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Alex relaxed as he sat in front of the iron fence balcony before him. He shivered as the cold Winter air filled his lungs, but the cold he felt only helped to relax him even more. Especially after being cooped up in the party loft that a large number of the Farmhouse agents had gathered in for surprisingly a Christmas/Holiday office party.
Alex was still a little surprised even after the last few hours of being around them all that the serious men and women he had come to know while working for the Polidorium even liked to party. Now Alex knew that they liked to have a beer, which wasn’t anything strange, but to have a full-blown party had taken him back. To Alex, it just seemed strange to see the people who often handled the unbelievable on the daily getting drunk like a bunch of college students at a frat party.
No matter how shocking it was, Alex couldn’t blame them since he knew the job that they were all involved in wasn’t the most pleasant.
He felt another shiver go down his spine as a cold wind wrapped around him before fresh snow fell. He smiled as he watched a few of the snowflakes melt on his clothes, which caused his eyelids to grow heavy as the adrenaline started to seep away from him.
“Falling asleep out here isn’t a good idea,” A familiar voice from behind him said as an over-sized, warm, heavy leather jacket was suddenly draped over him. Alex looked up with a smile on his face as he saw his mentor Sangster standing next to his sitting frame with a red cup in his hand. “You good?” Sangster asked as he moved to sit down next to the youngest slayer.
“You’re probably right,” Alex laughed a little as he pulled his mentor’s jacket tighter around him, soaking in the warmth as he tried to hold back a yawn. “And yeah I’m fine the party just got a bit too much for a moment is all,” He said with a shrug as he looked at Sangster and tried not to laugh as the older slayer slipped a little while trying to sit down.
“Do you want to head home?” Sangster asked, giving his student a half-hearted glare as he tried to ignore the fact that he had slipped.
“Nah, I’m having fun I just needed a moment is all,” Alex assured him, knowing that over the last few months his mentor had grown increasingly more watchful and protective over him. Alex knew that that was his fault since he seemed to have a knack for finding trouble and nearly getting himself killed.
At that thought, Alex instinctively reached his hand up and touched the still healing bite that Ice Maker had caused not even two months before.
“Are you sure?” Sangster asked as he took another sip from whatever was his cup. Alex knew it wasn’t anything alcoholic because it seemed whenever Alex was around, Sangster never drank in case the young slayer needed him.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Alex assured him, trying to convince Sangster that he was okay when really he wasn’t all that okay. The truth was that Alex was fine with staying at the party with all of them, but the reason for this is that he didn’t want to be alone in his empty dorm.
Paul and Sid, who were his roommates as well as his best friends, had headed home for Christmas alongside most of the boys in their dorm house, all except for Alex and a handful of others. Their other best friend Mina had also headed home for the Holidays leaving Alex alone with his Guardians/Mentors. Alex felt his heart ache at the thought of going back to his empty dorm for the next to two weeks, knowing for a fact that after the fight he had had with his Mother and Father only months before that he couldn’t go home.
“You can go back to the party, you know,” Alex said as a small yawn escaped him while he pulled the jacket a little tighter around his frame. “You don’t have to worry about me I’m fine,” He said with a somewhat lie as he watched Sangster raise a brow at him.
“It sounds like you’re tired of hanging out with me,” Sangster joked as he looked at his student trying to get him to laugh since he knew how sad Alex was right now.
Alex didn’t think that he knew, but Sangster knew that Alex’s Father and Mother hadn’t signed him out for Christmas, which caused a crack to form in the hardened slayer’s heart. He tried not to bring it up since he knew it was a sore spot for Alex and he didn’t know how to make it all right.
“If I was tired of hanging out with you, I would have hopped the balcony railing by now,” Alex joked back with a small laugh, the first real laugh that the mentor had heard from his student in nearly three days. “And I could do it too, you know I could,” He laughed a little more, causing Sangster to smile as he nodded his head in agreement.
“Unfortunately, yes I do,” Sangster said before bringing the red cup up for another sip of his drink. “But if you jumped over the railing, then you wouldn’t get your Christmas present,” He hinted as he took another drink from his cup, hiding the smile that formed on his face as he watched Alex perk up at his words.
“Present?” Alex asked, turning his head to the side almost like a confused puppy. “What present?” He asked, trying to figure out what Sangster was playing at.
“The present I got you for Christmas, keep up Mr. Van Helsing,” Sangster said with a joking smile as he pulled out a small candy cane striped box, laughing as Alex moved from the warmth of his jacket to shove his shoulder a little bit. “Careful, you don’t want me to drop it,” He laughed as he placed his cup down before reaching up and ruffling Alex’s hair, causing the boy to laugh yet another real laugh.
He handed Alex the small box once the young man had stopped laughing and was able to talk it from his hand.
“Yeah, yeah,” Alex said with a roll of his eyes before a frown pulled across his face as a look of guilt flashed in his eyes, causing him to freeze before he opened the box. “But I didn’t get you a present,” He said, sadness creeping into his voice as he looked at the man he saw more as his father than he own. That look made Sangster’s heart break just a little more, and he quickly hurried to reassure the young slayer.
“Don’t worry about that, I’m not much one for receiving gifts makes me a little uncomfortable,” Sangster explained as he reached forward and squeezed Alex’s shoulder comfortingly, knowing that during this time of year Alex truly needed comfort. Sangster’s words weren't far from the truth he had never really been the type to enjoy getting gifts. He didn’t like it when people spent money on him, especially when he could get things for himself without them having to waste their hard-earned cash. He shook Alex a little with his usual smile, making the young man smile a little as well. “Now hurry up and open it,” The older slayer ordered playfully as he lifted his hand from Alex’s shoulder.
