It had been one week since Mariana arrived in the North Pole. One week since Christmas came and went, and, despite her animosity towards that holiday, she truly didn’t want to leave Mrs. Claus, Santa, the reindeer, and especially Cullen. She wanted to stay there, with them. For as long as she could.

That afternoon, Cullen came down to the kitchen to see if there was anything he could help his mother with. She turned from the sink, and smiled, but shook her head.

“No, dear…if you’d like something to do, however, maybe you could wake Mariana. She hasn’t been downstairs yet.” Frowning, Cullen nodded, kissed his mother’s cheek, and headed back up the steps to the room Mariana had taken. He wrapped his knuckles upon the wooden door, waiting a couple moments for a response. When there wasn’t one, he tried again; only this time when she didn’t react, he opened the door himself, and stepped inside. Mariana was sitting up on the bed, looking out the window, still. Cullen raised an eyebrow, and took a step further into the room.

“Mariana?” he asked softly, tilting his head. A moment after his voice sounded, she blinked, and turned her head to look at him.

“Yeah?” she asked quietly, her voice a little shaky.

“Um…mom wanted to make sure you were okay – you never came down for breakfast.” Nodding, she looked back to the window.

“I know…” She made to reference, or response, to whether or not she was okay, but right when Cullen opened his mouth to flat-out ask her, she sighed. “Vixen is feeling well enough to travel today,” she spoke, lowering her eyes to the floor. Cullen nodded.

“Yes. Dad told me this morning – how did you know?”

“I saw Sunny walking him around the yard…he was playing in the snow,” she said, motioning out the window. Closing the door, Cullen walked over, and took a seat upon the bed, touching her hand.

“Mariana? What’s wrong? You haven’t missed breakfast once since you arrived…” There was a distinct tone of worry in his voice, and she sighed, looking up.

“Vixen feeling better means I have to return home…and…I don’t think I want to.” Cullen smiled a little.

“Oh?” he said simply. Nodding again, she pushed her hair behind her ears, and climbed off the bed, walking to the window to completely uncover them.

“I like it here. I mean…I’ve disliked Christmas for years, but now…Now I’ll go home, and I’ll have to wait, anxiously, for every holiday to come through so I can hopefully be awake when your dad comes by…” She turned to look at Cullen. “…even though I know he won’t, because this was the first time he’s come to my house in a very long time.” Cullen turned to face her, with a slight bit of confusion on his face.

“Why don’t you like Christmas? Everyone likes Christmas…” Her head shook, and she leaned against the windowsill.

“Not me. Cullen…When I was six, my father left us. The night before Christmas, and he told us he was just gonna go to the gas station down the road.” Turning her head, she gave a very soft chuckle. “The old ‘went for a pack of cigarettes and never came home’ story. By the time the following Christmas came around, my mother had killed herself, with a very unhealthy dose of alcohol and depression. She drank herself into a stupor she never got out of, and she died a week before the holiday.” Turning her head to the window, she closed her eyes, and just stood there, silently. Cullen didn’t say a word, merely sat and watched her, in a little shock at what she’d told him. Sure, his dad knew who was ‘naughty’ and ‘nice,’ but he was quickly wondering: did his dad know about this?

Standing up, Cullen moved beside Mariana and put his arms around her, holding her against him. She let her head rest against his chest, and very softly, she began to cry. Without saying a word, his cheek rested against the top of her head, and his eyes closed, while he held her to calm her down. She laid her arms around his waist, and kept her face buried into his chest, letting her tears fall and soak the front of his shirt.

Finally, she lifted her head, and, wiping her eyes, gave a very, very soft chuckle.

“Oh…I’m sorry,” she mumbled, touching the wet circle on his shirt. Glancing down, Cullen smiled but shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it, Mariana…are you alright?” he asked, tapping her chin and looking at her. Nodding her head, she gave him a tight hug, closing her eyes.

“I feel a little better…I still don’t want to go back home, but I feel better about this…” Cullen waited a moment, before running his hand down her hair.

“I don’t think I want you to go back, either. It’s been fun having you here…you’re good company,” he smiled, nudging his cheek against her head. Stepping back, Mariana looked at him, and smiled a little.

