Christmas Train

Chapter 1

December 25th

"Fredrick, are we ready?" Rick inquired after he entered his bedroom with Lily trailing behind.

"Everyone knows you are going on vacation S–" Fredrick stopped speaking when Rick held up a hand. "Mr. C." He hung his head. He was terrible at remembering to call him that and he knew it. It was just that he couldn't help it.

"I'm counting on you to make sure everyone pulls their weight. Everyone has a job to keep this place running smoothly. …Lily?" He had something for her.

Lily smiled at him; she loved him a lot. "We'll do our best, Mr. C."

"I have a job for you if you're up to it. While I'm gone on vacation I want you to plan the After Holiday Party for everyone. Use anyone you need and get anything you need. And don't forget to include everyone." Rick was sure she was up to the job. He just wanted to see her smile.

He wasn't disappointed as he watched her beam. "I'm honored, Mr. C. It'll be the best After Holiday Party ever." Then she decided to risk it since it was a sore subject with him. "Maybe you'll bring back a certain someone this year." He was so alone and it made her heart ache for him.

"Lily!" They'd been down this road before. Every single year to be precise.

"You can't stop me from wishing, Mr. C. We all care about you and you're all alone." She hadn't backed down the last few years and wasn't backing down this year, either.

Rick wanted to be angry with her, but he just couldn't. She held a soft spot in his heart. He shook his head. "No, I suppose I can't. Just don't give me any sass when I come by myself again." He knew she would since she always did, but he could hope.

"No chance of that, Mr. C.," she grinned. "However, if you do I can guarantee that she'll be welcomed with open arms and become an instant member of the family. She couldn't be loved more."

As usual she melted his heart and he couldn't help but hug her. "I make no promises Lil. …Now where's my bag? It wouldn't do for me to be late or I'll miss it and you don't want to see me cranky."

"AH-HA, there it is." Rick picked up his bag off his bed. It was barely an overnight bag in size, but it was special and important to him. Plus it was very colorful. He had no idea what it was made of, he just knew it was soft and lightweight.

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Rick found a lot of them outside waiting for him to see him off. "Okay, listen up. Lily's in charge of the party that is to come. Help her all you can. DO NOT do any extra work. While I'm on vacation so are all of you. When I get back we'll get back to work." He watched as they cheered just like they'd done the previous years. He had little idea what the previous guy had done and he hadn't asked much. This enterprise was his now and he was going to run it his way. Plus based on the reactions he had gotten since starting, the previous guy must have been a real ass.

"I'll be back on January 6th. Enjoy your vacation, everyone!" He smiled and waved. They watched as it began to snow all around him and he started to disappear little by little, until suddenly he was gone and the snowflakes drifted away.

"LET'S MAKE PUNCH!" Lily hollered; everyone yelled and cheered. It was also code to spike the punch, get drunk, and wake up the next day with a hangover. It was something they hadn't enjoyed until Rick came along.

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Rick brushed the snow off of his clothing and furtively glanced around. It didn't look like anyone had seen him so he headed off. It took a few minutes to figure out just where to go.

Entering the main building, he looked up at the signs and fished out his paperwork from his bag. It told him which concourse to use then which gate to go to.

First, though, he had to get in one of two lines. He'd never traveled this way before and didn't understand it completely. It looked like all he had to do was walk through a tunnel in the middle that had men in uniform around it, including ones with weapons.

Just before he began to walk inside he looked across the way and saw what looked like a moving X-Ray of everyone and everything. "Oh, boy." He wasn't sure how this was going to go over.

"Sir, if you will come with me." There was a man in uniform waiting for him on the other side.

Rick followed him to a table where another man in uniform and with a weapon was waiting. "This is your bag?" he asked.

"Yep, been in the family for years." It wasn't a lie, even if the bag was relatively new to him.

The man asked another question. "Did you pack the bag yourself?"

"Each and every item. Is there a problem? Maybe if you ask Santa for one next year you'll get one, Robert." The man frowned and looked at him hard. Rick ran a finger over his chest to show him that he was wearing his name and who he worked for on his chest.

"Open it for me, please." Rick let it pass since he was just doing his job, or so he believed.

Rick opened his bag and left it that way. Then watched as Robert used his hands to start searching the interior of his bag. He even pulled out some of the clothing that was inside and placed them on the table. Then he stared at Rick.

"Pajamas," Rick explained as he looked down at his bedtime clothing. They were a red and black flannel tartan. The man noticed they were really soft as he fingered them. "They're Irish," Rick whispered.

Robert looked nonplussed as he stuffed them back into the bag and closed it. "You can go. Have a nice trip." He was done with this guy. He didn't know why the man had been singled out since he didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Have a nice day, Robert. Say hi to your wife, Jackie, and your little boy, Levi. He's been a good boy. Oh, and best wishes on being a father again." Rick walked away and could feel him staring at him in shock. Rick wouldn't admit it to anyone but he loved doing that.

