Midnight Magic on Christmas Eve

By Kazza

As background, this story was written in response to a competition set by Tara on her board, www.tvsroswell.com.  She has written an excellent 'future series', which she calls her R-Ting series.  It has all the 'gang' in it, but they now have children between the ages of 16 and 17.  Just to let you know, the children are as follows:

   Max and Liz Evans                                Beth and Ryan Evans

   Michael and Maria Guerin                    Mariah and Matthew Guerin

   Alex and Isabelle Whitman                   Alexis and Parker Whitman

   Kyle Valenti and Tess Harding            Jenny Harper and Kenny Valenti         

You don't have to have read the R-Ting series to understand this story.  But if you haven't, it is and excellent series, and you'll find it at www.tvsroswell.com, under fanfiction, then Series

Disclaimer:   In the alternate universe that all Roswell Fanfic writers visit, I own Roswell.

                        Sadly, in the real world, I own nothing, so please don’t sue me!  I promise to return the characters good as new.  All children belong to Tara, I take no credit for her brilliant Future R-ting Series.

Summary:    Roswell – The Next Generation, a challenge from Tara

Category:     A bit of everyone

Rating:          PG-13

Authors Notes: In response to a challenge set by Tara to use her characters in a story

PART 1

 “I can’t find them!”  He called out, his voice muffled as he searched in the loft.

“Well they’re up there somewhere, just keep looking.”  She encouraged.
”Are you sure they’re here?” 

“Yes, just keep looking.”  She said.  “Actually, try looking for a white box, says something like ‘fresh strawberries’ on it I think.”  Beth added, from her vantage point at the bottom of the ladder.

“Ahhhhhh!  Found them!”  Ryan shouted out, as the sound of boxes being moved could be heard.

“What’s with the ‘strawberries’ box?”  Ryan enquired as he reached the bottom of the ladder.

“Something to do with mum and dad, and the Crashdown.  Mum’s been using that box for like forever.  She say’s it reminds her of a time when dad lost control, some how I don’t think we want to know any more.”

“Mmm.”  Ryan replied, as the twins headed back to the lounge.

It was two weeks before Christmas Eve and Beth and Ryan had decided to decorate the house while their parents were out shopping.  Beth loved this time of year, it always made her so happy.  The feeling of family unity was always strong between the Evans’, Guerins’ and Whitmans’, but at Christmas it always seems even stronger.  Her parents always made  fuss, spoiling Ryan and herself rotten.  But this was the first year she could spend a little more and spoil her parents also.  Her allowance had gone up and she’d been saving a little extra each month so she could splash out.

Tearing off the tape that bound the box, Ryan pulled the lid off and stared inside.

“Wow, some of these decorations are looking pretty old and sad!”  He informed, pulling out a paper chain he and Beth had made when they’d been about 10.

“Hmmm, perhaps we could persuade mum and dad to buy some new ones?!  She agreed, unwrapping two carved wooden Sheppard figures that went with the nativity scene they had.

An hour of hard work later and the Evans’ house looked very festive. 

“Wow you guys’, you’ve done a great job here.”  Liz said as she returned home weighed down with grocery bags.

Lights covered the walls, fake snow sprayed onto the window panes and tinsel draped over anything that had stood still long enough.

“Thanks mum.”  Beth said, heading over and hugging the older woman.

“I was thinking, you two are getting older now, how would you like to invite the others over for a sleepover on Christmas Eve?”  Liz suggested, carrying the groceries into the kitchen.

“Really?  Oh that would be really exciting mum!”  Beth said enthusiastically.  She loved the magic of Christmas Eve so much and having her friends sleep over and join in with her would make it even better.

“Ryan?”  Liz asked her son.

“Sure mum, that would be cool.”  He replied, putting a carton of milk in the fridge.

“Well then, what are you doing helping me?  Go ask them.  You’ve got three hours before dinner and your father can help me pack this stuff away.”  Liz said watching her fast growing up children scamper out of the kitchen.

“Hi dad ……………. bye dad.”  Beth said as she and Ryan ran passed Max in the hallway.

“Can I take the jeep?”  Ryan added, grabbing the keys from the sideboard and disappearing out the house before Max had the chance to answer his son.

Chuckling to himself, Max headed into the kitchen to help his wife pack away the things.

“I guess you told them huh?”  He said encircling his arms around Liz’s waist.

“Yeap and they’ll be gone for at least a couple of hours.”  She replied, turning in his arms to face him.

“Why Liz Evans, whatever do you mean?”  He replied playfully.
”Oooh I think you know.”  She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and stroking the nape of his neck, where his hair ended.

“You know me too well!”  He remarked, knowing Liz had gone for his weak spot.

