A/N: I don't own anyone besides the plot and my character.

A/N2: This is going to be the prequel to a longer story with my OC and Tommy. But I wanted to get this out there and see if there was any interest in that. So let me know what you think!

There were two different type of crowds. The ones that come to bars to have a drink and have a good time and the ones that are all over the mall. The later one was the one that Sierra Lance just couldn't stand. People waiting until the last minute to buy the perfect gift for their friends and family before someone else got to it was not something she really got. Sure she was at the mall, but it was because the personalized Rolex watch that she had saved for was finally ready for pickup. It was for her on and off again boyfriend. It was going to be a hard holiday for her. Her twin sister was gone and the rest of her family was disappointed in her and it was around Thanksgiving when she walked out and didn't look back.

Shaking her head at the thought of her family and what plans they might have she made her way past the food court where the smell of food would have made her hungry if she hadn't just eaten with her friend Anna. It was a good thing she did since she would end up spending money she didn't need to just for food that she didn't need. The watch she decided to get for Tommy was something she was nervous about getting for him since she wasn't exactly sure how he would like it.

As she scanned the crowd, she felt her stomach plummet. The one person she had missed more than anything was in the same place as she was. But she was supposed to be dead. At least that was what everyone believed since no one was found. Taking a deep breath she started walking towards her sister. "Sara! Sara!"

Even as she called out to her it seemed so hard to get to her. The holiday shoppers were not helping her in any way. She just needed to reach her sister and make sure that it was really her and not some trick. When she finally broke through the crowds she saw that her sister was gone and so were the crowds. Shaking her head, she turned and looked around to see if she had been pushed aside or something, but she didn't see her anywhere.

Glancing around again, Sierra Lance found herself no longer at a mall full of last minute holiday shoppers. No, she was now outside. With a sweeping glance she knew exactly where she was. It was a park that she and her twin sister would go to when their older sister was supposed to be watching them. It had always gotten Laurel into trouble with their parents and so they kept doing it when they could get away with it. But it had been years since she had even thought about it. Slowly making her way around the tube slides and towards the swings, she saw her again.

Sara.

This time when she got close to her, she didn't disappear. "I thought you were dead. Everyone says that there was no way you could have survived that boat going down."

"Sierra…"

"Where have you been? I've missed you so much."

"Help me," Sara said. "You have to help me.

"Sara…" Sierra said reaching out and touching her sister. Seeing her sister disappear in front of her eyes was not what she thought would happen. "Sara!"

"Sierra!" the concerned voice of her boyfriend woke her up.

Sitting up, she glanced down at her hands. They were shaking. Not looking away from her hands she took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but she found it hard. When she was first told of her twin sister's death she didn't believe it, but then the nightmares had started. They weren't coming as often as they had in the past, but this one shook her. Badly.

"Sierra," the sleepy voice of Tommy Merlyn came from the space next to her and she finally looked away from her hands to his eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said shaking her head and giving him a half smile. "Just a bad dream. That's all."

"Sara?" he asked her, although he already knew the answer.

"She was in front of me and I went to touch her because she was that close to me and then she just disappeared. Sara was asking for my help."

"Sierra…"

"I know she's gone, Tommy, I do," Sierra said as she looked away. "I just have a hard time with it around the holidays. What with perfect Laurel and my parents not talking to me anymore because I'm the disappointment since she died."

"You aren't a disappointment," he told her as he took her hands in his. "C'mon let's try and get a little more sleep and then we can do the whole gift thing that we said was a ten dollar limit."

"Go ahead," Sierra said. "I'm gonna get something to drink and go to the bathroom and try and shake the dream from my head."

Seeing him nod his head, she gave him a small smile. Feeling his hand around her arm, she glanced at him in confusion. Leaning towards her, he kissed her softly before leaning down and attempting to go back to sleep. This was something she hated feeling. Sara was gone and she was coming to terms with it and so when she had dreams about her sister, it was hard to shake. And when it disturbed other people it made her feel even worse. Like Tommy. He didn't deserve to have her shit brought down on him, but he never complained about it. Not once.

