Your overdue Christmas gift fic, Nim! Enjoy! ^_^
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Thank you to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for his advice and suggestions that helped me to resolve plot holes! Much appreciated, Sweetie!
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Inquisitor Zacharias Barnham had a problem. It was a problem that he wasn't really familiar with since he had never had to deal with this situation before and, no matter how hard he tried, he was still at a loss as to how to proceed.

One might think that it would have been some complex legal problem that he was dealing with; after all, he was the best prosecutor that Labrynthia had and he had very rarely ever lost a case but, when it came to matters of the heart, he was completely in the dark.

He was in love with High Inquisitor Eve Darklaw and he hadn't a clue about how to tell her. As far as he knew, he didn't even cross her mind but she was definitely on his. It really didn't help that he was tongue tied around her and, whenever he saw her, his brain stopped working and he struggled to try to make his foolish mouth work.

He had the terrifying idea that she thought he was an idiot since this always happened whenever he was around her. He longed to find a way to express his feelings and tell her how much she meant to him but, as was the case, he couldn't get his mouth to work properly and ended up blurting out something, he still wasn't sure exactly what.

The last time this had happened she'd looked at him with her eyes narrowed and then had turned and walked away, a curious expression on her face while his cheeks burned red with embarrassment.

After that fiasco, Barnham threw himself into his work in an attempt to forget; at least this was one area where he wasn't a blithering fool around her. Still, it was one thing to be in her company at work and quite another to be outside of it; he still had trouble opening up.

Things remained at this impasse for some time until that Christmas.

Snow had fallen on Labyrinthia quite thickly during the night and Barnham couldn't help but smile when he stepped outside of his house that morning, taking in a deep breath.

He noticed that it was still snowing and he amused himself watching the silent flakes as they fell to the ground, pulling his cloak tighter around him. There was a definite chilly bite to the air this morning and he desired to do his errand quickly before the afternoon set in.

He loved Christmas and everything that went with it; there was so much joy and goodwill and people seemed so happy even as they went about their daily business along with the hustle and bustle that the holiday brought.

Constantine, his stalwart canine companion, frisked about his feet, barking happily at the flakes of snow that were falling silently to the ground and he smiled at his antics as he closed the door and locked it behind him. He walked down the sidewalk and waved at all who passed by as he made his way to Market Square.

He had a particular goal in mind on this journey and that was to find the perfect Christmas gift for Eve Darklaw. He'd made up his mind a month before, deciding that he would confess to her how he felt and give her a Christmas gift.

He still wasn't sure how he was going to go about it but, as he walked down the bustling streets, Constantine wagging and bounding beside him, he was certain that he would find a way.

He hoped so, at least.

He had a cheery greeting for everyone he met and they, in turn, were happy to extend the greetings of the season to him, as well. He went to each stall in turn, looking over various items that each merchant had for sale but nothing seemed to be what he was looking for.

He had something very special in mind as Eve's present and he hoped that he would be able to find it somewhere but, despite a thorough search at each stall, he found to his chagrin that he wasn't able to find it.

He chewed on his lower lip, thinking hard. Where would he be able to find what he was looking for if they didn't have it here in Market Square?

He was so deep in thought that he had no idea that someone had said something to him until he became aware of the presence of Espella Cantabella, standing there beside him, her arms full of brightly colored packages.

With a loud oath, he stumbled backwards and nearly tripped over Constantine who was on guard under his feet and, though he tried to right himself, he fell flat on his backside on the snowy ground, his armor clanking as he did so.

"I'm terribly sorry for startling you, Mr. Barnham," Espella said apologetically once the din had quieted, tucking her Christmas packages close to her chest and reaching out to him with her left hand, which he took as she helped him scramble to his feet. "I had no idea that you were so lost in thought."

"That's quite all right, Miss Cantabella," he replied gallantly, seeking to cover his reaction with bluster. "It was my fault for being so distracted. There is no need for you to apologize." He smiled faintly. "I'm actually glad to have run into you."

"Oh? Why might that be?"

"I'm…" he began and then stopped, his cheeks stained a bright crimson.

She tilted her head slightly to the right. "Yes, Mr. Barnham?" She stepped forward, putting a gentle hand on his arm, a sweet smile on her face that put him immediately at his ease.

He'd always regretted putting her on trial and, when he'd tried to apologize, she simply shook her head and said that it was all in the past and best forgotten. She certainly held no ill will against him.

Over the course of time, Espella and Barnham had become good friends and she was sure that he would open up to her.

"If I can be of assistance to you, Mr. Barnham, please tell me. I would be more than happy to help, if I can."

Barnham's face reddened even further. He was clearly embarrassed and Espella was about to apologize when he cleared his throat, leaning over closer to her.

"It's… it's…"

"Yes?"

"It's… High Inquisitor Darklaw."

I thought as much…

She'd heard about it from Aunt Patty about Inquisitor Barnham's stumbling attentions to Eve Darklaw, her best friend from childhood.

"I…" He stopped again, brushing some snow from his red hair. "It's… I…had something in mind for her for Christmas and… I can't seem to find it."

"Oh?"

