Author's Note: For Lady Norbert. This is based off my RPG, so it won't make sense to a LOT of you. You have been warned. It also follows on from Partners In Crime.
Solomon Manor was a beautiful place when London – or the area thereabouts – had been graced by a fine blanket of snow, falling from the heavens in soft flakes to settle comfortably all around. The trees wore a generous coating of the white snow, and the grass could not be seen for the thick floor of it. The window ledges were all piled up with it, and birds skittered almost as if they were dancing through it, perhaps playing, as children would. In the front lawn was a rather… haphazard, but comical and welcoming snowman, complete with scarf, hat, carrot nose and coal eyes and mouth. His stick-arms poked out as if he was waving, and his smirk was somewhat mischievous. The children had helped to build it.
Through the huge, tall window panes, the Christmas tree could be seen, decorated carefully and heavily – though not gaudily – with all manner of pleasantries. Underneath it were gifts of all sizes and shapes, wrapped colourfully and with precision… of course, one or two were not quite so neat, but these mishaps could be forgiven quite at once, due to who had parcelled them.
The women were in the living room, by the lit fire, watching the two children play with the dolls at a safe distance from the flames. While it was unusual that the women were ready first, the gentlemen could be forgiven their time, as it was the first time in months – at least – that they had had to take such care with what they wore. It was a special occasion after all.
The dresses the women wore were of varying shades and styles, but all were as beautiful as the last, and festive. The Australian, Drusilla Mason, had taken some garland tinsel from the tree and looped it through her mahogany hair with a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her grey eyes, brushing off her dress, uniquely of a kind of hazelnut in shade, as odd as it seemed… but it was beautiful to look upon. The Irishwoman, Aineen McIlroy, wore green, naturally, but of such a pleasant shade that it reminded them of mint; her strawberry-blonde hair woven back into a gorgeous traditional braid, though with curly locks tumbling to frame her face. Spaniard, Adriana Ramirez Covas, wore a shade of violet which brought out her eyes, contrasting her almost black hair wonderfully. English by birth, Wilhelmina Harker and Elizabeth Quatermain were used to blacks and whites, but the former wore a soft shade of pastel pink, and the latter a blue that truly did reflect the light of her eyes; Mina was actually very becoming in the feminine shade. Hailing from Japan, Yumiko Sakai wore an individual style of native dress, a soft red in colour, though she didn't seem amazingly fond of it for some reason; perhaps she was worried her partner would not approve, as ridiculous as the notion was to the others.
Her daughter, Noriko Sakai, sat with Kitten in front of the fire, soaking up the heat as they played with the latter's dolls while they waited. Noriko had had her hair styled attractively, almost extravagantly for a ten-year old. Kitten looked adorable in her little purple dress; though this was her first real Christmas, and as yet, did not completely understand the festivities and effort.
Elizabeth had kindly but eagerly donated her home for the 'holiday', while the rather large League of Extraordinary Gentlemen took some much-needed time off to celebrate what had to be everyone's favourite time of year. They had practically demanded all crises be put on hold while they relaxed, as amusing as that had been; not to say they wouldn't leap into action should disaster strike. But for now, they were content to sit, eat mince pies, drink wine, and generally enjoy themselves.
Christmas Eve in Solomon Manor meant what Elizabeth had called a traditional evening of dancing and near-formality. She said she was used to it, and didn't feel right not doing so, so everyone – women especially – had volunteered to help make the night memorable and just as traditional as Elizabeth would remember. The men had seemed almost apprehensive of having to match their ladies for splendour, but they were going to the effort nevertheless.
The staff had done their chores for the day, and Elizabeth had sent them on their ways to celebrate in whatever manner they would. The food was prepared, the drink was all stocked and out, and everything was ready. They would be back tomorrow to cook dinner.
The first man to arrive, naturally, was regal Captain Nemo, in his natural shades of blue and white, trimmed with sashes and his ornamental sword. He gave the ladies a bow, and smiled just slightly behind his beard. It seemed the gentlemen were ready.
