Johnny wandered around the house, his list in hand, checking off items as he went. He paused for a moment, absentmindedly rubbing at his hip, shifting his weight to his good leg.
He loved these Christmases, he truly did. Few things brought him more joy than opening up his and Diane's house to whoever wanted to come by on Christmas Day. They'd been doing it for a number of years now, and this one was shaping up to draw their largest crowd yet.
That didn't mean the planning wasn't at times a giant pain in the ass. Or in the case of this year, the hip.
Johnny had been almost relieved when the surgeon wasn't able to get him in until January. He was willing to trade off some short-term pain for not being right in the middle of recovery during Christmas time. But that short-term pain was sure as hell slowing him down. Everything seemed to take twice as long now, and he was no longer able to go up and down the ladders at his usual pace to put up the lights around the outside of the house.
Sure, the guys from the station had been only too willing to help out. Sam too, for that matter. At times it was far too easy to lump Sam in with the rest of the crew, to not think of her as a girl at all. But of course, glancing over every so often to spot Chet and Sam working together would disabuse him of that notion in a hurry.
It sure was something, having a front row seat to the evolution of Chet's and Sam's relationship, from the minute Sam had been assigned to the station as a probie. Johnny had been skeptical that a relationship could survive the constant togetherness and the stress that came with the job. But not only had their relationship survived, it had flourished.
Now wedding bells were ringing. Johnny couldn't help but marvel at such a thing. He'd thought that Chet was even less likely to get hitched than he was.
"Daddy." Katie's small voice snapped Johnny out of his thoughts. He glanced down to see Katie in her red footed pajamas, clutching her favorite teddy bear.
He slowly bent down and picked her up. "What's the matter, Katie-bug?"
Katie rubbed her eyes. "Can't sleep."
"Oh, I'll bet." Johnny told her as he carried her toward the kitchen. "Too excited for Santa to come, huh?"
"Uh-huh." Katie nodded, resting her head on Johnny's shoulder. "Mama, what're you doing?"
"Hi, baby." Diane wiped her hand off on a towel and held her arms out to take Katie. "Why aren't you in bed?"
Katie clung more tightly to Johnny. "Can't sleep."
"Oh, I see." Diane looked amused as she lightly rubbed Katie's back. "Well, I think we should decide what we're going to leave out for Santa. What do you think?"
"I think that's an excellent idea." Johnny answered. "Let's see. We know Santa likes Mom's sugar cookies, right?"
"Uh-huh." Katie nodded.
"And maybe some coffee." Johnny suggested. "You know, to keep him going so he can get to all the kids all around the world."
"No, Daddy." Katie giggled. "Santa drinks milk."
"Sounds like Dad is trying to get some of Santa's goodies." Diane responded with a laugh.
Katie's only response was to sigh softly and snuggle into Johnny's shoulder. She was becoming heavier by the moment, it seemed, but it was a weight Johnny didn't mind carrying. It was only a matter of time before he wouldn't be able to carry her around like this, and the thought tugged at his heart.
"Okay, I'll tell you what." Johnny suggested to her. "Mom will make sure Santa gets his cookies and milk, and I'll get you back to bed."
"I want a story." Katie told him.
"Sure thing, Katie-bug." Johnny assured her. "But then you have to go right to sleep, okay?"
"Okay."
Johnny shifted Katie and carefully carried her to her bedroom, gently laying her down on the bed and covering her up before finding the book he was looking for and returning to sit on the bed.
"Right here, Daddy." Katie insisted, patting the bed next to her.
"Oh, you want me to lay down with you?" Johnny asked her. "Are you sure there's enough room?"
"Daddy." Katie giggled as she moved over to make room.
Johnny settled in on the bed, leaning against the headboard and flipping open the book. "Every Who Down in Whoville Liked Christmas a lot...
But the Grinch, Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT!"
"He's grumpy." Katie told him, pointing at the picture of the Grinch.
"Yes, he is." Johnny agreed before reading on.
It wasn't long before Katie snuggled up to him, her eyes slowly closing as Johnny read on. As expected, they hadn't made it to the end of the book this time either. Maybe another time.
Johnny closed the book and set it on the bedside table, shifting so that he had an arm around Katie, holding her close. She was so little in so many ways, though she repeatedly insisted that she was not a baby, Daddy.
No, she wasn't a baby anymore, but she was still his baby. She always would be.
A soft knock on the bedroom door drew Johnny's attention, and he shifted to see Diane silhouetted in the doorway, leaning on the door frame. He moved ever so slightly to gently lay Katie back down on the bed, pulling the covers back over her before leaning down to kiss her forehead.
He met Diane in the doorway, sliding a hand to the small of her back to draw her in close for a kiss. "She's asleep."
