Yay! So very well done. I love that you took your time with this. It's really a two part story, isn't it--or maybe even three? You've got the tree escapade, with my favorite bit being Doyle coming out of the closet (foreshadowing...? *g*) spitting mad and dinged by the monster pine, the raid on the bad guy's place (where you built up some really nice tension--with every gunshot fired, I wondered if whether Ray might be the shooter or the victim) and then the warm and cozy Christmas Day (how adorable, yet fitting, it was for Bodie to be excited about the Muppets Movie).

I wondered how you were going to wrap it all up. You conquered that challenge brilliantly, giving me not one but two satisfying conclusions: Doyle referring to their day as a first date (I also like how nice and gentle you have them together, how naturally the attraction grows), only to go upstairs and find the pine needles on his bed.

Great fun. Thank you so much.