Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Author's Note: This is a take on A Christmas Carol. It is centered on Eric and involves characters from both Time Force and Wild Force. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukah or whatever it is that you celebrate at this time of year.
Changes
Eric lay back down and allowed his eyes to drift shut as he contemplated everything that may or may not have happened that evening. He could pretend that it had meant nothing to him, that in fact he had dreamed it all.
If he did that what then?
More lonely nights and empty days?
Already his heart ached with that thought. He didn't like it. He wanted to be able to have someone he could talk to…or at least they could talk to him. His heart had somehow melted during the night and he didn't think he could bring it back to the frozen state it was yesterday.
So then what did he need to do to rectify how he was towards people? He had been horrible. He had treated others like they didn't matter when in fact they did. All of them mattered. They were all important. He had been the problem, not everyone else, not the world.
Eric got out of bed and quickly got ready for the day, he had much to do and little time to do it in. It didn't take him long to get ready so once he was ready he decided it was time to face the world.
Stepping out into the brisk air Eric looked up and down the street and he realized that everything looked different. He wasn't going to go sing a song or anything but things weren't as dark as they were before. Things looked as different as he felt. He turned and headed to one of the stores that were open on Christmas. As he entered he wondered why it was that it was open. Surely places like these would be closed on Christmas.
Shaking his thoughts he quickly gathered the things that he needed and went to check out. He left a tip which was the first he had ever left. He hoped that made up for them having to work on Christmas.
Once he left the store he began the journey that he knew would take him quite a bit of the day to do. He had decided that a visit to his staff to give them a Christmas bonus and wish them a merry Christmas was what he wanted to do. The first was really hard. He remembered yelling at her the week before for singing a Christmas song. Though to be fair he would have yelled if it wasn't a Christmas song, but he had told her that he shouldn't and she smiled at him by the time he left. After all the other stops this was the second to last stop.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
It was opened after a few minutes by Rachel, "Can I help you?"
Eric had hoped it was Trip who had answered. He sighed, "Is your Father home?"
Rachel turned her head a bit to the inside, "Dad! Someone is here for you."
She moved away as Trip came to the door, "Eric? What are you doing here? I mean…come in."
"Thank you."
Eric stepped inside the house. As soon as he got in he looked around. The first person he saw was Alice sitting at the table playing with a doll. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Then he looked up and noticed Katie with her arms folded, "He's not going to work today."
"Of course not. I just…I came because of that request you wanted."
"Request?"
"For the week of Christmas off," Eric watched as the younger of the boys stepped up near their Father, "I forgot to give you the form back stating that the time was yours, your paid vacation. And I'll expect you back for work come Monday."
Trip was silent for a moment before he smiled, "Thank you! I…you didn't need to come here for that."
"I had that and other things…but…Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas Mr. Myers."
Eric looked over and smiled at Alice again, "Thank you. Trip, if you would please accompany me outside?"
"Of course."
Eric glanced over at Katie and saw her frowning. Together Trip and Eric went back outside. Trip slowly shut the front door and then turned towards Eric, "What can I do for you?"
Eric shook his head, "Look I got a few things and well…here," he picked up the bag that had the turkey, "I happened to have this lying around."
"Thank you."
"Merry Christmas Trip."
"Merry Christmas Eric."
Trip went back inside and Eric walked off. He then went to take care of some more things. By the time he got back to Trip's it had been a few hours. He put the bags that he had brought for them, which had presents and some more food and an envelope with money for Alice's doctor and treatment, and then he knocked and left. He didn't stick around to see what their reactions would be.
It didn't take Eric too long to get to his next and last destination, aside from his home in the evening. This he was a bit terrified about. After all, each of his employees wouldn't just throw his gift in his face, he was still their boss. Wes on the other hand, had been his friend and maybe at this point Alex would be right and Wes would throw him out.
He must have been debating on whether to go up to Wes' door for at least half an hour before he came to the conclusion that if he wasn't going to just go up and knock he might as well go home and crawl back into bed like the coward he would be.
Knocking on the door he waited for a few minutes before the door was opened by none other than Wes. "Eric!" Wes pulled him into a hug, "I'm so glad you could make it."
All doubts left Eric's mind as she returned the hug, "I wasn't sure I was still wanted here. I could still leave."
"Nonsense, I wanted you here, we wanted you here. Come."
Wes ushered Eric inside even though Eric knew that the company on the inside of the house with Wes would probably not really want him there. He took a deep breath and continued to follow Wes into the house.
