Baby, It's Cold Inside

Mitchell took another sip of his spiked eggnog, mentally sticking his tongue out at the taste. He wasn't a fan of eggnog, too...well, too spicy for his liking, but it was the only form of alcohol at this gathering, and he definitely needed lots of that.

He had planned on spending most of the night with the bottle of whisky in his room, alone, but Ilona spoiled that, knocking on his door, and then bursting into his room while starting to dig through his closet, supposedly "looking for something decent to wear".

Mitchell wasn't sure what she hoped to find. They had only been with the Sentinels for over a month now, and there wasn't a lot of time to go shopping.

He suddenly found himself ducking, avoiding a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt Ilona chucked at his head, followed by an order to put them on.

"These are not my-"

"I know, I know," She cut him off. "I borrowed them from Elijah, they should fit you fine."

Mitchell only shook his head, and put on the pants, knowing that there wasn't any use arguing over it, even though he would rather wear his own damn pants. "I'm not sure I'm in much of a party mood, Ilona," he warned, not wanting to get her hopes up.

He was surprised when he suddenly found himself in a hug with the ex-Spetsnaz agent, her chin hooked over his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his.

"I miss them too," she whispered into his ear, squeezing him tightly as he all but melted into the embrace.

He blinked back tears at the contact, worried that if he started crying now that he wouldn't be able to stop. Mitchell even had to bite back a whimper when Ilona released her grip, stepping back to smooth out a wrinkle on his shirt in an effort to compose himself.

"Besides, the team stays together for Christmas, that's the rules."

Mitchell couldn't help himself, nodding in agreement.

After the nuclear reactor explosions, the four of them had started celebrating as a team. Their first Christmas was only six months after the attacks, and essentially consisted of nothing more than Gideon rounding them all up and passing around a whisky bottle. It had been simple, but it meant a lot to Mitchell, brushing shoulders with his new team and sharing stories.

So lost in thought, Mitchell found himself startled when Ilona dragged him out of his room, her small but strong hand in the crook of his elbow.

The party was already in full swing when they got there, and Ilona found herself with a handful of offers for a dance. She had turned down the first couple, but then Cormack came by, and Mitchell waved her out on the dance floor. He had noticed fairly quickly that whenever the Commander came by, that she had an extra sparkle in her eyes, and he didn't want to get in the way of whatever was happening between the two of them.

After Ilona had gone, Mitchell had found an empty table in the corner and sat down, alone except for his drink and thoughts.

Mitchell sighed loudly, taking another sip of his drink and frowning. This time however, the frown on his face was due to his glass being empty. He stood and wandered over to the bar, asking for a refill before he returned to his spot in the corner.

His parents were never too big on celebrating the holidays; other than making the yearly appearance to church and having a big meal, they never celebrated further than that, much to Mitchell's and his sister's dismay.

Will's family on the other hand went way overboard, decorating every room in the house with tinsel and garland, candy canes and nutcrackers. Mitchell loved every bit of it, and Will had picked up on it quickly.