"Sure, no problem, Jake, I'll be over in about twenty minutes." Chris hung up the phone and turned to where his partner was just putting the last of the dinner dishes in the dishwasher. "I'm gonna run over to Jake Markham's. He's having problems with his furnace... again, so I'm going to try and get it working again so he doesn't have to spend money on it."

Vin rubbed a hand along the curve where shoulder and neck met, a slight frown on his handsome face. "I'll go with ya, see what Mary's up to; keep her company while the two of you tinker."

With a chuckle, Chris responded with, "right. you want to see if Mary's made any of her special Christmas cookies. Well, come on, you mooch."

A short time later they were winding their way up the drive to where Jake and Mary Markham lived. The young couple had taken over the aged ranch from Mary's great uncle, and were trying their best to make a go of it. Chris and Vin had befriended them and tried to help them however they could. Chris, having lived next to the little ranch when Bill Corey had owned it, had learned a few tricks in dealing with the old, cantankerous furnace; this wasn't the first time he'd helped out.

By the time they two men reached the broad front porch, Mary was waiting just inside the storm door, with a smile and a plate of cookies. They greeted her warmly, Vin snagging a cookie from the dish with an impish grin. She shook her head and handed him the entire plate, then pointed Chris toward the basement where her husband waited, and led Vin toward the living room.

Giving her holiday decorations the appropriate attention, Vin commented on some of the obviously special ornaments and asked about their origins. Just as he settled on one of the overstuffed and very comfortable chairs, he looked around. "Where's Ginger?"

"Oh! You and Chris haven't been over recently, so you haven't seen them!"

"Them?"

"Come on, I'll show you!" Mary led the way through the house, guiding her visitor to the bonus room at the back. As she opened the door, Vin heard an odd sound. Or, actually, several odd sounds.

"What the heck?"

"Jake and I are grandparents!" She giggled.

"Uh, you aren't parents yet, are you? Or has it been longer than I thought since we were over?"

"Oh, silly, it's Ginger, she had puppies!"

"What? Cool!" Vin moved with her into the room, being careful not to disturb anything or startle the mother. Part of the room had been cordoned off by a low, metal fence, most of which had been draped over with blankets. Walking over to the barrier with the young woman, he peered over to find the Markham's Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Ginger, surrounded by a wriggling pile of fur. "Oh my gawd, Mary, how many'd she have?"

"She had nine, but we lost one. They're almost weaned, which is perfect since it's almost Christmas. The ad goes into the Post tomorrow and, if it all goes well, we can make $8,000.00 with just this one litter!"

With a low whistle, Vin said, "They're goin' for a grand a pup?"

"Yep, they're full blooded, we found a little stud up in Dacona to breed her with. It all went really well, so we're thinking about breeding her again. I don't want to sound like a dog pimp or anything, but we can really use the money."

Chuckling, Vin said, "I don't think you sound like a dog pimp, Mary. Look at her, she's so well taken care of, and the babies are little rollie pollie fur balls. It's too bad more dogs don't get as pampered."

Seeing the longing in those bright blue eyes, Mary asked, "would you like to play with them?"

"Ginger won't mind?"

"Nah, they're getting big enough that we only put her in here two or three times a day, and I was gonna put her in her run. I'll close the door and you can play with them as long as you'd like. Knowing Chris and my husband, they'll be tinkering 'til bed time."

"Yeah, sure, I'd love to play with them!" Vin sounded like an excited child as he waited impatiently for his chance to hold the puppies. Mary took Ginger out, closing the door behind them and leaving the fence open. He settled on the floor, watching as the little bundles wriggled and snuffled their way from their enclosure. His grin broadened as one, two and then three of the pups moved in his direction. Two were tri colored, mostly black with tan and white markings. One had a black muzzle, the other a white one. The third was primarily white with red markings, including what looked like a mask of red on its little face. As they came near, he held his hands out and on the floor, waiting patiently while they snuffled and licked his fingers and palms.

The world seemed to disappear, along with the feeling of almost overwhelming weariness he'd been dealing with the last couple of weeks. Soon he was stretched out on the floor, his little trio of visitors sniffling at every thread of his clothes and every pore of his flesh with an intensity that had him chuckling several times.

After some time he heard a soft "click" and turned to find the lady of the house and his partner standing in the now open door, Chris still holding his phone out. "You just take a picture of me?"

"You, and your fan club," Chris chuckled. "The furnace is up and running again and it's almost ten. Ready to go home?"

Stretching and yawning, Vin held out a hand, which his partner clasped, pulling him to his feet. Leaning down, hands on his knees, he said, "well, fellas, it's been a pleasure to meet you, but I've gotta go. Maybe I can get back over to see you again before you take off for your new homes."

"Well, we're hoping to send them off on Christmas Eve, so it'll have to be before then. And only two of those are 'fellas'," Mary explained. "The little white and red one is a female. Those three are the most adventuresome. I dubbed her Goldie; the one with the black muzzle is Frankie and the one with the white muzzle is Murray. Sort of a take off on Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. What can I say, I was listening to Christmas music."

The two men chuckled, said their good nights, and started for the front door. Escorting them, Mary made certain that Vin had a Styrofoam plate heaped with Christmas cookies in his hands before he followed Chris toward the blond's Ram.

As they drove home, Chris couldn't help but notice the wistful smile on his lover's face. "seems you enjoyed your visit."

"Hm? Oh... yeah. Somethin' about a puppy. They're warm, and fuzzy, that little snuffle sound they make..."

"Yeah, then it changes to a whine and a howl when you try to get them to sleep at night. And then there's the housebreaking, and the stuff they chew on when they get a little older."

"Uh... yeah."

Chris noted the change in the other man's voice and glanced over toward him. Gone was the smile, replaced now by a somewhat disappointed expression. Changing his tone now, the blond said, "Well, I guess the good stuff outweighs the bad. You ever have a dog?"

"Nah..." Vin murmured. "Couple of the families I lived with had dogs. One treated the dog better than they treated the fosters. Other one liked to beat on the dogs to 'toughen them up'... liked to do the same to the fosters."

Larabee mentally kicked himself for stirring up sour memories for his partner. Trying to divert the other man's thoughts from those dark times, he found himself sharing some of his own memories. "We usually had a couple dogs around when I was a kid. Mostly working dogs that earned their keep chasing off coyotes and such, killing the rats in the barn, stuff like that. Good dogs, but we never really got all that close to them. Not like Timmy and Lassie or anything."

Vin chuckled. "Well hope you never fell down the well or anything, then."

Chris chuckled as well, and the two men grew quiet. Larabee's internal dialogue continued, though, as he thought about the man that was his world, and how to bring a smile back to that handsome face.

The two men picked up carry out on the way home from work the next evening. While Chris hadn't really thought about it, Vin had finally pestered him about beginning the decorations for the house. Chris finally agreed that they would decorate the inside of the house that evening and focus on the outside over the weekend. Vin had practically bounced in his seat most of the way home, as he formulated plans on how they would decorate.

They ate in front of the television while they watched the news, Vin nearly swallowing his sub whole in his hurry to begin. He began bringing the decorations up from the basement while Chris caught the weather, then they brought the tree in from where it had been acclimating to being inside, in the mud room.

As they were carrying it into the den, Vin, walking backwards, stumbled and banged into the wall, sending one of the framed pictures of Sarah and Adam crashing to the floor. "Shit!"

Peering around the large evergreen, Chris surveyed the damage. Part of the frame had sprung loose, but the glass was intact. "Don't worry about it, the frame is easy to replace."

As they entered the den, Vin stumbled again, banging into one of the recliners and ending up on his butt on the floor. "Son of a bitch!"

"Take it easy, Pard. Maybe I should go backwards from now on." He frowned, Vin was typically just as comfortable walking backward as forward, with the balance of a tightrope walker. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just a headache... and now an ass ache."

Chris chuckled. "I'll be happy to massage it for you, if you'd like."

Pushing himself to his feet, Vin couldn't help but grin at his partner's lewd expression. "Maybe later. Right now, let's get this puppy decorated."

They busied themselves wrapping lights around the tree; more lights than Chris would have put on, but Vin loved filling the branches with twinkling little spots of color. Next they placed the ornaments, the tree soon covered with a combination of old and new, Chris and Vin's, as well as some they had bought together. When that was finished, the only thing left was to place the tree topper.

They had no idea where Buck had found it, but the big man had gifted them with a cowboy angel tree topper last year. Chris removed it from it's package and handed it to his partner to do the honors of placing the final ornament.

Nudging the step stool a little closer to the tree with his foot, Vin stepped up on it and almost reverently placed the angel on the topmost branch. Just as he took his hand away, he once more lost his balance and fell backward, but was shocked to feel himself caught by a pair of strong arms. Glancing around, he found himself face to face with the most handsome face he'd ever known. "Thanks, Cowboy."

"You sure it's just a headache?"

With a sigh, Vin replied, "Yeah, honest, just a headache. Just not at the top of my game."

"Well, why don't you go take something for it and I'll take the boxes back to the basement."

"You sure?"

"Sure. Then meet me back here with a couple beers and we'll admire our handiwork."

Ten minutes later the two men were settled on the couch, snuggled together, staring at the large, glittering tree. The scent of evergreen was filling the air, and the fireplace was alit with a fire. Chris took a long swallow from his beer and said quietly, "Sure is pretty."

"Sure is."

"Think it's as pretty as the one we had last year?"

"Prettier."

"Think you're right." He paused, then asked, "how's the head?"

"Better."

"The ass?"

"Still waitin' for that massage you offered earlier."

Chris chuckled. "I guess I should take care of that."

"Mm... in a while, it'll wait. Pretty comfortable right now."

"Yeah... me, too."

Chris shifted, pulling Vin a little closer, to snuggle against him. "There... even better."

"Mm..." the younger man murmured once more as he laid his head on his partner's chest, one hand rubbing lazily along the broad, well muscled chest. "The best."

The two men sat, content, as they watched the show provided by the Christmas tree lights and the crackling fire.

"I'm home!" Chris called out as he entered the house through the mud room. The sounds of the television running took him to the den, where he found his partner curled on the couch, burrowed beneath an old quilt. Vin had left work at 3:00, claiming another headache. Chris was growing more concerned about his partner, but Vin just shrugged it off, saying it was probably the weather or something.

Moving closer, he saw that Tanner's eyes were open, and he was simply staring at the television as Jake Sully was learning to live like one of the natives of Pandora in Avatar. Leaning down, he rubbed the other man's hip and said, "You feeling better?"

"No."

Larabee frowned. Vin wasn't one for idle chatter, but he typically responded a little more lively. "You take anything for it?"

"Yeah, Excedrin Migraine. 'Bout an hour ago."

"You hungry?"

"No."

