Chapter 11

AN: I would like to take this opportunity to humbly think my readers who have stuck with my story.

"I think you may have over done it a bit mate."

Charles and Erik stood facing 3 large pine trees that had been dumped at the front doorstep of the manor house. Charles patted Erik on the shoulder and then walked down the steps to examine the massive trees. Erik's breath was coming out in white puff clouds as he spoke.

"Well I thought that I would bring back only the biggest and best trees. That one there on the left has nearly all of its needles. Its practically perfect!"

Charles wrapped his sweater tighter around himself as the snow began to pick up slightly.

"This one here? My God Erik...its almost 20 feet tall."

Erik quickly jogged down the stairs to stand next to Charles, his eyes gleaming as he gestured excitedly towards the tree lying beside them.

"Yes, but you are missing the point Charles. It would be spectacular! I could fashion an angel for the top very easily out of some scrap-...what?"

"Nothing. Nothing...Its just that when I sent you to go get a tree, I didn't quite expect you to bring back such a...erm...well monstrously huge one. "

Charles had to bite ferociously on this tongue to keep from laughing as Erik continued to describe his plans for the tree. He knew his friend was simply trying to impress Rebbecca. He had a feeling that something like this would happen when he sent Erik out on a mission to collect a tree early this morning. He had given his friend an axe and sent him on his merry way, only to have him return with 3 freakishly large trees and full of pride at his accomplishment.

"How on earth did you carry these back here Erik?"

Erik puffed his chest out and described his method of using railroad spikes driven through the base of the trees to carry them through the air.

"That's rather ingenious Erik!"

"Why do you seem so surprised?"

"Oh, forgive me. Let me grovel at your feet oh brilliant one."

Erik's eyes narrowed and Charles quickly changed the subject.

"So, how do you plan on getting this thing inside? This is a fairly large old home, but I don't think any of the rooms have a 20 foot high ceiling."

Without a word Erik directed the axe that was lying on the ground to slice the largest tree in half, and then sent the other two trees shooting back into the forest via the spike driven into their trunks. A few moments of deliberation, and it was decided that the tree should be placed in Charles' study on top of a base that Erik fashioned out of an old cooking pot.

The next few days were spent in secretive plotting by all of those in the house. Keeping the decorations a secret from Rebbecca was not terribly difficult, as she still was not able to wander the house unaccompanied. It was decided that Erik, Hank, and Sean would be in charge of decorating the study and making sure that it was suitably festive. Charles and Alex were in charge of cooking dinner. Raven would make sure that Rebbecca didn't notice that anything was amiss on Christmas day, and to help her get ready for dinner that night.

Erik had been so preoccupied with planning the perfect party for Rebbecca that he had completely forgotten about getting her a gift until Christmas Eve morning. He had awoken that morning with the sudden realization that he had no present to give her. He sprang out of bed almost immediately and sprinted to Charles' room where he practically burst through the door in his haste.

"Charles! Wake up you idiot! Wake up! I need you!"

"What the-...Whats the matter with you?"

"I don't have anything! I don't have anything for her!"

"What the devil are you-"

"A GIFT CHARLES! I don't have a gift for Rebbecca!"

At this, Erik slumped down into a chair while quietly wailing the phrase, "no gift."

"Stop being so dramatic Erik. You still have time to get her something."

"But what? I have no idea what I should get her..."

"A book perhaps? Or a nice scarf?"

"...You want me to get her a scarf? What the hell kind of gift is that?"

"I gave my scarf to gorgeous grad student once, worked brilliantly for me."

"Isn't there some sort of unspoken rule about dating your students?"

"Well she wasn't MY student."

"...This is hopeless."

Charles waved cheerfully as Erik stormed out of his room in search of Raven.

Raven was a woman, and that meant, in Erik's mind at least, that she would know exactly what to get Rebbecca. Erik wasn't very well versed in gift giving, so he hoped that Raven would be able to steer him in the right direction.

"Get her jewelry."

"Jewelry?"

"Yes. Something small like a bracelet or even possibly a pair of earrings."

Erik had always assumed that giving jewelry to a woman signified some sort of commitment.

"Wont that send the wrong...message?"

"Not if you don't get her a ring. After all, you aren't proposing to her."

