Three: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Jon ran his fingers lazily down Callie's back. He was by miracle, finally alone with his wife. He kissed the top of her head as she settled against him. It had been too long since he'd held her, listened to her breath and draw off her as his equilibrium. "It's good to be home."

She chuckled against his chest, her hair now wild and brown curls spilling down her back after he'd messed up her neat surgeon's ponytail. "It's sad that this is one of our homes. Well one of mine at least."

He squeezed her shoulder and laid back. "Don't you know by now, home is just where we make it."

She sighed and rested her chin on his chest. "You're so right. How are you doing anyway? Both feet back on the ground?"

Jon smiled and pressed his cheek against her hair and breathed in her scent. "Yeah, allergies are killing me but I'm doing well. Have the kids been ok?"

"Just the usual brats but yeah. Caleb had some trouble at school." She traced her finger through his chest hair. "You're gonna need to have a Daddy to son talk with him about bullies."

Jon raised his brow. "He was picking on other kids?"

She shook her head. "Other way around, it's minor but make sure you get some one on one time with him, maybe when we're at the beach."

He nodded and curled his fingers tight. "Sorry babes, of course." He didn't doubt his wife's ability to deal with anything that happened to their kids, hell she could single handily run the household on more than occasions and still do a fifty hour week at the hospital. But he felt a little sad. This was the hardest part of being away from his family, the times when his kids needed a Dad. He more than made up for it when he was back but there was always the odd sacrifice that they couldn't get away. Callie was tremendous in dealing with these times when they came, but it was just hard sometimes.

"I'll take him boarding one day alone. He loves that out there. What about Stella? All OK there?" He got daily updates from Callie while he was on tour, whether it was an email or a goofy picture message with what they did that day but unless she couldn't deal with waiting he got back they waiting until their debrief sessions, just like the one they were having now.

"Yeah she's an angel. Doing really well. A little stubborn, not sure where she gets that from though." He elbowed her as she bit her lip and her blue eyes went wide.

"Watch it," he chuckled as she stretched around him and buried her face into his neck.

"How was tour? Looks like you had a blast over there."

He grinned and closed his eyes, just enjoying the simplicity of them for the minute. "Yeah, the crowds were amazing. I hit a rough patch in the middle but came right pretty quickly. The humidity was pretty lethal up in Queensland, knocked me about a bit but we bounced back in Sydney. I even played your song." He didn't usually drag out Living in Sin if Callie wasn't there but every once and awhile...he just felt it.

He felt her smile against his skin, her breath warm on his neck. "I know. I had a voice-mail."

He raised his brow. "You did? From who?"

She chuckled. "Tony left me it. I was in the middle of an all-nighter; it made me grin on my break. Believe me. He always rings me if I'm not there and leaves the message with the song."

"Well shit. I didn't realize my brother did that. Anything else you've forgotten to mention?"

"I have coffee with David every Weds when he’s in town?"

Jon pulled back. "Seriously? How did I not know this?"

Her lips curved into a wide smile. "Just how I don't know you had a stripper party in Melbourne."

Jon's eyes widened. "What!"

She burst out laughing. "Really Jon. You need to give me more credit, I know all."

He shook his head. "I'll be damned. God help me if we ever did get a divorce all my friends would side with you." But that was Callie, everyone knew her and she was so easy to relate to. It was what made her bedside manner as a doctor an excellent one too, Jon thought. They were forever getting cards and flowers for her at the house.

She poked him playfully in the side. "Damn right they would. Good thing we don't have to worry about that huh?"

God he loved her. She trusted him completely and was completely comfortable with the lifestyle that they led. "Never, I'm not giving you up for anything." It wasn't a secret he enjoyed woman's company and occasionally he liked to look like any man did. Callie didn't have any rose-tints about that and he wouldn't ever betray her confidence in him, not after he nearly fucked it up all those years ago.

"Good. Sooo..." She walked her fingers up his arm to his shoulder. "Were they hot girls?"

He shrugged. "Blonde, big boobs...cute nice girls."

"They were hot," she confirmed.

He laughed. "Yeah they were. If I wasn't married..."

She yawned, "yeah yeah you'd bang them all night long. Duly noted."

