"I want a home," I heard a teenage girl say to Santa. I was one of his helpers this year, dressed up as an elf to help the guy in a red suit with the little kids. We were in a mall department store, and had been here almost all day. The girl had been waiting in line for over an hour to see Santa. I noticed her when she first joined the line because she seemed too old for something like this, and I couldn't see a little kid with her. But she waited, and when it was her turn, she walked up and sat on the guy's lap.

"I know, I seem too old for this, right?" she continued. "But I thought I'd give it a shot. Couldn't hurt, right? And for Christmas, the only thing I want is a home. I've lived on the streets for the last three years. My parents are... Well, they aren't fit parents. I stay in the shelter sometimes, but it's always so...cold there. So, yeah."

"Well, young lady," Santa said, "What's your name?"

"Emerald is the only thing I go by."

"Emerald. My helper and I will see what we can do, okay?" Emerald smiled sadly as she nodded, and she moved to walk away. On impulse, I grabbed her arm as she passed, and she stopped and turned to me.

"I'll be finished here in half an hour," I told her. "Wait for me?" She shrugged as a way of avoiding answering, and walked off. I didn't know if she would stay or not, and I tried to tell myself I didn't care.

But I did.

This girl was beautiful in a way you can only be born with. Her hair was long and dark and a little dirty. Hell, all of her was dirty. Her clothes were stained and obviously old, though they looked like they were of high quality. Her walk and stance was that of one with a lot of confidence. Her eyes were a strange shade of green, though they weren't emerald like her name implied they might be.

The last half hour of my shift as Santa's elf went by slowly, with too many little kids and too many parents not taking control of their little kids. I walked slowly out of the store after I changed back into my regular clothes, but didn't see Emerald anywhere in the store. She was, however, waiting outside of the store, on a bench looking curiously at one of the little carts in the mall. She looked over and saw me a few seconds after I did her, and smiled as she got up and walked over.

"They wouldn't let me wait in the store," she explained. I nodded to show I heard her, though I didn't know what to say to that.

"Come spend Christmas with me," I invited. She thought about it for a second and then smiled.

"Are you sure you want someone like me, someone you don't even know, to stay with you for Christmas?"

"And all the days until," I confirmed.

"What about your parents?"

"They're gone on business until after New Years, and the housekeeper that takes care of me won't mind at all." Emerald nodded slowly as she thought about it.

"All right," she said to me, "I'd love to spend Christmas with you. ...What's your name, anyway?"

"Mandy." I grinned at her, and motioned for her to follow me. She did so, and we walked out to where I'd parked my car. As I unlocked the doors, I looked back to see her stopped and staring at it.

"Heh, my parents have a some money," I explained. She nodded once as if getting used to the idea, and climbed into the car.

"Are we going to be going to some elaborate mansion or something?"

"Nope," I laughed. "Just a normal, old century home. It's big, but not mansion-big."

"Yeah...sure." I grinned at the road as I pulled out of the parking lot.

"Turn on some music if you want," I said, realizing my radio was off. "Whatever you want to listen to." She nodded again and started playing with the dials on my radio, settling on a station playing only Christmas music. She smiled, telling me that she hadn't heard Christmas music anywhere but from speakers in front of stores in a couple years. I looked over at her for a second before I had to turn my eyes back to the road, and she looked sad. I didn't say anything; once again, I had no idea what to say.

XxX

We walked into my house--which she had declared a mansion when we pulled up, despite what I'd said--and Emerald immediately sighed at the warmth of it. I took off my shoes and coat, leaving the former on the floor and taking the latter into the kitchen, and saw Emerald do the same.

"Give me your coat," I said to her. She looked at me for only a second before slipping it off and handing it to me. I hung it on the back of one of the chairs, and headed up stairs, motioning for her to follow. I didn't have to look back to know that she would.

"The bathroom's over there," I said, pointing. "I'll grab you some of my clothes to borrow, and you can get a shower, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks." I smiled at her over my shoulder as I walked into my room and up to my dresser. I pulled out my favorite pair of warm, flannel pajama's and carried them into the bathroom myself, putting them on top of the heater so they'll be warm. I grabbed her out a towel and told her I'd be downstairs making some dinner when she was done.

So, that's what I did. I went back downstairs, opened a couple cans of tomato soup and put them on the stove to heat up slowly.

Emerald came down half an hour later looking clean and comfortable in my pajamas. Her hair was clean, and a couple shades lighter than I had thought it was at first, so I assumed she made use of my blow dryer.

"Feel better?" I asked.

"Much," she grinned. "These pj's are really comfortable. Thank you." I smiled back at her, and went over to check the soup.

"This is pretty much done whenever you're ready to eat."

"Heh, that'd be as soon as I can get a bowl in front of me." I chuckled, and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and handed it to her.

"Take as much as you want, and help yourself to anything that's in the fridge, 'kay?" She nodded, and I went back upstairs to change into some pajamas and to make sure the bed in the guest room was made and ready for someone to sleep in. When I saw it was, I went back downstairs.

An hour later, Emerald and I were both tired and ready for bed. I pointed out the guest room to her, and she walked in, closing the door after a soft "goodnight." I went over to my room--the room right next to the guest room-- and did the same, though I left my door open a crack.

What I assumed was a couple hours later, I woke up to the sound of my door creaking open. I rolled over and saw that it was just Emerald, like I had thought.

"I, um, couldn't sleep," she told me. "The bed's too soft and big. I, um, was hoping I could share with you?" She sounded so shy and unsure that I couldn't have said no even if I'd wanted to. Once again, I didn't say anything. I just rolled back over and pulled the covers back behind me. I heard Emerald hurry over and climb into the bed. After a few minutes, I felt her put her arm around me from behind and move closer to my back, and I snuggled back against her hoping to silently tell her it was all right.

And so went the first night Emerald came to stay with me.