It was 8:02am and Laura crept across the atrium, keeping to the shadows and hoping that she was being adequately stealthy and the unsuspecting students blocking her were enough to not be detected by Shelby or Otto.

Today was Christmas day and Shelby had left their cell the second lock-down had ended, supposedly to go check under the giant Christmas tree they'd set up in the small but tall cave that was the main junction of all other corridors. Students had been discreetly placing presents under the tree for each other, almost like an unspoken Secret Santa project. The packages were wrapped in any sort of paper they could find, and Laura had even spotted a few wrapped in torn textbook pages or unfinished homework papers.

Laura stepped quietly over a lone bauble that was lying abandoned on the ground, bumping directly into something. Or rather – someone.

"You too, then?"

Laura looked up into the Asian's face and smiled. "Oh hey Wing. Yeah. Trying to keep out of their way." Se hadn't even seen Wing in front of her. Typical ninja. You never see them unless they want to be seen… or until you bump into them, as was Laura's case.

"Shouldn't be too hard," Wing replied, looking at something in the distance.

Laura tiptoed, trying to see what Wing could, but being a great deal shorter than Wing and not able to see over most of the other students' heads, she couldn't.

Wing, noticing Laura's failed attempt, had a flicker of a smile at the corner of his mouth but in an instant it was gone. "They are selling those red and white Christmas hats," he informed her.

"Really? Selling?" Laura almost sighed. Trust those two to figure out some way to make money out of what was supposed to be a giving season.

"Well, no. I believe they are just giving them away for free, judging by that sign."

Giving them away for free? Now that she had to see. Laura stepped out of the shadows, turning back to look at Wing. "But I thought that they would be at least a little bit more covert seeing as what punishments we got yesterday."

Wing cracked a smile at her. "Yes. Though, I don't know if you noticed, but Raven seemed slightly less harsh with our punishments. Perhaps she is feeling the holiday spirit too."

"Perhaps." Laura said. "You coming?" She jerked her head towards Shelby and Otto.

Wing shook his head. "No. I think I'll stay here and… observe."

Laura shrugged and walked towards the pair, who were standing behind a makeshift booth with a large sign hanging over it that read in Otto's familiar messy scrawl:

FREE SANTA HATS!
FREEEEEEEEEEEE!

Rolling her eyes at the overuse of the letter 'e's, Laura strode up to the booth. As she got closer, she could hear the two engaged in a heated debate.

"You gave away that hat!" Otto was stage whispering to Shelby.

"I've given away a lot of hats, Otto." Shelby said, handing a Pol/Fi a Santa hat.

"But that one was special!"

"They're all identical, dude."

"No. That one was different."

"Really? How so?"

"It was fluffier than the rest."

"Look – why do you care so much anyway? You've got the best one there is already."

It was true. Otto's Santa hat was the perfect shade of red – not too bright, not too dark – with the fluffiest pom-pom that jingled with a hidden bell every time it moved. Otto had ditched the one he'd worn when he was first decorating, having declared it dusty although (this being HIVE) there hadn't been a speck of dust on it. A couple of days later this one had turned up on his head.

Laura couldn't actually remember what happened to her own Santa hat. Maybe she'd purposely left it behind at Otto and Wing's room. She gave up on the topic, tossing it aside. Then, wondering what was the reason behind Otto's interest in that particular Santa hat, inched closer, hoping she wouldn't be spotted.

"I was saving it for Lau— Oh, hi… Laura…" Otto said nervously, glancing at the Scottie and plunging his hands into the huge cardboard box of hats in front of him and rummaging around. He avoided catching her eye completely and Laura thought she saw his normally pale face turn a little pink.

"Hi guys! So I heard you're giving out these for free, huh? Doesn't seem like you." Laura said, resting her elbows on the counter of the booth.

Finally Otto looked up, glaring at Shelby. "Yeah well. We were going to sell them via trading. But someone was in a very happy mood."

"It's the spirit of giving!" Shelby said in a singsong tune.

Laura nodded. "Agreed. Although I don't celebrate Christmas, there is still that."

