Chris reached out and touched the long hair, so soft beneath his fingertips. Hair had no right to be that soft or to smell so sweet, like the air after a summer rain. Sarah ... Mary ... none of the women he'd ever been with had ever had hair like that. Or eyes the color of the wide-open sky above his ranch just outside Denver.
These things, and so many others, belonged only to Vin Tanner.
Chris touched him now, stroked his fingers through his hair, down his neck to his shoulders. He had no right to touch this man, but here ... he would allow himself the luxury of everything.
Here....
Chris closed his eyes even more tightly as he felt the dream beginning to fall away. Thoughts of the real world were leaking in around the edges, memories of the Christmas they'd shared -- all seven members of his ATF team -- here in his own home, just last night.
"Get everything you wanted, Chris?" JD had innocently asked. Though the question was a perfectly natural one, it had caught Chris off-guard. His eyes flicked up before he could stop himself, to stare at Vin, who had been toasting his ass beside the fireplace all evening.
"Yes," Chris replied, lying to the youngest member of his team.
Chris had refilled his glass, with more alcohol than eggnog, as he'd been doing all evening. I just wish... he'd caught himself thinking. But he knew better. Wishes didn't come true. If they did, so much would be different about his life.
... But if I could just have Vin Tanner -- his mind went on, without his consent -- in my arms ... in my bed....
Chris shook his head, but it didn't help. His mind kept on: I wish....
"You know," a voice said. "If wishes were kisses..."
Chris's eyes flew open. He should be alone. The house should be empty. Everyone had left hours ago, well before midnight.
"If wishes were kisses," the voice continued, "we'd all have mono."
Chris stared, dumbstruck. Then he rubbed at his eyes before staring again.
There was no way -- no way in hell -- that he was seeing what he was seeing.
Standing beside his fireplace, as he had practically all evening, was Vin Tanner. Except, it couldn't be him. Not ... dressed like that!
I'm still dreaming, Chris decided. It was just too unbelievable. Vin Tanner, standing in his house, before the crackling fire, next to the twinkling glow of the lighted Christmas tree, wearing ... wearing ... an elf costume?
Chris sat up on the couch, clutching the afghan about his shoulders. It was Vin; there was no mistaking the long, wheat-colored hair, the strong jaw line, and the lean, muscular form.
But the outfit.... A green, pointed hat topped his head; a red shirt, trimmed with green piping, fell just to his hips; beneath, green tights hugged his long legs like a second skin; and his feet were tucked inside red slippers, with a single silver bell on the curled toe of each.
"You look so gay," Chris said.
"I prefer the term merry, but suit yourself," Vin replied. As he turned, he reached up and tucked his long hair back behind his ear ... his POINTED ear.
"V-vin?" he asked, astonished. Chris rose to his feet, quickly crossing the room. He reached out to touch the intriguing ears, still not believing any of this could be more than a dream.
"It's Elvin and -- hey! Be careful with those. You don't see me tweaking your funny little ears, do you?"
"Elvin?"
"Yeah, that's my name. Last time I checked, anyway." He held out his hand amicably and Chris shook it out of sheer reflex. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Ch-christmas," Chris said. This cannot be happening.
"Oh, but it is," Elvin replied, as if Chris had spoken aloud. "I work for Santa."
Santa? Chris suddenly wondered exactly how much spiked eggnog he'd actually consumed.
"I'm an elf."
"Aren't you a bit tall to be an elf?" Elvin not only looked like Vin, but he stood just as tall, no more than two inches shy of six foot.
"If elves were supposed to be short, we'd be called dwarves," Elvin replied as if stating the obvious. "And I really rather prefer being an elf."
"Well, of course you do," Chris said. How could you not, when you get to dress like that? Elvin was, without a doubt, the prettiest elf Chris had ever laid eyes on -- and it probably didn't hurt that his resemblance to Vin was uncanny. This has to be a dream, Chris reminded himself.
"Nope, not a dream," Elvin said, again responding to his silent thought.
"Okay ... for the sake of argument ..." Chris began, trying to get a handle on this.
