Love to play with the characters, and I promise to put them back how I found them!

Chapter 3

The Quest

Alex took her seat in the vehicle, waiting for Bobby. As he climbed in, she smiled at him. "Where to first?"

He looked at her with surprise. First? You mean there's going to be more than one stop? "Ah, I circled the tree vendors."

He reached in the back seat bringing forward the newspaper and handed it to Alex. She studied the paper for a moment. She pointed to the one closest to her home. "Let's start there and work our way out. That way, if we have to, we can work our way back."

Bobby gulped. He never realized that Christmas tree buying was so involved. "What if we find the tree at the first vendor?"

Alex shook her head. "You never know until you've been to more than one."

Bobby silently shook his head, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

At the first lot, Bobby shuffled his feet as he watched Alex, walk up and down the lot looking at the trees. He slowly fell in beside her. "So, what exactly are you looking for?"

She furrowed her brow. "A fresh tree." She stepped up to a tree and gently pulled on the needles, several came off in her gloved hand. "See how easily they come off? It's not fresh."

Bobby nodded. "What else are you looking for?"

Alex bit her lip. "I want more of a country style tree. Something that looks like we found it out in the woods, and not sitting in a tree lot. Maybe, a long needled one?"

Bobby stayed at her elbow, not drifting too far away. Alex sighed softly. She had hoped that he would get his usual curiosity, and do some searching on his own. She reached over to pick up another tree leaning on the stack. She looked at Bobby. Pulling on the needles, he shook his head, letting it fall gently back on the stack of trees and snow.

By the fourth vendor, Bobby felt he had become an expert at what Alex was looking for. Yet, the trees didn't seem to 'talk' to him. Separating from Alex, he began searching for the tree that was 'right'. Walking down one of the rows, he saw one tree tossed off to the side. Walking up to it, he stood it up. The branches were long needled. Norway Pine? He frowned. Alex would know.

He studied it, slightly turning it in his hands, brushing the light powder of snow off its branches. The branches were wide apart, and very sparse. It stood maybe five and a half feet. He gave some of the needles a light tug, they held. Fresh. Skewering his lips, and narrowed his eyes, trying to imagine it decorated. Definitely would look like a country tree and not one from a tree lot. The wind slightly picked up and the branches seemed to be waving at him. He smiled.

Alex had silently followed, watching him, biting her lip. It seemed that he didn't even give the trees in the row a second glance. She sighed, almost ready to give up hope. When he came to stop in front of one at the end of the row, her heart lifted. He is looking.

Turning, he spotted Alex watching him. "How about this one?"

She tilted her head looking into his beaming face. "What makes you think that's the right one?"

Bobby studied it thoughtfully. "Well, it's been tossed to the side, unwanted. But it's a fine strong tree, and I think it would be proud to decorate your home, without, without being ostentatious."

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "So a quiet humble Christmas Tree?"

He nodded. Alex smiled. "Then, that's the one."

Bobby picked carefully picked the tree up and carried it to the front of the lot. Alex dug in her pockets and paid the vendor, as Bobby prepared to put it on top of his vehicle.

Pulling into her driveway, Bobby quickly exited the vehicle. He began pulling the tree down from the top of his SUV as Alex went to open the front door. Holding the door open wide, Bobby carried it in and headed towards the living room. He stopped, looking at her. "Where do you want it?"

"Put it against the wall for now." She removed her coat and headed towards the kitchen. Bobby heard pans being knocked around, and then water running. Curious, he went to see what she was up to. She had put a kettle on the stove, and was pulling hot chocolate packets out of the cupboard. She glanced at him and smiled. "Want some hot chocolate?"

He nodded as he removed his coat. He hadn't realized how chilled he had become while looking for a tree. Alex opened each packet and poured them into mugs, just as the kettle began whistling. Taking it off of the heat, she poured the hot water in the mugs. She sat one mug down in front of Bobby with a spoon. Reaching up in one of the cupboards, she pulled down a bag of miniature marshmallows, and brought them over to the table with her. Sitting down, she began stirring her hot chocolate. Once done, she added some marshmallows to her drink.

Bobby smiled. "Is this an 'Eames' tradition?

Alex laughed. "Only Mom made it from coca and milk. This, I can do." She blew on the drink before taking a sip.

Bobby slowly added marshmallows to his drink, wrapping his large hands around the mug to warm his hands. He thought about the number of times his family had gone to the tree lots in search for their Christmas Trees. Sadly, he knew he could count the times on one hand.

Alex watched the slight change in his face. "Do you have plans for this afternoon?"

He looked up at her suspiciously. "You don't need another tree, do you?"

She laughed. "No, but I'm going to need help getting it into the tree stand."

He nodded glancing at the tree. It was small, compared to him, he realized that with her size, doing it alone could turn into a major job. Besides, I'd like to see how it looks in stand. He gave her a boyish grin. "Sure, I don't mind."

Alex smiled as his eagerness return.