Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Title: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Author: Deanie
Rating: PG-13
Archiving: Beka Valentine Fanfic Archive, fanfiction.net (all others, please ask).
Summary: The Andromeda crew celebrates a very special Christmas.
Feedback: It's better than chocolate! Deanie@lisacaps.com (or deaniebtvs@aol.com)
Author's note: This is a response to a the Affirming Flame Awards Christmas Challenge contest.
Slowly, Harper peeked his head around the corner. No one in sight. The coast was clear. Carefully balancing the packages in his arms, he stepped out into the corridor.
"What are you doing?" Andromeda asked, materializing in the hallway in front of him.
Startled by the hologram's appearance, Harper jumped, the packages flying up in the sky before raining down on him in a storm of red and green paper.
"Rommie!" he scolded, "don't do that! You'll give a guy a heart attack!"
"Sorry, Harper, but you've been acting strangely. Hiding things, skulking around the hallways…"
"I am not skulking! I'm…being stealthy."
Rommie looked pointedly at the fallen boxes on the ground. Harper was many things, but stealthy he was not.
"Okay, maybe not stealthy. But still, that was no reason for you to sneak up on me like that."
Harper gave her an exasperated look. She just didn't understand. "It's Christmas, Rommie! Deck the halls, 'tis the season, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la."
The holographic AI simply stared at the young engineer. She knew from experience that eventually he would get to his point.
He gestured to the colorful packages at his feet. "These are Christmas presents. They're secrets. That way, when everybody opens them on Christmas Day, they're surprised… even you, Rom-doll."
"So, all of this skullduggery is for our benefit?" Holo-Rommie shook her head. "You're not going to try telling me that story about the fat man in a red suit who delivers presents again, are you? Because I don't even have a chimney."
Harper sighed, then picked up the gifts and headed down the hallway.
***
In Tyr's quarters, the Nietzschean flipped over two steaks. He grabbed a half-empty bottle of wine and walked over to the table where his dinner companion waited.
Beka smiled, lifting up her glass for Tyr to refill. She loved the way he moved, so purposeful and self-assured. She shook her head. She had to focus, keep her head, despite the wonderful merlot they were consuming. Tyr hadn't invited her to dinner since that fateful night when he'd made it painfully clear that there could never be a relationship between them. So what was he up to?
Tyr sat across from Beka, watching the way the candlelight danced on her golden hair and porcelain skin. Despite her looks, however, it was still her brain that interested him most.
"All right, Anasazi. I can't take the suspense anymore. You obviously have some ulterior motive for inviting me to dinner tonight, so spill it."
Tyr took a deep breath, then reached across the table to grab Beka's hand.
She looked up, startled. Exactly what was going on here?
"I… you know that…over the past two years….things have changed…feelings have changed…"
Beka's eyes widened. Candlelight, romantic dinner… was he about to say what she thought he was about to say? She didn't know if she was ready for that. Sure, he was attractive, but still…
"I've come to care very much… about the crew."
She blinked. Did he say "the crew?"
"Which is why I'm asking you to help me choose the proper presents for the rest of the crew."
Beka simply stared. Did he say "presents?" This whole evening wasn't about the two of them? It was about *Christmas presents?* She burst out laughing.
Tyr frowned. While not the most polished speech he had ever made, he didn't think it would provoke untold fits of laughter.
"Sorry." Beka suppressed another giggle. "With this set-up," she gestured around the room, "that just really wasn't what I was expecting you to say."
Startled, Tyr stared at her, then started laughing himself. "You thought that I…"
"Well, candlelight, fancy dinner… all that talk about caring…" She blushed. This really wasn't happening again, was it? "We need to stop having these misunderstandings."
Suddenly, Tyr was serious. "Beka, I do care about you, it's just…"
She held up her hand to interrupt him. "Please, let's just forget about it, and move on, okay?"
Tyr nodded, getting up from the table to check on dinner.
"Now Harper, you can never go wrong getting him anything tech-y…"
***
"Harper," Rommie sighed, exasperated. "What is this?"
