The Miracle

Empty bottles of champagne on the kitchen island send their rich aroma with every breeze of cool air throughout the seemingly empty apartment of Tru Davies. Unwashed glasses and dessert dishes are piled up in the sink, still in need of recognition. The rather messy look of the apartment is a witness to the fun gathering of family, friends and even foes the night before. The red curtains and red cushions are a tasteful decorative supplement to the red ribbons on the small but elegant Christmas tree, and the gifts paved underneath it add more glee to those stuffed in the stockings. The echoes of laughter and jingle-jangle of last night's celebration fade away with every pulse of the restless movement of time passing forward, pushing with it the heavy wheel of life. The early signs of a waking morning add little light to the pale shade of beige blanket gracefully covering Tru's silky skin. The rhythmic breathing of this sleeping beauty is adjacent to the soft snow flakes falling gently on the window sill, forming a thick layer of cottony marvel, promising the sheer joy of a white Christmas as yet another peaceful sign of God's love and glorious embrace.

Though what appears on the surface may not only hide but also contradict with what lies beneath it. The seemingly normal passing hours of the early morning are nothing but a repetition to a day gone wrong but is yet far from over. The forward movement of the passing hours hides the moving backwards of time in the realm of supernatural. The forces of the universe have bent the rules to grant some people's wishes and to give them another chance at life with the breath of a hopeful cry for help. A cry heard by one, hindered by another; marking Tru and Jack as the two opposing poles of the universe; the seesaw on which the balance of the world's population and karma depends.

But this time, it was not the normal rewind Tru was used to having. This time, the speed of the flashback was reduced to a maximum, making it pass in slow motion, and allowing a shadow of her mother's spirit to appear before her. A vibrant yet coherent echo of her mother's voice entertained her hearing for the first time in ten years, bringing memories of a warm embrace and a strong longing. As if touched by an angel, Tru felt a load of sublime energy befall onto her, filling every fiber of her being with her mother's grace.

"My sweet child… you have grown so much…"

"Mom?!" Tru asks in reluctant disbelief. Her heart racing and her temperature rises as she feels a magnetic force pulling her out of her body.

"Listen to me carefully for I do not have much time… You must promise you would stay true to your calling no matter what…. Promise me, Tru…."

"I will… I promise" Tru insists, still in a floating state of mystic awe.

"Be wise and don't make the same mistake I did… Holidays really are about emotional and family weeding, tending, and nurturing relationships. And know that I'm proud of you, and I will always love you and watch over you… Merry Christmas, my dear…"

"Mom… wait…-" She cries in a desperate attempt to have that priceless moment last longer as she abruptly wakes up in her bed, trembling and disoriented; not quite sure what happened or how she was able to get in contact with her mother's spirit during the flashback of a rewind. Memories of the last conversation she had with her rival rush so vividly in her mind, bringing with them a sense of understanding her mother's concern.

Flashback to the conversation they had in day 1:

Jack: "When two opposing forces work against each other, they are bound to collide. It's their nature, that's what they do. It's a fair and square survival of the fittest."

Tru: "I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't receive an instruction manual the morning I woke up with this gift, so I wouldn't know."

Jack: "Oh, you would if you were attending your classes regularly. This particular instruction comes from Newton's Laws of motion. In case you've never heard of it, it says: "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; equal in magnitude and opposite in direction."

Tru: "No objection there, Jack. But why can't those forces align and merge and work in harmony to form one greater force."

Jack: "You want us to 'merge', Tru?"

Tru: "What I'm saying is, you don't have to be my opposite, I'm offering you a chance to be my partner, to unite our forces and work on the same side."

Jack: "As touched as I am with your sudden generosity, Tru, I'll have to decline. I can't be on your side simply because I believe in the balance. I do invite you however to be on my side."

Tru: "And I can't be on your side, Jack, simply because I believe in giving second chances, not in taking them away."

Jack: "Is that what you think you're doing, Tru, giving second chances at life? 'Cause aside from your unstable temper and your equally stubborn attitude, you sure are an adorable and incredibly smart young woman, and I wouldn't want to see you paying the price for all the damage your so called 'gift' has done and continues to do. You can't honestly be naïve enough to think that there are no consequences."

Tru: "Of course there are consequences… positive ones."

Jack: "And why should positivity, blessings, or any kind of good be the outcome of your 'philanthropic' act of saving someone whose time is up? Just because it's a second chance?"

Tru: "No… because it's a miracle."

Now standing in front of her mirror, Tru puts on her jacket and confirm: "It IS a miracle. A miracle I've been granted to help make a difference in people's lives. And I will live to commit to it and to honor it. I promise you, mom… I promise."

Author's Notes:

This fic is based on an idea my friend Lara (Trucherrygurl1225) had during the 2009 holidays for both of us to write stories that are concentrated around Christmas time after the last episode 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.. Again', hence the Christmas Eve party settings of the apartment. "Holidays really are about emotional and family weeding, tending, and nurturing relationships" is a quote taken from one of Eliza Dushku's tweets as Lara and I have agreed to include in the fics.

I wanted Tru to meet with her mother's spirit for the first time and I wanted that to happen through a supernatural portal, so I thought: what better portal than during an actual rewind. As for her rivalry with Jack, I originally wanted to soften the atmosphere between them some more, especially after that episode where they worked together to solve a 'case'. But I'm not sure I did that successfully. I do believe, however, that their relationship does take an important turn had the season continued. I believe that Jack will gradually see Richard's (Tru's dad) negative and highly aggressive way of dealing with each rewind, and find out about his responsibility in Tru's mother's murder. I believe that these findings, along with growing romantic feelings for Tru, would eventually lure Jack to join forces with Tru and fight on her side against Richard, soulless Jensen, and possibly Harrison (in case it is Richard's agenda to lure Harrison to his side).