Title: Down to the Wire
Author: Kendra
Rating: LBOTLBOT (Little bit of this, little bit of that)
Summary: One Ho's quest for the General's Christmas present
Archive: alrighty
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Obi but no such luck he's George's, life just isn't fair sometimes.
Timeline: I guess after Dor's giving LP away.
Notes: All mistakes are mine, I've had ages to look over this but no time and figured time would get even more scarce over the next few days so I'd better post before I forgot.

"So what do 'I' get out of this?" Kymira questioned as Kendra stood before her desk.

"Look, just do it...out of the goodness of your heart," Kendra tried to persuade but Kymira simply snorted. "Oh alright...I'll make sure you get your damned crossbow back...now deal?"

"No, not quite...add some new arrows, cause I seem to go through quite a few and then we'll call it a deal," Ky added as the General's secretary eyed the other Ho wearily.

"Ok."

"Ok."

"Fine...I'll send you the new schedule when it's made." Kendra stated before hurriedly leaving Kymira's office before the other Ho could change her mind.

~~*~~

"Ah come on Ken, that was to be my special holiday powertool try out days," Jen winced as the two grrls chatted in the hallway. "I mean I am hoping for the latest models as gifts you know."

"I know, I know...but I'd really appreciate it and it's not like it will be but a couple days," Kendra tried to sooth. "Think about it, what if I can guarantee you two back to back appointments without interruptions?"

"Really?"

"Really."

"On a Saturday night?" Jen gleamed.

"Ah...yeah, on a Saturday," Kendra fumbled as she tried to remember what the schedule for the first week in January would be. "Oh well, I'll make it work."

"You got yourself a deal...on one condition," the party Ho edged as Kendra just sighed.

"Go for it..."

"You throw in a case of batteries and it's official," Jen stated.

"Whoa a case? Ah, yeah sure," Kendra agreed then scampered down the hall wondering if Jen would really use that many batteries in one session or if this was the mother load for the week.

~~*~~

"Hey Dor," Kendra smiled as she passed by the Librarian as she sat in her car munching skittles and drinking.

"Aren't you going to try and bribe me like you did my Padawan?" Dorotea questioned as she rolled down the car window...well ok she pulled the duct tape off and the window fell into her lap.

"Well...honestly no, you can't help me, sorry," Kendra smiled before walking off.

"Ungrateful Ho," Dor mumbled as she grabbed the roll of duct tape and began to put the Volvo's window back up. "All of you... ungrateful I tell you...ungrateful," Dor shouted before the window fell to the asphalt and shattered. "Damn...where am I going to get a replacement?" She snapped before eyeing Darry's car and grinning. "Close enough," she smiled before climbing out of the window.

~~*~~

"You're telling me, you'd work for me every weekend for the month of January if I'd just give those few days up?" Judy remarked yet again. "What's the catch Padawan, you're up to something, I can feel it," she sighed as she refilled the pretzels.

"Really, Judy, there's no catch, its just that I'm trying to do something and I really could use your help and cooperation oh wondrous Master," Kendra smiled warmly.

"Oh brother...fine...I'll do it! Just promise me you won't run the blender or any other electrical equipment on those nights," Judy requested.

"You got it! No electrical equipment, I promise...thanks Judy! Believe me, this is all for a good cause," her Padawan smiled sincerely this time.

"I sure hope so...cause I was planning my end of the year inventory on one of those nights!" The Master bar keep shouted to her retreating Padawan who was racing out of the bar before Judy could reconsider.

~~*~~

"El, please...you have to do this for me...I'm counting on you," Kendra pleaded into the bathroom mirror back at her apartment, practicing her best pitiful look to use on her roomie. After getting just the right amount of sadness in her eyes she grinned madly and went to find Ellie.

"Alright, what are you up to?" Ellie demanded as she saw her roommate approaching her.

"Up to? What are you talking about?" Kendra winced.

