When you wish upon a star

by Kicki

Santa Claus, is abducted by the evil Winter Queen to stop him from driving his reindeers through the heavens, spreading the message of Christmas. As her spell caught the Charmed Ones as well, it's up to a reluctant Cole to save both them and the Spirit of Christmas - but can he also save himself and Phoebe from their starcrossed fates?

17. Chapter 17

PART III

In your eyes there's a million stars

One for every beat of my heart

You're the one that can light up the dark

Doesn't matter where you are

I want you for Christmas

You're one of my wishes

I just want to hold you again

I want you for Christmas

Don't want to be alone

I need this separation to end

And with you on my mind

I just wait for a sign

Hoping for my wish to come true

I Want You For Chrsitmas- Edberger/Fransson/Larsson/Lundgren

Chapter 17

"Cole?"

There it was again; that elusive sensation of his presence in her room. This time so strong that she could've sworn she felt him sit on her bed; move across the room. Or maybe it was just one of those strangely vivid half-dreams you had when your mind hovered somewhere between sleep and consciousness. How would she ever be able to tell the difference again?

Heaving a sigh, Phoebe relaxed back on the pillows. She was feeling slightly lightheaded and nauseous; probably from the potion, she surmised. Apparently, she had slept, but she didn't feel like it; she certainly hadn't dreamt anything. Or maybe Cole had chosen not to turn up – how would she know? Still, she could almost smell him on her body.

Reaching out to turn on the lamp on the nightstand, she caught sight of her wrist watch; noting that the time was an hour past midnight. "Shit!" she groaned and flopped back in the bed. If the darn potion hadn't worked it was too late to try again. "I'm sorry, Cole," she whispered to the empty room. "I tried."

Lying on her back, she stared at the roof for almost an hour, and then she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and wrapped in her duvet cover, left her room – almost tripping over Paige who was sitting right outside her door.

"Phoebe? Did it work?"

"No…I don't think so. I fell asleep, but that's all."

"Oh… I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"I guess…Thanks for watching over me, but you can go back to bed now. I'll just get a glass of warm milk or something."

Paige's Christmas lights had been left on; a glimmering guide down the stairs to the bright Christmas tree. Outside, the red, green and blue lights twinkled quietly in bushes that were almost completely covered in snow now – as were the snow angels she and Wyatt had made earlier. They were gone without a trace – just like the man she had called her personal guardian angel. It was still snowing, she noted blankly. Large flakes that danced slowly through the air; making her feel like she was inside one of those snow globes you could buy in the stores. She certainly felt like someone had picked her up to shake upside down.

Getting a glass of milk she didn't really want, Phoebe pulled the cover closer around her and walked over to sit down below the Christmas tree. For a very long while she just sat there, gazing up at the green boughs with all the pretty decorations; gazing at her snowflake, twirling slowly in its red ribbon, throwing sparkles as it did; wondering, agonizing. How could she wish for something if she didn't know what that something was?

"Did you check on Phoebe?" Piper whispered as she and Paige crept down the stairs as quietly as they could to fill the boy's stockings with Christmas presents, and put the rest underneath the tree.

"She wasn't in her bed, so at least she's awake," Paige whispered back. Balancing an armload of well wrapped presents, she maneuvered carefully so she wouldn't fall down the stairs. She would have much rather orbed down with them, but Piper had insisted the use of magic might wake Chris and Wyatt.

"Unless she's sleep walking," Piper said. "When we were kids, she did that a lot. And she always beat me and Prue down here on Christmas morning."

"Sleepwalking?" Paige giggled.

"Hush! No. She was just…" Piper stopped below the stairs. "Sleeping under the tree," she finished blankly, staring at the bundle on the floor.

"What?" Paige put the presents down. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Confused, Piper walked over and crouched down by her sleeping sister. "She's been crying," she whispered, a worried look settling over her face as she pushed a few strands of dark hair back behind her ear.

"You know, I don't think I heard her come back up last night. She said the potion didn't work."

"It figures. Only Cole can make her this miserable. Pheebs? Phoebe, wake up, sweetie." Piper shook her gently.

Stirring awake, Phoebe blinked sleepily at the worried faces of her sisters. "Did I fall asleep? I can't believe I fell asleep." She started to free herself from the duvet. "What time is it?"

"Six a.m." Paige yawned with a sidewise glance at Piper, since it was all her idea to do this before the boys woke up.

