Christmas was approaching them at a fast rate now, Asi soon finding that it was only a week away. The excitement between those who were celebrating it was growing even more now, Ale even forcing Li Amaru to sing carols with him, though Dyme usually took them over. Riku and Dyme were also not fighting as much, though Asi knew that had nothing to do with the holiday. Ansem hadn't believed him at first when told him of how The Girl had dealt with them. In fact, Ansem hadn't completely believed Asi until the next day, when The Girl had glanced at Dyme and Riku the moment they tried to fight, both falling silent immediately. Oh yes, Asi was quite proud indeed.

"How does this one look?" The Girl asked, holding up her handmade ornament of a star for inspection.

"Looks good to me. Here, go ahead and go put it on the tree."

The Girl took the hook and ran to do that, coming back once she had found the perfect spot for it, starting on a new ornament. She and Asi were sitting on the couch, making ornaments for themselves out of boredom, and because they had both found that it was really a fun task to do.

The Girl suddenly sighed, stopping her work, which was why Asi looked up at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, actually… Everything's totally right…"

"Then why do you sound like something's wrong?"

"I don't mean to, it's just… Riku told me when I got here that we had to leave, and that we weren't supposed to be here, but…"

Here The Girl looked at Asi with so much emotion that Asi felt he was seeing her soul.

"I don't want to leave. I don't ever want to leave, actually. Sure, I like going to the other worlds, and I like seeing the Nobodies and spending time with them, but… I like coming back here, because it's like… It's like I'm coming home… I… I always wondered what it would be like to have a family, a real family. I had Sora and Riku, but they were like my brothers. I wondered what it would be like to have a mom and a dad, and to bake cookies, and be made to wear dresses that I didn't want to, and to go shopping… And for someone to protect me, but to also make me protect myself, and… And to have parents that I loved, and that loved me…"

Her jealousy of Dyme. How she was always wherever he was, or how she'd find him. How she'd latch on to him so easily… Everything about her came upon Asi in that moment, all connecting and making all the sense in the world, almost as if it were the only thing that made any sense at all. That's why she acted like she did, that's why she tried to get close to him, to spend time. She thought of him as…

The Girl suddenly smiled, suddenly leaning over the couch to hug Asi.

"Thank you. I know you didn't want to watch me, but I'm happy that you are."

With that, she leaned back to her side of the couch, smiling, before she jumped up and ran down the hallway, leaving Asi alone, and still not quite able to grasp what just happened.

It was late at night, even by the standards of their ever-dark world, but Asi still couldn't make himself get up. He wasn't totally sure how long he had been sitting on the couch, staring at the fire Ale had consented to light way earlier that night, before The Girl made her confession.

How Asi hadn't seen it before, he still wasn't sure. It all fit together so perfectly. The Girl acted like she did towards them because they had somehow become her parents… He had baked cookies with her, Ansem had made her wear a dress just like all the other Princesses of Heart, and neither of them had completely known how much it all had really meant to her…

"Asi?" He turned to look beside him, surprised to see his Master had come in, not hearing him at all. Ansem came and sat down beside him, his expression worried, which was when Asi realized it must be even later than he thought.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just… Thinking."

"About?"

"Her, like I do a lot nowadays…"

"What this time? A new reason that you don't want to watch her?"

"No. A new reason that I want to."

Ansem didn't try to hide his surprise at this.

"Does this mean you actually like watching her?"

"I think… She… She thinks we're her parents, now, after all we've done for her here."

Neither spoke for a long time, Asi returning his gaze to watch the fire.

"That's why she wanted to get so close to you this past month, then?"

"Yeah… The thing is, I don't really mind her thinking that… It's sort of nice…"

Asi glanced sideways, seeing that cocky smile again.

"What?"

"I told you that you'd like her."

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did, and you remember too. You told me you never would, but I said you two would get along in the end."

Asi scowled, crossing his arms.

"As if I were to know that then. How would I know that she'd just come into my life and somehow grow on me?"

"I never said you did know that, I said I did."

"Of course…"

Asi sighed, looking at the fire again.

"It is weird how she was able to do this, though. My life was fine, perfectly so, and then the next thing I know, here's Kairi, and all she does is cause me trouble, and yet, I don't mind!"

Silence met him, and Asi glanced beside him, finding Ansem smiling again, traces of his cocky smirk still present.

"What is it?"

"You said Kairi."

"No I didn't."

"Oh yes, Asi, you did."

Asi scowled for a minute, before it vanished, confusion taking its place.

"I did, didn't I?"

"Yes. Without even thinking about it. It used to be the other way around. You had to think and remind yourself of her name before you'd say it."

Asi blinked a few times, wondering what had brought that on now. Finally, he sighed, leaning into his Master.

"It's because I don't mind thinking of her as my daughter, isn't it?"

"It is. I think you've been thinking of her like that for a while now, you just haven't realized it until now."

Asi nodded, letting the truth of those words sink in.

"I have… I don't know why, or what's wrong with me, but I have…"

Ansem laughed softly, before wrapping his arms around his Guardian.

"Nothing's wrong with you."

"If you say so…"

"I do. Now stop worrying about it. There's nothing to worry about, really."

Asi nodded again, closing his eyes.

"You're right… Besides, she really is a sweet girl…"

"See, I knew it."

Asi scowled a little, before laughing quietly, shaking his head. They were a different sort of family, to be sure, but Asi knew in that moment that they were indeed a family.