Fic: Have Yourself a Merry... (Terinu, PG)
Part One of chaypeta's Christmas present. I'm afraid when Part Two is completed, it'll only be for private viewing. :)
“What, you've like, never celebrated Christmas?” Gwen exclaimed. “Wait, does that mean you're one of those Jehovah's Witness folk, or something else, like Mr. and Mrs. Pashtura down the road?”
“No, nothing like that. It's just we never did,” Matt said uncomfortably. He had been dragged, more or less against his will by Gwendolyn to a shopping mall in the center of one of Melbourne's exurbs, for a last minute Christmas Eve shopping expedition after he'd made the mistake of mentioning that he hadn't bought any presents yet for anyone. His protests that he didn't have any idea what to buy them had been summarily dismissed with the observation that gift cards had been created for a reason after all.
“What, that slave driving corp your family was stuck in didn't even let you take that day off?” She dodged around a crowd centered around a free standing kiosk selling the latest feelie-games, apparently an expert at dealing with the mass of humanity congregated here, a huge building with three tiers of shops, which despite the vast open space seemed even more crowded than the corridors of the Veracious,the Vulpine frigate they had recently served upon.
“Well, you could if you wanted to,” he replied. “But no one ever did. It would mean losing a day's pay.” He shrugged uncomfortably. “Mom would try to save up some food chits through, so we could buy some sugar and make cookies that day.” Mentioning his mother made him wonder how they were doing right now. After the heart-stopping rescue mission spear-headed by the Veracious' battle group, which had stolen away the Varn Dominion's newest slave/clients and destroyed the incaluably valuable shipyards they had been servicing, his mother, sisters and estranged father had all been taken away along with the rest of the rescuees to a relatively safe world in the center of the Federation's defensive perimeter. Taken to safety, and then stuck in a refugee camp. Homeless, jobless, and running the risk of being snatched up again by Tactical Engineering to pay off their debt if they dared leave the camp to look for work. He could only hope that they were all right.
She paused, in front of a shop window filled with a display of woman's shoes, her nose wrinkling, looking like she was holding back on an expression of pity that would just embarrass them both. “I guess... that makes sense then.”
“Yeah, well. It doesn't matter anyway. It's just a day after all. I don't know what the big deal is.”
Gwen rolled her eyes. “You sound like the space rat when you talk like that.”
“His name is Terinu,” Matt snapped. Teri had begged off on coming with them, intent on some project with Lord Brushtail and Lady Softpaw. None of them were much into the holiday either, for obvious reasons. The two vulpine nobles because it wasn't their religion, Terinu because of his lack of any religion at all.
“I know, but Space Rat sounds better.” She waved off his outraged look, back in her own happy world again. “Anyway, you've got to celebrate Christmas proper while everyone is here at Aunt Vonnie's place. Step Two is opening prezzies on Christmas Morning. So we need to make sure you've got something for everybody.”
“What's Step One?” he asked.
“Get sick on caramel popcorn while we watch ancient Christmas specials on the vid stream this evening,” she replied. “Tell you what, I'll make it easy for you. You can figure out something for Terinu, since you know him best, and then I can help you buy prezzies for Aunt Leeza, Joleen and everyone else.”
Matt grimaced. “All right, but I don't have that much money.”
Gwen looked at him quizzically. “What happened to all the pay you got when we were aboard the Veracious? We didn't have anything to spend it on there, and I'm pretty sure you're not into gambling.”
“I passed most of it on to my mom. It wasn't enough for her to pay off her debt to Tactical Engineering, but she was able to get a little more food for herself and my sisters, and bribe the camp managers into getting them some extra clothes and a tent away from the latrines.”
“Oh,” she said, looking crestfallen. “Well, um, we can see what's at the bargain shop, I guess.”
In the end, with Gwen's fine eye for mall shopping, he did manage to get presents for everyone. A printed scarf for Miss Vonnie and a new cap for Barry (“Stop calling me Mister, lad. It makes me feel old.”), a cheap topknot ring for Joleen, a game subscription card for Gwen's brother Kevin, and a pair of matching friendship bands for Lord Rufus and Miss Melika. Terinu left him stumped through.
“How about this?” Gwen asked, holding up a t-shirt that declared “I'M WITH STUPID” with the arrow pointing upward.
“I don't think so,” he said.
“Well this one is appropriate,” she said, pulling another shirt off the rack, black with a white skull and crossbones emblazoned upon it.