Running her hand through her blonde hair, Sierra looked over at Tommy with his eyes closed. She shook her head and knew there was not chance of her shaking this dream while being here. Grabbing a pair of pants and the shirt she wore yesterday, she went to change in the living room so that she wouldn't disturb him. As quietly as she could, she changed and then grabbed her jacket, gloves and boots and put them on before grabbing her keys and bag. Closing the door behind her, she locked it and hoped that Tommy wouldn't wake up and wonder where she had gone. She really didn't feel like explaining it to him or to anyone at that moment.

Getting to her car, Sierra felt colder than if she had stayed in bed with Tommy. Closing her eyes, she prayed that her car would start up without an issue. It was late, or early depending on how you looked at it and didn't want to draw attention to herself and her beat up car. Hearing the engine turn over, she let out a sigh of relief. Pulling out of the parking space that was next to Tommy's car, she left the parking structure and headed to the one place that she felt that she needed to be at that time.

Checking the time as she parked her car, she saw that it was now three in the morning. Grabbing the flowers that she had bought yesterday so got out and locked her car before heading to talk to the one person that she knew would listen to her.

Passing by the statue of an angel with wings, Sierra couldn't help herself and dusted the snow off the best she could before walking over to the headstone a little further away. Kneeling down, she dusted off the snow to show her the writing. If she hadn't been here so many times then she would have never known where to go since things were covered in snow. Standing back up, she looked down and felt the tears well up in her eyes like they did every time she came to visit.

Sara Lance

1987-2007

Loving Daughter and Sister

"Hey Sara," Sierra said, her breath showing up in front of her. "I didn't know if I would come today or not, but I had another dream of you. You were asking for my help. I wish I knew what they meant or if they mean anything. Usually I'm alone when they happen but tonight I was tired and I stayed at Tommy's. He was sleeping next to me and so he woke me up because I woke him up."

Just looking at the place that held an empty grave since her sister's body was never recovered from sea, Sierra sighed. "Today is Christmas and I won't be celebrating it this year. Not without you here. I'm also not talking to Mom or Dad and there is no way I'd talk to Laurel today of all days. But I am so done with her judging me like she has any idea what it is really like to lose your better half. She thinks I need to move on." Sierra stopped when she thought she heard something, but there was nothing there so she turned her attention back to her sister. "I will eventually move on, but I just don't think you are really gone. I guess that is part of it. The other part is that I can't do things just to make her happy. Did you know that she knows about me and Tommy and has tried to sleep with him? I thought she was supposed to be the wiser older sister? But he hasn't gone with her, I know she has tried to on a few occasions, but he honestly doesn't seem interested in her."

Taking a deep breath, she kneeled back down and placed the roses upon the headstone. "I really wish you were here Sara. You were always the one that could tell me if someone was right for me or not. But how can I tell this time? I'm confused where Tommy is concerned. I miss you a lot Sara. But I know you are always with me. I love you Sara."

Standing up, she smiled down at her sister. "Merry Christmas, Sara. Oh and Happy Birthday too."

When she got to her car, she sat inside without the car on for a few minutes just crying. Wondering why it was so hard to let her sister go when there had been no sign of anyone surviving the storm that took the boat down. When she felt calm enough, she tried to start her car, but nothing happened. "No no no, please." Trying it a few more times with the same results. Leaning her head down on the steering wheel, Sierra felt frustrated. Yes, she knew her car was old and was on its way out, but that didn't mean she could afford a new one when it did finally go. She wasn't sure how long she had been delaying making a call for help, but when there was a knock on her window, it definitely surprised her.

If the knock on the window hadn't surprised her, the person who knocked certainly did. Unlocking the door, Sierra grabbed her bag and stepped outside of the car. Locking it, she closed the door and gave the person a small smile.

"Hey Thea."

"I thought I would find you here."

"Kinda early for you to be awake, isn't it?"