“Thanks…” she said softly. He looked at her for a second, before leaning in and kissing her softly on the lips. Closing her eyes, she kissed him back without any hesitation. A smile seeped onto both their lips as they stood before the windows, kissing, for a few moments. Finally, Mariana pulled back, reaching up and touching his cheek. Cullen looked down at her, his cheeks a little flushed, before chuckling.

“That was something I wanted to do for a little while now…” he said, a bit embarrassed. Mariana hugged him gently, kissing his cheek lightly.

“I have too, so…don’t worry…” she replied, sighing. “But…this makes it harder to leave. You know this…right?” she asked, stepping back again to look at him. Cullen frowned. He hadn’t thought of that, but now that he was…

“I know. Look. You clean up and get dressed, I’m going to go get some lunch ready so you can eat, and then…we can go make another snowman, if you want.” Laughing, she nodded her head, and kissed him quickly.

“I’d like that. I’ll, uh, just take a quick shower and then meet you in the kitchen,” she said, and Cullen gave her a light squeeze before scooting out of the room so she could get things together to shower.

Once downstairs, though, instead of making a meal, Cullen went right for the living room, pulling up a chair.

“Dad?” he asked, looking at his father. Santa had been sitting in his chair beside the window, glasses down on his nose, looking over his lists for the following Holiday. Lifting his eyes, he smiled, and placed the list down.

“Yes, Cullen?” he questioned. Hesitating, Cullen sighed.

“Did you know about Mariana’s parents? What happened to them to make her not like Christmas?” Santa’s smile fell, and, as he pulled his glasses off his nose, he nodded.

“Yes…Yes, I did know. And every year, I did try to get to her house, to get her something for Christmas…except that concrete is a bit more powerful than I am…” The curious look on Cullen’s face made Santa continue. “Well…the first Christmas, I went to her house to give her a gift, and she had moved just…just a week before, I think. For the next few years, she lived at her Grandparent’s house. They lived inside a house without a fireplace, with deadbolts and locks, and alarms, on every door, plus an electric fence that seemed to enjoy sending an odd shock through me anytime I tried to go up to the front door…So…instead, I sent her a card for Christmas, every year until she moved…” Santa sighed, and ran a hand over his face. “When she was fourteen, and her older cousin let her move in to their house, Mariana took one look at the fireplace, and had them fill it with concrete. She didn’t want anything to do with a fireplace.”

“So why didn’t you use the front door?”

“I would have…except for the neighborhood that her cousin lived in wasn’t a good one. It was full of people who would steal in a heartbeat from everyone, especially if there was a bag of gifts on the front stoop. Those would have been gone long before she ever woke up…in fact…her first year there, that was what I did, and when I found out what happened, I just…” He sighed once more. “Again, I sent her a Christmas card every year…it was all I could do. I knew none of those gifts would arrive safely, and in once piece. Ask her – I know she got the cards.”

Cullen sat still in the chair, listening to his father, not aware that Mariana was in the doorway. After a moment of silence, she took a breath.

“That…was you?” she asked, softly. Cullen jumped, spinning in the chair, and Santa nodded, looking up.

“Yes, Mariana. That was me. Every year since you were fifteen…” She frowned a little, but walked closer.

“I have all those cards…in a box, under my bed…” she spoke, glancing at Cullen. Santa stood from his chair, and reached for her hand.

“Come here, sweetheart…I want to show you something…” She hesitated, but took his hand, following him out of the room. Cullen stood, jogging behind them, and headed outside to one of the many sheds in the snow. Santa paused, raising his hand and dusting the snow from one of the doors. Glancing back over his shoulder at Cullen and Mariana, he pushed the door open, and took seven steps forward, counting quietly. Reaching up, he clicked on a light, and turned back to the door. Mariana’s eyes went wide as she stepped inside and looked around. There were mounds and mounds of gift boxes, each still wrapped and still shimmering in beauty as if they had only just been wrapped.

“What…what on earth is this?” she asked, in awe. Santa smiled, and nodded to Cullen, knowing he could explain it too. Smiling, Cullen put a hand upon Mariana’s back.