"I've lived with you long enough to know that fake pout anywhere. Spill it, what are you trying to scam?" She ordered as Logan and her watched television.

"You see, it's like this...I need you to give up your...well your...appointments for these dates," Kendra explained as she handed Ellie the prepared piece of paper.

"Oh, I knew the stress of the job would get to you sooner or later, you must be mad...these are prime General boinking dates...the motorcycle and all," Ellie exclaimed loudly as Logan growled in protest at the mention of the two wheeled machine.

"I know El, what can I do to convince you that this is a good cause?"

"Let me tell you," Logan snarled at Kendra who in turn snarled at him.

"I wasn't asking you claw for brains," Ken snapped.

"Will you two just quit arguing...I would really enjoy some peace and quiet around here when it comes to you two," Ellie shouted as the dueling duo shut up. "That's it...I'll give up my appointments if you promise not to fight with Logan for that week," she smiled as Kendra paled and Logan winced aloud.

"But El, that's cruel and unusual punishment!" Kendra exclaimed, "you know I'll never make it."

"Yes you will, you want these days don't you?"

"Well yeah...but...but..."

"But nothing, you either be nice to clawboy...excuse me, Logan or no deal," Ellie bartered in triumph.

"Alright...but only because its for a good cause," her roomie whimpered. "But only for that week, no more, no less," she added before leaving to face the remainder of the list. This little task was turning out to be more difficult than she ever imagined and with only two more days left till Christmas her time was running out.

"This ought to be fun," Logan smiled fierily as he watched the General's secretary leave.

"Look...don't cause problems, I want peace and quiet between you two," Ellie warned, "I don't know why you two can only get along when you're drinking?"

"It numbs the dislike," Logan growled as he began to plot his revenge on his most dreaded enemy. "That week is going to be so fun," he whispered to himself.

~~*~~

"Oh you young naive grrl," Emmy gasped in shock from behind her desk, Lasher lazily dozing in the evening sunlight streaming into the office window. "What makes you think I'd willingly give up my appointments with the General?"

"Because its for a good cause?" Kendra sighed as Emmy stared her down. "Ok how about because you have a kind and generous heart? No...ok, ok...I'll think of something, just give me a minute," the Ho stammered as Emmy leaned back in her chair and waited impatiently.

"Go on, this should be real good," the Diva sighed as Kendra thought.

"Alright, what will it take? Name your price...hell everybody else has!" Kendra suddenly demanded as she leaned against Emmy's desk to face her most difficult appointment adversary yet.

"Really, so what makes you think you have anything I want to begin with?"

"Oh, I think I might," the General's secretary smiled.

"Hmm...well maybe there is one thing," the Diva stated. "I want all the overnight General appointments on Friday nights for the entire month of January!"

"The month? How about two...I can give you two and throw in a Sunday overnighter also" Kendra countered.

"No...make that two Fridays, one Saturday and one Sunday," Emmy threw to the table.

"Too rich for my blood, oh well, guess that leaves you out of any weekend overnighters for the month of January. Thanks for trying to help me, it would have been for a really wonderful cause too," Kendra sighed despondently before turning to leave the Diva's office, hoping to hear the magic word before she made it to the door.

"Stop!" Emmy exclaimed stopping the retreating Ho in her steps, never seeing the smile of satisfaction on the other Ho's face before she turned to face the Diva. "I get two Fridays and one Sunday overnight appointment with the General, then it's a deal."

"Exactly! Thanks Emmy," Kendra exclaimed as she turned back to the door and the safety of the hallway before taking a deep calming breath. "Whoa...that was close...all those slow days of playing poker with the General paid off in more ways than one," she gleamed before humming as she walked towards her office.

~~*~~

"Kendra love, aren't you going to join us tonight?" The General asked as he noticed the lights to the outer office still burning as he walked down the corridor to join the others for a pre- Christmas Eve party in the bar.

"Hmm...sorry?" The secretary quizzed as she glanced up from her intense study of the computer screen.

