Prompt request: Primeval. Any Pairing. Santa comes through an anomaly. (Connor & Jess friendship)

Christmas eve at the ARC. Well, 2 am Christmas morning, actually, if you wanted to get technical about it. He used to sneak downstairs as a kid with the intentions of getting a peek at his presents under the tree, but halfway down he chickened out and returned to his room. Connor smiled and let the little miniature jingle bells on the bracelet from Abby hit the desktop as he sat alongside Jess. Usually there'd be nightshift techs but they wanted the night off and, well, they could understand that.

He might've preferred being home with Abbs in their new flat than at the ARC, but he didn't really mind being there, either. Not with Jess as company. Before he'd left on his rounds, Becker had dropped off a single hershey's mint chocolate kiss with Jess. She put up mistletoe soon after.

The ARC was really quiet tonight, which was nice in a general, no-dinos-yay! sort of way, and also in a no-dinos-on-christmas—eve-double-yay! way. Jess was running diagnostics and playing solitaire and some galaga like game at the same time, and he had extreme tetris on his screen, with lines of code and updates running behind the game.

He should've known the peace couldn't last.

The anomaly alert going off wasn't so startling in and of itself. In fact he might say it was expected. They just didn't get breaks when the world was in danger…

Oookay, that was….new.

This was the first human incursion since Danny's return with Patrick.

And if he wasn't very much mistaken - and he really should, y'know, maybe he should get some sleep because there was no way, no way that this man was—-

"Santa?" Jess whispered, eyes wide with confusion and yeah he probably looked similar right about now. Maybe less awe and more bewilderment.

The portly man in the red coat with white fur trim smiled and hummed something, stroking a respectable white beard. There was a faint sound of jingling bells. Connor snickered at the beard-stroking, and apparently that caught…Santa's attention because he turned that crinkly-eyed smile on them. "Ah! Hello, I hadn't quite noticed you two there! Could either of you tell me where I am?"

Jess cleared her throat when Connor just stood there trying to make sense of this and failing quite miserably.

"You're in the ARC, the anomaly research center, in London, England." She said.

"Is that so? Hm." He pulled a scroll of paper from one of the pockets of his coat and unrolled it, skimming. Connor shifted from foot to foot. Jess silently squee'd. She'd never stopped believing in Santa, and here he was! Then he looked up from it at them again. "I'm quite glad to be able to say that you and your friends- yes, even James Lester- have all made it onto the nice list this year. Despite some bumps in the road…" Santa glanced at Connor, whose shoulders hunched. He still felt horribly guilty about the New Dawn and Burton incident.

"Yes, yes, all on the nice list. Patrick has only just made it, and there was some confusion over Matt's movement through these portals…" It was clear that Santa was talking to himself, voice a low mumble.

Connor couldn't help but gape like a fish.

"You know about the anomalies?!" He blurted. The older man looked up from his list and chuckled.

"Yes, of course! Sometimes I don't have quite enough time to get everywhere, so I cross times. These are quite helpful, and my own magic stops me from getting too stuck anywhen or where."

Connor and Jess exchanged looks of amazement, and childish glee formed on both faces.

"Your wants are not of tangible things, and so cannot be boxed up and tied with beautiful ribbon, my friends. None of your team, truthfully, have tangible wishes. I will therefore gift you…" He turned to Connor and approached, and the young man stayed still as Santa put a hand on his shoulder, "the peace of mind you so desperately need. You will not soon have reason to question things that do not need to be questioned." The man said. And perhaps Connor could feel a weight lift from his shoulders, just a little. The magic reached Jess and the rest of the team as well, not as strong as it was for Connor, and most affected besides him was Abby. They both needed that…. they all did.

"Thank you." Connor said in a small voice. Santa smiled, nodded, and then moved on to stand before Jess.

"Now you, hmm… Yes, that shouldn't be too difficult Jessica. You all need happiness, but perhaps the Captain Becker most of all at this time of year."

Connor was curious about that, but he knew he wouldn't find out anything any time soon.

Then Santa pulled first Jess, then Connor, into a hug. A few moments later he let go, stepped back, and vanished back through the anomaly, which closed immediately after.

The two geniuses stared at each other, and then grinned.

"Calling it! Coolest Christmas eve-"

"-it's not eve anymore,"

"Coolest Christmas ever." Connor said.