Authors note: Okay, so this is another piece I wrote quite a while ago. This was for a school assignment, but I ended up actually kind of liking what I had wrote, I know, shocker huh? Of course, looking at it now I can find all sorts of things that bug me about it, it's pretty hard not to let myself rewrite the whole thing. This is pretty fluffy, but I guess I wrote it that way because I didn't think The Giver had ANY fluff what-so-ever. Plus, the ending was pretty open, so this is just one possibility of what could have happened. I know there are probably a million alternate endings on here, so I would be very honored if you would read mine and tell me what you think. Hmm, anything else? I don't think so, so on with the show!

Oh wait, I forgot the disclaimer, hee hee, silly me!

DISCLAIMER: The Giver, Jonas and Gabriel belongs to Lois Lowry. I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything.

"Jonas."

"Jonas…"

"Jonas."

Jonas frowned. He thought he could hear his name being called, but he wasn't quite sure. The voice was so soft - it almost felt as if it was just a whisper in the wind. The wind… there was no wind here. All there was, was black. He tried to look around, but realized that he didn't have a neck to turn - or even a body. He was just there.

Was he dead? He wondered. If he was, then where was his body? Where was he going? Was he going anywhere? He had never been dead before, he had no idea what to expect.

"Wake up." the voice said, he could hear it a little more clearly now, it seemed to be coming from the blackness in front of him. It also seemed to be female's voice.

"Wake up, young one." There it was again, he tried to move forward, but was unsure how. Finally he simply tried to will himself forward, upward. He felt as though he was floating, almost like he had felt when the giver had given him the memory of swimming in water. He felt utterly weightless.

"It's time to wake up, young one," The voice said. It was closer, louder.

"I'm coming," He thought as he felt himself surfaced from the blackness.

"I'm coming."

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

The first thing Jonas noticed was that he felt very warm. He felt as though he was wrapped in a cocoon of heat. It felt amazing. Wonderful.

The next thing he noticed was that he had his body back… or maybe it had never been gone. It was difficult to remember, everything was very fuzzy.

He tried to move his fingers experimentally. Everything seemed to be working. He felt stiff, but apart from that he seemed to be fine. Next he tried to open his eyes.

Jonas blinked.

Where was he?

Everything looked like something out of a memory. He seemed to be sitting on a couch, wrapped in a thick blanket. On the opposite side of the room was a small fire place, where a fire burned; the flames crackling happily. The windows had a frost at the edges and the panes were fogged up. But that was not what caught Jonas's eye. The thing he was staring at, his eyes filled with wonder, was the Christmas tree. It was huge - almost reaching the ceiling. Every branch was hung with sparkling trinkets, glass orbs, small wooden animals, and small candles, making everything on the tree sparkle. At the very top was a golden star, and at the bottom were many small boxes wrapped in colored paper.

Presents, his mind supplied him. Yes, that's what they were called.

Jonas took a deep breath trying to take everything in. That's when it hit him.

The smells.

It was amazing, he could smell everything. A refreshing, earthy smell was coming from the Christmas tree.

Pine, his mind supplied again.

He could smell the hot smoky smell of burning wood coming from the fireplace, but instead of being frightened like he usually was from the smell of burning wood, he felt a strange comforting feeling. He smelled something else, too. It was coming from the wooden door at the end of the room.

It smelled like… cookies, and… some type of stew. It was difficult for him to discern the smells - the only time he had ever even come close to something like this was in the memories, which were already starting to grow dimmer.

A sudden thought struck him. Could this be a memory? Could all of this, be just a memory?

The thought scared him. If this was a memory then that meant it would all be over soon, all of this would be gone, he would be back in the community, back in the Giver's room, and he would have to go back to his home, to his room, to his old life.

The idea brought hot tears streaming down his face. He didn't want to go back; he didn't want to have to live in that colorless, soundless, lifeless existence.