Dipping his head, he softly kissed her sweet lips before eagerly deepening the kiss.  Even after so long, it still amazed Liz how a simple kiss from Max Evans could affect her body so much.  The fire raging in her stomach confirmed he truly was her soulmate.

“A sleepover?  On Christmas Eve? Oh Beth that sounds like so much fun!”  Mariah squealed as she hugged Beth.  The two friends jumped up and down excitedly on the spot as they thought about how much fun Christmas Eve was going to be.

“I know, I can hardly wait!”  Beth replied, equally happily.  “You’ll come too won’t you Jenny?” 

“Erm, sure, I guess I haven’t got any other plans.”  She replied.  In truth, just the thought of spending time with Ryan made her skin tingle all over.  Perhaps a little Christmas magic would thaw him out and allow him to admit his true feelings to her.

Opening their arms out, Beth and Mariah beckoned Jenny into their group for a hug.  She was one of them, a friend and an alien, and she was just like their sister.

“Hello, guys?  Customers!”  A voice called out, breaking the silence of the near deserted cafe.  “What do I have to do to get some service around here?”  The shrill voice of Alexis filtered through into the back of the Crashdown.

“Lexi?  We’re out the back.”  Mariah called as the large swing doors marked ‘private’ swung open .  Noticing the huge grins on her friends faces, she could tell something had happened, and she wanted to be filled in.  The one thing she hate above all was people keeping secrets from her, something she’d inherited from her mother.

“Ok, what’s going on?”  She queried.

“We’re having a sleepover!”  Mariah squealed.

“Really?  When?”
”Christmas Eve, at my house.”  Beth answered.

“Alright!  Definitely a pamper, ice cream and girl flick feast.”  Lexi replied, her mind jumping into hyper drive as she planed out the evening in two seconds.

“Sounds great, only one spanner in the works.”  Beth said.

“What?”
”The boys are gonna be there too.”

“Oh this sleepover just gets better and better!”  Lexi grinned.  “How d’yah manage to persuade your olds to agree to that?”

“I didn’t, I guess they just trust us or something.”  Beth replied, as all four minds though towards the nearing party.

“So it’s a horror feast at your place then?”  Kenny said, after Ryan had informed them of the Christmas Eve plans

“You’ve got my vote, but persuading the girls could be more tricky.”  Ryan replied.
”Hmmm, I sense a compromise brewing.”  Parker added.

“Yeah, that means we’ll have to sit through one of those cringy girly high school flicks, where the dweeb of the class always ends up with the popular guy in school, as if that ever happens!  Matthew grumbled.

“Yeah mate, something like that.”  Parker agreed, patting his friend on the back and consoling him.  “Look on the bright side though, uninterrupted time with the ladies.”  Parker grinned, he liked the idea of spending time with Mariah.

“Hey!  That’s my sister you’re talking about!”  Matthew piped up.  He really loved his sister to death, and even though Parker was a good friend, he really didn’t need to hear about them together!

“Sorry mate.”  Parker dutifully replied.

PART 2

The next few weeks were used to plan their impending sleepover.  Using all free time, the girls set about arranging the evening, from the entertainment, to food and drink, to the sleeping arrangements.  Even in lessons at school they used the time to exchange notes with further ideas.  By the night of Christmas Eve, Ryan, Matthew, Parker and Kenny were pretty much fed up with hearing ideas from the girls!

Stepping into her kitchen, Liz wondered when the ‘bomb’ had hit it.  Flour dusted almost every surface, chocolate drops scattered over the counter top and dirty mixing bowls filled the sink.  The only savour was the amazingly sweet smell that was wafting around.

“Wow, you girls have been busy.”  Liz said, grabbing a cloth from the sink and starting to wipe away some of the flour.

“Mum!”  Beth complained.

“I was just trying to help.”  Liz defended herself.

“We’ve got it all under control, I promise.  I’ve got five more minutes and then the next batch of chocolate chip cookies will be ready.”  The young girl announced.

“Do I get a taster?”  Liz asked, hoping Beth said yes.  Chocolate Chip Cookies were her favourite, even better when they were fresh from the oven.

“Ok, but only one.”  Beth instructed, handing the plate of cooling biscuits to her mother and making sure Liz only took one.

“So, are you all ready for tonight?”  Liz asked, before biting into the cookie and allowing the still melted chocolate to tantalise her taste buds. 

“Yeap, pretty much.  The others have gone down to the video store to rent out some videos.”  Mariah replied, helping herself to a cookie also.

“You’re brave, allowing the guys to go and choose the videos.”
“Ah but they’re not alone, Lexi’s with them!”  Mariah replied, grinning at the though of her cousin dictating what they would be renting out.
“Oh, I see.”  Liz replied, smiling wisely.

