Disclaimer: Disclaimer: You're really going to make me say it? All right, fine! Not mine, never will be (though i keep asking for them every birthday) they belong to the alphabet people. Not making any money of this.
Author's Notes: Authors note: This fic is for both the Magnificent Seven Holiday Calendar as it is an answer to the December challenge of the fan_fic_ mailing list. Which was to write a fic in any fandom using the following words:
Mistletoe, Fireworks, Picture, Candles and the line "What do you think you're doing?"
Feedback: Yes please!! Live for it. This is my first ever (finished) Magnificent Seven fic, so be gentle.
A huge thank you to Kim and Phyllis for reading this over again and again! You have no idea how glad I am to have you two watching my back! Any and all remaining mistakes are mine.
A extra big thank you to Phyllis for helping me with the title and a extra big thank you to Kim for helping me out, big time, with the Ezra speech!
Chris looked down on his two agents who were sitting side by side, with their backs against the wall, literally. They made quite a sight. Torn and bloody clothes, smears of dirt or something akin to it across their faces, messed up hair. Both sitting with their knees tucked against their chests and arms wrapped around their legs, guiltily looking up at Chris.
"Let the fireworks begin." The long haired agent whispered to the undercover agent sitting next to him.
"Indeed, Mister Tanner." The southern agent whispered back.
"What do you think you're doing? Was that you two talking?" Chris said in a deadly quiet tone. The tone that would have everybody else ducking for cover. The two men in front of him did not duck for cover, but they did shut up when faced with the the famous Larabee glare. They didn't usually do that, but both men saw that Chris his sanity was hanging by a very thin thread, and they knew that an insane Chris was probably not a pretty sight. Just like they wouldn't be when he got through with them.
Chris started pacing in front of his two most troublesome agents. Apart from each other they were harmless, but put them together and chaos soon followed.
"What happened this time?" Chris sighed while he stopped in front of the two team members.
Vin looked up to him. He thought about making a remark asking if he was done, but, when he saw the thunderstorm on his boss his face, he thought it might be better for his health if he kept quiet.
"Mister Larabee, " Ezra started when it became clear that Vin wasn't about to start talking. "when the lovely Miss Inez requested our assistance in decorating the Saloon, surely we could not turn down a lady in distress. So Mr. Tanner and myself lent a hand."
"And how does that translate into this mess?"
"Well you see, " Vin picked up the story. "everything went great. The saloon looked pretty as a picture. We had candles on every table, mistletoe hanging in every doorway, lights hanging in the wind..."
"You're stalling, Vin!" Larabee informed his best friend, his voice just above a harsh growl. 'Typical,' the blond thought, 'most days you can't get a word out of him and now that I just want a short explanation, he's turning into a second J.D.!'
"Fine." Vin said. "When we were hanging up more of that stuff for the windows,"
"Reindeers I believe." Ezra interrupted.
"Really, were those reindeers? I was wondering about that. They didn't look like reindeers."
"I assure you, Mister Tanner, those were indeed reindeers." Ezra dragged out the conversation even further.
"But why just reindeers? Isn't Santa supposed to be behind them? Don't see no point to hang up just the reindeers."
"What happened?" Chris sighed, interrupting Vin.
"Cats came in."
"Cats?" Chris repeated incredulously. "Cats made this mess?"
"Well, it weren't no happy cats." Vin explained. "They was fighting."
"Naturally we could not let those felines continue their clandestine dispute," Ezra picked up the jist of the story, "So Mr. Tanner and myself took it upon ourselves, the good citizens that we are, to rid the building of those wanderers. Unfortunately, they were not content with that decision and made a valiant stand."
"You should've seen them, Cowboy!" Vin continued "They were everywhere! On the tables, in the drapes, under the bar. It took a good 45 minutes before we caught 'm!"
"Finally, when we did get the upper hand, they made their displeasure of the great outdoors painfully known," Ezra flexed his hand in remembrance. "When we returned to the warmth of the Saloon, it seemed that we had guests."
"It seems when Inez returned from the shopping she was doing, she thought she had been robbed and called the police. When we came back from dropping off those cats, Inez was upstairs. The cops didn't believe we were supposed to be there and arrested us. That's when we taken here." Vin sighed.
"So Mister Larabee, might I assume that out of the goodness of your own heart, you have bought our freedom from this less than healthy facility?" Ezra looked around the cell he and Vin were currently sharing with his distaste clearly on his face.
"Goodness of my heart, my butt!" Chris grumbled "I can't very well leave two of my agents in the cell, now can I? That would reflect badly on the team. I got you out, let's go."
Ezra and Vin quickly got to their feet and followed Chris who was already out the door.
The following Monday Ezra and Vin were the first to the office. Ezra was not happy about that, but Vin's jeep broke down again and he called Ezra out of his bed for a ride.
When the two agents got to their desks they saw a message lying there.
*Thank you so much for volunteering to help out in the "Whiskers animal shelter". We look forward to your first day. Would Saturday at 7 a.m. work for you? Sincerely, Marshia from the "Whiskers animal shelter"*
The green and blue eyed men stared to each other, wide-eyed in their shock. Ezra recovered first.
"You do know who is responsible for our... our... new pastime don't you?"
"Chris"
"Mister Larabee."
"This calls for pay back."
"Might I assume that you have some retribution in mind for our esteemed colleague?"
"Ooh yeah!" Vin smiled, the wheels in his head already turning.
The End?
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