The door suddenly swung open, and a woman walked through. She was holding a tray of food and bandages. When she saw him sitting up and awake she gasped looking slightly startled.

"Oh, you're awake!" The startled expression changed to a relieved smile. "I'm so glad. I thought you might not wake up."

Jonas blinked again.

"Why wouldn't I have woken up?" He asked, saying the first thing that came to mind.

"Well, when we found you and the baby in the snow, you were both almost completely frozen-"

"Oh!" Jonas's eyes opened wide, everything suddenly coming back to him at once.

Scared, tired, hungry, hot, cold.

His legs hurting from pedaling his bike for hours on end, terror that the planes would find him, fear that Gabe would not get enough to eat, the cold - oh the cold; so much cold. Jonas tried to sort through all the feelings, tried to remember what happened.

The snow.

Yes, he remembered snow - lots and lots of snow. He remembered trying to keep Gabe warm without freezing to death in the process. He remembered a sled – oh, yes the sled! He had gotten onto the sled and… and then what?

Terror grabbed at his heart - what had happened then? And why didn't he remember? Why had he forgotten? Was it too late? Was it too late for—?

"Gabe?! What happed to Gabe?" Jonas asked the woman desperately, clutching at his quilts with worried hands.

"The infant? He is fine. He's sleeping right now, but you can see him when he wakes up. After you have something to eat." She sat down on a chair next to the couch that Jonas was on, and picked up a steaming cup of some type of liquid.

"So, Gabe is alright? He's not hurt? He's still alive?" Jonas asked, relief washing over him.

"Yes. Here, eat." He sagged against the arm of the couch, suddenly exhausted.

She handed him the mug and a spoon.

"Thank you." He took the mug and as the aroma reached his nose he could feel his mouth starting to water.

"Careful, it's hot." He nodded and took a sip slowly. It seemed to be some type of soup, but it tasted better than anything he had ever eaten before - all the food at the community had always been room temperature to make sure no one could burn themselves. To have the sensation of hot soup running down his throat and warming his whole body was beyond anything he had ever felt.

"Its… amazing," Jonas looked down at the mug, a look of wonder clear on his face.
She laughed, a light tinkling noise. This startled Jonas - he had never heard someone laugh like that apart from in the memories.

"I'm glad you like it." Another smile spread across her face, making Jonas feel warm inside. There was a word for this woman, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Mother, His mind said.

Yes, that's what she was. But not like a mother from the community; she was like a mother out of one of the memories.

"My name is Maggie." She took his hand, and gave it a light squeeze. "And I'm so happy to have you with us."

"My name is Jonas and the baby's name is Gabriel." She still hadn't let go of his hand. It was so strangely comforting, after everything he had been through, to have this women holding his hand, smiling at him.

With his stomach full and his worries subsided he felt himself start to get sleepy again, a yawn escaping his lips.

Maggie squeezed his hand again. "Get some sleep, young one. I'll introduce you to the rest of the family when you wake up."

And with that, Jonas felt himself slip out of consciousness.

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

"When is he going to wake up?"

"I don't know Camilla, stop fidgeting, you'll wake him."

"But I want him to wake up. This is the first boy from a community we've had!"

"Shh. Camilla, he needs his sleep. You want him to get better don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Your sister is right, let him sleep. Why don't you go get him a glass of water for when he wakes up?"

"Fine."

"Good she's gone. I was getting a headache."

"Rose, she's young. Of course she's excited by having a visitor, especially one from a community."

"Why? Are you excited to have a boy from a community, Amelia?"

"Rose, stop teasing your sister. It's true that we've never had someone so young, but you needn't bother your sister because of it."

"Yes, mom."

"Now both of you, go make yourselves useful. Go tend to the baby or something."

"Yes, mom."

Jonas opened his eyes just as he heard the door slam shut.

Maggie had her back turned toward him. She was looking at the door.

"Those girls," she muttered as she turned back to him.

