"I already am," he replied softly. Maybe for the first time ever, Lucas unfurled the wings at his back and wrapped them around her to envelop her not only in his arms, but in his wings, like a guardian angel. He had never dared do it before, not until now, wanting to keep her forever safe and close.

The wonder on her face as he wrapped her in his wings was glorious to behold. It wasn't often that Fliss was awestruck. She'd seen his wings unfurled before, of course - she'd flown with him enough times - but there was something remarkably intimate about those soft, powerful limbs curling about her, protecting her from the snow falling over them from the night sky above. Private, too ....even if her entire family had been plastered to the window nearby, watching their every move, they wouldn't have seen the kiss she gave Lucas in the warm embrace of his wings.

If he'd had his choice, he would have stopped time in that moment, with her there wrapped in his arms and his wings, sharing a kiss that was both tender and intimate - and sharing a promise that until now had gone unspoken. "I love you, Fliss," he told her again, his voice barely more than a whisper of words, once that moment had passed. Even if he never saw his family again, he knew he could be happy here, so long as he had her.

She smiled, the shyness not quite so pronounced now they had shared that promise aloud. "Love you, Luc," she whispered back to him, stroking her hands against the small of his back beneath his wings. Her expression turned a little dismayed as a thought occurred to her. "My present isn't very special, I'm afraid," she admitted to him. "But I did buy it myself."

"All I want for Christmas is you," he told her quietly, thankfully not realizing the corny sentiment of it or the fact that Mariah Carey had already immortalized those words for the radio. He was reluctant to part from her, even to open a present, touched by the fact that she'd have thought enough of him to buy something for him.

"I think if my parents caught me wandering around wearing a ribbon and a bow, they might get the wrong idea," Fliss teased him gently, unwinding her arms from about his waist to give him the room to unwrap her gift for him. It wasn't much - part inspired by how cold it got up in the clouds, and partly a gift bought on whim.

"I can understand that if it was all you were wearing," he said with a laugh, retracting his wings a little so that he had room to open his gift without them getting in the way. From the size and shape of the box, he was pretty sure it wasn't a ring anyway. No one had given him a present since he'd left home, but Alex had promised there were a few boxes under the tree with his name on them, and he suspected Old Man Granger hadn't forgotten him either. He hastily tore the paper from the box, curious to know what she'd bought for him, and pulled the lid off the box to peer inside.

In comparison with the promise ring nestled on her finger, Fliss didn't think her present to him amounted to much. A soft hat and scarf decorated with a flame, and a stylized flaming dragon charm, were what he found in the box - little gifts personalized for him.

"Oh," he murmured as he looked over his presents. The hat and scarf would certainly come in handy now that winter had arrived. He stroked the tiny flame with a finger, smiling at the symbolism of it. It might not be a promise ring, but the flame was clearly symbolic of his connection to her, but it was the dragon that really drew his eye. "Can you hold this for me?" he asked as he handed her the box so that he could slip the leather cord around his neck allowing the stylized dragon to hand at his neck, just above his heart. "Thanks, Fliss. I love it," he told her, smiling as his fingers touched the cool metal against his chest.

She watched him as he opened his present, the soft surprise and pleasure on his face more than enough to make her smile as she took the box from him. "I saw it and thought of you," she shrugged. "It's not much, but it's yours."

That she'd thought of him at all was more than he could have hoped for. "I really like it," he assured her, leaning close to touch her cheek and touch a soft kiss to her lips, still a little shy and tentative.

His kiss found her smile as she leaned into him. "Merry Christmas, Luc," she murmured to him, moments before a hand gently tapped on the window near them. She turned to find Liv giving her a thumbs up and a wink before slipping out of sight again, and snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Merry Christmas, Fliss," he murmured back, a soft smile on his face, before Liv interrupted. He jumped, a little startled by the tap on the window, hoping they weren't in trouble, but from the look on Liv's face, she didn't seem angry. "What was that all about?" he asked curiously. She couldn't have been approving of their smooching, could she"

Fliss grinned at him, pausing to leave the empty boxes on the windowsill and decorate him with his new hat and scarf. "You'll see," she promised him fondly, having been in on the plan almost from day one. "C'mon, I want to show you something." Taking his hand, she drew him away from Willow Manor, heading for the little cutaway that held an unused cottage less than five minutes' walk away.

