Chapter One:

The snowflakes were large as they fluttered to the ground, covering the world underneath a blanket of white powder. There was a smell to the air, the smell of winter, of Christmas looming just on the horizon. If you strained, you count faintly hear the chorus choir humming yet another tune in the small church on the other side of the town square. Walking through town, Christmas lights were being flicked on, while families hurried home to enjoy the last few hours of Christmas Eve with their loved ones. I continued to stroll through the emptying town, watching as shops turned off their lights, watching as cars disappeared from the streets, leaving the town silent and smelling faintly of candy canes and gingerbread.

Even as the sun set, the moon crescent reflecting off of the freshly laid snow, the stars twinkling in the clear night, I stayed out, wanting to remain there, in that perfect utopia for just a few more minutes. I didn't want to return home out into the country where a nagging mother would be waiting for me. I didn't want to force on that fake smile I've been using for months now, a smile that I knew my father saw right through. Life had been difficult since leaving Dallas. No one understood what I was going through, how heartbroken I was. But then again, I didn't let them. I didn't tell a single soul what occurred in Dallas, too afraid that it would become all so real once it was spoken out loud. A part of me still wished this was all a dream, maybe even a nightmare. Because that's what life without Godric was like; a complete and utter nightmare.

"I wonder what you're doing right now." I whispered to the silent night as I came to a bench, dusting off the snow, and sat down. I wrapped my jacket tighter around myself, my scarf nestled around my neck to ward off the cold breeze. I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander to that vampire I hadn't been able to forget about. Everything had ended so abrupt, and I think that was part of the problem. How was I supposed to move on and get over him when everything had ended so quickly? I wanted to believe that Godric loved me, that that was never the reason why he had asked me to leave. He never saw himself as the vampire that I did, as the good man that I believed him to be. All he saw was that monster, a monster he feared would hurt me. He blamed himself for all that I had gone through while in Dallas. But didn't he realize that being a part from him was the worst pain of all?

But still, this was at least better than death, wasn't it? At least Godric was out there somewhere, and not lost in some after life. Things could have gone much worse than they had, and I was at least grateful for that. But that didn't mend my broken heart. That didn't change much of anything. Because I still loved Godric with all of my heart. I still wished for those strong arms to wrap around me, for his soft lips to meet mine. I wished for things that I knew I could never have again. Holding onto those small wishes, those desires, it was the only thing that had kept me sane all of these months.

"I miss you." I sighed, staring up at the sky. I could have found him. I could have searched for him. Hell, I knew where his progeny was, I knew exactly where I could find Eric Northman. But I couldn't. Because I had made a promise. And I was too scared that if I broke that promise, if I just showed up and begged for him to be with me, that he too would break his end of the bargain and meet the sun. And I couldn't take that risk.

Even if living here, miles away from him, felt like I had already lost him to the true death.

"So much for a Merry Christmas." I ran a hand through my shoulder length blonde hair. I had cut my hair almost immediately once I arrived home. I wanted to change, to free myself from that girl I had become in Dallas. My hair was shorter, I let my mother dote over me, buying me a whole new wardrobe I would probably never enjoy. I tried my best to change, to become someone I wasn't in hopes that it would heal my broken heart. But it only seemed to make it ache even worse. Because Godric had never asked me to be someone that I wasn't. He had always accepted me for who I was and for what I was. I may not have had a single vision since returning home, but that didn't mean it wasn't a part of who I was. I was a seer. It had taken me eighteen years to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't normal, that I wasn't some average girl. He had given me that confidence. He loved me for who I was, not some act. And I missed that. I missed everything about him.

"You know, talking to yourself is a sign on insanity." An unfamiliar voice spoke from behind me.

I jumped, not expecting anyone else to be out at this time on Christmas Eve, and twisted on the bench to find a stranger standing there, his hands stuffed into his coat pockets. The man looked to be in his mid twenties, and was very handsome. I may have been in love with Godric, but I could still appreciate a handsome man once in awhile. And he was just that. He was tall and lean, and by the look of his jacket, I could tell it was expensive. His hair was chocolate brown and slicked back without a single strand out of place. He wore dark sunglasses covering his mysterious eyes, an odd sight to see when it was night. It was his smile, however, that eased the tension in my body. His smile was wide and friendly, and put me at ease right away. It was a smile that was rare to find, a true smile that so many, including myself, tried to fake.