"Oh, hello. I'm sorry did we wake you?"

"No," he lied.

"Were those your daughters?" He asked, sitting up.

"Yes," she paused, "but they're not related to me by blood."

"Does that matter?" Jonas was unsure. It never mattered in the community, but it might matter here - wherever here was.

She tilted her head to one side, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Yes and no. Here it is quite important. A child usually goes to lives with their birth mother and father. Unless, like in the case of these girls, a tragedy happens and something happens to both their birth mother and father. Then the child usually is given to another family member. But these girls had no family, so I took them in. I love them like my own, so to me they are my daughters."

"A tragedy?"

"Yes both of their parents died." Maggie looked sad. "I was close friends with them, the closest thing to family they had."

"Died?" Jonas asked, wondering what had happened. Somewhere in the back of his mind his teacher was screaming at him that asking was rude, and that he should apologize. But he shoved that bit of his mind away. He no longer lived in the community and he didn't think the same rules applied here.

"Oh yes, your people call it being released. Death is"—

"No, I know what death is. What I meant was what happened to their parents?" His teacher was no longer screaming, he was having a panic attack. Not only had Jonas interrupted, but he had asked her a very personal question. He was nervous, but he thought that she wouldn't mind.

"Oh.." She seemed surprised, but not offended. "They froze. They got lost out in the woods and…" Her voice cracked slightly. "They froze."

"I apologize for your loss." The words came before he could even think. It was just a reflex.

"It was not your fault, Jonas. There is no need for you to apologize." She smiled reassuringly at him.

"Yes, I… I know that. It's just a hard habit to break." He looked down, memories of the disciplinary wand flashing through his head.

"I'm sure. And that's okay."

Maggie looked like she was going to say something more, but she was interrupted.

"Eek! He woke up!" An excited voice came from the door.

Jonas looked over to see a small blond head peering around at him from the door.

"Really? Let me see?" Said another voice, and a second head appeared above the
little girl.

"Ooh, he did!" said a girl with long straight brown hair, a curious look on her face.

"Camilla, Rose, stop pestering our guest. Now get out of the way."

"Yes, Amelia," the two girls said.

The door swung open to reveal three girls.

"Ah, I see you have returned," Maggie said turning around in her chair to see them. "Let me introduce you. Jonas this is Amelia,"

She pointed to the oldest one who was carrying a tray of food. She seemed to be around Jonas's age. She was pretty, with pale skin and large eyes. She had her brown hair cut short so it came just below her ears, giving her a very mature look.

"This is Rose."

She pointed to the girl with the long straight brown hair. She looked to be about twelve. She had an almost devious look to her, very quick and sharp.

"And this little one is Camilla."

She pointed to the girl with the blond curls. Jonas had to admit, she was adorable. She looked to be somewhere around the age of Lily. The thought of Lily sent a pang through Jonas's heart, but he tried to ignore it.

"Everyone, this is Jonas."

"Nice to meet you," he said smiling up at them.

"Oh wow, look at your eyes! They're so blue!" Camilla hopped up onto the couch staring at his eyes.

"Camilla, it's rude to stare!" Amelia said with a pointed glare at her younger sister.

"Yeah, Camilla, cut it out." Rose bonked her sister on the back of her head as she sat on the couch near Jonas's feet.

"Ow! Mom, Rose hit me!" Camilla whined, even though Rose had barely touched her.

Maggie sighed.

"Well, as you can see our family is not perfect, but if you would like to be part of it, you're welcome." Maggie turned to Jonas, a smile on her lips.

"Oh, yay! It would be fun if you stayed with us. You would be the first boy in the family." Camilla also gave Jonas a smile.

"Yeah, it'd be okay if you stayed." Rose shrugged.

"That's Rose's way of saying welcome to the family," Amelia said, ignoring the glare her sister sent her way.

"You… you mean I can stay with you?" Jonas asked, trying not to cry, "And Gabe too?"

