A/N Okay so this wasn't meant to be the next story in the series but I couldn't resist doing a Christmas one. Thank you for all your kind reviews. Thank you to de wolf for the 'happy birthday' it was greatly appreciated. I'm finally back from my holidays and although December is a busy month for me with work and singing etc, I do still plan to continue posting.

Summary: The first christmas together can be either magical or destructive. Sequel to The Birthday Surprise.

Pairing: Mike/Alex, as part of my series.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Oh, how I wish it was. I'd have lots of money and I'd be able to buy everyone a gift this year. Lucky Dick Wolf. ;)

The title has no reference to the song by the same name, which I believe is sung by Cliff Richard, I just thought the title fit the story.

Mistletoe and Wine

Christmas.

It's supposed to be that time of year where everyone is in high spirits and full of joy. Buying gifts and wrapping them only to have someone rip through it and curl their nose up at the present they'd received. At least, that's the way Mike Logan saw Christmas. He'd never enjoyed it, if it wasn't his mothers drunken behaviour it was the lack of sunshine and the silly grins everyone wore all month. When he was a young boy he'd found Christmas was the worst time of year, it meant no way of escaping his mother, not way to avoid her and when he left home Christmas was the worst time of year because he had no one to spend it with... no one except some midnight hooker.

This year he did have someone to spend it with but instead of feeling happy for himself, he was feeling annoyed and as he watched her smile in that happy Christmas way, he wished he could sink into the ground and never be seen again.

He didn't want to disappoint Alex Eames. Alex was used to spending Christmas with family and friends and he could only imagine she had been one of those children that got up incredibly early and sneeked downstairs to catch a glimpse of the infamous Santa Clause. But Mike knew he couldn't possibly give her a 'merry Christmas', he didn't know how.

Mike and Alex were sat in his apartment, pretending to watch the TV as a show Mike was unfamiliar with played before his eyes. Mike hadn't seen it before and honestly he wasn't really seeing it now. As he peered at Alex through his peripheral vision, he could tell she wasn't watching it either.

"I..." she started.

"Well..." he also started at the same time. They both stopped and looked back at the screen. Mike shook his head and looked at her again. Offering her a small smile as her gaze met his eyes. "Listen I know that - that you've probably got some family... plans so - uh - feel free to leave." Mike wanted to slap himself and bury himself in the ground. Not only had he sounded like a complete dork but he'd pretty much told her to leave. Neither things had been his intention.

Alex look at him incredulously. "Mike." she started, "I do have plans but... but they involve you." She'd paused to ensure she'd said that with enough conviction so he wouldn't argue. It worked because Mike clamped his mouth shut. Alex knew he didn't like Christmas but she was one of those people who liked spending some quality time away from work, aways from her everyday life and becoming immersed in the magic, especially the magic her nephew seemed to create. Ever since he was born she'd grown a new fondness for Christmas, one that seemed neverending.

Mike simply nodded, he couldn't say anything else. He tried to keep his concentration solely on the TV, but as he felt Alex lean into him, planting a light, seductive kiss on the skin below his ear he found that his attention moved to her, giving her 100. "You know." she said, softly, wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her. "Christmas involves many things," she kissed him again, "and I intend to show you how fun it can be." At that she quickly stood up and left him on the sofa alone as she went for the bathroom. Mike sat still, his body stiffening from the sensations she'd just envoked. Taking a deep breath he looked around and waited for her.

This was going to be one long Christmas.

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The Major Case Squadroom was decorated with simple Christmas lights and the tiniest tree in the break room. Mistletoe was hanging from the frame of the door that led you into the bull pen. Mike had hoped that Major Case would be one of those squads that were so professional that they didn't decorate their offices but it turned out that they, like most precincts, did in fact decorate with tinsel. Mike was sat at his desk, staring at the pages before him, as he tried to ignore the droning noise of Christmas music that was being played outside the building; loudly. Carolyn walked over to him and handed him a much needed form for his paperwork. "Thanks." Mike muttered, not looking at her, just taking the paper and putting it on his desk.

"You know, the departments having a party tonight, right?" she asked, her tone of voice was hinting at something he was unsure of.

Mike looked up at her, "Yeah, and?" he asked, indicating for her to explain.

"I assume you're going." she said, quietly. Mike regarded her for a moment, screwing his face into a frown. "I mean, Alex is going so you're taking her, right?"

Mike looked at her and was about to shake his head when he saw Alex sit down at her desk, and seemed to laugh at something Bobby had said. The Santa mug that sat on her desk was probably being wagered again. Mike looked back at Carolyn and nodded, "Of course I'm taking her." He tried to sound as if that was the answer he was going to say all along and that he felt it was obvious. She seemed to except this and nodded. He watched as Carolyn looked towards Bobby and then returned to her desk. Mike had already told Alex he would go with her, and she had been excited although he couldn't understand why. Bobby had explained it as her simply being excited about Christmas in general. Both detectives had agreed that they both disliked it but both said they would go although Mike didn't really want to go at all. It would mean putting on a face of happiness and pretending that he liked the season to be jolly when he truly didn't.

