Disclaimer: Sob, I don't own the nightworld. Boo Hoo.

Christmas at the Daybreaker mansion.

Poppy danced around one of the many common rooms that everyone shared while humming Jingle bells. She was putting up tacky decorations and it was about 5 o'clock in the morning. She reached the chorus and James burst through the door practically shouting the chorus. Poppy giggled at her soulmate. He was wearing Santa pyjamas and his hair was sticking up in odd positions. He danced over to her and looked down into her fiery eyes and he kept singing together but got quieter as he did so. He took her hand and they began waltzing around the room together despite there being no actual music playing.

Keller yawned as she walked through the mansion towards the stairs. She had spent the night checking the perimeter along with Nissa and she was only just able to go to bed. She stumbled past the room where Poppy and James were dancing. They were lost in their own little world and didn't even hear her when she failed to stifle a laugh at James's pyjamas. She shook her head and continued walking up to her room. She finally got there and nearly fell through the door. She kicked of her shoes as she walked to the bedroom that she shared with her soulmate Galen. He was still in bed, hogging most of the covers. She sighed before grabbing hold of one corner of the quilt and tugging it. He jumped up, instantly defensive. She shrugged as he glared at her for waking him up. She threw the covers around her shoulders and walked back through to the living room, leaving a half naked Galen shivering slightly. She lay down on the sofa and switched on the TV, throwing the remote to the other side of the room. Galen came to the door of the bedroom and watched Keller fall asleep in about 5 seconds flat.

He waited a bit longer to make sure that she was actually asleep before throwing on a jacket and sneaking out of the door. Some of the guys were getting together and going out shopping for there soulmates but it had taken ages for them to work out when they could sneak out without being followed. It was Christmas Eve and everyone agreed that it was cutting it a bit close. Galen tore down the stairs and crept past the room where Poppy and James were now listening to a techno remix of 12 days of Christmas. He managed to reach the garage without any seeing him. Most of the guys were already there.

"Hey look who it is." Quinn said once he spotted him.

Galen just rolled his eyes and said, "Who's missing?"

"Eric." Ash said while leaning on the hood of a not very conspicuous car.

Galen nodded and slid into the driving seat of a Jaguar sports car. An extremely exhausted looking Eric ran into the garage and jumped into the passenger seat of David's car.

"Split." He yelled to everyone.

Cars shot out of the garage one by one and Galen saw from his rear view mirror that Thea entered the garage holding up a grotesque elf suit. She looked put out and shouted as everyone pulled away quickly, "You can run but you can't hide Eric Ross."

They arrived at the shopping mall in a more organised group than when they had left the mansion. It was a bit ominous actually. As they got out of the cars they all looked around to make sure they hadn't been followed. They didn't spend long checking though. They filtered through the doors, feeling lucky that the mall was open so early on Christmas Eve; it was Vegas after all and then they split up to shop.

Back at the mansion

Poppy sighed as she lay in James's arms. He had been asleep for a while and she decided that she wanted to get his Christmas present, she knew that it was leaving it a bit late but the Apocalypse didn't leave much time to go shopping. She squirmed out of James's arms and when he started to stir she put a bear with a Santa hat in between his cute but clingy arms. He put his thumb into his mouth and she was still shaking her head when she knocked on Gillian's door.

Gillian opened the door and said, surprised, "Poppy, didn't expect you. Have you seen David anywhere."

"No, but I was wondering if you'd give me a lift to the mall, I need to get James a Christmas present." Poppy said.

"Sure, I need to get David one as well. Tell you what, I'll get ready and why don't you go and find out if anyone else wants to come along with us." Gillian said with a smile.

"Oky-Doky." Poppy replied and skipped down the hall.

About half an hour later they met in the garage along with Hannah, Thea, Jez and Maggie. They piled into two cars and drove to the mall.

Poppy grinned at all of the fake Christmas decorations that continued all the way around the large shopping centre. Hannah had hold of one of Thierry's credit cards and she was itching to be let loose with it.

"Aren't you practically using Thierry's own money to buy his Christmas present." Thea said to Hannah.

"Yes, but what's his is mine and what's mine is his. I'll meet you all back here in 2 hours and we can all go and get breakfast, courtesy of Thierry." Hannah said with a cheeky smile before heading of to her first shop of many.

Everyone laughed and slowly, one by one, they all walked off to do their own shopping. Poppy stood for a minute and then she spotted a small music store tucked in between a large birthday card store and a candle shop. She walked over and pushed open the door and she stepped into the darkened store. She gasped at what she saw, row upon row of techno music all by people who really cared about music and did it for a reason. Well, that's how Poppy felt anyway. She had to blink a couple of times to reassure herself that she was actually there. She felt like she'd died and gone to techno heaven.

Jez and Maggie

Jez had tagged along with Maggie but she was being pretty gloomy about it. Morgead was away on a special mission and Jez wasn't sure if he'd even be back in time for the next day. Morgead wouldn't even tell her what he was doing. The only reason that Jez had agreed to come was because she felt she would go crazy if she spent any more time hanging around the mansion moping. After about 15 minutes of Jez's moping silence Maggie whirled round and got so close that Jez nearly fell backwards.

"Will you stop moping. Where's your Christmas spirit?" Maggie nearly shouted. Jez shrugged her shoulders and tried to step around Maggie. Maggie placed a hand on Jez's shoulder and forced Jez to look her straight in the eye. "What is wrong?"

"I miss him!" Jez shouted. A few shoppers looked at them and Maggie pulled her out of the shop. They sat on a bench and Maggie looked at her with concerned eyes.

"I know what it's like to be without your soulmate, everyone does. I can see how you would find it hard considering it's around the holidays. You have to remember that there is still a chance he'll come home. You certainly can't beat all of us so you may as well join us." Maggie said, her words becoming softer with the more she said.

Jez sighed and wouldn't look Maggie in the eyes and Maggie worried that she'd said more than she should. Then Jez looked up at her and the old familiar sparkle in her eyes caused Maggie to break out in a smile. Jez jumped up and put her hand out to Maggie. Maggie took it and Jez pulled her to her feet as well.

"Come on, Morgead's got to come back sometime and I know the perfect gift for someone like him." Jez laughed and pulled Maggie along behind her.

Hannah and Thea

Winter Wonderland was playing through the speakers and Hannah was humming along to it while she waited for Thea to finish looking for Eric. Thea was having a bit of trouble, 9 shops and nothing was special enough for him apparently. Thea walked up to Hannah and shook her head slowly. Hannah walked out of the shop with Thea she really wanted to help but she needed desperately to get something for Thierry. Hannah was about to say this but then she had a sudden stroke of genius.

"Thea, you know when you told us all you and Eric's story?" Hannah queried mysteriously.

"Yeah." Thea answered.

"I know the perfect present for Eric." Hannah said excitedly.

"What? How?" Thea gasped. She didn't have time to say anything else before an overexcited Hannah dragged her mercilessly behind her.