Author's notes: Here's the second chapter. For some reason the ellipsis that I had put between Green and With in the title didn't show up which left no space between the two words originally. Not sure why the sight doesn't like the three periods but who knows. So I put the With Envy in parentheses for the title page. Sorry for that mistake with chapter one. Two or three more chapters left after this one. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: The show Flashpoint and its characters were created by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern and belong to them and its respective networks. I am making no money off this story and it is for entertainment purposes only. However, this particular story is my creation and should not be used without my express written permission.

Christmas Green…with Envy

Chapter 2

"Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, let's go. Let's look at the show. We're riding in a wonderland of snow. Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, it's grand, just holding your hand. We're gliding along with a song of a wintry fairy land. Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we. We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be. Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two. Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you." Jules sang as she put the finishing touches on her make-up. She'd considered going heavier than her normal understated, natural look since she was meeting Sam's parents for the first time. In the end, she went with her normal look. They'd either have to like her as she was or not but she wasn't going to stress herself out over it.

Sam's reflection appeared behind her own in the mirror and his hands lightly rubbed her upper arms. "I like the idea of snuggling up with you with or without the sleigh ride."

She elbowed him gently in the ribs as her cheeks turned pink without the aid of make-up. "Sam, you weren't supposed to be listening. I thought you were watching the recap of the game."

He kissed her cheek. "I was watching the recap and politely ignoring your rendition of O Holy Night while you were in the shower. However, when you finished it and moved on to singing the Chipmunks' Christmas Song, I decided your entertainment was much more interesting. I never knew your voice could get that squeaky. Tell me, just how many o's were in your pronunciation of hula hoop?"

"Jerk," she accused good-naturedly. "Now, I'm going to worry about singing in the shower for fear you might be listening in."

"Cut me some slack. The only time I get to hear you sing is when you think I'm not listening. Why, I don't know. You've got a beautiful voice. Sometimes, I even stand in the bathroom doorway just to get the chance of hearing you. Usually the most I get is a chorus or two but tonight you've been a one-woman karaoke show. I like it."

It occurred to her that she might need to start locking the bathroom door when she took her shower just to discourage his eavesdropping. "It's your fault; I think even while I was dozing in the car ride up I could hear the Christmas music from that station you found. It's gotten me in the Christmas mood."

Sam grinned , wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer into his embrace so that her body was flush against his. Leaning in, he playfully nipped at her ear. "It's gotten me in the mood as well."

Jules set her powder brush on the vanity and turned in Sam's embrace. She put her own arms around his neck and kissed him. The kiss deepened and Sam was about to lead her back to the king sized bed in the outer room when she pulled back and shook her head. "Not so fast, Hotshot. What you're in the mood for will have to wait. Your parents are expecting us soon and us being late isn't going to do much in the way of me winning points with them. 'Specially not if they realize why we're late."

"Spoilsport." Sam groused but his grin showed he wasn't taking it personally. "Just so we're clear; when we get back tonight, you're all for us getting 'comfy cozy' right?"

"Definitely." Jules promised, giving him another small kiss as if to seal the deal. The she put a hand to his broad chest and pushed back. "Now get out of here and let me finish getting ready before we're late anyway."

Sam stole one more kiss and then gave her a mock salute. "Yes, Ma'am. Whatever you say, Ma'am."

Jules rolled her eyes as he turned to leave. Picking up the hand towel from the vanity, she used it to swat his retreating rear end. "I kind of like the sound of that by the way. It has a nice ring to it. I'm just saying." His only answer was to start whistling "Sleigh Ride."

Twenty minutes later, they were in the jeep heading toward the military base. The snow that had started as intermittent flurries had increased to a steady snowfall while they'd been in the hotel. If it kept falling like it was currently was, there would be a nice blanket of snow on the ground by morning.

"I like all the lights and decorations. Weird how it's the same in every city but at the same time totally different." Jules mused, looking out the window at the passing scenery as Sam drove.

