CHRISTMAS 1993

 

 

“Gam’pa!”

 

Hannibal grinned as two small figures raced through the door to throw themselves at his legs, forcing him to take a step back.  

 

“Hey, kids, be careful.  Don’t hurt him until *after* he gives you your presents.” 

 

Looking up from the laughing faces of the two girls, Hannibal found Murdock grinning at him, the same grin the pilot had had on his face when they’d first met twenty-five years before.  Twenty-five years.  It was hard to believe where the time had gone.  It seemed that one minute Murdock had been an eager young pilot, the next a broken war vet, the next a proud husband and father of three.  It hadn’t been an easy journey for Murdock, but then again, when had life ever been easy for any of them? 

 

“Here, you can take this,” Murdock said, handing over the bags of brightly wrapped presents.  “We’ll do a swap.”  Within seconds he had a squealing child under each arm and carried them into the house.

 

Hannibal raised an eyebrow, before following them, peering into the top bag as he went.  “My present in here?” he asked.

 

“Yup,” Murdock said as he deposited his laughing daughters.  “But no peeking.”

 

Hannibal tried to look offended.  “Now, would I ever do something like that?”

 

“Colonel, you’re worse than the kids,” Murdock laughed, before pointing the aforementioned children in the direction of the kitchen and watched as they ran off to find Maggie.

 

Hannibal smiled as he put the bags down.  “So where’re Kelly and Junior?”

 

“Just coming,” Murdock replied.  “Double Trouble were too eager to wait anymore.  Think they wanted to surprise you with their new words.”

 

“Like ‘Grandpa’?” Hannibal questioned.

 

Murdock grinned.  “Well, they’ve got too many uncles and aunts already.  But just wait till they start with their airplane impressions.  They’re pretty good.”

 

Hannibal groaned.  “Why do I get the feeling it’s going to be a crazy Christmas?” 

 

Murdock just grinned, his eyes twinkling.  “But speaking of crazy, I had a surprise visit from Doctor Richter last month.” 

 

“Oh?  Didn’t think the Doc did house calls,” Hannibal said wryly.

 

“That’s exactly what I told him.”

 

“And what did he say?”

 

Murdock grinned.  “Said he’d do anything for his favourite former patient, although after twenty minutes with Double Trouble he said that ‘anything’ did not include babysitting.”

 

Hannibal chuckled as the identical girls shot past them on their way out of the kitchen, their arms outstretched as they did their plane impressions, sounds and all.

 

“Got a call from Trish,” Hannibal said, turning back to Murdock. 

 

“Oh?  How is she?”

 

“Fine.  Great actually, apparently.  Little Ray’s going to be ten next year.  She sent me a picture with her Christmas card.  The kid’s a spitting image of Ray.  I invited them over for Christmas but they’re going to Trish’s family.”

 

“That’s great.  You hear from Frankie?”

 

“Yeah, got a card.  You get one?”

 

Murdock nodded.  “Said he was in Mexico or something doing a film shoot.”

 

“Yeah.”  Hannibal affirmed.  “He seems to be doing well for himself.”

 

“Yup,” Murdock said, walking back to the front door.  “Oh, hey, BA’s just got here.”

 

Joining the pilot at the door, Hannibal looked out to find Kelly still outside, talking to Dionne and Mrs B while BA cuddled Murdock’s two-month-old son in his strong arms.  Walking out, they only covered half the distance to the van before they were spotted.

 

“Grandpa Hannibal!”

 

Predictably, Dionne’s two children headed straight for Hannibal’s knees.

 

Hugging them back, Hannibal then looked up at a grinning Murdock, questioning.  “Why do I think you have something to do with this new ‘grandpa’ status?”

 

Murdock just shrugged, before he too was almost flattered by the two kids.

 

“Hey, kids, what did I tell you?  Don’t kill them till *after* they give you your presents.”

 

Hannibal chuckled as BA gently handed Kelly back the baby and moved to grab the bags from the van. 

 

“Ha, ha, very funny, BA,” Murdock joked as he pried the kids off his legs and pointed them in the direction of the house.  “I think you’re starting to develop a sense of humour, big guy.  But don’t smile too much, especially ‘round Junior.  Don’t wanna give him nightmares.”

 

BA grunted as he shoved bags into Murdock’s arms.  “Poor kid’s probably gonna have enough nightmares with you as a father,” he joked.  “Looks too much liked you, ‘cept he’s got more hair.”

 

Hannibal chuckled and Murdock stuck his tongue out as the women stopped talking long enough to greet them.

 

“Here, let me take that from you, Mrs B,” Hannibal said, reaching for the bags she was carrying.

