FES: I LLLLLIIIIIIIIVVVVVEEEE! Wow, it's been FOREVER since I've been on . I usually derp around on DeviantART

Muse: What about War Betwe-

FES: *Tapes her mouth* I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT YOU SPEAK OF!

Enjoy!~

"Come on, Jake, come on!"

An excited Chris, daughter of King Damas and Queen Auguara and sister of Jak Mar, urged as she pulled the sleeve of Jake, her best friend, toward the Christmas lite street of Haven. Their friends, Miako, Blair, Sunny, and Star followed behind them slowly, laughing and commenting every now and then.

It was almost Christmas in Haven and everyone was bundled up with heavy jacket or sweaters and hats as the season became so cold while shopping for gifts for family and friends.

"Hold on!" Jake managed to stur out in his drunken state. "Stop shouting. I'm getting a ... a ... a potatoe."

The group stopped and stared at the Britan born boy as he tried to keep his eyes open. He had recently just got out of the bar (By 'got out', I mean 'was thrown out' for hoisting skirts up). Chris smiled at him and started laugh along side the others as they gathered around Jake.

"The only time we really have fun is when Jake is drunk," Sunny said, walking to Jake and putting a hand on Jake's right shoulder as Star appeared on his left shoulder. "Isn't that right, Jakey?"

Star pinched Jake's cheek hard and stretched it. "Aw, but admit is, brother, Jake is so cute when he's drunk!" Jake stood there stiff for a second before relaxing again and becoming a little limp. Chris laughed as Jake just stared at the twins for a moment.

"Owcsh, guysch, that hurtsh!" Jake said as Star pinched his cheek. Blair grabbed her camera, taking a picture with the twins smiling and Jake's tired face. Miako shook his head while laughing, pushing the twins away from the boy. "Can I go home now, Chris? I don't feel so-"

Chris looked at Jake sadly, her eyes looking like it was at the vurge of tears. "But ... you promised we would go Christmas shopping together," Chris whispered, she bowed her head sadly. "I guess ... you want to go home to your Brenda, your wife ..." Jake frowned, knowing well all that would be waiting at his house was Brenda, hoping to put things back together. He sighed, then wrapped a muscular arm around Chris' shoulder, pulling her closer to his body warmth.

"I'm sorry. I forget sometimes that I never hold a promise. But I'm gonna keep this one, okay?" Jake whispered. Chris smiled and hugged him, smelling his manly scent fill her nose. They walked like that through the streets as the weather got colder. Suddenly, something popped in front of them as they walked under the bridge.

"Jake and Chris, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then com-" Miako was cut off when a heavily blushed Jake grabbed his hair and pulled the soldier down to let him crash on the floor. "Geez! I was joking! No need to get angry, Jake,"

As the night stretched on, the group's faces had turned white from the cold and had bought a blanket to keep all of them warm and snug. The street was still covered with lights and happy smiles that seemed to glow brighter than the lights, but no smile could have been compared to Chris' beaming smile. In Jake's eyes, Chris was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and her smile has always lead him out of the darkness of his life; through the rapes, the beatings, the dangerous missions that he thought he was never gonna see her again, her smile was always on his mind. Her eyes would always sparkle when she's around him and her body would snuggle against his. This Christmas, he was going to get her something that showed just how much he loves and appreciates her.

"Chris! Look! There's some music boxes ..." Blair said, pulling Chris' arm away from Jake's body as Jake clunched on her sleeve. Chris turned around, looking at Jake's wide eyes, her mind opening the memory of when Jake came to her, broken and scared after his sexual assault and he grabbed her arm like that, pleading her to stay by his side. Jake let out a shaky breath, his hand tightening on her sleeve like a life line. Chris smiled, using her other hand to pry Jake's hand away from her sleeve tenderly before he realized what he did.

"It's okay. I'm just going to be at that stand, don't worry," she whispered, following Blair to the noisy stand. Jake blinked twice before snapping out of it, grabbing a hand fill of hair and stood there with eyes wide open. Why did he do that? He just showed Chris that he's still afraid to be alone, instead of showing her he could handle himself. He blinked and watched Chris, her smile as she opened some music boxes and watched as the Music Fairies danced to the theme of the song. Music Fairies are little specks of light - But grow into full size fairies when wanting too - that are put into a music box to dance at the song of the box. They come in the color of the music or theme, for example, there would be rainbow if it was a happy song and a tropical theme. But they are living, they feed off of dancing, so when you open the music box after a year or so, the Fairies are dead.

Jake smirked, putting his hands in his pockets and walking ahead. He loved how bright to lights were this time of night ... but the thing he hated most about winter ... was that every damn chick in this city wore ipants/i, instead of short skirts! Jake stopped in front of a pile of snow and growled, "Damn you!". A couple looked at him strangely, hurrying their pace as the passed by Miako and the twins. They raised an eyebrow at him and crossed their arms over their chest. "I'm drunk, okay! Leave me ... a- ... a .. "

"Alone?"

