AN: A long time ago I realized that writing anything with a romantic aspect just isn't my cup of tea. Now, years later, I decided to at least give it another try and this is the product. I still don't think that I've gotten any better at writing romance, which is why I kept it to a minimum. Anyway, this is me, officially shipping Neric for the first time, so bear with me.
The story is inspired by and based on Sufjan Stevens' song 'Christmas In The Room' - one of my favorite alternative Christmas songs. I do not own the lyrics of the song, NCIS: Los Angeles, or any of the characters.
That said, I want you to sit back and enjoy this little Christmas tale. Merry Christmas everyone!
December 23
"This sucks."
Nell Jones brought her hand down flat on the interactive table. The sudden noise had the only other person currently in the room cringe. Eric jerked in her direction so fast that it made both his head and his swivel chair spin madly. For two hours they had been working in silence side by side with the Intelligence Analyst occasionally departing her computer to pace the floor or lean against the huge piece of furniture in the middle of the room to sift through and compare the intel they had gathered, and with Eric switching between multiple computer stations to keep all the searches up and running and to check if he got any hits.
Simply put, it was a busy day for them, more so than usual because a lot of the technical support staff had already left for the holidays. They had their hands full and there was only so much time to exchange any conversation at all. The only words spoken were their respective good mornings. After that it had been all business.
"What does?" the Technical Operator asked once he recovered from the initial shock of her swearing, which was something he rarely ever heard of her.
The small redhead lowered the tablet that she was holding in her left hand and looked at him incredulously. "Wow. You even have to ask?" she snarled, the venom in her voice highly untypical for the ever smiling woman. Eric immediately regretted opening his mouth. His Adam's apple bopped up and down as he swallowed hard. Hunching his shoulders and pushing his glasses further up his nose he turned back to his work station.
"Sorry," he mumbled dejectedly and resumed his work. Even though they had barely spoken a word today the blonde had noticed that his partner seemed grumpy and that she was running on a very short fuse today from the way she was sighing and grunting on a regular basis to express her impatience and annoyance with how little progress they made on their case – or cases. Knowing her he was sure that she had a pretty good reason for being so short-tempered, but he had to admit that her snide remark hurt quite a bit. He never wanted to end up on her bad side, so instead of pushing his luck he just let it lie and hoped that she would open up to him when she was ready.
December 24
Eric Beale entered his dark and empty apartment late in the afternoon, exhaustion pulling at every fiber of his body. He turned on the lights in the hallway, slipped out of his Vans and dragged himself straight to bedroom, bypassing both the bathroom and his kitchen. He knew that he should probably take a shower and grab a bite to eat, especially after not leaving the NCIS Office of Special Operations for two days, but his last energy reserves were spent on driving himself home safely. Now he just felt like someone had pulled the plug.
In the years that he had been assigned to the elite undercover team of OSP, led by Callen, the Technical Operator had gotten used to working crazy hours and cases that dragged out for days. He had spent his nights searching and researching for them on more occasions than he could count, but usually he at least was blessed with an hour long nap here and there or grab a coffee to get his energy back up. Not this time around, though. This time it was Christmas and Christmas meant extraordinary circumstances. With Nell and him being the only two employees working up in ops their workload had skyrocketed and what in reality had been 'only' two cases had felt like working for ten teams simultaneously.
With a satisfied groan Eric plopped down on his bed and allowed gravity to pull his upper body down into the cushions. He savored the feel of the soft mattress beneath his spine and welcomed the tingling pain that could only be felt when the strain of sitting upright for too long finally lifted off the vertebrae and every disc had the chance to slip back in its designated place. He closed his eyes, ignoring the fact that he was still dressed in his two-day old reeking sweater and shorts. He fully expected sleep to claim him immediately, but he couldn't have been more wrong.