 

“Guess my back’s not what it used to be,” she admitted, giving up the bags willingly as they walked up the steps and into the house.  Once they were there and all the bags had been put down, she walked over to Murdock and gave him a big hug.  “Congratulations,” she said.  “He’s a gorgeous baby.”  

 

“Thanks,” Murdock grinned, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

 

“And you, Hannibal,” she said, enveloping him in a big hug.  “You’re looking well.”

 

“Thank you,” Hannibal nodded.

 

“And where’s Templeton?”

 

There was a pause as they all looked at each other.

 

“I take it he’s not here yet then,” she continued smoothly.  “Leave it to that boy to make a late entry.  Maggie in the kitchen?  I think some of the bags need to go in there.”

 

Within seconds, Mrs B ushered Dionne and Kelly, with baby, into the kitchen, leaving the three men alone.

 

“Face is coming, ain’t he?” BA said breaking the silence.

 

Hannibal sighed.  “I presume so.  I haven’t heard from him lately though.  He’s always been out when I call.  Murdock?”

 

The pilot shrugged.  “Saw him when he came to visit after Kelly came home for the hospital with Junior.  He didn’t stay long and seemed a little funny.”

 

“Funny?” Hannibal asked.  “Funny how?” 

 

Murdock shrugged again.  “Seemed really quiet.  Especially when he was holding Junior.  He looked peaceful though.  You know, really peaceful.  I asked him about it, but he just smiled and said he’d tell me later.  Meant to chase him up about it, but I guess life just kinda got a little more hectic than I expected.”

 

“You think we should be worried, Hannibal?” BA questioned.

 

“I don’t know, BA.  He’ll probably turn up.  He always does.”

 

An hour and a half later and Face still hadn’t arrived, nor was he answering his cell phone.  Hannibal wasn’t sure what to think.  For all they knew Face could have been in some kind of accident.  Or the kid had just simply stopped to help out a damsel in distress.  Both had happened before.  Christmas wouldn’t be the same without Face though.  Although now he thought about it, Face had been pretty quiet the previous Christmas, only really getting into the celebration towards the end of the day.  Before that he had kept mainly to himself. 

 

“John.”

 

He turned away from the window as he felt Maggie’s hand on his shoulder.

 

“Dinner’s ready and the kids are starting to get hungry.  Do you think we should eat soon?”

 

He sighed.  Christmas without Face.  He hadn’t ever considered the possibility.  Although maybe this year…  He glanced back at the window.  Still no red ‘vette.  He sighed again, and making up his mind, nodded. 

 

They all made their way to the dining room, to the big table where dinner was all laid out.  Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, the table looked ready to collapse under the weight of the food.

 

“What about Face?” Murdock asked softly, looking up from where he was bouncing Trixie on his knee.

 

“Guess he’s not coming,” Hannibal replied softly.  “Or he’s been seriously held up.  Either way he probably wouldn’t want us to wait.”

 

Murdock nodded reluctantly, his next words cut off by a knock on the door. 

 

Hannibal was the first to react, relief showing on his face as he opened the front door, ready to berate the Lieutenant for being late.  But Face wasn’t there.  Surprised at not seeing anyone at eye level, he looked down to find big blue eyes gazing up at him.  A boy stood there, probably about four years old, dark blond hair framing a small round face.  Hannibal blinked, but the boy was still there.

 

“Al.  Alexander!”

 

The boy turned at the sound of a female voice and they both watched as a petite, brown haired woman approached, awkwardly carrying large bags of presents in her arms. 

 

“Now, what have I told you about running off?” she said to the kid before looking up and smiling.  “You must be Hannibal,” she said softly.

 

Hannibal nodded as she put down the bags.

 

“I’m Joanna.  Templeton’s told me so much about you.”

 

After a lifetime in either the army, or on the run, Hannibal had thought that being surprised, *really* surprised was a thing of the past.  But obviously not.  It wasn’t that Joanna wasn’t pretty, she was, she just wasn’t as attractive in the way Face usually went for.  Basically she wasn’t a six foot blond model with legs up to her arm pits.  In fact, at just over five foot, Joanna appeared to be the exact opposite.

 

“He’s just coming,” she continued.  “Sorry about being late.  Samantha didn’t take too well to the long car trip.”

 

Samantha?

 

He was about to ask when a figure suddenly appeared.  Gone were the suits, the expensive clothes, the Gucci shoes.  Instead it was jeans and a sweater and in Face’s arms, a little girl with light brown hair and big blue eyes. 

 

“Hi, Hannibal.”

 

The kid just looked at him, an innocent grin on his face.  As if Face could ever look innocent. 

 

“Sorry we’re late.  We had a long drive.”  He grinned sheepishly before looking past Hannibal into the house.  “Looks like we’re the last to arrive.  Dinner ready then?” 

