Disclaimer: Any character that you recognize from the show is only mine to borrow for a short time. I am not making any money from this.
Thanks to all who have read and reviewed and to those on the Highlander message boards who helped me out - you know who you are.
On Christmas day, Gwen was driving in an unfamiliar area of Seacouver. Richie had gone with Duncan to Joe's to take the food and Gwen had volunteered to pick Andrea up. She looked at the address again to make sure she was on the right street. Finally, up ahead she saw the young woman coming out of a building. Andrea waved as Gwen pulled up to the curb.
"Hop in," she said. Then eyeing the cake holder she was carrying she added, "I thought the guys were bringing all the food. What's this?"
Andrea settled in the seat and put the safety belt on. Placing the cake on her lap, she replied, "My mother makes the most incredible coconut cake every Christmas, so I had her make an extra. Trust me. You'll be glad that I brought it. It's better than sex!!!"
"I'm not too sure I'd tell Richie that," she laughed. "My aunt used to make a coconut cake. I haven't had it in … Wow… at least ten years."
"I'm not used to spending Christmas with people other than my family." Andrea remarked. "It feels kind of weird to be going somewhere else for Christmas dinner."
"When I was growing up, we usually spent Christmas where ever in the world my dad happened to be stationed." Gwen responded. "Sometimes he was on duty, so we'd spend it with other Army families. I think we only had Christmas with my mom's family a couple of times."
"I've only been out of Seacouver twice," Andrea said. "We went to Disney Land when I was twelve and my mom took me to San Francisco when I graduated from high school. I'm not sure I'd know how to act in a different country."
"I guess you get used to it," Gwen said thoughtfully. "I never really knew any other way to live, though."
"So, what do you think about this not exchanging gifts thing," Andrea wanted to know. "I mean, Richie and I gave each other something, but I would have thought that Duncan, Richie, Joe and Adam would want to do something."
"I'm not sure why they aren't, but I'm kind of glad," Gwen answered. "I've either been with the band or in the library for the past week. Who's had time to shop?"
They pulled up in front of Joe's house. "Here we are. Do you need help with that?"
Before she could answer there were calls of "Merry Christmas" coming from the front door. Richie and Duncan had come outside to greet them. Richie took the cake from Andrea as she got out of the car. Duncan came around to the driver's side to hug Gwen.
"Hey," she said, hugging him back. "Merry Christmas!"
"Do you need help with anything?" he asked her.
She reached in and grabbed her guitar case. "Nope. I got it, but thanks. Is everyone else here?
Duncan sighed and looked down the street. "We're still waiting for Adam. Who knows where he is. I think he's trying to get out of having to help with dinner."
"He is a lot younger than I expected him to be," Gwen told him as they walked up to the house. "When I read his essays, he had such a grasp of the material… the translations he's done… some of his theories…"
He just chuckled, "Yeah, Adam is … something else."
As if on cue, a Land Rover pulled up behind Gwen's jeep and Adam stepped out. He opened the back door of the vehicle and pulled out a grocery bag and a casserole dish. "Were you waiting for me?"
"Actually, no." Duncan replied. "Gwen just got here and I was walking her in. What have you got?"
"I'm hurt, MacLeod. I was expecting a welcoming committee," he said with a smirk. "I have a spaghetti squash dish and beer."
The Scot was shocked. "You brought your own beer! Will wonders never cease? It is a day for miracles!"
"Ha Ha! I've bought beer before." He said indignantly.
"Only when you've been alone and there wasn't the slightest possible chance that someone else might buy it for you," Duncan said.
"That is absolutely not true," Adam said, huffing. "I have, on more than one occasion, purchased drinks for an entire room of people."
"Maybe in some other lifetime," Duncan teased, "but certainly not in this one!"
Gwen just stood between them laughing. Finally she said, "You guys sound like the Bickersons. Come on, let's go in. And try to behave yourselves."
Inside, Joe was in the kitchen basting the turkey while Richie and Andrea cuddled on the sofa. Gwen set her guitar down in a corner of the living room and joined Joe in the kitchen.
"Hey, you," Joe said, standing up to give her a hug. "Merry Christmas and welcome. Did you bring your guitar?"
"Yes, I did. And Merry Christmas to you, too," she returned his embrace. "That smells great."
Adam came in, put the beer in the refrigerator and set his casserole on the counter. He peered over Joe's shoulder to look at the bird in the oven. "Looks good. Another hour or so?"
"Yep. That sounds about right." Joe replied. "Who brought the beer?"
Adam rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, Joe a miracle has occurred this Christmas. I went into a store and with my own money, purchased my own beer. Now can we drop it?"
Joe just stood there for a minute, stunned, while Gwen collapsed into a fit of laughter. When she regained her composure, she walked past Adam, smiled up at him and patted him on the chest saying, "I told you to behave."