As soon as his head hit the pillow his brain decided it didn't have enough activity today and needed to do something. A billion thoughts ran through his head and a picture of his very Grinch-y redheaded partner unfurled itself, effectively incapacitating any and all structures in his brain that were involved in putting him to sleep. The blonde shook his head, trying to brush them aside but they kept wandering back to one specific conversation – and frankly pretty much the only non-work-related one – he and Nell had shared in the last forty-eight hours. With a long sigh he relented and let it play out in his head without further resistance.
December 23
Hours had passed since the last time either Nell or Eric had spoken about anything other than case-related. Neither of them had taken a break all day and it was already early afternoon and their patience was wearing real thin. The analyst's previous foul mood had drained and she had put up a wall of indifference that the tech didn't buy. But he was smart enough not to comment on it as he didn't want a repeat of their exchange earlier that day.
Nell Jones removed her hands from the keyboard and flexed them a little, feeling the strain of hours of typing. She sighed deeply and swiveled her chair in her partner's direction, causing it to creak in protest. Eric caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored both the motion and the sound coming from the terminal to his left. He only paused when a whiff of air caught him on the cheek from her audible exhale. With his fingers still hovering over his own keyboard he chanced a sideways glance to see what was going on next to him and their eyes met, albeit briefly. Then she averted them slightly downwards and rested them somewhere between his chin and his left earlobe.
"Eric," she started hesitantly and waited for him to abandon his work and turn all the way around to face her up front. "I owe you an apology," she stated as soon as his full attention was directed at her.
The blonde frowned and shook his head in confusion. "What for?" he asked, forehead knitted together. Bending forward to get a better glimpse of her face he searched it for a clue, but she refused to meet his eyes and simply looked away. "Nell?"
Still unable to look him in the eye Nell watched her own hands with feigned interest and picked at her fingernails absentmindedly, drawing strength from the bad but somewhat soothing habit. She cleared her throat. "I was out of line earlier," she admitted quietly and having the words out gave her the courage to finally look at him. His eyes were still clouded with confusion, so she launched into an explanation.
"I shouldn't have been so rude earlier. You don't deserve that kind of treatment and the only reason you were on the receiving end of it was because…" She sighed, realizing that it was obvious that she couldn't have vented to anyone else since there was no-one else present to take the brunt of it. "It doesn't really matter. Anyway…" She took another deep breath. "Well, you know how much I love Christmas and how I love to spend the holidays with my family. I missed out on that too many times in the years I've been working here and with our current case load I didn't even get the chance to call and tell them that I wouldn't make it home this year."
Her opposite's mind started reeling. He narrowed his eyes and parted his lips slightly as he tried to process the information given to him. "Wait, what? I thought Hetty promised you Christmas off, even if there was a case?" he blurted out in surprise. His eyes moved rapidly as he searched his mind for the brief talk they had earlier that week. "Hetty even asked me if I was okay with you leaving because then I would be the only Technical Operator holding down the fort throughout the holidays," he recited from memory. Then another thought popped to the forefront and it made him furious even considering the possibility. "Did Hetty break her promise?" His voice sounded dangerous all of a sudden and if Nell hadn't been in such a bad mood it might have at least gotten a smile out of her.
Instead she just shook her head. "No, she wouldn't do that," she reassured him. "But I couldn't get my hands on a ticket." The redhead was about to say something else, but the surfer interrupted her.
"Wait, I can probably help you with that," he offered and turned back to his computer in dizzying speed. "Let me just…" he trailed off, already clicking and typing furiously on the device. This was his element after all: finding things via the World Wide Web, and with the help of some very expensive government equipment he was confident that he would find something for her, even if it was a million dollar flight on a private jet. For the quirky little Intelligence Analyst he would do anything.
"Forget about it, Eric. There are no tickets left. Even Hetty couldn't get her hands on one," Nell tried, but the tech just shook his head.
"But Hetty doesn't have the hacking skills I have," he stopped briefly and looked at Nell. "Well, truth be told, I'm not too sure about that. Hetty is very technically advanced after all, but let's just assume she doesn't possess my skills." He never even lifted his eyes or his hands off the console, his eyes flickering over the screen as he continued doing God knows what.
