When Skye rings the doorbell the last thing she expected was Sarah to open the door dressed like a Christmas elf, but as it turns out that is exactly what happens.

"Skyeeee!" Sarah shouts and bounces up and down when she laughs.

"Hey little one. Already in Christmas spirits, I see?"

"Yes, mommy is decorating."

"Sarah, honey, are you going to let her in or does Skye have to stand on the steps all day?" Jemma calls out from the living room and a typical Simmons blush spreads over her cheeks.

"Oh yes. Come in please, Skye."

She stretches her little arms out to Skye, who picks her up and settles her on her hip before shutting the door behind them.

"So Christmas, huh. Do you like it?"

"Yes, more than thanksgiving or my birthday."

"It's because you're British, love," Jemma says when they enter the living room where Skye sets the little girl down.

"Oh my god, Jemma, seriously?" Skye's mouth practically falls open upon seeing the living room, before closing it and walking over to Jemma to press a kiss to her cheek. "Hi."

"Hi, love. What?"

"Nothing... Never mind," Skye says, suppressing a laugh and hiding her grin behind her hand.

Every inch is covered with boxes full of ornaments, little bags of fake snow, Christmas cards and envelopes, strings of white and colourful lights and an arrangement of tiny suits for Sarah.

"Now you're here, Ms. hilarious, you can help us decorate if you're up for it." Jemma rolls her eyes at Skye who is still standing there with that stupid grin on her face.

"Yes! Skye! Please!" Sarah nearly falls off the couch with excitement.

"Sure, why not. It's not like I have anything better to do. I'm going to make hot chocolate and then we can figure out what you want where. Like where are you going to hang the mistletoe?"

Jemma glares at her, but Skye merely chuckles before making her way into the kitchen.

A few hours later Sarah has fallen asleep on one of the many pillows after numerous ornaments have been hung in the tree, endless strips of lights have been strung around the living room and the cookies have been eaten after being dipped in the hot chocolate.

"Help me with this last piece please, Skye," Jemma asks and looks down from the little step ladder she's standing on. She's holding a strip of green decoration above her head, but can't seem to get it even on both sides at the time.

Skye gets up from the floor, brushes the fake snow from her Christmas sweater and gets up the ladder with Jemma.

"Don't move too much or one of us is gonna fall off, Jem," Skye laughs softly and wraps one arm around Jemma's waist to keep them both steady. Skye's pressed into Jemma from behind, her hand softly resting on her abdomen, her breath tickling Jemma's neck.

"Maybe I should've done this alone," Jemma breathes unsteadily, "you're very distracting now you're in such close proximity."

"Maybe," Skye whispers and buries her nose in the crook of her neck. Jemma sighs and presses herself into Skye a bit more.

"Okay now help me before my knees buckle," Jemma laughs and Skye presses one kiss to the hollow below her ear before carefully adjusting the decorations.

"This was fun," Skye admits when she's sitting across from Jemma at the table.

"We're not done, though."

"Oh?"

"I still have to send out eighty Christmas cards, Skye. I love this holiday, but writing cards is such a travesty."

Skye chuckles softly and picks up a stack of envelopes. "Let me write the addresses, I can do that."

"Thank you," Jemma smiles softly and hands her a small address book.

"I bet you're the only twenty something year old with an actual address book."

"Just write the highlighted ones, Skye," Jemma says patiently and Skye nods before picking up a pen and going to work.

"Eighty cards though?" Skye whispers after about five minutes and Jemma kicks her under the table.

"I have a big family, Skye! And they are all very British and they will also be very upset if I don't send them cards. That happened one year because I was very caught up in work, you know how I get, but I just forgot... I don't think they have forgiven me just yet."

"It's fine, I'm just teasing you. I know how you get." Skye smiles lopsidedly.

It takes Skye about as long to write the addresses as it takes Jemma to write the cards. She doesn't put them in yet, leaving the opportunity for Sarah to write her name when she wakes up.

