From: sl859@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: alt.comics.lnh,rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: LNH: Pocket Man for Christmas!  :)
Date: 21 Dec 92 20:47:02 MDT
Organization: Utah State University


>Yo wReam!
>Saint here.
>
>I have no access to the net for a few days as my company has just relocated
>me to another town. Could you post this to A.C.LNH for me?

I got this little dealy in the mail today...
Sooooo...  Don't blame me for it!  :)

					wReam...
P.S.  You can praise me if you want though!  :)

                          ********* CUT HERE! *******



			Pocket Man's Special Gift
			         By Saint
			   lawrence@ctron.com

	
	At Christmas, the LNH HQ is a little deserted. The net.heroes who
have family or loved ones all disperse to the four corners of the universe
(at least the universes we know about). But there are some who stay behind,
some out of a sense of duty - acknowledging the Net.need for Net.heroes
even during the Season of Peace. Others stay because they have nowhere to
go and no one to go to.
	This is the story of how one such Net.hero dealt with the feelings
that inevitably overcome the single people of the universe at Christmas.
This is the story of Pocket Man and the special gift he gave one year.
	Pocket Man sat in his quarters, contemplating the coming days he
would spend in the HQ, mostly monitoring the world, ensuring a hero's
response should an emergency arise. He usually didn't mind being alone at
holidays, but the newfound comradery and sense of belonging he'd found
among his friends in the LNH was something he'd not only grown accustomed
to, but cherished. Now, when those friends were leaving to be with those
closest in their lives, Pocket Man realized the value of just being with
someone to share the joy of the holidays.
	"Bzzzzt." as the intercom interrupted the silence. "Hey Pok? It's
Sarc. A bunch of us are heading into the Cos-Mall to get in some last-
minute shopping and grab some chow. Wanna go?"
	"Nah, you go ahead. I've got some gifts to wrap and I need to
see ... someone ... before they leave. I want to be here so I can be sure
and see ... them."
	"Them meaning Organic Lass, I take it?" Sarcastic Lad said, knowing
his best friend's feelings for the Maid of Molecules. "I don't know, buddy.
I still think you're chasing the wind with her."
	"You're probably right," said a despondent-yet-optimistic Pocket
Man. "I just ... well ... she's just really special."
	"Yeah, she's a looker alright," Sarcastic Lad said, now trying to
get his friend's mind of his dilemma. "I tell ya, if you weren't ... well,
never mind. Hey, want me to pick anything up for you while I'm out? I
scored a fortune in credits last night playing poker with PC Person, Cheezarr
and Old Comics Man."
	"Yeah, actually, could you get me a small box from the jewelry
store?" asked Pocket Man. "I need it to put something in it for Ori."
	"The jewelry store ... Pok! Don't tell me you're gonna ..." Sarc
said.
	"Just get me the box, please? One of the really nice ones."
	"Okay buddy," Sarc said. "Whatever you say. I'll be back in about
three hours. You gonna be okay?"
	"Yeah, sure. Don't worry about me."
	"Later Pok."
	"Yeah, later."

