A Christmas Miracle on Dewdrop

Wenee pulled something out from a bag on her waist. It was a little square. Sirena removed some sort of thin, silvery wrap and showed it around.

"Shocolate," she said and she popped the square into her mouth. Her face had momentary bliss on it, Beatrice though, before those green eyes caught hers.

"Chelonia," Sirena said, "would you like to try it?"

Alphonse released the girl and she raced to wrap her arms around her Auntie Shirena and they hugged. The girl released Sirena and had an apprising expression as she looked at the black face. Wenee handed her a bit of the 'shocolate,' then showed her how to unwrap it. The girl licked it. Beatrice had never seen her daughter with that same look of bliss her Auntie had just had. She gobbled the item. Wenee quickly offered them to the Margaret and the Melons.

"Please be orderly," Sirena rose and announced, "send the little ones to the barge."

A cheer rose up and the Margaret's desire for a sour expression on her thin and sharp-nosed face fought with her appreciation of the gift.

"It is time now for the Christmas Eve celebration," the Margaret said, "we will have much to discuss in the morning. Please be as one of us and enjoy."

Sirena caught Beatrice's eyes and smiled as Wenee and Abraham dipped their heads. The Margaret and the two Melons turned and fought against the tide of children and toddlers who streamed toward the barge. The Sarahs had joined them and provided a bulwark.

As was usual, the reindeer took on the generally hopeless task of organising the rush. Beatrice watched the Kringles and Lobster pass out 'shocolates' without those wrappings. Smart. Then Sirena gathered her nearby pair and Wenee took Chelonia's hand and the singer led them toward Beatrice and Alphonse. The mass of children hooted happily and sang 'Orca Warrior' and provided them a path.

Sirena and Beatrice hugged. The choir had started "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," although shocolate replaced the expected figgy pudding. Not that anyone knew what that was anyway. Children ran off with their share of that treat and hooted and sang as they ate it.

"This is Abraham," Sirena's smile was as broad as Beatrice had ever seen it. The man was indeed handsome. Was indeed... Theo.

"And this is his Margaret, call her Taylor, this is my best friend Beatrice and her mate Alphonse and of course, Chelonia," Sirena said before Alphonse shook first Abraham's hand then Taylor's then they took Beatrice's hand. Taylor pulled out a piece of wrapped shocolate for each of them. It was, without a doubt, one of the most wonderful things she'd ever had in her mouth. Although Alphonse's cock was right up there too.

"I am only the little Margaret," Taylor said, "the big Margaret is on the Endymion."

"You lot get to know each other," Sirena said, "I'm taking Beatrice."

She grabbed her friend's hand and Abraham's and dove. They had little choice but to follow.

The Kringle was agile. He had little trouble navigating the streets and his face betrayed his awe. Every so often Sirena refilled his lungs. The old stories were true. Kringles were creatures of the ground. But he moved almost as smoothly as she and her friend. So much better than his Margaret.

He shot a happy burst of bubbles when he saw Sirena's nest as she lit a lampplant and he ran fingers along the carved stone walls. Beatrice was impressed. It was tidy! She hoped that Abraham wouldn't expect it to be that way on any sort of regular basis. Sirena pulled out what Beatrice knew was some sweet kelp candies and she offered one to Abraham. He looked it over and put it in his mouth and chewed. He smiled. After he swallowed Sirena kissed him and filled him again.

"Beatrice," Sirena said, "take him and show him what a beautiful family nest looks like."

"Sure," she responded, "if you know of a family that has one!"

Beatrice had been embarrassed, Chelonia's toys littered their place. But the look on Abraham's face was... Sirena's mother had taken the path of the rogue and her friend had never known her father. The blonde was certain that until a few months earlier her beautiful red-headed friend had resolved to choose that same path.

With this one she'd have no need of that. But. He was... a Kringle. They were people... but they weren't. Leave it to her friend to find the most confused way. But. She was happy. So happy.

They led the sweet and beautiful Kringle back to the celebration.

The children sated for now, one of the other she-Kringles had joined their Margaret with Alphonse. Aisha's older boy Benny had taken Chelonia to play little-big chasing games and that woman with her infant at her breast and her mate had joined in discussion while the children ran and hooted and laughed. Taylor introduced the second she-Kringle as Jane Cuthbert, who was an itcheeologist. A what?

"I study fish, and you have so many!" She'd said. But no one knew what she meant. Then she pointed at a bright orange koi that wandered past.

"Those," she'd pointed, "and all of the others."

"Animals," Beatrice and Aisha and Alphonse and all responded, "you study animals!"

