Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for Lindsay's family. The chapter titles (which I'm sure everyone recognises) are obviously not mine either but titles of famous Christmas songs. The lyrics I've used are from one of my favourite songs from last year "One Word" by Anouk.

Spoilers: None

AN1: I've been struggling with this story for a long time. I wanted to make a follow up for my previous story "This one night", I wanted to write a song based fic and I really loved to write a Christmas fairy tale. And somehow it got all mixed up in my head. My muse has kept me up quite a few nights debating this story. We finally agreed on this version. It's sweet and it's sad and I hope you like it as much as I do.

AN2: Txs to all the glitters for pointing out my mistake. I've corrected it.

I don't want to ruin this story with many AN's so I'm only asking once:

Please read and review (even though the story is completed it's still much appreciated). Thank you!

Grandma's Angel

Chapter one

Driving home for Christmas

I close my eyes

And imagine you're here

Did it all seem so hopeless?

Given the chance

I would ask

Forgive me

Only a couple of hours left before she was home. She smiled when she realised she was calling New York home now. But it was home; her job was there, her small –but lovely- apartment was there and most important…Danny was there.

It was the day before Christmas and she had to drive all the way from Washington. Due to extensive snowfall all the airports in New York were closed and her flight from Bozeman was rerouted. The roads were becoming icier every mile. The wheels of her rental car had lost grip quite a few times already, but she had to get home, she had to tell him that everything was going to be alright; that things had not been as worse as she had anticipated. And what would be a better moment to tell him than Christmas Eve. Hopefully he could find it in his heart to forgive her for leaving.

She was really tired. And while staring through her windshield at the hypnotising combination of falling snowflakes and the lights of other cars her mind wandered of again.

I didn't do a thing to make you stay

I didn't say a word to make you stay

If I would have known

Could I have tried to make it easier?

But I didn't do a thing

Or say a word

One word

She was gone. He stared out of their office window; looking at the lights of the city, but not really seeing them. She was gone. He knew it was true and he knew there was nothing he could do about it anymore, but on a day like today just thinking about it hurt him so much; if he had only done something to stop her from going…

It was Christmas Eve and the world outside was as white as it had been on that morning when he had said goodbye to her. That wonderful morning after that precious night they had spent together; the memories of that night still brought a smile to his lips.

It had been two weeks before Christmas and he was glad that he had decided to go to her that evening. They had made love by the twinkling lights of her Christmas tree almost the entire night. It had been the most magical experience he had ever had. Every touch, every sigh and every unspoken word had made the night seem even more enchanted.

When she had finally fallen asleep he had held her tight, wishing that night could last forever, never wanting to let her go. But he knew he had to. She had to face the demons that were haunting her, that were keeping them apart. And when she had awoken he had kept his earlier promise not to talk about what was bothering her. Instead they had talked about their Christmas memories.

He had told her stories about the Christmases with his family. Too many people together in a small Staten Island apartment, children running around all excited, the smell of all kinds of food, so much love all around. And he and Louie sneaking of to the living room late at night to check if Santa had already put the gifts under the tree. They were caught by their uncle who had furiously chased them back to their bunk bed. When he had talked about his brother, who was still in a coma, she had hugged him; told him that Louie would be fine, that he had to keep faith.

When it had been her turn to talk about her childhood Christmas memories she had pulled out a white box from under the bed. He could still recall the serene smile on her face when she had opened the lid. When he had looked inside he had seen a number of Christmas decorations in various colours and shapes with on top the most beautiful Christmas angel ever. She had carefully touched each item and had told him the story behind it.

The decorations had been her grandmother's. Since she and Lindsay had always been very close, she had given them to her right before she died and Lindsay had promised her to keep the tradition to wait till Christmas Eve before putting them in a tree.

He had seen the tears fill her eyes when she realised she did not even know where she would be on the day before Christmas, she did not know how long it would take her to work out her problems, when she would be back. And before he had realised what he was doing he had promised her to do the decorating for her.

That memory brought him back to the present. It was almost 10 PM and he had to hurry. He was going to be working on Christmas day and had decided to put a small tree up in their office. The file cabinet in front of the window he was looking out of was the perfect place for the tree. After he put it up there he carefully opened the box she had handed him right before they had went their separate ways and took out the Christmas lights first.

He had finally managed to unravel the string of lights and was just about to put them up in the tree when a sudden sensation of being watched made him turn to look in to the dark hallway.