"You gonna make it through the night there chief?"

"And then some, all through Christmas tomorrow."

"I don't know how you do this Callie. You amaze me. I mean that." He pushed back her hair and rolled her onto her back. His lips met hers and he tasted each corner of her mouth slowly. He lifted her hands above her head and she arched beneath him.

"It's my job." She murmured between kisses.

"No darlin, all of it. You do all this and still have time for everyone."

"We both do. It's not a one sided marriage honey. You bust your ass for this family."

"Hmmm." He was lost in his head, like so many times he preferred. Her fingers wound around his and she soothed the other hand down his back.

"A penny?"

He buried his face into her shoulder and shook his head, even through surgical soap he could smell his Callie. Buried in the woman he trusted, the woman he relied on to pick up him every day and do this all over again sometimes. He loved his life and he loved his job but it certainly wasn't always a bed of roses. He was tired, more than he cared to admit but that wasn't anything new. He needed some time to clear his head, and work out what was next. The tour still had a few big months next year but after that? Well... truth be told it scared him a little. Was it time? Did they just need a break to go and do their own things again. But if he walked away now, he'd lose the status that worked so hard for, hell that they all had.

He breathed out when his wife's fingers toyed with the hair at the back of his neck. "Time to relax Jonny. Turn it all off, you'll drive yourself insane otherwise."

She was right, as per usual. The only person that knew him better than himself was her and it was not always he freely agreed to admit that. "I brought some wine--well soda for those of us saving people's lives and some food. Hungry?" He laughed when her stomach rumbled beneath him. "That's a yes then."

He lifted himself off her and reached over to his bag and she scooped the sheet up around her and sat Indian style on the bed. She checked her beeper before tying her hair back from her face. Jon lifted the thermos of hot soup and sourdough bread from the bag. "I was sensible and brought you mom's vegetable soup."

She groaned, "Man that'll hit the spot. Just what I need to make it through. How was Matty's thing tonight?"

He grinned. "Good, kids are still there. I'll collect them on my way home from here, seemed the perfect time to come and visit when I had a house full of babysitters. We missed you though." He handed her a makeshift bowl of soup from their picnic kit.

She took a spoonful and sighed. "Remember all the presents are up in the service area so after they're asleep, move them down the service elevator and put them under the tree." She tore off the end of the bread and covered it in soup before popping it in her mouth. "Oh and remember the milk and cookies, and eat and drink half of them before you go to bed."

He laughed. "Jesus Callie. I swear you're worse than me sometimes. I'll do all that, all under control. Promise."

"I know, I just want it to be perfect for them." She lifted her gaze to his. "For us."

"It will be. Don't worry, just concentrate on what you have to do here. How did the surgery all go anyway?" He watched the sparkle fade from her eyes as she kept on eating.

"As expected. It was tough and gruelling. I don't know if I've done enough, I just pray she pulls through OK."

"Well she had the best at the very least." He squeezed her knee to a grateful smile in return. He'd head back to Matt's, pick up the kids then hang out with them while got ready for bed. Then do the Santa duty his wife had charged him with and crawl into bed. It was some kind of wonderful really, regular family stuff. He'd missed it. He checked his watch. "Want me to run down and get you a latte before you have to head back?"

She nodded. "That would be the best, I'll shower and get re-dressed and should still have twenty minutes to chat."

He picked up his coat and re-dressed himself before slipping out. When he returned she was dressed in new scrubs and her hair was neatly back from her face again. He put the coffees down and flicked on his portable sound system again and held out his hand. "Time for a quick dance?"

She smiled and hopped up off the bed and wrapped her arms up around her neck and leaned into him. "Always."

Their noses bumped and he tilted her head for a long slow kiss as he swayed her to the croon of Sinatra. Her soft body wound around him and he took her all in the last few minutes they had together. He kissed her, drawing her onto her tip toes as they danced. He kissed her forehead and rested his lips just above her ear as he tucked her into him. "I love you baby."

"I love you too J."

Two: O Holy Night...

"Eight hours and forty two minutes Doctor Richards."

