** Setsuna **

Setsuna pressed her forehead against the shop window, peering in at the items. Christmas was tomorrow, and she still hadn't gotten Konoka anything.

Well, she hadn't gotten anything for Negi either.

Konoka, Evangeline, Chachamaru, Asuna, Negi, Chachamaru-Zero, Chamo, and her had gotten together and drawn names. As you can guess, she had gotten stuck with Negi. It's not that she disliked the boy, for she just wanted to get Konoka's name. But, even though she hadn't gotten Konoka's name, she would still get her a present. The only problem was – what? What should she get her? There were so many different things to buy or make, but Setsuna didn't know what to get!

It had to be the perfect gift – something Konoka would really, really appreciate. As for Negi, she'd just get the boy a small toy or something. It didn't really matter with him, because the boy was still a child. He pretty much liked anything – well, anything except spiders, snakes, bugs, and other creepy animals. In fact, she didn't really like those things herself, so there wasn't going to be any gag gifts from her this year.

Shivering at the thought of snakes and spiders, Setsuna slowly turned away from the shop window, letting her gloved fingers slide over the smooth, cool glass as she turned.

She silently made her way down the crowded street, weaving her way around both adults and children. There were a few people, here and there, singing songs of joy, family, and Christmas. Though, there was only one song she recognized, and that was "Silent Night". So, whenever she heard it, she'd just unconsciously hum along with the tune as she continued walking. All the while, though, her mind was off somewhere else.

'Ms. Konoka's been pretty down lately . . . even though it's almost Christmas.' Setsuna sighed. 'She's tries to hide it, but I can tell something's really bothering her. She's not as . . . bubbly . . . as she would usually be.'

She bit her lower lip, and she nervously ran her thumb over the hilt of her sword. If something was bothering Konoka, she would do anything help her. Whatever Konoka needed, the swordsman would be sure to take care of it. But, maybe the problem didn't lie within that area. Maybe it was something Konoka wanted – like some cookies or cakes. That would make a little sense, because the girl did enjoy eating sweets.

But, if she had wanted a sweet, she would've baked some. Konoka was pretty good with an oven. So, sweets weren't the reason.

'Think, Setsuna, think! Konoka's happiness is on the line. Is there anything she might have said or done to tell you what was wrong?' Setsuna ran her fingers through her chin-length, raven-black hair. She was in a hurry this morning, so she hadn't bothered to put it up. Sadly, having the wind blow through your hair doesn't feel as awesome as it sounds. It just make you cold, so never try it kids, that is, unless it's summer time. Then, it might feel as awesome as it sounds.

'Come on Setsuna! Your hair isn't the issue here, Konoka is! Think girl! Concentrate on –'

Sadly, her thought were cut off by a high-pitched squeal that happened right as she tripped over something small. The first thing to hit the cement, of course, was her face. God in Heaven, are these injuries, both emotional and physical, ever going to stop? Please say yes.

Sadly, there was no reply.

Setsuna groaned as blinked away a few unshed tears. What? Just because she was a "big, tough swordsman" doesn't mean some things don't hurt. But, that also doesn't mean she was going to cry about it either.

Setsuna could also feel the gravel from the concrete ground digging into her cheek painfully. Also, she could feel something weighing down her right leg, while her left leg was propped on whatever was weighing down her leg.

Well, she now knew how Pokemon felt. She would never again scorn those cute, little creatures.

Groaning as she slowly pushed herself to her knees, she heard a gasp of pain sound from behind her.

"Sorry." She apologized, pushing herself to her feet. "Did I knock you down?"

She brushed off her shirt and offered her hand to the person, only, the swordsman was surprised to see a child. She was staring up at her, sniffling quite pitifully and on the verge of tears. The girl nodded before pushing herself to her feet, ignoring Setsuna's hand.

"Are you okay?" the swordsman asked, letting her hand drop to her side. The girl hesitantly shook her head 'No'.

"Well, what's wrong?" Setsuna asked her worriedly. "What happened?"

