HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
"Yeee-ouch! I give up, I'll tell you anything you want to know, just please don't poke me again!"
"Oh, stop it! If y'all'd quit squirming, you big baby, you won't get stuck with a pin!"
"Yeah, Commander Crane, if I can be dying from a thousand cuts, you can stand it."
"How did we ever get roped into this, Lieutenant Commander Morton? Although I think I remember someone telling the Navy League secretary that of course, we'd be happy to help out with the Christmas party for the kids!"
"That wasn't me - that was YOU!"
"Oh, yeah, maybe it was. Ouch!"
Angie Williams threw down her measuring tape. "You two are impossible! Linda, hand me my glass. I'm going to get drunk and then we'll see how many pins it'll take to get this costume measured correctly!"
Lee Crane threw his hands up in mock horror. "Oh, no, never mind, Miss Williams, ma'am. I'm crying uncle again! I'll be a good boy!"
"When were you ever a good boy, Lee Crane?"
They grinned at each other like co-conspirators, the handsome, dark-haired young man and the attractive, dark-haired young woman. Angela Williams did not know Lee Crane very well - after all, they had met only a few months before, but she already knew he had a kind heart. How many young, handsome men of his age would suffer the indignity of being trussed up into an adult-sized elf costume, complete with acorn cap and green tights? The same could be said for Chip Morton, the other man in the room. She'd met him practically on his first day in Santa Barbara, not knowing that he'd show up at the NIMR offices the next day, disheveled and worse, late for what amounted to a job interview with her boss, Admiral Harriman Nelson. He had a very good excuse, though, and not long after Chip found himself working for the admiral, helping to prepare the world for the launch of SSRN Seaview, the largest nuclear submarine afloat. She had found out later how well these two knew each other, beginning at the Naval Academy. She had a friend and protector in both men. Her innermost thoughts she kept to herself - the first cardinal rule of office business was to never, ever date a co-worker. No matter how good-looking they were.
They were inside one of the conference rooms in the Admin building, the morning light and winter fog giving way to a bright noon. Tinted windows cast a sea green glow over the interior, softening everyone's features. Not that Angie Williams needed it. While not "drop dead gorgeous," she had the kind of beauty that drew you to her, made you aware of her presence in any room. Today she was dressed conservatively but expensively in a Bullock's Wilshire black wool skirt and cream silk blouse with a large, floppy bow at the neck. Tall and slender, dark hair floating around her head, a touch of makeup on her face, she was striking.
She was also a person who dwelt in certainties, if she could. A perfect foil for a sailor-scientist, who advanced theories, tested them, threw them out, his mind a flurry with activity, impatience, ideas. Her luminous eyes, where light was the dominant force, emphasized a fine intelligence. No fragility here. She'd learned to handle the secrets and crises that sometimes seemed to be an everyday occurrence at NIMR. And hid her fears. The men of Seaview were a brave and valiant bunch, and injury or death was ever present. And then there was Lee's ONI assignments….
"C'mon, guys, just a few more minutes and we'll get these things off you."
That elicited a soft sigh from one of the women behind her. Lee and Chip had come dressed for the occasion in simple navy blue Academy sweat pants and t-shirts. The oversized red and green tunics with Christmas ornament tassels and shiny gold belts that covered them now were quite a sight. It left their lower limbs exposed, but the green and red stripped tights had fixed that. They did have the nicest legs… the attention paid to their muscular limbs was covert, but sure.
The party they were all getting ready for was barely a week away, but this had been the only time that everyone was available for the fitting, and so Angie had set it up. The Navy League's annual Christmas party was held after school at a large estate in Montecito, an exclusive enclave south of Santa Barbara. The Institute was a major supporter of the League's fund-raisers and events, and Admiral Nelson made sure that employees could take time off to attend parties like this one, designed for parents and children. The two elves were sure to be a big hit.
Except, this time, there was a problem. Santa might have to show up by himself. There might be a mission coming up. Something to do with underwater earthquakes, Admiral Nelson hadn't had time to explain. He'd left two days ago, for an emergency visit to Washington and a hastily called meeting with Pentagon officials and VIPs from the USC&GS. He'd promised to send word back as soon as there was something to tell. It was the worst time of the year for something like this to happen, of course, causing leave plans to be put on hold for the crew and Institute staff, and the possibility that the annual NIMR Christmas party, something that everyone looked forward to all year, might have to be cancelled. Never mind that underwater earthquakes were unpredictable and could be extremely dangerous - postponing the annual get-together would be a blow to the families in more way than one; it was a chance to escape for a few hours from the dangerous situations the huge submarine faced every time she slipped her moorings and headed out to sea. Yet these two were acting like they didn't have a care in the world. Angie didn't know how they did it, day after day.
Chip looked down as Angie busied herself with pinning the hem of the felt tunic he was wearing. "If one of the men comes in and sees us, we are dead meat. You did put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, right, Angie? And locked it?"
"Yes on both counts, Chip. Although I wouldn't mind having a camera right now. The blackmail might come in handy someday."
