Decorating the Tree M7 ATF AU
It was Friday evening at the ATF offices of Team Seven. All of the agents were getting their coats on to head out. They planned to go get drinks at the Saloon and then they were all going to congregate the next day at Chris Larabee's ranch to decorate the house for Christmas.
It had taken Chris a couple of years to agree to have the place decked out, since the holiday had been one of Sarah's favorites and the memories of her and their son Adam around the tree were just too much for him to bear without the help of a lot of whiskey, which rather ruined the jolly mood the rest of the boys were going for.
But last year he had decided to let Buck, JD, and Vin have their way and put up a tree and a few outside lights. The memories had assailed him at first, but to his…and the team's…relief they weren't as painful as before. Instead they brought back warm feelings. And amazingly enough, the melancholy hadn't lasted long, and instead he'd ended up laughing out loud as elves Wilmington, Tanner, and Dunne…complete with green hats and pointed ears…had scrambled around putting the new decorations on the six foot spruce.
Larabee had agreed to let the team decorate his house the year before, but he had decided they should buy all new stuff, since he wasn't sure he was ready to pull all of Sarah's beloved items out of the attic.
This year the trio planned to go all out, with Josiah, Nathan, and even Ezra getting in the spirit. Chris knew Vin's jeep was stuffed with tinsel, lights, potted poinsettias, and heaven knew what else. The sniper hadn't had many memorable Christmases since his mom died when he was five, so he was like a kid in a candy store now. And JD, while a more than capable agent, was still young enough with regard to holidays to make a worthy accomplice for Vin. And big-hearted Buck loved any excuse to celebrate and make people happy, especially his surrogate little brother. Chris was wondering if his place would be seen by the astronauts at the space station by the time the team was done.
The leader had just locked his office door and was joining the rest to head to the elevator when JD looked over at him a bit diffidently.
"Umm…Chris?"
The blond looked at his electronics tech with an arched brow. "Yeah, JD?"
"I was wondering…" the younger man stopped as if unsure if he should continue.
Buck didn't know what the kid wanted to say, but he was impatient to get to the saloon. It had been a long week.
"For Pete's sake JD, just spit it out so we can get outta here." admonished the tall brunet as he fastened his bomber jacket.
"What is it, JD?" asked Larabee softly as he slipped on his black leather duster and slid his hands into the matching ebony gloves.
"I was wondering…" began Dunne again. Then he decided to explain why he was asking first, even though he hadn't actually finished the question yet. "What I mean is, I have a couple of old ornaments of my mom's that I found when I was looking through some keepsakes the other day. I know you wanted to use all new decorations, but… do you think it'd be alright if I brought mine and put them on the tree at your house? Buck and I didn't put up a big tree since we're all going to be at your place on Christmas." JD hurried the last part out, afraid he'd bring up painful memories for his boss just by mentioning the subject.
The other five stood quietly, waiting to see what Chris' response would be.
Larabee remained silent for a couple of minutes, which made JD start to twitch nervously. The last thing the kid wanted to do was upset his hero, but he really wanted to put his mom's ornaments on a tree, too. It would be like home then.
Finally Chris nodded. "Sure, JD. I don't see why not."
The rest gave a sigh of relief, then started talking as they moved out to wait for the elevator.
"Hey, Kid. I think I've got a clear glass ball of my mom's that has glitter inside. She said it reminded her of the Vegas lights. I can see if I can find it and put it on the tree, too." offered Wilmington with a little nod.
JD gave a happy smile. "That sounds great, Buck."
His eyes then got a sparkle of anticipation to them. "Hey, I know… we can all bring an ornament and put it on the tree. Then it will be like home for all of us."
Josiah and Chris cut cautious looks at the undercover agent. They all knew that Maude had never been the maternal or domestic type at all, so they didn't figure he had a keepsake ornament from his childhood to use. Neither did Vin probably, for that matter.
The blond decided to intervene before JD inadvertently made the others uncomfortable instead of himself like he'd thought.
