Disclaimer: Don't own RvB or Halo.
To my lovely Guest reviewer: I know Sarge is kinda ooc. He's hard to write! And, Marly kinda has that effect on people. Look what she did to Grif! Anyway, next chapter will have Lopez and the chapter after is when Doughnut arrives. Though, due to the changes made by Marly's existence, neither character will be like they were in the show. So here's a question to you, and anyone else reading this: Would Sarge listen to Simmons if he reminded him of who was the IT guy on base? And if so, should Lopez still be Spanish?
Warning! Not entirely consistent. Oh, and Doughnut is called Eagle or Eagle Eye. Enjoy!
Anyway, enough from the author, on to the story!
Christmas Special
It was December 25, and all through Valhalla, soldiers were getting ready for the big day. It was a happy time, full of camaraderie and friendship.
/*/
"WHERE DID YOU PUT THAT WRAPPING PAPER, RICK!?" Dex shouted, tearing the base's supply closet apart.
"WHERE I FOUND IT!" the IT wizard called from the kitchen, where he was delicately roasting a rather large goose like bird. Sometimes, it really paid to have a sniper on the team.
"AND WHERE WAS THAT?!" Dex yelled, slamming the closet closed in frustration. Sadly, the contents were so disturbed that the door flew back open and slammed him in the face. "FIGGY PUDDING!"
"NOT MY FAULT! Tucker ate it," Caboose said, randomly walking around a corner with a tub labeled 'Figgy Pudding' and a spoon clutched in his hands.
"THIS ISN'T EVEN YOUR BASE!" Dex roared at the man-boy. He didn't seem fazed.
"I WANT COOKIES!" See? Not fazed.
"STOP YELL'N! UNLESS YOU'RE KILLING GRIF! THEN KEEP YELL'N' TILL HE'S DEAD!" Sarge yelled. He had never really gotten over his whole 'I hate Grif' thing, though when Dex was wearing his Agent armor it was restricted to minor grumbling and not shotgun blasts.
"FUDGE YOU SARGE!" Dex called back, turning back to looking for the wrapping paper to use on his last minute gifts.
/*/
The Reds and Blues had agreed to a week long truce, leading up to the festivities of the day. Gifts had been made, found, and bargained for. A massive tree, made from Dex's gun collection and Lopez's busted vehicles, stood in the middle of the canyon, decorated with Tucker's CD/DVD collection.
/*/
"... Did you have to steal my CDs?" Tucker asked morosely, looking at the glittering tree of guns.
"Dude... that's all they're good for. Seriously, they were trash," Wash said, setting a pile of gifts under the gun tree.
"Feeling the Christmas spirit there dude. Feeling the Christmas spirit," Tucker said dryly. Wash just chuckled and went back to base.
/*/
The Warthogs blared Christmas music while Eagle Eye decorated the canyon with streamers.
/*/
"How did you get that there?!" Wash asked, looking at the massive pile of rock with colorful streamers covering it.
"Streamer rounds," Eagle said simply.
"They make that?" Wash asked, surprised. The younger man shrugged, popping the empty casing out of his rifle.
"I do."
"... Snipers are weird," the ex-Freelancer said, shaking his head.
"So glad you noticed!" Eagle sang happily over his shoulder as he walked over to the next spot, loading another custom round into his gun.
/*/
Soon, all was ready and the Teams gathered for their first communal gift swap/carol night.
/*/
"So, who wants to start us off?" Dex asked, looking around at the uncovered faces that surrounded him.
"I will!" Caboose cheered, holding up a clumsily wrapped... thing.
"Alright Caboose, who's it for?" Dex said.
"This is for you, Agent Washington!" said Caboose, handing Wash the item. Wash smiled at the simple soldier and unwrapped the present. Inside was a crude wooden...
"Dude... is that a cat?" asked Eagle. Wash flushed and shoved the cat back into the box he'd pulled it from.
"Thanks, Caboose," the embarrassed Agent muttered. Dex chuckled and tossed another present at the man.
