So, this is a continuation of a multi-fandom/multi-pairing series I started in 2008, with each story being a one-shot in a different fandom, with some of my fave ships partaking in 'Secret Santa' type activities. I have different sandboxes to play in these days, and so there is more. Hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to all :)

Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to people that aren't me!

The Secret Santa Series, Part VII : Dani & Nico

Dani wasn't altogether sure whose idea it was to run a Secret Santa at the Hawks training ground. It was mostly the staff in the office taking part, and likely to have been one of the girls in administration who decided it might be nice. The $15 limit certainly proved it wasn't anyone in upper management or on the team who made the decision! The GM seemed to have agreed to it though, maybe for the morale boost or something. Whatever the cause of the Secret Santa, Dani kind of liked that they were doing this. Anything to bring folks closer together was fine by her, and hey, she was going to get a nice gift out of it so there was no bad. It wouldn't be a hardship for her to pick up something extra when she went to the mall for Lindsay and Ray Jay's gifts, so there was really no difficulty involved, just fun.

When it came to assigning who got whom, it was apparently entirely random, with every person playing getting an email to their work account bearing the name of their giftee. Dani laughed at first when she got Coach Parnell, but stopped very abruptly when she realised she had absolutely no idea what to buy for him. On instinct, she called Matt and asked his advice. Somehow he knew the Coach's favourite cologne, which might've been useful if it wasn't so pricey. Other than that the best he could come up with was a new baseball cap. That hardly made sense when all his sports gear, including hat, was Hawks branded.

Dani needed a new tactic, and decided maybe a little snooping in Coach's office was what she really needed to go for. All she had to do was wait until he was out on the field with the team, slip in, slip out, it ought to be easy. As it turned out the slipping into the office really was a simple as she expected. Unfortunately, once in, Dani had trouble spotting anything that would lead her to a good gift idea. Ninety percent of the stuff surrounding her was Hawks-related. The few expectations included a framed picture of Mrs Parnell, some snacks in the desk drawer, and...

"Oh, crap!" Dani swore under her breath when she turned and knocked a pile of papers onto the floor.

Scrambling around to pick them up, she misjudged how far she was from the edge of the desk, and clocked her head when she tried to get up, swearing even more colourfully this time.

"Such language, Dr Santino? I hadn't expected that from you," said a voice she knew too well.

Dani got up more carefully this time, replacing the papers on Coach's desk with one hand and rubbing her sore head with the other. She cast a none too friendly look in her intruder's general direction.

"Damnit, Nico!" she complained. "Why'd you gotta sneak up on people all the time?"

"Counter-question - why were you under Coach's desk?" he checked curiously, trying not to smirk by the looks of things.

"I got him for Secret Santa," she admitted in a whisper, rounding the desk to stand before him. "I just needed some inspiration, y'know? I have no idea what he likes, unless I wanna go over the $15 budget, that is," she complained, still rubbing the top of her head that throbbed.

"Here," said Nico, encouraging her forward.

His fingers ran through her hair and over the small lump forming. Dani expected to wince at the contact, but he was so incredibly and unexpectedly gentle, she never really felt any pain, just a light pressure.

"I think you'll live," he promised her with a kinder smile than he had been wearing before. "Silver frame," he added then, at which Dani frowned.

"I'm sorry, a what now?" she checked, clearly confused by his sudden change of direction.

"For Coach, how about a nice silver photo frame?" he offered as an idea. "You know for all the Hawks paraphernalia he keeps in his office, the one thing he loves most in this room is the picture of his wife."

Dani smiled at his thought process, and at the idea of Coach still being so in love with his wife after what had to be a large number of years. She might've thought of such a thing eventually, but thanks to Nico, she didn't have to try.

"Thank you, for fixing things. Again," she said, nodding slowly. "I'd offer to help you pick out something for your giftee too, but I know you probably think Secret Santa is childish and silly, not worth your important time," she teased, as she walked by him and left the office.

Dani missed the smile on Nico's face as he turned and watched her go off down the corridor, high heels clicking on the polished floor.

"I never said that."

When it came to the day of the gift giving, Dani was kind of excited. She knew that Coach wouldn't realise his gift was from her, since that was the whole point of Secret Santa, but she at least got to see the look on his face when he received his parcel and unwrapped it in the mixed company assembled for the event.

"This ought to be interesting," said Matt as he appeared beside her. "I mean, somebody that knows you gets your name, could be a good gift, but there are girls in the office I never met, and guys on the the team that would delight in getting me something... distasteful," he told Dani with a significant look that made her laugh.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," she told him. "Unless... Oy, you don't think they'd get me anything racy, do ya?" she checked.

