Stockings of Time

Things were hard this year since the EMP knocked out the electricity. Most people didn't have much and did what they could to stay warm with the coming winter. As Sari stood outside the house that had become hers through her mother's death, she could tell that the winter was going to be a cold one. She could feel it in the air and she got the feeling that mundane things like weather patterns changed with little events like nuclear blasts. Sari kept her hands in her pockets as she looked around. With any luck, if it could be considered luck, it would snow.

Christmas always held some sort of mixed trepidation for her. Paul only participated because of the potential for being seen in a good light during the holiday season. Her mother always tried to make it special and for Ryan… it was always a joy to watch her open her gifts. A few times it made Sari feel bad that her sister preferred her gifts than the ones her parents gave and that never sat well with Paul anyway. This year though it would be better.

"Hey, you ready to go?"

Sari turned to see Jake looking like an Eskimo bundled up. She chuckled, knowing that she didn't look that much different. "Another day and another patrol, right?" She turned to pick up her rifle.

Jake chuckled as he shouldered his rifle. As soon as his dad sanctioned the Rangers, she had been the first to join. She took patrols like a trooper and offered hints as to how to convey orders and the like. Aside from him, the Rangers looked to her for direction. "Come on, princess."

They were walking through the outskirts of Jericho. It was the perfect chance to talk about the last five years. Jake looked at Sari as she held her weapon like a soldier would. She had done a lot while he was away. "Old habits die hard I guess."

Sari glanced at Jake and smiled, "They usually do. The scenery is different but the feeling is the same."

"Do you miss it? The whole Navy thing?"

"Yes and no." Sari paused a moment to survey the landscape. Nothing had been sighted previously and with the weather being cold and getting colder… still it was better to be the one on the alert. "I loved my crew, JJ and some perks of the job were rewarding. Other things I would rather forget. The nature of being on tour."

Jake nodded in agreement. He could relate. "I drove a truck but you know that… and you know where I served. I wasn't bluffing in Rogue River."

"I know," Sari replied as she adjusted her rifle. "Even though you were trying to save our asses from an itchy trigger finger, you don't lie about things like that." She looked at the near dead and frozen landscape. She chuckled a little.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh just thinking about the last time we were out here. It was Christmas and you actually got a new rifle."

Jake looked at the landscape and the memory came back. He started laughing. "Grandpa gave that to me. He said…"

"'You need a better rifle than that BB gun you've been messing with,'" Sari replied as she imitated E.J. Green. She made a slight imitation to his movements and her pantomime caused Jake to start to laugh even harder.

"I remember," Jake replied in between bouts of laughter. That had been the Christmas before he left. That had been one of the most funniest moments in his life. He didn't think so at the time but it had been one of the few memories that stuck with him. "You were a better shot than me."

"Only because I kept it tight in the shoulder and squeezed," Sari replied laughing with Jake. "Not my fault you didn't follow your own rules."

"But I did get some compensation."

"Yeah the worst pot of coffee ever," Sari replied bringing up the old joke. "Actually I take that back. Yours was not even close."

Jake knew she was teasing and he couldn't help it. He started chasing her and she took off. It was halfhearted since they were laughing and they had finished their patrol. They managed to run all the way back to town and were quite warm from the exertion. Jake felt the slight twitching in his leg but he ignored it since he was having too much of a good time.

Sari had hidden since she was far enough ahead. It had snowed the night before and there was fresh snow to supplement what had already fallen. She grabbed a handful and was smoothing it out just as she saw Heather walking down the street. She motioned for her to be quiet and come to her hiding spot.

Heather indulged and seeing the target, she made her own snowball. She looked to Sari who gave the signal. On three they came out and hit Jake with the snow. Heather's was a good body shot but Sari's hit him right on the head.

Jake knew who gave the head shot and she was laughing at him, "Beat that JJ."

"It's on," he replied and started picking up snow and throwing it at Sari and Heather. It was a snow war.

Sari and Heather ducked and retaliated. They knew that they were being like children but it was fun and it eased the unspoken tensions of surviving the winter and the like. Sari protected Heather and they tag teamed against Jake while he charged at them. It was when Sari slipped a bit that Jake was able to catch her around the waist and whirl her around. They both fell on the ground.

Sari tried to scamper away but Jake managed to put snow down the back of her jacket. It was funny to watch her dance a little but he got his just desserts when she pushed him and by coincidence, some snow fell off the nearby tree and landed on him. Of course Jake decided to tease her a little and didn't move.

