Who's Afraid of Red, White, Green - Door Number Eighteen

[estepheia]

Who's Afraid of Red, White, Green

Advent Calendar Fic - by ladycat777 and estepheia
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: a bit of angst, lots of schmoop - holiday fic
SPOILERS: Set after AtS 5x08 Destiny - No spoilers after that.
WARNINGS: conventional pairings, a bit of slashy subtext, and a few unconventional vibes

A list of previous posts can be found here.

Sorry, it's a bit short today, but I had a busy day and now I'm righteously tired. :-)
Tomorrow's will be longer. Promise.


December 18

It was almost midnight, when the doorbell rang. Probability said it had to be his employer, but probability was malleable and mutable around him, therefore he had a spell ready before opening the door. The spell seemed to wriggle and squirm in his hand and around his fingers like a living thing, eager to erupt.

"Eve, welch Glanz in meiner bescheidenen Hütte, as the Germans say," Ethan said with an insincere smile, when he recognised the late visitor. He shoved his hands into his pockets, unobtrusively storing the thaumaturgical charm away. "Oh, I'm sorry, German's not your thing? Welcome to my humble abode, then. Looses a bit in translation, of course, but the sentiment's still there."

"Cut it out, Rayne" Eve replied, not in the mood for fake politeness, and pushed past him into the small, cluttered, apartment. She didn't bother looking around, knowing everything inside right down to the extra buttons for the garish shirts the English warlock preferred.

"Can I offer you something. A biscuit maybe? They're good. Your lovely Miss Burkle made them and was kind enough to share," Ethan said, pointing towards a small tupperware dish that held a handful of gingerbread cookies. There was a malicious glint in his eye.

Eve had no intention of touching either food or drink. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Who, me?"

Eve didn't sit, either. "Cute. Whatever you have planned for Saturday, cancel it. You've already gone too far with the Santa stunt."

Ethan smiled, unfazed, and perched comfortably on the armrest of his shabby sofa. "What makes you think I've got something planned? Would I do something as perfidious and anti-social as disrupting the big office shindig everybody's so looking forward to?"

"Do I have to remind you of your goals, Ethan?" Eve asked, smiling sweetly, but in a voice made of steel. "Funny. I was under the impression, they were whatever we want. We didn't get you out of Initiative custody so you can indulge in your pranks. There are bigger things at stake."

"I had to cover my tracks," Ethan said with a shrug, entirely unrepentant.

"If you had kept your head down, as planned, there would have been no need to turn our graphologies expert into a laughing Santa," Eve pointed out. "And besides, you should have killed him. The minute Wesley breaks your spell - and trust me he will find a way - our jolly Santa will spill the beans and blow your cover."

"Trust me, no one, not even your clever Ex-watcher's gonna undo my little ho-ho-ho spell, it's got a nifty little failsafe woven into it. I just wish I could see his face when he realizes that the spell acts like a yo-yo, always snapping back into place. " Ethan smiled. "It should keep him busy for weeks."

"Let me put it to you like this, Puck," Eve said. "If you blow your cover, you're no longer of use to us. So you better make sure our jolly Harold either keeps up his ho ho hos or stays silent forever."


TBC

Comments

[sangpassionne.livejournal.com]

YEEHAW!!! And the plot unfoldeth. *g*

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Heee. *g*
Okay, this won't win us the book winner prize, as the plot is rather thin, but it's there :-)

[spikes_heart.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, lookie. There's plot again. Nothing like a little Chaos at holiday time.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

i was KIDDING when i said it was ethan! (altho it kind of made sense....) and i was right! duuude. excellent. :> i love ethan, he's so slippery and evil.

[spiralleds.livejournal.com]

I was pointed over here from the Better Buffy Fic group. I'm enjoying the story. It's fun to know that there is a little bit each day. Thank you.

[darcydodo]

Oooh... Ethan.... :)

I so should've known. *slaps forehead*

[paratti.livejournal.com]

Yay, Ethan! Nice.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Ethan!

Plot!

Ethan!

*hugs you both*

[kiina.livejournal.com]

Hi, caught my daily dose of fic
and was happy about the great
plot development: Yeahh...Ethan
and I really liked the German part:
someone English who can speak German :)

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Heee. I'm German.
:-)

[kiina.livejournal.com]

Uuuups, sorry....
that's right *redface* ...uhmmm...
but then your English seems so good,
someone (like me!jerk!) can forget it...
*hope compliment deflects from my stupidity!* :)

[jidabug.livejournal.com]

As if the holidays didn't bring enough chaos into everyone's lives, here comes Ethan Rayne to stir the pot. Wonderful!

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Jenn. *bows*
I think for Ethan Christmas is just too tempting a target. :-)

[twistingflame.livejournal.com]

Ethan! and plot! and Ethan!

[snoopygirll.livejournal.com]

Hee! Ethan. Love it!