For the lovely PrimevalYank as part of our Secret Santa! Have a truly brilliant Christmas! ;)

The first gift arrived on the 15th of December.

Becker arrived bright and early, bypassing his rarely used office for the busier Ops room under the guise of having forgotten to hand Jess his amended copies of the armoury's inventory. He'd had the opportunity to do so before leaving the previous day – or could have left it in the capable hands of his Second-in-Command – but that would have meant depriving himself of the opportunity to see her sunny smile first thing in the morning and he hadn't been about to do that.

He masked his disappointment when he reached the room and noticed the Hub was empty, her chair at the ADD vacant. Glancing at the report in his hand, and then around the almost deserted room, he was half tempted to go to his office and hold onto the excuse to visit her later in the day when something on her desk caught his eye.

A small, brightly wrapped Christmas present.

His brow furrowed as he glanced around again and, seeing no one seemed particularly interested in him, decided to take a closer look – for security reasons, obviously.

The small box was wrapped in shiny gold paper with glossy holly leaves and vibrant red berries printed on it. There was a matching gift tag attached to the top with ribbon. Curious, Becker casually leaned over to put his report on Jess's desk… and surreptitiously flipped the tag over at the same time.

'To my darling at Christmas, with love and devotion always.'

Becker's hand clenched into a fist. He glanced around the Ops, glaring at anyone who dared look up, wondering which of them – if it was one of them – had dared leave such a thing on Jess's desk.

It was obviously from a secret admirer; there was no name assigned to it. And the sender knew Jess would know who it was from, which would imply she'd been expecting the gift and was maybe secretly seeing the person who'd left it on her desk…

No. No. He clenched his jaw as well as his fists.

There was no way Jess could be seeing someone at the ARC without his knowing about it. None whatsoever. And she wouldn't do that, not when they…

Well.

His frown deepened.

It's not as if they were dating or anything. He'd been meaning to ask her out, he really had, but with end of the world convergences, and various brushes with death thanks to his – and her – encounters with the creatures that came through the anomalies… Well, he'd been too busy.

Too distracted.

Too cowardly.

"Becker?" The sound of her voice made him jump guiltily and he did his best to school his features into a neutral expression as he turned to face her.

And there was the sunny smile he'd been expecting, the one he'd come to the Hub especially to see.

Somehow, it didn't have the same effect as it usually did.

"Is everything okay?" Jess continued, concern tinging her voice and causing her eyes to narrow. "Was there something you needed?"

Somehow, Becker managed to shake his head. "Just bringing the inventory from the armoury for you. You said you needed it today?"

Her expression cleared and she smiled again. "Yes, thank you. Lester's determined to have everything ready for the Minister's visit next week. You know what he's like."

"Hmm?" Becker didn't really hear her; he was too busy studying her to see if there was any notable sign that she'd noticed him checking out the present and felt embarrassed or sheepish. "Who?"

"Lester. Well, Lester and the Minister, really. Honestly, they can be as bad as each other." She rolled her eyes and brushed passed him to take her seat, looking up at him expectantly when he remained where he was instead of walking away. "Becker?"

"Yes?"

"Was there something else…?"

He blinked, his mind taking a second or two longer to process the question. "No. No, that's all." He turned and walked away without saying goodbye, oblivious to the confused expression on her face.

Becker was acting... weird.

There was no other word for it.

Since finding him at her desk two days ago, Jess had noticed his behaviour getting weirder and weirder.

It wasn't so much what he said; he'd never been particularly talkative and his most recent behaviour was no exception to that. It was more what he was doing than anything else.

For starters, he'd taken to hanging around in Ops a lot more than usual. Oh, his office was very rarely used anyway – he preferred to work at one of the benches in the armoury rather than the small office attached to it. Not that she knew that from sneakily checking the security feeds from the armoury, of course... Not at all...

It wasn't just his being in Ops, either; it was what he did while he was there.

He watched her.

A lot.

Jess wasn't complaining; it was quite nice to be the focus of so much of his attention, especially after having convinced herself that he was on the verge of asking her out only for nothing to come of it after all.

It was the way he acted around the others who worked or visited the Hub that made her wonder if there was something she was missing.

Especially the men.

Whenever someone approached her at the ADD – scientist and soldier alike – Jess noticed Becker tense out of the corner of her eye.

She noticed him watching intently, a frown on his face, his eyes narrowing when whoever it was happened to stay talking to her for more than five minutes... and then relax when whoever it was went away again.

