Serendipitous Saturation ✔ [Completed]

Prelude

Okay, so I have no idea where this idea came from. Blame lack of sleep and a bout of silliness for this one. It is a loosely Christmas based story. It is what I guess you'd call extreme AU.

I hope you will like this summary and will make you want to read this story that I enjoy writing.

And now, I let you discover this beginning.

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Riddhima Gujral traipsed down the street, large puddles impeding her progress as she walked around them, her head down and leather jacket pulled tightly around her. While her sweater was saved from the worst of it, her blue jeans were soaked through and she knew she'd have to steep in a bath and scrub the dye from her legs when she made it home. The fact that the torrential rainstorm that had passed over Sacramento and had seemingly followed her for the past ten blocks had eased to a constant mizzle did not improve her mood. Trust her to have her car break down on Christmas Eve on the way back from a crime scene. Her team had all already flown or driven to their respective homes for the holidays and she had volunteered to work the end of the shift on her own. She tried to see the bright side that the man found dead an hour ago was a suicide so meant less paperwork but it was hardly something to celebrate. They were ten a penny this time of year.

Her chestnut locks drenched and no trace of the little make up she wore left on her freezing pale skin she trudged on, long given up in the hope of catching a cab. "Damn Christmas," she huffed under her breath as she watched shoppers and partygoers run past her, giddy with both kinds of Christmas spirit, oblivious to the incessant rain. She told herself just ten more blocks and she'd be home in her condo, the heating switched on and where a hot bath would await her, accompanied by a large glass of red wine. That is, if she didn't have hypothermia by then, she glumly forecasted.

She rubbed her hands together, blue from cold, checking shop fronts as she went by, looking out for a coffee shop where she could warm them for a few minutes around a hot steaming cup of Joe. But it appeared everyone had the same idea as she had and each one she passed was packed to the rafters, leaving standing room only and a queue to the door. Then she narrowed her eyes, wondering if her brain was playing tricks on her, if the downpour she'd encountered had made her have some kind of hallucination. A small diner stood in front of her suddenly, barely a customer present inside, like an oasis in the desert, festively fitted out with twinkling fairy tree lights around its windows. Probably empty as a result of the bad food it served, she told herself. But surely the coffee couldn't be that bad? And at least it looked warm and homely inside. Wasting no more time she ducked inside, a gold bell over the entrance announcing her presence.

Amid the Christmas music patrons turned around to look at her immediately and she would have blushed if her cold cheeks had allowed it. After a second where they stared her up and down they went back to their conversations or food with little interest in her. She took a step then stopped, the squelch of her boots now she was inside sounding like cannon fire to her. The glorious smells from the dishes she noted around her made her lick her lips, her stomach adding to the sound of her footsteps in agreement.

An attractive woman in her late fifties came up to her from behind the counter and greeted her with an enormous smile. "Jeez, sweetie, you look wetter than a dog's tongue!"

Riddhima frowned, the saying lost on her. "Uh-"

Before she had a chance to speak the blonde waitress had taken her arm in a vice like grip and led her to the counter. "I'll take a booth," Riddhima said as she gesticulated to the front window, but the older woman tutted and shook her head. "No, you will not, my dear. You'll sit up front beside the food warmer. I'll crank it up; you'll be toasty in no time. Now, tell me, what size are you?" She frowned as she gave her a quick onceover before nodding rapidly. "A 2 I'd say."