Universe: ATF
Characters: Vin, Buck, Chris, Seven
Warnings: (sort of) I had Disney's Alice in Wonderland on the brain the week I typed this up, I'm not sure why, as I haven't seen it in years probably, but it sort of made it's way into the story at the end there.
Notes: This hasn't been beta'ed. I got the idea for this around December, I was thinking about how it never seemed right that for about a month (from Thanksgiving to Christmas) people would give their time and money to those less fortunate than themselves, then for the rest of the year stop. I know this isn't completely accurate, that there are people who devote their lives to helping others, and I respect and admire every one of them; but how many Salvation Army collections do you see being taken in June?
Chris Larabee glanced involuntarily at the calendar hanging on his study wall, then quickly back at the card in his hands. Nope, hadn't changed.
Emblazoned above a warm, homey scene of a crackling fire, stockings, Christmas tree complete with presents, and half eaten cookies were the words "Merry Christmas!"
It wasn't that the sentiment surprised him, he had received Christmas cards on occasion. It was just - well, frankly, it was the fact that it was six months late. Or early, depending on how you looked at it.
Chris flipped open the card, confused and curious. There wasn't even a name to indicate who it was from.
The inside cover bore a typewritten note saying:
Mr Larabee —
A sum of $250 has been given in your name to Four Corners Food Pantry. If you wish to thank the sender, they ask that you donate to a charity of your choice.
The other side read:
Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season.
And underneath it where the signature ought to be were the words
Because Christmas should come more than once a year.
Chris wasn't sure what to make of the card. It was a wonderful sentiment, and definitely unexpected, but he cursed the anonymity.
He sat down in a chair in his living room, card still in hand. He studied the card, and although there were no telling details, he decided that it had probably been sent by a member of his team. It seemed like a sentiment that Josiah would share, or perhaps — Ezra was a much more compassionate man than he liked to let on.
The next day was Thursday. Chris was the first one in to the office, but seeing as he wasn't that early, he figured that Vin must have gone to the firing range before coming into the office. The sharpshooter was a perfectionist, but in his line of work he had to be.
Chris listened as the others arrived, first Josiah, then Vin, followed by Nathan, but he wasn't disturbed until Buck and JD arrived, bickering as usual. Shortly thereafter Buck came into his office.
"Hey Pard," the gregarious ladies' man greeted. "How was your night?"
"Whoever she was, Buck, I don't want to know," Chris responded, not looking up at his friend.
"Very funny, Stud."
Chris finally looked up. "You think I was kidding?" he deadpanned.
Buck rolled his eyes.
Chris could tell that there was something bothering his old friend. "What's up, Buck?" he queried seriously.
"What do you make of this?" he asked, handing Chris a card. It was identical to the one that Chris had received. Chris flipped the card open, already knowing what he'd find. He studied it for a second before looking up, noting that instead of a food pantry, Buck's was made out to a local orphanage. "You get one?" Chris nodded. "JD too," Buck informed him, "except his was for Make A Wish."
Chris studied the card again. It was almost identical to his. "Have you talked to Josiah?" he asked thoughtfully.
Buck shook his head. "Not yet."
Chris handed the card back. "Planning to?"
"Just wanted to talk to you first."
Chris nodded. "It may be anonymous for a reason," he warned.
"I know that, Chris, but a man can't help but be curious."
Chris frowned, fairly certain that, if he tried, a man could help being curious if it spared his friend's pride. "Just don't push too hard."
Buck didn't respond, except with a half grin as he headed back out to the main office. Chris followed, his own curiosity getting the better of him.
Buck headed directly to Josiah's desk, where the preacher was talking quietly with Nathan. Both looked up at the ladies' man's approach. "How can I help you this morning, Brother Buck?" Josiah greeted before Buck could say anything.
"Well, y'see, Josiah," Buck began, "I got this card in the mail yesterday, JD and Chris too, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it." Buck offered the card for Josiah's inspection.
Josiah merely looked at the card for a second, before his eyes traveled back to Buck's face. "Ah, yes, I received one as well, made out to the youth shelter that I am involved in; Nathan was just telling me that his was for the Red Cross, what of it?"
"Just thought maybe you could shed some light on the subject," Buck mumbled, disappointed that both men had been ruled out as the source.
"If I may, Brother," Josiah addressed the thwarted man, "I urge you to consider the fact that the cards were sent anonymously."
"I know that," the words burst defensively from the man, "but what if I want to thank whoever it was?"
"Card says what you can do for that," Nathan reminded him quietly.
Buck flushed noticeably at being caught out, but wouldn't be dissuaded. He rounded on the only remaining member of their team present. "What about you, Junior?"