"Yeah, everybody can bring something. New or old…whatever you want. Or nothing… it's all fine."
Nodding, the group changed the subject as they entered the elevator and headed for the parking garage and the Saloon.
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The next day five vehicles pulled up and parked in front of Chris' house, the occupants all gathering up bags and boxes of festive decorations as they trouped toward the front porch.
When the blond opened the door, the scent of spruce and spiced cider wafted out the door enticingly. Squeezing in, the others put their stuff down and turned as one to look at the seven-foot evergreen currently lying on the floor of the spacious living room.
Larabee shrugged his broad shoulders at the gazes that then cut to him. "What? I figured you'd need a bigger tree to put all those decorations on this year. I got it cut and drug in here, but you'll all have to help get it upright."
As they looked around, they noticed that the mantel was already adorned with swags of spruce and pine boughs, and that more clusters of fragrant evergreens hung over the doors and windows.
"Damn, Stud! You were busy last night." commented Buck with a wide grin. This was more like the old Chris he remembered from before the tragedy.
"Figured it'd take all day to put up the stuff y'all brought today, so decided I'd get a head start so we could at least finish by suppertime. I've got a ham in the oven for that." answered the lean figure with a tiny quirk to one corner of the sculpted mouth.
Vin licked his lips at the word 'ham'. "Ya gonna do that pineapple glaze you made last Christmas?" he asked with obvious hope in his voice.
Chris' head dipped in assent. "Thought I would, yeah."
"Yes!" exited both Tanner and Dunne's throats at the same time as each did a fist-pump of pleasure.
Not many would expect it of the imposing ATF leader, but Chris was a good cook and the youngest of the team were always more than happy to partake of his culinary creations. Come to think of it, all the men seemed to enjoy the meals at Larabee's home, whether it was grilled steaks or barbecue in the summer or roast turkey or ham for the winter holidays.
Putting the thought of food aside for the moment, the group moved to help Chris get the tall tree upright. Soon it stood proudly in the corner, leaving just enough room at the top for whatever they decided to place there. Larabee eyed the huge spruce, glad that he'd built the house with eight-and-a-half foot ceilings on the first floor.
Once the tree was up, they put the five strands of colored lights on, making sure there were no gaps or bare spots. Plugging them in, they started getting out the ornaments to decorate it.
Many of the ones from last year went on first, along with tinsel and new garlands that looked like old-time cranberries and holly. Vin, JD, and Buck pulled out all sorts of other decorations and proceeded to stuff every nook and cranny they could get to with greenery, bows, ribbons, and bells. The dining area came in for its share of attention, and even the hallway and first-floor bathrooms ended up adorned with festive accents.
When they had everything else put up, they took a break and then moved on to the more solemn placement of the special ornaments.
Christmas music played softly in the background as JD went first. Carefully removing the two glass balls that had traveled all the way from Boston with him, he undid the yellowed tissue paper they were wrapped in.
Taking the red and green ornaments, he walked over to the tree and perused it closely to make sure he picked the perfect locations. Deciding on a couple of branches in the front, at the middle, he gently hung the balls in their respective spots.
A glint of a tear glimmered in the corner of the dark eyes as he stepped back. "Merry Christmas, Momma. These are for you." he whispered with a slight catch in his throat. He was so caught up in his memories that he didn't notice the furtive wiping away of other drops of liquid from several other sets of eyes.
When Dunne stepped away from the tree, a smile now on his face, Buck took his turn. Pulling a clear glass globe out of his coat pocket, the brunet shook it so that the multi-hued glitter inside whirled around in a snowstorm effect. Putting a metal hanger on it, the tall form carried it over to the tree. Reaching up to place it high in the front, he quietly shared its history.
"Momma got this one when I was about ten or so and we were livin' in Vegas. It was her favorite… she said it reminded her of the lights along the strip. Most of the rest of our ornaments were plastic or cheap stuff, but this one is glass and she made sure we wrapped it up real careful every year when we put the decorations away. It was one of the few things I took with me after she died. It's gone everywhere I have since then." His voice got a bit husky as he finished. "I love you, Momma and I miss you."
