Happy Boostlethon, abarero!
Title: A Boostle Carol
Author: vigilante_wake
Recipient: abarero
Rating: PG
Prompt: Ted/Booster. A Christmas Carol story in which Ted or Booster (you can pick) has lost the spirit of Christmas and the other helps them remember it.
Summary: Booster meets the Ghost of Christmas...IN THE FUTURE!
Booster woke up with a start for the third time that night, but this time he was prepared. He sat up and cautiously peered out in to the darkened room.
“Ted? Ghost buddy?” There was no answer.
Booster lay back down with a sigh. He must have finally woken up this time. He knew he should be relieved, but a part of him, well, most of him, was disappointed. According to the digital alarm clock on his nightstand, it was only 11:40. Rip would still be up. Maybe he should go and apologize…
And then the Grim Reaper emerged from the shadows at the foot of Booster’s bed.
“Eeeurgh!” Booster made a valiant effort to leap out of bed, but the sheets tangled around his legs and he hit the floor hard. Recovering, he rolled in an attempt to reach his blasters, but when he turned to fire, he saw the specter of death doubled up with laughter.
“Bwahahaha!”
“What th-? Ted?! You asshole!”
Ted pushed back the black hood obscuring his face. “Oh man! You should have seen your face! Hee hee!”
Booster’s fear was swiftly replaced by rage. “That wasn’t funny!” He hurled the blaster at Ted’s ghostly form.
Ted didn’t even bother ducking as the blaster passed through him and hit the opposite wall. “I don’t know, Booster. Your girly scream was pretty funny.”
Booster huffed out a breath and sat down on the floor. “Let me guess. You’re the Ghost of Christmas in the Future?”
“Something like that.”
“No way. Uh-uh. Even I’m culturally literate enough to know that’s a bad idea. I’ve seen my own death once already and I’m not interested in doing it again.”
“You’re just assuming you die on Christmas? That’s pretty morbid.”
“I thought that’s the way this kind of story worked.”
“Do you really think I’d do that to you? C’mon, buddy. Give me a little credit here.” Ted reached out a hand to pull Booster up. After a moment’s hesitation, Booster took it, the strange, incorporeal feel of it no longer unpleasant to him. The room immediately began to fill with fog.
After about 30 seconds (“Booga booga booga!” “Will you cut that out?”), the mist cleared to reveal…a normal living room decorated for Christmas. A smallish tree surrounded by presents glittered in the corner and evergreen garlands adorned pretty much every available surface from the bookcases to the mantel. There were even stockings hung by the chimney, presumably with care.
Booster looked around. “OK, this is pretty nice, but where’s-“
A little boy about six years old came running into the room. He stopped short when he saw the tree and actually gasped before yelling over his shoulder. “Daddy! Daddy! Come look at all the presents!”
Looking at the kid made Booster feel disconcerted. There was something unsettlingly familiar about him. But that vague unease was nothing compared to what he felt when “Daddy” strolled on in to the room.
“Oh…oh shit! I’m old! And I have a kid!”
Ted rolled his eyes. “Wow Booster, have you been hanging out with Batman lately?”
“Wait. Does that mean I have a wife? Is she hot? I mean, does she have big-“
“Booster, pay attention!”
Old Booster and his son were sorting the presents underneath the tree. “Dad, can I open this one?”
“Not until your mom gets home. How about...this one?” Old Booster presented his offspring with a suspiciously oblong package. It was, of course, a football. “Now, let’s keep the fact that we’re practicing in the house just between you and me. Keep your hand on it like this, pull back your arm, and now gently because we’re inside...” The ball went careening into the tree.
Father and son crouched down and frantically began collecting fallen ornaments, but dropped them again at the beginning of a spontaneous tickle fight. That ended when Old Booster hugged his son tightly and kissed the top of his head. A moment later, another figure walked in the front door and an unfamiliar feminine voiced called out “Hey, you two! I’m home!”
