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Reid stared at a blank wall in his house and figured that it would be a perfect spot for a fireplace, assuming that a fireplace would ever be needed for the seventy-degree Christmases known almost exclusively to Californians. While a fireplace was out of the question, the usual centerpiece of Christmas trappings was notably absent. Cathy Travis, somewhere in the midst of her chaotic existence, had unfalteringly managed to scrape up a tree every year for Reid and Xavier to decorate during their childhood. A real one too, not one of those synthetic, plastic numbers. That was cheating.

Lucy and Rigo, on the other hand, were far more flexible in their scruples when it came to Christmas trees.

"What about this one?" Lucy asked, fingering the tinsel of a vintage-styled, silver tree that glistened in the artificial lighting of the department store.

"Oh, hey, look at that. You would like that one, wouldn't you, you little throwback?" Rigo chuckled and draped an arm around her shoulders. Lucy squirmed cutely in his embrace, and he motioned the salesman over.

"Ah, yes, the silver tree! These are making a comeback this year, and it's long overdue, if you ask me. Would you folks like to wrap one up today?"

"Please."

"Oh, babe, we'll need some ornaments too."

"All right. I'll get this finished up, why don't you go over there and I'll meet you?"

Lucy ambled through the department store, looking at all of the pomp and circumstance of the Christmas décor and harkening back to the sunnier years of her childhood, when mom would take her to see Santa Claus. Every year she would wish for her Daddy to come home, wherever he was, and every year was a disappointment, but she kept her hopes up until she got too old to believe in Santa Claus anymore. It was right about the time her mom married Brody Callison.

Red racks displayed scores of ornaments, everything from Santa riding in a variety of non-sleigh vehicles, reindeer in various states of dress for different professions, and the usual red and green balls. Lucy smiled as she picked up an ornament of Santa riding in a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air convertible with the top down. That one would go front and center. She placed it in her shopping basket and moved on. Another one caught her eye, and she picked it up - two turtle doves on an olive branch, nestled together in a loving embrace. That one joined Santa and his hot rod in the basket. She noticed more around the corner and as luck would have it, an enameled glass ornament sucker-punched her right in the feels. She didn't pick it up. She only stared at it and its picture-perfect scene, a family of four gathered around the hearth on Christmas morning, mom and dad watching while the little ones opened their gifts. Lucy bit her tongue and clasped a hand over the end of her muzzle, and her eyes grew glassy with tears.

"Lucy?"

She turned around, only to see Reid standing there, holding a basket of his own.

"Reid, hey!" She blinked the tears from her eyes, "Small world! What are you up to?"

"Same thing you are, it looks like. I just picked up a tree over at the tree farm, now I just need something to put on it." He smiled and lifted the basket a little.

"Oh, you got a real one?"

"It's the only way to fly. Hey, Rigo."

"Hey!" Rigo walked up behind Lucy and put his arm around her, "Find anything good, babe?" He peered into the basket.

"What did you guys get; did you go with the fake tree?"

"Yeah, we got a retro silver one." Lucy replied.

Reid laughed, "Why am I not surprised?" She was a chip off the old block if ever there was one. Rigo looked up.

"We're going to lunch after this at that new pub that just opened up downstairs right across from the Nordstrom's, want to join us?"

Reid didn't like to impose, but when he looked at Lucy, there was a glimmer of childlike hope in her eyes. He couldn't say no, and for a fleeting moment, he was glad that he hadn't been around for the toy store days.

***

Vance finished with the dishes, shut the door to the dishwasher and wiped his hands dry on a dish towel, all to the tune of a _tanpura_droning somewhere in the house. Blaine was taken with some type of meditation that was believed to be beneficial to the baby; Vance placed no stock in sitting on the floor for half an hour, but if it made Blaine feel good, then he couldn't see the harm in it. What bothered him was the introduction of new smells into his home, smells with names that he couldn't even pronounce. Patchouli, however, was only the tip of the iceberg. Blaine had all but changed her ways entirely. Everything about her was different, from the way she spoke, down to the way she dressed and wore her hair. Vance wasn't crazy about it, but he figured that whatever made her happy during the pregnancy was good for everyone. All he could do was hope that it would pass once the baby was born.

"Doctor Patel Ramachandran." He read quietly in front of his computer screen. Online reviewers had collectively given him a shining 4.9 stars out of a possible five, and the smiling blackbuck in the picture appeared professional enough.

