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“What is that?”
Max Guevara stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her hip out to one side as she stared at Alec with an incredulous look. Knowing him, he had to be up to something and so she was on red alert at the moment.
Alec was struggling with the tree and the wires, but finally emerged with a shit-eating grin on his face. Alec was clearly pleased with himself.
“It’s a Christmas Tree.” He said.
Max blinked then looked at the non-Evergreen tree. “That’s a fern or something.”
“Okay, and?”
“And it’s fake.” Max added
Alec shrugged. “We’re not exactly in prime real estate for actual Christmas trees Max. These have lights on them, don’t they? And the tree is green. And it’ll forever stay green.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, clearly pleased with himself at the joke he made.
Max rolled her eyes, but truthfully she had to hide the smile that threatened to form on her lips. Then another troubling thought hit her. “Where did you get it?”
“Get what?” Alec played dumb.
She leveled a look at him. “The tree, Alec.”
Alec looked a little more evasive at that and shrugged. “I don’t remember.”
Max felt a headache form - the sort of headache that always formed when Alec was going to get them into trouble. She took a step forward. “You know, that would probably work a lot better if I didn’t know you have an eidetic memory, right?”
Alec scrunched his nose. “Pesky memory.”
Max simply stared at him in judgemental silence, her arms on her hips now. Eventually the pressure was too much to take and Alec cracked.
“Fine! I stole it from some rich guy’s house, okay? It’s not like he’s going to miss it. He had tons of fake plants. In fact, I was doing the guy a favour. He had an excessive amount.”
She sighed. “Fine, whatever. I guess stealing one plant isn’t going to be so bad… though I didn’t know you were into holidays like Christmas.”
Alec offered a shrug. “I’m trying to get into it. You know, since now we have family and community and all that.”
Max wasn’t sure those reasons sounded particularly ‘Alec’, but then suddenly Joshua appeared at the door with a few parcels wrapped in old newspapers and other things.
“Joshua?”
Joshua looked over and smiled at Max. “Hey, little fella.”
“Hey. What’s with all those?”
Joshua looked down at the items in his arms and then started to place them carefully under the ‘Christmas tree’. “Alec says it’s important to get gifts for Christmas. Rude if you don’t give many gifts.”
Max eyed Alec briefly, then looked back at Joshua. “Oh he did, did he?”
Alec raised his hands up in mock surrender. “I only informed him of the sole purpose of this holiday. And the customary gift-giving.”
“There’s more to Christmas than gifts.”
Alec made a face. “No there isn’t.”
“Yes there is,” Max countered.
“No.” Alec shot back in a know-it-all sort of tone. “The sole purpose of Christmas is for getting gifts. Everyone knows that Max.”
“And what about giving, Alec?”
Alec’s expression formed an overly confused one. “I don’t understand the question.”
Just before Max was about to get entirely annoyed with Alec, Joshua asked, “What is the purpose, then?”
That was a good question and it made Max pause. The truth was, she didn’t really know. Not really. It wasn’t like Manticore was big on holidays. But she’d been around outside world enough that she at least knew what she thought was a good answer.
“It’s about family and friends and being together.”
Alec made the sound of him snoring implying she was being incredibly boring. She glared at him and barreled on. “And it’s about showing people you care. Which could be with gifts, but it could also be with kind words or doing something nice for them or other things.”
Joshua nodded. “I like Christmas.”
His words made Max smile. “Me too.”
Alec pointed his finger at his mouth and made a gagging sound. Max let out an annoyed sigh and walked up to him. She grabbed him by the arm and started to tug him out of the room.
“Hey! Where are we going?!”
“You’ll see,” Max said.
~*~
It was a cold day with snow dusting the ground. Their genetic enhancements meant that they could tolerate the cold better than a regular human, but it didn’t make it overly comfortable. They were crouch by some bushes and Alec was blowing hot air into his hands which were in fists while trying to warm them up.
“Why are we here, exactly?” Alec asked in a whisper.
Max didn’t answer for a moment. She was watching the building they were near. Suddenly the doors opened and a few kids came out and started to play in the yard with balls that were well used.
“See those kids?” Max said, nodding to the children. “They’re orphans. They don’t have any parents or anywhere to go.” They reminded her a little of when they were kids in Manticore, only these kids were at least allowed to have fun.
“Okay, and why are we skulking in the bushes outside of an orphanage? Not exactly a great look, Max.”
She held back her eye roll as she looked at him. “They can barely run the orphanage so the kids don’t get a lot on a good day, let alone Christmas.”
Alec blinked. “And, what would you like us to do?” It wasn’t like they were drowning in money (unfortunately.)
Max gave him a playful smile. “We’re going to give them a Christmas they won't forget... which may or may not involve some breaking in.”
A slow smile spread on Alec’s face. “Well, you didn’t say we got to have fun on this outing!”
~*~
Their training meant that getting in and out of many rich people’s houses was very easy. They targeted houses of people who they knew were very nice people, though they never stole from their children either. By the time night fell, they managed to pawn some of the items and exchange them for things like dolls and balls and books. They also got food and treats and some clothing too. All of which were left for the kids to find when they woke up.
Alec was walking away when he realized Max wasn’t following. He turned around. “Max?”
Max looked at him. “I want to see them wake up.”
Alec frowned. “There’s like four more hours before morning Max and it’s freezing out here.”
Max shrugged. “You go. I’ll catch up with you later.” And she meant it. She didn’t care if Alec stayed or went. She wanted to do this part for herself.
Alec seemed to struggle with a thought for a moment or two before he let out a little grumble and walked back over to Max. He wasn’t going to have her wait alone, though he probably wouldn’t admit that out loud.
Max smiled a little as Alec fell in beside her. “Thanks, Alec.”
“Yeah, well, consider this your Christmas gift Max.” He tried to make it sound like he was just trying to save a buck, but then he looked at Max and held her gaze. For a moment his eyes softened, something more on his expression than he usually allowed. She smiled back at him, returning the unspoken emotion.
Maybe Alec knew what Christmas was actually about after all.