Rick got in line when it was time to board, selected a seat, and stowed his bag under it. He watched them demonstrate the emergency procedures, not that he was worried even a little. It was an average shuttle that took him up to the ship that he would be traveling in to get there.

He never saw the ship itself since the shuttle had no windows. However, he was a little dejected at the ship's interior when he exited the shuttle. It struck him as yet another shuttle, only different. He was a little surprised when he saw only two other people already on board and in their seats.

Rick took a seat and waited. Once again he went through the emergency procedures and didn't really pay any attention. His only companions were behind him. He hadn't really looked either of them over much but was sure he would see more of them later.

He felt them leave Earth's atmosphere and enter FTL after the pilot came on and told them to be prepared since they were next in line.

It only took an hour to reach the station. Rick was up with his small bag as he exited the shuttle and stepped inside the station. The choices were few and he had no trouble finding the right place.

"Ticket, please," the elderly lady said. Rick searched his bag for his ticket and handed it to her.

"Ooo, I don't see many tickets that look like this one." His was embossed with a raised seal.

"It's commemorative. I'm supposed to get to keep it so I can remember this trip," Rick explained, hoping he would get it back.

"That you do, Mr. Castle, that you do." She handed it back to him after scanning it. "Welcome aboard the Christmas Train. You're a little late and the train will be leaving shortly. Please enjoy your trip." She motioned for him to enter and walk into the train.

Rick hurried down the walkway and entered the train. "Ticket?" a different person inquired. Rick handed it over. "You have berth A-3. That's three cars that way. There's a mandatory evacuation drill that all guests are required to attend. There's also a map inside your room; please take a moment to memorize it so you know where everything is. Welcome aboard, we hope you enjoy your trip." He handed Rick back his ticket.

"I intend to, thank you, Kevin," Rick told him with a nod and began walking. He smiled, certain he had taken him by surprise. He chuckled; he really did love doing that.

The first car held seating that was all blue with black stitching. Some sat facing across the aisle while others faced front and aft across from each other. The drapes on the windows were a matching blue. There was wood paneling above the windows with wood arches across the ceiling that was mostly white. There was a beautiful coffered ceiling with wood accents. The lighting on the walls was very old school. There were a number of people already seated and waiting for the train to leave. He passed all of them and smiled at everyone who looked his way.

He mostly looked at all of the Christmas lights and decorations that filled the empty space. A lot of it looked old school which he found a little endearing as it touched his heart. The actual lights themselves were all modern and safer than the old lights but they had an old school look.

Opening the door on the far side lead to a luggage storage area with yet another door. This door opened into a small alcove that looked like it would articulate as the train moved. Opening the next door showed yet another luggage storage area and yet another door.

Once past that door he found a car that held some seating with small tables. This place was far more busy as people sat and talked and sipped their drinks. At the far end he saw a small bar with a bartender. He decided he would be back after finding his room.

This space was also filled with Christmas decorations and lighting. He didn't fail to notice that the only tree was the tiny one on the bar. It was rather pathetic-looking and he decided he would fix that later when he had a chance.

Yet again he went through a series of doors to reach the next car. This car had windows on one side with doors on the other. He found his door easily enough; he reached to open it and watched as a light went green and allowed him to open the door.

It was maybe a little narrow, but he mostly only planned on sleeping there, not living there. The bathroom door was first and while it was really nice, it was simple enough. Next he found a sofa in a soft ecru that had a shelf for his bag above it. The opposite wall had a small table attached to it with a pair of chairs that were covered with an antique gold velvet. On a side wall were three small shelves with brass rails that held alcohol decanters that were all tagged and all full. Another shelf held two glasses.

At the far end was a large bed with a comfortable white linen. The ceiling was creamy white with wood arches as decorations. It was also coved so it was tall. The walls were all lacquered wood burl that had a golden undertone to it.

His room ran the length of the train so he had three windows that looked outside. He decided that so far it matched what he had read and seen about it so he was satisfied. He dropped his bag on the bed and went into the bathroom to quickly wash up.

Back in the main room he found something on the inside of his door. It talked about what to do in case of an emergency. It reminded him of the mandatory emergency evacuation drill. How they did that was going to be interesting since this train traveled for twelve days out in space as it went from one sightseeing stop to the next.

Turning around to look at the room again, he noticed it was devoid of any Christmas decorations. He knew that just wouldn't do and he'd fix that later. First he had something he wanted to try. He headed for the bar so he could order a drink that he was dying to have.

Rick found the bartender with no clients; he was simply washing up a little and killing time. "Henry, I'm interested in trying one of your specialties, a Paris Sidecar with Cognac."

