A/N This one-shot takes place 2 years after the end of season 10. L/E fans should skip this one. N/E fans: Enjoy the fluff! (And please keep comments relevant to the story only! This is not the place to discuss the show. Thanks!)

"You would be there too

Under the mistletoe

Watching the fire glow

And telling me, 'I love you.'"

-Taylor Swift, Christmas Tree Farm

December 1922

Nathan looked up from his desk when Bill stepped into the jail, looking exasperated. "Rough day?"

"Tell me why we agreed to do this Christmas festival again?" He plopped down into the nearby chair.

Nathan chuckled. "Well, we have to go all out since Lucas—Governor Bouchard," he corrected himself, "is coming home for Christmas. We knew there would be lots of tourists, and you know they like to be entertained."

"Why aren't you more upset about all of this?" Bill narrowed his eyes. "I thought you weren't too keen on crowds, either."

"I don't love having all these people here, but they're good for the town." He shrugged. "Besides, everyone else seems to enjoy it. Allie and Jack have been having so much fun visiting all the booths and trying new things."

Bill huffed. "I still don't like it. I can't wait to see all those booths packed up."

"Come on, Bill," he teased him. "It's Christmas. Time to be joyful."

"Bah, humbug."

Nathan just smiled and shook his head. "Well, you just keep being Mr. Scrooge." He pushed his chair back and stood. "I'm going to head over to the schoolhouse so I can take Elizabeth and the children home. I'll be back to finish this paperwork in a little while."

He retrieved his coat from the hook by the door, shrugging it on and giving Bill a little wave before he stepped out. There was a chill in the air, and he tucked his hands into his pockets as he meandered down the street. A few flurries were falling, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the valley was covered in a layer of white.

He smiled at the tourists waiting at the stalls that lined either side of the street, though he could see why Bill was frustrated. They weren't causing any trouble, but there were just so many of them. He had to weave his way through the crowds before he was finally able to turn off of Main Street.

Elizabeth had just dismissed her class, and he passed a handful of students as he made his way to the schoolhouse. More students were coming down the steps as he approached, greeted by a chorus of "hi, Mountie Nathan!"

"Dad!" Allie exclaimed when she caught sight of him.

"Hi, Mountie Na—Dad!" Jack corrected himself, giving Nathan a little salute.

Nathan returned the salute. "Mountie Jack. Allie-girl." He sauntered up to the front of the room, a crooked smile on his face. Elizabeth stood behind her desk, waiting for him. "Mrs. Grant."

"Constable." She swayed slightly from side to side, her lips turning up into a smile. "Did you forget your homework?"

"Did you really give the students homework over the holiday break?"

She chuckled. "Their only assignment is to have as much fun as possible."

"So we should get right on that," Allie suggested. "We still need to get a Christmas tree, and Jack and I know where we can find the perfect one."

"Mom and I were already planning to take you both to find one tomorrow."

"Yay!" Jack cheered.

Nathan laughed. "But for now, I thought I'd walk the three of you home."

"I have just a few more things to finish up here."

"Okay." He kissed her cheek. "We can just go outside and play some catch while we wait."

Nathan gently grabbed Elizabeth's arm, preventing her from going further into the house.

She let out a laugh. "What are you doing?"

"Look up." He glanced above their heads.

She followed his gaze, rolling her eyes playfully when she spotted the sprig of mistletoe hanging in the door frame above them. "Nathan Grant."

"Elizabeth Grant," he countered. "It's tradition, and I seem to recall you saying you love Christmas traditions."

She stood on her toes to press her lips to his cheek, teasing him.

"You little…" He wrapped his arms around her, effectively trapping her against him.

Laughing, she leaned up to give him a proper kiss. "I love you, Nathan."

"Cover your eyes, Jack," Allie said from somewhere inside the house. "They're being mushy again."

He chuckled against her lips. "I love you, too."

"When did you hang that mistletoe up, by the way?" she asked, sliding her arm around his waist as he led her into the house.

"I made a little stop here when I was on my rounds earlier. There might be more hidden around the house."

"Of course, there are."

"Hey." He nudged her. "This is our first Christmas since we got married, and we're still technically newlyweds. I had to take advantage of that."