"Eric, it doesn't matter. You won't find a ticket anywhere. They are all sold out, believe me." He wouldn't have any of it. "Eric… Eric! Beale!" She put a firm hand on his closest forearm to get his attention. "Stop it! Just listen to me for a sec, will you?" Not entirely convinced yet the blonde reluctantly gave his attention back to her.
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, Wolfram, I really do. But you're not going to find a flight for me. You probably haven't watched the news in the past two days. There's a huge storm headed to the East coast and it's expected to hit every state between Virginia and Maine. New Hampshire and the southwestern part of Maine are taking the brunt of it or so they say. They are about to close all the airports in the area. A lot of people tried to reschedule their flights to earlier ones, but you know how it is right before the holidays: it's hard to get a ticket. All the flights are booked out."
The Technical Operator's shoulders dropped in defeat and he scrutinized her with an expression of sympathy and kindness. "God, I'm so sorry, Nell," he whispered, his voice full of compassion. He didn't know what else to say to her. The redhead was a family person and she drew all her strength from the few times a year that she actually got to see them. That was where her cheerfulness, her energy and her strongmindedness came from. It broke Eric's heart to see this be taken away from her over an ill-timed snow storm.
A sparkle of something lit up his face a moment later and despite her grouchiness the analyst found it just a little bit adorable. "We're still going to celebrate. Even if it's just the two of us, you hear me?" The childlike innocence and his kindness gave the small woman a glimmer of hope. "Nelly?" This actually brought a smile to her lips, even if it was only a faint shadow of the one she usually sported. In Eric's opinion it suited her better than the gloomy expression she had worn all day.
December 24
Replaying the conversation in his head reinforced Eric's determination to make this Christmas still a memorable one for his favorite little genius. Nell Jones came from a family that was making a big deal of the holidays. The tech had witnessed their obsession and their delight first hand a couple years ago and he had found himself infected with the pure happiness. Those people – Nell's family – knew how to thrive in the Christmas spirit and being around them had made the Intelligence Analyst happier than he had ever seen her before. Back then she was a vibrant bundle of joy, always running around with a beaming smile and a sparkle in her eyes that had lit up the whole room.
He wanted to put it there again and he would do everything it took to do that, even if he couldn't get her the flight that she so desperately wanted and even though he couldn't bring her family to her either. He would have to find another way and he had an idea already. He just hoped it would work.
Pushing off the soft mattress of his bed again Eric closed the short distance to his wardrobe with long confident strides. He opened the door to the far right, one that he rarely ever looked in, because he mostly stored things in there that he had no use for anymore but didn't want to throw out either because they held some kind of sentimental value for him. The object of his desire was one of the bigger ones in there and therefore hard to miss. With careful consideration that indicated just how much he cared for this piece he pulled it out and gently placed it on the bed. He closed the door of the wardrobe again and headed for his backpack that he had left in the hallway. The blonde fetched his tablet, returned to the bedroom and settled on the bed Indian style.
With confident swipes he researched what he was looking for and found it soon enough. Nell deserved to be happy on the holidays and he would move heaven and earth to bring some Christmas cheer to her.
December 25
Nell woke to the glaring morning sun filtering through the blinds. Flooding her bedroom in a blanket of gold it seemed like it was the messenger that rang in Christmas day. The small woman turned her face toward the source of light and slowly opened her eyes to the impeccable blue sky. She blinked a couple times and glanced at the alarm clock briefly. It was just past eight, earlier than she had wanted to get up, but too late to go back to sleep. Not one to just keep dozing, the young redhead peeled back the covers, climbed out of bed and padded to the bathroom to relieve herself and, after washing her hands obediently, move on to her small kitchen area. On her way there she passed the living room and the sight that met her brought her to a sudden stop.
