have you or Adam, so…"

"Yeah. I guess we just break the cycle."

"If the cycle is the mold then you've already broken it."

"Ah, my life's mission complete."

They snickered together and listened to Mac and Stella in the kitchen, arguing about the proper way to make coffee.

"So um, those two?"

"Is there something going on?"

"You think I would know?"

"Aust, you know everything."

"Well if there is, I don't know about it. Personally I just think they like driving each other nuts."

"A pastime enjoyed by us all."

"Ah ah!" Colton shouted, pounding on the coffee table.

"What?"

He turned and looked at her, slowly letting go of the table and grinning.

"Dude, are you going to walk?" she asked, holding her hands out for him. He smiled and pointed at her, wobbling a little as he took a step. "You can do it buddy. C'mon."

Lindsay watched him but stayed quiet, not wanting to distract him from what he was doing.

"That's it, bud. Just a few more steps."

Squealing he took the last few steps and fell into her waiting arms with a giggle.

"You did it!" she said, kissing his cheeks. "Go get mama."

She turned him around and his steps were a little quicker as he made his way to Lindsay. She scooped him up and held him close, cradling him against her. He laughed with accomplishment and squirmed out of her arms, eager to exercise his newfound talent. He walked the few feet between them again and fell into Austin's lap happily.

"Is that a sentimental tear I see?"

"Shut up, he walked!"

Lindsay snickered.

"Hey Adam, you'd better come out here and see this."

"See what?"

"Your kid is walking."

Within a few seconds everyone rushed into the room, watching Colton as he walked from Lindsay to Austin and back again, clapping every time he reached his destination.

"Dada!" he grinned, changing courses and heading for Adam.

"Hey, good job little man. High five?"

Colton obliged, then pointed at the floor, now confident that he could head just about anywhere.

"You guys are in for it," Stella commented as Colton headed for the small Christmas tree.

"Now we really have to get out the baby gates," Adam agreed.

"Dude, don't put that in your mouth," Austin said, pulling him away from the tree and into her lap. He giggled as she fished the pine needles out of his mouth and Isa crawled over to investigate, not really enjoying the times when she had to share her mommy. She grunted and tugged on Colton's sleeve, trying to move him out of her spot. He took the hint and walked back over to Lindsay, throwing his arms around her neck and snuggling in contentedly.

"See, he'll always come back to his mama."

Lindsay nodded and kept her arms around him, noting how tired he was and how late it was getting. She stroked his hair back and kissed his forehead while he sighed against her.

"Daddy, I think it's time to go."

"Someone's getting tired?"

"And it's not just him."

He helped her up from the floor, finding Colton's jacket and putting it on him.

"Dada," he yawned, reaching his hand out and flexing it sleepily.

"C'mere dude."

Lindsay handed him off and he curled against Adam's chest, comfortably snuggling down because he knew he was safe.

"Are you guys heading out?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, we've got a little elf that's tuckered out and in need of his bed."

"Visions of sugarplums no doubt."

"Probably. Merry Christmas, Mac."

"Merry Christmas guys."

They said the rest of their goodbyes and headed out, making their way out to the car. Colton fussed when they put him into his carseat, but settled back down when they put a blanket over him.

"Do you remember what we did on Christmas Eve last year?" Adam asked as he started the car.

"Um… I think we were running on very little sleep. Changing diapers, making bottles. I do remember watching A Christmas Story once or twice."

"Up for that again?"

"Sounds good to me. Want to sleep out on the living room floor and wait for Santa?"

"Sure. Wanna play some Nintendo?"

"Mortal Kombat?"

"Rad."

He grinned and reached across the console for her hand, lacing their fingers together while she put her feet up on the dashboard.

"Hey, did you see Mac push Stella out of the kitchen earlier?"

"The time he actually pushed her out, or the time he drug her out?"

"He drug her out too?"

"She was telling him that he wasn't making the cider right and he was telling her that he was making it the way his mom made it and she said it smelled funny, so he grabbed her and took her out of the kitchen."

"Both of them laughing the whole way."

"I think she'd hit the eggnog a little hard."

He snickered and shook his head.

"Were we ever that flirty?"

"Oh hon, even now we're way flirtier than that."

"We might be a little disgusting at times."

"Hey, I'm not disgusted by us. Do you think other people are?"

"Well if they are I don't care. I like flirting with you."

"You can flirt with me all you want."

"That might have been a little disgusting."

She smiled and tipped her head back on the seat.

"What are you thinkin' about?"

"Nothing in particular. I'm just really happy."

"Me too."

"Colton, you want to sleep out here with me and mama?" Adam asked, changing Colton into his Christmas pajamas. "We can watch a movie and eat some popcorn."

"Don't forget the hot chocolate," Lindsay said, setting the bowl on the floor.

"I could get used to this tradition," Adam commented as the story of Ralphie Parker started on the screen in front of them.

"Me too."

"Wanna give me some knuckles on that?"

"Reminds me of our wedding," she said as they exchanged a fist bump.

"We're memorable. Hey, you made cinnamon sugar popcorn. Thanks honey."

"You're welcome. Colton, you want some lukewarm chocolate?"

He took the offered sippy cup and tried a taste of it, then wrinkled his nose and handed it back to her.

"Not a fan, huh?"

He grabbed his sock monkey and settled in between them, grabbing a piece of popcorn.

"Mama?"

"Go ahead, you can eat it."

He popped the kernel in his mouth, then sighed and laid down, resting his head on her stomach.

"Hey," Adam whispered, tapping her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"This is perfect."

"Yeah, it is."

He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her, running his fingers through her curls.

"I want to say something to you, but I can't think of anything that I haven't said already."

"I know."

She pulled him down into a kiss and held on for a while until they had to come up for air.

"Merry Christmas baby."

"Merry Christmas."