Again, the girl hesitated. She used her mittened hand to brush a few locks of snow-white hair out of her face before taking a deep breath. She exhaled slowly, before slipping the mittens off of her hands. The girl stuffed them into her jacket pocket before creating a series signs with her fingers. Setsuna could immediately tell the young girl was using sign-language.

The only problem was, Setsuna didn't have a clue to what the girl was "saying".

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Setsuna exclaimed. "Slow down, I don't know sign-language! Why not just talk?"

The white-haired girl shuffled her feet nervously as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. She glanced from side-to-side, blushing slightly as she turned her gaze to the ground.

Sighing, Setsuna knelt down to her level, taking one of the child's small hands into her own. It felt almost as cold as the snow did. "You're freezing!" Setsuna frowned. "We need to get you somewhere warm."

The child shivered in response, but Setsuna didn't know if it was from the cold or the anticipation of getting somewhere warm.

She hope it was anticipation.

"Here." The swordsman mumbled, unbuttoning her coat. She quickly slid the clothing off of her and draped it around the shivering child. "Excuse me." Setsuna stated, lifting the child off of the ground. The girl replied with a barley audible squeak of surprise. The swordsman gently placed the girl onto her shoulders, doing her best to ignore the biting cold. "Hold on tight." Setsuna said softly as the girl's arms wrapped around her neck.

Setsuna tapped her index finger on the wooden table of the diner repeatedly as she carefully watched the child in front of her. The girl was quickly scarfing down half of a PB&J like it was the best sandwich in the world. Propping her elbow on the table, the swordsman leaned her head against the palm of her hand.

Finishing the sandwich, the girl reached for the cup of hot chocolate in front of her plate. She stopped short when Setsuna tapped the rim of the mug lightly. "Hey." Setsuna called over to her. "Take it easy. You'll get a stomach ache if you eat too fast. Plus, this stuff is really hot."

The girl nodded as she took a firm, but cautious, grip of the mug before blowing onto the liquid inside. Setsuna couldn't help but smile. "So . . ." She trailed off as the girl slow sipped her hot chocolate. "What exactly is wrong? Where's your guardian at?"

The child set the cup down onto the table with a soft 'thud'. Her fern green eyes scanned the ground, as if she suddenly found the floor amusing. Sighing, Setsuna leaned back into her chair. "I have all day, you know. So you might as well talk"

Hesitantly, the white-haired girl looked up at the swordsman, raising a hand to her throat as she shook her head in a no. Setsuna stared at the girl quizzically. "No? No what?"

Looking around, the girl grabbed a napkin, producing a worn-out ink pen from her jacket pocket. Curious, Setsuna watched the girl write something out onto the paper. After a few minutes of struggling with writing the letters, the child pushed the napkin over to the waiting Setsuna. On it, the words read –

No Voice.

Blinking in surprise, she looked up at the nervous child. "No voice? You can't talk? At all?"

Shaking her head in reply, the girl looked down at her feet, a blush spreading over her face quickly. "Well, what about you parents? Where are they? You shouldn't be all alone." She questioned. "How old are you anyway?"

Making a barley audible squeak, the girl's face saddened slightly. Silently, the girl slid the napkin back over to her. Again, she slowly wrote some thing onto it before sliding back over to the swordsman. This time, the paper read –

7

I'm an Orphan.

I'm all alone because no one wants a child like me.

Those last few words hit Setsuna like a stone.

No one wants a child like me.

She could remember thinking those same exact words when she was a child. But, now isn't the time to ponder on the past. What's done is done, as they say. Looking up at the child, the swordsman frowned sadly. "No one should be alone on Christmas . . . heck, no one should be alone at all." She said softly.

The girl nodded, wiping away a few tears with the sleeve of her purple jacket. 'No one should be alone on Christmas . . .' Setsuna's thoughts echoed her words. 'Maybe that's why Konoka's so down lately . . . She must be missing her family . . . especially little Yumi . . . Last thing I heard, her sister was really sick.'

