AN: Wanted to write something Christmas-y for a friend and she enjoys Cophine in Orphan Black, so this happened. It was originally supposed to be much different from how it turned out, but sometimes the words take you from your original path, I guess.

Kira

Auntie Alison's house—always perfectly spotless and decorated—is even more so this time of year. Lights of red, blue, and green flicker throughout the house, glinting off the silver and gold garland stretching from wall to wall. The lights bounce off the silver tinsel dripping from the cotton-candy colored tree—the one Auntie Alison insisted on despite Uncle Felix's protests—and they paint the living room in a warm glow while soft music drifts from the speakers placed strategically on the ceiling. Next to the artificial tree, Kira sits with Oscar and Gemma. Presents fill their laps, little gifts they've wrapped with tiny hands for one another and have been waiting to give for a month now.

Kira passes Gemma two gifts, each wrapped in bright blue paper that crinkles at the touch, and gives Oscar two boxes wrapped in light green. In return, they each give her one. Both gifts are expertly wrapped in shiny gold and tied with a silver ribbon. She suspects their mom helped, so she delicately removes the paper to preserve the hard work. Oscar and Gemma do the same with theirs, even if the gifts aren't as neatly wrapped.

After the unwrapping, she gives the other children a hug in thanks. The red and green mittens from Oscar are sloppily knitted and awkward on her hands, but they keep her warmer than any other pair she has owned. Gemma's scrapbook is not as neat as the ones Alison has made over the years, but the pictures of their families together pasted on the pages spark a warmth in Kira's chest similar to the warmth covering her hands.

She never thought she needed cousins.

Now she can't imagine her life without them.

After the three of them break apart with wide smiles on their faces, they tear through the house together and dodge around the chatting adults, their peals of laughter joining the soft music wafting from the speakers. It isn't long before their game of tag turns into a game of hide and seek. To her disappointment, Kira loses the deciding game of eeny-meeny-miny-mo and ends up being the first seeker. While she stands in the kitchen corner and loudly counts to thirty, Gemma and Oscar's giggles gradually fade away as they find a space to hide. Once Kira reaches thirty, she turns around, only to startle at the sight of her Aunt Helena standing behind her, a pile of sugar cookies in her hand and a half-eaten one between her teeth. Her blonde curls shine under the white Christmas lights in the kitchen, giving her an angelic aura.

She chews the last of the sugar cookie in her mouth and swallows.

"This game you are playing… it is hide and seek, yes?"

Kira nods. Then she sees the question in Helena's face; the one she is too shy to ask, so Kira asks for her. "Do you want to play with us?"

Helena seems taken aback by the question and it takes a moment before she says, "I would like that very much, little Kira."

Kira takes Helena's hand in hers. Helena gives her one of her many sugar cookies. And just like that, the shyness is gone and the two of them begin their search for Oscar and Gemma.

Alison

Everything is perfect, Alison thinks.

She just watched the kids open their gifts for one another without destroying the wrapping paper and their laughter is sweeter than the Christmas music playing from their stereo. Donnie has his arm draped over her shoulder and while she would have shuddered at his touch a year ago, he's finally becoming the person she fell in love with in high school, so now she welcomes the embrace. While they chat with Sarah, Cosima, and Delphine, they both sip on sparkling grape juice. Her stint in rehab may have been forced, but it made her think about her decisions and her coping methods. She's trying to get better. He's being supportive. Everything is perfect.

Everything is perfect until it isn't.

Everything is perfect until a bluesy Christmas song streams from the speakers, wrapping around Alison and weighing down on her shoulders. Everything is perfect until a woman croons about blue Christmases without the one she loves. Everything is perfect until her thoughts turn towards the woman who should be with them, sharing in the warmth and love of family, but isn't.

As the song plays in the background, Alison gradually withdraws from the conversation and Donnie has to pick up the slack as the host of the Christmas party. Finally, she excuses herself so she can escape to the kitchen. She passes Helena and Kira on their way out, which gives her the space she needs to wallow for a moment.

