Sorry for the delay! This is proving a bit of a challenging part of the story! Not a long chapter this, but a little tease of more to come...


"That is a simply astounding assumption to make."

"No more astounding that your blunt refusal to recognise the truth."

"I will gladly recognise the truth as soon as you speak some."

Martin dashed into the kitchen as the sound of Aggie and Douglas' bickering carried on.

"What are they arguing about now?" Kate looked at him with disbelief.

Martin strolled straight over to the sparkling wine bottle, still open on the side from this morning's Bucks Fizz, and poured himself a glass.

"I have no idea." He replied before downing the contents of his glass. "But at this rate it won't just be Douglas with a drink problem."

The morning had started off so well. For the first Christmas in as long as he could remember Martin had woken up happy, and as excited as a ten year old. He'd had to resist the urge to bounce out of bed like Tigger, so he didn't wake the still sleeping Kate, and instead had crept out carefully before returning to wake her properly with a tray of toast, Buck's fizz, and a sprig of mistletoe. The smile on her face and kiss she had given him in return had been well worth the effort. This was one Christmas he intended to celebrate properly.

Martin hadn't been a fan of Christmas for years now. Of course he was always invited home to his mum's, but the thought of spending it cooped up with a highly successful brother he barely spoke to and a sister who was often too wrapped up in her own family to notice him, was not his idea of fun. So he'd always told his mum he was too busy working, which hadn't been a lie last year, and gone to see her in the New Year instead. All of which has meant that he ended up spending Christmas in the attic with a flight manual for company and a baked potato for dinner. He'd tried to convince himself it was fine, whilst looking out the window longingly at the various families packing up their cars with presents and excited children.

This year was going to be different. This year he had Kate. Kate and a new home.

And Aggie and Douglas.

As if to accentuate the point, the sound of loud voices briefly flared from the living room again.

"Do you think I need to referee?" Kate looked at him with amusement.

Martin shook his head walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, the fizzy wine already going to his head a little. "No. Let them sort themselves out. I've much more important things for you to do." He smiled deviously before kissing her soundly.

"Ahem." The sound of Douglas standing at the kitchen doorway drew them from their embrace.

"Douglas." Martin tried to sound nonchalant, whilst stepping back from Kate. "Everything...uh...everything alright?"

"That woman..." Douglas started, before restraining himself and looking towards Kate. "No offence intended."

Kate laughed. "Oh, none taken. Aggie can hold her own." She gave Martin a kiss on the cheek before excusing herself to check on her friend, patting Douglas' arm affectionately on the way out.

"More apple juice?" Martin offered, hoping to placate him a little and not waiting for an answer before opening the fridge.

Martin had been a little surprised when Douglas had somewhat awkwardly accepted his invitation for Christmas they day after he'd mentioned it. Martin had expected that he would have to do a little persuasion, his first officer being who he was, but Douglas had been the one to bring the subject up again asking if the offer was still open. He suspected that Douglas accepted the offer for much the same reason Martin had suggested it, it was a welcome distraction from that special loneliness that only Christmastime caused.

Both he and Kate had assumed that Douglas and Aggie would get on just fine. Aggie was sociable and on the flirtatious side and Douglas was...well...much the same. It hadn't occurred to either of them that there would be an underlying current of friction almost from the outset. They weren't arguing, in as much as there was no shouting or screaming, but it was pretty clear even from the last three hours that if there was a point to differ on, they would.

"She's questioning the brilliance of Verdi, can you believe that?"

It seemed that Douglas wasn't going to be easily dissuaded from a rant. Martin closed the fridge again, juice in hand. "Um...Verdi?" He asked uncertainly, not quite sure what Douglas was talking about.

"Opera, Martin. Goodness, tell me you've at least heard of Verdi?" Douglas sounded aghast.

Opera? Of course. I should have known.

"Well...I...um...I don't really...it's not really my thing." He said sheepishly.

"No...well..." Douglas spoke as if he wasn't sure what his point was. "At least you have the good grace to admit you know nothing about it." He paused, shooting a look back towards the living room. "Unlike some people."

Martin busied himself finding another glass, which he filled and offered to Douglas. "Oh, I'm sure it's not that bad." He actually had no idea whether Aggie knew anything about opera or not, or whether it was just an attempt to wind Douglas up.

Douglas took the glass from him with a nod. "Something smells good. I take it Kate is in charge of the cooking?"

"Oh ha ha." Martin bit at the insult, secretly glad that Douglas had changed the subject. "No...actually, I am."

"You? Good grief." Douglas mocked him. "I'm supposed to be seeing my daughter tomorrow, Martin. I'd hate to have to cancel because of food poisoning."

Martin bristled a little at the insinuation. "I can cook, thank you very much." He paused. "Just never had much cause to...you know...before. That's all."

"Oh...well...I look forward to sampling Crieff Cuisine." Douglas paused dramatically. "God help me."


For any non-UK readers - Bucks Fizz is a cocktail often on Christmas morning. It's supposed to be Champagne and Orange juice, but most people use sparkling wine. (Not sure if the name is the same in the US.)