"Kelly?!" Jane asked in shock, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, she was flabbergasted to see her late yeoman making her way into her living room. "Is that... It can't be! You're... I mean, Cerberus -"
"It is true, Commander." Kelly responded. "It's me."
"No... No! No! No!" Jane cried out, shaking her head in disbelief with a laugh. "I know what you are! I should have thrown out that day old sushi, and now it's coming back to bite me in the ass!"
"I'll let you believe anything you want, Commander, but I - WHOA!" Kelly yelped as she tripped over a chain and phased through the floor. Half a second later, she phased through it again as she began to remove the chains, muttering, "Stupid chains! 'Oh, all ghosts need chains to help them bring awareness to themselves. It's theatrical, too!' they said. Ooh, I have half a mind to -"
"Uh, Kelly?"
"Oh, right, sorry." Kelly responded before clearing her throat. "I'll let you believe whatever you want, Commander, but I am here to warn you there is still some time to change your ways before Christmas and you -"
"Oh, I get it now!" Jane said with a laugh, "This is a prank. You're a hologram and whoever programmed you is setting up this whole 'Cristmas Carol' scenario."
"... Tell me, Jane: Can a hologram do this?" Kelly asked in annoyance... Before slapping Jane in the back of the head. As the redhead yelped in pain and rubbed the back of her head, Kelly barked, "Please take me seriously! I'm trying to help you!"
"Okay... So you're not a hologram." Jane groaned. "However, you're still waisting your time. I love Christmas!"
"... Do you?" Kelly asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You see the decorations and presents, right?" Jane chuckled as she gestured all around the room.
"Firstly, your tree isn't even decorated." Kelly commented, pointing to the tree in the corner. "Plus, I'm ninety percent sure that's a palm tree."
"Well, you try lugging an Evergreen up here!"
"Second, if that's the case, where's everyone you were planning on spending the holidays with?"
"Well, my mother was going to come by." Jane admitted before adding, "Until she was invited to spend Christmas with her old crew mates."
"What about the members of your old crew?" Kelly challenged. "Where's Tali? Or Garrus? Or Miranda? Or Dr. T'Soni?"
Jane froze at that last name, looking down at her feet. The truth was that she and Liara had unfortunately ended thier relationship two years ago, ironically around this time. As a result, the redhead had actually managed to push all her friends away. Only EDI was there to give her updates on the others; the last update that Jack and Miranda had finally married last year and were throwing their own Christmas party this one. Though nothing from Liara yet...
"Shepard...?"
"Alright, fine!" Jane snapped as she got up and gestured to the decor. "This is all a sham to try to get me back into the Christmas mood! And each year it never works! Happy?! But what's the point?! All Christmas is now is an over glorified commerical anyway!"
"And it's that thinking that's why I'm here to save you!"
"Ha! Save me?! How?!" Jane spat. "Oh, wait. Don't tell me! 'Tonight you will be visited by three spirits'?"
"Well, if it's the only way to spare you from my fate..."
"You know what? This has been a real blast!" Jane said sarcastically, "But if you don't mind, Ms. Ghost of Kelly Chambers, I'd rather have some time to myself. Thanks for stopping by."
Kelly sighed as she shook her head, turning and walking towards the door. Before she phased through it, she looked over her shoulder and said, "I am trying to help, you know? Expect the first spirit at the stroke of One."
Jane groaned as she watched her late yeoman phase through the door.
"'ExPeCt ThE fIrSt SpIrIt At ThE sTrOkE oF oNe'. Ha!" Jane mocked as she slid into the hot water of her bathtub. "That was clearly some well designed and advanced hologram and the people behind this prank think I have no idea what 'A Christmas Carol' is. Hmph!"
Jane closed her eyes and attempted to relax. She had finally began to drift off to sleep as the clock on the wall of her apartment struck one...
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