Dru grinned almost cheekily before she stood from her seat, and a soft chorus of heels announced the ladies heading out to the lobby, where the staircase finished; where the men would descend.
They came down in a group, some looking more nervous than others, noticeably one Sidney Sawyer, who brushed off his jacket as if there were dust there to make him appear foolish. Upon receiving light-hearted mocking glances, he stopped and turned a subtle shade of red, even as they made their way down the stairs.
Dorian Gray… they had unsuccessfully tried to convince him to change from his 'drab' shades that matched his name, so he came down looking almost as everyday as he could, though there was something noticeably more extravagant about the crisp lines and flair of his suit. Henry Jekyll's attire was neater and suitably more presentable than normal, though the chain of his pocket watch could be seen poking out where it normally could.
While it couldn't be said that Nemo, Dorian and Jekyll were not attractive in their own ways in their suits and clothing, the eyes were naturally drawn to the other men as they headed down to meet the ladies. Mina smiled and stepped off to wait with the other three League members at the side. The children poked their heads out from behind her to watch.
Julian Apropos had neatened his hair remarkably, all bestiality of the werewolf gone beneath a shocking air of tidiness and effort. In his jacket was a violet flower, its petals matching Adriana's dress, as had been the plan, hence the differing colours. Sid, as already noticed, seemed quite nervous, looking down to his button hole to ensure the green flower was at the right angle, and hadn't fallen out; his hair was combed neatly over to one side, almost like a young lord or noble. Gabriel Monroe smiled charmingly as he descended, dark eyes brightening as he went, the crisp lines of his suit and bow-tie reflecting the care he had taken in his presentation, with his rather beautiful and unique flower in his jacket to match Drusilla's dress. Rodney Skinner had made certain to cover his head in the greasepaint that made him visible, and on his hands he wore white gloves, his pince-nez perched on his nose as was the norm; he looked very 'proper' in his suit, with his blue flower to show his match. And then there was Tom, whose locks of blonde hair were – for once – reasonably under control, green eyes shining with festive cheer as he smiled down the stairs to Yumiko, for once wearing the black jacket over the traditional white shirt he was known for; as to whether his black waistcoat was under that was a mystery, but he wore a flower in his button hole as with the other men, red to match Yumi's dress.
As they finished their descent, they paired off, looking each other up and down in their formality, seemingly ready for a night at the opera or something of the like. When they were done with their admiring, they followed Elizabeth – hanging on Skinner's arm – to the hall, where they were to spend the evening. There were a few tables set up for them… because, after all, the League had somewhat expanded since its forming. There was a small band of men hired to play instruments for the night of celebration, though they were the only help Elizabeth would allow for the evening.
The music started pretty much as soon as they stepped foot into the room, and smiles were shown by all. Julian offered Adriana his hand right away, a romantic smirk on his face. Adriana smiled brightly, and accepted; they were followed not long after by Gabriel and Dru. The shape shifter and the female werewolf danced close, her head on his chest, almost as if listening to his steady heartbeat.
Skinner puffed out his chest before inviting Elizabeth to take to the floor. She nigh on giggled before accepting with a crystal laugh. Dorian and Jekyll eyed one another apprehensively but almost challengingly, before the doctor beat the immortal to inviting Mina out, to which she consented with a nod and a smile, even thanking him. Of course, this seemed to make Jekyll's evening, getting in before Dorian, who stood with Nemo, pretending not to be fazed by this small defeat. Sid asked Aineen shakily to follow the others, and she practically dragged him out by his collar, almost making him yelp before he laughed. She was soon showing him the ropes, as she had before, and he was quickly taking the lead with the confidence that showed him as a Sawyer. As for the older Sawyer, Tom looked to Yumi silently, but she rolled her eyes and simply strode out to the middle of the floor, cocking her head in silent daring. Unable to turn it down, Tom followed her, though he appeared reluctant somehow, before they copied the others and settled into dancing.
