Standard Disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. I will make and accept no profit for this work, except for the pleasure of people reading it.
Caveats and explanations. This story doesn't fit within any of my other stories. It stands alone, outside of time and place. It has not been beta-ed and so all errors, typos and grammar transgressions remain, as always, my own. That pivotal point of the FX universe raises it's ugly head here. I refer, naturally, to the episode, Red Storm. However, rest assured, gentle readers, that villain of villains does not make an appearance in this story. This is a Christmas story and he has no place within. And now, without further ado - the fanfic
The North Pole was in full hustle and bustle, elves scurrying everywhere, hastening to readiness for that ultimate moment - Santa's Great Flight Around The World. It was a busy and gloriously merry time. Cheerful songs echoed from every corner. At his desk, the great man himself was carefully reviewing his pile of letters which seemed to get larger and longer every year. He picked up one letter and a warm smile touched his lips as he recognized the familiar handwriting. This letter would be a relief from all the Give-me and I-want that filled the others. His lips pursed slightly as he remembered how much he had missed the writer last year. Santa had been afraid that the letters had stopped for good, but here was proof otherwise. They always stopped when the writer reached that moment - The Moment When He or She No Longer Believed. This had been truth for as long as Santa had been, well, Santa. For everyone--Except one--Somehow this one had managed to grow up Still Believing. An impossibility, in the Great Age of Reason and Science, that Santa was very glad to believe in before breakfast. Picking up his letter opener, he carefully slit the envelope and pulled out the precious paper within. He stood and walked over to the fireplace, a cheerful fire blazing to keep the Arctic cold at bay. He sat down in his comfortable rocker, eager to catch up on the events of his friend's life.
Santa shook his head sadly over the events of last year that had kept his friend from writing. It was wrong that one so good should suffer so greatly. He always had possessed a tender and sympathetic heart that beat with the urge to help in anyway that was in his power to do so. His past letters asking for things for others, even strangers, had proved that vividly. This year he was asking on the behalf of his partner, only his friend wasn't quite sure what to ask for. However, Santa Claus was a great one for reading between the lines and went to check his records concerning last December. He usually avoided checking on this special friend because it seemed invasive to investigate his life and it was much more fun to be surprised. He read for a long time about his friend's life, starting with December 1 and going up unto the present. As a glimmer of an idea formed, Santa checked the corresponding records for his friend's partner.
"My, my, you have both been through quite a lot lately", Santa murmured to himself. "At least, now, I can finally give something to you, my friend. Even though you didn't ask, I will try to grant your greatest and fondest wish." The fact that it would grant two wishes was a bonus that made Santa particularly pleased and proud. He glanced unnecessarily at the calendar. There isn't much time left. Who to ask? Santa tugged on his whiskers, deep in thought. No, I should do it myself. Satisfied with his decision, he went to kiss Mrs. Santa on her cheek and tell her that he would be in his private workshop for the next few days.
Mrs. Claus watched her husband leave the kitchen with a bounce in his step that hadn't been there for a very long time. She knew her husband was going to take up a task that hadn't been necessary in this Great Age of Reason and Science - a gift handmade by none other than Santa Claus himself. She wondered what had brought about this Great Event - an Event that had not occurred for More Than a Century.
Angie groaned softly as she stretched, grateful that the holiday break had finally arrived. This past year had seemed unusually long and hectic. This was their sixth movie this year. She still couldn't believe they'd done so many. Five made for an overly busy year, four was more typical for them. She shook her head and sighed happily. Two and a half weeks off! She wondered what to do with the time. They'd been so busy that she hadn't even thought about it. She considered sleeping in on most of the days, but that probably wouldn't work for more than a couple of days. Christmas would be spent with Rollie naturally. She wouldn't dream of anything less. She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. She'd done a little gift shopping in the mad dash toward winter, but still wanted one more present for the Aussie, not entirely satisfied with what she had already bought. She watched her boss as he walked over to their big black van, a sheath of papers in his hand--a sheath of blue pages. Lovely! She grimaced and looked up into Rollie's tired brown eyes. "More changes?"