Dr. Ramachandran's office was located in one of the older districts of town, and appeared to have at one time been someone's home. The street it was on had become a main thoroughfare of sorts for the city, and the residents, at some point or another, had left for quieter pastures.

Vance parallel parked his Supra on the street and waited for the traffic to clear so he could pop his door open. He noticed the kinds of cars that were parked on the street fore and aft of his performance-tuned import. Small, hybrid-electric vehicles seemed to be the norm, as well as the far-left political leanings advertised on the stickers that covered their bumpers and back windows. Anxiety welled up in his gut, and he approached the door, unsure of whether or not to knock. He opted not to, and turned the doorknob, swinging it open only to be greeted by Indian classical music and a smell he recognized as curry - not off-putting though, as he enjoyed the food. The walls were the color of beets. A credenza by the door offered neat stacks of pamphlets. Gold, ornate frames held pictures depicting scenes from far, far away and intricately-woven rugs covered the hardwood floors. Vance could hear voices down the hall, and he decided he'd better head in that direction. He passed one of the rooms from which the music was coming, and paused in shock for a few moments, watching a topless, pregnant young woman conducting some sort of interpretive dance while someone who Vance could only assume was a midwife lit incense and flogged the woman with a sprig of some leafy, green plant. Eyes wide, he turned away from that room and progressed down the hall where at the end, a door was slightly ajar, and sounds that belonged in a horror film were coming from it. A little voice told him to just turn around, but knowing that his wife was a client, he had to find out just what was going on in there. He peered in with one green eye to see another pregnant woman, naked with the exception of a bikini top, sitting in a kiddie pool while her husband and a midwife clutched her hands.

"You must be Mr. Gillis." A voice with a thick Indian accent said from behind him, and he nearly jumped out of his fur when he turned to see a blackbuck standing there, his hands folded behind his back.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Your wife is a brilliant young woman, sir. Blaine speaks very highly of you. I suppose curiosity got the better of you, yes?"

"I couldn't help but notice some of the _changes_she's been going through around the house, it seems as though whatever she's picked up here has followed her home."

"Naturally so, yes. In order for the treatment to work, one must fully subscribe to the methods of our program, you see, pregnancy can be a very stressful time for a woman. We offer many relaxation techniques not only for women but for the fathers-to-be as well. May I ask you sir, what is it that you do?"

"I work on cars."

"I see. You must work quite a bit with your hands then, yes?"

Vance nodded.

"Come, follow me. I'll explain more in a moment." Dr. Ramachandran beckoned the pit bull into an adjacent room that appeared to have been a formal dining room once upon a time. Vance took a seat at a small, padded bench and was introduced to a young lady who requested his hands.

"So what was going on in that room?"

"That is what's known as a water birth." Dr. Ramachandran began while the lady took Vance's hand in her own, kneading and massaging it between her thumbs and forefingers. He had to admit, it felt really good.

"A water birth?"

"Yes, it's becoming more popular because of its health effects, you see, the warm water helps the mother to relax, this makes giving birth a far gentler process than what is commonly practiced in hospitals."

"Yeah, like what's worked for the past seventy-five years?"

Dr. Ramachandran laughed, "Yes, quite, well as with any breakthrough in modern science, there are bound to be the naysayers, ones who are so rooted in traditional methods that they simply refuse to try the new."

"I don't know; it just seems so...primitive."

"And it is! The methods are simple, but their beauty is in their simplicity. You can't argue with results, Mr. Gillis."

Vance raised his eyebrows, "No, I suppose not." He mused. Dr. Ramachandran spoke with the kind of confidence that came with years of practice, and the wisdom that came with age. In front of him, the young lady working on his manicure of sorts was paying special attention to his left hand, kneading at his fingers. The good doctor leaned over to watch.

"I gather you're a guitar player."

The pit bull frowned. This guy knew too much. The blackbuck began to laugh.

"I can tell by the way she massages your fingers. I have mine done similarly; I play the guitar as well."

Vance's frown disappeared as his face lit up, "No kidding? What do you play?"

"I'm a fan of classic rock, blues, and I play a little jazz here and there when I'm just messing around at home."

