Chapter Twenty-Five: Not-so-Merry Christmas
December 17, 2552 1032 hours
UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes
North America
Laura had a special surprise planned for Nicole and her niece, Taylor. Taylor held a special place in Laura's heart, second only to her affection for the twins; hell, she'd practically helped raise Taylor since her mother had died and her dad had been called into action, and Taylor considered her a second mother. Laura had told Nicole and Taylor to wait in front of the base while she went and got something in preparation for the Christmas party Nicole was hosting that night. Leaving them waiting in front of the gate, Laura slipped inside and looked around until she spotted an old friend.
"Hey, Nathe! Get over here!" she called jovially.
Nathan Mitchell turned and headed in Laura's direction, a smile on his face: the last time he'd seen Laura she had just turned twenty, and in his eyes the extra twenty years left no impression on her face. Of course, he thought with a smile, she had the augmentation, so that might have something to do with it, plus her mother also aged well.
"Hey, Laurabeth! How goes it?" He smiled as she clasped his hand warmly, noting how careful she was not to grip too hard.
"Same old, same old. Anyway, I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes and let me lead you." With that, she grabbed his hand and led him outside the base, where Nicole and Taylor were waiting with their eyes closed. Leading Nathan almost up to Nicole completely, Laura dropped his hand, got out of the line of sight, and yelled "Okay, open your eyes!"
"Daddy!" Taylor ran up and shrieked in delight as her father scooped her up and hugged her tightly. Nicole followed at a more sedate pace, and when she got there Nathan wrapped one arm around her waist and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"Nathan, I'm glad you're home," Nicole said, eyes shining as she looked at her brother.
"Good to be home. I just arrived a few weeks ago; the Spartans brought me back in the middle of one of their ops. Laura found out I was here and—" he stopped and looked around. "Where did she go?"
"I think we'll see her later, Nathe. There's a Christmas party tonight, and a lot of people will be there, including her."
"And the Spartans?"
"I'll extend a special invitation just for them," Nicole smiled, her clear eyes shining even more brightly.
December 17, 2552 1900 hours
Mitchell Residence
North America
Laura stood in a corner at Nicole's, silent and watchful. There were a lot of ONI officers here, each one a potential threat, but it was Ackerson she had to watch out for most. He'd come with General West, and Nicole had been decidedly uncomfortable about letting him in, but too polite to turn him away. As she stood brooding on this and various other things, she noticed Nathan heading her way.
"There you are! Why are you hiding in a corner when you could be dancing?"
"I haven't had any cause to dance for a long time, Nathe," she replied, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth; Nathan had been after her heart for years.
"Well, why don't you start now?" Nathan held out his hand, and Laura took it. If nothing else, it might piss off Ackerson, she thought. A lively Christmas tune came on the speakers, and the two began to dance along with several other couples.
The Master Chief felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Laura dancing with Lieutenant Mitchell, something he hadn't felt since childhood. Why am I jealous? He and the others watched as Nathan tried to move closer to her. It was like watching him try to catch smoke; whenever he got close enough to touch her, she slipped away at the last minute, keeping the rhythm of the music while not letting him get too close. When he finally caught her, they could tell it was only because she allowed it.
"Oh, look, mistletoe," they heard Nathan mutter as he leaned his face closer to hers. Laura waited until his face almost touched hers, then kissed him—on the tip of his nose. General laughter ensued, Nathan Mitchell turned a dark red, and Laura slipped out of his arms and headed for the punch bowl. Fortunately for the Lieutenant, his momentary embarrassment was short-lived as a bundle of red-gold started streaking around the room.
"SKEETER!" Nicole and Nathan both shouted.
"Catch him!" Laura called; in the next minute, the three friends began trying to catch the little bundle of fur as he raced in between the guests. Most of those were busy trying to avoid the corgi altogether, no easy task considering the breakneck speed the dog was running at.
"How did he get out?" Nicole asked, breathless as she tried to chase the little corgi around the room.
"Animals are much more intelligent than we think," Laura muttered as she tried to flank the speedy little mass.
"Intelligent or not, this dog is a nuisance and a half," Nathan grunted as he tried to squeeze under a table and grab hold of the dog's collar. Skeeter bolted out and through several pairs of legs, wriggling his way into a narrow opening between a heavy couch and a wall.
