Okay, so I know it's a little early for something Christmas themed, but I loved this idea too much to wait.
BowStringPrincess: I'm glad to know that you're still reading. I was afraid that I had offended my readers and scared them off. It always makes me happy to hear what you guys think.
.:Line Break:.
It was almost Christmas again. Maureen Connor hated Christmas time. It reminded her of everything she had lost, of what she didn't have that other people took for granted every day. A family. People who would love her unconditionally. A father who would hug her when she was scared or upset, but would scold her when she did something wrong. A mother who would kiss her goodnight and gently encourage her, but who could also be firm when needed. That's all she wanted, and she wished for it more than anything else in the world.
Maureen Connor, now sixteen, sighed and rested her elbows on the shop's counter, hands holding her head up. She wore a blue turtleneck sweater with a white snowflake stitched on the front, a pair of black sweatpants, and a pair of old black snow boots. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, dark brown eyes staring longingly out the shop's window.
The sun had set about an hour ago, the snowy sidewalks glistening under the light of the streetlights. People bustled about in the falling snow outside, trying to get their shopping done before Christmas. Maureen watched as a family of three, a mother, father, and a young daughter, walked past the window, large smiles on their faces.
Maureen felt a pang of jealousy. She was still in foster care. No one had wanted to adopt her due to the acts she had committed as Permafrost. It wasn't all bad, she supposed. She was doing well in school and had a nice job at a local automotive repair shop. Her boss and his girlfriend were always nice to her, too.
Maureen was snapped out of her thoughts as the bell above the shop's door rang. Straightening up, she prepared to greet the customer, but stopped and grinned when she realized who had walked through the door.
It was a beautiful young woman in her early twenties with pale skin and wearing a long red coat with white fur trim. Snowflakes clung to her long brown hair which was tied back in a braid. There was a wide smile on her face when she spotted Maureen, her blue eyes glittering like the flame shaped crystal around her neck. She held a package wrapped in shiny blue wrapping paper and topped with a light blue bow under her arm.
"Good evening, Maureen." she greeted warmly, walking up to the counter, "How have you been? Keeping warm, I hope?"
"I've been great, Miss Blake."
She sighed, slightly exasperated. "Now Maureen, I know I've told you this before. It's just Katrina. None of this "Miss Blake" nonsense."
"Sorry." she shrugged with a sheepish grin, "So are you here to see the boss?"
"Not exactly." Katrina said, "I'm actually here for you."
"For me?"
"That's right." Katrina nodded and placed the present on the counter. "I know it's a little early, but... Merry Christmas, Maureen."
She gaped at the older woman, incredulous. She couldn't help it. It had been so long since the last time she had received a present of any kind, let alone a Christmas present. She was both shocked and grateful.
"You... you didn't have to do that..."
"I know, but I wanted to." Her smile was broad and her voice was gentle as she spoke. "Go ahead. Open it."
Maureen slowly looked down at the gift and carefully removed the wrapping paper, revealing the plain brown box underneath. She pulled off the lid. It immediately slipped from her fingers as she gazed at the contents of the box, a gasp escaping her lips.
It was a crystal angel. The same one that she had been eyeing at the mall all month. The one that looked exactly like the one her mother had given her on their final Christmas together. The one that shattered in the snow as the paramedics took away her only family.
Panic flooded Katrina as Maureen buried her face in her hands and started crying. The healer was by her side in an instant, pulling the girl into her arms and stroking her hair in a soothing manner.
"I'm sorry." Katrina told her, guilt hitting her like a tidal wave as she felt Maureen's body tremble, "I'm really sorry. I remembered you talking about the ornament at the mall and I thought... I'm really sorry, Maureen. It's not too late. I can always get you something else if you don't like-"
"No!" The teenage girl finally looked up at her. There were still tears streaming down her cheeks, but there was also a shaky smile on her face and happiness in her eyes. Katrina realized, perhaps a little belatedly, that Maureen was crying tears of joy.
Maureen hugged Katrina tightly, grinning even wider. "I love it!" she declared in a hoarse whisper, "I love it so much! It's just... it's been so long since anyone's cared enough to give me a present. I'm so happy! Thank you, Katrina. Thank you so much!"
Katrina smiled sympathetically, though Maureen couldn't see it. She knew all too well what the girl meant and how she was feeling at that moment. The healer recalled her very first Christmas in Dakota, surrounded by people who genuinely cared for her. Compared to all the other Christmas' where it had just been her and Kathrine, it had been overwhelming. So overwhelming, in fact, that she had actually cried when Francis had handed her a rather poorly wrapped gift. She hadn't even opened it before the waterworks started, sending the poor, confused pyro into a panic. It wasn't what he had gotten her, but rather the fact that he cared enough about her to get her anything at all that mattered to her. The fact that he cared, that was what had made her so happy.
"You're welcome, Maureen."
"Hey, what's going on out here?"
The two girls looked up to see Francis Stone enter the waiting area from the garage. He was slightly taller now than he was when he and Katrina had been in high school, but other than that he hadn't really changed. He wore a pair of gray coveralls spotted with grease stains, the long sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He arched a curious brow at the girls, idly wiping his hands with an old rag to rid them of grease.
"Babe, are you pickin' on my employees again?"
Maureen laughed and Katrina playfully rolled her eyes.
"Boss, Boss!"
Francis smiled, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. When he had first hired her she had kept calling him "Mr. Stone", which he hated because it reminded him of his father. He had tried to get her to just call him by his first name, but for some reason she had been uncomfortable doing so. It had finally gotten to the point where he told her that she could call him anything except "Mr. Stone". One day when he had asked her to check on their supplies, Maureen had responded, "Yes, Boss". She had called him that ever since. In all honesty, Francis found it adorable and endearing.
"What, what?" he asked, mimicking her excitement.