Feeling his frustration mounting, Chris said, "Okay. I'm going to go take care of the horses. I'll check in with you when I come back in." Receiving nothing but a short nod and a grunt, he moved away and left to change his clothes. Coming back from the bedroom a few minutes later, dressed in old jeans and a sweatshirt, he looked in on his way past the den. Vin hadn't moved, and didn't look up to acknowledge his partner.

Making his way to the barn, Chris did his best to put things together, giving him some idea as to what was going on. The two of them hadn't argued lately, their relationship having gotten to the settled in feel of a couple married for some time. The caseload at work was actually lighter than it had been, giving them the chance to catch up on the backed up paperwork that never seemed to go away.

Perhaps that was it. Vin found it difficult to sit still unless he was waiting for a mark and had a rifle in his hands, and his reading problems made typing up reports a dreaded activity. It could be that his partner was just out of sorts because of the paperwork.

He could offer to help out, but knew that would go over like the proverbial lead balloon; Vin was a proud man, and reaching out for help wasn't something he did lightly... or at all. The man would prefer to make himself miserable rather than asking someone to give him a hand; even his partner. That had been one thing they had in common as Chris had found difficult to do himself.

Shaking his head as he realized how long he'd been standing there, holding the hay rake, hay dribbling out of its shallow bowl, Chris dipped the rake back into the mound and tossed another rake full into Pony's stall. Deciding that the horses were as comfortable as he could make them, he propped the rake against the nearest upright, and moved over to the tack room, where he spend some time puttering around. He knew he was putting off going back in the house, but figured that Vin could do with some time alone. Tanner had spent most of his life responding to any sort of illness or injury by holing up by himself. Even now he got skittish when it came to be fussed over.

Back inside the house, Vin pushed himself up off the couch and hurried into the kitchen, promptly vomiting in the, thankfully empty, sink for several long, painful minutes. Even after he was finished he hung over the sink while he ran water to get rid of the mess, the entire time waiting for it to happen again. It was nearly half an hour before he felt safe to move away; he grabbed cleaner and paper towels, scrubbing out the sink.

And, despite all that, the migraine was still there, pounding away inside his skull. He grabbed the bottle of Sprite he'd bought on the way home and poured another glass, drinking it standing at the refrigerator. Pouring another glass, he put away the bottle and carried the glass with him to the bedroom, weaving somewhat unsteadily. He hated being sick; hated Chris seeing him being sick.

Entering the bathroom, he fumbled for the bottle of pain reliever and shook out four more tablets that he downed with more of the Sprite. Leaving the glass on the vanity, he striped off and got into the shower, making it as hot as possible and letting it spray over the tightened muscles of his neck and shoulders. Groaning as he relaxed under the heat, he stood there until the water began to cool before he stepped out and toweled himself off. Slipping the towel around his waist he carried his glass to the bedroom with him, grabbed a pair of boxers from the dresser, and slipped them on, tossing the towel back into the bathroom.

By the time he climbed into bed, he felt wrung out and exhausted. He had dealt with headaches before, but this was the king of headaches; even migraines. With that thought he crawled under the covers and curled up on his side, falling into a deep, but uneasy sleep.

Finally going back into the house, Chris found the den empty and turned off the DVD. There was no sign of his partner in the back of the house so he headed toward the bedroom. Vin was curled up under the covers, only the top of his head visible. Chris considered trying to wake him, but decided against it when he heard the soft snores that emanated from beneath the blankets. Sleep could very well be the best thing for him.

He spent the evening alone; eating leftover vegetable soup and a turkey sandwich then stretching out on the sofa to watch whatever caught his interest on the television. It was only after he woke from a light doze that he got up and turned off the television and the lights, checked the doors, and padded to the bedroom he shared with his partner. Vin was still huddled under the blankets, so he stripped down and slid under them as well.

Around midnight Vin woke, the taste of bile strong in his mouth. Quickly, awkwardly, he managed to get out of bed without waking the other man then padded silently into hall and to the guest room. There he went to the bathroom, dropped to his knees, and promptly deposited anything in his stomach into the bowl. He sat there for several minutes, until he felt settled enough to get up. Flushing the toilet, he rinsed out his mouth and washed his face before returning to their bedroom. Vin knew that Chris would make too much of it, and insist that Nathan, at least, check him over and, more than likely, he'd be at the doctor's office. All because of a headache? Better to keep some things to himself. Crawling back under the covers, Vin sighed as the warmth soaked into his chilled body, coaxing him back to sleep.

"Well, boys," Buck Wilmington called across the bullpen, "They say it's 5:00 somewhere, and darned if it ain't here!"

"Oh, you're such a comedian," JD chided, rolling his eyes.

"I would suggest, though, that you not give up you day job," Ezra added to the conversation.

"Hell, you boys wouldn't know funny if it bit you in the ass. I was gonna suggest that we head for The Saloon, and offer to buy the first round, but, if you're gonna treat me like that -- "

"My apologies, kind sir... did you offer a free drink?"

"You know words like free are always going to attract Ezra," Josiah snorted from his desk.

"Did I hear Buck Wilmington offer to buy a round of drinks?" Chris Larabee asked as he exited his office, his duster already on.

"You did, Cowboy," Vin replied. Then he added, sotto voce, "Talk about comin' runnin' when someone offers free booze..."

"I heard that," Chris growled, giving his partner a brief glare that was quickly overrun by joyfulness. Vin had woke up that morning in a much better mood, apologized for his sullen behavior the night before, and had been in good spirits all day. Apparently his suspicion that Vin was in a bad mood over the paperwork was right. Still, he turned to Tanner and asked, "You in?"

"Sounds good to me," Vin replied.

"Well, I'm afraid I won't be going," Nathan interjected. "Raine's actually off tonight and we've got... plans."

After the others had stopped with the cat calls and lewd remarks, Josiah added, "Yeah, I'm going to have to decline as well. I'm working the night shift at the Pride House tonight and tomorrow night."

"Well, I'm all for it. Casey's out with some friends tonight; they're going to that special Chippendale's performance that they're doing to raise money for some charity. I'm not even sure she knows what charity it is!"

Buck laughed heartily and then said, "Well, reckon you'd better be home for her by midnight then, son, because most women... well, they develop certain needs after a show like that."

"Oh, blow it out your butt, Buck," JD growled, while his pale features colored with embarrassment.

"Alright, boys, let's go before I have to put you in a time out," Chris admonished as he lead the way out the door. The five members of Team Seven walked briskly down the hall and into the elevator.

An hour later those same five men were lounging in chairs around their favorite table at the back of The Saloon. Ezra was dealing a hand of Poker while they waited for their dinner orders to be filled, and chatting about their weekend plans.

Chris noticed that Vin had gotten quiet. Glancing at his partner, he saw that the man's attention was elsewhere. Following Tanner's line of sight, he saw a man standing at the bar, wearing a dark green jersey bearing the name "Vick" and the number 7 on it in white. He inwardly groaned, as he recalled some of the tirades Vin had gone since Vick had been convicted for dog fighting. Until then he would never have thought something like that to be a "hot button topic" for his partner, but he found out quickly just how wrong he was in that estimation. Leaning closer, he said only, "it's just a shirt, Vin, that's not Vick."

Glancing over quickly, Tanner said, "I know, it's just... hate to see the bastard get free advertising."

"Gentlemen? Cards?" Ezra, oblivious to the private exchange, broke the tension.

They completed that hand, JD winning the pot, just as their dinners were brought to the table. The cards were tucked away then, while the men dug into steaming plates of food. While the conversation was light, Chris continued to keep an eye on his life-mate; he could feel the tension radiating from the slender body. Vin was doing little more than picking at his food, another sign that things were in danger of going sour.

As they were finishing up, Vin picked up his beer bottle and said, "gonna go get a refill," but left the table without even acknowledging the other men asking him to get something for them as well. Behind him, Chris cursed, excused himself, and moved toward the bar.

Reaching the bar, Vin slipped up beside the man in the Phillies jersey. True, the jersey had drawn his attention but, even more so, was the way the fool was acting. Vin had seen him make more than one grab for Inez and, even though the woman was well able to fend him off, it was getting on his nerves.

The Latina smiled as she came over to him. "Another, Vin?"

"Thanks, Inez."

"Eye-neeez, huh?" The man intentionally mauled her name as he leered at her. "Wondered what your name was, little lady. What's it mean?"

"It means the lady's here to take your drink order, not your bullshit," Vin growled. He saw the woman in question give him a shocked look, but he wasn't about to back down. He could feel the anger building up and at the moment, all he wanted was a release.

"Who the hell asked you, buddy?" The man turned toward Tanner, his stance saying very clearly that he was ready for a fight.

"She's a friend of mine, and I ain't your buddy." Vin found himself getting tunnel vision; suddenly the other man was the only other person in his world. He managed to duck as a fist was suddenly flying in his direction. Quickly he had the man twisted around, in a headlock, with his head laying on the bar. "Now, you wanna play nice, or you want me to wipe up the bar with you?"

The other man was struggling, pushing against his smaller, but much more able, opponent. He managed to thrust his shoulder against Vin, but couldn't dislodge his hold. The more he struggled, the tighter the hold around his neck and soon he was finding it difficult to breathe.

"Vin!"

The angry man suddenly found a pair of strong arms around him, pulling him back. With a feral growl he fought against that hold but, with most of his energy being used to hold the big mouth, he didn't have a lot to spare to get his partner to let him go. "Damn it, Chris, let go 'a me!"

"Not till you calm down and let go. Now. He's not worth it, Vin."

"No, but Inez is."

"Vin, listen to me," Inez's voice broke through the red haze that seemed to have taken over. "He's not going to do anything to me! He's drunk and he has a big mouth. Chris is right, he isn't worth you getting into trouble. Please, let go."

Her words, delivered in a tone of fear, broke through. With another growl he released his hold, moving deeper into Larabee's embrace. He didn't argue when his partner pushed him toward the door. The cold air hitting him when they left the warm building had the effect of waking him from a nightmare. He blinked and rubbed a slightly trembling hand across his face.

"What the hell got into you in there, Vin?" Chris asked. His voice was filled with concern.

"I just didn't like the way he was treatin' her, is all."

"There's more to it than that. You and I have both seen her handle assholes a lot worse than he was. What made you think she needed help tonight?"

Wheeling on the other man, Vin spit out, "I don't know, okay!? He pissed me off, and I did somethin' about it. Sorry!" He took a deep breath and repeated, "I'm sorry."

"What's going on? You've been acting 'off' for days now."

The gentle tone his lover used served to bring Vin's anger down even farther. "I'm just tired, Chris. I don't know if it's the time of year or what, but I'm just... tired."

He didn't completely buy it, but he didn't have anything to point to a reason other than what Vin was saying. "Okay. You go to the truck and I'll go get our coats and pay the bill."

