Moving right along, Mac actually brings Laci a present she likes.

I had to do some time jumps here, as you will see in the next few chapters. This would have been way too long otherwise, and we'd never get to the end of it. Thank you as always for reading and leaving me kind words I appreciate it so much.

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It was Christmas Day, he had told her as much although there was no real way to know for sure, but she trusted him, he always told her the truth, no matter how bad it was. If Mac said it was Christmas Day, then it was Christmas Day, she didn't doubt him at all.

Laci trusted him, she had to.

She had been there for two Christmas's now, the year before she had been punished and tied to the bed and hadn't even known it was Christmas Day. This year Mac told her he had presents for her, she expected him any minute and she waited for him, as always.

That was what she did, waiting for him, that was her life.

She didn't have anything for him and it made her sad, there was no way for her to get him a present to open. But didn't everyone deserve a present on Christmas? She was sad inside that he would have no gift from her.

When he got home he had two big boxes with him and she opened them gratefully and he smiled as he watched her as if it made him happy to do this for her. He had lugged them all the way downstairs for her, but she had heard him upstairs for an hour before that.

At first, she had been afraid he had changed his mind.

"Merry Christmas Laci."

It was a TV, radio and video game console on a stand that he had obviously just put together, the wood smelled new and fresh.

"Is this my X box?"

He shook his head.

"But these are all the games I play?" He had bought all the Resident Evil games, Life is Strange, Bioshock, Left for Dead, Tomb Raider, all the games she loved, every one of them.

"Ain't got no one else to spend my money on." He watched her face change after he said that, the joy she felt in that moment he would have paid any amount of money for. He had never seen her so happy.

Then she was running to him, with the chain clanking as she moved across the room and flying into his arms. Laci was hugging him so tightly, he could barely breathe. Then she was crawling on his lap and kissing him all over his face and neck, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

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Later they laid on the bed listening to music after she had fucked him almost through the mattress. Mac took pictures of her and allowed her to take his picture too. They were only Polaroids, they could be burned in the fireplace if he needed to, then he laid down next to her on the bed and took the picture of them together, like a selfie that was never going on Facebook. This made her happy and they were both smiling in the picture, like a couple in love almost; later he would bring her a frame for it.

"I gotta go now," He said as he waved the picture to dry it.

"It's Christmas," She complained.

"And I still got drugs to make, you know this Laci," He handed her the picture, "Here, look at this when you miss me."

"It's not the same," She looked at the picture and smiled.

"Play you X Box that's why I got it for you,"

A slow song came on the radio and she jumped up off the bed and held her hand out to him.

"Dance with me Mac, please, please, please, before you go," He joyful face was contagious and he obliged her. She held onto him tight, with her arms around his neck as they moved around the room. He was a good dancer and she wasn't surprised by that.

"Oh, my love,
My darling,
I've hungered for your touch,
A long, lonely time.

And time goes by so slowly,
And time can do so much,
Are you still mine?

I need your love,
I need your love,
Godspeed your love to me.

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea.
To the open arms of the sea.
Yes, lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me
I'll be coming home, wait for me."

They danced together to the song both oblivious now to the chain on her leg, it was as if it didn't exist anymore and maybe it didn't have to now.

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While Laci played X-Box and waited for Mac to come home again, Lizzie and Dan were spending their second Christmas without her. They had dinner at his house and later he showed her his home office and Lizzie was blown away. He was still so devoted to her sister, after all this time.

As Lizzie opened the door to the room over his garage the first thing she saw was the blown up picture of Laci, a huge map with pins in it and a desk full of fliers; she knew he changed them out every month, but this? This was more than she could ever imagine. Dan was taking no prisoners; this was war room, entirely devoted to finding her sister.

Gratitude serged through her, followed by sadness. Laci had been gone over two years, closer to three, and part of her felt sorry for him, he couldn't or wouldn't move on. Maybe it was time he did.

"You aren't kidding are you Dan?" She said as she approached him.

"I said, I'll never stop looking for her. I meant it." He led her to a bulletin board, "Look, on this map, all the places I put fliers up every month, then I put a pin in it so I know when to go back."

Lizzie hugged her sister's boyfriend then, "God, you're the best." And then she cried.

"She's not dead, Lizzie, I know it," Dan soothed her, "We're getting her back, I promise."

"It been years Dan, maybe you should..." Lizzie sniffed, "Maybe she is... dead."

"She's alive! Don't you crap out on me now Lizzie, don't you dare." Dan pleaded and Lizzie knew he still needed her to believe. If he didn't have faith that he would find Laci, Lizzie was afraid he'd fall apart.

"I won't, I'm sorry," She hugged him, "I'm so sorry."

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Notes: Thank you for reading, let me know what you think :)