A little after 7.00pm, Parker, Lexi and Matthew arrived, ladened with presents, videos and sleeping bags.  A few minutes later Jenny and Kenny joined them and the gang was complete.  Putting her gifts under the large Christmas tree, Lexi then flaked out on the nearby sofa.

“I am never going to go video shopping with you guys again, you’re hopeless!”  She exasperated.

“We’re not, we knew exactly what we wanted sis, but you just didn’t like any of them.”  Parker countered

“Yeah right, like we want to watch The Exorcist or Psycho for like the hundredth time, they’re sooo outdated!”  She replied indignantly.

“Oh Lexi you just don’t know good movies when you see them, they’re classics!”  Parker countered.

“Hey enough guys, let’s not fight.”  Ryan announced as Beth brought in a tray of cola and biscuits for everyone.

“Ok guys, we’re going now.”  Liz announced, stepping into her lounge that was full of teenagers.

“Bye mum, have a good time.”  Beth said, hugging her mother.

“Have fun.”  Liz replied.

“And be good!”  Max added, sounding the voice of authority.

Max and Liz were heading off to Maria and Michael’s, along with Isabelle and Alex.  They’d all agreed that the kids would enjoy some free time without the ‘olds’.  Although he’d had his reservations, Liz had assured Max that the children were good kids, and were responsible enough to behave.  Max had countered that they were teenagers, and he could remember what it was like to be a teenager, but Liz had said their children had inherited his steel self-control, there was nothing to worry about.

The moment the front door closed, a squeal of excitement erupted from the lounge as all eight friends prepared themselves for a night of entertainment.

“Ok, which video first?”  Matthew asked.

“Let’s get the girls choice out the way first.”  Kenny said.  “Otherwise we might fall asleep!”  He added, as Lexi swatted him hard on the arm.  “Owww!”

“Serves you right!”  She replied.

Putting the tape in, Matthew pressed play before turning round to see where he could sit.  Parker and Mariah were curled up on the small two seater, with Lexi, Kenny and Jenny sitting on the three seater, and Ryan on the single arm chair.  All that was left was the floor space beside Beth.  As he sat down, his arm brushed against Beth.  A shiver went down her spine on connection, it was such a simple touch but it made her skin hum.

“Sorry.”  He mumbled, moving over slightly.  It wasn’t that he minded sitting next to Beth, it was just that being so close to her made him feel uncomfortable.  The urge to pull her into his arms was so great, he wasn’t sure his willpower would hold out for the duration of the film.

For the girls, the film was a great success, the hero was the popular cute guy, who befriended the least prettiest girl in the school and made her popular.  It was the sort of flick the girls loved, but the guys hated.  Kenny fidgeted a lot throughout the hour and a half, getting many an elbow from Lexi and a sharp ‘sit still!’ for his pains.  Ryan and Matthew did their best to just ‘get through’ the movie without distracting the girls.  More worryingly though, Parker actually seemed to enjoy the film.  When the popular guy finally kissed the girl, Parker found himself cheering along with the girls.

“Parker, there is just no hope for you if you actually enjoyed that mental torture.”  Matthew whipped once the movie had finished.
“I can’t help it if I’m a liberated man, my mind is open to new experiences.”  He announced.

“New experience my foot!”  Matthew replied.

“Hey don’t knock him, I like a man who’s prepared to sit through a movie like that with me.”  Mariah said, jumping to Parker’s defence and looking lovingly into his eyes.

“Ok enough guys!  How about some popcorn?”  Beth suggested.

“Oooh sounds good, I love making popcorn!”  Lexi squealed, standing up and dragging Kenny with her.

Once Matthew, Beth, Lexi and Kenny had disappeared into the kitchen to make popcorn, the lounge fell silent, with only the sound of Parker and Mariah smooching to break it.

“Oh you guys, can’t you get a room or something!”  Ryan joked, half serious.  The last thing he wanted to see was his cousins making out.

“You’re just jealous!”  Mariah whipped back.
“Not a chance Mariah, I have no wish to kiss Parker!”  Ryan bantered back as his cousin pulled a face at him.  “Look there are plenty of other rooms, Beth’s, mine, any of them, just not here!”

“Right, no problem!”  Parker said, jumping to his feet.

“Just don’t do anything my parents would kill me for!”  Ryan called as his two friends flew past him.

The silence that descended in the room was almost deafening.  Both Jenny and Ryan felt the awkwardness of being left in the room alone.  Deciding she’d had enough of Ryan’s self-control, Jenny decided to take her courage in both hands and confront Ryan.  She was fed up with seeing all her friends paired up, hell even Beth and Matthew were starting to get together.  She’d had enough of Ryan’s pulling away from her, it was time to take some action.

“Is there something wrong with me Ryan?”  She asked bluntly, staring at him sitting as far away as possible at the other end of the sofa.

