TITLE: This Christmas

WRITTEN BY: Drea Jackman

EMAIL: DreaJackman@Literati.co.uk

RATING: G

SUMMARY: Logan invites Max to experience a truly old-fashioned Christmas when he asks her
to spend Christmas with him at his family cabin. What will the season of good will have in store?
(Much festive M/L 'shippery fluff)

DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters involved. They belong to Cameron/Eglee
Producions :(

ARCHIVE: If I've said yes before I'll say it again, otherwise email me 'n' lemme know.

FEEDBACK: Don't make me beg, please? ...D'OH!

A/N: Still a little more of the story to go, and now that I'm thinking it'll be a multi-chapter deal, I
only hope I can get enough writing crammed in to get it finished by Boxing Day. What you think?
A chapter every day after this until it's done? Keeps you on the same day as the story's
happening. Well, more shippery fun so I hope you like :) MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
___________________________________________________________


The sky was pitch dark when the Aztec finally pulled up alongside the cabin. The snow lay in
heavy drifts of white all around, the icicles hanging down from the cabin's roof only adding to the
image of their holiday hideaway. The setting itself was much more festive than Max had ever
experienced before let alone whatever Logan had in store for them. Christmas eve was the very
next day and to tell the truth Max was even more excited than she'd ever been about anything.

Turning the keys in the ignition the car fell utterly silent. Nothing inside stirred at all. Turning
quietly Max stared at Logan in the passenger seat beside her, his head leaning away towards
the door on his side, eyes closed, a look of innocence to rival that of the most angelic child on
his face. His breathing fell in deep, even breaths that conveyed just how settled he really was in
sleep. Max couldn't stop herself, she had to give in to the growing smile that tugged on her lips
as she watched him.

Eventually it was time to move. The night air had an almost unbearable nip and even Max was
feeling it's bite a little more than uncomfortable. Leaning over with a mischievous expression on
her face she laid a hand on Logan's left shoulder, her lips stopping mere centimeters from his
ear. As she drew breath to speak, his scent flooded her system making everything slow down
for long moments at a time. It became harder to fight off the growing urge to just reach out and
feel the soft brush of his scruffy beard against the waiting flesh of her soft lips. Shaking it off she
finally spoke.

"Logan," she whispered bearly audible, not wanting to startle him awake.

Logan didn't react at all. No shift in position, no groan of discontent, no stirring of any kind.

"Logan," she tried again a little louder. "C'mon Santa, there's work to be done."

"Mmph," Logan stirred slightly this time, eyes still closed as a slow, lazy grin spread over his
features. "But have you been a good girl deserving of presents this year?"

Max leaned back into the drivers seat on her side again as Logan yawned and pulled himself up
in his seat a little more before turning to face her.

"An Angel." she offered with a smile to dazzle his newly awakened senses.

"Suppose I'd better go check that list again then huh?"

"And while you're at it, I'll make a start on unpacking the car."

Both nodded their confirmation at the plan and began to put it in action. Max got out of the
driver's side and pushed Logan's wheelchair over in the back till it rested behind his passenger
seat making it accessible for him to set up himself. She certainly wasn't going to insult him by
setting it up for him or helping him with it in any way. He was perfectly capable and appreciated
her acknowledgment of that fact.

As Logan nodded a brief thanks to her she shut her car door and headed around the back to
open the trunk. Logan had insisted on taking her small but so efficiently packed case from her in
the car park at Fogle Towers so she'd missed out on seeing whatever he'd packed. Her eyes
went wide when she came across several large black bags and an axe.

"Now what the hell did you go and pack in here?" she called around the car.

"Nothing but essentials, I swear," Logan joked finally managing to wheel himself over a flatter
patch of ice towards her at the rear of the car. Skidding to a semi-dignified stop he grinned at
Max sheepishly.

"Lemme guess, I'm on firewood duty right?"

"Not at all, in fact you've got the most important job of all."

"That being?" Max questioned unable to hide the doubt in her voice.

"Bringing home the Christmas tree."

"Isn't that something someone with experience in this whole 'season of good will' thing should
take care of?" she asked a little more wary of messing up the objective.

"Well unless you'd like to try and sled me over into the woods, I think it's our only option." he
added with a rather pleased smirk.

The nip in the air was beginning to make both of them more uncomfortable and as Logan
shivered slightly and blew some hot air into his clasped hands Max pulled all the gear out of the
car's trunk. Logan held his arms wide and gestured openly to be loaded up, to which a wary
Max eventually shrugged in agreement. Taking the majority of bags in his lap, Logan's hands
were pretty much full keeping them all in place, so Max left the axe and her own case in the drift
by the cabin's steps as she turned back to the back of the car. Closing the trunk she pocketed
the keys and took a firm grip of the back of his chair, right where the handles would usually be.

"Mush," Logan joked under his breath as he felt the chair lurch forward in the snow.

Arriving at the steps, the next obstacle hit. The cabin's stairs weren't negotiable, but Logan
could've always wheeled around back and gone in the door at the rear where it was level with
the cabin floor. Unfortunately the weather just didn't make that option available to them. Max
took all the bags from him and took them up the stairs dropping them by the door in an orderly
heap. Heading back down the stairs she looked at Logan who only shrugged a little in dismay
before his eyes widened at her following actions.

"Don't expect me to be making any kinda habit outa this," she sighed as she reached down and
scooped him up into her arms.

"Habit of wha...?" Logan's question was cut off as all the air left his lungs, the reaction to her
sudden and very surprising action.

