The lamp post flickered softly in the middle of the dark winter night. The glass had a coat of grime, dimming the light considerably. The dark metal that held the post was rusted, dented and missing a few chunks. It added a dark mood to the night, and it didn't help that the snow had turned to a brown slush, trickling along cracked and old sidewalks.

In the middle of this gloom was the faint jingle of bells, announcing the arrival of a horse-drawn carriage. A tall, majestic creature, it clearly didn't fit in with its surrounding. Its muscles bulged under a fine coat of charcoal fur, giving it a lean, fighting look. The mane had been scattered by the wind, giving the animal; if you could call it that; a wild, yet at the same time tame look.

Its hoofs sloshed through the melting snow, and everyone once in a while you could hear its hooves clicking against the rare spot of paving stones along the deserted street.

The carriage it was pulling was nothing too fancy. It was simple, as its only purpose was to transport. However, inside the carriageways a family of five. A wonderful family, definitely, though a bit peculiar at the same time. At the time, they were bickering.

"Ma, I'm telling you! We can't go to this stupid cabin!" Taylor whined. Sixteen years old, and she was angry at the fact that her parents were making her come along for the Christmas vacation. Didn't she want to spend time with them?

"Yes, we can. And wearer. Right now, actually." Deryn muttered, leaning her head against the window.

"What about all my friends? What will they think? What will Philip think?" Taylor complained.

Deryn sighed, and chose not to answer her. It was already late at night, and Ben, fourteen, was watching outside the window, trying to avoid the argument. Ale was currently driving the cab, and Bailey was currently sleeping, curled up in a corner of the carriage.

Answer me!" Taylor hissed, obviously annoyed.

"Honey, please, let's try and make this vacation agreeable. I know you don't want to come, but we're already halfway there." Deryn pleaded. She said this softly, not wanting to awaken Bailey.

"No!" Taylor muttered, and crossed her arms over her chest. She knew her mom was only speaking softly because of Bailey, so she made sure to think of thanking the girl. Otherwise, knowing the temper her mom had, Taylor would be in huge trouble. Yet she was angry, and wasn't going to give in. She sulked, scooting away as far from her mom as possible.

Deryn sighed at her daughter's temper, knowing who she had gotten it from. Lately, she and Taylor hadn't been getting along very well. Deryn was hoping this vacation would change that.

Soon, the coach arrived at the cabin she and Alek had bought. Most of the time, they rented itout to their friends, but they had finally decided to actually live in it. It was their first time, and no one really knew what to expect.

The cabin's walls had been made from logs, stuck together with a strong plaster. Over the years, the grains in the wood had darkened, giving it a homey feel. The front door was strong and sturdy, didn't creak when Deryn cautiously pushed the door open. She fumbled for the switch. Alek had installed electric lighting, so they didn't have to worry about fires. As soon as the light flickered on, she gasped in surprise.

The cabin had wooden flooring, but was so worn down it was smooth to the touch. The hearth sat at the far end of the room, with five stockings hanging from the mantel. A beautiful Christmas tree sat in the corner, twinkling merrily. A few leather armchairs and a long couch sat in front of the fireplace, smooth and unwrinkled. Deryn walked further into the cabin, staring in amazement. The kitchen wasn't large, but just the right size. Not very high-tech, but had enough to make cooking easy.

There were four bedrooms. Deryn took a quick glance in each one. The first was the master bedroom, where she and Alek would be sleeping. The second was right next totem, and was obviously meant for Bailey. Next was Ben's, and the last was Taylor's. A washroom was right across the hall. Deryn gave a sigh of relief. The house had all that they needed… This wasn't the first time she had seen it, of course, but back then it had been empty. Now, it had transformed into what she hoped would be the perfect place to make new memories.

Deryn walked back to the main entrance, and found Alek carrying a still sleeping Bailey. He carried her to her room, and then walked back to Deryn, smiling like a loon.

"You like what I've done with the place?" Alek asked, beaming. He was acting like he had just won a barking medal!

"It's nice…" Deryn acknowledged, pretending to be non-interested. His face fell.

"Oh…"

Deryn couldn't help it, and burst out laughing. She pecked Alek's cheek.

"I love it!"

Alek smiled down at her, and was about to say something (Probably something utterly romantic) when they heard Ben make a gagging sound. They both twirled around to see their other two children watching them.