With a nod, Tanner moved toward the parking lot, not even noticing the worried expression on the other man's face as he watched him. When Vin had disappeared around the corner of the building, Chris went inside, heading first to the table where their three, worried, friends waited.

"Is he okay?" Buck asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure. He's been acting off for a couple weeks now, but he keeps saying there's nothing wrong. Now he's just saying that it's the time of year. Anyway, I'm gonna take him home and see if I can get anything more out of him."

"Let us know if we can do anything," Ezra offered.

"I will." Larabee gathered up their coats and headed next to the bar. Smiling at the pretty bartender, he said, "what's our tab, Inez?"

Bringing over a ticket, Inez asked, "Is he okay?" When the blond repeated what he'd told the others just a minute ago, she said, "I hope that he's feeling better soon. Please, let him know that I do appreciate his concern for me, okay?"

Handing over a credit card to pay the bill, Chris said, "I will."

"Hey!"

Turning toward the voice, Chris saw the man in the Vick Jersey standing near by. "Anything I can do for you?"

Not recognizing the danger behind that soft tone, the other man said, "Yeah, you can tell me where that mother fucker went. I don't think me and him are finished with our 'conversation'."

Heaving a sigh, Larabee shook his head. "Yeah, well, you are. And believe me, you should just be very relieved that it's over."

"Ooo, I'm supposed to be afraid of that skinny little -- "

Wheeling on the man, Chris moved in until he was only a hair's breadth from him. "Looks can be deceiving, my friend. That 'skinny little' could break your neck without breaking a sweat." Then, to increase his impression, Chris moved back and opened his wallet, showing his ATF identification. "He's got one just like this, along with a background in special ops. So, now, do you really want to take him on?"

"Look, I don't need any trouble, okay?" The man's tone changed quickly.　

"Good, neither do I." Chris growled as he took his card back from Inez, signed the receipt and shoved his wallet back in his pocket. With a nod, he said, "Sorry for the drama, I'll see you later, Inez."

"Good night, Chris." The bartender replied with a smile.

Reaching the truck, which Vin had turned on to warm up, Larabee climbed in behind the wheel. Turning to his partner he asked as calmly as he could, "You want to talk about it?"

"No." Tanner said shortly, turning so that he was staring out the side window into the darkness.

Putting the truck in gear, Chris eased out of the parking space. It was going to be a long drive home.

10:13 am and Vin was still asleep. Chris stood in the doorway staring at the bed where his life partner lay huddled beneath a quilt that he had added to the pile of covers at some point during the night.

~o~

The night had not gotten any better after they left the Saloon. Vin had been quiet the entire ride home, Chris had finally turned the radio up to mask what was, for once, a very uncomfortable silence.

Reaching the ranch, Vin was out of the truck as soon as he parked it, and Larabee watched his companion stalk across the yard toward the barn. He considered going after the other man and forcing a confrontation but thought better of it. A cornered Tanner was a very nasty Tanner, and he didn't feel like losing blood or a body part at the moment.

He went into the house, grabbed a beer, and settled in front of the television. He had finished his second beer and almost two hours had passed before he heard the door to the mud room open. Vin marched past the open door on his way through the house, not even slowing when Chris called out to him. "This is getting ridiculous," He grumbled to himself.

Pushing out of his recliner, he walked through the house and entered the master suite to hear the shower running in the bathroom. Crossing to the door, he found it locked. He considered his options and decided to simply wait for Vin to

come out rather than knocking the door down or any of the other options he had come up with.

It was another twenty minutes before Tanner emerged from the shower, a towel wrapped low around his hips. He looked up to see his partner sitting on the edge of the bed. Finding it difficult to look Chris in the eye, he stared at the floor as he said softly, "Hey."

"What's going on?" Chris asked, never one to beat around the bush.

"Look, the bastard just rubbed me wrong. Maybe I overreacted --"

"Maybe!? Vin, he was being an ass, but you were the one that made it physical. If you'd gone any farther with it... well, what would happen if he decided to press charges?"

Anger flaring in blue eyes, Vin glared at the other man. "I'd have been in trouble, I reckon. What the hell do you want me to say, Larabee? I fucked up. I let my temper get the best of me. I can't go back and undo it and, honestly, I don't know that I'd want to!"

Fighting the urge to yell back, Chris kept his voice calm as he replied, "Well, it's a moot point, but Vin, something's going on here. You've been acting strange for days now."

"Look, I haven't been on top of my game, I know, but it's nothing to get all worked up about."

"I'm not sure about that, Vin, not right now."

"Jesus, Chris! Will you let it go?" He dropped his towel and strode across to where his partner sat, a grin spreading across his face. "Look, I can show you that I'm okay... right now."

Larabee tried to ignore the feelings that stirred him at the sight of that lean body, evenly tanned even in December, but it was impossible. He smiled back at his partner, and allowed himself to be pushed backward onto the bed, Tanner straddling his hips.

Sex between them was typically wild, but this time it was almost animalistic. Vin was none too gentle when he took him; Chris feeling the untamed power behind each thrust, and he gasped as Vin sank his teeth into a pec, leading him to cry out in pain. By the time they had both been sated Larabee felt exhausted; every muscle in his body trembling from the exertion. All he could do was lay there on the rumpled bed, trying to catch his breath, as Vin disappeared and then returned with a wet cloth. His partner wiped away the drying sex that seemed to cover him, then guided him under the covers and kissed him on the temple.

"See, told you, I'm fine."

~o~

Chris found that he was still smiling as the memory of the night before played out in his mind. Other than the bite, which hadn't broken the skin, but was nicely bruised, it had been one of the most amazing times he'd had with his lover. But now it was after 10:00 in the morning, and Vin was still asleep.

Then he noticed a pair of bright blue eyes staring at him above the covers. "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Mornin'," Vin replied with a yawn. "What time's it?"

"Almost 10:30. I was just coming in to hold a mirror under your nose."

"Ha... ha. Is it really that late?"

"Yep."

"Shit, reckon I'd better get my ass in gear." Vin tossed back the covers, giving Chris another look at that incredible body as he pushed to his feet, wavered, and promptly dropped back to the bed. "Whoa!"

Alarmed now, Chris asked, "What's wrong?"

Waving him off, Vin said, "Nothin', I just got up too fast." He rose to his feet again, at a more sedate pace. "I'm gonna go get a shower."

Watching the other man disappear into the bathroom, Chris shook his head. There was definitely something going on. He just had to pick the right time to address it.

Vin flinched at the sound of a phone ringing; sounding like an explosion in his aching head. At the second ring, he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Chris answer it.

"Larabee.... hey, JD. What? When? No, I didn't know... what time is it now? Shit, okay, I'll see if I can get him moving. Yeah, sorry."

He groaned when Chris shook his shoulder, seeming to shout as he said, "Vin? Wake up, come on."

"What?" He groaned.

"Did you forget that you and JD had plans today?"

"No we didn't."

"That's what the Kid says. You, he and Casey were supposed to help out at Color Me Mine on Quebec, with the Holiday Paint Party. You were supposed to be there half an hour ago."

Vin stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, concentrating on what the other man was telling him. Then he cursed, "son of a bitch!" as he threw back the covers and leapt out of bed. Once again he wavered, but this time he also went completely pale and dropped to his knees. He gasped out, "Chris!" just as he bent double and began to vomit.

Larabee was there in a heartbeat, one handedly holding a wastebasket for his partner, while he warped the other arm around the bowed shoulders. "Take it easy, just breathe through your mouth. Come on, it's gonna be okay. Calm down," he encouraged gently, holding the other man lovingly.

It was another five minutes or so before Vin's rebellious insides calmed. Chris helped him to the bathroom to clean up, then back to bed. Tucking Tanner back beneath the still warm covers, he said, "You go back to sleep. I'm gonna call JD and let him know you won't be there."

"No, Chris, I promised I'd help."

"I know you did, but... look, do you want to expose the kids to... whatever this is? I mean, if this is contagious, you're going to do more harm than good if you go in there. Regardless of whether or not you can pass it on, you're in no shape to go anywhere."

"But..." he sighed, knowing that Larabee was right, but not wanting to admit it. Another thing that he didn't want to admit was the headache that was growing to epic proportions and the ringing in his ears. With another sigh, he said, "You're probably right. I think I'll just go back to bed and try and sleep it off."

"Good." Chris reached for the phone.

A short time later, JD had been called and the mess had been cleaned up. Larabee brought in toast and tea, coaxing his lover to eat. Vin managed to put away most of it, and promptly fell back to sleep. Chris stroked a hand through the tangled locks, frowning when Tanner seemed cool to the touch; maybe not a virus after all. What was going on?

Vin spent the rest of the day in bed or, as he called it, 'being lazy'. He complained about wasting time that could be put to better use, but it took very little to keep him there. The few times he did get up, usually to go to the bathroom, he moved slowly and gingerly, afraid of a repeat performance of that morning.

Chris spent as much time as he could in the bedroom, only leaving to take care of what few chores couldn't be put off, or to make something for them to eat. He made chicken noodle soup from scratch, knowing it was Vin's favorite.

"Damn, you think I'm dyin' or something?" Tanner chided when he dipped a spoon into the thick soup.

"No! Why on earth would you think that?"

"Take it easy, Cowboy, just teasin'. You weren't too keen about takin' the time to make it for me last time I asked for it."

"If I remember right, you asked for it on a Wednesday evening, in the middle of a very crazy week."

"Oh... yeah." Tanner smiled at his partner, blue eyes glittering with humor.

"You must be feeling better if you're going to be a smart ass."

"Hell, I could be a smart ass with my head near to chopped off."

"Oh, thanks for that visual."

"Like you never had it before... like the time I damn near got shot off that tower... or the time I damn near got run over by that get away car, or --"

Chris pressed his fingers against the other man's lips. "Let's don't go down the list of times you almost got yourself killed, okay?"

Kissing those warm fingers, Vin moved away slightly and said, "okay."

After Dinner, Chris coaxed his partner into the shower while he changed the bedding. When Vin still hadn't come out of the bathroom by the time he finished, he went in to check, only to find the other man, naked and wet, huddled by the

toilet. Hurrying to him, he leaned back and found the other man staring at nothing. "Vin?"

"Yeah?" Tanner said, his tone somewhat vague.

"What's up?"

"Just got to feelin' sick to my stomach. I'm okay now."

"No you're not." He wasn't certain if the other man's cool, clammy flesh was the product of being wet or being ill. "Come on, you need to get up off the floor."

"Need to finish my shower," Tanner's tone was becoming more normal, and slightly agitated.

"Okay, come one." Larabee knew better than to argue with his partner at a time like this, so he simply helped him up, flushed the toiled and led him toward the shower. As soon as Vin was inside, he quickly striped off and followed after.