"Okay," he replied, arching a curious brow. They were up to something, but he had no idea what. Maybe Liv wanted him to dress up as Santa Claus this year" "Is this where we burn our intials on a tree?" he teased, smiling as she wound the scarf around his neck and put the hat on his hand, his fingers finding hers as they started away from Willow Manor.

"I thought we were gonna do that in the treehouse?" she asked innocently, draping his arm about her shoulders and tucking her own about his back, radiating just enough heat to keep him warm as they waded through the snow together. "You know, if Dad ever gives in and admits we can sneak out there whenever we want and we don't actually need his permission."

"He just worries about you, Fliss," Lucas reasoned, as she drew his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist. He tucked himself close, taking advantage of the heat that radiated from her into him.

"He keeps asking me about sex," she admitted to Lucas, laughing. Johnny could only just get a euphemism out when confronted with his teenaged daughter, and in hindsight, it was hilarious, even if she was usually deeply offended at the time. "Maybe I should offer to give him tips."

Lucas laughed. "You really think he needs it' Your parents just had a baby. They seem to be doing fine on their own." The mention of sex made him blush again, though he hoped she'd blame it on the cold. They hadn't gotten past holding hands and exchanging kisses yet, and he was trying hard to keep his own urges in check.

They had plenty of time to get there, and if Liv was to be believed, the longer they spent learning to be comfortable with each other, the easier it would be when they reached that point, eventually. "But it would be so funny to see the look on his face if I started quoting Rhymo's hot hints column like I actually knew what they meant," she pointed out with a wicked little snicker, glancing up at him as they passed beneath the trees and into the little cutaway. Her own cheeks were burning, too, but she had a feeling he'd be too distracted in a moment to notice. A car sat silent outside the unused cottage, and lights were on inside. A Christmas tree was visible in the living room window, and the smell of mulled cider drifted to them from the kitchen.

He'd never read Rhy'Din's version of Cosmo himself, but he'd seen the magazine on the shelves in the Marketplace bearing titles like "How to Give Your Man Mindblowing Sex", and the thought of Fliss actually doing that made his cheeks burn hotly with embarrassment, not to mention the discomfort he was feeling in other parts of his body, if only momentarily. Thankfully, the conversation turned as they entered the clearly and he furrowed his brows in curiosity. "Why are we here?" he asked curiously, wondering if there was another party going on somewhere he hadn't been told about.

"Cool," Matt replied, still grinning. "I can breathe underwater. See?" he asked, turning his head and pushing his hair away from his neck to unashamedly show her what appeared to be gills on one side of his neck.

"When did you get those?" Lucas asked, leaning closer to take a better look.

Matt shrugged again. "Few months ago. You should have seen the look on Dad's face. Was he pissed!"

"Language," Jessica scolded mildly from the counter, where she was ladling out four cups of cider from the steaming pan on the stove.

Fliss bit her lips, trying not to laugh at the gentle discipline. It reminded her too much of her own mother not to giggle a little, though. "How did you find out you could breathe underwater?" she asked Matt curiously. "It's not like you can't breathe out of water, is it?"

"Sorry, Mom!" Matt apologized, mouthing silently to his brother and girlfriend while his mother's back was turned, "Pissed." "Oh," he said, looking between them as Lucas took a seat beside Fliss and tangled his fingers with hers beneath the table. "Didn't Luc tell you? We're from California. Surfing capital of the world!" That claim was debatable, but Matt wasn't going to back down.

"Like that tells me anything," Fliss laughed, rolling her eyes at the younger boy. She liked Matt already; it looked like Alexei might have a match for all that energy in Lucas' younger brother. "What did you do, forget where the surface was when you wiped out?" She smiled a thank you to Jessica as the older woman brought the cups to the table, blushing only a little as Lucas' mother looked at the tangled hands resting on the smooth wood.

"It's kind of hard to miss when you grow gills on your neck, so I thought I'd test them out," Matt explained further. "Mom says it's got something to do with our genes," he said, smiling his thanks to his mother. It was obvious this little trio was close, but how their father figured into it was anyone's guess.

"We'll have to take you to the Cove come summer. The waves are even better than back home," Lucas interjected, not quite noticing Fliss' blush. It seemed he and his brother had a lot of catching up to do, but there would be plenty of time for that later.

"It's probably through me you two ended up with your own specialties," Jessica admitted a little guiltily. "I was born here, and most people born on Rhy'Din have a few little quirks in their genetics. I guess it laid low." She offered both her sons an apologetic look, wishing she'd known before they had reached puberty so she could have prepared them.