"Yeah," Rollie responded, "I haven't found anything drastic yet, but..." He trailed off, his attention returning to the script pages. Angie pulled gently on one arm and the man obediently climbed aboard. He absently sat in the passenger seat, leaving the driving to Angie. The blonde climbed into the driver's seat and started the truck up. She drove the familiar route to their workshop, brooding a bit over Rollie Tyler. He always seemed more subdued now. She reviewed the past year and found, to her surprise, that she could count the number of times Rollie had helped the police on one hand. And most of that was technical advice, she thought guiltily. Rollie's always helped the police! She froze her thoughts where they were. She knew why it had changed, but didn't really want to acknowledge it. As hard as they'd tried, Victor Loubar had affected both of them and she knew it. Rollie hadn't been on a date all year while she'd gone out every chance she'd gotten. Still, we were unusually busy this year. That would affect Rollie even more than it did me. Maybe he just didn't have time to go out. ... Or to help Mira and Francis out more than he did. She brightened a bit as she thought. And he didn't seem to go out of his way to find all these movies either. Most of them were offered by friends and Rollie always had a hard time saying 'no' to a friend. I know he hated it when he had to turn down two because we didn't have time, too!
Angie parked the van inside the garage at Rollie's workshop and loft. The old brewery looked a bit bereft without any holiday decorations. Something else we haven't had time to do.
Rollie looked up and noticed they were home. He stood with a sigh. "Hey Ange, want to help me find a tree tomorrow?"
"Sure thing, Rol."
"Great!" He led the way into the living area and set the papers in his hand down on the coffee table. "How about some tea?" He offered, heading toward his tiny kitchen area.
"Um, it's getting pretty late, boss. I should head home."
"You can sleep here." Rollie answered as he pulled two cups down and started the kettle.
Angie started ever so slightly, then prayed Rollie hadn't noticed. "No offense, but I don't particularly want to sleep on you couch unless I have to." She left the again unspoken.
"Then sleep in the guest room", Rollie responded as he rummaged in the cabinets for some biscuits to go with their tea.
Angie froze and stared at the tall, lanky, brown haired man as if he'd grown a second head. "What guest room?"
"The one I made when I decided neither we nor our guests should be sleeping on the couch anymore", Rollie answered as he brought the tray over and poured the tea. Both of them had spent their fair share of time on the couch and, while it wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't much fun either--especially if one of them was working downstairs. So, earlier this year, he'd decided to do something about it.
Angie nibbled on a cookie and considered Rollie's guest room. She knew that when they weren't working on a movie, what little time there was left over Rollie had spent cleaning the loft and workshop. He had even built an inventory application on the computer where they could easily find the location of their more esoteric equipment. There were no more hours of scouring the converted brewery from top to bottom, trying to find something they needed. Obviously, the Aussie had done more than just clean up and organize. "When did you get the furniture?" She was pretty sure she would have noticed a furniture delivery.
"That weekend you went rock climbing with Robbie, Jim and Sandy." His head tilted to one side as he considered her. "It was Robbie, Jim and Sandy, right?"
"Uh, yeah, it was." The beautiful blonde sipped her tea. "When do I get to see this guest room?" So I can decide if I actually would sleep in it. Rollie can have some funny ideas when it comes to decorating. So did Dad for that matter.
"No time like the present." Rollie stood and tugged his partner to her feet, leading the way to her old bedroom.
Rollie stood just outside, fidgeting slightly as he waited for Angie's verdict. He hoped she liked it. Maybe it's too masculine or something. Maybe...
The blonde examined the room with a critical eye. The walls had been painted a light buttery cream. The oak bedroom suite consisted of a bed, chest of drawers and bedside table. The chest of drawers had a matching mirror on top, that could be tilted to whatever angle the user desired. Instead of a bedspread, he'd used a quilt. The starburst lay in the center of a creamy field and was made up of a rich burgandy, navy and hunter green, with lighter colors in the patterned cloth used. The result was neither too masculine nor too frilly. Just right for a room that could be used by either sex. There was a print on the wall. She stepped closer and looked again. No, it's a real painting. Where did he get it? The painting was a landscape of Rollie's beloved Outback. As she looked closer, she spotted a kangaroo with a joey peeking out from behind some bushes. That found, she noticed a willy wagtail flying overhead, then a gecko lazing on a rock. You could probably spend all day finding the little details! It's absolutely amazing! "Great painting, Rol. Where did you get it?"