"Hm." The pit bull replied, his surprise evident in his voice. In front of him, the girl who had been working on his hands sat back and smiled at him. Vance lifted his hands and flexed them in and out of closed fists in awe, remarking at how good they felt in comparison to the soreness that usually plagued them as a result of both work and recreation.

"You see, things are not always what they seem." Dr. Ramachandran explained while Vance got up, "Open your heart and your mind, and you'll find that sometimes it is you yourself who you do not know."

Vance furrowed his brow in confusion, but the blackbuck took no offense. Instead, he smiled and handed the pit bull a small stack of pamphlets and implored him to read them when he had the time. With that, he bid his new guest goodbye and disappeared to tend to the birth that was taking place in one of the rooms. Vance looked down at the literature in his hands, and debated simply throwing it in the trash on his way out, but if this was the stuff Blaine was getting into, he wanted to be at least somewhat familiar with it, if only for her sake.

***

Reid pored over the menu featuring scotch eggs, bangers & mash, shepherd's pie and all of the usual fare found at Irish-themed pubs. In keeping with the motif, Rigo ordered a red ale native to the Emerald Isle, but Reid and Lucy opted for tea. Reid was a little surprised at Lucy's teetotal nature - she'd used her fake ID to get in, she certainly could have ordered an alcoholic drink.

He thought quite a bit when he was in Lucy's presence. Just about every thought began with 'what if', and ended with some nonsensical or fantastical conclusion that left him feeling empty inside. They all featured him as the starring role in a movie about a man with a normal life, a nine-to-five job, and a wife and child that were happy and well-adjusted. Reid had met many a man in such a position, and several of them expressed longing for the easygoing life the heeler lived, having fun working on cars all day. If they only knew...

"Reid?"

He snapped out of it, "Hm?" The waitress was standing at the table waiting to take their orders. "I'll ah; I'll do the bangers & mash, thanks." He smiled and handed the menu back.

"What about you Reid, got any plans for Christmas this year?" Rigo asked.

"I'll probably make a turkey." Reid said with finality in his voice. Rigo stared.

"That's it?"

"Well, counting putting up the Christmas tree, that'll be two things I'll be doing for the first time in years." He laughed, seemingly unaware at just how depressing that sounded. "I'll probably end up getting together with my brother; I think next year I'm going to resolve to see him more often than I do."

"Family's important, yeah." Rigo concurred over his beer. Lucy brushed a strand of hair behind her cheek.

"You guys are the closest thing to family that I have." She said, "I'm glad I get to spend my Christmas season with you instead of having to spend it back at my Mom's house."

Reid shrank, "I'm sure they can't be _that_bad, can they?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

Rigo joined in, "Yeah, you know, you never really talk about them much. I'm sure they'd at least like to hear from you for Christmas."

"Believe me, they wouldn't care either way. They didn't care when I was there, they don't care now." Lucy went to take a sip of her tea, but stopped short when her phone went off, face up on the table and reading 'Mom' in plain white letters across a black screen. Lucy just stared at it. So did Reid and Rigo. She bit her lip. The calls had been growing fewer in number, and further and further apart, but whenever they came, Lucy spent every ring contemplating the repercussions of answering.

"Are you gonna answer it?" Reid asked. Lucy did not take her eyes off of the phone.

"No." She said quietly and without hesitation. Reid just nodded. Rigo took a sip of his beer. After several tense seconds, the ringing stopped, and it went to voicemail. Josie had long since stopped leaving messages; perhaps she'd finally realized that Lucy just didn't care enough to return her calls. Lucy sighed.

"Speak of the devil." She muttered and then picked up her tea. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

"Family." Reid stated flatly. For a fleeting moment, there was the slightest of awkward silences, but it was broken by his phone, which now cackled with an obnoxious ring. Three pairs of eyes flicked to the upright screen, where displayed was a number, and a location below it.

Lucy's hometown. Deer Park, Texas.

Lucy furrowed her brow. Reid scooped his phone up and killed the call just in time, thanking his lucky stars that he didn't have Josie's number saved in his contacts. Hopefully Lucy didn't know the number by heart, but she definitely knew that town. He could see it in her eyes, and he knew what she must have thought.

"So, Rigo. You haven't said much about your family." Reid changed the subject and turned to the wolf, who stared back blankly.

"Well, there's not much to say about them, really. My mom was a nurse, and my dad was a car salesman for most of his life. Pretty basic people, I guess." He added with a laugh. "I don't think...no, I'm not nearly as interesting as the two of you are." He chuckled. Lucy grinned at him. Reid laughed.

