Author's note: all usual disclaimers apply. Inspired by a recent faux pas with a hotel room key (sleeping in a car is not fun), and a conversation with Tess. It is one story, but split into three chapters to make it easier to format.

Matthew Lynley shook his head as he watched his parents in the backyard of their Belgravia townhouse. "They're at it again," he said to his sister, Emma.

She laughed and handed him a drink. "They do know we don't believe in Santa any more?"

He sipped the single malt. "I don't think so."

Emma turned to her guest. "Sorry, Tim, my parents can be a little quirky."

Tim took her hand as they all stood by the window. "What are they doing?"

"Putting out water for the reindeer."

"Thirsty animals. How many buckets do they have?"

Matthew laughed. "Eight. If you look closely you'll see each bucket has a reindeer's name on it. Rudolph up front then the others. Mum'll lay out carrots soon, next to the buckets."

Tim put his arm around Emma. "That's rather cute. How do they know where each reindeer will be?"

"Oh, Dad has it all worked out. When we were kids he told us he had rung to check with Santa," she said.

Matthew laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, and Dad had us out there with cut-off broomsticks measuring the right distance based on reindeers in harness. Two broomstick lengths between them apparently. The idea is that they pull in, stop at their allotted bucket to drink while Santa came down the chimney and left our sacks. The reindeer were fuelled and ready to go when he came back out."

Tim raised his eyebrows and smiled. "How did he know the direction they'd come from?"

"Good question," Emma said as she snuggled against him. "Knowing Dad he would have said that Santa had to file his flight plan with Scotland Yard so that they knew he wasn't a UFO or something."

Matthew pointed out the window. "Look. There goes Mum with the carrots. They'll come in now and drink Santa's milk and eat the cheap Christmas Cake Mum buys every year just for Santa."

Tim wrapped his arms around Emma. "That's so sweet, Em. We should do that with our children."

Matthew was still looking at his parents and smiling. Secretly he admired them for maintaining their tradition. "I think you'd better marry Em before you mention children to Dad. He's very protective of my older sister."

"Oh, and he's not of you future Earl? No, I forgot, you're Mum's favourite."

"Only because I look like Dad when he was young. And he likes you because you look like Mum."

Emma turned to Tim. "They both love us equally, but spoilt brat here gets extra consideration because he's the baby and the heir."

"I do not. What about the money Dad gives above your allowance? He won't give me any, and neither will Mum."

"Because you live at home. You should have followed me to Oxford." Emma turned to Tim. "Dad went there too, but Matt here decided to rebel and go to LSE. I think Mum encouraged him so she could have him at home longer."

"Do you two always bicker like this?"

Matthew smiled then kissed his sister on the cheek. "Yeah, it's sort of a family thing. Hard to explain."

"Matt, we're going to tell Mum and Dad tomorrow, but Tim asked me to marry him earlier tonight, and I said yes."

Matthew shook Tim's hand then hugged his sister. "That's wonderful news."

"I know." Em cuddled back against her fiancé. He smiled then gave her a lengthy kiss. "I don't think I can keep it a secret until lunch time. Mum will guess."

Tim grinned at her. "Why don't we go down and tell them now?"

Matthew followed the happy couple downstairs to the kitchen. His parents were standing by the bench with half-drunk glasses of milk in front of them. He was about to speak when his father fed his mother a piece of cake. She reciprocated then lovingly pushed a lock of grey hair out of her husband's eye. "Merry bloody Christmas, Tommy."

"Merry bloody Christmas, Barbara." His father lifted his mother onto the bench, then kissed her so passionately Matthew had to look away.

"Mum! Dad!" Emma's voice made Matthew turn. His parents also looked up guiltily. His father removed his hand from under his mother's shirt and her hands snapped against her sides, leaving his father's bulging fly half undone.

His mother recovered first and hopped off the bench. "Emma, Matthew, what are you two doing down here? I thought you'd given up on 'lame Christmas traditions' years ago. Hello, Tim. Glad you could come over. How's your mother?"

"Well thanks, Lady Asherton. She sends her regards."

After turning away to adjust his clothing, the elder Lynley came over, kissed his daughter, slapped his son on his back, harder than was necessary, then shook Tim's hand. "I suppose this looks a bit strange, but it's something we have done every year we've been together."

"I think it's wonderful, Lord Asherton. I hope... Emma and I have some news."

Barbara came over and stood beside her husband. He put his arm around her shoulder and they stood, united as always, waiting.

"Mum, Dad... tonight Tim asked me to marry him." She paused waiting for a reaction. Matthew smiled when his parents exchanged a quick glance then continued to look at her. "And I said yes."

"Congratulations!" Tommy said. This time he embraced his daughter then his son-in-law. "I told your mother Tim would propose before New Year."

"You told me? I think you'll find I told you it would happen months ago." She turned to them. "You will finish your Masters first?"

Emma laughed. "I told you she'd say that. Yes, Mum. We won't get married until after September."

"Excellent. Plenty of time to plan. I think it's romantic. Did Emma ever tell you that Tommy proposed to me at Christmas too?"

"I didn't know that," Matthew said.

"Neither did I," Emma said wide-eyed.

"Just goes to show you don't know everything."

"Was it romantic? Tim even went down on bended knee."

"It was romantic, Em." Tommy put his other arm around his wife and gave her a quick kiss. "Should we tell them the story?"

Barbara smiled at him. "Yes, we'd better pull up some stools. Do you like Christmas Cake, Tim?"