A/N:

Hello, lovely readers, and thank you for stopping by to check out this annual update! I hope everyone is doing well and having a good, safe holiday season. And I also hope you'll enjoy this post very much. If you haven't read last year's post in a while, I might suggest looking it over because this one is sort of a sequel to it taking place a few days after the end of the last one. I hope you all enjoy it very much, and thank you again for reading and reviewing.

In the closing A/N, for anyone who's interested, I'll also give some updates on other fan fics of mine. I know it's been a while since I've regularly posted anything, and I just want to give all the readers who have been patient with me an idea of what's to come in the year ahead. Thank you : )

HELGA PATAKI'S CHRISTMAS

And a Happy New Year: A Sequel to a Prequel


December 31st.

"There now, Arnold, up we go." Phil Shortman put his free arm around his two-year-old grandson's side to help him climb onto his knee. His other arm was currently occupied holding a large, old-looking album with the words 'Memories and Photographs' etched across the front cover.

Arnold, in one of the new sweaters he had gotten for Christmas (this one a lovely sea green color which his grandparents both felt suited him very well), smiled up at Phil. "Gram-pa, tell me a stowy. Pwease!" he pleaded with a big smile.

Phil chuckled. "Oh okay, Shortman. But just a quick one—we don't have much time. And how would you like to hear one about good old Christmas past—the days of yore when your Grandpa was just a strapping young lad like you'll grow to be someday? And your Grandma was just a little girl back then herself, you know." He winked.

"Okay!" Arnold nodded. "Tell me the stowy, pwease. I love you and Gram-ma." He nestled against his grandfather, putting a hand on the cover of the book in his excitement.

Phil nodded. "You got it, Arnold." He opened the book with his free hand, bouncing Arnold a little on his knee as he browsed through. "Hmm, let's see…Oh look there, a photo of me and your great Aunt Mitzie and my best friend Jimmy and your Grandma in front of the boarding house, Christmas Day, let's see, I think the year was Nineteen Twenty Nine Skidoo!" He chuckled. And then, amongst the crackling of the living room fire and the scents of his wife's baking coming from the kitchen, Phil began his recollection to his Grandson.


"Gertie, what in blazes are you doing out here?"

The air was ice and the night was dark and streetlamps flickered as a young Phil Shortman, not much older than ten, suddenly came out onto his stoop, gently allowing the boarding house door to close behind him. He had on a scarf and a pair of mittens which he had quickly donned on his way down the hall, but already the chill of the Christmas Eve night made him wrap his arms around himself and wish he had taken a few minutes to run upstairs for his heavy coat as well.

As though she could read his mind, a certain young, pigtailed blond reclining on the lowest step of his stoop sighed deeply after giving him a quick glance over her shoulder and simply replied, "The better question is why in the sam hill don't you have a coat on, Philly Boy? You'll catch your death of cold…or your death from your mother if she finds you out here like that."

Phil smiled just a little and shook his head. "I'll take my chances. But thanks, Gertie." He headed down a few steps. "Meanwhile, I'm not the one out here in the freezing cold on the night before Christmas in the first place, coat or no coat." He raised an eyebrow, leaning over to try and catch her gaze. "Speaking of which, why are you out here? Are you okay? Mitzie said she saw you from her bedroom window, and she was worried."

Gertie shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "Hey, it's Christmas Eve. Can't a gal just go for a walk and maybe, I don't know, stop by a friend's house to bring him a present…and then maybe need a few moments outside to work up the gumption to actually give him the present? Sheesh…" She dug her hands into the pockets of her purple parka and looked down at the icy sidewalk.

Phil blinked. "You got a present? For me?"

Gertie blushed distinctly and just gave a stubborn nod.

Phil didn't know what to do at first. Then again, he had found himself very confused about what to do regarding her ever since a few weeks ago when she had spilled the beans about…well…being quite smitten with him it seemed. Or even more than smitten, if that kiss she had given him had been any indication.

Phil let out a very deep breath and came to sit on the step beside her (though he still kept a decent distance between them). "Well…all right then, Gertie. I'm here. If you want to give me a present, I don't mind." He smiled a little. "I just wish I had one to give you too." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't know you'd be coming by, and either way my family started doing secret Santa now since…you know…like I explained to you, things are a little tight this year, so there aren't many gifts to go around." He blushed just a little, looking down more as he recalled their conversation from a couple of weeks ago regarding his family's recent hardships and their potential consequences…and he also recalled how that revelation from him to her had led to Gertie revealing her true feelings to him.