“Definitely not,” he declared. Matt sighed and scratched his head. “I dunno. I want to get him something nice. He's... well, we're mates, y'know. We grew up together. Frell, I'd still be Mavra's cabin boy if it weren't for him, for all of you.” Well, they were a bit more than mates, but he didn't think he'd ever be comfortable saying that in front of Gwen of all people. They had tried to be discreet, mostly, during the few times they had found true privacy aboard the Veracious, but Matt was pretty sure at least Miss Melika had figured out what was going on, just by some of the smiles she had given them both when she'd seen them hanging out together, and one brief moment as she passed him by on certain ship's morning, just a quick, “I'm so very glad you and Terinu are happy now” followed by a peck on his cheek.
“Well then, so what does he like?” she asked, snapping him out of his reverie.
“He likes jewelry, but I can't afford anything like that. And sweets, but I'd feel right cheap giving him a box of candy canes.”
Gwen's brow wrinkled in thought, then her expression brightened. “I've got just the thing! How thick do you think his tail is?”
Matt unconsciously formed an O with his thumb and forefinger, recalling the times he had stroked Terinu's tail from the base to his spade, a bit of massage that never failed to make the younger boy melt onto the bed. “About three centimeters,” he guessed.
“Perfect.” She dragged him back to the shop where they had gotten Joleen's topknot ring, and pulled out three more rings off a display stand, made of thick engraved brass and hinged to open and clip shut. “Ta, dah!” she declared, dropping them into Matt's palm. “Presenting a first in Ferin Fashion, the tail ring!”
Matt laughed for the first time since they had come to the mall. “He'll love 'em!”
“And if he doesn't like them, he can pig out on the box of chocs you'll give him too.”
His brief smile slipped away again. “Can't afford chocs now. I'm tapped out.”
She grabbed his hand again, pulling him towards the specialty sweets shop that they'd passed earlier. “I'll split them with you, no worries. It'll be worth it just to see him on a sugar high.”
* * *
When they got back, Terinu and the two vulpine were gone, off attending to their mysterious project. Matt grabbed what was left of Mrs. Freeman's wrapping paper and cellotape, holing up in the guest room he and Terinu had been sharing to wrap the presents, Gwen aiding him in the arcane art of wrapping the colorful paper so it looked nice rather than like it had been mauled by the Stellar Postal Service. He set them all underneath the uprooted pine tree that stood in the front of the bay window of the living room, feeling pretty pleased with himself, despite the light load on his credit account now.
Terinu sauntered back in with Lord Rufus and Miss Melika an hour before dinner, all three of them with slightly weird smiles on their faces as they spotted Matt sitting sipping warm cocoa and watching the parades on the trivid with Joleen and Gwen. “Hey Matt,” he greeted. “Finished up shopping with Gwen?”
“Yeah, got everybody a little something,” Matt said. “What about you?”
Terinu shrugged, “Got everybody a gift card two days ago. Ain't my holiday.”
“Terinu,” Miss Melika said, her voice gently chiding.
He gave her an irritated look. “Didn't say it wasn't a nice one,” he mumbled, tail flattening. “Back at Madame Cher's they usually just celebrated Golden Week around the same time.”
“Yes, and I seem to recall a little boy who loved it just for the chance to stuff himself with Cook's pastries and cookies,” she said, smiling.
“Yeah, yeah, that was a long time ago,” he said. “What's for dinner anyway, Matt?”
“Chili,” Gwen replied for him. “Aunt Vonnie always fixes it for Christmas Eve. Don't worry, it's vegetarian this time around.”
“Good.”
“What were all of you doing today, anyway?” Matt asked. “You've been gone for hours.”
“Hu? Oh, just some legal affairs that needed taking care of,” Lord Rufus said. Though his tone was pretty casual, his tail twitched as he deliberately uncurled it from where it threatened to slip between his legs, a typical vulpine sign of concealment.
Matt glanced between him and Terinu, who's tail was still flat on the floor, a sure sign he was lying about something as well. “Come on guys, what's going on, seriously?”
“We were Christmas shopping and that's all there is to it,” Miss Melika said firmly. “Come along Rufus, I'm sure the children want to chat for a bit before dinner.”
“Of course, Milady,” Lord Rufus replied, kissing her cheek briefly before they decamped to the back deck.
“Teri, you and the fuzzies are being weird, you know that,” Gwen said after they'd left.
“Yeah,” Matt agreed.
For the first time since he'd returned, Terinu smiled, his tail rising up again. “You'll find out what's going on tomorrow, a'right?”
Matt just shook his head. “A'right.”