Leaning forward, Setsuna looked at the girl in front of her seriously. "So, would you like to spend Christmas with me?"

Setsuna was awake, but she didn't dare move a muscle. She was afraid of awakening the girl who had fallen asleep on her.

She didn't know how, or even when, the girl had crawled into bed – well, onto the couch – with her, but she was there, snuggled up against the swordsman. The girl's head was buried in the crook of her neck, and Setsuna could hear her breathing – slow, but steady. She was wearing a shirt the swordsman had given her to wear as pajamas, and, since she was about one fourth of Setsuna's size, it was pretty big on the girl. Suddenly, the child shifted slightly, causing a lock of hair to fall over her features, and her small hand tightened its grip it held of Setsuna's shirt. Hesitantly, Setsuna brushed the lock of white hair out of the girl's face gently.

When the two of them had "talked" last night, Setsuna had asked her for her name while passing her a piece of paper and pencil. The girl had ignored the pencil, instead using her old pen, and had written down –

It's been so long since anyone's asked me of my name or even said it. No one's really cared to do so. I can't remember.

She had an excellent vocabulary, and she could spell her words very well. When Setsuna had asked how, the girl had told her that her mother had been a school teacher. She had wanted her daughter to have a full and happy life, even with her disability. She had gone out of her way to make sure that her daughter was educated enough to be successful in life. Afterwords, the girl had pulled out a picture that was sitting in her jacket pocket.

It was a picture of a man, a woman, and a child. The man was wearing a black sports coat with a white, button-up shirt underneath, and he was running his hand through his short, dirty blonde hair. He held a relaxed look about him, and both his light green eyes and his broad smile shined with joy and Mischief. The woman was laughing, staring up at the man with joyful, brown eyes as a breeze slightly blew her white hair in front of her glasses. The child, who looked to be about three, looked as if she were laughing, for the woman was tickling her. She had long, snow-white hair and shining, fern green eyes.

So, the swordsman discovered that this girl was almost the sitting image of her mother, but, luckily, she had her father's eyes. That meant she had a bit of both parents with her.

Sighing, Setsuna combed her finger through the child's hair. "You don't have a name . . ." Setsuna thought aloud, breaking the silence. "What should I call you then?"

Setsuna pondered this as she continued on. "Everyone has a perfect name for them. It's something that fits there personality, their appearance, and attitude. But, what's yours?"

She thought about this a bit more, as random names she knew flew through her mind. None of them seemed to fit her. 'Try thinking of some American names, since none of the Japanese names seem to fit her well.'

Almost Immediately, one name popped up in her mind. It was perfect. Smiling Setsuna looked down at the sleeping figure of the small girl. "Selena."

** Nodoka **

That Christmas Night

Clutching the wrapped book to her chest, Nodoka looked around her room for any signs of Yue or Haruna.

Sighing in relief when she saw nothing, the girl slowly made her way into her room, stopping to set the present under the miniature Christmas tree Yue had bought. It wasn't much, but Nodoka knew that Yue really wanted to read this book. So, she had bought it for the girl.

Smiling happily at the thought of Yue happy, Nodoka turned around, finding herself nose-to-nose with Haruna. This of course, resulted in a very loud squeak of surprise as she fell backwards and onto her back. "H- Haruna!" She squealed, pushing herself into a sitting position as an obvious blush spread over her face. "You really scared me!"

Laughing, Haruna sat down beside her, setting down a present of her own. "I know. Where's Yue?"

As if on cue, the girl walked into he room, carrying a present under her arm and a juice box in her hand. "Hey."

Haruna grinned when she saw the girl. "Finally! We've been waiting for days!"

Shrugging, Yue sat down as well. "Who cares?"

She took a sip of her juice as Nodoka managed to finally stop blushing so much. "Here, Nodoka." Haruna stated happily, pushing the present she had been holding earlier towards Nodoka. "Merry Christmas."

