Hundreds of candles lit the stone bridge between the arrival point and the peninsula where Kate and her family had dwelled for millennia. Beneath it was a river, she knew, but it was always covered in an impenetrable swirling mist. Everything in Caroline's world was ancient, but Kate's had kept a primal air to it that reminded her not of how many years had passed for civilization but how many epochs humans and spirits had inhabited the Earth.

The arched wooden double doors to the entry courtyard creaked and swung open as she approached. How many times had she crossed this threshold? She felt the silent ghosts of herself whirl by.

"Caroline. You don't know how happy it makes me to see you." Kate emerged from the central building facing the gates, her arms wide and wearing a smile that concealed absolutely nothing.

"Same here. I've missed you Kate. I really have." Caroline wrapped her up and choked out a little sob.

"Is this an occasion for crying?" She grabbed Caroline's shoulders and studied her. "You didn't say. I knew there was something big, obviously, for you to make the journey, but – " Kate's soft eyes widened. Around them the torches on the massive sconces flickered and the mists from the river stormed over the walls of the courtyard. "It's not Flora."

"No. It is – but not like that. She's absolutely fine. She's wonderful." Caroline put her arms around her again and drew her close. Kate in pain had never seemed right. Always seemed at odds with the natural order of things and Caroline had always rushed to solve whatever troubled her. "It's only that it's so wonderful to see you."

"Alright. Okay." Kate took her hand and led her down the cozy path lying between two of the largest buildings in the small village, the library and the theater. "Then what's so important? I know Eleanor would never have agreed to this unless the stakes were quite high."

"Yes. Well," Caroline tripped over herself hunting for a smooth transition, before remembering the package she had tucked in her bag. "Eleanor sent you a gift, actually. Baklava."

"She remembered?" Kate opened the door to her cottage and waved her through.

Caroline paused. She'd imagined being here again. Many, many times. But imagining meant nothing compared to the familiar smell of night jasmine floating through the open windows, or the welcoming buttercream walls adorned with textiles, paintings, and family portraits. The door to the garden stood open and she almost gasped when she saw a five-year-old Flora giggling as she came through, only to realize it was only a memory. Little had changed since she'd left.

"She's not one to forget things," Caroline finally replied. "Even the extra pistachio. She did say it's really an excellent batch. Though, you might find yourself feeling a little – combative."

"Well, like you said – she's not one to forget things, is she?" Kate laughed, and it made Caroline laugh too. She took the offered parcel into the kitchen.

She set down her bag and took her favorite spot on the plush sofa directly opposite a life-size oil portrait of Flora at age three. Kate had painted their little girl toddling through the garden, spring flowers shooting up around her, clutching a white daisy in her small fist.

Kate came back through and sat next to her. She tucked Caroline's hair behind her ears and took both her hands. Her touch and fingertips were just as cool as they had ever been. "This can't be easy. Seeing me again after all these years. Tell me what's happened."

"I need your help. I don't know how yet, but I know it's vital. Flora's refused to carry on with us. She's turned on me, in fact. She's said she wants to come home – here. And now she's gone traveling. I don't think she'll be back for Christmas."

"That's quite bad, isn't it? If she doesn't return you'll fade. You and Eleanor both. She'd never allow that."

"She wouldn't, if she knew. We never told her, though," Caroline admitted. She could confess anything to Kate. "I wanted the choice to be her own."

"Oh Caroline." Kate clutched her hands more firmly and pulled them into her lap. "I don't know if I agree with that decision. It was yours to make, but I don't know if it was the right one."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize," Kate insisted. "Like I said – the choice was yours. I gave Flora's care to you and Eleanor with all the trust in my heart. We're not to the end of it yet. You may still end up on the right side of things."

"I don't know. I know where I've gone wrong. But I don't know how to fix it. Our girl can be, ehm, stubborn." Caroline couldn't help when she started laughing again. It was a miracle, being here. She felt giddy despite the situation that led her here and she'd only ever felt frothy when she was with Kate in the first place.

Caroline stood hastily, crossed her arms and went to the window to look at the garden that was always vibrant. It was dark, but the moon shone down bright. The organic shapes of the flowers, their shadows soft against the walls, rounded the edges of her emotions. Her trip to the past was already becoming dangerous to her present.

Kate joined her at the window and peered out into the night garden. "Let's walk."

"Yes. Let's."

Down still, small paths littered with leaves they made their way peacefully through the night. Past magenta explosions of bougainvillea, patches rampant with white tulips and yellow daises, vivid aviaries of birds of paradise, heady gardenia that had run the size of shrubs and over the stone walls. The flora at Kate's was almost as nonsensical as it was abundant. Everything was lush at any time of year and responded more to their keeper's touch than any concept of season.

Morning came around as they made their way along. It was a calm, cool evening, and then it was brilliant daylight, fields of green hills bounded by golden waving plains dashing away up gentle hillsides to the horizon. At some point, Caroline's hand found Kate's. They walked for a while that way until they reached the orchard. Kate pulled down an orange for Caroline. She put it right to her nose and every sense came alive as the sunny citrus oil coated her every breath.