Alex laughed and nodded his head, the smile still on his face, much to Sangster’s relief.
It didn't take long for Alex to open the simple striped box but he blinked in surprise as he saw the gift that laid inside.
It was a simple silver Cross hanging from a simple silver chain, it wasn't flashy or over the top, it was just simple and nice like the watch Alex wore in fact it matched his watch.
"Wow," Alex said in awe as he lifted the Cross out of the box by the chain careful not to drop since in this weather and at this height if it fell from his hand he didn't think he'd ever find it again.
"Glad you like it," Sangster laughed as he took another drink from his cup watching Alex quickly began to pull the over-sized chain over his head to put the Cross on causing the jacket that was still pulled over his shoulder to shift and sag a little. "Now you're an official Polidorium agent," He said letting out another laugh while Alex fixed the Cross and the chain.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked as he finally got the Cross the way he wanted it. He cocked his head to the side something he did when he was confused and it was also something that made him look like a curious puppy. It was also something that made all the agents that witnessed him doing so silently coo as if they weren't hardened men and women who fought creatures of the unknown. "Wasn't I already a Polidorium agent?" He asked still confused as Sangster finished off his drink.
"Yes, you are but now your officially a Polidorium agent in the eyes of all the others at least the ones at the Farmhouse," Sangster nodded as he watched Alex look down at the Cross that now safely hung around his neck. "See it's become a weird sort of tradition among all of us that after a few years if you survive long enough on the job and prove that you're not a complete mother..." He stopped and cleared his throat stopping himself before he let the curse slip out. "And prove that you're not a complete jerk... " He said repeating his sentence so it was more child friendly.
"Nice save," Alex commented with a laugh, laughing even harder as Sangster rolled his eyes and reached up to shove Alex a little.
"Yeah, yeah," Sangster said rolling his eyes once more before getting back on the train of thought that he was on before. "Anyway, when you prove you're not a complete jerk and that you can actually handle this job the Polidorium or at least the Farmhouse as I said before gives you a necklace," He said with a smile as he reached up to pull his own necklace out from where it had slipped under his shirt. "The necklace you receive is usually protection against evil and is involved with your religion," He explained even further knowing that Alex was still a little confused.
"For me, that means the Cross that I wear," Sangster explained as he moved his Cross out from underneath his shirt. He held it up a little for Alex to see the wooden Cross Sangster wore around his neck that was hanging from a black cord necklace. "And for you, that means the Cross you now wear," He said with a smile as Alex reached up and touched the silver Cross.
"But why me?" Alex asked still a little confused as Sangster explained this Farmhouse tradition to him.
"What do you mean?" Sangster asked this time being the one who was confused by the other's words.
"You said that to get something like this you have to be apart of the Farmhouse agents for years," Alex said while tracing the Cross with his fingers over and over again. "I've only been here for a few months," He explained shivering a little as he thought back to all the crazy and violent adventures he had gone through with the people he now called his family. "A wild few months but still," He mumbled more to himself than to Sangster but his teacher still heard his words as Alex reached up and ran a hand over the still healing bitemark that had been ripped into his neck thanks to Ice Maker.
"Wild indeed," Sangster said as if Alex had just answered his question making the youngest Van Helsing blink in confusion as he cocked his head a little once again.
"What?" Alex asked still confused as he tried to figure out what Sangster meant.
"Alex, you have been through more in these last few months than some of the agents I've known for years," Sangster explained as he reached up and ruffled Alex's hair a proud smile on his face and a proud look in his eyes. "You've faced off against an Ice-Hearted Clan Leader, a Deadly Voice that whispered nothing but lies, and a Queen of Darkness," He said naming every one of the creatures Alex had gone head to head within only the last few months. "Then throw in one psychotic vampire who wanted to spill your blood and wear it as nail polish who you've been able to stop every time," He said reminding Alex of Elle who was still out there somewhere planning her revenge. "And with that being said you've managed to defeat all of them," He said his voice filled with pride as Alex looked at him with wide eyes.
"But..." Alex started trying to find some type of excuse to prove Sangster wrong but everything that came to mind he knew Sangster would be able to see right through.
"Look, Alex..." Sangster said with a sigh as he ran a hand down his face as he started feeling like a dad yet again. "You made a few mistakes, you nearly got yourself killed, and though the getting yourself killed part isn't okay the mistakes are," He said as he placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "You deserve to be called one of us and I'm sure the others will agree especially Armstrong and Carerras who are probably looking for us," He said the last part more to himself than to Alex. "The point is you're one of us and nothing is going to change that," He said waving his hand in the air as Alex looked up at him as if he was a superhero which made Sangster's heart melt a little more than before. "You just got your Cross a little earlier than others," He laughed as he squeezed Alex's shoulder comfortingly.
As Sangster moved his hand back he was suddenly knocked back a little as Alex threw himself into Sangster's chest. Sangster quickly wrapped his arms around his student's shoulders keeping his own leather jacket wrapped around Alex to block out the cold as Alex himself hugged Sangster's ribs as tightly as he could.
"Thank you," Alex whispered softly to where only Sangster could hear as his hug got even tighter though Sangster didn't mind.
"You're welcome, kiddo," Sangster whispered back as he returned Alex's tightening hug. "And Merry Christmas," He added softly as he reached up with one hand and ruffled Alex's hair which only caused the boy he saw as his own blood lay his head on his shoulder.
The two sat there together hugging tightly in the cold air unaware of the few agents Armstrong and Carerras included who stood at the class doors having watched most of the interaction between the two and a few of them even Armstrong herself were taking pictures as the two hugged.