“Wrong?  No, what makes you ask that?”  He replied, unsure where the question had come from.

“Because of the way you act around me, like I don’t matter.”  She replied.
“You’re my friend Jenny, and one of us, of course you matter.”  He replied, beginning to feel uncomfortable, he wasn’t sure he liked the way their conversation was heading.

“Then why are you sitting as far away from me as possible, you’re acting like I’ve got the flu or something.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”  He replied.

“You’re not making me feel uncomfortable.”  She paused.  “You’re making me feel like what I want is out of reach.”  She said quietly.

“Huh?”  He replied, totally baffled. 
“You Ryan, I want you!  Don’t you even remotely have feelings for me?”

Her words nearly knocked him off the sofa, he hadn’t been prepared for Jenny’s outburst, even less her open admission that she liked him.  Slowly lifting his eyes to meet hers, he saw the fear she held in them.  He could tell she was worried about how he would react, and how she would cope if he didn’t like her the same way.  Taking a deep breath, Ryan thought quickly on the best course of action, return her confession and be honest, or choose the safer path and pretend they were just friends.

“Do I have feelings for you?”  He recited, trying to buy himself some time.

“Yes Ryan, that’s what I asked.”  She insisted. 

“Jenny ………… you don’t know how strong my feelings for you are.”  He replied quietly, suddenly deciding it was time to be honest, he could hide his feelings for her no longer.
“What?”  She replied startled.

“I mean it.  My hands start to sweat when I see you, my heart pounds so fast I can’t distinguish each beat, my head gets fuzzy and all I can think about is you.  Does that adequately express my feelings for you?”  He replied, still unable to look at her.

As each word sunk in, Jenny found herself more and more stunned by his admission.  He hadn’t just told her he liked her, he’d admitted he was totally, amazingly in love with her.  That was a lot for a 17 year old to take in all at once.

“Wow.”  She said, finally breaking the silence of the room.

“Yeah.”  He added, lifting his head to finally lock their eyes together.

The stare between the two young lovers nearly made the temperature in the room reach boiling point.  Both radiating their true love for each other through their soulful brown eyes.  Everything around them seemed to pale into insignificance, the only person mattering in the whole of the world at that moment was the other. 

Scooting down the sofa, Ryan covered the distance between them.  Slowly lifting his hand up, he gently placed it on the soft skin of her cheek.  Caressing it for a moment he continued to stare right into her soul. 

She could feel his hot breath dancing over her lips as his face leant in to hers.  Her skin was humming all over, all her senses heightened at the impending action from Ryan.  Her head was screaming out to her “this is it, the moment you’ve been waiting for.  Your first kiss.”  In her mind she couldn’t think clearly, he’d cast a spell over her and all she could think about was Ryan and his love for her.

It wasn’t strictly their first kiss, they’d shared that on the retreat they’d been on during the summer.  But Ryan’s actions had been as much down to the aligning planets awakening his sexual drive.  Since that night he’d pulled away slightly, disappearing back into his self controlled shell.

His lips moved closer, so close they were only centimetres apart from each other, eyes closed, both just waiting for the moment of pure magic, the feeling when they finally exchanged their long awaited first kiss.  Starting to cover the remaining distance, Ryan allowed the rest of his self-control to fall away as he moved in to complete the kiss.

“Ok, popcorn’s ready!”  Lexi boomed out, startling the two potential lovers and causing them to spring apart before they’d managed to kiss.

“Oh, erm, thanks.”  Ryan stumbled, as Jenny turned a deep shade of red through embarrassment.

“Did I interrupt anything?”  Lexi asked, getting no response.  “I could go back out and come in again if that would help?”  She added, feeling the tension in the room.

“No, you’re fine.”  Ryan replied, taking one of the bowls of popcorn from his cousin and offering some to Jenny.

“You sure, I mean it seems awfully uncomfortable in here.”  Lexi said, not allowing the subject to close.

“Lexi, drop it!”  Ryan insisted, seeing Jenny squirm beside him.  He wasn’t sure how much Lexi had seen, and he really didn’t want his cousin to make a big deal out of it, hell they hadn’t even kissed.

“I, erm …….. think I’ll just ………… use your bathroom.”  Jenny stumbled, desperate to get away from the glare of her friends.  Jumping from her seat, she dashed past Lexi and headed straight for the hallway.

“Damm, that was so close!”  She said to herself once she was safely locked in the bathroom.  Sitting on the edge of the bath, she tried to compose herself, before heading to the sink and splashing some cold water on her face. 

PART 3

“So where’s Parker and Mariah?”  Beth asked as they all settled down to watch the second video.

“Sucking face!”  Ryan replied smiling.

“Oh ………… shouldn’t we tell them we’re gonna start the second video?”  Beth asked.