He didn't say anything about it and neither did she but other people... Well, they talked. And, fortunately or unfortunately for Jess, a lot of them seemed to forget to turn off their comm. links when they did.

"Miss Parker?" Lester's voice startled her from her thoughts, and Jess turned in her chair to face the Director of the ARC. "A word in my office when you have a moment."

Feeling Becker's gaze on her, Jess got up from her seat. "I'm free now if that's okay."

Lester glanced around before giving her a small nod. He turned and let the way to his office, leaving Jess to feel Becker's gaze burning her back as she followed.

"Does she really need both the earrings and the necklace?" Lester looked up from the velvet covered jewellery box he'd taken out of his desk drawer and arched an eyebrow at the Field Co-ordinator. "Either or isn't enough?"

"No." Jess folded her arms across her chest and met his gaze unflinchingly. "Do you want my help or not, Lester? I thought you wanted to make this Christmas special for your wife. It is ten years since you got married on Christmas Day, you know," she reminded him, privately thinking the woman deserved a diamond mine let alone a few pieces of diamond jewellery for putting up with Lester for as long as she had. Oh, Jess adored her boss but he sometimes tested her patience.

"Yes, yes, yes." Lester waved her comments away and opened the jewellery box. He surveyed the earrings inside, reminded himself of how the matching necklace had looked, and let the box snap shut before thrusting it out to her. "It'll do."

"I'm glad to hear it," she said drily. She watched him turn his attention back to one of the reports on his desk and waited expectantly.

"The door is behind you," Lester reminded her without looking up. "I trust you remember the way."

"The gift label, Lester." Jess rolled her eyes but fixed a smile on her face when he looked up. "I'll do the buying and gift wrapping but you've got to write the labels. That was the deal."

He looked up, his expression pained. "Do I have to? I'm sure you can think of something appropriate."

Jess arched an eyebrow and said nothing.

Heaving a sigh that Jess was sure was – mostly – for show, Lester reached into his desk drawer again and pulled out a gift label. He tapped his pen on the desk, and looked at her expectantly. "Well, what should I write?"

"I'm not telling you that." Jess shook her head and crossed her arms across her chest. "It has to come from the heart."

"It can." Lester looked at her. "You have one, don't you?"

"Your heart, Lester." She sighed and shook her head. "It's a love note to your wife. As much as I admire and respect Eleanor, I don't think I could do her justice."

Her boss stared at her. "Just imagine she's your Captain and think of something."

"My..." Jess felt her cheeks burn but refused to allow Lester's attempt at embarrassing her into submission work. "Write the note, Sir."

"Hmm." He tapped his pen on the desk again, his expression both thoughtful and pained. After several long moments in which Jess half wished for an anomaly alert, he began to write something on the label and eventually held it out for her.

Jess took the label and braced herself before reading it; half expecting something rude and sarcastic, she felt her eyes grow misty as she read the heartfelt words. "Oh, Lester, that's so sweet."

"Don't mention it. Seriously." Lester gave her a stern look. "If I so much as hear one word of this, I will hold you personally accountable."

"Of course." With a bright smile, she got to her feet, jewellery box and gift label in hand. "I'll have it wrapped and ready for tomorrow morning. And if you want to get started on the other labels, that would be good. There are still seven to go!"

Lester's glare had no effect as she made her way out of his office, a spring in her step and a smile on her face, oblivious to the suspicious gaze of the Captain watching nearby.

The stream of presents continued daily, right up until the morning of 24th and Christmas Eve.

Bigger than the previous gifts he'd spotted during his unofficial investigation, the box was rectangular and upright, wrapped in an expensive gold paper with a red ribbon tied around it.

It wasn't so much the gift that bothered him as it was the label attached to it.

'Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful to have you in my life.'

It was a sentiment Becker could empathise with as it was one he shared, though he hated the thought of someone else being the one to tell her.

Frustrated, as much with himself as with his lack of answers, he sat dejectedly at the desk he'd claimed as his own and thought of the other messages that had been neatly written on the labels attached to the presents he'd discovered on Jess's desk throughout the month of December.

'Your smile shines brighter than the brightest star.'

'Wear this and think of me, as I do you: always.'

'Without you, I would be incomplete.'

They were all messages he felt he could have written about the Field Co-ordinator, all things he felt applied to Jess and wished he had had the courage to say before she'd evidently grown tired of waiting.