Vin gave a noncommittal grunt that the others took to be an affirmative, but he made no indication that he wanted to add anything to the conversation.
"Then it must have been Ezra," Buck concluded.
"Just drop it," Chris advised. "If they'd wanted to be known, they would have signed the damned thing."
"Yeah, Buck," JD put in, "they want to be anonymous, let 'em. There're other ways to show your appreciation."
The others voice there agreement and they settled back down to work, Buck grumbling a little before he turned to the familiar habit of picking on JD.
At precisely ten o'clock, Ezra walked through the doors of the office. "Gentlemen," he said by way of greeting. "I received the most peculiar card last night — "
There was a collective groan from the assembled team, as Buck rose to trap the Southerner in conversation.
Buck paced the length of the office, thinking about who the mysterious donor could be. It was getting on in the afternoon, and still there was no information. It wasn't one of the team, they'd all gotten one, but Buck was having trouble coming up with another person who would do something like that for the whole team. It was a short list, and then they were all ruled out because he doubted that they'd do it anonymously.
"Sit yer ass down, Bucklin, yer gettin' on m' nerves," Vin growled. It was about the first thing that he'd said all day.
Buck paused and looked over his shoulder at the irate sharpshooter. Buck scowled at him, but knew better than to say anything. None of the others seemed to share his curiosity, Tanner least of all, and bringing the subject up again would probably result in another argument.
Buck plopped himself down in his chair, muttering under his breath about ornery Texan sharpshooters.
"Don' know why ya care so much, Bucklin," Vin said quietly.
"Don't know why you don't," Buck muttered, picking up the card to study again.
Vin shook his head and rolled his eyes as most of the office went back to work.
Chris looked up from his desk, surveyed his team, sighed, and got up and went to the door of his office. "Don't you have work to do, Buck?"
"What? Oh, Chris," one look at Chris's face forestalled any argument he might have been about to make, "yeah. Yeah, just getting to that." Buck hurriedly shuffled papers on his desk.
Chris turned back to his office and his own work. Vin cackled evilly from his desk.
It was late in the afternoon, near closing time, when Mary entered the office. All the members of Team Seven were working diligently at their desks, Buck occasionally looking up at something on his desk with a perplexed frown before glancing about the office furtively to see if he'd been noticed.
That was why he was the first one to notice Mary was there. "Mary," he exclaimed. "Aren't you looking lovely this fine day. You here for Chris, or did you finally come to your senses and realize that what ya need is a real man?"
"Well, thank you, Buck," Mary laughed. "Actually, tempting as your offer is, I'm here to see Vin."
"That ornery cuss has all the luck," Buck grumbled good-naturedly. "He bites," he warned the pretty journalist as she made her way over to the sharpshooter.
Vin stood and came around the desk as she approached. Upon reaching him, Mary gave Vin a gentle hug, which he returned in kind. Then she reached into her purse and withdrew a card. She handed it to Vin, saying, "Billy wanted me to make sure that you got this, in person."
Vin smiled and took the proffered card. Mary waited while he opened the card and read it, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Billy was so proud of himself for buying that goat all by himself," she informed the man, pride in her son evident in her voice and face. "He saved up all year so he could pay for it."
Vin's smile broadened. "You tell your boy that I'm right proud of him," Vin instructed, "that I think he's one special little boy, and he's got one o' the biggest hearts I've ever come across."
Mary nodded. "You'll be by for dinner tomorrow?" At Vin's nod Mary took a step towards him, leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a very special man, Vin Tanner," she informed him, ignoring his blush. "One of the best I've ever met. Thank you."
Mary turned to leave. Buck, who had watched the whole scene, saw Vin prop a Christmas card up on his desk and put two and two together. All told, it added up to five. "Hey Mary," he called. "How come Vin gets his card hand delivered, with a kiss, and we get ours anonymously in the mail?"
Mary turned to Buck, a frown on her pretty face. "I didn't send anything anonymously, Buck. And I wouldn't have thought you'd have gotten them yet; I only mailed them today." The two of them now had the attention of everyone in the room.
It was Buck's turn to be confused. The postal system couldn't be that good, they'd have to be time travelers.
Ezra glanced at their sharpshooter, and noticed that his blush had deepened and his eyes were averted. When Ezra did math, he always got the right answer.
Mary read the confusion on Buck's face, and misinterpreted it. "It's a tradition that Vin started the first year that I knew him. He sent us a Christmas card on June 25th informing us of a donation made to the Heifer Project in our names, because he said it seemed like when it wasn't Christmas, most folks seemed to forget that some people still need help. We've exchanged cards and donations ever since. I hand delivered it because Billy asked me to."
