December 21st; first day; Oz, Gilbert, and Alice:

After the Perfect Tree

"Are we there yet?" Alice asked.

"For the fifty-sixth time," Gil snarled. "No."

"Oz when are we getting there?" she asked him instead.

"Soon," he said having more patients with her than Gil. He looked out the window, and got his hand out pointing, "There they are." Alice popped her head out to see a forest full of pine trees.

"It smells fresh!" she bellowed her head out.

"That's how these trees smell," Oz explained. A few minutes later they got out in the middle of nowhere. "Where'd you want to start looking?" he asked looking around.

"Take your time," Gil sighed, "Unfortunately we have the whole day to do this." He held an axe by him.

"How about…" Oz trailer. "This one?"

Alice shook her head, "It's too small."

"This one?" he asked pointing at a little thin tree.

Alice stuck her tongue out, "Too scrawny." She looked around and gleamed. "That one! Let's go see that one!" she said pointing at one on the other side of the frozen lake.

"Are you freaking serious," Gil said kneeling in front of the lake's edge. "I don't think it's stable."

"Screw that!" Alice called going past him and stepping on the ice. But as soon as her foot touched the slippery surface she lost balance and fell face first. She tried standing back up but fell yet again.

"Alice!" Oz called skating carefully with his shoes. He made her hold on to him as she stood back up. "Careful now."

"Stupid ice," she murmured slipping but kept standing with Oz there.

"You have to move slowly and steadily," he told her. "I have something that might help." They returned to the carriage as Oz got out three pairs of skates. "I've staked once or twice when I was little," he said putting his pair on. "This'll help us get there more easily."

"How did you know?" Gil asked shocked.

"I didn't," she said standing up. "I guessed Alice would choose something out of the norm to do so I prepared what seemed necessary." He went over to the ice and started skating. He screeched to a stop, "Come Alice! Gil! This is fun."

Alice put her skate but in the wrong foot, "Give me that," Gil called putting her skates on and then putting his own.

"Thanks," she called and went on ahead. But the instant she went in she fell on her but this time. Oz skated over to her and held her hands as she stood back up. He faced her as they stood.

"Okay let's teach you how not to fall now okay?" he said. He took a slide step back, "One." she took the same foot forth. "Two," he took his right foot as she took the left step forth. "Alright, now together. One, two." they moved forth more. "One, two," more forth and fast. "One, two, one two. Yeah keep it up." he said as he held onto one hand and skated slowly with her.

"One, two, one, two!" she called as they started moving faster. "I think I've got it!"

"Now keep like that okay!" he called as he let go of her. She steadied after the let go and kept going. "Nice!" They started skating together. About ten minutes in Gil stood watching them.

"Come on Gil you too!" Oz called pulling him over as the tree skated a bit more. After a good hour or so of playing around, Oz finally went to the other side of the lake and fell onto the snowy mount. Alice followed scooping into the snow mount and popping out her head full of snow making Oz laugh.

"Are you guys ready now to get the tree?" Gil asked as he stopped and sat down taking his skates off.

"Yeah," Oz agreed taking his off and helping Alice. After another ten minutes they went on walking following Alice as she finally stopped in front of the tree.

"This one," she said looking at it. "This one will be perfect."

"Yeah maybe but how're you planning to cut that?" Oz said motioning to the axe. "I don't think that little thing can handle such bark."

"Then how about I cut it down?" Alice thought out loud.

"You?" Gil said amused. "And how do you expect to do that?"

"If seaweed head unleashes my power I'll be able to do this," she and Gil looked at each other. Oz grinned giggling and Gil sighed. "Fine," he said taking his glove off. And from afar the tree fell as birds left their nests. Going back to them the shine on Oz dimmed as Alice returned to her form. Afterwards they took the thing back. (How? Don't ask me. I'll let you guys figure that one out however you want it J) "Have you figured how you're going to decorate it?" Gil asked.

"Not really but I'm sure whatever Sharon buys will be fine," Oz said gleefully.

"And what are you going to put on the top?" Gil asked. "An angel or star?"

"A star!" Alice busted out. "A star'll look good on this tree I just feel it."

Oz laughed, "Then I guess a star it'll be. I'll tell Sharon when we get there."

"And I want a rabbit there and little birds…" she trailed off counting her fingers.

"Stupid rabbit, those things aren't things you put on a tree," Gil said. And so the fight went on and on as they continued. The next day they'll be going with Break and Sharon to buy everything to decorate all the place with.

To be continued…