Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 22:30:03 -0600 From: Tracy Morris To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: X-OVER: Twas The Knight Before X-Mas (1/1) This is a Forever Knight/X-Man Crossover. All the characters are someone else's. The concept of Inferno is mine. Please ask before you borrow. Just in time for Christmas. All the Inferno stories occur sometime after Blackwing. The Human factor, Ashes to Ashes and Last Knight never happened. This story occurs after The Problem With Mutants (but don't expect me to give anything away) I gave my beta reader the Christmas off for this story, so all the mistakes are mine alone. (Waves to April Ruskin) Twas the Knight before X-Mas (1/1) Christmas eve. Nick grimaced through another off-key rendition of Jingle Bells. "Tracy, can we stop with the christmas music?" "Sorry Nick." Tracy smiled. "Just trying to get into the christmas spirit." Nick smiled back to his partner. He wished he could remember a time when he was enthusiastic about christmas. *** "Nicholas . . Father wants you to come right now." "Coming, Fleur." Nick quickly hid the present intended for his sister. "What's behind your back, brother." "No . . . Nothing." He stammered through his grin." "Show me, please." She slipped around behind Nick, and grabbed his gift from his hand. "Oh Nicholas, A book!" She said breathlessly." "Do you like it?" Nick asked softly. "It came all the way from paris. I've been saving for months." "Yes. Oh look! It has all the constellations!" Nick beamed with pride at his younger sister's eager face. "This will never equal your present." Fleur frowned. "Why don't you give it to me, and we'll see." "Alright." Reluctantly, she pulled the strip of cloth out of her pocket. Nick examined her gift with interest. "Did you embroider this yourself?" "Yes. Will you wear it when you leave for the crusades?" Nick smiled at his sister's hopeful expression. "I promise." *** "Hello . . . Earth to Nick! Come in please." Nick glanced past Tracy's waving hand." "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" "I was asking if you brought Natalie's present here?" "It's out in the car." Nick thought of the sweater lying in his trunk. For a mutant who generated fire, it was one of the most useless gifts in the world. But it was Natalie's first Christmas in Toronto since her disappearance, and Nick had no idea what to get her. "Good. You know, I really envy her. She has friends to share the holidays with. Me? I get drug out to a ski lodge with my cousins, while dad rants about mom," Tracy sighed. Nick looked at her sympathetically. Tracy sounded like the only person who would be having a worse holiday than he. At least he was used to spending Christmas alone. Nick sensed Natalie's arrival before she walked into the room. Her heartbeat was unmistakable. "Merry Christmas everybody!" Natalie laughed as she entered the room. Nick smiled at the light and warmth she carried with her. Natalie was greeted warmly by several of the other officers that she made friends with during the mutant murders. Nick smiled to himself. Although she had been dragged kicking and screaming into the case, she made a difference in the opinions of the precinct officers. "So how are my two favorite Homicide investigators?" "Great." Tracy exchanged her a small wrapped gift for a larger one. "Oh, It's tiny! Tiny gifts are scary! Does it have sharp edges?" "Just open it!" Tracy laughed. "Throwing stars! Oh Tracy you shouldn't have." Nick smiled again at the unorthodox gift. It spoke volumes about the unusual relationship the two women shared. "They are even shaped like x's." "I knew you'd like it, you have x's on all of your stuff." Tracy ripped into Natalie's gift eagerly. "Oh, Natalie. I love it." The scent of apricots assaulted Nick's nose as Tracy opened the scented bath stuff. The gift suited Tracy perfectly. "Have you seen Grace?" Natalie dug into a shopping bag of presents that she had slung over her shoulder. "She's already left for her parents." "Rats." Natalie sat Grace's present on Tracy's desk. "Now what am I going to do with this?" "I'll give it to her when she gets back." Tracy offered. "Thanks. When are you leaving?" "I just put in a double shift so that I could get off tonight. I'm taking off on the next available flight." "Well, I'm going to the airport, would you like me to drive you?" "You are flying to New York?" Nick asked. "I'm taking a private plane, It's faster. Besides, I have my license, and since