Sari for her part thought he was hurt. Heather thought the same too and came over while Sari dug Jake out of the snow. When Sari heard his laughter, she cleared of the snow and slapped his chest, "You…"

The scuffle had them all on the ground and out of breath from laughing. They didn't stay there long since they could feel the dampness starting to come in. Heather was up first and claimed she needed to go somewhere. That left Jake and Sari to shake the snow off and walk towards the familiar street that home lay.

"Admit it, I won."

"Are you thirty-two going on five?" Sari laughed as she said it. "Just for that, you can explain to your mother that only Ryan is coming tonight."

"You really want to put me through that?" Jake gave a slight begging look.

"You've always been on the naughty list," Sari teased. "Punishment must fit the crime." She laughed some more before sobering up enough, "You know I wouldn't miss Christmas dinner. Ryan would throw a fit if I missed it."

"That's the only reason?" Jake looked at Sari as she paused outside the gate to her house. It was strange calling it hers.

Sari looked at the ground a bit before looking at Jake. What was she to say to that? It was good being home and being with Jake was like they had never left but things were different. It wasn't the bombs falling; it had to do with the fact that they both grew up and had their responsibilities. She wasn't sure how that would work since she had looked out for herself the last five years. Now she had Ryan. She replied, "I missed your mother's cooking."

Jake knew that it was a cover answer. He had hoped it was because she wanted to come and be with them; be with him like they used to. She was the only one who truly stood up for him during those rough patches and seemed to understand him. "I thought you hated Mom's cooking."

"I only say that to tease her." Sari sighed as she looked down a moment to think. She then looked up and said, "I'll be there, JJ."

She left him on the sidewalk as she went into the house. Jake waited until she was inside before leaving. He gave a slight sigh as he continued the walk to his house and his mother's scolding about being wet.

~0~0~

"That was a good dish of mashed black eyed peas," Sari said as she helped to clear the Green table.

"Don't you start on your food jokes," Gail warned with a teasing finger.

"Actually I find them kind of funny especially that fiasco with the brownies for the children's bake sale," Johnston said as he sat down on the living room chair that was pretty much the 'throne'. He smiled at his wife knowing that she would remember that. "They were a little salty."

"Not to mention some were a little too gooey," Ryan piped up from her spot on the floor.

There was laughter all around and a slight chuckle from Sari and Jake who hadn't been around for that but it was funny all the same. Gail gave a slight look and said, "When you're finished we can move along to the gifts."

That turned out to be an interesting round of gift giving. Sari always knew that the Greens were practical people and given the state of things, that didn't change. She chuckled at the mittens that Gail had given her since she was sure that they had come from an old sweater of Jake's from when he was younger. Eric managed to give her back the meteorite that they had forgotten about and it had been sitting in a place of honor in town hall.

Gail looked at Sari to see if she had anything to give to anyone. She had been concerned that the girl had been unusually quiet. She knew that it hadn't always been like this for her and she wondered if it was just remembering or something like that. It was a relief when Sari sat up from her spot and picked up the bag she brought.

Sari was a little embarrassed but she was sure that it would be okay. She couldn't help but make a slight face. "Well since everyone knows that I am not good with the whole arts and crafts thing…"

"Liar," Jake coughed.

Sari shot him a look before continuing, "I did manage this." She pulled out a bunch of… "Socks."

They weren't the kind to buy in the store. They had been painstakingly knitted and they were all done for everyone in the house. The surprise was that there was something else in the socks. Mostly they were gag gifts in her usual fashion but brought on by something that they had shared in the past or how she formed her opinion of them if she hadn't met them before.

Everyone received a pair except Jake and he teased her, "Ran out?"

"Something like that," Sari replied. It wasn't the truth really. She had something for him; she just wasn't sure about giving it to him.

Jake for his part let it pass since the greatest gift he ever had was her coming back and being there as his back up. The rest of the evening was spent talking and Gail managed to coax a carol or two out of her family and one reluctant person in particular. It lasted for a good long time until Sari made to usher Ryan back home only to be persuaded to stay the night and she gave in since Ryan was already dead on her feet.

With everything quiet, it allowed Sari time to sit outside the house and look at the sky and nothing in particular. It was a cold night but she was okay with it. Winters in Afghanistan near the mountains were just as cold. She dug her hands in her coat pockets and breathed out plumes of smoke from her breath and watched it while thinking.

