And to All a Good Night
For Oxymoronic Alliteration. Thanks for all your hard work and encouragement during the NFA SeSa
Based on the prompt "Tim as Santa". It's not exactly that, but it's what I came up with :)
XXX
Tim McGee grumbled softly to himself as he kept a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. He was not fond of driving in the mountains on a good day, but attempting to navigate the twisting roads bordered by rock faces and sheer drop-offs on opposing sides, at night, in the middle of a sudden and unexpected snow storm was much worse.
Tim's currently difficult journey had been initiated by Director Vance, who had insisted that the team attend a law enforcement conference that weekend, an event being held in one of the lodges nestled in the Appalachian mountains of western Virginia. Tim had expected to travel with the rest of the team but a small family crisis had prevented him from leaving with them. After he had dealt with the problem he set out on his own for the lodge, hoping that he wouldn't miss too much of the conference.
A gust of wind rocked the car and Tim struggled to keep it between the barely visible lines on the road. The snow was coming down faster by the minute, obscuring most of the landmarks that would indicate whether or not he was on the right route. His GPS signal had gone out a couple of times, only to return rather quickly, but Tim feared he would lose contact altogether and be left to navigate by Tony's written directions alone.
Tim guided the car around a rather sharp curve and suddenly he was nearly blinded by the harsh brightness of a pair of headlights heading straight for him. He leaned on the horn, expecting the warning to prompt the driver to move back into his own lane but the car barreled towards him. Tim had only a split second to make a decision and he yanked the wheel hard to the right, praying that he would be able to avoid a head-on collision. He barely managed to swing his car out of the path of the oncoming vehicle but as he fought to keep the car on the road, he felt the other car impact his own with a sickening crunch and a screech of metal. His car started to spin out of control and Tim clung to the steering wheel, desperately trying to bring the car out of its gyration. Finally the car slowed to a halt, tilting dangerously to the side.
Tim slowly let out the breath he hadn't fully realized he'd been holding and started to relax his grip on the wheel, thankful the car hadn't gone over the side. A loud creak was the only warning he got before the car succumbed to gravity and started to roll down the incline.
Tim lost count of how many times the car flipped before it finally landed, thankfully mostly upright, with a jarring crash at the bottom of a ravine. After a few moments, when he was sure the car had come to rest, he opened his eyes and assessed his position. The impact of the airbag had forced him against the seat, and his seatbelt was locked tight, binding him in place. He fought with the release mechanism for several minutes before finally freeing himself from the harness and slumping into the driver's side door.
After pausing to catch his breath, he struggled to extract himself from the vehicle. The door wouldn't open so he used his elbow break out the rest of the shattered window and crawled through, landing in the snow with a soft thump. Tim staggered to his feet and slowly checked himself over, surprised to find that nothing seemed to be broken, although he ached all over and no doubt had two black eyes and a bloody nose from the impact of the airbag.
He dug into his pocket for his phone, only to find it hadn't fared as well. The screen was cracked and while the phone still seemed to have power he couldn't get a signal. With a sigh, Tim reached into the car to retrieve his keys and made his way to the trunk to get his emergency kit flashlight, which was thankfully still intact and operational despite the abuse it had taken during the trip down the hillside. He used it to illuminate the path the car had taken and groaned. There was no way he'd be able to make it back up to the road and he'd have to wade through a creek in the process. He checked the rest of the area and saw what looked like a narrow road passing only about fifty yards from where the car had landed.
Tim pulled the collar of his coat up to protect his ears and neck from the biting cold and headed for the road, stumbling a few times as he tried to navigate the uneven ground. Once he had reached the path he checked in both directions for any signs of recent travel but the strong winds had erased any tracks that might have existed. After checking both directions, and deciding that yes, a road had to lead somewhere, Tim started walking towards what he hoped would be some form of civilization.
Tim checked his watch, which thankfully hadn't been damaged in the crash, and cursed softly. He was really late for the meeting, which meant that someone had probably tried to call, been unable to reach him, and either had become really angry or really worried, depending on who had tried to contact him. He just hoped he'd get the chance to offer an explanation if…when he saw his team again.
Cursing his choice of footwear, Tim trudged on through the deepening snow. He entered an area that seemed to be more protected, since the winds had died down, and paused to check his surroundings. Nothing but trees and snow-covered brush were apparent for as far as he could see in the limited field of view of his flashlight. The forest around him was quiet, with no other signs of life apparent. While Tim was hoping to eventually encounter someone, a ranger or resident of the area, the silence also meant that he wouldn't soon encounter one of the rare predators that also roamed these woods.
Tim had been walking for nearly an hour, his cold and wet feet now protesting every step, when he finally heard something. He stopped to listen, his forehead creasing in puzzlement when he thought he had identified the sound.
Is that…sleigh bells?
The sound came closer, joined by the muted thuds of multiple feet and a strange, soft clicking sound. Soon a form, accompanied by the soft glow of multiple small lights came into view. Tim blinked, trying to clear his vision of what had to be a hallucination: a wooden sleigh, bedecked with white lights, greenery, and painted bright red, drawn by—was that eight?—honest-to-God reindeer.
The driver of the sleigh, an older man with snow white hair and a neatly trimmed beard, dressed in – of course—a red velvet suit with white fur trim and matching cap, brought his charges to a halt and peered through silver-rimmed glasses at Tim.
"You OK, son? You look like you went a few rounds with Joe Lewis." The man's voice was hearty but filled with concern.
"Uh…I'm not sure."