"I asked Mangela to send me something." Rollie fidgeted nervously, not looking at Angie. "I think one of his nephews did it. It... Our home was near there. Do you really like it?"
"It's great! The detail is amazing." She looked around the room. "The room is very nice, Rol. You did a fantastic job." She grinned. "I think I'll help you out and break it in tonight."
Rollie straightened up. "Great! I'll get your extra clothes from upstairs." He bounded up the steps to his room without waiting for an answer.
Angie shook her head in amusement and looked at the room again. It felt warm and welcoming. In fact, it felt like she was coming home after a long time away. In a sense, I guess I am. Rollie returned with a small duffel, instead of the pile of clothes she had expected. He really has organized everything. She wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing as she accepted the bag.
The next morning, Angie woke to find Rollie making breakfast. He was humming softly in tune with the Christmas music playing on the radio while scrambling eggs. "Well, good morning. You're certainly cheerful this morning."
"And why shouldn't I be, sweetie? We're not working," he grinned, "and we are going to get our Christmas tree today." He shot an anxious glance at the blonde. "You are still helping me find a tree, right?"
Angie nodded her head. "I said so, didn't I? Well, guess what. I meant it!" Toast popped up in the toaster and she placed them on a plate. "Any idea what type you want, boss?"
Rollie smiled as he placed the plates of scrambled eggs and bacon on the table. He poured orange juice for both of them while Angie made cups of coffee. "Big!"
Big? Angie looked at the open space in the living area of the loft, then up. Swallowing nervously, she had to ask. "Uh... How big?"
Rollie considered the question as he sat down, helping himself to some food. "At least seven feet, but I'm kind of hoping for an eight footer."
Angie pondered that as she served herself. "Why so big, Rol? You're usually happy with a six foot tree."
The Aussie shrugged. "I just want the tree to be taller than me, that's all."
Taller? Okay... "We may have to do some hunting to find a tree that tall in the city."
"Yeah," Rollie fiddled with his fork, "I guess so. You don't mind, do you, Ange?"
"Nah," Angie answered readily. "It might even be fun. But we have to go feed Chiops first!"
"Sure thing," Rollie responded. "Why don't we just bring him here? He'll be okay with Bluey."
Angie glanced over to where Rollie's little robot dog was focused on something under a work bench. I wonder if he's hunting down a dust bunny. She grinned at the thought. Blue liked things neat and tidy. Dust would definitely be on his 'Bad' list. "Why would I want to do that?"
"I--I just thought that... Maybe..." Rollie blushed slightly. "Um, maybe..." He looked at her with big brown eyes full of hope. "Maybe you could stay here? Just until Boxing Day."
Okay. That's a little weird. She stared speculatively at the lanky man. Well, I guess we have been kind of busy. Too busy to just hang out together lately. Maybe he's lonely. He really hasn't done much of anything except work this year. Maybe... "Sure. That sounds good to me, Rol."
Rollie beamed. His smile seemed to light up the room. "Great! I made a list of places that usually carry larger trees. That should make our tree hunt a little easier, don't you think?"
"Yeah." Angie felt like her head was spinning after all the activity following that single acknowledgment. After breakfast, Rollie drove her to her apartment where she grabbed a bag and Chiops, along with his supplies. They were dropped off at the loft. Leaving the cat with some food and to get reacquainted with Blue, they headed out to find THE Christmas tree. I guess I should be glad to see Rollie this enthusiastic over something... Somehow, she had ended up with Rollie's PDA in her hand, sitting in the shotgun seat, navigating for the Aussie. He was humming again to another tune on the pickup's radio.
Angie stared up at the tree. Rollie sure had funny ideas about Christmas trees when he first showed up and just as surely that has changed. The tree that Rollie was haggling with the dealer over was a ten foot spruce. It was very full and absolutely gorgeous. Perfect. Well, it's certainly not a Charlie Brown tree. When they'd spent their first Christmas with Rollie, he'd been perfectly happy with what Angie would call a Charlie Brown tree. The tree in his apartment had been small, half bare and scraggly. She never did figure out if that was because Rollie didn't have much money or if it was because Rollie actually liked the tree. Right now, she was leaning toward the money answer. Rollie's eyes had lit up with wonder the moment he saw this tree and Angie knew that would be the one. And it only took five dealers to find it. She grinned and glanced over to where the dealer was fighting a losing battle over the price. If Dingo had taught Rollie anything, it was how to haggle. Don't complain, girl. It's why you have those nice fat bonuses in your bank account. Satisfied that she'd scolded herself enough, she examined the nearby shops. Not finding anything interesting, she was relieved when Rollie concluded his deal.
