Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Gifts

“Blood doesn’t Bleed Itself”

Shawn paced back and forth. The majority of the precinct was out. Cases piling up as did presents this time of year. The police station itself wasn’t even decorated yet. And there was like- a week before Christmas. So it was up to Shawn to make sure he got the place decorated to its fullest and merriest potential. 

But he also had to make sure that the presents he was getting to everyone were turning out alright. 

Things had to absolutely, and he meant very much absolutely, perfect. It all had to work the exact way he was imagining. 

And to make a gift for someone as perfect as possible, even with the chance that they might not like it much, is to get them something, something hand crafted, that feels like it’s made for them.

And jewelry was always the best way to do that. He had the money and supplies for the jewelry too. He would g make it himself. But personalized jewelry is hard to get done without supplying the artist. And Shawn had nearly everything sitting around.

He made his way to his car. The one he kept around the back of the police station. And nobody knew whose it was. Even checking the license plate brought up nothing because the only registration on the car stated it had been sold by a man who was dying. Now dead. It was there some days. And not there other days. But it always appeared in the exact same spot. 

The last time Shawn had ventured in his small white van, he ran to a few stores and gathered the cheapest Christmas items he could. Cookie shaped coasters. Mugs. String lights. Silver ribbons and tinsel. Buckets full of fluffy fake snow. Paper for paper snowflakes. Mini snow globes —that he would keep away from Detective Lassiter— and little stockings. 

Lights on the walls and around beans in the precinct. Tinsel and strings of fake pine. He even made a little fake Christmas tree by the stairs with a few things.

Fake snow and coasters. Stairs covered in glitter. Floors covered in paper. It was a mess. A jolly one at that.

But still, no one could know it was Shawn. His van was kept a secret. He still loved his bike. But Shawn driving a car just sounded ridiculous to most people. His license needed to be renewed soon anyways. So he was technically driving illegally. But again, nobody knew anything. As for the process of decorating. Shawn works just to turn off the power in the precinct. Only the emergency lights and battery cameras would pick anything up. So he dresses up as Santa. Wearing clunky boots and walking with a hunch to hide his height and posture. Wigs and hats and beards worked well to hide his face. And he knew how to make bushy eyebrows too. Abs he wore gloves. 

Nobody would know it was him.

Or they wouldn’t. But first, he had to get whoever that was gone!

Shawn was working on hanging up a stocking in Chief Karen Vick’s office. Just on the corner. She already had a little coaster and mug. Plus a pretty silver snowflake cut out. And she always seemed to love the holidays. But someone was behind him.

“H-hello?” oh. It was just Buzz. He probably believed in the Santa clause. Or something. “Sir, I’m going to need you to stand up and turn around with your hands behind your head.”

Shawn did as told. Hands behind his head. Winking when they made eye contact. “What?” Shawn began in a thick accent. He sounded like a yawn was close. “Never seen a Santa for hire? Someone asked me to come in here and decorate for you.” His hands fell to his hips. “This place was rather drab. But shhhhhh!” He raised a finger to his lip. The fake beard kept spit away from his gloved finger. “It was supposed to be a surprise. And now you’ve just done and gone and ruined your own share of the surprise. How poor.” Shawn picked up the bag of goodies he still had left, handing buzz the stocking he still had. “Go put it on your desk yourself. Maybe my boss will still give you something good in there this year.” he winked again and left Buzz. The young police officer had been ready to grab his gun and make an arrest. But decorating wasn’t illegal. Neither was dressing up as Santa. Or telling a little fib.

He just didn’t realize how his words sounded to the other man. 

He had a few days before Christmas. And with what he was planning, these would be some of the best gifts. He didn’t know of a lot of places in Santa Barbera that worked with blood and jewelry. Especially blood in jewelry. 

Not even most jewelry places let you use parts of a human body.

So he went to a place owned by a witch.

She loved that he is a psychic and he didn't even have to tell her that he had his friends blood so he could find out their blood types for emergencies. She asked no questions and got right to work.

He would get everyone their gifts very soon. 

A necklace for the chief.

A ring for Jules and Gus.

And the bracelets for Lassie and Buzz too.