* * *
He ended up stuffing himself on the chili, until he thought about what his mom and sisters were probably eating tonight, probably recycled slop at best. Terinu must have sensed his mood, for the younger boy settled himself close to Matt on the couch, his tail wrapping behind them both to curl up on Matt's lap. Matt spent the evening stroking the edges of the warm spade, which was enough to make Terinu's toes curl in pleasure, while they all watched an all vulpine version of “A Christmas Carol.” Apparently Dickens' classic translated pretty well to the vulp sense of noblisse oblige, even when changing the setting from Victorian London to Vulpine Prime's planetary capitol a scarce forty years after the end of the Dominion War, and Tiny Tim to a cub with a ridiculously rare genetic disorder.
Nice to know some folks get a happy ending, Matt thought as the credits rolled over a scene of the Catchgoose's consuming a hearty Winter Solstice meal. Well, there was no reformed Ebenezer Screwtail to rescue his family from poverty, no matter how deserving.
“Hey Matt, you okay?” Terinu asked. Of course with his bion enhanced senses he could tell what his best friend was feeling.
“Yeah, I'm fine,” Matt said, yawning deliberately. “It's been a long day, I think I'm ready for bed.”
“Long day for all of us tomorrow,” Miss Vonnie agreed. She waggled a finger at Kevin. “And don't you dare wake us up at five in the morning just to open presents.”
“I won't, Aunt Vonnie,” Gwen's younger brother said a bit petulantly.
“Same goes for you, Gwendolyn.”
She stuck her tongue out at her aunt. “You're no fun, Vonnie.”
* * *
There was something very warm, very fuzzy and purring like a chainsaw sitting on the pillow, curled around the top of Matt's head. He blinked awake, to find one of the Freeman's cats doing a fair imitation of a boonie hat, albeit one that weighed about ten pounds. Then he looked over to find Terinu sitting on the edge of his bed, grinning down at him, “'bout time ya woke up, slug,” he greeted.
“Morning,” Matt yawned. He stretched and dislodged the cat, who moved off with an annoyed meef to settle at the foot of the bed. “I'm not the last to get up am I?” The summer sun was shining through the half-polarized windows already, and the clock said it a few minutes after 0600.
“Yeah, but that's okay. Blake is still getting her morning coffee injection. Come on down. They got doughnuts.”
“A'right.” He stood up, stretched again, and followed Terinu down the stairs. Everyone was sitting in the kitchen, dressed in pajamas or loose ship knits, only Leeza bundled up in a thick terry cloth robe, her head hunched over as she nursed her first coffee cup of the day. “Good morning, Miss Blake,” he greeted, grabbing a glazed donut from the box on the kitchen counter.
“Bah, humbug,” she returned. Then she took a long draw on her cup, blinking as she came up to something close full consciousness. “Sorry, Matt. I mean Merry Christmas.”
“Matt's awake! Can we open presents now, Aunt Vonnie?” Kevin demanded, bouncing in his chair.
“Yes, dear,” she replied. They left the kitchen and gathered around the lighted Christmas tree, a real one, sitting in a large pot and destined to be planted in the back yard of the beach house. Matt looked at it and couldn't help but feel a pang of... well, not homesickness. He could have never have thought of Tac E's industrial colony, or even worse, the Celestial Marauder as home. Maybe familysickness was a better word. He wanted to share this day, the generosity of the Freeman's household with his mother and sisters, to let them know there was a better world out there, even for bottom scrapers like they had turned out to be.
Terinu glanced at him, spurs up, with an “Is everything all right?” look on his face, and he felt instantly ashamed. At least he had a family to worry about. Terinu had no one, except for perhaps Matt himself and Miss Melika, on the rare occasions he was able to let his guard down long enough to let her care about him. So for his friend's sake and that day's sake he pushed the negative thoughts aside and put a smile on his face.
As the presents were handed out, Kevin and Gwen tore into the paper wrappings like rabid wolverines, with Joleen proceeding more demurely, and Terinu with his typical “Why are you giving this to me and what do you want out of me for it?” expression. Though that faded when he opened the box with the tail rings, cheerfully slipping them on right there as soon as Matt explained what they were for. The rest of the presents he'd chosen with Gwen's help went over pretty well, though the hit of the morning was probably the pudgy calico kitten that Mr. and Mrs. Freeman gave Joleen. She hugged it gently as the little ball of fluff mewed cheerfully and batted at her dangling topknot.