"I wasn't expecting anyone else to be out at this time." I remembered how to speak, my cheeks growing a rosy colour and I was just thankful that it was freezing cold out and masked my embarrassment. I should have been keeping better attention to my surroundings. After everything that happened to me in Dallas, being paranoid was one thing I had learned wasn't exactly a bad thing. But I had let my guard down, and probably had completely embarrassed myself in front of this handsome stranger.

"I was just admiring how quiet it was." He shrugged, his smile widening. "And I suspect you were doing the same."

"Guilty." I nodded before glancing up at the large clock on the tower of the town hall. "I didn't realize how late it was. I should probably go."

"Don't let me scare you off." He shook his head, holding out his leather gloved hands to stop me. "I just couldn't help but be intrigued by the beautiful girl sitting all alone and talking to herself on Christmas Eve. Don't you have a family to be with?"

"I'm hiding from them." I admitted. "What about you? Everyone else is off tucked at home with their families."

"I just moved into town. My family is back in New York City."

"Why in the world would someone from the big city come live here?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I had lived in Dallas for only six months, and while I did love the small little farm I lived on, I did miss the feel of the big city. There was just something so magical about it. I couldn't understand why someone would willingly move from such a grand city like New York to a small little town in the middle of Ohio.

"Work." he explained with a single, vague, word.

"Doesn't seem worth it to me." I spoke frankly.

"It was very worthwhile, believe me."

"Well then, I suppose I should welcome you to my small little town then." I stood, brushing off the snow from my pants and held out a hand to the stranger. "My name is..."

"Taylor Edwards. I know who you are." His smile was warm, though I couldn't help but wonder what his eyes would have told me in that moment. If only he didn't have those darn sunglasses on. "I've heard some interesting rumours about you. And I've only been in town for forty eight hours."

I frowned, though kept my hand outstretched as his hand clasped mine. I knew my sudden disappearance and reappearance had been the talk of the town, but for someone so new to already know who I was, that was a bit unnerving. I heard the whispers; I knew what people were saying. I knew what they were saying before I had suddenly left. I could just imagine what this stranger thought of me without even knowing me for more than five minutes.

"Don't worry, I'm from New York, I'm quite good at dodging rumours." He assured, his hand shake firm but friendly. His hand, even covered in gloves, felt warm and strangely familiar. I couldn't place that feeling, that warmth that spreading through my fingers and up my arm. But there was an odd tingle in my hand even after it fell back to my side.

"It's alright; you wouldn't be the first to think I was crazy." I rolled my eyes. "The downside of living in a small town, I guess. It's alright if you believe them."

"So the alien invasion actually happened then?" he chuckled as my cheeks grew a bright red. Were the residents of this town honestly going around telling people that? "I'd rather know a person for myself than to believe everything I hear."

"That's refreshing." My tense shoulders loosened. "Most would rather believe everyone else. It wouldn't be the first time, and I doubt it would be the last."

"You asked me why I would move from the big city to such a small town, so why would you stay in a place that seems to make you so miserable." He wondered.

"I don't divulge my secrets to strangers." I couldn't help but feel at ease, and even lighter around this stranger. I didn't even know his name, and yet, there was something about him that made me feel like I knew him. I knew I didn't. I would remember a smile like his. There was just something I couldn't quite put my finger on about him.

"Ah, forgive my manners." He mocked a bow. "Jackson Brown at your service."

"It's nice to meet you, Jackson brown. I'm afraid I haven't heard a single thing about you. I'm sure that won't last for very long. If you have some deep dark secret, I'm sure it'll be let out of the closet within a week."

"These small town residents sure have claws, don't they?" he snickered.

"Oh you have no idea." A smile sneaked across my face without me even knowing it. It was the first true smile that had graced my lips in months. And to think, it was all due to a stranger.

Jackson's smile grew even wider, and I found myself enjoying that smile. Now if only I could see those eyes. Were they the deepest blue, or were they a simple forest green, or perhaps a nice, rich brown to match his locks. I wanted to just reach out and pluck those glasses from his face. My fingers were even itching to do so. I had to struggle to keep both hands nestled in my jacket pockets to keep from embarrassing myself for a second time that night.

