"I do not." Matt stopped thinking.

"All right fine. You don't think too much."

"I was just trying to remember what day it is.....is it December 20th?" Gabby shrugged.

"I don't keep a calendar around here. I don't need to."

"So you don't know what day it is?"

"No...but its snowy, so it must be December. And it could be the 20th."

"I think it is the 20th."

"All right then. I proclaim today the 20th of December."

"So 4 days away is Christmas....and we didn't decorate the barn."

"Well, for those of us who aren't Christian, tomorrow is Solstice. And we still didn't decorate the barn."

"Tomorrow is Solstice...I forgot."

"That’s okay. I usually forget until the day before anyway. So did you wanna decorate it up all pretty?"

"I don't know how to decorate for Solstice. I only know how to decorate for Christmas"

"So we can decorate for Christmas. Gabby stood up, looking outside. "We should get a tree."

"Let's go pick it out." Gabby poofed them both into warmer clothes. Matt walked over to the door and slid it open. Gabby walked outside, looking around.

"Cold out."

"Yes it is," Matt agreed. He slid the door closed. Gabby started walking towards the forest.

"What kinda tree should we get?"

"An evergreen."

"Sounds good."

"A fir tree....they're an evergreen. One that looks something like," he trailed off, pointing at a typical Christmas tree, "that."

"Heh...I’ve never got a real tree before. I always had fake ones when I was a kid."

"Then this will be your first. Well...pick a tree." Gabby nodded, looking at the trees.

"I don't want to hurt one though."

"Then we're going to have to get a fake one."

"Wait..." she said, closing her eyes tightly. She concentrated, and then pointed to a tree to her left. "That one won't mind."

"Okay. An ax please Gabrielle." Gabby poofed up an ax.

"When you're done, tell it thank you."

"I will." Matt headed over to the tree and started to cut it down. Gabby stood back, then sat down in the snow, watching. The tree fell to the ground and Matt kneeled beside it, holding his hand to its trunk. "Thank you tree. You shall make the residents of my home happy for Christmas," he whispered. "Do you want to poof it back into the barn? Or shall I try to carry it?"

"We can poof it. I don't want you to throw your back out."

"Okay then. Poof it." Gabby poofed the tree back to the barn. "Okay....shall we head back?" Gabby stood up.

"Might as well. It’s cold. I can poof up hot chocolate when we get back."
"That would be nice." He held his arm out for her. Gabby smiled and took his arm, starting to walk back. Matt opened the barn door and made a gesture to allow her to enter. Gabby walked back into the barn, noting the tree standing upright in the middle. Matt slid the door closed and entered behind her.

"Hot chocolate now?"

"Yes please." Matt walked over to a corner and uncovered three boxes that were buried in the hay. Gabby poofed up two mugs of hot chocolate with whip cream and powered chocolate on top, walking over to him.

"What’s this stuff?" Matt opened the box, revealing lights and ornaments and the such.
"Christmas stuff." Gabby poofed up a table and set the hot chocolate down. She nodded. Matt dragged the boxes over near the tree.

"We have to put a string of jelly beans on the tree."

"We should wait for Lily and Jeff before we start to decorate the tree. We could do the lights and the tree skirt and things without them though. What do you think?"

"I think we should wait. We can put Christmas music on and do it like some sort of weird family."

"Heh. I got some CDs in this other box." He opened a small box and handed them to her.

"Really?" she asked, looking through them.

"Put the music on now, and we can wait for them." Gabby nodded and put some Christmas chamber music on. Matt organized the stuff, putting the ornaments in one box, the lights in another, and the assorted stuff in the third box. Gabby went over to another corner, and dug through her own box, pulling out a five pointed star made of bent sticks. She walked back over to the tree.

"Can we put this on it somewhere?"

"Wherever you want to put dear."

"Well, I thought we could use a little Solstice thingie."

"Of course. Would you like to hang it over the door?"

"Sure. I'll do it later though."

"Okay. Look...the sign is gone," he noticed, pointing at the ladder.

"So it is...shall we disturb them then?"

"I don't know...should we?"

"Maybe we should wait till they come down."

"Maybe."

"Then we can celebrate their...umm...transition into a...umm...closer couple."

"They should be down soon...I think the signs been gone for awhile I think. Can't we just celebrate in general?"

"Well, yeah. but sometimes we need an excuse to celebrate. I make those up all the time."

"Oh. Okay. We can celebrate that then."

"And then tomorrow we can celebrate Solstice." Matt nodded. Gabby sighed and pointed at the loft. "They're coming down, I think."

***

Lily opened her eyes, awaking from her short nap. Jeff looked at her with a smile. "Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah...my headache is gone now."

"I thought it might be. And you're not sore or anything?" he asked, concerned.

"Kinda...but not as bad as I thought I would be." Jeff smiled.

"See? I bet Gabby's proud of you."

"I bet she is. Listen love, Christmas music." Jeff listened.

"It’s pretty. I guess its almost Christmas then?"

"Gee, you think?"