“This, Mariana…is your shed. All of these gifts were the ones dad was trying to deliver to you over the years, but that he couldn’t get to you. That’s why there are so many sheds about the snow – each is another person’s gifts, which they couldn’t receive for one reason or another.” Mariana looked around, and after seeing how many boxes there really were, she looked at Santa.

“But…I’m sure so many of these were things I’d have enjoyed as a child, but…that I wouldn’t now. Why do you keep them?” she asked, raising an eyebrow in slight confusion. Santa chuckled, and grinned.

“Because, dear, I don’t have to get rid of them. With a wave of the hand, I can update these toys. For when you start having a family of your own, I can wave my hand, and make these something your children would enjoy.” Blushing, she scooted over, and embraced Santa.

“Oh…you are so wonderful…” she said, softly. Pulling back, she looked at Cullen. “Did you know about this shed?” He chuckled a little.

“Can…I have one?” she asked, looking to him. With a smile, Cullen glanced at his father, and shook his head.

“I think Dad has a better gift for you, inside…Come along,” he said, taking her hand.

The three returned to the house, Mariana shivering a little, and Santa took her to the parlor, sitting her down. Excusing himself from the room, he disappeared around the corner, and left the two alone. Mariana reached for Cullen’s hand, and stepped over, kissing him gently. When she pulled back, he looked down at her.

“What…was that for?” he asked, smiling. She shrugged.

“I just felt like it…Is…that okay?” He nodded quickly, giving her a hug, before Santa returned with a box in his hands.

“Here, Mariana…open this.” Taking the box, Mariana took a seat upon the couch, and opened the wrapping paper. Inside was a plain brown box, with no markings or anything. Confused, she set the paper down, and pried open the top, peering inside. Removing the tissue paper inside, she gasped softly, removing the green, white, and red ball from inside. It was a crystal ball, with color bands on the inside.

“What is this?” she asked, not knowing what it was, only knowing it was rather beautiful. Santa looked at Cullen, who knew exactly what it was and gave a slightly surprised look.

“That’s a Link…” he said. Santa laughed softly at Mariana’s confused look.

“Well, if Cullen were less surprised that I gave it to you, he’d explain, but…I suppose I will,” he said, taking a seat beside her and taking the ball in his hands. “Anytime you’d like, once we return you home, you can hold this ball in your hands, and ask how we are doing…and it will show you. Here…ask how Mrs. Claus is,” he said, placing the ball back into her hands. Hesitant, Mariana looked at it for a moment before finally nodding.

“Um…how is Mrs. Claus?” she asked, softly. The three colors began to swirl, and in an instant, she saw Mrs. Claus in the kitchen, making a pan of cookies. Mariana gasped, dropping the ball, and watching Cullen jump in and grasp it just before it could hit the ground. “Oh my god! That…that’s amazing!” she said, looking to them both. Cullen smiled, placing the ball back in the box and wrapping the tissue paper about it.

“And I don’t think I’ve ever given one out to someone that didn’t live up here…” Santa pointed out. Mariana hugged him tightly, smiling brightly.

“Oh…thank you, thank you…” she said, and he hugged her back, before standing.

“Your welcome, dear…now, I believe I saw cookies, so...I have to go,” he smiled, scooting from the room. Laughing, Mariana watched Cullen sit down, and leaned against him, sighing.

“So…is it still going to be so hard to go home?” he asked, putting an arm around her shoulders. Mariana shrugged, looking up.

“It’ll be hard…but…I guess this will make it a little easier,” she said, glancing towards the door. “Do you think I’d be able to stay for another day or…two?” she asked hopefully. Smiling, he nodded.

“I don’t think they’ll complain. I’ll let dad know in a little while.” With a slight smile, and nod, she hugged Cullen, and kissed his cheek.

“Alright…now…I believe we had plans for lunch and a snowman?” Laughing, Cullen stood her up, and kissed her forehead.

“I’ll go get some food out…why don’t you go put this up in your room with your things, so it doesn’t get lost or broken?” Smiling brightly, she kissed him quickly before scooting around him and up the steps to her room. Chuckling, Cullen headed to the kitchen to get lunch ready for the two of them.