Happy SWAT-Mas

Chapter 1

« Almost Christmas! This year went so fast again! Have anything planned yet, guys?" Tan asked, overexcited.

Chris lowered her head. Her Christmas will be simple this year. She had fancy expectations last spring but since she broke up with Ty and Kyra, she preferred not to enjoy so much.

"First Christmas with Bonnie and your mom, right? Your brother will be here too?" Deac answered. "So glad for you that everything is OK between Bonnie and your family."

"Yeah, Joseph will be there too. First time since a long time. Mom is excited." Tan smiled and lowered his head to hide his emotions. "Big challenge but it's worth it. And Mom seems to like Bonnie a lot. So nothing bad can happen, right?"

Deac laughed. "Nope, except burnt turkey."

Tan laughed too. He was confident. Bonnie was amazing. His mother appreciated her. He just reconnected with his brother after years of ignorance. It was just that it was a big change in his life. "And you guys, something planned?"

"Nothing fancy, just Pops, my mom, Brianna, Darryl and me over a good meal."

"No news about Winnie?" Deac asked.

"Yeah… But she's not at peace with Pops right now. She needs time to process. Maybe next year."

"For me, it's just my beer pack and sleep, a lot of sleep. This trip in Germany has left me exhausted. I just want to be calm. What about you, Street? Chris? Anything for Christmas night?"

"Nothing more than all my cousins at Uncle Sarzo's."

"Oh, Oh! All the Alonso family in one place? It's gonna be awesome." Luca was more excited about holidays than Chris. "And what about you Street?"

He pouted. "Nothing special, alone at home. I think I'm gonna watch a movie and eat a turkey burger."

"You can come home if you like!"

"Sounds like a plan, bro. Thanks!"

He gave a look to Chris and smiled. She did the same. She did know his relationship with Molly was not great at the moment. He confessed to her weeks ago they were at odds and she was thinking to go back to Pittsburgh for a while. He kept telling her it was a "Problem with the California climate". But Chris knew it was something else.

"To change everybody's mind, I was thinking about a secret Santa this year. What do you think, guys?"

"It could be fun, Hondo!" Tan was in. Luca raised his hand to agree, followed by Street.

"Come on. Deac, Chris?"

"Ok ok ok. I'm in."

"Yeah Chris joins the game! And you, Deac?"

Deac nodded. "In my arms, bro." Luca was happy for the whole of them. Giving everybody a hug.

Chris was more pragmatic. "And how do we organize, boss?"

"Let me take some paper, a pen and we do this now. I don't want to lose this energy!"

Hondo vanished some minutes before coming back in the locker room. He placed in front of his team.

"It's simple: here is a piece of paper, you write your name on it, then you fold it and put it in my cap. Each one of us takes a paper and if we have our name, we put the paper in the cap again and pick another till you get the nam of one of your mates. It's OK?"

They all let out a general "Yeah". "And no one cheats! Hondo sees everything." Tan's joke made laugh everyone.

Luca went first. He had to try again twice because each time he picked his own name. Third time was the right one. Tan followed, then Deac, Chris, Street and finally Hondo. Hondo put his cap on his head again as to clse the Christmas lottery.

"Everyone has a name now. Go and pick a gift. Nothing too expensive, guys. But something that matters. We could offer the gifts in two weeks. Is it Ok for you? "

"Come to my house. We could have lil party."

"That sounds good, Luca!"

"Thanks Boss!"

"And now go home and sleep, today has been tough."

They all said goodbye on the parking lot, already thinking about the gift they had to find. The next two weeks will be invigorating because right now they had absolutely no idea what to offer to the person whose name was o the little piece of paper in their pockets.