Vin found himself the center of Team Seven's attention and shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.
Mary noticed the shift of attention and frowned. Anonymous, the word echoed in her head. "Oh my god, Vin," she exclaimed, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize —"
Vin shrugged it off. "Reckon they woulda figured it out 'ventually anyway."
Mary nodded, but studied the shy Texan to make sure that he really was alright with this.
"Give Billy my best," he instructed, meeting her eyes squarely. It was an obvious dismissal and Mary knew it, but where she might have been affronted, Mary had the good sense to understand that the seven were going to need to talk, and as much as Vin might have wanted to avoid it, that wasn't going to be possible now, and they would all prefer that it was done in private.
Without another word, Mary left.
No one said anything until the door to the office had clicked shut behind Mary. Vin settled himself on the corner of his desk and locked eyes with the leader. There was understanding and gratitude in the clear green eyes.
You knew? The question was not asked aloud, but Larabee heard it none the less.
He shrugged. I had my suspicions.
Unsurprisingly, it was Buck who spoke first. "You sent those cards?" Vin nodded. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Nothin' to tell," was the Texan's nonchalant reply.
"B-b-but — " Buck sputtered.
"Didn't do it for the recognition, Bucklin, that woulda defeated the point."
"He's right, Buck," JD said quietly. "The who was never really important, that someone cared enough to do it should have been enough."
"Out of the mouths of babes," Josiah murmured.
Buck nodded, realizing the truth of the youth's words, but unwilling to give up so easily. "You said you got one too," it was almost an accusation.
"Didn't say anything of the sort," Vin countered. "But I did, if'n it makes a difference, one from Mary 'n' Billy, and one from Nettie 'n' Casey."
Buck seemed to need some time to process, and Josiah stepped in to fill the void his silence created. "Thank you, Brother Vin. This means a lot to me, both the sentiment and the gift." Sincerity and gratitude shone in the older man's eyes.
Vin nodded in acknowledgement and Josiah moved away from the group.
Nathan and JD expressed their gratitude and followed suit, leaving only Chris, still standing in his doorway, and Buck, by Vin's desk.
"Thanks, Junior," Buck finally said, conceding defeat. "Guess I was just over thinking things."
Vin grinned mischievously. "Well," he drawled, "seein' as it don't happen too often, I'll let it go this time."
Buck heard Chris's choked laughter behind him, and read the merriment dancing in the sharpshooter's eyes. "You better watch your back, Slick," he scowled.
"You wouldn't do nothin' ta me on such a special day, would ya, Bucklin?"
"And what day is that, Junior?" Buck growled.
"Well, I reckon today's the Lord's unbirthday, wouldn't be proper ta be takin' revenge on your fellow man." The response was delivered solemnly, but the blue eyes sparkled.
Buck's brow drew down in thought. "Guess you might be right, reckon I'll have to - " Realization struck. "Wait a goddamned second — Unbirthday... Tanner!" He bellowed. "You slippery son of a bitch!" He lunged at the laughing Texan, but the lean man easily evaded his grasp.
Buck straightened up, scowling at the Texan. "You just watch it, Slick," he warned, wagging his finger at the younger man.
Vin raised an eyebrow and smirked, as if to say 'And I should be scared because — ?'
Buck's scowl deepened, but it wasn't reflected in his eyes. He turned away, muttering about wiseass, smart-mouthed, Texan sharpshooters.
Chris slowly straightened up and moved towards Vin's desk. The sharpshooter sobered at the blond's approach. "Never seemed right, ya know?" Vin said quietly, for Chris's ears only. "Never seemed right that people'd give so much at Christmas, then ferget the rest of the year. Jest seemed like Christmas oughta come more than once a year."
Chris nodded. Without thought the two men's arms came up and met in the brotherhood grasp that defined their friendship. "Thanks Cowboy," Chris whispered. Vin blushed.
Vin came in early the next morning. There were a few things that he wanted to take care of before Chris and the rest of the boys came in.
The first place he headed was the break room to make coffee. The guys all hated it when he made coffee, complaining that it was too strong. What they failed to realize was that while Vin didn't mind the appallingly strong brew, he'd just as gladly drink a weaker version, what kept him making the coffee so strong was the entertainment he procured from driving the others insane with "his" coffee. It was just more fun that way.
Coffee started, he headed to his desk, but stopped a few feet away. Six festively colored envelopes lay on his desk, each one bearing a different, distinctive scrawl of one of the guys.
A slow smile spread across Vin's face.
In case anyone was interested, the websites for Make A Wish and the Heifer Project are http://www.wish.org/ and http://www.heifer.org/.
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