Smiling, Nodoka pushed her present towards Yue. "Merry Christmas, Yue."

Nodding, Yue pushed her present towards Haruna. "Hey. merry Christmas, pervert."

"Ow!" Haruna cried, covering her heart with her hand dramatically. "I'm not a pervert! I am just an artist of . . . certain things . . ."

"You're a pervert." Yue stated bluntly, sipping her juice again. "Now, open your gifts."

Nodoka picked the gift up and quietly started to tear the paper away. "You know," Haruna stated. "I was going to draw a picture of You and Negi Kissing, Nodoka, but I decided against it."

"Thank God, too." Nodoka muttered as she finished tearing away the paper. Yue and Haruna finished too, and they all stared blankly at their presents.

Each of them had given the other the same exact book.

** Chisame **

Chisame growled as she fixed the collar of her shirt. "I hate Christmas. There's too much joy. Everyone's so happy and givey blah, blah, blah, blah. Who cares? It's just a stupid holiday people!"

Sitting on her bed with a huff, she sighed and laid back onto the pillow, thinking. She might as well take a nap while she can. Some girls like to party on Christmas, ans that always kept her up. They always make so much noise! "Stupid bunch of them, that's what they are." She muttered, folding up her glasses and setting them on the bed beside her.

Almost immediately, someone knocked on the door. "Go away!" She shouted, pulling her pillow over her head quickly. "Santa isn't here! He's at the North pole stalking you all!"

She heard something like a 'tsk' and Chizuru's voice followed afterwords. "Poor, poor Chiu-Chiu. She's spending Christmas all alone, Natsumi!"

Chisame growled as she jumped to her feet and stomped over to the door. Throwing it open roughly, she was greeted with a smirking Chizuru. "Good Evening, Chiu-Chiu!"

"My name's not Chiu-Chiu, stop calling me that!" Chisame exclaimed. "It's Chisame!"

Waving away Chisame's complaint, Chizuru clapped her hands together. "Now, straight to the point! Natsumi, if you may . . ."

Nodding, the quiet girl cleared her throat before pulling out a small harmonica and blowing a short, sweet note on it. Chizuru pulled on a Santa hat and started singing. "We wish you –"

Chisame slammed the door shut and locked the deadbolt, doorknob, and the chain. She was not going to listen to any Christmas caroling tonight. Growling angrily once more, she shouted, "GO TO HELL!"

** Mana **

Her gun laid on the ground next to her, forgotten. She wanted to use it so badly right now, but she didn't dare lay a finger on it in case she lost it. Zazie had put up a tree – a Christmas tree with blinking, colored lights.

"Damn it all!" She exclaimed. "She knows I hate colored lights! Especially the blinking ones!"

Mana growled in the back of her throat as she reached for her gun. "They look exactly like blinking targets . . . It's fucking annoying!"

As she tried to grasp the gun's handle, Mana's hand only grasped air. Surprised, she glanced down at where her gun should have been. It was nowhere in sight. Jumping to her feet, she exclaimed, "What the Hell?!"

"Mana." Zazie's voice cut through the air with a strange authority. Curious, Mana turned around and found herself face-to-face with . . .

A pair of light, caramel eyes . . . scruffy, floppy ears . . . that hung next to a drooling, happy face.

There was a dog in front of her face, and she couldn't be more shocked.

** Zazie **

Zazie watched Mana drop to her knees as she continued to stare at the dog Zazie was holding out. Tears filled the gunsman's eyes as she slowly reached out to pet the dog. "Take it." Zazie laughed, handing Mana the small dog. Squealing with delight, she snatched the puppy from Zazie's grasp and rubbed her face against its.

"You got this for me?" She asked, wiping away a tear. Zazie nodded, smiling. Setting the puppy aside, Mana launched herself at the half-demon, a wide grin placed upon her face. Squeaking in surprise, Zazie fell backwards, the gunsman falling on top of her. This was really different from Mana's usual attitude. "Thank you, Zazie!" Mana exclaimed, holding her friend in a tight embrace. "I love you!"

