"Merry Christmas!" Buck's cheerful voice woke Vin from the shuteye he was getting in front of the stove at the jail. He peeled one eye open to see Buck, dusted with snow, lugging a spindly pine branch into the office.

"Ain't Christmas yet," Vin pointed out. His hat hung off the back of the chair and he had his arms folded across himself.

"It's in a few days. And anyway, who says it's gotta be just one day, hunh?"

Buck pulled the branch over to the cells and, with twine he pulled out of his pocket, tied it to one of the bars to keep it upright.

"Chris know you're bringing the all-outdoors into his jail?"

"His jail?" Buck asked. "Since when is this Larabee's jail? Seems we all got a claim to it."

Vin shrugged and closed his eyes again. But he peeled that eye open again when he heard Buck happily humming a Christmas hymn and saw that he'd produced a string of popcorn from somewhere and was draping it over the drooping clumps of pine needles.

"What is it you're doing, exactly?" Vin asked.

"Decoratin' for Christmas."

"Decoratin' the jail?"

"Sure – why not? Jail can be festive same as any other place." Buck said. But when Vin gave him a disbelieving look, he confessed, "I was gonna put it up in your room at the boarding house, but Mz. Perkins wouldn't let me in there without asking you first. She said you're hardly there anyway."

Vin resettled himself in the chair and turned slightly away from Buck. He didn't answer that.

"So…"Buck went on. He left the end of the string of popcorn hanging and took the chair next to Vin. "Since you been spending a lot of time here and nowhere else, I figured here was the best place to bring it."

"This year just ain't – I ain't – " Vin stumbled over his words. This was his first Christmas in years without Nettie. And those hadn't been near enough years. "Hell, I never was one for celebratin' much."

Buck was quiet then and Vin figured it was to not argue him, because these past many years Vin had celebrated each and every Christmas with Nettie.

"I 'preciate you thinking to do this for me." Vin said then to Buck.

"I know it's gonna be hard for you this year." Buck said. "Christmas is gonna be hard, the turn of the year is gonna be hard, spring is gonna be hard. Every damn day is gonna be hard, and no getting away from it."

"Too hard…"

"Yeah." Buck agreed with a sigh. "It's gonna be a hard Christmas for all of us."

"Yeah…"

They sat together quietly for a few minutes then Buck stood up.

"Well, I gotta head out. See y'round."

Vin nodded him goodbye. After the door closed again, he went to the tree. He looped up the length of popcorn that Buck had left hanging then stood back and had a look. After considering a moment or two, he pulled off his red bandana and tied it around the sad-looking tree. It didn't make it look less sad, but it added some color.

The door opened again and Larabee walked in. He looked at Vin, he looked at the tree, he looked back at Vin.

"What's he wanted for?"

##

A/N: I'm writing a Western novel, and wonder if anyone would be willing/interested in reading/critiquing the first chapter. Let me know. (and thank you!)