Gertie merely nodded in sincere understanding of his explanation, not adding anything more, and then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a little red pouch tied at the top with green ribbon. "Fresh Raspberry Linzer Tart Cookies. I know raspberries are your favorite. So here you go—Merry Christmas."

"For me? Really?" Phil, eyes a little wide, gently took the cookies and observed them. "You baked them yourself?"

"Yup." Gertie nodded. "Spent all day in the kitchen doing it, and with my own recipe too. And the raspberries cost me a pretty penny. Figures you have to like some really time consuming, expensive cookie."

Phil just held the pouch gently in his lap, looking down at with a soft smile. "Thank you, Gertie," he replied quietly to her.

"Don't have a cow, it's just cookies," Gertie merely replied with a deep sigh, sinking down lower on the step and looking up to the night sky (and very specifically still away from Phil).

Smiling a little more, Phil moved just a little closer to her anyway, watching her as she avoided him. "Still, it was a sweet thought. Thanks again."

A momentary awkward silence settled between them, and they both noticed now that little flecks of snow were starting to fall in the air, though they were gone by the time they reached the sidewalk.

"There's something else too," Gertie started, pressing the toe of one of her boots into the slush of the street.

"Yeah?" Phil prompted gently.

A deep sigh escaped the girl at his side. "I just want you to know that I forgive you, all right?" She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, glancing at him.

Phil blinked and then raised an eyebrow, frowning a little. "Forgive me? For what?"

"Sheesh, isn't it obvious?" Gertie smirked just a little for effect.

Phil scowled just a bit. "Gertie…"

"I forgive you for making me so mad with all that talk a few weeks ago about your family thinking about leasing out the whole boarding house to move down south to live with your cousins and try your luck at farming to earn extra money. And I forgive you even for saying that you were all probably going to go just as soon as just after the new year. And I forgive you for how all of that stuff made me say a bunch of sappy, stupid things back to you all about how you just couldn't go because I…like you, okay?!" She glared right at him but also blushed the entire time she was doing so. "A-And I guess I forgive you too for making me get all worked up enough to give you that loopy kiss, you great big ninny!"

Phil was just lost in stunned, blushing silence for a moment. "I…you…" He scowled. "You…" But then he blinked a few times and his own blushing overcame any frustration. He even smiled. "Thank you…for forgiving me, Gertie." He moved just a little closer to her. He understood what she was trying to say even if she was doing it in her own roundabout way: she was trying to apologize for getting so upset with him and also offering some acceptance of his announcement even if she didn't like it. She was making him a peace offering. He sighed. 'I was going to wait til after Christmas to explain to people what the family decided to do instead, but…I think I should tell her now. She'll understand. Maybe she'll even be happy. At least I won't be going anywhere.' And in a way he had to admit that he was happy too not to leave his home, his friends, her…even if he had agreed to a change that also left him a little scared and disappointed too.

"You're welcome, I guess," Gertie replied softly, looking down a little. Then she took a big inhale through her nose, tried not to let it sound like a sniffle, and went on, "So…if, um…if you're still going, when exactly would that be? Just curious. I-I'll need to start holding interviews for another whipping boy, after all."

Phil smiled more and tried not to laugh. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid you're gonna be upset with me again, Gertie." She raised an eyebrow and he explained. "Turns out everything you had to go through with yelling at me was for nothing—we're not going to move after all."

Phil wasn't sure if he was just noticing now because he knew how she really felt about him—how she loved him—or if her reaction was just so great that even if he still hadn't had a clue about her attachment to him he would have picked up on it. But how she gasped at his words and how her eyes lit up for a moment and how her pouting lips fought her stubbornness to form a smile was suddenly so overwhelming that it just about knocked him for a loop.

She quickly regained herself of course, though he could tell she was still beaming just the same on the inside. "O-Oh," she started, "I-I see. Um…well, yeah, I am pretty steamed that you got me all worked up for nothing, heh." She stood up, clapping her mittened hands together. "But the past is the past, and it is Christmas, so I'm willing to overlook it! You're staying and that's that, so I'll just be on my way now, and I'll see you at school as usual after the first of the year! Be on time, or I'll come looking for you! Merry Christmas." She winked, laughed, and turned like she was about to be on her way down the sidewalk home.