For some reason Matt mostly got clothes, nice casual civilian stuff, not the Vulpine military issue he'd been wearing recently, though Gwen gave him a gift card for an online retailer. Though as he finished opening the last box of shirts, Terinu cleared his throat and said, “I got something for you too Matt. It ain't a box of chocs, but I think you'll like it just the same.” The younger boy held out a a thick plastic envelope to him, while Miss Melika squeezed Terinu's shoulder gently.
“What's this?” Matt asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
“Open it, son,” Lord Rufus said, sitting on the floor next to Terinu. “I think you'll be very pleased by it.”
It was a secured document folder, thumbprint sealed. Matt pressed his thumb to it and it automatically unlocked, letting him pull out what appeared be a thick sheaf of papers, a memory chip and a pre-paid interstellar com card. He started reading through the top page, lips moving silently. THE FREE FERIN CORPORATION read the header TERINU SOFTPAW, CEO. Matt blinked at that and kept reading, feeling his heart suddenly freeze up in his chest as he came to the words
EMPLOYEE DEBT TRANSFER NOTICE
Summary: This document is notice of the transfer of debt owed by the party of the first part, Freda Townsend, from the party of the second part, Tactical Engineering Incorporated to the Free Ferin Corporation...
...payment transfer received on this date.
“Wait a minute, Teri. Does this say you bought my mom?” Matt said, his voice rising to a shout.
Terinu, rather than getting upset or angry, actually smirked. “Well, yeah. For about ten minutes. Read the next page.”
NOTICE OF DEBT RECONCLIATION: was what the next section read. Matt wasn't much on interpreting legalese but the summary at the top spelled out things clear enough, as he felt his heart pound and his throat close up. It told him that one Freda Townsend's debt was now null and void. That she was free of all further obligations to the Free Ferin Corp.
Free.
“I don't... I don't know if I understand this right,” he said, wiping the back of his hand across his eyes. “How could you afford to do this, Teri? I mean know you had all those jewels left from when you were with the Gene Mage, but my mom and dad owed a lot of money.”
“Yer dad still does,” Teri said. “I'll let him off the hook too if you want, but I wanted to make sure I took care of your mom and your sisters first.”
“But that much money...”
“Matt, listen to me,” Terinu said, reaching over to grasp Matt's hands in his own. “Those jewels the Gene Mage gave me? They were worth a fragging lot of money. I'm frelling set for <>life, got it?”
“And he was wasting them by just holding onto the things, instead of selling them and setting up a proper investment strategy,” Melika said, a little smile crossing her lips. “So I suggested to Terinu that it might be a smart idea to sell his jewels for credits and incorporate himself.”
Lord Rufus rubbed his muzzle thoughtfully. “Money is power, Matthew,” he said. “There are vulpine without a drop of noble blood in them that can tell some of the countesses in the Council of Farmer Lords to get up and dance for them. And with money comes certain social and legal protections that Terinu might not otherwise have, which your family certainly didn't have when they were under the thumb of that rapacious corporation.”
“So we set up Terinu as the head of his own investment company, incorporated under Vulpine law and headquartered in the Brushtail Domain,” Melika conitnued. “He owns all the stock, and I'm working for him as his chief financial officer for the grand salary of one credit per year.”
“The first thing I did was buy your mom's debt from Tac-E,” Terinu said. His expression softened. “Figured I owed ya something for all those meals you snuck to me when we were aboard the Marauder.”
“Oh,” Matt said numbly, fingers still intertwined with Terinu's. “That's great. I mean, thanks, Teri.” His face fell. “I just... I just wish we could do more them. Even if they get out of that camp, where are they going to go? No job just means Mom will go into debt again and maybe have to sell herself back to Tac-E.”
Behind the young ferin, Lord Rufus and Miss Melika were looking down on them both, smiling like idiots. “We took care of that one too,” Rufus said. “Turn the page.”
Matt turned over to the next section of the paperwork. It was an employment contract. “Building Supervisor?” he read. “You own a building?”
“Rent,” Miss Melika corrected, smiling down on them both. “As a non-noble, technically speaking Terinu can't own property in Vulpine space.”
“Generous rental contracts, for say about fifty years, are perfectly possible however,” Lord Rufus added.
“It's easy work,” Terinu told him. “And if I want to pay your mom three times the going rate for it, that's my business ain't it?”
“I... thanks... I...” He swallowed helplessly, then said, “Well what's the call card for?”
“Well, ya wanna call yer mom and tell her the good news, don't ya?”
“Yeah,” Matt said, his voice growing rough in his throat. “In a minute.”
He pulled Terinu into his lap and hugged him tight.
