"What are you guys doing here?" I exclaimed, completely overjoyed.

I examined both Seth and Leah. It had been about a year and a half since I last saw either of them, whereas I saw Marisa just a few months ago. Of course, due to their continual phasing, they looked virtually the same. Seth's hair was a little shaggier than I remembered, but other than that, he still had the same ruggedly handsome face, and muscular body. It appears Leah was trying her hand at growing her hair out as well. It was just passed her shoulders, and I giggled as I imagined how long her fur probably was when she phased. Though I know the last few times I had spoken to her on the phone, she mentioned she was trying her hand at not phasing every day, and only wolfing around when there was an emergency, or when someone needed a shift covered.

"We didn't want you to be alone for Christmas," Seth shrugged casually, throwing himself back on my living room couch. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Hope we didn't interrupt anything."

I rolled my eyes as I plopped down next to him, "West and I are just friends. Relax." I laughed as he gave me a look that clearly said 'I don't want to know' and handed me a pair of boxers that must've been stuffed in between the couch cushions. "Do you guys have a hotel, or were you planning on staying here?"

Marisa looked at us and laughed, taking off her boots, "Honey, we're home!"

Leah was a little bashful as she glanced at me, "We hope you don't mind. Hotel prices are crazy in the city during the holidays."

I laughed gleefully, "Of course I don't mind!" I clapped my hands together excitedly. "I'm so happy you guys are here. I appreciate you. All of you." I pulled Marisa to me and placed a kiss on her head.

They spent two weeks with me. It was nice, to do all the traditional holiday-esque things with my family. Picking out a Christmas tree, decorating my small apartment, baking cookies, and waking up Christmas morning to exchange gifts. I could tell Marisa loved the thrill of the city. It called to her in the same way it called to me. She would fit in easily here when she was older. I could tell she would enjoy the bustle of New York. Always something going on. Always another site you wanted to see, or another person you wanted to meet.

Seth and I were the last ones awake on their last night in town. I laughed when I heard his stomach grumble, flipping the radio on, and putting a skillet on the stove to get hot. Quickly whipping up some banana pancakes, I set two plates out on the kitchen table and poured each of us a glass of milk. Just as I was about to flip the radio off, Billy Joel's voice floated out of the speakers, "Uptown Girl, she's been living in her uptown world…"

"No!" Seth exclaimed dramatically. Waving his hands in front of him. "Don't shut it off!" I just laughed and turned it up a little. He stood from his spot at the table and came and grabbed my hands twirling me around, before pulling me back into his chest and leading me in a dance. He sang to the music, but not loud enough to distract me from Billy Joel's pleasant voice and the upbeat nature of the song. "I'm in love with an uptown girl… She's been living in her white bread world…"

When the song ended, and we were pink-cheeked and breathless, he looked at me sadly, "Whenever we're phased, and he doesn't want us to know he's thinking about you, he sings that song to himself. I'll never be able to hear that song again without thinking of you, Claire-Bear." And then he sat down and dug into his pancakes, leaving me breathless and dumbfounded in the middle of my kitchen. The only thing running through my head were Billy Joel's famous lyrics, Just because I'm in love with an Uptown girl…

I crawled into bed with Marisa that night, but sleep did not take me. I was still awake at six when Marisa's alarm went off, signaling it was time for her to grab a quick shower before they headed off for the airport.

I padded out into the kitchen as quietly as I could. Seth had claimed the couch as his own since they had been staying here, and I didn't want to wake him. But to my surprise, the couch was vacant, and the blankets were folded neatly, and resting on the coffee table.

I was pouring myself and Leah some coffee when the front door burst open, the two of us letting out little shrieks, and identical huffs when we realized it was just Seth. "Where have you been?" Leah asked. "We need to leave any minute now."

He walked passed her and pulled a small envelope out from behind his back. "I wanted to get these pictures printed for Claire before we left."

I chuckled taking the envelope from him. Their whole stay Seth had been toting around an old school disposable camera, snapping pictures constantly. I couldn't even describe the amount of times he said, "Alright, girls, now say cheese." All joking aside, I was happy to have them. I didn't take too many photographs with me when I left home, and it would be nice to hang a few up in my room.

I slowly went through them, smiling at the memories I now had connected to them. I stopped when I found one of Seth and I, it was during one of our many Christmas dance parties in my kitchen. He had just finished spinning me around, and pulled me into his chest. Marisa had snapped the picture as we had both started laughing, my side pressed against him, both of our heads thrown back in joy. I pulled it out of the stack, and, flipping it over, wrote him a note. "Keep this one," I told him as my throat grew tight. He took it gingerly from my hand, and tucked it safely into his luggage. He pulled me into a tight hug, kissing my head, before grabbing the three bags and heading out to the cab. Leah and Marisa both hugged and kissed me goodbye as we all cried together.

I closed the door behind them, as they disappeared down the apartment stairs. Flipping the radio on, in a poor attempt to fill up the now seemingly deafening silence of my apartment, my heart stopped as I heard the song that was playing…

"Just because I'm in love with an uptown girl,

You know I've seen her in her uptown world,

She's getting tired of her high-class toys,

And all the presents from her uptown boys,

She's got a choice…"