Buck closed the door behind him and started chuckling. Chris glanced up from the potatoes he was peeling. “Something up?”

“Yeah, my blood pressure. J.D. thinks I’m a millionaire. This is his list to Santa. Get this. He printed it out on the computer. He’s been on-line and selected 27 items from the Toys R Us site. Six years old and he creates a shopping cart and prints it out so he can send Santa product numbers just in case he needs them.” Buck handed the list to Chris, picked up a carrot and began munching on it. “What a kid. God, I love him.”

“A jumping castle?”

“Yeah, one of those huge things you blow up and kids jump on them.” Buck began lifting the lids on saucepans to see what was for dinner. “So, what has Vin asked for?”

Chris handed the list back and shrugged. “I’ve asked him twice and he said that Santa already knows.”

“Then you had better get your ass in gear. It’s only a week ‘til Christmas.”

Chris went back to his peeling. “And how do you suggest I get him to tell me?”

“Help him write a letter to Santa.”

Chris nodded thoughtfully. “Tried that. He said Santa knows.”

“Give me that,” Buck snapped, snatching the knife. “Go and speak to him.”

**********

Chris found Vin sitting on the rug in front of the fire playing with two toy cars.

“Hey, Cowboy.”

Vin glanced up and smiled and then returned to his playing. Larabee sat and watched the boy for some time, his thoughts wandering back to Christmas Eve twelve months earlier. That was the evening he and Buck had found J.D. and Vin on the streets. Filthy and frightened, but ready to fight… that is how Chris would always remember them.

Buck had rung social services but they had politely told him that it was Christmas Eve, they only had a skeleton staff on and none were available. The kids were ‘his’ problem until morning. A uniformed officer had suggested taking the children back to the station and letting them sleep in a cell. After that, social services would take them and find each of them a foster family.

“But we have to stay together,” Vin whispered.

Those brilliant blue eyes had grabbed Chris and looked directly into his soul. Behind the layers of dirt and torn clothes was something noble.

Adult and child had stared at each other for only a split second, but they had both sensed something unique in the other. Chris had inclined his head. Vin had nodded, taken J.D. by the hand and followed Larabee across to his car. The boy who trusted nothing and no one, trusted Chris.

Buck had had a fit for a full thirty seconds when he’d realized what Chris was doing… until J.D. had started laughing at the adult’s raised voice and flapping arms. High pitched giggles had echoed out of the tiny boy until tears streamed down his smudged face.

They had brought the kids here to the ranch, bathed them, fed them and put them to bed in Adam’s old room. Christmas Day had been too busy for presents as it was spent trying to find out where the kids came from and where they could go. However, Chris had soon discovered he was the only one doing any work. Buck wasn’t in any hurry to find alternate accommodation for the children as he was having too much fun getting into mischief with J.D. The pair had bonded immediately, but then, so had Chris and Vin - almost as if it was meant to be.

The idea of ATF agents becoming the guardians of two homeless, orphaned children was preposterous in every sense of the word, but a year on, Chris couldn’t imagine his life without the kids in it... all three of them. Larabee had known from the moment he and Vin had exchanged that single look on the streets of Denver, that the boy was destined to be a part of his life, he just hadn’t realized that the boy would become his whole life.

“J.D. has just finished his list for Santa.”

Vin nodded and grinned. “Yeah. He wants lots of things.”

“And what about you? What do you want for Christmas?”

Vin glanced up at the man he had started calling ‘dad’. “I’d like to go fishing with you.”

Chris smirked. “Yep, we can do that, pard, but what is it you want from Santa?”

“I don’t need nothin’.”

Chris ran his fingers through his hair. “I guess there are a lot of things we don’t need, but Santa likes to give children the gifts they want.”

“Last year Santa gave me just what I asked for. I don’t need nothin’ else.”

Chris frowned. “But you didn’t get anything last year, did you?”

Vin had become absorbed in his cars again.

Chris leant forward and placed his hand on the child’s shoulder to get his attention. “Vin? What did you get from Santa last year?”

Vin looked up at his father and his innocent eyes shone with love. “You.”

“What?” Chris whispered.

“Last year I asked Santa for a Dad and he gave me you. I told him I’d never ask for anything else if he’d give me my own Dad.”

Chris blinked, his chest tightening. He scooped Vin onto his lap.

Vin stared directly into his father’s face. “You’re the bestest Christmas present I’ve ever got.”

Chris shut his eyes briefly, wrapped his arms around Vin and pulled him into his chest. “And you are the greatest gift God could have given me.” His voice shook with emotion, his eyes welling with tears.

“So we can go fishing together on Christmas Day, Dad?”

“You can count on it.”

“Santa’s pretty amazing, isn’t he? All the dads in the world and he found the two best for me and J.D.”

Chris kissed the top of Vin’s head. “Yep, pretty amazing, Cowboy.”

Chris rocked his little boy in his arms and for hundredth time gave thanks to the Lord for giving him the greatest gift of all... someone to love.

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© Dec 2006 Aussie Lass : This relates only to the creative property in this story. The distinctive way the story unfolds, the specific dialogue and unique situations are mine. I acknowledge that some of the characters and settings belong to the owners of "The Magnificent Seven" and I thank them sincerely for turning a blind eye so I can borrow them. (g) No infrigement of copyright was intended and no profit has been made from this story... so, please don't sue me. It wouldn't be worth your while.