Hello, dear readers! Welcome to a short fic that I have written due to current Hollows obsession, plus a certain pairing that I am absolutely in love with. Hope you enjoy, and reviews are always welcome!


I excused myself from the table and rushed to my car, muttering to myself the whole way. It was stupid-I knew it was-but the boots I'd found in that discarded bag...well, they were gorgeous. The black vinyl looked like it would hug my legs perfectly and zip nice and tight. Not to mention they had amazing wedges. I figured I could get an extra few inches, if not more, with them.

But by the time I'd gotten out and opened the trunk of my car, the boots had mysteriously vanished.

Damn. I cursed myself silently for leaving them in there all day. Obviously I'd forgotten to lock the trunk-or maybe, I'd been followed. My eyes wandered around the streets. This late in December, there'd be no police to call about...

My mind trailed on that thought. Of course. They weren't my boots, per se. They belonged to whoever had bought them, not me. And now, I thought, trying to make myself feel less guilty, I don't hold any responsibility for them anymore. But the thought of where they could have disappeared to nagged at the back of my mind. They were like a present to myself-the only one I hadn't hunted to find in the back of the church.

With a cheerless sneer crossing my face, I continued to survey the area. I didn't want to go searching when it was so damn cold outside. I wanted the boots to be back in the trunk of my car, so I could go back inside and at least try for a little holiday spirit. But no. Apparently, Fate was not on my side.

A flicker of movement flashed in the corners of my vision. I turned, expecting some small animal to show up. But all I could make out was red smoke.

Red? Smoke isn't red, I thought. Unless-

"Looking for these, love?"

Damn and double damn. I clenched my fists, waving aside the smoke to reveal the source of the noise.

"Why the Turn are you here? And what are you doing with my boots?"

"Oh, but you said yourself these weren't yours. Though, I do say, they would hug your curves splendidly."

Damn again. He was reading my thoughts. But I didn't expect anything less from the man making my life a living hell-quite literally.

"Give me those," I snapped, snatching the boots quickly from his hands. "I need to take them back to the store they were bought from. After all, I just found them. Go home Big Al-and drown yourself in eggnog while you're at it."

"Touchy, touchy. Where's your holiday spirit, Rachel Mariana Morgan?" He jumped down from the rock he was sitting on and smoothed out his green frock coat. "Did someone break your toy?"

"Like I said-go home!" I turned around to unlock my car, but his hand grabbing my shoulder stopped me. "Damn it! Let go of me!"

"Oh no, student. I thought at least I would come to collect."

This confused me, and I stood still for a moment. Collect? Collect what?

"My present of course, love."

"What makes you think I have a present for you?" I threw one of the boots at him, but he caught it before it could smack his smug face.

"If you don't want me to break the heel-" I watched him grab the heel and his hand about to twist, my stomach doing the same. "-and be unable to return it, you'll have a present for me."

I tensed and turned around. I didn't want to. Not in the least. The reasoning behind it was so shallow, and I could easily hit him with some sort of spell and get him to let go. But in the deep recesses of my mind, I found myself unable to control it.

With that, I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss right on Al's lips.

"Happy Solstice, love..."