"What are you doing for Christmas anyway, Skye?" Jemma asks when they settle down on the couch with another mug of hot chocolate and stretches her legs out over Skye's lap.

Skye just shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe watch a movie and go to bed early. I don't really celebrate."

A flash of sadness crosses her eyes, but Skye tries to cover it up with a weak smile and another one-shouldered shrug.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't have family, Jemma. I... I was left an orphan and I spend my teenage years in an orphanage or with families that didn't like me or alone on the streets in my van. I don't have anyone to spend Christmas with and that's fine. It's something that's done in two days. I usually go to get a drink with some colleagues and then pretend I have family to go to and then just get drunk and sleep the entirety of Christmas away while watching Netflix. It's fine, really."

Skye suddenly feels the need to open up to Jemma. It's not like she can't know and Jemma already knows she's an orphan, but for some reason it's like the whole story isn't complete if Skye isn't honest with her now. She doesn't want to be keeping things from the woman she's dating, plus it's already awkward enough with her friends when they skip around the country and be festive with their loved ones.

It makes Skye sad. Even though she's settled down and met a gorgeous woman, she sometimes still doesn't feel like she belongs. She doesn't have family of her own, so she feels like she's always borrowing people, imposing on other festivities and being invited because, frankly, she's the helpless little stray puppy that of course cannot be alone with Christmas.

Skye clenches her jaws together and rolls her eyes back to stare at the ceiling. She doesn't want to cry. Not now, not in front of Jemma. She'll think she's stupid.

"Oh, Skye..." Jemma whispers and moves to crouch down next to her. See, there it is, Skye thinks and stares at her fingers that are entangled in her lap. Jemma rests her hand atop of hers and squeezes gently. "That must have been hard."

Skye just nods and takes one of her hands from under Jemma's to wipe her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Skye whispers and her voice breaks.

"It's okay. Are you okay?" Jemma tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and gently wipers her thumb over her cheekbone.

"Yeah, I'm just stupid..." She shrugs again and plays with Jemma's fingers.

"You're not stupid, sweetheart. Here, let's go get you cleaned up."

Jemma rises to her feet and smiles softly before taking her hand and guiding her upstairs to the bathroom.

She sits Skye down on the edge of the bathtub and gives her a tissue to blow her nose while taking a washing cloth from a cabinet and holding it under the warm tap.

Jemma turns to Skye slowly, carefully washing the tears and mascara stains from her cheeks with a soft smile on her face.

"I'm sorry." Skye's hands find their way around her hips and she pulls her close, burying her damp face in her tummy.

Jemma threads her hands through her hair carefully and rubs slow circles between her shoulder blades.

"It's okay, Skye. I'm not afraid of your past," Jemma whispers, "I love you."

Skye looks up then with wide red rimmed eyes, but a soft sparkle in them anyway.

"You do?"

"Yes. I... I know it's maybe too early to say or anything but I feel like –"

"I love you, too, Jemma..." She sighs and tightens her hold on Jemma's shirt slightly.

A smile breaks onto Jemma's face and she leans down to capture Skye's lips in a sweet kiss that elicits a soft moan from her throat.

"You should come celebrate Christmas back in England with Sarah and me. If you feel like it, that is."

"I don't want to impose... You don't have to ask me just because I'm a crying stray dog."

"I'm not asking you because I pity you or for that reason, Skye, I'd like to show you around the house I grew up in and because I want to be with you over the holidays and on New Year's Eve. I'm going there for a week with Sarah; I'd miss you too much. So it's entirely selfish, really."

"Totally selfish. Ask your parents first though, if they don't mind you bringing a plus one."

"I will, but I'd like to kiss you on New Year's Eve so they better say yes, which I'm pretty sure they will."

Skye huffs and stands up, cupping Jemma's cheeks with her hands and kisses her.

"It sounds like fun. Thank you."