It was like she never left except there were a few things that caused awkwardness. She was upset at Eric for cheating on his wife but she wasn't going to hold a grudge. Life was too short for that and it wasn't like she was any expert. She did tell him that it upset her but she would stay out of it since it was his business and they carried on as usual. The five year separation was another thing. Sometimes it seemed that Gail was scared not of her but what she could do and she didn't forget the conversation they had when she decided to join the Rangers.

"You planning on freezing out here?"

Sari glanced at Jake who sidled up to her. "No. I've been in colder places than this."

Jake nodded. "That was a nice dinner."

Sari couldn't help but choke out a bit of laughter. She looked to see Jake smiling and chuckling with her. "Yeah it was. I'm glad the spinach puffs turned out all right."

"That's what those things were?"

"Don't diss the spinach. I told you it does a body good. Look at you." Sari continued to smile as she looked up at the night sky. "I'm thinking of putting a vegetable garden in the back. I know nothing about gardening but I get the feeling that it would come in handy."

"In the flower beds?"

"Near the garage. There's still room for Ryan to play and…" Sari shrugged her shoulders. "I never thought it would be like this."

"What do you mean?"

"Coming home and finding that you not only have to take care of yourself but for a twelve year old who worships the ground you walk on. It's different and I don't know if I'm doing right even doing what I do for the town." Sari frowned a bit as she thought for a moment. "I mean the whole thing with the Rangers… I think of it a more making it safe for her. You know?"

Jake couldn't know completely since he didn't have that responsibility. He did know that Sari always tried to do the right thing even when they got in trouble. "You do what you think is right and you want to keep Ry safe. She knows you have a dangerous job but she knows you do it for her." He shrugged his shoulders a bit uncomfortably. He was wondering where this conversation popped up and figured it had to do with the whole family being here and Christmas…

Sari said nothing for a while. She loved her sister and was doing her best. The thing that got her was this high pedestal her sister put her upon and she was afraid of not living up to that expectation. It was daunting to think about and she honestly wished that she had a manual or something but she was going to have to tackle it like she always did one day at a time.

"You sang nice."

Sari was jerked out of her thoughts by Jake's unexpected comment. "What?"

"It's been a long time since I think anyone has heard you sing. The last I remember was when you were the Christmas angel at the pageant. We were in our last year at school and you were picked after auditioning."

"Prom queen didn't like it," Sari replied as she remembered. "She never liked me anyway."

"Enough to lock you in the church basement."

Sari remembered that. She wasn't concerned about the whole pageant thing and missing it but she didn't want to disappoint people. That was also when… She dug her hand deep in her pocket and wrapped it around the object in there. "And that was when JJ Green saved Christmas."

Jake chuckled at that, "I don't think…"

"Everyone seemed to think you were the hero that day. You saved the pageant," Sari explained in a teasing voice. She sobered though as she continued, "I know better though. You always pull me out of trouble and I do the same; just as we agreed… partners."

Slowly she pulled out her bundle from her pocket. She opened it so Jake could see the pair of socks she had knitted for him. "I didn't forget JJ. I… wasn't sure you'd want them." She handed them to him. She made a slight smile, "Socks can be a bit boring aside from other interesting gifts like the night scope I gave to Ryan."

Jake accepted the socks and replied, "Of course I'd want them." He looked at the socks and noticed that the wool was fine and light and warm. They would definitely keep his feet warm in the coming months. As he looked at them, he felt something hard in the toe of one of them. Frowning in puzzlement, he tipped the sock and out of the sock came a small ring that landed in his gloved hand.

Peering at it, Jake could make out the etch marks that had been made with a childish hand on the band that was too small for his finger. He thought it was gone forever. He looked at Sari with the question in his eyes.

"I found it in the house of all places when the game was on."

"I searched the house up and down and couldn't find it."

Sari gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Christmas miracle."

Jake looked at the ring. It was the one she gave him when they said they were partners. She still had hers since he had seen it. He had always felt bad that his got lost. Now it was found again and she was giving it back to him again. Looking back up at her he said, "Thanks, princess."

"We're partners JJ."

Jake couldn't help but give her a hug. At that moment a light snowfall started to fall. The flakes floated down and landed on them. Neither of them noticed as Jake finished their pledge they made years ago, "Always and forever Sari."

Sari patted Jake on the back. "Merry Christmas, JJ."

"Merry Christmas Sari."

A/N: Merry Christmas folks! Just some family and cheer with the folks of Jericho. Enjoy.