"How about for the sake of Christmas? It is the reason I'm here, after all." Elvin smiled and his blue eyes twinkled in a strikingly familiar fashion.
"Fine. Uh, for the sake of ... of Christmas, let's just say that you are an elf---"
"I am an elf."
"Right. You're an elf. In my house. On the night after Christmas. Aren't you a little late?"
"What? You don't think I was busy yesterday, what with all those toys that needed delivering? There are only so many of us elves to go around. We don't have time the night before Christmas to hit the houses that don't have children."
Chris turned away at the unexpected reminder that Adam was no longer with him. He felt Elvin's hand on his shoulder and found himself, just for a moment, imagining that it really was Vin standing behind him, offering him the comforting touch.
"So, what are you doing here, if you haven't come to deliver toys?" Chris asked when he found his voice again.
"I've come to give you a gift. Your Christmas wish."
"My wish?"
"Vin Tanner in your stocking." The elf held up a red stocking with a furry white collar. Chris had never seen it before. He'd packed away his own stocking, the one he'd had since he was a kid, when he'd packed away Sarah and Adam's things. He hadn't hung a stocking from the mantle since.
Elvin took him by the arm and led him to the window. He pulled the curtain aside, but there was nothing to see. Outside was a dense white flurry of falling snow, obscuring everything from view.
Elvin waved his hand before the window and the snowfall subsided. Chris stared. He didn't see his front yard with the large oak, the over-grown grass, and the gravel driveway.
What he saw instead was the long, narrow road that led up from the highway, up through the hills, twisting and turning for miles, until it reached his ranch. To the side of the road, partially obscured by a growing drift of falling snow was a car ... a black ... Jeep: Vin's Jeep!
"What is this?" Chris asked, worry constricting his heart.
"Your Christmas wish," Elvin replied, as if it were obvious.
"That's Vin's Jeep. Is he hurt? I didn't wish for that!"
"He's fine, for now, but he's stranded. If someone doesn't find him soon, I'm afraid he won't survive the cold."
"What kind of a gift is that? I'd never wish harm on Vin."
"Then, I suppose you'd better go help him," Elvin said.
Chris could have reached out and strangled the elf -- for doing this, for acting so calm about it -- but instead he spun on his heels and headed for the door. Still wearing his clothes from the party, he grabbed his coat off the hook and stepped into his boots.
Moments later, he was in the garage, climbing into his truck. Then he was heading down the hill. The going was painfully slow. The wind buffeted his truck and the flying snow obscured his vision.
"Let this be a dream. Please, let this be a dream," Chris kept repeating, just to keep himself from shouting in frustration.
An eternity later, though it couldn't have been more than a half an hour, Chris pulled the truck up in front of the drift where Vin's Jeep was buried. As he got out, the force of the wind pushed him back against the truck.
"Vin!" he shouted, but he knew his voice would not carry in the storm.
He reached the Jeep and, with gloved hands, began scooping away the snow, until he'd exposed the door. He yanked it open, nearly tearing it from its hinges. Vin was huddled in the driver's seat, shivering and looking nearly blue.
Chris dragged him from the Jeep, and practically carried him back to the truck. He struggled to get Vin inside, and then he bundled him up in the quilt he had in the back. It was old and worn, but it was dry and would be better than nothing until they could get back to the ranch.
Once Vin was situated, Chris climbed over him onto the bench and slid behind the wheel. The engine was already running, so Chris cranked the heater's fan up to full as he pulled back onto the road. He had to drive another thousand yards before he found a safe place to turn the large truck around. Then they were headed back up the hill, towards the ranch, towards home.
"Vin?"
"I-I'm okay, Chris. Really. Just ... just cold."
"What happened?"
"The Jeep died. Might be the alternator."
"Why didn't you call?"
"'Tween the storm and these hills, I couldn't get a signal. Thought it best just to wait it out."
"Vin, you would have...." Chris's voice trailed off. Actually saying the words froze to death made them too real to bear.
Once at the ranch, Chris drew Vin a hot tub, not listening to any of Vin's senseless protests. Vin finally conceded, stripping and climbing into the tub. While he soaked, Chris turned up the heat in the house and threw another log onto the fire. He paused for a moment to stare at the tree. The lights still twinkled, but there was something different about it.