Chris nodded as Wilmington stepped back from the tree. "I recall you putting it out when we were stationed in Florida. I always thought it was pretty."
Buck swiped at one of his eyes and then smiled. "Thanks, Pard. I'm glad you remember."
Larabee nodded silently in response as Nathan unwrapped his offering.
Made of brightly-colored yarn, it was formed in the shape of a star and had a loop at the top point. Moving over to the spruce, Jackson picked a spot that faced the couch where he usually sat when at the ranch. His mellow tones were full of reminiscence as he explained about it.
"We couldn't afford fancy decorations when I was little either, so us kids made a lot of ours. We did these in school when I was in the fifth grade or so, and my momma loved it. Said it reminded her of somethin' from our African roots with all the bright colors I used. She always put it at the front of the tree so that we could see it every time we sat in the living room." The medic cleared his throat as he stepped back to look at the placement of the ornament. "It's like havin' a piece of my momma with me here. Love ya momma."
The rest smiled, several once again flicking at the corner of their eyes surreptitiously.
Josiah stood up as Nathan sat down on the couch and took a sip of his cider. The profiler's big fingers carefully pulled a carved wooden cross out of his shirt pocket. He gently caressed it for a minute, then moved over to hang it on a branch where he would be able to see it from his normal place next to the medic. Giving a sigh, he stepped back to admire the positioning.
"I made two of these for Hannah the year before I left home. They weren't Christmas ornaments as such, just something for her to hang in her room to remember me by since I already knew if I stayed much longer, I was gonna end up doin' something to our father that I probably wouldn't even regret." The pale gaze was bright with conflicted memories as he spoke.
"When I went in to say goodbye to her before I left, she gave this one back to me. Told me she'd keep the other one, but she wanted me to have one of them so that I wouldn't forget that she and our mother loved me. I've carried it with me on all of my journeys…used it for a crucifix for a while. Last time I was at the convent, the nuns had the matching one on the wall of her room. They said it seemed to bring her peace when she was troubled. When we decided to add special ornaments for the tree this year, this was like it would be the perfect thing for me to use." The deep baritone dropped to almost a whisper. "I'm thinking of you, Hannah. And wishing you peace and contentment this Christmas. Love, your brother Josiah."
Wiping a stray tear from his cheek, the big form moved to sit next to Jackson with a somewhat sad smile as the others nodded at his words.
Looking around at the final three, Ezra was the next to rise. He opened a small box that had been resting near his feet and pulled out a shiny ornament in a soft yellow-pink hue with a bit of green at the top. Placing a hook in the gilt loop, the handsome figure carried it to the tree and reverently placed it where he would be able to view it from the chair he normally used.
"I realize this is not the type of ornament you gentlemen probably expected me to arrive with, but it meets the criteria since it holds special memories for me. My mother, as you all know, was in the habit of leaving me with various aunts and uncles unless she needed me for one of her schemes. One year she deposited me without preamble at a distant relative's house right at Christmas time. The woman was elderly and had never married, but unlike some of my other forced sitters, she welcomed me with open arms. She was just decorating her artificial tree when I arrived, and she immediately pressed me into service as her helper. She had many glass balls and figures, but this one in particular caught my eye. She informed me that it was the representation of a Georgia peach, which I loved. I would go in and lightly touch it every time I entered the parlor, picturing the fresh fruit warm from the sun as I did so. She had her own small orchard and had canned much of the abundant harvest, so for dessert to go with our Christmas dinner she fixed peach cobbler. It was untraditional, but I loved her for her thoughtfulness." The emerald eyes closed for a minute as the gambler thought about that time.
"She made sure I had presents under the tree, and baked various desserts from the canned peaches until I left after the new year. As Mother was hauling me away, she pressed the ornament into my hand and told me to take it with me so that I would remember the time I spent with her. I managed to keep it intact through all the various moves we made, hanging it on my lamp or bedpost at Christmas when mother couldn't be bothered with a tree or left me with other less congenial family members. It's been packed up since I moved here, but this occasion offered me a reason to take it out and relive those fond memories once again. I thank you gentlemen for that opportunity. And thank you, Aunt Minnie. I will never forget your kindness to a lost waif thrust on you right at the holidays."
