Hey guys! So this is my little holiday one shot for you all. Everyone who knows me knows I'm all about paying it forward, and I even did so with this one shot. The title is from the song, which I think is one of the most beautiful holiday songs by Rob Thomas and it is a reminder of what the holiday should be about. Living in New York, we see a lot of different people (even on Long Island where I am) and it truly is a reminder of how great the world is and how much we can give and all that stuff. So, I encourage you this holiday season to pay it forward, put a smile on a stranger's face. Can you do that? It'll make the season a bit brighter. :) Have a Merry Christmas, or Happy Holiday whatever one you celebrate. May your season be bright.

Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Ally knew having a tour so close to the holidays was a bad idea. She voiced this over and over again to Trish, who swore up and down nothing bad would happen. Ally, of course, was right as per usual and she wanted to cry. Right now in Miami, her parents were preparing to throw their yearly party in Sonic Boom, a tradition they'd kept despite being separated for the last few years. It was one of her favorite days of the year—the only time her parents ever seemed to get along no strings attached. She'd always been the one to make the Christmas cookies and everyone loved them. All of the stores in the mall came—it was a great time for all.

Except, she wouldn't be there tomorrow. They were currently stuck in the North East because of a huge snow storm. All flights canceled until further notice. She glared up at the monitor, angrily typing a text to Trish at the same time. Her friend, of course, had taken the flight home a week before, deciding that she needed to get some retail shopping in before the holiday, leaving just her and Austin alone to finish the tour.

"I'm sorry," came a voice behind her, timid. Ally whirled around to find Austin standing there, his eyes full of compassion and worry for his girlfriend. "I know how much the party means to you. But hold onto hope. We could get lucky. The weather could break."

The weather app said otherwise, but she appreciated his attempt. "I know," she finally murmured. "I just look forward to that night all year long. It's killing me to know I probably won't be there."

"Well, there is no point of sitting here and staring at a screen that's not going to change." He motioned to their bags, a few feet away. "Trish booked us a room at a nearby hotel in Times Square. I'm sure a few hours rest wouldn't hurt."

Ally wanted to stay there, wanted to be the first one ready in case by some miracle a flight did come up, but she knew it would not happen. She allowed Austin to take her by the hand and led her from the airport, pushing away tears until they were back in the hustle and bustle of one of the craziest cities in the world: New York City.

It wasn't that Ally didn't love it here. She did. It was such a magical place to spend the holidays in, but that was just the thing. Despite that, she didn't want to be there. Her family would never be able to be competed against. No matter what the offer, she'd always choose to be there.

"Do you want to check out the tree?" Austin dared quietly. Ally smiled slightly at this. They'd been in such a rush playing the show last night; they didn't really get to site see while there. She'd really wanted to see the giant tree in the heart of the city, and maybe the ice skating rink around it, too. There was the big toy store she'd always heard about… probably carolers if she looked about. A tiny smile spread into a bigger one, and even Austin grinned back. "There you go. There's my Ally."

She allowed him to lead her through the crowded city streets, still bustling despite several inches of snow already on the ground. It would take many more inches to stop a city that was so close to the biggest holiday of the year. With only about two days until the major day, people were on short notice. Her mood plummeted to think the tradition they'd made—her and Trish—to open the gifts they'd given each other on the night before the big day would go missed that year.

Nothing could stop her; she began to cry as they reached the heart. "I don't want to be here," she cried into his shoulder. "Austin, I want to be with my family."

Austin was at a loss and she knew this. He hugged her tightly back, feeling guilty for making her be there with him for the show. At least had she gone back with Trish, she'd be with her family right then, and only he'd be stranded. He felt selfish for even thinking this way, but a part of him was glad she did stay. He didn't want to spend the holiday alone in a foreign city either.

"I'm so sorry, Ally," he murmured, kissing her gently on the lips. "I wish I could change something, but I can't. I can only try to make it worth being stuck here."

Ally then noticed a young woman chasing after a tiny boy, the young boy grinning ear to ear. It stopped her tears if only for a second. The woman looked exhausted, and the boy seemed to have never ending energy. He tore through the crowds, racing toward the toy store that was oh so famous. FAO Schwartz. But he didn't go there. He barreled right into Austin, hugging his legs so tight that he almost toppled over. The little boy finally looked up at them, two teeth missing from the front. "You're Austin Mooth!" Without his teeth, it didn't sound like Moon, but he got the point across.

The woman tiredly caught up. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "He saw you and I couldn't stop him."

"It's okay," Austin nodded. "Don't worry about it." He kneeled down into the wet ground, smiling at the boy. "How are you, buddy? Excited for Santa!"