Zazie's heart literally skipped a beat. "W- what . . .?"

** Setsuna **

"WHAT?!" everyone exclaimed, their jaws dropping open.

Sighing, Setsuna stroked the top of Selena's head unconsciously. The small girl's grip on the swordsman's jeans tightened as she buried her face in Setsuna's shirt with a quiet squeak of fear. Ever since they had come to the party, Selena had been pretty much attached to Setsuna's leg. At least the small notion showed that the girl trusted her. And, for some reason, the notion also made her feel all warm and happy inside – sorta like a mother.

She glanced down at the quivering girl as she ran her finger through her white locks reassuringly. "Hey, it's okay." She murmured. "No one's going to hurt you . . . If you exclude Evangeline from the equation."

"H- hey!" The vampire exclaimed. "I heard that!"

Turning her attention back to her friends, Setsuna suddenly raised her chin slightly. "This is Selena. I kinda . . . adopted her, in a way. She' kinda shy, so be good."

She emphasized 'be good' as she glared over at a particular ermine and Vampire.

Asuna raised an eyebrow as she looked over at the swordsman. "How do you "kinda adopt" someone?"

"Yeah . . ." Chamo piped in, trailing off. Setsuna drew her hand from Selena's head to her own as she ran it through her short hair. "I kinda tripped over her in town. We talked, and so on. She doesn't have a home or family, so I decided to help her out until she decides to leave."

Silence.

That's all she heard . . . until someone walked forward, smiling. That someone was Konoka. Dropping to her knees in front of Setsuna, she reached out a hand to Selena for a handshake. The white-haired girl responded by hiding behind Setsuna.

"Selena." Setsuna mumbled, gently pushing the girl from behind her. "This is Ms. Konoka. She's a friend."

Nodding, Selena reached out and shook Konoka's hand shyly. Puffing out her cheeks in annoyance, Konoka stood up. "Se-chan, It's Christmas! Call me Kono-chan! If you wish, only for tonight."

The girl punched Setsuna softly on the arm, soft enough so she would hurt the swordsman. "Hai, Ms. – er . . . Hai, Kono-Chan." Setsuna stated with a bow. "And stop being so formal, Se-chan!" Konoka pouted. "loosen up."

"But I have to remain alert around you at all times." Setsuna argued. "I have to protect you, Kono-chan."

A small smile graced Konoka's lips as she replied sadly. "I know, but it'd still be nice. Just this one time? Please Se-chan?"

Konoka's chocolate brown eyes looked pleading and hopeful as she looked up at the swordsman. Biting her lower lip, the swordsman knew she wouldn't be able to refuse those eyes. That's why she usually avoided arguing with Konoka at all costs. "Fine . . ." Setsuna sighed, hanging her head in defeat as Konoka squeaked in joy. It wasn't fair;Konoka always used that look against her!

Allowing Konoka to tug her away from Selena, Setsuna suddenly found the floor very interesting. A blush was slowly creeping it was over the swordsman's face. She felt happy and yet flustered at the same exact time.

The reason why was, Konoka was holding her hand.

"Your hair isn't up tonight . . ." Konoka observed, snapping the swordsman out of a daze. She pulled Setsuna down, onto the coach spot next to her. "I like it. It's . . . well . . . different."

Fidgeting, Setsuna nodded. "I wanted to try a new hairstyle for Christmas." She mumbled. 'Avoid looking at her, or you'll just start blushing even more.' Setsuna commanded herself. If she could avoid looking at Konoka, maybe she wouldn't be as agitated. 'it's worth a try . . .'

her thoughts were interrupted when a box was dropped into her lap, making her squeal in surprise. "Merry Christmas, Se-chan." Konoka smiled. "I got your name when we drew. I hope you like it . . . If not, then I'm sorry."