She nodded, looped her last stitch firmly and held it while the nurse clipped it. "We're done." Her feet throbbed from being on her feet that long and her back needed some kind of miracle adjustment. "Well done team that was extraordinary. She's nowhere near out of the woods but we've covered a lot of ground." If ground is what you could call a shredded liver, mangled intestine and several internal bleeds and cracked vertebrae, then yeah. Holy crap this poor girl was in a bad way.

"We're going to need to watch her overnight. I'll monitor her obs every thirty minutes." She snapped off her gloves and threw them in the large bin.

"I can stay with her while you have your break Callie. You're overdue for it." She smiled at Donovan, her surgical assistant. She wanted to be pig headed but her feet were walking off without her and her eyes burning out of her sockets.

"That'd be magic Doctor Davies. Call me if ANYTHING happens." She was no good to anyone dead on her feet and she knew it.

She walked out through to the waiting room where Cassidy's parents were waiting eagerly for news about their daughter. She nodded and explained how difficult the procedures were and that the next twenty four hours would be crucial. She couldn't tell them she was certain she was stable, as just so much had to be done and repaired. She checked her watch as she boarded the elevator and craved for a hot shower and the two hour nap she most desperately needed.

She unlocked her assigned on call room, how times had changed. Usually she'd be fighting for a bunk bed in a crowded room but she was a senior surgeon now, it was like unlocking the door to the executive bathroom. A private room with a bed and a small en-suite waited where she could fall apart for a few hours. She grabbed her bag and headed to the shower. She washed away hours of intense concentration and intricate surgery as she thought about hearing her husband's voice when she called him before she went to sleep for a couple of hours. She wrapped herself in a towel and slathered some cream on her body that felt heavier than lead.

The distinct sound of Frank Sinatra whistled through the crack of the slider to the little room. That was weird, she didn't remember putting on any music. She slid the door open and her jaw fell slack. The room was dotted with Christmas fairy lights that twinkled and yes, Frank Sinatra was crooning about a White Christmas. She blinked away tears as there in the middle of it all was her husband standing there, waiting holding a single Christmas Lily.

His brow lifted and the corners of his mouth curved in a cheeky grin. "I figured I could be the one to do the house call tonight."

She was speechless. "What-how? Hell - I don’t care." She took two steps forward and wound her arms around his neck and melted into him. Their foreheads met and their lips met in a slow burning kiss. His hands drifted up her sides and around her neck, his fingers reaching into her hair. They both groaned as the kiss sizzled deeper, his tongue sliding into her mouth and their bellies bumped.

Their lips barely apart, she fingered the ends of his hair at the nape of his neck. "You know, this sort of behaviour is very frowned upon in these rooms."

His fingers curled around the top of her towel and peeled it away, his eyes drifting over her skin. "I’ll give them something they can really frown upon." His eyes flashed with a lust she’d seen all too well before. He brushed his knuckle around the curve of her breast, over her nipple until she hissed.

"Oh god," she sighed and rolled her head back. His lips claimed her neck as she felt each ache and pain of the day slowly begin to slide away. He turned her and lowered her back onto the bed, followed by the weight of him. She sighed as she curled around him, his mouth gentle but firm finding every spot on her skin that made her pop. Her fingers sifted through his hair, sun kissed and longer than it was a month ago as he found her breast. Pleasure was welcomed through her and the intimacy between them restored. Her heart wasn't prepared for how much she'd actually missed him this time around. It had been a helluva year, so it was heavy and full as they reconnected.

He curled his tongue around her nipple, tugged it in his teeth and her legs wound around him. She clawed his thermal up needing to feel his skin against hers and he pulled it up off his head before climbing back up her. Her nipples hard and sensitive, rubbed against the fur on his chest as he moved above her, and her toes curled as he devoured each inch of her skin. He flicked her tip with his tongue while his fingers walked up her inner thigh, opening her for him. The smell of soap mingled with his heady spice as he kissed down her navel. She gripped the pillow above her head and arched into him as he shifted down her body and closer to her centre.

She tipped her head back and sighed. "God I've missed you."

