response to Lou's challenge. What do the lads do with Christmas?

No beta, no edit... so you'll run into several typos and peculiar sentences, I'm sure. Nevertheless: enjoy. 

"Yes?"

"Hey, Backup. It's me."

"It's Christmas Eve, Chris. Go home."

"Hey, Backup?"

"Yes?" Patiently Backup tried to hide her irritation. Of all the evenings, this was not the one to hop in on a colleague, unannounced.

"When was the last time you got laid?" Chris' voice sounded a little metallic as it reached her through the intercom.

"I beg your pardon?!"

"Sorry. Let me rephrase that."

"Chris, I-"

"When was the last time you enjoyed the bodily pleasures of the opposite gender?"

"You're drunk."

"No! Emm… yes. I am. A little. No, a lot actually."

Reluctantly and with mixed emotions, Backup pushed the button that would open the door to the lobby of the apartment complex. She sighed.

"Come on up. I'll make you some coffee."

He was drunk, indeed he was. His usually self assured walk had changed into swaying, insecure steps and he held on to the walls of the corridor, so he wouldn't trip and land unheroically on his face.

"Hya, Backup." he said, stretching the word so it sounded much like Baaack-uuup. He did that too, when he was sober, but not to this extend.

Backup looked at him and knew the slight disgust would be written all over her pretty face.

"Luv your pyjamas." he remarked. Then, suddenly as if he remembered something, he asked:

"Did I awake you?"

"How did you get here?" Backup ignored his question.

"I took the bussss." Chris answered with thick tongue.

"I went to Sam's but he'ssnot home." He belched loudly. "Pardon." he mumbled, vaguely aware that Backup wasn't actually too pleased with his appearance.

"He's off to family. As normal persons do on Christmas Eve, Chris Keel."

"We-ell, I am NOT a normal person. I'm a bloody CI5-agent. I'vvvve been drinking away my Christmas-fee."

"Get in here!" Backup snapped angrily and opened the bathroom door. She had little patience with drunkards, let alone with drunk colleagues who thought it was appropriate to come bothering her on such an evening.

She had been looking forward to a night of peace and calm: no bad guys to chase, no computer, no phone calls, just a good book, some wine and pleasant music. The room smelt of pine from the Christmas tree. Candles provided sparkling lights in various corners of the living room. The only thing slightly out of place, was a drunken man, smelling of whiskey and other strong liquor, somewhere in the middle of all that.

Chris sat down. His hair was still wet from the shower. The strong odour he'd been carrying was gone and the scent of soap and shampoo had taken over. He had a guilty look on his face.

""m sorry, Backup, to ruin your evening." he muttered. "What are you doing?"

"Making coffee, what else?" he heard her somewhat snarling answer from the kitchen.

"I mean this. You playin' scrabble?"

The letters were scattered over the table but the playing board itself was still in the box.

He began pushing the letters around, until, almost out of its own, the word Theresa had formed underneath his fingers.

He dropped his chin in his hands and lost track of time in memories, as he stared at the letters that had formed the name of his deceased wife. He missed her. Who ever said that he would get used to it eventually, was wrong. It never became less painful. And he never got used to it. He missed her, every single day of his life. That's why he got drunk on Christmas Eve - the time everyone spend with their beloved ones, and he -

"Who's Theresa?"

Backup's perfume tickled his senses. With one fast movement, he swept the letters aside.

"'Ssnot important. Ssnobody."

She put the mug down in front of him and the smell of that light feminine fragrance was overtaken by the fresh brew of coffee.

"Hot and strong."

"Like men should be." hiccuped Chris.

"Shut up, Chris. Drink it."

"I didn't know you liked scrabble?"

"I play with an old man from the block sometimes. He's clever, he beats me often."

"Ah. And he was here, just now?"

"No, Mr. Nosey. He wasn't. I'm trying to solve a few anagrams and I use the letters to help me."

"And did you? Solve it I mean?"

"More or less. I'm not entirely finished yet."

"What's the word?"

Backup looked with light surprise at Chris.

"Don't tell me you like anagrams. Or puzzling whatsoever."

"I don't. But I'm good at it."

"Right. And you expect me to believe that?" Backup said flatly.

He sipped the steaming coffee and she saw on his face that the caffeine, the shower and the calm surroundings began to sort effect.

"I broke my leg once, when I was a kid. I was confined to my bed for weeks and began to play scrabble, on an LCD-game. That's what got me interested in word games."

"Okay then, Master Mind. Move over."

She sat down, next to him. From under the couch she grabbed a newspaper and encircled a picture of an anagram business card. Nine other similar pictures had been marked and in Backup's neat handwriting the solutions were written underneath.

"This is the one I was working on, when you rang the door bell…MR. REX TOES, PETS"

"Oh. Right. And the name is an anagram for what? How many words?"

