Santa's Sara

"Have a beer, grab a slice of pizza, eat, we might have to leave again. Enjoy the chances of an unhealthy breakfast as long as you can." Captain Curtis said after Sara rang the door. The living room was half-hearted decorated, the ugliest Christmas tree Sara had ever seen stood in a corner, a couple of wrapped boxes beneath it.

"Here." Sofia handed Sara a beer and pushed towards a couch, where both sat down. Pizza was on the table, so were sandwiches and cookies. Not a healthy breakfast, not a traditional dish, only what was handy, tasted good and was available. Instead of Christmas music some oldies came out of the speaker.

"Thanks for inviting me." Sara said.

"You're welcome." Sofia's father sat in an armchair, relaxed, watching his wife pacing around. "For Christ's sake, sit down Marie, have a beer, rewind."

"When I sit down I fall asleep."

"Perfect." He pulled his wife on his lap and gave her his beer. "You won't annoy us when you're asleep and when LVPD needs you, the phone is loud enough to wake up the death."

The soft smile in Sofia's corner of the mouth told Sara this scene played every year and it was a kind of tradition. Who needed mistletoes and other common traditions when you had your own ones?

"Give them five minutes and both are asleep. It happens every year. How was work?"

"Bloody. It seems like people come up with extra gruesome ways of murder especially for Christmas. Turn love and peace into hate and murder."

"When I'm not happy other people are also not allowed to be happy." The blonde sighed. Her day had been similar to Sara's. She tried to think of Christmas as of any other day, but it hurt her more to see, what people do to each other. Couldn't there be at least one day in the year, when people were kind to each other?

"Something like that." Sara took another sip of her beer and listened to the music. When she was in high school this song had been a hit. Gosh, her high school songs were oldies, she was old. She was an oldie too. When her attention came to back to now and today, she saw Sofia had been right. Both of her parents were asleep in the armchair, holding each other. That was how Christmas should be, peaceful.

"Now you know how Christmas at the Curtis house is like."

"Peaceful."

"Yeah, when they're asleep they're peaceful. Can I get you anything else? Another beer?"

"No, thanks. What do you usually do when they're asleep?"

"Drink all the beer, eat all the cookies and then go to bed. Boring, eh?"

"I picked you more like the party girl. Going out, dancing, taking somebody home."

"Sorry, I'm not available for those things. Disappointed?"

"No." Sara smiled. "I like a quiet Christmas. There was enough action last night at work."

"It will be the same tonight. Christmas isn't over."

"No." Sara looked at the blonde. "He didn't call but neither did I. Guess when you don't get in contact at Christmas you won't do it at any other time, right?" She didn't have to tell Sofia of whom she spoke, the blonde knew it.

"It's not very likely, sorry."

"Well, it has always been too good to be true." Like a fairytale and fairytales weren't real. Life was.

"You deserve happiness, Sara." Sofia took the hand of the brunette and squeezed it, when the other woman didn't try to pull it back. "It's sad you can't be happy with Grissom but it doesn't mean you can't be happy at all. You'll find somebody else and from what I've heard, friends can also increase your happiness. If you need one, I've got a friend spot available."

"Really?" Sara grinned slightly.

"Yeah, I smiled at the last one, irritated her and she ran into a bus."

Now Sara had to laugh. "That's so not Santa like. What happened to Santa Sofia?"

"Santa Sofia is here, right next to you. Want me to put on my costume?"

"No, you'll make me sit on your lap again and slap my ass when I get up. That's sexual harassment, by the way."

"Only when you don't like it and it won't happen if you stay on my lap. I can't slap your ass when you sit on it."

"So all you want is me sitting on your lap? Interesting, Deputy Chief Curtis."

"It's still Santa Sofia for you. And when you sit on my lap, you'll be Santa's Sara."

Santa's Sara? She wasn't Sofia's Sara, but she was glad she was with the blonde. With Sofia Christmas didn't feel like a burden and she also didn't feel lonely anymore. It was an unusual Christmas party, but it was one, she didn't feel like leaving before it was over. How could she, she was Santa's Sara.

Merry Christmas to everybody!