All rights go to their rightful owners; characters belong to Stephenie Meyer whilst the title of the FanFic belongs to Demi Lovato.

Enjoy and tell me what you all think; criticism is welcome.

Holiday cheer

It was a few days into November that Korey stayed the night, wandering around the house the next morning in little or nothing which grossed out Kenzie before she began winding him up about staying over all the time. A little over a week into the month we celebrated Veterans Day; honouring all veterans of the US Air Force, observing the end of the First World War on the 11th hour NYC became a complete standstill.

Mum wrote weekly now, her latest letter surprised me in ways but not in others; appearing in the post box a day before thanks giving.

Leah,

Happy thanks giving baby girl.

Eat lots, have fun, spend time with loved ones and don't forget about us. I really do wish you were here for the holidays; it isn't the same without you.

Seth copes well on his own for the days I stay in Forks, he towers over me now, well over 6". Suzanna calls every Saturday, he spends hours blushing like a school girl, disappearing with the phone to his room. She misses seeing you. She misses the female influence in her life. Call her.

I bring news which may or may not surprise you. Emily has had a son; little Levi, cute as a button but he has nothing on you and Seth.

See you soon.

Love you.

Mum x

Craig and Ceilidh had prepared a feast for thanks giving. As dinner was being served Craig and Korey were hauling some of Kenzie's stuff into Korey's apartment from the awaiting cab as the transition moving house had began. Laughter and the easy flow of chatter fills the room as we enjoy each others' company; my only wish being that I had my family there with us, sharing the occasion. They would be at Charlie's no doubt with Jake and Bella too.

Over the next few days Kenzie and Korey's belongings crossed the Brooklyn Bridge multiple times as Korey moved into my apartment and Kenzie moved into his above the bakery. Saying goodbye to my best friend was a tearful thing; Kenzie and I were like sisters although maybe some point in the future she will be.

December brought a chilling wind and icy rain which soaked through to skin. Rain splatters onto the tiles as customers come in from the winter weather in glad comfort of the warm and dry diner. "One all day breakfast, a strawberry shake and plate of forgiveness please?"Alex stands in front of the new order station on the restraint side of the newly designed diner. I had realised what he had said only after it had been written on the numbered notepad, scribbling out his ask for forgiveness.

Placing the pen down I meet his gaze. "Alex. Not right now. I'm working. Have a seat. One all day with strawberry shake is coming up." I give him my best please-leave-me-alone smile I could muster before feeding the order into the new electronic ordering system along with the order code that was on the paper which acts as a backup if anything were to go wrong. The system was an early Christmas present to the diner from Joe.

"Leah please?" her asks, sighing as I take the next order from another of the regulars, sitting at the closest place available so that he could pester me. "Leah?" I note which table he sits at, the number appearing beside the order number in the system, he idles back to the station, standing to the side. "Please talk to me? We were good together. We haven't spoken since the day I left on tour. That day at the park was a mistake. I've regretted letting you go ever since throughout the day. Please say something?"

"I've moved on." His face drains as my words register. He takes one look at me before storming out; his order in Elena's arms ready for him to consume. I catch her eye as she smiles knowingly, shrugging before taking the order back in order to explain to Joe what had happened.

I was doing the after school rush the following Wednesday when I spot Suzanna sitting with a choc shake at the drinks bar at the front of the shop; twirling the bendy straw around the glass. "Hey Suzanna, what's up?"

She looks up at me, a sad smile on her face. Sighing she explains, "I miss Seth and Alex's in a mood with life, both Fred and Ky have girlfriends now and spend time with them to keep out his way, I rarely see them. You look happier though."

I take the seat next to her. "I am happier now. Please don't hate me for breaking up with your brother. My boyfriend, Korey, has moved into the apartment with me and I bet Seth misses you too. I know I have missed you both."

A small smile spreads across her pale face. "Oh Leah, I could never hate you. Alex always strops when her doesn't get his own way." She takes a slurp of the shake, a contemplative look crossing her face. "How about we go Christmas shopping some time? I want to buy a few presents but need someone else's opinion. Or not?" She blurts as I pull a face at the mention of shopping.

Pushing my fringe out my eyes I smile. "No, I would like to go shopping with you as long as we buy gingerbread and eggnog too?"

She laughs at this, nodding as we set a time and date. Mission accomplished. One happy teen, one less thing to worry about on mums letter plus an excuse to get everyone's Christmas presents before it gets busy and catch up with her.

In the days leading up to my shopping trip with Suzanna, Korey and I had been in Central Park a few times enjoying the festivities. He brought out the child in me during the holidays; taking me on the horse and carriage rides, paying for ice skating on the Wollman Rink, something which I had never done before but enjoyed it, and had started snow ball fights just for something fun to do. He made me smile and laugh both of which were something I hadn't done in a while but had done more and more around Korey and as I settled into the city these past months.

