A/N: School is a booger. I don't like it. But it's over. Thank goodness. I'm hoping to update more frequently this summer! By the way, Boston Cream Pie yogurt rocks!

Disclaimer: I'm a teenager. I don't own anything

Vy: Hi! I'm not sure if Aunt Una's ok right now. I want her to be, but sometimes I end up doing things that my mind just can't fathom. We'll have to see how that works out. I'm surprised that you don't like Daniel with Emily. You don't strike me as a person who would fall for Jeff, but I guess you never know. Well, I won't make any promises on that either. Although I can tell you that I really, really like Daniel right now, so Jeff better start looking good or it's going to be a one-sided competition here. Lol! Thanks for reviewing…hope you like this one!

Silliana: Sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter is worth it!

lilkat92: I really don't know if I want Jeff to get together with Emily. I like Daniel soooo much, but I've grown to love Jeff too. I guess we'll just have to see how it works out. As for Una, I can't make any promises. I don't want to hurt her, but you never know. Please don't throw yourself in a ditch & drown! I won't get to read any of your lovely reviews anymore! ;-) Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you like this chapter.

Justme: Don't worry. I have no intention of abandoning this story. It just takes me awhile to update. Thanks for all the compliments!

Stella Maynard: I'm positively devastated that Gilmore Girls is on its summer hiatus. The good news is that I have Season 2 & 3 (hopefully I'll have season 1 for my b-day) to keep me sane. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. And Emily was crying because of a super secret reason laughs evilly. I'm so sorry it took so long to update, but I'm out for summer break now, so hopefully you'll be seeing many chapters soon!

Christmas Eve arrived to find a house full of children and merry laughter at Ingleside. The rest of the family arrived for a jolly reunion. Emily was relieved that Daniel was nowhere to be seen, therefore she enjoyed her holiday a more. There was still no word from Aunt Una and no one dared to bring up the subject, especially to Grandfather Meredith, who was deeply saddened. But the family kept their faces bright and cheery, hoping for word from anyone who could let them have some peace. Harry gave Will's letter to Mum and Dad. The letter gave the family some small relief. It was nice to know that Will was safe.

Emily awoke early in the morning to sit out on the porch and watch the sun rise. There was something about being up before dawn, before anyone was awake, while everyone was entranced in their quiet slumber that made Emily thrill. For just this morning, Ingleside—and the world—seemed to belong to Emily. She crept out the door with some stationary and a pen. She wanted to catch up on some letters, mainly to Claire and Mary.

As she wrote, Emily heard a soft whistle and a distant figure coming up the hill. Who could be awake this early? And wandering around too? Emily was even more surprised when the distant figure came up to the Ingleside gate, and it happened to be Daniel!

"I thought that was you, Em. Who else would be up to watch a sunrise?"

"Daniel! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was on my way into town to buy some food. Grandmother is going to cook a big feast tonight," said Daniel, as he sat down beside Emily.

"So, you had to wake up this early to go to the market?"

Daniel smiled. He knew Emily was teasing him. "Nooo…but Grandfather wanted me to hurry in because 'the fresh produce is always there early in the morning'. Trust me, Em; I would never want to wake up this early."

"Not even to watch the sunrise?"

"I'm more of a sunset type of guy." Daniel looked over at Emily, who was peacefully staring off into the distance. "But, watching a sunrise with you is actually very nice."

"Well, I feel honored now," laughed Emily.

Daniel's eyes glanced over to the letters Emily was writing. "Who are you writing to this morning?"

"Oh, Claire and Mary. Poor darlings, I wonder how their holiday has been. I'd like to visit their homes sometime," said Emily thoughtfully.

"And how has the infamous Kimmy been getting along?"

Emily smiled. "She's been a hit with the family. And she goes on and on about how wonderful everything is………But, I'm glad she came."

They were silent for awhile, quietly watching the beautiful sunrise that painted the dark sky into a rainbow of bright colors. If there was anytime that Emily wanted to be a painter, it was now. Then again, the sunrise had such a heavenly, ethereal quality that even any genius artist would have a hard time capturing its effect. Emily glanced over at Daniel, who also seemed entranced, and smiled.

"Sunrise isn't so bad, is it?" asked Emily slyly.

"No. I guess it's not," smiled Daniel. Emily blushed. "Well, I must get going before the morning is gone. Grandmother will be expecting me home soon." Daniel rose to leave, and Emily stood up to walk him out to the gate. "Bye, Em. Oh wait, I almost forgot." Daniel reached into his pocket to pull out a small, neatly wrapped package. "Merry Christmas."

Uncle Jem and Aunt Faith came to Ingleside with Sarah. Alex, of course, was still overseas. Lindsay couldn't make it home from Newbridge, so she decided to stay and put on a play at the local school. For once in all her life, Sarah Blythe was alone without her brother or sister. She always dreamt of what it would be like not to live in their shadows, and now she finally knew what it felt like to be an only child—lonely.

Aunt Di and Uncle Jack—along with their children—also arrived at Ingleside. Emily overheard Aunt Di talking to Aunt Rilla and Mother one evening.

"Nan, I love Will—and Alex—so much, but I am so thankful that my two oldest children are girls. Hopefully, Christopher will never have to worry about going away to war."