"Oh, of course, Gabe would have to stay. We love him too much to let him go," Amelia said.

"Speaking of Gabe, why don't you go get him, Amelia. Jonas hasn't gotten a chance to see him yet." Maggie glanced up at Amelia.

"Oh, of course," Amelia said, handing Maggie the tray and disappearing behind the door.

"Here, Jonas." Maggie picked up a roll of the tray. "Eat this."

"Th-thank you," he said trying not to stutter, but feeling outrageously overwhelmed.

He was once again amazed by the taste and texture of the food, but was too hungry to dwell on it much. By the time he was finished Amelia had come back.

"Oh, Gabe!" Jonas exclaimed, so excited to see the little one again. Gabe bounced happily in Amelia's arms trying to get to Jonas.

"Here you are." Amelia placed Gabe in Jonas's arms, who snuggled close to him, much to Gabe's happiness.

"Hey little guy, I'm so glad your okay," Jonas said, looking down at Gabriel's pink cheeks, happy that he looked so healthy.

"Thank you so much." Jonas hadn't even noticed that he had started crying. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Jonas sat Gabe down and tried getting off the couch. He felt a little dizzy, but he thought he'd be able to manage.

What he wasn't expecting was for Maggie to hug him. But she did. She wrapped her arms around him, and whispered in his ear: "You're safe. It's okay now, you're safe."

He closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of warmth and love. Nothing compared to this. Of all the memories he'd been given, of all the love and joy he had experienced, this was the best, the greatest.

"Now," Maggie said, pulling back slightly, and Jonas could see that her eyes were slightly damp, "Amelia, it looks like Jonas can walk just fine, so why don't you give him a little tour of the town, and I'll set up his room."

"Okay," Amelia grabbed his sleeve, "Here, I'll give you some cloths to change into."

He looked down, realizing he was still in the cloths he had arrived in - they were visibly ripped and tarnished.

After he had finished changing in the small bathroom, Amelia walked him to the front door. She paused.

"Um, just a warning, for those who come from communities our town can be a little… overwhelming."

He nodded. "I think I'm a little more prepared than most."

"Okay." She didn't sound convinced but she opened the door, letting the icy breeze blow in.

Taking a deep breath he stepped out, hoping he was prepared for what lay ahead. He was not.

"Well ta-da!" Amelia spread her arms out as if to take in the town.

Jonas took it in with huge eyes. Everything looked so different from the community. The little houses looked the same, but that wasn't the thing he was in awe of. The thing that made him gape was the lights. Every house had lights strung up on them, on every roof. Some even had lights in their yards in odd shapes. Some had lights strung onto small fences that many people had around there yard.

"Its…" he struggled to find the right word, "Awesome."

She laughed. "That it is. Come on, I'll show you the main town, this is just our block."

"You mean… there's more?" he asked as she pulled him down the block.

"Of course. You have to see all the shops and you simply have to see the main square. It's so pretty this time of year."

"Okay, well, I'm sure I'll like it if you say so"—

He stopped dead, completely awestruck.

"What is it…? Oh, yeah." A smile broke across Amelia's face. "It's very busy isn't it?"

Jonas didn't know what to take in first. There were just so many people, walking down the street, all bundled up in coats and jackets, some carrying brightly colored bags, some strolling together holding hands.

There were… shops. He remembered what the Giver had called them. Yes, shops. They were so beautiful, all lit up. Every one of them had a huge window in the front where they show cased different items, all wondrous.

"Its…" he couldn't even find a word to describe this.

"Yeah, I know, that's what they all say. It is pretty cool though, I have to admit."
She smiled up at him. "Come on, I want to show you everything."

She grabbed his arm again and they began to walk past all the storefronts. She showed him the stores and told him what kind of items they held. He was so overwhelmed by it all, even though he had said he wouldn't be. He just couldn't help it.