Of the two of them, it was Lucas who'd had the harder time of it, not only because wings were a lot harder to hide, but because he was the eldest and the first to show an anomaly. "But you don't have any quirks, do you, Mom?" Lucas asked, curiously, one hand wrapped around his cup and the other clinging to Fliss.

Jessica shook her head. "No, I'm as boring as boring can be," she sighed regretfully. "If I'd had my own, I would have been ready to guide you guys. I'm sorry I dropped the ball."

Fliss glanced between the trio, stroking her thumb over Lucas' as he clung to her hand. "My mom says she's boring," she offered, trying to be helpful. "I think it's kind of awesome, being a mom to kids who are different when you're as normal as most people are. I think that makes you special."

Matt grinned, taking a liking to Fliss already and not just because she was pretty. "She is special," he agreed, beaming a smile at his mother.

Lucas had remained pretty quiet through all this, still trying to get it all straight in his head. "So, you're staying here, in Rhy'Din" You're not going back home?"

Rather touched by her son's girlfriend's opinion of the situation, Jessica found herself smiling back at her youngest as he agreed with Fliss. "Such a cutie pie," she teased Matt, reaching over to pinch his cheek gently as she puckered up a laughing kiss for him. Lucas' question, however, brought her attention back to him. "Yes, we're staying," she told him with a serious nod. "Humphrey offered us this cottage to live in. It is your choice, Luc, whether you stay with the Storms, or you join us here. We won't be far, no matter what you decide."

Lucas frowned thoughtfully, torn between the Storms and his own family. Wherever he decided to live, both families would be close by. "Do I have to decide tonight?" he asked, feeling a little pressured by the unexpected choice that was being asked of him. Even if he decided to live with his mother and brother, the Storms were just a short walk away. It wasn't so much his family or even Fliss he was worried about though, so much as Liv and Alex. They'd bonded as a family, and he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings if he chose to live with his mother.

"No, of course you don't have to decide tonight," his mother assured him confidently. She owed the Storms an awful lot for taking Lucas into their hearts; no matter how much it might sting her, she would never stop him from keeping them close. "Sweetheart, you could stay in both houses - some nights here, some nights there. It's your decision, when you are ready to make it. Like I said, we're not far. Not any more."

He looked to Fliss, though it wasn't a decision that needed to be made tonight. "Would it be okay with you if I lived here?" He wasn't asking for anything else to change between them, except that he'd be sleeping and living here, no longer an outcast or an orphan, but with his family again, like other kids his age.

Fliss blinked, looking cornered. She hadn't been expecting to be asked anything like that. "Uh ..." She glanced at Jessica and Matt, aware that they were likely listening closely to find out just how close she and Lucas were. "It doesn't change anything, no matter where you choose to live," she told Lucas quietly, her thumb touching the ring he had given her only that night. "It's not like you're gonna disappear, is it?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Fliss. I made my promise and I intend to keep it," Lucas told her, aware his mother and brother were looking on, or he would have said more. If they hadn't figured it out already, it became obvious in that moment that Fliss and Lucas were a couple. Thankfully, Matt didn't break out in a teasing chorus of, "Fliss and Lucas sitting in a tree ..."

"So do what you want to do," she told him quietly, wrapping both hands around his under the scrutiny of his mother and brother. "It's not like we're not so close that there'll be shared dinners and ....If you stay here tonight, be prepared for a snow-covered pajama monster to wake you up at an ungodly hour demanding to know why you're not in bed," she warned in amusement. Alex was a little too predictable at times.

Lucas chuckled, knowing Alex well enough to know it was him Fliss was warning him about. He and Alex had bonded over the last few weeks and months and had become almost like brothers. He didn't want to break the boy's heart, but his place was here with his own mother and brother, especially now that they'd come all this way to be with him. "I'll have to move all my stuff here first, anyway," he said, though that probably wouldn't take long.

Jessica laid her hands on the table, drawing their attention back to her as she spoke. "Why don't you stay with the Storms tonight and tomorrow night, love?" she suggested with a gentle smile. "There's no point disrupting the festivities with packing and unpacking, and Matt and I have been invited to spend Christmas Day at Willow Manor anyway. Is that amenable, boys?"

Fliss snickered at his correction, brushing the snow from her hair as the pitter of little feet announced Maria's arrival from the living room. The little girl thumped right into her, her eyes bright above her silently laughing mouth, and abruptly hid behind her big sister, peeking out just in case she'd been chased. "What's going on here?" Fliss laughed, looking down at the hidden Maria in amusement.

