"Merry Christmas, Joe, yer family comin' down this year?" Levon asked as he packed away the papers on his desk and stacked them into the Out basket.

LaFiamma gave his partner a weird look. His family had stopped coming down two years ago. "Nope, I'm going to see them," Joe answered with a grin.

"See them! Man, you can't...."

"Yup, " LaFiamma cut in, "Mother Minnie gave me a personal invite to spend the weekend with her."

"Mother Minnie?! That's where I'm going!" The blond Texan quipped back in surprise.

"Well, guess I'll be seein' you there then," Joey replied suppressing a smirk. The Italian turned on his heel and was gone before his partner could recover.

"How come she didn't tell me?" Lundy muttered to himself as he grabbed his hat and raced after his partner, only to see the elevator doors close as he came through the doors of the Major Crimes Unit.

Just as he approached the elevator, the doors opened and there stood LaFiamma, his hand on the door opening it open. The look on Lundy's face was priceless, Joe wished he'd had a camera. "Oh, and she said to be sure to bring you along too! Said she wanted you on time this year."

"On time? I'm always on time." The Texan growled moving toward the elevator.

"She means she wants you there tomorrow - Christmas Eve Day. Not Christmas Day like you usually do. And I'm to chaperone you." Joey said grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't need no chaperone. Besides I always go on Christmas Day. Ain't packed or nothing. Ya kno LaFiamma, something else is going on here."

"Well, partner," Joe remarked as they stepped off the elevator and walked to the police garage. "I'm packed and ready. We can stop by my place, pick up my stuff, and I'll hang out at your place until you're ready. Then we'll drive down."

"Something's going on here, LaFiamma, what is it?" Levon repeated, trying to figure out why Minnie would specifically ask Joe to bring him down early.

"Did I say anything was going on?" Joe responded innocently.

"No, but you got that look! I know that look!"

"You been a detective too long, Lundy. You're suspicious of everything. It's Christmas! She wants to see you for more than one day."

"You ain't gonna tell me, are you?"

Joey LaFiamma glanced at his partner as they got into the Jimmy. I told him the truth, pure and simple. Minnie wants to see him, enjoy his company, our company, it's what Christmas is all about - family.

"Hey Lundy, say Merry Christmas to all those friends of Houston Knights that continue to keep us alive."

Levon rolled his eyes and said brightly, "Merry Christmas Knights, wherever you are!"

"Same here," Joey replied with a grin, "Happy Holidays ... and safe driving out there."