Note: First, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to those of you who were kind enough to leave reviews on the conclusion of "Civil Skirmishes" and other recent chapters: Tinee Dancer, Damon's Special Reserve, Paulina Ann, Tin Dog, Hero 76, Robin's Egg, EvergreenDreamweaver, BeeBee18, max 2013, candylou, sm2003495, FANHB08, Erin Jordan, Drumboy100, and BMSH. Your support and feedback meant so much!

Second, just a word about this story. I really did mean for it to be a simple little Christmas tale, but no such luck! It's really more of a transition story between "The Stages of Conviction" and my next story which I haven't exactly written yet... but I do have some ideas for it. ;) The story takes place about 8 years after "Civil Skirmishes", which went back in time, so a lot has happened since then. There's no mystery, but there is suspense and continued family healing from "Stages." In this arc, Joe and Vanessa are married with a baby son, Evan, and Frank and Callie are married with two children, JJ and Laurissa.

Thanks in advance for reading or "Favoriting", and I always love to receive your feedback. Thank you, and have a wonderful holiday!

Stay by my Side

Chapter 1

"I'm so excited!" Twenty-seven year old Joe Hardy quipped to his year older sister- in -law, Callie, as he plopped a Hershey's kiss into his mouth and gave her a thumbs up. "This is going to be the start of an amazing tradition, and I'm psyched!"

Callie laughed at Joe's enthusiasm and indicated for him to take a seat on the couch. Dark eyes twinkling, she retorted, "You're SURE you want to do this? You have no idea what it's like to spend a whole day with a twenty month old, you really don't." She was referring to her son, JJ, who was currently still napping.

Joe sighed dramatically as he plopped onto the seat. "When do you stop that? I've been meaning to ask you."

Puzzled, she raised her brow. "Stop what?" she asked.

"You know… referring to kids' ages by months. It's always confusing. Van is always doing that, too. I mean, I guess it's acceptable up to six months, like Evan is now, but when does it stop, and when do normal ages kick in?"

"Huh," Callie responded, sitting opposite him and offering him a coffee, which he gratefully accepted. "I don't know. Two, maybe? You have at least a year and a half to go there, buddy. I'm still relatively new to the parenting thing, myself." She found herself smiling. "But I know better than to take out my babies for a toy shopping trip a few weeks before Christmas!"

Joe smiled. "I love your kids," he responded, sincerely. "JJ is the most freaking amazing kid ever, next to Evan, of course," he added. "And I think my brother is in love with Laurissa. I mean that in the most non-creepy way, of course. I've never seen him like this." It was true. Frank, normally so reserved in nature, had changed so much in the last two years, and Joe firmly believed it was because of their nightmare case, watching Callie struggle for her life, and trying to mend the very real rift that had occurred between him and Frank. Above all, it was becoming a father, something Joe hadn't really understood until Evan was born. And while Frank clearly loved JJ with all his heart, there was something so special about watching him with his daughter. He was a goner; he'd lost his heart forever, and Joe thought it was one of the sweetest things he'd ever seen. For a small minute, he let his mind wander about how much more love he could have in his heart for his child and his future children.

Well, not so future children. On Christmas Day, he and Vanessa were planning on telling everyone that she was pregnant again. They'd just found out last week. To say he was thrilled would be an understatement. Life was so beautiful sometimes; and his ever-growing family was more amazing than he could have ever imagined.

Callie nodded, and Joe could see how much she loved his brother, and it made him happy. "And I love your son," she responded. "My handsome little man. Isn't being a parent the greatest thing in the world?" she asked, slightly wistful. She took a sip of her own coffee as she spoke.

"The best!" Joe agreed wholeheartedly, smiling at her. "I mean, minus the no sleep and constant worry thing."

"And you just have one!" Callie responded with a chuckle. "Just wait…"

"Don't you worry," Joe answered, his blue eyes sparkling as spoke. "You'll be an aunt many times, I'm sure. Van and I are working daily on…"

"Stop!" Callie interrupted, scrunching her nose in disgust. "Please. That is not something I need to envision. Ever." She shuddered, while Joe laughed.

