A/N: This is a short future AU story and is not based on any one episode. It was inspired by my other all-time favorite Christmas song.
Oh holy night,
The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
It was close to midnight on Christmas Eve and there was a chill in the air as she walked to her car along with her two children. She briefly looked up at the star-filled sky as she secured her daughter and son in their car seats, then took her place behind the steering wheel and fastened her seatbelt. Once the engine roared to life, she started down the long driveway.
She turned onto the main road and began to drive at a slower than usual pace – at least for her anyway. There was a light snow falling so she needed to be especially careful of the car sliding because of black ice. She was grateful that there were very little cars on the road. She mused that the reason was most likely because people were either already at church or stayed home because of the weather.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
Her mind once again wandered to the fact that there was someone missing in the car. She understood the reason why he had to leave, but it still didn't ease the longing or the ache in her heart that he should be there with them on this most holy of nights.
She shook herself out of her reverie and once again concentrated on the road ahead of her.
She could see the lights become brighter as she approached the small church that he has attended since he was a child. The snow blanketed the little white wooden church and surrounding area and made it look just like a Norman Rockwell painting.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
She pulled into the driveway of the small parking lot next door and quickly found a parking spot. The kids were unusually quiet as she shut off the engine and got out of the car. She helped them out of their car seats and took each of them by the hand as they carefully walked through the snow covered parking lot to the front doors of the church.
She opened the doors and lead her children into the foyer of the little church, then closed the doors behind her. The choir was singing Silent Night as she bought three candles and placed one of them in a candle holder. She gave the other two to her children and helped them place them next to hers.
The reverence they showed on their faces as she began to light them one by one warmed her heart and for a moment she forgot he wasn't there. As she finished lighting them, she silently said a prayer for all her family and friends.
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
The three of them entered a pew and sat down. A calmness settled over her as the angelic sounds of the choir wafted through the air. She looked down to see her children singing along to the music and she joined in. As they continued to sing, she felt fingers wrap around her own gloved ones.
She looked up and her eyes widened with surprise before she threw her arms around him. He apologized for being late but she shushed him and told him it wasn't necessary.
He smiled back at her and took her hand again.
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
The choir began to sing Oh Holy Night and her mind drifted once more to the memories of the Christmases of her childhood. The majority of them were spent on one army base after the other with her mother while her father was thousands of miles away in a foreign country. After her mother passed away, she promised herself that if she ever had children, she would make sure that they would have a stable family life and the kind of Christmas she always wanted.
She came out of her reverie when the church bells began to toll and everyone stood up in their pew. As the priest began the service, she looked first at her husband then her children. A small smile appeared on her face and became bigger with every second as she realized that she kept her promise after all.
She had the Christmas she always wanted.
Oh night divine
Oh night divine