When Jones had first moved to Los Angeles she had felt overwhelmed and slightly claustrophobic because of the distinct lack of greenery. She had grown up in a small town in a heavily forested area in New Hampshire and moving to a metropolis had been a drastic change for her. She had painted the walls in earthy colors and carefully picked out the antic wooden furniture and the large cream couch to give herself at least a faint sense of familiarity and coziness. The redhead loved coming home to the spacious room and the warmth and comfort it provided, especially after long hard days at work. Sometimes she would lounge on the cushions of the sofa, a steaming cup of tea or hot chocolate in her hand and an engrossing book on her lap.
But today the room simply looked bare and pathetic to her.
Nell usually made a point of bringing some of the Jones' Christmas traditions to her home whenever her travel plans got crushed because of work. She would set up a tree, decorate it with ornaments in all shapes and colors, hang a mistletoe above the door just because, bake cookies that she either gave to charity or brought to the office and she would play cheerful Christmas songs and sing along. She would make a habit of strolling through the heavily decorated shopping malls and visit Christmas markets in her vicinity.
Then, on Christmas Eve, she would meet up with Eric to help out with the Toys for Tots campaign. They had gained a celebrity-like status among the children and the volunteers after their first year of participating in the event and the hustle and bustle strangely helped her cope with not being with her family. Seeing the hope glint light up the children's eyes when they received and opened the gifts bestowed on them was the greatest joy on earth and it filled her with pride and happiness.
Endless back-to-back cases and the strong belief that she was spending the holidays in her hometown had caused her to skip their voluntary work this year and she regretted it deeply now, because it would at least have given her something to do. Truth be told, she hadn't even bothered asking Eric if he was going without her. She assumed that he wasn't, because he was the on-call techie throughout the holidays.
Nell slouched her shoulders in defeat, realizing that for the first time in her entire life she was completely and utterly alone for the holidays. She sighed heavily and wrapped her arms around her middle protectively as she shuffled the rest of the way to the kitchen. Turning on the electric kettle she let the water boil and opened the fridge, more out of habit than in actual search of food. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry and she knew just how bare it looked in there. She grunted in dismay and closed it again with more force than was necessary and started rummaging around in her cupboards instead to look for comfort food.
A large package of Oreos was the only one she found, but it was exactly what she needed right now. After preparing tea for herself she returned to the living room, frowning in sadness once more at the lack of Christmas decorations. The redheaded analyst settled on the couch with her favorite quilt draped over her and turned the TV on. She didn't particularly care about what was on. Nell just needed the background noise and hoped it would drown out the depressing thoughts and the sad reality she found herself in. After ripping the plastic wrapping of the beloved cookies open she bit into one, chewed and swallowed past the lump of emotions that had formed in her throat. A single tear escaped her left eye and she didn't even bother to wipe it away.
"Merry Christmas to yourself, Jones," she whispered sullenly. The Intelligence Analyst decided then and there that the only reason for her to move from her spot at all today would be a call from work.
Her plans of staying on the sofa all day long were crushed an hour later by someone alternating steady knocking on her apartment door and seemingly never-ending calls. Whoever it was, he or she was very persistent and apparently had made it their goal to draw her out despite her obvious signs of not wanting any company. The routine went on for fifteen minutes of her hoping that whoever was pestering her would give up already, when all of a sudden the terror stopped.
Nell was just about to celebrate her little success, but one very differently sounding dull thud caused her to hold her breath for a split second. It was followed by the unmistaken exclamation of 'Dammit', but what really caught her attention was not the swear word in itself, but the very familiar voice saying it. Eric?
Fumbling for the remote control the redhead turned the volume of the television down and listened more closely for any more noise outside her apartment. There was a soft rustling to be heard, then silence stretched out, and then an even more surprising sound filled the hallway of the building. Someone was playing the guitar just outside her door. Soft chords were being played, slow and slightly melancholic. Nell stood and tiptoed to the hall, hovering inside the apartment door. The guitar riffs lowered and a singing voice was added and it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.