* * *
Note: As you may have noticed Peta, I went with my original idea, but modified it a bit to accommodate what you told me about the fate of Matt's family.
“What, you've like, never celebrated Christmas?” Gwen exclaimed. “Wait, does that mean you're one of those Jehovah's Witness folk, or something else, like Mr. and Mrs. Pashtura down the road?”
“No, nothing like that. It's just we never did,” Matt said uncomfortably. He had been dragged, more or less against his will by Gwendolyn to a shopping mall in the center of one of Melbourne's exurbs, for a last minute Christmas Eve shopping expedition after he'd made the mistake of mentioning that he hadn't bought any presents yet for anyone. His protests that he didn't have any idea what to buy them had been summarily dismissed with the observation that gift cards had been created for a reason after all.
“What, that slave driving corp your family was stuck in didn't even let you take that day off?” She dodged around a crowd centered around a free standing kiosk selling the latest feelie-games, apparently an expert at dealing with the mass of humanity congregated here, a huge building with three tiers of shops, which despite the vast open space seemed even more crowded than the corridors of the Veracious,the Vulpine frigate they had recently served upon.
“Well, you could if you wanted to,” he replied. “But no one ever did. It would mean losing a day's pay.” He shrugged uncomfortably. “Mom would try to save up some food chits through, so we could buy some sugar and make cookies that day.” Mentioning his mother made him wonder how they were doing right now. After the heart-stopping rescue mission spear-headed by the Veracious' battle group, which had stolen away the Varn Dominion's newest slave/clients and destroyed the incaluably valuable shipyards they had been servicing, his mother, sisters and estranged father had all been taken away along with the rest of the rescuees to a relatively safe world in the center of the Federation's defensive perimeter. Taken to safety, and then stuck in a refugee camp. Homeless, jobless, and running the risk of being snatched up again by Tactical Engineering to pay off their debt if they dared leave the camp to look for work. He could only hope that they were all right.
She paused, in front of a shop window filled with a display of woman's shoes, her nose wrinkling, looking like she was holding back on an expression of pity that would just embarrass them both. “I guess... that makes sense then.”
“Yeah, well. It doesn't matter anyway. It's just a day after all. I don't know what the big deal is.”
Gwen rolled her eyes. “You sound like the space rat when you talk like that.”
“His name is Terinu,” Matt snapped. Teri had begged off on coming with them, intent on some project with Lord Brushtail and Lady Softpaw. None of them were much into the holiday either, for obvious reasons. The two vulpine nobles because it wasn't their religion, Terinu because of his lack of any religion at all.
“I know, but Space Rat sounds better.” She waved off his outraged look, back in her own happy world again. “Anyway, you've got to celebrate Christmas proper while everyone is here at Aunt Vonnie's place. Step Two is opening prezzies on Christmas Morning. So we need to make sure you've got something for everybody.”
“What's Step One?” he asked.
“Get sick on caramel popcorn while we watch ancient Christmas specials on the vid stream this evening,” she replied. “Tell you what, I'll make it easy for you. You can figure out something for Terinu, since you know him best, and then I can help you buy prezzies for Aunt Leeza, Joleen and everyone else.”
Matt grimaced. “All right, but I don't have that much money.”
Gwen looked at him quizzically. “What happened to all the pay you got when we were aboard the Veracious? We didn't have anything to spend it on there, and I'm pretty sure you're not into gambling.”
“I passed most of it on to my mom. It wasn't enough for her to pay off her debt to Tactical Engineering, but she was able to get a little more food for herself and my sisters, and bribe the camp managers into getting them some extra clothes and a tent away from the latrines.”
“Oh,” she said, looking crestfallen. “Well, um, we can see what's at the bargain shop, I guess.”
In the end, with Gwen's fine eye for mall shopping, he did manage to get presents for everyone. A printed scarf for Miss Vonnie and a new cap for Barry (“Stop calling me Mister, lad. It makes me feel old.”), a cheap topknot ring for Joleen, a game subscription card for Gwen's brother Kevin, and a pair of matching friendship bands for Lord Rufus and Miss Melika. Terinu left him stumped through.
“How about this?” Gwen asked, holding up a t-shirt that declared “I'M WITH STUPID” with the arrow pointing upward.
“I don't think so,” he said.
“Well this one is appropriate,” she said, pulling another shirt off the rack, black with a white skull and crossbones emblazoned upon it.
