A/N: Well, the bestest, Jenna, let me borrow her original character, Synn again. She also gave me permission to post this. Merry Christmas Jezz.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Everything was dreary and gray as the December winds bit at Stella Bonasera's nose and she buried her hands into her pockets, but the smile on her face couldn't be wavered. The New York City Detective now had a reason to look forward to her two days off a week. She walked up the stone steps of the orphanage in Union City, New Jersey and let herself into it's heated warmth. She smiled at the woman at the front desk, "Where is she?"
The woman pointed at the playroom where children flitted around and filled the room with laughter. Stella spotted the young girl right of way; Synnöve Tyrovolas sat in the corner of the room humming along to a nameless tune. Stella smiled and walked over, kneeling before the girl, "Synnia."
"Stella!" The seven year old's pain filled blue eyes lit up as her arms went around Stella's neck.
Stella smiled and picked her up, running her hand through Synnöve's wild brown locks, "You ready to go?"
Synnöve nodded.
"Alright." Stella put her down, "Go get your bag and we'll go."
It was a privilege that had taken Stella calling in a bunch of favors to people she didn't particularly care for but Synnöve's case had shook her in such a way that she couldn't just let the little girl go. They were kindred spirits, two of a kind, they needed one another. So, every weekend Stella made the trek to Union City, New Jersey and picked up the little girl and they'd spend a weekend in the city before Stella had to return her to the orphanage on Sunday night.
"Stella." The little girl pulled on her arm, "Look what I made!"
Stella took the construction paper from her and smiled, "Is this us?"
Synnöve nodded vivaciously.
"You have blue hair?" Stella chuckled; reaching out she tucked a chocolate lock behind her ear.
"I like blue." Synnöve shrugged and twisted so her shoes squeaked on the tile floor, "Blue's your favorite color."
"Yes, it is." Stella grinned, "I love this."
"Can we hang it on your fridge?" Synnöve asked, her lower lip sneaking out a bit.
"You bet, Nani." She smiled, "Ready to go?" She took the little girl's bag over one shoulder and took Synnöve's hand in the other. Stella signed her out at the front desk and together they made their way out into the winter air.
"Do you think it will snow?" Synnöve asked as she skipped along beside Stella.
"I don't know, Synnia." Stella shrugged, "The news said that we might get some this weekend." She fought the urge to skip along side the little girl.
"Stella!" Synnöve gasped, "Look!" She pointed to a box sitting on the sidewalk that had 'Free Kittens' scrawled on the side. She dropped Stella's hand and sprinted down the sidewalk.
"Synnöve wait!" Stella sighed and chased after her.
Synnöve collapsed to her knees beside the box and looked at the final kitten, "Hi Baby!" She cooed at the creature, "You're cute." She reached out and scratched under it's chin.
Stella shook her head and knelt next to her, "Synn, we've got to catch the ferry."
"But look at him!" Her voice broke, "It's cold and all his brothers and sisters are gone. We can't leave him here alone."
"Synnöve." Stella said the name like a curse under her breath.
"He's just like you and me." She sniffled, wiping her nose on the back of her hand, "He doesn't have anybody besides us."
"Honey, they won't let you have a cat at the orphanage." Stella reminded her, reaching out and wiping the tears from her eyes.
"We could keep him at your place!" Synnöve's eyes lit up, "Please! Please, Stella! I promise I'll take care him! You just gotta feed him and stuff on the weekdays. I'll even do chores for the food and stuff. Please, Stella! Please! It's cold, we can't just leave him all alone."
Stella's eyes drifted from the kitten to the little girl and back again, "Oh..." She mulled it over, "Alright."
"Really?" She gasped.
"Really." Stella smiled and nodded, "But you have to take care of him on the weekends."
Synnöve's arms locked around Stella's neck for the second time that day, "Thank you!"
"You're welcome." Stella looked at the little kitten, "He is an awfully cute thing."
Synnöve nodded her agreement and lifted the kitten from the box, "Hi Baby. It's okay." She cuddled him to her chest, "You've got a family now."
Stella felt her throat tighten as she scooped both little girl and kitten up and carried them to the ferry. She had never had a family and Synnöve had lost hers in the worst crime Stella had ever investigated, it felt good to have something to call a family – even if it did consist of two orphans and an abandoned kitten.
"Hey! No animals!" The Cabbie scolded them as they settled into a taxi on the other side of the river.
"Stella?" Synnöve whimpered as she held the kitten to her chest.
Stella sighed and rolled her eyes, "Look, Sir. I'm with the NYPD and unless you want a nice little report on your expired plates, I think you can give us a ride."
"Well played, Lady." The cabbie put the car in drive and pulled off in the direction of Stella's apartment.
Synnöve grinned up at her and Stella smiled down, scratching the kitten on the underside of his chin. As the cab parked in front of Stella's apartment she paid the cabbie – giving him a generous tip for his troubles. As Synnöve was climbing out, she turned to the man, "Thank you. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you too, Little Girl. Be good for your mommy."