"Hey!" Vin yelped when he felt a pair of arms slip around him.

"Sh, it's just me."

"Mm... got somethin' in mind?"

"Probably more than you can manage at this point. Just want to make sure you get finished without passing out on me or something."

"Well, how 'bout we do something that we know will have me passin' out?"

Chris leaned down and kissed the side of that long, glistening wet, neck, but sighed and moved back. "Not tonight, dear, you have a headache."

"Ha... ha," Vin chided, but he didn't argue the point. He was beginning to forget what it was like not to have a headache. They showered together, then dried and dressed. Chris started them toward the bed, but Vin baulked. "Can we go in the den for a bit? I'm beginnin' to feel closed in."

"Sure," Larabee agreed sympathetically. They moved down the hall and into the den, where Chris settled on the couch, coaxing Vin to stretch out beside him. Once his partner was settled, he pulled the quilt off the back of the couch and shook it out over the lean body.

They sat for nearly an hour, simply enjoying the dancing lights on the tree and the crackling fire. "I want to see if we can get you into the doctor's tomorrow," Chris announced, deciding it was time to bait the bear. The answer he got surprised him immensely.

"Okay." Vin lay with his head in Chris' lap, enjoying the other man's attentions, as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding, Larabee said, "good. I'll call them first thing in the morning and get the appointment. If... and only if... you feel like going into work with me, and depending on the appointment time, we'll go on in to work. If not, I'll call Josiah and have him cover the morning meeting for me."

"You ought to go on in, I can go to the doctor myself. I'm sick, but I ain't an invalid."

"Didn't say you were but, what if you get sick on the way into town?"

"I'll pull over and puke I imagine," Tanner said in an ironic tone.

Slapping a butt cheek lightly, Chris replied, "smart ass. Just humor me, okay? I want to go with you."

He didn't understand the need for his partner to waste time in a doctor's waiting room, but he did enjoy the feeling of being taken care of. Softly he replied, "okay."

Monday morning in the doctor's office. Vin sighed, staring around him at the other patients, wondering not for the first time, why they were there. He had tried to get Chris to change his mind that morning, when he'd woken up feeling fine. But, Larabee, being Larabee, had dug in his heels and insisted that they come in.

Chris turned to his partner, heaving a sigh as he placed a hand, firmly, on one shaking leg while the other hand clenched into a fist as he tried to retain his temper. "If you don't settle down, I'm going to ask the doctor for a sedative."

"For you or me?" Vin asked, smiling sweetly at the other man.

Just as Chris was about to retort, the nurse called out "Vin Tanner" and they both rose.

"I can go in myself," Vin grumbled.

"Yeah. Last time you went in alone, I found the prescription balled up in your jeans pocket the next time I did laundry." Chris growled, giving the other man a light shove.

After they were escorted into an examination room, the nurse took Vin's vitals, recorded his symptoms - mostly from Chris' description - and checked his weight, they were left alone in the little room.

"You know we could be usin' this time for something more productive," Vin grumbled.

"Josiah's taking care of things in the office, you and I are being productive here."

"Yeah, sittin' on our asses."

"Vin..." Chris sighed. "Look, I know you hate doctors, doctors offices, hospitals, and all the rest. But there have been far too many indicators that something's going on with you, pard. I'm not going to neglect that, and I'm not going to let you neglect that."

With a sigh, the younger man reached out and ran his hand lightly down his partner's arm. "I appreciate it, Cowboy, I really do." Anything else he might say he kept to himself, as the doctor entered the room. "Hey, doc."

"Well, hello, Vin. Long time, no see."

"Hey, is that sarcasm? It's so hard to tell." Vin asked in an ironic tone.

"Ha... ha. Now, Chris said that you've been having some problems with your balance, you've been nauseous and vomited, you've been having headaches, and you seem to be having some memory problems. Any other symptoms?" As he spoke he motioned Vin to sit on the examination table and began a preliminary exam.

"Ears've been ringin', think Chris gave you the rest of it."

"Okay, so, let's do this the right way... what's the date and the day?"

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Vin said, "Monday, December 20, 2010," before the doctor could ask anything else, he continued, "My name's Vincent Michael Tanner, I'm in your office and we're in Denver, Colorado. Any other tricks I can perform for ya?"

"No, I think that'll do for now. Tell me, do you remember hitting your head recently?"

"Hit my head all the time -- "

"Vin," Chris cautioned, seeing his partner getting frustrated.

"Fine... took a pretty solid wack a couple weeks ago."

"What? When?" Chris felt a cold chill course through him.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Vin said, "Peso got into a snit when I was brushin' him. I zigged, he zagged, and my head bounced off the stable wall."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"'Cause you'd have been climbin' all over him and it wasn't his fault. Besides, I didn't get col' cocked, so I didn't worry about it."

"Vin!"

Clearing his throat, the doctor said, "If I can jump in here? Vin, losing consciousness, while once thought to be the clearest indicator of a concussion, isn't. I'd like to send you for an MRI, but I'm pretty certain that you have what we call post-concussion syndrome."

"So, what do you recommend?" Chris asked.

"I'll give you a 'scrip for Amitriptyline, it should help with the headaches and, from what you told me about them, the mood swings. You might also consider a massage every day or two, to relieve the tension and pain."

Giving his partner a lewd smile, Chris said, "I'll make certain you get the massage."

Ignoring the look the two men exchanged, the doctor continued. "If the memory problems, or the dizziness continue to be an issue, I'll refer you to an ENT, but the symptoms should disappear in the next few weeks. So, shall I have the nurse set up the MRI?"

"Yes," Chris said, giving his partner a no-nonsense glare.

"Put your cattle prod away, Cowboy, I was gonna say yes," Vin growled.

~o~

The two men joined their teammates for lunch and then went in to the office. The doctor okayed Vin working, but nothing strenuous, meaning no climbing buildings or his other typical daredevil antics, he would have to stay off his horse until he was given a clean bill of health, and he was cautioned against driving for the time being. Fortunately, due to the upcoming holidays, their caseload was lighter than usual, and Chris had wrangled off the days between Christmas and New Years for the entire team.

Vin found himself getting growled at by every one of this teammates, starting with an angry Nathan and ending with a worried JD until Chris called a halt and sent everyone back to work.

An hour later his head began to throb from staring at the computer screen. He ended up back in the break room when the headache tried to blow his head off his shoulders. Without realizing it, he fell asleep and woke only when Chris roused him to go home.

"Shit," he groused as he pushed himself to a sitting position, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Sorry, Chris, didn't mean to sleep on the job."

"Don't worry about it. I think we should just sign off on you taking the next few days."

"Hell, by the time we got back to work then, I'd be stir crazy!"

With a grin, Larabee said, "I'm sure I can find something to keep you busy."

Shaking his head, Vin responded with, "Yeah, then I just won't be able to walk in order to come back!" He stood, teetering slightly, glad to feel his partner's hand on his arm. "Damn, I could do with less of that."

"Well, we get home, you take your meds and we'll just relax, how's that sound?"

Grinning, Tanner said, "sounds like a plan to me."

~o~

They stopped at a small diner for dinner, then headed home where they checked on the horses. Chris tried to get Vin to go into the house, but his partner was adamant that he help out in the barn. Another wave of nausea made Chris' argument for him though, and he led the weaving man into the house before returning to finish in the barn.

Coming back into the house, Chris found Vin talking on the phone; after a few minutes he realized that the other man must be talking to Mary Markham, when he heard "Frankie", "Murray" and "Goldie" interspersed in the conversation. He sighed; it was clear that, more than anything, a pet would be the perfect gift for his partner, but could they handle it? They required a lot of work, and they were gone a lot. Putting the thought aside, he tidied up the kitchen and bedroom and was just going into the bathroom when he heard Vin's call.

Hurrying into the den, he found Tanner curled in on himself. "What's wrong?"

"Head," Vin admitted.

"You take anything since we got home?" When he got a shake of the head, Chris instructed, "I'll go get you something, want ginger ale for your stomach?" A nod this time sent him to the kitchen, where he got some migraine tabs, the Amitriptyline, and a glass of ginger ale. Going back to the den he coaxed his partner to sit up and handed the pills and glass over to him.

A short time later the two men settled on the couch together, Vin with his head once again resting on Chris' lap, and covered in one of Nettie's quilts. His medication was beginning to work and he was cozy and relaxed, dozing from time to time while they watched the evening news.

"Still mad at me?" Tanner murmured as he felt the other man's fingers stroke gently through his hair.

"I'm not mad at you."

"You were earlier."

"No... I was just... disappointed. Why didn't you tell me you'd gotten hurt?"

"Didn't really think of it as bein' hurt, just whacked my head," Vin replied defensively.

"It didn't occur to you that all the things you were dealing with were related to that 'whack' on your head? Granted, it's harder than granite..."

"Bite me."

"Later."

"No, I didn't think any of it was related. Guess I'm a little slow."

"No, you're not, you were injured and part of that injury meant that your marbles were a little scattered. Next time you get your hard head whacked, please tell me. That way if you start falling on your ass and blowing up on idiots in the bar, I'll know that we need to have you checked out sooner than two weeks later, okay?"

"Okay. I am sorry, Chris, if I'd realized..."

"I know."

"You know, you are shirkin' one of your duties here." Tanner said, changing the subject.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Think you promised to massage my neck and shoulders when I was feelin' tense."

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, I am feelin' a mite tense," Vin drawled.

With a chuckle, Chris grabbed up the remote and turned off the television. "Okay, Pard, let's go get you settled in bed, and I'll do my duty."

Vin grinned and moved slowly, gaining his feet and following Chris from the room, enjoying the view as he watched the blond glide down the hallway in those nice, tight, black jeans.

Chris was on his way home from work, his mind drifting back to the afternoon and his soul mate. He had called Vin twice in the morning and the third time, shortly after lunch, Vin had informed him that he was bored.

~o~

"How can you be bored already?"

"Just am. You know I'm not one to sit around, doin' nothing."

"And healing doesn't count." It wasn't a question, he knew the answer, even before Vin gave it.

"I can heal just as well up doin' something."

"And if you get dizzy, nauseous, puke up your guts --"

"Nice, Larabee."

"What will you do then?" Chris asked, ignoring the jibe.

"Reckon I'll go lay down for a bit."

"Or fall on your face."

"I'll be layin' down." Sighing when his partner didn't respond to his quip, Tanner said, "I'll take it easy, but I've gotta find somethin' to do."

Realizing he's already lost the battle, Larabee said, "no power tools and stay out of that son of a bitch's stall."

"Don't pick on my horse, I told you --"

"It wasn't his fault, yeah, I know. Just give me some time to get past it."

"I promise I won't go in the stall with him, and I'll stay away from anything that could cut off some part of my anatomy... 'specially the parts you like so much."