"Face it, Nathe, you wouldn't want it any other way," Laura smirked as she knelt down in front of the dog's hiding place. "He's laughing at us now, since he thinks we can't get him." Sure enough, the corgi had a look on his face reminiscent of a taunting child. Laura poked her head in through the opening, presenting a rather amusing picture as her butt stuck out in the air behind her.
"Ok, Skeeter-butt, come on out of—gah!" Laura pulled herself back, grabbed a napkin, and started wiping the sudden accumulation of moisture off her face. "Beware, dog can't hold its licker," she quipped, voice slightly muffled by the napkin.
"How are we going to get him out of there?" Nicole sounded worried.
"Chew toys? Specifically, his rope?" Laura asked, dark eyes smiling as her friends caught the not-so-subtle hint.
"Ah, good idea," Nathan nodded. "I'll go get it."
A few minutes later, Laura had actually tugged the dog out of his hiding place using the toy, and they had sealed him in a closed room.
"Well, that was an adventure and a half," Laura muttered as she brushed dog hairs off her shirt. "I can take on the Covenant in any field, but I can barely outwit a corgi. Go figure."
"I still wish I knew how he got out." Nathan muttered.
"Did you put him in the latch pen?" Laura asked, referring to a gate that could be placed in front of a doorway. Nathan nodded.
"That explains it. I meant to bring this up, but other things drove it out of mind. Skeeter learned how to open the latch a few weeks ago. I meant to say something before."
"It's ok, Laura. We all know how things can get on base." Just as he said that, they got back to the party and the power went out.
"What the hell?" someone shouted. "What just happened?"
"Cool it, kid. Probably just a few frozen power lines," Laura called from the other side of the room. She seemed completely unperturbed by the situation. A little girl started crying, and the Spartans—who were the only ones besides Laura who could see in the dark room--watched Laura go and pick her up.
"It's ok, Taylor Mae, I've got you. No monsters are coming for you with your daddy and me on the watch." She turned and passed the girl to Nathan Mitchell, who hugged the child and stroked her hair.
"Laura, could you see about maybe getting some candles?" Nicole asked, seeming to know her friend's exact capabilities; not many civilians knew Spartans could see in the dark, and very few military personnel knew it either.
"Easy. I'll be back with candles and maybe a few flashlights for good measure," she replied calmly as she headed for the kitchen. They heard her rummaging around for a few moments before she returned, a lit candle in one hand and several more unlit ones in the other. "I couldn't find a whole lot of candlesticks, so we'll have to be careful."
"I know where they're at," Nathan said as he got up, took a candle and lit it, and went back to the kitchen. After he left, his sister noticed Taylor yawning.
"Ok, Taylor, bedtime."
"No, Auntie Nicole, I don't wanna go to sleep. There's monsters in my room."
Laura caught the look Nicole shot her. "Come on, Taylor Mae, I'll go with you and chase out all the monsters. They won't dare come back after that." She scooped the little girl up. "Wow, you're getting big. Keep growing like this and I won't be able to pick you up anymore." Still holding the lit candle, she carried Taylor upstairs to her room. Once she'd tucked the girl in, she waited until she was asleep before leaving; as she started down the stairs, however, she heard what sounded like an argument, and paused to listen.
Nathan had returned with the candlesticks just as Laura carried Taylor up to bed. He understood exactly why, and even approved; Taylor loved Laura almost as much as the rest of them did. Setting down the candlesticks, he and Nicole began inserting candles and lighting each one.
"Too bad Laura couldn't have waited a few minutes before going upstairs. She might burn herself with the hot wax," Nicole commented.
"A good thing, too, I'd say," Ackerson muttered under his breath, but not softly enough. Almost everyone in the room heard, including Nicole. She got up and slapped him across the face.
"Laura is one of the truest officers you have! Has she ever done anything to make herself look like a traitor? What has she done to you that you hate her so much?"
"She exists," Ackerson growled. "If it hadn't been for her father she wouldn't even be in the UNSC."