Lee's eyebrows shot up, and he spoke out of the corner of his mouth to Chip. "Ya know, I think I we should check for some message traffic once we're done here, XO. There must be something we ought to be doing. Chasing a giant squid, maybe. Whatta ya say?"
"I hear the radio powering up already, oh Captain, my Captain."
"Ha ha, you two are a barrel of laughs." She was going to make some other kind of come-back but just then the door knob jangled and someone knocked twice. Everyone's head swiveled around. Angie's heart stilled. "Excuse me," she said, putting her pins down and walking over, every step an effort.
She slid the door open a crack and spoke softly for a few seconds, then took the paper handed to her and turned back to the "elves," the folded note clutched tight in her hand. Although she was authorized to look at all messages, she had fought the urge to open this one up and be the first to know. Would Lee and Chip be home for the holidays, or would everyone have to be recalled and Seaview be expected to put out to sea within 24 hours?
"A message for you, Captain, from the Comm Center. High Priority." She had managed to say it without a tremor in her voice. She'd be proud of that later.
Lee pulled the elf cap off his head and reached for the paper. The room had gone quiet. He took it from her hand and unfolded the yellow flimsy. It crackled a little as he read.
"Well, Commander Morton," he said, his voice deep and formal, "looks like you're going on a trip." The volume rose. "To Los Angeles International, where you can put me on the plane to Paris to visit my mother!" He held the message up for all to see. "'Stand Down.' Signed, Nelson."
The room exploded with woops of laughter and loud applause. Angie mimed a faint, while Chip grabbed Lee's hand and pumped it vigorously.
"No problem, buddy, I'm looking forward to that trip! Angie, are we pretty much done here? I need to pass the word to the crew."
"Go ahead, Chip, we've got what we need. There's a hanger next door, just leave it up there and I'll pick it up after y'all have changed."
He was already heading for the adjacent room when they'd stashed a change of clothing. "Right, I'll see everybody later. And see you for dinner, Lee. You can fill me in on all the details of your trip."
Lee waved him off, and turned back to Angie. His expression sobered. "I'm glad that worked out. Mom would have had kittens if I couldn't make it. I missed going last year."
"I remember," she said softly. An ONI mission, luckily one that ended up being a quick extraction. There had been more than a few tense moments that time, though. That had been just after Lee had joined the crew, and there had been such nights since, but time had mellowed her responses. The memories brought the heat rushing to her face, and she busied herself putting away the pins and measuring tape she'd brought to do the alterations. She handed them off to Patty, one of the girls from the secretarial pool, and watched as she and her co-worker Linda walked out of the room, heads together. Both women were married to crewmembers. Probably going to make a few phone calls themselves, she was sure.
"Angie, I'm going to get out of this get-up and hit the office, make sure I haven't missed anything."
"Of course, Lee." She didn't look up, and was startled when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She gave a little yelp.
"Oh! Sorry, Ang, didn't mind to scare you."
She quickly got her composure back, and faced him with a smile. "My mind was just a million miles away, Lee. Thinkin' about how happy everyone will be. It's not a good time of year for families to be apart."
"No, you're right about that. Are you going anywhere?"
"I'm driving down to LA, got some friends I'll be spending Christmas with."
"No boyfriend this year?" he said, grinning that grin again.
She laughed and shook that off. "I'm afraid not. Scared 'em all off, I guess. Besides, I've got to get some files ready for the admiral so he can pick up where he left off before heading out to Washington."
"Cracking the whip."
"He's good at it," she said, her face crinkling up, "but I don't mind. I've worked for him for a while now, he appreciates it. He might not show it, but he does."
"I know that, although I've been on the receiving end when he wasn't so happy."
"Well, you would go off on those crazy ONI missions," she answered, and then joined in unison as he said, "somebody has to do it!"
"Alright, Angie. I'm going to get changed and head out." He reached out and took both of her hands. "Thanks for everything, Ang. I appreciate it, too," he said, kissing her on the cheek.
It took her a second to find her voice, and when she did, she steeled it with a light laugh. Couldn't let on that he had thrilled her to the core, could she. "You're very welcome, Lee. Now hurry up and get out of that costume so I can get some sewing done!"
He held on to her hands for a moment longer than socially acceptable, and then said with a grin in his voice and a tug on his acorn cap, "Yes, ma'am. I'll leave it in the other room, too. Gotta go now, Chip will be starting to chew on his leather belt if I don't get some food into him soon! Thanks for doing all this, by the way, Ang. Even if Chip and I look like crazy nuts."
"The children will love it, Lee."
"I know. That makes up for all the ribbing we're going to take. Alright, Angie, I'm off. I'll see you in the office on Monday."
"Goodnight, Lee." She turned away and pushed the chair she'd been using back against the table, hiding her suddenly flaming face, waiting for the door to the other room to close. It soon did, and she spun around, touching her cheek where he'd kissed it.
Damn, damn, damn! Rule number one, rule number one never forget rule number one.
'Sometimes life just isn't fair," she murmured to herself, putting the rest of her sewing kit away. "At least they'll be home for the holidays. God Bless Us, Every One!"