“Sure no problem, off you go sis.”  Ryan grinned.
“Oh no, don’t look at me, I’m not gonna interrupt them!”  Beth retorted.  She couldn’t think of anything worse than having to walk in on her friends during a heavy make-out session.

“Well I’m not gonna do it.  Mariah may be my sister, but there are some things about her I really don’t want to know!”  Matthew snorted

“Fine, I’ll go!”  Lexi replied, putting down another bowl of popcorn and heading upstairs to find her brother and friend. 

Although she had no aspirations to walk in on Parker making out, Lexi knew that none of the others had the guts to do it.  Heading for Ryan’s room at first, she opened the door and peered in.  Finding it empty she knew that left just one more room, she was sure Parker and Mariah wouldn’t use the ‘olds room, and that just left Beth’s.  Taking a deep breath, she knocked loudly on the door.

“Parker, we’re starting the second video, are you coming down?”  She called through the wood.

“Erm, yeah ……… just give us a sec.”  He replied, his voice sounding strained. 

“Fine, five minutes!”  She called before turning on her heals and heading back downstairs.

“Do ……. we …… have ………. to ……….. go?”  Mariah said through kisses.

“I think so.  As much as I’d love to continue, we’re not ready for more just yet.”  He replied sensibly, breaking the kiss and resting his head against her forehead. 

He knew any longer and they’d be seriously out of control, they were so close to that stage as they were.  No matter how much he loved Mariah, and how much desire he felt, their first time was not going to be between piles of Beth’s clothes and her large collection of teddy bears.  No, Mariah deserved something more romantic and special than that.  Not to mention if Beth’s parents were to come back and catch them all hell would break loose!

“Eventually!”  Lexi cried out, as the two lovebirds made their way back down to the lounge.  “Let’s get this video over with!”  She added, prodding Kenny to put it on.  As the main credits started to roll, Jenny quietly slipped back into the room, hoping nobody would notice her and make a fuss.

“You ok?”  Ryan whispered as she sat down on the floor by his feet.

“I guess.”  She replied.  Moving his legs apart slightly, Ryan placed one either side of her body.  Nestling back against the sofa, she enjoyed the feeling of Ryan being close by.

The next hour and a half was torture for Beth.  Everyone knew how sensitive she was when it came to scary movies.  She spent a lot of the time hiding behind a pillow.

He could tell by the way her body kept jumping and shaking, that she wasn’t enjoying the film.  He felt slightly guilty; he knew he’d been the one to choose ‘Scream 21’.  He’d seen it before and knew the other guys would enjoy it, he just hadn’t expected Beth to be affected so much.  Partly through guilt, and partly because he wanted to, Matthew snaked out his arm and wrapped it round her shoulders.  Her shocked and startled facial expression made him realise he needed to offer her some sort of explanation.

“There’s a really scary bit coming up.”  He whispered, as she melted into his embrace.  She loved the feel of being enveloped in his arms, somehow she felt like no matter what happened she’d be safe, she was sure Matthew would never let anything happen to her.

The smell of her strawberry scented hair played havoc with his self control as he held her close.  To Matthew, that smell was like sweet, pure heaven, he just couldn’t get enough of it.  She really was an amazingly stunning girl, looking the spitting image of her mother, and Matthew just couldn’t deny how happy he felt when she was around.  Somehow, no matter how down he was, a smile from Beth could make everything better.

As she stared at the TV screen, Jenny was grateful no one would be asking her questions on the film once it was over.  She knew that pretty much all of it had passed her by.  It wasn’t that she didn’t like the topic of the film, she was used to watching scary movies with her older brother Davis.  No, it was more due to a certain male sitting only a few inches away from her.

As some point in the film, he wasn’t quite sure when, Ryan had put his hand by his knee.  As he intently watched the film, his senses had become aware of liquid velvet touching his skin.  Jenny’s hair had gently brushed against his hand and had immediately sent his sanity into orbit.  His fingers were itching to touch and stroke the silky matter, and after a few minutes of control, he eventually gave in to temptation.  Lightly brushing his fingers across a few strands, he allowed his mind to drift away from the film.

On the first touch of his fingers, Jenny had nearly jumped straight off the floor in shock.  She hadn’t been prepared for Ryan to show affection to her so openly, but as he continued, she concentrated to regaining control of her breathing that was threatening to run out of control.

So Ryan continued to stroke her hair for the remainder of the film, and Jenny continued to hold her breath.  She was sure he was blissfully unaware of the mental torture he was putting her under.  Knowing he was so close, and after his early admission, she wished she could use her alien powers to ‘zap’ everyone else away and leave just Ryan and her alone in the room.  She knew then she could finally complete the kiss they’d so nearly shared before Lexi had burst in on them.

