Santa is coming to town.
"What are we going for Christmas?" Mycroft and Greg were having a lazy morning in bed. It wasn't often they got to stay in bed together with Greg reading and Mycroft continuing to work scanning the news of the world looking for hotspots.
Mycroft looking up from his laptop. "What would you like to do?"
"Not sure, we don't have to have Christmas on the 25th if it doesn't suit you. We can pick another date." Greg leaned over and picked up a note book and the pen he kept beside the bed. "Family, there are my kids, my parents and brothers. I will have to contact mum to find out if they expect us but it's at least two meals. What about you?"
"After last year I am unsure if my parents intend to risk a repeat. Mother talked about Christmas in either Nuremberg or Venice this year. Therefore no visit required this year. If you could phone my mother for dates, I will have Anthea make the bookings. John of course will attempt another party."
He made a quick note to himself to ring Mrs Holmes. "Talking about parties, I've got a lunch and a booze up after work. You will be invited to the booze up but you don't have to come."
"Mmm I have four parties and a few invites to drinks and nibbles. There will be an expectation for you to attend at least two of them as my plus one. Anthea will send you the dates to check your availability."
"Right," Greg made another note on his page. "Right, presents. You and me. John, Sherlock, and the baby. Your parents and mine. Two possible secret Santa's, does your work even do secret Santa?"
"Anthea will arrange a morning tea for the staff where I will make an appearance and then leave before any drinks commence. A gift is not required."
"What about Anthea do you give her a little something?"
Mycroft was surprised, "why, if she considers it necessary I'm sure she will charge it to my account and look surprised."
"Right, I'll put her on my side because she isn't my personal secretary." He scribbled on the page once more. "There's Edmund of course, what about your driver and housekeeper?"
"The house keeper receives a cheque and the driver is an employee."
"Right," he noted the list again with their names on his side then frowned as his list was getting a bit long and started thinking about the cost. Luckily the police ran a Christmas club in which he placed twelve pound each week. "You do know I expect more than a cheque as a present?"
"Mmmm, gift voucher then. I'll have Anthea arrange it shall I?"
"Bastard," muttered Greg. "We need a trip to the shops?"
"I feel a headache coming on."
Greg lightly punched him on the arm. "You will do your family duty and enjoy it. This will be a Lestrade Christmas not a Holmes one. Any non-participation will be punishable by a lack of sex for the holiday period. Now tree? Well," he added when Mycroft didn't reply.
"Oh you asked a question, I thought that was a statement."
"Do you want a Christmas tree or not, and before you say no, look deep into your Christmas soul for your inner child."
Mycroft was silent for a while. "It would be politically correct if I hosted an evening of drinks for people to meet you in a less formal social setting. The house would therefore need decorating in the festive sprit."
"So that is a yes to a tree?"
"Yes," confirmed Mycroft and made a note on his laptop.
"We could order extra food and I could take any leftovers into work. Great thinking," he jotted another note. "What about New Year? We could go away."
"Please God no. Anywhere you want to go will either snow or flood. Europe will be full of people escaping the snow or going skiing. Can't we lock the door and just read a book? At the very least we could book a hotel at Heathrow airport and feel smug watching all the people on TV stuck in the terminal due to bad weather. Didn't I promise you sex, lots of sex. Schedule that in, we only need a bed and food."
Greg wrote undecided against the New Year, with the word sex and a question mark. "Anything I've forgotten?"
"Christmas cards," said Mycroft.
"Right, are we doing Christmas cards this year?"
"No, and I consider Christmas emails as tacky."
"My parents will want one and so will yours."
"You will write any cards today then we will walk down and place them in the mail box together. If they are not completed by this time next week there will be no Christmas cards for anyone, understood."
"We need to go to the shop to buy some."
"What happened to last years?"
"I think you threw them out when Sherlock was arrested and you vowed Christmas was cancelled forever."
Mycroft rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose. "Remind me why we are doing this again?"
"Because this is a Lestrade Christmas and you love me."
"Add stamps to your list, lots of stamps if you don't want Anthea to post them. Also add carols, candles, church, the end of school pageant, cookies, a family argument, a murder and lots and lots of alcohol."
"Now you are just being silly."
"Trust me, I'm not."