Spoilers:  None

Rating of Story: G

Characters in Story:  Blair & Jim

Warnings: None, really.  

Plot Blurb:  Blair shares a bit about his past Christmas history with the Sentinel, prompting Jim's desire to right a wrong.

Special Note:  This story is dedicated to all of my brand-new listsibs on the Sentinel Angst list.  I haven’t had a chance to really get to know any of you very well but know that each of you are in my heart, my mind and my prayers this Holiday season.  God Bless each of you.   

Feedback:  Wintersrose craves, needs and wants your feedback, much like she craves and wants chocolate!  Please, keep her writing!  

 

*****

 

“What do you mean, Santa never visited your house?”  incredulous, unbelieving, Jim Ellison stared at his younger friend while Blair continued to twine a long strand of gold garland around the seven and a half foot Christmas Tree they both picked out the day before.   

The two friends and roommates spent the day before going through the boxes of Jim’s Christmas ornaments and Blair’s smaller box of knick-knacks then shopping for more items to supplement their decorations.  Though Blair lived in the loft for three years now, they had not decorated for the Holidays before.  It had been breached – tentatively – by Blair just two days ago and Jim, not willing to hurt his friend (again) had agreed.  It was Christmas time.  The Holiday season.  Peace on Earth, all that.  

“Well… never,” Blair shrugged as he finished off his garland strand and reached for another – this one cloth bows of light green and gold that went in the space the other garland didn’t.  Jim helped him unwrap the garland from the cardboard it was wrapped about.   “First of all, well, there’s the obvious.  I’m Jewish.  But anyway, even when I was in places where we celebrated Christmas along with Hannukah, well… I was usually the only child in the house.  The only time there were other children were with my cousins and, obviously, we just did Hannukah those years.”  

Jim frowned.  His friend had done a thousand more things than Jim ever did but sometimes his… education… seemed lacking.  Not that he could totally fault his mother since he was Jewish but… no Santa.  Even Jim, living in the Ellison household, had Santa for the first eight years of his life.  His mom had been big into Christmas and he had many good memories of a Christmas morning spent exploring the gifts from Santa under the tree.  

“Every child should get a visit from Santa once in their life,” Jim said.  “I can’t believe you never did – I figured you’d done everything.”  

Blair grinned, blue eyes lightening slightly.  He got the bow garland settled onto their tree and took the second strand of it to finish off the top of the tree.  

“I suppose there were only a couple of years I really missed him,” Blair shrugged.  “When I was eight we were living Australia .  I was going to school there and, well, all my friends were always talking about writing letters to Santa.  I went home and asked my mom if I could write one too and she said… well, I didn’t do it.  We left a couple of weeks later anyway.  Not like we could have carried a bunch of toys around or anything.  I got some books and stuff, though.”  

Jim frowned.  Sometimes he could never understand Naomi Sandburg.  The woman made him nuts in more ways than one.  

The rest of the tree decorating was accomplished with other conversations – about work, about the upcoming Christmas Party, last minute shopping of gifts, until the tree was covered with decorations aplenty.   

“I think you should write to Santa this year, Blair,” Jim said to his friend.  “Everybody deserves one visit from the man in red.”  

Blair made a face at his friend.  “I think I’m a little bit old for visits from Santa, Jim.”  

Jim grinned.  “Maybe.  But maybe not.  Come on, Chief, you won’t know until you try.”  

Blair sighed but Jim was happy to see that his friend nodded his agreement and muttered something about letter to Santa to appease overbearing Blessed Protectors.  

** ** ** ** **  

His roommate was up to something.  

Blair stretched, pointing toes and hands as he struggled out of the depths of sleep.  He stared at the door that led out of his bedroom and heard his roommate shuffling around.  Jim was definitely up to something.  Ever since he’d made Blair write that silly letter to Santa Claus, Jim had been sneaking around behind Blair’s back.   

Sure, he’d been hurt the few times he’d wanted to have a visit from the jolly elf and he never came – but it had been a long time ago.  He didn’t need to worry about such things now.  Blair wondered if he could put off getting up a little longer, then sighed and struggled out of bed anyway.  Fine.  I’ll get up.  I don’t have to like it.  

He came out of the room and his eyes widened when he saw what his roommate had been up to.  

There were… geez, he couldn’t possibly count the number of gifts under or around the tree.   

“Jim?” he stammered.  

“Merry Christmas, Chief,” Jim said to him, handing over a cup of hot cocoa.  “Santa came last night.  Looks like you were a good boy this year.”  

Blair stared at the gifts.  

“Jim, this is… it’s too much, man.  I mean…”  

“Don’t look at me,” Jim said.  “Santa sent ‘em.  See?  Check the tags.  To Blair, From Santa.  There’s even a note from him.”  

The note was sitting on the table by the door.  

Blair picked it up and read it.  

“Dear Blair.  Sorry I missed you so many years before.  This is to make up for all of the Christmas’ I missed.  Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah, my friend.  Santa Claus (aka Kris Kringle).”  

Well, it wasn’t in Jim’s writing, which meant someone else had written it.  Blair had to wonder – but he didn’t ask.  No, he wouldn’t ask.  But it was… it was still too much!  How could Jim afford all of these gifts?

