After a few weeks self-enforced leave from posting I'm back! (At least for the hols). I meant to post this up Christmas Eve, but failed miserably with that plan...Anyways, here you go!


Alex was smiling peaceably when Nick walked in to find her cooking, humming along to the Christmas carols she had put on the stereo.

"Bit early isn't it?"

"Not at all," Alex replied, leaning over to kiss his nose. He blinked at the strange greeting. Her eyes were alight.

"Alright, what's got you so happy?"

"It's nearly Christmas."

"I didn't know you enjoyed Christmas that much. You can't come to the works party after all – and I'm still annoyed about that."

"When is it?"

"Christmas eve."

"I'll be there."

"What's the point of you going? No-one will see you, I won't be able to hug you…"

Alex's smothered laugh interrupted him. He looked at her disgruntled and she laughed harder, no longer trying to conceal it.

"I don't see what's so funny!"

The dark haired girl in front of him offered him a shrug before straightening, still grinning broadly. "Nicky, darling, our worlds…at certain times of year, our worlds grow closer. Christmas and Halloween to name two. At that point, us spirits? Us ghosts, angels and demons? We can be seen, we can live like we exist for one or two nights a year." She reached out and touched his cheek. "Some of us spend it with the ones we love, those who've found a way into our hearts, no matter how hard we try to keep them out. I'm going. I have just one problem…"

Nick managed to get his mind, slightly in gear. "Oh?"

"I have not a thing to wear."

She turned back to the cooker, humming again, hips swaying slightly as she danced along with the radio.


Christmas Eve came all too soon and Nick found himself escorting Alex into the party, his arm around her back, her leant into his side with a big grin on her lips. Greg frowned when he saw her.

"Alex…" he started quietly.

"Fool," Alex pulled his head down to kiss his cheek. "It's Christmas Eve."

"Ah…"

Catherine appeared. "Hey Nicky, who's this?"

"Cath," Nick smiled at his 'date' in his arms. "This is Alex White, an old friend from Texas. Al, this is Catherine Willows."

Alex offered her hand. "Pleasure to meet you Ms Willows."

"Please, call me Catherine," Nick's colleague smiled accepting the hand and taking an instant liking to the woman in front of her. "I'm just glad Nick's finally brought someone with him."

"I haven't been able to get up the past few Christmas'. This year I thought I'd make an exception seeing as I'm not working and neither of us is exhausted."

"What do you work as?"

Alex didn't meet a beat. "Therapist."

Catherine smiled, and then pulled Alex away to introduce her to Sara, Warrick and Grissom. Nick stared after them, seeing the way Alex had been reduced to an almost shy woman as opposed to her normally self-confident self.

"Well, they seem to like her," Greg commented.

"Yeah," Nick agreed, nodding. "How could they not?"

"I don't know. Nick…I want you to answer me honestly. How close are you to Alex?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean do you love her?"

"Greggo…"

"That's all I needed to know."

"It's not like I can do anything about it."

"You could. But you'd probably be setting yourself up for heartbreak."

"That's why I can't do anything. She probably doesn't even feel the same way."

"She came here with you didn't she?"

"That was idle curiosity. She just wanted to know what my colleagues would think of her."

"I think it was more than that," Greg disagreed, watching Alex as she glanced over at Nick from beneath her eyelashes, smiling shyly at him.

"Excuse me," Nick clapped Greg on the shoulder. "I better go rescue her."

With that the Texan swept off and pulled Alex away from the crowd she'd gathered.

"Alright guys," he interrupted the rush of questions being fired at the bewildered woman in front of him. "That's enough of the interrogation. Al doesn't need the whole third degree."

As he steered her away towards the punch bowl she sighed.

"Thanks Nicky," she whispered to him, kissing his cheek. "I don't think I could take much more of that."

It was much later as Nick and Alex stood side by side to one side of the crowded room that the dark-haired woman's eyes widened and then narrowed.

"Excuse me one moment," Alex told Nick, resting her hand on his for a moment before sweeping off to talk to a handsome young man who had just entered.

Greg joined Nick and the two of them watched intrigued as Alex and the man held a serious conversation before looking around and walking out of the lab building. For a moment Nick felt a pang of jealousy before remembering that he couldn't have Alex anyway.

"You alright Nick?" Greg asked.

"Fine," Nick shrugged.

"Bullshit."

"I know I shouldn't be jealous, but I can't help it…"

"You don't have any reason to be. The handsome young man Al just went outside with? Arrived with Eckley, is actually someone very similar to her and goes by the name 'Gabriel'."

"Really?"

"Yup."


"What are you doing here Gabe?" Alex asked as she sat on the bench outside of the lab. "Do I really need checking up on?"

"It's not for you Al don't worry," Gabriel informed her. "It's actually for Conrad Eckley."

"That bastard?"

"You don't like him?"

"What can I say? Nick rubbed off on me."

"He's destined for more than just being head of the crime lab. He needs a little guidance, hence, my appearance."

"Oh…I feel a bit relieved knowing your not here to monitor my progress."

"Speaking of…how's it going?"

"Not so good. He isn't talking about whatever's bothering him yet. But…I'm working on it."

"Good, good."

Alex liked Gabriel. Against all her better judgements, she found him charming and likeable. He never put her down, and he never insulted her, just offered gentle encouragement. He was what they called 'archangels'. One of the most powerful of their kind, and not constrained by any of the laws that bound Alex – or at least, none of the stupid ones. They sat and talked for a while, discussing how they'd been since they last saw each other.

"I don't know why they haven't just admitted that you're worth redemption yet," Gabriel admitted. "You're better than most of them."

"No I'm not," Alex shook her head. "I…I think I've broken one of the cardinal rules…although, I'm not sure exactly what the cardinal rules are…"

"Al…what have you done?"