"Me? Think? Naaah..." he replied with a smile.

"I wonder what is going on downstairs."

"Wanna go see?"

"Sure, if I can will myself to get up." Jeff grabbed her arms, pulling her to her feet. "Thanks...heh."

"Why don't you just poof us downstairs?" Lily poofed them downstairs. She poofed her hair back in a loose braid and poofed Jeff’s back in a ponytail. Jeff looked around, pointing out the tree to Lily.
"It's almost Christmas, and the barn looks so...empty..."
"I think they're trying to decorate..."

"Let's help them."

"Of course." Lily looked around for Gabby and Matt, noticing them by a table drinking mugs of hot cocoa. Gabby looked up, smiling at them.

"Join us?" she asked. Lily nudged Jeff forward, following him. Gabby poofed up two more hot chocolates. Jeff sat down first, Lily sitting softly in his lap, taking the two mugs of Cocoa.

"Thanks Gabby." Lily handed a mug to Jeff and then sipped on hers. Gabby looked at Matt with an evil grin.

"We're celebrating for you two." Matt nodded in agreement.

"Tanks guys," Lily responded. Gabby shrugged.

"No biggie. I'm happy." Jeff put his mug on the table and wrapped his arms around Lily's waist.

"I wanna decorate the barn," Lily announced.

"There are some boxes by the tree."

"So why don't we all go decorate?" Gabby stood up, setting the hot chocolate down, and grabbed Matt's arms. She nodded. Lily climbed out of Jeff’s arms and stood up.
"We got a tree without you guys. We can always get another one I guess if you want."

"No...it’s okay," Lily assured her. Jeff stood up and took Lily's hand. Gabby pulled Matt up.

"The tree didn't mind anyway." Matt started to walk to the tree. Lily and Jeff followed behind. Gabby stands in front of the boxes. "All right. Its been a while since I've done this. What’s first?"
"Lights. I'll do the lights, and you guys start on the tree," Matt suggested.

"Ohhhh, can I go hang my thingie up now?"

"Sure." Lily kneeled down and started to unpack the ornaments, handing them to Jeff, who started to place them on the tree. Gabby walked to the corner of the room, holding the wooden pentagram in her hand. She whispered, then poofed it up over the doorway. Lily took a handful of candles and poofed herself up into the loft, placing a candle at each window. She lit them. Gabby walked back over to Matt.

"Need any help with the lights?"

"Yeah. Hold the bundle and untangle it as you pass it up." Gabby held the bundle.

"Oookay." Lily poofed back down to the bottom floor, placing candles in each of those windows as well.

"Done," Matt announced. Gabby stood back and looked.

"Niiiice." Matt climbed down off the ladder and grabbed her hand, walking back towards the tree and Jeff. He hadn't put anything on it yet. He sat there, placing hooks on the ornaments. "Oh, and the tree and everything is good too." Lily whispered something under her breath and the barn glowed a pale white for a second. Lily walked back over to them and sat down beside Jeff.

"The barn looks...more homey now." She handed Gabby and Matt a single glass icicle. It seemed to glow softly on the inside. Gabby smiled at Lily, and then sat down with Matt, looking at the icicle.

"This is gonna be a magic Christmas, isn't it?" Gabby whispered.

"Yes...I think it will be," Matt whispered back. Jeff and Lily took an icicle identical to the one Matt and Gabby had and placed it on the tree together.

"I think we're supposed to do that too...."

"I think so too." Matt moved his hand to go and place it on the tree.

"No wait...we gotta do it together." Matt stopped and brought his hand back. Gabby put her hand over his. "Kay..." Matt moved his hand to the tree again and placed it on the tree. Lily whispered something almost inaudibly and the icicles begun to glow brighter and then glow the original soft glow. Gabby leaned her head on Matt's shoulder. "The tree looks pretty..."

"We should put the rest of the ornaments on...your jelly bean string, remember?" Jeff tied the velvet tree skirt under the tree.

"Oh yeah..." she remembered, poofing up the jelly bean string. She strung it around the tree. Lily tied more ornaments on the tree with Jeff. Matt helped them.

"Come on Gabby...help finish the tree." Gabby nodded, taking more ornaments and putting them on the tree with everyone else. Matt sat back and looks at the tree, nodding with approval. "It looks beautiful," he commented. Gabby stood back.

"It really does," she agreed.

"It's not done yet," Lily added softly.

"What else does it need?" Gabby asked. Lily held an angel in her hands and stood, standing on her tip-toes to try and put it on the top. "Wait...Make yourself fly." Jeff stood up behind her and lifted her at the waist. Lily placed the angel on the top of the tree. Jeff replaced her back on the ground and held his hands around her waist.

"Now it's done."

"It’s even prettier." Matt and Jeff nodded in agreement.

"The barn looks like a home now...not just a house." Lily remarked. Gabby looked around, smiling.

"This is the most perfect place on earth." Lily poofed four stockings hanging above the fireplace and a bundle of mistletoe hanging underneath the pentagram over the door.