"Interesting? Interesting how?"

"Well, I mean in terms of life experience. I think the two of you are alike in a lot of ways. You both have a certain kind of character that comes with a rocky past, and I mean that in a good way." He added the last bit with a touch of sincerity, obviously concerned that the statement could be misconstrued for being judgmental.

"I think things always look a little better from the outside looking in." Reid started, "Believe me, growing up, if I'd known any different than I did back then, I would have loved to have had a _normal_childhood. Looking back though, I don't think I would change a thing. Something about all we've done and been through making us who we are today, you know, cliché shit like that."

Rigo just laughed. Reid's phone lit once again with the sound he had saved for voicemail, letting him know that he had a missed call and a corresponding message from Josie's number. His stomach turned a little bit. Reid and Josie hadn't spoken in years, why now of all times? Was she sending him well wishes for the Christmas season? He scoffed. Fat chance. If there were any kind of wishes in that message, they'd be telling him to go to hell. Eventually, the curiosity was eating at him such that he could no longer enjoy the conversation. He excused himself on the grounds that he was going to wash up before the food showed up, and ducked out of a side door into the setting sunlight. He mashed the spot on the screen that would play the message, and he held the phone to his ear with a pounding heart. It was so long before Josie spoke that he wasn't sure she'd said anything at all, but finally:

"You're the last person I hoped I'd have to contact about this. I haven't seen or heard from Lucy in forever. She just left one day and never came back. I think she may have gone looking for you."

There was a long silence before she spoke again.

"I can't imagine why she would. If you know where she is, just...please call me. Or text me, I don't care. Let me know that she's safe. Okay...bye."

Reid lowered the phone to his side and leaned against the brick wall of the building outside, and quite selfishly found the integrity of his secret compromised. If Lucy contacted her or vice versa, any mention of him would undoubtedly result in Josie spilling the beans about him to her. His thumb hovered over the delete message option for a moment just before he realized it was the first time in almost a decade that he'd even heard her voice.

He could go another ten years, he decided.

When Reid returned to the table, he noticed immediately that Lucy too, had excused herself. Presumably to return the call. His heart jumped into his throat, and he kept his cool while he took his seat across from the wolf, who was playing on his phone to pass the time until they returned.

"So what do you guys have planned for Christmas?"

"Well, it's going to be our first one together in the new place." Rigo explained, putting his phone away, "No special plans, really. I'm going to put a turkey in the oven and maybe pick up a nice bottle of wine or something, but other than that, I think it'll be pretty low-key."

"Sometimes low-key is just what you need during the holidays. Especially when you're an adult."

Rigo just laughed and nodded, and Lucy returned from the restroom just in time for the waitress to come around with their orders. They munched on pub food and engaged in light conversation until the sun went down and it was time to go home and set up their respective Christmas trees.

An hour later, and with many an uttered profanity, Reid managed to get the tree he'd bought out of his pickup truck and into the house, where he wrangled it into the stand. He frowned at the ceiling for being too low, or perhaps at the tree for being too tall, since the top just barely brushed against the ceiling, leaving no space for the star to go on top. Some precision work with a pair of scissors remedied this, and the heeler went to work decorating the tree to the tune of one of Vance's albums. He wasn't feeling quite Christmas-y enough yet to listen to Winter Wonderland, and no matter how loud he turned it up, he couldn't push Josie's message out of his mind.

***

It was Sunday morning, December 20th, 2015.

Reid was sitting in the office, penning an e-mail to their subscribers to let them know that they would be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Paul had always done it, and even though not all of Doghouse's employees celebrated the holiday for religious reasons, it was still nice having the time off to spend with one's family. Reid rubbed his eyes immediately after submitting the e-mail, but a sound from the direction of the bays made his ears prick and the hair on the back of his neck stand up straight.

Rising slowly, Reid reached around the back of a nearby file cabinet until his hand found the wooden pump of an old Winchester shotgun that Paul had kept there for the last two decades. They'd never had to use it, and Reid always hoped it would remain that way, but with the latest developments from Paul, vigilance, he decided, was of the utmost importance. Reid crept out of the office and around the corner until he was right up against the double doors that led into the bay. He peered in through the cloudy, plastic window only to see Vance bent over a workbench, lit by the mid-morning sunlight of an open bay door. His Supra sat just outside. The heeler sighed, and after replacing the shotgun, he entered the bay and frightened the pit bull to an equal degree.