"Oh don't you dare bring Colonel Morisson into this!" Nicole was almost shouting now. "The last thing he would have wanted was for Laura to be in the military. I know, I've asked him, and he told me he had no choice! So don't you dare blame others for things Laura couldn't control!"
"And how would you know? That information is classified, and only a traitor would see it, a traitor such as Blade!" A soft footfall behind him caused Ackerson to turn and see Laura's face, illuminated by a single candle. Hot candle wax dripped down and coalesced into twisted, fluted columns. A single trickle of wax dripped onto her hand, but her face remained impassive, except for a strange look in her dark eyes; it seemed to the Spartans that the comment had hurt her, even though she'd endured worse.
"Who is the real traitor?" she asked softly. "Does trying to save innocent lives in violation of orders make someone a traitor? Does doing the right thing brand someone a fool? Or is it twisting the truth into lies to destroy a memory that makes someone a real traitor? Do you have the right to judge?" Candle wax continued to drip on her hand, and somehow, as Laura turned to set the candle on the table, a drop hit Ackerson's hand. As he gasped in shock and pain, Laura turned and looked at him, the soft glow of the candles seeming to pull her cold outer layers away and showing the humanity that was always hidden beneath.
"It hurts, doesn't it? But that is nothing compared to the pain I've endured for thirty-seven years." She set the candle down and went to the hall closet. A moment later they heard the front door close as she walked out into the raging snow.
Nicole looked hard at Ackerson, a cold fury in her eyes. "You still insist on destroying her, bit by precious bit? Well, chew on this: if she dies, I will personally make sure the world knows why, and there will be nothing you can do to stop it." An empty threat, and everyone in the room knew it, but no one decided to call her bluff.
The snow swirled around even more than ever, blocking the house and trapping everyone inside. No one expected to see the light of day for a long while, and Nicole feared for her friend out in the cold. She didn't sleep, but kept herself awake and looking out the windows, in case Laura should return. Skeeter, who had somehow managed to get loose again, sat next to her, seemingly aware that something was wrong; he was quiet and calm for once, occasionally nudging and licking Nicole's hand in a canine attempt at comfort. Hearing movement in the darkness, she noticed General West and the Spartans were still awake even though everyone else had gone to sleep hours ago.
"Is she out there?" West asked in a low voice.
"I haven't seen her since she left. If she didn't make it through the storm, we'd never know it: the drifts are huge. We're snowed in, so even if she did try to make it back here she'd never get inside." The Spartans noticed her worried look, as did (apparently) the dog; he nuzzled her hand again, trying to make his mistress feel better.
"She's a Spartan, Miss Mitchell," Linda pointed out in an attempt to ease her fears. "She'll survive."
"Laura may be a Spartan, yes, but she's also a Morisson," Nicole smiled. "They never give up and never give in, if she and her brothers are anything to go by: stubborn and hot-tempered a lot of the time, but proud and strong. She'll make it."
A loud noise outside interrupted the conversation as well as waking up everyone in the house. There was the groan of machinery, followed in a few moments by a loud knocking.
"General West? Colonel Ackerson?" a man's voice called from the other side of the door; the Master Chief recognized the voice of Sergeant A.J. Johnson.
"We're here. We're snowed in," West called.
"Not anymore. We got a message you were here, and you were blocked in, so we came and dug you out. Ain't never seen a storm like that in years," Johnson muttered under his breath as he opened the door.
Nicole and Skeeter were the first ones out: Nicole because she wanted to find Laura, Skeeter because he had to go. While the corgi relieved himself, Nicole scanned the ground nearby and found a small sprig of plastic holly leaves partially buried in one of the many drifts. It was the same sprig Laura had been wearing in her hair during the party.
"Oh no," she whispered as she sank to her knees in the snow.
Nathan came up and saw Nicole's distraught face.
"Laura's fine, Nick. Who else could have given Johnson that message?"
"Of course. I'd forgotten. It's just that when I saw the holly…" she didn't need to finish the sentence. Skeeter trotted up, sniffed the plastic, and whined. He started running around eagerly, trying to pick up the familiar scent. In spite of his efforts, it was Nicole's ears that found Laura, with the faint sound of panpipes playing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," one of Laura's favorite carols. She's safe. Laura's ok. Nicole smiled.
