S/K/T's apartment, Christmas Morning. [NSFW. Seriously.]

[brambless]

Tara drifts in and out of her dream state for what seems like hours, but is probably only minutes. Shane, warm on her left, the soft sound of her breathing mingled with Kate's, on Shane's other side. Both their arms are thrown over Shane, nestled against the other's in a tenuous connection that binds her and Kate. Once again, life proves better

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[madam_officer]

Kate kneels in front of the Christmas tree, the assortment of lights playing over her tousled hair and dying it a multitude of colours. Her skin is flushed and warm, not quite matching the hue of the gifts she lifts with almost reverent care.

[shane_mcc]

"So... which one do you wanna open first?" Shane asks quietly, shifting from foot to foot (really not fidgeting, no). "Tara said we should do, umm... reindeer gifts? They're just silly things to make each other smile. Vixen brought me a present and then Cupid brought one for Tara, so there's still seven more reindeer who could have brought you something..."

[madam_officer]

Kate looks up at Shane, one present cradled in each hand.

"I always liked Dasher," she says softly, curved lips painted red by a light tied with lace.

[shane_mcc]

"Wow... that's wild," Shane says, both brows arching in surprise as she kneels down beside Kate and reaches for a present sitting off to one side, a small, square box wrapped in light blue paper covered with snowmen wearing tophats and scarves. "Look..."

She opens the card attached to the top and it reads:

'To: Kate
From: Dasher'

In Shane's blocky handwriting.

[shane_mcc]

For your new mother, and all of her love. You deserve it.

--Your Katie

Reading the note and seeing the delicate pendant dangling from the necklace inside the box, Shane feels a lump form in her throat, lips shaping into a lopsided smile and, already, her cheeks are aching from it.

She had planned on keeping her last name... her birth mother's last name... because it was basically all that she had left of her. This... this was good. This was a way for her to have something that represented her relationship with CJ and honored it without setting the memory and the love she'd had for her birth mother aside.

"Thank you," she says softly, her voice gravelly and gruff, though her eyes are shining impossibly bright with gratitude and warmth and love. "Thank you so much, baby. I love it."

[madam_officer]

"You're welcome." Her voice is as soft and light as the velvet sheltering the pendant, touched with tenderness. Her eyes shine with deep relief and pure, simple happiness that she's put that beautiful expression on Shane's face.

"I got it...when you told me CJ had adopted you." A bit after, really, but it had lingered in her mind since then. Her eyes stray to Shane's wrist, a silent explanation that Shane doesn't need.

[shane_mcc]

Following Kate's gaze down to her wrist, Shane glances at the necklace resting inside the jewelry box on its velvet and then up at Kate again, smiling.

She pulls the necklace from the box and winds the length of satin cord around her right wrist, effectively turning the necklace into a charm bracelet, of sorts.

The light catches on the stones set into the silver initial but that light is nothing compared to the one in her eyes as she slips both of her arms around Kate's neck, kissing her cheek as she buries her face in the hollow of her throat. "Thank you," she whispers again. "I love you."

[madam_officer]

Kate immediately wraps her arms around Shane, almost losing her balance in the process. She has to lean forward to keep it, banishing any of the distance left between them.

Her answering smile never leaves as she strokes Shane's hair and holds her close. Her voice remains faint, with something far stronger supporting the quiet words.

"I love you, too, Shane. Always." No one could ever stop loving you.