"Here. Nothing too special, but..." Dex shrugged, unable to find the right words. Wash nodded and opened the package to find a holo-disk. Frowning, Wash activated it. An image of the whole Blue team, helmets discarded, sitting around a card table playing go-fish for pop-tarts popped up. Wash blinked rapidly and set it to the side.
"Thanks Dex. Means a lot," he choked out. Dex smiled and nodded, knowing the other man needed no words. Still, he was a bit surprised when the Agent tossed him a gift in return. Opening it, he found it to be a painting of the beach, occupied by him and his sister. Thankfully, she wasn't in a swim suit. His head snapped and and he stared at the interim Blue Leader. "She posed while Tucker took a photo, before they left Blood Gulch. I just... borrowed it for reference," the man admitted, looking a little nervous. Dex chuckled.
"No need to be so nervous Wash. It means a lot, that you'd make a scene like this," he said softly, looking down and tracing the crest of a wave with a calloused finger. He'd treasure this, he was sure. Wash handed Tucker a package, looking a great deal happier. Tucker quirked an eyebrow, but opened his gift. It was a book titled 'Military Training for Dummies.' It was hand written. By Wash.
"Gee, thanks Wash," Tucker drawled sarcastically. Wash just gave him a jaunty smile and a little wave while Caboose, who seemed to think everyone else had had the spot light for long enough, bounded over to Sarge and presented him with a crudely drawn picture of Dex with a surprisingly precise bulls-eye painted over his smirking face.
"Aw~! You shouldn't have!" Sarge said. Dex growled behind the older man, causing him to flinch. Dex smirked and handed him a package. It was an old Warthog piece painted orange with white lettering. 'Orange means Danger.'
"Just a little reminder, Red," Dex whispered to the Sargent. Sarge swallowed heavily and put the plaque aside. Dex chuckled, then sat back. Eagle got up and gave Rick a pin reading 'World's Best IT Guy.'
"Thanks Eagle," Rick said dryly, pinning the small piece of round metal to his maroon sweater. The sniper smirked and gave a mock bow.
"You're quite welcome," he said. Rick rolled his eyes, but didn't say anymore. Sarge handed him a bag that had a mug inside. It said 'Most Valuable Soldier' down the side with the MVS being bigger than the rest of the words. Rick chuckled and waved it at Doc.
"Hey! Could you hook me up with some cocoa?" he asked. Doc chuckled, but took the mug and filled it with the warm chocolaty goodness. "Ah~! Much thanks! Here, got you something," Rick said, handing the medic a large retganular package.
"You didn't have to," Doc said. Rick chuckled darkly.
"Oh, yes I did," he said, sipping his cocoa. Doc was a bit puzzled, but when he had removed the wrapping paper, he understood.
"Gee, thanks," he said, looking down at 'First Aide for Dummies!' by Agent Black.
"Well, I know the author. And she gladly wrote it, just for you," Rick said. Dex looked over, then burst out laughing.
"Oh! Oh! Ha! Good one Rick!" he huffed. Doc frowned at the laughing soldier.
"I bet you don't know half the things in here," he challenged. Dex grinned at him.
"You'd lose that bet. See, Rick fixes computers, Sarge builds and the subsequently destroys targets, Lopez fixes vehicles, Eagle Eye does the mending, but me? I'm the one they come crying to when they've got a bullet stuck in their side or a gash across their back or a rock through their leg. They can take care of themselves for something a bit more minor, but the big things? They come to me for the big things. And if I can't handle it, I can at least get them stable until Black can get to them. Now, enough about that. It's Christmas! It's a time for joy! Who's next?" the solider said, turning to the rest of the group.
"Here," Doc said, holding out a package to Dex. "Seems even more appropriate after that little speech, I'll admit." Dex blinked down at the unwrapped med kit. He huffed a laugh.
"Mine's probably better, but thanks all the same," he said. Sarge nodded and picked up a long, flat gift.
"Noticed you didn't have one," the gruff man said, tossing it to the medic. Doc frowned as he felt the weight of the item. When the paper fell away he hissed at the combat knife sitting in his hands. "I know yer a passifist, but these are dangerous times. No-one should be without some form of weapon these days," Sarge said. Doc chuckled and set it aside.
