Merry Christmas everybody! I hope you are all having the absolute best day ever surrounded by the best people and amazing food and presents!

Summary: Her marriage is on the verge of going to shit, but there's only one thing little Alex wants this year, and that's for his daddy to come home. Will his wish come true? Read to find out and I swear this probably is better than this crap summary.

I don't own VA

Maybe Miracles really do exist.

"Come on Rose, please?" I shook my head trying to ignore the look in those big, jade eyes. My best friend, and now roommate of the past couple weeks was nothing if not persistent, and she knew exactly how to use the fact that she was completely adorable against me.

"I can't, Liss," I said. "I'm tired as hell and did you forget that my marriage is on the verge of falling apart?" Lissa flinched a bit and started to shake her head, but I wasn't done. Oh, I felt like shit for throwing all of this at her, she least of all deserved my anger, especially because she had moved in to my house so she could help with the kids, but right now, she was the only one here. "My babies need me. I hardly think spending the evening with these people I see every single day is what I need right now."

"I know that," She said calmly. "But getting dressed up for a night out with your friends where the drinks flow like rain can hardly be such a bad thing. After all, you are right. Your marriage is on the verge of falling apart and, sitting around here feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to fix that. Don't you think Abby and Alex can tell that you're stressed out?"

I was about to point out that going out to a Christmas party which my husband was no doubt going to as well wasn't going to fix our marriage either, but Lissa's words, the part about me feeling sorry for myself and my kids picking up on how stressed I was cut deep. Because try as I might to deny it, I knew it was true. Throwing myself into work and trying to spend every spare moment with my kids in the past couple weeks just so that I didn't think of Dimitri had not helped in the least.

If anything, it only made me all the more exhausted and stressed, but no matter how tired I was when I fell into bed, I still saw his beautiful chocolate eyes every time I closed mine. And my kids, four year old Abby and seven year old Alex who Lissa and my parents did an amazing job taking care of when Dimitri and I wasn't here, well they were really perceptive so yes, I should not be surprised that they were picking up on the tension. No amount of candy or ice-cream or extra bedtime stories and sleepovers at grandma Olena's with daddy was ever going to be distraction enough. Dimitri was suppose to be here with us and they knew it.

"Besides," Lissa continued. "It's a costume party no one is even going to know who you are." I sighed softly and shook my head.

"As tempting as that sounds Liss I can't. I have some making up to do around here. It's been ages since I've read to them. Hell it's been a while since I've even tucked them into bed." Lissa nodded.

"Ok," She said. "Well because I know it's simply impossible to change your mind when it's set, I'm going to drop this. But if for some reason you decide to change your mind, I picked you up a costume I think you're going to love, fully returnable of course. I'll leave it in my room just in case, ok?" I smiled at her, a genuine smile of gratitude not just for this but for everything else she had done for me in these past couple weeks. When she returned the smile and walked off to go get ready I knew she'd gotten exactly what I'd been trying to say without me having to say a word. Other than her, there was only one other person who got me like that.

"What's it going to be tonight kiddos?" I asked them as I helped Abby into her pajamas. Alex was already lying in bed waiting for me to read to them.

"Cinderella!" Abby said eagerly. Alex groaned.

"Mama please no." He said. "She's always wanting that book. Let's read The Lion King."

"Because it's a great book!" Abby said and I groaned. "And I don't want to read that one."

"Alright, alright." I said because I knew this was going to turn into an argument. "How about we don't read those books tonight. How about you guys choose a different book."

"Vasalissa the brave!" They said together and I nearly groaned again. Vasalissa the brave was a Russian story that Dimitri always read to them. I didn't really want to read it, but I knew I couldn't say no. Not when they had both agreed on this.

"You don't have to do the voices like daddy does, mama." Abby said, Alex nodding along with her and they were looking up at me with those eyes just like their father's and I was powerless to deny them.

So, mustering up a smile, I grabbed the book and said: "Hey I can do those voices just as well as daddy does!" They giggled and snuggled up, ready for me to start reading the book.

By the time I was done, Abby and Alex were about ready to fall asleep. I kissed their cheeks and tucked them into bed, whispering that I loved them. Then I turned on their night light and started to head for the door.

"Mama?" I turned around at Alex's soft, hesitant voice to find him sitting up in bed and looking at me brown eyes brimming with concern that made my heart hurt.

"Yes, baby?" I asked walking back to his bed. The second I sat down, he crawled into my lap, his favorite stuffed lion clutched in his arms. "What's the matter baby love?"