Adam grinned after her as she moved into the living room and sat with Richie and Andrea on the sofa. Joe looked at him with an amused expression and said, "I think she's got your number, old man."
Still looking at her across the room, he said to Joe, "This is going to be an interesting semester."
Gwen felt Adam staring her as she moved away from him. She looked up and met his eyes for a moment. Then she heard Duncan clear his throat and she looked away. Duncan looked back and forth between them with a slight frown.
After dinner, everyone stood and stretched. "I always eat too much when I'm around you guys!" Gwen complained.
"Yeah," Richie groaned. "I know what you mean. I am really full!"
Duncan chuckled, "Wow, one miracle after another. First Adam buys his own beer and now Richie has had enough to eat! Will wonders never cease?"
Everyone except Adam laughed with him. Joe started clearing dishes off the table, when Gwen shooed him away. "You guys cooked, the least I can do is clean up," she said.
Andrea stepped in to help her. "Gwen's right. Joe, please go sit down. We'll take care of this."
"But you don't know where stuff goes…" Joe started to protest.
Gwen gently pushed him in the direction of the living room. "We can figure it out. If we need you we'll call you. Now, go watch football or something."
As they loaded the dishwasher and put the leftovers away, Gwen and Andrea chatted about what they had received for Christmas and whether or not they would be hitting the sales after the holiday. Gwen had not had a girlfriend to talk to in quite a while. As she spent more time with Richie's girlfriend, she realized how much she had missed it. Eventually, their conversation turned to the men in the other room. Andrea wanted to know if Duncan had asked her out for New Years Eve.
Gwen looked at her in surprise. "No," she replied, "We're playing that night, but why would you think that Duncan would ask me out?"
"Oh, come on, Gwen," Andrea gave her an exasperated look, "don't tell me that you haven't noticed that he's interested in you. I saw that big hug he gave you when you got here."
"Please, Andrea, it was just a hug," she replied. "I got a hug from Joe when I got here, too."
"Did you get one from Adam, because he's yummy, too," Andrea asked with a giggle.
Gwen rolled her eyes, "Don't you have a boyfriend? Cute, red hair, big blue eyes?"
"Yeah, I do, but that doesn't stop me from looking," she said with a sigh. "Besides, if you had a boyfriend we could double date and stuff!"
"Like I have time for a boyfriend! Between school and research I shouldn't have time for anything else, but I still spend a couple of hours at the dojo almost everyday and now I've added this band. I think I have enough on my plate for now, thanks."
"Who's got what on their plate?" a male voice with a British accent said from behind them.
Andrea and Gwen both whirled around to see Adam retrieving another beer from the refrigerator. Both wondered how much he had heard.
"Well…" Adam prompted, looking from one woman to the other expectantly.
Gwen wasn't sure how to respond, but Andrea found her voice first and replied, "I was just trying to get Gwen to help me with some stuff, but she reminded me how busy she already is, that's all."
"Okay," Adam said staring directly at Gwen. "Joe's got his guitar out and Richie is looking a little lonely. Are you almost finished?"
"Yeah," Gwen said turning back to the sink, "we'll be out in a minute."
As Adam left the room, Andrea turned and nudged her with a giggle. Gwen stopped her. "Just don't say anything!" She started the coffee maker and set out the dessert forks beside the small plates Joe had left on the counter. "Let's go join the guys."
In the living room, Joe was idling strumming his guitar waiting for Gwen to join him. Andrea headed straight for Richie and settled beside him. Duncan was on the sofa with them and Adam sprawled in the other chair.
Gwen went to the corner and opened the case to remove her own instrument. She sat down on the floor next to Joe's chair and strummed a little to make sure the guitar was in tune.
"So, what are you guys going to play?" Richie wanted to know.
Gwen shrugged and looked up at Joe. "Why don't you start something and I'll jump in and try to keep up."
"You got it," Joe replied. He began to pick out a melody. Gwen listened for a moment, then came in with some harmonizing chords. They continued this way each one starting when they thought of something to play and the other joining in.
Duncan watched the two of them as they played off of each other's lead. He had seen the look on the watcher's face when he was on stage at his club. There was nothing that Joe loved more than making music. Gwen had that same expression on her face when her guitar in her hands. The light in her eyes… the smile on her lips… she shone with pure joy.
As much as he was enjoying the music, Adam couldn't take his eyes off Gwen. How had she become such an integral part of this group? She and Richie were like brother and sister and she had become close to his girlfriend as well. Joe had another music protégé and looked at Gwen like a daughter. The Highlander was obviously infatuated with her. Yet he sensed that she didn't reciprocate those feelings. He had been wrong about these things before, but this time he didn't think so. At least he hoped he wasn't wrong.
I just wanted to wish everyone a great holiday (whatever ones you happen to celebrate). I will be away from a computer until at least Sunday the 28th, so there won't be any more posts until next week.