Hello Everyone! It's that wonderful time of year again, which means it's time for Christmas themed fanfiction I decided to try my hand at writing for Person of Interest this year. Last year I wrote a series of Avengers one shots, which still can be found on my profile if you are interested.

By the way, these stories will be post 3x09 Joss lives AU.

This first story is Finch focused. I do not own POI or any of the songs used in these stories.

Oddly enough, it had been Root's idea to decorate for Christmas.

"Don't be such a Grinch Harold," she had said that fateful day. "You can't be gloomy all the time, even I know that."

It had taken about two weeks of her constant ribbing before Finch finally assented to allowing a few decorations to be put up. Apparently, Root and Finch had very different ideas about what a few meant. The library was covered in white and blue lights, with a small tree directly across from Bear's bed (he was good about leaving the tree alone). Once Detective Carter found out about the decorating though . . . well, the safe house and Reese's apartment ended up looking like they came out of a Home Goods catalog.

Finch eventually adjusted to the invasion of Yuletide cheer, he even began playing the Christmas radio channel when he was alone in the library (John had caught him singing once, but they don't talk about it).

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,

Jack Frost nipping at your nose.

Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir,

And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Finch could very clearly remember the last time he had celebrated a proper Christmas. It had been with Grace. She loved Christmas and had been so excited that the magazine she worked for asked her to illustrate a special cover. "The Christmas Song" had been her inspiration to do a scene of a family around a fire, roasting chestnuts. The reader viewed the scene through a snow-covered window. The frost on the panes of glass looked so real and, if one looked closely enough, they could see a fairy like creature drawing the frost on the window. She had been so proud of it. Finch had it framed and had kept it with him. When he finally let Root decorate, he pulled it out of storage and told her to incorporate it somehow. She hung it by the tree.

As he looked at that picture, he wanted to feel sad. He had lost so much over the years, sometimes of his own doing, sometimes not, but there was a reason why he was such a solemn character. However, he just couldn't. So much love had gone into that painting and he would swear up and down that he felt it. He could only think of the happy times he did have, and that he would have this year with his makeshift family. It's what Grace would have wanted and Finch knew the best way to honor the time they had together was to share the love that she taught him he was still capable of feeling.

And so, with a smile on his face, he sang the last verse of the timeless song as it faded out over the radio:

And so, I'm offering this simple phrase,

To kids from one to ninety-two.

Although it's been said many times, many ways,

Merry Christmas to you.

Please let me know what you all think. Be blessed! - Endurance