They walked up the stairs to the parlor that Eric had remembered seeing them sitting at in his visit last night…or dream, of that aspect he wasn't sure, though seeing the parlor and most of the same people he began to believe that he did get visited. He pushed those thoughts aside so he could listen to the introductions Wes was going through.
"And I don't know if you remember my wife, Jen."
Eric did recognize her and he smiled, "Hi, nice to meet you. Thank you for the invitation for today."
Jen smiled warmly, "You're welcome. Please make yourself at home."
Eric nodded and then looked at Wes unsure as to what he should really do. Wes nodded and gestured towards the couch, "Dinner is not quite ready yet so we were going to sit and relax. There are some games going on, but I know you're not too fond of games, so we can talk."
"Thank you. Talking is fine."
Wes grinned, "Great."
Eric managed another smile and sat down. He had forgotten had great of a…friend, yes friend, Wes was. He had lucked out when he met Wes all those years ago in school. Even then Eric had tried to push him away and yet Wes had not left and their friendship had begun even though it wasn't really the best that he was sure others were. Wes had never left him.
Wes had never left.
Sure Lucas had died because he was sick.
His Mother had died giving birth to him.
His Father hadn't cared one bit about him.
Taylor had left him because he had pushed her away.
Wes hadn't. He hadn't given up on him. Little Alice had not given up on him. He was cared for. That feeling washed over any uneasiness he had felt sitting in Wes's parlor even after all those years of pushing Wes away.
Eric settled in a bit more. It was still hard to really feel a hundred percent comfortable just because he didn't really know all the people here but regardless he sat and talked to Wes and Jen.
Dinner was then ready and everyone began to slowly make their way into the dining room. As Eric got up the doorbell went off. Wes turned to Eric and grinned, "Would you mind getting that? I need to check with Jen in the kitchen to make sure everything is good."
"Sure."
As Eric made his way to the front door he wondered what that grin on Wes' face meant. Frowning as he remembered it was one of mischief he opened the door only to freeze. It was the one person he never expected to see again.
Taylor.
"Eric?"
"Taylor."
"What are you doing here?"
He gestured inside, "Wes invited me."
"Oh. Oh…well…I didn't know."
She turned to leave and for a brief moment Eric realized how easy it would be to just let her leave but then he remembered how all that time ago he should have stopped her, "Wait."
The blond froze and then turned around, "What Eric?"
He swallowed and then stepped back, "Don't go. You were invited here for Christmas dinner; you should stay for Christmas dinner."
"Had I known it had involved you I wouldn't have agreed to come."
"I didn't know you were going to be here either."
Taylor stared at him for another few minutes before stepping into the house. She took off her jacket and hung it up as Eric shut the door. She looked at him hard before saying anything, "I take it had you known I would be here you would have run all the way back to your desk. Which why aren't you there anyways?"
"I…"
Taylor shook her head and started walking again. This time Eric touched her arm, "Wait."
She turned around and folded her arms, "What?"
"I…" he exhaled and took in another breath, "I was wrong. I should have gone after you. I shouldn't have…I just…" he stopped and looked away. He wasn't even sure where to start or what to say. But seeing Taylor again, his heart had beat like it hadn't in a long time. Eric knew how he felt about her, he hadn't really stopped feeling it but he had hardened his heart so that he wouldn't really think about those feelings again. Now with his heart melted he could not only remember Taylor but remember everything else. He was in love with her and he couldn't imagine anyone else but her.
It was then that he felt her hand on his arm, "You what?"
"I'm sorry. I haven't done well with Christmas since my brother…"
"Lucas."
He had told her that his older brother had died but he had never spoken about anything else. And before he realized it the rest came out in stumbled sentences and pauses and frustrating statements. Taylor didn't say anything; she just stood there and listened.
Finally once he was at the end he looked at her, "I should not have done what I did. I realize now that it was me who was the problem and it was wrong to behave as I did. Forgive me?"
Taylor was quiet for a minute before she looked up at Eric, "Look I do forgive you, but don't expect this to mean everything is fixed."
"I wouldn't."
"Good. We can talk more when we leave together after dinner."
Eric couldn't help the smile on his lips, "Sounds good to me."
Taylor turned towards the hall but quickly turned back and looked at Eric, "Let's go have dinner with our meddling friend shall we?"
Eric couldn't help but grin at that very accurate description of Wes, "Yes."
And as Eric followed Taylor to the dining room he couldn't help but think how drastically his whole life had changed and to think all it took was a few ghosts to knock some sense into his head that life could be much more if he just opened his heart and let the Spirit of Christmas in all year.