"Ah, come on," he teased her with a wink. "You know between me and Van and you and Frank, we'll have 15, maybe 20 kids. But tell my brother I will absolutely never get a minivan- over my dead body. MAYBE an SUV. There are a few badass ones, but I guess I can't get that many baby seats on a motorcycle or in a classic Mustang, right?"

Joe chuckled, but watched as Callie looked at him, seemingly confused, and a cloud passed over her pretty face for a moment. Immediately, he sat up and became more serious. Over the years, he and Callie had grown very close. She was one of his best friends, and he loved her as his sister. In the last two years, especially, as he and Frank had faced their most formidable enemy in the toughest cases of their careers, she had almost died; had been badly hurt; had almost lost both her children as well. As a result, he was more protective of her than ever, and felt a personal responsibility to look out for her, especially when Frank wasn't around.

Right now, Frank was flying in from Chicago after wrapping up a case there and he was due back soon, when their father and boss, Fenton, would be picking him up at the airport. Vanessa was working today as well and her mom, Andrea, was watching Evan, and hence Callie had been by herself a lot the past week. While he knew that Callie could afford to stay at home and work on her very successful nonprofit from there, running the Jonathan Gellers Foundation for the Arts, named after her best friend who had also died in the last year, a victim in that nightmare case, he had felt a need to check on her a lot. Now, he was glad that he had done so.

"What's the matter?" he asked. Knowing how his tone was a bit harsh, he joked, "The thought of so many kids scare you? Don't worry. You know I'm a cool uncle and I'll always help."

Callie looked down for a moment and placed her coffee on the end table before meeting his eyes. He waited patiently, giving her a moment. "You don't know, do you?" she asked quietly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, no," he answered, slightly concerned.

"I thought that Frank had told you. I… I guess I haven't told anyone either," she admitted.

"Told me what? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Callie swallowed and took a deep breath. She managed a smile and stood for a moment before sitting down next to him and reaching for his hand, which he took. He focused totally on her.

"Joe, Frank and I are not having more kids."

Joe stared at her. "What… why?" he blurted out. Realizing immediately what he sounded like, he apologized. "I don't mean to be nosy. I'm sorry. I just thought that… I mean…"

Callie squeezed his hand. "Actually, I'M sorry," she replied with a sad smile. "I really am; for a lot of reasons. Joe, it's not a secret. I assumed Frank told you; he probably assumed I told Vanessa. We would never keep something like this from you guys."

"Told us what?" Joe asked, confused.

"I CAN'T have any more kids," she confessed. "The fact that I even got pregnant… it was a miracle."

"You didn't think you could have kids?" he asked, shocked. If ever anyone was meant to be a mom, it was Callie. "Why?"

Callie shook her head and he knew not to pry. "Just something … in my past. But," she went on quickly, "I did. Frank and I… we were thrilled," she added, smiling, though he could see her eyes were watery. "You know what I went through with JJ. Somehow, it was even worse with Laurie. The doctors never wanted me to get pregnant so quickly after JJ, and I almost died with my daughter. They told me that I would die if I ever got pregnant again- it'd be a certainty, with my medical issues- so, when Laurissa was born, I had … you know… the procedure so it couldn't happen again. Literally, I can no longer have children." Her voice was unsteady, but she did not cry.

Joe listened attentively and blinked back his own tears. He didn't know, honestly, if it was because he was disappointed that their family wouldn't be the huge brood he'd always thought it would be, or because Callie and Frank had been through so much. He knew in an instant it was the latter.

Joe pulled Callie into his arms and hugged her tightly. He rested his head on top of hers. "Well, it's a good thing that the two kids you have, then, are pretty damned perfect," he murmured against her hair. "And, I mean, you've gotten to see me as an uncle and it's really all about me," he joked softly.

Callie laughed quietly against his shoulder as she hugged him back. "That's really all I cared about. Let me have kids to see you as an uncle," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he replied, and kissed her forehead before releasing her.

She shocked him by her next words. "We've talked about adoption, so don't lose faith," she said, rubbing his hand. "But our babies are only twenty months and eight months. Maybe in the future. I guess we'll know if the time is right. But Joe?" She met his eyes. "If the topic of kids comes up, and, I mean-when doesn't it?!- it's okay to talk to Frank about it. You're his best friend. He values whatever you have to say, and you both always support each other."

