Bah! Hum-Becker!

a holiday Primeval story

written by phoebenpiper for Drawn-to-Darkness for A Merry Jecker Christmas 2013 fanfic exchange

[found at TheJeckerLibrary on Tumblr!]

...

"Only a few more hours to go!" Jess gushed excitedly as she and the others headed back towards Ops after their midday meal. "I hope everyone's looking forward to the party this evening!"

Becker rolled his eyes. He didn't much like Christmas parties, especially ones held at government facilities where there was bound to be loads of annoying cheer but little alcohol. In fact, he didn't much like ANYTHING about Christmas this year. He was fresh out of holiday spirit - everything about the season simply seemed to be rubbing him the wrong way.

Even Jess. Normally he enjoyed seeing her sunny smiles and short skirts every day, and last December he'd thoroughly enjoyed being around her Christmasy cheer, but not this year. Instead, for the past month, each new holiday outfit was simply a reminder of the season that he was longing would be over.

Connor, however, didn't seem to mind. "Of course we're looking forward to the party, Jess. What's not to look forward to? Karaoke, games, mistletoe - I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Becker could definitely do without the first two, but he hadn't thought about the fact that there might be mistletoe at the party. The idea of giving Jess a holiday kiss was definitely an interesting prospect, one that hadn't occurred to him until now. For such an opportunity, he'd even be willing to overlook the jingle bells she was once again wearing tied about her pigtails.

Lately he'd been noticing her more and more, and not just because of her cheerful red and green frocks, but he still wasn't quite ready to admit to himself how fond he'd grown of her. Mistletoe, therefore, would be a handy excuse to give her a kiss without it having to mean anything. And she surely deserved a nice holiday kiss, didn't she? After all, she was pretty and sweet and clever...even if she was irritatingly cheerful this time of year.

The lift suddenly chimed and Lester stepped out, dusting off his lapels with an annoyed expression. Becker had heard on the radio that they were due for some snow, though he hadn't expected it quite so early.

Apparently Jess hadn't expected it at all for she cried out, "No! Lester, PLEASE don't tell us it's snowing out."

Lester glanced her way and shrugged. "Okay, then, I won't," he snarked before stamping the remainder of the unmelted snow from his Italian shoes and entering his office.

Jess heaved a melodramatic sigh. "Oh, this is SO not what we need right now."

"Really?" Matt frowned, looking perplexed. "For some reason, you always struck me as the 'White Christmas' sort, Jess."

"Oh, I AM," she insisted cheerily before clarifying, "ON Christmas, that is. I mean, what could be better than to wake up Christmas morning, surrounded by your loved ones, with the world outside blanketed in peace, the gentle glow of the holiday candles in the windows, your heart and stomach both pleasantly filled as you take in all the beauty and magic Christmas has to offer?"

Becker resisted the urge to gag or suggest that Jess could easily have a second career writing sappy holiday cards. Couldn't she see that snow on Christmas only added more stress to everyone's travel plans, not to mention the chore of having to shovel the damn stuff? It wasn't magical; it was a nuisance.

His friends, however, seemed to take a cheerier attitude towards Jess' picturesque description. Abby, for instance, gave a contented sigh and leant against her fiance, who put a loving arm about her shoulders. "Mmm," the blonde girl purred, "that sounds perfect."

"Yes," Emily agreed. "Quite lovely."

"Of course," Jess went on, "it must all be melted by the next day. I mean, heaven forbid the snow get in the way of Boxing Day sales."

Becker rolled his eyes. He wasn't even into this whole winter wonderland scenario, yet still he felt Jess had ruined the moment with talk of shopping.

"Boxing Day sales?" Emily asked, thoroughly confused.

Jess, however, smiled. "Oh, that's right - you don't know! Yet another exciting twenty-first century tradition we get to introduce you to!"

Becker sighed in frustration. "What about that exciting twenty-first century tradition of getting back to work?" he grumbled.

Abby gave a snort. "Who died and made YOU Lester?"

"More like Scrooge," Jess said. "You've been grumpy all month. What's up?"

Becker shrugged. "I don't know. I just...hate this time of year."

"How can you say that?" Connor asked before bursting into song. "'It's the Most Wonderful Time-'"

Becker interrupted, hoping to shut Temple up. "It's just...everything's so hectic and crazy. There's all this shopping to do for people I don't even like, and worrying about not getting the people I DO like the right thing. And then there's the social obligations - friends and family who don't bother to ring you all year suddenly demanding that you MUST go out to dinner with them or see a godforsaken panto or accompany them to some party or other, and then they spend the whole time grilling you about your private life. And if all that weren't enough, we have to frantically make sure that our end-of-the-year reports all get finished and signed off, not to mention writing up the budgets for next year and-"

"Okay, we get it," Matt interrupted.

"But certainly you cannot hate the entire season," Emily said. "Do you not enjoy the decorations or the music or anything? I find it all quite exciting."

Becker shrugged. "Yeah, it's exciting...for the first ten years or so. And then it gets so...monotonous and repetitive. I mean, how many times can you hear 'Ding Dong Merrily on High' before you want to blow your brains out?"

Connor elbowed Abby, joking under his breath, "Don't let HIM near the armoury today!"

However, Jess didn't even crack a smile, and Becker realised that he might be taking his grousing a bit too far. "I don't mean to say that I hate every minute of it. And there are a FEW traditions that I quite enjoy," he said, thinking once again about the possibility of meeting Jess under the mistletoe. "But let me just say that I'm glad Christmas only comes around once a year."