Phil stood up now though and caught her by the sleeve of her parka. He shivered for a moment, both from the sudden feeling of now being exposed to the wind still without his coat, and a little bit of concern for how the rest of this conversation might go now. "Wait, Gertie, I need to tell you something else though. It's important. Please." His smile fell away.

Gertie's smile suddenly fell away too and she turned to him. "What is it?"

Phil was almost surprised at the light touch of fear in her voice. He swallowed, released her, and then looked down. "I'm not coming back to school." The gasp he heard her make this time made him wince in pain. He looked up and saw an almost frail uncertainty in her features. It made him so uneasy that he quickly explained, abandoning any inhibitions he had about the subject. "We decided to stay here, the move was just too risky. But the depression's hit everyone hard, Gertie. So, um…so I'm quitting school to go to work. One of my uncle's can get me a job at his factory. I won't make much, but it'll be enough to help maintain things here, and then my mom's taking in some extra sewing work and Mitzie can help her with that in the evening's after school. And, who knows, maybe I'll be able to come back in a couple of years for junior high or something to finish things up. I'll try at least. But for now this is the only way."

Gertie just stood there looking at him in silence.

Phil just stood there trying not to notice all of a sudden how nice she could look, her cheeks a little flushed with emotion and cold, flecks of snow in the night dancing around her, the light from the streetlamps catching the gold in her hair and the pale blue of her eyes.

Then suddenly he had a whole new set of thoughts to avoid as she dove forward and caught him up in such a hug that it practically lifted him from the ground. "Phillip Shortman, I think you're just about the bravest, most noble guy in the whole world." Then she let him go and stepped back with a scowl, though she still held his shoulders. "You big jerk! Scaring me half to death with all of this sudden news lately—if I wasn't a lady, I'd have half a mind to clock you one!" She then pushed away from him a little but leaned in close, arms crossed over her chest. "And what do you mean, 'I'll try to come back to school for junior high maybe'? You are going to finish school, buster brown, one of these days, mark my words—heck, this whole thing'll probably be some sappy story you tell a few decades from now when you're running for president! In fact, we could use a do-gooding, clean cut guy like you in office to whip this country into shape, so there's just one thing to do!"

"There is?" a very confused (and slightly flushed himself now) Phil asked, an eyebrow raised.

Gertie nodded firmly. "Yup. As part of my patriotic duty to our great land, I'm gonna have to tutor you so you can keep up with your studies for now." She held up a hand, letting herself become very dramatic for a moment. "No, no, I won't take a refusal for an answer. As part of my effort toward being the best red-blooded American girl I can be, I will make this great sacrifice. Besides it'd probably only be, what, two, three afternoons a week we'd have to spend together at most—heh…" She shrugged and swallowed, trying not to smile. "Um…a small price to pay for contributing to the welfare of our great nation, right?"

Phil had to smile now, he had just had to. He knew she had a slightly selfish motive behind the offer, but still she…she cared so much. He actually laughed a little. "Well, um…well, gosh, Gertie that's very nice of you." He smiled warmly and shrugged, arms behind his back. "But maybe we should just stick with one day a week for now and see where that goes—I think you can lose patience with me pretty quickly sometimes, and I don't want to be too much of a bother to you."

Gertie blinked and smiled. "You mean you'll really actually agree to let me—" She caught herself before her enthusiasm could get the better of her though, and finished, clearing her throat, "I-I mean, um…yes, well, we'll hammer out the details after the first of the year then. Starting slowly with the tutoring might be a good idea, at that."

Phil smiled and nodded. "Okay then." Suddenly some of his former reservations about his situation came back to him, and he swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, listen, Gertie? I haven't told anyone about quitting school yet, not even Jimmy, so…do you think you could keep it just between us for now, at least until after Christmas? Kind of like a secret?" His eyes met hers, communicating something without even trying.

Gertie understood; her eyes told him so. She nodded. "Of course. You have my word." She gave a small bow.

The gesture made Phil smile again. Then he reached out his hand.

Gertie blinked, looked at it, and then took it and gave it a firm shake.

