Title: A Christmas Miracle

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the known characters, and am doing this for my own amusement only.
Pairing: Kerry/Kim, Alex/Olivia

Summary: Sequel to Black Marble Sand (though kind of part of it as well). Christmas with Kim, Henry, Kerry... and a Christmas surprise for Olivia.

"Oh my God, oh my God, my... my God..."

Kim skidded into the living room. "What, what? Holy..." she slipped on an insidious patch of pine needles from the real tree. "Ahhh..."

Kerry managed to half catch Kim and they both went down to the ground in a heap. "Ouch." Kerry caught Kim's cheek in her hand and gave the blonde a slow exploring kiss. Finally they both came up for air and Kim blinked, "What... why were you... all the oh my gods... what?"

Kerry pretended to whistle, "Uh, I can't quite remember anymore."

Kim laughed and just shook her head. "Well you'll be happy to know..."

"Mama, Kim?"

Kerry closed her eyes and laughed, "Right, Henry, is there some reason you're standing buck naked in the middle of the hall young man?"

Henry frowned, perfectly serious, "Not done with my bath."

Kim nodded as she started to untangle herself from Kerry, "Well, he does have a point, and I do believe that the walls got a good cleaning with soapy bath water."

Kerry let Kim give her a hand up, "Okay, you finish Henry's bath, I'll make some hot chocolate and hot milk for you and the boy-o."

Kim gave Henry a pat on the butt and he laughed and went back towards the bathroom dripping all the way. Kerry pulled a hand through her hair as she watched them walk down the hall. She took one deep breath and then another. It wasn't like this had been her first Christmas without Sandy, but in some far away part of her heart, it hurt just a bit to see Kim and Henry walking down that hall back to his bath instead of Sandy and Henry. Of course, the smart part of her heart, the bigger part that she most often listened too was whacking the hell out of that little dark place and explaining to it that Sandy wouldn't have wanted her to be alone, would have wanted her to find happiness, and Kim did make her happy. But still.

Olivia looked out her window at the snow that was coming down, it was going to be a trek to work tomorrow. Her mother, if she was alive, would kill her for working on Christmas, but what else was there to do. Her heart was out there somewhere, in the snow, or maybe it was hot and dry where her heart was. She laid her head back and closed her eyes as the CD changed and Bing Crosby started crooning, "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white."

Olivia whacked her head, "Christmas Cards, shit. I knew there was something I forgot. Wonder if they make belated Christmas cards..." She blinked as a star streaked across the sky. She shook her head, "Give someone else some bad luck this year. I've paid my dues." She laid her head back and closed her eyes again.

Henry looked very warm and comfy in his green and red footies as she climbed onto the couch between Kim and Kerry. He held up a book to Kerry, "Read Mama?"

Kerry opened her closed eyes and tried to focus on the title, "I'm so tired Henry, how about Kim does it?" She closed her eyes again.

Henry nodded seriously and held the book up to Kim, "Read this please."

Kim took the book and looked at the title, "I haven't seen this book in the longest time." She opened it very carefully, as if she thought it would break in two if she opened it too fast or hard.

Kerry opened her eyes and glanced over at Kim, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas? I've had that book since I was a child."

Kim smiled a smile Kerry thought would break open her face, "Ah, so hundreds of years then." She got whacked in the back of the head, "See, we were destined, I had the exact same copy, I still do, it's at my parents' house. Wow..."

"Read."

Kim put an arm around both Kerry and therefore Henry as well, "You're a bossy little bugger sometimes Hen."

Henry smiled, "I know..." and rubbed his hands together.

Kerry shook her head, "Okay, a little too much time with Chuck I think." Kim smirked. "So, are you going to read or not Kimberly?"

Kim laughed, "I'm reading, I'm reading." She took a breath, "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house; Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;"

Henry pulled at Kim's sleeve, "What're stockings?"

Kim thought for a second, "In this case, they're using it as another word for sock." She gestured towards where there were three stockings put up, "Like those that we put up."

Henry scrunched his nose up, "Presents in socks, that's crazy."

Kim and Kerry both chuckled, and Kerry spoke, "I believe that one reason it started was because Saint Nickalus would give young women who didn't have them dowries so that they could get married to a nice young man. And the girls put up stockings because he dropped the gold through the chimney." Henry just blinked and Kerry shook her head, "It's a tradition. Continue if you would Kim."

Kim nodded and started reading again, "The children were nestled all snug in their beds," she glanced down at Henry with a smile, "While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,"

Kim glanced over to see Kerry's eyes open and she seemed enraptured. Kim continued, "When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threwup the sash."

At this Kerry started laughing so hard that Henry's head came up and he looked around confused at why his Mom had interrupted the story. Kerry
quickly quieted down, but kept chuckling. "Isn't it supposed to be threw up the sash?"

Kim smirked, "Semantics...all in the semantics... Now, if I could continue?" Kerry smiled and nodded, "The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and
quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; 'Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN! On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!' As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With
the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too."

Kim had anticipated the interruption this time, Henry didn't disappoint, "What are coursers?"

