A/N *singing* IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! Sorry; needed to get that out. This fic will consist of a short prologue (this chapter), a chapter for each of the main gang (including Hogan), and an epilogue.
I started out with humor in mind, but then it spiraled into super-angst land. I don't think Newkirk's had many Christmases worth celebrating. Be warned.
… On that depressing note, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
When Carter is near tears, LeBeau looks like he's going to have an aneurism, and even Kinch seems offended, you know something is wrong.
Hogan was astonished. "I'm gone for ten minutes and it looks like we're in a prison camp of something. What happened?"
LeBeau positively glowed with indignation. "Si je le vois, je jure que je lui tranche la gorge.*"
Kinch rubbed his knuckles against his lips in an obvious effort to calm down before he answered. "Newkirk is not in the best of moods right now."
Raising his eyebrows, Hogan said, "I guess so. What'd he do?"
"I'd rather not say."
The eyebrows ascended to new heights. "I see. Where is he now?"
LeBeau jerked his thumb towards the door. He was obviously still upset, so confronting him on his lack of respect would probably not be the best course of action. Hogan quickly left the barracks, immediately feeling the atmosphere change. LeBeau sure could radiate emotion when he wanted to.
He wasn't sure he really wanted to know what Newkirk said, but some kind of reconciliation needed to happen.
He strode to the delousing shed where he knew Newkirk liked to brood. And yes, that happened surprisingly often. Newkirk was usually even tempered, but he sometimes got into a funk that lasted for a while. A long while. Hogan was contemplating Newkirk's inconsistencies as he rounded the corner and was almost taken out by a fist that froze inches away from his face. "What the …" he spluttered.
Dark eyes peered at him. "Sorry, sir. Didn't know it was you."
Hogan frowned. Newkirk still sounded furious. "Well, I guess I'm glad I'm not LeBeau. What's going on?"
Newkirk's smile was strained as he said, "Nothing."
" … That was so obviously a lie, I'm not even going to dignify it with a fake believing answer."
The Englishman looked away. Hogan sighed. "Fine. You wanna play it this way? I'll pull rank." he warned.
No reaction.
"Corporal, answer my question."
If Newkirk's eyes had ever looked stonier than they were now, Hogan was not aware of it. Newkirk's head jerked up to stare at him. "Colonel, sir." Newkirk said with the utmost formality. "I am having a disagreement with some others."
"Don't do this, Newkirk. What wrong?"
Newkirk stoically stared ahead. Hogan was rapidly losing his temper. "Alright, soldier. Here are your orders. I want you to make it up to the three men you aggravated. There's enough depressing stuff in this camp without you. You have to find a way to make them happy before Christmas. Got it?"
Only a professional nod answered him. Hogan sighed again as he walked away. He knew it was hard to be in a prison camp during the holidays, but a man who was as influential as Newkirk could really make it worse with an attitude like that. So it'd be for the best to get Newkirk to make up first. He only hoped that there wouldn't be too much blood when Newkirk approached LeBeau.
TBC
*"If I see him, I swear I'll slit his throat." Typical LeBeau reaction :)