"Tanner, shut up, you're at home, I'm at work."

"So, come home early."

"I'll call you before I leave work, okay?"

Heaving a dramatic sigh, Vin replied, "okay".

~o~

He'd called Tanner just before slipping his coat on, only to get no response on the home phone. Calling Vin's cell, he got a response, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Where are you?"

"Hi, Chris, nice to hear your voice, too," Vin chided. "I'm over visiting Mary and the pups."

He could hear the sounds of several puppies, then, whimpering, yipping and snuffling, the last sounding as if it was right in his ear. "How did you get over there?"

"I walked... sir."

"Over a quarter of a mile along the highway?"

"Well, I did have some fella pull over and offer me a lift, but he couldn't keep his eyes off my crotch, so I turned him down. Didn't have your sparklin' personality. Done more hurt worse, damn it, stop actin' like I'm a two year old!" There was the sound of a deep breath being drawn, and then, "Chris, I'm fine, okay?"

"Yeah... I'm sorry. I know you're an adult and you can take care of yourself, but...I keep wondering what all the MIR could find, you know? What if... well, the what ifs are getting to me, I guess."

"The what ifs be damned, I'm okay. Might have a few less marbles, but hell, reckon I haven't been playing with a full bag for some time."

"Don't know, pard, seems pretty full to me," Chris replied, his voice somewhere between a growl and a purr.

"Weren't you just complaining about me saying things like that while you're at the office?"

"Everyone's already gone. I'll be home in a while... or do you want me to pick you up over at the Markhams?"

"Hang on... I'll ask," his last comment was directed away from the phone. "Mary wants to know if we want to stay for dinner? Stew and homemade rolls, and damn if they don't smell like heaven."

"If I say no, you're going to pout all night about the rolls, so I'd better say yes. So tell her thanks from me and my stomach, since it means I won't be eating your cooking."

"Ha... ha... ha. I'll tell her, but promise me you won't give up your job to go do stand up, okay?"

"Love you," Chris cooed.

"Love you, too," Vin replied with a chuckle.

~o~

Pulling up in front of the Markham home, Chris saw Vin framed in the front window. Each hand was snuggly holding something, and he quickly saw that it was two of the puppies. He sighed and shook his head as he climbed out of the cab of his Ram. He knew that there was going to be fallout when the pups were gone, he just hoped it wasn't too bad.　

Mary opened the door just as he reached the porch. She was laughing at something, probably responding to one of Vin's smart ass comments. "Hi, Chris!"

"Hi. He been driving you crazy today?"

"No, not at all. He's been great company, and helped me with the pups all afternoon."

"Helped how, by holding them?"

"Well, that, too, but he has been a great help with them. They're getting bigger and very rambunctious. I love them but, I've gotta tell you, right now I'm looking forward to Christmas Eve; that's when they're supposed to be picked up."

"Got them all sold?" Chris asked as he took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack, placing his flat brimmed hat on top of it.

"Most of them," Mary looked slightly worried, "I think the economy is keeping some folks from committing to them, sad to say."

"Well, you could look at it as a sign of whether or not they're really committed," Vin entered the conversation as he joined the other two. He was holding Frankie and Murray against his chest, the tiny balls of fur snuggling contentedly against him.

"I guess there is that," Mary agreed. "Well, put your two adoring followers back in the pen and wash up, dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Yes, ma'am." Vin snuggled the two pups closer, eliciting a yawn from one and an annoyed grunt from the other as he headed toward the bonus room.

Behind him, Chris asked Mary, "Have you sold those two?"

"We haven't sold any of them specifically. Folks have just asked for male or female."

Chris nodded, but said nothing more. He still hated to think of the fall out when the puppies were gone, considering how attached Vin had gotten to them.

"Hey, I'm home!" A call came from the back of the house, signaling the fact that Jake was home.

"Clean up and make it quick," Mary called back, "Dinner's ready and we've got guests."

Entering the living room, Jake said, "Yeah, I saw the truck. How are you, Chris?"

"Good, you?"

"Gettin' by. Where's your other half?"

Chris smiled, the Markhams' had been very accepting of his and Vin's relationship. "Putting away two of your pups and cleaning up."

"Yeah? You thinkin' about adding a dog to your ranch?"

"Jacob David Markham! Go wash up and don't badger our guests!"

"Hey, you can't blame a guy for tryin'," Jake teased as he headed for the master suite, the sounds of laughter from his wife and neighbor following him.

A few minutes later they were seated at the dining room table, enjoying a very rich, beefy stew and hot, fluffy, delicious rolls. They drank beer out of frosted mugs and chatted amicably about the weather, their ranches, and anything else that came up. As soon as dinner was over, the others went to the living room, while Vin slipped back into the bonus room to play with the puppies.

Realizing that his partner had disappeared, and guessing quickly where he had gone, Chris shook his head. "He's going to have those pups so attached to him, that the new owners are going to have some very sad little dogs to take care of."

"From where I sit, you're going to have a very sad Vin to take care of, too," Mary teased.

"All the more reason to think about -- "

"Jacob! You just remember who it is who's kind enough to come over... after a hard day at work, at that... and help you with that cantankerous piece of crap that you refuse to get rid of." Mary scolded. "Stop harassing him about buying one of the pups."

"To be honest, I've been thinking about it," Chris admitted. "But, honestly, we're gone so much that I'd worry we'd neglect it."

"Maybe I could make you a de--"

"I swear, Jacob, you are worse than a dog with a bone! Stop it!"

Chuckling, Chris said, "I think I'm gonna go see if he's okay..."

"Is he sick?" Mary asked, concern on her face.

"He's been having migraines, getting sick, dizzy, even losing some memory. We just found out yesterday that he had a concussion a couple weeks ago, but didn't realize it. That's why he's off work right now."

"Oh no! And he walked over here this afternoon!"

"Honey, it's like three or four blocks," Jake admonished.

Ignoring her husband, Mary continued. "If he wants to come over tomorrow he needs to call me, I'll be glad to come and get him!"

Smiling, Chris said, "I'll tell him, but don't be surprised if he doesn't listen to either of us. He is a bit stubborn."

Rolling her eyes, the pleasant young redhead said, "Most men are... present company... well, at least one of you is included."

Holding up his hands, Chris said, "I think I'll take that as my cue to go get Vin and head for home."

"Think I could come with you?" Jake asked, putting an overly dramatic whine in his voice.

"You've got dishes to put in the dishwasher, mister," Mary said as Chris left the room.

Entering the bonus room, he found Vin stretched out on his stomach, head pillowed on crossed arms. Squatting down, he rubbed the wide shoulders gently. "Hey, you okay?"

"Mm?"

"Time to go home, sleeping beauty."

"Mm."

With a chuckle, Chris coaxed his partner to roll over and then pulled him to his feet. "You okay to walk to the truck, or should I throw you over my shoulder?"

Rubbing a hand over half-closed eyes, Tanner extended a single finger in response. He half heartedly helped the other man make certain the pups were all secured inside their fence, then scuffed along behind him, weaving slightly but not enough to bounce off the walls of the hallway.

Saying goodnight to the Markhams, Chris got both their coats on and then guided his groggy lover to the truck. There he pushed Tanner in from the driver's side, leaving himself enough room to get behind the wheel. Climbing in, Larabee started the Ram and then slipped an arm around his partner as he awkwardly shifted with his left hand.

"Cops stop us, they ain't gonna be happy." Vin mumbled.

"We aren't going to be on the road that long. Besides, I just feel like driving like this."

"Sometimes you're such a girl," Vin teased, while he snuggled deeper into the embrace, laying his head against Chris' chest.

"Vin?"

"Hm?"

"Kiss my ass."

"Later... 'm too t'red," Vin muttered, rubbing a hand over the blond's broad chest.

"Say good night, Gracie."

"Good night."

Chris looked at his watch, wishing the supervisory meeting was over. It was only 8:30 but he felt like they'd been in session for a week. Three days before Christmas, there was nothing that important to discuss; nobody had their mind on work, anyway. Tomorrow was the Bureau's party, then there wouldn't be any activity until at least Monday.

"Well, gentlemen, since nobody seems to have much in the way of actual business to discuss, perhaps we would be more productive adjourning and getting back to our teams." Orin Travis said with an undertone of humor in his voice.

Chris didn't have to be asked a second time. He deftly slid his note pad into a hand and stood, slipping away from the table and out the door before his cohorts even registered the dismissal. As soon as he was in the hallway, he had his cell out, flipping through his phone book and making a call. It was answered on the second ring. "Jake? Hey, Chris... yeah, I'm fine... he's okay, probably still asleep... I wanted to ask you about what you said last night. Yeah, about making me a deal on the puppies..."

~o~

"So, boss, we're goin' over to the Saloon for lunch, wanna join us?" Buck Wilmington leaned against the open door frame, arms crossed across his chest.

"No, thanks. Actually I'm going to be leaving early, got some shopping to do since there's not much to do."

"Shoppin' huh? Anything in particular? Maybe for an old and dear friend who looks damn fine in--"

"Stop snooping, I've already got yours. No, I've got to go pick up something for Vin."

"Thought you were gettin' him that silver and turquoise horse pendant and chain?"

"You know too much about me, it worries me at times." Chris said, softening the words with a smile. "I decided to put that on hold until his birthday, got something else for him for Christmas."

"What is it?"

"Never you mind, I know you too well, too. You'll let it slip, and he's not getting it from me until Christmas morning."

"Buck, move your ass!" JD called from the bullpen.

"Go to lunch, already. Hey, bring me whatever the special is,okay?" Chris grabbed his wallet and handed over a twenty.

"Got it... tea to drink?" Getting a nod, he saluted his supervisor and left the office, just as JD yelled out again.

~o~

At two-fifteen Chris was out the door and headed for his Ram. He had called Vin twice during the day, checking in and reassured that his partner was doing okay. At the last call, Tanner had shared that he was getting another headache and going to take something for it and go back to bed until it passed.

"I'll bring dinner home with me, then, okay? You rest."

"I can grill us a couple steaks, Cowboy, it ain't that hard."

"I know, but I'd like to have you nice and rested." He punctuated the comment with a soft growl, for his lover's ears only.

"Mm, well, okay. Better bring something filling then, so I don't poop out on you half way through or somethin'."

"I can do that. I'm not certain when I'll get home, so I'll just give you a call when I'm on the way."

"Sounds good. Anything up?"

"No, just running a couple errands before the holiday." As he reached the Ram he said, "I'll talk to you later."

"'Kay. Love you."

"You, too." Chris responded, since he was in earshot of co-workers, and disconnected the phone.

He had done some research on pet stores, and had decided on one that was close and got good reviews, called Dog Savvy on Larimer. Finding a place to park, he strode the last several yards and entered the store.

And stopped.