I was thankful when the bells of the church began ringing, signalling it was already eight o clock. I knew my mother would be furious if I missed our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and considering I was already half an hour late, I knew that unless I wanted to feel her wrath, I would have to make my way home sooner rather than later. The hard part was, part of me just didn't want to leave. I didn't even know this man before me. He was a stranger who had just moved to town and was wearing dark, mysterious sunglasses even though the sun was tucked beneath the horizon. But I couldn't help how different I felt around him. I didn't feel depressed or pathetically alone. I felt more like myself than I had ever since I jumped on that plane home in Dallas. I never thought I would feel like this again. I never thought I would smile, or laugh, or even feel a sliver of happiness. And I didn't just want that to disappear. Because I knew the moment I stepped foot back on that farm, reality would come crashing down around me. I would end up curled up in my bedroom, hiding from my mother, and wishing I was anywhere but there. Maybe I would even end up crying myself to sleep thinking about that vampire I desperately wanted for Christmas.

And I was tired of being that girl.

I was tired of crying. I would never get over Godric. I would always wish that I was there at his side instead of in this hell. I would always desire his arms to be wrapped around me, for his lips to be gliding across my skin. That would never change, not in this lifetime anyways. And I don't think I'll ever feel this way about another soul. Godric was it. He was the man that I loved, and I doubt I could ever find a replacement.

But I could use a friend.

I could use a distraction from this broken heart of mine.

Maybe this make believe Santa Claus was giving me a Christmas gift a few hours early, and in the form of Jackson Brown.

Who was I to deny myself a few hours of happiness and true Christmas cheer?

"I don't really want to go home." I admitted out loud.

"That kind of family, huh?" Jackson mused.

"You have no idea." I nodded, brushing my bangs out of my eyes. "My mother is one of a kind all right."

"I can relate." He nodded in understanding before glancing over his shoulder, a look of contemplation on his face. "I know we just met, but my place in only about a block away..."

"I don't know..." I chewed on my bottom lip nervously. There was something so familiar, so warm and welcoming about this stranger that it almost made me doubt if it was all just an act or not. Though I knew the answer to that before it could even become a question. He felt genuine. I couldn't understand how I knew this or why, but I did. Maybe it was just my intuition, the same intuition that told me Godric was anything but a monster. I believed it once, so why not now? "You're not some axe murderer are you?"

"Never on holidays. Even we axe murderers need a vacation." He chuckled, as if sensing my worries. "Look, I'm new to town; I don't know anyone besides my landlord and the very nosy woman next door. Just a cup of coffee, that's it. It'll give you a little bit more time away from that mother of yours."

"I guess I can't say no to that." I found myself agreeing, even though I probably should have just walked back to my car and gone home. "Just as long as I don't end up chopped up into tiny little pieces. I have a strong policy against that."

"I'll try my best." He held his hands up and laughed. "What do you say?"

He held his hand back out to me, and as I stared at it, it felt like it was more than just a friendly gesture. Because taking that hand didn't just mean accepting this man's offer of a cup of coffee and some friendly companionship. It was the first step to moving on, to starting down this new path of my life. And as scary as it was, as much as I wasn't ready for it, I knew that it had to be done. I wasn't sure if Godric would ever come to his senses and come back to me, if we would ever have a life together. I would never get over him; I would never stop loving him, that much I knew. But that didn't mean I couldn't try and be happy without him. That didn't mean I couldn't make a new friend and try and make life a little less miserably pathetic than it was right now.

Inhaling sharply, and feeling another flow of warmth spread through my hand as I slipped my hand into his, I quickly made up my mind.

"Let's go."

A/N: It's been forever since I promised a sequel to A Moment Changes Everything and I'm super sorry about that. work has been kicking my ass and I've just had this major writers block where I haven't been able to write a single damn thing. And then today, I got the idea to write another christmas companion piece to one of my true blood stories, and suddenly, it became this sequel. so I'm thanking the writing gods for giving me the ability to write again. sorry for how short it might be. I wanted to get this out there. there might be a second chapter posted today, it just all depends on how much the writing gods like me. hope you all enjoy this this sequel!