When I awoke I had no recollection of where I was or how I had gotten there, but soon enough it came to me that I was lying on the couch in the living room. The TV had been turned off and I had somehow acquired another blanket. I remembered everything that had happened yesterday and just laid my head back down. I was so comfortable; I didn't want to get up. The sun streaming in through the large windows told me that I had slept in much later than I usually do.

I debated back and forth inside my head, but with a groan I pushed the blankets off and stood, stretching. I was feeling oddly lethargic today. In spite of this, however, I went to investigate what the other members of this household were up to. It was unusually quiet, which unnerved me. It brought back lonely memories. Unfortunately the house seemed to be completely empty. I started to worry; neither Chris nor Piers had left a note saying where they had disappeared too and the weather outside seemed like it was going to break.

Dark clouds hovered over the town whilst the wind whipped around. We had been warned of an impending storm system which had been foreseen to roll through sometime this week. I dug through my purse to find my phone, finally reaching it near the bottom. I quickly dialed Chris' number, but I got no answer. I tried again, still no answer. Hoping that third time was a charm, I tried once more-again nothing. My mind spun with everything that could have gone wrong.

I ran my hand through my long locks trying to figure out what to do. To get my mind off of the stress I decided to make Christmas cookies. It was a fun activity, and I was pretty sure that both Chris and Piers would like the sweet treat whenever they returned from wherever they went. I knew that both men were more than capable of handling themselves in bad weather, but still, a sister will worry.

A stroke of inspiration struck and I pulled out my phone again. I called an old friend from high school, Jake. He agreed to come over since he had nothing better to do all day. Jake and I had not had an opportunity to hang out since I had joined the BSAA, a little over a year ago. So this was an almost perfect opportunity for the both of us.

I threw my hair up into a messy bun and pulled out a bowl with which to mix the main ingredients in for the sugar cookies. I worked quickly, funneling my anxieties and worries into this activity. I was so focused that I missed the front door shutting and the light footsteps that made their way towards the kitchen.

"Sierra!" Jake exclaimed, causing me to jump in surprise. I nearly dropped the metal bowl that I was holding, stirring its contents.

"Dammit Jake! Don't do that!" I said, with a shaky laughed. I set the bowl down and walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. I clung to him as he rubbed my back, soothing me slightly.

"What happened?"Jake asked looking into my eyes. I explained my anxieties to him, and like always he was able to calm me down.

"Come on then, we going to make these cookies?" Jake asked with his sunny smile that reflected in his brown eyes when I felt better.

"Yes!" I laughed. I dragged him over to the island and smacked his hand away from the dough as he tried to swipe some to eat.

We finished out the dough, placing them in small balls on the cookie sheet to cook in the oven. While those were cooking I showed Jake the magic of making homemade icing. He got a little crazy and wiped the sugar glaze across my cheek with a chuckle. I dashed some across his forehead in retaliation, thus leading to an all out icing war. Soon we were both covered in green and red icing.

"Ah! Stop!" I cried with a laughed as he went to put more icing on my face. Jake ignored me and put the last little bit of icing on my nose. I stuck my lip out to pout, but froze when he took my face into his hands delicately. His brown eyes were filled with so much emotion as he stared into my eyes. My breath hitched as he leaned down and placed his lips ever so gently on the tip of my nose. His hands snaked around my waist, and before I knew it he placed a chaste kiss on my lips.

For the first time since Maverick had died, I didn't feel guilty about being with another man. I felt comfortable and safe. Jake had always been there for me and it was only now starting to sink in that he would always be the one for me. His eyes searched mine for an answer. I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed the distance between us again, pressing my lips against his once more. I felt him smile into our kiss, but we jumped apart as the door slammed shut. I spun around and found Chris and Piers walking into the parlor, a very large fir tree held between the two of them.

"What the hell happened to you?" Piers asked, cocking his eyebrow at me.

"Who the hell are you?" Chris asked staring down Jake. Jake's eyes widened at the intimidating figure of my brother standing in the doorway, a large fir tree resting on the ground as his fellow soldier walked up behind him, brushing off some loose snow. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Chris, this is Jake Macauley! We went to high school together," I replied. Chris' face drained of all color and Piers took in a sharp intake of breath.