Jess was still frowning as she asked, "So does that mean you're NOT going to help me decorate for the party this afternoon?"

Becker had forgotten all about her request to help. The last thing he wanted was to set up for a Christmas party that he didn't even really want to attend. However, the image of Jess climbing a ladder in her short skirt suddenly made the Christmas spirit come flooding in. "No, I said I'd help," he replied nonchalantly, hoping his eagerness wasn't obvious.

Matt, however, gave him a knowing look. "She probably only asked you because you're tall," he commented drily before heading off with Emily towards his office.

"Also because you're strong," Connor added. "Me and Abby could barely carry the boxes of decorations out to her car this morning!"

"That's NOT why I asked you," Jess insisted before giving Becker a sheepish smile. "Would you believe I asked you for your...aesthetic sensibilities?"

Abby laughed, patting Becker on the shoulder. "Yeah, I wouldn't believe her, either."

"Just make her do all the ladder work, mate," Connor added with a grin.

And that was exactly what Becker intended to do.

...

Setting up had taken longer than Becker had guessed for Jess had really outdone herself with the decorations and refreshments. It seemed she'd thought of everything...except for mistletoe! This fact now had Becker in a snit, for he was stuck at this irritating party with nothing to look forward to.

And he wasn't the only one distracted. Although the party was lively and people seemed to be enjoying themselves, it was clear that the bad weather was foremost on everyone's mind. As Becker milled about, he heard solider after soldier discussing how the snow was likely to interfere with his or her holiday plans. Magical indeed!

Jess, meanwhile, was flitting about the room, ensuring everyone was having a good time. He didn't know how she did it, always putting others first. Surely even she couldn't be so helpful and merry all the time. Yet she didn't even seem upset when people started leaving early, whereas Becker was extremely frustrated that their coworkers weren't appreciating the hours of work he and Jess had put into setting up.

Even their friends weren't bothering to stay on.

"We're really sorry, Jess," Connor said as he and Abby approached them, "but we gotta go."

"Oh, that's right," Jess replied, "you two have to drive up to Yorkshire tonight."

Becker had to wonder if she had everyone's holiday schedule memorised.

Abby nodded. "According to the forecast, it's expected to continue snowing through most of the night, so we figured it'd be best to leave now."

"Yeah, it's a blowing mess out there," Connor said. "It's mad! I mean, even Lester must be convinced in global climate change after THIS storm."

"Well, I don't know about THAT, but yes, of course you must go," Jess encouraged.

Abby, however, looked torn. "You're not angry that we're having to leave your party so soon?" she asked, glancing briefly at Becker, clearly sensing his irritation.

Jess, however, merely laughed. "Why would I be angry? Your safety's of more concern than some silly party."

Abby looked relieved. "Thanks for understanding, Jess. It really is a great party."

"Thanks!" Jess beamed, obviously pleased. "Don't you just love the decorations? It was Becker's idea to have me hang the snowflakes from the ceiling. See, I told you - aesthetic sensibilities."

Abby, however, merely gave Becker a knowing look as she mumbled, "I'll bet."

"Snowflakes? What was you thinking, mate?" Connor teased. "Why you gotta go and taunt nature like that? It's clear this storm is all YOUR fault then."

Becker rolled his eyes. "I thought you were a scientist, Temple," he grumbled, annoyed at being blamed for something that was so obviously out of his control.

But Abby gave the soldier a friendly pat. "Cheer up, Scrooge - only a couple more days and Christmas will be over."

"And then there's New Year's," Jess pointed out eagerly.

"Great," Becker grumbled. He'd forgotten there was one more week of holiday cheer in store for him, and he wasn't looking forward to yet another holiday alone.

But Abby was still focussed on this one. "Well, we'd best be off."

"But before we go," Connor said with a grin, "how about one last holiday kiss for my favourite roomie?" Although Jess had not supplied any mistletoe, Connor had brought his own, bobbing wildly on the end of a long spring attached to his head. Much to Becker's chagrin, Temple now leant over Jess, the sprig of green bobbing over her head as he gave her a friendly peck.

After the kiss - which Becker felt was inappropriately long, especially with Temple's fiance standing right there - Abby gave Jess a farewell hug. "Have a great Christmas."

"AND a great Boxing Day," Connor said with a wink before the couple turned and headed out, annoyingly taking the mistletoe with them.

"Drive safely," Jess called after their friends. "And Merry Christmas!"

After they'd left, she turned towards the refreshments table, pointing out, "Guess it's time to refresh the eggnog," before hurrying back to her hostess duties, leaving Becker to seethe about Temple's downright lack of Christmas charity.

...

Although Jess had received Lester's approval to let the party run well past midnight, most everyone was gone by 2100 hours. Jess didn't even seem disappointed, for she was only eager for everyone to avoid the bad weather and get home safely. In fact, she proceeded to sing all the snowy Christmas songs - including "White Christmas", "Let It Snow", and "In the Bleak Midwinter" - at top volume as she and Becker cleaned up.

She hadn't actually asked Becker to stay and help, but he felt that, as head of security, it was his duty to make sure that Jess got out to her car safely - after all, there was no knowing who might be lurking in their government-secured underground car park late at night.

He'd also assumed that they'd be taking down the decorations afterwards and wanted to be on-hand to steady the ladder for her, but much to his disappointment she'd announced that the decorations were staying up. "Might as well keep the place cheery for the few people who have to work the next few days," she'd pointed out.

