So, this takes place just before the Radio Job in the middle of Part 3 of the Time, Twists and Turns Series (yet to be published as I'm suffering from a severe case of writers block for one STUPID, but necessary, chapter). Hopefully it will give you some clues as to what, um, adventures, they get up to and act as a teaser, of sorts, all while spreading the Christmas cheer.
Definitely not my best work but, Merry Christmas, and enjoy.
"I have a question," Abby stated as she quickly scoffed down a piece of toast before school. "It's three days till Christmas and we have no decorations up; why?"
"Because they're all Scrooges," Parker exclaimed.
"It's just a lot of effort for one day of celebrating," Nate said without looking up from the client file he was reading.
"But it's Christmas!" Abby and Parker pleaded simultaneously and were about to continue, but were interrupted by Eliot dragging a large pine tree through the front door.
"You got a tree!" Abby shouted, her mouth half full of toast.
"You got a tree?" Nate, Sophie and Hardison queried at the same time; confused. For the past three years Eliot had not been the one to get into the Christmas spirit, let alone initiate it with the purchasing of a tree.
"Course I got a tree; you love Christmas," he stated, smiling at Abby, who smiled back, then, realising the time, jumped out of her seat.
"I'm late for school!" she yelled as she picked up her school bag from the ground. "Promise me you'll wait to decorate?"
"I'll wait but Parker is Parker," he said, kissing her on the cheek as she ran past.
"Alec can I take your van?" the teenager asked as she grabbed the hackers' keys off the bench.
"Yeah just don't crash it!" he yelled back.
"That wasn't my fault!" she yelled back, already half-way out the door.
Eliot continued to pull the tree into the room, well aware that the team was giving confused stares.
"What?" he asked angrily, continuing with his laborious task.
"You bought a Christmas tree," Sophie stated.
"And?"
" And you act like you hate Christmas," Hardison said.
"I don't hate Christmas," he said, still pulling the tree across the ground. "Just not my favourite time of the year that's all," he said, convincing only Parker and Hardison. "Didn't help that Abby wasn't around either." He paused and placed down the tree. "Abby loves Christmas, always has and seeing is this is the first Christmas we've had to spend together in the past five years I'm trying to make it a good one. Anyone have a problem with that?"
"Course not man," Hardison stated. "And we'll do everything we can to help."
"Good," Eliot replied. "Now come help me with this tree."
Hardison moaned.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You drive a van?" Abby's friend Mikaela asked as she hopped into the passenger seat of Lucille.
"No, this isn't mine," she replied, turning on the engine as the two of them buckled up her seatbelt
"I was in an accident a few weeks ago and the car was wrecked. This is just temporary 'till the insurance goes through."
"Bad accident?"
"Bad, but not because of the accident," Abby said vaguely, pulling out of the school yard. "Bad because of who it involved."
"That sucks," Mikaela replied simply and Abby grinned a little. That was what she liked about Micky; she was a straightforward, no crap kind of gal who, despite the fact that she never sugar coated anything, was one of the sweetest people Abby knew.
"So which way to your place?" Abby enquired.
"Next left," Micky directed. "Thanks for the lift as well; I really appreciate it."
"Don't be silly," Abby replied. "It's been snowing non-stop all day and the wind's picking up; there's no way I'm gonna let you walk home in this weather."
"Thanks," her friend stated again.
After five minutes of driving they pulled up at a small, unkempt, sad apartment block whose driveway had not been shovelled and whose windows and walls had a distinct lack of Christmas decorations.
"Well this is me," Micky said, unbuckling her seat belt. "Thanks again."
"Don't mention it," Abby replied. "It's Christmas after all." Mikaela opened the door and stepped out of the car. "Wait Micky!" Abby half yelled. "Can I borrow that book you were talking about?"
"Which one?"
"Kierkegaard."
"Uh, um, sure," Micky hesitated. "Come up and get it."
Abby jumped out of the drivers' seat and trudged up to the house with her friend and, upon entering the building, Abby found only one word which she could use to describe it; sad. It was dark, with only basic furniture, little light and the only art decorating the room was that done by children, likely Mickaela and her younger siblings. Most sad of all, however, was their Christmas tree, which was stuck to the wall and consisted of several stuck together sheets of A4 paper, decorated with drawn on lights and baubles.
"My room's this way," Micky stated and Abby was led into a small room with a set of bunk beds and a mattress laying on the floor. "Sorry about the mess," she stated as she pushed her sister's clothing onto one of the beds before she walked over to the bookshelf which sat next to the mattress, acting as a wall from the rest of the room and providing, Abby assumed, some sort of privacy for the teenager. Then Abby took a good look at the bookshelf; every inch of it was filled with books stacked neatly next to one another, on top of which more were stacked.
"Wow!" Abby exclaimed.
"It's not much I know…"
"Not that," Abby interrupted. "Look at this collection of books! It's amazing!" Abby leant in for a closer look. "And they're alphabetised! It's beautiful," she admired.
"Thanks," she said happily then reached for a book and handed it to Abby. "The Sickness Unto Death, Kierkegaard, for you."
"Awesome," Abby exclaimed. "Anyway, I should get going, I promised Parker I'd help her set up the tree."
"It's cool," Mikaela stated and led Abby back out to the front door. "AJ?"
"Yeah?" the teenager asked, tightening up her jacket in attempt to protect herself from the cold as she stepped outside.
"It's not much, my home, but it's my home," she said somewhat proudly. "My dad left and we don't have a lot of mon…"
"You don't have to explain yourself Micky, shit happens. But from what I see, you have your family, and I think that's all that really matters in life."
"But the money and home that doesn't leak helps," Micky joked.
"True."
"And do you mind not spreading this around? People have a way of making you feel crap about the stupidest of things."
"You got it! And Merry Christmas," she said, waving as she walked back to her car, a plan already forming in her mind.
Let me know what you think, next instalment up tomorrow =)
