This was written for SassyRaydorGirl in the Christmas Fic Exchange. Merry Christmas, Dear and I hope you enjoy this!

It must have been the pretty lights that glistened in the silent night.

"What's your favorite holiday?" Erin asked. It was late at night and Dave offered to keep her company while she debated going home to an empty house, or sleeping on the couch in her office. "And no," she fixed him with a look, "Valentine's Day does not count."

He grinned devilishly, "and why not? It is a day for celebrating love."

She rolled her eyes," Please," she huffed, "it's a throwaway holiday that's marketed towards cheap philanderers."

He shrugged, and sank further into the sofa, "you've got me there. If I'm being serious, I'd say Memorial Day. The day of reflection and gratitude. You?"

She dropped her shoulders, "any normal day, I could easily say Christmas- the day for family and celebration."

He let his arm wrap around her shoulders.

His voice took a hard edge, "is Mark letting you see the kids at all?"

"On his time," she rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, "and I get to take them to dinner on Wednesday nights." She looked up at him and attempted to mask the pain in her eyes. "I never hurt my kids," she said, around the knot in her throat. "I've done a lot of stupid things, but I never-"

He squeezed her shoulder affectionately, putting an end to her speech. "I know that and Mark is an idiot to think otherwise."

She stood and went to the window. And swiped her face with the back of her hand. Too many late nights were taking a toll on her emotional health.

"You need sleep," he murmured the bags under her eyes were getting more prominent by the day.

"Pot, meet my friend Kettle," Erin deadpanned, and glared at him, "when is the last time you left this place?"

It was his turn to shrug, "twenty maybe, thirty years."

She stifled a yawn, "we both need sleep."

They lapsed into silence until Dave said, "Christmas was always good, growing up. We were lucky to get shoes the rest of the year, but on Christmas," he sighed wistfully, "Mom and Dad pulled out all the stops. My mother baked all year round, but she took an interest in Christmas cookies."

"My grandparents had the best ornaments," she murmured. "When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with their wax ballerina, I'd spend hours by the tree watching her twirl."

Dave chuckled, "really?" He asked, it wasn't easy to picture the strong, motivated woman beside him, spending time so frivolously.

She smiled, "it surprises me too."

"I have an idea," he held up one hand when she tried to protest.

"Please Erin, hear me out."

Dave's eyes shone with unspoken emotions as they stared out the window of her office. All of Virginia had been blanketed in snow and from the eighth floor office they could see the lights sparkling from homes miles away.

"What?"

"Spend Christmas with me," He said. The holidays always hit him hard and memories from a lifetime ago scurried out of the crevices of his mind, he needed distraction.

"Dave," she turned away slowly and swallowed hard, "it's only been two months-"

"Right," he said softly and dropped his shoulders, "I know we said we would take it slow."

She turned back to the window, she couldn't stand to see the rejection in his eyes, but she was in treatment. Entering a relationship at all was pushing the boundaries of her treatment program. Christmas was two weeks away, She didn't have to give him a definitive answer right away.

She reached for his hand and squeezed his fingers. She answered, "I will think about it."

He gave a half-grin, and gripped her hand tighter. The moonlight cast a glare on the snow, illuminating her face, "that's all I can ask."

TBC