Discovered in a Livejournal

Some people have already seen this one (but on paper *g*). I know it's nearly all over, but we're nipping back to Christmas...

Together at Christmas
by Slantedlight

Christmas on duty. Again. Doyle watched silently as yet another Brussel sprout rebounded from the wall and into his abandoned cup of tea.

“I could have been away with Lorna all weekend, if bloody Michaels hadn’t got married this year,” Murphy was saying, looking around the table. A dozen eyes looked back at him, with varying degrees of interest. “It’s discrimination, that’s what it is.”

Bodie took another swig of whatever it was in his mug - neat rum if his breath was anything to go by when he turned Doyle’s way - and looked sceptical. “Discrimination? Against us?”

“Too right it is - single blokes need love too, you know! And Christmases off.”

“And women,” Susan cut in, fishing another sprout from the bowl on the table, and starting to line it up. “Or at least we need Christmas parties and champagne under the mistletoe. And better canapes.”

( And women! )