Shelby cheered happily. "I knew you'd finally get it Brand!"

"Yeah whatever," Laura said quickly, hoping to avoid a round of Shelby's 'I told you so's.

Shelby grinned. "I'll let that go just this once, Laurs."

"Laurs? Since when was that my nickname?!"

"Since I said so. Now here." Shelby pulled a hat out from the box, shoved it in Otto's hands and pushed him out from behind the booth and towards Laura. "Otto has something to tell you. See you guys later!" She turned around and passed a waiting Sci/Tech student another hat.

"But—but," Otto protested weakly, gripping the Santa hat with both hands and looking at Shelby. "Don't you, um, need help?"

Shelby waved it off. "Nah, I'll be fine," she called to them.

Laura half-smiled at Otto's awkwardness as he turned to face her. What exactly did he need to tell her? "So… d'you want to go to the lab?" She asked at last, to help ease the tension.

Otto nodded stiffly and began walking, Laura right beside him.

Back at the booth, Shelby smiled, satisfied, as she watched the two amble off. A shadow moved at her feet, and her smile broadened. "Hi Wing," she said turning around.

"Shelby," Wing acknowledged, nodding his head at the blonde.

Shelby laughed. "That's all I get? Merry Christmas, Wing!" On impulse, she threw her arms around the boy and hugged him. After a tentative moment, she felt his arms move as he returned it. Looking up, Shelby's grin became bigger, if that was even possible. Wing, met her eye and smiled back, leaning down to brush his lips ever so gently against hers.

And that was the best present of all.

A minute of full silence.

That was all Laura got, after she and Otto had sat down next to each other in one of the empty science labs.

She broke his gaze and settled her eyes on a little spiral in the metal table next to her, probably etched in there by a previous student. She traced it with a finger, feeling the grooves and waiting for Otto to say something.

"Laura?"

His voice seemed unnaturally loud, cutting through the thick and not at all comfortable silence.

Laura looked up, her finger still on the groove. "Yeah?"

Otto stretched out a hand limply, the Santa hat from Shelby hanging from his fingers. "Here," he said quietly.

Laura glared at him. She'd had a while to think it over, hoping against hopes that he just might be finally telling her what she wanted him too. But she shouldn't have. It just made it hurt worse when he didn't. She stood up, the metal legs of the stool scraping harshly against the floor. "Thanks, but no thanks," she said icily. Then she walked as quickly as she could away from the boy, before the tears threatening to spill out actually did.

"No wait, Laura!"

She heard his footsteps behind her and quickened her pace, hoping she would at least be able to make it out the door.

Suddenly arms were around her, trapping her, turning her around to confront a familiar face.

A teardrop finally succeeded, running down the side of her face slowly. Laura saw Otto's eyes widen slightly at this, and then he gently swiped it away, his hand lingering on her cheek. He pulled her closer and whispered into her hair. "Don't cry. Why are you crying, Laura?"

Laura shook her head, her forehead now resting on his shoulder.

Typical Otto tried to guess. "Was it the hat? Did you not like the hat? I was saving a special one for you but—"

Laura cut in. "It's not the hat Otto," she gave a shaky laugh, "it's… it's you."

"Me?"

"Yeah…you." If he wouldn't get it… well, she wouldn't tell him. Laura pushed away from him but his hands still kept a firm grip on her arms.

"No, Laura, wait. Look at me. In the eye. Please?"

Hesitantly, Laura looked up into the little blue pools and Otto felt her relax a bit.

"Laura?"

"Mm?"

So relaxed that her eyes were actually closed now, so she didn't see what was coming, but they flicked open immediately when Otto's lips found hers. Smiling slightly, she shut her eyes gradually again.

Yes. This was the best Christmas ever– agreed by four particular Alphas but rather disagreed by a certain headmaster and his pet assassin.

A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Did my best for that Ottra and Wingelby up there. I think they're pretty okay… for my usual standard at least.

Thanks to anyone who read this Christmas fic! And a special thanks to Chameleons – who reviewed each and every single chapter.

…school starts in a week… [sigh]

-Kukipye ^-^