The Third Day of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas my family came to me…

Sookie/Jason

This is the third in a series of one shots. My Christmas present to you, dear reader. They will all be different parings etc. I am posting them separately because of this. I hope you read them all and enjoy them. They are meant to be a bit of fluff/smut for the Christmas season. If you have a pairing you would like to request, send it through with a review. Your Christmas present to me can be LOTS AND LOTS of reviews! Keep the Christmas season alive. Oh, and I don't own them. That could be Alan Ball's present to me….

Bing Crosby was playing on the radio. There was the smell of pine and cinnamon and ginger filling the house. It was chilly. Cold enough that Jason had brought in some logs for the fire. The old house was lit up and was more full of life and happiness than it had been since Gran had died.

Sookie smiled as she handed up the decorations to Jason as he balanced on a chair, hanging them from the branches of the tree. The seven foot Christmas tree had been situated in her living room when she'd returned from work. A dirty, out of breath Jason had been holding it up. His look of relief when she'd entered and run to help him still caused Sookie to smile. This was the best surprise she could have hoped for.

They hadn't really talked about Christmas. The year they'd had and everything that was going on with Bill and Jason's life and Sookie's life and everything! The thought of Christmas just hadn't entered into it. But Sookie had been feeling a melancholy settling into her every mood. She loved Christmas and it seemed a shame not to celebrate it. And Jason, in one of his few moments of brotherly wisdom, had recognised that and taken it upon himself to make Christmas happen.

Jason hopped down off the chair and stood beside his sister, the both of them looking up at the tree.

"Needs more lights," he muttered, his arms crossing over his chest. Sookie nodded, assessing the state of the tree. There were plenty of ornaments hanging from it, but not enough lights.

"Here." She grabbed the box of lights, pulling them from the packaging. The two siblings set about the inevitable task of untangling the strands of colourful globes before they could put them onto the tree. When they had them sorted Jason climbed back onto the chair while Sookie walked the lights around the tree. Jason was thorough, almost too thorough, in setting the lights just right on the tree. Sookie rolled her eyes when he adjusted them for the umpteenth time.

"I think that's fine, Jason." She smirked, watching him focus on one small area that was bare. Her brother could be so careless about so many things, but when it came to the decorating of the tree he was a perfectionist. It had been that way as long as she could remember. It hadn't been until she was 15 that he'd even let her help, he'd been that paranoid she'd put something in the wrong spot.

But this was nice. The two of them. Spending some quality time together. No police. No vampires. No trouble. It was something Sookie hadn't realised she'd been craving.

Once more they stood back and took in their work.

"The star?" Jason queried, gesturing to the box. Sookie nodded.

"You can do it if you want to," she offered. As kids this had been something they fought ruthlessly about. Who got to put the star on top was a big deal. She must have been feeling magnanimous.

"No, its your turn." Jason smiled. He passed her the gold star and helped her up onto the chair. Sookie fixed the star in place, feeling warmth rush through her at this tradition. Stepping down she allowed Jason to pull her to him. She could feel his grin against her hair and couldn't help her own smile.

"It looks real good." Jason was all pride and joy, looking at the tree. And he was right. Sookie couldn't fault the tree. It did look good. Really good. She grinned.

"I'm going to get those gingerbreads out of the oven and make up some egg nog. You want some?" She moved to the kitchen.

"Sure thing." Came Jason's reply as he started rummaging through some boxes again.

Sookie puttered around the kitchen. She pulled the gingerbreads out of the oven, the warm scent of ginger washing over her. She always associated Christmas with smell. Gran had always baked all kinds of goodies and sweets over the holidays and that had ingrained itself in Sookie's memory.

She made up the egg nog and put it into two tall glasses. Adding several gingerbreads to the tray she picked it up and carried it into the living room. Jason was sitting on the couch with something in his hands. Sookie noticed the tears on his cheeks. Quickly putting down the tray she rushed over to her brother, sitting beside him and putting her arm around his strong shoulders.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking at what he was holding. Her own breath caught in her throat. Jason was holding a framed photo of them with Gran. It had been taken years ago when they were Children. It had been the first Christmas after their parents had died. Gran had tried so hard to make the Christmas extra special. Sookie felt tears wetting her own cheeks as she hugged Jason to her.

"I just miss her so much, Sook." He murmured, allowing his sister to comfort him.

"Me too, Jason. Me too." She patted his back. Pulling back they both looked back at the photo. "I think we should put this on the mantle." She smiled, wiping away her tears. Taking the photo from Jason she moved to the fireplace and put the frame there, amongst the other family images. She felt Jason move up beside her, his arm falling over her shoulders.

"Looks good." He smiled sadly, his eyes still glassy. Sookie looked up at him. She decided that they were going to do Christmas, no matter what. They needed to celebrate it. Not only because of the year they had had, but for Gran.

"Gran wouldn't want us to forget Christmas," she said slowly. "Or be sad. She'd want us to remember the good times."

Jason nodded.

"Now you get yourself outside that egg nog." Sookie picked up the glasses and handed on to Jason.

"To Gran." Jason toasted.

"To Gran." Sookie agreed. "And to Christmas." She smiled.

"Sook?"

"Yeah, Jason?"

"I'm glad we're doing this."

"Me too." And Sookie really was. Christmas was a time for family. And despite how small her family was, she wasn't going to miss it for anything.

Awwww. A nice family fluff piece. Yes, that's right. Not all of them are going to be smut. That's just too easy to do. I want to challenge myself a little bit and write a few sweet ones too. Ok. Smut can be sweet. But this is nice too. Review!