Obviously, I don't own Silent Witness or Annie. I know it's short but I want to feel the response before I keep posting! Enjoy! xx
Nikki usually loved Christmas; the lights, the food and the past few years spending Christmas with Leo... But this year, she was alone.
Christmas was getting closer and this was sending Jack balmy like a small child expecting Santa Claus. He and Clarissa had decorated the Lyle centre in brightly coloured streamers and now were singing Christmas tunes at full volume from their desks so that Nikki could hear them from her -Leo's- desk.
She laughed out loud as it turned fast to a debate about the best Christmas present they got as a kid. She wandered in as Jack was insisting that he was going to buy Clarissa boxing gloves for Christmas...
"When and why would she ever use them?" enquired Nikki.
"If she ever needed to knock you down a peg, 'boss' " Jack answered.
"Nah she's right... I'd just hide her work!" exclaimed Clarissa.
"No 'cause lord help us that the 'boss' could ever take a break! I'm surprised she's slumming it with us at the minute..."
Nikki just rolled her eyes at Jack and he grinned up at her.
"Well I brought coffee but if you'd rather not..."
Jack butted in "We love you Miss Hannigan"
'Jack was quoting Annie? What is happening to the world.' Nikki thought as she gave Clarissa a quizzical look.
"What? I have a sister!" he said looking unashamedly at them both as he broke out into a verse of 'Tomorrow'.
"Ok ok, enough!" she said laughing.
When they had all stopped laughing, Clarissa turned their attention back to Christmas.
"So what are you doing for Christmas this year Nikki?" enquired Clarissa.
"Nothing really, I'm at home this year". Clarissa noticed the shadow of pain in her eyes.
"In that case I declare Christmas at Clarissa's...official!"
"I'm not sure Clarissa..."
"Of course you are! Jacks coming!"... "and I cant deal with that alone!" she added as an after thought.
"Fine." Nikki smiled.
"Yey. You can help me when you come over a few days before Christmas eve Nikki, then Jack can turn up on the morning of the 24th when he gets back from the family".
She went into full planning mode; Clarissa loved this kind of thing.
In the last week before their Christmas holidays, both Jack and Nikki had been given a 'to-do list' by Clarissa. And they were reminded every two minutes of the things they had to do before Christmas.