	Organic Lass was fluttering about her quarters, packing her clothes
and belongings for her trip home. Sing-Along Lass sat on the corner of the
bed, humming a seasonal tune, gleefully enrapt in the spirit of Christmas.
	"So, what's it like where you're from Ori," Sing-Along Lass chimed.
	"Oh, it's beautiful this time of year!" Organic Lass explained
happily. "There's snow everywhere and everyone's in a good mood. Christmas
music plays everywhere. It's really nice."
	"Same with my home," Sing-Along Lass mused. "Especially about
the music! You know, Pocket Man is staying here over the holidays. He
volunteered for monitor duty for the whole week. Poor guy. I asked him
if he'd like to go to my family's house for Christmas, but he said he'd
feel like he was imposing. I hate to see anyone alone at this time of year.
It's like that song, `Everyone needs someone.' It's sad."
	"Yeah, I ... know ... that song," Ori said mistily.
	"He really likes you, you know," Sing-Along Lass said.
	"I know. And he's such a nice guy too. What I can't understand is
how he can be best friends with Sarcastic Lad! I mean, their *so*
different!"
	"Well, opposites do attract," Sing-Along Lass noted. "Hey, look
at Reb and Luri. Would you have ever put *those two* together?"
	"I suppose not," Organic Lass said.
	"Besides, Sarcastic Lad isn't really such a bad guy," Sing-Along
Lass interjected. "He's possessed by a demon, you know. It's his powers
that make him a little hard to take sometimes."
	"I suppose, if you say so," Organic Lass consented. "I just hope 
his powers don't infect Pok, or any of the rest of us."
	"I don't think there's much chance of that," Sing-Along Lass said.
"I talked with Sarc for awhile about his powers and he said that the demon
can only possess one person at a time. We should be safe."
	"Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, what am I worried about? All
these heroes around here shouldn't have a problem with one little demon, 
right?"
	Sing-Along Lass just smiled and continued humming her seasonal
tune, watching Organic Lass pack endless outfits into a very small bag.
Suddenly she realized that the bag couldn't possibly hold so much and 
asked Organic Lass about it.
	"Oh this? Pok gave it to me. He took one of his pockets and sewed
it in half and put a zipper on it. He said it's a dimensional gateway of
somekind and I could put as much as I want in it and never fill it up,"
Organic Lass explained. "Isn't that the neatest thing? Pok said I'd never
need luggage again."
	"You're lucky he likes you so much," Singy said. "Could you imagine
if he ever put someone in one of those pockets of his? They'd never find
their way out."
	"Hmmmm. That *would* be terrible!" Organic Lass said, her eyebrow
raising and her lip curling into a wry smile. "Unless, of course ....
if Pok threw himself in there with me ..."
	"Ori!" Singy exclaimed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A few hours later, after all the heroes had made their last-minute
goodbyes and "Cya's" to all. Pocket Man sat at the huge Net.wide Emergency
monitor board, watching the police handle a routine robbery downtown. He'd
offered to help, but Lt. Headed said they had the situation under control.
Headed wished Pok and all the LNHers a happy holiday season. Pok thanked
him and returned the sentiment to Headed on the LNH's behalf.
	Sing-Along Lass entered the Monitor Room, surprised to see that
someone other than Multi-Tasking Man was manning the station. "Hi Pok,"
she said musically. "Anything going on?"
	"No, it all seems pretty quiet out there," Pok said, turning in 
his chair to face Singy. "Looks like the bad guys (tm) took off for the
holidays too."
	"That's good," she said. "At least you'll probably have a quiet
weekend. Besides, a couple of the guys said they were coming back here
early the day after tomorrow. Something about playing "Payback Poker"
and insisting that Sarc play with them?
	"Oh yeah," Pok said. "What are you doing here still? I thought
you left on the 4 p.m. shuttle."
	"I was going to, but my folks called and said they wouldn't be
home when I got there and asked me to take a later shuttle," she explained.
"I'm just leaving now and wanted to say "Cya!" So ... Cya," she said,
her head tilting as she musically mentioned the farewell.
	"Have fun Singy," Pok said. "Cya when you get back."
	"Oh, by the way," she said, half out the door, "Ori's still here
too. She's in her room waiting for the 11 p.m. shuttle." Sing-Along Lass
winked at Pok and waved. She whistled "Matchmaker" as she ambled out to 
the shuttle deck.
	As soon as Sing-Along Lass was out of sight, Pocket Man put the
monitors on auto-relay to his and Organic Lass' quarters. He hurried to
his quarters and retrieved the carefully wrapped present he had for
Organic Lass. He walked toward her quarters and waved his hand before the
palm-print-activated doorbell.
	"It's open," came Organic Lass' voice from within the room.
	Pocket Man opened the door partially and stuck his head in. "Okay
if I come in for a second?" he said hesitantly.
	"Pok! Hi! Come on in. I was just about to head out to the shuttle
deck and was going to stop into the monitor room to cya before I left," she
said.
	Pocket Man stood motionless for a long moment, staring at Organic
Lass, but not really looking *at* her. His eyes gleamed.
	"Pok?" she said. "You okay?"
	"Huh? Oh, uhh ... yeah. I'm fine," he said, quickly regaining
his concentration. He wondered how often she'd caught him staring at her