He nodded excitedly, "Me and my brothers and sisters have been so good this year! We can't wait to see what he's going to bring us!"

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?" Ally asked gently, still touched by the boy's sincere love of her boyfriend.

He held up both hands. Figuring he didn't know how to count, Ally raised an eyebrow. "Ten," he shouted through the streets. "I have ten!"

The woman smiled shyly, "He lives at a group home. We were on our way back there when he spotted you."

"Oh," Austin nodded, understanding. "Got it."

Austin kept busy with the little boy; whose name he learned was Adam. They talked excitedly for a minute, while Ally walked a short distance with the woman. She looked beyond exhausted and she finally sensed something was off. When prompted, the woman spilled, "We don't have enough gifts for all the kids this year. Funds were low and we couldn't find someone to sponsor us. I'm going to take my rent money and see what I can get. I figure my landlord won't mind if this month is late. He's pretty understanding. I just hope that it's enough. I don't make that much there," she admitted. "They're all so excited for Santa. What kind of adult lets a little kid not think that Santa loves them?"

Ally felt foolish for crying over not being with her family when there were so many other issues in the world. She felt for the woman, named Macey who spoke so sadly. Gently, she pulled Austin away from the little boy, asking the woman to wait there for a second. She tried to explain the situation as quickly as she could to him and she was so pleased to know her boyfriend was on the same wavelength as her when his eyes lit up. "We can make their Christmas," he realized, grinning widely. "We're right near the biggest tour store in the world." He paused, adding, "Even better. I bet I can find a little elf suit for you, Ally! I'd dress as Santa, but imagine if Santa sent Austin Moon to deliver a bunch of presents to some deserving little kids."

She hugged her boyfriend tightly. "I love you, Austin Moon."

"I love hearing you say that."

Ally played off their surprise quite well, asking Macey where the home was located, and then wished them a happy holiday. They sneakily walked to the toy store, loading the cart with various gifts for both boys and girls. By the time they were done, there was enough for at least three gifts a child and they even stopped at a local department store and purchased several gift cards for clothing. "Santa doesn't come for another day," they realized. "But we can get to wrapping."

Ally decided it was best to let the home know what they were planning. Nice idea or not, showing up with a ton of toys without telling them might not go over well. The owner, the young woman's boss nearly cried tears of joy when they called. They decided to do the gift giving tomorrow night, explaining to the kids that Santa had asked Austin to personally deliver the majority of the gifts himself. Each child would also receive a gift from Santa.

By the next day, while still upset not to be home, Ally's mood had warmed considerably. It felt good to help someone else. They used their laptops to video chat with Trish and her family, wishing all of them a happy night of love and hot chocolate and then began their trek back toward the address they'd been given.

When they finally arrived, Ally could hear several young voices singing songs on top of their lungs. Rudolph's song never sounded so beautiful. Ally went in first, alerting the adults of their presence, and then followed Austin to the back in costume to where they were going to make their entrance. She wasn't crazy about the costume (Austin was) but she knew it'd make the kids happy. Austin was dressed in red and had a Santa hat on, and carried a large bag behind him with all wrapped gifts. They were about to make the lives of eleven young children.

They burst through the door to each kid sitting around a small fire, their eyes going wide to see the visitor smiling back at them. The once quiet room came to life, each kid screaming on top of their lungs as Austin made his way around. Ally had some fans too, but Austin was the superstar. She watched in awe as each child was handed two gifts, blinking back tears when a little girl looked up at the ceiling and stated, "Thank you, Santa. You make my Christmas very joyful."

Soon, they were surrounded by wrapping paper and toys, giggling children and warm drinks. Austin sat down in a nearby chair, and she sat down next to him. "You look good, Santa's very sexy helper."

He raised his eyebrows. "Thank you, Ms. Elf."

She giggled.

"I know it's not what you wanted, but I think we did pretty good making the best of it, wouldn't you say?"

Ally smiled at him, watching a little girl nestle up to a stuffed toy, looking absolutely thrilled. Maybe she was far from where she would prefer to be, but she couldn't help but think she was also where she needed to be. If they hadn't gotten stuck in New York City, they would have never met Adam and his family. And then a bunch of small children would have never had a holiday to remember, and that made it all seem worth it.

The clock struck midnight sometime later, and the kids scurried off to bed, promised that Santa himself would arrive soon, and that they needed to be asleep.

The two of them wandered back through the city to their hotel room, the snow still falling down. Ally paused outside the building, smiling at her boyfriend. "Merry Christmas, Austin."

"Merry Christmas," he whispered, right under the mistletoe.