Completely taken aback by the talented singer on the other side of the door – Eric, it's Eric, she had to remind herself – Nell forced herself to listen to the lyrics. They were beautiful and she was shocked to notice just how much they fit her current situation. Halfway through the song she couldn't restrain herself anymore. She turned the knob and pulled the door open. The music stopped and was replaced by a yelp of surprise and the small woman belatedly realized that he had been sitting right there on her doorstep and almost lost his balance as she took away his makeshift backrest. But instead of an apology she only managed a shocked, "You play the guitar?"
Eric, having regained his composure by now, nodded his head. "Yes."
"And you sing!" The analyst exclaimed, still not fully comprehending what she had just discovered.
"Yes, I do." Eric shifted from one foot to the other. He felt suddenly shy and slightly embarrassed about his performance and everything that he had planned out last night suddenly disappeared, leaving his mind blank. He had prepared a speech, in which he explained his reasons for showing up at her place on Christmas morning, dressed in pajamas and with a guitar slung over his shoulder, but now he didn't know what to say. Fortunately for him, his best friend and partner seemed just as tongue-tied and it gave him the strength to keep talking. "Can I come in?" he asked tentatively, moving his toes up and down in the worn flip-flops.
His question snapped her back to reality and without saying anything she moved aside for him to enter the apartment. He stepped over the threshold and took another five steps into the hallway before he stopped, unsure if he should go any further. Nell closed the door behind him and turned around, facing him with a look of exaggerated fury on her face. The tech didn't even have time to wonder where the sudden anger came from as the little redhead launched into him with a deadly serious tone of voice and a threatening index finger poking into his chest repeatedly. "Eric Beale, you just made the worst Christmas ever a little bit more bearable."
The Technical Operator blinked in surprise. "I did?"
"Yes." Without another word Nell grabbed a fistful of his pajama shirt and dragged him to the living room. There was no other option for him than to follow her. She pushed the very perplexed man down on the sofa, firmly grabbed his face with flat hands and, without any forewarning, crushed her lips against his. It took him a while to catch up with what was happening, but when he did he just submitted to the unexpected kiss from his little redheaded partner.
It was a fairly short kiss, but so much more passionate than the one they had shared all those years ago under the mistletoe in the office. And still, the only words replaying in Eric's still confused brain were the exact same from back then. "What was that?" He mentally kicked himself for the stupid question and tried again. "I mean, why…? Oh," he blurted out as realization dawned on him. "It's in the lyrics," he remembered sheepishly.
The analyst smiled and nodded. "Could you play and sing the song again?"
He watched her for a moment with his head slightly tilted to one side as if to reassure himself that this was really what she wanted. The barely perceptible nod was all the answer he needed. Adjusting the guitar on his lap and inhaling deeply he started playing.
Nell for her part just sat back and listened. This Christmas might not be so bad after all.
No travel bags, no shopping malls
No candy canes, no Santa Claus
For as the day of rest draws near
It's just the two of us this year
No silver bells or mistletoe
We'll kiss and watch our TV show
I'll come to you, I'll sing to you
Like it's Christmas in the room
I'll dance with you, I'll laugh with you
'Til it's Christmas in the room
No traffic jams, no ice and storm
Far in the house the fire is warm
No Christmas tree, no great parade
It's just an ordinary day
No parties planned, no place to go
It's just the two of us alone
And in the house we see a light
That comes what we feel inside
I'll come to you, I'll sing to you
Like it's Christmas in the room
I'll dance with you, I'll laugh with you
'Til it's Christmas in the room
Oh, I can't see the day when we'll die
But I don't care to think of silence
For now I hear you laughing
The greatest joy is like the sunrise
No gifts to give, they're all right here
Inside our hearts, the glorious cheer
And in the house we seek a light
That comes from what we know inside
I'll come to you, I'll sing to you
Like it's Christmas in the room
I'll dance with you, I'll laugh with you
'Til it's Christmas in the room
I'll come to you, I'll sing to you
Like it's Christmas in the room
I'll dance with you, I'll laugh with you
Like it's Christmas in the room
'Christmas In The Room' - Sufjan Stevens