Stars, Snow and Mistletoe: A Holiday Naughty List Collection Read online

  “I do not believe so. Is that important?”

  “As badly installed as all this is, I’m worried that the rest of it was fucked up too,” he sighed. “At this point, all I can do is fix this part and see what happens when we get the rest of it working again. I can check the archives later and see if the plans were filed like they should have been.”

  “Do what you can,” I agreed. He nodded and started reassembling the filters.

  “Can you dump this out?” He asked, holding out a waste unit. The inside was dark with dirt and trash collected from the filters. If the filters were working, the waste unit would not have been so badly clogged.

  “Certainly,” I took the piece and cleaned it. By the time I returned, he had most of the pieces put back together.

  “Thanks,” he said brightly, taking the piece and putting it in place. “Ok, this unit is supposed to be dumped every three lunars.”

  “I was not informed of that when it was installed,” I commented.

  “I figured. It was pretty full. Probably part of the reason why it’s crapped out now. This is how it comes out and how to put it back,” he demonstrated a few times so I would know. I made a note on my comm unit to remind me to clean it on schedule. “As long as you keep that clean, those filters are self-regulating. They shouldn’t need maintenance for a very long time.” I nodded understanding.

  “So, who’s Merkel? If you don’t mind me asking,” he asked, glancing up from his work.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “The other day, when we met, I told you we’d come in through the open door. You said the name Merkel.”

  “Oh, that. He’s a contractor who brings me supplies and new specimens. I would consider replacing him for his occasional negligence, but while he is lacking in certain responsibilities, he is also extremely reliable in the ways that matter to me and my plants.”

  He began the tedious process of rewiring. Working quickly and efficiently, he strung strand after strand, clipping and bundling as he went. Not halfway through the job though, his wrist unit started beeping urgently. He stepped back to check the message. Tensing as he read, he glanced uncomfortably at the unfinished job before looking back at the message.

  “Something wrong?” I asked.

  “Molly’s school. She’s upset about something and they want me to come get her, but I don’t have anyone who can stay with her while I come back to finish,” he grimaced.

  “Retrieve the youngling and bring her here. I will watch her while you work,” I stated straightforwardly.

  “You sure? I don’t want her to be in your way,” he vacillated.

  “She will not be in the way,” I assured him. “I enjoyed meeting your offspring.” He cocked a skeptical eyebrow at me and I thought back to our meeting. “After I learned why you were trespassing,” I conceded. He laughed. The sound was rich and hearty, warming me as he smiled.

  “Alright, we’ll be back in a bit,” he agreed with a grin. Following him to the door, I watched him jog down to a maintenance entrance that would lead towards the learning center located at the base of the living unit. Remembering the many times, I’d been responsible for my younger relations, I stepped back inside to round up a snack and something for the child to do while her father worked.

  Max

  “So, what happened at school, Peanut?” I asked as Molly and I walked back to the biodomes. She sighed heavily and didn’t answer, concentrating on the toes of her shoes. “Molly?” I drawled her name in a tone that said I wanted answers.

  “I don’t like school,” she pouted.

  “That’s all? No one is being mean?” I pushed. She sighed again. “Answer me, please.”

  “No,” she admitted sulkily.

  “Then why the crying?”

  “I just don’t wanna go. I wanna stay with you,” she pouted.

  “Baby doll, you know I have to work. You can’t stay by yourself and you can’t come to work with me. You need to stay in school and behave so you can learn,” I scolded. She frowned up at me. That tiny little scowl spelled trouble.

  “What is that expression for?” A sweet voice interrupted. Looking ahead, I saw we’d already reached the corridor in front of Layalla’s greenhouse. The pretty female stood in her doorway eyeing Molly’s mutinous glare.

  “Molly has decided she doesn’t want to go to school and she’s mad because I told her she had to,” I explained wearily.