The engineer couldn't see the android, out of sight in the bathroom, changing into her clothes for the Christmas Party.
"Rommie, I'm sure you look gorgeous. Come out and show Santa what a good girl you've been, " he said, adjusting the red coat of his costume.
Rommie emerged from the bathroom, arms crossed across her chest. Her dress was bright red, the collar, cuffs, and hem of the mid-thigh-length skirt trimmed in white faux fur. "This is ridiculous. I'm a warship, not an elf!"
"Rommie, babe…"
"Don't 'babe' me Harper. I look silly. Beyond silly."
"Rommie, it's for the children."
"And that's the only reason I am doing this. For the children." Turning, she walked out of the room.
Harper watched her go, her rear end swaying under the red velvet with each step. Man, she was one fine piece of work, if he did say so himself.
At the door, she turned around and pointed a finger at him. "And don't get any ideas, *Santa.* I'm not sitting on your lap."
***
Santa Harper and Elf Rommie had delighted the poor children of the planet, while Beka and Tyr had taken the opportunity to take the Maru to the market on a nearby drift.
"So, Harper," Beka began. "I hear your Santa thing went well."
"Though those children were right." Rommie fiddled with her Santa hat, now in her lap, as she talked. "Historically speaking, you are too small to really be Santa."
Beka giggled. Even Tyr looked up from his book and smiled at the thought.
"Well, what choice did I have?" protested the engineer. "Dylan hasn't left his quarters since Molly arrived from the flight academy, and can you picture Tyr as Santa?"
Beka, Rommie, and Harper stopped, looking at Tyr. Eyes narrowing, he growled at Harper. His companions exploded in gales of laughter. "I am not a 'jolly old elf.'"
Despite their high spirits, Harper was in a hurry. They were running behind schedule. "Beka, can't you fly this thing any faster?" he asked. "We're gonna miss the tree trimming!"
"You finally found a fake tree to use in the ceremony?" Beka asked, heading the Maru towards Andromeda's hangar bay. "Because I know there's no way you got Trance to agree to the 'destruction of a living creature for a few days of holiday pleasure?'"
Sheepishly, Harper looked away. "Well, not exactly."
Beka and Rommie exchanged glances. "She's going to kill you," they chorused.
"She won't," Harper protested. "I'll fix it."
Beka rolled he eyes, turning her attention back to the viewscreen to land the Maru. "Eureka Maru coming in for docking."
***
Andromeda surveyed the growing chaos on the observation deck. Guests had been invited from all over the Commonwealth to the ship's Christmas party. Than mingled with Castelians; Charlemagne and Elssbett Bolivar were showing off their newest son; Sid Barry, Beka's estranged 'uncle,' was making a couple of Perseids an offer too good to refuse. She sighed. At least she'd changed out of that silly elf costume, though she'd grown fond of the Santa hat, which was still perched on her head.
Where was Harper? It was almost time for the tree trimming ceremony, she wondered, connecting to her central AI to track down the young engineer. Aha, he was in the corridor, coming down the hall with Beka, Tyr, and Trance. Still no sign of Dylan. She'd barely heard from him since he and Molly had activated privacy protocol 36 hours before. She'd hate to have to go in and get him, but the captain's presence was necessary for the ceremony. While it had been Harper's idea to have each of the Commonwealth member worlds to bring an ornament so the tree would encompass the disparate cultures, Dylan was supposed to give a speech and light up the tree.
The crew entered the Obs Deck. Trance's eyes widened when she saw the pine tree -- a real, live pine tree -- in one corner. "Harper!" she turned on her friend. "I thought we agreed we weren't going to use a real tree. Trees are living things, and they don't deserve to die just for -"
She was cut off as Harper took her by the hand and dragged her over to the tree, with Beka, Tyr, and Rommie following in curiosity. "That, my golden goddess, is where you're wrong." Harper lifted up one corner of the tree skirt. "Root ball," he said.
"Huh?" Beka wrinkled her forehead, puzzled. What the heck was a root ball?
"This tree wasn't chopped down. It has a root ball," he explained, turning to Trance. "That way, after Christmas, you can plant it in Hydroponics and enjoy it for years to come!"