Clicking the rewind button on the remote, Kenny glanced around the room and smiled as he saw all his friends paired up.  Beth was dozing in Matthew’s embrace, Parker and Mariah were smooching on the single seat, and Jenny was contentedly nestled at the feet of Ryan.  Pulling Lexi closer, he kissed her forehead before closing his eyes for a few moments.

The sound of the grandfather clock in the hall chiming out 12.00 brought everyone back down to earth.  Finally tearing herself away from Matthew’s grasp, Beth stretched her arms up to wake her body up, before rising to her feet.  After putting on her Westlife CD, Beth sank to the floor by the Christmas tree.

“Come on guys, it’s present time!”  She squealed excitedly as her friends continued to be routed to their chairs.

Inside a few minutes everyone was seated on the floor in front of the Christmas tree.  Presents covered the base of the tree, one for each person in the room.  They’d agreed to buy one present for a member of the ‘gang’, each opting to buy it for their potential/respective ‘other half/friend’. 

As Beth slowly dished out a present to each person, Ryan found himself wishing he was giving Jenny’s present to her while they were alone.  It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the present, it was just personal to him.  It had taken three shopping trips for him to find the perfect present for her.  He’d seen it in the window of the shop, and although it was slight more expensive than he’d hoped, Beth had offered to lend him the money so he could buy it.  She knew how much her brother cared for Jenny, and was excited to see her reaction to it.

Ryan subconsciously held his breath as his sister placed the small box in front of Jenny.  Hesitating for a moment, she slowly picked up the box and held it in her hand.  She studied it for a moment, it was a dark blue box with silver stars and a satin red ribbon tied around it.  Pulling the ends gently, the ribbon fell away leaving the lid of the box as the only remaining obstacle.

Lifting it off gently, Jenny slowly peered inside, and was stunned by the sight that greeted her.

“Oh Ryan, it’s beautiful!”  She exclaimed, staring at him through tear filled eyes.

“It’s ……. erm ………. I hope it fits.”  He replied, pulling the ring out of the box and reaching for Jenny’s small hand.

The ring fitted her finger like a glove, as if it had been specially made for her.  It was a gold band, with a ‘V’ shape at the front.  In the ‘V’ there were pure white diamonds encrusted in the gold, mapping out the star constellation of their planet.

“I ……… I don’t …… know what to say Ryan ………… Nobody has ever given me such a beautiful present.”  She replied quietly.  Inside she wished she could be swallowed up, the intense stare of her friends making her feel very self-conscious.  Sitting on the floor, in her mind, she found herself pleading at Ryan to hold her, make her feel strong once more. 

As he watched her intently, he was suddenly aware of her voice in his head, “hold me Ryan” the voice repeated over and over.  He couldn’t tell if he was just imagining things, or whether somehow they’d formed a connection, but he knew he had to answer her cry for help.  Tentatively placing his arm around her shoulders, Ryan used his extra body strength to pull her closer and wrap his other arm around her body.  The moment she felt him surround her, she found her body liquefying into his arms.  She couldn’t tell how, but somehow Jenny knew he’d heard her call out for him.

Sensing that Ryan and Jenny needed a few moments without their friends gazing at them, Beth set about chivvying the others to open their presents, allowing Jenny and Ryan to enjoy their embrace.  She found she had tears pricking her eyes as she watched her brother.  Finally he’d let Jenny in, he’d let her see what she really meant to him, and Beth couldn’t be happier for him.

As if on queue, once all the presents had been opened, “Close” by Westlife started to fill the room.

“Come on, let’s dance!”  Mariah squealed, jumping to her feet and pulling an eager Parker up with her.  Lexi and Kenny followed suit, leaving just Beth and Matthew, Ryan and Jenny on the floor.  She hadn’t left his arms since he had given her the present, and tilting her head upwards, Ryan stared down into her chocolate brown eyes.

“You want to dance?”  He offered.

“Yeah.”  She breathed, barely able to speak. 

Helping Jenny to her feet, Ryan returned his arms around her body, and held her close as the music circled around them.  As they danced slowly around, everyone else in the room seemed to pale into insignificance, the only two people in the world mattering at that moment was them.  Jenny was sure that if Ryan didn’t have such a tight hold on her body, she would just melt into a puddle on the floor, just like melting wax from a burning candle.  Her head felt dizzy as she stared up into his eyes, mesmerised by the fact she was in his arms.  Inside her head, a voice shouted out that it was the most perfect moment of her life, and she couldn’t disagree.

“I agree.”  He whispered into her ear.

“Huh?”  She mumbled.

“That it’s the most perfect moment, of my life too.”  He replied.

“But ……….. but I didn’t ………. Say that out aloud.  How Ryan?”

“I don’t know.”  He simply replied, and pulled her close to his body again.