Despite leaving the living room, she can still hear the song haunting her and she curses herself for getting the surround sound speakers. She had been doing so well this year, not thinking about the one she lost, but the lyrics forced the thoughts to the forefront of her mind and it's all she can do to keep herself from opening a bottle of wine and partaking in the only thing that used to keep her thoughts clear.

She doesn't hear Sarah follow her into the kitchen, so when the other woman places a comforting hand on her shoulder, she jumps and whirls around, hand drawn back to defend herself. However, she sees Sarah flinch and she's able to stop herself from following through. Relief flickers across Sarah's face, reminding Alison of the past life her friend—sister—whatever Sarah is—has escaped from, and she immediately regrets her almost-actions.

"A bit jumpy, yeah?"

"I wasn't expecting anyone to follow me in here," Alison says, her voice tight. She clears her throat, hoping to ease some of the tension there, but it isn't much help. "I was just getting more snacks."

"Right," Sarah drawls, and they both know Alison's been caught in her lie. "Well, I just wanted to check on you. You got a bit quiet on us out there."

"Yes, well, like I said, I was only getting more snacks," she says. "I'm fine."

"If you say so," Sarah says, her voice colored with disbelief. She starts to leave, but as she reaches the doorway, she turns back around. "Alison?"

"I told you I'm fine, Sarah."

"I know," she says, "but you know it's okay to not be fine, right? You're allowed to miss her."

There's a moment when Alison doesn't respond as she grapples with her conflicting emotions. It feels wrong to be thinking about how much she misses the woman she lost while she and Donnie have become close again. It feels like cheating, but how can it be cheating if the woman is long dead? And Sarah says it's okay to miss her. While she would have mistrusted the other woman's sense of morality when they first met, she now feels a weight lift off her shoulders.

"Thank you," she says, but Sarah is already gone, leaving Alison to remember Beth in peace. Only this time, she feels less guilty. This time, she feels like remembering Beth is a way to share the holiday with the dead woman. She's not a superstitious person—paranoid, yes—but the thought makes her feel better.

And for a moment, everything is perfect again, even if it isn't.

Cosima

When Sarah returns from the kitchen, Cosima shares a look of understanding with her. She doesn't have to ask to know why Alison excused herself. When Delphine looks at her for an explanation though, she shakes her head. This isn't a conversation to have around Donnie. Delphine searches her eyes for a moment before giving the slightest of nods and wrapping her arm around Cosima's waist. Cosima lets the taller woman pull her closer and revels in the touch. Their conversation with Sarah and Donnie picks up where it left off and when Alison joins them again, the sadness Cosima could feel emanating from her before has fled.

Their chatter fills the air once more, but it becomes harder and harder for Cosima to follow the conversation. She may have beaten the illness that had gripped her lungs and stole her breath, but the battle had been long and had long-lasting effects. Now she found herself easily fatigued whereas before she could stay up into the early morning hours before feeling the pull of sleep. Without meaning to, she starts to lean more of her weight against Delphine's side. Her girlfriend must realize how tired she is because the next thing she says is a goodnight to Sarah, Alison, and Donnie before leading the sleepy Cosima to the staircase that goes down to the basement.

"We could have talked more. I'm not that tired."

"Oui, mon chiot, I think you are," Delphine says with a laugh as Cosima tries to stifle a yawn. "You would have been sleeping standing up if we stayed any longer."

"And you would have been there holding me up, so I don't see the problem."

Delphine chuckles and shakes her head. "Cosima, they understand. You do not have to be Superwoman for them."

But maybe she wants to be Superwoman for herself for once, she thinks, but she doesn't let the thought go any further.

When they approach the foot of the stairs, the sound of a hockey game reaches Cosima's ears and the bright white ice of a rink can be seen on the big screen TV in the basement. Tony and Felix share the couch, a six-pack between them. Tony has one of the bottles against his lips while Felix nurses his, too absorbed in the game to take a drink. His eyes are narrowed and Cosima can see the concentration on his face.