Lucas tugged the hat from his head and unwound the scarf from around his neck, just enough that he wouldn't get overheated inside the warm house. "Looks like a game of hide and seek to me," Lucas observed, with a chuckle as the little girl hid behind her big sister.

"Just so long as it isn't sardines," Fliss snorted with laughter as she glanced at Lucas. "Hey, Mar ....you know Lucas would be much easier to hide behind, right?" The little girl considered her for a moment, and then looked up at Lucas thoughtfully. A moment later, she was wiggling into the space between his wings and his backside, hugging his leg as she huffed her silent giggle into his pants. Fliss bit her lips, rolling her eyes. "Not quite my idea."

"Thanks, Fliss," he told her sarcastically, though he was chuckling in amusement. Now that his own family was a short walk from here, he had the best of both worlds. He didn't have to feel like an outsider anymore or worry about missing his own family. He had two families now, just as he hoped Fliss would become part of his family, too, as she got to know them better.

She laughed, tilting her head at the sound of other footsteps in the house. Some were in the kitchen, suggesting that cocoa was on the cards, and if Alex was the one speeding toward them, then whoever the other was must have hold of Bess. "You know you love it," she teased her boyfriend.

He didn't have time to deny it, as Alex came speeding toward them, faster than a rocket, almost but not quite careening into Fliss. His hair was mussed, and there was a red ribbon stuck to his back. He skidded to a halt, hands on his hips and looked up at the two teenagers. "Have you seen Maria" I know she's hiding around here somewhere."

Reaching out to catch her little brother, Fliss looked him over with a grin. "Why, what?re you gonna do to her?" she asked him teasingly, plucking the ribbon from his back. "You do know you're supposed to be wrapping presents, not yourself, right?"

"She was trying to wrap me up like a present!" he explained, looking a little put out, his face flushed with excitement. Granted, it didn't take much to excite the boy, and it was Christmas Eve, after all. "Maybe she was planning on giving you away," Lucas teased, shifting his wings to keep the little girl hidden behind him.

"Or maybe she wanted you to surprise Santa when he comes later, and thought you'd have the best chance if you were pretending to be one of our presents under the tree," Fliss suggested with a grin, her glance flickering down to where Maria's hand was plainly visible clinging to Lucas' hip.

Alex furrowed his brows doubtfully at his sister, crossing his arms against his chest and looking just a little annoyed. "Papa said Santa won't come unless we're asleep," he told his sister in a tone of voice that said she should know this already.

Lucas had to bite back his laughter at the look on the younger boy's face. "He's right, you know. So, no hiding under the tree."

"Yeah, Dad's right about that," Fliss nodded in agreement, playing along. "So I guess it's back to putting your jammies on before you get your cocoa and we all settle down to watch a movie, huh?"

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Liv said unexpectedly from the kitchen door, looking down at Alex with a smile. "Jammies, handsome, or no cocoa."

Alex grinned as he caught sight of Maria's hand on Lucas' leg and realized she'd been there all along. "Okay, Mama. I guess Maria will just have to miss out on cocoa and a movie since she's missing," he said a little louder than necessary, for Maria's sake.

"And if she's not in bed, Santa might not come at all," Fliss added, though that might have been going a little bit far. Maria's face came into view as she edged out from behind Lucas, her big eyes filling with tears at the thought of being denied not only Santa, but cuddles, cocoa, and presents, too.

"Oh, sweetheart ..." Liv laughed softly, crouching down to give the little girl a hug and a kiss. "We're teasing you. Aren't we, Alex?"

As annoyed as Alex might be with his sister, he couldn't bear to see her cry. He nodded vehemently, adding a hug of his own for his sister, as Lucas stepped out of the way. "I'm sorry, Maria. We were only teasing," he told her touching a kiss to her cheek.

"Mean old Fliss was being a poohead," Fliss added, leaning into Lucas' side as Maria snuggled into the hugs bestowed on her by her mother and brother.

Liv chuckled. "All right, little loves," she told the two younger children. "Go and get your pajamas on, and we can all cuddle up on the couch once Daddy's put Bess down for the night."

Though so much of their time was taken with the new baby, Johnny and Liv always made sure none of their other children ever felt neglected or unloved, including Fliss and Lucas. "Come on, Mar," Alex said, touching his fingers to her cheek to wipe away her tears. "It's your turn to pick a movie," he told her, even though it wasn't. Anything to make her feel better.

