Of Christmas' Past

By Icka! M. Chif

His footsteps crunched in the snow as he stepped out on to the rooftop. Eduardo took a deep breath, enjoying the bite to the air. It was going to snow again, he could tell. He stretched, glad to be away from the Christmas festivities going on in the firehouse below.

It wasn't that he didn't like Christmas, it was just nice to get away from it for a little while. Glancing around for a good place to relax from the hectic work schedule Egon had warned that followed the Christmas season, he noticed he wasn't the only one up on the rooftop.

Kylie was leaning on the edge of it, a sad, far away look on her face. He put his hands back in his pockets and wandered over. She didn't move to acknowledge him, but he had the feeling that he wasn't un-welcome, either. He sat down on the edge, back to the street, watching the clouds. It looked like snow soon.

"Whatcha thinking 'bout?" He asked to break the silence.

Kylie sighed, sounding tired. "Gran'ma Rose."

He glanced over at her, uncertain how to respond. He hadn't been really expecting a straight answer. He supposed he could crack a joke to cover his confusion, but didn't really feel like it.

"First Christmas with out her?" He asked before really deciding on what to say.

"No." Kylie said softly, closing her eyes as if to hold back tears. "That was last year. Feels as if just passed away though. I miss her." She bowed her head, looking back at the street, hair veiling her face.

"We used to drink hot apple cider and sing carols on Christmas Eve, waiting for midnight to roll around so we could open gifts. Her favourite was 'Silent Night'" She whispered, a bitter sweet smile tugging on her lips. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"What about your parents?" He asked, realizing that she had never talked about them before, only her Grandma Rose. She grimaced.

"I haven't really seen my Mom since she took me to live at Grandma Rose's." She admitted. "and I never got to know my Dad, he was gone all the time."

Remembering the bruises he'd gotten as a kid from his father, he envied her a bit. "Probably better that way." He muttered under his breath.

"Neither of them even showed up for Gran'ma Rose's funeral" She added bitterly, fortunately not hearing his remark. "What about you?" She asked, making a face as she changed the topic back to the original subject.

He shrugged. "Everybody'd get together, then head over to the church for Midnight Mass. It was just one big hectic mess."

"Sounds like fun." She commented, looking back at the building.

"Not really. Everyone just pretended to get along cuz it was Christmas, then ignore each other the rest of the year." He admitted. Christmas time had been about the only time he'd gotten to see his mother, and then it was over the glares of his father.

"Kinda nice to get away from it for a change." He said cryptically. She smiled at him in that strange way of hers, like she knew something about you that you didn't know. He returned the smile, relaxing a bit.

As he did so, his hand brushed against the paper wrapped package in his jacket pocket. He'd been wondering when to give this to her, much less if he should. Now seemed as good of a time as any.

"Um, Hey," He said, pulling it out. "I know we agreed that we wouldn't get each other any gifts this year, money being tight and all,.." He trailed off as he handed her the slim brown paper package.

She looked at it with wide eyes. "Eduardo..." She breathed, seemingly at a loss for words as he motioned for her to take it. Hesitantly, she did so.

"I..didn't get you anything." She admitted, running her fingers along the edges.

He shrugged one shoulder. "I know. I saw this and just thought you might like it. Open it." He urged.

She nodded, carefully opening it so as not to tear the plain brown paper. Slowly, she pulled out the old leather bound book. "It's a collection of Shakespeare's poems." She said in a combination of wonder and amazement.

"I saw it passing a used book store. I know you liked MacBeth, but I didn't know if you'd read these." He said, an idiot smile creeping across his face as she flipped through it.

"Actually, I haven't." She admitted. "I was more interested in his paranormal works." She came to the inside cover and paused, reading the inscription. "To Kylie, Merry Christmas, Eduardo." She read out loud, a grin forming as she glanced over at him.

He shrugged in response, afraid he'd start babbling and ruin everything. "It's wonderful. Thank you." She said leaning in closer, shrinking the gap between them. He started to do the same when the door slamming opening startled them both, making them jump back to a 'safe' distance.

"Agh! Christmas!" Garrett growled rolling out into the snow. Given the timing, Eduardo would've liked to kill his colleague where he sat.

"What? You get bitten by the Scrooge bug?" He asked crossing his arms. Garrett glared at him sourly.

