Author's note: Christmas! I love it. I absolutely love it. So I decided it was time that Sherlock and Sally got a Christmas fic. Especially since my last S/S fic was a bit angsty. So, beware: holiday fluff!

You have been warned.

I don't own anything, please review.

It's their first Christmas as a couple, and Sally doesn't know why she's so ridiculously happy about it. But she supposes, since it's the season of joy, she can well allow herself to be cheerful.

This Christmas will be – like everything has been, really, since she and Sherlock became a – a couple – different.

For as long as she can remember, she's spent Christmas with her family. First with her parents, then with her sister and her husband and her three children.

It wasn't that she didn't like spending Christmas there; it was just that – that she was too often reminded that she had no one. Her sister was only two years older than her and already had three children, after all. She knew it wasn't exactly a cheerful holiday thought – in fact, she freely admitted it was nothing but envy – but she couldn't help it.
And the fact that she'd wasted years with a married man who'd promise her again and again that he'd divorce his wife (eventually) hadn't helped matters.

Then, there had been last Christmas.

Sherlock had returned in June, and by December they'd become friends. She'd even been invited to the Christmas party at 221B – apparently Mrs. Hudson had insisted on one, since she "had her boys back". She'd declined because she would go to her sister, again, but not without regret. She would have liked to spend the holidays with Sherlock. Somehow, he'd become a friend.

She smiles fondly at the memory. A year ago, she'd never have thought what would happen. She'd never have thought it could happen.

How blind she'd been.

It's not, she muses, that strange that she never suspected he had feelings for her; no, she's only just beginning to learn to read him. Although he did look a little disappointed that she couldn't come.

But the fact that she could be so blind to her own feelings –

She can remember how she sat in her sister's house, last Christmas, apparently looking so nervous and dejected – she'd felt sad without knowing why – that her sister had asked her, several times, if she was alright.

She wasn't. Until she got the text.

Merry Christmas, Sally
S

She'd beamed and answered immediately.

Thanks. Try to be cheerful, for the sake of the others.
Merry Christmas.
Sally

Her sister had looked at her suspiciously, but she'd simply smiled and not revealed anything.

Not that there would have been something to reveal – when she thinks about it now, she has to shake her head at herself, really. To think that it took a paedophile and Sherlock nearly falling off a roof to realize what he meant to her.

This Christmas –

He asked her, two weeks ago, at the beginning of December, whether she'd spend Christmas with her family again, apparently casually, at a crime scene, naturally.

By now, she knows him better, and she could tell immediately that he was rather anxiously waiting or an answer.

She she'd replied, "Actually I was thinking we could spend it together."

He'd smiled at her, and responded, as if he couldn't care less, though his eyes told her something different, "I don't think we'll have much choice. Mrs. Hudson is insisting we have another Christmas party. And she asked me to invite you."

Mrs. Hudson is rather fond of her. She suspects it has something to do with "Sherlock finding someone", but she liked the old lady too much to wonder about her motives. She's just glad that the closest thing she has to a (and here, she smiles, because she can imagine Sherlock's face, should she ever tell him) mother-in-law and she get on.

So she accepted, greatly.

But she still has no idea what to get Sherlock for a present.

She's come to know him rather well since he returned, but it is difficult, nonetheless. When she asked John, he only laughed and told her he'd hoped she'd have an idea.

She could ask his brother, but the only time she really talked to the older Holmes was when he had her kidnapped, before she and Sherlock became more than friends. And, judging from the way Sherlock talks about him, they aren't that close. She plans to change that, but she'll wait until her and Sherlock have been together for longer – or until Mycroft kidnaps her again, which, really, she is expecting any day now.

So she can't ask his brother. And DI – Greg – she can't really ask her boss now, can –

Why not? It's not like her life is normal anyway.

So she knocks at the door of his office and enters after he's asked her to.

"Sally"

"S – Greg. I need your help."

"Sure". He looks at her, then he chuckles. "I assume it has to do with Sherlock?"

She nods. "I don't know what to get him for Christmas".

"Welcome to the club. Every friend of Sherlock's has exactly the same problem every year".

"So you don't have an idea either".

"I thought it would be easier for you".

"What do you mean?"

His eyes sparkle as he says "A picture".

"I'm sorry?" She's confused.

He smiles and winks, before taking a small digital camera out of his desk.

"Sherlock hates having his picture taken" he explains, and she nods, because she's aware of it. "But I like having pictures of my friends, so – "

"You took it without his permission?" she asks, raising an eyebrow, trying to look disapproving.

He chuckles. "Not just without his permission."

And he shows her the picture.

