Body and Soul by InSilva
Disclaimer: owning no part of Oceanworld.
A/N: look, I'm not as bad with numbers as some. Ahem. There would appear to be at least a third part to this chapter. Sigh.
Chapter Eleven: Celebrations2
Christmas. More to the point, Christmas presents for Annie and Saul. He'd never had to think about this sort of thing before and he wanted to get it right.
Annie. It wouldn't be about the obvious or the excess. Rusty could see she lived simply and the things that delighted her were not expensive nor were they ostentatious.
Saul. What did you get for the man who could have anything he set his mind on? Rusty had had one idea and had been working on it but it didn't seem nearly enough.
"Saul and I've got some shopping to do," Annie smiled. "Would you like to come with us?"
Rusty's eyes travelled across to Saul and he tried to keep the question out of them.
"I'm driving," Saul said nonchalantly and Rusty tried not to nod acceptance too quickly.
"Let's meet back here for lunch," Annie suggested as they parked outside a diner.
"Twelve thirty?" Rusty asked because he liked to be certain about times where food was concerned.
"Twelve thirty it is," Saul confirmed.
The streets were crowded with shoppers, head down and intent on purchasing Christmas as quickly as they could. Rusty found himself pushed down a side street and he wandered away from the noise and the bustle.
He was meant to take that detour, he decided later. Because there was a dusty old bookstore with a dirty old window. And sitting on display was the perfect gift for Annie.
There was a parallel street that was full of the busy and the frantic and on the corner, stood the department store that Saul had taken him to to buy clothes. Rusty slipped through the door past those collecting for the Salvation Army and looked for inspiration.
The menswear department was full of harried women and men with harassed expressions that spoke of how little they loved shopping. The shop assistants themselves were being bright and falsely cheery and didn't look as if they had tired of the relentless Christmas carols being played on loop just yet.
Rusty's gaze travelled over clothes and hats and scarves and nothing seemed right for Saul. He saw the leather section with the belts and wallets and gloves and edged closer to study the racks. It would be easy to steal something but he wanted to buy Saul's present, even if the money used was stolen. Somehow the distinction seemed important.
"May I help you?"
The condescending voice belonged to a haughty man who stood a good few inches higher than Rusty and whose eyes were busy telling Rusty that he had no business anywhere near anything on sale. It was a step up from the looks shopkeepers had shot at him during his time with MacAvoy but it still labelled him. He bridled inwardly but shot the man a wide and charming smile.
"Just looking," he said cheerily and retreated to a spot by the jackets to watch.
Mr Condescending was a bastard. It was easy to see. He shouted at junior staff, sending one girl away in floods of tears. He knocked over what seemed to Rusty a perfectly good display of handkerchiefs and ordered a nervous minion to rebuild them. He smiled at customers with an ill grace unless they seemed likely to be generous with their spending: then he was all over them.
He was also less than honest. Rusty watched his hands closely. Dollar bills were finding their way into his pocket rather than the till. Christmas time, there would be temporary staff hired. The best cover for permanent staff to hide their dishonesty.
Rusty waited. The man had to go on a break at some point. And when he did… The lift was clean and precise and Rusty was walking away fast in the opposite direction before the man had time to recognise him.
The wallet was heavy with bills. Rusty extracted what he needed and then took the rest to the charity collectors on the door.
"What a generous donation, Mister…?"
"Oh, I like to stay anonymous," Rusty grinned.
He returned and made the purchase and headed for the diner where he found Annie and Saul surrounded by bags and laughing and there was food and happiness to be had.
If Annie had been excited about Thanksgiving, she was beside herself with Christmas. Saul dug up the little Christmas tree from the front garden and brought it in to the hall where it was strewn with many decorations.
"None of them match," she said to Rusty who was handing her baubles out of a box. "And some of them are a little worn."
He could see that.
"But I don't care," she beamed. "These were on the tree all the time I grew up."
Rusty had run out of multicoloured things to pass her apart from…
"Annie, this doll…"
"Oh, the angel," she nodded, taking it out of his hands. "Evie."
Rusty blinked. The angel had a name?
"She fell apart so many times over the years, she's held together with Evostick," Annie giggled. "Dad christened her Evie."
She placed Evie who indeed had seen better days on top of the tree with a finishing flourish and they stood back to admire their handiwork.
"Perfect," Annie sighed happily.
Rusty looked at it with a critical eye. The tree was off centre, the lights were missing a couple of bulbs (and he must fix that), the shine on the baubles had dimmed over the years and Evie still looked distinctly fragile. He turned to Annie and saw the happy smile on her face and knew that she was seeing the tree she had grown up with, with pristine decorations and a brand new Evie.
"It is perfect," he agreed and Annie's smile grew wider.
Presents bought, decorations hung, food prepared – "Stir the pudding and make a wish," Annie had instructed and Saul and Rusty had complied – and Annie had brought out a candle to light in honour of Hanukkah which Saul had sighed at and which Rusty could tell he secretly liked. And there was only one small blot on the horizon.
Annie came into the lounge, her face hesitant and Saul looked up from his paper and Rusty pulled the headphones – "Sprechen Sie Deutsch" – away from his ears.
"We've all been invited up to Beryl's on Christmas Eve for drinks," Annie blurted out.
"Oh, good God," Saul muttered.
Annie looked at him helplessly.
"I know, I know, she's your sister," Saul sighed. "We'll go. Of course, we'll go."
Annie's expression did not change and Saul paled.
"Not Christmas Day, Annie."
"New Year's Eve," she whispered and Saul gave a groan.
"She will eat like a rabbit, drink like a fish and she will not be in a hurry to go home. Why would she be? It's cold and it's lonely."
