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."