Six: All I want for Christmas is You.

Callie stood in the shower a little longer and let the jets ease her tired body. She smiled as she wrung out the last of the water from her hair and killed the water pressure. She was finally home with her family when it mattered. She'd had nights like this before, more than she could count actually but it came with the territory but sometimes the odd case snuck up and was hard to shake. It all part of being human and she knew that. She wrapped herself in a towel, slathered on some body butter and padded back into their bedroom. The faint sounds of her children’s laughter and the hum of video games whistled up the stairs. She had a few minutes before she needed to be downstairs so she curled up in her towel on the bed, closed her eyes and dug her toes into the bed.

She was back in the Operating room trying desperately to save her, the machines shrieked behind her as she desperately tried to stop the bleed plugging more gauze into the open cut. There was just so much blood. She looked up at the girl lying helplessly at her mercy, her sunny blond hair peeking from the surgical cap and her eyes opened.

"Stella--God! NO!" She leaned over the girl's body to try and stop the bleeding; god anything but the blood soaked through her gown and covered her hands. She screamed and someone grabbed her wrists and was shaking her.

"Callie-you're dreaming wake up."

Her eyes burst open to find her husband's staring right back at her with his hands locked around her wrists. "Oh god." She panted letting the breath of air out as he let go and wrapped his arms around her.

"You ok?"

She nodded as she clawed the ribbed cotton at his chest. "Yeah I am now. Thank you."

He kissed the top of her head. "This one got to you huh?"

She curled in tight and wrapped herself around him while she let the terror dissolve in his arms. "Yeah." His hands soothed her back gently and she settled into him.

"The kids are otherwise occupied for at least twenty minutes as they started one of those marathon Olympic sports games...you still need me?" He whispered against her ear as he pushed her down against the pillows.

She smiled up at him and cupped his cheek. "I'll always need you."

He held up his finger. "Hold that thought." He jumped off the bed and closed their bedroom door and quietly turned the key. He crawled back onto their Californian king and peeled off his top. "Can't have just one of us being naked now can we?"

She giggled and raked her fingers through her husband's soft silver chest hair. "Mmm no, you're always catching me in a towel too." Their noses bumped and he kissed her slowly the heat between them starting a slow burn along her skin.

"Yes, such a shame." She arched into him as he kissed down the long line of her neck nudging the towel away. When her husband's lips were on her skin nothing else mattered for those few moments. Her eyes fluttered as he kissed across her shoulder and down teh soft curve of her breast. He still had the ability to make her go giddy like a teenager under his touch even after all these years. His hand moved and cupped the other breast, his thumb found her hardened nipple. She groaned and stretched out under him as his tongue flicked over her tip sending shocks right down to the tips of her toes.

"Oh god." He kissed her hard, his mouth moved over her jaw below the sensitive skin beneath her ear. She was drowning, but she wanted to sink to the bottom of this pool of warmth and love.

One hand smoothed down over her belly and she purred as he found the sensitive spot between her thighs. His tongue on hers mimicked the slow circles his thumb drew causing her to shudder. She could feel his erection press against her thigh so she shifted her hand and cupped him. Her heart raced and her breath caught. She gave into the safe and sensual feel of him and the raw emotion that still on her surface. All she cared about was him and the taste of him only drove her higher. She clutched his shoulder, tipped back her head and cried out as the orgasm punched through her.

His hot mouth covered hers and she popped open the top of his fly. She dipped her hand inside and curled her fingers around his shaft, licking the bottom of his lip as she did so. He braced his hands on either side of her and closed his eyes as her thumb drew deliberate circles around the tip of him.

"Sweet Jesus."

She smirked. "Well it is Christmas after all."

His eyes popped open in but then they narrowed as he pushed her hair back. "You my love are evil."

She grinned and kissed his nose before she flipped him on his back. "And you my love still have your jeans on." She tugged them off and then straddled him, his cock bumped against her ass. He growled as she raked her nails through his downy chest hair. He reached up and cupped her chin and smiled. Those eyes could say so much without words sometimes or maybe it was just she was used to staring into them from time to time for the last twenty years.

She leaned over him and planted a kiss square on his lips but then let it bleed out into something that went from sweet to hot in a second flat. All the day's dramas swirled inside her fuelled her lust, her need for him to put it all right again. She slid onto his cock and he reached for her breasts as she started to move above him. She tipped her head back and changed the angle and let him slide deeper as she rode him. Pleasure washed away the ache as she let go on top of him, lifting her arms up above her head and letting herself pour out. She moaned his name and let it burn through her, brighter than the Christmas star on the top of the tree. She flopped forward and opened her eyes, her cheek pressed into his chest as she caught her breath. He cupped her ass, drew her in close and rolled her onto her back. He sunk deeper and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Callie." He whispered as he stroked a tear from her cheek.

She smiled, finally at peace and dug her her fingers into his shoulders. "More. I need more."

He growled and fused his mouth to hers, the sweat slid between them and his tongue into her mouth. The sweet dark taste of him healed her, like it always did. She groaned as he went deep, her fingers fisted up into his hair. The slick friction of her nipples against his chest hair was enough for her to ache for him. Sometimes it felt like it would never be enough. He arched above her and he let go which tipped her over the edge with him. Her hands slid over his shoulders and over the muscles in his back as he settled against her.

They enjoyed the few moments of peace in each other's arms before she sighed and patted his shoulder. "Do we really have to do Christmas?"

He lifted his head from her shoulder and grinned. "Hey, having this here was your idea not mine!"

She laughed. "What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment. It'll be nice having the family around us."

"I'll get you to remind me of that at about eight o'clock when everybody's drunk on egg-nog and my father's telling us stories from when he was in the marines again. He kissed her softly and then popped himself up off her.

She rolled onto her side and watched him dress before she did the same. The tiny knock on the door came just as she tied the drawstring her Capri pants. "Busted." She whispered as she unlocked the door. Her two children were standing side by side looking as innocent as hell, they wanted something.

"Yes? Can we help?" She folded her arms and waited while Jon did the same.

Stella jabbed Caleb in the ribs. "You ask!"

He poked her back. "You never get in trouble."

Callie chuckled. "What do you two mischief makers want?" She ruffled her son's sandy blond hair. He'd be a dead ringer for her husband one of these days.

"We were wondered if we could make waffles."

Callie raised her brow and shot a glance at Jon. "Hmm."

Jon rubbed his chin. "I dunno."

"Pleaseeeeeeee we’ll help clean up afters." They both chimed.

She laughed and looked at her husband. They both shrugged and then nodded. She scooped up her son in a fireman's carry and he did the same with their daughter. "I guess so!"

They both shrieked as they were carried downstairs into their spacious farmer's kitchen where as a family they made breakfast together. Callie was pretty sure more batter ended up on the floor than the waffle iron but it was the perfect way to start their Christmas together. The way a family was meant to.

The End.