The Aussie and dealer wrapped the tree in webbing and loaded it in the back of the pickup, the gate down with the tree sticking out well past the bumper. They tied it off with cords. Rollie rummaged in the glove compartment and tied an orange stick to the top of the tree. He gave it a hard snap and it started to glow brightly even in the daylight. He smiled at his partner. "We don't want some city driver smacking the top of our tree," he declared.
"No, we don't. We might not find another one like it." Angie kept her thoughts about how they were going to get the tree unloaded to herself. She didn't know what Rollie had in mind, but she hoped she wouldn't be the only one helping him do it. I wonder if we have enough decorations. We may need to do some more shopping.
Angie found herself amused when Rollie used the tree as an excuse to get Francis Gatti and Mira Sanchez to drop by the loft. While she and Mira 'supervised', Rollie and Frank manhandled the tree off the pickup and inside.
Frank swiped his forehead in mock exhaustion when it was standing tall in its corner of the first floor. He started to say something, then changed his mind. "That's some tree, Rollie!" He looked over to where the Aussie was teasing the webbing lose to release the branches.
Rollie smiled. "Thanks. Maybe we could have Christmas here this year," he offered, concentrating on the task at hand, feeling suddenly shy.
Angie held her breath as they waited for the answer. If Francis turns him down, it will really hurt.
Frank looked over at his partner, then around the loft. He took in the large tree that they had just brought in. The girls would love it, but... "I'll talk to Sarah and let you know, Rollie." He smiled up at the taller man. "But I know the girls would love it, man!"
"'kay, Francis." Rollie responded, feeling a little more hopeful and willing to wait.
The cops said their good-byes and headed back to work. Angie and Rollie dug out the Christmas decorations. While the blonde did the lower branches, the taller Aussie worked on the upper ones. For the first time in Angie's memory, he had to use a ladder to do it. The two friends didn't need to talk, the sound of Christmas carols from the stereo the only thing breaking the silence. They finished hanging the ornaments they had and without a word to each other, headed for the car. They were definitely going to need more to finish this tree properly.
Angie mused on their silent, mutual decision. It's like we can read each others minds. How many people can say that? How many could actually do it? She looked at her partner out of the corner of her eye, appreciating once more his easy looks, the soft curl of his rich brown hair. A small frown marred her features. Is that a gray hair? Rollie isn't suppose to have gray hairs... Maybe it's just a trick of the light. Rollie can't have gray hair. He's so young... She turned to look out the window, not wanting Rollie to think she was staring at him, because she was afraid she would end up staring. All right. I know Rollie is older than me. What is it? Eight years? Nine? But still, gray hair? He's not that old. Well, yeah, it has been a long year. And he has been working too hard. And... Do I really know what makes hair turn gray? Maybe it's not age or stress. Maybe it's just nature. There was that one man we worked with when I was a kid. He was younger than Rollie is now and his hair was already heavily gray. I wonder if Rollie's noticed. If he hasn't, what will he do when he finally does? Will he dye it? She sneaked another peek. Nah, Rollie won't mind that much. He's not like that. There is very little conceit in that lengthy frame.
Any thought that Rollie was getting older (and more serious) vanished like a snowflake at Uluru in the middle of summer at the Christmas shop. When Angie pointed out a kangaroo glass ornament, followed by a koala one, Rollie retaliated with red chili pepper lights. "You like spicy stuff, Ange. How about these?" After that, the war was on with no holds barred to find the most outrageous Christmas ornaments.