The man chuckled. "Well, you're not hallucinating, if that's what you're thinking."
"Oh. Uh…good."
"What happened? You're not exactly dressed for a winter hike."
"I…someone ran my car off the road." The man winced in sympathy. "I couldn't get back up to the highway, so…"
"You tried the next best thing. You sure you're OK?"
"Yeah…nothing broken, that is. Just bruised."
"You got lucky, then. Where were you headed before the accident?"
"Elkridge Lodge and Conference Center."
"That would be a long walk, especially on a night like this. Hop in. I'm headed in that general direction."
"Really?"
The man smiled. "There's a resort a bit further down the road from that lodge, and they do a Christmas party for the guests every weekend in December. Of course 'Santa' has to put in an appearance."
"Oh…of course."
The man opened the door closer to Tim and he carefully climbed into the sleigh, gingerly sat on the seat and closed the door. The man handed him a blanket and Tim gratefully wrapped it around himself.
"I'm Nick, by the way. Nick Bennett," he added as he offered a black-gloved hand to Tim, which Tim shook in return.
"Tim McGee."
Nick studied him for a moment before rummaging under the seat and pulling out a pair of thick wool socks and what looked like slippers. "Better put these on instead of what you're wearing. You don't want to get frostbite. How long have you been out here?"
Tim took the offered items and checked his watch. "A little more than an hour, I guess."
Nick shook his head. "You're lucky I came along when I did."
Tim nodded absently as he peeled off his soaked shoes and socks, wincing as the cold air hit his sensitive feet. He replaced the wet items with the dry ones, sighing in relief as his feet started to thaw.
"Better?"
"Much. Thanks."
"My wife told me I should always carry spares. Guess she was right." Nick grinned as he instructed the team pulling the sleigh to trot on. With a jerk, the sleigh started to move forward, accompanied by the jingling of bells and the strange clicking sound Tim had heard earlier. He noticed what looked like a small car battery tucked on the corner of the sleigh, with several wires running out from it. Tim realized the led to the lights that illuminated the sleigh. Nick noticed his scrutiny of the object and chuckled.
"Not authentic, I know, but the people in charge of the event suggested it. Makes for a safer journey in the dark, at least, especially since I don't have a Rudolph."
Tim managed a weak smile in return. "How did you, uh, get started with this?"
"My wife, actually. She's been raising several of the more 'exotic' heard animals for years, and given my appearance, well, it just seemed to fit. She trained the team and taught me how to drive them. Not quite as easy as it looks, but it's fun. Sometimes she even comes with me to play 'Mrs. Claus'."
"How did you two meet?"
"We met when I moved here after I retired. I was looking for something to fill my time, wandered into her store one day…and the rest is history."
"Where did you move here from?"
"Miami, if you can believe that."
"Wow. That must have been quite a change…"
Nick laughed. "Oh, definitely."
"What did you do in Miami?"
"I was a cop, believe it or not. Twenty-five years with the MDPD. What do you do?"
"I'm a federal agent - NCIS."
"Really? What are you doing way out here in the mountains?"
"Our director sent us—that is, the major crimes response team—to a conference."
"I'm guessing you wish he's chosen a different one…some place warmer."
"Something like that."
"I hear ya. Are you warm enough now?"
"Better than I was, at least."
"Good. It's about five more miles to the lodge. Just sit back and enjoy the ride."
"Thanks." Tim wasn't thrilled with the prospect of a five-mile journey staring at reindeer butts, although he supposed it could have been much worse. At least he'd have an interesting story to tell the rest of the team when he finally arrived at the lodge.
As he drove, Nick entertained Tim with stories of his time in Miami and his adventures as a part-time Santa. Tim listened, occasionally adding a story of his own, but for most of the trip he just sat back and watched the dark woods pass by. It was surprisingly peaceful. Tim knew that he'd have a lot to deal with when he finally made it to the lodge—his car, for one thing—and he also knew that he'd be busy and likely stressed by the conference. It was kind of nice to have the time to just sit and enjoy the peacefulness of his surroundings.
"Thanks for the ride, Nick. It's been a nice change. I can see why you'd enjoy doing this."
"Well, if you're ever in the area again, look me up. I can always use an elf," he replied with a wink, eliciting a soft chuckle from Tim.
They started up a hill where the lights of the lodge were visible at the top, indicating that the ride was coming to an end. Tim checked his shoes and socks, which were still quite damp, and winced. Nick noticed his expression and smiled.
"You can keep the footwear, Tim. My wife's always making those things for me."
"You sure?"
"Yep. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you, too, Nick." Tim decided he'd have to find a way to repay his rescuer, and was already thinking how to give a gift in return.
As they reached the top of the hill Tim saw several police cars parked on the driveway in front of the lodge. A group of people was standing next to one of the cars, and soon Tim was able to recognize two members of the group. Both turned towards the sounds of the approaching sleigh and froze, staring in obvious disbelief at the sight in front of them.
Nick brought his team to a halt a few yards away from the group and held out his hand.
"Good luck, Tim. Enjoy the conference."
"Thanks, Nick, Enjoy the party."
"Don't worry, I will."
Tim stepped out of the sleigh and waved as Nick drove off. He turned and made his way to where Tony and Gibbs were standing in stunned silence. Before he could begin to explain, he heard a deep, jolly voice call out in the dark.
"Happy Christmas to all!"
Tim laughed as he turned to watch the sleigh drive out of sight. Knowing that thanks to his new friend the sentiment behind the final line of the poem would be possible, Tim gave the heartfelt reply.
"And to all a good night!"
The End