"How do you follow the puck in this game? I can't even see the bloody thing," Felix says and Tony laughs.

"You're trying too hard, man. Stop focusing on little pieces of the screen and take in the big picture," he replies. He takes another swig from his bottle, only to spit it out a second later to yell at the television. "Hooking! That was hooking! If you're gonna call for one team, you gotta call for 'em both!"

Felix stares at Tony for a moment before he says, "You do realize they can't hear you, right?"

"Boys," Delphine says in her sweet voice, drawing their attention away from the game, "We would like to use the basement now, if it isn't too much trouble."

Felix looks back at the television and sighs because he could have sworn he was just getting the hang of watching the game. Still, he stands up and smooths out the wrinkles in his clothes.

"Better Alison's basement than my bed, I suppose," he says before he turns off the TV.

Tony picks up the six-pack from the floor and follows Felix to the staircase. He winks at Delphine and Cosima before taking the stairs two at a time. Felix shakes his head and wishes the both of them a goodnight.

Once they're gone, Cosima gently leads Delphine to the couch. Despite her earlier words, the fatigue has seeped into her bones and she actually would like to at least lie down. However, there's something else she wants to do first. She fumbles in her pockets and Delphine watches her curiously. When she pulls out a tuft of mistletoe, the French woman laughs.

"And what did you plan to do with this, mon amour?"

"This."

Cosima stands on the tips of her toes and tries to hold the mistletoe up over their heads. She's too short to get it comfortably above the both of them though, so Delphine gently takes it in her hands and holds it up above them.

"It seems we have been trapped beneath the mistletoe."

"It looks that way," Cosima says, smiling. "What do you plan to do about it, Doctor Cormier?"

"Tradition dictates that I kiss you, so I suppose that's what I'll do."

"Very sound logic," she says in a serious voice. "I guess I'll have to let you. For tradition, of course."

"For tradition," Delphine repeats. She leans forward and places a tender kiss on Cosima's lips. When she pulls away, Cosima's eyes are closed, but there's a content expression on her face. Before she can open her eyes, Delphine's lips are on hers again and her free hand is pressed against Cosima's cheek. They break apart once more and Delphine says, "I may have done it for more than tradition's sake."

"Doctor Cormier," Cosima says in a scandalized voice, only to laugh seconds later.

She never thought she would have a sweetheart on Christmas. She used to tell herself she didn't really care, but as she sits on the couch with Delphine, their fingers intertwined, she realizes the strange ache she used to get during the holidays is absent. She knows it isn't just Delphine's doing—her newly-found sisters have filled up much of that gap she used to have. With any luck, she won't be feeling that ache for many holidays to come. That realization is enough to make her smile widen as she leans her head against Delphine's shoulder and relaxes against her side.

It had shaped up to be a very merry Christmas Eve for her.

Sarah

With Cosima gone, the late hour makes itself known to Sarah. The same thought seems to come to Alison at the same time and the two of them go off in search of their missing children to get them settled in for the night. She doubts the kids will be able to sleep at all with so much anticipation thrumming through their bodies at the thought of the next morning. Still, midnight is a bit too late for the kids to be up, even by her standards.

They find Gemma and Oscar first. The two of them are searching the den for Kira, but have had no luck so far. They try to convince their mother to let them find the missing girl before they go to bed, but Oscar yawns and Sarah knows he doesn't have much left in him. Alison knows it, too, so she shakes her head and leads her two kids out of the den so she can put them to bed.

"Now Kira's gonna think she's the queen at hide and seek," Gemma says.

"You can all have a rematch tomorrow," Alison promises her as they leave.

Sarah continues her search for Kira alone while Alison gets her children settled upstairs. She finds her in the kitchen, sitting at the table and sharing a pile of sugar cookies with Helena, who also has a candy cane dangling from her purple lips. A glass of milk is in the middle of the table and they take turns dunking their cookies.

Now Sarah is certain her daughter won't be sleeping tonight.

"You plan on savin' any cookies for the rest of us, Monkey?"

