ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗʳᵒᵘˢ ▸ 𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐄𝐑² ✓

seventeen.

MONSTROUS.
017. | ❛ christmas. ❜

A/N: I'm sorry that I haven't updated because I haven't felt like Crystal fit into the story line. Right now, this is the ending of 2x11 because the whole episode felt like a cat and mouse chase with Rip. But I did like the dinner that the Legends had.
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The Legends, and by that Ray, arranged a dinner for all of them. Christmas wasn't a holiday that Crystal related to since she never had a house to call her own, and she never had a proper Christmas with presents and stockings. Some of the team ate around the table with Amaya decorating the tree and Nate engaging in conversation, Sara talking with the rest of the team, with Ray and Crystal off dancing to the Christmas songs being played.

"The last time we danced, we were saving the President from exploding." Ray continued to swayed side to side with Crystal. She hasn't felt warmness like this since Leonard, even though she didn't normally dance with Leonard. But for once, she liked the idea of being close to Ray. The safety of being in his arms, even if it was for one small dance.

"Well, that's not entirely true. Don't you remember when we were kidnapped by aliens, and the alternative universe they put us in? We danced there." Crystal said as Ray looped her around, and in an instant returned his hand to her back.

"I still prefer our regal dance. You certainly were more beautiful then." Ray said before he got caught of what he just said, immediately stopping the dancing. "I mean you're beautiful everyday. Which isn't like a creepy way, stalker way. I just-"

"Ray, I get it." Crystal said as she patted him on the back and went to go get a present she had on the table. "Merry Christmas," Crystal handed the box to Ray, "From your Secret Santa."

Ray smiled instantly at the gestured, quickly unraveling the wrapping paper to see the DVD of Stars Wars. He loved George Lucas and couldn't believe that Crystal remembered his love for it, but he dug deeper and was even more in shock when he saw what was written. "You got George Lucas to sign this? That's amazing!"

He engulfed Crystal in a full bear hug, and that was the response that Crystal wanted. Back when they found Rip and had to save George Lucas for death, she convinced him to sign a copy of it as a present for Ray for his birthday, but found it fitting for Christmas.

After the hug, Ray disappeared for a while before he came back with a present. "From your Secret Santa, I hope you enjoy it."

Crystal looked down at the small box in front of her, opening and taken back from the present. It was a small necklace from 1987, that she saw in the window of an antique shop. It was one that she remembered that she saw from her father's pictures of her mother.

She went to go touch it to confirm that it was real, "How did you get this, Ray? It was like forever ago."

Ray smirked and touch the necklace from Crystal, who pushed her hair aside, and clasped it behind her neck. It fell beautifully and was blinding to anyone who saw it. "Thank you, Ray."

Once again, Crystal and Ray wrapped their arms around each other. It wasn't until Nate interrupted them with a cough, and looked upward to the ceiling. The two saw what was hanging above them, mistletoe.

Ray's cheeks began to flush with red and Crystal fidgeted with her thumbs before Ray cleared his throat. "You don't have to."

Even with his words, Crystal felt another emotion that wasn't awkwardness. She wanted to keep the friendship they had, but she yearned for something more. Something that has been building for the past months. Boosting herself upwards, her lips connected with his rough ones. With eyes wide open, Ray soothed into her firm, perfect lips before she departed from his mouth.

Unexpectedly, their hands had linked together and they both felt uncomfortable under the team who had or had not seen the exchange between the two. The two smiled at the ground before Ray felt the pull coming from Crystal, slowly she unlinked her fingers from him as he held onto her supple fingers. "Happy Holidays."

She smiled as she rubbed her thumb over the corner of her lip before she found her way to the table with the team, and Ray joining slowly after.

Crystal took her seat alongside Sara, before Crystal lifted herself and made the first toast. "Alright, Merry Christmas or whatever. I just want to say that I never really had a family to call my own, and being surrounded with people like you guys really make me values this moment. You guys are my family. Although, we have The Legion to worry about and Rip as well, we've been in this position before with Savage. As a team, we'll fight together and we'll win and get Rip back and hopefully go back to time when we were all just Time Masters with no super villain organization to worry about. Cheers."

Everyone cheered for Crystal before she sat down, ironically with Sara to her side and Ray to her other.

"All right, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and whatever people say who exist outside the timeline. Now, I know that it may seem like we don't have anything to celebrate. Rip's been brainwashed and took our piece of the Spear of Destiny. There's a monument in Washington D.C. to Rory. But... we saved America, and we're gonna save Rip and get back the rest of the spear, because as powerful as the Legion may be, they don't have this. Family. And we all know nobody fights like family."

"Here, here. Cheers."

"To family."