However, there were still assorted items she needed to take home, and somehow Becker ended up being the one to carry them all out to her car as they were leaving.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay driving home?" he asked as he dumped the heavy box into the passenger seat of her tiny yellow Renault.

Jess frowned. "There's not THAT much snow," she insisted. She must've seen his dubious look for she gave a somewhat defensive, "What?"

Becker shook his head. "I'm just wondering when you're going to get a grown-up vehicle," he said, half teasing and half serious, grateful he'd be driving home in his own 4x4.

Jess gasped indignantly. "THIS is a grown-up vehicle," she insisted.

Becker gave a snort as he glanced from her wee car down to her ridiculously high heels. "Yeah, and those are grown-up shoes," he said sarcastically.

"Where's your Christmas spirit?" Jess asked, obviously proud of her red and green holiday footwear. "Besides, look at you - black may go with everything, but it's not exactly Christmasy, you know."

Becker laughed. "If you're expecting me to wear a garish holiday jumper tomorrow just to prove you wrong, you're going to be sorely disappointed." After all, he wasn't about to look the fool like Connor had all day, especially when Jess was bound to be off tomorrow anyway.

"Well, you might as well wear your nightshirt then, Mr. Scrooge," she teased back.

But before Becker could come up with a suitable comeback, a rush of bitterly cold wind suddenly blew down the ramp into the car park, causing Jess to shiver in her short skirt.

"You'd best get home, missy, before your knees freeze."

She gave him a cheerful smile. "Drive safely," she called out, climbing into her tiny car as he headed for his truck. "And Merry Christmas!"

...

The streets were slippery on the way home, although the snow was no longer coming down. However, when Becker emerged from his flat the next morning, several more inches had accumulated. Always eager to treat his truck right, he took the time to brush off all the snow from the bonnet before climbing inside. He put in the key and turned it, but the engine refused to start.

He tried it several times, but no luck. Eventually a neighbour came along and they tried to jump it, but the engine simply didn't seem to like the cold and wouldn't turn over. After numerous attempts with different cars and several sets of jump leads, Becker finally decided it was hopeless - his truck was simply not going to start this morning.

By now he was frightfully late for work, so he decided he'd best ring in to let them know what was happening. He was surprised, however, when Jess picked up.

"Jess? What are YOU doing at the ARC?" Since she obviously enjoyed the holidays so much, he'd just assumed she'd have taken the day off.

"I'm working. What do you think?"

"But it's Christmas Eve."

"So my chocolate advent calendar tells me," she replied cheerily. "So what's up? Where are you? I thought you were working today."

Suddenly Becker wasn't quite so eager to explain. "Uh...well...I'm afraid my truck won't start."

There was a long pause before she spoke. "I'm sorry, we must have a bad connection," she explained. "I THOUGHT I heard you say that your 'grown-up vehicle' won't start."

Becker sighed - he supposed he had that coming. "Yes, yes, tease all you want. But that doesn't get me to work any faster."

Now Jess DID laugh. "No worries. I'll send O'Toole to pick you up."

Becker started to protest, but Jess said, "No, really, it's NOT a problem. Seems Connor left his mistletoe here last night - or more likely Abby made him leave it behind - and O'Toole's been pestering us girls with it all morning. A cold drive in the snow to pick you up is probably just what he needs."

Becker frowned. He didn't like the idea of Jess - or any of his other female coworkers - being pestered by O'Toole, and he was glad to give her a bit of a reprieve. "That'd be great, Jess. Thanks."

Ringing off, he decided to wait for O'Toole inside, as the sight of his "grown-up vehicle" was just a bitter reminder of one more annoyance of this holiday season.

...

When Becker finally arrived at work - after a long, scary ride through the icy streets with O'Toole at the wheel - he was actually pleased to see Jess at the ADD, cheerful as always.

"Glad you could make it," she said with a teasing grin.

Becker rolled his eyes before asking the question he'd been dying to ask. "So why are you here today?"

Jess looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're such a Christmas fan, I figured you'd be off doing, I don't know, Christmasy stuff with your family or something."

Jess shook her head. "But my parents are local," she said, as if this explained all. However, she must have noticed his quizzical expression for she went on. "Other people have a longer way to travel to be with their families, and if they had to work today, they wouldn't get to spend any time with them. So I thought it only fair that I volunteer to work, as it's only a quick drive to my parents' house and I can simply go there straightaway after work."

Becker smiled. Jess' selflessness never ceased to amaze him - more than anyone, she seemed to epitomise the Christmas spirit.

"Isn't that why YOU volunteered to work today?" Jess went on.

Becker shook his head. "Nothing so noble, I'm afraid. I'm still not done with my end-of-the-year reports. Besides, it's a good excuse to not have to spend TOO much time with my family."

Jess frowned. "I thought you got on well with them."

"I do...in small doses. But they're always getting on me for one thing or another. And the idea of all the nieces and nephews trapped inside together, hyped up on sugar and excited about presents?" He shuddered. "I'd rather be anywhere."

"You really ARE a Scrooge," Jess teased.

"Well, SOMEONE has to be," he said straight-faced.

Jess laughed. "Well then, you'd best get to work. I mean, as YOU once said, Christmas 'is a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December,' yeah?"

Becker nodded. "Bah! Humbug!"

...

The morning seemed to drag by, which turned out to be a good thing. With the place so quiet, Becker was able to get almost his entire report written before lunch. As he headed towards Ops to meet Jess, he realised how eerie the empty corridors felt.

