Hello there!

So, one of you suggested I write something Christmas-y. And well, I've decided to give it a go. I have a general idea of where I might be going with this, and so far I've even written the majority of 4 chapters. However, while I expect to maybe write 2 more to finish the story, since each time I re-read what I wrote something new pops into my head, I might do a lot of re-writing, too. And who knows, if you come up with some interesting suggestions or ideas, those might influence me as well!

I am fairly certain though that this will mostly be a fluffy, funny, family story. Don't expect any angst, I'm not sure I can write that at all. XD
Also, with this being my first episodic story with connected chapters, and it takes a while for me to have the pieces fit together as properly as I'd like them to, I'm pretty sure I won't be posting daily updates like I had been during my two earlier projects.

The following story is slightly AU. All in character (I hope), but since it's set after 5x13 and will include characters we're not sure still exist in the MC universe, don't be surprised if it strays from canon.

Anyway, here's the first chapter. Not too long, not too eventful, but hopefully, good enough to pique your interest.

Chapter 1 - Superstitious

He had been napping on the couch when he heard the door open and Sharon's voice as she talked into, he assumed, her phone.

"Oh, I can't wait, honey!"

He sat up and heard the jingle of her keys as she probably locked the door behind her. "Yes."

He leaned his head over the back of the couch his head to look at her sideways. "Great, love you, too, bye!" she said, depositing her things in the hallway and slipping out of her heels.

"Ricky?" he inquired, just as she dropped her phone back into her purse.

She walked past the couch, stopping to press a kiss to his forehead in greeting. "Yes," she almost singsonged, resuming her route around the couch to sit down next to him.

When she sat down, he dropped a kiss to her lips. "Good news, I take it?" he asked, lifting his arm around the back of the couch, inviting her closer.

"The best," she confirmed, leaning into him and moving an arm behind his back, around his waist, "he's coming home for Christmas after all!" She looked at him and squeezed his side excitedly.

He grinned at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tightly in response. "How long can he stay?"

"Oh," she sounded less excited now, sad even, "he has to go back on the second day of Christmas already."

"When is he arriving?" he asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon, around the same time Emily is," she said.

"So they'll both be here for," he paused to count in his head," 3 full days?" Emily, too, was leaving on the 26th.

"Yes," she sighed.

"Well, that's better than last year, you haven't seen either one of them last Christmas," he offered with a shrug.

"True," she admitted.

She fell silent, looking through rather than at him so he quirked an eyebrow at her. When she remained quiet, he spoke, "You know how I can tell you're excited?"

"Huh?" she refocused her gaze, actually seeing him now. "How?" she asked.

"You've been here for 5 minutes already and haven't asked how I was feeling yet," he flashed her a crooked smile.

Her eyes widened only fractionally and ever so briefly before she schooled her features. "Well, you look just fine to me," she told him, pushing herself off him to sit straight as she regarded him.

"Uh-huh," he told her, not buying it.

Ever since his little heart scare, she had asked him how he felt each time they didn't see each other for more than a couple of hours. He insisted on calling it a little heart scare because it turned out to have only been a mild heart attack and after running some tests, it was decided that he would not need stents or bypass surgery. After a three and a half day stay at the hospital he was discharged with new and adjusted medication and strict instructions to lay off physical exercise for the time being. Within a week of being released from the hospital he was back to working behind a desk and by now he was even cleared for fieldwork. None of that though, had thus far assured Sharon enough to stop her from checking in on him whenever possible. It was starting to, ever so slightly, grate on his nerves, but he understood. He still remember how terrified he had been when it happened, he could only too easily imagine how terrified she must have felt.

And now, almost 2 and a half months after the incident, this was the first time she hadn't asked. He was fairly certain it had to do with her excitement over her children's impeding visit but he would still take it as a good sign.

"Ricky said," she started and he took the fact that she didn't try offering any arguments for another good sign, "that he and Emily had a surprise for me."

"Really?" He smirked at her. "I bet not knowing what it is, is killing you."

She narrowed her eyes at her. "Andy," she started seriously, putting even more distance between them on the couch, "you wouldn't happen to know anything about it?" Her voice was coated in suspicion.

He wiggled his eyebrows and his smirk intensified. "Now, wouldn't you like to know, huh?"

He had no idea what the surprise was. But having Sharon Raydor believe he knew something she did not, was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Her eyes narrowed even more for a moment, but then she suddenly relaxed and leaned against the back of the couch and simply said, "Fine, I'll find out in a couple of days anyway!"

This made him suspicious now. That was too easy. He decided to put it away for later but stay on alert. She'd be trying to get it out of him sooner or later, that was for sure.

"So," he started, patting one of her thighs, urging her to lift her feet up to his lap. When she did, he continued, "how did your errand go?"

They had a quiet day at work and as they were heading out, she informed him she had an errand to run and he should go ahead home. When he offered to go with her, she waved him off, saying it shouldn't take long. He suspected it had something to do with his Christmas present, so naturally he would pry into the matter now.

