Sue Thomas had always loved this time of year, the snow, the decorations, the church service, the parties and celebrations and of course not forgetting the presents. Yes she had always loved Christmas she was always surrounded by friends and family, this year however, was different, this year she was alone!

Every Christmas from her childhood was spent surrounded by family, with three brothers, several aunties and uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents the house was always full of people. As she sat on her sofa, the day before Christmas eve, with her faithful companion Levi at her side, she looked at the many photographs that surrounded her and replayed in her mind the Christmas' of the past.

She looked at the first photograph it was of the whole team taken just after the New York trip. She loved her new life in DC she had found not only new friends but an extended family. There were her 3 new brothers, Bobby, a tall Australian who could be a fierce agent and put fear into the hearts of all bad guys, but with a heart of gold, a cheeky grin and sparkly eyes which seemed to have just a bit more sparkle to them whenever he was in the same room as a small, brown haired computer expert.

There was 'D', he used to be an agent like Miles and Bobby, but since Ted had retired to look after his wife Sarah, now that she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he was now team supervisor and all round diamond, someone she knew would be there not only for her but the whole team whenever they needed him. He was the only married member of the team, his wife Donna was considered part of her family just like Lisa and Juliet her brothers wives.

The final male member of her team was a highly educated, quick witted, sarcastic, snappy at times pain in the backside agent called Myles but Sue loved him and would not want him any other way. To say their relationship had always been slightly rocky was a slight understatement especially after he found out that she had read his lips and told Lucy that he was cheating on her and as punishment was determined to make her first few weeks as a new agent as hard as he possibly could, this all changed the day he got shot at during a takedown, she had seen him as his most vulnerable and despite their rocky relationship was there for him when he needed her, though never in a million years would he admit that to the team , now they were as close as his personality would allow him to be.

She had not only gained three brothers in DC but also something she had always wanted sisters, as much as she loved her brothers, she knew that a sister would give her something she would never be without, someone to shop with, gossip with, pig-out on chocolate and ice-cream in front of chick flicks with and attend Spa sessions with. She never thought that arriving in DC she would get her wish in a double dose.

Lucy, team rotor, dark skin, dark eyes and a heart as big as her daddy's according to her grandmother Alice, and was not only her roommate, lift to work some mornings and agony aunt but also one of her best female friends, not to mention cushion when she bashed into her after learning that she had just yelled at an agent and not personnel. Lucy was there for her right from the start; they spent time together before she had even joined the team, sure their relationship had a few rough days at the start but dealing with cheating boyfriends and housing arrangements is nothing that "true friends and complete honesty" couldn't fix. Lucy was also the team matchmaker and Sue was her favourite project, she was determined to do everything she could to make Jack and Sue realise that they were meant for each other, even if they couldn't see it themselves.

Finally there was Tara, small, light brown haired computer genius, there was nothing she couldn't do, if you needed an address of a suspect, a computer programme explained, video enhanced then Tara was the girl for you. Everyone loved Tara; she had a heart of gold and spent many weekends serving hot meals to homeless people at her local homeless centre, something that only Sue and Lucy knew about. Tara was someone, like Sue looking for love, and like Sue had found it, right under her nose where he had been for the past seven years, a tall Australian by the name of Bobby Manning, but unlike Sue, Tara had plucked up the courage to tell her of her feelings during an undercover operation in Vegas, Bobby feeling the same way had resulted in them dating for the past six months.

The last person in the photograph needed no introduction, dark hair, chocolate eyes that could easily get him both in and out of trouble, her training agent and without a doubt the only man she could ever see herself with and loving Special Agent Jack Hudson. Their relationship was different, she loved him in a different way, it was not brotherly love like Miles, Bobby and D, it wasn't sisterly love like Lucy and Tara, it was different, it was proper love, makes your heart beat faster, sparks flying love, the kind of love that would make Cinderella and Prince Charming look like an advert for divorce love, but he was her training agent, there was no way she was going to risk that, because the thought of not being able to spend most of her day with him made her heart do flips of another kind, so she kept their relationship professional even though it was killing her slowly inside but not as much as the thought of him rejecting her did.

Sue thought of her first Christmas with the team they were chasing a bank robber dressed as Santa, at least he was festive, Sue thought. It was also the Christmas that Jack had given her one of her most treasured possessions and it just happened to be the same thing she had given him a hockey jersey, an item she would wear to bed every night and wash and dry every morning just to feel close to the man she loved. She remembered the Christmas party she and Lucy threw, well that was the plan, but as per usual her mother had to interfere and even though she was angry the help had been gratefully received.

Sue would have loved nothing better than to see her parents or co-workers walk through her door, but her parents had decided to treat themselves to a Caribbean cruise this year to coincide with their 40th wedding anniversary, Bobby had taken Tara on a romantic holiday to Australia to meet his parents and sisters, Miles was spending another Christmas at the Cape and 'D' was at Donna's parents home in New Jersey.