AllFreeNovel
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Ilove this, all of us eating together and managing to stay sitting around our table instead of spread out everywhere, but that’s why I choose this table, because it has enough space for all of us when we have all the family around, but it can also be made slightly smaller when it’s just us. This happens often when we’re in work mode because all of the teams are doing their own jobs, and we can go for weeks without actually seeing each other.
Trick tries to coordinate our schedules so that we can get together at least once a month when we’re super busy, and for a couple of weeks in the summer, we’re all off together. Of course, we don’t spend all of that together; people go off to visit family and friends that they don’t usually have time to see, or they go on an actual vacation, but we do tend to spend a fair amount of time together, and we try to make sure that we have time for each other because that’s the most important thing.
Thinking of friends, I pull out my phone and send a text to Zemi and her guys.
Me: Hey, guys! I just wanted to text you and say Happy Christmas! I’m probably not going to get a chance to say anything tomorrow. I hope you guys have an incredible few days with your families, and we’ll see you back at headquarters soon.
I send the message, and it’s less than a minute before the guys all text back, saying simple replies of Happy Holidays.
Zemi: Happy Christmas, have a good one! And tell the guys I hope they’re feeling better. Oh, and you’d be proud of me; I remembered to pack pants.
I chuckle out loud at her reply.
Me: woohoo, I’m so proud of you! Did you remember everything else?
Zemi: How the hell did you know I forgot something different?
Me: Because I know you, what did you forget?
Zemi: underwear
I burst out laughing again, and when Jensen looks at me curiously, I show him my screen so that he can read the messages, and he’s soon laughing along with me.
Me: well, that certainly makes the trip more interesting.
I add a winky face to the end of the message, and all she replies with is a smirking one. We’ve never properly spoken about it, but it’s clear that she likes her men as more than just friends or teammates, and they feel the same way about her. It’s just taking a while for them to get used to the idea, although having us as friends probably helps. There’s no judgment as far as we’re concerned.
I’m about to put my phone away when a text pops up from Raiden.
Raiden: As soon as we get back from the trip, we’re jumping straight on Jensen’s case. We’ll keep you updated the whole time. Mr R is aware and has given us full clearance.
Me: Brilliant. Let me know if you need a hand at any point. But make sure that you're resting too, you and Saint especially. As you know, Jensen is staying out of it, but the rest of us aren’t. No more work talk though. Enjoy your holidays.
Raiden: You got it, Ever. We’ll talk after the holidays. Hope you have a good Christmas.
I decide not to tell Jensen what Raiden said. It’s not important right now, and it’s something that we knew was going to happen anyway; I don’t want to upset him by making him think about his mom and sister in any way but a good memory over Christmas, and like the Rylie thing it can wait until after Christmas.
It doesn’t take long at all until everyone has eaten what they can, and Luc suggests that we dance off some of our food so that we have room for more, which everyone is definitely up for. The group splits up into those who are dancing, a few small groups that are talking, and those who have gone back to eating. There’s a real festive spirit in the air, and I love it.
It's such a massive contrast with how my Christmases used to be. I mean, some Christmases, I didn’t even realise it was Christmas day until after it had already passed. My favourite Christmas's back then were the ones where I managed to escape my father and his men for a while, and I’d used the small amount of money that I managed to crimp together to go to the local mall, get a hot chocolate, and walk around, enjoying the holiday displays and the happy families trying not to think of my boys that I had to leave behind and trying not to dare hope to see them again one day and have a family of my own.
Now look at me, I have more family than I could have ever hoped or dreamed for, and I thank whoever decided to bless me with them every damn day.
I’m never going to take that for granted.
Thankfully, I’m pulled out of my emotionally charged thoughts when I overhear Alaric say, “That’s nothing. Do you remember when D accidentally set off a load of explosives and gave away our position?”
Everyone who’s close enough to have heard him talking to Lucian instantly turns their attention to the three best friends, who are all smirking and looking highly amused. We know there’s one hell of a story on the way.
"It looks like we arrived just in time," Callen grins as Marty, Noel, and he all walk into the front room, and we greet them before looking back at Ryan, D, and Alaric.
“Of course, I remember we were found within minutes, and we had to fight for our lives,” Ryan replies, taking a sip of his fourth or fifth drink and still looking far more amused than he should be by the words that he’s saying.
“You’re forgetting the most memorable part,” D grins.
“What do you mean other than you blowing up the damn building?” Alaric chuckles, and the rest of us join in. The three of them together are a riot, and you just have to listen to the way they talk to each other for a few minutes to know that they have been friends for decades and have gone through some difficult situations together. The one they’re currently describing though, clearly isn’t one of the more challenging things they’ve been through, although I think most normal people would disagree.
D rolls his eyes and downs his drink before filling it again, “No smart ass. The most memorable part was Ryan having to fight naked.”