Wiggling her fingers in a very lazy yes to Liv, Maria put her hand trustingly in Alex's grip as he lead her away, sniffling back her urge toward tears at the prospect of choosing a movie everyone would enjoy.

Liv rolled her eyes as she stood up, running a hand through her hair. "Good god, I hope she sleeps tonight," she wished fervently. "She's going to be an emotional nightmare of a brat tomorrow if she doesn't."

"Maybe we should let them sleep together, this one night," Johnny suggested, joining them as the other pair wandered off to get ready for bed. He didn't think there was any harm in the two of them sharing a bed just for one night. Thought the pair might not be siblings by blood, but they were practically attached at the hip most of the time.

"I'm sorry I left," Lucas interjected, wondering what he'd missed while he and Fliss were visiting his mother and brother.

"I think that might be a good idea," Liv smiled at her husband warmly, inviting the teens into the kitchen with them as she returned to the magical mystery that was cocoa to Piper's recipe. "Lucas, we know where you went," she assured him gently. "I couldn't call across to the Laurels and find out if they were settled in until you were out of earshot, you know."

"Yeah, Fliss told me you helped get them here," Lucas said, while Johnny led Fliss into the kitchen, leaving Lucas alone with Liv, if only momentarily. "I don't know how to thank you," he told her with a slightly shy smile. How did you thank someone for giving you your family back" Words seemed inadequate somehow.

"Does that mean you won't be able to help me with my homework anymore?" Alex asked worriedly, though it was far more than homework that worried him.

"Of course he will!" Johnny answered for him. "He's gonna be practically next door! You'll see him everyday."

"Tell you what, dude," Fliss suggested to her little brother. "Tomorrow, you can go and get Matt and Jessica with Luc, and you can see just how close he's gonna be. How's that sound" 'Cos everyone's coming over here for dinner, anyway!"

"But ..." Alex started, still looking worriedly from Fliss to Lucas and back. "Does that mean you won't be sharing a room with me anymore?" he asked, fighting back tears. Though they weren't siblings by blood, Alex looked up to Lucas and had come to think of him as a big brother.

Lucas frowned, having to think about that a minute. He assumed he was going to be living with his mother and brother, but that didn't mean he couldn't stay here sometimes, too. "I'm not going anywhere, Alex. Promise. I'll be right next door, and ....maybe we can have sleepovers sometimes. Would you like that?"

Alex's eyes widened, his tears subsiding. "You mean I could stay at your house sometimes, too?"

Lucas beamed a smile back at him and reached over to ruffle his hair. "Sure, why not' You're my honorary little brother, aren't you?"

Maria huffed her silent little giggle, letting the boys talk as she shuffled around to raise her arms to Johnny, demanding her Daddy cuddle earlier than it had been planned. But then, she was exhausted after her exciting few days.

Fliss shared a faint grin with Liv, glad that the threat of tears was subsiding. "You know what?" she suggested suddenly. "I think we should all sleep in my room tonight. We could make a blanket fort - you, me, and Maria. How's that sound?"

"But what about Lucas?" Alex asked, really confused now, though the idea of a blanket fort was a very tempting one. "Papa says we have to go to sleep early or Santa won't come," he reminded her obediently, while Lucas got to his feet.

"Don't worry so much, Alex!" Johnny told the boy as he scooped Maria up into his arms. "Come on. Let's go have some cocoa before it gets cold."

"And don't forget the Christmas cookies!" Alex chimed in

"Okay, we'll make a blanket fort in your room, and Maria can cuddle up with you for the night, better?" Fliss adapted her suggestion with a chuckle, letting Johnny sweep Liv and Maria into the living room ahead of them.

"Okay, Fliss!" Alex replied. "This is gonna be awesome!" he said with a grin before scooting into the living room to join his parents and sister, leaving Lucas alone with Fliss.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble," he said, now that they were alone.

Laughing at the sudden display of good humor scuttling away, Fliss turned to Lucas with a warm smile. "It's not trouble," she promised him. "This is gonna be good for Alex, he needs to learn how to share." She wrapped her arms about Luc's waist, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "So what is the plan?" she asked him quietly. "Back to your family now, or are you gonna sit in with the nutters for the next hour or more watching something cringeworthy and cloying?"

"Would you mind if I stayed for a little while?" he asked, as he returned her embrace, relaxing a little now that things were starting to fall into place. "I don't have to worry about going to bed early," he reminded her with a grin, lowering his voice so that Alex and Maria wouldn't overhear.

