"Marry you?" Bethany blushed. And interestingly enough, that fought the transparency, washing color through her from head to foot. "Are you--"
"Very serious. Marry me, Bethany Miller? I love you more than anything or anyone in the entire world. In both worlds. In the whole universe. In--"
"The boy's loopy with fatigue," Mr. Miller scolded, turning around from the sink, where he was up to his elbows in suds. "You've caught him, Bethie. Nice and secure. Now take care of him."
Harry liked the sound of that: Bethany taking care of him. He could barely stand up straight, but that was all right, because she wrapped an arm around him and led him to the guest bedroom. He collapsed like a house of cards in a stiff breeze when she pushed him onto the bed. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, just to be sure, but there were two, maybe three or four of her in the room now, and he wasn't sure which one he was talking to. Bethany leaned down to kiss him goodnight. He closed his eyes, sighed, and thought about complaining that there was only a fizzy tingle as their lips met. He fell asleep before the thought finished.
* * * *
"That's for you," Phill said, when Lori came out of the bathroom.
"What's for me?"
A knock came on the door. Phill patted her on the arm, winked, then the next moment changed her pajamas and robe into ski clothes.
"We're heading to the Alps. It's beautiful this time of year. Merry Christmas!" Phill added, and blinked out before Lori could say more than, "We?"
The knock came on the door again.
"Are you gonna get that?" Will said, his voice echoing slightly as it slid through several dimensional doorways.
Lori muffled a few choice words on interfering half-wits who couldn't see what was obvious to everyone else in the known universe. She stomped across the room to answer the door.
"I'm coming!" she shouted, when a third knock came, a little louder and faster this time. "What's the--" Her voice caught in her throat as she yanked the door open and found Brick standing there, looking a little frantic.
"Look, I know it's not tomorrow, and I know you can zap me into next week, literally, but--"
"How do you know?" Lori backed up. He followed her into the room and kicked the door closed behind him.
"Will spent the entire afternoon giving me an education on the Fae facts of life. I sure hope that's what you were going to explain to me tomorrow."
"Uh...yeah. Kind of slowly. Sort of take it one step at a time, to see how well you could take it."
"I think I took it okay." He caught hold of her hands, effectively stopping her from backing right into the bathroom. "A couple times I wanted to go running for the hills, but yeah, I get the whole picture."
"What stopped you?"
"From running?" Brick tugged hard, effectively yanking her off balance so she fell forward, right into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. "You."
"Yeah?" Lori decided she'd be an idiot to struggle, even if it was a matter of pride. Caught in Brick's arms was exactly where she wanted to be. She and Phill had spent the afternoon talking about all the problems she would have, especially if Brick didn't have any Fae blood in his background, and how to resolve or at least work around those problems. Then the last hour, they had discussed how to break the news to Brick and what she should do if he proved hard to get.
Obviously he wasn't going to be hard to get at all--because judging by the tightness of his arms around her, he was 'got' already, and he was worried about 'getting' her.
Lori considered making him worry, just for a few seconds, then tossed the thought aside.
"Good. Because I'd chase you wherever you went. Even to other worlds."
"Let's talk about our travel plans later." Brick lifted her up against him, so she stood on her toes, and kissed her.
Lori was pretty sure she heard a few muffled magical sonic booms, but that could have been the thudding of her heart. She was definite about the buzzing of magic that shot out through her feet and sank down roots into the magic-soaked soil of Neighborlee, and then came up again to meet Brick's magic roots--yes, he definitely had some Fae blood. Faint to the point of being nearly invisible, but it was there. That solved a few problems--and any legitimate complaints and roadblocks her conniving, matchmaking, dynasty-building relatives might throw in her way.
"Stay here," Brick whispered, when they came up for air a good ten minutes later.
They were also hovering a good ten inches above the floor, more proof that he had some magic of his own, latent up until this point. Lori put that little lesson aside for later.
"Stay here in Neighborlee. Will explained all your problems back home. Stay here and be part of our magic. Please? Oh yeah." Brick grinned, but just for a second Lori saw panic flash in his eyes. "I love you, Angeloria."
"What a coincidence," she whispered, and tipped her head to the side for a better angle. "I love you too."
Stay? He flinched only a little when his thoughts slid up against hers.
Forever.
* * * *
"Someday," Maurice whispered, holding Holly close as they listened to the clock in the center of town make the first strike of midnight and reverberate through her dreams. "Someday we'll have forever."
"All I care about is making sure we do everything today that we planned," she said, and glanced up at the mistletoe and holly filling the roof of the gazebo in the center of town. "Add this to our list? We'll come back here tomorrow when I'm awake, and kiss for luck?"
"If you let me. After all, we've only met a couple times while you're awake. If I try to kiss you, you might punch my lights out."
"Then I'll kiss you right now," she said, and went up on her tiptoes to kiss Maurice as the clock hit the ninth stroke. She dug her fingers into his arms and kissed hard on strokes ten and eleven.