December 24, 2552 2000 hours
Gedeon Residence
North America
Laura sat in a rocking chair in her mother's house, having stolen a few quiet moments to herself. Christmas parties may be fun, but sometimes you just need to think. She was sitting and humming 'Candlelight Carol' when she saw her niece wander in.
"Auntie Laura, what's wrong?" Laura smiled; Katrina was very perceptive for a four-year-old, and they had always been very close.
"I just wanted to sit and think, babycakes," she smiled as Katrina climbed up on her lap.
"Are you sad?"
"Kat, someday you're going to be as smart as your daddy; he could always tell when something was bothering me. I'm not sad, but I'm worried."
"Worried about Daddy?"
"Your daddy, my daddy, Grandma, Uncle Phil even," Laura smiled. "Don't worry about me, I'll be ok."
Two hours later, Angela Morisson turned and looked at her son, Alex; he was out cold draped over one arm of the couch. She smiled and looked around for his twin, but couldn't see her. What she did see was four tall people staring into the next room, and went over to see why even though she already had a guess as to what she would see.
The Master Chief and his friends watched in silent amazement at the scene before them: Laura sitting on a rocking chair, a young girl asleep on her lap. She continued rocking gently as she stroked the child's light brown hair, holding her gently so she didn't fall off. Looking up, Laura put one finger to her lips, signaling silence; there was a look of contentment on her face, which made her look more human.
Laura looked up to see the Spartans watching her, and signaled them to silence. It wouldn't do any good to have them wake her up. While she was rocking, she heard 'Candlelight Carol' begin playing in the other room, and a slight smile tugged at her mouth. A few moments later Angela entered the room, and smiled at the idyllic scene. She disappeared a moment later and returned with Alex in her arms. Laura nodded and rose gently, careful not to disturb the sleeping child, and assisted her mother in putting her and her twin brother to bed.
December 25, 2552 0003 hours
Gedeon Residence
That night, the Master Chief was sitting up and awake (since he and his Spartans had been invited to stay the night) when he heard a faint rustling; the sound intensified as a slender figure glided into the room, a figure in a long, flowing, multicolored robe. Even though she could see in the darkness, he watched as Laura lit a match and held it to a small candle. Using this lit candle, she lit five candles in the holly-covered holder on the table. Carrying the small candle to the living room, she lit all the candles sitting out, and blew out the little candle she was holding. The rooms were bathed in a soft glow, and Laura used the gentle light to arrange a centerpiece on the table with the unique candelabra. She arranged pine branches around a wooden bowl, centered holly boughs inside, and tucked little wrapped packages amongst the boughs. Setting this on the table, she looked around in the candle glow and saw him watching.
"Did I wake you, Master Chief?"
"I was awake when you came out." He noticed how carefully she chose her words, knowing that he was the cause; apparently their encounter aboard the Holy Retribution was still on her mind. Looking at her face in the glow, he noticed a gentle kindness there he'd never seen before: it was as though all the hardness and coldness in her had been burned away.
"I wanted to get this done before Alex and Emma Louise woke up," she explained quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else. "They enjoy seeing all the little surprises Santa leaves them every Christmas. Even though I do it, not Santa, it gives them something to look forward to."
"You're fond of them, aren't you?" She thought she heard curiosity in his voice.
"They're my brother's children; how could I not be fond of them? I've helped look after them ever since they were born; they're the closest thing I'll ever have to children of my own." Not realizing it, she stepped closer, her thin robe rustling around her softly.
All of a sudden, it seemed to the Master Chief that time was standing still. Laura was standing in front of him, looking soft and fragile in the candlelight. Before he realized it, he was leaning closer to her, one arm snaking around her waist. She drew closer to him, somehow unsure whether he pulled her or if she moved on her own. What's happening to me? How can this be happening? She couldn't think of the answers, but some part of her didn't want to. Before she realized it, she was in his arms, looking up towards his face; there was a strange look in his eyes, so different from his usual impassive gaze. The Spartan in front of her lowered his head, gently pressing his lips on her own, seeming almost unsure of himself. She drew even closer then, pressing her lips against his, returning the tentative kiss he was giving with one stronger, more knowing. He tightened his embrace, pulling her tight against him, his kiss deepening with each passing second. A fire sparked deep inside her, warming her every limb; she wanted to explore these newfound sensations, which she associated with the love she felt for this man. Part of her retained her senses, however; she knew what might happen if things continued along this line. I can't let this continue, she thought. I can't let him love me, and I can't love him. She pulled away as gently as she could, knowing how dangerous it would be to insult him, but she didn't pull away without regret.