  “Is that all? Good, I need a small assistant. You may work for me. An education is unnecessary,” she announced, waving for Molly to follow. Before I could protest, they’d disappeared into the greenhouse. I hurried after them, catching up halfway through the habitat.

  “Yay!” Molly cheered, skipping beside the alien. “I’m gonna work for Layalla!”

  “Wait, wait, no. She has to go to school,” I objected.

  “Nonsense, there are plenty of jobs for the uneducated. Go, finish your job and she will work for me from now on,” Layalla replied serenely. I opened my mouth to say more, but she stopped me with a wink. I stood there gaping for a moment as she herded Molly away once more.

  3

  Layalla

  Maxwell finally headed back to work on the watering system, though I knew he was highly confused by my actions. I’d nearly laughed at the expression on his face when I announced that Molly could work for me and didn’t need to go to school. He obviously did not realize I had an ulterior motive.

  “What are we going to do?” Molly asked excitedly, she obviously thought the next few hours were going to be fun. The poor youngling was about to receive a different kind of education.

  “I have work that needs to be done. You will help since you are small and don’t want to learn,” I replied calmly.

  “What kind of work?”

  “Work that can be done by the unschooled.” The child’s confusion was very amusing. “Here. I need the base of this plant cleared. You will need to crawl under and clean the old leaves away.” I instructed, pointing out a short, stocky bush that frequently accumulated dead foliage underneath.

  “It’s dirty,” she said flatly.

  “Yes, uneducated work often is, but you will still get paid for it,” I assured her calmly.

  “What if I don’t wanna?” She asked.

  “You will need to work to provide for yourself when you are older, this is honest work that fits your current abilities. Many beings choose to forgo an education and do this kind of work instead. It is honest work and suited for those without the training to do more. Now, get under there and clear the ground neatly. Put the debris in this bin and we will move on to the next job when you are done. Or you can go back to school.” Molly looked like she wanted to argue, but I waited patiently and she finally dropped to her knees and crawled under the plant. While she worked, I pulled out my data-pad and went back to working on my quarterly report.

  After she finished her first job, I gave her another. This time I had her help me carry small limbs to stack near a chipper unit in the public dome. Then she transferred growing medium from a barrel to a bucket and from there to the plant it was needed for. We passed by Maxwell as he worked and I knew he watched us as we went by, but he didn’t say anything. Molly huffed occasionally as she worked, her groans coming more frequently as time went on. Every time she grumbled; I gave her another job. She eventually got the idea and stopped complaining.

  “Time for a break,” I announced finally. She smiled tiredly and trailed along behind me as we headed back to her dad. I stopped for a tray of refreshments on the way and we sat near him. He was currently under the unit, wires sprawling out of the confined space around him as he put things back into the proper places.

  “Snack time Daddy,” Molly called, tapping his knee.

  “Kay, sweetie, be out in a minute,” he replied, his voice muffled in the wall. We settled on the ground nearby and ate while he continued to tinker. One large, greasy hand crept out and patted around until it located the data-pad by his toolkit. Pulling it into
the wall space where he could see it, I listened as he typed various commands into it. The unit booted and cycled through its start-up process, humming quietly as the pipes filled with water and began pushing through the system. A satisfied sound issued from Maxwell’s chest and he wriggled out of the wall.

  “It is fixed?” I enquired as he cleaned his hands.

  “Hopefully. I’m running a pressure test right now and we’ll see what happens,” he admitted with a shrug.

  “Come Maxwell, have refreshment,” I said waving him over.

  “I don’t mind if you call me Max you know,” he commented. Smiling, he settled next to Molly and snitched the treat from her hand.

  “Hey!” She shrilled with a laugh as he quickly crammed it into his mouth and chewed exaggeratedly. “Daddy! That was mine!”

  “Oh no! It was? Wait…what’s that in your ear?” Maxwell’s hand darted out and pulled the same treat from her hair, presenting it to her with a flourish. She giggled as she took it back.