"There...now the barn is done."

"What do we all want for Christmas?" Jeff leaned his head on Lily’s shoulder, looking at the tree, all lit up from the icicles that they hung, and the ones that magically appeared there when they placed the original ones.

"I don't know..." Matt realized.

"You really don't know? Think then."

"Well...what do you want?" he asked.

"I don't think I need anything. I have everything I want. Everyone I love is right here."

"You stole my idea," Jeff accused.

"What idea?"

"I was going to say that."

"Well, I got to it first."

"So you did."

"Great minds think alike, eh?" Jeff held Lily closer.

"Yeah. We share a brain some times," Jeff agreed. He held Lily closer.

"I just want everybody to be happy for Christmas," Lily wished.
"Speaking for myself...I’m happy."

"I am too," Matt agreed.

"Lily? You guys happy?" Gabby asked. Lily and Jeff looked to each other and then back to Matt and Gabby. They nodded.

"Oh, Jeff. You asked about that feather the other day?" He pulled the feather out of his one small braids.

"Yeah...what about it?" Jeff asked.

"I have to show you something tomorrow, when maybe I feel a little better, okay?" Jeff nodded.

"I wanna get people presents."

"We can all go shopping tomorrow," Matt suggested. Gabby nodded, leaning against him.

"Good." Lily leaned her head back on Jeff's chest and he leaned his head on her shoulder.

"I feel like I'm part of a family again," Lily whispered.

"You are. We all are." Matt smiled and put his arms around Gabby's shoulders, hugging her. Gabby smiled.

"I love this," she announced.

"There is a definite feeling of love in the room." Jeff sat on the floor, pulling Lily down to sit in his lap softly. She sipped on her hot cocoa.

"Why am I already tired? I didn't do anything.." Gabby wondered.

"I'm tired...but that's a different story."

"The sun is going down anyway," Matt informed them, pointing out the window past the candle where the sun was going down. It was seen dimly over the trees.

"I guess cause we spent all day decorating and talking lots and stuff." Matt nodded. Lily yawned quietly and snuggled with Jeff.

"At least they have reason to be tired," Gabby whispered to Matt.

"I could give you a reason to be tired too..." Matt whispered back. Lily gazed absently out the window with Jeff.

"I'm sure you could.."

"You wouldn't by any chance have a silence spell thingy, would ya?" Matt asked her softly. Gabby smiled.

"I might have a few tricks."

"So then..." Gabby shook her head.

"Nah."

"Okay."

"Soon though."

"Okay." Matt looked over at Lily who was asleep peacefully in Jeff's arms. Jeff looked down at her and smiled, lying back in the hay with her. Gabby followed Matt’s gaze.

"They're even cuter now."

"I agree."

"Hey Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Merry almost Christmas." Matt smiled.

"Merry almost Christmas Gabby." Jeff moved some hair from Lily's face, closing his eyes and holding her close.

"The sun's down...it’s gonna get colder out."

"I'll start a fire." He headed over to the door and opened it, getting a few logs and closing the door behind him. Gabby watched him, laying back in the hay. He knelt before the fireplace and started the fire, standing up and walking over to his brother and Lily. He placed a black fleece blanket over them and then walked back over to Gabby, grabbing a blue one. He lay down in the hay beside her. Gabby sighed contentedly, snuggling close to him. Matt put his arm around her waist. "I'd have to say today was a good day."

"Most excellent."

"and the barn looks beautiful. You picked out a very nice tree." Gabby laughed softly.

"No, it picked us out."

"I guess it did."

"Well it did...it was calling out to me in the forest."

"I think I may have heard it."

"Really? You can hear stuff like that too?"

"Sometimes. What should we get for Jeff and Lily for Christmas?" he asked.

"Hmm...a giant box of condoms?"

"You're mean."

"Well...they’ll need it."

"But it's up to them to get them, not us."

"Well, I think it would be funny."

"I don't."

"Fine. We won't get then a giant box of condoms."

"Good."

"What do you think they'd like?"

"I don't know....that's why I asked you."

"Well, you've known Jeff longer."

"And you've known Lily longer."

"And if we combine our knowledge..."

"Then we'll come up with something good. What would they appreciate as a couple?"

"Hmm...something...with rainbows and wings."

"Rainbows and wings?" he asked.

"Rainbows for Jeffie, wings for Lily."

"Oh."

"We could be very mean and get them matching outfits."

"I don't want to be mean...it's Christmas."

"I know. I'm not gonna be mean."

"Good. So...what has wings and rainbows?"

"A...flying horse with a rainbow tail."

"Very good Gabby. Seriously now," he said sarcastically.

"I'm thinking! You’re not coming up with any ideas either."

"I'm too tired to think." Matt blinked, his lashes brushing against her cheek.

"Then we can think about it tomorrow, all right?"

"Good idea. Goodnight Gabby love."

"G'nite Matt." Matt closed his eyes and kissed her cheek, falling asleep. She smiled at him, then looked to the tree, falling asleep watching the icicles.