We Are Defined By What We Do

Epilogue

"Okay, open this one! Open this one! It's from me and PD."

Kate hands Yelena a gift from under their little tree, probably the only one in Russia. Kate had insisted and Yelena hadn't minded, missing the plant from her time in the US growing up.

Yelena takes it, looking between Kate and Pizza Dog, both wearing Santa hats. She unwraps it and finds a small pin in the shape of a hawk.

"So you can take a piece of me everywhere," Kate explains, smiling. "Oh, and I got this one for myself."

She moves her Santa hat from off her shoulder and reveals a similar-sized broach, this one polished white and in the shape of a spider.

Yelena smiles softly, touching the metal of the hawk. "Thank you, malen'kaya ptichka."

"Merry Christmas!" Kate cheers leaning into PD and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Okay, I have one for you," Yelena tells, snagging a present around the tree and holding it out to her.

Kate takes it and unwraps it, face contorting when she pulls out the long chain with a little gadget on the end. "A Life Alert?"

Yelena smiles, barely able to contain herself. "Yes! But it's connected to my equipment. So in case you ever get taken or go missing again, I'll know exactly where to find you."

Kate smiles sweetly, realizing Yelena's sentiment. "That's so sweet. You're a terrible gift-giver, so we'll have to work on that, but this is so sweet."

She leans over Fanny between them and hugs her, Yelena not hesitating in hugging back.

The little radio that had been playing Christmas music switches to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and Kate jumps up, holding out her hand to Yelena.

"Come on! Let's dance. This is my favorite Christmas song."

"I don't dance," Yelena grovels, putting her hand in Kate's and rising to her feet.

"Everyone who said that spent the next thirty seconds disproving that statement. Come on. You just rock. Back. And forth."

Kate holds Yelena by the waist, one arm poised up in the air. Yelena has her hand in hers, the other on Kate's shoulder. She looks down at the floor, worried about stepping on Kate's socked feet. But they just rock, and eventually, Yelena looks up at her, smiling softly.

"See? You're dancing," Kate says, stepping away and raising their hands to spin Yelena, before pulling her back into her.

The two of them laugh, rocking and swaying, jumping and head-bobbing to the changing songs and beats. Yelena lets herself go.

A few days later they sit on the couch with the dogs, Fanny's head in Yelena's lap and Pizza Dog's in Kate's.

"Ten, nine, eight!" Kate calls, eyes on the television as the ball slowly drops in Times Square. Yelena just smiles, watching her call out the countdown. "Four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!"

Kate kisses PD on the head, leans over and kisses Fanny, then to Yelena's surprise presses into her and kisses her on the cheek. Yelena goes red, but Kate is clueless, cheering as the camera pans over the entire crowd shouting and kissing their loved ones.

"This year," Kate begins, "is going to be the greatest one yet."