“Let’s get to opening or we’ll be here till New Years,” Jim said.  

Blair tried to remember what had been on the silly list.  He’d been half-serious, putting on things he’d wanted but would never get for himself.  Like a new laptop.  No way did Jim get that carried away.  No way could he accept it if he did…  

Jim obviously liked HIS gifts.  Blair had gotten him some practical gifts – a new electric shaver, some new socks, some more of the really soft sheets that Jim liked and a couple of new shirts.  Then the impractical gifts – a kit for fly-tying for Jim’s favorite hobby and – Blair’s favorite – a painting of a black jaguar and a wolf lying in repose near each other under a canopy of green.  

Jim’s eyes were glazed over when he looked at the painting and he insisted on hanging it up over the fireplace right then and there.  Blair caught him gazing up at it, a longing, happy, expression on his face as he did so.  

Blair, however, thought he was going to hyperventilate as he opened his presents.  From Santa.  And a few from Jim.  

Packet upon packet of herbs, all of the ones from his list – including some very hard to find ones that he was positive he’d never get.  

Two ancient anthropological texts he’d longed for since he was an undergrad but would never be able to afford on his own.  He frowned for a moment, wondering just how much Jim had paid for them – or how he’d even found them.  Blair had put them on the list as a whimsy…  

Many new packets of shirts, socks, even underwear.  New Nike Extremes.  New Hiking Boots.  Two beautiful statues from Papua New Guinea – matching fertility figurines (it made Blair laugh when he saw those – he hoped it didn’t mean anything!).  A new bookcase for his bedroom, larger than the one he currently had that would hold more of his stuff.  

His eyes glittered when he opened the last gift.  The new laptop.  

“Jim… I can’t… it’s too much, man.  Jim….” Blair stared up at his roommate, tears streaming down his cheeks.  “It’s…”  

“I told you, Chief.  Santa had a lot to make up for,” Jim grinned.  He was sipping on his second cup of hot cocoa and thinking about breaking out the eggnog.  Early but it would be pretty tasty.  

“But Jim!” Blair protested.  “This is too expensive.  You can’t…”  

“I didn’t say it was me, did I?” Jim asked placidly.  “Open it up.”  

Blair frowned but carefully slid the laptop out of the box it came in and just as carefully opened it up.  Inside was a slip of paper that he pulled out.  

“To our favorite anthropologist:

Santa asked us to give him a hand with your gifts this year.  Since you’ve been such a good anthropologist this year we decided to do as he asked.  Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Feliz Navidad and all that.  From your friends at Major Crimes.”

Blair wiped his tears.  

“Mushball,” Jim laughed.  “Total Mushball.”  

Blair swiped at him but Jim ducked back.  

“Come on, Darwin , we need to get cleaned up before the party tonight.  Let’s get your new booty into your room.”  

Jim grinned as he picked up some of Blair’s gifts and took them into his bedroom.  He piled them carefully on top of Blair’s futon but saw Blair sitting, staring at his computer.  The younger man finally picked up the computer and carried it into the bedroom and set it on his desk, next to his old laptop.   

“You OK, Chief?” Jim came up behind his friend and put a hand on Blair’s shoulder.  “You’re not usually so quiet.”  

“I’m fine,” Blair smiled.  “Just… stunned.  I can’t believe you did all this for me.”  

Jim laughed.  “Wasn’t me, buddy.  It was Santa.  I just helped.”  

Blair laughed.  “Sure, Jim.”  

Jim went back into the living room to take his gifts up to his bedroom.  He came down a few minutes later to see Blair sitting on his bed, holding a Christmas card in his hand.  

“Did… did you leave this on my bed?” Blair asked Jim.  The Sentinel stared at it a moment but shook his head.   

“No…”  

Blair stared up at him a moment, as if trying to decide if Jim was telling the truth or not.  Jim didn’t flinch away from the gaze.  He did, however, reach out to take the card.  

“To my friend, Blair.  Merry Christmas from your friend.  Santa Claus.”  

Blair swallowed nervously, bobbing back and forth on the balls of his feet, and looked up at Jim again.  “Are you sure?”  

Jim nodded.  “Positive.  I didn’t.”  

Jim looked around the room and suddenly crossed over to the doors that went outside and reached out to pick something up.  It jingled as he did.  He sniffed it and frowned.  

It smelled just like… like an animal.  A deer…  

A reindeer.  

“Told you he’d come see you,” Jim said with a smile as he turned back to Blair.  

“You really had nothing to do with this?” Blair asked, softly.  He looked fairly startled, even as he stared at the card.  Jim nodded.   

“I swear, Blair.  I wouldn’t spook you like this.  Seems like… sometimes when you need a miracle to happen, it does.  And you needed one.  You’re the best partner I’ve ever had, Chief.”  

Blair swallowed and licked his lips.  Jim smiled encouragingly at him and watched him finger the card in his hands and stare at the new laptop.   

 “Merry Christmas, Partner,” Jim gathered his friend close and gave him one last gift – a hug.  

“M-merry Christmas,” Blair murmured, his expression stunned.  Then he smiled and hugged his friend back..  “Merry Christmas.”  

Santa Claus.  Santa Claus had come and visited him!   

This was a Christmas he’d never forget.