"Oh…" Ceasing her struggle, Phoebe slumped back to the floor. "Then it's too late." She stared despondently at the tree.

"Too late for what?"

"For everything." Heaving a deep sigh, she climbed to her feet and looked at her wish. "It will make a nice decoration for the tree," she sighed, hunched her shoulders and turned to leave. "I guess I will have to find another way."

"Hey, hey, hey! Where are you going?" Piper called, making her stop but not turn. "What about your wish?"

"It's too late. He said it had to be made before Christmas morning."

"So? The sun doesn't rise until seven, and we haven't put any presents under the tree." She gestured wildly with her eyebrows at Paige.

"Huh? Oh!" Hurriedly, she orbed the Christmas presents to the table in the sunroom. "No presents."

Her shoulders sagging a little, Phoebe turned back to face them. "You are both very sweet, but it doesn't matter. Even if there is time, I still don't know what to wish for."

"See, I think you do."

"Yeah, well…" Shrugging her shoulders, Phoebe wandered back to the tree to finger the snowflake that glittered in its red ribbon. "Even if I knew how to do that, I don't know if I should."

"Are you still afraid he will turn you evil?"

Not answering at once, Phoebe bit her lip. It would be so easy to just maintain a lie she had repeated to herself so many times it had become a truth, and no one wold think worse of her for it. But it was still a lie – one she didn't intend to live with anymore. "No," she finally said, the spoken admittance to herself as well as to her sisters actually making her feel relieved. "I mean, being with Cole was what made it possible, but so was being in this house with the Woogie, and Cole wasn't the one who turned me evil. I wanted it to be that way, but Tes made me realize it was never his doing." Turning around, she took a deep breath. "I went freely and out of my own choice." There, it was said; the truth she had refused to acknowledge, even to herself, for so many years.

"Phoebe, no!" Piper grabbed her by the arms. "You were tricked – don't put the blame on yourself."

"I'm not. But I can't go on blaming Cole either. As you say; I was tricked, but not by Cole. It was the Seer and The Source who did that, and I let them. Nobody twisted my arm." She paused to let it sink down and found that it wasn't as heavy as she thought it would be. Actually, it felt almost light compared to what she had been carrying around before. "I love him," she professed slowly. "I know that, but true love means you have to be able to love just as much – more – when it's hard, not just when it's easy. I failed that test miserably the last time, and I'm just terrified that I will fail again."

"Oh, Phoebe." At a loss for what to say, Piper hugged her sister.

"I'm sorry." Paige folded her arms in front of her. "But that must be the stupidest thing you've ever said." When Phoebe surfaced from Piper's shoulder to blink at her, she went on. "I can't believe you of all people would give up that easily. If you were someone writing to 'Ask Phoebe'; is that would your advice would be? 'If you think you will fail, don't even try!'"

"Uh…I don't think this is the same thing. My readers didn't marry the Source of All Evil."

"May I remind you," Paige went on, now on a roll, "what you wrote not too long ago: 'Good things never come easy or for free. The better they are, the harder we must fight for it.'"

"Yes, but…"

"But what?"

"We fought the best we could and it wasn't enough. We lost."

"No," Piper objected firmly, backing up Paige. "You didn't lose, you just got lost." Holding her at an arm's length, Piper squeezed her shoulders in encouragement. "Love transcends every plane of existence. All you have to do is believe in it with every fiber of your being, and send it out."

Phoebe sniveled a little. "That's beautiful. What is it? Shakespeare?"

Piper's smile grew lopsided. "Cole. It's also how I got Leo back. What you need to do is to find your own way to do that."

"Yeah?" Phoebe sighed mightily. "I need better directions than that."

"You have all the directions you need. In your heart."

Phoebe didn't exactly look convinced. "I do?"

"You're an Empath, Phoebe," Paige chimed in. "If ever there was a time to use that power; this is it. Just put your heart into it…"

"…and wish?" She mulled over that. "That might just work. If I don't know what I'm wishing for, I'm not knowingly trying to break the curse." Hesitantly giving in to the idea, Phoebe fought to reach a decision. "Is this personal gain?"

"Not if it helps an innocent." Piper cocked a brow, earning a very grateful look from her sister.

"Okay, I guess it is worth a try," she said, taking a deep breath. "If – and I guess that's a big 'if' – this brings Cole back; will you two be okay with that?"

"We will just have to learn, won't we?" Paige rolled up her eyes just to tease her.