"Good." Diane replied, looping her arms around his neck. "I could use your help in the kitchen."
"Ah, I knew it." Johnny scoffed. "Let me guess, you're in need of my dishwashing skills."
"Among other things, yes." Diane told him. "Unless you're hurting too much."
"I'll be fine." He assured her. "Just about time for some more drugs anyway."
"Really." Diane huffed, giving him one last kiss before letting him go.
"Really." Johnny followed her through the house, pausing to pick up his Santa hat along the way, checking to make sure everything was still attached before putting it on. "Not the hard stuff, though. Don't get that until after I go under the knife. And hey, maybe by this time next year, I won't need any of that stuff at all."
"I hope not." Diane answered, her back still to Johnny as she straightened up the counters, making room for everything people would bring tomorrow. "You're sure we'll have enough room here? And enough electrical outlets?"
"I'm sure." Johnny assured her as he started running dish water in the sink. "And what won't fit on the counter can go on the dining room table. Hell, we can set up out on the patio if we need to. It's going to be fine. It always is."
"I know." Diane sighed. "Why do we do this to ourselves?"
"Because it's fun." Johnny reminded her. "Nothing better than a house full of people and food, right?"
"Right." Diane turned toward him, her expression immediately changing to one of amusement when she saw the Santa hat perched on Johnny's head. "Where did you find that thing?"
"Picked it up on my way home the other day." Johnny answered as he started washing. "What, you don't like it?"
"I do." Diane replied with a smile. "It suits you."
"Glad you think so." Johnny jerked his head forward so that the tail of the hat was now in front of his face. "And I added a little something."
Diane seemed to do a bit of a double take as she rinsed dishes and set them in the drainer rack. "Is that mistletoe?"
"Maybe." Johnny was more than a little pleased with himself. "Might wear it all night tonight and all day tomorrow."
"You are ridiculous." Diane told him before drawing in close to kiss Johnny.
It only took a moment for the kiss to deepen and linger, that warmth spreading through Johnny as he slid his hands under her shirt, evoking a murmured squeak from Diane.
She pulled back briefly. "Your hands are wet."
"Forgot." Johnny pulled back sheepishly, wiping his hands off on a towel before picking up where he left off. "There. Better?"
"Much." Diane responded by slipping her own hands under Johnny's shirt, soft and warm against his skin.
"You know, we're never going to get these dishes done at this rate." Johnny told her between kisses. "And the sooner we get these done, the sooner we can, uh, get to bed."
"Hmm." Diane murmured. "You do make a good point."
They made quick work of the dishes, turning out lights as they went through the house. Johnny caught Diane in the living room, pulling her in close as the Christmas tree lights illuminated the room.
"You remember our first Christmas in this house?" Johnny asked her.
"I do." Diane replied. "Although I don't think we celebrated until a couple of days after."
"Right." Johnny nodded. "I was on duty for Christmas, and you were on duty the day after. Still felt like Christmas, right here under the tree."
"On that blanket you used to keep in the Rover."
"Think I still have it somewhere." Johnny told her as he moved to leave a line of kisses along her neck. "Maybe I should get it out."
"Mm-hmm." Diane murmured. "Maybe not out here, though."
"Right, right." Johnny agreed, the wheels already turning in his head. "Tell you what. I'll find the blanket and meet you in the bedroom."
Diane pulled away with a smile. "See you there."
As soon as she started down the hallway, Johnny went out to the garage, opening up the back of the Rover and finding the blanket in question. It was worn in places now, and the hem was fraying, but Johnny couldn't bear to get rid of it. He couldn't even remember where he'd gotten the damn thing.
But it held a million memories, of camping trips taken both solo and with friends, eventually with Diane, all those nights before Katie had come along that they had spent in the back of the Rover, sometimes sleeping, mostly not.
And now, it would make one more memory.
He locked up the Rover and went back into the house, checking doors as he went, pausing as he took in the brightly colored lights on the tree with all the presents piled underneath. It always struck him how different these Christmases were from those he remembered from his own childhood, well aware of how he was trying to make up for those lean years so that his own family would never have to experience them.
More importantly than that, it was the idea of creating memories for his own daughter, memories Johnny hoped she would keep close as she grew older. After all, she wasn't a baby anymore, and someday she would likely have a family of her own.
The thought made him unexpectedly emotional, and he took in a deep breath and exhaled, swallowing hard.
"Johnny?" Diane's voice was soft behind him.
"Coming." He told her, shaking his head to clear the thought before making his way to their bedroom and spreading the blanket out on the bed. "Hey, turn out that light, would you?"
Diane did so, and almost as soon as the darkness took over, Johnny bent down and plugged in the cord, lighting up the room once again with the Christmas lights he had strung around the room.