Henry's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes, sir!" He got to work on the drink and didn't question how a guy he'd never seen before knew his name. He was happy that the guy knew his drinks. The drink itself was nothing special really. However, using the champagne Cognac that was hundreds of years old told him he this guy had a refined palate and a gold credit card. "One Paris Sidecar." He placed a martini glass filled with an orange colored drink on his counter. He waited as Rick picked it up, tasted it, and watched him smile. "Enjoy your trip, sir." He was sure he would be back for another later.

Rick looked around and didn't see anywhere to sit. Every chair was taken so he decided to just stand at the bar, people-watch, and indulge himself as he looked everyone over.

He was almost finished with his drink and wondering what to do next when a lovely young woman stepped up to the bar. "Do you have coffee?" Henry nodded. "A double shot latte with a splash of vanilla then…and Irish Whisky?" She needed something to take the edge off since she had never done anything like this before.

Rick held out his hand to introduce himself. "Rick."

"Kate." She shook his hand.

Rick already knew her name but allowed her the moment. "You look nervous," he commented as he observed her body language. He was interested in her story. "Never been on a train before?"

"Yes…, first time in space, too." Kate looked him over. He was taller than her, certainly handsome, but there was just something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "I'll get over it." She was sure she would adapt.

"Mine, too. Thought I would enjoy something different this year for my vacation," Rick said.

She was still waiting for her coffee. "Vacation, sounds nice." A brief smile flitted across her face. "What do you do?"

"I own the largest toy store and distribution company on Earth. The Christmas rush is over so I thought I would take a vacation again this year. This train sounded like it might be fun." Rick was hoping it would be lots of fun.

"My boyfriend suggest this trip. It was far too expensive for me on my salary." She was also pretty sure he was going to propose on this train and truth be told, she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Oh, what do you do?" Rick knew Kate, he just didn't know what she did for a living.

"I'm a homicide detective for a precinct in New York City," Kate revealed, thanking the bartender for her drink.

"Really!" Rick hadn't been expecting that. "Sounds exciting yet a bit dangerous." Fear for her began to creep in much to his astonishment.

"It can be sometimes, but I'm well-trained so isn't really all that bad." Kate turned around to look out into the room and didn't see anywhere to sit. So she took a sip of her drink and loved it instantly.

"You have…" Rick touched his lips and handed her a napkin. Kate took it and wiped her lips and saw foam from her drink on it.

"Thanks." She kept the napkin for next time just in case. Then her eyes flew open wide as she watched someone enter the car and walk their way.

"Shrom, you blue-skinned devil!" Rick had no idea he was on this train.

"Richard Castle. Why are you messing up this train with your pink skin?" Shrom looked like he was ready to skin Rick alive. At least that was what Kate saw after she got over seeing his blue skin and white hair. Not to mention the antennae on his head that seemed to be moving.

Rick laughed. "I'm on vacation. What brings you here and where's the missus?" He reached out to hug him.

Shrom's look immediately softened and he hugged him back. "Vile's running late. If she doesn't hurry she'll miss it. …Is this your wife?" He looked at Kate who almost choked on her drink.

"No! I mean, we… He was…" she sputtered.

Rick helped her out. "We only just met each other. …Is there a problem on this train?" He knew what Shrom did for a living, after all.

"Nothing I know of." Shrom turned to study the room. He didn't see anyone he recognized.

"Where's your room?" Were he and his wife close? It might be nice if they were.

"We're way back toward the end of the train. A pair of twin beds." Shrom was there for a drink if this guy had any of what he wanted.

"WHAT! Oh, that will not do. Leave it to me, I'll have you two moved before we even exit the station." Rick wasn't leaving those two way back there in some tiny little cabin.

"Thank you, Pink Skin. You're not bad for a pink-skinned demon." Shrom hadn't been expecting that.

"For a blue-skinned devil, anything. Drinks are on me." Rick turned to the bartender. "Henry, whatever he wants goes on my bill."

"Yes, sir." Maybe this guy was going to be his new best friend, especially if he tipped like he was hoping he would.

"Andorian Whiskey, if you have any," Shrom told him as he waited and watched him dig out a bottle and pour out a glass of blue liquid.

"Thanks, Pink Skin." Shrom raised his glass and went back the way he came to try and find his wife.

"Pink Skin?" Kate didn't understand. "And what were the…?" She waved a finger over her head.

"Your first Andorian?" Rick queried and saw her nod. He was her first alien anything, actually.

"I met Shrom and his wife a few years back. He has a good side if you can find it, much like his wife. Just don't cross them if you can help it. He's a commander in their military. He knows how to kill you just by looking at you. Both of them are good to have around if you need something like that, though." Not that he did. He preferred to solve his and everyone else's problems with a lot less hostility.

"I'll remember that." Kate took a sip of her drink as she watched her first alien walk away. Maybe this trip that she really didn't want to take was going to be interesting after all.