  “How did you do that?” I asked, perplexed. I’d seen him eat the krulu pod. How did he produce it from her hair?

  “It’s magic,” Molly whispered loudly. Maxwell winked mischievously at me as he popped a different krulu pod in his mouth. His data-pad beeped, interrupting my next question. He frowned at the analysis, tapping in another command.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked worriedly. It would not be good if the system wasn’t working properly.

  “Well, the pressure test passed and its running again, but I got an odd reading from the secondary valves. It should hopefully hold until after you get the flowers harvested, but as soon as it’s done, I think we should schedule a complete overhaul. Make sure the pipe work was installed correctly,” he said hesitantly.

  “I will inform you as soon as the harvest is completed,” I stated with a nod.

  “Sounds good. I’ll close this up and we’ll leave you to your work.”

  I frowned, suddenly unhappy at the thought of being alone again. I enjoyed the company of this male and his daughter. They were engaging and amusing. Maxwell was pleasantly attractive. Molly struck me as a precocious, but sweet youngster. My garden had always been a haven of serenity, but after their first visit, it seemed quieter than I liked. Now I knew the silence would be worse. I didn’t understand my attachment though. The male wasn’t courting me after all.

  Max

  That’s weird, I thought, seeing Layalla’s disgruntled expression. She looked pensive and didn’t seem to know she was frowning. Molly interrupted my train of thought by tugging on my sleeve.

  “What is it Peanut?” I asked quietly, leaning down so she could whisper in my ear.

  “Can she come over for dinner?” Her breath was hot and itchy in my ear, but I smiled at her question.

  “Why don’t you ask her yourself?” I whispered back. Her little eyes went wide with glee and she bounced to her feet. Layalla’s head came up, focusing on the excited child.

  “Wanna come eat wif us? It’s taco night and it’s the bestest ever!” Molly chirped rapidly, rocking on the balls of her feet. I grinned; it was clear from the dainty alien’s confusion that she missed most of what Molly had blurted at her.

  “She wants to know if you’d like to have dinner with us,” I clarified. Layalla smiled, but shook her head.

  “Sadly, I must decline today. I have a report I must finish tonight and it will take me some time to do so,” she explained. Molly visibly drooped. I found myself echoing her disappointment.

  “What about after its finished? Would you be free tomorrow perhaps?” I asked, reluctant to leave without knowing when we would see her again. She eyed me thoughtfully, then ducked her head in a quick nod.

  “That would be acceptable,” she said serenely. Her gentle smile filled me with a fondness I hadn’t felt in a long time. I really liked this sweet little trellian. Many of her species were overly serious and even stuck up, but Layalla wasn’t like that. Her personality was more sober than a human’s, but there was an underlying warmth that peeked out in flashes of humor and kindness, like she was trying to hide it.

  “Would fifth hour be a good time? We can meet you here if you like?”

  “Yes, I shall see you then,” Layalla agreed with a nod. “Will you be returning to work with me in the morning, youngling?” She asked, suddenly turning to Molly. “There is more to do. Unless you’d prefer to return to your schooling?” Molly’s eyes got big as she considered Layalla’s question.

  “I think I wanna go back to school,” she admitted finally.

  “If you are certain. After all, I do have plenty of labor if you wish to earn credits,” Layalla commented.

  “That’s ok, I wanna go to school,” Molly insisted.

  “So be it, I shall send your wages for the day to your father’s account,” Layalla replied, winking at me over Molly’s head. I nearly laughed aloud. So that had been her plan when she told Molly she didn’t need to go to school. We said our goodbyes and headed home. Layalla followed us to the door and gave a short wave as we left.

  “Daddy?” Molly said, slipping her hand into mine.

  “What is it Peanut?” I answered.

  “I think I like her,” she stated seriously.

  “I think I do too,” I smiled. My comm chimed, alerting me to an incoming transaction. I glanced at it and laughed.

  “What?” Molly asked.