Beth was beginning to feel like Cinderella, sitting on the floor and watching all her friends dancing romantically.  Somehow, it had struck 12.00 and she’d turned back into a pumpkin, at least that was what her brain was saying, in answer to why Matthew hadn’t asked her to dance.  She was determined not to cry, she wouldn’t let him know how much she liked him.  Yet she couldn’t help but feel sad, she too wanted someone special in her life.

He could see the tears beginning to form in her eyes, glistening under the light of the Christmas tree lights.  Her body language screamed disappointment, and the way she gazed at her friends, he could tell she wanted to be a part of it.  He thought for a moment about not doing anything, but then knew he couldn’t deny Beth a part of that moment.  He knew it would be hard to dance with her, it was hard enough to keep his body under control when she was just sitting beside him, but feeling her body against his would just cause his senses to jump into override.

Standing up, Matthew stood above Beth and held his hand out for her.

“What?”  She questioned.

“Dance with me.”  He instructed.

“Me?”
“Well I don’t see any other girls around.”  He replied, as she took hold of his hand. 

Pulling Beth to her feet, he tried to take up a more cautious stance, trying not to get his body too close and allow it to embarrass him.  He knew if her body got too close to his, he wouldn’t be able to control his own body and then she’d know just how much he cared about her.

I could talk all night just to hear you breath

I could spend my life just living this dream

You’re all I’ll ever need

You give me strength, you give me hope

You give me someone to love, someone to hold

“When I’m in your arms, I need you know.  I’ve never been, never been this close.”  Jenny whispered into Ryan’s ear.

“I kept my distance, I never let go,  But in your arms I know I’m safe.  ‘Cause I’ve never been held and I’ve never been kissed in this way.”  Ryan sang quietly to the beauty in his arms.

“You’re all I’ll ever need, you’re all I’ll ever need.”  They both sang to the other.

 As she studied his face, Jenny felt overwhelmed with the new feelings flooding her body.  Despite her best efforts, tears began to well in her eyes.  She blinked a few times to try to stop them, but in was all in vain as two tears eventually spilled out down her cheeks.  Moving his hand from her lower back to behind her head, Ryan tilted it into him and allowed her to bury her face in his chest.  Soothing her hair, he allowed her to relinquish her emotions through sobs into his chest.  They were tears of happiness, not sadness, at the wonderful feeling of being in Ryan’s arms.

Close enough to see it’s true

Close enough to trust in you

Closer now than any words can say

“And when I’m in your arms, I need you to know.  I’ve never been, I’ve never been this close.”  Parker sang as Mariah stared up into his eyes, both radiating the love they felt for each other.

As she was held in his arms, Beth could feel the tentativeness in which he embraced her.  In her mind, she assumed he’d only asked her to dance because there was no one else and she felt her heart begin to shatter.

“What’s wrong?”  He whispered, sensing her sadness.

“Nothing.”  She replied quietly.

“Beth?  Talk to me.”  He insisted.

“Ok, why did you ask me to dance?”  She questioned.

“Huh?”
”It’s just a question.”

“Ok, I asked you because I wanted to dance.”
”Then why are you holding me at arm’s length?”
”Why?”  He breathed, “Why? ………… Because ………. Because if I hold you any closer …………. You’ll know how much I …………… I like you.”  He confessed.  Her smouldering brown eyes stared up at him in amazement.

“You …………. You like me?”

“Yeah.”  He breathed against her cheek, kissing it softly.

Moving her face to level with his, she leaned in and allowed her soft lips to brush against his.  Closing her eyes, she felt his arms embrace her fully and pull her close into his body.  His tongue caressed her bottom lip making her skin feel prickly and her pulse speed up.  Never before had she been kissed so openly and so passionately.  She’d dreamed so many times of kissing Matthew in such away, but in reality is was million times better than any dreams.

Finally breaking the kiss, Matthew pulled Beth close to him and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder and breath gentle breaths against his neck.

“But in your arms I know, I’m safe ‘cause I’ve never been held and I’ve never been kissed in this way.”  She whispered to him, never wanting the moment or song to ever end.

PART 4

When the music finally ceased, everyone slowly started to sit down.  Thinking on his feet, Ryan knew Jenny needed a few minutes to compose herself, and he wanted some private time too. 

“We’re just gonna go and get some fresh air, we’ll be back soon.”  Ryan said, ushering Jenny towards the door before their friends could see her tear drenched face.

The cool wind hit her face as she stepped outside, grateful for a few minutes to regain her composure.

“You ok?”  He asked, stepping out behind her and placing a comforting arm around her back.
“Yeah, thank you for that, I really needed a few minutes away.”
“I thought so.”  He replied, smiling at her as they sat down on the bench in the garden.