Piper was smiling too. "You deserve some happiness," she decided. "And if bringing back Cole is what it takes to make you happy, then I'm all for it. It's not like he doesn't deserve a little happiness too."

"Aw, you are the best sisters in the world." Phoebe gathered them both in a big hug. "Okay, wish me luck!"

Moving into the next room, to give Phoebe some space, Piper and Paige held on to each other as their sister brought her hands to her heart and closed her eyes in concentration.

"Do you really think this will work?" Paige whispered.

"It better," Piper muttered grimly. "Or I will have to go after Cole myself."

Finding the trigger point easily enough, Phoebe still tethered on the brink. Feelings of all kinds rippled through her, tangled her up; tried to stop her. She could sense her sisters in the background; their fierce support and love surrounding her. Gathering strength and courage from them, she dipped into her empathic powers, but instead of opening up to external sensations, she closed in on herself; reaching for her own heart; reaching blindly for her innermost desire – and wished.

Liquid sunshine enveloped her like an exalted lover to carry her up and up until she felt like she was soaring high; trembling with the heart-stopping, breath-stealing sensation of spinning into infinity in a headlong spiral. It filled her up; mind, heart and soul, to finally erupt in the glorious sensation of falling deeply in love, of being in love and being loved; unconditionally.

Holding their breaths, Paige and Piper watched the snowflake in the tree begin to twinkle and twirl. Faster and faster it spun; casting reflections all over the walls like a crystal globe gone berserk, to finally explode like a giant sparkler, all but blinding them with its bright burst.

Caught in the shower of sparks, Phoebe cried out and crumbled to the floor, only to find her sisters immediately by her side, cradling her between them.

In the ensuing silence, the three sisters stared at each other and blinked at the spots dancing in front of their eyes.

"Wow!" Paige managed after a while.

"Wow indeed. Pheebs, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." Groggily, she pushed herself up to sit without support. "That was…awesome. I feel like I've had a marathon orgasm."

"So not fair!" Paige pouted. "I want a wish like that too."

"Not like that." Phoebe blushed furiously. "Not sexually. It was more like…" She fumbled for words. "An orgasm of the senses."

"You mean there's a difference?"

"Okay, okay, just take it easy," Piper muttered, getting to her feet to inspect the third empty ribbon in the tree. "Do you think it worked?"

"I don't know. I mean, I'm not even sure what I wished for."

They sat around in tense silence, waiting, but nothing happened. To Phoebe's immense disappointment it seemed that whatever her heart's desire was, it obviously didn't include Santa Claus sliding down the chimney to leave Cole in her stocking.

"What's going on?" Leo came rushing down the stairs barefoot and in nothing but his jammies. "Are you okay? Was it a demon? I heard an explosion. Wyatt has put up a forcefield around him and Chris."

"Phoebe made a wish." Paige nodded at her still dazed sister.

"What?"

"It was a bit on the loud side." Piper walked over to her husband and steered him back up the stairs. "Come on! Let's tell the boys Santa just sneezed and that they can go down and look under the tree in a minute."

Christmas Day 2006 was a remarkable one for San Francisco. The sun was shining brightly on a two feet deep cover of white snow, making it glitter like a million diamonds. The news stations reported about nothing but the extraordinary Christmas weather and traffic conditions, which was down completely since all roads were clogged by the snow; the many hills slippery and impossible to negotiate. But the city's inhabitants seemed quite happy anyway. Everywhere, both kids and adults were playing happily in the snow; skiing, sledding – especially in the car-free streets – or building snowmen and snow lanterns. With no sounds of traffic to drown it out, the sound of laughter echoed between the houses and in the parks.

Making the most of Piper's wish, the inhabitants of the Halliwell Manor all went to the park behind the neighborhood. Phoebe was reluctant at first to leave the house. If Cole turned up she wanted to be home, but Piper talked her into coming anyway. "Has there ever been a time when Cole didn't know where to find you?" she asked, and unable to argue with that Phoebe had come along.

Trying to get her mind on different things, Phoebe played in the snow with Chris and Wyatt, but it didn't help much. She was all jittery; like a girl waiting for her first date; like a kid on Christmas morning. Thoughts of Cole were filling her mind. It was all coming back to her; the smiles, the love, all the magic moments they had shared together, and she caught herself really hoping her wish had broken the curse on him. Every male of the right size that passed them by got scrutinized by her with such intensity that some of them decided to come over to see just how lucky they were.

