Hey y'all! Okay, this is a Christmas story...;) I figured that a Christmas story would be fitting and all since it is almost Christmas and everything!

Enjoy!!!

Ashgrove Cottage filled with the smell and sights of Christmas and Jack couldn't be more in the holiday spirit. Stephen, on the other hand, was rather stoic through the whole process of Christmas. Why? The cellist barely understood it himself. Maybe it was because he had had bad Christmases in the past or the most likely, he was in low spirits because of his being away from Diana.

Jack watched as Stephen moped around; sleeping, eating, and reading in the dark, not open to the outside world. Sophia was getting rather worried, as was Jack. They had watched him and often pitied their poor friend, something that Stephen rather hated. Jack, being the light-hearted man he was, decided to show his friend a good time, even if he had to force Stephen into it.

"My dear Maturin," the captain cried, "Come, it is time to have some fun!"

Stephen swept around, eyeing Jack with an unknown look of surprise. "Joy, what do you mean?"

"Stephen," Jack smiled, "I mean that you need to come outside, it is rather an amazing sight. Besides, you can't spend Christmas in such down spirits."

Stephen sighed, hating the pity he knew that he was receiving. "For all love, Jack, I am fine. I need not your pity."

"I do not pity you brother; I just want you to have a joyful Yule tide!" Jack took hold of his companions arm and pulled him up out of his chair.

"Mary, Jesus, and Joseph, Jack!" Stephen howled, trying to release himself form the violinists tightening grip.

"No fighting back, my dear. You need to get out as soon as possible!" Jack pleaded, "You have to see the beautiful snow."

Stephen eyed his companion, as though trying to read him, gave in and put his jacket on, though huffing and puffing all the while. Jack had already opened the door, exposing the two men to the chilling breeze that swayed the frozen trees. Stephen eyed Jack with a 'you have got to be kidding' look. Jack raised an eyebrow, grabbed hold of Stephen's frail arm, and walked him outside.

The snow made everything seem white and barren, but eerily beautiful. Stephen looked around, awed by the sight that laid be for him.

"Come my dear," Jack smiled at Stephen's amazement, "There are a lot of things we can do."

"Oh," Stephen said, coming out of his stupor, "and what would that be?"

"This for example." Stephen felt himself being pulled down to the cold earth.

"Mary, Jesus, and Joseph, Jack, what the hell are you doing?" Stephen cried.

"Making snow angels, Lord Stephen, have you never made snow angels?" Jack laughed.

Stephen turned his head to look at his blonde companion and glared at him. "Of course I have made snow angels! You just don't pull someone to the ground though!"

Jack shook harder from laughing. "I am truly sorry, soul. You are right; I shouldn't have done that. Now, though, we should make our snow angels. Otherwise, we will freeze here while we argue." Jack waved his arms and legs, already starting on his angel. "Come Maturin or I will be an angel before ye!"

Stephen, still angry, just laid there with his arms wrapped around his chest. He looked over at the eminent sea captain that was flapping his arms and legs up and down in a childish manner. As a punishment, snow flicked onto the doctor's face, making him shiver and sneeze. Jack stopped at the sound and gazed over at his friend only to have snow smashed onto his face. He laid there stunned for a moment, listening to Stephen's croaking laughter, before he gathered a big ball of snow and stuffed it in the doctor's mouth.

Stephen spit the snow up, as it was very cold, and glared at the blonde that rolled, laughing in the snow. Stephen's glare lightened little by little until he was laughing along with Jack. Their laughter echoed through the hills like a birds squawking would. Jack looked over at Stephen, who was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, and smiled.

"Merry Christmas to you, my dear," Jack smiled.

"Merry Christmas to you too, soul." Stephen pulled himself off the ground, adoring his snow…thing and looked back down at Jack, who was trying miserably to get up. Maybe Christmas would be as bad as he thought.

Merry Christmas!