"Oh! Hey."

"Hey man. What's going on?"

"Just clearing my head." Vance mumbled and turned back to the workbench, where rested an electric guitar, sans strings, and in pieces. "Could've done this at the house, but Blaine's doing her meditations, or whatever."

"Still into that new age stuff, huh?"

"Still? She's getting more and more into it every day. She bought all these organic like...hemp clothes, she's eating differently now." He busied himself with the guitar, "She's eating healthier actually, so I can't fault her for that."

"I suppose not."

"You know, I went down to see that doctor she's been seeing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, weird stuff, man. Like nothing I've ever seen before. All in all though, it seems legit. Didn't want to believe it. Hand me that screwdriver?" Reid did. Vance began to turn some screws into the pilot holes he'd drilled for the vibrato unit, "But it's still all very odd. I think it's going to take some getting used to, but all I can do is hope that by the time that happens, the baby'll be here."

"You think she's going to stick with it once the baby's born?"

"I don't see why she would. This guy, he does mostly pre-natal stuff and then post-partum care, all pregnancy-related things. I figure it's just a phase. Anyway." Vance kinked a low-E string and slipped it onto the string peg of the vibrato, "What's new with you?"

Reid shrugged, "Nothing so far, but I'm thinking that may change." He paused, "I went out for a late lunch with Rigo and Lucy last night out at the mall, and Lucy's Mom called her on the phone. My ex-wife."

Vance turned around, curiosity piqued.

"She didn't answer the phone. Thirty seconds later Josie calls me. I didn't even realize she still had my number. I'm just glad I didn't have hers, because my phone was sitting on the table, you know; face up, so Lucy could see the caller's location. Deer Park."

"You think she suspects something?"

"Dunno. If she did, she wasn't going to say anything. Not in front of Rigo. He's just as clueless as Lucy thinks we are, so."

"Yeah. You think you ought to tell her yourself? Versus her hearing it through the grapevine?"

"Think I should?"

"It would seem a hell of a lot more genuine if you did." Vance shrugged and turned back around to finish stringing the guitar. Reid stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked down at the floor, falling deep into thought. He kept hoping that the stars would align in his favor, that the right time and place would simply fall into his lap and the words would coast out of his mouth with all the ease of a well-timed joke. But like most of his wishes and wants, that just wasn't realistic.

What little workweek there was prior to Christmas Eve was uneventful as always - no one really bothered having their car tuned when the holiday season was in full swing. It was a good time to catch up on projects without worrying about any new ones clogging up the lifts, and Reid did well to put everything else out of his mind so that he might focus on work. He promised himself that when Christmas Eve rolled around, he'd do much more than simply sit around and watch TV, but it came as no surprise to him when exactly that happened. If anything, it was another day to sleep in, and he wasn't going to turn his nose up to that. Christmas Day was expectedly absent of frivolity and joy, save for the few phone calls he made, and a very neighborly invite by Vance's in-laws to join them for Christmas dinner at their home. He knew that it was a gesture of kindness, and hesitant as he'd been to cook an entire holiday spread for himself, it was a welcome opportunity for turkey and dressing, but it reminded him of something that he wished he had. Family - a real one - and for the whole day, Lucy Sanchez never left his mind.

***

"We're gonna party our tails off tonight, right?" Hector asked Frank over kolaches. Reid ignored the conversation going on behind him while he poured his coffee, blowing across the top of the steaming beverage on his way out the door.

He welcomed the New Year with open arms. In reality, the first day of 2016 was going to be a day like any other, but it held a certain symbolic allure that made him think that maybe, just maybe, it was going to be a better year for everyone.

"Oh, hi Reid. How's it going?"

_ _

_ "Pretty good, yourself?"_

_ _

_ "I'm doing okay, Amber's keeping me busy."_

"Hey, is Reid all right? He seems to be a little down, today." Lucy whispered to Vance, who gave a little shake of his head and a silent motion that suggested she shouldn't talk about it, nor should she watch curiously while the surly heeler ratcheted away at the bolts on a cylinder head.

"I bet. Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve?"

