Hello people of the world of Fanfiction, and welcome to the Christmas special for Coming Home!

If you have read my profile, then you know that I am continuing my Coming Home Universe. Not all of the stories will be of reunions, like the valentines special I have in the works. Soon I will have something out there explaining the gist of the universe.

In the meantime, this holiday special was inspired by the song "The Christmas Tree" by Pine Cove worship. It is on their Christmas album, Winter Nights. I have not been able to find it on Youtube, so you might need to download the song.

I do not own Ninjago or any of its characters. I only own Bri and Mei Lin.

Coming Home: The Christmas Tree

"Tell me again WHY you have to miss Christmas?"

"Because I'm not due back another 5 weeks. Come on, sweetheart, we discussed this."

"I know. But it just isn't the same, not without you."

"I know. But you'll pull through. I know you can."

Sabrina nodded, bringing her attention back to her computer, where her Sargent husband was talking to her from Afghanistan.

"So, what are your plans?" Cole asked after a moment of quiet.

"Not much. Probably gonna stay home and watch Christmas specials."

"What? You could visit your parents, or my sister, or anything! And you are staying home. Do you even have a tree?"

"You know my mom hates me, your sister is way to intimate with her fiancé, and everyone else is too far away. As for the tree," she moved her screen to the mantle, towards the tiny plastic tree, "that's the best I got."

"Bri, honey, I know you don't like the fact that I'm gone, but you have to let it go. This will happen a lot."

Bri knew he was right; ever since he joined the army, he's been deployed for months at a time. He's missed some holidays, but never Christmas. Sadly, he couldn't escape it this time.

"Alright. But you better be home for valentines day."

"Don't worry. I've requested some time off when I get back. Maybe we can even start the family we have wanted." He gave her one of his signature smug smirks.
Bri laughed. God, she missed him.

"I gotta go. I love you."

"I love you too."

And then he was gone. She closed her laptop, contemplating on what he said.

'Maybe we can even start the family we have always wanted.'

Boy was he in for a surprise.

Bri was surprised that her store wasn't packed with people, especially since the 'last minute gift shopping day', as she called it, was just around the corner. Still, she couldn't close up; it would be bad if people did come.

She heard the door open. She quickly adjusted her Santa hat.

"Welcome to Hallmark, how may I- oh, it's you." She looked up and saw Mei Lin.

"And a merry Christmas to you, too."

Bri rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law.

"Not very packed today, are we? I can do my shift later if you want." Mei Lin was about to leave when she noticed Bri's mood.

"Or I can stay and talk. Looks like you need it."

"YES!" Bri almost shouted. "I mean, sure, fine. If you want."

Mei Lin laughed and grabbed her Santa hat, then went behind the counter with Bri.

"Is this about my brother again?" Bri nodded. "Bri, you gotta understand that this is part of your life now. Cole joined the army to protect. And protection comes sacrifice. And sometimes you have to sacrifice something you don't want to sacrifice, but it will all be worth it in the end."

"Did Lloyd say that?" Bri smirked.

"Yes. He told me that when he got his next deployment date."

"And what day is that?"

"February 1st." Bri's eyes widened. "Yep. No big valentines day wedding for us. But you know what? I love him enough to know that I don't need a big fairy tale wedding as long as I'm married to him."

Bri nodded.

"Have you told Cole about IT yet?" Mei Lin asked. Bri shook her head. "When are you gonna tell him? You're gonna start to show eventually."

"I was planning for it to be his Christmas gift. Knowing that his family has already been started."

"Well you better tell him eventually."

"I know. But this Christmas has been depressing."

"Tell you what; Lloyd and I don't have any plans tonight. How about we visit you?"

"Only if you promise you won't make out on my couch."

"Cross my heart." They both laughed and hugged.

After things started getting busy, Mei Lin went off to the side to make an important call.

"Have you found the one yet?"

"Yes. It's perfect. So we are go for tonight's plan then?"

"Yep. This is one Christmas Bri won't forget."

Sabrina was looking through the papers her doctor gave her. She couldn't believe how fast these three months have gone by. Soon Cole would be home and everything would be perfect.

When a knock on her door indicated company, she got up and answered.

It was Lloyd and Mei Lin, as expected. What was unexpected was that they had boxes of what appeared to be holiday decorations.

"Uh, what is this?"

"We thought you could use a little holiday cheer." Mei Lin started.

"More like she thought." Lloyd clarified.

"Um, you guys didn't have to do this." Bri told the couple, slightly mortified.

"Please, and let you spend Christmas depressed? Of course we had to."

So, for the better half of the evening, Mei Lin, Lloyd, and Sabrina decorated the house for Christmas. By the time they ran out of decorations, the entire house looked and felt like Christmas. Well, almost all of it.

"Bri, why didn't you get a real tree?" Mei Lin observed the tiny plastic thing on her mantle. "This is just sad."

"I was planning on it being just me this year. It's too late for me to get a real one, isn't it?"

"Nope."

As if to help prove that, the doorbell rang, and when Lloyd answered it, there was a good sized tree with a man behind it.

"Tree delivery for Sabrina Brookstone."

Bri walked up to the door.

"Tree delivery? That's a thing?"

"It is now." The man told her, not revealing himself yet. "There's a card." He handed Bri a small note. It read:

No matter where I am this holiday season, I am always with you. Merry Christmas, Bri. -Sargent Cole Brookstone

Bri held the letter close while the others were cooing at the contents.

"Oh Cole, I wish you were here, now."

The guy brought the tree all the way in, revealing himself. Bri looked up to see her husband right there, a giant smirk on his face.

A second later, she was in his arms, crying her eyes out. He tilted her head up and kissed the tears away, not caring that his sister was there.
So, the four adults spent the rest of the night decorating the tree.

Later, after Lloyd and Mei Lin went home, Bri and Cole decided to take advantage of their moment to themselves.

"So you get to stay?" Bri asked after they broke from a really passionate kiss.

"Yep. No assignments for over a year. However, if I do wanna get promoted, I do need to step up my game when I get back." Bri pouted. "Hey, I'm here now. And we can start that family." He leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him midway.

"About that. I'll be right back." She left the couch in the living room to grab something out of the bedroom. She came back with a DVD labeled 'Brookstone.'
"I was saving this for Christmas, but seeing that your here, I think it's about time." She popped the disc into the DVD player and turned the TV on. What started playing shocked the soldier.

"Is that...?" Cole whispered after a while.

"Yeah. We're gonna have a child. I'm three months along."

"Bri, that's amazing!" Cole wrapped his arms tight around his wife, kissing her passionately.

"I love you, Cole."

"I love you too, Bri."

And done!

So if you want a clear glimpse of how much earlier in the timeline this is, Lia is 17 in the other story, and this story is when Bri is pregnant with her.

So, like I said, the entire universe explanation will be on my profile as soon as this is posted.

Til the next story, this is Gold Medal Ninja.