((Alright, this has been nagging at me since Brutus, for some reason.
And, alright, the Christmas carols playing on the radio don't help matters much. This is basically a series of one-shots, each based around a Christmas song of some sort.
I do not own NUMB3RS, it's characters, or the Christmas carols. All I own is a radio that keeps playing Christmas music at me, and a muse that won't stop coming up with nagging ideas. This is my first NUMB3RS fanfic. They may be a bit OC. Go easy on me? Thanks. Adding to that, I'm horrible in math, and have no knowledge whatsoever of space travel. So some info may be a bit off, and you'll realize I don't go into much detail with either. Also, I do not know any of the character's religions, so for my purposes they all celebrate Christmas. And believe me, I tried to find out what they all celebrated, so it's not for lack of care. Just lack of information.
Just another quick warning...I couldn't catch the precise date Larry was leaving. It sounded like June sixteenth, so for my purposes, again, that's when he's leaving.))
I'll be home for Christmas...
He had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like forever, the moment that he would board the shuttle, the moment he would leave the world for six months, live in the vast nothingness that was space. He had been preparing since the day he had gotten the news, had planned out, for one reason or another, everything that he would be taking with him, everything that he would be leaving behind in Charlie's care. He had planned it out, because he had never really had a dream larger than the one of going so far up he could see the world in the most literal sense imaginable.
What he hadn't been prepared for was saying good-bye to everyone. Or, the way everyone was saying good-bye.
It had started rather normally. He and Megan had gone out for a movie and dinner, and, rather oddly, Megan had insisted on driving. He should have suspected something then and there. Yet, at that time, he hadn't. Handing her the keys, they climbed in, and it wasn't until they turned down Charlie's street that Larry became confused.
"Umm...Megan?"
"Yes?"
"What are you...we...doing?"
She didn't answer, simply smiled infuriatingly as she climbed out of the car, leading the way to the door, Larry following. The door was unlocked, and Megan opened it, both of them stepping through. Once inside, in the timeless cliche of a surprise, lights flicked on and everyone leapt up from various places, which was a bit odd, considering. As yet another cliche, there were banners strung everywhere.
"Happy Going Away," and "Good Luck Larry" were both written across large peices of white paper and hung from the ceiling.
"So you couldn't convinve them to get rid of the Happy Going Away?" Megan asked Don with a chuckle as they all filtered into the living room. He shook his head.
"They thought it was funny."
The rest of the evening consisted of talk and laughter, with plenty of snack-like foods for whoever happened to be hungry. Charlie and Larry got into some discussion about math that the rest of them could not follow, no matter how hard they tried. When they had finally gotten out of that conversation, the conversation flipped to the latest case, which of course led to more math discussion.
You can plan on me...
"What time are you leaving tommorow?" Charlie asked, catching the attention of the rest of them quickly enough.
"My flight into Houston leaves at six." Larry replied before, for the first time that night, silence fell over the room. The reality of everything was only now settling in.He really was leaving.
"How long are you going to be gone?" Don questioned, taking a sip from his beer.
"Six months, give or take." He replied, feeling bad that he couldn't give a more precise answer. "Should be back in time for Christmas."
When good-byes were said, and well-wishes given to Larry, he and Megan left, traveling for the most part in a comfortable silence. Parking in the parking lot of the hotel Larry had been staying at, Megan finally turned to him.
"Promise me something," she said with a slight smile, placing one of her slender hands over one of his. Turning his hand over to take the hand in his, he looked up at her in a silent gesture to continue.
"Come home in one peice?" She said it in a teasing tone, and there was a smile on her face, but her eyes were serious.
"Of course," Larry replied. They sat in the car for a while, talking about this and that before he finally looked at the clock.
"As much as I hate to say this," he said, "It's time for me to depart if I have to get to the airport at six."
Megan smiled slightly, nodded. After a quick kiss as good bye and good night, Larry stepped out of the car.
"Larry!" he turned to see her looking at him through the open door. "Remember what I said!"
Larry grinned.
"I'll be fine," he said comfortingly.
"You better be."
They both laughed slightly before bidding each other good-bye.
Please have snow and mistletoe...
He had caught his flight in plenty of time, and they landed in Houston on schedule. The hours before the shuttle's take off were nerve wracking to say the least, as the shuttle was checked over for any glitches.
Takeoff had gone rather smoothly, though it was one of the oddest sensations he had ever remembered having.
