Dear Readers, Shhh. It's okay. I know. I know. The last chapter hurt me even more to write than it hurt you to read. (Gives a Hug) It's okay. Seriously, I cried (then again I was listening to Fix You at the time, which seemed very fitting and inspirational)

Chapter 12: Countdown to Christmas

December 20th 10:51 P.M. Chicago Apartment

Molly looked in the mirror and sighed. She had hoped changing her hair up would make her fell like a different person but that idea didn't seem to have worked. It was just below her neck and back to its original black color, straight as it was before. Yet she still felt exactly the same- an empty shell of a person.

The conversation with her other partners hadn't helped either. They'd called her in this morning to report her behavior was concerning him. She had been withdrawn, shown no interest in her work, and took off the moment normal office hours ended. Apparently she had learned today that dramatic change in appearance was one of the big signs in suicidal thoughts. She had laughed in their faces.

Molly crawled into her bed like she did every night when she got home, cup of hot chocolate on her nightstand. She just couldn't kick the habit though it felt like she was slapped across the face every time she took a sip.

Mostly those nights were spent convincing her that she had done the right thing. She didn't love him. She couldn't love him. He had personally attacked her and she had fired back. It was alright. It was for the best. She didn't need him. Yet when she woke up her heart was just as empty as the night before. I guess she could get used to it just like life without Arthur Christmas.

There wasn't a Christmas decoration in the house and the slippers were buried under the bed so far she couldn't see them from any angle. The Christmas music was never played; her phone was off all the time now and on vibrate so that stupid song wouldn't make her want to throw it out the window. She was working Christmas Eve to catch up on this case. It was exactly like last year. Her life was exactly the same. It was like Arthur Christmas had never appeared in her life and that was the way it should be.

If only she could convince her heart that.

December 21st 7:04 P.M. North Pole

"It does look like a pretty bad storm is going to blow through, but we should be able to handle it. I hope it holds off until the twenty-sixth if possible. If not, we'll- Arthur." Steve knocked his brother's shoulder as they walked down the hallway to check over the sleigh. "I really need you to focus."

"I know. I'm sorry Steve. It's just…"

"I understand. I'm also really sorry. But millions of kids are counting on you and I know you wouldn't forgive yourself if you let them down." He gave a small nod, obviously still out of it. "You know what, go get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow and I can handle this."

"Thanks Steve," he whispered, walking back the way they came. Steve watched after him and sighed to himself. She had done what he had predicted if this happened: completely destroyed him. No one knew exactly what happened after he took her home on Thanksgiving but Steve could put a lot together by himself. He'd finally realized it and so had she. Only she had reacted in the opposite way, lashing out to keep those feelings at bay while Arthur has embraced him. This of course had ended with a broken heart. His brother had the biggest heart of all and now, now it just made Steve sad to even look at him.

Steve had the mind to fly down to Chicago and ask this Scrooge just what exactly she thought she was doing. But maybe it was better this way. Arthur hadn't visited her or mentioned her since. Hopefully he could recover and learn to love someone else. This was an unfortunate minor set-back. A set-back he had hoped wouldn't have happened. A set-back he wanted to punch, but those were his own demons.

He was growing more worried about Christmas by the minute though. His heart just wasn't in it and Steve couldn't blame him. His heart was currently under repair. That selfish… person hadn't just ruined the happiness of his brother but of every child in the entire world. There was nothing that could be done. Arthur needed more time and they didn't have it. He wished- he would have given anything to give it to him, but there was no other option.

Bryony was waiting for him. "We just finished final wrapping sir. The gifts are ready to go. Productivity rose twelve percent and sticky tape usage was down sixteen." Leave it to Bryony to be the only elf to keep things ahead of schedule.

"Excellent."

"I've also got my harness ready to go in case anything goes wrong and have already ordered for my first hot chocolate to be ready when we take off Christmas Eve. I got your message about earlier take-off." Due to the incoming storm, Steve had decided to be safe and push things back so they stood a fairer chance at beating it.

"You're going to have to take extra care of him this time."

"I know. Everyone's been talking about it. I'd like to wrap that girl up and never rip the paper open," she growled. "I hate to see him like that."