 

Hannibal just stared at him before slowly raising his eyebrows and folding his arms. 

 

Face just grinned more.  “And, oh yeah.  Hannibal, this is Joanna.  We’ve got something to tell you.”

 

Only Face.  Only Face could practically disappear from their lives to just reappear to announce that he was now married with two children. 

 

They didn’t press immediately though.  Hungry children saw to that. But as soon as Face got his family settled and all the children were happily munching away, they turned to look at him.

 

“Would you care to explain now, Lieutenant?”

 

Face smiled sheepishly, glancing across at where Al was sat between the twins, eating his piece of turkey.

 

“It was kind of an odd year,” Face said finally, turning back to find every adult gaze now one him.  “Last Christmas I did a lot of thinking.  It started when I realised that you now all had families of your own, but that I was still very much alone.”

 

“So you just went out and found yourself a little family then?” Hannibal asked sternly, interrupting.

 

“It didn’t happen quite like that,” Face replied firmly.  “It just kinda ended up like that.  Guess it all started last year with the fight Joanna and I had just before Christmas.  I was going to invite her to join us for Christmas, but I didn’t, because as Mrs B helped me realised,” he smiled across at the older woman, “I was scared of what that would mean.  You know, it’s a big step and I wasn’t sure I was ready to take it.  So once I realised what I’d done, I called Joanna, apologised and said there were some things I needed to sort out.  Basically I realised that I couldn’t have a proper serious relationship with anyone until I finally figured out who I was.  So with Joanna’s help, I did some serious searching.”

“All legally?” Murdock asked with a crooked grin as he poured drinks for the children.

 

“Well,” Face admitted, grinning, “not all of it.  It’s difficult to break the habits of a life time,” he pointed out. 

 

They all laughed. 

 

“Yeah, yeah, kid,” Hannibal teased, “they all say that.  But what did you find out?”

 

“Everything,” Face replied.  “I found out my name and birth date, where I was born, my parent’s marriage certificate, but most of all, who my mother was.  I even managed to track down an aunt, my mother’s older sister, who was able to tell me all about my mother and my family.  They even invited me over for Christmas.”

 

“Take it you turned them down then, kid?”

 

Face nodded.  “Told them I was already spending Christmas with my family.”  There was a pause before Face continued.  “So now knowing who I was, I realised something important.”  He paused and looked at them all.  “I realised that who I was looking for was actually no different from whom I have always been.  With that knowledge under my belt, I felt I was ready to offer Joanna the real me.

 

“It was a kinda spur of the moment type wedding,” Face explained.  “I know you had your heart set on being best man, Murdock, and I’m sorry you all couldn’t be there, but it was just one of the things I had to do.  Alone.  I had to make sure I was doing it for the right reasons and I had to figure out who I was away from the team.  I’d found out who Richard Bancroft was, but I had to figure out who Templeton Peck was as well.  Not Faceman, not the Lieutenant, nor the kid, nor the brother, nor the friend.  Just me.  And that’s why I had to do it myself.  Hope you understand.”  He met each of their gazes, a look on his face that said he hoped that they would forgive him.

 

They all smiled back.

 

Hannibal nodded as well, wishing he could have a cigar to help him take it all in.  “What I don’t understand though, kid,” he replied, “is why you didn’t tell us earlier.” 

 

At least Face had the decency to look a little guilty about that.

 

“I wanted to,” Face admitted, “but the more time that passed, the harder it got.  You know how it is.  I mean, I couldn’t just phone you up, ask you how you were and then say, ‘oh and by the way, I got married the other day’, could I?  And then it got even more complicated with Al and Samantha.”

 

“Something else you want to tell us, Facey?” Murdock asked with a grin.

 

“Well, uh…”

 

“I can’t have children,” Joanna said softly from where she was sat beside Face, holding his hand.

 

“And I figured that wouldn’t be a problem,” Face admitted.  “We’d discussed adoption a few times as something we’d consider one day, but then I went to visit Grace Children’s Home in Westwood.”  

 

“The one you give money to every year at Christmas,” Hannibal said. 

 

“That’s the one,” Face nodded.  “Well, I went back to visit, see how the place was and all that, and I found Al and Samantha there.  Brother and sister who had been orphaned a few months earlier and had no other family.  We both fell in love with them instantly.  And here we are now.”

 

“And all this in a year?” Maggie asked.

 

Face shrugged.  “You know me.  Once I make up my mind….”

 

“So do we get proper introductions?” Mrs B asked.  “I want to get to know my two newest grandchildren.”

 

Face grinned, and getting to his feet, walked over to where Al sat.  Bending down, he whispered something into the boy’s ear and then Al nodded, put his plate down and got to his feet.  Taking hold of Al’s hand, Face started to show him around.

