A/N: Sorry, no prompt yesterday. I got caught up in house cleaning and going to my girlfriend's. (also had an angsty and emotionally rough afternoon so had to get through that.) But today I have two prompts to do! Without further ado, here is the first. Enjoy! -SWS

Day: December 2nd

From: Catherine Spark

Prompt: Watson corrals Holmes into cooking Christmas dinner for Mrs. Hudson

On Christmas Eve afternoon of 1896, Mrs. Hudson had gone to market to purchase the final ingredients for tonight's Christmas dinner. Holmes and I had been residing in Baker Street for near a decade, now combined with the years before my marriage and those following Holmes' return, and every one of those years, Mrs. Hudson had given up her Christmas Eve to make us dinner, only saving a few leftover scraps for herself. While I could not help but smile fondly and affectionately at the woman's selflessness, I also felt remarkably bad for her. I'd had an idea over the past few days, and Mrs. Hudson's absence was the perfect time to follow through with it.

"Holmes," I said casually, setting down my newspaper and leaning forward in my chair.

Holmes merely grunted without looking up from the sheaf of paper on which he was fiercely scribbling.

"Holmes, don't you think we ought to do something nice for Mrs. Hudson?"

He finally tossed aside his paper and pen flippantly and looked up at me. "Why? Don't you think, Watson, that we're being kind enough by reigning in our eccentricities enough that she doesn't throw us out onto the street?"

I sighed and blew a stream of air out of my mouth to keep myself cool and collected. "You know, Mrs. Hudson is very generous for keeping us as tenants. She does care for us, or she wouldn't bother making Christmas dinner for us every year without sparing any time for herself. All these Christmases and I have never seen her leave the flat on Christmas once, nor ever heard her mention any family she has to visit. Holmes, I don't think she has a family to visit on Christmas. Did you ever wonder why she cares for us so? I think it's because we're her family. We're all she has."

"Well, then, Watson, if we are all she has, then I'm sure she doesn't mind sacrificing so much for us."

"Holmes," I said, an idea sparking in my head, "if it weren't for Mrs. Hudson renting these rooms to us, would you care to think where both you and I would be?" We both know that I had nowhere to go, and you couldn't have afforded the price of a flat on your own as a struggling amateur detective. With this flat not only have you gained my assistance on cases and as a companion, biographer, and friend, and therefore a surge in your incoming cases, clients, and funds, but you wouldn't have had a secure shelter to return to when protection was needed, as with the Moriarty case and many others. I feel quite sure that without Mrs. Hudson's care and affection, the both of us would still be starving, struggling, or dead."

At my words Holmes rose and went to the window, hands grasped tightly behind his back and blinking several times in rapid succession. I could tell that my words had affected him. "I suppose you are right, Watson," he said softly. "Mrs. Hudson has shown a remarkable amount of patience towards us over the years, more so than my own parents ever did, in fact. And I suppose the occasion has been rare when we in return showed her a mark of our own gratitude."

I smiled. "Very good then, old fellow. So what do you say we cook the dinner tonight and have her dine with us?"

Holmes turned again to face me, and although at first he didn't speak I knew that the glint in his eyes was an agreement.

A/N: Well, that was certainly sweeter than I expected. Indeed, Mrs. Hudson truly is a remarkably patient and long-suffering woman, and she must certainly be commended. I hope you enjoyed. More to come! Please review and stay tuned! -SWS