"I feel the exact same way. Try to distract him in Chicago. And my parents might convince him, but don't let him-"

"I'm on it. He's not doing it even if I have to tackle him. He's like raw cookie dough right now. He needs to be baked before he makes that kind of decision. And I don't want it to be her!"

"Thank you, Bryony. It may not be the best Christmas, but-"

"I actually might have an idea. Do you think we could shuffle the schedule? I think this calls for a very special first stop." She smiled and Steve quickly caught on.

"That is simply brilliant. That might be just what he need! I'll see that it's done." He started for the EVIE. "Oh, and no matter how much you want to Molly Scrooge is not to be wrapped. I'd better not hear of you sneaking off."

Bryony sighed. "Yes, sir," she answered, very disappointed.

December 22nd 10:32 P.M. Chicago Apartment

As Molly climbed the stairs for another of those days she seemed to go through on auto-pilot, she noticed someone sitting outside her door. Her heart immedietely started pounding faster and her breath did the same. Then his head turned and it wasn't who she was expecting, but it made the moment even worse.

Michael rose to his feet. He was a good four-five inches taller than her with the same dark hair and eyes. All she could do was stare. She physically couldn't move. So Michael did was he always did, he made the first move. It was only when he put his arms around her that she realized she was crying.

She had been dreading this moment since she composed the letter on the flight back Thanksgiving. She had stuck it in the mail before she could change her mind- before everything fell apart. She had completely forgotten. She had pictured the anger, the disappointment, the hatred. But all she could see was someone who loved her. Her mind promptly started freaking out and she started to pull-

"Grow up Molly," was his reply as he pulled her closer. "We know your 'scarred' little brain freaks at the first sign that someone cares about you, but I'm not having any of it."

"I am scarred, thank you very much!"

"Oh, stop with the excuses. I flew away from England to be here with you, but I will not hesitate to fly back and spend it with my son and daughter."

"You-you have kids? I'm an aunt?" He nodded and she promptly covered her mouth with her hand as a smile broke through. "I'm an aunt."

"Molly, I know I should've contacted you, but I got scared. I got scared that you would hate me so much for what I put you through- even though it was for your own good. I was terrified that you didn't... love you older brother anymore. But then I grew older and realized I had to get over the fear. I had to grow up and stop making excuses about what Mom and Dad did to me. It was too easy to hide behind fear. It was hard to be brave, but I now have the most wonderful girl in the world and the two most beautiful children who ever existed. I could never find you, but the moment I got your letter I came here to say do your worst because I'm not scared of it." He opened his arms wide and she merely stared- taking it all in.

"I love you," she finally answered, ignoring every single one of her bodies responses. It was hard, so much harder than just running into her apartment, but maybe it was time for her to grow up too. She hugged him again. "I'm not mad in the slightest. I love you. I missed you."

"I love you too, Molly," he answered. Yet, even after all this her heart didn't really feel any better. Because this reunion was all courtesy of one person. A person she'd much rather forget altogether.

December 23rd 7:48 P.M. North Pole

Arthur looked through the files as if possessed. He had to find it. He just had to. With success he pulled out the folder of one Abby Festivus and pulled out the page that contained her current address. He paused to read her letter to Santa- a Christmas adventure. Well, tomorrow she would be getting one.

As he went to exit he noticed the folder still sitting out in the open. It was like someone ripped a bandage right off him. He grabbed it and pulled open the first drawer, stuffing it in there. The letter was missing but who cared. He wanted no one to look at this stupid folder ever- he noticed the shredder in the corner and proceeded to run the folder through it. There, now that was taken care of.

He then realized how absurd that had been and quickly reigned himself in. There was a going off the deep end point and he was on the edge of that. It just… it still really hurt. It hurt him really bad. But he had to move on. Obviously his parents had known what was best for him all along. He knew now he was going to honor that.

Arthur was going to do what he should have done. He was going to wake Abby up with his sleigh, ask her to come with him, and bring her to the North Pole to marry him and be his Mrs. Claus. She would be happy and he wanted to make her happy because that was all he could do now.

Arthur was convinced he could never be happy again.

Author's Note: Michael was never in the first draft, but after all your reaction I realized Molly needed more to spurn her down the path I had planned because she basically was a complete and total ... yeah. So I want to thank all of you for making this story even better and we'll see how this effects the road going forward.