Maurice vanished, feeling her fingers still gripping his arms, on the stroke of midnight.
Monday, December 24
"Holly," Maurice whispered, as he woke on the couch in the furniture room at Divine's Emporium.
The last chime of midnight still hung in the air.
That had never happened before.
Usually, no matter how hard he tried to have the entire twenty-four hours of his day of having a full-sized, see-able body, he always woke up around dawn.
Trembling, Maurice vaulted off the couch and reached for his clothes. No, wait--he hadn't put his clothes out last night before he went to visit Holly's dreams. Wasn't that stupid?
But a second later his hand closed around his clothes--new clothes, a thick black sweater with holly and mistletoe embroidered around the collar and cuffs, black slacks, boots, even a hat and gloves and snazzy leather jacket.
"Thanks, Angela," he muttered as he struggled into the stiff new clothes.
His stomach growled--hunger was a natural result of having his body expanded from five inches tall to six feet--so he made his way upstairs as quietly as he could, to raid Angela's kitchen. After all, it was midnight. Nobody would be awake for a few hours, at the very least.
Correction--Angela was awake, making a massive breakfast. She gestured at the big red teapot sitting in the middle of the table, set for three.
"Expecting guests?" Maurice asked. He lifted the lid of the teapot. The heavenly aroma of Angela's special recipe, triple-chocolate hot chocolate rose up to tantalize his nose.
"Hoping. No assurances. But considering your record and how many times I've pestered the powers-that-be..." Angela shook her head, and bent to open her oven and bring out a pan of cinnamon rolls.
Maurice poured for both of them. They toasted each other and silently sipped their first cupfuls while Angela finished cooking the last few strips of bacon.
The magic guarding the house shivered. Maurice grinned, delighted he could sense even that much magic. Usually he was an ordinary Human in the total sense of the word on the days he got a full-sized body. Angela quirked up an eyebrow.
"You felt that?" Her look grew smug when he nodded.
"That's a very good sign. Our guest has a key, but maybe you want to go downstairs and meet her, just in case she's having a hard time navigating. Or maybe she's afraid to come the rest of the way."
"Her?" Maurice didn't want to hope, was afraid to hope. He put down his cup, nearly missing the table, fumbling so it hit with a cracking sound. He almost tripped over the chair in his hurry to get away from the table, out of Angela's quarters, and to the stairs.
Holly stood in the main room, arms wrapped tight around herself, staring at the Wishing Ball on the counter. It glowed and swirled with more magical light than Maurice had ever seen before. He stood in the doorway behind her, drinking in the sight of her, afraid she was just a dream.
He cleared his throat, not sure what he would say first.
"Maurice?" Holly turned around, pale and gasping. "I remember."
"Me? You remember me?"
"For good behavior." Asmondius's voice came from the Wishing Ball. "The terms of your exile still stand. One more year in reduced circumstances, but because of your good behavior and efforts toward reform, and because of the recommendations of your parole officer, the block on your sweetheart's memory is lifted." The Wishing Ball's light started to fade, then flared brighter. "Merry Christmas, lad."
"Thanks, Asmondius," Maurice said. He staggered only a few steps toward Holly. That was all right, because she staggered toward him and they met halfway and clung to each other. "So...you won't punch my lights out if I kiss you under the mistletoe?"
"I will if you make me wait for the mistletoe," Holly whispered, and slipped one hand around the back of his head, to bring his lips down to meet hers.
THE END
About the Author
Michelle has been a story addict for as long as she can remember, discovering Narnia and Star Trek at an early age, and becoming addicted to Greek mythology. After discovering fandom in college, she published 40+ short stories in various universes including Star Trek, Highlander, and Stargate SG-1. This launched her writing career, eventually creating her own universes instead of playing in someone else's.
She has a BA in theater/English from Northwestern College and a MA in communication, focused on film and writing from Regent University. She continues to write and submit scripts for various screenwriting competitions.
In 1990, she broke into the public market when she won 1st place in the 4th quarter of the Writers of the Future contest, earning prize money, royalty money, and publication in that year's anthology. It took another 10 years before her first book contract, for Heir of Faxinor. Since then, Michelle has published 40+ books and novellas with multiple e-publishers, in science fiction and fantasy, YA, and many sub-genres of romance. She has been a finalist in the EPIC Awards competition multiple times, winning with Lorien in 2006, and The Meruk Episodes, 1-5, in 2010, and has garnered 4s and 5s from many review sites.
Her training includes the Institute for Children's Literature; 8+ years in advertising; 10 years at a community newspaper; and freelance editing for small presses and a major business publisher.
In 2008, she launched her own freelance editing business, offering proofreading as well as light or in-depth editing services on an hourly basis. Check her Web site: www.Mlevigne.com and click on the red pen to learn more.
* * * *
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