"Fine," she grinned at him, "all done."

She wiggled her pantyhose-clad toes, and as he readily wrapped a hand around one of her feet and started massaging it, he just hummed in acknowledgment to both her answer and her unvoiced request.

She rested her head against the pillow that was propped on the couch's armrest and looked at him. She was obviously in an excellent mood, if the happy smile that graced her features was anything to go by, and he was about to point that out, even though he knew where her mood came from, when she lifted their little silence instead.

"Those decorations aren't going to put themselves up, you know," she told him, tilting her head to the box filled with nothing but Christmas stuff that was on the coffee table.

She had mostly finished decorating. The tree was up, the lights were up, a rather worrying number of angels was up and this was the last box of decorations left, which he had been supposed to put up. Truthfully, he decided to forgo that particular chore, since she would probably spend more time correcting his decorating decisions than it would have taken her to do it herself. He'll gladly help out, but that would be the extent of it.

"Well, it's either this," he squeezed her foot just a bit more than necessary, "or that," he looked at the box. "Your choice," he told her on a grin.

"Oh," she let out on a content sigh, "it can wait a moment longer then."

"What, this?" he asked, letting go of her foot, feigning surprise.

She wiggled her toes again. "Of course not," she told him flatly. She waved a hand at him. "Carry on, please."

He snickered. "Thought so," he said, tickling her foot, making her try jerking it away before he resumed his massage.

"I really, really hope we don't catch a case for the holidays," she said, almost pleading with either him or a higher power. Christmas Eve was in two days and, while he would work, she had taken the day off for Emily's visit. For Ricky's visit, too, now. But if they caught a case, she would be called into work regardless.

"Don't say that!" He all but shouted at her, stopping his ministrations. "Never hope for such things out lou-"

And as if on cue, her phone went off, effectively cutting him off. He loudly groaned and violently dropped his head against the back of the couch in disbelief.

She stood up and made her way back toward the hallway to dig her phone out of her purse. "Oh, would you stop, it's no-"

She fell silent when her eyes landed on the caller ID. She looked at Andy with wide eyes as she hit the accept button, "Yes, Lieutenant Provenza."

Andy just groaned one more time, already getting to his feet and trudging toward their bedroom.

"Okay," she followed Andy, still talking into her phone, "Yes, I will tell him. See you there, Lieutenant."

She ended the call and offered him an apologetic smile despite saying, "This is just a coincidence, Andy."

He had already dropped his suit onto their bed and was in the middle of changing. He stopped only for a moment long enough to shake his head at her. "Just tell me where we need to go," he mumbled.

"Well," she walked up to him as he was buttoning his shirt and took over the job for him, "I'm going into the office," he gave her a surprised look, but she ignored it, "and you're going to the Beverly Center to meet up with the rest of the team." She finished her sentence just as she closed the final button, punctuating it with a pat against his chest.

"What did Provenza call you for then?" he frowned slightly. If Sharon wasn't needed at a crime scene, he would usually call him first.

"Chief Howard's with him, and he wants to meet me in my office," she explained, turning around to disappear into her closet in search for new clothes. Despite already being in work attire, a new case called for a new one.

"Go figure," he said. They had still not settled on a replacement for Chief Taylor, and so far, Howard has been filling in. If the crime scene was a shopping mall, it wasn't really surprising Howard would want a say in handling it then, too.

Andy grabbed his tie and put it around his neck. "Blue," he threw her way.

A second later she reemerged, business suit and blue blouse in hand. He smirked when she offered him a smile and an eyebrow quirk as she proceeded into the bathroom.

He was putting on his suit jacket when he heard her, "Would you please text Rusty where we are?"

"Sure," he said and went out of the bedroom in search of his phone. He needed to check in with him anyway. He might need his help, and it most certainly involved a Christmas present for a certain someone.

...

They were about to part ways in the parking garage to head toward their respective cars (his request for a parking space next to hers, for reasons unknown, had not yet been granted), when she said, "I hope we-"

"No, no, no, no," he said pressing a finger against her lips, shushing her. "Don't say it." He put a bit more pressure against her lips as if to reiterate his command.

Her face practically erupted in amusement, eyebrows going up, lips quirking upwards against his fingertip, but she nodded. Only then did he remove his finger.

"I didn't know you were this superstitious." She seemed genuinely surprised.

He sighed. "I usually am not, but when it comes to work," he shook his head, " I swear..." he let the sentence drop.

"Fine," she propped up on her heeled toes to kiss him. "I'll stop hoping out loud then," she promised on a laugh.

"Thank you," he said, relieved, kissing her once more. "See you at work," he told her, walking away in the direction of his car.

"See you, be safe," she told him, walking away, too.

She smiled to herself when she heard his quip echo in the empty garage, "Always am!"

TBC

Please review! I'd really like to hear your opinions on this chapter and even your ideas about future ones. As always, thank you for taking your time to read! :)