Blinking in surprise, Setsuna looked from the box, to Konoka, and back to the box slowly. After a few moments of silence, she carefully untied the ribbon that was keeping the white box closed. Setting it aside, she slowly raised the lid of the box, smiling at the sparkly tissue paper that covered the gift. That was so like Konoka. Gently, she unwrapped the gift, her eyes widening in shock when she did.

It was a picture of her and Konoka when they were children. The child her was looking over at Konoka with a wild blush spread over her face as she was nervously gripping onto a handle of a wooden, practice sword. The child Konoka, however, was giggling happily as she held onto the forearm of Setsuna while giving her "bunny-ears".

Silence was all Setsuna could manage at the moment as she stared at the picture. This was taken years ago . . . How did Konoka get a hold on something such as this? As far as Setsuna knew, there was only one picture like this, and she had been sure it had been destroyed long ago. But, that would be a story for another time.

"Grandfather found it." Konoka explained, leaning her head onto Setsuna's shoulder as she stared at the picture as well. "He said it was one of the few things that survived the fire. It was really a miracle."

"B- but how?" Setsuna choked out. "I was so sure it was destroyed in the fire . . ."

"Hmm." Konoka hummed softly. "He doesn't really know how how. When he went to visit Dad a few years back, he found it. Ever since, it's been sitting in his closet or something. He found it back around in Fall. He'd forgotten to give it to me all these years."

Blinking back a few tears, Setsuna looked over at Konoka happily. "Th- Thank you . . ."

"No trouble at all, now go give your present to whomever." Konoka smiled, pushing Setsuna to her feet softly. Nodding, the swordsman handed her the picture. Will you hold onto this for me, Kono-chan?"

The girl laughed as she took the picture from the swordsman. "Of course."

*** Skipping to a few minutes later ***

"Negi, Merry Christmas." Setsuna stated, dropping a fedora onto the boy's head suddenly. "Sorry that I didn't have time to wrap it."

"That's okay, thank you Setsuna-san!" Negi smiled. "I always love a good hat."

Fixing his new hat onto his head properly, Negi made his way over to Chachamaru. Smiling, held out a small, wrapped box to her. "Merry Christmas to you, Chachamaru-san! I hope it's what you wanted. I know you like animals."

Setsuna blinked in surprise when a pair of arms wrapped around one of her legs. Looking down, she saw it was Selena. "Oh!" Setsuna exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I nearly forgot yours, didn't I?"

Selena looked up at her in surprise before shaking her head in a 'no'. "Don't be silly" Setsuna laughed, ruffling the girl's hair. "Of course I got you something. Now, close your eyes."

With a sigh, Selena closed her eyes. Immediately, Setsuna grabbed a giant, stuffed bear she had placed on a random table earlier. It wasn't much, but it did look really cute. Setting the bear on the ground in front of Selena, the swordsman chuckled. "Okay, open your eyes, Selena."

Biting her lower lip nervously, the girl peeked open one eye and gasped. She quickly tackled the stuffed toy with a tight hug as she nuzzled it affectionately. "Wow." Setsuna laughed. "Glad you like it. Also, if you're hungry, just tell me, okay?"

Nodding Selena continued to hug the bear. Turning her attention back to Negi, she noticed Chachamaru was now wearing a pair of cat ears. "Do you like it?" Negi asked. "Haruna suggested I get it for you because of your love for small animals."

"Yes, I love it. Thank you, Negi." Chachamaru replied, blushing as she picked up a pie from the floor. Turning to Asuna, she held the pie out to her. "I didn't know what to get you, so I picked out this blueberry pie instead. Merry Christmas, Asuna."

"Th- thanks, I suppose . . ." Asuna stammered, blushing nervously. The robot bowed, before turning to Evangeline, who was calling her. Quickly, Asuna tossed the pie at Setsuna, who quickly caught it before it fell onto the ground. Puzzled, She looked up at Asuna. The girl mouthed, 'I hate blueberry! Give it to Selena.'

Laughing, the swordsman nodded before setting the pie on a random coffee table.