"Enjoy them now. Once we're on base you might see some lights on the outside of the houses and get a glimpse of decorated trees through the windows but not much more in the way of outside decorations. Rules are pretty strict about what can be displayed." Sam warned.

Jules frowned, thinking about the decorations at her own house. She's started a couple of days before the first of December getting everything put up. She took childlike delight every year in making sure her house was the one everyone drove by either to look at or laugh at, she wasn't sure and wasn't sure she cared. Lights, inflatables, wooden figures, basically any kind of Christmas decoration she could acquire was added to her menagerie. The timer was still set to turn on each night while she and Sam were gone and Spike had dutifully promised to drive by each night to check to make sure everything was working properly. She couldn't imagine not being able to go all out every year with decorating. "How sad."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. He didn't add that growing up he hadn't known he was missing out on anything so it hadn't been that bad. Now as an adult and specially watching the pleasure Jules seemed to get out of decorating, he realized he'd missed out on more than a few things growing up.

Once they were at the gate, one guard asked to see their identification while another checked around and under the car for potentially hidden dangers. Accustomed to procedures, Sam handed over his military ID which would get him on any base in the country while Jules dug her driver's license out of her wallet. The guard checked his clipboard and frowned.

"Mr. Braddock, you're clear to continue but I'm not authorized to allow Ms. Callaghan on base. She's not on the expected visitors list."

Sam frowned. "General Braddock was supposed to leave a pass for her. He and my mother are expecting us. So how about calling him and getting her approved. If you don't have the number, I do."

"Sam." Jules warned softly, not used to hearing him act that snappish toward anyone.

Behind them a car honked impatiently. Sam's hand started to fly up in a gesture that would express his annoyance with their impatience but Jules took his hand in her own before the middle finger could be extended and gave it a squeeze. The guard looked back at the car behind Sam's then back at Sam.

"Maybe you should pull into that space over there while I try to get her clearance. I'll call your father; I'm sure it was just an oversight and I'll be able to issue her a visitor's pass. It shouldn't take more than few minutes."

Sam's jaw rocked. He wasn't mad at the guard because he knew all too well the man was just doing his job. His ire was directed solely at his parents. They had known Jules was coming with him and should have had the pass waiting. The fact that they hadn't was a slap in his face. He just wasn't sure if Jules realized it was a slight against her or just bureaucratic red tape. Even if he was really mad at his father, it didn't stop him from taking out his frustration on the guard. "Yeah, why don't you do that."

Again the car behind honked and Sam grumbled under his breath as he pulled into a space. He watched through the rearview mirror as the vehicle that had been so adamant about him moving took Sam's place at the checkpoint. The dark sedan was so clearly military issue and Sam figured it had to belong to a high ranking official. The fact that it quickly passed through the gate all but confirmed it. He frowned. Now he understood why his father hadn't left the pass. It was a subtle reminder to Sam that Jules wasn't military and therefore didn't fit into Sam's world. Instead, it just made Sam realize anew just how little General Braddock knew about his son's world.

"Sorry for the delay, Sir, Ma'am." The guard returned to the window handing Sam's military pass and Jules's license. He also handed Sam another card. "This is a temporary visitor's pass for Ms. Callaghan. You won't have the same trouble during your stay. She'll need to keep it with her at all times while on the base."

"I'm aware of the procedures." Sam replied tersely.

Jules punched his arm and shot him a look that clearly said "be nice." Then she flashed the guard a smile. "Thanks. Must not be too fun standing out here in the snow."

The guard looked surprised at her statement. He was more accustomed to being just a nameless face that was more often than not a hindrance to someone's busy schedule. Most people didn't bother to treat him like a person. "It's not too bad. The guard shack is heated and I have a good thermos of coffee. Besides, you can't beat the view. I've held you folks up long enough. I hope you both have a good visit."

