This is a prize for BoiZenBeri on dA. For winning my FF8-RP Thanksgiving Competition.

I own no rights to Final Fantasy IX/9 or it's characters.

Having scrounged his way back from the Lifa Tree after going back to save Kuja Zidane finally made it to Alexandria, the Theater Ship his ticket back home. His little Dagger had fought hard and been through so much, he hoped that she would not hate him for taking so long to come back to her side. Honestly though, he wasn't even sure if she would want to see him.

But as he saw the crowd, filled with his friends and her beautiful face shining from the throne, he suddenly didn't care. It only mattered that he was seeing her again. His performance brought her too him: her hair grown back out and in a beautiful fancy white dress. He'd watched as she race and pushed her way through the crowd that was gawking at him, saw as her necklace broke and flung itself from her and she turned away only to throw her coronet to the stairs a few steps later. Then she was in his arms, tears streaming down her face before she buried it in his chest and pounded her fist against him. Upset that he'd taken so long to return, but happy to see him. He'd never felt so at home before.

He smiled down at her as she whispered 'Welcome home.' in his ear. He squeezed her tighter before Eiko wandered up with Garnet's crown and a huge smile on her face, "I think you dropped something your majesty." She gave a little giggle as Garnet took the crown from her.

"Right..." She looked away abashedly before Adlebert and Beatrix gently took the headgear away from her and placed it back upon her head.

"You look beautiful Queen Garnet." Zidane bowed to her before hugging her close again.

Freya wandered over with her necklace and handed it to her with a bow before whacking Zidane in the back of the head, "What took you so long?"

Zidane just shrugged his shoulders as everyone settled down and the play began again for real.

A few months later they were making preparations for a huge Christmas celebration in Alexandria. Eiko along with Cid and his wife Hilda were on their way bringing a bunch of newfangled contraptions that were going to be like floating lights all around the city in all the different colors of the holiday. Zidane was excited to see how they worked. But at the moment he was frowning, the tree that Garnet insisted on was too big to fit even in the castle's foyer. He'd been trying to convince her to set it up in the courtyard, but she was adamant that it HAD to be inside the castle. Everyone was gathered just outside the huge double doors to the courtyard staring at the immense tree and trying to come up with ideas on how to get it to fit inside, or figure out a room to place it in where it would fit – but everyone was coming up short.

Tapping his foot on the floor with his chin resting in his hand as he looked the situation over Zidane finally gave up. He threw his hands in the air and marched around the castle until he found the Queen. "Dagger, there is NO way that gigantic tree is going to fit anywhere in the castle. Unless you've got a place you want it put where you already know that it will fit we're going to have to leave it outside."

Garnet giggled as she turned to face him a reaction he wasn't expecting and her expression strange – he'd seen that look on other women before, but never on Garnet. However before he could even think of backing away she was in front of him, "You really shouldn't stand in doorways Zidane." She gave a cheeky grin and rose on her toes to kiss his cheek. "It's rather creepy really." Stunned a bit Zidane simply blinked at her for a moment as she moved past him out the doorway, "That tree is going into the center of the ballroom by the way." He simply nodded and looked around the doorway for any clue as to what just happened, since he understood the being creepy part... but he'd been talking so it couldn't have been that creepy. Plus why would she kiss him for being creepy? Finally looking directly overhead he grinned – mistletoe – of course.

He shook his head ruefully and went back out to the courtyard, "Well everyone, it seems the Queen would like this tree to rest in the center of the ballroom."

There were some random grumblings but everyone set to work moving the giant tree to the ballroom. The dome in the center made the tree a perfect fit. Once they had it standing everyone set to decorating: tinsel, candles, glass balls of various colors, some of the floating lights that the Fabool's had brought were set to twinkle off strategic boughs (they took the rest and lined the streets of Alexandria and the halls of the castle), handmade decorations from the city's people went on next and Garnet made it back to them in time to place the topper. She'd left to get it from her room where it sat all through the year. It was a beautiful blue-white crystal ball that sparkled and shone like a star in the sky once it was placed at the tip of the tree.

With the tree done everyone set about getting the rest of the castle decorations up, Zidane and Garnet set up everything else in the ballroom: mistletoe, garlands, pinecones with draping 'snow' on them, tables and making sure there was enough room for dancers at the party. They finished the ballroom just as everyone else finished the rest of the castle and the Fabool family came back from lighting up the city with color.

Garnet clapped her hands with a happy smile on her face, "Tomorrow's party is going to be so much fun!"

Eiko joined in her happiness, "You bet! I can't wait to watch everyone open their presents!"

Zidane choked, he'd forgotten to place the presents. He looked over at the tree whose carpet was bare of the presents that were supposed to be there. The Gnome cleared his throat, "Um, speaking of presents. Would everyone who's going to be here tomorrow please place their gifts under the tree?"

Everyone paused for a shocked moment and then rushed about getting their gifts and placing them under the tree. Quina eyed them all like they were candy and Amarant had to remind it that the gifts were not food. Vivi came forward and did a spell that made everything in the room sparkle, saying it would hold out until the day after next. With a nod at the clock everyone headed off to their beds for the night, after all, Santa won't come by if you're awake.