"I haven't used my abilities, don't worry. I just…I'm more attached than I should be."

"You fell in love?"

"How…?"

"Alex, I've known you since you came to us. Destiny has a fate for you that no-one in any world understands. I know the signs. Every time you look at Nick, you're like a lovelorn puppy. Go grab him. Seize the day."

"Now I remember why I never asked you for advice on my love life."

"This is the first time you've had a love life to give you advice on."

"It couldn't go anywhere…"

"Like I said. No-one's sure what your fate means."

"Great, I should've known all you'd really give me was riddles."

"You know I don't really mean it."

"Yeah you do."

Gabriel laughed and pulled Alex into a one-armed hug. They sat like that for while before a voice Alex knew all too well interrupted them.

"How sweet," it drawled. "The demon and the archangel."

Both of them leapt to their feet and span around. There was no-one there.

"Wrong way."

They span again in time for Alex to catch a fist to her cheek. She was caught off balance and fell from her feet, landing in an ungraceful heap. Gabriel went to move forward, but her attacker was too fast, hauling her back up with a tight grip on her arm. For a moment, Alex was frozen, then she tore her arm out of his grip, hearing material rip and feeling blood well up from scraped skin. She backed up to beside Gabriel, heart-rate so fast she was surprised she was still standing, breathing ragged. In front of them was a lean, scarred young man, his dark eyes glinted maliciously from beneath his overlong fringe.

"I thought you were gone," Alex managed.

"Why Alex dear," he leered, smirking. "Whatever made you think I'd leave? I have far too much fun tormenting you. Are you ready to pay up yet?"

"I've done nothing to harm you."

"You exist," he spat. "That harms me enough."

"Alex go back inside," Gabriel ordered. "The council should've done something about this one a long time ago."

"They like to make things difficult for me," Alex shrugged one shoulder, not moving.

"Alex, inside."

Before Alex could move, the man in front of them lunged forward, Gabriel wasn't fast enough to stop him bowling Alex to the ground again, pinning her there, a long curved dagger slashing towards her throat. The archangel was fast enough to stop it making contact with her jugular though, hauling the man backwards and throwing him in the other direction.

"Alex run!" Gabriel barked sharply. "Get back inside!"

Alex scrambled to her feet, backing away, watching Gabriel prepare to repel another assault.

"Run!"

She didn't need telling again as the man lunged her again. She bolted, heading for the crime lab just across the road. She could hear scuffling behind her, but didn't dare look back. She wasn't a fighter, she'd never learnt to defend herself. The only thought in her head – however irrational it would be to the rational Alex – was to get to Nick, he could protect her. (What he could really do against a true demon was beyond her knowledge, but that fact wasn't being presented very loudly and was being quashed by all her other instincts).


The party came to a grinding halt as Alex burst into the room and fled straight to Nick's arms. For a moment people stared before they noticed the state she was in. Her top was bloodstained and blood was pouring from her neck, her cheek was red, fading to a deep purple. Nick held her out to arms length as Warrick and several other CSI's headed outside to see what had happened.

"Are you alright?" he demanded. "Alex, talk to me."

She just looked with him, her sapphire eyes wide with shock, mouth opening and closing soundlessly. She flung herself back into his arms, not giving him an answer. Nick could feel blood soaking into his shirt and knew that he needed to get her arm and neck seen to – but that might cause awkward questions.

"Al, you need to talk to me. We need to have your wounds seen to, is that alright?"

Alex nodded very vaguely into his shirt. Given the circumstances, Nick had a feeling that it would be better not to go on her word. 'Gabriel' appeared, and rested a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Are you alright little sister?" he asked her gently. She shook her head, sobbing, hands clutching at the material beneath them.

"Is it alright to get her seen over?" Nick hissed urgently at Gabriel. "She's bleeding."

"I know. Tonight it is, but…try not to let anyone take blood samples alright?"

"Trust me," Nick nodded.

The ambulance crew arrived at that point and instantly starting fussing over Alex, pushing her into a seat and inspecting her wounds.


It seemed like hours to Alex, but she couldn't really be sure, too shocked to really notice the passage of time, before the officers said she was allowed to go home. Even in her shocked state she had known to be careful about what she said – thankful that when she did let something slip she'd been able to cover it with a vague 'what did I say? Sorry, didn't mean that…'

She'd given her statement and was waiting for Nick to come and take her home, sat dressed in a set of Cath's clothes that the older woman had in her locker. She stared listlessly at the wall ahead of her, not really registering it. Things were so messed up. Gabriel had told her that she was safe for now – but that he hadn't been able to banish her tormentor without permission of the council. He'd made his excuses to Eckley and left with threats to the council hovering over him.

Nick appeared in front of her and gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

"How're you doing?" he asked her carefully.

"I've been better," Alex replied truthfully. "Heck, I'm supposed to be the one helping you, not vice versa."

Nick chuckled slightly, before sweeping her up to carry her bridal style. The protest Alex put up was half-hearted as she leant her head wearily against his shoulder.

"I can walk."

"But you don't have to," Nick told her, smiling.

Alex just relaxed into Nick's hold, eyes staring at the doorways they passed through. She spotted a sprig of mistletoe hung in the doorway they were coming up to. She thought back to Gabriel's words…

"Go grab him. Seize the day."

As they passed under it, Alex leant up and captured Nick's lips with her own. He paused shocked before kissing her back.

"What was that for?" he asked her when they broke apart. She pointed.

"Mistletoe," she explained.

"Now is hardly the time to be paying attention to folk traditions."

"If not now, then when? I wanted to. It just took this damn attack to make me realize it…"

With that she fell silent, leaving Nick to ponder on the meaning of her words.


And ps, i do know what it's like to be in a slightly shocky state and not really be sure what the passage of time is like.