Besides the kangaroo and the koala, Angie collected a pair of blue suede shoes and a blue guitar to match. This was naturally followed by an Elvis ornament, then a surfboard and a tiny can of Fosters beer. Rollie followed through gamely with a computer ornament (lit by the 'blue screen of death'), a mountain goat and a replica of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He took a great deal of delight in presenting Angie with a moose angel. Angie was laughing so hard that she found she had to give. Getting serious, the friends collected several more animal ornaments, being taken with the variety. By the time they were done, they had a tiger, a polar bear, two different pandas, an otter, a seal, a zebra, a cheetah and a raccoon. Rollie gave Angie a huge grin as he added a cat that looked just like Chiops. That was followed by a rabbit, a lion, a sheep, a Chinese dragon, a wolf, an elephant and a camel.
"If we don't quit soon, we're going to have a whole zoo, Rol."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," the Aussie responded and started collecting more traditional ornaments to supplement their new menagerie. The resolve to not increase to full fledge zoo vanished when he hit the mother lode which added a crocodile, a platypus, an echidna and a sugar glider. Looking down the aisle, he realized the animals were subdivided by continent. Both of them lit up in delight when they found the birds. They didn't even have to discuss it as they added a budgerigar, cockatoos, colorful parrots, a cardinal, a robin, a bluebird, a finch, a wren, a sparrow, a penguin and a loon. Gracing Angie with a knowing smile, Rollie replaced the pepper lights with some strands of regular multi-color lights.
"I prefer my peppers in food, not on trees," Angie commented as they returned to the car with their sacks of decorations.
"Yeah," Rollie agreed.
They returned home and finished decorating the tree, Rollie carefully placing the lights after they placed the last ornament. Angie plugged them in and they stepped back to examine their work with critical eyes. From the star on top to the blinking, colored lights to the multitude of varied ornaments, it was beautiful. It may be our best tree yet, Angie thought happily. She could see by the glow in Rollie's eyes that he certainly liked it. Having a taller tree was a good idea. Oops! She moved to intercept Chiops who was exploring the base, preparing to climb up into the limbs. Then again... "Rol, how are we going to keep Chiops from climbing it? I've never had to worry before, the trees were always too small after he got past kitten."
Rollie thought as he gave the cat a good rub at the back of his ears. "I don't know. Don't worry, sweetie, I'll think of something to cat-proof it."
"As long as it doesn't stink!" Angie Ramirez declared firmly.
"Gotcha. No stink." Rollie headed for his computer to do a little research on the problem, while Angie decided to shut Chiops up in the guest room for the time being.
The blonde grabbed her coat and handbag and headed for the door. "I'm going to do a little window shopping. Do you need anything?"
"Hmmm?" Rollie answered absently. "No, I don't need any windows, Ange. Have fun. Take the pickup if you want... Or the car. Whatever."
Angie chuckled over the Aussie's response as she started the red pickup. It sounds like Rol's fully occupied for the rest of the day. Good. I could sneak a marching band past him right now. She pulled her cell phone out and punched the speed dial for the Gatti home. "Hey Sarah! It's Angie. I thought I'd do a little shopping. Care to join me?" She grinned at the answer. "Great. I'll pick you up."
It didn't take long to reach the Gatti home and Sarah immediately piled into the passenger seat. "Can we go by a toy store?" She asked it before she even reached for a seat belt.
"Sure. Any particular one?"
"I don't know. A good one. There is one present for Belinda that we just haven't been able to find and we've searched everywhere. Frank couldn't even find it on the internet. Belinda has her heart set and we really don't want to disappoint her."
Angie thought about it for a moment. "I take it you tried the obvious places like F.A.O.?"
"Oh yeah! And all the Toys R Us in the tri-state area. We can't find it anywhere."
"What is it?"
"Would you believe that our daughter wants an I Dig Caveman?" Sarah laughed and shook her head.
"I Dig Caveman? What is that?"
"Well, you get the tools and a dirt block with the skull of a caveman in it. You're suppose to excavate the skull. I think it's a Neanderthal skull. Francis and I were blown away when she put that on her list. We never even heard of it before!"
"That sounds kind of cool, actually." Angie responded thoughtfully.
"Yeah! And it's educational too! Don't tell her that though," Sarah smiled, then sighed, "but it won't be cool if we can't find one."
"I've got an idea. There's a toy shop that Rollie loves to go to. He finds some of the neatest and strangest toys there. Maybe they'll have one. And maybe I can find something for Rollie while we're there."