Sherlock and her, crimes scene tape behind them, he's touching her shoulder, they're smiling at one another.

It's absolutely perfect.

She looks at the DI, touched. "But, Greg, don't you want to – "

"Oh, no, I already have a present for him."

And he gives her a (fake) police ID – with Sherlock's name on it.

"You are aware that this is illegal, Greg?"

"You are aware that I don't care about that, Sally?"

And they laugh.

She prints out the picture and finds the most elegant frame she can find. She buys a book for John (she's asked Sherlock what sort of books his best friend likes, and based on this has decided that he'd enjoy "The Hunting of The Snark"), a bottle of wine for Greg – a good wine, too, she's very thankful for the picture – and a box of the best tea she can find for Mrs. Hudson. Then she decides she might as well buy Molly a bottle of wine, too – she's rather sure she and Greg have seen a lot of each other in the past few months.

Mycroft and Sherlock are spending Christmas Eve together – apparently Sherlock wants to fix their relationship, and the thought that she might have done a little bit to convince him to try makes her happy – so she can visit her sister's family.

When she calls her to let her know that she won't be there on Christmas Day, she doesn't seem surprised; the only time she's ever shown surprise about her relationship was when she'd told her that she'd got together with Sherlock.

The children are glad to see her, as always, and she feels far happier than she did last year (although that might have to do with the fact that she'll spend tomorrow with Sherlock).

"You seem happy" her sister comments, while her husband plays on the floor with the children so that the sisters can talk.

"I am" she says and smiles.

Her sister responds with a smile of her own, than she bites her lip.

"Sally – I'm not – you know I was surprised – " she hesitates, tries again. "I'm glad you're happy, of course I am. But – is it – are you two serious? Is he treating you well?"

She isn't angry with her sister; she's always looked after her, that's what older siblings do. So she simply answers, "Yes, he is. And yes, we are. That is to say, he's not married, and we are mutually exclusive, as he'd probably call it".

Her sister chuckles. "He is a bit odd, isn't he?"

"Yes. But I wouldn't have it any other way".

They leave it at that, and the next day, she arrives early, John letting her in.

"Hello, Sally. I just convinced Sherlock to dress himself."

"Not an easy task" she answers, and only realizes what she's said when he laughs. She blushes.

Luckily, Sherlock strides into the room at this moment, wearing a suit and the purple shirt she loves so much. He kisses her, and John beams at them both.

So does Mrs. Hudson when she comes up a few minutes later, and so do Molly and Greg, who arrive together (naturally it's "just a coincidence", and she squeezes Sherlock's hand to let him know not to say anything, and John winks at her).

She doesn't know what to expect from Sherlock. Maybe a composition on his violin. Maybe nothing. It's hard to tell, with the consulting detective.

But when she gives him the picture and he looks at her with shining eyes, she realizes she doesn't care one bit if he got her anything.

Until he gives her the present, carefully wrapped, and she opens it to find a necklace with two little pendants.

One's a tiny microscope. The other – then she realizes that it's not two rings, but tiny handcuffs.

Sherlock and Sally. Together.

She has to blink away a tear and gives him a proper kiss, right in the middle of the room, with all h – their friends looking on. She couldn't care less.

Especially since everyone seems to be rather happy about the presents she got them, and she gets a book from each and every one of them – someone (who is very pointedly not looking at anyone and searching for his violin to play a Christmas carol) must have dropped a few hints about her being a bookworm and which books she doesn't have already.

They celebrate until late at night, Sherlock playing carol after carol, until Molly and Greg leave (together) and she decides to stay over – for the first time. She hasn't stayed the night before; he usually stays at her place, and they've only been intimate for a month.

As it turns out, sleeping in his bed (and maybe a bit more than that) is every bit as wonderful as the rest of their relationship.

John is already waiting for them with tea when they come out of the room the next morning, and she decides, there and then, whatever happens, that she's never going to let go of this.

She looks out the window and realizes it's snowing. She takes his hand and squeezes it, and Sherlock smiles at her.

One year ago, she'd never have expected any of this to happen.

But she's glad it has.

Author's note: The stories in my universe aren't in order. So Mycroft hasn't yet kidnapped her (again) – I specified in that story that they'd been together six months, and here, they have been together for about three months. Because I can't help but feel that both Sherlock and Sally would need some time to develop a friendship, and even longer to form a romantic attachment – and in "Constantly Changing, Yet Surprisingly Solid" (which dealt with them getting together) it seems rather clear that a lot of time has passed since Sherlock returned. So I've decided that they became a couple about one year and three months after his reappearance. Sorry for rambling. Just wanted to make that clear.

Happy Holidays.

I hope you like it, please review.