For the League, this was just about as festive and 'normal' as things could get.
As the evening pushed on, wine was opened and passed around, and the tone of the music changed almost like the tide; one moment it was slow and easy, the next a cheerful upbeat rhythm that screamed out for fun and laughter. Skinner managed to hold back on consuming as much of the alcohol offerings as he could, though a few glasses went his way, and he was noticeably cheery and loud. Elizabeth only found this sweet and amusing, so she allowed it; she would keep him steady.
Tom and Sid were showing Kitten how to dance, watched affectionately by Aineen and Yumi from the table where they were sharing a piece of cake as if out for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Dru was spinning with everything she had, Gabriel taking her hand energetically for them to take up most of the floor for themselves. Adriana and Julian shared a table, talking softly and with smiles to one another; the male lycanthrope was always at his happiest when with the bounty hunter of the supernatural… as ironic as it seemed.
When Skinner bounced – quite literally – off to join the Sawyers, Elizabeth seated herself with the swordswomen.
"Well, this is turning out much better than I had even hoped it could," she admitted with a gentle peal of laughter. Aineen was too busy getting all the cream off her small fork to answer, so Yumi turned her head to do so.
"I'd have to agree with you there… though I should have guessed that neither Sawyer can dance."
"Oh, on the contrary," Aineen chuckled, "they think they can… to some degree. Though Tom is marginally more experienced than Sid, I have to admit. But I've shown Sid before and he seems to remember… which is better than nothing at least."
The three ladies laughed, and Elizabeth sipped her wine. "It's nice to have this sort of atmosphere at last. I've wanted to bring everyone here since joining the League."
"It's a beautiful house," Yumi agreed at once, her amazement in her dark eyes, displayed in the expression on her face, her head shaking just subtly from left to right a few times. "I've never seen anything quite like it."
"Thank you." Elizabeth blushed just discreetly, and turned to see Skinner give Kitten a spin in the air, making the little girl burst out with gleeful laughter, much to the brothers' delight.
Noriko had come up to her mother a short while ago to ask – uselessly – if she could have some wine, and while Yumi had allowed her a short sip, she'd been denied anything else more adventurous. The inquisitive child had wandered off to talk with Dorian Gray after that, of all people, who, miraculously, was seated with Captain Nemo. While the immortal didn't exactly seem thrilled to be the object of intrigue, he wasn't unpleasant, and spoke with Noriko civilly if nothing else.
"Everyone seems happy," Aineen noted quite quietly, setting down her utensil, the plate only sporting a few crumbs now.
"Well it's the least they deserve after these last few months," Elizabeth approved with a light sigh. Skinner's jacket sat on the back of the chair she had claimed, the thief too energetic to bother with it now. He'd somehow managed to pull Noriko out to 'dance' now, though the child seemed less than eager. She surprised everyone however when she gave in to the festive atmosphere, and danced with Kitten.
Tom landed heavily in the chair next to Yumi, flashing her a grin before she nudged him with her elbow, laughing with a shake of her head.
"What'd I do?" he asked almost breathlessly, shaking his hair off his brow.
"Nothing," Yumi teased. "Nice dancing."
"You weren't complaining when we started," Tom returned cheekily, giving her a playful shove back. Yumi scowled for all of two seconds before giving in to a smile and a laugh. "See?" He looked to Elizabeth, mouthing 'never fails'. Yumi saw however, and gave him a light smack on the arm, making him turn to her with feigned shock and anguish on his face. She couldn't help but burst into laughter at that, before he dragged her off her feet, and back onto the floor.
"Someone's had too much sugar," Aineen mumbled with a grin. "Sawyers and sugar really don't mix, I've discovered. Sid's bad enough, but you can imagine where he probably gets it from." Elizabeth giggled, shaking her head in good humour.