"Maybe I AM turning into Scrooge," he commented as he arrived at the hub, "because this place is like a graveyard today. I haven't even seen Matt about."

Jess smiled. "I'd be surprised if you had - he's off today."

Becker stared blankly, not quite comprehending. "Matt?" he repeated, as if he'd misheard. "Matt took the day off?"

Jess laughed, nodding. "He is allowed, you know."

"I know. It's just...he never takes holidays."

"Well, it's Emily's first Christmas in this time, so they have something special planned." She smiled smugly. "Kew Gardens, I believe, followed by Trafalgar Square this evening and then the midnight Mass at St. Paul's."

Becker shook his head - it was clear that Jess had helped arrange this romantic outing. "You ought to be careful playing Cupid, Jess. It can backfire."

Jess rolled her eyes. "Oh please! That arrow struck long ago - I'm just making sure it sticks."

She was right. It was clear that Matt and Emily had feelings for each other, though they seemingly hadn't done much to pursue them since she'd returned to this time. So whilst it could still be considered meddling, Jess was obviously just eager to see her two friends happy.

Even if that meant the ARC was left without their team leader today.

"Well, let's just hope there's no anomaly," Becker said. "Even if others can take a holiday, nature doesn't necessarily follow the same calendar."

"Let's hope it does in this case," Lester said, exiting his office and walking down the stairs towards them. "It's snowing again, and they're threatening to close the roads. I'm sending everyone home."

"WHAT?!" Jess and Becker asked in unison.

Lester shrugged. "There's no point in getting everyone stuck here on Christmas Eve."

"But what if there's an anomaly?" Becker asked. "We'll have to respond, Christmas or no."

"We may not be ABLE to respond, if this storm keeps up," Lester commented. "I figure we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it. People can respond just as easily from their homes as from here - possibly even better, as it seems this section of the city is getting hit the worst."

"I should stay and watch the ADD," Jess immediately offered.

Lester nodded. "I was hoping you'd volunteer. The night shift should be here by five to relieve you."

"No problem. And hopefully things will have cleared up by then."

Lester looked doubtful but wasn't about to burst her bubble.

"I'll stay as well," Becker blurted out - there was no way he was leaving Jess alone at the ARC, and he could always drive them both home in one of the ARC's 4x4s if the streets were too bad at the end of their shift.

Lester nodded. "I guessed as much," he mumbled under his breath before adding "I'll be off to tell the others, then. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!" Jess said, hopping out of her chair and giving her boss a caring embrace. Lester awkwardly hugged her back before heading off to tell the rest of the staff the good news.

Jess turned excitedly to Becker. "We're going to be here all by ourselves for the rest of the afternoon. You know what that means?"

By the twinkle in her eyes, he could already tell he wasn't going to like the answer.

"I'm totally going to play Christmas music!" Her hands flew across the keyboard, and in a moment "Winter Wonderland" was blaring through the intercom.

"Turn that blasted thing off, Parker!" Lester hollered from down the corridor.

Jess did as she was told, whispering to Becker, "We'll just wait till he's gone."

Becker rolled his eyes - so much for a quiet afternoon working on his report.

...

Despite the cheery music blaring through the intercom, Becker managed to get his end-of-the-year report finished (at least a first draft) and part of next year's budget drawn up. One of the advantages of working in a "dungeon" with no windows was that he could completely shut out what was going on outside, so he was able to forget all about the storm and simply concentrate on his work. He finally glanced at his watch and realised it was nearly 1700 hours, so he logged off his computer, trying to calculate how much time he'd have before the New Year to get the rest of his work done. He, along with the rest of the senior staff, had the next two days off, but that should hopefully still leave him enough time to get the budget finished. And with Christmas over, hopefully his mood would improve, too.

Even though he still had New Year's to get through.

As he headed for Ops, he could hear Jess' voice echoing through the empty corridors as she chattered away on the phone. However, as he got closer, he noted how worried she sounded and wondered what was up. After all, she was minutes away from leaving for her Christmas celebration with her parents - Becker figured she should be bouncing off the walls with joy by now.

"Oh, that's terrible," he heard her saying into the phone. "But at least you're okay, right?" Becker wondered who she could be talking to as he joined her at the hub. "Well, as soon as you've called for a tow, get inside somewhere - it's too cold to be stuck outside while you wait. And try to have a merry Christmas."

As soon as she rung off, Becker asked, "Who was that?"

"Clark. Her 4x4 hit a patch of black ice and slid off the road. She thinks it's probably totalled."

Becker made a face. "On Christmas Eve? Good luck finding a tow company working tonight." He paused as his brain made a deduction. "Hey, wasn't she supposed to be on shift tonight? The staffing was already down to the bare bones as it was."

Jess nodded. "You don't know the half of it. The skeleton crew just keeps getting smaller and smaller. EVERYONE, it seems, is stuck and can't come in, and half the streets around here have been closed due to ice and snow."

Becker frowned, not liking where this was going. "So how many people CAN make it in to work tonight?"

"As of right now? You and me."

"WHAT?!"

Becker hadn't really been looking forward to his Christmas Eve duties with his family, but they were certainly better than being stranded at work.

"But I'm sure people will come when they can," Jess said, still sounding cheery despite everything. "We'll just be a bit late, is all."

Becker gave a snort of derision. "Yeah, right. Even if people COULD get through, you really think they're going to make that much of an effort when they've got this lovely excuse to stay home with their families?"

"They wouldn't do that," Jess insisted.