Their hands separated, and the two kids just stood there in the cold in front of each other smiling for a moment, clearly knowing it was time to say goodbye but not doing so just yet.

Then Phil couldn't take it anymore. Maybe she had the patience for all of this subtlety, but patience wasn't a strong trait of his at all. And as long as she was here, and as long as he had the courage, and as long as he had been psyching himself up for it anyway for the last couple of weeks while still under the assumption that he might move away and not see her for a long time or maybe ever again… "Gertie," his voice was low, "I know that you don't want to talk about it now, but one day we should talk about the…the thing? The…you and me thing?" Despite the cold his face felt on fire. Not as on fire as the day she had yelled at him grabbed him and kissed him, but still he burned inside a little nonetheless.

Gertie's blue eyes went very wide for a moment and she bit her lip, considered her options, and then just shook her head. "No, no, we shouldn't." Her voice was low too. "I-It'll ruin everything." She frowned, looking distressed. "I should go." She took a step back.

"Please, Gertie, for Pete's sake!" Phil stepped forward again, putting some more force in his tone. "I need to talk to you about this. I'm not gonna be able to stand not talking about it much longer. And every time I've tried to bring it up over the last few weeks, you've turn me down!" His tone softened again and so did his features. "Nothing will end up ruined. I promise. Things might be different, but nothing will end up ruined." He reached up, hesitated, but then put a hand on her shoulder.

Gertie froze for a moment. And Phil noticed now from the streetlights, there was a light shine to her eyes. He frowned. What if he was pushing her too far?

But then she took a deep breath and looked up at him right into his eyes. "Okay." There was a very solemn, serious look in her features which he rarely saw. "I will talk to you about…the thing. You and me. But as a present to me, not here and not now. Please. Just give me a little time to get myself together about it. It's a long story. Okay?" She continued to look into his eyes.

Phil continued to look into hers, and nodded. "Okay. It's a deal." He smiled a little and removed his hand from her shoulder.

She smiled a little too but then looked down.

Then she took a step closer to him "Phil?" She looked up again.

Phil nodded, eyes going a little wide in curiosity. "Yes?"

"Even if I am sorry you're not going to be in school for now, I'm very happy you're staying." Her voice was very soft.

Phil swallowed. "Oh, um…me too."

Gertie's lips went up on one side in a small smile. "Phil? Um…another thing…you know, as long as you've got me over a barrel, and as long as we're going to talk about this anyway, and as long as it's going to be embarrassing anyway…and as long as I'm already here right now, well…in for a penny in for a pound, right?"

Phil nodded. "Erm…yeah, I guess…um…huh?" He just looked so confused.

Gertie found it adorable. "Shh, don't talk, it only drives me bonkers." She smiled all the way. "I'm just so happy you're staying with me that I could just kiss you, my darling, precious Phillip." And then she dove at him, arms over his shoulders, and did just that.

Phil's eyes flew open wide and he almost stumbled backward and fell in the snow, though luckily he caught himself against the rail of his stoop. And all the time, despite the cold and his lack of a coat, he felt himself flooded with heat as this crazy, confusing…wondrous girl kissed him like his mere presence was the greatest Christmas gift of all or something. But meanwhile she was the great one, at least to him. 'She's so passionate…she'll help me study…she gave me the courage to offer to stay and take a job…she likes me…she never lets me down…she's crazy…and I hope she never stops being that way.' At this point he lost any resistance he might have been putting up to her advances and just let her kiss him as much as she might want.

When she was done, she pulled back and let out a very satisfied sigh that went off into the air as a curl of cold smoke as she started to catch her breath.

Phil just blinked a few times, his eyes opening, a little grin on his lips he couldn't help and didn't want to help anyway. All thoughts of any winter chill remained forgotten.

"There," Gertie suddenly announced straightening her parka, "I feel better now. And besides which, at least that'll make this big talk you want to have worthwhile. If I'm going to get humiliated, I at least want something to show for it." She sighed deeply, rolling her eyes. "And if I need a way out of this one, I'm sure I can just tell you that I saw mistletoe somewhere and 'yuletide duty' required me to respect the tradition and plant one on you or something. You're fairly gullible when it comes to me, so I think you'd buy it." Though blushing, she managed to smirk in his direction. He was still quiet though, and it made her raise an eyebrow. "Uh, Philly boy?" There was just a touch of worry in her tone.