Asuna then turned towards Evangeline, who was whispering to Chachamaru quietly. The robot was nodding quickly as she listened. Sighing the girl tapped the vampire on the head. "Hey, blood-sucker, I've got your gift here."

"My name's Evangeline, not 'Blood-sucker'!" Evangeline growled, her face turning a little pink. Shrugging, Asuna dropped a watch into Evangeline's hands quickly. "Who cares? Merry Christmas. I don't know if your a fan of twilight, but I took the liberty of getting you an 'Edward' watch, 'cause he's a vampire too."

Making something between a growl and a squeak, Evangeline looked away, blushing red. "I am not a Twilight fan, you Baka ranger."

Despite what she said, the vampire slipped the watch into her pocket. After she manage to get her blush under control, Evangeline motion for Setsuna to follow her.

Curious, she did.

** Konoka **

Konoka watched Chachamaru-zero and Chamo trade Christmas gifts.

"Merry Christmas, Albert." Chachamaru-zero stated, handing him a pack of cigars. "Their Cuban, I think."

"Thanks." He chuckled, handing her a knife. "It's sharp, so be careful not to cut anyone besides those you intend to murder in their sleep."

"Thanks!" Chachamaru-zero smiled. Sighing. Konoka looked away from the two, spotting Setsuna closing the front door behind her, Evangeline, and Chachamaru. When it closed, the only sounds she heard was the quiet sound of Negi and Asuna talking; Chamo and Chachamaru-zero talking; and Selena jumping up and down, trying to grab a random pie that was sitting on a table. "Here." Konoka murmured, giving the pie to the girl. "You could of asked."

The girl squealed happily as she set the pie down and signing something with her hands quickly. Konoka blinked, confused. "What was that?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"She said thanks." Asuna suddenly said, making her jump. Turning around, she spotted a smirking Asuna. "She's using sign-language." She explained.

Laughing, Asuna handed Selena a fork. "I saw her jumping after the pie."

"Well, how did –" Konoka was cut off short as Setsuna started swearing loudly from outside.

"Get your Fucking hands off me, Bitch! I don't care if it's her Birthday, get that thing away from me!"

"Hold still!" Evangeline shouted.

"I said NO! Go to Hell! Damn you! Get that shit out of my face! I am not wearing that!"

"Chachamaru." Evangeline ordered.

"Whoa! Chachamaru, get you hands off of- mffph!"

The next thing Konoka heard was a struggle, and then, silence. The front door opened, and Evangeline walked into the house like nothing happened. "Chachamaru, come here." Evangeline ordered. "Yes, master." Chachamaru replied walking into the room, with Setsuna in her arms. "Drop her." Evangeline commanded curtly. "Yes master." She replied once more before tossing Setsuna onto the floor harshly.

The swordsman landed with a loud thud, and she growled loudly. Konoka quickly ran forward to see if she was okay, noticing her wrists were tied behind her back with a length of ribbon. Her ankles were tied together with a length of ribbon as well, and her eyes were narrowed in anger. She was now dressed in a pair of black, running shorts and a white half-shirt. "Evangeline, I'm going to kill – Itai!" Setsuna cut off short when Chachamaru tapped her on the head roughly.

"Setsuna!" Konoka gasped, kneeling down beside the swordsman worriedly. "Merry Christmas, Konoka. I forgot to buy you a gift, so here's Setsuna."Evangeline chuckled happily, waving her hand in the swordsman's direction. Laughing, the vampire walked away.

"D- don't look at me, Ms. Konoka, please! I'm wearing such a revealing outfit . . ." Setsuna mumbled, her face turning red. Konoka's breath caught in her throat as she realized this too. Damn, Setsuna looked really attractive. Konoka quickly looked away as she covered her mouth with her hand. 'God, please don't let me be drooling.'

Asuna quickly burst out laughing. "Jeez, Konoka, your face is even redder than Setsuna's!"

Squeaking in surprise, Konoka now realized she was blushing. "S- so what?" She stammered, blushing even more. "You're under the mistletoe with Negi!"

