The nights of the North Pole were always beautiful. Annabelle had noticed that ever since she first came here. Sometimes at night, she would come out to look at the stars and just loose herself in her thoughts. She was always alone, or at least, she had been. Now, someone else accompanied her.

"Mom! I see it! I see it! A shooting star!" A young voice called out.

Annabelle chuckled and looked up. "Well you better make a wish."

Standing next to the cow turned reindeer was a young buck, looking very much like her. The buck closed his eyes tightly, wishing with all of his might. Then, he opened his eyes and grinned.

"Well what did you wish for honey?" Annabelle asked.

"If I tell you Mom, it won't come true." The buck said.

"Well I guess that's true," Annabelle realized.

The buck sat himself down, leaning in close to his mother.

"Mom?"

"Yes Billy?"

"What's really up there?"

Annabelle recalled something from her past, and looked up at the starry net of blackness. "Well, my mother once told me that when an animal dies, their spirit goes up there."

"Where do they go?"

"Oh a nice place."

"Is it really nice?"

"Well Billy, I can't say for certain."

Billy continued to stare up at the stars, thinking hard on what his mother had said. "Mom? Do you miss Grandma?"

"Of course sweetheart, I miss her everyday." Annabelle responded.

"Would she have liked me?" Billy innocently asked.

Suddenly he let out a giggle as his mother leaned in and nuzzled him. "She would have loved you to bits."

Annabelle hadn't expected to have a son. But fate had been kind to her. Ever since she had become one of Santa's reindeer, she had finally fulfilled her childhood dream of being able to fly. She had believed that would be her life and fate for the rest of her days. But motherhood wasn't something she had expected. She hadn't even been bred or inseminated when she was a cow. That made her think about her past life, her mother, and Billy. When her mother passed, it had been hard. She couldn't speak to convey her emotions, but animals had a way of showing sadness even without a voice. And not just Star, but Scarlet, Slim, Ears, their deaths had hurt her all. But what hurt especially was leaving Billy behind. He was her best friend, the one she had given up her Christmas voice to so he could stay with his grandfather. It had been years since she had left. Billy had a little boy of his own now. She had felt it appropriate to name her son after her dearest friend.

"I really wish I could have met her." Little Billy said.

"Me too honey. But you know what? I have you." Annabelle said.

Billy giggled as his mother continued to tickle him with her nose. "Mom stop!" The buck pleaded.

"Why? Nothing wrong with loving my little boy!" Annabelle said, continuing her motherly display of affection.

It continued for some time as the pair of them rolled around, laughing all the while. As soon as it died down, mother and son looked at each other before getting to their feet. And it was at this point little Billy yawned.

"My it seems your body is telling you it's time for bed." Annabelle said.

"Aww but Mom! I'm not tired!" Little Billy pouted.

"Now now we shouldn't pout. Otherwise Santa might place you on the naughty list." Annabelle chided her son playfully.

Billy looked disappointed, but subsided all the same. "All right."

"That's my boy." Annabelle expressed.

And on this North Pole night, both mother and son returned home to rest, and to dream of sweet things together.

A/N: Okay, who here remembers the animated film Annabelle's Wish? I caught it back when it premiered on Fox when I was a kid, but it was years later before I learned the ending where Annabelle becomes a reindeer. Such a heartwarming film. Merry Christmas all!