His laugh vibrated against her thigh before he draped one of her long legs over his shoulder. His gaze set on hers as he dipped down and took a long stroke with his tongue, shooting her into the stratosphere. He cupped her hips and lifted her, giving him more angle as he worked his magic. He slid two fingers into her and stroked slowly as she quivered below him. His tongue teased her clit and the muscles in her thighs clenched, oh yeah she was going to...

She gripped his hair and screamed her release, flopping back down onto the covers. She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I needed that." When she opened them she bumped against day old stubble and her husband's warm skin. Her fingers traced down his neck as she kissed him with a sleepy sigh.

"You better not be falling asleep on me now."

She laughed and arched up into him and purred. "Wouldn't dream of it." The time with her husband alone was far too precious for that. She flipped them gently so he fell back into the standard issue hospital pillows and she straddled him. The head of his cock bumped against the crease of her ass as she slid slowly up his body, lying against the dampness of his chest. She nipped his chin and then licked the corners of his mouth until the kiss became full.

He watched with an amused grin as she licked the tips of his nipples before playfully flicking one. "Always hard huh?"

He groaned as she kissed up his neck and behind his ear, paying him a little attention he'd more than likely missed over the last few weeks. He shifted under her and slid her with ease onto his cock. Always impatient, always had to be in control. She linked her hands in his and held them on his chest as she moved above him creating a pleasurable rhythm for both of them. He stretched and filled her, pouring his strength into her that she'd been missing so much. It was how they worked, no matter how far apart their lives seemed sometimes when they came back together it was stronger than ever.

His hands slipped from hers and up her body. She closed her eyes, rode her husband and enjoyed the simple pleasure of his touch over her curves. He cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples under her thumbs. She moaned and tipped her head back, lost in the moment but kept them steady. He found her spot and she shattered around him letting go completely and utterly. He rolled her and lifted her leg over his hip, driving himself deeper. His mouth fused with hers and poured everything she had into him. Sweaty skin slapped and breaths hitched as he came closer, bringing her with him once again. She held his face as he came, pressed her forehead against his and followed him quickly, letting the slow burn of pleasure simmer in their bodies as they stilled.

They didn’t need words as she curled up into him listening to the sound of his heart thrumming underneath her cheek. She was strong again.

One: So This is Christmas...

Callie tapped her iPhone and took a deep breath, this was the call she wasn't looking forward to making. Her fingers tugged on the waistband of her scrubs as she leaned against the cafeteria window that overlooked the park. A dusting of snow, lighter than icing sugar had begun to fall and started to settle making the view as picturesque as any holiday card.

"Hey." Her husband’s husky post tour voice tingled right down to her toes.

She pressed her forehead against the glass. "Hey, how are you?" The shrill of excited children split down the line which made her chest grow tight. God sometimes this job sucked.

"Slowly regaining my bearings, I miss you." His voice was low and soft. It had been pure bad luck that she'd ended up on a double shift from hell would take her right till eight am Christmas morning, she'd barely spent a night with Jon since he'd been home from Australia. Seven hours, thirty-three minutes and forty eight seconds to be precise. He'd stepped off the plane and had been ordered straight into bed as soon as she'd heard about the torrential downpour that happened in Sydney. Like the determined showman he was he sang the entire way through it and on the plane home had shown early stages of fever and chills so she shut that down pretty quickly. Of course in addition to this, it was Christmas so it was also a major military operation organizing and slotting in families over the Christmas holiday, both of their families weren't exactly on the small side but this year they had agreed to host the entire Richards and Bongiovi clan at their home in New Jersey at night.

She was absolutely crazy but on the twenty-sixth of December she was boarding a jet to St Bart’s with her family and going to sink her toes into glorious golden sand.

"I miss you too babe. I'm so sorry I haven't been there." Jon above anyone understood that this is what their life was and they made it work. Schedules were insane between them but when it was family time, it was family time. Lights out. She just hadn't expected to be tied up this close to Christmas.

"Cal its ok, am I upset that I've been back three days and haven't made love to my wife yet? Sure. But I'll get over it."

She sighed; she missed the taste of him, the weight of him and just being with him. "I'll make it up to you. You know I always do."

He chuckled. "So when are you coming home?"

