Evergreen (sequel to Green for Good?!)

'Twas the night before christmas...

Caitlin smiled contentedly as she watched Austin shake the presents under the Christmas tree while she herself agonised over whether the stockings she'd hung over the fireplace were even or not. It was Christmas Eve, and for the first time since she'd met him, Caitlin wouldn't be spending it with her husband. But she was trying not to dwell on that, and focus on the kids. 'Christmas can still be magical without him.' She thought. 'Right?'

"Mummy?" Caitlin's beloved son Austin asked. "Yes sweetie?" She replied, whilst bouncing a bubbly Autumn on her lap and watching a fascinated Taylor stare, transfixed, at a colourful Christmas tree ornament. (Baby friendly, of course.) "When daddy come back?" "Soon, baby." "Tomorrow?!" He asked, eyes wide with excitement. Slowly, sadly, Caitlin shook her head. "No, not tomorrow. In two weeks. And we'll have another Christmas then ok darling?" Austin nodded, tears glistening in his eyes. Placing Autumn in the playpen, next to her sister, Caitlin spread her arms out and beckoned to her son. "C'mere sweetheart!" Austin jumped up at his mummy and she instantly caught him and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you mummy!" "I love you too Aust!".

"Special delivery for master Austin Rivers!" Caitlin called, spreading her arms wide and mimicking a plane as she handed her son some candy canes. "Sweetie, as my special Christmas elf, can you do me a huge favour and put these last few candy canes on the tree please?" "Yay yay Yayyy! Of course mummy! Is it cause I your favourite elf?" "Nooo, I love all three of my special darling elves!" "Then why didn't you ask Tay or Aurie to put up candy canes mummy?" "Cause they're too little, silly!" Caitlin explained, ticking Austin. "I need my big boy to help me out with this special mission!" "I still think I'm your favourite!" Austin said with a huge grin on his cheeky little face. Rolling her eyes at her son's antics, which reminded her so much of Jax, Cate smiled as she walked to the oven to take out the Christmas cookies they'd made.

Just as Caitlin and Austin were decorating the cookies, the doorbell rang. "I get it mummy!" Austin exclaimed, bounding towards the door. "Aust, ask who it is first!" Caitlin called out, while she briskly wiped her hands on her Christmas apron and followed after her son.

"Who is it Aust?" "It's daddy, it's daddy, it's daddy!!!" "Don't be silly sweetie, you know daddy's in America." Caitlin remarked as she held her son's hand and opened the door. Much to her surprise, Austin was right. "Jax?!" She exclaimed, her voice full of glee as she leapt at her husband.

"Babe, what on earth are you doing here? You're two weeks early!" "I know," Jax began with a smile. "I worked longer hours for a while, and ended up finishing my work sooner than expected, so Miles said I could come back early." "So, are you back for good now?" "Well, I think so, yeah." "Really?!" Caitlin asked again, eyes wild with excitement. "Uh huh!" Jackson responded, laughing at his wife's enthusiasm. "Now, I want to know exactly what I've missed around here..."

And that was it. The recipe to a perfect Christmas. The Rivers family was complete once again, and they couldn't have been happier if they'd tried. If there was ever a sign that Caitlin and Jackson were meant to be, this was it. It was a Christmas miracle; magic truly was in the air.