(no subject)

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Date: December 8, 1999
Status: Public
Setting: The lobby
Summary: Adam sets up the Manor's Christmas tree



After a quick trip home, Adam returned to Tadfield Manor with an oft taped cardboard box tucked under one arm. His eyes sparkled as he stepped into the lobby and found that the gardener had remembered to bring in a tree for him. Pepper had insisted that it be a live tree, which was fine with Adam, and putting the box down, he tugged it to a place of honor in the lobby not far from an electrical outlet.

He opened the box and almost reverentially began to pull out the baubles within: two strings of multi-coloured fairy lights, a bit of plaster imprinted with his tiny hand and strung on a bit of red ribbon, a pipe cleaner reindeer that he'd made in primary school, a sparkly bluebird with wire in its feet to grasp the branches, a painted soldier on a wooden clothespin, a snowflake that his grandmother had crocheted, and his favorite, a perfect, blown-glass globe with the words "Peace on Earth, 1991". Adam wound the lights around the tree and hung his six ornaments on it carefully.

Reaching into the box one final time, he pulled out the angel that had graced his treetop since he was born. It was an unusual angel in that it did not have ornate, flowing robes in a variety of rich materials. Nor did it have long hair, a glowing halo, golden wings, or a simpering expression. It wasn't even a girl. No, this angel was male, dressed in simple white cotton robes, with plain white, feathery wings and something sparkling in the painted blue eyes that bespoke compassion and love, but intelligence, too. Adam didn't know where it came from, but he loved it as much as a teenage boy is allowed to love a doll-like thing, which is quite a lot, so long as no one knows about it. He gave it a fond smile and fetched a chair to stand on. With an air of gravity, he placed the angel gently atop the tree before climbing down and plugging in the lights.

Stepping back to appraise his work, Adam found it good. Then he replaced the chair and went searching behind the Metatron's desk for some office supplies. After some thought, he wrote,

Tadfield Manor Christmas Tree:

This tree is for all of us staying at the Manor. Please feel free to add your own ornaments from home. Any presents left beneath will be delivered to their recipients on Christmas morning.

Happy Christmas!
Adam

Leaning his sign up by the base of the tree, Adam picked up his now empty Christmas box and headed upstairs to his room humming "O Holy Night".

Comments

[ineffable-angel.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale had had his gifts all wrapped already in paper with a tartan pattern, with lovely bows and quite a lot of lacy ribbon.

A trenchcoat - black, leather, warm, a large but tasteful arrangement of inner pockets - for Crowley. He had enjoyed John's so. The parcel was carefully set down near the base of the tree.

A pack of - supposedly, he couldn't recall just now who had mentioned the brand to him - John's favourite cigarettes and some more expensive beer than perhaps the man was used to. He'd put the label clearly so that John would see it before he saw the tartan and lace.

There was ice cream (that would stay cold) for Belial, and an assortment of chocolates that he thought maybe Gabriel would like to share with Belial and some quite nice (not tartan) silk underwear that Belial would like to have Gabriel share with him.

Adam and his small friends got books, of course, and the other angels got varied amounts of chocolates.

Aziraphale sighed and stepped back, admiring his handiwork. Quite a few gifts had piled up, now, and every single one of them had tartan and lace.

He smiled as he walked away, not knowing about the lace ribbon stuck to the underside of his shoe.