She giggled softly, lifting her head to touch the tip of her nose to his. "I don't mind," she promised him, her only doubt being that his mother and brother might object to his staying here for another hour or so. "C'mon, let's get in there before the only place to sit is on the floor with Bella."

He was anxious to reconnect with his mother and brother again, but they had plenty of time for that now they were here, and he had another family that needed him, too. "Fliss," he started, keeping her there a moment longer. "I meant what I said before. This doesn't change anything. I love you and I want you to be my girl. I'm not going anywhere. Promise."

Her smile softened in a remarkable match to Liv's soft smile as she looked up at him. "I know," she whispered to him, hugging her arms about his waist a little tighter. "I'm not going to change my mind, or my heart, just because I have to share you. It just makes the time I have with you even more special. Okay?"

He leaned close, touching his forehead to hers. "We'll figure it out. I'm just gonna be next door," he said, as if one of them needed a reminder. He doubted he needed to worry about a custody battle, since it was his father's idea to send him away in the first place, and Lucas was old enough to decide for himself where he wanted to live.

"No screaming if I climb in through your window after midnight," she warned with a quiet laugh, gently untangling one arm from about him to show him the promise ring nestled on her finger. "Your girl, okay' No need to worry."

"Just make sure you don't climb in Matt's by mistake," he teased back with a grin. It had been quite an evening with unexpected surprises for both of them, and it wasn't even Christmas yet.

"Luc! Fliss!" Alex called from the living room. "Hurry up! The movie's starting!"

"Coming!" Lucas called back, tugging Fliss over to the doorway, where a sprig of mistletoe was hanging down, and touching a soft, sweet kiss to her lips.

Giggling, Fliss let herself be tugged along, pausing as her boyfriend touched that sweet kiss to her lips in full view of her family. Well, they might as well know how things stood, right' Loud kissing sounds reached her ears, and she turned her head with a grin to find Maria blowing them both kisses with both hands while Liv made fishy faces at Johnny.

Of the four of them, it was Alex who was beaming a grin as his older sister and her boyfriend shared a smooch. So long as they were smooching, there was no worry of Lucas going anywhere. Despite that, he couldn't help but tease them a little, "Ewww, get a room!"

Johnny laughed, wondering just where his son had heard that and tugged him close to ruffle his hair. "Wait until you get a girlfriend!"

Snickering, Fliss drew Lucas into the room, to their accustomed seat on a very specifically bought chaise that allowed them to curl up together without cramping his wings. "Hey, Dad, if you're really lucky, Alex's girlfriend might one day be little Lynnie," she teased her brother as they passed.

Johnny rolled his eyes. "That's all I need," he replied.

"I don't have a girlfriend!" Alex insisted vehemently, sticking his tongue out at Fliss as she settled herself on the chaise beside Lucas.

Maria tapped Alex on the shoulder and pointed at herself curiously, sending Liv off into a quiet round of giggles as Fliss pulled a gruesome face at her little brother.

"You know, I don't think Matt's gonna have much trouble fitting in around here," the teen murmured to Lucas with a grin.

"You're not my girlfriend! You're my sister!" Alex told Maria, as if she should know that already. Whether they were related by blood or not, the pair had easily settled into their roles as siblings. The others might not know it yet, but it was Alex who'd stepped up to protect her when they were at the facility in the Arctic, though neither ever spoke of what had happened there.

"Are we watching this movie or not?" Johnny asked, eying his family, the remote ready in his hand.

"Shh, your dad's got the remote and he's not afraid to use it," Liv chuckled, reaching out to pull the two younger children into the warm space between her and Johnny on the couch as Bella took up residence on her feet.

Alex made a zipping motion across his mouth, though his eyes were dancing with merriment.

Johnny looked from one to the other, before settling back and hitting the Play button. "Okay, here we go!" Tonight's movie - care of Maria - was The Nightmare Before Christmas, somewhat appropriate for Christmas Eve, in a strange sort of way.

As the beautifully hand animated characters began to sing, the Storms settled in for their Christmas Eve-ning, sharing quiet smiles and cocoa with one another. Fliss curled up close to Lucas, her smile nothing to do with the movie dancing on the screen. Thanks to her mother's unexpectedly stubborn streak, Luc had his family within reach once again. And as someone who knew what it was like to be without a family at this time of year, she knew there really was no better Christmas present than that. How were they going to top it next year"

((Merry Christmas and a wonderful season from the Storms!))