He was still just standing there quietly, looking kind of funny, seeming lost in a daze. "Hmm…? Oh…" he blinked a few times, "Oh, uh…um…I'm sorry, what?"

Gertie raised an eyebrow, stepping back in a rare touch of genuine surprise and even wary suspicion.

"I, um…" Phil cleared his throat now and blinked a few times, some of his normalcy (and his awareness of his surroundings) returning, "Sorry. I…I think the cold's getting to me a bit, is all. You're right, I really should have grabbed my coat before coming out here. Otherwise, um…it's fine, and the mistletoe thing sounds logical enough to me. Heh." He laughed sheepishly.

"Oh." Gertie hesitantly took a step back toward him. "Yeah, that…makes sense." She rubbed the back of her neck and grinned at him curiously. "Speaking of which, why exactly didn't you grab your coat before you came out here anyway?"

Phil shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest for more warmth. "Well, when Mitzie told me she saw you sitting out here, I just…I just grabbed my mittens and scarf off the table and ran out to find you. I didn't want to waste any time. I didn't want you to have left or something by the time I got out here. Besides the cold's not too horrible." Despite this assurance though, he was obviously shivering once more at this point, though the warm smile never left his face.

Gertie just seemed both flustered and confused for a moment—such a sacrifice, such concern all for her? "I, um…thanks…I think," was all she could think to mumble.

Phil looked down. "You're welcome…I think," he mumbled back, only smiling more.

They both looked up at the same time, eyes catching each other.

Then Gertie let herself speak truthfully to him just one more time. "Phil? Just promise me one more thing—for the sake of Christmas." Phil nodded once, and she went on. "Promise me, despite any of our differences in the past, that you'll hear me out about this. Everything. Please."

Phil nodded again. "I promise." His features took on some uncertainty. "Promise that you'll hear me out too?"

Gertie blinked at the request. "I…yeah, um…I guess."

They shared one more look.

Then Gertie stepped away. "I should get going. Christmas Eve and everything, I should be spending it with my family probably."

"Yeah, I understand." Phil gestured down to the sidewalk. "Do you want me to walk you?"

Gertie just shook her head though. "No, no. I-I need some time alone to think a little. But, um…Mitzie invited me over tomorrow afternoon to exchange gifts with each other, and she mentioned Jimmy was coming by too, so I'm assuming you'll be around. So, we'll see each other tomorrow then, I guess."

"Okay, then," Phil assured, "I'll see you tomorrow, Gertie."

She sighed and looked to his eyes once more, her tone quiet and serious. "And you promise you're staying no matter what, right?"

Phil smiled just a little more and nodded. "Right."

She smiled just a little too. "Good. That's all I needed to hear. Um…don't forget to take your cookies inside. Bye." And with that she dashed off down the block.

Phil waved in her direction and then bent down and picked up the little red pouch of cookies—raspberry, just for him. She had taken the time and done all that work for him. And the way she kissed him made him want to fall to his knees.

Phil started to head back up the stoop and inside his house. "I'm glad I'm not going," he whispered to himself, opening the pouch. "I have a really good feeling about staying. A really, really good feeling. And if there are hard parts, I know I can get through them—I know she'll make me get through them no matter what." Smiling at these thoughts, he reentered the warmth of his home and let the front door close behind him as he went to take his first bite of cookie and maybe head upstairs and think up a nice present to give her tomorrow in return for the lovely Christmas Eve surprise she had given him.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the cold between houses, Gertie walked on, cheeks flushed, her thoughts all on Phil and how much she loved him and how she was worried for his future, but how she was determined to make sure it was a good one as long as he would allow her to help him and be a part of his life. And her hope for things couldn't help but be fueled by the memory of that look on his face after she had kissed him—that look of someone much more intrigued than disgusted (always her expected response from him if she had ever gotten the courage to kiss him) or even shocked (his actual response when she had kissed him a couple of weeks ago). Not to mention what he had said about running out into the freezing cold without a thought all for her….

Gertie hoped beyond hope that it all meant something good for both of them, and she thanked the heavens again for not keeping her and the person she cared for most in the world apart. This night felt like the most peaceful Christmas Eve night she had ever known in her young life, and she secretly vowed beneath the moon and stars never to forget it.