The reviews had been right. There were the basic dog supplies, food, dishes and bowls, leashes and collars; and there were those that he considered less basic. He grabbed a cart and began to systematically walk the aisles.

After twenty minutes, he was wandering. Evidently his dazed state did not go unnoticed, because a pretty young brunette who wore glitter encrusted tennis shoes and looked approximately twelve, came up to him. He recognized the store's logo on her red shirt and a name tag that informed him that her name was Meghan.

"Hi, can I help you?"

~o~

An hour later he left the store with three large bags in his hands and $150.00 less in his bank account. The confused look had been replaced with one of satisfaction that stayed there until it hit him just how much he had spent. Then his shoulders slumped and he wondered just how much of a commission Meghan got.

Placing the bags in the rear seat of the king cab, he climbed behind the wheel and began making mental calculations as to what he was going to have to skimp on in January to pay off the bill he had just added to the holiday debt. Then he envisioned the look on his partner's face when he got his very special Christmas gift, and none of it mattered.

Hooking up his hands-free set up, he called Vin as he pulled away from the curb. The call was answered on the third ring.

"Hey." Tanner sounded somewhat groggy.

"Feeling better?"

"Some."

"Good. What are you hungry for?"

"'Sides you?"

"Yes, besides me."

"How's Maggiano's sound?"

"Mm, we haven't had anything from there for a while. What are you thinking?"

"Well, I'm thinkin' Herb roasted chicken with red potatoes and maybe some of their fresh grilled asparagus? Ooh, and maybe a warm apple crostado with caramel sauce!"

Chris laughed out loud. "I take it you've got their website pulled up."

After laughing in response, Vin said, "along with about six others."

"Okay, go ahead and call it in, get me the same thing..."

"Without the asparagus." Tanner knew his lover's tastes well. "They've got sautéed spinach or green beans with onions... you don't need the onions if we're gonna have each other for dessert."

"Spinach is fine and you ordered dessert."

"Nah, that's for... well... later."

Another chuckle and then Larabee said, "then, by all means, order me one, too."

"Got it, I'll see you when you get home."

"Bye."

~o~

He was home only an hour later than normal, but it felt much later. Smelling their dinner all the way home wasn't helping, either, and he considered opening up his meal more than once. Pulling into the garage, he turned off the engine and grabbed up the carry out bags and hurried through the mud room and into the kitchen. "I'm home, and starving!"

"Well, then, get your ass in here," Vin called from the den.

Slipping off his coat and tossing it on the nearest kitchen chair, Chris barely broke stride as he called out, "Want me to bring some beer?"

"Nope, just bring your own self."

"Will... whoa... do..." Chris could only stand in the doorway, staring in astonishment.

The den was lit only by the Christmas tree lights, the fire, and three candles sitting on the coffee table, beside a silver bucket filled with ice and half a dozen long necks. Vin had brought in their king size air mattress and had it laying on the floor, covered in sheets and the satin comforter they had bought but rarely used. Tanner was laying on it, completely nude.

Suddenly Chris' appetite changed direction, as did the blood flowing anywhere but his cock. When he managed to remember how to speak, he said, "Well, I see Santa's sexiest elf has been busy today."

"Just the last hour or so, elves are pretty quick."

"I hope they aren't always quick."

"Think we can slow things down when we want. Now, Mister Larabee, sir, I suggest you let me take care of the food and you shed some of those clothes."

Handing over the bags, Chris did just that and, in a few minutes, was lounging on the bed beside his lover, noting that Vin had placed the bags on the hearth for safe keeping. He reached out and drew his partner to him, their lips meeting, while their tongues engaged in a lustful battle. The food would wait.

Orin Travis had always been a generous man for those who worked for him. When the holidays came around he, along with his wife Evie, went above and beyond the call. Thoughtful enough to incorporate every holiday that was celebrated during December, there was always a huge bash the last day before the office shut down all but emergency services, sending all of the agents and every other member of the Denver Bureau off to celebrate with family and friends in a very festive attitude.

Chris Larabee had done everything he could to avoid those celebrations for several years; insisting on being the one who stayed on to see to anything that might come up. Often it was nothing, but he preferred spending the holidays at the office, rather than facing his own Christmas Ghosts at home. The last two years, however, he had found himself not only looking forward to the festivities, but even getting involved in the planning and execution of the party itself.

At the moment, however, he was fidgeting, wishing that he could be with Vin right now. Tanner was at the doctor’s office, having a follow up to see how well his injury was healing. Due to his own commitments, he had found himself calling on their growing friendship with Mary Markham, who agreed to bring Vin in to the doctor’s office, and then to the party. In return, Chris had invited her to stay for the celebration, promising Jake that he would keep her safe from Buck and some of the other agents who might get a little too ‘friendly‘.

~o~

“So, Where’s your watchdog?” Dr. Gerry asked as he entered the exam room.

“He had to work, but I’d imagine he’s already watchin’ for me at the office.”

“I thought you’d decided to take some time off until the symptoms began to clear?”

“Yeah, it’s just the Christmas… or, Holiday … party today, then we’re off ‘til the third.”

“No drinking,” Gerry said, sternly.

“Yes, sir,” Vin responded, deciding the one beer he’d had the night before wasn’t going to kill him, therefore the doctor didn’t need to know.

“Okay, I got the results back on the MRI. Things look good, you did suffer a concussion, but the symptoms should begin clearing up in the next few weeks.”

“Weeks. Hell, Doc, I’ve gotten knocked around a lot harder, why’s this one causing me so many problems?”

“Perhaps it’s because of all those other times you’ve gotten knocked around?” the doctor quipped, then growing more serious, he continued. “There are a lot of things we don’t understand about the brain, Vin, so there are things we can’t explain. I can tell you that there are no signs of permanent injury, so you should be back to 100% within the next three months. But we’re going to monitor your symptoms, and treat them as long as necessary.”

“So, I’ve gotta keep takin’ the pills, stay off my horse…”

“And I won’t release you to return to full duty until I’m certain that the dizziness and headaches are gone or, at the very least, under control. I’m sorry, Vin, I know that this is something that’s going to restrict you and it’s going to be very difficult for you to stay as quiet as you’re going to need to. But, the alternative could be lethal. Understand?”

“Yeah, as long as I don’t have to agree to like it.”

Reaching out and slapping his patient lightly on the shoulder, the man said, “I wouldn’t dare try to get you to agree to that. I promise, the minute I feel that you’re okay, I’ll sign off on the paperwork.”

Nodding, his heart heavy with the realization that he was going to be far too quiet for his own tastes, for the next few weeks, Vin said, “I appreciate that, Doc. Anything else?”

“Ask Chris not to shoot me when you drive him crazy, okay?”

That elicited a smile at least, as Vin replied, “I’ll ask, but I can’t promise anything.”

“Good enough.” Handing Tanner several typed pages, he said, “Give these to Chris, it’s the official paperwork, as well as a summary of what he needs to continue watching for, and a series of follow up appointments I want you to keep, so we can monitor your progress. And it will be progress, Vin, I have no reason to doubt otherwise. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay, Doc.” He still felt the desire to simply crawl back into bed and pull the covers over his head, but forced his mind’s attention to the doctor’s prognosis that things would improve over the next few weeks. Taking a deep breath, he stepped down off the table and shook the doctor’s hand. “Well, thanks, Doc, and have a good Christmas.”

“You, too, Vin, and give Chris and the rest of the boys my best. You guys have given me enough business that my family and I are flying to Florida for New Years.”

Seeing the man’s cheerful expression, Vin couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, glad we could finance your vacations, Doc.”

~o~

Mary was flipping through a two year old magazine when she heard Tanner’s voice as he wished the office staff a Merry Christmas. Dropping the copy of People to the table she was sitting beside, she rose and greeted him when he entered the waiting area. “Well, you sound good anyway.”

Smiling in return, Vin said, “Well, it ain’t all good news, but it’s better then it could be and I figure there’s an endpoint comin’ up.”

“Oh, Vin, I’m so glad! So shall we go to your office?”

“Yeah, oh… uh… can I ask you another favor, too?”

“Sure.”

“The gift I got for Chris is ready. Could we stop by on the way back home and pick it up?”

“Of course! I’d love a sneak peek… uh… as long as…”

Laughing now, Vin replied, “Don’t worry, it’s family friendly and sure, I’d love to show it off.”

~o~

“Hey, Cowboy,” Chris heard the softly spoken words behind him. Turning, he smiled as he found his partner standing there, with a smile on his face. Then he realized that the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and his own smile faltered.

“What?”

“It’s okay, Chris. Doc says it’s just this post concussion thing he talked about before.” Handing over the paperwork, he said, “It’s all there…”

“What?” Larabee found himself repeating, his heart still threatening to seize over the thought that there was something horrible going on.

“I might not be able to be back on active duty for a few weeks. And with the headaches I get when I stare at the computer for too long, anyway…”

Canting his head toward a door, Chris lead his life mate into a small room that was used for storage. It was virtually empty at the moment, most of the chairs and tables scattered around the large room where the party was going on. Drawing Vin into the room, he closed and locked the door. “Vin, it’s okay. I’ll talk to Orin and HR, and we’ll get you set up with FMLA. You can stay home as long as you need to. We’ll make it work.”

“Yeah… meantime I’m gonna go outta my mind.” Vin sighed as the other man pulled him into an embrace. Nuzzling against the strong, warm chest, he murmured, “I hate this.”

“What, this?” Chris tightened his embrace slightly.

“Hell, no! You know what I mean. Sittin’ on my ass out at the ranch, with nothing’ to do all day.”

“Well, maybe you could up your volunteer hours at the PYC or something. We’ll work it out, Pard, I promise.” Unseen by the other man, Chris couldn’t help but smile; Vin would find himself very busy as of Saturday.

~o~

Vin managed to tolerate the noise and activity of the party for an hour, but then had to admit to the pain that was growing behind his eyes and beginning to radiate throughout his head. With Chris at his side, he found Mary, who was chatting with Casey Wells and Raine Jackson, and asked her to cut the visit short. By her expression of concern when she looked at him, he realized that he wasn’t doing a very good job at hiding the pain.

By the time they got to the visitor’s lot, Vin was leaning against his lover, and covered in perspiration. Chris had stopped in at one of the bathrooms and gathered up some of the trash can liners and paper towels, “just in case”. He allowed himself to be guided into the passenger seat of Mary’s car, leaning back against the seat with a sound that was somewhere between sigh and groan. He managed a wan smile as Larabee gently wiped his face with one of the paper towels. “I’m okay.”

“Mm hm.” Turning to the young woman who was sitting behind the wheel, Larabee asked, “You sure you can manage him, Mary? I can take him home if you’d rather.”

“No, we’ll be fine,” she responded. “Jake should be home by the time we get out there, I’ll have him come over and help if we need to.”