Yes, Dani could just imagine receiving a box containing just the most inappropriate underwear from someone like T.K. They had worked on his attitude to women and all, but it wasn't just him. Several of the players had decided to take part in Secret Santa, and she knew for a fact that they'd find it hilarious to buy her a gift like that, just to see if they could embarrass her. Dani decided to steel herself in preparation for whatever she was handed. They wanted her to blush? Well, she wouldn't, and that was just that.

Debbie from the office started to call out names then, too softly to be heard by anyone but the two or three people right near her. It was Nico that cut in and got everyone to quiten down and pay attention. Honestly, Dani hadn't realised the figure in black was even there until that moment. Surely she hadn't been wrong and Nico had actually taken part in Secret Santa? Just as Dani was thinking it Matt whispered the self same thing in her ear.

"He hardly seems like the festive type, does he?" he said with grin.

"I get the feeling there's a lot more to Nico Careles than we're actually allowed to see," she replied, wondering if Nico heard her say his name when she noticed he was staring at her.

Dani realised her mistake when his head tilted towards Coach. Nico was only trying to alert her to the fact her gift was being presented. With rapt attention, Dani watched Coach rip off the pretty paper and ribbon she had spent so much time over. His face lit up brighter than the Christmas tree itself when he saw the picture frame, complete with photo of Mrs P. He looked thrilled and Dani got a warm feeling inside knowing she had made the right choice in going with Nico's idea.

"Thank you," she mouthed across the room to the fixer.

He nodded once, and smiled as he wandered over then. Nico handed her a package in silver paper and tied with a bow.

"Merry Christmas, Dr Santino," he told her.

She barely had time to thank him for helpfully bringing over her gift when she had clearly missed her name being called, before he was gone. Dani didn't question it, since Nico did that disappearing thing a lot, it was practically in his job description, she suspected.

Reminding herself to be ready for anything, Dani took a deep breath and began pulling the wrapping from her gift. She stood alone now, since Matt had gone to collect his own gift, and was probably about to hit someone upside the head for his embarrassing elf-covered boxers! Dani looked back to her own gift, refusing to laugh at her trainer friend's misfortune until she saw what she had received. She gasped when she realised the larger box contained a much smaller one that could only be jewellery. Dani opened the small velvet box and there inside were a perfect pair of earrings - diamonds if she wasn't mistaken.

This was crazy. The Secret Santa budget was $15, they had to be fake, and yet when she took a closer look the name on the box she knew otherwise. Tiffanys did not sell fakes.

"I don't..." she began, looking around the room and wondering who on Earth could've done such a thing.

Matt wouldn't make such a gesture, surely, not when things were so up in the air with them. T.K. might, but the general consensus already seemed to be that he had bought Matt's gift himself. Still frowning, Dani turned a full circle to look around the room, coming back to facing forward just in time as Debbie appeared.

"Last gift is for you, Dr Santino," she smiled sweetly. "Merry Christmas from Secret Santa," she said, shoving a gift bag into Dani's hands and moving away.

Now Dani really was confused as she juggled the beautiful earrings in one hand with the next gift. There shouldn't be two, that made no sense. Peering into the bag she was pleased enough to find it was filled with some pretty nice ladies toiletries. Not very imaginative perhaps, but a sweet thought on somebody's part. Of course, something still wasn't right here. She was about to approach Debbie and tell her there had to be some mistake if she had two presents when a though occurred to her. Whilst the gift bag of lotions and make up bore a tag that said 'To Dani Santino', the wrapping for the box that contained the diamonds had no name written anywhere on it. So how did Nico know it was for her, unless...?

The realisation hit Dani like a smack in the face. Immediately she rushed to the door and out into the hallway. Nico was long gone, but she had to hope not far. She rushed towards his office but found no-one there, then quickly doubled back and headed for the parking lot. Lo and behold, he was stood out there leaning on his car, finishing off a call on his cell.

"Dr Santino," he greeted her with a polite nod as she approached. "Everything okay?"

"No, I mean, yes, but..." she floundered a little, so bowled over was she by what seemed to have just happened. "Um, Nico, why do I get the feeling the gift you handed me was not a Secret Santa gift?" she checked.

"I never said it was," he shrugged easily. "I take it you like the earrings?"

"I do. Of course, I do. They're beautiful," she enthused without really meaning to. "Honestly, Nico, it's one of the most gorgeous and thoughtful gifts I ever got, but..."

"No buts," he shook his head then. "Merry Christmas, Dani," he smiled, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

The next moment he was getting into his car and driving away before she could even manage to form another sentence. Dani stared after the tail lights of Nico's car for a full minute and then brought her attention back to the earrings in her hand. She hadn't a clue what to make of what Nico had done, or what it meant for what she had considered to be no more than friendship up to now.

"Merry Christmas, Nico," she smiled pointlessly into the darkness - it was all she could think of to say.

The End