"Merry Christmas." Jules offered as Sam pulled put out of the space he'd had to pull into. He closed the window and shook his head, laughing, his earlier ire abated. Jules frowned. "What?" Then she looked horrified. "Did I do something wrong? Is he supposed to be like the guard at Buckingham Palace and not talked to?"

Sam shook his head. "No, I was just thinking I should have let you handle things from the start. You probably would have charmed your way in without him having to call the house."

"Shut up." Jules argued. Then she glanced back at the gate almost in awe. "I didn't realize how tough security was."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, not exactly the best way to win friends when you're a kid. I had a couple of friends in high school that found the whole process too intimidating. I discovered it was easier to either just have friends who lived on base, or, for those friends I had that didn't live on base, I would go visit them instead of inviting them over."

Jules looked over at him with a bemused expression. "Want to talk about intimidating? My dad and brothers could teach whole courses on scare tactics. Seriously, it's a wonder I had any dates in high school. One time, my dad even asked a boy to give him a urine sample for drug testing. And don't even get me started on some of the things my brothers did. I'm pretty sure some of the things they did are against the rules set up by the Geneva Convention."

"I wouldn't have let it stop me." Sam promised in a tone that was both cocky and sincere at the same time.

A warm fuzzy feeling settled over Jules as she smiled at him. "Yeah, I bet you wouldn't have let them scare you."

As Sam had predicted, the Christmas decorations were more sedate as he drove through the housing area of the base. As the houses became nicer indicating a probable shift in the rank and pay scale of the occupant inside, there was a little more in the way of decorations. Jules found it a little unfair and more than a little sad that rank had perks even when it came to something as small as being able to decorate for Christmas. Sam pulled up in front of a stately two story house, by far one of the nicest Jules had seen on the base so far.

Jules gulped audibly. "Sam, are you sure I'm dressed okay? I don't want to embarrass you by being under-dressed."

He glanced over at her. Her heavy coat hid what was beneath but he'd gotten a long look back at the hotel when she'd first asked for his reassurance that it was appropriate. The long black crushed velvet skirt hugged her curves perfectly and the green silk top was festive and dressy. Though he thought she looked beautiful and sexy even in her uniform, there was no denying that tonight she looked even more stunning than usual. "Trust me, you look gorgeous. However, I don't think I have to remind you that I'm counting down the minutes until I can get you back to the hotel and see how under-dressed I can get you."

She flushed with pleasure at his compliment and the underlying meaning behind his last comment. Sam could have any woman he wanted and Jules knew that; what she sometimes didn't understand is why he had chosen her. "I think you made that clear before we ever left."

Sam noticed that a car that looked very similar to the one that had pulled in behind him at the gate was parked in the driveway. He wondered who it could be because both of his parents would have parked in the garage instead of the driveway, especially with the falling snow. His mom hadn't said anything when she'd called earlier about inviting anyone else for dinner.

Hand in hand, he and Jules made their way up the walk. Sam didn't bother with formalities and simply opened the door and held it open for Jules to enter first. Inside the vestibule, they slipped off their coats and Sam hung them on a coat rack in the corner. No other coats hung there that would give him any indication to the driver of the car in the drive. Jules looked around the house and the skillfully placed decorations and felt completely out of place.

"Is this a house or a professional Christmas display? I feel like I stepped into a photo from a magazine."

Sam grinned. "Tell Mom that. She'll love you for it. Every year, she pays a professional decorator to do all of this. This is just the tip of the iceberg; wait until you see the living room and the actual tree." He leaned closer to her so that he could whisper in her ear. "Personally, I prefer your work."

He kissed her cheek. It was a chaste kiss, not the sizzling one he'd rather have given her but it happened to coincide with his mother's arrival in the foyer. She frowned. "Samuel, not in public." It was definitely a tone of reprimand.

Jules took a step backward, blushing, but Sam wrapped his arm snuggly around her waist and pulled her to him. The movement was enough make the chagrined expression he flashed his mother look comical. "Sorry, Mom, my mistake. I thought this was home not public."