“Definitely not,” he declared. Matt sighed and scratched his head. “I dunno. I want to get him something nice. He's... well, we're mates, y'know. We grew up together. Frell, I'd still be Mavra's cabin boy if it weren't for him, for all of you.” Well, they were a bit more than mates, but he didn't think he'd ever be comfortable saying that in front of Gwen of all people. They had tried to be discreet, mostly, during the few times they had found true privacy aboard the Veracious, but Matt was pretty sure at least Miss Melika had figured out what was going on, just by some of the smiles she had given them both when she'd seen them hanging out together, and one brief moment as she passed him by on certain ship's morning, just a quick, “I'm so very glad you and Terinu are happy now” followed by a peck on his cheek.
“Well then, so what does he like?” she asked, snapping him out of his reverie.
“He likes jewelry, but I can't afford anything like that. And sweets, but I'd feel right cheap giving him a box of candy canes.”
Gwen's brow wrinkled in thought, then her expression brightened. “I've got just the thing! How thick do you think his tail is?”
Matt unconsciously formed an O with his thumb and forefinger, recalling the times he had stroked Terinu's tail from the base to his spade, a bit of massage that never failed to make the younger boy melt onto the bed. “About three centimeters,” he guessed.
“Perfect.” She dragged him back to the shop where they had gotten Joleen's topknot ring, and pulled out three more rings off a display stand, made of thick engraved brass and hinged to open and clip shut. “Ta, dah!” she declared, dropping them into Matt's palm. “Presenting a first in Ferin Fashion, the tail ring!”
Matt laughed for the first time since they had come to the mall. “He'll love 'em!”
“And if he doesn't like them, he can pig out on the box of chocs you'll give him too.”
His brief smile slipped away again. “Can't afford chocs now. I'm tapped out.”
She grabbed his hand again, pulling him towards the specialty sweets shop that they'd passed earlier. “I'll split them with you, no worries. It'll be worth it just to see him on a sugar high.”
* * *
When they got back, Terinu and the two vulpine were gone, off attending to their mysterious project. Matt grabbed what was left of Mrs. Freeman's wrapping paper and cellotape, holing up in the guest room he and Terinu had been sharing to wrap the presents, Gwen aiding him in the arcane art of wrapping the colorful paper so it looked nice rather than like it had been mauled by the Stellar Postal Service. He set them all underneath the uprooted pine tree that stood in the front of the bay window of the living room, feeling pretty pleased with himself, despite the light load on his credit account now.
Terinu sauntered back in with Lord Rufus and Miss Melika an hour before dinner, all three of them with slightly weird smiles on their faces as they spotted Matt sitting sipping warm cocoa and watching the parades on the trivid with Joleen and Gwen. “Hey Matt,” he greeted. “Finished up shopping with Gwen?”
“Yeah, got everybody a little something,” Matt said. “What about you?”
Terinu shrugged, “Got everybody a gift card two days ago. Ain't my holiday.”
“Terinu,” Miss Melika said, her voice gently chiding.
He gave her an irritated look. “Didn't say it wasn't a nice one,” he mumbled, tail flattening. “Back at Madame Cher's they usually just celebrated Golden Week around the same time.”
“Yes, and I seem to recall a little boy who loved it just for the chance to stuff himself with Cook's pastries and cookies,” she said, smiling.
“Yeah, yeah, that was a long time ago,” he said. “What's for dinner anyway, Matt?”
“Chili,” Gwen replied for him. “Aunt Vonnie always fixes it for Christmas Eve. Don't worry, it's vegetarian this time around.”
“Good.”
“What were all of you doing today, anyway?” Matt asked. “You've been gone for hours.”
“Hu? Oh, just some legal affairs that needed taking care of,” Lord Rufus said. Though his tone was pretty casual, his tail twitched as he deliberately uncurled it from where it threatened to slip between his legs, a typical vulpine sign of concealment.
Matt glanced between him and Terinu, who's tail was still flat on the floor, a sure sign he was lying about something as well. “Come on guys, what's going on, seriously?”
“We were Christmas shopping and that's all there is to it,” Miss Melika said firmly. “Come along Rufus, I'm sure the children want to chat for a bit before dinner.”
“Of course, Milady,” Lord Rufus replied, kissing her cheek briefly before they decamped to the back deck.
“Teri, you and the fuzzies are being weird, you know that,” Gwen said after they'd left.
“Yeah,” Matt agreed.
For the first time since he'd returned, Terinu smiled, his tail rising up again. “You'll find out what's going on tomorrow, a'right?”
Matt just shook his head. “A'right.”