"Tommy called and said that you left the apartment and didn't tell him anything."

"I don't need to be watched all the time. I'm not a china doll that is gonna break when life happens."

"But it happens to be Christmas morning and your birthday. I just figured that you would want to see Sara. So I told Tommy I'd call around."

"Thank you Thea," Sierra told her honestly. "I just-"

"I miss Oliver a lot. It's easier for me since I don't have to leave home to talk to him. But I understand. And you know, if you ever want to talk I'm good for it."

"You are a good person Thea Queen."

"Even if I am eight years younger than you?"

"Even then."

"So why were you sitting in your car?"

"Won't start right now."

"Need a ride somewhere? I've got a driver and he's discreet."

Nodding her head, she smiled at the younger girl. "Thank you. I'll have Tommy tow it back to his apartment later on."

"Happy Birthday Sierra."

Closing the door to Tommy's apartment, Sierra took off her gloves and tossed them onto the table next to the door before unzipping her jacket. After she slipped that off, she hung it up on the coat rack before taking off her boots. Then she went in search of Tommy. She knew that she owed him an apology for leaving without saying anything, but she figured that she would have been back before he woke up.

"I just don't think that's a good idea." Tommy said into his cell phone. His back was to Sierra, so she waited in the doorway for him to turn around.

Tommy was quiet for a moment, long enough that she had thought he was finished, so she pushed off the door jam to talk over to him. Suddenly, he began speaking again, "No, Laurel, I don't want Sierra to know I called you. It's a bad idea to meet up."

"That's okay Tommy," Sierra said, speaking up from where she stood behind him still. The hurt and anger plain as day in her eyes. "You go ahead and spend the day with the one you really want to spend it with. I'm going home."

Swiftly turning on her heel, Sierra went towards the door, ignoring Tommy's pleas for her to stop. She didn't want to stay around and listen to the rest of the conversation between her older sister and the guy that she was really starting to fall for. As she was about to open the door, Tommy was behind her and making sure that she couldn't leave.

"What you heard," he began and took a deep breath and tried to get her to turn and look at him but she refused to. "It wasn't what it sounded like. I swear."

"What does it matter?" Sierra asked him. "I mean after all I'm a poor excuse of anything when you can have Laurel who has been throwing herself at you for months now."

"She has not been-"

Turning around and glaring at him, Tommy closed his mouth. "My sister wants you. She wanted Oliver and made sure she had him and now she thinks we are together and so now she wants you just because he isn't here."

"I don't-"

"Care? That much is obvious, Tommy," Sierra said, glaring at him still. "Please remove your hand so I can go home."

"I can't."

"Can't what?" Sierra asked, not amused at all. "Can't move your hand or can't let me go home?"

"I can't let you leave," Tommy said as he watched her. He knew that he messed up by calling Laurel, but it was an innocent phone call. There had never been anything between them and there would never be as long as he had feelings for Sierra. He wasn't that type of guy, at least not anymore. "Will you please let me explain?"

She wanted nothing more than to leave, but it was hard. Tommy meant more to her than any of her other relationships. But part of her didn't want to know what was going on with him and her sister. It was Christmas day as well as her birthday and that was something she didn't want to hear.

"You called Laurel," Sierra said as she finally looked at him in the eyes. "What more is there to say?"

"I did call her," Tommy agreed with her. "But not so I could see her. I know you are right, she has made it obvious that she wants more, but I don't. I would never do that to you Sierra. The only reason I even called her was because you disappeared on me and I didn't know where you went. I tried to call you, but it was turned off. So I called around to see if anyone had seen you."

"Thea found me," Sierra told him. "My car wouldn't start back up. I went to talk to Sara after that dream of her. I just couldn't bring you down today. You've been looking forward to this day for so long and I didn't think about leaving a note, I just didn't want to wake you again."

"You can wake me anytime," Tommy told her. "That is what I am here for."

"Thank you."

"So wanna open your presents?"

