The music didn't bother him during the drive to Sara's apartment; Christmas carols weren't nearly as annoying when Sara's voice was singing along with them. He couldn't even really concentrate on the subject matter, just her beautiful, timid voice. As soon as the first melodic word floated past her lips his grated nerves were soothed. They had carpooled because Nick had felt like having company for the drive and Sara insisted on being the driver. He had grumbled at first but now, as he sat back in the car seat listening to Sara accompany the radio, he realized that this was the most content he had been in a long time.
As soon as they got to her place they went to the kitchen. They worked flawlessly around each other, as if making the vegetarian omelettes was a routine that they had perfected with years of practice. And even though he knew that it was actually just a by-product of processing crime scenes together for so long… just for now, Nick wanted to pretend that it wasn't anything work related. A whole new level of calm washed over him as he let his mind play the scenario that this wasn't his and Sara's first Christmas morning together, that the red and green pepper omelettes were an annual tradition.
As he reached his arms around her to dump the peppers he had just chopped into the bowl of eggs she was preparing, watching the colours swirl around as she blended their separate projects into one, he wasn't bothered by the colours anymore either.
They sat down with their breakfast to watch the animated Rudolph movie on television. It was only ten minutes into the movie when Nick realized that Sara was his miracle. Just the fact that she giggled whenever Hermy the Elf announced that he'd rather be a dentist let Nick know that things would get better. The joy she derived from a simple children's film, which she had undoubtedly seen a dozen times before, reminded him that you could survive the horrors of the world and still live and love as if you never had. Sara was his proof. His prior self was proof, too. They were survivors. They had each suffered their own traumas and viewed countless others through their jobs; still, there they sat, contentedly watching a child's program. He would find his smile again. He felt his heart swell a little more with love and gratitude that she had been able to remind him of that. He sighed peacefully as Sara giggled at Hermy yet again and he felt a tiny tug at the corner of his mouth.
"Is that a smile?" Sara asked as the sigh caught her attention.
Nick shrugged and borrowed theexcuse she hadused earlier inthe break room, "Elves are funny." He draped an arm loosely around her shoulders and she settled into the side of his body laughing. She rested her head on his shoulder and Nick propped his cheek against the top of it. So what if he wasn't fixed? His heart hadn't grown three sizes just yet, but it was getting there…
A/N: Thanks for reading this despite the timing... I hope you enjoyed it.