"Oh no? C'mon, face it, Jess. We've been screwed, by our coworkers as well as the weather. See, this is what your holiday spirit gets you." Becker was beginning to think Scrooge had the right idea.

"Don't be like that. It could be worse."

As if to prove her point, the electricity suddenly blinked out.

Becker was too surprised to laugh, which was probably a good thing, as Jess might've thought he was responsible. It took several moments before they heard the back-up generators start to power on, no doubt slow due to the cold. In fact, only a single light came on at the hub, as if the generators were not working to their full capacity.

"It's probably the ice," Becker said. "Must've knocked down the power lines."

Jess searched her mobile. "You're right. And it's not just us - it looks like a good section of the city is out."

"Even if it wasn't Christmas Eve, I doubt they'd be able to fix it tonight due to the weather. Besides, with the snow continuing to fall, it'd be liable to go out again anyway."

Jess sighed, and by the eerie glow of the single light he could see her cheerfulness starting to fade. "Guess it's time to break out the laptop ADD and settle in then. And hopefully the weather will clear up soon so we can get home."

Becker, however, knew better.

...

"Is it just me," Jess asked through chattering teeth a half hour later, "or is it getting colder in here?"

Becker eyed her short skirt, wondering how she wasn't constantly cold. But when he considered it, he realised she was right - the temperature in Ops had dropped several degrees.

"It's probably the generators," Becker said. "They don't seem to be working quite right, and they usually don't have to go this long." He actually wondered if the back-up systems included any control over the HVAC, as it was probably not considered an "essential function" during most black-outs.

But before he could ask Jess' thoughts on the subject, her mobile suddenly rang.

"It's Abby," she announced before picking up. "Hey, Abby. Did you and Connor make it to Yorkshire safely? ... Oh, I'm so glad. We... Yeah! How did you know? ... Really!?" Jess put her hand over her phone to tell Becker, "We're on BBC News! The blackout, that is." She then resumed her conversation with Abby, asking, "So what are they saying? ... That widespread, huh? ... That's crazy! What a thing to happen on Christmas Eve, yeah?"

Becker realised that if Abby and Connor had heard about the blackout from Yorkshire, then it definitely wasn't going to be sorted any time soon.

However, Jess was now laughing as she said, "Yes, I can definitely get you in contact with someone at the ARC. In fact, you already are. ... Yeah, Becker and I are the only ones here. No one else could get through. ... Oh, it's fine - I'm sure the roads will clear up soon and we'll be able to go home."

Becker rolled his eyes, amazed that she was still so hopeful.

"So what did you need?" Jess asked into her mobile. Abby's answer must've been something Jess hadn't anticipated for she gasped, saying, "I didn't even think of that! Of course! We'll do it right away. Don't worry about a thing."

Becker was dying to know what Abby had said - he really hated only hearing half the conversation -but it looked like the call was finishing up, so he probably wouldn't have long to wait before finding out the worst.

"Yeah, no worries," Jess reassured. "We're happy to help. ... Merry Christmas to you, too."

As she rung off, Becker impatiently asked, "SO?! What is it?"

"Seems I was right," Jess said. "It IS getting colder in here. Which isn't really that big a problem for us, being warm-blooded and all, but it's rather dangerous for all the cold-blooded creatures in the menagerie. Apparently Abby had brought this to Lester's attention some time ago and he'd promised to find the funds to get additional generators...in the new year. But that means that, as of right now, none of the heaters in the entire ARC are working. If the power stays off for long - and it sounds like it's going to - then we're going to have to reroute what little generator power we have to the menagerie so that the animals don't freeze."

Becker sighed. Mucking about with the creatures was never his idea of fun. Of course, neither was dealing with an angry Abby, so it was clear what they must do.

...

Neither Becker nor Jess was an electrician, but, with the help of the internet on Jess' mobile, they were eventually able to transfer what power there was to the menagerie's heaters. By the time they were finished, the rest of the ARC was left in total darkness, getting colder by the minute. Becker wondered if the creatures even appreciated all their time and hard work, though Rex, at least, seemed thankful for the warmth and the company.

"We'd best stay in here, if we don't want to freeze ourselves," Becker suggested. The menagerie itself was hardly balmy, but it would certainly keep the cold-blooded creatures - as well as him and Jess - from dying till the grid went back up.

Jess nodded. She hadn't mentioned anything more about back-up arriving, no doubt having finally resigned herself to being stuck here for the night, yet she still seemed relatively cheerful.

"It's kind of like a manger," Jess said as she sat down upon some hay, setting the laptop ADD next to her so she could get to it in a moment's notice if needed. "You know, if hay was good enough for the baby Jesus, it can be good enough for us, yeah?"

"Yeah, but I don't think the baby Jesus had to contend with Mammoth feces. MAN, does it smell in here!"

"And what, you don't think donkey and cow feces smell?" Jess teased.

"No, but their piles aren't quite so...mammoth."

Jess laughed at his pun, a sound that, until this Christmas season, had always seemed to melt away Becker's grumpiness. He couldn't believe that she was still so cheerful, stranded here in the cold and dark on Christmas Eve.

Suddenly her mobile rang, and she gasped when she saw the number.

Picking up quickly, she explained, "Mum! I'm so sorry I didn't ring earlier! We were just... The electricity's out, you see, and no one else is here, and we just... Yeah, Mum, it looks like I'm not going to make it home tonight. ... I know, I'm sad, too, but it's going to be fine. We're all safe, and we'll just have to get together when the storm clears. ... No, go ahead without me. ... Really! I don't want you and Dad missing out just because of the weather."