He was no further forward in finding out who her admirer – or her secret lover, as it appeared – actually was, either. He'd tried to ask Abby and Emily subtly, fighting to keep his demeanour casual. He wasn't sure it had worked, though, as Abby merely laughed at him and teased him for being jealous, while Emily appeared as confused as he was initially only to think of something apparently amusing as the awkward conversation came to an end.

He'd even reviewed the security footage of the ADD, discreetly and from the privacy of his own office. He hadn't seen anyone approach Jess's desk with the neatly wrapped presents- they just seemed to appear when the Field Co-ordinator herself did.

Which made him wonder…

Was is possible Jess was sending herself presents?

Maybe… to make him jealous?

It would explain why Abby and Emily were so amused by it, and it would explain why he hadn't seen anyone else leave them on her desk…

Becker frowned, thinking back over the last few days. She never seemed particularly surprised to find them there… nor, he reflected, did she seem pleased… And they always disappeared before the end of the day and he couldn't recall ever seeing her slip them into her bag…

Deciding he needed to double check the security footage to confirm his suspicions, Becker swiftly left operations and headed to his office, where a surprise he hadn't anticipated awaited…

Lester.

Jess and Lester.

Lester and Jess.

He watched the footage again, watching as Jess handed the carefully wrapped present to their boss and received a rare smile in return before she turned on her heel and left the office.

So… Jess was behind the mystery presents and Lester was the recipient?

Really?

He sat back in his chair, stunned.

Lester was married. Happily, by all accounts, though Becker had never given the matter much thought in the past. He'd heard his boss grumble about his wife nagging him more than once but he'd just assumed that was Lester finding something to complain about as normal.

And Jess… Jess had a thing for Lester?

Really?

Oh, there was no denying that the two of them were close – even before their shared near-death experience, Lester had clearly had a soft spot for the Field Co-ordinator and vice-versa. He'd just never imagined that the cause of it could be romantic rather than paternal as he'd suspected.

Lester and Jess.

Jess and Lester.

It just didn't make sense. He'd always thought… always been led to believe… He ran a hand through his hair and frowned, shutting out images of Jess with Lester and replacing them with images of Jess with him.

There'd always been something between them, right from the start.

From the spark at their first meeting, complete with teasing that bordered on flirtatious, to the way she always got so flustered in his presence – he was the only one who could make her blush and speak without thinking; she always kept it together and gave as good as she got where Lester was concerned.

He'd thought for sure after the incident they widely referred to as "the bug incident" that there was something between himself and Jess, something more than just an attraction and the chemistry that had been there from the beginning.

Something deeper, something more meaningful…

… But he hadn't acted on it, Becker mused. Not even after the future predators had got into the ARC and Jess's life had been at risk – again…

Maybe she'd got tired of waiting; he'd always known the ball was in his court so-to-speak when it came to making a move. Maybe she'd decided she'd had enough and had sought comfort elsewhere…

… in the arms of their married boss?

Becker's frown deepened.

It didn't seem likely. Jess, as far as he knew, and he reasonably sure he knew her well, was not that kind of girl.

She didn't have affairs with other people's husbands.

The only reason she would... Becker's eyes narrowed and determinedly got to his feet.

There had to be an explanation for it, and he was going to find out what it was.

The stand-off was tense.

Jess stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Lester.

Lester stood with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Jess.

Becker stood in the doorway, wondering what he'd walked in on.

"Ah, Captain. Good timing," Lester addressed him without breaking eye contact with Jess. "Perhaps you can settle an argument for us."

Becker ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know if..."

"Oh, please do, Becker," Jess interrupted. "He might listen to you."

"Um..." Becker glanced between the two of them. "What...?"

"Lester is being an idiot," Jess said matter-of-factly. "He's being stubborn and pig-headed and..."

"Careful, Miss Parker," Lester warned. "I do still pay your wages."

"The Home Office pays my wages," Jess retorted. "Look, Lester, you asked for my help –"

"Your help, yes. Which I have gratefully accepted." The way Lester spoke suggested otherwise. "However, I no longer have need..."

"I think you do have a need for it," Jess cut him off with a sceptical look. "You've built it up over the last nine days – you can't finish it like this."

"Finish what?" Even Becker looked surprised he had spoken. He resisted the urge to shrug when they both looked at him. "I can't help you settle your argument if I don't know what it's about."

Bracing himself for the answer, Becker glanced between the two of them. Was it his imagination or did Lester look embarrassed…? And Jess… Jess gave him a smile before turning an expectant look on their boss.

"You see, well, the thing is," Lester started and stopped. "Miss Parker, perhaps...?"

