Disclaimer: No ownership. And Merry Xmas peeps!!! XD

Long time no update, huh guys? Sry for that. I finished this sometime last nite, but had no time to update till now. Had to party with family, y'kno? Mhm *nods head* took a while for them to let me open my laptop.

And for Moonlit Mist readers: sooooooooooo sry!!!! complete writers block... sryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....

But, u want to read, so--

Just this Once

Jez hated Morgead.

Now she knew how often she used that particular phrase, but this time she meant it.

She hated Morgead.

And nothing he will do will make her change her mind. He just went too far this time.

Because today, Decemeber 24th, was her day. Her day. And he forgot. That selfish, temperamental, pain in the backside forgot.

He forgot that today was the day Jez turned fifteen.

Usually, like on her other last year or last last year, he'd greet her. Maybe even, if she were lucky, he'd annoy her just a smidge less than usual. That's how it has been. That's how she thought it always would be.

But this year, he didn't do scrap. Not a single "Happy Birthday," and no sign of him being nicer than he could stand either. Even the gang forgot. Val and Thistle didn't hug her or greet her, or offered to throw a big bash. Pierce and Raven said nothing more than was usual.

She went through the day though, as usual. With nothing more than a subtle hint:

"You know what today is?"

"The day before Christmas," Morgead had said, looking at Jez like she was mentally incapacitated, "why?"

Jez had grumbled. "Nothing. Just shut up and help me find Val,"

And after they did find Val (who was off bashing trees in Muir Woods for fun) they went back to the deserted art studio that was their hide-out and Jez had impatiently waited for one of them to acknowledge the date on the lopsided calendar that hung from a paint-peeling wall. It was amazing she held herself in when Thistle cheerily announced "It's Christmas Eve! Who got me presents?"

"I'll give you something." Jez had mouthed—she couldn't mutter it, because they were vampires. They'd have heard anyway—and fingered a fighting stick.

But she didn't act on her impulse (for once) because it was her day. She figured that if no one else was going to acknowledge it, she'd better make it different from others. At least she'd remember it.

So now Jez was alone on the rooftop, at night, looking down on the lights of her city. It was cloudy, freezing too, but that kind of stuff didn't affect people like her. Looks like the people of San Francisco would get a rain storm for Christmas.

"Jez." Morgead's shaggy head popped out of the door leading downstairs. He came up behind her. "What are you doing out there?"

"What do you want?"

Morgead picked up on her mood faster than she thought he would, answering her with a snappish: "For you to shut up and come downstairs." He beckoned with his hand to follow him "It's an hour 'till midnight, we're gonna start the hunt."

The hunt. The vampire version kind of a Christmas feast.

"I don't feel like it," she said, but she got up anyway. She might as well get the end of her day over with.

Ruffling her hair, Jez followed Morgead to the corridor and down the stairs, occasionally nudging shoulders and exchanging glances.

When the light streamed in and the first of Thistle's misguided decorating attempts (candy canes hanging from protruding nails, and a futon tree strung with toilet paper) Jez heard Val whooing for something, and when she stepped into the room, she saw Raven and Thistle (as always) side by side, the petite blond grinning and the tall brunette smiling with her eyes. Pierce was sitting on a recliner.

"What?" she asked immediately alarmed when they all kept staring, "What did you guys do?"

"Us?" Pierce asked; Jez hadn't expected him to talk. "We did nothing. Morgead did."

Morgead glared. "The only time you speak in hours, and you blame me for something."

The glazed, detached expression never left Pierce's face, even when he shrugged and almost smiled.

Raven came up, along with Thistle. The blonde grabbed Jez's arm. "Let's go."

"What? Thistle—let go of me. Thistle." She glared even when Thistle backed away. "Morgead what did you put them up to?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're so clueless, Jez." He turned away, "Come on. I have to show you something outside."

Thistle giggled.

"Alone."

Thistle stopped giggling.

Raven and Pierce, however, started chuckling.

"God," Jez stated. "You guys are insane."

The last thing she heard from the others was Val's loud guffawing.

When she was sure the others wouldn't be able to hear (which was a flight of stairs down) Jez asked, "Now what, Morgead? I thought we were going hunting."

"We are."

They went down some more stairs and exited the studio. Before long they were outside.

Jez looked around, expecting something. Anything.

"So..?" she prompted. "Hurry up. I'm thirsty."

Deliberately ignoring her, Morgeaad swaggered over to a long, sleek bundle on the curb, looking every bit as arrogant as a god. He picked it up.

He stopped for dramamtic effect, cat eyes gleaming at her, but even before he took off the cover sheet, Jez knew what it was. But she still gawked.

He motioned to the machine next to him, picked up the helmet sitting on the seat, and leaned against it. "It's a motorcycle, stupid."

"I know what it is." Jez snapped. She knew exactly what it was. A Harley. A Harley 883 Sportster hugger, the leanest, most classic motorbike yet.

Still, it was Morgead's. She had to hate it.

So this is what he was doing? All that, just so he could show me his new, stupid bike?

For a second, Jez thought he remembered…

He's such a blockhead.

But Morgead was reading her face like a book, and he looked as sneaky as ever. "Well I hope you do," he said, "because it's yours."

He tossed the helmet to her, and if she didn't have the insanely fast reflexes gifted to her kind, Jez would have dropped it.

Did he just say..?

Dumbfounded, Jez said the smartest thing in her life. "What—?"

"I said it's yours."

"But… what?"

The smile he wore was open, almost glowing. Morgead was clearly enjoying this. It wasn't often he rendered her speechless.

"Happy Birthday, Jez." He checked his watch. "Hmm…" he looked back at her "and Merry Christmas Jezebel." Smirk.

And just this once, Jez let him call her that.

Just this once.

Author's Note: Like it? Love it? Hate it? Whatever!!! REVIEW and tell me wat u think!!!!