Becker couldn't believe it - here was Jess once again putting everyone else's happiness ahead of her own.

"Yeah, just don't let Dad eat all my chocolate," she was now saying. "Alright, well you two have fun, and stay warm. ... I love you too, Mum. ... Hey Dad." She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad, all the doors are locked. Besides, I've got the Chief of Security with me. ... Yes, Captain Becker. ... Daddy!"

Becker could see through the dim light Jess' face suddenly blushing a deep crimson, and he couldn't help but wonder what her father had just teased her about.

"Yes, we'll be fine. ... You take care of Mum and give her a big hug for me. And stay out of my chocolate. ... No, don't give me that! Father Christmas does NOT eat my chocolate - YOU do!"

Her resultant giggle made her sound five years old again, and Becker imagined this must be an argument that had been going on at least since then.

"Yes, Merry Christmas, Dad. ... I love you, too. ... Bye."

After Jess rang off, she put down her mobile in the hay next to her...and instantly burst into tears.

It caught Becker completely off-guard, for she'd seemed her regular upbeat self on the phone. Reality must have finally caught up with her, and while she'd been able to put on a brave face for her parents so they wouldn't worry, she couldn't keep her disappointment inside any longer. It was obvious that this was tearing her up inside, not being with her parents on Christmas Eve, and Becker's heart broke for her. Jess was so good to everyone, so selfless and cheerful all the time, and Becker now realised he'd come to take that part of her for granted. All the grumpiness he'd been harbouring towards her all season suddenly melted away, for he could see she was really hurting now, no doubt this being her first Christmas away from home, and Becker was determined to make things better for her.

But first things first.

"Our blood sugar must be low," he said, realising how late it had grown and how long it'd been since their midday meal. "C'mon, let's go see what we can scrounge up in the canteen...unless you want to munch on diictodon chow all night."

Jess smiled through her tears and nodded, letting him lead her. Stepping out of the menagerie, Becker could already feel how much colder the ARC had grown. By the light of his torch he saw her shiver and realised that they should swing by the locker rooms after. But first they needed to find some food.

With the electricity off, the canteen didn't have much to offer, as none of the vending machines were working. However, they managed to scavenge the leftover veggie tray from last night's party from the fridge and a few other odds and ends. Jess then headed back towards Ops to grab some back-up batteries for the laptop ADD and her phone whilst Becker headed on to the locker rooms for the survival food and other items that they kept on-hand in the team's rucksacks. Raiding the emergency supplies, he grabbed assorted kit, including some wool army blankets, an LED lantern, and his bag of gym clothes, which he figured would be more comfortable for Jess to sleep in than her holiday frock and tights.

When he got back to the menagerie, Jess had already started eating without him. She passed him the veggie tray and started sorting through the survival food. He handed her his gym clothes, and she took them without a word, disappearing into a dark stall to change into them. She then returned to continue their makeshift meal, although she was abnormally quiet, which was a bit disconcerting, this being Jess.

They ate in silence, overwhelmed by the odours and darkness of the menagerie. Even Becker, who'd been dreading the holiday, was miserable, so he could only imagine how Jess was feeling.

Suddenly, and without warning, Jess threw an empty tin of tuna against the wall, whining, "This sucks! This is so not Christmas Eve."

"So what makes it Christmas Eve?" he asked, wondering what he could do to make it better for her.

"It's just...everything's all wrong. No heat, no lights, no TREE! Christmas won't be Christmas without any...ANYthing!" she moaned, and Becker vaguely realised she was quoting something, although he'd no idea what.

"So then let's make it Christmasy," he said.

"How?!" Jess asked, clearly doubting his abilities.

Becker decided to take it as a challenge. "Stay right here," he said, standing up and rushing off. He realised that when he'd collected the food and blankets, he'd only been focussing on practicalities. But Christmas wasn't about being practical - it was about being frivolous, indulging in sweets and excesses that let you celebrate being alive.

It was also about giving, about putting others first, and Becker was now determined to redeem this holiday for Jess.

So he hurried straight to Ops and, avoiding the snowflake designs, pulled down garlands and other assorted decorations with which to make the menagerie more cheerful. He then returned to the canteen, grabbing up some packets of hot cocoa mix before swinging by the locker room for a portable camp stove. Cold tuna was fine when merely trying to survive, but it was hardly celebratory fare.

Returning to the menagerie, he dumped his collection on the hay before starting to sort through it, showing off what he'd brought. "Okay, so now we've decorations," he said, draping a red tinsel garland about Jess' neck, "and supplies to make hot chocolate." He was relieved to see her smile, for if chocolate couldn't cheer her up, he feared nothing would.

After starting the water to heat on the camp stove, he asked, "So what now?"

Jess looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are your traditions? What does your family do on Christmas Eve?"

"I thought you hated Christmas," she said, sounding like a petulant child.

"I don't HATE Christmas," he insisted. "And YOU certainly don't. So c'mon. What do you usually do? Go to church?" he blurted out without thinking and then held his breath, dreading her answer.

Jess, however, merely shrugged. "We did when my Gran was alive, but we haven't gone the past couple years."

Becker gave a sigh of relief, glad that he wouldn't have to make up some sort of sermon to cheer her up.

"So what else?"

"I don't know. We...hang our stockings, I suppose."

"Stockings?" There hadn't been any stockings amongst the decorations, and Becker tried to think of an appropriate substitute. Reaching into his gym bag, he pulled out a ball of socks and held up the pair, hoping to get a smile.

