"Tony? Are you home, baby?" I called as I walked through the front door and set my three-year-old son, Lliam, down.

I had come home from my doctor's appointment to find his black Chevy Silverado in the driveway when he should have been at work. It always made me nervous when he came home early with his job carrying a very high risk of danger and serious injury. I had come home for my lunch break several times and found him laying on the couch, his leg, arm, or some other body part bandaged up thanks his job. What made it so bad was the fact that he hated calling and telling me that he had gotten hurt because he knew that it worried me, so I usually just found out when I got home.

"Yeah, babe. I'm upstairs." He called.

I walked upstairs slowly being careful not to touch the stair railing and mess up the christmas decorations that we had worked so hard on. Lliam had insisted that we decorate every inch of the house, otherwise Santa wouldn't come see him this year. It was fun putting all of the stuff up as a family, but it was going to be hell taking it all down again.

Tony met me at our bedroom door smiling and kissed me lovingly. We had been married five years now, but it still felt like it had only been months. He was the only man I had ever loved and he would be the only man that I would ever love. I don't know what I had done to deserve him, but I was glad I had did whatever it was.

"Hey, baby. What'd the doctor say?" He asked as he placed his hand on my huge, swollen stomach.

"He said that Brayden is still looking very good and healthy. I believe it. He kicked all day yesterday, last night, and this morning. He has my stomach and sides extremely sore. What are you doing home? You aren't hurt are you?"

"No, I'm fine. I've, um, I have to fly out to Vancouver this afternoon."

"What? Why? Christmas is in two days, Tony. What am I suppose to do about Lliam? And what if I start having the baby?"

"Hailey, please. I tried to get out of it, but Gibbs wouldn't have it. The guy we are looking for was spotted yesterday. I have to go. I'm sorry."

His eyes went misty as he turned away from me and continued to pack his things. I walked over to our bed and sat down, putting his underclothes in his suitcase for him. I couldn't be mad at him because I knew his job was important, but that would mean if he wasn't back in two days, Lliam and me would be spending Christmas alone.

I looked up and saw a tear fall down Tony's face causing my heart to break. He wasn't one to cry over anything, so I knew that this was really bothering him. The good thing about it was that Lliam didn't know exactly what day Christmas was on, so if need be, I wouldn't tell him that it was Christmas until his Daddy got back home. If I started having the baby, well, that was a different story and something that I didn't want Tony to miss.

I walked over to him and pulled him to me, inhaling his scent that I loved so much. He rested his forehead on my shoulder and let his arms hold me loosely. I wanted so much to push him back on the bed and spend the whole day like that, but I knew he had to go. Duty was calling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just don't want you to miss Brayden being born. He could come any day now." I whispered softly to him.

"I know, baby. I don't want to miss it either, but I don't know what to do."

"You're going to go find your guy and send him where he belongs. We'll be okay."

"Ducky is going to check in on you and so is Abby, okay?"

I laughed. "I'm not dying, Tony. I'm pregnant."

"I know that. I just felt my little man kick."

"Believe me, I felt it too."

"Where are you going, Daddy?" Lliam asked shyly as he walked into our room.

"C'mere little guy." Tony said as he swept Lliam into his arms and way above his head. "Daddy's going to play a little game of cops and robbers."

Lliam's face lit up. "Are you going to be the good guy or bad guy?"

"The good guy, I hope. Can you do Daddy a favor? Can you take care of Mommy and Brayden while I'm gone?"

"Yes sir."

"Thank you, buddy. I'll bring you a surprise, okay?"

"Yay!!" Lliam yelled.

"Well, it's time for me to go meet Tim at the airport. Go get this over with and try to make it home for Christmas." Tony said standing up.

"Please be careful, Tony. Call me if you have time and I'll text you if Brayden decides to grace us with his presence."

"Hopefully he'll wait until I get home. Bye, baby. I love you, and I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I understood all of this when I married you, and I don't regret it one bit."