the Hudson's loaned me the plane, It's cheeper." "Then let me walk you out." Nick offered. " I have my gifts outside." On the way out the door, the threesome were approached by Joe Reese. "You guys aren't going to get anywhere." Reese said. "It's on the TV They've closed all the airports. We have one major blizzard going on out there. They say they are going to close the roads soon." "Oh no!" Natalie moaned. "I'll never get to New York now." "At least I don't have to go skiing, sorry Doc." "It's alright, Trace." Natalie sighed heavily. "I tend to think of New York as home, It just won't seem like the holidays without being there." Nick looked from Natalie's crestfallen face to Tracy's slightly less sad one. 'I'm crazy to do this, but why not.' "Guys, if you want to, you can both spend christmas at my loft." Both Natalie and Tracy looked at each other, their faces doubtful. "Come on, you guys." Nick hated to sound like he was pleading. "I was spending Christmas alone, and I could use the company. I'll book off early, and we'll go back to the loft." "Why not." Natalie said with a smile on her face. "But we're taking my Jeep. If the weather gets as bad as they say, then that dinosaur that you drive will never make it." "I can't believe we made it." Tracy said incredulously. "Driving conditions are really bad out there." "It helps that Nat can melt the ice on the road." "I just wish that I hadn't ruined another outfit. These powers really play havoc on my wardrobe." "At least you can stay comfortable." Tracy shivered in the chilly air of the loft. "Good grief Nick, what are you, a polar bear?" "I wasn't expecting company." Nick said, trying hard not to laugh at the fact that Tracy was the only being in the loft that could feel the cold. "I usually just turn up the heat when I get home." "Then turn it up." Natalie looked in the refrigerator. There was nothing in there but a few green bottles with dark liquid in them. 'You aren't supposed to be drinking those, Nick.' "We're going to have to get some food, Trace." "Can we manage on foot?" "If we have to, we can fly." "Oh Christmas tree. Oh Christmas tree. How . . . Something, something, something." Natalie's boisterous voice echoed up the stairs. 'Why doesn't she just take the elevator?' Nick thought. His curiosity was rewarded when Natalie and Tracy burst through the door, arms laden with groceries and a large Christmas tree. "Where did you get such a large Christmas tree? It's Christmas Eve." "Don't ask!" Tracy asked. She took the grocery sacks from Natalie and moved to the kitchen. "We have spiced cider, popcorn and pizza." "Pizza?" "You said yourself, It's Christmas Eve." Nick laughed at his partner. "That tree is going to need some decoration. I'll see what I can dig up." Back in his store of things that he never threw away, Nick found some clip-on candlestick holders from the 40s. There were also a few glass ornaments that survived the countless moves he had made over the years. After the ornaments were put on the tree, Tracy sat on Natalie's shoulders to tie Joan's cross to the top. It felt fitting that it should be up there. Natalie produced a string of lights from that magic duffle bag she always had with her. "I swiped them from a grade school." She explained with a shrug. "Everyone is home for the holidays. Nobody missed them." Nick suddenly realized what Tracy's 'don't ask' meant. In the glow of the christmas lights, the threesome exchanged their gifts, and sang a few carols. Tracy turned on the radio, hoping to find some Christmas music. "It's Christmas time, boys and girls. The season of yule." The Nightcrawler's voice echoed seductively from the radio. Nat placed a hand on Nick's arm "Don't let him ruin things tonight." Nick shut off the radio obligingly. "I think we can find It's A Wonderful Life on TV." Tracy said. "They usually broadcast it on Christmas eve." Nick turned on the tv, and located the show. Tracy sat in his Easy chair. Natalie and Nick sat side by side on the couch. Sometime during the program, Nick slid his arm around Natalie. Natalie leaned into his embrace. "Merry christmas Nick," she whispered to him. "It really is." #Tracy Sue# tsmori@comp.uark.edu# #Inferno page: http://comp.uark.edu/~tsmorri/inferno.html# #Lusting Vaquera#Militant Natpacker# Lonely Heart# SKL#NVC#V-Loop# #Cherri Moo-noz Fan Club# Dream Daughter (and neice) to the Cousin Twins# #Defender of the Nat# BWP# Candy Goddess#almost an FKP# #Darkroom Troll# Queen of the Midnight Sharpee# Chia Sig!