A/N: I hope these next updates make up just a little for the short chapter that took me a month to write.

angel2u, keacdragon: Thank you so much for the reviews! They keep me going – and are inspiring. :-)

Chapter XIII

When the door shut behind them, she sent him a sheepish smile. He'd come too far to be embarrassed, though, and stepped forward to kiss her again. Soon, his fingers were tracing her back and stomach beneath her shirt, and he felt the need to offer her an out.

"If we're going too fast-"

She pulled away from him, narrowing her green eyes.

"Charlie. I've been waiting twenty years for this. Nothing could be too fast."

He grinned and brushed a hand through her long, dark hair. She had waited a long time for him. He leaned down to kiss her again, and then she grabbed his hand, gently pulling him toward a door to the right.

It was her bedroom.

He didn't get a good look around, because they were soon entwined again, but he saw lots of deep purple and green. He found himself leaning over her, feeling his way beneath her shirt as she did the same to him, until he gently tugged at its hem.

She blushed a little, hesitating to be sure it's what he wanted, but then pulled the shirt over her head.

He gazed at her for just a moment, but it was long enough for her to catch a movement in the doorway. She sat up, glaring.

"Get out," she said, her voice low and too calm.

Charlie turned and saw Bernard and another man standing at the door, both looking nervous.

"I'm sorry, Fi," Bernard began, but the girl didn't care to hear the rest.

She looked apologetically at Charlie as they both stood, and then glared at the other men again.

"Get out!"

"We could-" the other man started to say, but she slapped him before he could finish.

"Hang on. Charlie, please hold that thought. I will be right back." She took a moment to put her shirt back on. "Puck. Bernard. Take me to my mother."

"Er, actually, Bernard, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Sport," the elf said, looking relieved.

Mab was in the doll workroom watching when Puck and the princess arrived.

"Oh dear," she said lightly.

"Mother, what part of 'stay out of it' didn't you hear? Things are going fine!"

"Looked better than fine to me, Princess."

"Shut up, Puck!"

"Oh really?" Mab asked, eyes glittering.

"Oh yeah – her shirt was off, his was on the way – it looked like quite a party."

"Puck!" Fia growled amid the giggles spreading throughout the room.

"Oh my," Carol's voice came from nearby. Her hand covered her mouth, but she was clearly grinning.

Next to her, Santa wasn't hiding his chuckles. Fia let out a frustrated cry.

"It's not funny! He's never going to speak to me again if this keeps up!"

"I don't know about that. But it does make dating kinda hard."

Charlie had appeared next to Fia. She turned to him, eyes wide.

"Charlie? How did you-?" He nodded toward the Head Elf, who was standing beside him. She glared. "Bernard!"

He shrugged. "I'm sorry, Princess. I promised Charlie a long time ago to bring him here whenever he wished."

She sighed, but nodded, and Charlie took the opportunity to put his arm around her waist and face the others.

"Listen, I don't know what the deal is. But I like Fia. I - I wanna see what happens with us. But if we can't have any privacy, it's not going to go very far."

There was a moment of silence, even among the other Christmas elves who were supposed to be working.

"My apologies, Charlie," the queen said softly. "Does this mean . . .?"

"Yes. It means yes. If- If you still want, Fia."

She nodded and threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Charlie," she said into his chest.

He wrapped both of his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, feeling oddly protective of this girl he barely knew.

"Puck," Mab said finally, regaining the room's attention. "Your orders to watch over my daughter are hereby rescinded."

The Fae's face fell, but the young couple squeezed each other tighter.

"Thank you, Mother. Charlie? Do you want to . . .?"

He looked over at Bernard, eyebrows raised questioningly. Bernard sighed, looking disgruntled, but nodded.

Fia smiled. "See you in a sec."

Soon, the three had gone. Bernard returned immediately, though, to see Mab, Puck, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and Judy, who, heretofore, had been silent, still in the middle of the doll room.

"Did Charlie look different?" asked Santa, looking puzzled.

"I thought so too," said Carol.

"Charlie is growing his own Sparkle," Judy said, grinning.

"What do you mean?"

The queen looked altogether too pleased when she explained, "He is becoming one of the Fae Touched."