Open Heart One Shots (Choices)

Underneath the Tree

Summary: Cassie is in the mood to spread some Christmas cheer and her loved ones are happy to help. Accompaniment to Wrapped in Red.

Cassie Valentine could feel frustration rising as she scanned the selection of trees in the farm outside of Boston proper. They had been here for almost an hour now and she had rejected most of the offerings. Too skinny, too tall, too short, too je ne sais quoi.

This was the Roomies' first Christmas tree and nothing short of perfection would do. Aurora had borrowed decorations from her aunt; Kyra had sent a box of candy canes; Elijah's parents had couriered over customized Christmas ornaments, one for each of them.

Now all they needed was a tree to match the vision in her head. She didn't remember it being this hard before when she and Jack would buy one for their apartment.

"I swear to god, scout," Max grumbled after she completed another circle of the section that they were in. "If you don't pick a tree in the next five minutes, I'm leaving you here to make your own way back."

Cassie shot her twin brother an arched look and then sniffed before turning her back on him and hunching her shoulders.

"Nice try," he scoffed. "That didn't work when we were kids, and it doesn't work now. Just 'cause you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not here."

Giving him the cold shoulder, she continued to ignore him and walked over to check out a group of six-feet tall Douglas firs in the far corner.

"You know there's no such thing as a perfect Christmas tree, right?" he continued talking in a whiny tone, determined to annoy her as only a brother could. "They all look the same and are just going to end up in a wood recycling shed at the end of the season, blown to smithereens."

Cassie's shocked gasp was as loud as it was dramatic. She swiveled to face him with accusation in her eyes and placed her hands on either side of the nearest tree as if covering a child's ears.

"Don't listen to the mean man," she crooned to the tree. "You're going to tree heaven where you can play with your friends and eat all the mulch you want."

Recognizing how ridiculous she looked and sounded, Cassie burst out laughing, hugging the tree. Grinning, Max shook his ahead before he too was bent over with laughter.

"You're such a jerk," she said, swallowing her laughter when they started to attract weird looks from the other tree shoppers.

He just smiled, unoffended. "It's frigging cold, sis. Can you please, pretty please with a cherry on top, pick a tree already so we can get out of here?"

Cassie made a face but didn't argue. She stared at the tree she'd been hugging, tapping her gloved index finger against her lips, green eyes narrowing in consideration. The longer she looked at it the more she could visualize it in the corner of the living room in their apartment.

"This one," she said definitively. "Final answer."

Max went to get the owner and twenty minutes later they had the tree covered in burlap and tied to the top of the SUV. By the time they got back on the highway, Cassie had the volume cranked up and was belting out Christmas songs at the top of her lungs, much to her brother's dismay.

They got lucky with parking as another vehicle pulled out right in front of her building. They climbed out of the car and Max stepped on to the running board to untie the tree.

"Here, let me help." Farley walked down the steps, leaving the building entrance propped open. "I've been keeping an eye out for you ever since Sienna texted to say you were on your way back."

With Farley's help, they managed to get the tree down in no time at all and up the steps of the building. When the elevator doors slid open on their floor, Cassie walked ahead to unlock the apartment door, stepping aside as the men carried the tree inside and set it against the kitchen wall.