Erik felt his face grow hot at that statement, although he had no reason to be embarrassed. He was simply buying a gift for a friend. Perfectly normal.

"Thanks for your assistance Raven."

As he left the room, he gave her that same strange little bow that he had given Rebbecca without knowing why.

So he should get her jewelry. He felt around in his back pocket for cash as he made his way back to his room. Unfortunately, Erik was not a wealthy man. Far from it actually. He had spent his entire life hunting down Nazi war criminals, and had little time for making money. What little cash he had, had been acquired in less than legitimate ways. That money was usually put towards paying travel expenses or bribing informants, leaving his bank account woefully empty. He briefly considered taking the bar of Nazi gold that he had to a bank to be cashed in, but no bank would ever accept that illegal gold. Not without "persuasion" at least, and Erik really didn't have time for that at the moment. No, it appeared that he would simply have to make due with the funds that he had. Upon reaching his room, he grabbed his jacket and began to walk to the small village that lay approximately a mile away.

The landscape was covered in a thick blanket of snow that reached almost to the top of leather boots that Erik was wearing. A fairly brisk wind blew straight through his body, inciting him to pop the collar of his coat, and sink his face into his turtleneck where his breath made his skin sticky and damp. He had his hands clenched around cash inside the pockets of his pants, and shivered slightly as he marched through the snow. His thoughts were consumed with ideas about what to get Rebbecca. He had plans in his mind of magnificent necklaces that looked absolutely divine against her skin, so that when he reached the village, he eagerly made his way into the small jewelry shop.

A small bell sounded as he opened the door, and a wave of heat blasted him in the face as he was ushered in by a small man wearing glasses on his wrinkled face. The store was tiny, and 3 long glass cases full of jewelry ran the length of the walls. He began to peruse, and his heart sank. Even the cheapest item there was well beyond his means. As he turned to leave, the diminutive shop keeper seemed to notice his distress, and offered a solution. He had a small ruby that he was unable to sell because it had a tiny crack on the surface. Erik could purchase it for nearly nothing, and the shop keeper would do his best to patch the crack, with the understanding that the strength of the stone could potentially be compromised. Sensing that this was his best option, he paid for the stone and left to wander the village until the ruby was repaired. He had purchased Rebbecca's gift for so little, that he still had enough money left to buy Charles a secondhand cashmere scarf. Being unable to purchase Rebbecca a worthy present had left Erik in a foul mood. So, he stood against the outside wall of the shop and brooded while chain smoking as he waited.

Eventually, Erik was able to collect the ruby and make his way back to the manor. On the walk home, Erik held the small stone tightly in his hand and hoped that it wasn't a ridiculous gift. Eventually, he stopped and held the ruby out against the fading evening light. He carefully scrutinized the surface, and found that no trace of the crack could be seen. He had decided to use some of Charles' silver cutlery to fashion a small necklace for Rebbecca on which he would place the ruby, and the small flower he had made her weeks earlier. Suddenly he was gripped by disgust at the fact that all he could give her was a necklace made of spoons and a cracked jewel. Without thinking he flung the tiny gem into the snow as hard as he possibly could, and the second he had done it, he knew he had made a mistake. Frantic, he fell to his knees and began searching the snow for the red glint of the ruby. It was becoming fast difficult to see as darkness quickly approached, and he soon had to give up the effort and return home. He felt his throat tighten with shame and disappointment, and in that moment he silently wished he had never met Rebbecca Oliver.

Erik awoke on Christmas morning miserable and humiliated. After his temper tantrum the night before, in which he stupidly destroyed any chance of giving Rebbecca a proper gift, he had drunk himself into a stupor. Now, gift-less and hungover, he had no desire to attend the party that he had so meticulously planned. As he reached over to the table next to his bed for a bottle of gin, his hand landed on a piece of paper and something small and cool.

Erik shot up out of bed, and found a note from Charles and the ruby. He quickly grabbed the gem in one hand, and snatched up the note with the other. It read:

Erik,

I still say you should have gone for the scarf.

-Charles.

Erik pushed his curiosity aside, and galloped to the dinning room where he yanked out the case of silver spoons and forks. He picked out several of the brightest and began twisting them into a delicate cord. He was experimenting with making a thin silver vine and leaves to intertwine with the cord when Charles walked in.

"Now that is just lovely."

"Charles! How on earth did you find that ruby?"