like that, and walked toward her at the table.
	"I just wanted to ... ummm ... well ... I wanted to give you this,"
he said, extending his hand, holding the tiny, delicately wrapped box.
"Merry Christmas."
	"Oh Pok. That's sweet! But that box ... that isn't a ..."
	"You won't know til you open it," he said, supressing the lump
that was rapidly growing in his throat. "I hope you like it."
	Organic Lass curiously reached for the box and gently took it from
Pok's hand. "You didn't have to do this, you know."
	"I know," he said. "I wanted to."
	Organic Lass removed the wrapping and looked at the box, the kind
that expensive jewelry came in. She looked at Pok who was watching her
intently, his hands clamped firmly in his hip pockets.
	She opened the box and found not a ring, but certainly a jewel
of some kind. it sparkled and was a deep, rich cobalt blue in color. There
was a faint, incandescent glow around the gem.
	"Oh Pok it's beautiful! You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble,"
she said, holding the gem to the light to marvel at its color and clarity.
	"Oh, it was no trouble really," Pok said, not convincing her that
he hadn't gone to great lengths to secure the lovely stone.
	"What is it exactly," she asked, smiling at him broadly.
	"Well, I couldn't think of anything you *needed* and I wanted to
get something that would make you happy," he explained. "So I thought about
it and looked through "Hexelbaum's Guide to Perfect Gifts," I had a copy
in my pocket."
	She giggled, knowing that Pok could have anything in his pockets
at any time he needed it.
	"I wanted to give you something that nobody else had," he said.
"I decided on this." He pointed to the stone. "It's an Alteganian Joy Jewel.
If you touch it and think good thoughts, the stone washes a feeling of joy
over you. Every time you touch it, it puts you in a happy, joyful mood and
makes you feel really good physically as well. Try it!"
	Pocket Man stood shakily, wondering if Organic Lass would like the
gift. He watched intently as she began to gently touch the top of the stone.
A faint azure glow washed over her and he could see her physically relax.
The smile on her lovely face told him that the stone did what he'd been told.
	"Oh Pok, this is wo-o-o-onderful," she said dreamily. 
	"You can talk to it too," he said. "Anytime you want to tell it
something, it can kind of record it for you. But what you tell it has to
be some kind of happy memory or event. It stores the feelings of what you're
talking about and will let you feel them again any time you want. It's
really rare, too. There are only three of them known to exist in all the
universes."
	Organic Lass set the box on the table and closed it. She stood and
walked toward Pocket Man smiling. She reached out and hugged him tightly.
Pocket Man felt a little dizzy, hugging her in return. A broad grin crossed
his face.
	"It's wonderful Pok. You're wonderful. But there's a problem," she
said, looking him in the eye. "It doesn't make me feel anywhere near as
good as you just did this minute." She kissed his cheek and hugged him again,
holding tightly as he hugged her as well.
	Then she stiffened and stepped back. "Oh no!" she exclaimed.
	"What? What is it?" Pok asked startledly.
	"I have to leave if I'm going to make that shuttle. My folks are
expecting me, so I have to go! Would you like to go with me? I'm sure
my family would love to have you with us!"
	"Wow. I would love to. But I have to stay here for monitor duty," he
said. "I volunteered for the whole weekend. I figured even Multi-Tasking Man
needs a break every once in awhile. You go and have the time of your
life. I'll be okay here."
	Organic Lass smiled and kissed him again. "You are such a nice
guy! Where've you been all my life." she asked playfully.
	Pocket Man grinned and blushed, looking at the floor.
"Go on. You'd better hustle out to the shuttle deck right now if
you want to catch the shuttle," he said. "Your folks are probably waiting
for you to get there as soon as you can. I'll see you when you get back."
	Organic Lass scurried and picked up the pocket he'd given her. "My
folks aren't going to believe this bag!" she said. Then she stopped cold.
	"What is it now?" he asked.
	"Now I feel terrible. I didn't get you anything," she said with a
tone of disappointment. "Can I make it up to you when I get back?"
	"You don't have to give me anything, really," he said assuringly.
"Just have a good Christmas and ... shuttle safely." A smile curled his
lip as he walked her toward the shuttle deck.
	Organic Lass stepped aboard the shuttle, stopping to hug Pocket
Man once more and thank him for her gift. He smiled and waved to the driver
to depart.
	"I'll see *you* in a couple of days," she said, waving and winking.
"Merry Christmas Pok! Merry Christmas!"

	Pocket Man stood on the deck, watching the shuttle gradually turn
into a dot on the darkening horizon. He felt warm despite the bitter
winter winds that crisscrossed the flattened platform. He thought of the
look on Organic Lass' face as she touched the Joy Jewel and he smiled. As he
walked back toward the Monitor Room, he thought of her apology for not
getting him a gift. He chuckled.
	"Best gift in the universe," he thought to himself, noting that
Organic Lass would return to LNH HQ in just a few short days. "Best gift
I ever got!"


						Merry Christmas,
						Gary

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