* * *
He ended up stuffing himself on the chili, until he thought about what his mom and sisters were probably eating tonight, probably recycled slop at best. Terinu must have sensed his mood, for the younger boy settled himself close to Matt on the couch, his tail wrapping behind them both to curl up on Matt's lap. Matt spent the evening stroking the edges of the warm spade, which was enough to make Terinu's toes curl in pleasure, while they all watched an all vulpine version of “A Christmas Carol.” Apparently Dickens' classic translated pretty well to the vulp sense of noblisse oblige, even when changing the setting from Victorian London to Vulpine Prime's planetary capitol a scarce forty years after the end of the Dominion War, and Tiny Tim to a cub with a ridiculously rare genetic disorder.
Nice to know some folks get a happy ending, Matt thought as the credits rolled over a scene of the Catchgoose's consuming a hearty Winter Solstice meal. Well, there was no reformed Ebenezer Screwtail to rescue his family from poverty, no matter how deserving.
“Hey Matt, you okay?” Terinu asked. Of course with his bion enhanced senses he could tell what his best friend was feeling.
“Yeah, I'm fine,” Matt said, yawning deliberately. “It's been a long day, I think I'm ready for bed.”
“Long day for all of us tomorrow,” Miss Vonnie agreed. She waggled a finger at Kevin. “And don't you dare wake us up at five in the morning just to open presents.”
“I won't, Aunt Vonnie,” Gwen's younger brother said a bit petulantly.
“Same goes for you, Gwendolyn.”
She stuck her tongue out at her aunt. “You're no fun, Vonnie.”
* * *
There was something very warm, very fuzzy and purring like a chainsaw sitting on the pillow, curled around the top of Matt's head. He blinked awake, to find one of the Freeman's cats doing a fair imitation of a boonie hat, albeit one that weighed about ten pounds. Then he looked over to find Terinu sitting on the edge of his bed, grinning down at him, “'bout time ya woke up, slug,” he greeted.
“Morning,” Matt yawned. He stretched and dislodged the cat, who moved off with an annoyed meef to settle at the foot of the bed. “I'm not the last to get up am I?” The summer sun was shining through the half-polarized windows already, and the clock said it a few minutes after 0600.
“Yeah, but that's okay. Blake is still getting her morning coffee injection. Come on down. They got doughnuts.”
“A'right.” He stood up, stretched again, and followed Terinu down the stairs. Everyone was sitting in the kitchen, dressed in pajamas or loose ship knits, only Leeza bundled up in a thick terry cloth robe, her head hunched over as she nursed her first coffee cup of the day. “Good morning, Miss Blake,” he greeted, grabbing a glazed donut from the box on the kitchen counter.
“Bah, humbug,” she returned. Then she took a long draw on her cup, blinking as she came up to something close full consciousness. “Sorry, Matt. I mean Merry Christmas.”
“Matt's awake! Can we open presents now, Aunt Vonnie?” Kevin demanded, bouncing in his chair.
“Yes, dear,” she replied. They left the kitchen and gathered around the lighted Christmas tree, a real one, sitting in a large pot and destined to be planted in the back yard of the beach house. Matt looked at it and couldn't help but feel a pang of... well, not homesickness. He could have never have thought of Tac E's industrial colony, or even worse, the Celestial Marauder as home. Maybe familysickness was a better word. He wanted to share this day, the generosity of the Freeman's household with his mother and sisters, to let them know there was a better world out there, even for bottom scrapers like they had turned out to be.
Terinu glanced at him, spurs up, with an “Is everything all right?” look on his face, and he felt instantly ashamed. At least he had a family to worry about. Terinu had no one, except for perhaps Matt himself and Miss Melika, on the rare occasions he was able to let his guard down long enough to let her care about him. So for his friend's sake and that day's sake he pushed the negative thoughts aside and put a smile on his face.
As the presents were handed out, Kevin and Gwen tore into the paper wrappings like rabid wolverines, with Joleen proceeding more demurely, and Terinu with his typical “Why are you giving this to me and what do you want out of me for it?” expression. Though that faded when he opened the box with the tail rings, cheerfully slipping them on right there as soon as Matt explained what they were for. The rest of the presents he'd chosen with Gwen's help went over pretty well, though the hit of the morning was probably the pudgy calico kitten that Mr. and Mrs. Freeman gave Joleen. She hugged it gently as the little ball of fluff mewed cheerfully and batted at her dangling topknot.
For some reason Matt mostly got clothes, nice casual civilian stuff, not the Vulpine military issue he'd been wearing recently, though Gwen gave him a gift card for an online retailer. Though as he finished opening the last box of shirts, Terinu cleared his throat and said, “I got something for you too Matt. It ain't a box of chocs, but I think you'll like it just the same.” The younger boy held out a a thick plastic envelope to him, while Miss Melika squeezed Terinu's shoulder gently.