Giving a little sniff, the well-built figure touched the peach with one finger, then stepped back so that he could return to his seat.
The rest looked at Tanner now, wondering if the sniper had a decoration to share.
"Vin, you don't have to…" started Chris softly, but the sandy-haired form shook his head.
"It's alright, Cowboy." The slender fingers then dug into the pocket of his leather coat and pulled out something wrapped in a bandanna.
Removing the calico fabric, he held up a small dreamcatcher complete with feathers and old-time trade beads.
"I don't have any of my ma's ornaments, and they weren't worth much except to us anyway. But I made this when I was livin' with my granddad on the Kiowa reservation. He was teachin' me the ways of my pa's people, but he celebrated Christmas too, so I thought this was a good mix of both." The slender figure gave a small smile.
"That's where the Tanner comes from… my grandpa and pa's folks were hide tanners, so it stuck when they took on white names years ago. Anyway, I made the dreamcatcher to put on the little tree my papa put up. We hung pinecones on it, and made crosses out of sticks, and stuff like that, too. It was right pretty when we were done. Did the same thing the next year, too. I had to leave the year after though, when he got too sick to be considered a 'proper' guardian for me. As he gave me a hug when I was leavin', he stuck this dreamcatcher in my pocket and told me to never forget I was a Tanner, like my ma did when I was a little feller. I've kept it ever since, hidden away safe. Even had it in my footlocker when I was in the Rangers. Seemed like this was a good time to get it out and bring it to put on the tree with my new family." offered the soft, slightly raspy tones as he moved to hang the woven circle on a middle branch where it would be safe from the rough-housing the team sometimes indulged in.
Blue gaze sparkling damply, he moved back a pace to see the effect. "Thanks for everythin', Grandpa. I'll never forget what ya taught me."
The others sniffed a bit in response to the heartfelt words, then six pairs of eyes turned to Larabee, wondering what the lean blond would do.
Giving a sigh, the leader rose lithely to his feet. Going upstairs, he came back down a few minutes later with a small cardboard box. Silently, he opened the container and gently took out a beautiful porcelain angel with white feather wings and a peach and gold silk robe. Moving over to the tree, he nodded in thanks when Buck set the ladder up for him so that he could reach the top of the spruce.
"Sarah loved Christmas. I got this angel for her the year she was pregnant with Adam. She had seen it in a store window and fell in love with it. She squealed like a little girl when I gave it to her, and then hugged me so hard I was sure the baby felt it too. It was the final part of decorating our tree every year after that. She and Adam would stop what they were doing and watch me climb the ladder and put it on top, Sarah telling me 'a little to the right' or 'left' until it was just where she wanted it. Buck was always teasing her that was the only time she seemed to have OCD, but the angel had to be exactly right before she would let me come down."
The long fingers settled the piece in place, Wilmington motioning to one side with a wistful grin. Chris straightened it according to Buck's directions, then climbed with feline grace back to the floor. Looking up, the blond head nodded in approval.
"Merry Christmas, Sarah. I know you're pleased to have the angel on the tree again. Love you." he whispered softly.
The others coughed, cleared their throats, and again flicked at errant moisture that tickled the corners of their eyes.
JD broke the reverent silence.
"Wow guys! That's perfect! Now we all have a bit of our families here with us."
"Indeed we do, Mr. Dunne." "Sure do, Kid." and other words of jovial agreement met the youngest member's statement.
They all looked around at the festive decorations, pleased smiles on their faces. Then Vin rubbed his stomach as it rumbled in anticipation.
"Ok, we're finished. Now about that ham…"
Laughing, the seven moved off to the kitchen to eat, finally feeling like Christmas was their favorite holiday again. From now on they'd all look forward to decorating the tree.
By DMA