Annie looked distraught and he stood up and pulled her to him. "Don't worry, Annie. It's just that I'm selfish enough to want to spend the holidays with my family. And Beryl's not part of that picture."
Christmas Eve came and so did the trip to Beryl's. Annie's sister lived a little way out of town in a new house with a neat and orderly garden. Regimented, in fact. It did nothing for Rusty.
The three of them stood on the mat and Saul rang the doorbell then turned to Annie who had had anxiety written all over her face since the day had dawned.
"I love you, Annie. I would walk through fire for you. And I am about to prove it."
"Oh, Saul!"
She looked thoroughly miserable and then he gave her a huge wink and gathered her to him.
"Saul!" Annie was blushing now.
"I don't care," he said and with that the door opened.
"Annie. Saul."
A tall, pinchfaced woman stood there. She had brown hair like Annie's but she wore it braided up in a bun. Her skirts were long and her blouse was high-necked, its collar pinned in place by a brooch. Rusty, who had sat through "Rebecca" with Annie only the week before, felt she must surely be related to Mrs Danvers.
He stared at the brooch again. Was that…?
"Beryl!" Annie pulled away from Saul. "This is Ru-Robert. Robert Ryan. Saul's nephew who's staying with us. Robert, this is my sister, Beryl."
"Pleased to meet you," Rusty said conventionally and Beryl nodded distantly at him.
"We're having drinks in the drawing-room," Beryl announced. "You may leave your coats in the hall."
They hung them up on hooks and trailed after her.
"We?" Saul said in a low voice, catching Annie's arm.
"Oh, she…oh, she can't have…I thought it was just us…"
There was shock in Annie's eyes that Rusty read and totally failed to understand until he walked into the drawing room and saw Millicent. Cocktail in hand, she was stood by the unlit fireplace, dressed in something that managed to be too short and too low-cut all at the same time.
"Annie!" she exclaimed and came forward to kiss her, leaving red lipstick traces on both cheeks.
"And Saul!" Saul submitted with as much good grace as he could muster.
"And you brought your nephew along too!" Millicent's eyes had got that gleam in them again. The gleam that was unsettling in the extreme.
"Millicent, this is Robert," Annie said and Rusty could hear the note of reluctance in her voice. "Robert, this is Mrs Rowntree."
Rusty stuck out his hand but Millicent waved it away with a laugh.
"Far too formal, Robert" and she leaned forward, placed her hands on his shoulders and pressed her lips to each cheek in turn.
Her fingers lingered on the tops of his arms like the scent in a perfumed flat. Then just before Annie or Saul, who were standing tensely beside him, could say a thing, she released him with that little smile that showed her perfect, even teeth.
The conversation was never going to be sparkling even before Millicent. Now it consisted of Annie, sipping a small sherry and trying to talk lightly with both women of mutual friends and acquaintances and how Beryl's garden was looking while Saul stood in silence and held his whisky tightly to him like it was a genie's lamp that could whisk all three of them out of there if only the wish was strong enough.
Rusty stood with him and tried to ignore the way Millicent's eyes kept straying over to him. He did his best not to meet her gaze and instead, focused on the glass of weak orange cordial that Beryl had given to him without even asking.
"Do you remember the parties Jack used to throw?" Millicent said fondly. "Oh, he knew how to enjoy himself."
There was a moment's hesitation and a glance at Beryl and then Annie nodded. "He certainly did."
"Such the party animal," Millicent giggled into her glass.
Beryl sighed into her own sherry and Annie just looked at Millicent with a tight little expression that Rusty puzzled over before deciding that Annie was cross about raising up ghosts.
"Such a lonely time of year," Beryl began and Rusty felt Saul tense. He suddenly realised what was coming and he could almost see the thought waves being directed at Annie from Saul. Hell, he was joining in with them.
Don't, please, don't…
"Being on your own, surrounded by memories…it's just so very wretched."
Annie's face was very still but the turmoil going on behind her eyes was plain to see.
"Spending Christmas Day alone…"
Annie's eyes briefly squeezed shut and when they opened again, Rusty knew she was about to do it. Even though she hated the idea. Even though she didn't want it in the slightest. She was going to give in. Because Annie was Annie and she couldn't help it. Annie couldn't do a thing. But he could.
He dropped the squash and staggered, clutching at Saul's arm to steady himself.
"Annie…? Oh, Annie, I don't feel too good…" He swayed again and she turned anxious eyes on him and he hated the fact that she thought this was genuine.
Saul's hand shot out to his forehead.
"He doesn't feel so great either. I'm sorry, Beryl, but I think we need to leave."
"Annie could stay," Beryl's eyes were narrow and stubborn. Oh, he was knocking that one way out of the park.
"Annie…?" Full on. Eyes wide with fear. Lips parted. Irresistible.
"Sorry, Beryl," Annie was moving to his side. "Have a lovely Christmas. You too, Millicent. See you New Year's Eve."
They were either side of him and hurrying him out of the room as Millicent's "Oh, I'd be delighted!" floated after them.
"Damn," Saul muttered with feeling as he heard it.
"Rusty, dear, do you feel sick?" Annie asked anxiously. "Have you got a headache? Saul, should we call Marty?"
Rusty waited till they were outside and closer to the car than Beryl's house and then he could bear it no longer.
"Annie, I'm fine."
He looked her in the eyes and she gasped as she understood.
"I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry, Annie."
"You're not ill," she whispered faintly.
"Not in the slightest."
"And…" Annie looked at Saul. "And we're on our own for Christmas."
Saul couldn't stop the grin on his face and the half-laugh fell out of Annie.
"I never want to lie to you, Annie," Rusty said earnestly.
She hugged him to her and kissed his cheek.
"You're forgiven," she smiled into his hair.