OK, people, here's my Life on Mars Christmas Special, featuring my OC, Ruby Amelia James. This is set in 1972, before Sam and the first series. This is part of my Five Christmas one-shots, which also include BBC Sherlock (x2), the A-Team Movie and Yu-Gi-Oh! OK, this is part of my Rubyverse in my LoM/A2A stories.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to all and read on!

24th December, 1972, 7pm- Christmas Eve

Ruby sat silently as she watched the adults around her throwing back their drinks casually and laughing. Ray and Chris sat behind Chris' desk, their feet up on the table, laughing as Gene, always the centre of attention, was telling some cock-and-bull story of about how he had single-handedly fought off five burglars back in the 60s. Phyllis sat on Ray's desk, a beer in her hand, asking cynical questions to catch Gene out, which either got a really extravagant answer or a snapping reply. Annie sat in a chair next to Phyllis, looking really shy as she sat there quietly and listened to Gene with a kind ear. Ruby just looked at them each for a moment and just couldn't believe it. Never in a million years would she have thought that she would end up being 16 years old and spending Christmas Eve in the Greater Manchester- sorry, Manchester and Salford -Police Station back in 1972!

"Will you cut it out, Phyllis?" Gene snapped for the umpteenth time, "Do I have to strangle you to finish this story?"

Phyllis put her finished beer bottle on the table and stood up, "Nah, finish it on your own, Guv. I'm going home"

Phyllis turned to Annie, "You coming, Annie?"

Annie nodded, "Sure, Phyllis. I'll drive you"

Gene shrugged as the two ladies left, "See ya, ladies. At least Raymundo and Chris will be listening"

Chris took his feet off the desk and began to scratch the back of his head nervously, "Actually, boss..."

"C'mon, Chris, you too?" Gene glared at his DC, "What could it possibly be?"

"It's my mum" Chris replied, standing up, "She- she don't like being alone on Christmas Eve. Since Pa died a couple of years ago, she- she really hasn't taken it too well"

Gene nodded to him, as if giving him permission, and Chris turned around and ran out of the office. That left Ray, Ruby and Gene in the room. But Ruby could be invisible all together, she had been so quiet that Gene and Ray didn't really notice her. Ruby was toying with her necklace when Gene and Ray just looked at each other, seeming to know what the other was thinking almost instantaneously.

"Pub?"

"Pub"

With that, Ray and Gene got up and left the room, leaving Ruby to her thoughts. She just toyed with her silver oval-shaped locket, looking at it with longing. It had been the only thing that had been transferred with her from her 2010 world to the 1972 world. It has a rose on the front of it, lined with small diamond gems. On the back was a little engraving:

Merry Christmas, Rube.

Micah, 2009

Ruby smiled at the engraving. It was her only real evidence that Micah was real and he was out there. She closed her eyes and let the memories overwhelm her, taking her back to 2009...

Ruby giggled, trying to pry the hands off her eyes, "Micah, get them off! Are you done yet?"

"Almost" Micah gently lead her down to wherever he was taking her, "Just be paitent"

Ruby snorted, "Ha, me, paitent? That's a joke"

Micah chuckled, "Yeah. I know"

Micah stopped Ruby, "OK, stop. Don't open your eyes yet"

Ruby sighed irritably, "OK"

Micah removed his hands just as Ruby folded her arms. She was basically looking at pitch black and it was infuriating her. Micah knew she hated to be kept waiting. He was doing this deliberately to annoy her. She had been annoying with her guardian to see Micah in November, because she knew that she wouldn't have a chance to see him during December while he was doing his final exams. She heard him laughing.

"What?" Ruby demanded

"I'm just looking at you. It's funny when you can't do what you want immediately"

Ruby poked out her tongue, "C'mon, hurry up! Don't keep me in suspense!"

"Fine, I guess I could show you some mercy" Micah replied, "Open"

Ruby opened her eyes. She was in Micah's bunk room. Then she noticed what was on the bunk. A little jewellery box, opened, revealing an oval shaped silver locket. On it was a rose decorated in miniature diamond gems. It was sparkling in the light of his room.

Ruby gasped, "Micah..."

Micah shrugged, "It was nothing. One of the guys knew someone and..."

Ruby walked over and gently picked up her locket. She flipped it over and saw the engraving on the back. She held it up to the light to read it better, and began to say it out loud.

"Merry Christmas, Rube. Micah, 2009" Ruby smiled as she lowered the locket, looking at her best friend, "Micah, it's beautiful"

Micah grinned, "Thought you'd like it"

Ruby held it out to him, "You mind helping me put it on?"

Micah nodded and took the chain out of Ruby's hands. She turned around and watched as the locket was lowered in front of her, around her neck. She felt the tips of his fingers brushing the base of her neck, sending chills down her spine. Her hair began to stand on end as the electric shocks sent through Micah's fingers shot through her whole body. When he finally done up the clasp, he placed his hands on her shoulders. The warmth they emitted was comforting. Ruby liked the feel of them on her. They were protecting, comforting and safe.

"Ruby..."

Ruby turned around and looked up at her best friend. Micah. Micah Richard Blake, the most wonderful person she had ever met. His deep brown eyes stared down at her dark blue orbs. Everything Micah ever wanted to say was in those eyes. He rarely let deep emotion show on his face. But in his eyes, to those who were close enough to him to see it, it revealled everything about him. Ruby didn't realise how close she and Micah were getting until she could feel his breath on her face, his nose only a hair's breath from hers. Spearmint filled her nose. He'd been chewing the gum she gave him.

"Blake!"

Ruby and Micah jumped apart like they had touched a high-voltage electric fence. Ruby was across the room at the opposite bunk before the last syllable of Micah's last name rang out through the room. They both turned to see a young boy, probably Micah's classmate, standing at the door of the room, arms crossed.

"Hey, mate, we need your help. Granger has been handcuffed to the shooting range again and we need you to stop Deeds and the Dick Patrol from letting loose on him"

Micah sighed and winked at Ruby, "I'll be right back, Rube"

Ruby sighed, nodding, "Right. See you, Micah"

Ruby watched as Micah and the other boy disappeared through the door before clutching at her rapidly beating heart and collapsing on the nearby bed. She had almost kissed him! Micah, her best friend, and she had almost kissed him! Ruby gently touched her lips and sat there staring into space for ages, before a realisation hit her: she wished she had kissed him.

Ruby sighed and placed the locket back inside her shirt. She had vowed that she would find a way back to Micah and she will. She refused to forget him or that Christmas. Maybe next Christmas, she would have the courage to finish what she started. Ruby smiled shyly to herself as she touched her lips and then let out a sigh. If she had known that less than a couple of months later that she would be shot and that she would be sent back in time, she would have taken that chance gladly.

"Hey, Red!"

Ruby turned to see Gene poking his head back in the doorway. He grinned at her.

"Thought you might be here. C'mon, let's go to the pub"

Ruby raised an eyebrow, "Where's Ray?"

"He's fighting one of the locked ups for his Manchester scarf back" Gene replied, "Now, hurry up, ya nancy. You wanna go or not?"

Ruby shrugged, getting up, "Alright. Why not?"

Ruby ran over to Gene and smiled up at him, "Hey, Guv. Thanks"

Guv shrugged, "It's Christmas Eve. Not even a hot-tempered smart ass shelia should be alone on Christmas Eve"

Ruby smiled and they began to walk off down the corridor. As they entered the elevator, Ruby lashed out and punched Gene square on the arm. He stared at her.

"I'm no shelia"

Gene rolled his eyes as the elevator doors closed.

Thank you for reading. Three fan fics down, two more to go!

Read, review and do what you do! Please, no flaming!