Charles simply tapped his forehead and smiled a cheeky little smile.

"I suppose that's the best answer that I can expect to get from you. I've been using some of your spoons. Hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. Whats mine is yours, whats yours is yours..."

Erik stared at the necklace for a moment before causing the silver vine to create a thin cage that wound itself around the ruby, allowing it to hang delicately from the front of the necklace. He would have to wait to attach the flower, or else he would arouse Rebbecca's suspicion. He then found a small blue box to place it in, wrapped it in tissue paper, and stuffed it in his pocket.

The rest of the day was spent in preparing decorations in the study. Erik, Sean, and Hank worked to turn it into a Christmas paradise. Sean insisted on covering every inch of the room in as much tinsel as possible, as well as stringing garlands and ribbon on every conceivable surface. Hank, who was gifted with quite the green thumb, provided the plants and the pine cones (which he had dipped in some sort of silvery substance that he had cooked up in his lab). Erik worked on the tree, covering it in candles seated on small saucers, as well as small clear crystal ornaments. The effect of the flickering candle light was simple, but stunning. As a finishing touch, Erik placed a simple silver star (another victim of Erik's spoon raid) on the very top. The irony that he, of all people, was decorating a Christmas tree was not lost on him.

After all the gifts had been placed under the tree, and the last of Raven's paper snowflakes had been hung, Erik, Sean, and Hank stood back to admire their handiwork. As they were congratulating each other on a job well done, there was a loud bang and a good deal of swearing that began to emit from the kitchen. All three popped their heads out of the door to see Charles rushing out of door carrying a flaming tray, closely followed by Alex who was carrying a bucket of water and apologizing profusely. They then rushed to the window in time to watch Charles fling a large ham that was covered in flames, into the snow. Charles attempted to regain some of his composure as he entered the study to announce that they will be having Chinese take-out instead of ham, and anyone who had a problem with that could politely go to hell. Erik hadn't laughed so hard in ages.

Erik, still chuckling about the flaming ham incident, made his way to his room to shower and change before the party. He decided to wear a deep red silk shirt with black pants, hoping that it was a suitably festive outfit. He took a large sip out of the gin bottle that was still on his bedside table, before going down stairs to wait for Rebbecca. Charles was standing at the door to the dinning room and handed Erik a small piece of mistletoe to pin to his shirt. Erik chuckled slightly to himself when he saw the small paper boxes from the Chinese restaurant sitting in a group on the table. The room was otherwise beautifully decorated with candles in every window and on the table. Hank, Alex, and Sean were already seated at the table and discussing the best gifts they had each been given on Christmas. Erik made a mental note of how unusually happy he was, and went to pour himself a glass of scotch to make sure he stayed that way.

Just as he sat down at the table, the door opened and Raven entered, lightly supporting Rebbecca. He froze immediately. She looked...He didn't know how she looked. Raven had worked magic with makeup, and in the soft candle glow it almost seemed that her face had filled out into plump cheeks. Her dark hair had been curled expertly in a way that made her face seem soft and lovely. Her dress was a simple dress with a scoop neck. It was made of a deep red chiffon that draped perfectly across her body, and went to the floor. A wide piece of black silk was tied around her waist, and helped to give her still rail thin body the illusion of curves. She had two small ruby earrings in her ears, when Erik noticed these his head snapped to Charles who simply gave him a grin. They would match the necklace perfectly without upstaging it. Rebbecca smiled widely at Erik who smiled back, spewing scotch all over his front in the process. He quickly grabbed a napkin to sop the mess up as she was getting seated.

The rest of the meal was perhaps one of the most pleasant experiences of Erik's life. He sat and admired Rebbecca as she tentatively fed herself and conversed with with Raven. Charles attempted to teach Alex and Sean how to how to eat with chopsticks, to no avail. Hank entertained everyone with the tale of how he, at age 4, nearly gave his grandmother a heart attack by swinging from the chandelier at her home on Christmas. Everyone was relaxed and thoroughly enjoying themselves. So it was with high spirits that everyone left the dinner table and entered the study.

