This story originally hosted by Alternate Timelines

---

Tintin: Someone Else's Party

by Mel

Disclaimer: The characters all belong to Herge. This was a very fast written fic. It was fun. For Maelie and Andraste.

Captain Haddock had been reading. A lot. He tended to get deeply involved when he started a new project, and while this one didn't look to be as financially rewarding as Red Rackham's treasure, he was reading his way through an enormous pile of books about Greenland.

He didn't stop waving his arms and arguing with the books when Nestor snuck in and decorated his room, any more than he twitched when Nestor bought him tea in the mornings. He was busy.

Nestor had decorated the entirety of Marlinspike Hall, with, naturally, nothing but the best of taste and decorations. Empty halls that usually echoed with silence now held the faint chiming of tiny bells, reception rooms glittered with reflected light. Nestor believed in Christmas.

He did not, however, believe in Christmas enough to go and decorate Professor Calculus's rooms. There were some things that were too much to ask a loyal butler.

Professor Calculus had no idea what time of year it was. He seldom did. Sometimes he didn't even know what time of day it was, but that was okay, because his work was going well. Every day, new ideas, new plans, new problems to be solved.

He bustled around his workshop, and didn't notice the sun come up.

Tintin had arrived back in town the day before and had spent a good twenty hours sleeping, with Snowy doing something very similar in his bed, rolling over, glancing at the other and then falling back into comfortable rest. Finally they both woke up, and went for a walk to find somewhere that had food, coffee and a newspaper. So, Tintin did know that it was that time of year. He noted the date and the meanings as he read the paper, but Tintin didn't believe in Christmas, so he kept reading, about coups, wars, crime and social events.

Snowy, not having feelings either way, although he always liked a good excuse for a drink, ate his breakfast and dozed at Tintin's feet.

On his way back, Tintin picked up his mail, and noted with no surprise, the formal note from Nestor. On behalf of the Captain, it said, but Tintin knew who the celebration really was for. He grinned. "Nestor wants a Christmas dinner, Snowy. Looks like we're going to Marlinspike."

Snowy scratched himself. ::It's about time,:: he thought. ::He knows how to treat a dog.::

Tintin arrived at Marlinspike, walking up the perfectly snow free drive, Snowy trotting at his heels, only very occasionally going off to investigate a suspicious rustle in the bushes. You can't trust those squirrels.

Nestor, of course, was waiting at the door, perfectly poised to take Tintin's coat and softly suggest that Sir was upstairs, and would sir like a drink?

Tintin laughed, demurred and headed up to the Captain's room, leaving Snowy prowling for his arch nemesis, the cat.

Upstairs, Haddock, for one of the first times in quite some period, put his books aside and stood up to grasp Tintin's hands in greeting. "Tintin! You're back. How long has it been?"

Tintin laughed again, and hugged Haddock. He knew, as only a friend can know, that Haddock didn't know what day it was, that he'd been invited, and that Haddock was tremendously glad he was there, just as he would have been tremendously glad if he'd turned up yesterday or tomorrow.

So, they did what they had to do, and caught up.

Downstairs, Nestor prepared the meal. If he hummed a little bit of Joy To The World as he prepared vegetables, then it was only because he was such a good butler.

Eventually, Tintin glanced at the clock. "We'd better get ready," he said.

Captain Haddock looked confused. "What for?"

"Nestor's Christmas."

Haddock blinked. "Blistering barnacles," he said, but that was all. He sighed, loudly. "I should get all gussied up, shouldn't I?"

Tintin solemnly nodded. "I'll go find Professor." He smiled and headed off, as the Captain muttered to himself.

It didn't take that long to find Professor Calculus, especially not for as great an investigative reporter as Tintin. Calculus was head down in a machine in a way that looked dangerous, but Cuthbert Calculus never got hurt by his inventions. It was only ever other people, and mostly in particular Captain Haddock.

It took a few minutes to get Calculus to hear correctly what was going on, but he too understood, and together they headed back to the Hall and the parlour where they conducted a conversation at the top of their voices, which only got louder when Captain Haddock came down, in a suit, because Haddock has never understood that sometimes you just have to accept that Calculus won't hear you. They're shouting when Nestor entered to usher them into the dining room, with the long table, and they sat down amongst the tasteful decorations. Nestor bustled out to start bringing in the excesses of food.

Three old friends to celebrate a festival that none of them particularly believed in. Because Nestor had to have his Christmas. Friends do that, sometimes, even if they don't quite believe.