Meeting Suzanna outside the diner at half past ten two weeks before Christmas we agreed for it to be a grab and go occasion. Flurries of snow swirled in the air before settling on the ground, crunching under our footfalls as we pass through the pedestrian traffic into the stores to find the perfect gift. Popping in between shops and taxiing after we had to many bags I managed to get mum the perfect candle set 'The Voyager Candles' in Bond No 9 and Rose a Flickered Strip Bracelet in blue from Anthropologie which was a slight tribal design to it and Carolee Acapulco Paradise Turquoise Ball Drop Earrings in Bloomies, stopping by the MAC counter to say hi to Razor who split his time between the jobs, while I posted Seth's three bobbing head dinosaurs in purple, green and pink and his NYC skyline snow globe along with mum's candles as we passed the mail office. Pushing past the tourists into Century 21 I find gifts for the girls; Caroline and Elena got shoes, heels and flats respectively while Bonnie was bought a few hair accessories and jewellery. I bought Kenzie a new pair of J Brand Jeans since her usual pair was worn through and Jen was given a voucher along with her new bag. Joe and Korey was bought quality blank recipe books so that they were able to look for them on demand rather than shuffling through the piles of paper that they had consumed and subsequently lost over time and had to rewrite.

Back at the apartment around half one-ish I find Korey crashed out on the sofa, his feet hanging off the edge. Note to self: buy a longer sofa. After I hide the bags under the bed I make a cup of coco before deciding to decorate the apartment with the limited amount of silver tinsel that I found in the spare bedroom. Korey startles himself awake as I accidently hit his foot with the ladders on my way to sort the falling tinsel above the windows.

"Lee?" he yawns while stretching. "What are you doing?" he then notices the half hanging tinsel, a grin breaks across his face. "I'll hold the ladders if you climb?" I nod and set them under the window, securing the puffy chain to the wall. "How about we look for a tree after you finish here?"

"Sure and decorate it too?" I secure the final piece to the wall before descending into his arms.

"Yup. A proper tree with decorations which match the tinsel around the room." He plans a kiss onto my forehead making me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Pulling my boots back on and wrapping up in unnecessary layers we head out hand in hand to find the perfect tree for the apartment. Finding the perfect tree was difficult. Some were the prefect height but too narrow at the base while other were opposite to this. After an hour of searching I was ready to give up when Korey spotted one that would be perfect. A tall 10" tree with a medium base and enough stump to fit presents underneath. It was attached to the delivery truck and would be delivered at 4pm giving us enough time to shop for baubles and lights to decorate it.

I watch the truck pull up outside the building, Steven the doorman helping to carry it and the base into the lift up to the apartment and along the hallway. After setting it up by the window overlooking central park I blast Christmas music from the TV, Korey and I decorating it first with white lights then dotting the silver baubles here and there. Adding the large Silver Star to the top of the tree was the finishing touch.

The Friday before Christmas our staff Christmas party was held in the uber stylish Bungalow 8 with drinks at the Thom Bar at 60 Thompson beforehand. I was dressed in an Alice + Olivia Barret sequined stretch-mesh top which had a boat neck, gathered dolman short sleeves and a gathered waist, along with a black pair of J Brand skinny jeans, accessorised with YSL satin and 5" wood wedge pumps and a Anya Hindmarch gold glitter structured clutch. I had teased my hair so that the bob was slightly messed and choppy while my eyes were lined in thick black eyeliner and lashings of mascara. Throwing on a black leather jacket as we head out the door, I drag Korey to the drinks party where he and Joe instantly started talking about sports fixtures.

A few days later a Christmas card from mum had arrived with a short message.

To Leah and Korey

"Merry Christmas and a Happy New year"

I hope it's the best one yet for you both. Eat lots, have fun, enjoy giving just as much as recieiving.

Hoping to see you both at Easter.

Take care. Much love,

Mum and Seth x

It must have snowed heavily over night on Christmas even as we wake to find a frosting like covering of snow on every outside surface while Korey and I exchanged gifts in bed, boxes and bags of Tiffany, Bond no. 9 and Anthropologie littered the bed coving the gifts that I gave him. Opening the presents under the tree from mum, Seth and Rose as well as the girls only took a short while. A few tribal related gifts from mum and Seth as well as the photo from my bedside table taken when dad was alive while Rose has been shopping in Seattle as a bee necklace from Betsey Johnson took up the majority of the top half of the slim line box while a silver crescent moon with a howling wolf sat below it; in seeing it I burst into a fir of laughter at how ironic it was. Caroline had bought us vouchers to the newly opened Zen where she had bought us all miniature spa sets while Jen and Joe had bought us a new coffee machine as a practical answer to our old one breaking. Bonnie had also shopped in Bond no. 9 and a New Harlem candle had handmade bracelets from Ceilidh's store wrapped around it while Elena had bought me an old school Polaroid camera.

Kenzie appeared at 3pm for lunch carrying presents through the door from her mum and dad for Korey and I. after lunch they were swapped I received more of Ceilidh's handmade Celtic inspired jewellery which she sold online. Kenzie and I had also created a shared present for Korey a cinnamon cupcake with mint frosting and coco dusting called Kick. This, Kenzie assured me, was what she used to call Korey when she was younger when they used to fight, a nickname of such.

The few days after Christmas was quiet compared to the hype that would come as the ball dropped on midnight. My New York family was crowded in the diner come restaurant watching the countdown in jewel tones; myself in a deep purple Alice + Olivia pleated waist dress with crisscross straps and an open back with my accessories from the Christmas party plus a DVF gold slim line belt, counting down the seconds until 2007.

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,21 hears to a New Year. A fresh start. The truth.

Only 2 more chapters left everyone. Don't forget to check out my blog with other fics on, the link can be found on my profile.

Love Lorna x