Chapter 1: Tis the season

14th December, 2017

Shaw always hated this part of this particular mission. Scanning the crowd impatiently from her vehicle, wondering what had changed in the past month.

A head of blonde curls, ESE. Shaw turned her head and sighed in relief as the small human approached the SUV. Shaw rolled down the window of the passenger side.

"Get in kiddo," Shaw called through the window, but Gen stood still, as she did every time Shaw picked her up from her boarding school. "C'mon, get in," Shaw said, feigning impatience.

"You do this every month. Hug first, then you load my gear, then I get in."

Shaw rolled her eyes and opened her car door. Looking around but seeing no one obviously watching them she scooped her ward into a bear hug.

"You're squashing me," Gen said, but she didn't pull away; instead her arms came around to grasp Shaw tighter.

Shaw pulled away a little and looked over the barely-teen. "They feeding you alright?" Shaw asked, hands on Gen's shoulders.

"Not as well as you," Gen said by rote, and Shaw nodded, pleased every time she heard it.

"Got a couple of steaks out for when we get back," Shaw said gruffly, looking away.

"Same place?" Gen asked as Shaw flung Gen's suitcase into the boot.

Shaw closed the door and nodded before opening the passenger door for Gen.

"Yeah, for now. Leave the party line alone though," Shaw smirked.

"I was just a kid," Gen protested, grinning as she got into the car.

"Still are," Shaw said as she slid into the driver's seat. "Buckle up, Bear is waiting on us."

14th December, 2014

Shaw didn't miss her family at Christmas; didn't think much of the tradition. But when she came home to her empty apartment there was a wrapped present on the table.

Shaw drew her gun as she approached it, then strode around the rest of the one-room apartment. Whoever it was, they were gone. Shaw tucked away her gun and walked back to the table. She sliced the paper off with a knife, revealing a bottle of hot sauce purportedly made of Carolina Reapers. Her mouth almost watered at the label.

There was no card; it wasn't necessary.

14th December, 2017

Bear went into circles of delight when Shaw opened the door to the house they were staying in. Shaw carried the suitcase through to Gen's room as Gen and Bear had an excited reunion. Shaw left the suitcase on the bed and watched the dog and girl wrestle on the ground by the sofa. She patted Bear on the head as she walked past to the kitchen.

"This is why you're not allowed at the school anymore," Shaw said warningly as Bear barked out his joy.

Gen sat at the table, freshly showered, waiting expectantly for dinner with a book on thermal energy.

"It's nice to be home," Gen said as Shaw served dinner, a balanced meal with vegetables for Gen's growing body and a third steak that had only touched the pan for Bear.

"If you like the place so much, I'll buy it," Shaw said as she sat. "But you know I have to keep moving. It can be yours some day."

"That's not what I meant," Gen mumbled, and Shaw looked away.

"My leave runs out in the New Year, but Uncle Finch and Aunt Grace have offered to have you over in California. Aunty Zoe and Uncle Fusco have offered too, so it's down to you to choose."

Gen's face dropped, and Shaw felt like a heel.

"Maybe I can get some more time off?" Shaw offered. It wasn't like she was the only one on her team; it was just that she was the escalation. She was older now, and she felt the bullet wounds she'd had over the years as soon as October came around. She had been spending less time in the field anyway, maybe she could do some admin work from home, coordinate the teams. On top of that new programmer Finch had hired kept trying to update The Machine's voice and Shaw worried that if she left it too long he would follow through. Shaw made a mental note to follow up with Finch; although he was technically retired, he still consulted. "I know they were excited to see you, but New York is a bit much for Uncle Finch these days. The streets are too slippery." Shaw sighed. "We'll make it work. You only have a month off, after all."

Gen smiled shyly.

"You know I'd rather... but I can't work with you here. It's too dangerous. You need a stable home and if I'm working I'm on the move," Shaw sighed again. She loved her work but Gen asked for barely anything, and Shaw always found herself enjoying the time she spent with her ward almost as much as she enjoyed shooting someone through a wall, in the dark.

"I know, Shaw," Gen said carefully. "I'm fine with wherever I go."

"But you'd rather be here," Shaw said flatly.

"I'm only in it for the dog," Gen deadpanned, and Shaw laughed. Gen's face lit up the same way it did when she landed a rocket or did something else rare and unexpected. Shaw grinned at Gen over the table and shook some sauce onto her steak.

Carolina Reaper sauce.

Notes:

Started as a one-shot and we ended up here.

One-shot might be posted on Christmas day.