"Lead on, McDuff!" Sarah said immediately, eager to get on the hunt.
"That's McRamirez to you!" They laughed as Angie carefully pulled out into traffic.
After parking, Angie lead the way to a shop tucked away between a grocers and a bakery. Sarah blinked and stared in amazement. She felt like she had stepped into Santa's toy shop. "I can see why Rollie loves to come here." The women grinned at each other and began to explore the wonders that lay within. Sarah Gatti was stroking a Raggedy Ann doll's yarn hair when Angie called to her. She hurried over to the blonde's side.
"Is this what you're looking for?"
"Yes! That's it." The brunette immediately picked on up and hugged it close.
"Look at this, Sarah. Cave painting!"
Sarah laughed and picked one of those up too. "Not too much, Angie. We need to save something for next year." She looked around the store. "I'm going to have to remember where this is. It's perfect. I bet we can find anything the girls desire here."
"Oh yeah." Angie grinned. "Now, I need to see if I can find something special for Rollie."
"Don't you already have a gift for him?" Sarah asked, curious, as she followed Angie exploring the aisles.
"Yeah, but I want something else. Something special and fun. Rol's been working awfully hard this year. He needs some fun, Sarah." Serious blue eyes met dark brown and Sarah nodded in understanding. She knew exactly what Angie had been through and how it had affected Rollie. She suspected both of their friends needed to get some fun back in their lives. Her heart ached for them and she looked around, wanting to help Angie find something special.
"How about a train set?" Sarah pointed at them, remembering how much Francis got a kick out of them when they went toy shopping. She fully expected him to come home one day with 'one for the kids'.
"I don't know," Angie followed Sarah over to the sets. There were small ones and large ones. Some were extremely elaborate, others were very simple.
Suddenly, Sarah gasped and pulled on her friend's sleeve. She pointed wordlessly at the boxed set that had captured her attention.
"The Ghan?" Angie questioned, peering at the box.
"I think that's the railroad that went to Alice Springs in Australia."
"Really?" Angie's interest increased and she examined the train set more closely. The more she looked, the more she liked the idea of giving this to Rollie for Christmas. It could be a 'Santa gift', even though he wouldn't have a hard time figuring out who Santa was. "It's perfect, Sarah!"
Her friend grimaced as she found the price tag. "Yeah, perfect price too." She pointed at the amount.
Angie looked and shrugged. "I don't care. Rollie will love this one!"
They went to pay for their selections and took advantage of the offer of free wrapping. Angie dropped Sarah off at her home, then headed for the loft. She peeked in and, not seeing any signs of the Aussie, hustled her package into the guest room. You better not do any snooping between now and Christmas, Rollie Tyler! With the present safely hidden away under the bed, she decided to spend some quality time with Chiops and settled down on the bed to play with her pet. I wonder if Rollie figured out how to cat-proof the tree. I hope so! Chiops won't like being cooped up in here for very long.
An hour later, Angie was distracted from her cat by the sound of Bluey barking. She came out of the guest room and her eyes opened wide with surprise. "What happened to you?!" She hurried to Rollie's side to take the bags from his arms. The Aussie's clothes were damp, his hair a straggling mess. He looked exhausted.
"Long story," Rollie answered as he sat gratefully on the couch. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, for the moment just soaking up the peace and quiet of his home.
When Angie saw him shivering, she immediately chivied him up the stairs and to the bathroom. "Get out of those wet things and take a shower. I'll get some clean clothes for you to wear." She stood outside the bathroom's door until she heard the shower start, then went to find Rollie something warm to wear. She collected some sweats and heavy wool socks. After a moment's hesitation, she added a fleece pullover to the pile. Knocking softly on the door, she slipped in and placed the clothes on the toilet seat. Slipping out, she headed downstairs to brew a cup of tea. It will help warm him up, she thought as she worried. What happened? Rather than stand around and worry, she turned on the television to distract her thoughts. As the news moved to their lead story, she thought she had caught a glimpse of Francis. Watching closely, she saw Mira in the background. The reporter was telling about a drug bust and explaining how some of the officers involved in the bust were almost drowned when the wharf had collapsed. Apparently, the dealers had sabotaged it in the hopes that it would slow the cops down enough for them to escape. Instead, one officer had made it past the collapsed section with the help of somebody else. They weren't clear about who that was or how it was done. While the officer (Mira, Angie realized) pinned down the drug dealers, the someone else had started fishing the others out of the river. Rollie, it has to be Rollie! She saw Van Duran talking to someone with a towel over their head and a blanket around their shoulders. The someone was tall and thin, built just like a certain Australian FX man. A sound on the steps tore her attention from the news report. "That was you, wasn't it." It was more statement than question.
