Christmas Smiles

Author: Kami

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Rating: PG-13

Category: AtS/Anita Blake (Lindsey/Anita)

Summary: Anita learns the value of smiles on Christmas

Author's Note: My first answer to TtH's 2004 Fic-for-all, No particular timeline for either show.

Anita stared blankly at the little girl in front of her. The small, dark haired animator was met with the brilliant blue eyes of the five-year old, her wispy blonde hair pulled back in pigtails. Anita blinked once, twice, before turning to face Zerbrowski.

"No." The statement held a firm note of finality. She was not going to do this. There was no way she was spending the last moments before Christmas babysitting.

Zerbrowski gave her what she was sure he thought was a winning smile. Anita couldn't have cared less. "Come on, Anita. It's just going to be for an hour or two, until the guy shows up." The smile hadn't faltered under her vacant gaze.

Anita mulled over his words. Still no. Still, it wouldn't hurt to find out exactly what was so important that Zerbrowski had called her over. "What guy? What happened here anyway?" She saw the man's eyes flicker to the little girl, and then motion her to move a little bit away.

He dropped to one knee and smiled at the little girl as she moved a couple of meters away. Reaching out a hand, he carefully tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her small ears. "Sarah?" The child nodded. "I'm just going to go over there for a couple of minutes and talk to the nice lady. Her name's Anita." Sarah nodded hesitantly, hands twisting the material of her Christmas dress.

Zerbrowski quickly moved over to her. "We're waiting on the legal representative of the local branch of child services. What happened to that little girl, well, it's pretty bad. Her step dad is a were, just moved to the city, and he's not the nicest of guys. There was a domestic disturbance call a couple of hours ago, and as soon as they found out he was a were, they threw it at us." He took a deep breath. "Seems the bastard isn't opposed to hitting little girls, and he scratched her leg pretty bad."

Anita looked up sharply at that last statement. "You're not saying…" God, it was times like this she really hated people.

Zerbrowski shrugged. "We're not saying anything until she gets tested. But, of course, that'll be child services."

Anita sighed and rubbed her eyes, eyes meeting Zerbrowski's blandly. "So, why'd you call me? Why don't you just stay with her?"

"Katie's expecting me at home," he said, throwing a puppy dog look her way, "I'll stay if I have to, but it's Christmas, Anita. I want to spend it with my wife." Anita could feel herself cracking. "Besides, I knew you wouldn't be doing anything."

That comment earned him a dirty look and a sharp slap to the side of the head. In indignation, Zerbrowski muttered, "Well, you don't, do you?" Anita's dangerous look was all the answer he needed. "Great! I better get going then." Anita opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off rather abruptly. "Her name is Sarah, she is 5 years old and she likes penguins."

The grin he sent her as he moved to say goodbye to Sarah was saucy.

Anita watched with content as Sarah amused herself with the stuffed penguin she had produced from her car. This wasn't so bad. At least she got a quiet kid. The thought actually wasn't that encouraging when you remembered what had happened that had put her in Anita's custody.

"Ms. Blake?" The words came out of nowhere, and Anita felt her hands twitch, her gut reaction telling her to go for her gun. Instead she turned warily to face what turned out to be a dark-haired man, dressed rather casually in jeans and a blue t-shirt. Anita nodded suspiciously.

The man broke out in a brilliant white-toothed smile. "Good." He stuck his right hand out, obviously not perturbed when Anita ignored it. "Lindsey McDonald. I'm with child services. Detective Zerbrowski told you to expect me, didn't he?"

She nodded once again before speaking. "You're here to pick up Sarah." The statement wasn't really needed, but Anita had felt the need to speak anyway. This man made her a bit nervous. He was handsome, but in an entirely different way then she was used to. He was human handsome. Also, he seemed hideously cheerful for someone who had to give up their Christmas Eve for work.

Lindsey flashed her another smile before moving over to Sarah, kneeling down beside the small blonde, who was still engrossed with Anita's penguin. "Hi, Sarah. I'm Lindsey." Sarah looked up at him and blinked, knocked suddenly out of the little world she had been lost in.

"Hi, Lindsey." She replied, her voice small and hesitant. She looked back and forth between him and Anita. "Have you met Anita?" Lindsey smile brightened at that. He nodded cheerfully. Sarah smiled back at him. "Anita's nice." Her voice was very matter of fact and ridiculously serious for a five year old.

Lindsey responded in a similar matter. "She seems very nice. Still, maybe we should let her go back to her life. And you and me, well, we can go get some food. I bet you're awfully hungry." Sarah looked down at her stomach as it gave a small growl. Then she looked at the penguin.

Small steps brought equally small running clad feet and the body attached to Anita. The penguin was held in the air as Sarah spoke, "Here's your penguin, Anita." The plush black and white stuffed animal was within reach.

Anita smiled down at the little girl she had spent the last hour with. The smile was awkward and tight, but there it was. "Why don't you keep it, Sarah? A Christmas present." The smile on the little girl's face was brilliant, and Anita considered that repayment for giving up one of her penguins.

After a second, Sarah quickly bit her lip. She looked up with her eyes in a familiar puppy dog stare, though she was used to seeing it on Zerbrowski. "Anita?" The question even contained a little tremor. The Executioner sighed in resignation.

"Yes?"

"Maybe you could…" the faint sound of tiny feet shuffling filled the space as Sarah prepared her words, "I don't know. Maybe you could come to dinner with me and Lindsey." Anita felt her eyes widen, entirely out of her control. She snuck a glance at Lindsey, and saw that brilliant smile still on her face.

"I don't know…"

"Please…………." Sarah's voice dragged on, her lip trembling slightly.

She heard footsteps approaching, and Lindsey kneeled down beside Sarah. He looked up at Anita with a glitter of mischief in his blue eyes. "Yea, Anita," he said, adding a tremor to his voice, "Please………."

Anita looked from blue eyes to blue eyes, before she rolled her own. "I guess I could go for a little food." The matching smiles that greeted her at that statement gave her a tiny bit of Christmas cheer.

The End.