"I should go."
"Laura, wait." It was the first time he had called her by name since they'd captured the Covenant ship.
"This should never have happened. If this continues, if people find out, if—"she broke off, apparently realizing how close she was coming to revealing some dangerous, forbidden secret. "No matter. Needless to say, this can't continue. It's dangerous for everyone. Good night, Master Chief." She went around the room, blowing out the candles; when the last one was extinguished, she glided away, hoping she could still the ache in her heart.
John was confused; what had made him kiss her? Why had she pulled away? And why, all of a sudden, had she become so cold to him? His head was reeling as if he had just been hit in the head and knocked unconscious. As he tried to gather his thoughts, he noticed the smoke from the candles coalescing into a small cloud as it drifted upwards: the cloud seemed to take the shape of an old woman's face. The cloudy face smiled, and he almost swore he heard words whispered with the light voice of a breeze.
Don't worry, she just wants to protect you. She loves you, and fears for you. Only time may tell what will happen, I cannot. The cloudy face disappeared, and John rubbed his eyes: obviously he needed sleep more than he realized.
As soon as she got to her room, Laura felt the tears start running down her face. She hadn't asked for the Master Chief to kiss her. No, but you hoped he would, she reminded herself as she shut the door; if any of the Spartans saw her cry, they'd never let her forget it. If he only knew how much it hurt to reject him, she thought sadly. Pulling back the blankets, she slipped into her bed; she found herself hugging the pillow close to her as if it could substitute for the strong, warm chest she had been pressed against not two minutes ago. It hadn't been her first kiss, and it was almost shy (if such a thing applied to a Spartan), but it had touched her in a way she'd never thought possible before. There was nothing more tempting at this point than for Laura to go back out there, wrap her arms around him, and kiss him again and again, but she knew that could never happen. It's not safe, she thought. I can't love him. Just before she drifted off to sleep, a single thought echoed in her mind, in a voice that sounded like her grandmother's:
If you love someone enough, it will protect you both.
December 25, 2552 0810 hours
Gedeon Residence
Almost as soon as the sun was up, the twins were up and running to the tree. Laura, wearing pressed green slacks and a red-and-gold sweater, herded them to the table for breakfast, even though she could see they wanted nothing more than to open presents. A small smile grew on her face as she listened to their protests.
"Your presents aren't going anywhere," their mother lectured from the kitchen as she cut slices of what appeared to the Master Chief to be a roll of some sort. "Now sit down and eat. I thought you two liked Christmas nut roll." The two children immediately got silent, and now opened their mouths only to stuff them with breakfast. Angela, Dr. Gedeon, Laura, and the Spartans showed a bit more decorum with their eating habits, but the Spartans noticed Laura was deliberately avoiding looking at them.
"As usual, Mom, a perfect breakfast."
"Thank you, Laurabeth. Well, now that most of us are finished eating," she said as she glanced at the twins' faces covered in crumbs, which their mother promptly wiped off with a napkin, "shall we go open presents?"
"Yay!" The twins bolted out of their chair and to the gifts, stopping just short of running into the tree.
"Just a minute, you two," their grandmother called. "Aunt Laura gets the first gift." The twins stopped and waited, looking a little disappointed but smart enough to listen. The elderly doctor reached under the tree and pulled out a small box, about the size of her hand. Passing it to Laura, she sighed deeply.
"Your father and I meant this as a wedding present, but since that may not happen anymore, I figured you might as well have it now. Better get some use out of it before it's too late."
"If I didn't know better, Mom, I'd say you were suspicious," Laura smiled as she slipped the ribbon off the box and started in on the wrapping paper. "I've not done anything like that, so you can be reassured." As she finished unwrapping the box, she noticed a verse written on the lid, a verse from a winter poem she'd written many years ago:
The wisdom of snow,
As it drifts down below
Carries lost kindred's tears
And their joy through the years.