Skinner had ambled over with a cheeky grin, hands behind his back, before leaning over near Elizabeth, one hand dangling over them suddenly. Elizabeth didn't need to look up to know what the mischievous thief held, even as he feigned surprise, saying, "That's mistletoe, isn't it?" Elizabeth gave him a playful push, before she granted him a light kiss, even as he grinned triumphantly – no doubt amazed his coy manoeuvre had succeeded – and with a swig of his drink, made his way back to join the fun once more.
They watched as Tom twirled Yumi extravagantly to the beat of the music, not far from Gabriel and Dru. The two women smiled, and danced around their men with vigour; everyone was more than enthusiastic tonight, and it was obvious why. The hour was only nine, and while the children shouldn't stay up too late, they knew better than to try and get them into bed on Christmas Eve unless they were ready. It would be foolish to even attempt it; Noriko would kick up a fit at least, while Kitten had no idea what tomorrow would hold. She just knew that everybody was happy, having fun, and laughing, and that was like nothing she had ever seen; she never wanted it to end.
By eleven-forty, Noriko had curled up on one of the chairs in the vast living room, not asleep but suitably snug and groggy nevertheless. Yumi was still cheery enough to allow her to stay where she was, though she had told her daughter to head up when she thought her head might weigh her down. Kitten sat on Tom's lap, watching the fire almost with respectful fascination, before leaning back carefully on the American's chest; she knew from past experience not to be too rough with her surrogate big brother. Sid and Aineen shared a chair close to the heat; he still wasn't used to the weather in England, nor did he like it very much, except he adored the snow. After all, it was Tom, Sid and Skinner who had helped the girls with the snowman, affectionately dubbed 'Frosty'.
Skinner and Elizabeth were talking quietly on one of the long sofas, Julian and Adriana at the other end, quiet but content. Dru and Gabriel were huddled close in one cosy chair, her hair free of its pinning to tumble gorgeously over her bare shoulders now. She smiled softly, her cheek against the shirt on Gabriel's chest. He stroked her hair, and they murmured to each other in French every so often.
Dorian was reading primly by the fire, and soon found that he had gathered Noriko's attention once again, so he conceded to share with her the tale of the book; though it was rather long-winded and somewhat complicated for near midnight. Noriko did her best to listen and take in as much as she could, always hungry for knowledge, no matter the hour.
Tom muttered something to Kitten in her own language, making Nemo smile almost proudly; he'd been teaching the older American and helping him to study for a while. Yumi laid her hand in Tom's, and leaned against him, watching the minutes tick by towards midnight. Jekyll was turning his watch over and over as he discussed something with Mina, the two deep in conversation.
When it came close to the time however, Tom looked to Yumi in such a way that signalled he needed both his hand, and the use of his legs. It was this that caused her to prompt Kitten onto her own lap, letting the spy stand, which he did after a moment of getting his knees to respond, having had them sat on for so long.
Taking up a place near to the fire, where everyone could see him, all eyes soon upon him. Elizabeth for one turned her eyes with curiosity; she hadn't asked him to say anything, though it seemed he was going to anyway, not that she didn't appreciate the effort.
"I know it's getting late, and it's Christmas Eve, but there's something I felt I had to say," he began in a calm tone, loud enough to carry over the occasional crackling of the flames against the logs. "So here it is. Over the last few months… we've been to hell and back again, more times than I really want to count… and today, I won't trouble myself with doing just that. But the point is, we've pulled through; we stuck together, we applied ourselves and we fought through the wars… together. I remember Gabriel saying something in Egypt about teamwork, and friendship… and family." He smiled warmly, reflected by the glow from the fireplace before continuing. "We're all here, in Elizabeth's house, because she invited us… and Gabriel was right; we are a family and we belong together right now, at Christmas. It doesn't matter how you try to title us all to one another – brother, sister… whatever… the point is, we give each other strength, and I know of one man who'd be smiling right now, because of all that we've survived and achieved."
As if on some unspoken cue, or realised conclusion, everyone found the glass of wine or whatever beverage they were currently consuming, and held it readily.