She bit her lip. "Eight am Christmas Day. We're really busy. We had a girl, Stella's age come in and she's been hit by drunk driver and she's not in a good way Jon. I've got some massive reconstruction of her insides to do so it'll be an eight hour surgery minimum. I'm heading to prep shortly." She closed her eyes as Cassidy Phillips mangled body lay flashed in front of her, her parents in hysterics as they only were crossing the road with their daughter from some last minute late night shopping when the driver came out of nowhere. He was stable with a few broken limbs but boy she was going to need a small miracle to ensure that Cassidy would end up the same way.

"Oh babe, that's awful. Do you think she'll pull through?"

She palmed the glass to her outside freedom. "I don't know, it's just gonna be so...hard."

"Well, she's got the best, don't worry about us. We'll head over to Matt's as planned ok? Don't you worry about a thing. I'll get you Christmas Day and that's all that matters. Do you at least get a break between now and the end of your shift?"

Callie looked at her watch. "OK don't forget everything is on the bottom shelf in the fridge to take up there, I'll get a couple of hours to have a nap about ten tonight and then I'll be on obs overnight and any stand-by emergency surgeries."

"Good, try and get some sleep. You've already been there eighteen hours."

"I will. I love you." She blurted it out, she was tired. Dead on her feet and she missed her family.

"I love you too Callie. Call me later."

"Jon?"

"Yes, I'll drive carefully. I promise."

She smiled. "Good. Give my love to our babies and explain why I'm doing this ok?"

"Will do, now go and do it my gorgeous doctor."

They hung up and she smiled clipping her phone back on her waistband. She couldn't wait to get home, she'd found the perfect gift for her husband who was the worst world's person to buy for as usually he just bought whatever he wanted for himself when he wanted it. He didn't believe in wish-lists, he believed in just doing it. So, she'd gone for the sentimental this year and of course they'd spoiled the kids as per usual. They tried not to so they'd learn the value of what they had to work for, but it was hopeless letting Jon Christmas shop, he always went overboard for his babies. Their babies.

She sighed and started to walk back towards the elevators up to surgical when her hip buzzed again. Seeing the home number she frowned as she answered. "Jonny?"

Her heart burst when her daughter's voice babbled onto the line. "Mommy?"

She blinked back some tears and slid into the wall of the corridor. "Hey baby girl, what's going on?" She wasn't usually this damn emotional but it had been a hell of a year and a crazy few weeks with Jon away on tour and juggling the holiday preparations, a very full work load and her children.

"Daddy told us you need to help fix another little girl."

She smiled as she heard Jon whispering in the background. "That's right, I do honey. So, I'm not going to be home until tomorrow morning. Mommy wishes she could be there tonight more than anything." Matt usually held a good Christmas Eve bash and the Bongiovi men would drink top shelf spirits and smoke a couple of cigars while the women drank schnapps and gossiped.

"It's ok Mommy. I love you."

Callie clutched her chest. "I love you too Stells. Just be good for Daddy tonight, you and your brother." God bless her husband. He seemed to know when she just needed that little something to get her through and tonight it was the sound of her kid's voices.

"Mom!" The bubbling voice of her eight year old son came on the line as there was an argument over whose turn it was.

"Yes my love."

"Daddy said to ask you if we could have ice-cream for breakfast when you get home tomorrow?"

Callie laughed, loud. "Jeesh. I can't leave any of you in charge huh? Hmmm. I suppose so. It is Christmas after all."

"Yes! She said yes Dad!" Callie checked her watch, she really needed to go and was thankful when Jon came back over the line.

She popped the elevator button. "I need to go honey. But I will tell you this much. You're so going to get laid when I get home mister."

Jon laughed. "Hell, one phone call from your kids and I'm gettin' lucky!"

"You know you what you did. I needed that." It's how they worked. Call it intuition but through the years they both seemed to always know when the other one was too proud, too strong to ask for that little something. She'd done it enough for Jon over the years and he was the only one that knew when to do it for her. Always at the most perfect moments.

"Ok, Cal, go kick some ass."

She smiled as she clicked her phone off and tucked it away as she prepared to walk into a very tough night's work. But having her family behind her was more invaluable in strength than eight hours sleep. She would see them later, but right now she was all about Cassidy Phillips and making sure she lived to see her Christmas.