About six months later, he couldn't help but smile at his anxiousness. So far, everything had gone fine, and the return to Earth was, so far, on schedule. The only thing that really kept them from returning home was a slight problem with the shuttle, one they were all fixing now.
December Twenty-second, he though as he looked down at Earth. Only a little while before Christmas, and, even surrounded by all this wonder, there was a part of hime that couldn't wait to return home to California. There were probably Christmas decorations everywhere by now, a Christmas tree in every window. Last minute Christmas shoppers picking up gifts. He can almost see it if he closes his eyes. He can't help but think of home.
And presents on the tree.
Christmas eve will find me...
The minor issue with the shuttle is finally fixed, and they're on their way back to Earth. When his feet touch solid ground, it's a strange feeling. He stays in Houston for the rest of the day, sleeping and preparing for his flight back to California. He purposefully had not told anyone when he would be arriving. He felt like...surprising them. By the time he checks into his hotel, it's Christmas morning, and for now all he wants to do is sleep. Setting his alarm clock, he drifts off, woken by the beeping quite a while later. Time, he decided, for some quick Christmas shopping. Pushing his way through crowds, he picks up gifts for everyone. Small though they were, the receivers would enjoy them.
Where the love light gleams.
I'll be home for Christmas...
Managing to ring the doorbell with her elbow, she adjusts the pile of brightly wrapped gifts in her arms, praying that they won't go tumbling. Finally the door swings open, and she is welcomed by about three faces in the doorway, and several more behind them. Charlie, Don, and Alan had all managed to get to the door at the same time, Amita, Granger, and David all peering around the Eppes men to see who had arrived. After the gifts had been unloaded from her arms and placed around a lit Christmas tree, and everyone could see exactly who it was, they all belted out a chorous of hellos. Sending greetings back, she found a seat in the cheery living room, where the group was debating whether or not they should watch "It's a Wonderful Life."
The debate actually managed to go on for quite some time, with everyone either taking the side of it being a huge Christmas cliche or being a huge Christmas classic. The classics won, and the movie was put in, though no one was paying it any real attention, save a few glances, laughs, or conversation snippets. Most of the conversation revolved, unsurprisingly, about the latest case, in which Charlie had used a new, and extremely useful technique. From there, the conversation changed to the holidays in general, to a debate avout wether or not the winter greeting should be "Happy Holidays," or "Merry Christmas." After the debate had ended, there was a comfortable silence as they all finally gave their attention to the movie.
"I'm going to go see if Alan needs any help with dinner," Megan said, standing and walking through the kitchen doors. As she dissapeared through said doors, the front door bell wrang. Casting glances to each other, all five stood. Charlie, who had stood to open the door, and the other four to get a better view of who it was that was wringing the doorbell. When the door was opened, all five stood in silence, Larry grinning at them sheepishly.
"I told all of you that I would make it home in time for the holidays," he said to the still shocked group, who went from quiet to chattering in a few short moments. Once Larry had found a seat, the rest gathered around him, questions sent back and forth.
"Wonder what's got them so riled up," Alan said, handing a pan to Megan, who set it on the counter. With a chuckle, she replied
"They're probably debating about whether or not tinsel is a holiday neccesity."
When Alan shot a confused glance at her, she laughed again. "You didn't hear the "Wonderful Life" and "Happy Holidays" debates, did you?"
"No," Alan said with a slight shake of his head. "And somehow I don't want to know. Could you carry some of these pans into the dining room? And then tell those bozos dinner's ready." The last part was said in a fond, teasing tone, and Megan smiled.
"Sure," she replied, scooping up two platters. Setting both down on the table, she made her way to the living room. Not noticing the new arrival at first, because of the way the rest had grouped around him, she gave the group an amused look as Don and Charlie argued over something or other.
"Alan said to head on into the dining room," she said as they all looked over at her. They all stood, Charlie pulling Larry to the front of the group, then cleverly ushering the rest into the dining room, leaving Megan staning there, about as shocked as they had all been a couple minutes ago.
"Merry Christmas," Larry said with a smile as Megan rushed toward him. Her arms were around his neck in a hug in a breif moment, and he automatically slipped his arms around her waist.
"You kept your promise," she said, pulling back slightly to look him in the face. Gently brushing a strand of hair from her face, Larry grinned.
"Didn't I tell you I would?"
Leaning forward slightly, they kissed gently before going to join the rest for dinner.
If only in my dreams