You two are so inappropriate." Taylor said bitterly. She was already storming off to her room. Seconds later, the door slammed shut.

"I'm going to bed." Ben muttered, and hurried off to his own room.

Deryn leaned into Alek's arms, sighing sadly. Alek rested her chin in her hair, causing her to scowl. He had grown taller than her, and even though it had been quite a few years, she still hadn't gotten over it.

"We should get to sleep too. We're not going to get much tonight, anyway." Alek noted, already leading her to their room.

"Taylor and Ben won't get much sleep either. Really, Bailey will be the only one who gets a good night of sleep." Alek continued. They both got ready for bed, and climbed under the sheets.

"Let's hope she makes us happy tomorrow. I have a feeling that we're going to need it." Deryn muttered, snuggling up next to her husband. Alek didn't answer. Soon, the two were fast asleep.

Bailey woke up to sunlight streaming in through the crack in her shutters. She stretched, yawned, andsat up slowly, taking in her new surroundings. Her bedspread was decorated with dozens of cute animals, and was soft to the touch. She smiled at the large teddy bear lying next to her. So, her parents had remembered to bring Lemons after all. She hugged the teddy bear to her chest, and looked down at her owl pyjamas. She was glad she had changed into them before the trip; otherwise she would have fallen asleep in her clothes. And that wouldn't have been very comfortable.

She swung her legs over the sides of the bed, and got up. She walked over to the window and flung the shutters open, and opened the window. The cold hit her face softly, causing her to smile. It wasn't too cold, but not too warm, either. She hoisted herself up onto the window sill, and let her legs hang over the window sill. The cold hit her immediately, and she laughed in delight. The twelve year old loved the snow.

Bailey couldn't help herself, and began to sing a small song she made up on the spot. It was about her liking potatoes and wanting to eat them for breakfast… Bailey's voice was sweet, sounding innocent. Yet at the same time, it was beautiful. Her voice squeaked on a few parts of her song, but her voice wasn't perfect. She was happy with her singing voice.

Her legs were getting cold, dangling over the snow, so she pulled them inside. She clambered in, and shut the window.

She slipped on her rabbit slippers, smiling at their softness, and softly tiptoes out into the hallway. She could hear the snores coming from each room, and knew that she was the only one awake. Well, except Bovril. Mom and Dad had set up a little bed for him, and he was watching her now with warm eyes.

"Come here, Bovril." Bailey whispered softly, creeping over to him. She held out her arm, and grinned as she clambered up it and onto her shoulder. The Perspicacious Loris nuzzled into the crook of her neck, and whispered "Cold".

"Aye, it is cold. Why don't we make some warm breakfast for everyone?" Bailey whispered back. He seemed to nod as she walked into the kitchen, muttering ideas under her breath. She searched the refrigerator and the cupboards, but didn't find any food. All she found was hot chocolate powder.

"Seems like mom and dad didn't plan this here. Well, I guess we're having cocoa for breakfast." She muttered, boiling water. After a bit more scavenging, she found some marshmallows, which she plopped into the now steaming cocoa.

"Now comes the hard part. Waking everyone up."

Bailey knew she had only a small amount of time before the hot chocolate grew cold. Sighing, she got up, avoiding Bovril's scrutinizing gaze.

"Well, I've got to try." She argued, clearing her throat. The girl was sure she saw the Loris shake its head sadly at her. She ignored it, and…

Starting screaming! She heard a crash, then footsteps running out of doors. Soon, her whole family was assembled before her. She stopped screaming.

"I made cocoa! But you lazy butts weren't up yet, so I got you up!" She said cheerfully, handing out drinks. Taylor simply glared at her, but accepted her drink. Ben didn't say anything, but accepted his drink as well. Mom and Dad, however, were much angrier.

"Bailey, I want to sleep." Her mom muttered, snatching the cocoa and storming off to bed.

"For once, I agree…" Her dad mumbled, taking his cocoa gentler and kissing the top of her head. He also went back to bed.

Bailey shrugged. Her family was always like this in the mornings, and she wasn't one to question it. After all, this was what families were for, right?

One thousand seven hundred words! This took up four word document pages… Hope you liked it! Oh, and tell me if you want me to continue it! Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers. You guys encouraged me to write this. Please review!