"Yes…" His face was now as red as his hair and she couldn't help but wonder what he was trying to say but didn't say anything, waiting patiently for him to sort himself out.

"I…I…" He took a deep breath. "I…had a certain… gift in mind for her and I…can't seem to find it anywhere."

"If you could tell me what it is that you're looking for, perhaps I can help." She swept her hand in a wide arc around her. "We can walk together, if you'd like, and can talk on the way."

He nodded as he turned, walking steadily beside her. They talked of many thing along the way: how everyone seemed so happy even though it was a very busy time of year; the lovely snow blanketing the world in white that sparkled in the sunlight; their respective Christmas plans and other subjects.

They stopped off at all the stalls in Market Square, greeting each merchant and chatting with them for s few minutes before they moved on. Constantine frisked about their feet and Espella couldn't help but smile at the dog's canine antics as he frolicked about and then started chasing his tail.

She noticed the soft smile on Barnham's face as he watched his dog with affection and she was happy for him. She remembered during those dark days when he was in prison that Constantine loyally stuck by him, even managing to make contact with Mr. Wright and his friends who came to the rescue. She owed them a great debt of gratitude and she knew that Inquisitor Barnham felt the same way.

She also made a mental note to write a note to her friends when she had the chance; she couldn't help but wonder what they had been up to for the past few months and she wanted to let them know that she hoped they would come back to visit her soon.

"At any rate," she heard Barnham continue and she snapped back to attention, "I.. I'm.. having trouble finding the gift I want to give her. I've looked all over Market Square and I cannot find it."

"What did you have in mind?"

He scratched the back of his head, his cheeks pink.

"Well, I…." He broke off, embarrassed. "I…a….scarf or something like that. I honestly don't know what she would prefer…"

Espella smiled. "Not to worry, Mr. Barnham, I think I have the perfect thing in mind."

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A few days later…
Christmas Eve
Aunt Patty's Bakery
8:55 P.M.

Espella Cantabella had a problem, and it was something that she wasn't sure how to deal with. It was the two idiots that were her friends who couldn't admit that they were crazy about each other.

She'd extended the invitation to Mr. Barnham to come to Aunt Patty's Christmas Eve party this evening and she couldn't help but wonder if he would show up. He'd said he would, she reminded herself, and, if anything, he is a person of his word.

Still, she worried that things would be awkward when he arrived. She'd invited Eve to the party, knowing that she would be delighted to spend the holidays with her, Aunt Patty and her father and she wasn't wrong in this respect; she had accepted and gladly. How she would react when she learned that Mr. Barnham would also be in attendance, she wasn't sure, but hoped for both the best and that they wouldn't be too uneasy around each other.

She noticed the door slowly opening and smiled when she saw Mr. Barnham coming in and closing it quietly behind him. All pointed to a man who felt out of place here from the expression on his face to the way he clutched the brightly coloured package he held in his left hand and, to ease his obvious discomfort, she rushed over to greet him once he walked in, offering to take his cloak.

He returned her greeting somewhat hesitantly, his cheeks sporting blotches of red and Espella couldn't tell if it was from being outside in the cold or embarrassment as he shrugged out of his cloak and handed it to her with his free hand. She suspected the latter and set about to do her very best to make him feel more at home. It worked, after a fashion; he started loosening up a little and looked like he felt more at ease as the evening wore on.

She thought that perhaps now would be the perfect time to put her plan into action: to maneuver them under the mistletoe where, by custom, people would exchange kisses and she hoped that this would be the catalyst for her friends, who belonged together, to finally recognize that.

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10 P.M.

Espella felt tired; she also felt like screaming but now would not be the proper time, or place, to do that.

Everything, quite literally, had gone wrong with her plan from the very beginning. She'd tried, without trying to make it so painfully obvious, to get either Eve or Mr. Barnham underneath the mistletoe at the same time. To say that her four attempts hadn't worked was an understatement.

The first time, someone had thrown some goat food out into the middle of the floor and Miss Mary's goat had jumped out of her arms and pounced on it, heading out the door after it had finished eating, bleating merrily with Miss Mary in hot pursuit. Mr. Barnham had been called to help corral the errant goat and had done so willingly but, when he had at last returned some twenty minutes later, Eve had moved off to talk with Aunt Patty so that was the end of that attempt.

The second and third didn't fare any better for either Eve moved off in one direction, and Mr. Barnham in the other or something invariably erupted like Miss Muffet dragging Mr. Barnham to the middle of the floor and dancing with him while the minstrel was busy serenading Eve.

The fourth was almost successful… if her father hadn't wished to talk to Eve about something just when Mr. Barnham was heading in her direction.

By eleven o'clock, she was ready to tear out her hair. Nothing had gone right in this respect and she knew her two friends well enough to know that they would keep being awkward around each other, neither one having the courage to tell the other how they felt.

She sighed, at a loss and unsure of what to do. A few moments later, still uncertain as how to proceed, she happened to look up and saw, to her astonishment, that both Eve and Mr. Barnham were gravitating toward each other and underneath where the sprig of mistletoe hung… without the other knowing it consciously.