He urged Jules closer to his mother. "Jules, this is my mom; Mom, Jules."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Braddock. I was just telling Sam how beautifully the house is decorated." Jules stepped away from Sam to offer her hand in greeting.

If it was possible for a person to beam with pride, Sam's mother was doing so. She shook Jules's outstretched hand. "Thank you. It's a chore each year to come up with something new, but somehow Robert always does." Then she turned to Sam and hugged him warmly. "Samuel, it's been too long and you are too thin. Have you been eating properly?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Now that I'm with Jules, I eat better than I have since I left home. She's a great cook."

"Hmm, you're still too thin. I'll just have to make sure you eat right while you're here. Come in to the living room; your father is waiting."

Sam reached out to take Jules's hand as they followed his mother down the hall. Perhaps it was being under his parents' roof or perhaps it was a worry that Jules would feel out of place and nervous, but either way, he felt almost driven to keep at least some sort of physical contact with her. She didn't complain or offer him any questioning looks so maybe she needed it as well.

"Warren, look who finally showed up." Mrs. Braddock announced.

General Warren Braddock looked up from his paper. "Good to see you, Son. Sorry about that snafu at the gate. I'll have a word wit that soldier's CO in the morning about detaining you."

Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes and say "whatever." If the General wanted to put the blame elsewhere, that was his business. Sam knew the truth but he wouldn't say anything and risk Jules figuring out how she'd been slighted. Jules frowned. "Please, Sir, there's no need to get him in trouble. I'm sure he was just doing his job. It's over and done with now."

The General frowned as Sam and Jules took seats on the couch side by side. The frown deepened as Sam put his arm behind Jules's shoulder. For his part, Sam ignored the look of disapproval his mother shot him. General Braddock regarded Jules the way he might inspect a new recruit. "So, Julianna, where are you from?"

"Alberta. Medicine Hat specifically." Jules answered. She would have protested the use of her full name but Sam had already warned her that his parents weren't big on nicknames.

"Beautiful area. We used to vacation in Banff every year. What does your father do?"

Jules was tempted to lie, make up some wild tale about how her father was a member of a hush-hush government agency that outranked even a General. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her father, far from it; he'd been a highly decorated officer before he'd taken early retirement. It also wasn't because she wanted the General to accept her. The whole reason why she wanted to lie was to see his reaction. She knew Sam had already told his father all these things already and she was sure the General was asking just to point out that she wasn't military.

"He was a cop, same as me and Sam."

General Braddock frowned. "Not a military man then." The look on his face reminded Jules of the look people got after stepping on a piece of gum - or worse, a pile of dog poop.

Jules shrugged. "Not for the lack of trying. He had his heart set on being a pilot for the Canadian Air Force like my grandfather and my great grandfather before that. But an accident involving fireworks when he was a teenager left him with a detached retina. He couldn't pass the vision requirement needed to be a pilot."

Sam glanced down at Jules. He hadn't known any of that story. He'd always wondered why she didn't seem to like fireworks displays. Whenever he'd asked her why, she would just say she and her brothers had never been allowed near them growing up. There were still so many stories they hadn't discovered about each other. He for one looked forward to discovering all of them.

"Julianna, you can't imagine how surprised I was when Samuel said you were coming with him for this trip. I've been asking to meet you for ages. I was beginning to think he was trying to keep you a secret."

"Mom." Sam interjected with a note of warning in his voice. "I told you; it's hard enough for one of us to take days off but almost impossible for both of us at the same time. Fortunately this time of year, there's enough happening that people are more willing to trade shifts."

"I know, I know." Mrs. Braddock argued. "You work too hard, Samuel. That's probably why you are so thin. Too busy working to eat. Everyone was so excited when I told them you were coming to the Christmas Party. People around here were beginning to think you'd dropped off the face of the planet."

Sam shifted uncomfortably. He had a feeing there were quite a few of those who probably hoped he had. It was time for a conversation change. "I noticed a car out front when we came in; who does it belong to?"