"For what is what I want to find out, smart guy! The number of words is variable."

She picked out the letters and lined them up on the glass table.

E-X-P-O-S-E, Chris formed.

"Not bad." Backup said. "That might be a start. What does that leave us with?"

M-R-T-E-R-T-S, were the letters that remained.

"Termites, only something is missing, I think."

"Yeah, about 66 percent of the vowels. No, 'expose' was a good start but that's all it was."

M-O-R-E   S-P-E-T-S, was the next that appeared.

"And, what, pray, are 'spets', Chris?" Backup asked, unable to hide a smile. She couldn't stay angry for long with this guy.

"Spets. Gorgeous looking dark haired, long legged women from Louisiana." Chris answered with his best poker face. The lively blue eyes sparkled.

"Ah - right. I'm afraid the Sunday Times doesn't use that dialect. But I appreciate the offer. Go on. And, by the way, you have to use all the letters."

"I know that." mumbled the American and began to move the tiles around again.

S-E-X. He stopped, grinning sheepishly at Backup.

"All the letters, Chris!" Backup chuckled.

He smiled, broadly, showing the lines in his face that were so characteristic. The alcohol was leaving his body and his mind got clearer as he set his brain to work, Backup noticed.

M-O-R-E   S-E-X.

He laughed when she threw him a school teacher's look.

"You said all letters, Backup. I'm still working on it."

R-O-S-E S-T-E-M, was the next thing that Backup came up with.

"Good, Backup! Though not very sensual." Chris said admiringly. "And what do you plan to do with the remains?"

The Canadian looked thoughtfully at the letters that were left: XPTER. She couldn't produce anything decent from that.

"I'm going to pour myself a drink - and another coffee for you." She decided and disappeared into the kitchen. She would take the opportunity to serve some of the Christmas snacks she'd been making earlier that day. Chris liked anything that was eatable, so he'd probably be chuffed that she would put that on the table. And why eating alone, when she had company? She came back ten minutes later, and found Chris, on the couch… asleep. Nino, her cat, had jumped onto his lap and settled on his chest, purring loudly.

She stood there for a minute or so, looking silently at the man who had fallen asleep. Gone were the bravado, the quasi tough pose and the alertness that always accompanied this man. What Backup saw now, was a single, lonely man, attractive and more than anything in search for some company tonight.

She put the coffee mug and the wine glass down and fetched a blanket from the cupboard in the bed room. When she covered him with it, she saw to her surprise that he had found the answer to the anagram.

E-X-T-R-E-M-E    S-P-O-R-T-S.

He hadn't been telling her fairy tales - he was actually good at it.

She couldn't help planting a light kiss on his lips - compelled by the sudden urge of compassion for him. She felt him moving, reacting to her touch and she startled and withdrew.

But he put his hands on her arms, wide awake instantly.

"Extreme sports, Backup." he whispered. "Although I did like More Sex as well."

He pulled her closer, kissed her tenderly and moved his hands over her back. Her breath stuck, her heart beat was going faster, the warmth that spread through her belly tingled down.

Their kiss was warm, long and breath taking. When they finally let go of each other, their eyes searched for unspoken questions and answers in the other's face.

"Too long ago." Backup whispered, aware of the warm glow on her face that betrayed her emotional state.

"What, Backup?"

"You asked me when I last enjoyed the bodily pleasures of the opposite gender."

She shivered as he kissed her bare neck. She moved her hands down his spine, until her fingers touched the denim of his jeans. She moved her hands to his abdomen, lowered and started to unbuckle his belt. Chris' sensitive fingers unbuttoned her pyjamas, then slowly pushed the soft fabric aside. He touched her breasts, her nipples, the velvet skin responding as his lips caressed them and then gently he made her lay down on the couch. With sudden unexpected passion, she responded and they lost track of time in the embrace of their mutual desire.

"Hi, Backup. It's Sam. I was just wondering if you're alright? Enjoying your weekend off?"

Backup suppressed a giggle as Chris ran a finger down her spine. She shivered and in vain tried to stop him.

"Sure Sam. Chris is here." She could feel Chris checking as he heard Sam's name. Then some wiggling behind her and she felt him kissing her back.

"Chris? Oh, good. I was worried about him. He shouldn't be alone on such an evening." Sam replied, totally ignorant of what was going on.

"And what are the two of you doing? Watching Scrooge, for the umpteenth time?"

"Err.. no. A game of scrabble. Word puzzles." Backup answered dutifully.

"Scrabble? Word puzzles? With Chris?"

"Yes."

"Are we talking about the same guy here?"

"Yes, Sam. Scrabble with Chris." She grinned as she run a hand through the spiky hair. Dimples appeared as he laughed, silently and cheekily.

"And he's quite good at it too."

Powered by counter.bloke.com