Maureen carefully held up the crystal angel for him to see. "Look at what Katrina gave me for Christmas! Isn't it beautiful?"
Francis' eyes went to Katrina, "Yeah, it really is."
"Actually, Maureen," the healer began, "Francis has a present for you as well. Don't you, Francis?"
Maureen stared at her employer in surprise. "You do?"
He nervously cleared his throat, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah. I do. Wait here a sec."
Francis passed Maureen to enter his office, which was behind the counter. Maureen glanced questioningly at Katrina. The older woman clearly knew what her gift was judging by her mischievous expression, but she said nothing. When Francis returned, he plopped a manila folder down on the counter in front of her.
The pyro took a deep breath before he said, "Open it."
Maureen did as she was told, reading the important looking papers contained within. Her eyes were as wide as saucers by the time she finished. She gaped at her employer in disbelief, daring to hope that she wasn't dreaming this moment.
"T-this..." her voice was shaking as badly as her hands were, "... t-this s-s-says... you..."
"That's right." he confirmed, nodding his head, "As of this morning, I'm officially your legal guardian. I... wanted it to be a surprise."
Maureen, now slightly pale, glanced at Katrina before turning back to Francis. "... W-why is only your name..."
The pyro growled in irritation, crossing his arms over his chest again. "It's not 'Trina's fault. That stupid bi-" he cut himself off, remembering who he was speaking to, "That stupid woman from foster care gave 'Trina a hard time about signing the paperwork with me 'cause we're..."
"Because we're not married yet." Katrina finished, her tone apologetic. "Please don't think that means I don't care about you, because I do. We both do. As you know, Francis and I live together so you'd still be seeing me at home. We can play games, I can still help you with your homework, and I can even teach you how to cook. Unless..."
"Unless 'Trina living with us while we're not married makes you uncomfortable." Francis continued, making eye contact with Maureen, "If it makes you uncomfortable, she said that she'd move out until... until we get married."
Maureen was flabbergasted. Slack jawed, she looked between Francis and Katrina. "W-why... why would you do that? And for me?"
Katrina rested a hand on the girl's shoulder, pain and sadness in her blue eyes. "Maureen... Francis and I... neither of us really came from good households. We both love and care deeply about you, Maureen. We've discussed this at length for several months now before coming to this decision. Are we financially stable enough to provide a good home life for you? What if, heaven forbid, Francis and I were to break up? How would that affect you? Would you even want to be taken in by a couple who isn't married yet as opposed to one that is? These were the kinds of questions we asked ourselves."
The healer paused, smiling at Maureen as Francis wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist. "We are more than financially stable enough to support you. Whatever happens between Francis and I will never change how much we love and care about you and we would never drag you into any problems we may have with each other. The only question now is, would it bother you to live with a couple who isn't married yet? The decision is yours, Maureen. Don't worry about hurting my feelings or upsetting either of us. We want you to have a better home life than we did. Ultimately, Maureen, we just want you to be comfortable and happy."
How long had it been since anyone had shown her such an overwhelming amount of consideration and care? Had long had it been since anyone told her that they loved her? Not since her mother died, she was sure of that. Ever since her mother died the world had become such a cruel and lonely place. Other people had been so cold, never sparing her a second thought. It had been so long that she had nearly forgotten...
She had nearly forgotten how warm people could be. She had nearly forgotten the warmth that came from having people around her who truly cared for her, for her thoughts and feelings. She had nearly forgotten the warmth that love carried. She had nearly forgotten how wonderful it all felt. It was too much.
Maureen all but threw herself at Katrina and Francis, trying in vain to choke back a sob as she wrapped her arms around the couple. "Please stay." she cried quietly, "I don't care if you're married or not. I want you to stay. I want the three of us to live together. I... I want a family!"
Francis and Katrina shared a smile as they wrapped their arms around the young girl.
"You got it, Snowdrop." the pyro said softly.
When the flower shop across the street had begun selling snowdrops, Maureen had told him that they were her favorite flowers. He had called her "Snowdrop" ever since.
"We're a family now." Katrina agreed, "And I think that the first thing we should do as a family is go home. I'll cook something delicious for dinner and then we can watch some of the Christmas specials on TV. Tomorrow we'll move your belongings into your room."
"Your room's kinda empty right now, but you've got a nice bed with brand new sheets waiting for you." Francis added, "This weekend we can go furniture shopping. We waited because we wanted you to be able to pick out things you like. We could even pick out paint if you don't like the color your room is now and a different set of sheets if you don't like the ones on your bed."
"Would that be alright for the rest of your Christmas presents?"
Another sob escaped Maureen as she vigorously nodded her head, earning soft chuckles from her new caretakers. Clenching her teary eyes shut, she tightened her grip as though she were afraid that the couple would disappear if she let go. "Please..." she whispered, "please tell me that I'm not dreaming again."
"I promise you, Maureen, you're not dreaming. This is all very real."
"I'm so happy." her voice cracked, but she was smiling now, "I can't believe it. It's like a dream come true. Reverend Anderson... he always said that mama was watching over me from heaven, looking out for me. Maybe he was right..."
Subtle movement out of the corner of her eye caught Katrina's attention. She glanced up and smiled. In the corner of the waiting room was a transparent older woman with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She had pale skin and wore a long sleeved snow white gown, the hem of the garment brushing the floor. Dark brown eyes gazed lovingly at the young girl and Katrina couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance Maureen bore to the woman.
"I believe she's watching over you as we speak, Maureen." Katrina said.
"Mama used to tell me that if you wished with all your heart, your wish will come true." Maureen told them, sniffling, "And she was right! Wishes... wishes really do come true!"
At that moment, Maureen didn't care if she never received another present for as long as she lived. She already had everything she had ever wanted right there in her arms.