Instead, all he got was a morose, "But they're identical, so how will we know whose is whose?"

Luckily, Becker had an answer for this. "Yours is the one with the chocolate, of course," he said, pulling out a bar he'd stuffed in his pocket for later and jamming it into the top of one of the socks. "See? Now Father Christmas can tell them apart," he declared, pleased to see what he thought might be the hint of a smile upon her face. He quickly went on, "So what comes next?"

"Well, crackers, of course."

Becker frowned, trying to think of something they could do in lieu of Christmas crackers. He considered going to steal the kitchen roll from the canteen and using the cardboard tube to make some but decided that was probably too much work. Instead he merely grabbed up an energy bar and said, "Here, grab an end."

Jess looked dubious, but Becker insisted, taking her hand and making her grab hold of one end of the plastic wrapping.

"Okay, pull," he instructed, crying out, "Pop!" as he gave a tug. Since she wasn't really playing along, he managed to yank the package right out of her hand; however, he kept up the pretence, eagerly peaking inside. "Ooh, let's see what toy surprise I got. Oh look - an energy bar!"

Jess shook her head. "So where's your hat?"

He shrugged. "I, uh, gave it to Connor."

She cracked a smile before asking, "And the joke?"

Becker racked his brains trying to think of a clean riddle he could share with her.

"Oh, I know one," Jess blurted out, finally getting into the spirit of things. "Who is Santa afraid of?"

Becker shook his head, and Jess replied with a grin, "The Elf and Safety Officer, of course!"

Becker groaned. "That's terrible."

"It's a cracker joke - it's SUPPOSED to be terrible."

Becker couldn't argue with that.

"So, what other traditions do you have?" He hoped there wouldn't be singing, but luckily Jess had something else in mind.

"Well, before bed, my dad always reads A Visit from St. Nicholas aloud."

Becker smiled. Something that he could actually do.

Sort of.

"Then let's do it," he said.

Jess looked surprised. "You know it?"

Becker shrugged. "Not all of it. But we used to read it, too."

Jess grabbed for her mobile, but Becker said, "No, we can do this ourselves. C'mon, it'll be fun. Let's see how far we can get."

"Not very far, I'm sure, but I'm willing to give it a try. You start."

"Oh, thanks. Um...'T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.' The...uh...the children? No, there's something else first, isn't there?"

"Isn't the stockings bit next?" Jess asked. "Let's see - I think it's 'The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...'"

In unison they continued together, "'...In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.'"

Jess gave a huge grin, and Becker was thrilled, for clearly this was the happiest she'd been since the lights went out.

She went on, "'The children were nestled all snug in their beds whilst visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.'"

"What exactly ARE sugar plums?" Becker asked.

Jess shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure I'd rather have visions of chocolate."

"Visions of chocolate it is, then," Becker announced before reciting, "'Whilst visions of CHOCOLATE danced in their heads.'"

"Perfect!" Jess said before going on, stumbling a bit on some of the words but managing to get through several more lines before ending with, "'...tore open the shutters and threw up on the sash.'"

Becker laughed. "I don't think that's right - he didn't throw up ON the sash, he just threw up the sash," he said, demonstrating the difference.

Jess nodded. "I know. But that's what I thought the line was when I was a kid, so that's how we've said it ever since."

"Vomiting, huh? What interesting holiday traditions your family has," he teased, and she playfully swatted him.

However, when they tried to resume the poem, neither of them could remember what came next.

Finally Jess got out, "It's 'something something like coursers they came. And he laughed and he...something...and he called them by-'"

"Breasts!" Becker suddenly blurted out, his mind having been busy still trying to come up with the missing lines.

"Pardon?" Jess asked, self-consciously crossing her arms over the thin white t-shirt she was now wearing.

"That's the missing line," he insisted. "'The moon on the breasts - sorry, breast - of the new-fallen snow gave a lustre of midday to objects below.'"

Jess looked dubious. "Is that really the line?"

"Yes! My brother and I used to have a giggle fit over it every year." Jess gave him a playful smack, and he quickly defended. "Hey, we were eight and six - what do you expect when your dad mentions the word 'breasts'?"

Jess shook her head. "Anyway, where were we?"

Together they attempted to get through the rest of the poem. There was a lot of backtracking, and some lines they never could figure out, but the warm cocoa seemed to help and somehow they finally got to, "'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.'"

"Yay, we did it" Jess cheered.

Becker nodded, glad to see her so happy once again.

She then gave a giant yawn that seemed to go on forever.

"Sorry," she said when it was finally over.

Becker shrugged. "No apology necessary. It is getting late. And didn't you say you always read the poem before bedtime?"

Jess' smile faded, the comment having reminded her of all she was missing. "Yeah," she said forlornly, a tone in her voice he had never heard before. "So. I guess I'll just..." She turned her back to him and lay down on one of the army blankets, covering herself up with another before giving a mournful, "Good night."

Becker sighed, wishing he could've done better by her. But really, what else could he have done under the circumstances?

Yet he continued to dwell on this as he turned off the lantern and lay down to sleep.

...

Becker awoke the next morning with hay in his mouth and Jess in his arms. They'd obviously gravitated towards each other in their sleep, eager for some added warmth. He quickly spit out the hay but was a bit more reluctant to get rid of the other object, so he simply lay there for a moment, taking it all in. Although the sleeping Jess seemed contented for now, she'd no doubt be disappointed when she woke up and remembered it was Christmas morning.

