It's been awhile

The sound of jingling bells and children's laughter fill the crisp midwestern night air around them. It's been a hell of a day at the Christmas Fair in Grand Rapids. The girls had had a soccer clinic at Michigan State Saturday afternoon and as a surprise Marty and Kensi decided to bring them to one of the most special places from their past, but the twelve year olds didn't need to know that.

They've been going back and forth about when and where to tell their daughters that they've been dating. After much discussion the pair had decided that if they weren't found out by New Year's Eve (the first time they met) then they'd share a kiss and spill their guts right then and there. Now here they are, only three weeks away from the last day of the year.

The foursome had been on almost every ride there was. Harper and Riley sat down on one side of a table with their burgers and hot cocoa, leaving their parents to share the other side…not on purpose at all.

All night Marty had been holding himself back from grabbing his girlfriend's hand or brushing snow flurries out of her hair or leaning in for a kiss. It's been an hour since they've been able to sneak a small touch and he's in complete agony. He turns to his left to sneak a glance at his girl, playing it off as looking at the Ferris wheel when Kensi tilts her head, eyeing the two tweens across from them.

"All right, girls, out with it."

Marty turns, looking at the pair with curious eyes having missed whatever Kensi saw. Mother's intuition.

Riley bites her lip nervously as she looks back and forth between the two adults and gets a go ahead nudge from Harper. "Well…we-we want to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning together."

Marty shares a look with Kensi, trying to school his features before turning back to the girls with a conflicted furrowed brow. "I don't know girls. I don't want to be away from you and I know Kensi doesn't want to be away from Riley."

"That's why they're coming to our house." Riley states matter of factly with a Cheshire like grin pulling at her lips.

"What?" Kensi's eyes go wide in surprise at her 12-year-old's bluntness.

Ignoring her mother's reaction, Riley looks at her principle continuing on. "We have an extra room that you can sleep in."

Before either adult can say a word, the girls start their planning. "We can make gingerbread houses and drink hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies!"

"Girls, we haven't said yes yet." Kensi states, already knowing they're gonna give in but have to at least put on a show about putting up a fight. All that's really going on in her mind though is, first family Christmas.

Riley pooches her bottom lip out and stares at her mom with those big brown doe eyes. "Come on, mommy."

Kensi tries to fight the smile that's spreading to her lips as she turns to meet her lover's eyes. "Oh, no, she's pulling a mommy."

"Yeah, please, daddy." Harper jumps on the train, whipping out her own pleading look of adorable mess.

Shaking his head the blonde bites his cheek to prevent himself from letting the girls know they're on to them. "You two are good. Very good."

"I mean it's okay with me if it's okay with you." The older brunette shrugs as if it's no big deal.

A 'defeated' sigh leaves Marty's lips as he turns to the girls. "Okay, fine."

"YES!" The 12-year-olds shout in unison.

As the girls start rambling about how many cookies they're gonna make along with their plan on how to choose the best Christmas movies, Kensi uses the distraction to slowly dance her fingers up her boyfriend's thigh, earning her a strangled cough in the process.

Thankfully before he has a chance to do anything, like pull the woman sitting next to him in for a kiss, Riley speaks up. "Can we go ride the Ferris wheel?"

"One more time and then we gotta go." Kensi nods in confirmation without a second thought.

"Kay." Harper agrees before they run off to join the line a few yards away.

Once he sees that they're safely on the ride, Marty scoots closer to the tall brunette. His lips finding the shell of her ear. "Looks like I'm getting everything I want for Christmas."

"So cheesy." It may be below freezing but that doesn't stop the warmth from spreading to her cheeks as she nuzzles into his embrace.

"You know it, babe." He grins as his lips find the crown of her head. "Which reminds me, I do have one request."

"What's that?"

"Will you go with me to the faculty Christmas party as my date?"

"Isn't that for just, ya know, faculty?"

"We're allowed to bring dates."

It hits her what he's asking and what it means. "What if someone tells the girls?"

"How would they? They'll be on break so they won't be talking to any teachers. Plus, they're gonna find out in a few weeks anyway."

"If they haven't found out already."

"You think they know?"

Her lips curl into a smirk. "No, I think they've just been asking me about my dream wedding dress style and favorite kind of flowers for fun."

He raises his brow in surprise about the new information. "Oh, so our wedding is fully planned."

"There's a 100% possibility." She grins, unable to help it when the thought of walking down the aisle towards him crosses her mind.

He returns her grin as the same thought crosses his mind and realizes how his dream at 21 years old is so close to becoming his 43 year old self's reality.