"What are coursers, what are coursers... uh, a little help here Kerry?"

"Clement C. Moore meant the Reindeer, technically, swift horses, but basically the reindeers were charging up to the roof."

"Ah."

"Ah..." Kim paused, "Shall I continue Hen?" Henry nodded, "And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound." Kerry titled her head and rested it on Kim's shoulder, "He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;"

Henry interrupted Kim again, "Santa was dirty?"

Kim paused and shook her head, "No, not really, but you see, he had to go down every chimney in the world, you'd get a little soot from the fireplaces on your clothes too."

Henry shook his head, "Not every."

Kerry smiled, "You are correct Henry..."

"Canica chimneys and Lim chimneys."

Kim nodded, "You got me, I forgot about Judaism and Islam not to mention all the other non-Christmas celebrating people. Good catch Hen. Now, shall I continue... again?" Henry nodded and put his head down on his mother's shoulder. "A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk," Kim paused and smiled to herself, that phrase always caused her to smile for some reason, kind of like the threw up phrase earlier in the poem. "And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, 'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!'"

She looked over and smiled to herself, not only was Henry fast asleep, but so was Kerry, fast asleep. Kim picked Henry up carefully and carried him back to his room, putting him in bed and tucking him in with a smile. She stood back, stared at Henry for a moment, and shook her head.

She went back to the living room and sat back down next to Kerry, "Ker, hun, I'm good, but I don't think I'm carrying you to the bedroom too."

Kerry groaned, "I fell asleep?"

Kim nodded, "I had a flashback..."

Kerry shook the tired out of her eyes, "What?"

Kim sat back, "When I was a kid... well, for quite a lot of my childhood all four of us would get 'Twas the Night Before Christmas read to us by Dad. My three younger siblings would fall asleep by the end and Mom and Dad would have to carry them into their rooms."

"And you?"

Kim shrugged, "I was the big sister. I mean, I know that at some point they had to have carried me asleep to my room as well, but I don't remember it."

"What is it like?"

Kim pulled the afghan over and threw it over them, "You mean being a big sister?" Kerry nodded, "I love it, and it drives me crazy. On the one hand they drive me insane, even now. All three tend to gang up on me." Kim shook her head, "And I think I get razzed a bit more, and you don't get quite the same treatment from your parents." Kerry started to speak, but Kim continued, "They loved us all equally, they do I mean, but as the oldest you're expected to be the one to buck up, to understand sooner." Kim shrugged, "I probably lost my innocence about the greater world a bit earlier than my brothers and sister, but then again... I did kind of make up for the slightly less attention growing up by coming out in high school, so it all balanced out in the end..." Kim trailed off.

"And the good?"

Kim smiled, "There's this... feeling, it's kind of hard to describe. I, when my little sister, when Maura was eighteen old she was diagnosed with diabetes. There was this, the closest analogy is maternal, feeling. But it's not really maternal so much, I guess, it's just sisterly. Anyway, I wanted to go out and beat the disease all by myself for her. I wanted to give her my pancreas, I wanted her to be okay. Or, when we were young kids, Charlie was a bit of a nerd." Kerry raised an eyebrow, "I know, I know, what a surprise with all his hotness now..." Kerry shook her head, "But, every day for two weeks he got beat up by Billy Wagner...

"The relief pitcher? The Philly's closer?"

Kim rolled her eyes, ""Mets closer... but no, definitely not the same person. He finally came to me because he didn't want to go to Mom and Dad. Again, I just wanted to... save him, help him."

"Did you?" Kim whistled a slightly out of tune song, "I'll take that as a yes. So, any suggestions?"

Kim nodded emphatically, "Don't get involved in any of her relationships and their drama."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience."

Kim groaned, "Mmm... Maura and Billy..."

Kerry blinked as she met Kim's eyes, "Wagner?"

Kim nodded, "I told her what she needed to hear, that going with him was a bad idea... not only did it not do any good, but she didn't talk to me for almost a whole year after they broke up."

"You were in college?" Kim nodded, "So you're saying just deal with our relationship and be a supportive sister to Gwen and stay away from she and Carlos... well, I'm not sure what it is..."

"...and you don't care, because they're both old enough to vote, drink, and even rent cars..."

Kerry nodded, "Can do... I think." Kim yawned, which set off Kerry yawning. "I think..." Another yawn, "That we need to set out the presents Mrs. Clause and then get to bed."

Kim nodded as she stood and stretched, "Sounds like a plan Mrs. Claus."

Olivia's eyes drifted closed and she yanked them back open, "Ah..." It was her phone. She let it go to the machine. It was Elliot, "Liv, Liv, pick up your damn phone Liv... Liv..."

After a moment of silence Olivia took a deep breath, laid her head back, and closed her eyes, "There's no place like home, there's not place like home, there's no place like home." She kicked at her shoe that was on the ground, "Nope, guess this is my real life." Her head fell back again and she looked at the clock on her mantle. "Midnight..." She glanced over to where she had a small tree with some stuff from Elliot, the guys, Novak and her other non-police friends under it. "No happy Christmas for all this year."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes falling asleep almost instantly.