His future self’s face reflected such love and contentment that Booster quickly spun around to see who this person that could make his eyes light up like that. But the mystical fog was already swirling around her and obscuring his vision. “Damn it, wait!”
“I’m sorry, but you know better than anyone why too much knowledge of the future is a bad thing, Booster.” Ted took Booster’s face in his hands. “Listen to me. That is what I wanted to show you, Michael. That is what’s waiting for you in your future. You get what you’ve always wanted.”
“But Ted, I want-“
“No. Trust me on this.” Ted pulled Booster’s face gently towards his, resting their foreheads together. “You’ll be happy. As happy as it’s possible to be in this world, anyway. And this,“ Ted slid one hand down to rest in the center of Booster’s chest, “This will heal. It will be full again.”
“Ted...”
Ted’s lips met Booster’s, but the touch was so, so light. Booster closed his eyes and was falling, falling...
He woke in bed, but gently this time. He felt disoriented, like it could be days or even weeks after he had first gone to sleep. Somewhat cautiously, he got up and opened the bedroom door. The main room of the bunker was empty, save for Skeets hovering in midair and tinkering with one of Rip’s machines. Skeets was still wearing the red and green scarf Michelle had made for him.
“Skeets! Buddy! Am I glad to see you!”
Skeets zoomed over. “Booster? Are you all right?”
Booster urgently grabbed Skeets out of the air. “What day is it?”
“It’s Christmas, Booster. We went over this yester-“ Booster crushed Skeets to his chest in a sudden hug.
“It’s not too late, Skeets! Oh, thank you spirits! Well, spirit.” Thanks, Ted.
Skeets vibrated to escape from Booster’s grasp. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m more than all right, Skeets! C’mon! We’ve got some shopping to do. Someplace has to be open, right? This time period is known for its crass commercialism.”
Michelle and Rani were perplexed as to why their Christmas gifts from Booster were wrapped in plastic Walgreens bags, but they accepted them along with Booster’s apologies and professions that his heart had grown three sizes during the night. Rip remembered it as the second best Christmas ever.
Author: vigilante_wake
Recipient: abarero
Rating: PG
Prompt: Ted/Booster. A Christmas Carol story in which Ted or Booster (you can pick) has lost the spirit of Christmas and the other helps them remember it.
Summary: Booster meets the Ghost of Christmas...IN THE FUTURE!
Booster woke up with a start for the third time that night, but this time he was prepared. He sat up and cautiously peered out in to the darkened room.
“Ted? Ghost buddy?” There was no answer.
Booster lay back down with a sigh. He must have finally woken up this time. He knew he should be relieved, but a part of him, well, most of him, was disappointed. According to the digital alarm clock on his nightstand, it was only 11:40. Rip would still be up. Maybe he should go and apologize…
And then the Grim Reaper emerged from the shadows at the foot of Booster’s bed.
“Eeeurgh!” Booster made a valiant effort to leap out of bed, but the sheets tangled around his legs and he hit the floor hard. Recovering, he rolled in an attempt to reach his blasters, but when he turned to fire, he saw the specter of death doubled up with laughter.
“Bwahahaha!”
“What th-? Ted?! You asshole!”
Ted pushed back the black hood obscuring his face. “Oh man! You should have seen your face! Hee hee!”
Booster’s fear was swiftly replaced by rage. “That wasn’t funny!” He hurled the blaster at Ted’s ghostly form.
Ted didn’t even bother ducking as the blaster passed through him and hit the opposite wall. “I don’t know, Booster. Your girly scream was pretty funny.”
Booster huffed out a breath and sat down on the floor. “Let me guess. You’re the Ghost of Christmas in the Future?”
“Something like that.”
“No way. Uh-uh. Even I’m culturally literate enough to know that’s a bad idea. I’ve seen my own death once already and I’m not interested in doing it again.”
“You’re just assuming you die on Christmas? That’s pretty morbid.”
“I thought that’s the way this kind of story worked.”
