I wrote this little Christmas story as a present for my Secret Santa recipient Kriziamars.
Merry Christmas!
Enjoy!
Gail hated Christmas. There were just too many damn shiny happy people going around trying desperately to pretend that their pathetic, miserable, little lives didn't suck. She was having none of it. Another Christmas Eve spent out in the snow, and the slush, and eventually toward dawn, the freezing rain, keeping the mean streets of Toronto safe from the likes of gross, Flasher Santa, and other drunks. When he told her to sit on his lap so he could fulfill her Christmas wishes, she told him he was under arrest and if he didn't put his, uh, toys away it would be the last time he, or anyone else, would get to play with them, as she pointed her taser at his crotch. She had been cold, and wet, and had had her shoes puked on, and Traci had called her a Grinch. She sighed. Other people had families, and kids, and girlfriends. Oliver promised to not to tell anyone that she had volunteered for this stupid double shift, again, so she guessed she couldn't complain, well, not too loudly anyway. When Chloe noticed she was working another holiday, all she did was grumble,"Yeah, it sucks.", and glare with enough intensity that she was left alone.
She was home. Finally home, snug in her own bed with the blankets pulled up over her head, and her thick, dry, wool socks on her feet. She smiled happily to herself as she was finally warm, and the blissful weight of sleep began to descend.
"What the hell!" She awoke with a start as someone jumped on her bed and started bouncing.
"Merry Christmas Gail!" Chloe grabbed her into a bear hug, pinning her arms the instant she sat up.
"Jesus Christ Princess! I just got to sleep." She whined, and struggled to break free.
"Aw come on Gail! It's Christmas morning!" Dov replied with a smile, leaning against her open door frame, before coming in to sit on her bed too.
"What the...?!" She glared menacingly at him, "Does this look like the living room couch to you?"
"You love it!" Chloe chirped, squeezing her tighter.
"No I don't." She grumbled.
"Yes, you do!" Chloe's smile got bigger.
Gail sighed, and sagged. There would be no getting back to sleep now.
"I told you when we became a family that we would open our presents on Christmas morning." Dov smiled somewhat smugly at her.
She was just about to retort when the tantalizing aroma of coffee and freshly baked cinnamon rolls filled her room. Chris was standing in the doorway carrying a fully loaded tray.
"That's right Gail. We're your family now, so shut up and push over!" He said, setting the tray carefully on her lap and handing her a mug as he sat down next to her.
There were five mugs of coffee.
"What is this Chris? Coffee for Santa?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Nope." His smile got bigger.
"Please don't tell me that you've got some badge bunny bimbo stashed in your room that you're..." She began, but the words died on her lips as her eyes drifted to the door.
"Hey."
The room fell away, and there she was, ugly Darth Vader Christmas sweater and all, looking exhausted, slightly rumpled, and more beautiful than Gail remembered.
"What are you doing here?" Gail asked helplessly.
"I heard you were lonely." Holly replied, taking a tentative step forward, "and your friends sent me a plane ticket.", she moved slowly closer, "and I missed you."
"You did?" Was all Gail could manage.
Holly nodded, swallowing audibly around the growing lump in her throat.
"Merry Christmas Gail!" Chloe squealed, bringing Gail back to reality, kissing her on the cheek.
"You guys did this for me?" She looked around at their glowing, expectant faces.
"Yeah." Dov replied with a smile.
"We just want you to be happy." Chris chimed in.
The warm feeling that filled her chest, threatened to explode and leak out of her eyes as she looked around at them all.
She took a deep ragged breath to try to compose herself. "Wow." She breathed out.
Chloe bounced off the bed dragging Dov with her by his sleeve.
Chris kissed her cheek, picked up the tray and started to go.
"Not so fast!" She made a grab for the cinnamon rolls. "And close the door behind you!"
She could hear Chris laughing at her as the door closed leaving her alone with Holly.
"Hey." She said quietly, suddenly shy.
"Hey." Holly replied in an equally hushed tone, sitting down on the edge of Gail's bed.
"You said that already" Gail whispered, leaning in.
"I thought it sounded familiar." Holly murmured before closing the distance between them.
Kissing Holly was everything Gail had been missing with a painful ache. She knew that it was wrong to hope, to expect Holly to come back for her, to want more than just this.
"When did you get here?" Gail asked when they finally broke the kiss, foreheads leaning together.
"Just about an hour ago. I took the red eye." Holly replied.
Gail felt her heart speed up. She was afraid of the answer, but she knew she had to ask. "How long are you staying?"
"Well..."Holly leaned back in kissing her briefly, "that depends..."
"Depends?" Gail leaned back into her pillows, pulling Holly on top of her.
"Uh huh." Holly breathed out., "on how long you want me to stay."
"I've never not wanted you to stay." Gail flipped back her blankets inviting Holly inside.
"Good!" Holly pressed her lips into the crook of Gail's neck as she snuggled closer. "I was hoping you'd say that!"