Trance smiled. "That's perfect, Harper. Thank you."
Rommie checked her internal clock. Time for the tree trimming to begin. Where was--?
Dylan and Molly slid into the room, hastily straightening their clothing. Rommie scowled. Well, at least they were here.
Harper, catching Rommie's scowl, slipped an arm over the avatar's shoulders. "Cheer up, Rom-doll. I know you don't like Molly, but there's no need to be jealous. After all, you've still got me."
Rommie smiled despite herself. "I never said I disliked Molly," she protested.
"Well, she's not crazy, or a killer," Beka pointed out. "So that makes her better than most of the women he's been with lately."
"Good point," Rommie conceded, determined to enjoy her holiday as Dylan and Molly made their way over to the group.
"Sorry we're late." Dylan said, trying to look solemn despite his ebullient mood. "Are we ready to go."
"The tree is ready for lighting, Captain," Rommie announced.
"Excellent. Then I guess it's time for my speech." Leaving his lover behind with the rest of his crew, Dylan headed up to the podium a few feet away from the tree.
"Fellow Commonwealth members, family, friends. We gather here to celebrate a very special holiday. A time for love and sharing. Peace and goodwill to all. The new Commonwealth has been through some difficult times, but we've emerged stronger. As we look forward to a new year, we celebrate our unity with the Commonwealth Tree. Each member world has brought an ornament, symbolizing their homeworld and culture. They will blend together to remind us that, though we are separate peoples, together, we form one Commonwealth, and we stand together." He surveyed the crowd. "Now, on with the tree lighting."
Dylan headed over to the other side of the tree. Harper had rigged up wires, connecting the lights on the tree to Andromeda's circuitry. All that was left was to plug it in. He looked at the complicated apparatus the engineer had cooked up. "Harper," he whispered, motioning the young man closer. "Are you sure this is going to work?"
"Of course, boss. Trust in the Harper, the Harper is good." He nodded. "Unless, of course, I've screwed up. Then, one wrong move could blow the whole ship apart."
Dylan looked at him. Harper was kidding, wasn't he? The Captain turned to the tree-lighting wires, but paused before plugging them in. What if Harper wasn't kidding?
"Captain," Rommie urged him. "The delegates are waiting."
"Look," Dylan began. "If I don't get this right, we lose the entire ship."
"Dylan, I appreciate paranoia, but they're Christmas lights, not a Nova bomb."
Dylan gave Rommie a sheepish grin, and plugged in the wires. "Let there be light!" he announced.
A cheer went up from the crowd as the room was filled with shimmering light. "Let the decorating begin!" Dylan called.
The Andromeda crew stepped out of the way as the delegates approached the tree.
"Come on, ladies." Harper offered one arm to Trance and the other to Rommie. "Let's go get some of that eggnog."
Dylan and Molly headed off to the dance floor as the band segued into "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," leaving Beka and Tyr alone in the crowd.
Pushed off balance by a delegate, Beka grabbed Tyr's arms to keep from falling. "Sorry," she murmured, feeling the warmth of his bare skin against her hands. A frisson of awareness raced through her body at his nearness.
Tyr fought back the urge to pull her closer. Friends, they were friends. He looked around the room, trying to focus on anything but the woman he held in his arms. Tyr groaned. Sid Barry. Headed their way.
"What?" Beka asked, looking up into his deep brown eyes.
"Don't look now," Tyr murmured. "Something wicked this way comes."
"Huh?" Beka turned to look out at the room, and instantly turned back around. "Please don't let that be who I think it is."
"It's your 'Uncle Sid.' And he's headed this way."
Tyr's words confirmed her worst fears. Why now? She was enjoying her holiday until *he* showed up. She rested her head against Tyr's chest and wished she could fade away into the walls.
The Nietzschean leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Would you like me to kill him for you?"
Beka couldn't suppress the chuckle that bubbled up out of her throat. "No thanks." She slowly turned around. "If I *really* wanted him dead I'd kill him myself." She pasted a smile on her face as Sid approached.
