Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, not making any moola, and will probably return 'em sometime in the distant future. I haven't finished playing with them yet! Challenge fits both PP and RangemanWriters. This is unedited and not even betaed, so please excuse any errors. I just want more CTIH and Kissing Me!
Amy & Xylia's Christmas challenge
Ranger hated Christmas. This year more than ever before, because he was alone.
Here he was, sitting in his office on Christmas morning, doing the thing he hated most about his business. Paperwork. The bane of his existence, the only thing he had to look forward to.
His parents were on an Alaskan cruise, which he'd given to them for Christmas, and all his siblings had gone to their respective in-laws for the holiday. Tank was with Lula, Lester was playing Santa Claus for his daughter Mia, and Bobby was visiting with his girlfriend's family in Philly. He was the only one who had no one to spend time with, so he'd offered to cover for the holidays, just like every other year.
The only problem was, there was someone he wanted to be with, only she was with him, probably snuggled in bed and celebrating the day in ways he didn't dare think about. It made him wish he was far away, and had never even opened a branch of the business here in Trenton.
They were running a skeleton crew today, since the cold combined with the holiday seemed to cause a cessation of break-ins and security breaches. No one wanted to spend Christmas in jail, and since all FTAs had been brought in, a full crew was unwarranted.
The sound of Christmas carols echoed faintly through the nearly empty building as he tried to concentrate on the proposal he'd been perusing for the past half hour. He wasn't much for the holiday songs, but in deference to the men stuck on duty, he allowed them to broadcast the music during their shift. After all, they wouldn't be able to celebrate in their own way until after their relief arrived, and it seemed churlish to deny them this little bit of cheer on such a special day for them.
Strains of the current song came drifting through his open door, and he sat back to listen as the lively tune played. It brought back long forgotten memories of his childhood, causing his lips to tilt slightly in remembrance.
Jingle bell, Jingle bell, Jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun
Jingle bell, Jingle bell, Jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air.
What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That's the Jingle bell,
That's the jingle bell,
That's the jingle bell rock.
What he'd give to be riding in a sleigh like that with Steph, swishing through the freezing cold air while snuggled in fur-lined blankets and hats as they sipped hot cider. She'd probably demand hot chocolate, but that didn't matter to much to him. As long as he was riding with her…
He sighed as the song came to an end, then grimaced as he realized he'd been daydreaming. Good thing all the guys were away; he'd never live it down if they saw him sitting there pining for who he could never have. Especially since it was his own fault.
Jingle Bell Rock
Lyrics by Bobby Helms