"Macauley?" Chris asked.

"Yes, and you are Chris Redfield, captain of the Edonian campaign," Jake replied, his voice icy and cold. My smile fell as I looked between the three men. Piers had stepped slightly in front of my brother, yet I felt as if I could cut the tension with a knife. Obviously Chris had not told me something.

"I tried to save him," Chris said, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"We were separated and attacked, we barely had time to react," Piers added. "Finn was a good and honorable soldier in battle."

"Thank you," Jake replied, his voice and face softening. "I miss him every day. There is nothing worse than losing a sibling."

"I can't even imagine," Chris said looking directly at me.

The timer went off in the kitchen and I turned and hurried out of the room. I checked the oven and found the cookies were done. I pulled them out and quickly coated them with the remainder of the icing left in the bowl after the icing fight. I left them on the counter to cool as I wiped icing off my face with a damp hand towel. This left the men to their own devices, a thought which slightly scared me, but it gave them a chance to work out whatever laid between them.

I finished tending to the cookies, setting them into a nice tray. I brought the dish into the living room, only to find the three men standing around the tree which was now set in its stand, against the wall. Broad smiles adorned their faces in friendship and mutual love of the holidays.

"Anyone want a cookie?" I asked.

"That sounds delectable!" Piers replied with a smile, taking a Santa cookie from the top. Following his lead, both Chris and Jake took one as well.

"Well, are we gunna decorate this tree?" Jake asked, looking at me, a smile playing across his lips. I nodded and set the tray on the table and went to get the decorations, when Chris stopped me.

"I'll get them Misty, you relax," Chris said, his hand on my shoulder.

"It's not a problem, Chris," I replied confused.

"You've been really stressed lately, just relax. Let us help you out," Piers said, leading me over to the couch. With a sigh of annoyance I objected and sunk into the soft embrace of the seat cushions. Jake shot me a curious look, but sat down beside me, wrapping his arms around me. I leaned into his side, resting my head on to his shoulder while we waited for Chris and Piers to return.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Sierra, happy birthday to you!" Chris and Piers sang, loudly and very out of tune, as they walked back into the living room. Together they carried a cake, twenty seven candles lit on top, illuminating the features on their faces. Jake joined in as they sang the song once more.

I couldn't believe it! Chris had actually, sort of, thrown me a birthday party. It had been the first party I had been able to have since joining the BSAA. With my birthday only two days before the holiday it was difficult for Chris or I to celebrate since we usually had to work.

"Make a wish!" Jake whispered in my ear, his warm breath sending chills through my body. 'I wish every Christmas could be this wonderful', I wished silently before blowing out the candles on the carefully decorated cake. Piers cut the cake, handing a piece to everyone while Chris disappeared into the next room once more.

"Oh my!" exclaimed after finishing my first bite. "This is delicious!"

"Chris and I made it this morning while you slept," Piers replied with a chuckle. Just then Chris walked back into the room, his arms filled with beautifully wrapped presents. I gasped; I had not expected something like this from my brother. His face lit up when he saw my surprised expression.

"You didn't have to do any of this!" I said, my voice cracking with emotion. "You being here is enough of a present for me."

"Sierra, you know me better than that," Chris replied. He set the gifts down on the table before me and ruffled my hair.

"Come on! What did you get?!" Piers asked excitedly. I looked up and I saw the childish joy reflected in his eyes and I couldn't help but to laugh. I took the first present and opened it.

Overall I collected a new gun, a leather jacket, and a crystal necklace from the Czech Republic from Chris. Piers had given me a pair of gorgeous earrings and a fabulous leather boot heels. Jake, who had no idea of the surprise party, improvised and asked me to accompany him to the BSAA military ball as his date, which I of course accepted.

The rest of the night I spent just enjoying the company of family and friends. Together we ate cake and drank wine, the proper way to celebrate a birthday. The large house, which had always felt cold and lonely to me, now felt warm and welcoming. For the first time in my life, it felt like a home.