She turned to face him, placing her hands on his arms. "Well, just so you know, I appreciate the mistletoe, but I'll kiss you without it, too." To prove her point, she stood on her toes to kiss him again.

"There they go again!" Allie announced, Jack giggling beside her, peering at them between his fingers.

"Get used to it, Allie-girl." Nathan grinned, not letting go of his wife.

"Well, I'm going to feed Scout. Kiss all you want while I'm out of the room."

"I'll help!" Jack ran after her.

She chuckled. "What are we going to do with those two?"

"No idea." He touched his lips to the top of her head. "Now, as much as I would love to stay right here, I do need to go back into town for a bit. I have some work to finish up, and I need to make sure Bill hasn't shut down the Christmas festival," he joked.

She smiled. "He's still being a Scrooge about it?"

"Yes. He even said 'bah, humbug,' when we were discussing it." With one last kiss, he released her. "I'll be home for dinner."

"Be safe, Nathan."

Elizabeth tipped the pot in her hands, pouring a fresh batch of hot chocolate into a thermos. Nathan came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"That smells delicious."

"Just wait until you taste it." She screwed the lid on, then turned in his arms. "Is everything ready?"

He nodded. "The wagon is out front, and I gathered up extra blankets. Are Allie and Jack ready to go?"

"They should be. I sent them upstairs to find Jack's mittens a few minutes ago. We just need to get our coats and boots on, and we can head out."

"I'll go load everything up." He made sure his coat was buttoned before taking the thermos from her and stepping out into the snow.

"Mom!" Jack exclaimed as he pattered down the stairs in his sock feet. "Did you see all the snow?"

"I did." She glanced out the window again.

The flurries that had began the afternoon before had turned into flakes overnight, leaving everything covered in a blanket of white. It was absolutely beautiful, reminding Elizabeth once again that Hope Valley was her very favorite place, especially at Christmastime.

"Can we make a snowman?" Jack asked, slipping his boots on and fumbling a bit with the laces.

"We have to get our Christmas tree first," Allie reminded him. "But maybe when we get back?" She looked toward Elizabeth, eyebrow raised in question.

"You can make as many snowmen as you'd like," Elizabeth confirmed with a smile. "Now, let's get going before all the good trees are taken."

A little while later, Nathan was dragging a freshly cut fir tree into the house, Elizabeth and the children following. Allie and Jack had been the ones to find it, running ahead into the trees while Nathan and Elizabeth had wandered slowly behind them. The trek had brought Elizabeth back to Christmases past: hunting for trees with Jack before they were engaged, the first tree she decorated with her son when he was a toddler, the time she had taken Allie and Nathan on a search for a tree during their first Christmas season in Hope Valley.

So many years, so many memories that had brought her to where she was now, enjoying the season with her family.

"We need to take a pine cone from the tree," Allie was explaining to Jack, "and then we'll plant the seeds in a pot and in the springtime, we'll plant the tree in the backyard. Dad and my mom used to do that every Christmas when they were kids. Right, dad?"

"That's right, Allie-girl. And now we've done it every year since we came to Hope Valley."

"Mama?" Jack turned toward her. "Did you do that?"

"No, but we had our own traditions when I was young."

"And my dad?"

She smiled. "He had traditions with his family, too. I don't know as much about those, but maybe tonight we can write to Grandma Charlotte and Uncle Tom and ask them."

"Okay!"

Nathan leaned the tree upright, brushing off his hands before stepping back to put an arm around Elizabeth. "And the four of us are going to create some of our own traditions now."

"Like what?"

"Going together to find the tree was one. Decorating it together will be another."

"Speaking of that, I should go get the ornaments from upstairs," Elizabeth stated.

"I'll help!" Allie offered, and the two scurried off to retrieve the boxes of decorations.

"Well, Jack. Think you can help me get this tree all set up before they get back?"

"Uh huh." He nodded emphatically. "Let's go!"

"That looks great," Elizabeth said as she came down the stairs a few minutes later.

"Hopefully we have enough decorations for it." Nathan put his hands on his hips, looking toward the top of the tree, which nearly touched the ceiling.