Lifting the lid, her eyes widened. She dipped her hand into the box and pulled out a silver necklace. The pendant hanging from the chain turned slowly, and all could see it was a little silver snowflake, about five centimeters in diameter. It glittered as it turned, and the Spartans noticed the front of it was dotted with pale blue gemstones. Linda looked closer, and saw a small, bare patch of plain silver in the very center.
"The spot in the center can be engraved," Dr. Gedeon was saying. "We were hoping to put your husband's name in there and give it to you as a wedding gift, but as I said before, I doubt that will happen now."
"Whether it does or not, it's beautiful. Thank you, Mom." Her dark eyes were shining as she put the necklace on; it didn't match well with her sweater, but she didn't seem to care. Smiling, she handed out gifts one by one; since it was wartime, there wasn't much, but everyone got at least one gift. Her mother received a carved wooden holder for the various pens and pencils she had scattered on her desk. Angela was given a carved salad bowl, carefully varnished and coated in a special fixative, which would keep it safe and still allow for its use. She was given, in turn, a new workout suit from Angela, and clay ashtrays from the twins, which looked kind of shapeless. Laura took them anyway, and smilingly produced two more gifts from behind her back.
"One for Alexander the Great, one for Katrina," she grinned. Alex tore through the wrapping paper to find a wooden sword and shield, just his size.
"Thank you, Auntie Laura!"
"Just promise me you'll not go after your sister with those, or I'll take them away," his mother admonished sternly, but she and Laura shared a small smile. Katrina meanwhile was still trying to open her package; Laura knew it was fragile, and had wrapped it carefully. She finally got it open to reveal a small wooden flute, just like her aunt's.
"Guess now I'll have to teach you to play," Laura smiled at her young niece; although she loved them both dearly, Katrina was her favorite of the two. As she ran to give her aunt a hug, Laura picked her up and swung her around, laughing right along with her. Then Alex demanded the same treatment, and got whirled around as well, while Laura's mother shook her head.
"I swear, Laura, sometimes you're just as bad as both of them."
"Why do you think we get along so well?" she smiled as she put Alex down and watched him run off 'to kill dragons and dinosaurs,' his sister following closely. Glancing over at the Spartans, her smile faded a little, but she kept it there. "Don't worry, we didn't forget you. Merry Christmas." She reached behind a chair and came up with four wrapped packages. They'd been hidden so she wouldn't worry about the twins getting at them.
The Spartans were surprised by the gifts, almost as surprised as they were to be getting any gifts at all. Still, they were excellent gifts, perfectly chosen, in fact. Fred received a plain pair of sais, which he apparently couldn't wait to try out. Linda got a small tool kit; designed specifically to go with an SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle, it would give her an extra hand with some of the modifications she always made to the things. Will received a pair of handguns: their design was one of the more dependable types, and certainly better than what he usually carried as a sidearm. For the Master Chief, there was a set of silencers, custom made and designed for battle rifles and various ammunition calibers. Impressive gifts, he thought, but why did she even decide to give them? He noticed how she refused to meet his eyes; obviously she still remembered the kiss earlier.
Linda was examining her new took kit with great interest. "Where did you get this? These are supposed to be hard to find."
"I have a few contacts in the right places, and a small amount of money," Laura replied. Loath as she would be to admit it, she was beginning to enjoy Linda's company. Still smiling, she glanced at Fred trying to twirl one of his new sais. "It takes practice, and a lot of time. I can teach you the basics if you'd like, but the discipline itself takes years to master."
"Thanks," Fred replied, for once not as gruff toward her.
"Yes, thanks indeed," the Chief added, his voice seeming a bit chilly; Laura inwardly winced. "You certainly didn't need to do this."
"No, but it's Christmas, the season of gifts and giving," she replied as she got up. "I'd better go check on the twins, make sure they haven't killed each other yet." A loud noise from the other side of the house cause both her and Angela to sprint quickly in the general direction of the twins. Good, he's being cold to me, she thought as she hurried along. I did the right thing. Even as she thought this, she doubted that she was right.