  “Layalla just sent your pay to my account. You earned thirty credits today,” I explained, showing her the screen. Her eyes went wide.

  “Wow! That’s a lot,” she exclaimed, making me laugh again.

  “For a little girl, that is a lot. What do you want to do with it?”

  “I can do anyfing I want?”

  “Yeah baby, anything you want.”

  “I wanna buy Christmas presents!!”

  “I think we could do that,” I said, grinning. Knowing her she’d probably spend half of it on candy for herself, but that was okay. She’d earned it after all.

  4

  Max

  Molly and I arrived promptly at fifth hour to find Layalla already waiting outside her greenhouse. She wore a lovely mint green tunic over chocolate colored slacks. Delicate silver chains circled her slender neck or hung from her ears. Her hair was braided neatly and hung over her shoulder. Her fingers fiddled almost nervously with the end of the braid until she spotted us and dropped it.

  “Layalla!” Molly crowed, running over to throw her arms around the trellians legs in a sweetly enthusiastic hug. Layalla returned her affection only slightly awkwardly.

  “Hi,” I said as I walked up. “You didn’t have to wait out here for us.” She smiled broadly.

  “Actually, I did. The havaysta began blooming last night. I cannot enter the greenhouse at the moment,” she replied with a small laugh.

  “Ah, that’s a little early isn’t it? I thought you had another day or two,” I stated thoughtfully.

  “I anticipated another day or more, but the havaysta blooms when it is ready,” she answered.

  “Well, shall we?” I waved in the direction we would need to go to reach the restaurant levels. She nodded and we headed out.

  “So, now it’s a five day wait right?”

  “Yes, it will take three or four days for the plant to fully bloom and the pollen to release, another two for the air to clear. Then I can begin my harvest.”

  “Sounds like lots of fun,” I joked. She cocked her head at me, but settled for a small shrug.

  “Not so much. It is a lot of waiting. I cannot access my habitat or care for my other plants until the havaysta bloom is over. I spend that time finishing my reports and cleaning my personal quarters.” Her tone was rather flat as she described her downtime.

  Layalla

  “Are you always so serious?” He asked suddenly.

  “I'm not sure what you mean,” I replied.

  “Like that, the way you talk and all. You're so serious. Do you ever do anything fun and impulsive?”

>   “My species is not known for spontaneity,” I deflected uncomfortably. He chuckled.

  “I wasn't asking about your species; I was asking about you. You're already different from the rest of your species, they don't typically like space travel,” he commented. “I want to know what else makes you unique.” He was right, I was different from my people.

  Where they preferred the company of their own kind, I actually liked meeting new species. Where they liked to stay planet-side and let the universe come to them, I wanted to go to the universe and meet it head on. I hadn’t been considered a proper trellian for a long time. My dam had finally stopped trying to correct my behavior, but she still sighed and shook her head whenever I failed to meet her standards. It was one of the reasons I didn’t go home very often. And now, this male was challenging me to be even more improper.

  “I used to ride verkins before I settled here. It was fun and I do miss it,” I admitted as we walked. He chuckled.

  “Hop on,” he said suddenly, crouching down and turning his back.

  “What?” I asked uncertainly.

  “Hop on,” he repeated, grinning over his shoulder.

  “Like this,” Molly squealed, jumping on his back and wrapping her legs around his waist. He jumped up and trotted down the corridor and back with her crowing delightedly as he jostled her up and down with his awkward looking stride. He crouched again and she slid off.

  “Your turn,” she chirped patting his back.

  “I'm not...” I started to protest.

  “Oh, stop being so boring and get on,” he teased. I stiffened at being called boring. I’ll show him boring, I thought. Resolutely, I threw a leg over his back and wrapped my arms around his neck. Squeaking at the sudden jolt when he stood, I tightened my grip. He chuckled and adjusted me, arms curling under my hips and holding me in place. The pressure of his hand against my tail had me biting my lip as he hoisted me higher on his back.