The wind and the sand chafed at Alfred Jones' face as he lay on his stomach att he crest of a sand dune in Afghanistan. He squinted through binoculars at the rolling sand dunes that stretch as far as the eye could see. The sun was hot on his back, burning his ears despite the camouflage cap he wore to match his brown camouflage uniform. The lens of the binoculars clinked against his regular glasses, and the sound mingled with the light wind chime of his dog tags.

"I still don't see anything, Lieutenant." He reported to a man crouched beside him. A gust of wind blew sand into his mouth and the grit just made him more thirsty. His canteen was only half full, so he drank sparingly.

"The report came from a reliable source. Our orders are to keep watch out here." The lieutenant replied, taking the binoculars from Alfred. Al sighed, and winced as another little sand bug bit him, this time on the calve. Almost every inch of his skin was covered in uniform, but the little insects managed to find their way in and used him as their snack.

This wasn't how he wanted to spend his Christmas Eve.

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Megan Jones had just finished placing the last present under the huge evergreen in the living room. It looked impressive, all lit up with white lights and hung with red, white, and blue balls. Interspersed with the plain ornaments were fifty hand painted ones. One for each state, painted by each of the fifty Jones children. A sprawl of green-leaved branches adorned with peaches for Georgia, a huge sunburst for Florida, a teddy bear for Montana... All of them were tucked into bed, and Megan wondered if they were dreaming of sugarplums. Maybe. She sighed and sat on the couch, unable to go to bed just yet.

Megan picked up a silver framed picture from the end table, looking down at it with a sad smile. In the photo she had a joyful smile on her face, as she looked up into the blue eyes of her beloved Alfred. His eyes were filled with love and awe, like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. How happy they'd been.

"I miss you Al." She whispered, smoothing her thumb over the glass in the frame and trying to hold back the tears. How she wished he hadn't been deployed to Afghanistan. How she wished he was there, with his arm slung easily around her shoulders and an easy grin on his face. How she wished... oh, but wishing wouldn't get her anywhere, would it? Wishing wouldn't bring him back home.

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Alfred rolled onto his back, taking a quick break from his watch to reach into his pocket and pull out a crumpled photograph. He looked at the face that smiled back at him from the picture, a brunette with a good-natured smile and hazel eyes, and felt tears prick his eyes. He didn't let them fall, not in front of his Lieutenant, but they were there, lurking under the surface.

"That's a good looking lady." Lieutenant glanced down at his underling, not having the heart to reprimand him for slacking. It was Christmas eve, after all.

Alfred smiled, "That's my girl back home. My wife, Megan."

"Nice one." The lieutenant whistled appreciatively, "You're a family man, then? Wife and kids and the whole shebang?"

"Yup."

"Must suck, getting stuck out here at this time of year."

"You have no idea." Al muttered. He tucked the picture carefully back into his pocket, and took up the binoculars again, trying to hide the pain in his eyes. He wanted more than anything else to be at home. He missed his house, his kids... even more than he usually did. He and California had always had huge snowball fights, and he'd been making gingerbread houses with seventeen year old Minnesota since she was four. And now this stupid war was taking all that away from him.

I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love

more than I usually do.

And although it's a long road back,

I promise you...

I'll be home for Christmas

Please have snow...

and mistletoe

and presents by the tree...

The little ones would be squealing over presents, ripping the wrapping paper with a certain relish. If he were home, he'd sit on the sofa and quietly exchange gifts. He'd mailed the pearl necklace to her this year, after buying it online. There was a box on his cot wrapped in red paper and covered with Frosty the Snowman stickers with DO NOT OPEN TIL CHRISMAS scrawled on it. But it wasn't the same. He wanted to be there.

"Get some sleep, Private."

"Yes, sir." Alfred huddled against the dune trying to find a somewhat comfortable position. The sand had long since gotten onto his scalp and itched, the sun had disappeared, to be replaced by freezing moonlight. A coyote howled mournfully in the distance. Alfred felt like howling too, his heart was so filled with loneliness. After a little while, he fell asleep. In his dreams he saw his family gathered in the massive living room around the tree, morning sunlight reflecting off the snow on the yard and sending bright gold rays into the room.

Montana crawled over and plopped into his lap, snuggling her brown curly head into his chest. "Daddy! Daddy, look what Santa brought me!" crowed Oregon. Megan smiled over the messily wrapped present presented to her by an excited Maine. She looked at Al with a grin, and called over the pandemonium, "Merry Christmas, Alfred!"

Christmas eve will find you

where the love light gleams

I'll be home for Christmas

if only in my dreams.

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams.

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Megan slowly slipped off the couch, taking the picture upstairs to her bedroom. Without Al there to share it, the massive bed felt so empty. She tugged the star-spangled blankets over her, laying on her side, facing Alfred's side of the bed. She even missed his snoring, amazingly. And his annoying habit of falling out of bed every morning. The glint of his glasses sitting on the bedside table. This time Megan couldn't hold back the tears and they fell silently onto the pillowcase. She smiled shakily at the picture in her hands and murmured into the silver moonlight that touched the photograph.

"Merry Christmas, baby. I love you."

Christmas eve will find you

where the love light gleams.

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

if only in my dreams.