Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 21:21:38 PST From: Lori Dehn Subject: 'Tis the Season (01/01) To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU This is in response to KC's Christmas challenge. Standard fanfic disclaimers. I don't own anybody. Sony/Tristar/various and sundry PTB do. That doesn't mean they don't get to have Christmas. Mel Moser can post this at her www.fkfanfic.com. LeeAnn can add it to her site. Anyone else, please ask so I know where to bookmark. Without further ado, Merry Christmas. 'Tis the Season by Lori Dehn "I don't know about this, Natalie." He looked at the trunk of the Caddy and shook his head. "Nick, it's Christmas. You've absolutely got to have a Christmas tree." She looked at the seven foot Douglas fir with glee. "Why? I've never had one before." She turned to him, her eyes wide, her jaw dropped. "You've NEVER had a Christmas tree?" "It's not LaCroix's favorite holiday," he said dryly. "Well, yeah, but, I mean, what about...before?" She looked at the tree, then at Nick, then back at the tree. "You can't say you didn't have one before!" Nick shrugged. "They're relatively new. They've done them in Germany for a while, but Victoria's really the one who started doing them on a large scale." Nat half closed one eye. "I really hate it when you casually drop something like that into conversation." "Like what?" "Like that you apparently knew the Queen of England, and I do mean the big be-all, end-all Queen of England. Or Beethoven, or Freud, or whoever. I think I'm developing an inferiority complex." "You know what Freud would say about that." He gave a soft grunt as she punched him in the arm. "Anyway, like I said, we didn't have trees. We did, well, pine boughs, holly, mistletoe. I loved Christmas because of the smells. My uncle had gone on a Crusade when he was younger, and he'd brought back spices. We only used them for things like Christmas, or if the king was coming. And there would be fruit, which was always rare in the winter. And family. Everyone would gather together. Christmas was a family holiday then, much more like, oh, probably more like Thanksgiving now. Twelfth Night was the big gift-giving holiday." Natalie reached over and brushed a single blood tear from his cheek, staining her white glove. "You miss them." "I miss them all, all of the people I've considered my family and friends over the years. Christmas can be so sad." He caught her hand and pressed a kiss into the gloved palm. "But let's get that tree in there." "Will it fit?" "I fit." "You aren't seven feet tall with big old branches." *** As they rode home, the trunk carefully tied down to protect the tree, Nick reached for her hand again. "What was your Christmas like?" She smiled at him. "Ours was always about light. My father would drape the whole house in lights. I think you could see it from space. And Mom would put candles all over, in every window, on the mantle, on the table. And I loved the soft lights on the tree. Richard and I would turn off all the other lights and just lay on the floor, watching the lights twinkle on and off." This time he brushed her tear aside. "You miss him." "Yes." "I'm so sorry, Natalie." She caught his hand in hers and pulled it to her heart. "It's not your fault. I miss him, not what he became." Nick pulled his hand away, and for a moment, she felt bereft. Then she felt him pulling her closer, cuddling her to his side as he drove. *** Back in the loft, Nick worked on setting up the tree, while Natalie went to the kitchen, busily working on something she wouldn't let Nick see. Suddenly, Nick looked curiously away from the fir. "Natalie? What is that?" She grinned. "Something special. Just a second." She took two crystal goblets from his cupboard. Into one, she ladled a full measure of the liquid bubbling merrily on the stove. Into the other, she ladled half as much, adding a generous splash of Nick's special vintage. She brought it to him by the tree. "Here." He accepted the glass, and breathed in the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, apples and lemons and oranges and cloves. It was the smell of Christmas, and as he sipped it, he experienced the taste of Christmas for the first time in more than 700 years. His eyes lit, and Natalie was happy to see that it was not with the eerie golden light that meant the vampire was surfacing. It was with the gleam of a child's joy at the holidays. He dipped his finger into the warm beverage and ran brought it to his tongue. "My mother's spiced wine tasted so much like this." He leaned forward and kissed Natalie gently. "Thank you so much." "I'm glad you liked it. I was just going to mull some for myself, but when you were talking about the spices and smells earlier, I thought I'd see what I could do." She smiled. "I'm just glad it's better received than my shakes." He grinned. "Let's see what I can do for you now." The tree was in the corner by the stairs. Undecorated as yet, it was wrapped with dark green cords studded with tiny bulbs. Nick picked up the slim remote control and darkened all the lights in the room. Another button pushed and "Coventry Carol" filled the room. One more, and the lights on the tree began to twinkle softly, on and off, creating a warm glow. "Oh, Nick, it's beautiful!" "We're not done yet, though. We have to recreate your memories now." Taking her hand, he sank to the floor, pulling her into his lap and his embrace. She grinned back wickedly. "I never did this with my brother." "We can improve upon the memories a little bit." He cradled her gently, kissing her, stroking her cheek with the side of his finger. "I love you, Natalie." "Merry Christmas, Nick." She kissed him back. "I love you, too." Lori Dehn Dark Knightie 'n Nat Packer with definite Ravenette and Vaquera tendencies and just a smackerel of Cousin for "flavor" Proud Member of the Forever Knight Writers List ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com