Everyone laughed. These Kringles were so much like people... but in ways not. This Jane Cuthbert was less clumsy than Taylor but not quite Abraham. Beatrice led them all to one of the banquet floats. Jane Cuthbert's eyes went almost as wide as a person's when she saw the array of choices. The Anastasias had outdone themselves this year, Beatrice thought.

"I need to know what every one of these is from, and Jenkins' magic juice better work," she said as she filled a plateleaf with what seemed to be one of each color. Taylor seemed reluctant but after a nervous bite was quicker.

"We have red and white wine," Beatrice indicated the bulbs, "and soft drinks here."

"I'll be right back," Sirena said and she and Abraham kissed, then she jogged off, Beatrice followed out of curiosity. The singer met two Rachels, the blonde knew one was a distant cousin of her friend. She spoke to them softly and they smiled and then she led them to the strange barge. The other he-Kringle sat on the edge with those legs hanging over and someone had given him a bulb of red wine. He sipped at it and looked over the crowd then stared when he saw Sirena and the Rachels approach.

"You are Shenkins," Sirena said. The man took a moment before he smiled.

"Yes, ma'am, I'm Jenkins."

"These are my friends, they are Rachels," both had the classic dark, almost black, hair of the original Rachel. Both were beautiful and highlighted their faces and breasts in subtle ways unique to their kind.

"They would like to show you the hospitality of our people," Sirena said with a husky lilt and she reached out. After another moment he took her hand and slid off the barge. She nudged him and the Rachels sidled each side of him.

"Come, Shenkins, trust us," one said.

He looked at Sirena and she smiled and flicked her hand. He let himself be led off. Sirena slid her arm around Beatrice's and they wandered back toward the others.

"Do you think Abraham is beautiful?"

"He's a bit funny looking," Beatrice kept her tone light but Sirena hooted acknowledgement, "but he is beautiful. In and out."

Sirena wrapped her arms around that beautiful man and they kissed and hugged.

"I have one more set," Sirena said, and led him by the hand toward the stage. Beatrice watched as she kissed him and hopped onto the stage. She sang a series of happy seventh chords. Her choir responded and moved back into place, a few licked fingers. A few more again sported frightened looks at the prospect of keeping up with their soloist. All of them gave Abraham looks heavy with curiosity.

"Can we take Alphonse for a while? We need to discuss to expand our nest," Aisha asked and caressed her baby's back and Beatrice hooted and kissed her mate quickly and the three wandered to collect wine bulbs and talk of stone.

As soon as the last choir member was in place, their fear was proven valid. Sirena's gaze was clearly on the gap between Sharky and Shamu where they'd first seen the Visitor. Her song was a soaring offering of thanks.

The last she-Kringle joined the listening group. She was simply 'Chief' but she was their Old Melon. A female Old Melon. These Kringles were truly interesting. She was short, little more than a young teen in size but her face was wise as it should be, Beatrice thought, but she too was clumsy. Well, the blonde considered, how would I do on ground?

"Good idea on the flotation suits, Chief," Taylor said. The smaller Chief snorted, a sort of laugh Beatrice was quite certain.

"These names Lieutenant," Chief said, "THE Margaret, THE Old Melon, those Rachels, I overhead Sarahs, too. They're titles."

"Figured, but doesn't explain how these people got...," Taylor looked around, smiled at Beatrice and jumped back when Chelonia sped between them in hot pursuit of a young horse, chased by another child. The Kringles stared in amazement.

"Sea horses! And the kids, perfectly adapted to the sea," Jane Cuthbert said. Odd words that Beatrice decided she'd keep and ask Sirena. Her friend didn't have the Melon title but knew more than most of them. The horse turned tide on its pursuers and Chelonia and the other squealed in happy terror as they fled with it at their heels. Then the she-Kringle wandered off when a very colorful pair of parrots went by. They weren't really tame but they wandered through the Settlement occasionally, especially on nights like this where plenty of bits of food would get dropped and be free for the taking. They were generally calm and rarely bothered anyone if left alone and their poisonous flesh made sure of that.

"Don't touch them, Jane Cuthbert," Beatrice called after her, "poison."

The woman turned and looked at her, nodded, then followed the creatures at a respectful distance.

"I've had Makelele at the camp in touch with N'Kono and others on Endymion," Chief said, "Melon. Melon Bezerg. The genius inventor back in the twenty-first. Hell, even today most of OUR tech is just tweaks on what he came up with. So. 'Melons' as the nerd brigade."

"You are the Old Melon," Beatrice chimed into the odd discussion.

"She is, and she is definitely a major nerd," said Margaret Taylor. Chief snorted again.