“Okay, well, I’ve got my cell with me if you need me.” When she nodded, he stood and carefully closed the car door, watching as they pulled away and headed toward the street. He tried his best to reassure himself that everything would be all right, but he continued to worry as he hesitantly returned to the party.

~o~

“Honey, why don’t I take you on home? Jake and I can come pick up the gift for you.” Mary glanced over at her passenger, who looked as pale as the snow that covered the ground outside.

“It’s on the way, out of town, I’ll be okay,” Vin reassured her. Then he gave her the address and the directions before he slumped lower in the seat, placing a pair of aviator sunglasses over his eyes with trembling hands.

Mary arrived at the address he gave her fifteen minutes later, frowning as she looked up at the plain little house, that looked like nothing more than someone’s home. “Here?”

“Mm?” Vin straightened up with a groan and looked out the window, taking nearly a minute to focus his eyes. “Yes, ma’am, that’s it.”

When she saw that he was trying to open the door, she said, “Let me go pick it up, okay? You stay here. Do I need to pay for it, or give them a ticket or anything?”

“No, just tell ‘em it’s for me. But, it’s heavy, Mary.”

“I’m stronger than I look,” impulsively she leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. “You stay here and rest, I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Thanks, Mary, I appreciate this.” He felt the jostle as she left the car and closed the door, nearly losing what little he’d eaten at the party as another wave of nausea hit him. He lay his head against the cold glass of the closed window and breathed through his mouth as he fought down the desire to vomit. It didn’t seem to be very long before he felt the car jostled again, and a cold breeze hit him from the back of the car. He didn’t move until he felt, rather than saw, Mary climb behind the wheel. Moving slowly, he turned toward her, to see her smiling broadly.

With a giggle, she said, “Oh Vin, he’s going to love it!”

Chris was up before dawn, beginning the day’s preparations. He managed to slip out of bed without waking Vin, who still looked exhausted, even asleep. He had come home as quickly as he could, finding Mary in the den, while his partner was curled up in bed, asleep. She let him know that his partner had managed to get into the house on his own, but had needed help navigating the hall. He had passively sat on the bed while she got him out of his coat and shoes and guided him under the covers.

“I’m so sorry, Mary, I should have insisted -- “

“Nonsense, Chris! What are friends for?”

“Well, friend, you’ve gone above and beyond the call. Are you and Jake going to join us tomorrow ?” He knew that the young couple were far from their own families, without the means to join them for the holidays.

“Yes, we’re looking forward to it! What can I bring?”

“More of your cookies?”

Laughing, the young woman said, “I’ve already got four dozen made and ready. How about I bring my seven layer salad and some of my rolls?”

“You don’t have to go to the trouble, but if you insist…” Chris trailed off with a smile. Mary Markham was a fantastic cook.

“Okay, I insist.” She winked and giggled as she put on her coat and left for home.

~o~

Vin had spent most of the evening in bed, insisting on getting up to eat a little soup and some crackers for dinner, before stripping to shorts and a tee shirt and climbing back into bed. Chris had locked up the house and come to bed early as well, giving Vin a massage that left him relaxed enough to fall into a deep sleep that lasted until almost 2:00. Then he’d been alerted to a problem when Vin began tossing and turning in his sleep. Another round of pain pills and a second massage did the trick, though, and he was still sleeping after the sun rose.

Chris was just checking the turkey and ham in the oven when he heard a noise behind him. Turning with a smile, he greeted his partner. “Good morning, sleepy head.”

Squinting in the morning light, Vin responded with, “Mornin’. Somethin’ smells awful good.”

“Thanks, it’s my new aftershave.”

“Smart ass.” With a yawn, he scuffed to the small kitchen table and dropped to a set. Leaning a cheek against his hand, he said, “any coffee?”

“Coming right up.” Chris had a cup of steaming brew, fixed at the near-lethal level that his life mate enjoyed, sitting it on the table a minute later. He even nudged the sugar bowl closer and didn’t complain at the number of spoons that were dumped into the dark brew.

After he’d sipped nearly half the cup, Vin smiled, seeing that Chris had poured his coffee into the oversized “Eeyore” cup he’d bought a couple years before. Watching the blond hustling around the kitchen, busy with preparations, he asked, “What can I do to help?”

Coming over and leaning down to look into the other man’s eyes, Chris said softly, “Nothing. You’re not going to lift a hand today, pard, because I want you to enjoy the entire day.” That said, he leaned forward and they shared a kiss.

When they broke off, Vin began to argue, “Chris -- “

Shaking his head, Larabee cut him off. “I mean it, babe. I want you to take it easy, and just enjoy the day. You need to take care of yourself, and I want to take care of you.”

“Seems to me you’ve been doin’ a pretty good job of it for the last week or so.” He felt warmed by the almost never used endearment, knowing that his soul mate only used it when he was completely serious about caring for him.

“I intend to continue, until you’re completely well, too. Vin, I know that you don’t like people hovering over you --”

“Didn’t used to, ‘til I met a bad ass that was used to gettin’ whatever he wanted.”

With a chuckle, Chris replied, “I’ve got everything I want right here, right now. That’s why I’m not about to risk losing it.” With that he planted another kiss on his partner’s lips and returned to making preparations for the coming gathering. Not only the Markham’s were coming over, but the rest of their team, along with members of their family, would be arriving around noon, to spend the rest of Christmas Eve at the ranch.

“You want something to eat? I could fix you some toast, or a bagel. Oatmeal?”

“Think I could handle a bagel. We have any of that honey nut spread for it?”

Rolling his eyes at the other man’s incessant desire for sweets, Chris replied, “Yeah, picked some up at the store last time I was there.” He ducked his head inside the refrigerator and retrieved the tub of spread, then got one of Vin’s cinnamon raisin bagels and placed it in the toaster. A few minutes later he sat them both in front of the other man, the bagel topped with a thick layer of spread.

Vin smiled and chuckled as he saw the bagel. “You’re a man after my own heart, Chris Larabee.”

~o~

The others began arriving just before noon. Buck came first, arms filled with gifts for his teammates. Chris helped him in, and took the gifts to the den, while Buck hung his coat and hat up in the foyer. The big man was singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” as he danced down the hallway in his best Elvis imitation.

Vin, stretched out on the couch, lazily watching the fire, couldn’t help but chuckle as the big brunet leaned down and planted a big, sloppy kiss square on his lips, dangling a sprig of mistletoe over the both of them.

Chris looked up from where he was shifting the gifts around beneath the tree and growled, “Quit kissing my husband, you horn dog.”

“Don’t worry about it, his mustache tickles,” Vin teased.

“You have no appreciation for fine, manly, facial hair,” Buck retorted, stroking his ‘stache lovingly.

The other entrances were less entertaining, but just as welcome. By 12:30 the house was filled with people, noise, and good smells coming from the kitchen. Vin moved from the couch to his recliner, taking the quilt from the couch with him, more for the comfort of feeling it around him than for warmth. The others did their best to keep the noise to a minimum, but it still got loud at times. Chris divided his time between host duties and making certain that his partner was comfortable.

Jake and Mary were welcomed into the gathering and made to feel at home. Mary slipped a plate of cookies onto the table beside Vin, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek and ask how he was feeling. Jake soon found himself in a debate over the Broncos loss to the Raiders five days before.

They all gathered in the dining room to eat, the sideboard filled with carved turkey and ham, surrounded by all of the side dishes the others had brought. Chris kept an eye on Vin, who seemed to be doing well, even managing not to overfill his plate.

Mary’s salad and rolls were a hit, and she found herself promising Raine, Casey and Josiah the recipes for both, insisting that neither of them were that difficult to make.

After they had all eaten their fill, they retired to the den to watch “A Christmas Carol“; the 1951 version that Josiah had introduced them to, two years ago. Even their own former Scrooge had to admit that he enjoyed watching the old black and white production. JD and Casey, lying on the floor, were soon making their own scene, leading Buck to bop JD on the back of the head with a pillow threatening them both with a bucket of snow if they didn’t stop giving Nathanial and Evan Jackson a show they weren’t old enough for.

‘Thanial climbed into Vin’s lap and curled up against the man that he seemed to consider his favorite uncle. Chris started to chase the toddler off, but Vin just smiled and shook his head, snuggling the little boy closer. Both of them were soon sleeping, cuddled under the quilt.

“Looks like our son’s got a new job,” Raine teased, “official teddy bear.”

Beside her, feeding their younger son a bottle, Nathan said dramatically, “It makes a daddy proud… always knew that boy was destined for great things.”

Chris woke his life mate only after the movie was finished and they were preparing to exchange gifts. Both JD and Casey donned hats, JD wore Santa and Casey and elf hat, as they began passing out gifts. Mary and Jacob were surprised to be handed three as well; one for each of them, and one for Ginger, that Chris insisted was from Vin, even though he was the one who had bought it.

Later the room was filled with torn paper, gift bags, and a happy family of friends. Nathanial was busy playing with his gifts in the midst of it all, while the adults happily examined each of theirs. Chris brought the food back out and set it on the dining room table, so that they could all fix themselves a plate of leftovers. JD popped “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” into the DVD player, and they watched Jim Carrey display his usual frantic comedic style as the green furred Christmas hater.

As evening approached their company began to depart. Nathan and Raine were first, needing to get the boys home and in bed so that Santa could make his appearance.

It was only when Mary and Jake announced that they were going to have to go as well that Vin remembered. “Hey, how’d it go with the pups?”

Mary hesitated, but Jake responded happily, “We managed to sell all but one; Goldie. We’ve decided to keep her so we can breed her as well.”

The disappointment was clear in Tanner’s voice when he responded simply with, “Oh.”

Chris nearly said something at the sight of his crestfallen partner, but refused to spoil his surprise. Instead he said only, “Well, now you’ll have two of them to play with when you go visiting, Pard.”

“Yeah… yeah, you’re right, Cowboy.”

~o~

After the others had all gone home, and just before midnight, Chris coaxed Vin into the bedroom and made certain he took his medication before he crawled under the covers. He disappeared long enough to make certain that everything was set to rights, adding several packages beneath the tree as well. Then he returned to the bedroom, only to find Vin listlessly flipping channels on the TV. “What’s up?”

“Just not… sleepy,” Tanner insisted around a broad yawn.

“You know, if you don’t go to sleep, Santa won’t come.”

Sticking out his tongue, Vin retorted, “he ain’t gonna come anywhere near you, anyway, he’s afraid you’re gonna shoot him for B & E.”

“Funny, funny man.” Chris stripped down and carried his clothes with him as he disappeared into the bathroom.

A few minutes later he reappeared and climbed into bed beside his partner. Vin slid closer, curling against him and laying his head on his chest. He began rubbing Tanner’s shoulders, hoping to relax the other man enough to sleep. “Merry Christmas, Pard.”

