1. Joy To The World
X 2. Pine Cones And Holly Berries
X 3. Mary, Did You Know?
4. Sleep Well, Little Children
X 5. Winter Wonderland
X 6. Sunshine On My Shoulders
X 7. This Never Happened Before
X 8. Rhymes & Reasons
X 9. Crying Waiting Hoping
X 10. Its Gonna Be All Right
Christmas 2014 (continued), slightly sunward of the orbit of Saturn, somewhat above the plane of the ecliptic
So I left the Christmas party at a run, with Lisa's kiss still warm on my lips, and ten minutes later I was in space, checking my threat board for enemy contact.
My left arm buzzed. "O come, all ye faithful and fatigued, home for the holidays, those of you who aren't regularly on patrol, anyway," said the voice of Lieutenant Commander Mary Stedman through the radio.
"Orange One here, [3] Mary, did you know that didn't make any sense?" asked the voice of Flight Lieutenant Keith Hughes.
"Clarifying for Keith, here," said Mary. "False alarm. Return to base, all of ye merry gentlemen who aren't regularly patrolling at this time."
"[7] This never happened before," said Keith.
"It's an asteroid grouping, otherwise it's a silent night out there. The asteroids look sort of like a flight of Cyclops, Bulgers, and Battlesuits, on the scope." Mary clarified. "Nothing dangerous. [10] It's gonna be all right."
"Mako One returning to base," I said. The sun was a tiny dot, far far away, but still, I could imagine that I felt [6] sunshine on my shoulders. Then I realized I didn't know whether I was Mako One or Crimson Three. Didn't matter. I shrugged, which felt really strange in soldiered battloid mode.
In fifteen minutes, I was back at the party. I passed through make-out deck on the way there. It had been decorated with a nativity scene, with artificial [2] pine cones and holly berries. I had a good laugh. Pines and holly aren't native to the little town of Bethlehem, I thought to myself. There was also the "silver and gold" scene from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special, a veritable [5] winter wonderland.
I looked around, but didn't see Lisa. I found Vanessa, sitting at a table. When she looked up, I could see that her eyes were red-rimmed. "Vanessa?"
"I was [9] crying, waiting, hoping you'd come back," she said.
"Um," I fumbled for words. "Were you hoping I'd come back alive from a battle, or are you jealous of Lisa?"
"I know you have your [8] rhymes & reasons" -- she began.
"I'm Mako One, but I'm not Doug West," I said gently.