Piper scolded her – especially after she had walked up behind what turned out to be a complete stranger, and made his entire Christmas Day by firing off a radiant smile as he turned around. After that embarrassing disappointment, Phoebe sobered up a bit but she kept stealing glances around her – but no Cole Turner turned up. Not in the park, not in their garden, not on the doorstep, and as Christmas Day slowly turned into Christmas Evening, a much subdued Phoebe curled up in front of the TV to watch 'It's a wonderful life' in moping silence.

Piper sighed and worried as she made the cranberry sauce after Gram's recipe.

"Are you okay, sis?" Paige plopped down beside her, offering a bowl filled with home made ice-chocolate.

"I will be." After a moment's hesitation, she took a chocolate to put in her mouth; played with the red tinfoil cup she had pried off its sides. "Christmas won't be quite as merry as I hoped, but I will survive, because I'm a survivor, and I have survived this before. I guess I was hoping for too much, too soon."

"Don't give up just yet," Paige said, trying to cheer her up. "It took all day before Piper got her wish about snow. Maybe your wish takes a lot longer."

"I suppose you're right." Phoebe nodded glumly. "I'm just worried that Emissary decided to interfere again. They weren't too happy about Cole getting out of limbo."

"Then we should remind them who helped save Christmas," Piper decided, discarding her apron. "But not right now; dinner's on the table."

Barely had they sat down, when Leo's attempt to carve up the turkey was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Are we expecting anyone?" Piper frowned.

"Not me," Leo said, focusing on the knife and fork he was wielding.

"It's Santa!" Wyatt said hopefully.

"I'll get it." Being closest to the door, Phoebe got up. "As long as it isn't any demons."

"Shush!" Piper snapped after her. "We don't even joke about that in this house."

Rolling up her eyes, Phoebe went to find out the answer.

Thoughts elsewhere, and therefore a bit absentminded, she pulled the door open and automatically started to lift her eyes without really bothering to look. Her gaze traveled up a red suit, past a pair of hands holding out a bag of parcels, to finally stop on a face a foot above her own, with a white beard hanging loosely below a well-shaved chin and a pair of glittering blue green eyes beneath a red cap.

"1329 Prescott Street?" Cole said, his smile a tad on the nervous side, and held up the bag. "Merry Christmas?"

Mouth half open, Phoebe stared at the man outside the door, her mind void of any thought. Her lips began to form his name, but she couldn't even get past the first syllable – she just stared, forgetting even to breathe.

Struggling to interpret her reaction, Cole took in every detail about the way her long, dark hair spilled out over the creamy white, tunic long sweater; the way the white fur at the hems framed her wrist as her hand was hanging in the air, vaguely pointing at his person, and noted that she still took his breath away. And wasn't it funny, he reflected as he felt his smile slowly fade away while his throat grew more parched; wasn't it funny how he never hesitated when it came to going up against demons far more evil or powerful than he, but needed half a day to work up enough determination to knock on this door. His heart had been pounding so hard it had made a somersault and lodged in his throat when she opened the door – and now he couldn't seem to swallow it back down.

As Phoebe kept staring mutely at him, he slowly straightened up, his hands sinking back down. "I shouldn't have come."

What did I expect…?

Phoebe's half outstretched hand stirred and landed on his sleeve. She stared at it and then she lifted her eyes to his face. "You're alive?"

Almost afraid to move in case she would remove her hand, he gestured vaguely. "So it seems…"

The shrill shout followed by a thud had the others rushing out to find out what was going on. The sight that met Piper as she rounded the corner had her completely stumped as to whether she should laugh or cry. In the doorway Cole was standing with a dropped bag of gift-wrapped packages strewn around his feet, trying to support Phoebe who had thrown herself onto him in a joyous hug.

"Well, darn it," Paige quipped quietly with a slanted smile. "Looks like I'm not getting my wish after all."

Noticing that the cavalry had arrived, Cole let Phoebe back down. "Look…" Brow furrowing, he searched for the right words. Last time he had returned from the dead he had just barged in, expected them to pick up where they had left off – and scared her away. He didn't want to make the same mistake again. "I know you don't remember what happened last night." Her quick frown told him he was right. "So I'm not expecting you to…and I still have all my powers…" Cole shot her an uncertain glance, feeling how the speech he had planned all day was already falling apart. "And we don't have to do this if you don't want to," he hurriedly said, hands fiddling with nothing. "I don't want to intrude, I wasn't going to come at all, but I thought…I thought I would just come by and let you know I'm okay and…" As she didn't make any signs of response, he heaved a mighty sigh. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." He winced. "I don't intend to stay – you guys have deserved a quiet Christmas to yourselves – I just wanted to…" Cole faltered again; gave it up. I'm lousy with goodbye.