"And that, Arnold, is one of the many stories about how I wooed your Grandma and got her to agree to be my gal!" Phil announced proudly, closing the album and smugly pulling at one of his suspender straps with his free hand.

Arnold smiled brightly and clapped his hands together. "Gram-ma and Gram-pa kissed!" He laughed.

Phil nodded, setting aside the album and bringing Arnold forward to rest on his lap facing him while Phil held him around his body. "Oh yes, we do that a lot actually. Of course, erm…" he blushed just a little, "us starting to do that is probably why those 'tutoring sessions' your Grandma planned for us when we were little didn't go too far to letting me keep up with my studies. Heh, heh by the time junior high came around, we actually…" He let out a sigh and smiled warmly down at his grandson. "But that's a story for another day. I'll tell you when you're older—maybe ten or so. Or when you bring home your first girlfriend, whatever comes first." He chuckled, bouncing Arnold up in the air, and Arnold laughed too.

DING DONG.

Suddenly the doorbell sounded.

Phil stood up from the couch, holding Arnold in one arm, and proceeded to the foyer. "Oh, say, I bet that's the first of your little neighborhood children friends coming over for your little New Year's Eve party. Aren't you excited to see all those nice kids you see in the park each week and to share your new toys with them?"

Arnold nodded. "Yes, Gram-pa. I like the other kids." He looked to the door eagerly.

"Of course you do." Phil nodded and then called over his shoulder toward the kitchen. "Pookie, the children are starting to arrive—those cookies almost done yet?"

"You've got it, General! Just finishing up the final batches! Bring any of Tex's little friends into the den and I'll have the cookies and milk in there for them soon."

"Okey dokey, Pookie." Phil turned forward again and now stopped by the front door and pulled it open. "Well, hello there— Johansson, right? And this must be the Missus." He smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johansson, Mr. Johansson holding his two-year-old son in his arms while a pregnant Mrs. Johansson stood beside him smiling. Phil held out his free hand to them. "Phil Shortman at your service. I'll be chaperoning our little party this evening for the kids. Won't you come in, maybe have a cup of hot chocolate?"

Mrs. Johansson smiled. "Thank you but—oh!" She put a hand to her stomach. "Someone's been very fussy lately. We've got a quick appointment at the doctor's office before they close for the day, and then I'd just like to get home and rest."

Mr. Johansson nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid, we'll have to be going. But thank you so much for agreeing to watch Gerald and everyone's kids for New Year's Eve." He smiled more. "Our oldest is going to his grandmother's house, and it'll be so nice to just have the place to ourselves at least one evening before the new baby gets here in a few months."

Phil's smile warmed. "Glad to be of service. Here let me take him…" He reached out with his free arm and took Gerald from his father. "Ah, there we go. Looks like you're going to be a big brother soon—congratulations, Gerald!" He chuckled at Gerald.

Gerald beamed. "Yup! I'm a big brother, and he's a new little brother! He answers to me!"

"Oh, but what if it's a girl? A little sister for you?" Phil asked with interest.

Gerald blinked and his eyes went a little wide like he had seriously never considered this possibility. "Hmm…no, it's a boy." He smiled again. "I have a good feeling."

Phil just laughed warmly. "All right, well, I'll be rooting for your intuition then." He placed both children down on the rug in the foyer for a moment and then turned back to Gerald's parents. "I'm just glad everyone agreed to let the kids come over. I know we don't all know each other well yet, the kids all being so young and not starting school for a while, of course, but…I thought it would be nice to have a little company for young Arnold." He glanced down, something in his smile fading. "His Grandma and I just want to make the holidays as enjoyable as possible for him."

Mrs. Johansson leaned against her husband's arm and both of them nodded, just a touch of something solemn in their features. "We understand," she assured. "And we'll be happy to have Arnold over some time." She smiled more.

"Yes," her husband concurred, smiling too and holding his wife's hand. "Anytime. The boys seem to like each other, and anyway it'll be nice for Gerald to play with someone besides his older brother." He sighed deeply. "If James hides him in the hamper one more time and forgets about him, I don't know what we're going to do."

The three adults shared a laugh.

"Well," Phil took a step back inside, "Have a nice Christmas. And congratulations on the new baby."