_ _

_ "Oh, yeah, you know I sure do. I'm...actually going out to dinner with Xavier."_

_ _

_ _ Reid tossed the wrench back onto the top of the toolbox, and in a careless motion, upset his coffee mug, knocking it to the ground where it shattered, spilling coffee and creamer all over the concrete.

"Fuckin' hell..." He whispered.

"Xavier?"

_ _

_ "Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Reid, I've just been super busy, you know how it is."_

_ _

_ "Oh. I see..."_

_ _

_ "I'm sorry, Reid, I've been thinking a lot, and I think we ought to just be friends, if you still want to. You're a really great guy; I just don't think we're compatible as a couple. You understand, right?"_

_ _

_ "Yeah. I understand."_

Naturally, Reid was unhappy, but he tried not to let it bother him. Nothing interfered with his concentration at work when he was up to his waist in and engine bay, but trying not to let it bother him was a losing fight. To him, losing Erin in the budding stages of what he thought was a great relationship was a reflection of his life overall - something Dr. Soto asserted was untrue. He wished his mind were more like the engine he was working on, able to be rebuilt and turn out even better than before.

"They're doing fireworks downtown tonight for New Year's Eve." Lucy stated with a lilt in her voice suggesting that Reid should tag along, versus sitting at home by himself watching the event on TV, "I feel bad that you had to spend Christmas alone."

"I didn't, I went over to Vance's in-laws."

"Oh. Well, there's a club not too far from here with a rooftop lounge that's perfect for seeing the show. Everyone's going."

"Have fun." Reid said while tossing coffee-soaked shop towels into a nearby trashcan.

"Everyone_including_ you, doofus." She pushed him playfully. Reid smiled dully. He couldn't say no to her. Not with that face.

"Well. Who am I going to kiss when the clock strikes tweleve?"

"I'm sure you'll find somebody! I betcha there'll be a single girl there who's in the same boat as you. Lovesick and a hopeless romantic."

"Oh, a hopeless romantic, huh?" Reid actually laughed for the first time in a couple of days. "Fine. I'll go, but if I don't get a kiss by midnight, you owe me one, huh?" He poked her and she laughed.

"Deal."

After that, the rest of the day wasn't so bad. All it took was a little lighthearted ribbing from his daughter to brighten up his day, and it made him wonder if the last eighteen years would have been different if he'd stuck around. Maybe Lucy would have been different. One thing he knew for certain was that neither of them would be where they were now.

***

"I'm glad you decided to come out tonight."

"Me too." Reid sipped at his soda, "I'm not really big on the whole clubbing scene, but it's nice to get out once in a while."

"Yeah, I'm sure your clubbing heydays are long gone, huh?" Lucy winked. Reid scoffed.

"What's_that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothin'!"

"I'll have you know I can still cut a rug with the best of them." He stated defiantly, turning his nose up at her. She snorted.

"Yeah, to what, Frank Sinatra?"

He laughed, "How old do you think I am?"

"I dunno, thirty-one, thirty-two?"

"I'm thirty-seven."

"Jeez, you're almost old enough to be my Dad!" She winked, and for a fleeting moment, Reid's stomach dropped.

"Almost." He passed it off with a chuckle. It was getting late, and the fireworks were about to start at any moment. They leaned on the railing of the rooftop lounge, looking out over downtown Los Angeles.

"You know something, Reid?"

"What's that?"

"I joke a lot, and cut up and have fun, but when I really think about it, I think you're probably the closest thing to a dad I've ever had."

He wanted to cry. Those words cut him like a knife and warmed his heart all at the same time.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, when I think about it, I feel like you're the dad I always dreamed about having. Someone who I enjoy being around, someone who I feel takes care of me and lets me pursue my dreams, that of course being working at the garage. So thanks. You know, for being someone I needed in life."

"You're welcome, Lucy." He said with glassy eyes, and draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a side hug of sorts.

"Happy New Year, Reid." She said, and kissed him on the cheek.

In a magical display of light and sound as the countdown to midnight ended, streamers of gay colors shot from ground level into the night sky above the city of Los Angeles. Reid kept his eyes on the show as couples kissed all around him. Lucy and Rigo locked lips, as did Vance and Blaine, as did Hector and his girlfriend, even though she was unhappy about having to be the designated driver. It didn't bother the heeler any. Even though recent attempts at romance had proven fruitless, he held onto the hope that one day, he would no longer be lonely.

His time too, would come.