Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Author's Note: This is similar to One Special Night. One of my younger sisters came up with this idea. This is my first time writing them so I hope I did a good job. Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukah or whatever it is that you celebrate at this time of year.

One Special Christmas Night

Mia glanced up at the clock again; Jayden still wasn't here to pick her up. Thirty minutes ago Mindy had left after Mia had assured her that her ride would be there. Perhaps it would have been easier had she gotten another ride, but Jayden had insisted. He had told her that since he had to go pick some things up it wasn't a big deal to also pick her up. Mia couldn't wait to get back at the Shiba House, she had done so well in this semester at Cooking School that she wanted to show off some of her new cooking skills.

She looked back outside and perked up a bit when she saw a car driving closer. However it didn't take long for her to realize that it wasn't Jayden. Pulling out her phone she looked to see if he had sent her a message and she just hadn't gotten it. She only had two texts, one from her brother and the other from Emily. Moving back to the bench in the front hallway she sat down and decided to answer them.

Terry had sent her a quick comment about hoping to see penguins that were not caged up which really made no sense because she knew that his band was in Texas. She replied to him asking what he meant and then went to Emily's text.

'When will you be here?'

Mia smiled and replied to her friend, 'As soon as Jayden gets here.'

'Hope it won't be too much longer. Mike and I just got here. Kevin is already practicing. Still waiting on Antonio. Lauren is here too.'

'Sounds fun! Can't wait to see you soon.' After she sent the message she heard someone trying to open the door to the school. She looked up and saw Jayden at the door. Standing up she went and opened the door, "Hey Jayden."

"Sorry I was late. Traffic is getting bad, especially with the snow falling."

Mia picked up one of her bags while Jayden took another one. She smiled at him and shrugged, "Don't worry about it. It happens. It's fine."

Jayden nodded his head, "Thanks."

They got back to the car and after putting her bags in the backseat they got in the car and Jayden took off. The traffic was really bad. "You would think they hadn't seen any snow. Unless…" She trailed off worried.

Jayden looked over at her, "Mia, what's wrong?"

"Maybe it's a car accident and someone was hurt."

Her companion looked back through the windshield with a slight frown, "It could be, but it could also just be people not driving because of the snow and holidays."

Mia nodded. They sat there in silence for another couple of minutes without moving before she spoke up again, "I think I know a way around this traffic."

Jayden looked over at her, "It's not horrible if it takes us longer to get back."

She shook her head, "No, but I wanted to cook something and I'll need some time to do so."

There was another minute of silence before Jayden nodded, "Alright, where do I go?"

Mia began giving him directions and he was following them. The weather outside was getting worse, the wind was stronger, the snow had gotten heavier and it was darker out. They got to a crossroads and Mia wasn't sure which way to go. As she hesitated Jayden spoke up, "Which way?"

"Usually it's light and I can see a landmark…I think it's right."

Without another thought Jayden turned right. They had been driving down that road for a few minutes when Mia realized that this was the wrong way because they couldn't go straight for this long on the real way. Groaning she looked over to Jayden, "Ummm, Jayden?"

"Yeah?" He didn't take his eyes of the road because it was getting much harder to see outside the windows.

"I think it's the wrong way."

He looked quickly at her before returning his attention to the road, "What do you mean?"

"I think we were supposed to go further past where we turned, it's just really hard to see."

Jayden exhaled slowly, "I suppose we can try to turn around and head back."

Mia looked outside the car window; she wasn't sure about that idea working out. Looking back at Jayden she saw him starting to turn the wheel, "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"It's fine Mia, we'll turn around and make our way back."

The dark haired girl held onto her phone a little tighter worried that they might hit another car or something as her friend continued to turn the car around. "I don't know Jayden. I think that perhaps we should just wait or…"

All at once the car hit some ice and before they knew it they had hit something. It wasn't anything serious because the airbags hadn't been activated however it did cause Mia to be in a bit of a shock. Her first thought was to check on Jayden but before she could she felt a warm hand touch hers, "Are you okay?"

She met her friend's eyes and nodded, "Yeah, just a little shocked, that's all."

Jayden nodded, "Good. Let me see what happened."

He got out of the car before Mia could say anything else. She sighed as she realized that there was a likely chance that they wouldn't be able to get the car going again. They didn't even know where they were at this point. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Jayden's red jacket stood out amongst the white snow and dark night.

"Anything?"

Jayden was startled and jumped a bit at her words, "Mia, you could have stayed in the car."

"I know, but I don't see any reason for me to come out here and also see what's going on." She paused and looked at where the car had crashed into the tree. It wasn't too bad, however there was no way they would be able to use the car right now. "Does this mean we're spending all night in the car?"

He shook his head, "I don't think that would be a good idea. Besides I saw a light over there earlier, let's head that way."