"Say Merry Christmas?"

Her deep brown eyes were gazing up at him, and he had to force himself away from them before he drowned. "Say thank you," he decided, his arms moving aimlessly from his sides – wanting to reach out and touch her – waved a little in indecision as he gave her a hesitant look. "Eh…I'll just be on my way. Merry Christmas." He nodded at Piper and Paige inside the hall. "All of you." Slowly he turned to leave.

He had almost stepped off the porch, when Phoebe stirred back to life. Sending a quick look over her shoulder, she took a step forward. "Cole…wait!" Breath catching in his throat, he swung around and the anxious look on his face, and in his eyes, made her heart skip a beat. "Have dinner with us."

Cole scanned the three faces that regarded him. The situation was vaguely familiar. "Are you sure about this?"

Phoebe blinked. The words rang familiar. In the deepest recesses of her mind a door opened a crack to reveal a glimpse of the memory that had been locked behind it. It was hazy and vague, like a dream, but it involved things she couldn't have dreamt up on her own – and she caught her breath a little as it suddenly felt as if her heart was trying to burst out of her chest. "I'm sure," she said slowly, holding his eyes – his beautiful, gorgeous, glittering ocean-colored eyes – "that if I let you leave now, I will regret it for the rest of my life. Besides," she added with a smile, "it's Christmas, and no one should be turned away at the door."

Hope slowly starting to bloom inside him, Cole tried to breathe, couldn't, and swallowed instead. "Not even half dead half-demons?"

"Especially not them." Reaching up she took his face between them. "Welcome home, Cole. I've missed you so much," she whispered, and gently pulled him down into a tender kiss.

As the initial bewilderment receded, Cole gave in to the fact that she had let him back into her heart, and so he closed his arms around his beloved witch and kissed her back with passion.

"Oh, well," Piper sighed, a sly smile on her lips. "It wouldn't be a real Halliwell Christmas if there wasn't at least one demon around."

Gingerly, Phoebe reached out a trembling hand to place on the thin carpet of fine hair covering his chest. It tickled her palm as she let her hand slide down his breast to rest on his ribcage. "This is impossible," she breathed. "This can't be real."

In response, he placed his hand over hers and pressed it against his body, holding it there. "Feel that?"

The skin beneath her hand was soft and warm, stretched taut over the muscles. Beneath it, she could feel his heart beating out the rhythm of his life; strong and steady.

"Yes." Her voice was so thin it seemed to drown in the sound of the heartbeats. "I love that sound." And because she was lying naked beside his naked body, she started to do amazing things to him.

And wasn't it amazing, he thought as her lips and fingers trailed over his body. Amazing, fantastic and frightening, that Phoebe was forever and always the beginning and end of his life.

And he was her true love. It was a power and a trust they had been given to hold over one another; a trust they had both used and abused. But if they had learned anything from the past, they ought to have a pretty good shot at it this time.

Right now, however, he was lying in the same bed as the witch he loved, in the same room they had shared all these years ago. It was mind-boggling and wondrous at the same time. He hadn't expected it at all; been fully prepared to shimmer off somewhere until she would call him back, but Phoebe had lured him along like a wood-spirit or siren, to once more drown in her eyes.

It was well past midnight. The others had already gone upstairs, leaving the two of them alone in the living room, cuddling on the couch, watching the fire die down.

"Now what?" Phoebe said.

"It's late," he answered. "I should go."

Her breath caught a little and the grip on his hand tightened. "Go where?"

He shrugged. "I think I will go to an empty beach somewhere and just listen to the ocean; feel the warmth of the sand and the water. I haven't done that in a long time."

"Alone?" When he nodded silently, she pushed herself up. "What about me?"

"You will go to bed and sleep on this. " He pulled a hand through her hair, caressed her cheek. "And when you feel ready, you will call for me."

"No," she said gravely, eyes dark in the ruddy light from the glowing embers. "In another life, I loved this man who was on the constant run. I understand why he couldn't stay, but I hated that he had to leave, never knowing when or if I would see him again. I don't want to go back to that. Do you?"

"No," he murmured into her hair. It smelled faintly like orange flowers. "I don't ever want to go back to that."