When the light of the sun began to warm the air, Caroline found herself ready to take shelter. She ducked and pulled Kate under the low canopy of an ancient fig tree. It had been fully fledged before Caroline had even come on the scene hundreds of years ago.

They sat in the shade against the smooth trunk. The light penetrated the wide leaves of the canopy here and there and dappled the women's legs and bare feet. Kate reached up through the soft green leaves and plucked a ripe, full fruit. Deep wine skin, she split it delicately with her thumbs and offered Caroline half.

Caroline took it and they ate several more until the sun was high above them. She looked down and met Kate's eyes. Generous and calm. Her head rested in Caroline's lap now. Kate gazing at the blue sky and laughing with the passing breezes. A broad leaf from a low branch came spinning down to perch next to them.

They should not be like this. Then again neither of them had planned it. This was always how it happened with Kate. Caroline giggling and oblivious until she was gasping and oblivious.

"I can't stay here, can I?" Caroline asked out loud but only because she knew the answer.

"I'm afraid you can't." Kate said. "Even you can't live in the past forever. But we can make the most of it, can't we? It's still lovely to visit."

"It's more than lovely. You're still everywhere for me, Kate," Caroline admitted. "You were my first true love. I've never been able to let that go. Without you, I would have died long ago. There'd be no magic and no Eleanor. I'm convinced of that. I needed you to be in my life in order to find my way. You're where I discovered faith."

"But if I were still with you, there wouldn't be an Eleanor."

"God plays it close to the vest, sometimes."

"Oh don't start with that." Kate rolled her eyes at Caroline, then smiled. "You and your God."

"I know you're not a believer," Caroline answered the jab. "But I've done quite well out of the whole keeper of Christmas arrangement. One could do a lot worse than devoting themselves to bringing more faith and love to the world."

"Or to the arts and sciences." Kate grinned and put a finger to the tip of Caroline's nose. "I don't know who's right or wrong. I don't think it matters. Maybe everything's just better with all of it in the world."

"It's definitely better when we're together," Caroline conceded. "And since I can't stay, Kate, please help me. What am I going to do with Flora?"

"Ah. I've been laying here thinking about that. I wonder if you're missing the obvious? Are you sure that our Flora's the only one who can do it? I've never been sold on that 'it's in the blood business' coming from your people. Seems awfully convenient for keeping undesirables out. You're the only lot that hasn't ever had a spirit of color at the helm."

"I thought about that - but Kate it's not easy to do - to bring a mortal over." Caroline had thought of it as a solution. It was, after all, how Eleanor had come to her. "But the sacrifice, the commitment is enormous. Leaving everyone behind. There's no going back from it, and to ask that of anyone when there's no guarantees - " She'd asked it of Eleanor, who'd given everything to cross over, only to have Caroline betray her so thoroughly. Her world wasn't one lightly endured by mortals.

"Yes. You're right. But there's reward, too, in our lives and the way we love."

"There is." Caroline finally gave way and let herself remember loving Kate. That first ecstatic night. Awkward fumbles that had quickly given way to confident explorations over endless hours that sped by. When the sun finally crested the horizon, Caroline was a new woman, with no intention of letting even a centimeter of space between her bare body and Kate's until she'd -

Her mouth flooded with the taste of lavender. Caroline coughed, then burped.

Kate started to giggle. "That must have been quite a moment you just had. What did you eat before you traveled? Eleanor stir in a last-ditch safeguard?"

"She's a jealous and wrathful goddess."

"In the image of her maker?"

"Stop. You pick and choose the worst of our texts, but you still won't cop to that monster Ayn Rand. Just enjoy your faithless paradise and leave me be."

"I could never leave you be." Kate sat up. She put a hand to the side of Caroline's face.

"I know." Caroline leaned into it. She took it, kissed it, then stood. "If I'm ever going to go it has to be right now. You'll tell me more about your Flora idea as we walk home. How long have we been - ?" She looked around. It was sunset now. The once golden hills bled scarlet through the long valley.

They emerged from under the fig tree. Kate looked to the periwinkle sky and her eyes rested on the evening star. "Two days."

Caroline whistled. "Are you sure you won't trade places with me and be the first one through the door at Svalbard?"

"Not even to regain my immortality would I face your wife right now. You're made of sterner stuff than I am. For better or worse is how your saying goes?"

Caroline put an arm around Kate's shoulder, kissed her on the temple as they walked on. "I found my faith with you and I lost it by you. I don't think anyone but Eleanor could have restored it after it was broken."

"I'm sorry for the some of the turns our paths took. But I'm grateful for every second we walked them."

"Me too. I'm glad we're got this last one together again and that it will take us a while yet to get home." Caroline took Kate's hand and clenched it tight, swung it between them and smiled at her. "Once more for auld lang syne, Kate. I love you."

"I love you, Caroline."