Radioman (A 2/19th Spinoff) - Complete

Presents and Egg Nog

The fire crackled merrily in the fireplace as I stirred the logs with the poker. I set two more logs into the fire and put the poker onto the rack, then turned and looked at Hannah.

She was laying on the couch, her blanket pulled up to her neck, smiling at me. She was naked under the blanket, happy that she had been released from the hospital this morning.

On the small loveseat Brianna sat watching us, dressed in a nightgown, brushing her long blonde hair and humming to herself.

"The fire is beautiful, Paul," she said, her voice warm and pleased. She held her hand out to me and I reached out to take her hand in mine. She squeezed it gently and that warm feeling inside of me deepened.

"It's Christmas Eve," I told her, smiling.

"In my family, we open one gift to whet our appetite," Hannah said.

"Choose one, then," I smiled to her, turning away to look at the tree.

It was small, only four feet, but I'd found the box of decorations in the garage and worked hard to decorate it while she had watched from the couch. The lights twinkled, the tinsel shined, and the glass globes gleamed. It was a real tree, I'd cut it at the tree farm myself, and it filled the house with the smell of pine.

"The little one, with the wrapping of snowmen and birds," Hannah said.

I picked up the one she was pointing out. A small one that I'd wrapped myself. I handed it to her and she held it, biting her lower lip with excitement.

"The one with the little trees and kittens, please," Brianna said, setting the hairbrush to the side.

"Get one for yourself, Paul," she said.

I chose a small one that she had wrapped. I sat at her feet, smiling at her.

"I love you," She said, then turned her attention to the present.

"I love you too," I told her, then carefully unwrapped the present.

My present was a small cross-stitch, barely three inches across, with Hannah's name and my name intertwined over a heart.

"Brianna made that for you," Hannah said softly.

I looked at the blonde woman. "Thank you, Brianna."

Brianna nodded solemnly. "You are welcome, Paul." She opened her present.

I looked at Hannah, who was staring at her present. It was a small crystal bird I'd bought at the General Store. She looked up, tears in her eyes. "It's beautiful, Paul. Thank you."

I looked over at Brianna, who was looking at her present.

A leather cord, with silver bells shaped like pinecones at the ends, for her to use when she braided her hair. She looked at me, smiling. "I can tell how much thought you put into this, Paul."

I blushed.

There was a light tap at the door and I frowned. I didn't know of anyone who would be knocking at my door.

Part of me was suddenly afraid it was the police, here to arrest me.

I sighed, got up, and walked to the door, wiping my hands on my pant legs when I stopped at the door. I unlocked the deadbolt and the chain, then opened the door.

Standing out in the light of the porchlight, in her suit, the Blackbriar Girl stood there, a bag in one hand and a military document folder in the other.

"Merry Christmas, Paul. May I come in?" She asked.

"Do not make her stand in the cold, Paul, invite her to warm herself by our fire," Hannah called out.

"Come in, please," I said, moving to the side.

"Thank you," She moved inside, going over to where everyone else was. Brianna unfolded her legs and patted beside her on the loveseat. The Blackbriar Girl flushed. "Thank you."

"Warm yourself by our fire, little one," Aine said. "You have comported yourself well on your first solitary assignment."

The Blackbriar Girl flushed. "There is a little business, I hate to say."

Again I got nervous as I moved back to sit on the bearskin rug.

"Go ahead," I told her.

"Let us dispose of the business so we may relax," Brianna said.

The Blackbriar Girl opened the folder and removed three documents, setting them on the table. "As, medically, you can't fly right now, Hannah, you have been granted thirty days convalescent leave. Foster has been granted additional leave to care for you," She tapped the third one. "This one is from Chief Henley," She blushed and lowered her eyes at the name. "This is the proper permissions for the two of you to legally marry."

That made me blush.

"Will you act as my beautiful Paul's best man?" Aine asked. She waved at Brianna. "She will be my maid of honor. The Priest said he will we Paul and I the day after Christmas."

The Blackbriar Girl flushed.

"You will be responsible for ensuring no rivals of my sister kidnaps him," Brianna said. "I'd advise you to keep your pistol handy," Brianna smiled at me. "If we were in Washington, we'd have to assign a dozen boys to keep you safe from any McDaurn girls, with the worth you've shown."

That made me blush.

Aine held out a small wrapped gift. "It is our tradition to open a single gift on Christmas Eve to whet our appetite for tomorrow. Here is one for you."

The Blackbriar Girl looked startled but accepted the gift. We all watched as she unwrapped it, revealing an old enameled pin.

"It is from the Nineteenth Gas & Flame Regiment, formed after World War One," Aine said softly. "It seems fitting."

The Blackbriar Girl flushed, took off her ChemCorps pin, and pinned the pin onto her lapel. It gleamed softly in the firelight, somehow looking slightly menacing.

It made her look older.

"Thank you," The Blackbriar Girl said. She patted the bag next to her. "I bought a few presents at the General Store."

"Paul, put them under the tree, then come sit with me," Hannah said.

"How about we all have some egg nog with some bourbon?" Brianna asked, standing up as I took each present from the bag and put them under the tree.

We all agreed.

Brianna set down the glasses and we all toasted one another.

It was snowing outside. The Kansas night dark and cold.

But it was warm inside.

And I was with Hannah.

It made me feel warm inside.

Life was good.