Carlos crept down the hallway and up the stairs of Hell Hall on tiptoes, carefully checking for any sign of his mother. Then just as he touched the top step a loud squeak echoed through the drafty old house.

"Carlos!" she called from somewhere at the back of the house, "Is that you?"

"Dang!" he cringed, momentarily frozen in place..

"Carlos, Carlos!" Cruella continued to call, coming ever closer, "I need you to wash the stains out of my coats!"

"Carlos, come here this instant! I know you're here! I heard the floor squeak!"

Scrambling, with wide eyes and racing heart, the the boy bolted for the bedroom that they shared. Throwing himself through an open window, he vaulted some fifteen feet to the street below, somersaulting into a hay wagon that happened to be passing underneath just his mother reached the window.

Coming up spitting hay, he laughed in her face and gave a mocking salute as the cart pulled away. Then he laid back with his hands behind his head, chuckling softly as he gazed up at the big thundercloud that always consumed the Isle. He wondered if one of his inventions might one day break through that storm. He'd always wanted to see the stars...

"Hey, Carlos!"

Glancing sideways without raising his head, he tossed a friendly wave at Jace and Harry while privately gritting his teeth. He wasn't in the mood to hang out with them.

"What up?" he called.

"Come on!"

"What?" he stalled.

"Yen Sid said we could watch the Christmas concert in his classroom," Jace waved again, "Come on, we gotta hurry!"

Carlos groaned, having forgotten all about that! Rolling to his feet, he hopped off the wagon and followed them, swiping an apple from the wagon's driver as he did so.

Arriving at Dragon Hall a few minutes later, the boys flopped into their assigned seats, puffing hard from the sprint.

"So, what trouble have you boys caused on this Christmas Eve day?" Yen Sid asked, his arms crossed and a mirthy smile on his face.

"Who us?" Carlos fringed defensiveness.

The Magician leaned back in his chair and roared with laughter, not bothering to quiet down until the television automatically flipped on and Fairy Godmother introduced the first song. The other VKs begrudgingly turned away from their personal conversations to watch the concert, but Carlos put his head down and closed his eyes, thinking again about those stars that he could never quite see.

"You okay?" the Magician asked, curiously looming over him.

"Yeah," Carlos dismissed him with a flip of his hand.

"Your mom?"

"Yeah."

"Or something else."

"Yeah."

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah."

"You still can't see those stars, can you?" Yen Sid guessed.

Startled, Carlos looked up. "What?"

"I'm a magician. I know these things. You don't have to tell me."

"Oh, yeah…" the boy smiled sheepishly.

Nodding at the television, the magician went on, "Ya know, they're singing about the birth of the Light of the World tonight, over there across the strait."

"Yeah, well, that light ain't shining over here."

"Perhaps," Yen Sid answered slowly, troubled by this response; he resolved to ask the Beast if something might be done, "But, maybe, someday He will."

**oo**

"Neat!" Ben exclaimed, his eyes lighting up, "You know, I was in dad's office when Yen Sid called; I remember that conversation! Dad wasn't happy about that one, but that's when I decided that my first proclamation should be to bring you guys over here."

"So, we have Carlos to thank for getting to come here?" Evie asked, embracing him tightly.

"Yes," Ben nodded, "yes, I guess you do."