Next chapter is here! I'm still going and the ideas and words keep coming! I'm now trying to write whenever I can in order to get this story finished! Hopefully I'll get everything in I want to be in it and I'll be happy with the end product!

Anyway I hope you enjoy this and as usual let me know what you think.

Merry Christmas!

Tintin sat on the sand of one of the many beaches that Tracy Island had and watched the waves roll in and out. She had been there for at least an hour maybe even two. She had excused herself after lunch and come down to the beach to think over everything that she had discovered through The Mystery of the Mistletoe, as she had come to refer to it.

So it didn't look as if it was intended for Lady Penelope. John had informed her that not only did he know that Penelope wasn't coming for Christmas, but that all the other Tracy brothers also knew and had known just before the mistletoe was ordered. Tintin couldn't see any reason why any of them would order it for Penelope if they knew she wasn't coming. So it must be intended for someone else and considering that the only other woman on the island that wasn't related to the Tracy brothers was Tintin herself she was left with only one conclusion.

I am the intended target for the mistletoe.

But the question still remained who ordered the mistletoe?

Tintin wasn't sure and was also feeling uneasy about the whole thing. When she had believed that it was Penelope the mistletoe was for she had found it compelling to find out who had ordered it. Now she knew that she was the intended target she wasn't sure she found it as much fun as she had before. She had the overwhelming urge to hide until the whole thing went away. Many people would say she was crazy for not being excited about the prospect of any one of the famous Tracy brothers wanting to kiss her. But Tintin's main concern was which one?

As she was thinking over this question her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of a presence approaching her. She looked round and smiled involuntarily when she saw that it was Alan who was walking towards her.

"Hey Tintin, so this is where your hiding," Alan stated as he threw himself down on the sand next to her and flashed her a grin.

"I'm not hiding," laughed Tintin as her heart did that weird fluttery thing it did whenever Alan grinned at her, "I'm just watching the ocean.

"Well I know Gordon go on about how cool the ocean is and how much there is to see in it but I prefer space myself or a race track."

"I like watching and listening to the waves. They are very calming and help me think."

"What are you thinking about?" Alan asked.

"Oh this and that," Tintin lied, "the year is coming to an end. I always find myself thinking about what I've achieved and what I've learnt during the year on the run up to Christmas."

"And what have you done this year?" Alan asked with a smile.

"Well it's been another successful year with International Rescue," Alan nodded at this and Tintin continued, "all of you are still alive, which is a miracle in itself! We've saved many lives, well you and the others have."

"You have as well Tintin," Alan responded, "if it wasn't for you and Brains behind the action keeping everything in working order and inventing new and wonderful ways to rescue people we wouldn't save as many as we do. So I think you should add that to your achievement list in big bold letters!"

Tintin laughed, "thank you Alan that's very sweet. You always know have to make me feel better."

"Well I should think I should! You're my best friend. I should take care of you."

"I'm your best friend? What about your brothers?"

"Well they are good friends but you know how crazy they drive me when they treat me like I'm still a kid. You don't do that."

"That's probably because I'm younger than you!" answered Tintin with a grin.

"Exactly, I'm older than you by about four months?" Tintin nodded, "so am I your best friend?"

"Yeah you are. You and Penelope are. Because let's face it you are slightly useless when it comes to conversations about make-up and clothes!"

"Well I think you look good in anything and you don't need make-up, so yeah I guess I am useless in that respect. What do you need to feel better about?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said before that I always know how to make you feel better. What do you need to feel better about?"

"Oh nothing serious."

Alan raised his eyebrows, "what's up Tintin?"

"Nothing it's just. Alan, on the last rescue did anything out of the ordinary happen?"

"On the last rescue? No nothing out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?"

"There wasn't anyone who looked like me or who had the same name or anything?"

"No I think we would have told you if we had met anyone who looked like you and would have defiantly mentioned if we had met someone with your name. After all it is an unusual one! Why are you asking?"

"The others are acting a bit differently towards me since the rescue. I just wondered if something had happened to cause that," because if it isn't that thought Tintin, then what else could it be?

"How are they acting differently? Are they being mean?" Tintin could hear the annoyance in Alan's voice.

"No, no they are being ok with me, just a bit more friendly if anything. It's just a bit odd. My relationship with all of them hasn't changed but they seem more attentive, if that's the right word."

Alan frowned, "do you want me to have a word with them?"

"No everything is fine. I'm probably just reading too much into it. It doesn't matter."

"Hmm, ok if you say its ok then its ok," replied Alan, still frowning, "are you going to see Penelope before Christmas? So you can talk about make-up and shoes?"

Tintin laughed, "Maybe. I wasn't planning to but since I found out she's not coming this year I may see if I'm able to visit her so I can at least give her Christmas present to her. It's just whether I have time or not."

"Talk to dad. I'm sure he'll let you go. He knows how hard you work and will probably send you with his present for Penelope too!"

"Yeah, I think I will ask him if I can go. It would be nice to see Penelope for a couple of days," and ask her opinion of the mystery of the mistletoe and the four oddly acting Tracy boys, Tintin thought.

"Brilliant! Now I've had all I can take of watching the ocean, Gordon can keep it! What do you say we go and do something fun?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well we could go for a walk around the island. We could play tennis. We could watch a film. I could watch while you make another cake! Anything you want."

"A film sounds good. With lots of popcorn!"

"You read my mind!" Alan jumped up from the sand and held his hand out towards Tintin, "come on let's go!"

Tintin grabbed his hand and let him pull her up from that sand. Alan crooked his elbow at her, she laughed and took his arm and they set off towards the house.

As they walked and argued over which film to watch, Tintin breathed a silent sigh of relief that Alan was acting normally. He was right they were best friends and he meant the world to her. She didn't know what she would do if he had also started acting differently towards her.