But do I really have a choice?

They held on to each other for a while, alone in the dark, silent living room. Then Phoebe backed away, taking both his hands in hers and pulled him along with her toward the stairs. Her eyes glimmered in the dull light of the last candle, captivating him, luring him onwards, and he took a step but faltered.

"Phoebe…" he whispered, torn between should and would, but her gaze didn't waver and her hands held on to his, and he wet his lips in a moment of indecision. If he followed her now there was no turning back. His need for her was so great he could have cried out.

I want you so much, but I shouldn't do this. I should be out of here…give you time.

"Come!" she mouthed and led him up to the stairs. As he reached the first step she stopped, her face level to his, and leaned forward to let her lips brush against his.

"Are you sure about this?" he breathed into her mouth, yearning for the soft lips that skimmed over his.

"If you ask me that one more time, I will have to slap you." Her lips closed around his and in that kiss he found all the answer he needed. Scooping her up in his arms, he shimmered them to her bedroom, still locked in the kiss.

He could hardly believe it, but here they were, wrapped tightly around each other after making love – and a long talk.

She had told him she wanted him to stay and he had told her he wouldn't give up his powers again. The way he saw it that was their big mistake. No matter how good it was, everything had gone downhill from there. Then he had held his breath until she admitted that she saw it that way too, and would be okay with whatever decision he would make. She had certainly loved him as much without powers, she made sure he understood that, but also that she understood now that she had been afraid of them; afraid that they would keep him evil. He had proved to her it wasn't so – in a way the powers he had were even a safeguard against other, worse evils, getting their claws into him. Besides, she had added slyly, she had missed being shimmered into bed and out of her clothes.

With that matter out of the way, at least Cole breathed a lot easier, but he also knew the worst of this was by no means behind them. It was now the really hard part would start. Whatever road they embarked upon, it would be riddled with potholes and his past would forever lay in ambush, waiting to push him into them, but as long as she loved him he knew he would find a way out; a way back home.

You are my beacon in the dark, Phoebe; my shelter in the storm; the safest place I know.

Phoebe's soft hands closed around him, gently stroking, making it impossible to retain any thoughts of a future beyond this very moment. Groaning with renewed need and lust, he let his own hands travel over her body, to her breasts, in between her legs, arousing as he was being aroused, until she couldn't take anymore, and straddled him for the second time that night, taking them both into ecstasy and beyond; collapsing over him when they both were done, gasping breaths mingling as their racing hearts thumped in time in their chests.

"These past four years," she murmured against his throat. "They gave me a glimpse of what life without you is like. Promise you won't leave me again. Ever."

Cole put a hand on her cheek, thumb brushing over her lips before he kissed them. "That was just a bad dream," he said. "I'm here to stay. Forever."

Reaching out with her hand, the woman he loved more than life caressed his cheek. "I love you so much, Cole Turner," she whispered in a voice thick with emotion. "Every bit and piece of you. I know it's the cheesiest thing ever, but all I want for Christmas, is you."etH

And as she tenderly kissed him, tasted his essence of life, tasted that he wasn't dead; a wondrous feeling enveloped Cole in a warm sensation of utter relief. It was the feeling of finding yourself at the end of the road, and not being lost, but home; safe.

He had come so very far on a long and arduous road from that night, seven years and a lifetime ago, when he first laid eyes on Phoebe. He had passed the gates of Hell, left everything, suffered everything and lost everything. Against all odds, he had persevered and won it all back, but there was still a long way to go. Where his fate would lead him from here he had no idea, but at least he would not have to walk alone anymore.

As long as I have you…

Dark brown eyes met glittering blue-green and no words were needed between them anymore. What they shared was as vast and deep as the night sky, and would not fit inside any words he knew – except maybe for one.

Phoebe…

Christmas is here, the snow is gently falling down

Our friends and our family, are gathered around

It's good to be home, I've missed you more than I can say

The roads I have traveled now seems so far away

I know I may lose my faith sometimes

But your faith in me gets me through

Cause I know you're giving me life's greatest gift

Now, the Christmas in you

The old church bells ring, reminding me of who I am

With memories of carols and hymns we once sang

I'll hold you close and never ever let you go

For circles unbroken where ever we roam

I know I may lose my faith sometimes

But your faith in me gets me through

Cause I know you're giving me life's greatest gift

Now, the Christmas in you.

The Christmas In You – Robbie Seidman