"We have plenty," Elizabeth assured him, setting down her box of decorations on the floor near the tree. "Between the ornaments we've each accumulated over the years, plus all of the new ones that Allie and Jack made this year," she glanced between the children, "we might actually have too many."

"We still have the bird, right?" He started rifling through the box that Allie had brought down.

"What bird?" Jack asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

Elizabeth rummaged through the box, quickly finding and pulling out the small cardinal. "This one." She met Nathan's eyes and smiled. "It goes near the top of the tree."

"I think you'll need some help with that." Nathan moved to stand behind her, helping her reach up to place the ornament on a branch above their heads. "That looks perfect."

This time, Elizabeth smiled when she turned and realized how close they were, just a few inches of space separating them. Nathan returned her smile, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips.

"Really?" Allie said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "We're never going to get this tree decorated if you two have to kiss after every ornament."

Elizabeth laughed. "Okay, Allie. We get your point. We'll stop."

"For now." Nathan waggled his eyebrows at her.

She felt warmth flood her cheeks, and she cleared her throat, changing the subject before all thought of decorating the tree flew out of her head. "Um, do you have to do any extra work when Lucas is in town?" she asked as she pulled an ornament out of the box.

"I just have to be on the alert during the Christmas dinner on the twenty-third, but that's all."

"And then I turn seven on the twenty-fourth!" Jack excitedly added.

Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head at how quickly her little boy was growing up. "That's right, sweet boy."

"Dad?" Allie was reluctant to meet his eyes as she hung an ornament on the tree. "Um, speaking of the Christmas dinner, Robert asked me to go with him this year."

Nathan paused, unsure of how to feel about this revelation. "And?"

"And…" she shifted uncomfortably, "I told him yes. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it before. I just, I really want to go with him."

Elizabeth put a hand on his back before he could react. "Remember," she whispered, "Robert is a responsible, kind young man, and he makes Allie very happy."

He heaved a sigh. "I know. Just…" He glanced over at his daughter, who somehow looked like his little girl who he had taken in years ago and a young lady all at once. "Behave, Allie."

"Dad!"

Elizabeth tightened her arm around him. "Everything is going to be fine, Nathan."

"I know." He gave a sad smile. "I just wish you didn't have to grow up, Allie-girl."

"Sometimes I wish that, too." She looked over at Jack, who was happily hanging ornaments in a cluster. "Even with losing mom, and then moving around so much, things really seemed a lot less complicated at seven years old."

Nathan reached out his arm to pull his daughter close. "I know just what you mean."

Allie wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, dad."

"Watch this, Jack," Allie whispered, packing some snow into a small ball. She glanced over at Nathan, who was busy rounding out their snowman's head. She took aim, throwing the snowball in his direction.

He gasped when it hit him square in the back. "Allison Grant!"

She doubled over in laughter, not expecting him to throw one back at her.

Before long, it had turned into a full-on snowball fight. Elizabeth had heard the commotion and came outside to join the fun, with her and the children teaming up against Nathan.

"Hey!" He laughed. "This isn't fair! It's three against one."

Elizabeth just shrugged, giving him a mischievous smile. "You're a big, strong Mountie. You're basically three people all by yourself."

"You think so?" He lobbed a snowball at her, but she quickly dodged it.

"Missed me," she teased.

"You little…"

Instead of trying again, he set off chasing her, his long legs easily catching up to her. He wrapped her in his arms, holding her against his chest.

"Got you," he whispered in her ear, breathing hard from exertion.

"So what are you going to do with me?"

"Oh, I have some ideas." He turned her to face him and leaned down to kiss her.

"Not again!" Allie groaned.

Jack just giggled. "Mom, stop!"

"Sorry, Jack." She laughed, pulling back from Nathan slightly. "Dad and I have a lot of time to make up for." She looked up at her husband while she spoke, seeing a gleam in his eyes. "I love you."

He kissed her again, mumbling against her lips, "I love you." He touched his nose to hers, noticing her red cheeks and ears. "You're freezing."

"I know." She shivered. "I didn't have much time to bundle up before I came out here."

He kissed her nose. "I think it's about time for us all to go back inside. I'll put some more wood in the stove."