"You won't regret being so understanding when I get home, either." He whispered as he kissed me.

I smiled. "Bye. I love you."

Lliam and I walked with him downstairs and waved goodbye to him. I brought Lliam inside and bundled him up to go play in the snow. I watched from the front porch as he acted like his dad and chased down imaginary criminals and put them in a jail that had been made of snow. Once he got tired of playing, we went back inside and watched Cars until time for bed. I went to sleep that night cold and missing my sweetheart.

Christmas Eve arrived sooner than I would have liked and with no word from Tony since he had left. I wasn't worried about him, just a little bummed out that it didn't look like he would be home for dinner and gifts tonight. I didn't even know if I would be cooking dinner tonight with my back and sides as sore as they were. The truck stop up town cooked really good Christmas dinner, so Lliam and I would more than likely be grabbing something from there.

"Mommy, I miss Daddy." Lliam said as he crawled up into my lap, clutching one of Tony's old t-shirts that he refused to sleep without. It took the place of a favorite blanket for him and if he didn't have it wrapped around his hands while you were trying to get him to sleep, he was having none of it.

"I know, baby. I miss him too. He'll be home soon though, okay?"

"Tonight?"

"I don't know sweetheart. I hope so."

"Me too. Mommy, what did you ask santa clause for for christmas?"

"I didn't ask him for anything, but I think I might now."

"How? He can't hear you at the north pole."

I smiled. "Oh, yes he can."

"What are you going to ask him for?"

"Santa, all I want for Christmas is for Tony to come home tonight. That's all I want."

"Yeah! Me too, Santa!" Lliam yelled.

He scrambled down out of my lap to go play, leaving me on the couch smiling and hoping that my Christmas wish would come true. Right now I think just a phone call from him would brighten my day just a little bit. I knew he was okay though and probably working hard to make Gibbs proud.

The doorbell rang breaking the uncomfortable silence in the house followed by happy screams from Lliam as he came running for the door. He reached the door before I could and struggled to open it, hoping that it was his dad. A look through the peep hole in the door told me otherwise though.

"Merry Christmas, Jethro." I said as I opened the door for Gibbs.

"I'm shocked." He said.

"Why's that?"

"I figured you were ready to kill me."

"Ah, c'mon now. You don't give me the credit I deserve. I understand that Tony has duties."

"It killed me to do it, but I had another case to wrap up and I couldn't let that guy run around up there without getting what he deserved."

"No. I understand." I said leading him into the living room.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm really sore, but otherwise good. This little guy is way wilder than Lliam was."

"Beware. Ducky said he was coming to spend the night so you wouldn't be alone."

I smiled. Ducky was pretty much my dad. "That's fine. You're welcome to stay too. No one should be alone on Christmas."

"Says the one who was going to do that exact thing." He smiled.

Five minutes later the doorbell rang again and Gibbs got up to let Ducky in. He came in with an armful of grocery bags and gifts, much to Lliam's likeness. It would more than likely be the only gifts he would get to open until Tony got home.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart." Ducky said hugging me after he had set all of his things down.

"Same to you, Ducky. What's all this?"

"I spoke to Tim earlier and Tony requested that I come take care of you and he also told me that you probably wouldn't be cooking dinner, so that explains all the bags. I hope you don't mind my intrusion."

"Not at all. So you've heard from Tony then?"

"Not exactly. I talked to Tim. Not to worry though. They got their man, and they were trying to make it home, but got snowed in."

"Figures." I mumbled as my face fell.

My Christmas Eve was turning out to be not how I had planned for this Christmas to be. Brayden was kicking more and harder than he had been the last couple of days causing me more pain. Gibbs was out in the yard playing with Lliam, thankfully keeping his mind off his Daddy not being here, and I helped Ducky in the kitchen whenever he needed it. He was a great cook and the house was smelling like it should be smelling right about this time.

"Ducky! Come quick! Gibbs shot Lliam because he thought he was a bad guy, but he was really undercover!"