Aunt Rilla agreed. "Oh, I know the feeling. I hope the war will be over before Ben turns 18. He is still my little boy. I couldn't imagine having to see him leave."

"Well, Ben is only 15 yet, Rilla. I'm afraid that Harry will want to join up before he turns 18, which is only 2 years away. I can see that he longs to be fighting in the trenches, but how would I be able to handle two of my boys fighting in the war?" Nan started to cry. Emily watched her mother from the stairs. She had never realized how sad and lonely her mother and father must be without any of their children at home anymore. She wanted to comfort Mother, but she was afraid of going downstairs. It was nearly midnight, and she didn't want to get in trouble for eavesdropping either.

Christmas Eve dinner was always an affair to remember at Ingleside. With almost everyone in the family there, how couldn't it have been? Susan's cooking was still as luscious and tasteful as ever, and Grandmother was the best hostess you could ask for. Everyone was in a jolly mood this evening. However, Emily couldn't help but feel a little melancholy when she looked over at the empty seats where Will and Alex would usually sit. Grandmother and Susan set their places at the table anyway. It was a somber reminder that no amount of happiness or joy could replace having the boys home for the holidays.

"Well, why don't we move our lovely party into the parlor? A little bird told me that there are heaps of presents under the tree for everyone!" cheered Grandmother Anne while ushering everyone into the next room.

Emily followed behind the large crowd. She kneeled down beside Grandfather's comfy chair while he took a seat above her. The children gathered around the Christmas tree while everyone else found a comfortable seat in the warm, cozy room. Tim and Ella ripped through their presents and squealed with joy. Melanie and Madison received lovely dresses and accessories from the family. Everyone received presents that reflected their personalities.

Grandfather quietly passed Emily a beautifully wrapped, medium-sized box.

For My precious Emily. With Infinite Love, your Grandfather.

After opening the decorative wrapping, a sleek blue leather case remained. Inside was a collection of gorgeous, engraved ink pens. They were a striking sapphire blue color with polished silver detail. Each pen had Emily's name engraved on the side. The pens glistened in the light. There must have been at least twenty pens of various colors in the box. They were breathtaking.

Emily was speechless. She threw her arms around Grandfather's neck for a warm hug. Having two grandsons away at war took its toll on Grandfather. After all, he has had to live through two generations of his boys going to the front. Emily often heard the ladies of the home whisper about how worried they were about him. He hardly spoke unless addressed. There was no twinkle in his jolly eyes, but a sad, cloudy look instead. His warm, loving smile was no where to be seen either. With all her thoughts running through her head, Emily could hardly remember anything else that happened that evening, but she could still feel Grandfather smile into her dark hair.

A little after midnight, Emily was still sitting up in bed. Thinking. She was thinking about Aunt Una, and if she was really hurt. Will and Alex—would their entire holiday be filled with war and despair? Jeff—was he thinking of her? Or was Daniel? Speaking of Daniel, Emily had completely forgotten to open his present. She pulled out the small, delicately wrapped package from under her pillow and slowly pulled off the décor. Inside the box was a stunning bracelet. It had no expensive diamonds or stones, but Emily thought it was the best thing she could ask for. There was a simple charm in the shape of a star on a black leather string. Emily tied it on to her right wrist. She closed the box to put on her nightstand when a note fell into her lap.

Dearest Emily,

I hope your Christmas is filled with lots of love and joy. Christmas is a time of miracles and gifts. Hopefully, some miracles and gifts will touch your life as much as you touch everyone's lives around you.

Yours,

Daniel

Emily tried to lay in bed and drift off to sleep, but she couldn't. So, she wandered downstairs quietly. When she reached the point where she would normally turn to the kitchen, Em found herself reaching for the knob of the front door instead. The moon shone brightly outside. Everything was enveloped in the moon's luminous glow. Emily sat down on the old porch rail and looked down over the quiet town of Glen St. Mary. She fell into a trance until she heard a creak come from above her. When she peeked at the window upstairs, she saw Melanie looking out over the same scene that she was. Was Melanie thinking of her beau? Probably, thought Emily. But there was a wistful, yearning in her face that Emily had never noticed before. She felt sad for Melanie, but then again, Emily often wore that same face that her sister had on tonight. They stayed that way for a while.

"Emily, are you down there?" asked Melanie.

"Yes. How did you know I was here?"

"I was still awake when you sneaked by my room. The floorboard right in front of the door creaks."

"Oh...are you lonesome, Melanie?" Emily asked tentatively.

"...Yes..."

"Me too."

"Do you think they're safe?" Emily wasn't exactly sure of whom 'they' referred to, but she had an idea.

"I hope so. I think someone is watching over them."

"Me too."

Neither one spoke anymore. They watched the moon set and the sun rise over the harbor town. Eventually Melanie went inside and shut her window. Emily did not move from her spot on the porch. As she turned around to go inside the home, Emily saw the hazy outline of a young man come up the hill. Could it be? It was! She raced down the brick path in her nightgown with bare feet and threw her arms around the man.

Maybe there was hope for this Christmas after all.

A/N: I'm very sorry that it has taken soooooo long for me to update, but school was very busy and left no free time for me to do anything! I'm glad summer is here. I'm hoping to make some progress on this story! So, I know that this chapter was a little shorter than I usually do, but I wanted to update as soon as possible. As always, please review.