"That sounds wonderful."

"It looks great in here," Nathan observed as they entered the Queen of Hearts for the town's Christmas dinner. "Rosemary's doing, I presume?"

"She had a lot of help, but yes."

The room really was beautiful, with garland draped along the stair railing, strings of lights strung all around, long tables covered in cream cloths with centerpieces of holly and candles, and a large tree in the corner, decorated with ornaments and tinsel.

"Buddy!" Jack shouted, taking off toward the other side of the room, where Lucas was chatting with Fiona.

Nathan chuckled, keeping his hand on the small of Elizabeth's back as they moved further into the room. "Think he missed Lucas?"

"Maybe a little." Elizabeth smiled, watching Lucas lean down to give her son a bear hug. She caught his eyes as he stood back up and gave him a little wave.

He waved back and smiled, making it clear that there were no hard feelings between them. She was grateful that everything had worked out for all of them.

"Would you like some cider?" Nathan asked.

"I would love some. I'm just going to go say hello to Rosemary."

"I'll bring your cider over there, then." He kissed her temple before heading over to the refreshment table.

"You did a wonderful job with all of this, Rosemary," she told her friend as she approached her. "It looks beautiful in here. It's definitely worthy of the Governor's visit."

"Thank you." She smiled, shifting two-year-old Goldie on her hip. "Everyone seems to be enjoying it."

"Everyone except Bill," she joked. "Nathan said he's just counting down the days until all of this is over."

Rosemary laughed. "Of course."

"Frankly, I think Nathan would rather things be a bit quieter, too, but he puts up with it because he sees how happy it makes everyone else." The corners of her lips turned up as she watched her husband returning with two cups of cider.

"Go." Rosemary nudged her. "I need to go find Lee anyway. We can talk later."

"For you." Nathan handed her a cider.

She took it, gingerly sipping the warm liquid. "Thank you."

"Have you seen Allie and Robert lately?" He glanced around the room, trying to catch a glimpse of the teenagers.

"Over there." Elizabeth pointed to the other side of the room.

Robert and Allie were standing near each other, not quite touching. Jack was in front of them, recounting the family snowball fight that Allie had initiated a few days prior.

"Oh." He sighed in relief.

"They're sweet, Nathan." She slipped her arm through his. "It's young love."

"It's a young man and my almost-grown daughter. Maybe I should go have a chat with him about his intentions."

"Nathan, don't. They're just fine. Let's go find a seat before dinner is served." She started toward one of the tables, pulling him along with her.

"Just wait until it's Jack who's sweet on somebody," he muttered.

"Nathan Grant." She chuckled. "If they can be half as happy together as we are, then we should be thrilled for them."

He held out a chair for her. "I suppose so."

She sat reaching back to take his hand. "You're adorable. I love you, Nathan."

He squeezed her hand. "I love you. I'll go get Jack."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said quietly as she accepted a steaming mug of hot chocolate from Nathan.

"Did the children give you any trouble?" he asked, sinking down on the sofa beside her. "I know Jack was still full of energy from his party."

"I had to read him an extra chapter in his book, but he fell asleep pretty quickly after that. I think Allie was asleep before her head hit the pillow."

"Good."

She leaned into him, gazing into the fire. "This is nice. It feels like we haven't had a chance to sit and relax, just the two of us, since the honeymoon. And even that was only a week long."

"We've been so busy," he agreed. He slipped his arm around her, and they were quiet for a few moments.

"Maybe next year, we'll get to hang up another stocking," she mused, looking at the four stockings hanging on the mantle.

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Maybe."

He let himself imagine it all: their baby growing inside of her; getting the first glimpse of his child's face; sitting in front of the fire, snuggled up with Elizabeth and cradling their baby in his arms while Allie and Jack sat on either side of them. His lips curled up into a smile at thought.

"Are you thinking about it?" she asked, noticing the look on his face.

"Yes," he admitted. "It's a nice thought."

"It is." She set down her mug and took his hand, bringing it to her stomach. "Hopefully it won't be long before there's a little one in here."

His smile widened, and he leaned down to kiss her.

"Merry Christmas, Nathan."

"Merry Christmas, Elizabeth. I love you."