The Johansson's nodded. "Merry Christmas!" And then Mr. Johansson guided his wife down the stoop through the slush and into their car.

Phil watched them go and tried not to lose his smile as he thought about how, if things had been different, maybe this year Miles would have been guiding Stella around, another new baby on the way for them….

He sighed and stepped back inside, closing the door. 'Think about the children. It always makes things happier.' He turned and smiled down at his grandson and little Gerald who were sitting together on the hall rug and almost attempting to play patty cake or something with their hands it seemed.

Phil reached down and picked up one boy in each arm again. "Come on, I'll put you two in the den to play, and then we'll have some cookies, and then—"

DING DONG.

"Oh more little guests!" Phil quickly dashed with the boys to the den, set them inside, put up the baby gate and went back to the foyer to answer the door. "Oh hello there, young lady! And is that your little sister you have there?" he was heard to say from down the hall.

"Oh yes," a very young sounding female voice assured, "She's my baby sister. I'm sorry my parents couldn't drop her off. They're having a New Year's party of their own that they're getting ready for. And I'm going to play the piano at it! But thank you for offering to watch Helga. She can be a little fussy and she's allergic to strawberries, but otherwise she's an angel, I promise."

Phil chuckled. "Oh, my, aren't you a very good big sister. Well don't you worry, we'll look after her."

"Thank you! Goodbye and Happy New Year!" came the perky reply.

"Happy New Year to you too! Oh and look who's coming up the street now. Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Heyerdahl! And this must be little, er…Phoebe, right?"

More and more small guests continued to arrive for the party.


Some time later, the den was full of little toddlers all crawling around, stumbling forward with tiny steps, laughing, listening to music on the radio, making a mess as they ate cookies and drank milk from sippy cups, and enjoying the Christmas tree still set up in the corner and the Christmas decorations still making a pretty show all over the place as they all played with Arnold's toys and each other.

Standing in the den doorway, Phil smiled down at the scene warmly.

"Tex and his friends enjoying the party?" Gertie suddenly came alongside him, a small plate of fresh cookies in her hand.

Phil chuckled, still looking out at the scene, though he did reach out an arm to put around his wife. "Yeah, Pookie. I think this was a good idea. Of course, young Arnold might not remember much about all of this once he's older, but the good feelings of it will stay with him, and that's what matters. I don't think he even realizes at all that the anniversary of when they left is coming around again soon…." His smile fell a little. "And I think that might be best for now. When he's older, we can talk about that…but for now he doesn't need to be thinking about it each year."

Gertie nodded and leaned a little against him. "Of course, Phil. And this is nice thing for Arnold today. It'll help our little cowpoke make good friends." She smiled at the sight of her grandson sitting next to a little boy wearing a red sweater and with a head of tall hair. "Look, it already looks like he's found a best one actually. Reminds me of you and Jimmy or me and Mitzie."

Phil's eyes travelled over to where his grandson was and he smiled. "Oh yes, him and young Gerald really do seem to be hitting it off."

And indeed Arnold and Gerald were proving quite inseparable. In fact, right now the two of them seemed to be taking turns trying to teach each other how to walk, or at least how to get more than two feet forward before falling down to the floor. Their strategy was simple: one of them held up the other one from behind to try and let him balance for as long as he could, and when the standing one fell, the other one got a turn at trying to walk. The two of them didn't seem to be having much luck doing anything except getting upright for a moment and then falling down though, of course, but they were having fun and laughing just the same.

Phil laughed. "Yeah, just like me and Jimmy and you and Mitzie. Oh, dear…" The sound of some crying met his years, and Phil's eyes quickly found the source—the little girl in a pink dress with blond pigtails who had been dropped off by that spunky teenager. "Hmm, let's see what we can do about that…" He was about to step over the baby gate when a word from Gertie stopped him.

"Shh, look, Phil…" she whispered.

Phil looked on. Young Arnold, seeming to hear the cry too, smiled at Gerald but then went and crawled over to Helga. He frowned at the sight of her sitting alone, tearing up a little, no toy around and no one to play with or give her anything as the other kids were currently occupied at the moment with other friends or toys. But then he came around to her side and started trying to help her stand a little just like he had been doing with Gerald.