Christmas morning - it meant so many different things to different people. For Becker, it'd always meant spending the day with family. But this year he simply couldn't look forward to having to entertain his nieces and nephews as they bounced off the walls, not to mention taking flak from his parents and siblings about still being single. Of course, they wouldn't be nagging him just to be mean; he was certain they only had his best interests at heart. But that meant they'd certainly have spent the day grilling him, admonishing him for still not having made a move on "that cute field coordinator" he'd accidentally gushed about last year when he'd imbibed just a bit too much of his mum's special eggnog.

Suddenly it hit him - THAT was why he'd been such a Scrooge all season! In the back of his mind he must've known what the topic of conversation was going to be around the family Christmas table, and he also must've known that he wouldn't have any sort of acceptable answer for them. No wonder Jess' cheeriness had grated on him so - it was a constant reminder that, despite being willing to face down dinosaurs on a daily basis, he was, at heart, just a coward when it came to her. Hell, he'd spent an entire year yearning for something to happen between them, yet he'd done nothing to make it happen. Hell, he could've brought his own mistletoe to the party like Connor, but no. Instead he'd done absolutely nothing to win her heart, so here he was, once again alone on Christmas, and he had no one but himself to blame.

Only he wasn't alone. Jess currently lay asleep in his arms, snoring softly against a pillow of hay. His annoyance of the past month was now gone, thanks to his sudden epiphany. In face, he was so pleased to finally understand the nature of his holiday grumpiness that he wished she would wake up so he could explain it all to her. However, he then recalled how upset she'd be upon waking - trapped in a smelly, cold, dark menagerie was hardly what she'd envisioned for a merry Christmas.

In fact, Becker knew exactly what she'd envisioned, as she'd just told him and their friends only the other day: "What could be better than to wake up Christmas morning, surrounded by your loved ones, with the world outside blanketed in peace, the gentle glow of the holiday candles in the window, your heart and stomach both pleasantly filled as you take in all the beauty and magic Christmas has to offer?"

And Becker suddenly knew what he had to do to redeem this horrible Christmas for them both.

...

By the time Jess awoke, Becker had everything prepared. The moment she opened her eyes, he offered a cheerful, "Merry Christmas."

She gave a contented smile...until the reality of the phrase hit her and she frowned.

"Don't," he said, shaking his head and offering her his hand. "I have something to show you."

He helped her to her feet and they headed out of the menagerie. Rex came flying over to give them a friendly morning chirp, but Becker quickly closed the door behind them before the lizard could get out, explaining, "It's too cold out here for you, Rex."

Jess shivered, saying, "I think it's too cold out here for us as well."

But Becker shook his head. "We'll be fine. C'mon."

Jess gave him a pitiful look. "Wherever we're headed, might I stop by the loo first? Loads of cocoa last night, remember?"

Becker agreed and waited patiently for her outside in the corridor, amused by the surprised "Cold! Cold" she cried out from inside, no doubt having found the toilet seat a bit chillier than usual this morning.

He then led her up the dark stairwell, refusing to say where they were going. He could feel the melancholy practically rolling off her in waves, and he hoped his plan would work.

Exiting the stairwell near the top, the corridor was bright with morning light shining in through the windows. Becker turned off his torch and led her to the glass bridge between the two building wings where he'd set up the surprise.

Several blankets were on the floor, creating a cozy nest for the two of them to sit upon whilst looking out the picture windows on either side. The water was already boiling on the camp stove, and he quickly made her a mug of hot chocolate as she took a seat on the floor. The "stockings" were nearby, now filled with odds and ends he'd managed to scrounge from around the ARC, mostly of the chocolate variety! He had also found, after searching the canteen, the birthday candles that they sometimes used to celebrate their coworkers' special days and had set them in a row in front of the window, where he now lit them.

Jess stared at him, as if he'd lost his mind. "So what is all this?" she asked.

Becker frowned. "Don't you remember what you said the other day?" When she looked blankly at him, he went on, "You remember. About what could be better than to wake up Christmas morning with it all peaceful and snowy, with candles in the window and food in your stomach or something. You made it sound so magical."

Jess smiled, staring out the window at the unspoilt snow covering everything. "It is beautiful. And you thought of everything." She then sighed wistfully, adding, "Well, MOST everything. I still wish I was home with my parents, though - I do hope they're okay."

"Well, I can't provide you with your parents, but I believe your actual words were 'being surrounded by loved ones,'" Becker pointed out. He whipped out Connor's mistletoe, which he'd nicked from O'Toole's desk, saying, "I hope this will do."

Putting on the ridiculous headband, he leant over so that the mistletoe dangled above her head before giving her a tender Christmas kiss.

Becker now understood why Jess loved this holiday so. Christmas was all about giving, about putting other people first. It was something Jess did on a daily basis, but he now realised how warm it made you feel inside to do something nice for others.

Not that this kiss was entirely selfless! Her lips felt even better than he'd imagined. And knowing that he wouldn't have to dodge his family's questions later wasn't so bad either!

When he finally pulled away, Jess had a beatific smile upon her face. "I guess Father Christmas must've gotten my letter this year."

He was thrilled that she was so happy, but he suddenly needed to put this whole rotten holiday behind him. "You know what? Screw Christmas! I've had enough of it for this year. The really important thing is - what are you doing New Year's Eve?"

Jess smiled and said nothing, merely pulling the mistletoe once again over her head.

And Becker realised that, while this Christmas had been a disaster, he could definitely look forward to the New Year!

THE END!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!