“Merry Christmas, Cowboy.”

Vin knew he should wake up, but just hated to think of even opening his eyes. He had roused before sunup when the pain in his head threatened to blow him apart. Hoping to get up without waking his partner, he found that the simple act of movement made him want to scream. In fact he had evidently made some sort of noise, as Chris was quickly hovering over him, silhouetted in the predawn light.

“What’s wrong?”

“Migraine. Sorry.”

Leaning down and kissing his temple, Larabee said, “Don’t be, I’ll be right back,” and moved away. Before Vin knew it, his partner was back, popping two pills in his mouth and coaxing him to take a drink of nice, cold water. With a sigh, he lay back down, praying the medication would take effect before his brain made a mess all over the bed.

“What can I do?”

“Nothin’, I’ll be okay in a bit.”

“Will a massage help?”

“Maybe.” That was the last coherent word he remembered speaking. Chris began giving him another massage, that loosened up every muscle in his body. When the medication took effect, he let go and dropped back to sleep.

And now, here he lay, not wanting that warm and comfortable feeling to disappear. He heard a soft noise, recognizing his lover’s footsteps even on the carpeted floor. Vin hoped that Chris was coming back to bed. As good as he felt at the moment, he thought that the two of them might engage in a little Christmas morning “gift giving” before he ever left the bed.

Larabee stopped at the foot of the bed, on his side. Vin wondered what the other man was planning to do down there. Then he began to feel the slightest weight, and strange, wandering movements coming up his legs. What sort of kinky stuff had Chris been reading about lately?

Then, he found himself set upon by something… some things… small, soft and warm. His eyes shot open, only to find his vision obscured by something small and dark.

“What… ?”

“Merry Christmas, Pard,” Chris said softly.

Coming more fully awake, Vin shifted his tiny attackers, feeling soft, thick fur in both hands. “THE PUPPIES!?”

Laughing now, Chris said, “the puppies.”

Unable to quite believe it, he said, “they comin’ to say good-bye?”

“No, Vin, they’re coming to say hello.” Chris was sitting beside him on the bed now, and leaned over to kiss him warmly on the lips. “Merry Christmas, Vin Tanner, you are now the proud father of twins.”

“But… I… what the… Chris, no… this is too much… oh my gawd!”

“Take it easy, don’t want you coming apart at the seams, Pard.”

Carefully setting the two pups on the bed beside him, Vin grabbed his partner and pulled him close, giving him the deepest, most loving kiss he could. When they parted, he had tears in his eyes. “Chris, I can’t believe this… I thought they were all gone.”

“I couldn’t let it happen. You fell in love with these little buggers the moment you saw them. Tell me you didn’t.”

“No, I did, but… Chris, they’re so expensive!”

“Now, Jake, Mary and I worked out a deal, so you are not ever… ever… to consider them too expensive, all right?”

“I… well, I…” Tanner was nearly overcome. He had never known anyone who could be as generous as Chris Larabee. Kissing the other man again, he said only, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome. We’ve got their papers so you can register them. You can change their names if you want, or leave them as they are. Up to you.”

Picking the pups up once more and letting them snuggle up against him, Vin said, “I’ll think on it. Right now… damn, Chris!”

Delighted that he had been able to put the look of shock, amazement, love and gratitude on the face of his soul mate, Larabee said, “I’m just glad you like your gift, Pard. I’ve gotta tell you, it was hard not to let it slip last night. You looked so sad when Mary told you they were all gone. But, I’m glad I didn’t because I love being able to surprise you!”

Vin smiled again, shaking his head. “You are something else, Chris Larabee.”

“That I am.” Larabee laughed. “I figure we can put them in the extra stall when we’re both away from home; we’ll have time to put chicken wire up to keep them from getting out, and it’ll be nice and warm for them. And, until you’re feeling well enough to come back to work, you’ll have time to work with the little fuzz balls.”

Tanner’s smile widened even more. “Reckon it won’t be so hard to stay home, after all.”

“I’d imagine that you’re going to have a harder time leaving them and going back to work.”

“Imagine you’re right.”

“Well, I’ve got breakfast about ready, so would you like to eat in bed, or come to the kitchen?”

“How ‘bout by the tree?” Vin asked, revealing the eternal child in his soul.

“Thought you might want to. It’ll be ready and waiting in about ten minutes. That should give you some time to play with your gifts.”

“Sounds good.” Vin was busy gently tussling with the little, eight week old pups. The dogs, still a bit wobbly, found it difficult to stand or even sit on the bed, and settled for slapping at him with tiny paws as they lay on their back. Then they ended up wrestling with one another, and Vin lay there, chuckling as he watched them. “You two are gonna be a handful, aren’t you?”

~o~

Tanner entered the den, finding the coffee table set up with breakfast, the fireplace crackly merrily, and Bing Crosby crooning White Christmas on the stereo. He also noticed that there were several gifts under the tree that hadn’t been there when he’d gone to bed the night before. Turning a curious look toward his partner, he asked what was going on.

“Santa came,” was all that Chris would say.

Depositing the pups in the towel padded laundry basket that Jake had brought them over in, Vin slid it next to the coffee table, and dropped to the floor beside the blond. They ate in companionable silence, listening to the festive sounds of carols, pups and fire.

Both of them finishing about the same time, Chris said, “Okay, I’ll go put all this stuff away, and we’ll see what Santa left.”

“Sounds good.”

Curious when his partner didn’t argue about being the one to clean up, the blond marked it down to him still not feeling well, or wanting to play with the pups, and busied himself cleaning away the breakfast mess. Piling everything together in a large dishpan, he headed toward the kitchen, where he put the food in the refrigerator, rinsed off the dishes and silverware, and put them in the dishwasher. Wetting a dishcloth, he padded back to the den, where he found Vin just stepping away from the tree, looking a little flushed. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine,” Tanner smiled.

“Good,” he tossed him the dishcloth, “you wipe off the coffee table and I’ll distribute the new gifts.”

“Okay.” Vin was still very curious about the new packages. Ever more so when he saw that by the time Chris finished, most of the newer gifts were piled around the clothes basket. Checking the tags he recognized Chris handwriting, but had to chuckle to see the tags all read “to the pups from Santa”. “So, Santa was in on my gifts, huh?”

“Yep, he delivered them to me this morning, and everything.” Larabee replied. “I’d imagine you’ll have to help the dynamic duo open the packages, though.”

Vin opened them, more than shocked to find that his new pets had new bowls, weighted to make it harder for them to be overturned, leashes and colors, one set red and the other blue, soft, cushioned beds, also red and blue, and a variety of toys. There were also two crates that Chris explained that they would put the pups in at night, at least until they were older, to keep them safe. They also had several toys and even a “bath kit” so that they wouldn’t leave the house smelling of eau de canine.

His mind reeling, Vin could only shake his head and give his partner another, fierce, hug.

Next they took turns giving one another gifts, starting with the more practical ones; clothes, ties, socks and gloves. Chris also gave Vin a DVD created by Cesar Milan, otherwise known as the Dog Whisperer, that might help him with training the dogs. Next came the more romantic gifts, including red satin boxers for Vin and black for Chris.

Finally there was only one more gift, this one large, wrapped in red foil paper, propped behind the tree. Chris frowned, “I don’t remember seeing that one before.”

“I had it hidden back in the spare room. Didn’t want you snoopin’.”

“I don’t snoop.”

“Uh huh.” Vin stood and went to retrieve it, praying that the dizziness that continued to plague him wouldn’t put him on his ass. He reached the gift, lifted it up, despite the weight and his diminished strength. He was bound and determined to present this particular gift to his Cowboy. Carrying it back to the couch, he propped it on the floor, holding it up before the blond. “Merry Christmas, to the best part of me.”

His own love for the other man beaming through his smile, Chris began to tug at the wrapping and soon had enough uncovered that his jaw dropped. “Oh… Vin!”

Grinning from ear to ear, Tanner asked, “Open it all the way.” When Chris had it completely uncovered, he asked, “Like it?”

“No… God, no… I love it, Vin… oh damn!” He couldn’t believe the gift he beheld.

Framed in a rich, gold frame, was a large, oil painting. It was of the two of them, dressed in their best western regalia, taken last summer during a charity rodeo they had attended. The artist had removed the dusty fairgrounds from behind them, though, substituting a peaceful woodland scene.

“I hoped you’d like it. It… well, I know how much you loved the picture.” Chris had had it blown up to an 8x10 and framed it to hang in his office.

Standing, Chris moved the painting carefully, then grabbed his lover in a tight hug. They remained in that embrace for several minutes, their lips pressed passionately together, the world dissolving around them, leaving them completely alone; just the two of them.

But all good things must come to an end, and a plaintive cry from the laundry basket drew them apart, both of them chuckling.

“Now I see how it’s going to be,” Chris groused. “Just like toddlers, they know how to ruin a moment.”

“Reckon I’d better work on trainin’ them not to do that first off, then,” Vin joked.

~o~

They spent the day as quietly as they could, grateful that the pups slept… a lot. Mary called in the late afternoon to check on Vin and his gifts, and Chris had time to fix dinner for the two of them during the long phone call. Bringing their plates into the den, he teased, “I’m beginning to feel like I should be worried about all the time you and Mary are spending together.”

“You know I ain’t one for redheads.” Vin winked at his partner as he accepted the plate.

They sat shoulder to shoulder, eating the leftovers from the day before, and watching ESPN. About the time they were finished, the pups once more protested their confinement. Vin picked them up and carried them out to the mudroom, where Chris had placed puppy pads so they could begin the housebreaking process. He was quickly back, smiling like a proud father as he announced that they had both “done their business.”

Settling back on the couch, the pups snuggled against him, he saw that Chris was staring at his own special gift, his expression one of peace and joy. Still, he had to ask, “What are ya thinking about?”

“Just wondering what I did to deserve so much love in my life.” He slipped his arm around his partner’s shoulders, drawing him close without disturbing the now rooting pups. “So, been thinking about names?”

“Yeah. Been watchin’ them and I think this one,” he lifted a grunting pup, this one more black than anything else, “Valor.”

“Courage?” Chris tested his knowledge of Spanish.

“Yeah, he doesn’t back down from his brother here”, lifting up the one that had more white, he continued, “who I’ve decided to name Feroz.”

“Feroz…” Chris searched his memory, but couldn’t recall the translation.

“Fierce, ‘cause he is.”

Larabee laughed. “Well… I like them. Valor and Feroz. Yeah, I like them both.”

Vin nodded. “Good. And, Chris?”

“Yeah?”

“Merry CHRIS-mas.”

Chuckling, Chris replied, “And a Very Vin Year,” before leaning over and giving his partner another, loving, kiss.

THE END

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December 25, 2010