"Its late, you've been working hard all day and its time to relax," the General stated. "The party has already begun," he mused as he stood in front of his secretary's desk. "Just what has you so deep in thought tonight?"

"Oh, I made a lot of promises and had a lot of rearranging of your schedule for January, nothing horrible...its just taking longer than I thought to fix it so you can...well to fix the schedule. But I'm done, just one more important thing to do and I'll join everyone in the bar," she smiled.

"Fine, if you insist...but if you're not there in ten minutes I will come back and carry you there myself," the General insisted.

"Promise? Over your shoulder and all?" Kendra giggled before the General gave her his best sultry look, making the Ho dizzy.

"Promise...I must say, I like this slightly naughty streak in you lately," he gleamed before leaving.

~~*~~

The General strolled into his office on Christmas Eve morning to pick up a few of his gifts to the grrls, which he had stashed in there for safekeeping. As he walked in he noticed a brightly wrapped box sitting on his desk and taking a quick look at the tag he saw that it was from Kendra. She must have put the present on his desk before leaving the night before and he couldn't help but grin at the idea of his secretary being so sneaky and knowing his habits of late. And then with boyish enthusiasm he made quick work of opening the package.

"I don't understand?" The General remarked aloud as he found only a single piece of paper in the huge box. He put on his glasses to take a better look in case he was missing something...because all he saw was a copy of the appointment schedule for the week following New Years and it was completely blank.

"You're free that week," Kendra announced for the doorway as she watched him with a grin. "No appointments, no schedule, nothing...that's your week to do whatever it is you want to do."

"But Ken..."

"Don't but me...you know as well as I do that if I waited for you to take some downtime...we'd both be old and gray. This is my gift to you...one week of vegging in front of the TV if you want...take up a hobby, have you tried bowling? Just do what you want and have fun." The Ho smiled as the General looked from the blank schedule to his secretary and back again before grinning madly.

"Kendra love, this is a wonderful gift...thank you," he smiled before walking to where she stood and hugging her tight.

"You're very welcome...just promise me you'll enjoy yourself," she ordered before he leaned down and kissed her sweetly.

"You have my word...that reminds me...there's something I've been meaning to show you for the past few days and I guess I've just been busy," the General grinned as he grabbed the Ho's hand and lead her outside the Admin building. They past the maze and walked just a little further, past the bustle of campus traffic to the far edge of the green just behind the new hedges. "Here we are."

"What? I mean...where did this come from?" Kendra gasped as she and the General strolled toward the large oval shaped reflecting pool full of dormant water lilies.

"This is your gift, I found the second draft of your wish list...and you thought this was too extravagant and too much to ask for...nonsense! The fountains along the far corners aren't hooked up yet because of the cold and the sculptures along the sides represent the four seasons...I figured you could choose however more you want to add and what you want. I was thinking a few romantic pieces would be nice but this is your garden. You must choose...though I did think you would enjoy the modern art sculpture to the left that I found, I haven't a clue what it represents but it shouted your name." The General explained as he watched the Ho walk through the garden, mouth open in awe and eyes wide before she suddenly raced back to him and jumped in his arms.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you...I love it! This is...beyond words, beyond what I ever imagined a water garden to look like," she gleamed before kissing him soundly.

"So this means you like it?" He chuckled before finally setting her back down.

"Like it...love it! I can't wait for warm weather and being able to spend more time out here, and privacy, you even thought of that," she remarked referring to the huge hedges which kept the garden private and well hidden.

"I thought it would be a nice touch, considering we'd more than likely be out her quite often come summer," he grinned with a naughty look.

"Oh General I love how you think," Kendra giggled.

"Now, lets get you back inside before you freeze to death," the General mused as he wrapped an arm around the Ho's shoulder and guided her towards the bar. "We still have lots to do before tonight...did I tell about the fireside reading this evening? I think it should be most enjoyable," he said with mischief.