Erik kept his eyes on Rebbecca to watch her expression. He was thrilled when he saw delight on her face, and heard her ooh's and aah's as she and Raven took a quick tour around the room. When everyone had seated themselves on the couch in front of the tree, the fireplace was lit, and hot chocolate distributed, Charles announced that he had a surprise. To be more specific, a surprise for Erik. He directed everyone's attention to the large bay window to the left of the couch where 9 candles stood grouped together with one candle being slightly taller than the others that flanked it on either side.

"Now I know that traditionally these would all be lit over the course of 8 nights, but I thought that it would be a fitting remembrance nonetheless if we had a signifier of your faith and culture here...would you do the honors?"

Charles held out a matchbook to Erik who stood and walked over to the window. As he struck the match a flood of memories and emotions assaulted him. He remembered songs, family, and his mother's prayers. He always felt a deep sense of faith and duty when he watched his mother pray, as if he was watching something incredibly holy. He lit the tallest candle and used it to light all of the successive candles, before closing his eyes and wishing earnestly for his mother. He took a steadying breath and went back to the couch. He felt that it was bizarre to see such quintessential symbol of Judaism as the menorah sitting in a room that looked like Christmas had vomited all over it. All irony aside, he was truly touched by his friends consideration. Sean, naturally, broke the spell by announcing that it was time for presents.

Within a few moments everything was covered in wrapping paper as everyone opened their gifts. Laughter and cries of mirth filled the room as everyone embraced each other and admired their gifts. Charles laughed uproariously when he opened his gift from Erik, and wrapped the scarf around his neck while batting his eyelashes in Erik's direction. Charles' gift to Erik was a collection of the best Cuban cigars that money could buy. Rebbecca had received a large sum of cash from Raven that was to be spent on a shopping spree once she was well enough to go out, a first edition copy of a collection of Poe's work from Hank, and bucket full of candy from Alex and Sean. Raven was presented with a tiny kitten that she promptly named Athena. Alex was given a set of expensive exercise equipment, and Sean received a collection of records. Finally, only one small blue box remained under the tree. Erik nervously picked it up and handed it to Rebbecca. His heart nearly beat out of his chest as he watched her open it and pull out the delicate necklace.

"I-I...I can attach the silver flower I gave you to it. If you would like."

Rebbecca, who hadn't spoken a word since opening her gift, reached into the folds of the sash around her waist and pulled out the tiny flower, which Erik seamlessly attached to dangling ruby wrapped in silver, so that it hung off the bottom. She handed the necklace to Erik.

"Help me?"

She turned her back to him and lifted her hair, exposing the back of her neck. He reached around her and placed the necklace around her neck. He let his fingers softly touch the nape of her neck as he went to fasten the clasp. As he did so, he noticed small goosebumps on her skin. Assuming that she must be cold, he promptly grabbed the blanket on the back of the couch and draped it around her shoulders. He then sat back to admire the effect of the necklace. It looked exquisite. The rubies on her earrings and necklace caught the light and sparkled, the deep red look incredible against her pale skin. She looked him directly in the eyes and thanked him for the gift. All worries about inadequacy fled his mind, and he knew it was perfect.

The party lasted late into the night, with the highlight being when a slightly inebriated Charles began to play Christmas carols on the piano, and everyone joining him in song with Hank conducting. It had truly been a glorious evening, and as much as Erik had enjoyed himself he could tell Rebbecca was getting exhausted. So he offered to escort her back to bed. She, of course, accepted.

He helped her from the couch, and placed his hand around her waist for support. He enjoyed the feel of the soft material of her dress, the pressure of her small frame as it leaned slightly against his side, the warmth of her hair. She put her arm around his waist and could feel the muscled and toned body underneath his shirt. She inhaled deeply and enjoyed the scent of cigarette smoke, aftershave, and apples. He glanced down so as to admire the necklace against her skin. They locked eyes, and with awkward smiles looked away.

It was a short walk back to her room, and just as they were approaching her door, she tripped. He immediately grabbed her hand to steady her, and she grasped his hand tightly. All at once everything was too much for Erik. She was too beautiful, too utterly beautiful, bathed in the moonlight. He couldn't take it anymore. He put a hand around her neck and leaned his head towards hers, his eyes locked on her lips.

AN: I really hoped that I approached the subject of Erik's faith with sensitivity. I wanted to portray that scene in a way that conveyed how touching and beautiful that I imagined it in my head. Again, a big thank you to all my readers, especially Breathewithme who was a big help in creating this chapter!