"No." He retorted sarcastically. "My Mom just called wanting to know when I wascoming home for Christmas dinner. She's on the phone right now chewing out Egon for having one of my 'disability' work such a dangerous job, on Christmas Eve, no less." He snorted. "Yeah, like facing Aunt Bertha drooling over your face is 'safe'. Rather fight a dozen ghoulies than face *that* again this year."

"Don't care much for your family over the holidays?" Kylie asked sympathetically.

"They treat me like an invalid!" Garrett snapped with so much fervor it made them jump. "They-they act like I can't do anything on my own, always pushin' me around, ignoring that I can do things by myself! It gets me so mad and I can't say anything about it cause 'they're family'." He grunted and sank back in the chair, resting his chin on a fist, glaring at nothing.

Eduardo and Kylie exchanged looks. That had been unexpected. Kylie opened her mouth, ready to say something when the door opened again. Great. There went any chance to talk to Kylie any more. Rolland stepped out, looking happy.

"There you guys are. I've been looking all over for you." He said cheerfully, shutting the door behind him. "I wanted to know if it would be alright with you if I cut out early? I'd like to be home in time to wish my family Merry Christmas before everyone went home."

They all looked at him with various expressions of disbelief and shock. "You feelin' okay, bro?" Garrett asked a skeptical expression on his face.

"Yeah. Why?" Roland asked, faintly puzzled.

"You're the only one of us lookin' forward to going home." Eduardo said bluntly.

Roland looked at them in disbelief. "You're kidding."

They all shook their heads.

"No ones home." Kylie said sadly, getting a haunted look to her eyes.

"I'm ain't interested in playing referee." Eduardo explained. More like he wasn't interested in finding out all his faults for the past year, including Ghostbusting instead of being a cop.

"And I don't want to face everyone acting like I'm either not there or helpless." Garrett growled. Definitely a sore point with Roller Boy. "Rather be here where at least I'm doing something useful."

"Yeah. Turnin' gingerbread men into gingerbread ghosts." Eduardo smirked.

"Shove it, Goat-boy." Garrett growled, with a flash of his normal humour. "Or you're gonna be next for the choppin' block." Eduardo rolled his eyes. Ooh. He was shaking in his boots.

"Go ahead, Roland." Kylie said, making a shooing motion. "We'll call if we need your help."

Roland looked around at them. "You sure?" He asked uncertainly.

They nodded.

"Well," Roland said debating. He finally nodded. "Okay, if you're sure you'll be alright..."

"Have a good time." Kylie said firmly.

"Good night, Roland." He chanted, doing a weak mock salute.

"Say 'Hi' for me." Garrett added.

Roland smiled, turning around and opening the door to go down stairs. "I will. Later, guys. Merry Christmas." He headed down the stairs, humming 'Deck the halls'.

"I'd like to deck some halls." Garrett muttered darkly. "Right in the kisser."

Eduardo smirked, noticing it starting to snow again. He picked up a handful of it off the edge of the roof, testing it. "Whadda say to a 'sudden downfall' as he exits the Firehouse?" He asked playfully.

Garrett perked up, a slight smile forming. "I'd have no trouble with that."

They looked at Kylie. She seemed to consider the matter over.

"It'd be a shame to ruin the cheerful mood he's in." She mused thoughtfully, idly picking up a handful of snow and playing with it. "Not too much, we don't want him getting soaked and getting sick." She grinned. They smiled back, picking up handfuls of snow as they walked to the edge of the roof.

"Minus ten points if you hit the bell ringing Santa on the corner." Garrett grinned as they paused, waiting for their colleague to step out of the Firehouse.

Finis.

This story has been a new venture for me in the fact this is the first story outside of English class that I've let anyone read. Normally, this story would join the two 1/two foot tall stack of notebooks full of stories, none of which I've let anyone as so much as look at, much less read. But I figured this one would be more fun to let other people see what goes on in my tripped out mind. So, now you know. Or, at least, the edited version of what goes on up there. (So any of you who know me and see me scribbling away in my notebooks can no longer say I never let you read my stories. Ha!)Any comments, questions, hate mail or fresh fruit, PLEASE send to icka_IMP@hotmail.com . Thanks.

-ICKA!