Money Trail

Chapter 12: Phone Call

Chapter 12: Phone Call

 It didn't surprise Dallas that Ilia loved Christmas. The holiday seemed right up her ally.

Humming along to the Christmas carols, specifically A Holly Jolly Christmas, as she danced with anyone who came into her reach, Ilia was really in her element.

No section of her house went undecorated, everything that could have tinsel did, anything that could hold icicles or some kind of Santa or Mrs. Clause held one. And the fairy lights, oh the fairy lights.

As if she identified with them because they were her namesake, Ilia had fairy lights everywhere.

Dressed in red with fake white fur trim, and beautiful enough to make Mrs. Clause hate her, Ilia sang and laughed and smiled so wide it was contagious.

Josh, unable to keep up with her energy, was smiling on her couch, swaying in time with her singing as her typed away on her guest laptop. As far as Dallas could understand, he was programming the lights to twinkle in time with the music playing.

Even Warren was getting into it. Baring a Santa hat on his head and a big red lipstick kiss on one cheek, he danced with Ilia the most as she used his height shamelessly to hang everything and put up the enormous, fake Christmas tree she had.

Dallas, unfortunately, just couldn't get into it. Though Ilia had also given him a Santa hat and he did smile as he watched, he was standing in her kitchen watching the activity without being a part of it.

He wasn't mad at her, not really. However, the threat of her looking into his past was a dark cloud he just couldn't shake. He wanted to protect her, not expose her to the horrors of his life. Nor could he stop her from doing just whatever she pleased. She ran over whoever stood in her way with a smile on her face.

Other than that piece of darkness in his mind, Dallas was actually enjoying the sight. Sure, no one was actually working, but, as Ilia assured him, her computer was still hard at work searching through countless files and secret underground information.

And she really was magnificent when she danced as she did. Life seemed to be made for her to enjoy it.

“Okay, Ilia.” Warren said pulling the last decoration out of the box. The top of the tree was still lacking it's star and the one Ilia had was a beautiful, shining silver affair that reflected the beauty and light of the room around it. “Shall you do the honors?”

“Why thank you.” Ilia took the star and turned to the tree however the top was just a bit out of her reach. “Has anyone seen my step ladder?”

She looked around her living room but couldn't see the thing. She normally had it right by her when she decorated but with Warren there she didn't have to reach the high places like she normally did.

She was about to step away from the tree to look in the kitchen when a pair of hands wrapped around her waist and picked her up.

Laughing, it was always fun to be picked up even as an adult, Ilia steadied herself on Dallas's familiar arm as she reached and perched the star, a gift from Urich, on her treetop.

Then she turned as Dallas set her down and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Does this mean you aren't mad at me anymore?” Yesterday's fight was yesterday's fight, as far as she was concerned.

“I'm not mad.” he said, not really smiling but not really frowning either.

“Liar.” she smiled and started rocking, forcing him to dance to All I Want For Christmas.

“Hey, Ilia.” Warren looked at the last two boxes. “What's in those?”

“My outside decorations.” she answered, not looking away from Dallas's eyes. They were the most common color of brown but still so beautiful to her. “I figured I'd forgo them this year. Considering the circumstances.”