"Okay," he replied. "I will." Changing the topic, he stood and reached for her, helping her up. "So… can we wake up JJ now? I'm so excited to start this tradition; I really am." He wasn't lying. He'd begged Callie and his brother, via phone, to let him take JJ out the first week of December to have a "guy's day," which, with a not quite two year old, meant a trip to a few toy stores and all things kid related. He'd been so excited about the idea, wondering how it would change as JJ got older. Frank had agreed, on the condition that he got to do the same with Evan next year, an idea that Joe was completely enthusiastic about. Laurie would be with Callie and Vanessa for a girl's day. The fact that his little suggestion was already starting to make an imprint on the family dynamic was heartwarming to him.

"I remind you, you're the one who wants to wake a sleeping child," she teased, but she got up anyway and headed to the stairs, going to JJ's room. Apparently, Callie had managed the task of the century and had gotten both kids to sleep at the same time.

Joe tried not to let Callie's revelation put a damper on his spirits. Rather, he concentrated on the fact that she trusted him enough- so did Frank, apparently- to share that personal information. Since the last case, where he and Frank had almost permanently damaged their relationship through mistrust, misunderstandings, and layers of hurt, they'd emerged stronger than ever. Frank was more open and affectionate than he'd ever been, and he was back to being fun and ever so slightly reckless again. He had also become closer with Vanessa, and Joe could not have been more happy about that. At the same time, Joe had managed to maintain his relationship with Callie and Frank separately and together and, finally, things were as they had always been meant to be.

He loved the idea of spending the day with JJ, who had an inexplicable quality that Joe adored. While he loved Laurie dearly, the relationship that he had with JJ was incredibly special. He was a littlest best buddy, an adorable, precocious, funny little boy. Evan was too young yet to have developed his personality, as was Laurie, but they were both really good babies: they slept well, they didn't cry much, they were really happy. But JJ… Joe laughed whenever he thought about it… was going to be a handful. The kid had mischief written all over him, a holy terror if ever there had been one. He was the spitting image of Frank at that age with the personality of his two namesakes, Johnny and himself. Joe knew that the kid didn't have a chance of being a rule- follower with his name. Plus, he was already razor sharp, way ahead of kids that age despite having been a preemie. Joe chuckled: smart and mischievous equaled trouble with a capital "T".

Joe had made it his personal mission to try to have as much fun with his nephew as possible, partly because it would be damned fun, partly because it thrilled him to no end that his straight-laced brother and sister-in-law had a wild child on their hands, and mostly because he had to mold that mischief into something manageable, because he knew that, if JJ was anything like him, and he was, pretty soon he'd be getting Evan into heaps of trouble. He might as well nip it in the bud and start training- taming?!- him early before the teen years hit.

Moments later, Callie emerged with JJ, who was running ahead of her so quickly that she could barely keep up.

"Jonathan Joseph!" Callie called loudly, and even Joe looked up as JJ stopped. Joe suppressed a smile at Callie's newly developed "mom" voice.

"Sowry mommy," JJ answered, and Joe watched as Callie tried to keep a straight face. She leaned down and picked him up, hugging him tightly. "Have fun, baby. I'll see you soon." Her voice was a little wobbly.

"Bye, mommy. No sad."

"I'll miss you, baby. Mommy isn't sad. Have fun with Uncle Joe." She kissed him before reluctantly handing him off to Joe.

"Hi Unca Joe!" JJ said with a smile.

Joe gave him a big hug and kiss. "Ready for our big day, JJ?" he asked him. JJ nodded and cuddled next to him, holding his teddy bear.

Joe looked at Callie and smiled tenderly at her. He knew this was hard; it was the first time she was letting JJ go without either her or Frank there.

"He will be stay right by side the whole time," he assured her. "I promise. And you can call anytime."

"I love you, Mommy," JJ said, and Joe smiled as Callie blinked back tears and kissed JJ.

"I love you, too," she said quietly.

"And I love you, too," Joe told her, and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Thanks, sis."

Callie nodded and waved at JJ, and finally made his way out the front door.

"Ready for fun?" Joe asked JJ, and held up his hand for a high five. When JJ slapped his hand back, he smiled.

"Yay for Unca Joe and JJ Day!" JJ said as Joe kissed JJ's head, and smiled as JJ hugged him.

He loved the Christmas season.