“Do you really think I’d do that to you? C’mon, buddy. Give me a little credit here.” Ted reached out a hand to pull Booster up. After a moment’s hesitation, Booster took it, the strange, incorporeal feel of it no longer unpleasant to him. The room immediately began to fill with fog.
After about 30 seconds (“Booga booga booga!” “Will you cut that out?”), the mist cleared to reveal…a normal living room decorated for Christmas. A smallish tree surrounded by presents glittered in the corner and evergreen garlands adorned pretty much every available surface from the bookcases to the mantel. There were even stockings hung by the chimney, presumably with care.
Booster looked around. “OK, this is pretty nice, but where’s-“
A little boy about six years old came running into the room. He stopped short when he saw the tree and actually gasped before yelling over his shoulder. “Daddy! Daddy! Come look at all the presents!”
Looking at the kid made Booster feel disconcerted. There was something unsettlingly familiar about him. But that vague unease was nothing compared to what he felt when “Daddy” strolled on in to the room.
“Oh…oh shit! I’m old! And I have a kid!”
Ted rolled his eyes. “Wow Booster, have you been hanging out with Batman lately?”
“Wait. Does that mean I have a wife? Is she hot? I mean, does she have big-“
“Booster, pay attention!”
Old Booster and his son were sorting the presents underneath the tree. “Dad, can I open this one?”
“Not until your mom gets home. How about...this one?” Old Booster presented his offspring with a suspiciously oblong package. It was, of course, a football. “Now, let’s keep the fact that we’re practicing in the house just between you and me. Keep your hand on it like this, pull back your arm, and now gently because we’re inside...” The ball went careening into the tree.
Father and son crouched down and frantically began collecting fallen ornaments, but dropped them again at the beginning of a spontaneous tickle fight. That ended when Old Booster hugged his son tightly and kissed the top of his head. A moment later, another figure walked in the front door and an unfamiliar feminine voiced called out “Hey, you two! I’m home!”
His future self’s face reflected such love and contentment that Booster quickly spun around to see who this person that could make his eyes light up like that. But the mystical fog was already swirling around her and obscuring his vision. “Damn it, wait!”
“I’m sorry, but you know better than anyone why too much knowledge of the future is a bad thing, Booster.” Ted took Booster’s face in his hands. “Listen to me. That is what I wanted to show you, Michael. That is what’s waiting for you in your future. You get what you’ve always wanted.”
“But Ted, I want-“
“No. Trust me on this.” Ted pulled Booster’s face gently towards his, resting their foreheads together. “You’ll be happy. As happy as it’s possible to be in this world, anyway. And this,“ Ted slid one hand down to rest in the center of Booster’s chest, “This will heal. It will be full again.”
“Ted...”
Ted’s lips met Booster’s, but the touch was so, so light. Booster closed his eyes and was falling, falling...
He woke in bed, but gently this time. He felt disoriented, like it could be days or even weeks after he had first gone to sleep. Somewhat cautiously, he got up and opened the bedroom door. The main room of the bunker was empty, save for Skeets hovering in midair and tinkering with one of Rip’s machines. Skeets was still wearing the red and green scarf Michelle had made for him.
“Skeets! Buddy! Am I glad to see you!”
Skeets zoomed over. “Booster? Are you all right?”
Booster urgently grabbed Skeets out of the air. “What day is it?”
“It’s Christmas, Booster. We went over this yester-“ Booster crushed Skeets to his chest in a sudden hug.
“It’s not too late, Skeets! Oh, thank you spirits! Well, spirit.” Thanks, Ted.
Skeets vibrated to escape from Booster’s grasp. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m more than all right, Skeets! C’mon! We’ve got some shopping to do. Someplace has to be open, right? This time period is known for its crass commercialism.”
Michelle and Rani were perplexed as to why their Christmas gifts from Booster were wrapped in plastic Walgreens bags, but they accepted them along with Booster’s apologies and professions that his heart had grown three sizes during the night. Rip remembered it as the second best Christmas ever.