Christmas 1960 - Alice Harvey

And so I'm offering this simple phrase / To kids from one to ninety-two / Although it's been said many times, many ways / Merry Christmas to you

Alice shifted her weight from foot to foot as she stared at the door of 7 Mycroft Avenue. Shaking hands smoothed down the front of her dress - a light pink number she rarely brought out of her closet, but it was a special occasion.

"What are you doing for the holidays, Alice?" Lucien asked one day in the morgue.

She shrugged and adjusted the microscope into focus, "Probably nothing."

"Nothing! Well that won't do, Dr. Harvey. Right, you're coming over for Christmas Eve dinner."

"Christmas Eve what?" she looked up from the microscope just in time to see Lucien gape at her like a fish gasping for breath.

(If she wasn't so annoyed at his questions, she probably would have found it funny)

"Christmas Eve dinner… you know, big family gathering, exchanging a present each before tucking into a good home cooked meal? Didn't your family ever do this?"

Christmas with her family had been cold, or full of fear of what her father would do when his mood changed. Christmases at her foster homes hadn't been much better. Christmas had never been like Lucien's description.

She shook her head, "...No."

She looked back down the microscope as her ears burned at Lucien's pitying look.

"I see… You don't have to come if you don't want to, Alice." He turned back to the paperwork in front of him - his way of telling her he'd wait.

She watched him carefully and bit her lip. Christmas had never been a good time of the year for her, especially when it came to family. It had never been good, but maybe it could be. Lucien accepted her, and so had Jean in her own way. The dinners she'd spent in their house were always welcoming and warm, this Christmas Eve dinner would surely be the same.

There was no way to know… unless she went.

"Do I have to bring anything?"

The grin on Lucien's face told her she'd made the right decision.

Alice stood in the archway to the parlor, idly sipping on her glass of wine as she watched some of the guests (mainly Rose and Charlie, with some interjections from Bill) tease and debate each other; Lucien held court over all of them, making sure no one was without a drink while Jean busily put the last minute touches on their dinner. Alice was content to watch and observe rather than join in, but she felt warm and welcomed - something Christmas hadn't been for her in quite some time.

"Not up to debating the finer points of Australian Politics, Dr. Harvey?"

Chief Superintendent Lawson's voice drew her from her thoughts and she looked up to see him standing next to her.

He watched her - a glimmer of something in his eyes - and it took her a bit to realize he was teasing her and waiting patiently for a response.

"No," she grinned. "At least not with Rose… though it's fun to watch her and Sergeant Hobart argue."

His face lit up with a grin and he let out a chuckle.

(Alice tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the sight - she had made him laugh.)

"How has your day been, Superintendent?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but Lucien descended upon them both with a wide grin.

"Well, look who's under the mistletoe!"

"Blake," Lawson bit out as Alice looked above them at the small cluster of greenery hanging in the archway - undoubtedly hung there by Lucien himself to have an excuse to kiss his fiance frequently.

"It's tradition, Matthew."

Lawson just glared at his friend - who grinned in return. Alice fought to hide the blush rising on her cheeks as she looked down at her feet.

"Lucien! Stop tormenting the guests and give me a hand in here!" Jean's voice rang out from the kitchen behind them and Lucien dutifully followed.

She heard Lawson shuffle beside her - the mood between them shifted from comfortable to awkward in the short time since Lucien left them. Alice kept her eyes on her shoes, trying to ignore the spinning thoughts in her head.

Not good enough - Didn't even hesitate to protest at the idea of kissing me - I'm not really wanted here - No one would miss-

Lips, warm and just a little bit chapped, pressed against her cheek and startled her. Alice looked up - eyes wide, cheeks burning - to see a similar expression on Lawson's face. He was so close, well inside her usual bubble of personal space when it came to him and others, but Alice didn't mind it. In their few meetings outside of work, Alice never felt like he pushed in like others. In fact, it felt… nice to have him so near.

"It is tradition, Lucien had that right," he finally spoke. "Even if he was being obnoxious about it."

"He was," she nodded. "But… thank you for upholding the tradition, Superintendent."

"Matthew, please, Dr. Harvey." He rubbed at the back of his neck with a sheepish smile and blushing cheeks.

Alice bit down on her lower lip as she smiled. Leaning up, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, a warm feeling blossoming in her chest at his surprised smile.

"Merry Christmas, Matthew. And… it's Alice."

"Merry Christmas… Alice."

As the two of them parted and joined the rest of the group in the parlor, Alice couldn't help but catch his eye as they sat on opposite ends of the couch. The look in his eye was soft and fond every time she saw him watching as gifts were exchanged, toasts were made, and dinner given. It warmed her, in a way she hadn't felt in a very long time, and as the rest of the group cheerily bantered and conversed, Alice found herself looking forward to Christmases in the future for the first time in decades.

She'd found a family that fit the broken edges of her past and person; it had taken some time, but she'd found a place she was accepted, people who cared about her, and the promise of something in the shadow of Matthew's piercing gaze.