"You may be right, Sarge. But, that doesn't mean I have to like it," he said, smiling at the battle hardened man. Sarge nodded and settled back to watch the others.
"Here, these are for you," Rick told Eagle. He nodded to his teammate and opened the box to find a new set of targets.
"Thanks Rick!" Eagle said, grinning down at the fist sized cardboard circles. Rick chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, as a friend once told me, target practice is a very good stress reliever," he said, grinning over at Dex, who raised his mug in a salute. "Tucker, Caboose, these are for you. Merry Christmas!" he added, getting up and making sure the Blue soldiers got the right gift. Tucker got brand new CDs and Caboose got some more crayons.
"Hey! Thanks Rick!" Tucker said, flipping through the albums.
"Thank you, Mr. Maroon!" Caboose said, hugging his new crayons. Tucker smirked.
"Well, you can double the fun now, Caboose. Merry Christmas buddy," he said, handing him another package. Caboose gasped as he saw the brand new markers Tucker had given him. "ACK! Caboose! Can't. Breath!" Tucker protested as the strong young man hugged him tightly.
"Best. Christmas. EVER!" Caboose cheered. The others all chuckled at his antics before Kai stood up and said,
"Hey Grif! I got something for ya!" she yelled before handing him...
"A gun service kit?! Aw Kai, you know me so well," Dex said hugging her before passing her a box. "Merry Christmas, Lil Sis."
"A Glock G38?! Thanks Grif!" Kai yelled before proceeding to hug her big brother tightly.
"Yeah? Well check out what I got you Kai!" Tucker said, presenting yet another box. Inside was a Curve Blade.
"Awesome! Thanks Tucker!" Kai said happily, dragging a finger down the flat of the curving blade. Dex smiled at his sister.
"I could teach you how to use that, if you'd like," he said, nodding toward the knife. Kai shook her head.
"Nah. I'll pick it up well enough," she told him. He quickly turned to Tucker.
"If she hurts herself with that thing, you're the one I'm going to maim," he growled menacingly. And when a six foot two, two hundred and three pound weapons expert growls at you, it is menacing indeed. Tucker swallowed heavily and nodded furiously. Dex nodded with a growled, 'good' and sat back down.
"Oh! Eagle, here!" Kai said, drawing herself away from her new 'toys' to hand the surprised Sniper a cloth covered box. He opened it... and stared blankly at the sewing kit it contained. Dex chuckled.
"That's Kai for ya," he said. Eagle glared.
"I blame you," he bit out before leaving for more cocoa. Dex just laughed harder, others joining in when they realized what Kai had given to the formerly Pink solider. When Eagle returned, Wash declared it time for dinner and they all enjoyed the large dinner prepared by Rick and Eagle. Then, it was time for carols.
/*/
"That... was the worst rendition of 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer... ever. Of all time," Wash said late that night as he staggered back to Blue Base, a half conscious Tucker draped over his shoulder. "And it's not even a Christmas Carol!"
"I liked 'How the Freelancer Saved Christmas,'" Caboose said. Wash sighed.
"That, wasn't a song. That, was a story Dex made up on the spot. Why he made it up, I have no idea," Wash informed him wearily. The childlike soldier ignored him completely and kept going. Wash had to smile at the man. He was so innocent, even after everything he'd been through. It was... sweet, almost. And having a kid who would cheerfully carry everyone's presents all the way back to base from the center of the canyon around was rather nice. After all, Wash had to carry a practically passed out Tucker back. How the man had gotten into said state was a mystery. Surprisingly, there had been no alcohol at the 'party.' Unless Eagle had spiked the punch, but that didn't seem likely. Eagle didn't strike him as the type. But no-one else had handled the punch. It was a grand mystery, and one Wash was content to leave well enough alone. Kai was spending the night with her brother, as she had actually passed out leaning against him. All in all, it had been the best Christmas ever. Of all time.
/?/
A/N: So... not a chapter. SORRY! But, as it's Christmas Day I'm posting on... it seemed right to do this instead.