Laughing, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. It didn't take long for him to respond to her kiss. Once the kiss was broken, he grinned at her as he took her hand and led her to the Christmas tree that he had put up in his place.

Sierra laughed as she sat on the couch and watched him grab two small gifts from under the tree and make his way back to where she sat down. "Before you begin, I just want you to know, that out of everything that is for you, nothing is able to be returned."

With a smile, she shook her head at him as he handed her a small box. It was obviously some type of jewelry and she was fairly certain that it did not contain a ring of any kind. Taking the wrapping paper off she crumpled it into a small ball and throwing it at him. He smiled at her and motioned for her to open it up and so she did. Whatever she was expecting it wasn't this.

"Tommy…"

"Don't get upset," he told her with a smile. "These belonged to my mother. They were actually willed to me. I'm never going to wear them since they don't go with anything in my closet, but they go perfectly with your blue eyes. I want you to have them."

Looking down at the sapphire ear rings, Sierra could feel herself tearing up over the thoughtful gift. Closing the box, she set it on the side table before she hugged him. "I don't know how I can accept something that means so much to you."

"She would have liked you," Tommy told her as he brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "And so she would have wanted you to have them."

"You think so?" Sierra asked unsure about that. "I'm not exactly the perfect daughter. If you think about it, that is more Laurel than it is me."

"I don't want to give these to just anyone. I want you to have them," he told her with a half smile. "I don't need you to be like Laurel or whoever you think is better than you, because to me you are perfect."

"I think I'm falling in love you Tommy Merlyn."

"That's good," he told her as he held her hand in his. "Because I already know that I'm in love with you."

"Really?" Sierra asked, surprised.

"Yeah," he smiled at her. "At least it will be easier for you to accept your gifts since now I know you have a soft spot for me. Well the big one at least."

Suddenly on alert, she looked at him hesitantly. "What did you do?"

Reaching behind him, he placed a long box wrapped in shiny silver paper in her hand and smiled at her. "Open it."

Biting down on her lip slightly, she did as he requested. Once the wrapping paper was off, it was just a white box with a hand drawn smiley face drawn on it. It was hard not to smile at that. Taking the lid off, she saw a key for a car laying inside on top of red tissue paper. Sierra could feel her stomach drop as she looked up at him. "Tommy…"

"This you can't return," he told her taking her hand in his and getting off the couch and walking towards the bedroom where the car was parked outside of the window. "Look right there."

Her eyes found the pearl white Lexus. It was a beautiful car. And so out of her price range that it just wasn't funny. "Tommy, I can't accept this one. Wait a minute before you start on that it isn't returnable, okay?" Once she saw him nod she took a deep breath and continued. "I know my car is old and I should have gotten rid of it a long time ago, but I can make the insurance payments on it because it is so old. I wouldn't be able to make any type of insurance payment on that at all."

"That's okay." Tommy told her with a smile.

"It is?" she asked, slightly surprised. "So you'll return it?"

"Not a chance," he told her with a smile. "The car has been paid for, been put in your name and your insurance has been added to my policy. So there are no payments for you to make."

"Did you think of everything?" she asked him, as she hugged him.

"I did try, but I only went with the things I thought you wouldn't try to return when my back was turned."

Letting him go, she went over to the night stand and pulled out his gift. "Your gifts make mine feel a little insignificant."

"Anything from you is great, but you didn't have to get me anything."

Putting the package in his hand, she smiled as she watched him unwrap it. Seeing his eyes go wide as he saw what it was made her realize she got the right gift for him. "Sierra…"

"It's a Rolex and it is titanium. I know that you like these ones and I just thought that-"

Covering her mouth with his, she melted into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him. Breaking apart, he smiled down at her. "I love it," he told her, his voice full of emotion. "Thank you."

"Merry Christmas Tommy Merlyn."

"Merry Christmas Sierra Lance," he said smiling at her. "And Happy Birthday as well."

It was her first Christmas and birthday without her twin sister, but it was nothing like she thought it would be like. It was more than she ever imagined it would be.

A/N: Let me know what you think!