She couldn't help but smile at that; it seemed that she didn't need to do anything at all and just had to simply stand back and let it happen as it would. She watched in silence as they slowly made their way toward each other…

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11:30 P.M.

The party was in full swing when Barnham walked across the floor, clutching a brightly colored package in his hand that trembled slightly. He felt so out of place here and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was intruding. after all, wasn't it he that had almost had Espella declared guilty of being a witch when she, clearly, was not?

He still felt guilty about that and it was then that he felt even more vulnerable than he had before, wondering how long it would take to give Eve her gift before he could tactfully take his leave.

He took one step forward further into the room… and froze. Standing there before him was Eve Darklaw, looking beautiful in her crimson off the shoulder dress with gold piping trimming around her sleeve cuffs, the princess style neckline and hem, black pumps on her feet, her long, purply-sable hair falling in graceful waves past her shoulders, the gold comb with five small square rubies glittering brilliantly in the overhead light.

She literally took his breath away and he couldn't help but stare speechlessly at her, swallowing hard over the lump in his throat numerous times. As if his feet were somehow on autopilot, he found himself taking one slow step at a time in her direction and was surprised to see that she was doing the same, stopping at the same time at the far end of the room. Both he and Eve sported matching expressions of surprise on their faces, as if they couldn't believe that they had moved so far.

"M-Mr. Barnham," she stuttered, a blush staining her cheeks "What a…I mean… it's a… pleasure to see you."

"And… I… you, Miss Eve," he replied, blushing as red as his hair, clutching the box even more tightly. "M-Merry Christmas Eve…uh…Miss Eve…"

They stood there for a few moments, tongue tied and uncertain of how to proceed when Barnham took control of the situation, thrusting out the brightly colored package out to her.

"Here," he said quickly, his cheeks getting redder by the minute, "a gift for you. For Christmas."

Her eyes widened in surprise but she wordlessly reached out her hand, taking the oblong-shaped box in her hand without a word although the sparkle in her eyes belied her real feelings before she dropped her gaze to look at it

"A gift? For… me?"

He nodded. "Merry Christmas, Miss Eve."

"Thank you, Mr. Barnham," she replied softly, her fingers tightening around the box.

"Please open it."

She looked surprised. "Now?"

He nodded.

"All right." She didn't argue as her fingers deftly unwrapped the crimson colored ribbon quickly, and removing the brightly colored wrap to reveal a black oblong box. She opened it and gasped in surprised pleasure, here eyes shining.

"Oh, my…"

Barnham's voice was anxious. "Do…do you…like it?"

She looked up, her face wreathed in a bright smile that literally took his breath away. She took out the gold bracelet with amethyst stones set into the heart of tiny scrolled flowers that were carved into the delicate band itself. It was a beautiful work of art and Eve Darklaw was touched that he had given her such a beautiful gift.

"I..I love it! Thank you!"

"M-may I?" He was hesitant, unable to believe that he was actually being so bold as to do this.

"O course." She handed him the bracelet and he quickly undid the lobster-claw latch before putting it on her wrist, the lock clicking shut. He stepped back and they stood in silence for a few moments more before they both looked up to see the sprig of mistletoe hanging in the air above them from the ceiling. They blushed deeply when they became aware of it.

"Well," Barnham began, lifting his hand to scratch the back of his neck self consciously while Eve blushed, "since it is customary for one to exchange a kiss underneath mistletoe, I think that it behooves us to do so. For custom's sake," he added hurriedly. His mouth was dry and his heart hammering in his chest.

Where was all this coming from? he wondered as he watched the different warring emotions flickering across her face. He hoped that he wasn't being untoward or made her feel uncomfortable since that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to apologize, Eve took a deep breath and stepped forward, her right hand slowly stretching out to cradle the left side of his face tenderly. He was taken so completely by surprise that he stood there for a few moments in dumbfounded silence.

"I think, Mr. Barnahm, that we should not be the first to break an established custom," she said softly, lowering her eyes a little, a secret smile on her lips.

"I… agree, Miss Eve," he replied after a moment. Scarcely believing that this was really happening at all, he took a step forward and bent his head to gently touch his lips against hers. He felt her other arm wrap around him as his did the same, holding held each other as they embraced.

They stepped apart a few breaths later but Barnham still had his arms around Eve, a brilliant smile on spreading across his face.

"I…I…" he began, cursing himself inwardly when he began to stutter but she brushed her lips softly against his, silencing him before they returned to press a little harder. Barnham could feel his heart hammering double time in his chest as they continued their embrace.

They parted, Eve's hand still cradling the side of his face.

"Miss Eve," he began, his hand raising slowly to cover hers, "would you do me the honor of… going out with me?"

She was silent only for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, Mr. Barnham. I would be honored."

His smile was dazzling as he leaned in, kissing her again and doing a proper, and thorough, job of it.

Across the room, Espella Cantabella smiled, happy that her friends had admitted their feelings for each other at last, even if in such an unconventional way. She watched for a moment before she turned and walked into the kitchen to help Aunt Patty.

Merry Christmas, Eve and Mr. Barnham, she thought happily, her face shining as she greeted Aunt Patty and offered to help with the refreshments. Merry Christmas, my dear, dear friends!

~FIN~