Mia was a little nervous to start moving the storm was still in effect and there was a likely chance they could get lost…then again they could try and perhaps find a house. After weighing both options she realized that it was a fifty/fifty chance. Sighing she gestured ahead, "Alright let's go. But we need to stay close; I don't want to get lost."

Jayden nodded, "I don't either." Then he looked at the car, "Do you want to grab your things, just in case?"

The dark haired girl looked at the car; it wasn't like she had a lot, just her back pack and an extra bag. She nodded and together they went in and grabbed her two bags. Mia placed the backpack on her back while Jayden took hold of the other one. He then seemed to deliberate for a minute before he reached out and took her hand in his. He looked down at her, "Just in case."

She nodded her heart beating much faster than it had been. She had already cared about Jayden as a friend but it wasn't until after she had gotten to cooking school when her feelings had started to change. She had continued communicating with all of her friends. Emily and Mike were always together so usually she just talked or texted Emily and she would talk to Mike. She had also texted Antonio, Kevin and Jayden.

Jayden.

Through mostly phone conversations they had gotten to know each other more than they had previously. It had been different, but very nice. And now here she was holding his hand. Mia shook her head, she had to focus. As soon as she started focusing on the world around her she realized that it had gotten colder. Looking around she still didn't see whatever it was that Jayden was so positive he had seen.

"Jayden." There was no answer. Mia looked around and realized that the strong wind had carried it away. She squeezed his hand and spoke louder, "Jayden!"

He stopped and looked down at her puzzled, "Are you okay?"

"Are you sure you saw it in this direction?"

"I'm sure. Mia, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

He didn't say anything for another minute before he nodded, "Look, we'll go a little further and if we don't see anything we'll head back to the car okay?"

Mia nodded and the two trudged forward. Mia wasn't really sure if she had feet anymore however she kept going. There wasn't a point in stopping right now anyways. It was cold and with the wind it wasn't making things easier. Finally after what felt like at least two hours they did arrive to a small cottage. There was a light on inside and Jayden quickly moved the two of them up to the front door.

There was a small cover which allowed a brief respite from the wind. It was at that moment that Jayden let go of her hand and reached up to knock. Mia wrapped her arms around her body hoping to try and warm up a little bit. After a few minutes Mia began to wonder if there was anyone there anyways.

Jayden looked down at her, "I'm not sure if someone is home or not." He looked back out towards the store and she could tell that he was debating.

"Maybe they just can't hear the knocking." Mia reached over and turned the doorknob. She had expected it to be locked so she was quite surprised when the door fell open. Jayden looked at her and she shrugged before turning back to the warmth that was escaping the cottage, "Hello?" She called out. When there was no response she stepped over the threshold and called out again.

Once inside she turned around and beckoned Jayden to follow her. He was very reluctant but he stepped inside. "We shouldn't be in here."

"I know we shouldn't, but…well we can't stay outside in that, and walking back to hopefully find the car? That's not going to work either. I know you thought about all that when they didn't answer."

"Alright, let's look around."

It didn't take long for them to search the cottage, it wasn't really that big. There was a small room as you walked into the cottage. Once you stepped through the only door in there you entered a larger room that had a couch and a recliner. There was a table in the middle and on the wall hung a huge picture of a snowy woodland. In one of the other rooms was a kitchen with a small table, a couple of chairs and a door to what was obviously the back yard. And then there was the bathroom and a bedroom with only a bed, dresser and desk. Though there wasn't a lot of furniture or things all over the place, it was still very nice and cozy.

Mia wondered where the owners were and why they had left the door unlocked. Jayden had set her bag down in the living room and that was where she put her backpack. Looking around she saw Jayden was looking at the fireplace. She stepped up to him and was standing next to him for a couple of minutes in silence before he spoke, "I feel like an intruder."

Mia nodded, "I know what you mean, but what else can we do?"

"I know. We can't go back out in the cold. We're stuck here. I'm still very curious as to why the door was unlocked."

"I don't know…that's a good question." She looked back towards where the kitchen was and then turned to Jayden, "Maybe they went outside. I mean if they were going to get firewood."

"You're right, that is a possibility. Come on."

Mia followed Jayden to the kitchen and out the door. Mia had just started feeling warm but now the cold air was once more freezing her entire being. They looked around hoping to see something through the snow that the wind was whipping around them. Mia found the firewood which was a bit off from the door but other than that nothing else outside. It was really bizarre. She hoped that who's ever house this was wouldn't be too upset that she and Jayden were in it.

She felt Jayden stand by her, "We should get some firewood so we can get a fire going."

Mia nodded and helped pick up some logs before slowly making her way back into the house. As she got into the kitchen she looked back to make sure Jayden had made it inside. After he shut the door they brought the wood to the fireplace and Jayden started putting the logs in the fireplace. Mia pulled out her phone and noticed that there were a few missed calls and a couple of texts. Emily had just tried calling again.

Mia looked at Jayden, "I'm going to call Emily and let her know what's going on."

