NOTE: I don't own anything. Read and review, please! It's starting to pick up!

Sleep didn't come easily or peacefully to Benny that night. He'd tossed and turned, tangling himself in his sheets as he dreamed, dark terrifying thoughts haunting his slumber. He was being chased, panting and gasping for breath until he rolled himself off of the mattress, his body hitting the floor finally waking him. "Jesus Christ," he whispered, chest heaving as he wiped beads of sweat from his forehead.

"Not even close."

Eyes batting open, Benny found himself face to face with a pair of torn up purple Converse sneakers, toes wiggling inside of them. Knowing it would only get worse, but that it was also inevitable, he slowly followed the feet up, legs wrapped up in black tights, a purple skirt ending at the knees. A tattered too-big black hoodie swallowed up the rest of the thin frame, a lacy white tank top sticking out around her chest until his eyes met those all too familiar green ones, a huge beautiful smile on her lips.

"I should've known it'd be you," he murmured, sitting up as he shoved the sheets away from his half naked body.

"Surprise!" she grinned, holding her hands out rather theatrically as her red hair bounced around her cheeks and shoulders. "You missed me. Tell me you missed me."

A soft chuckle left his lips as he shook his head, reaching up to turn on the bedside lamp before she dropped right down in his lap, her disregard for personal space still present. She smelt of lavender and cigarettes and mint, just as he remembered, and her soft hair still tickled his cheek when she kissed it with her cherry chapstick lips.

"April," he hummed softly, wrapping his arms around her and for a moment, it was as if she hadn't even left, as if they were back in the loft, she the only sane one present. He half expected Roger to storm in and demand a kiss of his own, or Maureen to dance in wearing her Led Zeppelin T-shirt and a pair of Collins' boxers, singing some ridiculous show tune at the top of her lungs.

"Hi Benny," she replied with a smile before pulling back slightly to get a good look at him. Then, with a quick change of pace, her hand flew at his face, a loud smack ringing in the air.

Rendered speechless for a few moments, Benny just stared at the window, his face turned to the side from the force before it sunk it and started to sting. "OW! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?"

"For being an asshole!" she shouted back, shoving his chest again before she did a summersault out of his lap and up onto her feet again, fixing one of the little black star clips in her messy hair. "For forgetting who your friends are and for not writing."

"Wait wait wait… wait, not writing?"

"I may be dead but I can still hear you know. You could've read it to me," she insisted, hands on her hips as he scrambled to his feet. "Oh, just look at you…" She clucked her tongue disapprovingly, head shaking as he straightened himself out. "You yuppy bastard." There was a grin on her face, but he could hear the sadness in her voice. It made him want to hang his head in shame, like a kicked puppy, but he resisted and stayed quiet.

"Well, let's go. Get dressed," she replied, waving her hands at him. "And don't you dare put on anything designer. No tie."

"April… you're just… a dream. This isn't real," he told her softly, though he couldn't shake the feeling of her in his arms, how warm she'd been and how wonderful she'd smelt.

"Scuse me? Are you trying to tell me I'm just a dream? I am a spirit. Okay. Get it right. And get your damn clothes on," she added, stomping her foot slightly. "Like a normal person."

Well, it was just a dream. He supposed he could go along with it for now. It took a few minutes to find something she approved of, a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, his old college zip-up over that, and a pair of sneakers.

"I can't remember the last time I wore jeans," he admitted to her as he looked himself over in the mirror, tugging at the sweatshirt as well. "This feels so…"

"Comfortable," April finished for him with a smile as she moved to stand next to him. "Much better."

Benny gaped back at the mirror, though, as he felt her standing next to him, her arm around his shoulders, but no reflection in the glass. "How did you…"

"Come on, we got a lot of shit to see, baby," she informed him, taking his hand and leading him toward the front door. Benny was too stunned to refuse, too happy to see her to be angry and alright, maybe he was a little curious to find out where they were going.

*

"A subway station?" Benny asked, arching a skeptical eyebrow at the redhead. "You brought me to a subway station?"

"Shut up and get on," she winked, pushing him onto the train. "Hold on tight."

Benny barely had time to grab the rail above the seat before the train shot forward, going from zero to a million in point two seconds. He stumbled backwards and it was only April's hand grabbing onto the scruff of his shirt that held him upright as they flew, everything blending into one white light ahead of them. It was freezing, too, like sticking your head out the car window in a snow storm in December. And just as fast as it had started, it was over, the quick stop sending him tripping over his feet, causing April to giggle.

"Glad I amuse you," he muttered softly as he followed her off of the subway. Expecting the usual underground stench to hit his nose, he was surprised when the warm scent of sugar cookies and pumpkin spice met his nose instead. Blinking slowly, he found himself standing in a very familiar kitchen, mouth watering from the scents filling his nose.

"Mom," he breathed softly, a genuine smile meeting his lips.

"Wow, you're smiling," April murmured, reaching up to pinch his cheek gently.

He swatted her hand away gently as he stalked forward in a trance-like state, a delighted look upon his face. "My home," he murmured, following the memorized twists and turns, searching out the beautiful woman who'd created him. Arriving in the living room, Benny stopped behind the couch, mesmerized by the picture in front of him. There she stood, hands around the waist of a little boy, lifting him up slowly as he reached out and struggled to place the star atop the tree. His little pink tongue poked out as he concentrated and a smile of pure delight met his lips when it set in place, just like the one Benny had on his face at that very moment.

"You're so cute," April gushed, leaning over his shoulder as she watched, cheek against his.

"She's gorgeous," he replied, squeezing April's hand as they looked on. A teenaged girl rocked in the chair beside the tree as she strung popcorn and cranberries onto the piece of thread, humming to the carols coming out of the record player and on the floor beside her, eating more than he was stringing, sat the middle child, who looked just like an older version of his brother.

"Lucy, I'm home!" a voice called, causing delighted squeals to ring out from all of the lips as the children ran to greet the man at the door. He was overloaded with bags and snow clung to his hat and his shoulders as he grinned, tackled by the children. Benny and April watched as he pecked a kiss to his wife and then ushered everyone back into the living room as he shed his jacket and hat.

"The tree looks great," he murmured, winding an arm around Mrs. Coffin, the kids busy once again with the tree decorations.

"We've missed you," she replied, kissing his cheek before taking his hand and setting it over her belly. "All of us."

April turned her head slowly, a smirk growing as she saw the sparkle in Benny's eyes. He looked so much like the child in front of them, fists full of cranberries as the older children laughed and tossed popcorn at each other. It would've made her heart melt.

"This was… our last Christmas together," he added softly, cocking his head to the side as he watched his parents. "She died… giving birth. God, I miss her. She always smelled like cinnamon."

"Come on," April murmured softly, reaching for his hand again. "There is much to see."

"Just… just a few more minutes," he insisted, unable to tear his eyes from the picture until it slowly began to blur, like rain staining a painting. "Mom…" he mumbled once more, blinking furiously to keep the emotion from spilling out. "Why would you show me that?"

"Look at how happy you all were," April told him as they walked, her arm linked through his as he shoved his hands into his pockets, following her down the sidewalk. "Your family…"

"I don't want to see anything else," he sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh, honey, we've only just begun. I have the best part. D'you know how many Christmases you've gone through?" She grinned from ear to ear, a little too excited about this job, especially when Benny was feeling so miserable but he followed anyway, knowing that escape was not possible.

"Come on, I think I can hear the guitar," she smiled, hurrying them into the white light again.