"I don't think daddy likes us anymore," He said so softly I almost didn't hear him.

"Why would you say that?" I asked an honest to goodness ache building in my chest, one his next words made all the more intense.

"Because my friends think so and well he doesn't stay here anymore." He said. "Did we do something wrong?" This was not something a seven year old should ever be worrying about, but this wasn't just any seven year old. This was a seven year old use to having his parents together at bed time and at breakfast. He was use to one of us picking him and his sister up from school and the other coming home in time for dinner. He was use to routine. He was not use to Dimitri picking him up from school and taking him to Olena's only to have Lissa or my mom pick them up later. He was not use to the chaos I had unleashed on them because I was selfish and needed to pull extra hours at the office so that their father's absence didn't suffocate me.

"Baby," I said softly. "Look at me." He did and the tears I saw in his eyes nearly made me tear up as well. "Your daddy loves you and your sister more than anything in this world. You did absolutely nothing wrong baby."

"But he's not here," He said.

"Not right now, but he will be back. Daddy and I just had a little fight. We're going to fix things ok? You don't need to worry." He nodded.

"I hope he'll be back in time for Christmas. That's what I want for Christmas this year." Nodding because I honestly had been rendered speechless, I held him tightly, rocking him in my arms until his eyes drifted closed. Then I laid him down, kissed his forehead gently and vowed that I would do whatever it took to never see that look in his eyes ever again.

Whether or not we loved each other was never an issue for Dimitri and I, but sometimes when you both had demanding jobs and 2 beautiful children whom you adored beyond words could ever explain, you could end up really really tired and it could start taking a toll on your marriage thus making things a little difficult. And that right there was our problem. Because of this we spent more time arguing than anything though never in front of the kids. That as of late was probably the only thing we agreed on, and it had gotten to a point where we just couldn't stand to be in the same house anymore. That said, it didn't mean that I didn't miss him every second that he was away, and clearly, I wasn't the only one.

I couldn't sleep. The house was too quiet. There was too much room in my bed. My mind was spinning a million miles a minute. Maybe Lissa was right. Maybe I should've gone to the Christmas party. Maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad thing to see Dimitri. Sighing softly, I got out of bed and went into her bedroom to see the costume she had gotten me.

The second I saw the gown, I squealed softly. It was straight out of a fairytale in the literal sense, taken right out of a book Lissa and I had read together. Flowing and glittery, it looked like someone had painstakingly decorated every inch of the ivory fabric with literal stars right out of the sky. To be honest, it was magical and perfect, and it would've been absolutely terrible to let this dress, and the mask and tiara that came with it go to waste. That and that alone was the only reason I put it on.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I didn't recognize the girl who stared back from behind the glittery mask. Hair swept up into a simple up do, a few strands framing my face, I looked like a queen-like the high lady of the night court did on starfall no exaggeration intended.

I groaned softly, debating whether or not I should call my parents to watch the kids when a knock sounded on the front door. Wondering who on earth would come by at this hour, figuring Lissa must have forgotten her key, I went to the door. Only when I opened it, it wasn't Lissa who greeted me. It was Dimitri and like me, he was all dressed up too.

For a few seconds, neither one of us did anything but stare at the other. He was beautiful, looking more like he was about to model for fucking GQ than if he was going to a Christmas party. The ebony tunic brocaded with gold and silver, dark pants and black boots that reached his knees was drawing more attention to his body than I liked others to see, and I didn't at all like the fact that we kind of matched. His costume was taken right out of the same book mine was and I knew this was Lissa's doing.

"You look amazing," He said finally. I offered up a tentative smile, trying to ignore how the way he was looking at me was making my heart do strange things.

"Thanks," I said softly. "I can say the same about you honestly. Also what are you doing here?" I asked and damn I sounded rude even to my own ears, but Dimitri just smiled at me.

"I came by because I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the Christmas party with me." He said and damn were his eyes always that beautiful? Were they always that dark? And did they always bore into my very soul?

"I wasn't really planning on going," I said and he lifted a brow.

"Really?" He asked. "So you just got dressed up to stay home?"

"No I got dressed up because I saw this and couldn't resist putting it on," I said feeling an idiotic grin slide onto my lips. "Besides the kids are asleep. There's no one here to watch them."

"Oh but there is," He said and then the car door opened and Olena was flashing me a smile, the look in her eyes practically begging me to say yes.

Yes, I really did just end it like that. Don't get your panties in a twist I'll write a part 2 if you guys want it. That said, you know what to do. Review and let me know if you want it! Merry Christmas again lovelies!

XXX

Roza