A shiver raced down his spine. Suddenly feeling like he was being watched, he turned and scanned the room. But he was alone. Chris let out the breath he was holding, almost laughing at himself. Then he shook his head as he made his way into the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, he returned to the bathroom; he knocked, but didn't wait for permission to enter. He stood for a moment, staring. Vin looked so young slouched down in the tub, the water covering his shoulders. But he would never look as vulnerable and helpless as he had less than an hour before, when Chris had found him in that damn Jeep.
"You just gonna stand there and stare?" Vin asked. "'Cuz, if so, the least you could do is hand me a wash cloth."
"Modest?" Chris asked, amused. He stepped the rest of the way into the bathroom. He handed Vin the mug he'd brought and then sat down on the floor next to the tub.
"You made me cocoa?" Vin asked with a smile before taking a sip. "With mini marshmallows."
"Too late for coffee."
"Chris ... how'd you know to come lookin' for me?"
He didn't know how to answer Vin's question. He couldn't exactly say, an elf told me, now could he? Chris just shrugged. "A hunch, I guess."
"Damn lucky one. You know, the whole time, I kept wishin' you'd somehow find me. Thought I was dreamin' when you actually showed up." Vin ducked his head then, as if avoiding Chris's eyes. He sipped slowly at his hot cocoa.
Chris took a breath. He'd almost lost Vin tonight and that changed everything. "Vin, there's something I need to tell you---"
"Mind holdin' my cocoa first?" Vin asked, thrusting the mug at him.
Chris took it, thrown off by the sudden interruption.
Vin stood then, reaching past him to the bar on the wall for a towel. He wrapped the dark blue terry cloth around his lean frame, and then stepped from the tub.
"Thanks," Vin said, taking his mug back. He walked out of the bathroom into the master bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Sorry. What were you sayin'?"
"I, uh..." Chris began, but fumbled. "I'm glad you're okay...." Oh! He felt so stupid! Why couldn't he just say the words, just tell Vin how he was feeling?
I wish, Chris started to think, but then stopped himself. He wasn't sure he wanted to head down that road again, not yet anyway.
"You wish what?" Vin asked. He had set his mug aside and was now holding a red Christmas stocking, idly running his fingers over the white fur collar.
"Huh?"
"You were about to make a wish," Vin said. "Not sure it'll come true if you're not wishin' on some birthday cake candles, or a fallin' star, but you can try."
Vin sounded so much like the elf he had met earlier that evening that Chris found himself crossing the room to stand in front of him. He reached out and tucked Vin's long hair behind his ear, almost surprised to find that it wasn't pointed.
"Chris? You okay, pard?"
"I, uh ... I already made a wish. A Christmas wish," he found himself saying.
"Yeah. Did it come true?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure yet." Chris leaned down and placed his lips against Vin's. If Vin didn't shove him away ... or hit him....
Vin's hands came up and wrapped around Chris's neck. Chris smiled, almost laughed as Vin pulled him forward onto the bed.
"Does that mean you're sure now?" Vin asked.
Chris nodded. Then he made another wish: Don't let this be a dream. Please, don't let this be a dream.
~ The End ~
On The Sixth Day Of Christmas...
December 29, 2002
Comments would be most welcome if sent to: C.V. Puerro
Please do NOT repost this story anywhere outside of the Blackraptor Fiction Website.
Characters from "The Magnificent Seven" were used without permission and this story in no way
signifies support of, or affiliation with, The Mirisch Group, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment, or CBS Worldwide, Inc.
The M7-ATF universe was created by Mog, and extra thanks go to her for allowing other people to play within it.
The story itself belongs to the author. This story will not be sold for any reason.
Thanks to my beta reader, for beta reading, as well as for putting the idea of Vin as an elf so firmly into my mind. (Note: Legolas is still The Prettiest, but Elvin would certainly give him a run for the title.)
Quoted lyrics are from "Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)" written by M. Carey and W. Afranasieff.
Background graphics courtesy of Snogirl.