Rolling her eyes, Jess turned to Becker. "It's Lester's ten year anniversary tomorrow. He and Eleanor got married on Christmas Day, did you know that? Anyway, I've been helping him surprise her with presents every day for the last nine days with tomorrow being the tenth day. Lester thinks it's perfectly acceptable just to give her a bottle of perfume for her Christmas-slash-anniversary present tomorrow. I disagree."

"It's not just a bottle of perfume, I'll have you know," Lester protested immediately. "It's quite expensive, not to mention the small fortune you've had me spend on her leading up to this point."

"You asked for my help and specified an overall budget," Jess pointed out with another glare. "Which you'll find I have stuck to with plenty to spare, which you want to blow on the final gift!"

"The final gift you insist I have to choose myself!" Lester argued back. "Which I have done!"

"But the gift you've chosen..." Jess looked appealingly at Becker. "Please tell him it's not enough, Becker. She's had diamonds and chocolates and shoes and all sorts of things over the last nine days. A bottle of perfume... It's not very personal, is it?"

Distracted by his relief at the explanation – and kicking himself for having allowed his jealousy to distract him so much over the last ten days – Becker was unable to think of a diplomatic reply before Lester decided to answer himself.

"Well then, what would you suggest I do? You've obviously got some big master plan, Jess, it would be helpful if you decided to share it."

With a deep sigh, Jess stared at him. "You honestly can't think of anything? Something personal? Something only you can give her?" Lester's face took on a peculiar pink hue but Jess shook her head. "Not that. Honestly, Lester, I thought better of you than that."

"How about a hint?" Becker spoke up again, hating the disappointment on her face, and when he caught his boss's eye, he realised he wasn't the only one. "It might help."

Huffing a breath, Jess let her arms drop to her sides. "I was thinking something a little less materialistic and something a lot more personal for the final present. A photo maybe, of you and the boys? Or maybe you could write her a lovely letter. It won't cost anything but it'll mean the world to her, Lester, and it's something only you, as her husband of ten years, can give her."

Lester gaped at her. "You... You want me to write her a letter?"

Jess smiled at him. "Yes."

"The gift tags weren't enough?" Again, the colour was rising in Lester's face.

"They were very sweet, Lester, but I know you can do better." Jess's smile turned pleading. "You know she would love it."

"I know she'd start to expect letters every anniversary," Lester said with an exaggerated shudder.

"Only on the milestones," she countered cheerfully. "So will you write it?"

Lester gave her a wry glance. "Do I have any choice?"

"Not really." Clapping her hands in evident job, Jess dashed across to him and leaned up to kiss his cheek before dashing away again. "We'll leave you to it!" She declared, taking Becker by surprise and grabbing his arm. "Merry Christmas!"

"Bah humbug!" Lester called after them as they left his office, the door closing between him and them.

Alone in the hallway, Becker turned to find Jess staring at him, a hesitant look on her face.

"You've been acting strangely," Jess blurted out, feeling her cheeks flush as she realised she'd spoken aloud. She shrugged a shoulder when Becker continued to stare at her, his features arranged in a non-committal expression. "You've been hanging around Ops but haven't said as much as two words to me and whenever I caught your eye, you'd glare at me." She bit her lip anxiously and looked down at her feet. "Have I done something to upset you?"

Becker opened his mouth to answer her, then closed it when he didn't know what he was going to say. He knew he could think up an excuse and reassure her all was well and she'd believe him but… he didn't want to lie to her, or risk causing another misunderstanding.

He looked up as if for guidance, and his eyes fixated on a little sprig of mistletoe he hadn't noticed hanging there before.

Perfect.

Stealing himself for what he was about to do, Becker told himself to stop being a coward. He reached out and touched her cheek, making Jess look up at him in surprise. Closing the gap between them, he lowered his head and kissed her softly, relieved when he felt her respond after a moment of surprise.

Drawing back after what felt like both a long time and not long enough, he was gratified to see a dazed sparkle in her eyes and a dreamy smile curving up her lips.

"So… I've not done anything wrong then," Jess murmured when she was able to regain the power of speech. "Good to know."

"Yeah." Rendered almost speechless, Becker found he could only return her smile with what he was sure would be a dopey grin of his own. "Merry Christmas, Jess."

Gazing up at him for a moment before throwing caution to the wind and leaning up to kiss him again, Jess gave him a smile far brighter than her usual sunny 'good morning' greeting. "Merry Christmas, Becker."

Merry Christmas! xx