Mike looked back at Alex and watched her. Momentarily wondering if he could perhaps talk her out of going to the department party. Surely she knew as well as anyone that all it would involve is people dressed up as Santa and lots of drinking. Mike shook his head again and watched as Alex sighed as she looked at her work, her eyes looking tired and as she rested her chin on her hand he could see that she was fighting fatigue. Maybe he could talk her out of going, she sure looked like she could use the sleep.

That thought remained on his mind for the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. As they stood in her living room, she was sipping wine and trying to find her shoes as she mumbled about it, Mike was watching her do so, trying to find the words to say I-don't-think-we-should-go-to-the-party-honey-we-should-just-stay-here-alone, sadly the words weren't flowing from his mouth so easily as they were floating around in his mind. Alex was now wide awake and it seemed she'd caught a second wind. As she found her shoe and exclaimed a 'A-ha!' she walked over to him and smiled. "So, now, we can go."

Mike forced a smile. "Maybe... uh... maybe you've lost your coat." he suggested, hopeful.

Alex raised her eyebrow and eyed him curiously, "What?" she asked, confused by his statement.

Mike rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah." was all he said.

Alex frowned, "Mike, you're not making any sense." she put her shoe on and placed her glass on the coffee table, checking her watch she then added, "We're gonna be late, let's go." she headed for the door but Mike carefully pulled her back at her arm. She looked at him, and waited for an explanation.

"I'm not going." he offered as an explanation.

Alex loosened herself from his grip, "What do you mean you're not going?"

Mike sighed, "I mean I'm not going." she looked confused and upset, Mike felt himself falling over the need to explain. "Listen, I don't do Christmas parties, I don't do Santa's or mistletoe and I don't do Ho Ho Ho."

Alex looked annoyed and as she tried to not get upset she found herself getting angry instead, "Why are you telling me now?" She didn't understand why she was upset but she was all the same. Alex didn't want to go on her own, even if her colleagues would be there. She just wanted to spend Christmas with Mike and she was finding him to be less than co-operative on it. "You should have told me before so that..." her sentence fell off the end. Sighing she looked at him as he stood still, "You're not going?" she asked, just to confirm.

He shook his head, "No." Mike refused to say anything for fear of upsetting her. He had this terrible feeling that whatever she had been about to say wasn't good for him or them so he refused to add any more fuel to the fire.

Alex nodded, as if she understood, really she didn't. She had this feeling of abandonment because somehow she knew everyone was going to be expecting them there but she couldn't move from the space she was occupying to go by herself. Alex suddenly didn't feel like going anyway, that Christmas spirit had been dragged from her because she felt there was more to what Mike was saying. What if it was about her and not just the Christmas party? She looked at Mike, a quizzical look filling her features and he sighed, "You still going?" he asked.

"Why?" She asked, immediately knowing that responding with a question like that wasn't the best course of action. Mike looked away for a moment, sensing her hurt. It seemed this was no longer about the party, this was about Christmas in general and his attitude towards it.

Mike sighed as well, eyeing the wine on the table, it suddenly looked incredibly inviting. "Look, I should've said something before but I did - I was-" Mike stopped for a moment, not wanting to risk sounding like a fumbling idiot, "I was going to go... for you. But I can't be that Christmas-loving guy you want me to be. I'm sorry." the words finally spewed from his lips, tasting horrible as they did so.

Alex looked stunned, "You think I want you to be some Christmas-loving guy? That's what you think this is?" she asked, her tone of voice warning him of the thin ice he was taking a step on to. Mike just looked at her, suddenly wondering what this was all about. "I can't believe you. I only wanted to go because we said we would go together!"

Mike suddenly felt like the Christmas Idiot, the one that's been slapped in the face with the hand of reality. "So... you were going for me?" he asked, slowly speaking the words, unsure of the response. Had he really got the wrong end of the stick?

Alex sighed, "Yes!" her voice threatening to raise a few octaves. "I don't care about the party... I just wanted..." Alex refused to continue as emotions rushed through her, choking her. They were emotions she usually kept at bay and she didn't want them out right now either. Grabbing her coat she quickly pulled it on. "I- uh - I'll be back." she turned, without looking at his face, she left the house.

Mike, confused, watched her leave in stunned silence. He figured she was PMSing because he couldn't figure out why her mood was swinging so much that he couldn't keep track. There had been no indication that that conversation would lead to her leaving the way she did. Mike felt a strong urge to follow her but he knew that she'd left to be alone, she wouldn't appreciate him following her. So he sat down and picked up her wine glass, swallowing it's contents in one big gulp. Looking up he had to laugh for the irony, there was mistletoe hanging from the ceiling.

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TBC

I'm sorry if they seemed OOC, so it may end up being revised because I'm not sure about it myself. Let me know what you think so far.