Throwing him ever so gently, but very military-style over one shoulder she grabbed the back of
the chair with her free hand and took the cabin's steps with an almost practiced ease. Setting
the chair down again beside the heap of luggage he'd packed, Max gently leaned forward as she
lowered Logan down into the chair, depositing him in the seat with a soft thump.

"Thanks," Logan said cocking his head very slightly to one side as if registering how easy the
task had actually been thanks to Max.

Turning away to pick up the bags Max busied herself grabbing each and every one before
turning back to him at the door. "No big dealio," she sighed making light of what she knew
could've been an extremely embarrassing situation for him.

Logan was already busy unlocking the cabin door and as soon as he'd done so he wheeled back
and gestured for Max to enter first. Walking inside Max glanced around the familiar interior as
she stopped in the centre of the room. Suddenly the darkened cabin was cast into fitting,
atmospheric light as Logan flipped the switch, the door closing behind him.

"You can set those down anyplace. Can unpack them later," he said rolling over to the fireplace.

It wasn't much, but it did possess a certain rustic charm that he found missing from the everyday
life he had back in Seattle. It was nice to get away from everything for a while. Max had even
managed to make him leave his computer behind. Albeit he'd tried to sneak his laptop into the
car, but she'd found the trespassing object and removed it claiming that 'this old-fashioned
Christmas isn't gonna be half as old-fashioned if you insist on bringing along half your office.'
Reluctantly he'd admitted she was right and been gifted with another of her pleasing smiles.

"What is all this stuff anyway?" Max asked, her curiosity almost cat-like as she snooped around
the pile she set down behind the small sofa.

"Just a few odds and ends for decorating the cabin a little, y'know spruce it up a little for the
holidays," he answered over his shoulder as he worked on lighting the fire.

Once the fire was lit and the pair were semi-settled into their holiday home, Logan checked his
watch. A little after six. He was already feeling a little hungry and knew it'd be time to set about
cooking up something for dinner, but there was something else to be taken care of first.

"Max!"

"Yeah?" she called back from the bedroom Logan had pointed her in the direction of. The cabin
itself had two bedrooms, one with two steps leading up to it's door, the other without. Logan had
opted to take the one without for the sake of practicality while Max had, had absolutely no
problems in accepting the room across the way.

"Think it's about time to take care of the first festive act don't you?" he called back.

When Max entered the main room she found Logan over by the back door. Opening it he
gestured for her to join him. Doing so she stood beside him, absently laying a hand on the back
of his chair as she took in the view Logan had opened unto her.

"It's beautiful," she gasped.

"Used to be one of my favourite things about Christmas," Logan sighed remembering all the
times he'd been there in his youth.

Before them stretched a piece of open land, a clearing surrounded by thick evergreens. It was
at least a few feet thick in snow and the moonlight was casting the most beautiful patterns
through the branches of the tall evergreens onto the surface like a giant canvas. The snow
gathered on the tree branches caught the reflected light and sent it scattering across the surface
to mingle with the shadows.

"Time to go get ourselves that Christmas tree huh?" she asked knowingly.

"Time YOU got our tree yeah," he corrected.

Max sighed impatiently as she looked down at the man by her side. "You said it yourself, one of
your favourite things about Christmas."

"That was before Max, I can't really go traipsing through the woods with you to find the perfect
tree now can I?" he retaliated a little defensively.

"Well see about that," Max said sounding mildly pissed off as she stalked back inside towards
her room.

Returning a few moments later she proudly displayed an old sled, a solidly built, old-fashioned
toboggan that'd easily serve the purpose she had in mind. Seeing her almost triumphant look
Logan shook his head, but couldn't hide the slight smile tugging on his lips.

"Max I,"

"Can and WILL enjoy the kind of Christmas you used to," Max cut him off, finishing his sentence
with certainty.

There was a thick silence between them as they stared each other out. Logan feeling partially
embarrassed even considering the prospect of being dragged along on a sled behind Max for
the sake of getting the damn Christmas tree and Max feeling slightly pissed off cause the very
first task of their festive getaway was splitting them up. As far as she was concerned they'd
come to share the holiday together, and that meant in every aspect regardless of some stupid
chair.

"You're right," he sighed as his defenses buckled against her determined stare. Deep down he
had to admit she was right anyway. They had come to share the experience together, he just
hadn't banked on anything half as wierd as using a sled.

"Glad you finally see it my way."

Grabbing their coats and gloves they wrapped up and prepared to go face the elements of the
bitter winter that was upon them. Within ten minutes the pair were ready and on the other side
of the door, Logan's wheelchair sitting in a lonely position, unoccupied in the kitchen. Max had
tethered the rope into a strong loop big enough for her to step into. Logan sat quite comfortably
if he had to admit it only to himself, on the sled behind, axe stowed safely beneath along the
rudder on the left side. Stepping into the loop Max gathered up the slack around her waist and
glanced back over her shoulder, giving Logan one last chance to pull out.

"Ready?" she asked, anticipation and excitement evident in her voice.

Logan threw the long end of his scarf around his neck and over the opposite shoulder and
gripped the side of the sled. Nodding to her in confirmation he felt the sled beneath him lurch
into forward motion as Max began to pull with ease, taking each step as if it were a normal stroll
in the woods. Reaching the end of the crystalline clearing at the back of the cabin Max noticed
the small path just big enough to fit the sled through as it wound away into the darkness of the
woods. Slowing briefly she glanced back to Logan again.

"Where to exactly?"

"Just keep heading out, you'll know it when you see it," Logan replied.

"Right you are Santa," Max said playfully as she took up the slack again and the sled picked up
speed.

"Onward Rudolph," Logan whispered under his breath, a happy grin spreading across his face.

"I heard that y'know."

Logan only grinned more.