"Rocket!" he exclaimed, pulling Beka to him for a hug. She extricated herself from his embrace and stepped back, Tyr at her side. "And Mr. Anasazi. I didn't realize that you and my niece were so close."
Tyr glared, saying nothing.
"Rebecca." Sid held out a hand to her. "May I talk to you?"
Beka remained still. "You already are."
"In private. I have a Christmas present for you."
Beka looked at him suspiciously. Though he had saved her life the last time they'd met - albeit after endangering it - she was still reluctant to go anywhere with the man who'd once tried to have her killed.
"I don't blame you for being suspicious. But really, Rocket, what am I going to do? Kill you in front of all these people?"
Beka grimaced. She wouldn't put it past him.
"All I want to do is give you a special present. Can't I do that for my favorite niece?"
Beka sighed. She might as well go along with him; he wasn't going to give up until she did. "Fine. Where is it?"
"Beka," Tyr cautioned. "I'll be fine, Tyr. Trust me."
He growled as Beka and Sid disappeared into the crowd. Nothing good could come from that man. Turning around, Tyr nearly ran over a Perseid.
"Aah, Mr. Anasazi. I hope you're having a very merry Christmas," chirped the Chin-head.
"Bah humbug," he growled, heading in the opposite direction.
***
Sid led Beka over to a secluded corner of the Obs deck and took a brightly wrapped box from an assistant before dismissing his minion.
"Rebecca, I know we've been through some difficult times…" he began.
Beka snorted. He drugged her, blackmailed her, and tried to kill her. That was what he referred to as 'difficult times.' "Sorry," she muttered curtly, returning her attention to her 'Uncle.'
"I'll just get right to the point." He handed her the package. "Merry Christmas, Rebecca."
Gingerly, Beka tore one corner of the red-and-green paper. She didn't think he'd give her a bomb in front of all of these people, but she couldn't put anything past Sid Barry. She unwrapped the present, then hesitantly lifted the lid off… On the top was a video disc. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas?" she read. Beka looked up, startled. "Rafe and I used to watch this all the time when we were kids."
"I know," he said. "Your mother bought it for the two of you when you were just a year old."
Beka smiled wistfully. "It was her favorite movie when she was a kid." She stopped, lost in thought.
"Go on," Sid urged. "Open the rest."
Beka pulled back the tissue paper to reveal a ball-shaped Christmas ornament. She gasped, realizing what it was. Removing it from the box, Beka stared with awe. The ornament contained a holographic picture of the entire Valentine family - herself, Rafe, her mom and dad. "I remember this. Rafe and I got it for mom, the Christmas I was two. It was our last Christmas-" she broke off, tears threatening to fall.
"Before your mother died," Sid finished.
"Where did you get this?"
"After your mother died, your father went crazy. He started destroying everything that reminded him of her. The china her parents gave them for their wedding, the little angel figurine he got her on Gaelen Drift…"
Silently, Beka thought of the horrible days she'd tried to forget. When her beautiful mother had gone away and never came back. At two, she hadn't understood death, just known that her mother was missing and her father was devastated.
"I saved this," Sid continued. "I thought that one day you'd like to have it."
Beka hugged the ornament to her chest as the tears began to fall. Sometimes she missed her mother so much.
Sid moved closer, trying to put his arm around Beka.
"No," she murmured. She pushed away from him and, getting up, headed for the door. She stuffed her ornament back in the padded box as she walked.
"Rebecca!" Sid called after her.
Beka was nearly to the door when she bumped into a large male body - Tyr, she absently noted, just trying to get out of the room before she completely lost her composure. "I'm sorry," she stammered, trying to move past him.
Tyr grabbed her arms, whirling her around to face him. "Beka, what's wrong?" He reached up with one thumb to brush away a falling tear. "Did he hurt you?"
Beka's hand came up to cup his as she met his gaze. "No, he didn't hurt me. It's just… old memories… I've got to go."
Beka took another step towards the door, Tyr following, but they were stopped when bright lights circled around their heads before placing them in the spotlight.
"What the--?" Beka exclaimed. She stepped forward, but the doors wouldn't open.
