Set during the first series
Nick Cutter peered around the room at a small gathering of home office employees and wondered again how he and his team had roped into attending their Christmas party. It didn't take much to realize it came down to Claudia Brown. She had asked, so they had agreed.
Abby and Connor were currently trying to hook their Ipod's to the sound system, Tom and Stephen were grazing at the buffet, oblivious to the small crowd of women (and a few men) following them.
"Not the most wild bunch," Claudia said, sliding into a nearby chair and sipping her drink tiredly.
Cutter shrugged. "Just wait till the music starts and the booze kick in. Then the fun will start."
"Really?" she mused. "Have you taken a look around?"
He did and shrugged. "Well, worse comes to worse, we keep pouring the alcohol into Stephen and eventually he'll dance. Women on staff at the Uni always loved that."
She glanced over at Stephen, who was good naturedly allowing a brave staffer to place a sparkly red garland around his neck. "I bet they did."
"Last year," Nick said, "By the time we left, he was wearing little more than one of those."
"A very merry Christmas party then."
"Not for me. I was the one who had to spend the night holding his head over a toilet."
"Maybe that honor can go to Abby and Connor this year."
"It is what I asked Santa for."