Helga's crying stopped and she blinked several times and started going along with him, trying to stand too. She was shaky…but then suddenly she made it to her feet, and in the process of trying to hold onto her Arnold made it to his feet too.

For a moment the two of them just stood there facing each other, holding hands, smiling in surprise at their accomplishment.

But then gravity got the better of them and they suddenly toppled forward into each other and then fell down away from each other onto the rug.

Both sat up, rubbing their heads, and Phil worried for a second that he'd have two crying toddlers on his hands now…but then his grandson just laughed happily and Helga, blue eyes wide, suddenly smiled and laughed too.

They were both then approached by two other familiar faces now crawling forward to the interesting scene—Gerald and Phoebe, who momentarily bumped into each other but then just smiled at each other and at their friends. Then Arnold reached out to grab one of his nearby Christmas presents, a ball, and the four of them started playing with it together in a circle.

Phil just grinned proudly at the whole sight. "Well, I'll be—not only is our young Arnold a real ladies man, he's a chivalrous one too, and a match maker! Look at little Gerald and Phoebe together, heh." He chuckled and shook his head, and Gertie laughed a little along side him.

His attention off the kids now, Phil's nose caught a whiff of something. "Say," he glanced at his wife and the plate she still held in her hand, "Are those more cookies for the kids or can the party host have one?"

Gertie smiled at him. "Actually they're all for the party host." She held up the plate. "Raspberry Linzer Tarts."

Phil sighed deeply but smiled more. "Oh why do you have to tempt me so, Pookie?" He shook his head. "Oh why not—it's New Years!" And then he took the plate from her and started to eat up.

Gertie smiled more. "You enjoy, General. After you're done, we've gotta get together dinner for the kids and then get them all cleaned up and ready for bedtime. And with almost ten of them in there, it won't be easy."

"Oh yes, yes, of course." Phil ate another cookie. "But for now let's get some milk for these delicious cookies." He gave his wife a little extra hug from the side. "You still got it Pookie. No matter what I say, never stop making things with raspberry for me. Make that your New Year's resolution or something."

"You've got it," Gertie assured with a wink, heading back into the kitchen with him at her side. "In that case, raspberry popovers with raspberry yogurt for breakfast! Ha ha!" she laughed triumphantly and Phil merrily joined along with her.

Maybe it would never be easy, living after such a great disappointment as the loss of their dear son and daughter-in-law, but Phil and Gertie knew the importance of going on living anyway, not just for themselves but for their Grandson. There was still so much joy in life for the two of them and such a joyous lifetime ahead for him at this young age. All they wanted was to make as much happiness as possible with their time together, and Phil and Gertie had to figure, wherever they were, that Miles and Stella would want the same for them all just as Phil and Gertie would want for them too.

A new year would bring new challenges, and, even divided, they would all face them together in their own way as a family for better or worse…and for the sake of the children.

Have a wonderful season, my friends.


A/N:

Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this little addition to the story. And I hope you all have a wonderful year ahead.

As for my future fan fic writing, I'm intending to finish up April 2nd, my only in progress fic, over the next couple of months before I begin my newest HA! fanfic. The new fic will also be the final multi-chapter, long story project I will be doing for HA!, and it will probably take me a while to complete, but I hope you'll all enjoy it once I start posting. I will of course continue with updates to this Christmas fic for the foreseeable future, and I'll probably write some one shots here and there if little ideas come to me :) Thank you all for your patience as I gear up for everything I have planned, and thank you all always for your reviews, messages, encouragement and criticism. I appreciate all off it very much!

As I finish up April 2nd and start drafts for my new story, anyone who has me on author alert will also be seeing me posting fics for two other fandoms: Nightmare Before Christmas and My Little Pony: FIM. If any of you have interest in those shows and would like to read those stories and give me feedback, it would be a great help to me as always. But of course if neither of those two areas is of interest to you, please feel free to skip over those updates of mine. If it affects things either way though, if you're a person who likes to read the romance I write in my fics, everything I'll be writing for other fandoms will have romance of some sort in it too. I love writing for HA! and I love writing ArnoldXHelga, but I'm excited to try writing for other fandoms (and ships) too now, and I hope anyone who reads those stories gets just as much of an enjoyable experience out of them as they've gotten out of any of my HA! fics : )

Thank you all very much again, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

And Happy Reading!

~Azure129 aka Jenna