"That's it!" Jake said, snapping his fingers and walking away toward the other stands. The lights and snow looked peaceful in the bazaar, especially the jewlery and trinkets. One trinket got his eye, which got him to walk over the stand. It was a stone statuette of little girl angel with short, curly golden hair, and a long whiteish-brown dress with elbow length sleeves that had a light blue veil on the insides of the elbows, which ripped down the sides. It's eyes were closed and it's hands were entwined in a prayer with it's wings spread out.

"Do you like what you see?"

Jake looked up to see a woman with a gypsy like outfit; a mid-thigh long dress with a purple skirt and white blouse with a sun printed silk scarf over her shoulders and upper arms (which one of them has a gold bracelet on it). Her long, wavy, puffy black hair had streaks of red and blue and yellow in it were draped behind her shoulders with braids wrapping around her head with flowers in the braid. Jake noted that her eyes were were a pale green eyes with glittered make up and a red lipstick. She had a Russian accent. Jake nodded.

"The little angel?"

"Yeah,"

"No need to hide accent. You British, no?"

Jake's eyes widened. How did this woman know about his accent? He hides it so well. "Oh, you have a point there."

"Anywho, this angel ..." She said as she picked it up, " ... is twenty dollars, but I give it to you for ten because I know you like her!" The woman smiled and a dimple emerged from her cheek. Jake swallowed as she giggled. "I saw you earlier. You held her sleeve tight," She gripped her own wrist with her red nails. "Last time I see a man hold on so tight, was when man try to take my inventory!"

Jake sighed, running a hand through his black hair. "Yeah, she's my best friend. Known her since I was a lad," Jake said, in his British accent, feeling his throat relax after talking so much in his fake voice. He reached into his pocket getting out ten Precursor orb paper dollars, and giving it to the woman. She counted the money twice then smiled, handing him the little angel. "By the way, I didn't catch your name,"

She smiled with such white teeth. "Aria. Aria Looms." She held her hand out as if to shake. Jake grabbed it and shook her hand, telling her his own name. She put the money in her bra, making Jake look. "Sorry, but you took young to see Aria good-goodies," She said with a wink, making Jake close his mouth.

"Right, well, see you around!" Jake said as he took the angle and left, caressing it's stone cheeks and looking around. This was gonna be the best present for Chris. The little angel looked a little like her .. blonde hair, pale skin, and young skin.

"Jake!"

Jake turned to look at the frozen lake to see Chris run across it, holding a box in her hands and a giant smile on her face. Jake walked slowly toward her until something grabbed her leg, dragging her into the water and making her throw the box onto the ice. Jake started running, screaming, "iChristella!/i" as he took off his jacket and sweater, leaving only his short sleeve shirt. He jumped into the water, the cold water numbing his feet before he even got knee in.

At first, Jake was dazed, the cold water making him want to scream but he was able to open his eyes to see the dark dephs of the winter covered ice. He felt something in his hands and forgot that the little angel was still in his hands. He held it tightly, not wanting to loose it but when he saw Chris floating while something held her foot in place. Jake dropped the angel, swimming toward the pale skinned Chris and wrapping his arms around her shoulder. He was loosing his air supply and knew the Chris probably is loosing her too quickly due to being down longer than he had. Jake laid his chin on her shoulder, and used one hand to gently turn her head toward his. Jake pressed his lips against hers and transfered some air into her lungs by opening her mouth with his tongue.

When Jake transferred most of his air to her, he started feeling light headed and his lungs started to scream for more air. He looked at Chris to see her eyes wide with worry, but he just started to swim as quick as possible. And when they breached the surface, Jake coughed with his head down and his arm wrapped around Chris' shoulders. They climbed out only to have Jake embrace Chris tightly, his arms wrapping around her upper arms so tight she thought he was mad at her.

"Jake?" Chris asked, feeling his forehead against her shoulder. Since his lips were against her ear, she heard him ranting about how much he was worried. Miako grabbed Jake's discarded jacket, laying it on his shoulders and bare arms. Chris still felt him shiver like scared child, already knowing he was probably shivering due to the cold water. Chris herself was so cold, but Jake's body warmed her a lot. She felt the twins wrap both of them with the blanket. "Are you okay?"

Jake held her even tighter, as Chris was about to apologize, she held him suck in a shaking breath and isob/i. "Wh-what do you t-think?!" Jake choked out, "You sc-scared the hell out of me!" He started to sob even harder now, making Chris lay her hands on his sides, making him flinch but relax. Jake held his head up to look at her with tear streaked cheeks. "Don't scare like that again," Jake said, his accent so hypnotic to her. Chris smiled, laid a hand on his jaw, and used her thumb to dry the tears while the other hand scratching behind his ear.

Chris looked at the box that laid on the ice covered floor. It was still in tact and it's wrapping a little torn. Jake's gift.

But what was that?