 

“Al, this is your grandma B,” he started, stopping so that Al could get his first hug.  “And this is your Aunt Dionne and Uncle BA and your cousins Charlene and Tyrone.”

 

At the sound of their names, the two kids looked up from where they were eating and grinned at him.  Al smiled back with a little wave.

 

“And over there are your Uncle Murdock and Aunt Kelly,” Face continued slowly. “And you’ve already met your cousins Debbie and Tara.”

 

“You mean Dixie and Trixie,” Murdock corrected with a grin.

 

Face rolled his eyes, standing up straight to look at his friend.  “Don’t you think they’re getting a little old for that now?”

 

“Never!” Murdock protested with a laugh.  “They’re never going to get too old.”

 

“So, I guess you’re still calling the baby Junior?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Face just shook his head, bending back down to return his attention to his son.  “Don’t worry about being able to tell Debbie and Tara apart.  I’ll let you into a little secret; most the time I can’t.” 

 

“Well, you would be able to if you came to see us more often,” Murdock grinned.

 

“And have to put up with their insane father?” he teased.  “No thanks.”

 

“Love you too, Faceman.”

 

“I know,” Face said softly with a smile, before moving on with the introductions. “And here’s your grandma Maggie.  And last but not least, your grandpa Hannibal.” 

 

Bending down to Al’s level, Hannibal smiled when the boy held out a small hand. 

 

“S’nice to meet you,” Al said politely.

 

Hannibal’s grin grew as he formally shook hands with the boy.  “It’s nice to meet you too, Al.”

 

“Right,” Face continued.  “Now that that’s over with, you probably want to get back to your food.  Right?”

 

They all laughed when Al nodded and ran back to his plate and seat.  Taking that as their cue, the adults too became interested in their food and for a moment there was silence as they were all eating.

 

Pausing with his plate, Hannibal just watched as Face poured a drink for Joanna and passed it to her.  Face seemed so different, yet so similar in a way.  He looked peaceful, as if he had realised something that had been bothering him all his life.  It was odd seeing him with a wife and children, but yet…

 

Shaking his head Hannibal smiled ruefully and headed over to the table to get more food before BA ate it all.

 

Once everyone had had enough to eat and all the dishes stacked away they exchanged their gifts, Murdock showing the kids the best way of ripping off the wrapping paper and throwing it everywhere.  Hannibal stood to one side, just watching.  Watching the laughter and the shouts and the hugs and the delight.

 

“Here, I brought something you might want to add to the decorations.”

 

He raised an eyebrow as Face handed him a neatly wrapped present.   Placing it down on the table, he slowly unwrapped it, surprise crossing his face as he finally revealed the little carved figures that he recognised so well.  He thought they had been lost.  They had been forced to leave so much behind during their time on the run that he had just presumed that these had gone the same way.

 

“I kept them in a safe box,” Face admitted softly.  “Thought it was time to get them out again.”

 

Hannibal gently picked up the small wooden carving of the Virgin Mary, turning it over between his fingers.  Although a little scratched in places, all the figures were there and just waiting to be set out.  Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the kings, some random sheep and cattle.  All there.

 

“Merry Christmas, Hannibal.”

 

Hannibal looked up at that, his eyes travelling slowly around the crowded room.  Murdock, Maggie and Mrs B were laughing in one corner.  Kelly, Dionne and Joanna were leaning over the baby’s cradle.  BA was sitting on the floor surrounded by brightly coloured wrapping, little Samantha sleeping peacefully in his arms.  While the rest of the children ran backwards and forwards, Al quickly catching onto the airplane impression game, a big smile on his face as he soared around the room.  Parents, children, grandchildren.  All his.

 

All his.

 

 “You okay there, Hannibal?”

 

He turned to where Face was stood watching him, two glasses of wine now in his hands.  Suddenly he was reminded of another time, of another place, and taking the offered glass, he smiled, a big broad smile that just seemed to continue growing.

 

“I’m fine,” he replied, the grin not diminishing as he slowly raised his glass and got the attention of the room.

 

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him, waiting for what he was going to say, no doubt wondering just why it was he was grinning so much. 

 

“I just wanted to say…” he paused, eyes scanning across them; Face, BA, Murdock, Maggie, Mrs B, Kelly, Dionne, Joanna, all the children, and he realised there was only one thing he wanted or needed to say. 

 

“Merry Christmas, guys,” he said, smiling as his family grinned back.  “Merry Christmas!”

 

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THE END

 

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

 

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Thanks to everyone who’s been reading.  And big thanks to everyone who has commented.  Sorry I haven’t been able to reply to all comments yet, but I will be getting back to you all as soon as possible.  Have a great Christmas.

 

Hayley May

 

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