Synnöve nodded, not bothering to correct him as she slid out of the cab and ran up the steps to meet Stella at the door. Stella shook her head as she juggled Synnöve's bag and the kitten while opening the door. Synnöve took her bag from Stella's arm and sprinted down the hall as the door opened, running to the guest room that had been deemed hers. She threw her things on the bed and shed her shoes, running back to Stella and the kitten.
"Can I show him around?" She asked, holding him in her arms.
Stella nodded, removing her coat and gloves, "We'll run to the bodega in a bit and get some food and kitty litter for him."
"Okay." She took off down the hallway, making sure to point all the rooms out to the kitten. Stella went to the kitchen to finish making the holiday cookies for the Christmas party their team was hosting. She listened to Synnöve chatter on and on about the apartment and smiled, glad Synnöve felt enough at home to do so. She'd love to make their situation permanent but being an unmarried police officer didn't make it easy to prove this would be best for Synn.
Synnöve held the kitten to her chest as she crept into the kitchen, eying the cookies that rested on the cooling rack. They were covered in blue sprinkles and shaped in various Christmas shapes. Unable to resist temptation, she reached out and grabbed one, eating as quietly as she possible could. Stella smiled and turned slowly, "Synnöve..."
"Yes?" She asked after swallowing.
"Did you steal a cookie?" Stella grinned.
"No!" She protested, "Kitty did." She explained, her blue eyes peaking over the counter, she raised the kitten so Stella could see, "Kitty likes cookies."
"Oh? He does?" Stella chuckled and raised her brows.
"Uh-huh." She nodded.
"Well we'll have to make sure Kitty knows that we aren't supposed to have cookies before dinner."
"Right." Synnöve turned to the kitten, "Did you hear that? Stella says no cookies before dinner." She scolded him with a tap of her finger on his nose.
Stella bit her lip and tried not to laugh, "Want to help me make some more?"
"Yes, please." She nodded, putting the kitten down on the floor.
"Okay." Stella pulled over a stool from the island in the middle of her kitchen, picking Synn up she placed her on the seat, "You want to do the sprinkles."
"Yeah!"
"Okay." She placed the bottle of blue sprinkles in Synnöve's hand and then guided her the first few times, "Just a tap."
"Just a tap." Synnöve nodded and tapped her finger on the sprinkles container.
"Perfection." Stella kissed her nose, "And don't eat any, I don't need you to turn into a smurf."
"Stella!" Synnöve giggled and scrunched up her nose.
"Here." Stella stood behind her, "Let me pull your hair back." She slid the extra hair tie off her wrist and pulled back Synnöve's hair in a ponytail, "When was the last time you brushed this?"
"Uhm..." Synnöve chewed on her lip, "I dunno."
"I'll use the detangler on it after your bath tonight." Stella sighed, "I bought you a brush for you to use it, Silly Girl."
"I know, but it always hurts when I do it." She sighed, "I like when you brush my hair."
Stella smiled, "So what are you going to name your kitten?"
Synnöve pondered the question, "Hmm." She tapped her chin, "Mac!"
Stella laughed, "You're gonna name him after my partner?"
"Uh-huh." She nodded enthusiastically.
"Don't you think one Mac is enough?" Stella asked as she envisioned Mac Taylor's face when he found out the little girl had named the cat after him.
"Yeah." She frowned, "I guess so. I think Mac likes being the only Mac in our lives."
"I think you're right." Stella agreed.
The kitten jumped up on the counter and slid on the slick surface, knocking over a bag of granulated sugar. Stella cursed and Synnöve laughed, sliding off her chair and running over to the kitten, "That's your name, Sugar!"
"Sugar is covered in sugar." Stella chuckled and began to clean up the mess, "You're both going to need baths tonight."
Synnöve contemplated that and grabbed a pinch of flour between her fingers and tossed it at Stella, "Now you do too."
"Oh, thank you." Stella laughed and tossed some back at her.
"Stella!"
"You started it, Baby." Stella laughed.
Synnöve glared and tossed more flour at her and so the war began. When it ended both the girls and the kitten were covered head to toe in a mess of flour and sugar. Stella tried to figure out the best plan of action and so she washed herself first, then helped get all the sticky sugar out of Synnöve's hair and finally, together they cleaned the kitten in the bathroom sink.
"Hey, Stella." Synnöve called from her bed as Stella flicked off the big light that. The small lamp on the table cast a glow across the room and Stella walked back over, sitting next to her on the bed.
"Yeah, Nani?"
"I wish I could stay here forever." She decided and leaned against Stella's side.
"Me too, Baby."
Synnöve yawned, "You could marry some really rich guy, Mac and Claire could come over and we'd make cookies every single day. Every night we could watch 'You're A Good Man Charlie Brown' and curl up with Sugar." She pet the kitten that curled up on her stomach, "And we'd all live happily ever after."
"I wish that too." Stella kissed her forehead and turned off the light. She stayed for a moment and then got up and meandered down the hall to her room. After climbing in the bed, she watched snow fall outside her window and closed her eyes, wishing for their happy ever after.