Asuna looked up, shocked. "What?!"

** Setsuna **

** later tonight **

"Thanks for walking me home." Konoka sighed. "But, you didn't have to leave Selena there."

Shrugging Setsuna smiled. "She seemed to be having fun. At least one of us can understand her. I still can't believe Asuna can understand sign-language!"

Konoka laughed as well. "I know right?"

Grinning, Setsuna stuffed her hands into her coat pockets. After her 'incident' Konoka had helped untie her, and Selena had grabbed the swordsman's clothes off of the porch. Setsuna had wanted to run in the kitchen and kill the young vampire, but both Konoka and Selena hugging her had stopped her from doing so. Also, Asuna ended up kissing Negi, and Chachamaru had walked away, blushing. Anyways, later on, Konoka had gotten tired, so Setsuna had volunteered to walk her home. That brought us back to were we are now.

"Hey, um, Konoka?" Setsuna asked, a serious tone taking place within her voice.

"Kono-chan." Konoka corrected.

"Kono-chan," Setsuna mumbled, blushing lightly. "I know I didn't draw your name for a present, but . . . here."

Pulling a white envelope out of her jacket pocket, Setsuna handed it to Konoka shyly. "I know you've been missing your family, so . . ."

Konoka curiously opened the envelope.

"I got you and me a plane ticket to Kyoto, Japan." Setsuna smiled. "Merry Christmas."

Konoka looked from the tickets, to Setsuna, and back to the tickets, shocked. "Y- you got this for me . . .?" She asked. "Thank you!"

Shrugging, the swordsman continued to walk down the road. "It was nothing, really."

She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck as Konoka smiled at her. "Well, all I got you was an old picture . . . what did you really want, Se-chan?" Konoka asked. "You granted my Christmas wish, so I might as well grant yours in return."

Setsuna froze as she stared down at her shoes. What did she want for Christmas? 'Now that I think about it, there isn't much that I want . . . There's only one thing.'

Swallowing nervously, Setsuna looked up to see that Konoka had stopped as well. Her chocolate brown eyes shone with curiosity as the swordsman turned towards her. "Close your eyes and I'll show you . . ." Setsuna trailed off.

Konoka blinked, confused. "Why do I have to close my eyes?"

"Please?" the swordsman asked, shuffling her feet. Konoka was silent for a moment before she answered. "Well, okay, Se-chan. If you really want me to, I will"

Almost immediately after she had shut them, she peeked open one eye. "Can I look now?"

Setsuna chuckled. "No, not yet."

Giggling, Konoka did as she was told. "Okay, Se-chan."

Taking a deep breath, Setsuna slowly leaned forward as she gently supported Konoka's chin with her hand. She could feel her heart picking up its pace. She had to force herself to breath steadily as it continued to pick up speed as she leaned in closer. She hesitated slightly, from her nerves, when she was only millimeters away from Konoka. Closing her eyes as her heart seemed to be hammering in her chest, Setsuna gently pressed her lips against Konoka's.

They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, and, yet, the time also seemed too short.

Setsuna pulled away, not surprised to see Konoka staring at her, her eyes widened in shock.

"S- Se-chan?" Konoka stammered. Smiling as she turned away, Setsuna laughed. "I knew it was a stupid thing to try. I should of just ignored my feeling for you, Konoka, I should have."

"W- wait!" Konoka exclaimed. Setsuna's froze as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind. "Wait . . ."

Setsuna said nothing as Konoka's grip on her tightened. "Se-chan . . ."

Setsuna could hear the tears in Konoka's voice, and she quickly turned around, causing Konoka to lose her grip on her. Dropping to her knees, Konoka wiped away a few tears on her sleeve. "Kiss me again . . ."

*** Aaaand, done! Whoo, 20 pages! Merry Christmas! ***

Dictionary - Baka- Stupid, fool, or idiot

Hai- Yes

Itai- It hurts, or ow/ouch

Bye guys! ~Angel981