"Back in the day, Margaret Timmons ran his companies," Chief continued, "and Rachel and Sarah were his first two mermaids. And so on. The Bezergians were here. And well, they...""

Beatrice tried to concentrate, but the confusing words and Sirena's soaring solo made it hard.

"Made these people," said Taylor, "from themselves. Because, of course. There's no land. And... they do that."

"But the Bezergians settled HR5256 after the Great Schism, they've always disclaimed further expeditions. Claim they have Earth, Venus and Mars clones, full asteroid belt and multiple gas giants with plentiful moons all just waiting for customized humans and a sedate and long-lived K star," Chief's voice had an odd tone that Beatrice took as disapproval or something similar but didn't know why.

"They lied. Maybe... their own schism, they're the kind that far enough isn't always far enough for some," Taylor said, "but if so, where is the ship? Labs? Anything? No sign of such tech either planet. And we've done a decent survey of the system."

"Madagascar. We need to investigate the lava flow. The Settlement is here, so maybe... damned birds not letting us fly drones in the light means our survey has been limited to crawlers and it's not been a priority, what with a colony of merpeople to watch," Chief said, "I'll take a team, there are some broad plains and deep rivers this side of the island which would've made good sites, easy access to the sea. At least, before they were buried under lava. Old fashioned fieldwork."

"Tomorrow. We'll ask the Margaret and the Old Melon for what records they have. Well, day after tomorrow. Tomorrow is Christmas, isn't it Beatrice?"

"Yes, Margaret Taylor, you will all stay?"

The she-Kringle Margaret turned and looked at the stage.

"No chance getting Franck away from here," she did that snort thing. Chief and Beatrice laughed.

"Beatrice," the blonde looked at Chief as the small she-Kringle spoke and pointed to the ruddy globe of the Sister, "I bet you're happy you're not there, nothing but ground."

"Oh, no," Beatrice said, "people can't go to the Sister. No people can go."

She could tell both she-Kringles were surprised by her tone.

"If people go to the Sister they go crazy if they breathe the air, that's what Sirena told me, what the Melons say. But Sirena says none of them know why."

Beatrice was torn between Sirena's guidance of the full choir through a medley of Christmas carols and the sudden look of terror on the she-Kringles' faces.

"Chief, get word to---," Taylor said.

"Already on it," Chief said as she moved further and spoke strange words to no one with a short pause, "Makelele, did you hear that? Good. Get word..."

Chief turned and looked at Taylor.

"She's passed it on, waiting for confirmation. Let's hope they're better at following protocol."

Beatrice fretted. Had she said something wrong? Hopefully Sirena would know. She tried to absorb her friend's deep joy.

It was Christmas. She looked. Jane Cuthbert had given up on the parrots and had put her Kringle cap on Chelonia. The child held it and jumped and laughed as the fluffy white ball on the tip bounced in her face. The she-Kringle grinned. Then her expression morphed and Beatrice knew Kringles were truly people. The itcheeologist's face showed lust as Roland, one of Alphonse's friends and workmates, approached her. The man's chest was broad and his face was craggy and he was a bit of a rogue but he had his charms. Chelonia howled when another child snatched the Kringle cap and she set off in pursuit to leave the adults alone. She, all the little ones, would sleep well. Beatrice smiled as Jane Cuthbert put her hand against Roland's chest and caressed the flaps along his neck. He extended a muscular arm and stroked her cheek and neck.

Beatrice looked at the stage and the man who stood nearby and watched and listened to another amazing solo moment from the stage. It had taken a second Christmas and much misfortune, but her dearest friend had her Christmas Miracle. She glanced back at Jane Cuthbert, who blinked after she'd just kissed Roland. That she-Kringle smiled broadly and the itcheeologist and the stone mason turned their backs and their arms went around one another and they walked away. Maybe Sirena and Abraham weren't the only ones with a Miracle this Christmas.

The Kringle Margaret looked and smiled. But Beatrice had regularly seen that kind of smile recently, it showed plenty of worry and not just happiness.

Well, thought Beatrice, interesting times had come. Their ancestors had battled sharks and orcas. They'd survived for her and her mate and child and Sirena and everyone else to carve great nests from solid rock. They'd make it through whatever was to come.

*****

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this tale and if so you'll give me a good rating. If you're not familiar with the early history of my Mermaid universe, take a look at "A Mermaid Christmas," also in Science Fiction & Fantasy. There you'll meet Melon and Margaret, Sarah and Rachel and the Anastasias.

If you want to further explore my other stories, click on my penname and take a look at my "Mel's Universe" or "You Promised Me Geeks" series. Or whatever takes your fancy.