Tom had picked his up from beside the sofa, and he held it in his right hand, saying, "I know many of you have no idea who he was, or what he did with his life… and I personally didn't know him any longer than a week. But I know this; he was a fighter, he was a leader, he was passionate and strong… and he was a father." He smiled. "And not just to Elizabeth, either."
Elizabeth wiped her eyes discreetly at the affection in Tom's words, smiling towards Skinner whose concern flared at her apparent tears.
"He'd be proud of everyone right now, for all that we've done to hold each other up; keep fighting and standing up for what we are and what we believe in. He died to save my life… as we all would, for our family. For each other." He lifted his glass, concluding, "To Allan Quatermain."
He was echoed by every single person in the room. Even Kitten tried to copy, though without the glass, and Noriko voiced her acknowledgement. She'd read about Quatermain, and that was enough. Elizabeth stood from her chair, paced to the fireplace, and embraced Tom in a sisterly hug, making him smile. She pulled back after a moment, nodding to him, even as the clock started to chime. It was midnight.
"Merry Christmas, everyone," Skinner stated warmly, and repetitions passed around the gathering.
"Can we open presents now?" Noriko asked hopefully, her eyes shining with promise, making her mother roll her own. When she opened her mouth to deny her daughter, Sid grinned, and Tom shrugged.
"Well, one each can't hurt. It's only fair," he said, making Noriko almost squeak with delight of her victory. She slapped her hand over her mouth just in time, and cleared her throat, before coming out with a prim, "Excellent." Yumi laughed, and Dorian actually smiled at the girl's behaviour.
Presents nearer the front of the – huge was an understatement – tree were the ones chosen to be opened; one for every member present. It didn't matter who they were from, or how big they were. It was simply more convenient to aim for presents easier to reach.
There were the usual manner of presents, such as embroidery from Elizabeth, a bottle of scotch for Skinner from Mina, a book for Noriko, and a doll for Kitten. Sid found himself the proud owner of an elegant pen and papers from Nemo; Dorian was surprised to get anything, let alone a hand-stitched handkerchief from Elizabeth. This went on for a while, with everyone opening only a single present for themselves, until only Dru found herself left out. Tom was the one to hand something to her, sitting down near the fireplace with a brotherly smile, becoming a best friend and protector – under Gabriel of course, naturally – even as he nodded to prompt her to open it.
Dru was mostly thrown off guard by the weight and size, which puzzled her for many a tentative moment before Gabriel threatened to tear it open himself for the wait. She poked her tongue out at him, and unwrapped it, holding a hand to her mouth in shock as it became clear what Tom had given her.
Staring at him for a moment, with everyone watching affectionately, she passed the gift carefully to Gabriel, stood from her chair, and went to kneel in front of Tom. After only a moment's hesitation, she just about barrelled him to the ground with a grateful, disbelieving and vehement embrace, her arms wrapped tightly about him as she thanked him. He hugged her back, laughing quietly.
Elizabeth watched the sibling-like display of gratitude with a warmth in her heart and relief filling her being. She had been worried since suggesting the event that it would be too much; that the rituals of Christmas wouldn't be something the League took the time for. But the others had seemed to leap at the chance for something labelled as normal, out of their hectic lifestyle. Bathed in the glow in her living room, Elizabeth nestled against Rodney, and looked to Gabriel, who was turning the Winchester rifle over in his hands, smiling at one side of his mouth, even as he looked back to Tom and Dru. Dru had mentioned idly about Tom wanting measurements for some reason, for her present, but she had been under the false impression that clothing had been coming her way. No one had known what the spy would give the female werewolf, so asking had done her no good.
Suitably sleepy and comfortable, content and warmed by the company, Elizabeth let her eyes close for just a moment, listening to the gentle banter of her friends and team mates as they conversed and joked.
What Tom had said had filled her with a sense of ease and gratitude. To know that Tom thought her father would be proud at this time made his loss easier to bear somehow, as she sat with her friends. Her team. Her protectors and fellow-fighters.
The League… her family.