"That's a good idea; I'll take care of the fire."

Mia quickly called Emily. Emily answered right away, "Mia? Are you okay? Did Jayden get to you?"

"Yes, Jayden picked me up."

"We were so worried…there's a blizzard out there…where are you?"

"We found a cabin and we're in here. There's no one here…but…"

"Well at least you both are fine. I'm sorry that you're stuck there right now…though not bad company for you."

Mia felt her cheeks warm up, "Emily," she glanced back at Jayden before replying, "Look just let everyone know we're okay and we'll try to get there tomorrow."

"Alright, we'll see you then."

Mia hung up and then turned to Jayden, "Well they know that we're safe. Now we just have to wait out the storm."

Jayden stepped up from the fire, "At least we have shelter."

"That's true." She sat down on the sofa putting her phone away, "It's kind of weird being in here though."

Jayden nodded, "I agree."

It was silent for a few minutes before Mia spoke up, "Maybe this place hasn't been used." Jayden turned towards her unsure of what she meant. Mia gestured around the cabin, "It's not like there's a ton of things here…and…well…" Mia stood up and went into the kitchen to open some of the cabinets. There were some dishes and a few boxes of different food but other than that it was empty. And when she opened the fridge she found that empty as well.

Turning around she was about to go back to Jayden when she realized he was standing in the doorway. He looked at the cupboards, "Just us then?"

"Yes. I could make something for us though." Mia was thrilled that she might be able to practice some of her new skills after all.

It didn't take long for Jayden to reply, "Sure. I can help if you want."

Mia thought about that for a second before she nodded, "Yes, that would be fun."

Mia looked at the clock on her phone, it was almost midnight. She and Jayden had been able to get a filling enough dinner and they were able to clean up the dishes. It had been fun having Jayden help her with the dinner and it had turned out really good. She looked over at Jayden who was reading one of the books that they had found here.

"Listen Jayden, I never apologized."

He set down his book and looked at Mia confused, "Apologized for what?"

"For getting us into this mess. It wasn't my intention, I thought we could go the other way and make it back to the Shiba house in much quicker time."

"Mia, I trusted you…I trust you. It's not your fault. The blizzard came and I'm sure we'll be good for tomorrow."

She smiled at him and reached over and took his hand in hers, "Thank you."

His lips turned up and he nodded, "You're welcome."

"You know I'm glad that you're doing that more."

"What?"

"Smiling. You didn't always when we were rangers, more so when Antonio came. Anyways, I was just saying I'm glad you are because…you have a nice smile." Jayden looked unsure as to what to say to that so Mia squeezed his hand, "You don't have to say anything."

It was quiet for few minutes before Jayden spoke up, "It's good that you're able to come back to the Shiba house for Christmas. Ji and I miss having you, all of you around."

Mia nodded, "That makes sense; we did live together for quite some time. And I miss that sometimes. A lot actually."

"I thought you enjoyed cooking school?"

"I did. I do. It's amazing and I'm learning a lot."

"But…?"

"I still miss being around all of you guys. And I miss talking one on one with you guys, like this."

It was then that she noticed just how close she and Jayden were. She knew that they had both sat on the same couch but for some reason it had become more noticeable. He smiled at her, "It is nice. I had gotten used to having you guys all around and then you were gone. It was nice to be able to rest and relax but at the same time, it was too quiet."

Mia nodded, "That makes sense. Whenever Terry would be gone it was really quiet and it would feel weird." It was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke up again, "So you never told me if Lauren is coming for Christmas. I sent her a message but hadn't heard anything."

There was brief but completely content smile on his face, "My sister said she was definitely going to try."

"I'm glad. Lauren is really nice, and you guys should spend time together."

The conversation continued between Mia and Jayden. She talked about a few different movies she had seen and a new book she had just finished reading. He told her more details on playing the guitar and how that was working out for him. He had quite a bit of extra time even though he still spent time training.

Even though Mia and Jayden had kept in touch it was nice talking to him face to face. And although she loved talking to Jayden as the night wore on Mia got tired and soon her eyes started to close.

"Hey," Mia felt Jayden gently shake her.

"I'm awake." Even though she could barely open her eyes she realized that her head was resting on Jayden's arm.

She felt Jayden move a bit and then felt a blanket rest on her. She felt herself starting to slip back into her slumber when she felt Jayden's lips touch her forehead, "Merry Christmas."

She smiled and found his hand. Moving his hand to her mouth she placed a kiss on the back, "Merry Christmas Jayden."

Mia felt Jayden relax a bit more and she settled into him. She hadn't realized just how special this accident had really been. Who knows when she would have been able to be like this? Sure they were in this situation by accident but it didn't mean that it wasn't the right place to be. She could feel it and she could tell that Jayden was comfortable where he was at. Mia allowed her eyes to close as she felt Jayden's hand stroking her hair. As she succumbed to sleep she knew that more special moments like these would come for them.