"Johnny." Diane's voice held a note of wonder as she climbed onto the bed. "When did you do this?"
"Oh, had some time earlier." Johnny replied casually as he climbed up to join her, shifting so that he held her close. "And some extra lights. You like it?"
"I love it." Diane told him before kissing him briefly. "And I love you."
That warmed Johnny even more than Diane's kisses, and he responded in kind. "Merry Christmas, beautiful."
"And Merry Christmas to you, too, handsome." Diane replied with a soft laugh.
# # #
The next morning was a flurry of activity. They'd gotten an early start thanks to Katie flying into the bedroom and announcing that it was Christmas morning and that Santa had left them presents.
Somehow, they managed to coordinate everything without killing each other, just in time for guests to start arriving. Once people started to show up, the atmosphere became more relaxed, everyone eating and chatting while Johnny kept the music going.
Roy, Joanne, and the kids had shown up, along with Chris's friend Matthew. Johnny couldn't understand how the hell someone could kick their kid out on Christmas Eve, but was only too happy to welcome Matthew. The kid looked scared half to death at first, but seemed to warm up quickly, and it wasn't long before he was as much a part of the festivities as the other kids.
Chet and Sam showed up not long after with enough cookies to feed the entire fire department, and Sam presented Johnny with his own plate. "You know, for recovery." She told him with that little smile.
Johnny accepted the plate happily, giving Sam a quick hug, marveling at her thoughtfulness. He would greatly miss her cooking and baking while he was out, and he tried not to consider the possibility that he wouldn't return at all. Today wasn't the day to worry about that. Today was for celebrating with friends and family alike.
More people came and went throughout the day. Diane's parents, of course, but also Johnny's Aunt Louise, who was only too happy to spend a good deal of time doting on Katie, telling her all sorts of family stories, some even Johnny hadn't heard himself.
Finally, Adam put in an appearance. Johnny hadn't been sure he would show up at all. He knew Adam had been having a tough time ever since Isaac's death, and the holidays weren't making things any easier. Now that he'd shown up, Johnny couldn't help but feel relieved. At least Adam wasn't home by himself today.
"Hey, partner." Johnny greeted Adam with a thump between his shoulder blades. "Wasn't sure you were gonna make it today."
"I wasn't sure, either." Adam replied with a huff. "Staying home sounded pretty damn good until I realized I'd be missing out on Diane's cooking."
Johnny clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm glad you made it. I know a lot of other folks are, too."
Adam managed a slight smile. "Yeah, me too. How are you holding up?"
Johnny shrugged, shifting his weight a little. "Doing okay. Think I'll probably make it another couple weeks until I get this thing taken care of. Been looking into signing up for those training classes, too, so I can take that exam."
"That'd be good." Adam's voice held a note of sorrow, Johnny thought. "You know, just in case."
"Well hey, who knows?" Johnny told him casually as he led Adam through the house. "Maybe I'll do both. Teach and work on the squad. Hey, D, look who made it."
Diane turned around from where she was talking to Joanne, greeting Adam with a warm hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you made it. It's wonderful to see you."
Adam turned almost as red as his hair. "Thanks. Sorry I didn't bring anything."
"You brought yourself. That's more than enough." Diane assured him. "Go fix yourself a plate."
Finally, the day wound down, and by late in the evening, the house was once again empty save for the three of them. Johnny and Diane got everything cleaned up and put away before finally collapsing on the couch with Katie between them.
"Man, what a day." Johnny suddenly realized just how exhausted and sore he was. "Why do we do this again?"
Diane let out a tired laugh. "Because it's fun, remember?"
"Oh, right." Johnny answered, glancing down at Katie, who was slowly falling asleep. "Suppose we'd best get this little lady to bed."
"I'll take her." Diane told him. "You rest. You've been on your feet all day."
Johnny didn't have it in him to argue with her, watching as Diane picked up the sleeping girl and all but slung her over her shoulder. Katie's head rested against Diane's shoulder, her fist in her mouth, almost like she did when she was a baby.
Time was going too damn fast, Johnny decided. It wouldn't be all that long before Katie was a teenager just like Roy's kids, and not much longer beyond that before she'd be grown and gone.
If only he could slow down time, just a little. He wasn't ready to let his baby go just yet.
Diane soon returned, settling down on the couch next to Johnny with a sigh and laying her head on his shoulder. Johnny responded by turning to kiss the top of her head.
This was as good as it got, Johnny thought. Friends, family, and food throughout the day, and the quiet comfort of having his wife and child with him now once everyone was gone. It was a life Johnny had never imagined himself having, and it was times like this when he cherished this life with all of his being.
A very merry Christmas, indeed, and hopefully only one of many to come.