“Ryan, can you read my thoughts?”  She asked bluntly.
“No, not always.  It’s just sometimes, when you say things, I can hear them too.  I thought I was just dreaming them, but tonight made me realise I’m not dreaming, you’re really saying them.  I guess it’s like my parents, they can connect and read each other’s minds, but they also seem to know what the other is thinking without using words, maybe I’ve inherited it.”  He suggested.

“And me?”
“Don’t know, perhaps only two people who are meant to be together can do it.”
“I like that explanation.”  She replied, nestling her head on his shoulder.

Staring up at the sky, Ryan located the ‘V’ constellation and studied it for a moment.  He found himself wondering what would have happened if his father hadn’t of crash-landed those many years ago.  He for one certainly wouldn’t be around, at least not in the form he was in, and neither would Jenny.  But he had a feeling, no matter what form they were in, be it human or ‘green and slimy’, they’d always find each other.

The moonlight shone on her tanned skin giving it a silver glow.  Her eyes shinning like the twinkling stars above them.  This time he didn’t pause or hesitate, the moment was perfect and he decided to cease it.  Placing his hand gently behind her head, he scooped up some of her soft hair and allowed it to trickle through his fingers.  Leaning in, he covered the distance between them until their lips were centimetres apart once more.

Jenny held her breath, half expecting the house to explode or something.  But nothing happened this time, nothing ruined their moment of pure perfection.

The feel of his soft lips touching hers felt like heaven.  It was a gentle kiss, securing the love they both felt for each other.  Once their initial shyness and inhibitions had been stripped away, the kiss became more passionate and urgent.

Feelings flooding her body made Jenny feel giddy, she’d never felt anything so intense before.  His free hand that had been placed around her waist started to move.  First searching out the curve of her hip and then the indent of her tiny waist.

When they eventually broke apart, they both gasped in deep breaths of much needed air.  She felt drunk on his kisses as she tried to regain control of her spinning head.  His face was flushed red, and she couldn’t help but marvel at how cute he looked with a pink tint to his cheeks.

“Think I’m cute huh?”  He said quietly.

“This connection thing is getting kinda scary, can you hear everything I say to myself?”  She questioned.

“No, not everything, just things you let me here.”  He replied.  As if to test out his theory, she whispered in her head “kiss me again.”  Smiling back at her to confirm he’d heard her, Ryan leant in and obliged her request.

After a further fifteen minutes inside, Jenny started shivering.  She tried to hide it, she really didn’t want to head back inside just yet, but she couldn’t stop.

“You’re cold, we’ll go back in.”  Ryan said, pulling her closer as they stood up.  Heading back up to the door, they both took one last look at the twinkling sky, before disappearing inside.

Quietly walking into the lounge, Ryan noticed everyone was in their sleeping bags asleep.  He also noticed Parker’s protective arms around Mariah; Kenny’s around Lexi and more surprisingly, his sister lying in Matthew’s embrace.  He couldn’t help but feel so happy for Beth.  He could tell how much she liked his friend, and he was so pleased Matthew had finally admitted his true feelings to Beth.

Once they had got ready for bed, Ryan helped Jenny into her sleeping bag, before climbing into his own.  Snuggling close to her body, Ryan opened his arms so Jenny could nestle between them and rest her head against his chest.

Slowly opening the door, Max and Liz slipped quietly into the house.  Standing in the doorway to the lounge, Max pulled Liz close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist.  He  could see the protective arm of Matthew wrapped around his only daughter, and the way Ryan slept with Jenny in arms, just the way he and Liz slept.

“I think they’ve finally found their soulmates tonight.”  Liz said as she lead Max up to their room.

“Mmm.”  He replied reluctantly.

“What’s wrong honey?”  She enquired.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to let them go yet, especially Beth, she’s still my little girl.  There’s still so much she needs to know, she’s still so young and naïve.”  He replied honestly.
”You don’t have to let her go, just extend the rein slightly.  She’ll always come back Max, I promise.  You’re her dad, no one will ever take that place.  She’s a good girl Max, and Matthew is excellent boyfriend material, they won’t do anything stupid, I’m sure of that.”  Liz replied, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Knowing she needed to elevate some of Max’s fears, she stepped in and kissed him, almost immediately instigating her husband to respond to her advances.  Within a few minutes, the fate of their childrens’ lives was the last thing on his mind as Liz began her assault on his body.

He’d heard his parents come in, somehow he just couldn’t fall into a deep sleep until they arrived home.  He assumed it was the leader sprit inside him that caused his restlessness, always conscious of protecting the others in his father’s absence.  Finally his body began to relax and allowed sleep to start to wash over his tired body. 

Closing his eyes once more, Ryan decided the sleepover had been an excellent idea of his mother’s and a great success.  He couldn’t deny it, there had truly been magic in the air that Christmas Eve.

THE END!

Author:          Kazza – 24th December 2000