The front door swung open and Abby came running in cradling Lliam who was acting like he was dying. I gave Abby a small smile as she laid my 'dying' son on the couch for Ducky to attend to. Gibbs came in a few seconds later faking a shocked look as if he had no idea that Lliam had been a good guy undercover the whole time.

"Oh dear." Ducky mumbled as he took a look at Lliam. "Gibbs you need to start paying more attention. I was hoping not to save any lives today."

"I'm sorry, Ducky."

"Merry Christmas, Hails!" Abby said hugging me.

"Merry Christmas, Abby. Thanks for saving my little boy."

She faked a look of shock just as Gibbs had. "You didn't think I would just let him lay there and die would you?"

"Not at al ----- OW!" I yelled down at Brayden who had suddenly found it necessary to kick me extremely hard.

"Is the baby coming?" Abby gasped.

"No, he just kicked really hard. I'll be glad when he does come though. I think he's trying to break one of my ribs."

Thanks to my outburst of pain, I was put on bed rest for the rest of the afternoon. Abby watched movies with me while Ducky finished cooking Christmas dinner and Gibbs kept Lliam occupied. Every now and then he would come into the bedroom clutching his t-shirt, wanting his daddy. That only lasted for a few minutes though until Gibbs came and got him for another round of cops and robbers or football. I was lucky to have a family like these guys.

Ducky finished up dinner right about six-thirty that night. Gibbs and Lliam had called it quits playing outside due to the snow storm that had just moved in. This Christmas wasn't going to be so bad after all, but it still definitely sucked without my Tony here with me. According to Ducky he would be home soon though.

"Wow, Ducky. I never knew you were such a good cook." Abby said as we ate the wonderful dinner he had cooked.

"You underestimate me, Abby."

The doorbell rang, interrupting what was turning out to be an interesting argument between Abby and Ducky. I was puzzled as to who would be out in this kind of weather and not with their family. I mumbled that I would get it as I pushed away from the table. I walked to the door and opened it, a smile spreading quickly across my face before erased again.

"Tony." I groaned.

He was standing there leaning on crutches, his knee wrapped up in an ace bandage, and his face all cut up looking very pained. Tim was standing behind him holding their bags and shivering uncontrollably. I stepped back out of the doorway and let them in.

"Don't freak, Hails. I'm okay." He said after he had sat down on the couch.

"What happened?"

"Stuff we weren't expecting." Tim answered for him. "Sometimes splitting up to go after a criminal isn't always the best idea."

"Tony, why didn't you call?" I asked him.

"Because I knew you would freak out and it wouldn't have been good for the baby."

"Why is it so wrong for me to worry about my sweetheart?" I asked, leaning down to kiss him.

"Because it's not good for you or him."

"So what's with the wrapped up knee?"

"Just a little gun shot wound. Ducky has all the details and is going to fix me up after we eat dinner. I'm starving."

"You knew about this, Ducky?" I asked.

"Unfortunately. He told me not to tell though."

"Hailey, I'm fine, babe. Let's eat dinner and enjoy Christmas eve, okay?"

"Alright then."

That night after everyone had settled in for the night and Tony had been fixed up by Ducky, we laid in bed, me holding him for a change. I had my arm wrapped around his shoulders, running my fingers through his hair, happy that he was home. I would have much rathered him coming home safely, but it could have been much worse.

"He's a restless little guy, ain't he?" Tony asked as Brayden squirmed around inside of me.

"Very."

"Great." He mumbled sarcasitcally, letting out a loud sigh.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"I didn't get you anything for Christmas. I totally forgot. I'm so sorry."

I laughed. "Tony, all I wanted for Christmas was you, and if I'm not mistaken, I think I got exactly what I wanted."

"Well, that was easy enough then. I'll have to leave a couple of days before Christmas and come back every year so that's all you want."

"You are such a jerk!" I joked.

"But you love me."

"That I do, baby. That I do. Get some rest. You need it. I love you and Merry Christmas."

"I love you, too. Merry Christmas, Hails."