Kira and Helena both look over from the half-eaten plate of treats and both have a guilty expression on their face. While Kira gives her an apologetic smile, however, Helena appears to shrink in on herself, as if making herself smaller will defend her against any punishment Sarah may decide on.

Sarah's stomach twists at the sight.

"Don't worry about it, yeah? Alison can make more tomorrow."

The tension visibly leaves Helena's body as she reaches for another cookie.

"Do you want one, Sestra?" Helena asks around a mouthful of cookie and candy cane.

Sarah shakes her head. "Nah. Too sweet for me," she says. Helena shrugs and takes another. "I do need to take your partner in crime here, though," she adds as she approaches the duo. "It's gettin' late and Kira needs to get to bed before—"

"Before Santa Claus comes. Right, mom?"

Sarah blinks.

Kira has never believed in Santa Claus and that's mostly her own fault, so to hear her speak like she still believes in him is jarring, to say the least. But Helena's eyes widen and she pulls the candy cane out of her mouth, as if the moment is too serious for her to be munching on the candy.

"Oh, you are right, little Kira. Santa does not come to little girls who stay up too late, even if they have been good all year," she says. "You must go and sleep before his reindeer feet tip-tap on the roof."

Suddenly, Sarah understands. She knows Kira doesn't believe in Santa, but it seems her daughter wants to pretend she does for Helena's sake. Sarah can play along as well, if it gives her sister a moment of joy she must have been robbed of as a child.

"You heard your Aunt Helena, Monkey," she says, and Helena's face lights up at the title of 'Aunt' before her name. "Up to bed now or there'll be nothing but coal for you in the morning."

Kira hops off the chair and hurries to Helena's side of the table. She wraps the older woman in a tight hug, who easily returns it. It's a vast improvement from the first few times they would hug, when Helena was awkward and hesitant. Kira gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, then repeats the process with Sarah, who has to bend down so her daughter can reach her cheek.

"I'll be up to tuck you in soon," she whispers to Kira, who nods in response before leaving Sarah alone in the kitchen with Helena. She rubs the back of her head, searching for the words she wants to say. She knows Helena has had a rough time of it. This is probably the nicest Christmas Eve she has had in a long time. Still, Sarah has always had trouble knowing what to say when it comes to her sister, so she doesn't say anything at all. Instead, she leads her to the living room once more, which has been left in the dark since everyone else has gone up to bed. She flicks on a dim light and guides Helena to the couch.

"Wait here," she says before she goes to the pink tree and rummages through the wrapped gifts. She pulls out a box wrapped sloppily in white and red paper and covered in several strips of tape. She isn't like Alison; wrapping is not one of her skills. Helena doesn't seem to mind the poor wrapping when Sarah sets it in her lap though, and that's all that matters.

Her sister looks at her as if she's asking for permission. When Sarah nods, she tears into the wrapping paper, ripping it from the box to get at the prize inside. Shreds of white and red float to the floor and Helena is left staring at the box in her lap. She gives Sarah another nervous look and Sarah nods again. This time, Helena gently eases the flaps of the box open and a wide smile lights up her face as she pulls out a stuffed lion.

"He's got a messy mane just like yours," Sarah explains, suddenly self-conscious about the gift. "And he can protect you from those nasty dreams you get."

Helena nods and hugs the lion close to her chest. "He is very good and fierce warrior," she says. Then, in a quieter voice, she adds, "Thank you, Sestra."

"You're welcome, Helena," Sarah says. "Merry Christmas. Now get some sleep. The kids will probably be up early tomorrow."

"Merry Christmas," Helena repeats as she curls up on the couch.

Sarah goes to the living room closet to retrieve one of Alison's spare blankets and pillows. When she returns to the couch, Helena is stroking the lion's fake mane. She almost rolls her eyes at the sight, but her sister is happy, so she smiles instead. After she lays the blanket over Helena and gives her the pillow, she starts to go upstairs to tuck her daughter in, but Helena's hand takes hers and makes Sarah turn around.

"Thank you, Sestra."

And Sarah knows she's thanking her for more than just the lion this time.