Good evening! Welcome to today's story :D Thank you to ChibiDawn23 and Strandstorken for their help with this one, and to Lizbet2008 for the original party prompt. And thank you to Kaidii, Hawk, 2NYwLove, ChibiDawn23 and Lizbet2008 for the lovely reviews.
'Sid, I say this every time, but you've outdone yourself, yet again.' Danny clapped him on the shoulder and Sid smiled, self-consciously.
'That's kind of you to say.'
'Seriously, the kids adore your Halloween parties, so to have a bonus Christmas party is pretty special. In fact, who am I kidding – the adults adore them, too.'
'It's not entirely altruistic, I admit,' Sid told him and Danny raised his eyebrows.
'Really?'
'Martha and I sometimes feel like we rattle around this house by ourselves, so it's good to have the place filled with people, especially at this time of year.'
'Your girls home for Christmas?' Danny asked him, touching the raw place in the M.E.'s heart.
Rueful, Sid shook his head. 'Not this year. They're both working and can't make it. But, well, maybe in the New Year. Actually, this is the first year they haven't made it.'
'Sorry, man. That sucks.' Danny patted him on the shoulder. 'You know, you and Martha are welcome at ours any time - any time you need some noise and chaos.'
Chuckling, Sid thanked him, trying to hide the sadness at his daughters' absence. 'We'll bear that in mind. Now, have you had some food yet? You know no one's allowed to leave until the table's empty.'
'With Flack here, plus my two kids, that shouldn't be a problem.' Danny pointed over to where Flack stood by the long trestle table, helping both Lucy and Louie to pile their plates high.
Sid nodded in satisfaction. 'That's what I like to see… although I wouldn't wait too long before getting some food for yourself.'
'Point taken.' Danny headed over to the table and Sid smiled.
After filling a plate of food for himself, he joined Martha at the edge of the room and they settled into their favourite armchairs.
'Well, sweetheart, I think we can call this as successful as our Halloween parties,' he said with a smile at his wife.
'The first of many?' she said, and he nodded slowly.
'Could be. Everyone's certainly enjoying themselves.'
He spotted the four Messers dancing to Adam's Christmas disco. 'How that man is managing to dance in a full Santa suit I have no idea,' Sid remarked and Martha simply shook her head.
They gazed around at the employees of the lab and ME office, who all mingled, chatted and ate together. Flack sat with Hawkes and his girlfriend, all of them engrossed in a rowdy game of Battleships; near them sat the Taylors – one year old Holly perched on her father's knee while she clapped her hands at the dancing, before scrambling down and joining in herself.
'Everyone's happy,' Sid murmured, but a trace of wistfulness slipped into his voice. Martha squeezed his arm.
'We'll see them soon enough,' she said softly and he nodded, sighing.
'I know, I know…'
The doorbell ringing as if several fingers had pushed it cut through the party noise. Almost comically, everyone froze and Adam cut the music.
'Sounds like someone wants to come in, you'd better go answer that,' Danny called, with a look at Flack who was strangely trying to suppress a grin.
'We weren't expecting anyone else, were we?' Sid turned to Martha who looked as puzzled as he did.
'Everyone's here who was invited.'
He made his way to the door, Martha close behind, the eyes of everyone in the room on them.
Two shadows stood behind the front door.
Sid opened it cautiously, and at the sight of the two people there, flung it open the rest of the way and pulled them into his arms, along with Martha, with a cry of utter joy.
'Happy Christmas, dad; happy Christmas, mom!' His daughters cried in between tears of joy and laughter at the surprise they had given their parents. 'We couldn't not be here with you.'
The united Hammerback family made their way back into the house, greeted by the applause and cheers of their friends.
Thank you for reading! Please do leave a review, I love knowing what you think of the stories :D Lily x