Rollie nodded, resigned to Angie fussing at him about taking risks.
Angie looked at her subdued partner, then back at the TV set. A short man, also wrapped in a blanket, stopped at the tall man's side and tugged on his arm. He guided the man out of camera shot. "Francis?"
"Yeah," Rollie confirmed. "I had to, Ange! He--They could have drowned."
Angie stepped up to Rollie and kissed him on the cheek. "You did good, Rol. We can't have Frankie drowning right before Christmas." Or any other time. She knew how much that would have hurt his daughters, her memories of losing her mother, then, years later, her father, were vivid in her mind. She saw relief and reflected memories in Rollie's warm, brown eyes. He too knew loss, the loss of his own mother and the loss of his mentor, her father, Manny Ramirez. And Rollie didn't find much comfort in his own father's lack of contact. She knew that he was afraid the next news of Dingo Tyler would be serious, perhaps deadly serious. It worried him, but he tried to shrug it off because, in truth, there was nothing he could do about it.
Angie got Rollie to drink his tea and gave him some soup. Seeing he was tired, she coaxed him into his bed upstairs and left him to sleep. She decided to call the Gattis and make sure Frank was all right. "Blue, dial the Gatti home." Blue barked once as he obeyed her order. Sarah answered. "Hi Sarah. Is Francis all right?"
"Angie! Yes, Frank's fine. He was cold and tired. I put him to bed. How's Rollie? Is he all right?"
"Rollie's sleeping now. He'll be all right with a good night's sleep."
"Oh, Angie, don't be mad at him. He saved Frank's life. If he hadn't..."
"I know, Sarah. I'm not mad. Just... I worry about him. Rollie never thinks about himself. He always puts others first."
"And we all love him for it, including you, Angie."
Angie blushed slightly. "Yes. Um, Sarah, did you and Frank ever decide about coming here? For Christmas, I mean?"
"We've talked about it, but... Look, Angie, we would love to come visit both of you for Christmas, but we have to visit our families first. We'll be going to my folks on Christmas Eve. After we visit Frank's... We could drop by that afternoon. Francis told us about that tree you bought. I bet it's beautiful. The girls really would love to come. Will--Will that be all right?"
"That'll be fine, Sarah. Rollie will be really happy when I tell him. You enjoy visiting your families and we'll see you in the afternoon. What time do you think you'll get here?"
"Huh... Let me think. How about one or one thirty?"
"Sounds good. See you then. Until then, you take care of that hubby of yours."
Sarah laughed. "You bet I will. You take care of Rollie. Since he won't, you'll have to." She giggled, then hung up the phone. Both she and Frank suspected that Angie had 'feelings' for her handsome boss/partner/friend. She was pretty sure that Rollie returned those feelings, but... No one could force them to see what was there. They had to find it for themselves.
Christmas approached quickly in a flurry of activity. Rollie had slept all night after helping the police, but got up raring to go the next morning. He built something which he attached to the tree lights. He told Angie that as long as they left the lights on, Chiops wouldn't try to climb it. The blonde had felt a bit of skepticism (her cat was very independent), but Chiops did indeed stay away from the Christmas tree. The cat was glad to be released back to roam the entire loft and took full advantage of it. Sometimes, even to the point of sleeping on Rollie's bed. He avoided the tree, like it wasn't there or it wasn't part of the loft.
Christmas Eve was spent in preparation for their guests, baking goodies to snack on and eggnog and mulled juice to drink. That night was spent peacefully, taking turns reading Christmas stories - Dickens, Clements, and the story of baby Jesus. They went to bed, content and eager for the morning.
Angie woke to the scent of fresh baked cinnamon rolls. She smiled and stretched like a cat, before getting up. Dressing quickly, she padded up behind Rollie and hugged him. "Merry Christmas, Rollie!"