"I'm afraid I'm the guilty culprit, Sam." A tall distinguished man entered the living room from the door leading to the rest of the house. He appeared to be maybe a couple of years older than General Braddock but his expression was much less imposing.

"General Isaacs, nice to see you again, Sir." Sam rose from the couch to greet the older man. If he had to come face to face with someone from his past during this visit, the man standing before him was who he would want it to be. After Matt's death and Sam's decision to leave Special Forces, General Isaacs was the only person who hadn't given him a hard time about either. Moreover, he was the one who had suggested Sam try for the Strategic Response Unit.

The man smiled. "It's been way too long. I've heard good things about you with this new job of yours. SRU is lucky to have you."

Sam glanced back at Jules, who had stood as well. "I'm the lucky one, Sir. Jules, this is General John Isaacs. He was in charge of the base when Dad was stationed in Vancouver and he was my first CO as well. Sir, this is Jules Callaghan."

General Isaacs shook her hand as well. "SRU's first female sniper. I've heard about you as well. You've got an impressive career jacket from everything I've been told. Am I to understand you've also taken on the responsibility of keeping Braddock here in line? You've got your work cut out for you."

Jules smiled; this was already a warmer welcome than she'd received from either of Sam's parents. She could also tell that Sam seemed more at ease with this new addition to the room. "I don't know; he may say the same about me."

Sam's grin could only be described as boyish. "More like we both keep everyone else on their toes. I didn't realize you would be here, Sir."

General Isaacs took a seat in the leather chair next to Sam's father while Sam and Jules retook their seats on the couch. The older man shrugged. "Since I went into semi-retirement several years ago, it's been easier to make it out here every year. No doubt about it, your mother knows how to host a party."

Sam had to chuckle. The truth was more like his mother was a tyrant when it came to hosting the annual Christmas party, but he had to admit that she always made it a success. "It wouldn't dare be anything less."

Elizabeth Braddock clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Both of you hush. I'm going to see about getting dinner on the table."

As she stood, Jules stood as well. "Let me give you a hand with that. It's the least I can do in exchange for your hospitality."

Mrs. Braddock didn't protest so Jules followed her to the kitchen. Left alone with his father and General Isaacs, Sam resisted the urge to tug at his tie that was the same color as Jules's top. He'd worn his pressed dress pants, red button down shirt, green tie, and sports jacket because he knew how important dressing for dinner was to his parents, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

"I owe you a big thank you, Sam." General Isaacs admitted after a moment or two of silence.

Sam frowned, confused. "For what, Sir?"

"I've been trying to get my little girl to spend more time with me. I didn't think I'd get to see her at all this season. But when I mentioned that I was coming to Ottawa for the party and that Warren had said you were coming; she jumped at the chance to join me."

Sam swallowed and stood, pretending to be suddenly interested in the tree in the corner. He tried to keep his tone even. "Heather came with you?"

"Sam Braddock, it's about damn time I got to see you again!" A tall, leggy redhead suddenly burst into the room, a bright smile on her face. Before Sam knew what was happening she'd launched herself at him in a bear hug. The exuberance of her hug and the fact she'd caught him off guard almost knocked him off balance. His arms came around her to steady them both.

"Sam, your mom said everything's ready." Jules came back into the living room and stopped when she saw Sam in the middle of an embrace with a woman she didn't recognize. She knew it wasn't fair to judge without knowing the whole story. There could be an absolutely good reason to explain why Sam was hugging another woman. She wouldn't jump to conclusions. She cleared her throat. "I'm supposed to tell everyone to come to the table."

The woman released her hold on Sam but immediately linked her arm through his. "Come on, Handsome, walk me to the table. I'm starving."

It only took Sam a second to extricate himself from her grasp but a second was all Jules needed to see that whoever this woman was, she was exactly the time Jules had always imagined would be more Sam's type. If this red-head seemed perfect next to Sam, where did that leave her?