A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to another year of Christmas ficlets! There was such an incredible response to my Christmas story last year, and I had so much fun. So I found 25 more carols, plotted 25 more stories, and decided to do it again! Once again, each chapter will be a short and festive ficlet and titled with/inspired by a different Christmas song! All the main arcs from last year will be continued, and look out for some references to the old stories. Enjoy!
December1st: Need a Little Christmas
"Haul out the holly, put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking, I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now"
Eve walked into the Library one morning, holding a coffee and rubbing sleep from her eyes. It had been a long week, and even though it was Thursday, the weekend still felt like it was so far away. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and so it took her a few moments in the annex to notice that she was being bombarded by Christmas in every direction.
All of the books had been cleared off of the Annex's main table and it was covered with piles of garland, tinsel and every little Christmas knick-knack you could possibly think of. Two large wreaths hung from the back door. Eve nearly dropped her cup.
She looked to the head of the table and saw Cassandra-stringing popcorn and cranberries onto strings of thin wire, and loudly humming Hark the Herald Angel Sing. Reindeer antlers were on her head, and all of her clothes met a Christmas color scheme.
"Oh hey Colonel Baird!" she chimed, looking up and noticing Eve.
Eve's jaw hung open. She was too tired to have any words. Flynn walked in behind her just then, coming back from parking the car.
"Whoa" he exclaimed.
"I know" Eve said, turning to look at him, hoping for someone to back her up. She should've known he would be grinning from ear to ear. He started to walk around and look at everything while she still stood frozen with shock.
"Cassandra" Eve finally managed to say. "It's December first"
"Exactly!" the redhead beamed. "It's Christmas season!"
"You think this is nuts?" Jake said, coming down from the staircase carrying a box filled with ornaments. "She had me helping her decorate her place the day after Halloween"
"Crazy?" Cassandra inquired, giving Jake a brief death stare.
"Awwe darling I was just explaining to Baird." he said. "You know I loved your decorating" Cassandra laughed and punched him playfully on the arm.
"Oh look!" Flynn exclaimed from the other end of the table, paying no attention to what had happened. "Cookies!"
Eve looked over to where Flynn was standing, and sure enough, there was a plate of sugar cookies, and a plate of chocolate ones, one of which was already in Flynn's mouth.
"Ooh!" he said. "Is this s'mores flavored?"
"Yes!" Cassandra cheered. "I baked them last night!"
"Cassandra" Eve stuttered. "What is all this? Why so early?"
"Last year we decorated on the third" Cassandra argued. "How's this any different?"
"That gave me a bit of time to ease myself into it" Eve said.
"Eve, it was a long week. We all could use a little Christmas in our lives right now"
Eve sighed and looked at Flynn, his mouth stuffed with a cookie, and Jake, who was unpacking all of their stockings from a box. She sighed. She guessed it wouldn't be that much harm to decorate today.
"Alright" she said. "As long as we get some work done today too"
Cassandra jumped up and gave a little clap.
"Hot chocolate, fresh from Jenkins" Ezekiel said, carrying a tray into the room. "Oh hey Colonel. Liking the set up?"
Eve glared at him, warning him not to push her buttons. He laughed, grabbed some cocoa, and disappeared back into the shelves.
"For we need a little Christmas, right this very minute" Cassandra began to sing as she continued to string her popcorn.
"Cassandra" Eve interrupted. "I'm running on about 4 hours of sleep, my patience only goes so far. And the singing…too far."
"Bah humbug" Jake whispered, leaning into Cassie, who tried to stifle her laughter.
Eve wanted to be angry, but instead gave up, throwing her head into her hands. She felt Flynn tap her on the shoulder, and turned to find him holding him out a cookie and a mug of hot chocolate.
She reluctantly accepted the food before kissing him on the cheek. He put his arm around her waist, and they watched their LITs put Christmas underway.
A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all have an excellent December! See you tomorrow with "Angels We Have Heard on High!"