This chapter is for BlueMidnightSun. Merry Christmas, and I hope you like it!!!

Summary: When you spend Christmas alone, it means nobody loves you (if anyone knows what show this quote is from, you get a cookie).

Title: Christmas Guests

Rating: PG-13, for mentioned abuse

Disclaimer: I own nothing. N. O. T. H. I. N. G.

Christmas is a time of happiness. It is a time of of candy canes and mistletoe and presents and trees. But most importantly, it is a time of family. Husbands and wives, children and parents, sisters and brothers. This is the holiday you spend with the people who matter the most to you, snuggling by a fire and wishing for snow. But in the Lightman Group, not all was cheer.

Lightman got Emily for Christmas and was in an unusually good mood for once. Gillian was going to spend the holiday with her younger sister, and Ben was going home to his wife and twin babies. But for the first time, Loker was going to be alone for Christmas. And, because she was the only one feeling the same, Ria was the only one who noticed his gloomy silence.

"Bye, love," Lightman said, kissing her cheek. "Enjoy yourself."

"You too," Ria replied, forcing a smile. "Say hi to Emily for me."

"Will do. Hey, Foster, get back here! You're not getting away without saying goodbye."

As the two older psychologists embraced, Ria moved over to Loker, who was spinning moodily in his chair.

"Hey," she said. "What's up?"

"Nothing," he said, his forced smile obvious to even the untrained eye.

"Come on. What's wrong? It's almost Christmas!"

"Yeah. And when you spend Christmas alone, it means nobody loves you."

"You're spending Christmas alone?" she asked, surprised. "No family? No girlfriend?"

"You know my history with girls," he said bitterly. "And my dad just died a couple months ago."

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever. What are you doing for the holidays?"

"Actually, I'm spending them alone, too," she admitted. "I don't even have a tree. With Dupree gone... There's no way I would ever spend it with me father."

"You still have a father. You should be thankful for that."

"I'm going to tell you this once, so listen closely," she said, her eyes flaming up. "My father is a bas*erd. He abused me emotionally for my entire childhood, and from age seven up, physically as well. He broke my arm when I was thirteen and refused to take me to the hospital, making me walk by myself, three miles in the snow. Every Christmas, he would get hopelessly drunk and throw things at me. From age eleven up, I spent Christmas alone, under a bridge near our house. What you said about spending Christmas alone meaning no one loves you, it's true."

She stared at him for a moment, still angry, then her face crumpled and she was crying on his shirt, holding onto him as tightly as she could. He was her lifeline, at least for this moment. Talking about her childhood brought back memories. There was so much more. The drugs and sex, and the single suicide attempt that had landed her in the hospital with a severe concussion and broken bones. The many, many times she ran away. And the thing she had never, ever told anyone and never would: the broken body of the baby, at the bottom of the ravine.

That pure face, twisted up in fright, made her sick to her stomach. Her tears turned into body shaking sobs as the familiar guilt washed over her. The guilt and sickness and burning hatred. But Loker held her, held her and stroked her hair and back, held her until the sobs had finished. But even as her body fell still, she clung to him, pleading wordlessly.

"Alright," he said, standing up. "Come with me." She followed him without protest.

Outside, they realized that she had forgotten her jacket. Loker wordlessly wrapped his around her shoulders. She pulled it tight, breathing in the scent that was simply him. He helped her into his small, junk filled, car, and drove off. After 15 minutes, she ventured to ask, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he answered mysteriously, and five minutes later, he pulled off into a small lots. As he helped her out of the car, she started laughing. They were in a field full of baby Christmas trees.

"Go ahead," he said, gesturing widely. "Pick one."

As she wandered off through the green, minty field, Loker headed over to the salesperson and purchased several big boxes. Watching him curiously, she didn't notice the tree in front of her until it was too late. Letting out a shriek, she went tumbling to the ground.

"Ria!" Loker called, leaping over the trees in his haste to reach her. Giving her a hand up, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, giggling, "And I think we found our tree."

He paid for the tree and put it in the back with the boxes.

"Christmas decorations," he explained.

"Thanks, but I have some."

"We're not going back to your house," he said. "My friend has a little cottage in the woods not too far from here. There's plenty of clothes and food. Neither one of us is going to be spending Christmas alone this year." He stopped the car for a moment, turning her face so she was staring in his eyes. "I want you to know that you aren't alone. I care about you," he said.

She studied him for a moment, then gave in to the butterflies in her stomach.

"Thank you," she whispered and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. But he was already turning his head and her lips landed on his. For a moment, they stayed in that position, frozen by the warmth spreading out from their mouths. Then he turned away, muttering an awkward apology. But she saw him smirk, and as they drove off again, she noticed the another small box in the back seat. Mistletoe. Yes, it was going to be a good Christmas.

I will beg, if that makes a difference. Please, please, please, please, PLEASE review! As a Hanukkah gift? Or an early Christmas present? I do take requests, but if I don't get any, I'm going to do a Cal-Gillian chapter next. Now. Review!!!!!!!