Sorting Through Life's Puzzle Pieces

Chapter 17

          Mae heaved a great sigh of relief as she hung the towel on the hook, leaning against the kitchen counter. All the cooking had been done and put away until she could warm it up in the morning before heading downtown with it all in the heated cooler boxes, she had finally found at some hole in the wall outdoors store several block from the flat. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 2am already and quickly set up the coffee pot and three to-go mugs for the early morning trek. She couldn't take the boxes on the underground, which meant a long walk to her destination the next day.

Just as she was drifting off the Daleks started screaming at her and she angrily answered her phone. "Someone better be dead for disturbing my sleep so early on Christmas morning." She was so tired she hadn't even bothered looking to see who it was before growling at them.

"Apparently, my Angel has horns on occasion. Could you please let me in, darling? It's dreadfully cold out here."

He chuckled as she whined into the phone and promptly hung up after responding with a very violent sounding 'fine'. Looking on the sight as the door was torn open you wouldn't know who was in worse shape. Tom was covered in snow and shivering in his thick, woolen coat. Maeve was glaring at him, waste length red hair coming out of its loose braid, eyes looking like a vampires from the lack of sleep after long hours awake and her tattered pajamas, rumpled and falling off her now too small frame. "There is a shower in the guest room, warm your frozen ass up. If you wake me up before six am, I will not hesitate to spike your tea with laxative before your next interview."

Tom was shocked at her attitude, but then again...he probably deserved it at this hour. "Thank you, Angel. Go back to bed, I'll lock up." Tom gave her a quick, chilly kiss on her cheek and pushed her back down the hall.

"I love you guys, too. No, I won't be home for New Years, either. I tell you what. I'll wire your mom the money and she can send all that to me. When it gets here, I'll do a video call with y'all and I'll open them for you to see, okay?" Tom watched her wander around the sitting room, as she spoke with her family. She had been in the middle of making coffee when her phone rang, he felt a little jealous that they had received such a kind greeting after what he had been the recipient of. "If you're going to scowl at me, Shakespeare, at least drink a cup while you do it." He made a point of not mentioning the name while he took the steaming and quite large mug of coffee from her. "Where's Bobby at? Not left in a snowbank, I hope." She still hadn't bothered looking at him directly. My Angel is really pushing this grudge so early in the morning.

"My mother has him. I was supposed to meet them at her house after this series of interviews, before last night's storm hit. I thought you were going downtown today. Still happening?"

"Of course, I have people counting on me and I was going to have to walk anyway." She was bent over the oven, checking temperatures on several small aluminum dishes she had placed there. "You know, if you can stop staring at me long enough to get something akin to snow clothes on, I could bring you along. Give you something to do while you wait for the streets and tracks to be cleared."

"Cleared?" He saw her smirk when she turned to look at him. Despite the heavy sweater and double layer of pants, he thought her sexy as hell this morning. "Why don't we just jump onto the underground?"

"I can't take the boxes on it, I already asked. Besides this will take the place of that run you take on the regular. What do you say, Shakespeare? Join me in the real world?"

Her cheek is going to land her in hot water one day. "I would love to. DO I have time to finish this delicious coffee you have given me?"

"Sure, why not. I still have another dozen dishes to warm. You may want to take a hot shower first, just to warm your skin up before layering."

Tom took his mug with him while she finished in the kitchen. About an hour later, he heard her lugging the heat boxes down the hallway. "Thank goodness these things have wheels! Hey, Tom, you ready yet slow-poke?"

"Just waiting on you, darling." She looked him up and down. "What?"

"Do you have anything that doesn't scream 'money'" He at once looked offended, "Where we're going, they get nervous around the people who look down on them. They tend to feel judged. From that look you don't. Okay," She grabbed his hand and dragged him after her. "I have some old clothes you can borrow. You might freeze, but hey, as a Frost Giant you should be able to adapt to the smaller clothes as we move about a lot for this."

Where the bloody hell is she taking me!

"Maeve, what are doing out in this? I told you to stop doing this, you're going to get sick."

"Sorry, Aunt Bea. Santa left some gifts at my house. I can't very well disobey orders from Santa Clause, now can I?" Tom watched the older woman shake her head at his woman while accepting a large bag from her. "And, since I was coming, I brought some things for the adults as well. You just make sure the kids get theirs. No one needs to grow up without Christmas, or some such to look forward to." Tom was giving out the dishes Maeve was handing off to him, occasionally getting a sheepish hug from someone.

He had never been prouder of someone before. He had learned that she had been up until the wee hours, baking, cooking and packing. As soon as he saw that these people of the street knew her, he felt ashamed of what little he did for others. Sure, he toured for UNICEF to help raise funds, but this was real help. Right here, at home. The old woman, Bea, was watching him. He tried no to look like he felt guilty, but he thought she caught it.

"Hey, Romeo. Come closer, kid." Kid? "Who are you to my girl over there?" She said pointing to the redhead playing with the kids and their snowman.

"I am whoever she wants me to be, until she wants me the way I want her." Aunt Bea gave him a scrutinizing look before nodding.

"I know who you are, Romeo. We get plenty of help out here, us and the kids. Not too many folks take it up, but I at least keep the families going in the right direction, so they don't stay too long." Tom nodded to let her know he was following. "You get that girl married to ye and give her a whole house full of kids to take care of. She is too good to be out here where she could get hurt or sick."

"Believe me, I am trying. She is so bloody stubborn." He offered her his hand, "Tom."

"Beatrice. Now, get my girl home. She's starting to shiver and so are you. Don't worry about the bins, I will see they get back to you." Tom took her at her word and got Mae's attention.

"I think it's time to get home, Angel. No need to tucker the kids out before they open those gifts Santa sent with you." She looked at him tiredly.

"I suppose you're right. Let me get the boxes and we'll head back."

"Bea said she would get them back to us, so we can grab the underground and warm up a bit on the way."

Maeve waved gratefully to Aunt Bea and she and Tom hopped on the underground at the closest station. They sat in the car, soaking wet. Maeve had her head on his shoulder, her eyes fluttering as he watched her try to stay awake. "Tom?"

"Yes, Angel?"

"Thanks for coming with me. It was nice to have some company this time."

"My pleasure, darling." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to share what little body heat they had. "Rest your eyes a bit, darling. We've got a good thirty minutes before our exit. I've got you." She just sighed into him, gently laying a hand on his stomach as she cuddled in a bit. It made him think of what Beatrice had told him. She dearly loved caring for people, and this motherly side of her just made his desire for her greater than ever. Darling, I hope you are prepared to be wooed, the likes of which you have never seen before.