A/N: Sorry for the continued lack of individual thanks. I won't be at a computer until Monday, and I didn't expect you'd want to wait that long. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter XX

"Fi?" Charlie's heart was in his throat. "Fia?"

Comet shook his head at the young man, so Charlie sighed and picked up the girl. He hurried inside, and into one of the lounges. He laid her down onto a sofa, and then knelt beside her. It wasn't long before he heard the door slam open, and angry footsteps stormed up to him.

"Charles Calvin. What did you do?"

"Hey, now, why do you always assume it's his fault?" his dad asked angrily as he came through the doorway.

"Well it always has been. Charlie, was this your doing?"

"Of course not! I... I'm not sure what happened. One minute she was fine, happy. The next she just... dropped."

"Think, Sport," said Bernard, who'd walked in with his wife. "Did anything different happen while you were outside? Or anytime recently?"

"No, everything's been... No, wait. She did do that carrot thing for Comet."

"Carrot thing? asked Bernard, though they were all looking puzzled.

"Yeah, she wanted to give one to Comet, and she just... I don't know where it came from. I saw her pull it from thin air."

Mab sighed and plopped (as much as a faery queen could "plop") down onto a chair nearby, sighing.

"I was afraid of this."

Charlie frowned at her. "Of what? What's wrong with her?"

"She's... She's just tired."

"'Just tired' doesn't make you suddenly faint. What's wrong with her?"

She sighed again, and exchanged glances with her husband.

"Oh, Charlie. First, I must ask you a question. It is very important to me to know your sincere feelings. Do you love her?"

"I do. I love her," he said quietly.

"Have you considered proposing at all?"

His cheeks burned, but he nodded slightly. "I... I hadn't decided-"

She waved her hand in dismissal. "That's all right." She took a deep breath. "My daughter is ill. Being here around the magic, and more than that, being with you, has made her stronger. So much stronger, it seems, that she forgot herself and wasted her energy."

As she spoke, the queen moved over by Fia, and began taking down her hair and brushing it out. Mab took off Fia's glasses, and gently rubbed her hand over the girl's forehead.

"Your majesty?" Bernard said quietly, his face ashen.

She nodded solemnly, and he disappeared. It wasn't long before he returned, a line of Fae arriving with him. As Charlie watched with increasing fear, they approached and came forward one at a time, placing flowers next to her and giving her a kiss. The line seemed never-ending.

Finally, Charlie managed to choke out, "What are you doing?!"

Bernard and Mab exchanged distraught looks.

"Charlie," Mab said, as gently as he'd ever heard her speak, "we do not expect her to wake."

"E-ever?" he asked, his voice catching.

"I'm sorry, Charlie. I'm so sorry."

As the Fae crowd began to dwindle, Carol, Laura, Neil, Lucy, and Judy entered the room. Charlie barely noticed. He could only stare at the princess. She was that sickly grey color again, but she otherwise looked so peaceful. She was so clearly not there. He'd only just found her, and had already lost her, in such a permanent way.

Tears rolling down his cheeks, he knelt down next to her, whispering his apologies and regrets. He couldn't help but to kiss her one last time, his lips barely touching hers, but his tears falling onto her cheeks.

Then she kissed him back. He let out a small gasp and opened his eyes enough to see her smiling tiredly at him. Charlie grinned and kissed her with fervor, pulling her up and letting her wrap her arms around him, and ignoring the gasps from their families.

After a few long moments, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. She smiled and wiped the tears from his face, laughing a little as she realized he was still crying.

"What's wrong, Charlie?"

He had to try a few times before he could answer. "I- I thought I lost you."

She sent him a small smile and kissed him. "Never."

They kissed again, and soon there were more gasps in the room. They pulled away from each other and Fia's eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh, Charlie."

She beamed, her emerald eyes and fair skin brighter than they had a right to be.

"What, Fi?"

She blushed and glanced at her mother, who was crying, but smiling widely.

"You're one of the Fae Touched now."

"You look like an elf!" Santa exclaimed, grinning, and Fia giggled.

"You officially have your own sparkle, Charlie."

He was speechless for a moment. "What does that mean?"

"It means I love you very much."