"Amelia?" He asked. "Earlier you said, 'That's what they all say.' What did you mean by that? Are there others like me - others that come from communities?" Jonas had thought that all the people who left the community either went to a different community or they were… released. Could it be that others had escaped?

"Oh, yes, we've had five people from communities, but I've heard of towns that have gotten much more."

"Had?"

"You caught that, did you? Yeah, almost all of the people who come from communities can't handle this. It's too much for them. They… just fade. Some just shut everything out…they lose their minds. Others try to kill themselves. Well, that is after they find out what death is. But most just go crazy." She paused. "But you haven't. Why?"

"Well, I knew a lot before I came here. So, I sort of knew what to expect."

"Oh, yeah? That explains it. Most people from the communities go into shock at this point."

"Is there anyone who's ever survived?"

"We've only had one man who's ever made it. He lives alone, but we see him every once in a while in town. He's very kind. I'm sure he'll be happy to see someone else from a community. I think he gets a little lonely. And other towns have had successes."

They stopped at the end of the block and Amelia pointed to something in front of them.

"Look." She said simply.

Jonas gasped. Before him stood a huge pine tree. It towered above them, even taller than some of the buildings. Every branch was covered in twinkling lights, and hung with dried fruit and small glass orbs. It was… beyond anything he could ever imagine.

He just stood there, staring.

He was surprised when he felt Amelia's small hand wrap itself around his. He would have to get used to all the physical contact. She turned, looking up into his eyes.

"Will you be one of those successes?" She asked, "Are you going to stay?"

He paused for a moment, thinking.

"Yes, yes I'm a success." He looked back up at the tree.

I'm a success…

"Good." She said simply.

This was no memory. Jonas knew deep inside, this was real. This was one thing that was finally real. This is what it felt like. This is what family felt like. This is what love felt like.

And as the snow began to fall around them, melting on their intertwined hands he could feel it.

He could feel the love.

The End

Okay, now was that not the most fluffyest, mushyest, cheesyest thing you've ever read? I know. I just felt like The Giver was so NOT fluffy at the end. In fact, I wasn't too thrilled with the ending, it felt very rushed to me, the book was so detailed, I think that she could have done the ending better. But I guess that's what we have fan fiction for, lol. I know it's kind of crap writing, and it might be kind of OOC for Jonas, definitely not my best work. I just thought I'd post it to see if anyone else might be interested.

I would LOVE some feedback. Constructive criticism is welcomed, flames will be used to toast vegan marshmallows.

Also, I haven't read The Giver in a while, so I may not have gotten all the facts straight, but I did my best. I know some parts are kind of confusing. Like when Maggie, Amelia, Rose, and Camilla are talking right before Jonas wakes up. It doesn't say who's who because Jonas was only just waking up, so he couldn't really tell who was talking, but just to make it clearer I'll tell you who's talking here:

Camilla:"When is he going to wake up?"

Maggie:"I don't know Camilla, stop fidgeting, you'll wake him."

Camilla:"But I want him to wake up. This is the first boy from a community we've had!"

Amelia:"Shh. Camilla, he needs his sleep. You want him to get better don't you?"

Camilla:"Yeah."

Maggie:"Your sister is right, let him sleep. Why don't you go get him a glass of water for when he wakes up?"

Camilla:"Fine."

Rose:"Good she's gone. I was getting a headache."

Amelia:"Rose, she's young. Of course she's excited by having a visitor, especially one from a community."

Rose:"Why? Are you excited to have a boy from a community, Amelia?"

Maggie:"Rose, stop teasing your sister. It's true that we've never had someone so young, but you needn't bother your sister because of it."

Rose""Yes, mom."

Maggie:"Now both of you, go make yourselves useful. Go tend to the baby or something."

Amelia and Rose:"Yes, mom."

Hope that clears thing up!

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

Also, thank you to my wonderful beta letsbeginwiththisdance! She's awesome, if you ever need a beta check her out!