Abby had just unwrapped a pair of boots. They were black with a red rose on the outside of each boot. She placed the boots from Charlie next to her new winter coat that was from her grandma.

Her grandma was in West Germany where she had stayed after the 72 summer Olympic Games. She was an Olympic swimmer and she had wanted to move somewhere that she would have access to an Olympic sized pool, so she decided to stay in Germany. This broke Abby's heart. She'd been so used to her grandma living down the street, but she'd gotten used to it when she started getting amazing gifts from her. Her coat for example was from Sweden. It was bright red and had the Swedish flag on the arm. On the back it said SWEDEN in white capital letters. Almost any other person in the room would have hated to get something like this. Abby however, was thrilled. She liked the weirdest things, and she liked to stand out in a crowd.

Glancing around the room Abby could see a few things sticking out from under the mess of wrapping paper. One was her fathers new copy of Wuthering Heights, the old one had mysteriously disappeared from the family library. Another was a pile of baby toys, there weren't much left in the way of those around the house. In a corner you could spot a good pile of books. They were Charlie's, Charlie had decided he was going to go back to college part time to get a better degree, so he could do more than own a bar. He decided to go with a Literary major and he had asked for the complete works of William Shakespeare… Well he sure got them. He just wasn't expecting there to be so many of them.

Abby sighed with content. There was still a good pile of unopened presents, but she was uninterested. It was going to be Charlie's last day at the Sciuto household. He was going to move back into the apartment above his bar tomorrow, Abby wasn't excited about this idea. She liked having someone around the house that she could talk to, not just hand sign to. Talking, Abby found, was the easiest way to express emotion.

Abby reached for a package and was shocked by the weight of the small box. She read the tag aloud, "To Charlie, from Gloria and Steve."

"What! Another one! I SWEAR SHAKESPERE NEEDED A HOBBY OTHER THAN WRITING!" Charlie replied exasperated. He reached for the present. And he carefully unwrapped the package. "… An ASL Dictionary…Uh… thanks." Charlie said confused.

Gloria signed something to Abby. "Open the cover!" Abby said immediately with as much anticipation in her voice as Charlie felt.

He lifted the red cover open and out fell a small white envelope and a letter. He picked up the letter and read it easily it was in his sisters perfect penmanship.

Charlie,

You have been so amazing the past several weeks. For us and for Abby. We want you to stay here and live with us. We know you have both your work and your school to deal with, but we would really love it if you moved in with us. Abby needs someone to talk to, someone who can hear her cries for help. I've always regretted never being able to hear Abby's voice, though I'm sure it's the voice of an angel. With another child on the way I don't want them to have such a hard first few years, with no one hearing when they cry, no one will know what's wrong when they start talking. I don't want to have to watch another child go through that again. Enclosed in the white envelope is a house key and a mailbox key. I hope you stay.

-Gloria

Charlie's tears poured over reading the letter. He got up and crossed the room to his sister to give her a hug. "Abby, will you tell you mom of course I will?" Abby nodded and signed to her mother who in return smiled at her brother.

"What on planet mars is going on here?" Abby asked confused at what was going on.

"Well. I'm not leaving tomorrow!" Charlie said

Abby slumped into the couch. "So you're leaving today? GREAT! JUST WHAT I WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS" She started shouting. She stood up to leave the room and Charlie scooped her up. "HEY PUT ME DOWN! I SAID…"

"Abby! Will you calm down for long enough for me to tell you that I'm not leaving at all?" Charlie said smiling

"NO I WILL… Wait… What?" Abby said calming down slightly.

"I'm moving in with you guys!" Charlie said squeezing Abby in his arms.

Abby threw her arms around his neck. "I knew you weren't really leaving. You couldn't leave me. You wouldn't leave me." Charlie laughed.

"You're right Abby, I wouldn't. I have one last thing for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box that was red velvet. "This was your aunt Natalie's before she passed on. I think you'll like it." Abby opened the box and gasped. She was greeted by a dark silver cross with red rubies on each point.

"Charlie… It's so pretty! This Christmas has been perfect." Abby said as Charlie hooked the clasp on the necklace.

"I'm glad you think so Abby, because this is the last one that it's just you!" Charlie said laughing "Next year there's gonna be another kid stealing all your attention." He stopped laughing as he saw Abby's face. She looked about ready to hit something. He guarded his face with a pillow from the couch. "Oh come on Abby… I didn't mean it!"

"CHARLIE!" She screamed as she ran after him into the kitchen. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY ME PLENTY OF ATTENTION YOU GOT THAT?" The chase continued on for a good while until Charlie finally out maneuvered Abby by using the long dining room table to run around, keeping her on the opposite side of it. After Charlie's victory lap around the house, both Charlie and Abby were ordered to clean up the living room while Abby's parents made dinner. It took several trips to every room of the house in order to get all the gifts to where they belonged.

Charlie and Abby were staring at a pile of wrapping paper and a pile of baby things in the living room when Abby's mom came in.

Oh Abby, you can take the baby's things to my room. Dinner will be ready soon. Why don't you finish up in here then wash up? She signed then left the room.

"Mom says to take the baby's things to her and dad's room…" Abby said to Charlie. "Then to finish up here and wash up for dinner."

"Okay, lets hurry, it smells fabulous!" Charlie and Abby managed to get all the baby things upstairs in four trips, not including the stroller which they took to the back mud room, figuring that was as good a place as any to put it.

They were rushing to the bathroom to wash their hands for dinner when they passed the living room and realized, they'd forgotten about the paper.

"Crap…" Charlie stated matter of factly.

"Crap What?" Abby asked stopping just short of running into her uncle.

"All this paper…There's no way it's fitting in the trash…" He shook his head.

"Well… then…I KNOW WE CAN PUT IT IN THEN JUMP ON IT!" Abby said excitedly.

"And have the waste management people yell at us for compacting our trash into the trash can… I'd rather not, we'll have to fold it up so it takes up less space." Charlie said with a sigh. "Come on lets get to work."

Abby and Charlie finished just as Abby's mom came in to tell them dinner was ready. They headed to the table with a stop at the kitchen sink to wash their hands.

Abby hugged Charlie and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Charlie said laughing.

"For being the world's greatest uncle." Abby replied with a smile.

"You, are so right... I am pretty amazing!" Charlie replied as Abby snarled at him. At the dinner table they kept their behavior to relatively normal, as Abby's parents wouldn't understand any of Charlie's jokes.

They were almost at the end of dinner and the conversation had hit a lull. Charlie glanced at his spoon. "Dang…" He said.

"What?" Abby asked interested.

"I just caught a glimpse of myself in my spoon, and I realized I could do this for a living…" Charlie started.

"Do what?" Abby asked seriously.

"Be really really ridiculously good looking." Charlie replied.

Abby threw the potatoes that were left on her plate at him. Her mom gasped. Charlie, picked up a roll from the basket in the center of the table and shouted. "OPEN FIRE".

"YOU'RE ON!" Abby replied. Her parents had caught on and had armed themselves.

They fought their way into the night, yet, it ended with no apparent winner, just four people that had a lot of cleaning up to do.

Author's Note: Not exactly a traditional Christmas. I know this chapter is short, but I'm planning on having another one up either today or tomorrow. Hope you liked it. PLEASE REVIEW!