Home in Time for Christmas

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the OCs.

Chapter 1: The Letters

Hannah sighed as she read Faith's letter for the fifth time.

Dear Hannah,

Oh, hurry home, please? We miss you so much! We all want you to be here for Christmas! The tree is up in the throne room, gathering presents all around it, and Su, Lu, and I decorated it. It wasn't the same without you at my elbow, reminding me to straighten the bows and tinsel. And Rose, throwing the mistletoe everywhere! Oh, Hannah, we need you here for Christmas to be right! When will we all be together again? Please, come home!

Love,

Faith

Hannah put the letter down. "You have no idea how much I'm dreaming of a place I love. It's more than I usually do, which is a lot."

"Han? Did Faith beg you to come home, too?" Rose asked.

She turned to face her cousin. "Yeah." Hannah sized her cousin up. "You know, don't you, that we can't go home? Not until we're sure the giants are gone?"

"I know. But I'm going to hate telling her that."

"Same here. But, if we want her to have the letters before Christmas, we need to start writing."

"Okay." Rose sat down and picked up a piece of parchment and started writing. "What are you telling her?"

"I don't know, at least not after Dear Faith, which," Hannah quickly scribbled on her parchment, "is all I have at the moment."

"Me too." Rose was silent for a few moments before continuing to write.

Hannah, too, finally touched quill to parchment and continued writing. Several moments later, she picked the letter up and read it.

Dear Faith,

Don't worry; we'll be home in time for Christmas. You can plan on us. Could you save some snow and mistletoe for us? Don't forget to leave us presents around the tree. Christmas Eve will find us where all your love shines on us. Faith, calm down; we'll be home for Christmas. But, this year, it'll only be in our dreams. I'm sorry. I wish we could be there.

How about this? We all have two Christmas's! Rose, Pete, Ed, and I exchange gifts here on Christmas Day; you, Su, and Lu do the same, but when we get back, we give each other our gifts. That sound fine? I hope so. The four of us agree on it. What about the three of you? We hope to come home soon.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Hannah

"I'm done," Hannah announced.

"So am I."

"Let's get these off to the Cair then." The two of them went outside of their tent and met up with Peter and Edmund, also with letters in hand. "Do those need to go home?" Edmund asked.

"Indeed they do," Hannah replied, giving him her letter. Rose did likewise. He handed them to a courier, and the courier set off toward Cair Paravel. "Did Lucy beg you two to come home?" Hannah asked.

"Yes. Did Faith beg you two?" Peter said sadly.

"Yes. I hate disappointing them, but they'll understand. They always do."

"That's true. They always understand."

"But they know it never hurts to ask." Rose finished.

"Right. It never hurts to ask," Edmund said. The courier disappeared from their sight.

Author's Note: 25th story!