Andromeda's holographic avatar appeared. "Look above you. It's mistletoe."
Beka groaned. "Rommie, just let us go."
"I'm afraid I can't, Beka. Harper has programmed me not to open the door until the mistletoe tradition has been followed."
"Mistletoe tradition?" Tyr asked, not sure he wanted to know.
"Mistletoe, or Phoradendron flavescens, is a plant from the North American region of Earth. Its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon 'mistel,' the word for 'dung,' and 'tan,' meaning 'twig.' The most common and well-known tradition relating to mistletoe comes from the Greek--"
"While that is fascinating, I'm sure, what does that have to do with the two of us?"
"Two people caught under the mistletoe during the Christmas season must kiss."
"Kiss?" Tyr repeated. "You're saying that you are unable to open these doors unless Beka and I kiss?"
"That would be correct."
Beka hid her head in her hands, wishing she'd never come to this Christmas party. Blushing, she looked around the room. Nearly everyone appeared to be watching them. "Let's just get this over with," she muttered, desperately wanting to leave the room.
Tyr reached down with one hand and caressed her cheek. Cupping the delicate flesh, he pulled her closer. Their eyes met, and suddenly Beka couldn't hear the noise of the crowd. The room dimmed, and the only people in the world were her and Tyr. The kiss that had started out as an obligation suddenly became much more.
Slowly his lips met hers, teasingly dancing over the surface. Beka reached up, dropping her gift and pulling him closer. She nipped at his lower lip, her tongue probing for entrance.
With a growl, Tyr met her aggression with his own, their bodies melding into one, tongues dueling. He'd wanted her for so long…
A rush of air whooshed over their bodies as the door to the obs deck opened. Startled, Beka stepped away from Tyr, picking up her gift and disappearing into the hallway.
Tyr ran his tongue across his lips. He could still taste her. With a jolt, he pulled himself from his reverie and strode out into the hallway - in the opposite direction.
***
Over by the refreshment table, Harper sighed. Tyr had all the luck. He'd rigged the mistletoe for himself, hoping to catch Trance or Rommie under the plant's legendary leaves.
He took another gulp of eggnog. What was this, his third…fourth cup? This stuff wasn't too bad. He wondered what was in it? Head bopping to the music, he decided it didn't matter. Finishing off his glass, Harper headed off to the dance floor, alone, gyrating wildly.
Over along the wall, Rommie was still sipping on her first cup of eggnog, chatting with the delegate from Enkindu. Excusing herself, she walked over to where Dylan and Molly were watching the 'Harper Dance Show.'
Dylan stared at the crazy, flailing dance moves of his chief engineer. He'd seen Harper dance before, but this seemed extreme, even for him. He looked at Harper, then looked questioningly at Rommie.
"Spiked eggnog." She replied, not even needing him to ask the question.
***
The party was still going strong in the Obs Deck when the original Andromeda crew retreated to the main conference room - with food and drink in hand, and bags of gifts at their sides.
"That was some party," muttered Harper, feeling his hangover beginning. "I didn't even get kissed under the mistletoe."
Trance appeared at his side, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "How about a kiss without the mistletoe?" she asked, producing a glass of thick liquid for him. "Drink this. It should take care of the hangover."
"I love you!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around Trance.
"I know." She giggled. "Now, maybe you can explain more about who this 'Santa Claus' is. He rides a reindeer?"
"No, no, no…" Harper explained, "He's got a sleigh, *pulled* by reindeer."
"But how do the reindeer get through space?"
He had a lot of explaining to do. Sighing, Harper put an arm around Trance, directing her to a chair next to his as one by one, Dylan, Beka, Tyr and Rommie entered the conference room.
"Where's Molly?" Rommie asked Dylan.
"In her quarters. This, here," he gestured around the room. "This is just for us, for the crew… for our family."
Everyone nodded and smiled. They all agreed - even Tyr.
"Now," Dylan announced. "Let the gift-giving begin!"
Laughing and talking, the crew of the Andromeda Ascendant celebrated Christmas together - as a family.
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