Thank you ever so kindly for your patience, and reviews. Sorry, I kind of took a little break to do a Fablehaven oneshot that was just screaming my name...if you have a chance, I'd like you to read it and see what you think (Dragon Sprite).

OOH, littletrickster...tempting idea. However I don't see how I can make that fit fluidly...

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter...I think it's pretty sweet, but Chad might be a bit OOC. Ah, well...it's my story, I can do what I want.

Sonny

It was eleven thirty now. I was worried sick. I mean, you would be, too, if you drove all the way over to his place and back, then back again, calling his cell number to no avail the whole way back home!

So, I felt he had no right to just show up at my door at this late hour, with his stupid smirk on his face as if nothing had happened.

"Chad, you have some nerve!" His hand stopped me from slamming the door right in his smug little face.

"Sonny, come on…"

"Go away, Chad!"

"Sonny!"

"I don't want to talk to you right now!"

"SONNY!" One of his feet was against the doorframe, the other holding the door ajar. One hand was against the frame for extra support, and the other was holding on to my wrist. He had a firm grip so my persistent wriggling was useless. "Will you calm down? It's been a long, humiliating day and I have a long, humiliating story which I would be glad to tell you, so just sit…down!"

I stopped squirming and he let me go so I could cross my arms. "Well?"

"Like I said: it's long and humiliating. And it ends with this." He stepped back and opened the door more, gesturing for me to step into the hall.

My hands flew to my mouth and I was instantly sorry for being cross with him. "Oh, Chad…you did this for me?"

Sitting propped against the hall's wall was a small evergreen sparse with long, thick limbs at the bottom, tapering up to a slender point.

"If you'll help me get it inside, I'll consider it an apology," he suggested. I blushed.

"Why…why don't we get inside?"

---

"So you went to Tahoe today?" I asked, trying to be nonchalant as Chad helped me unwind the lights from my artificial tree.

"Yeah…I had gotten some p—something for Vivi and the others…"

"Like…presents?" I asked, peeking around the back of the tree to meet his eyes. He looked up at the top of the tree.

"Pfsh, why do you care?"

I was impressed and proud at the same time. "Oh my gosh! Chad Dylan Cooper actually got presentsfor someone?"

"Anyways," he interrupted, giving me a hard look as he reached for a string of tinsel at the top, which we had missed. "then I went to visit…" I could tell he immediately regretted progressing his tale.

"Who, Chad?" I dropped the lights I was holding and steadied the tree. His eyes flicked to me and he made a face, looking away without saying anything. "Chad. Who?"

"Let's just finish the tree, okay?" He reached around to grab some of the wire, and I put my hand on his. His eyes shot up to meet mine.

"Chad, you can tell me. Come on."

I let go and he returned to his work, not speaking for a while. "My mom. I mean, I know that kind of thing might not be huge to you…but…"

"Aw! Chad! That's so sweet! I bet she was surprised." Now we were taking apart the tree. "So?"

"So…so?"

"So, what happened?"

He shifted uncomfortably as he put the top part of the tree in the box. "Well…first we didn't really say much. We were sort of like…strangers. But then we just talked about like…life and stuff and, I dunno. It was kinda nice, just connecting with each other. I can't remember any time we'd felt so comfortable around each other."

My heart almost melted. "Aw, Chad! That must have been really out of your comfort zone. What made you decide to go see your mom?"

He walked over to the other side of the room and returned with the real tree, and I steadied the base as he inserted it. I screwed it in place with a bit of hassle, wiped my sappy hands on my jeans, and stood back to admire our work.

"Chad? You gonna answer me?"

"Hmm?"

"What made you decide to see your mom?"

He seemed surprised by my question, taken a bit off guard, and his gaze shifted uncomfortably. He stuck his hands in his pocket and rocked back and forth on his feet, looking everywhere but at me.

"Well…you…"

"Huh?" I cocked my head. "Wait, what do you mean me?"

"Well, in a sense…the whole gift thing came from you."

I bit my lower lip and looked at him anxiously. What was he saying?

He exhaled in frustration, more at himself, and interlocked his hands behind his head, pivoting around on one heel and pacing away from me. "How do you do that? I hang out with you for what, two weeks? And your niceness just rubs off on me in the most…heartwarming ways!" He had turned back around and I saw him wince as he said "heartwarming".

I had to laugh. He looked at me in desperation, as if I were laughing at a very serious addiction he had. "Chad, who knew? You actually can be unselfish."

He started smiling uncertainly, and laughed softly along with me. Then Chad's serious face came back. "This stays between us. So…how about we decorate this bad boy?"