“What's this?” Matt asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
“Open it, son,” Lord Rufus said, sitting on the floor next to Terinu. “I think you'll be very pleased by it.”
It was a secured document folder, thumbprint sealed. Matt pressed his thumb to it and it automatically unlocked, letting him pull out what appeared be a thick sheaf of papers, a memory chip and a pre-paid interstellar com card. He started reading through the top page, lips moving silently. THE FREE FERIN CORPORATION read the header TERINU SOFTPAW, CEO. Matt blinked at that and kept reading, feeling his heart suddenly freeze up in his chest as he came to the words
EMPLOYEE DEBT TRANSFER NOTICE
Summary: This document is notice of the transfer of debt owed by the party of the first part, Freda Townsend, from the party of the second part, Tactical Engineering Incorporated to the Free Ferin Corporation...
...payment transfer received on this date.
“Wait a minute, Teri. Does this say you bought my mom?” Matt said, his voice rising to a shout.
Terinu, rather than getting upset or angry, actually smirked. “Well, yeah. For about ten minutes. Read the next page.”
NOTICE OF DEBT RECONCLIATION: was what the next section read. Matt wasn't much on interpreting legalese but the summary at the top spelled out things clear enough, as he felt his heart pound and his throat close up. It told him that one Freda Townsend's debt was now null and void. That she was free of all further obligations to the Free Ferin Corp.
Free.
“I don't... I don't know if I understand this right,” he said, wiping the back of his hand across his eyes. “How could you afford to do this, Teri? I mean know you had all those jewels left from when you were with the Gene Mage, but my mom and dad owed a lot of money.”
“Yer dad still does,” Teri said. “I'll let him off the hook too if you want, but I wanted to make sure I took care of your mom and your sisters first.”
“But that much money...”
“Matt, listen to me,” Terinu said, reaching over to grasp Matt's hands in his own. “Those jewels the Gene Mage gave me? They were worth a fragging lot of money. I'm frelling set for <>life, got it?”
“And he was wasting them by just holding onto the things, instead of selling them and setting up a proper investment strategy,” Melika said, a little smile crossing her lips. “So I suggested to Terinu that it might be a smart idea to sell his jewels for credits and incorporate himself.”
Lord Rufus rubbed his muzzle thoughtfully. “Money is power, Matthew,” he said. “There are vulpine without a drop of noble blood in them that can tell some of the countesses in the Council of Farmer Lords to get up and dance for them. And with money comes certain social and legal protections that Terinu might not otherwise have, which your family certainly didn't have when they were under the thumb of that rapacious corporation.”
“So we set up Terinu as the head of his own investment company, incorporated under Vulpine law and headquartered in the Brushtail Domain,” Melika conitnued. “He owns all the stock, and I'm working for him as his chief financial officer for the grand salary of one credit per year.”
“The first thing I did was buy your mom's debt from Tac-E,” Terinu said. His expression softened. “Figured I owed ya something for all those meals you snuck to me when we were aboard the Marauder.”
“Oh,” Matt said numbly, fingers still intertwined with Terinu's. “That's great. I mean, thanks, Teri.” His face fell. “I just... I just wish we could do more them. Even if they get out of that camp, where are they going to go? No job just means Mom will go into debt again and maybe have to sell herself back to Tac-E.”
Behind the young ferin, Lord Rufus and Miss Melika were looking down on them both, smiling like idiots. “We took care of that one too,” Rufus said. “Turn the page.”
Matt turned over to the next section of the paperwork. It was an employment contract. “Building Supervisor?” he read. “You own a building?”
“Rent,” Miss Melika corrected, smiling down on them both. “As a non-noble, technically speaking Terinu can't own property in Vulpine space.”
“Generous rental contracts, for say about fifty years, are perfectly possible however,” Lord Rufus added.
“It's easy work,” Terinu told him. “And if I want to pay your mom three times the going rate for it, that's my business ain't it?”
“I... thanks... I...” He swallowed helplessly, then said, “Well what's the call card for?”
“Well, ya wanna call yer mom and tell her the good news, don't ya?”
“Yeah,” Matt said, his voice growing rough in his throat. “In a minute.”
He pulled Terinu into his lap and hugged him tight.
* * *
Note: As you may have noticed Peta, I went with my original idea, but modified it a bit to accommodate what you told me about the fate of Matt's family.