Rollie jumped slightly in surprise, but was quick to return the hug. "Merry Christmas, sweetie. Have a seat, I'll be right over with breakfast."
Angie giggled. "You just want to lick the spoon. Hurry up! I want some while they're still warm."
Rollie grinned and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Your wish is my command."
Darn! I knew I forgot something. No mistletoe! She knew she wouldn't have been able to get Rollie to kiss her properly, but he would have kissed her on the cheek or forehead, every time she lured him under it. It wasn't perfect, but it would have been better than nothing and she had forgotten! Grumbling silently to herself, she went to sit on the couch, curling her feet up under her, to examine the tree and the presents loaded under it. She had snuck the train set out early this morning, well after Rollie retired to his bed. Her eyes were bright with wonder as she took in the decorations. She frowned slightly in puzzlement. Those weren't there the last time I looked. Two stockings hung from the stairs leading to the cleanroom, both were exquisite with their names embroidered on them. "Hey Rol, where did you get them? They're beautiful!" She pointed to the Christmas stockings, before accepting the plate of rolls and her milk.
"What?" Rollie looked over to where Angie was pointing. "Ha ha. Very funny, Ange. I didn't get them." His look said clearly that he thought she was the culprit.
Angie put down the gooey treat she had been eating with relish. "Rollie. I swear I didn't do it!" She made a cross your heart motion and looked bewildered. A flutter of nervousness ran through her. If Rollie didn't and I didn't, then who did?
Rollie blinked in surprise, then shrugged. He stepped over to retrieve the pair of stockings and returned to the couch, handing Angie's to her. He sat down beside her and looked into his, a little boy grin touching his lips. "Well, they put all my favorite candies in mine, so whoever it is definitely knows me."
Angie peeked into hers and saw much the same. "All of mine, too." She poured her goodies out on the coffee table, filtering them a bit with her fingers. "I wonder who..." She paused as she stared at the black velvet jewelry box that rolled out from the toe of the stocking.
Rollie frowned slightly, then tipped his stocking over as well, careful to keep the contents separate from Angie's. Another jewelry box came last, this one blue velvet. The friends looked at each other in surprise. Angie's hands shook ever so slightly as she opened hers to find a ring set - a man's wedding set. Rollie choked at his surprise. His hands shook as he opened the blue box to reveal a matching set for a woman. He sat there staring down at the rings, his whole body trembling.
Angie stared at the rings in the box she held, then peeked at the ones in Rollie's hands. Who? How? Why? Who has access to the loft and would give us... these? WHO?!? Her brow furrowed as she tried to think. I think whoever did this is trying to tell us something, but... The rings were exquisitely made and perfectly matched. The platinum wedding bands carefully carved. The stones were breathtaking. They must have cost a fortune. They must have been handcrafted. She knew she had never seen anything like them. And someone had given the rings to them. For a reason. A very important reason. If I were to pick a wedding set and saw these, and could afford them, they are the ones I would pick. She looked at the man sitting, shivering, beside her and came to an abrupt realization. She couldn't deny her feelings any longer. It wasn't fair to her, but it most especially wasn't fair to Rollie. He had to know the truth. Not knowing has done nothing but hurt. But what do I say? She looked at the wedding sets and took a deep breath. She slipped to her knees and looked up at Rollie's face, partially hidden by his soft brown hair. I love his hair. It's so soft and ... beautiful. I love him. "Rollie Tyler, will you marry me?"
Rollie's jaw dropped open in surprise. His throat closing with emotion, he could only nod silently in agreement, tears filling his eyes. With a gentle smile, Angie removed the man's engagement ring and slipped it on Rollie's finger. It fit perfectly. His hands shaking, Rollie pulled out the matching ring and slipped on her finger. "I love you, Angie," he managed to whisper past the emotions that were filling him. Her fianceé pulled her to the couch beside him. He leaned forward, his lips brushing hers. The kiss rose rapidly in passion and love. Delight filled the couple. Rollie, unable to sit still a single moment longer, stood up. He wrapped his arms around his fiancé and kissing her, spun around and around, laughing and kissing, deliriously happy. They were getting married! Rollie Tyler and Angie Ramirez were getting married! It was the best Christmas--the best day--of his life!