Kirianna Ledräen wrote:And here I am, updating again. This must bring you back to the old days!

Kirianna Ledräen wrote:-Paige walked into the dining room, with Piper hot on her heels. She gave Chris a squeeze on the shoulder as she walked past and heard Leo whisper "Good luck" to him before backing away. One quick look at Piper, told her she had better attend to the table, and fast.
-"Mom!" Chris said, a big smile crossing his face, arms open for a hug.
-"Don't mom, me!" Piper said angrily, stopping short of his open arms, hands on hips. "What were you thinking? It's Christmas Eve, for God's sake!"
-"Mom..." Chris started, but was quickly silenced by his mother.
-"No, Chris. You should have known better then to run off! With our family's history, nothing is as simple as ‘I'll be back before dinner'." She said, her concern showing through her aggravation. Paige, having made her way partway around the table, leaned toward Leo, while watching Piper and Chris.
-"Chris went out before dinner?" She asked quietly, having been too preoccupied to notice Chris's earlier absence.
-"Yes. And he just got back." Leo whispered back to her.
-"So that's why she's so angry." She said, as she went back to setting the table.
-"Mom..." Chris tried again, with the same result, and starting to get a little annoyed.
-"Chris, this Christmas was supposed to be perfect. It was supposed to make up for the last couple of Christmases." Piper said, starting to break down. Paige, half listening, leaned over to Leo again.
-"How many people are staying for dinner?" She asked. Leo looked at her, astonished, for a moment, before answering her.
-"Fourteen in all." He whispered. As he shook his head at her, Leo noticed that Piper and Chris were drawing a crowd. Kyle was standing at the foot of the stairs, watching silently. Tom, Veronica, Nikki, and Steve came into the dining room, when they heard Chris's name, leaving Wyatt to play with his toys. Before Steve could say a word, Nikki had her hand over his mouth, so as not to interrupt. And Michael and Victor were standing off to the side, listening intently.
-"But why?" Chris asked, not understanding Piper's distress.
-"For you. It was supposed to be perfect, for you!" Her eyes started to tear up, just then, for all the frustration that had built up, was finally released. And her worries with it.
-"Mom." Chris said again, looking into her damp brown eyes, a sweet smile forming on his lips. As his eyes filled with tears, too, he pulled her into a big hug. "It's all right. All I need for a perfect Christmas, is you." He pulled her back to look at her. "You. And Dad, and Wyatt. Aunt Phoebe, Uncle Cole, Aunt Paige, Grandpa, Bianca, and Hope." He looked around at those gathered around him, a tear making its way down his cheek. "All my family and wonderful friends. That's all I need. That's all I ever needed."
-"That's so sweet." Paige said, brushing a tear from her eyes with one hand, and placing the last plate on the table with the other. Piper let out a laugh just then, realizing that that was all she needed for a perfect Christmas, too. She lightly brushed the tear from Chris's cheek, and smiled up at him. Feeling very relieved and stress free for the first time all day. She looked around at her family and friends, and felt their warmth and love wash over her like a tidal wave, filling her with hope.
-Angela and Bianca came in just then, and when Bianca saw Piper and Chris, she knew everything was okay. She made her way over to her husband, and gave him a big hug and kiss. "You all right?" She asked a moment later, as she looked up into his beautiful green eyes.
-"Never been better." He said, giving Bianca a little squeeze, and his mother a little smile. Angela, watching all this, walked over to Michael, and after giving him a light slap to the chest, wrapped her arms around him. Letting the joy-filled moment engulf her. But she soon pulled back when she realized he only held her with one arm. As she looked down and saw the sword in his hand, her smile quickly turned to a frown.
-"What's this?" She asked, worried.
-"I'll explain everything later." Mike reassured her, and as he gave her a kiss on the forehead, a little timer went off in the kitchen.
-"That would be the potatoes, with the turkey soon to follow." Bianca announced. And the moment was broken. Piper wiped her eyes, and composed herself, and looking at Bianca asked, "Would you help me in the kitchen, please?"
-"Of course." She said, then she kissed Chris on the cheek and went back into the kitchen.
-"Leo, would you go tell Phoebe and Cole that dinner will be ready in a few minutes, please?" Piper asked, just before she followed Bianca.
-"Yes, of course." Leo answered, then headed past Kyle and up the stairs. Victor put his hand on Chris's shoulder and nodded toward Tom, Steve, and the girls.
-"They want to talk to you before they go."
-"Thanks, Grandpa." Chris said before walking over to the four friends, who were suddenly looking very excited to see him.

Chrissy.W.x wrote:Chris shook his head when he saw Veronica and Nicki, hardly able to stand still, and Tom and Steve grinning widely. Smiling he asked: "What are you doing here? I thought you're supposed to be with your own families right now."
"We are," Tom agreed.
"Yeah, but we wanted to give you your gifts before," Nicki explained, and Veronica nodded.
And Steve added: "We wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas, face to face."
Chris smiled and hugged one after the other, saying: "Thanks, but you really didn't have to get me something."
"We know..." his friends answerd in union and started to laugh again. "Actually it was quite funny to wait for you," Tom said then, "I build a snowman together with your brother."
"Really?" Chris asked smiling.
Tom nodded: "Yeah it's ouside in front of your house..."
The Elder-witch chuckled, then he said: "Oh I'm a bad host, won't you come in and sit down?"
Steve sighed: "No... we've been sitting here waiting for you, for a while already... But we really need to go now..."
Chris nodded, visibly sad: "Yeah If I had known I'd tried to be back earlier. But you see, there was this little girl, Annie. She was shot by a darklighter."
"WHAT?" all four exclaimed.
Chris just nodded: "She's fine, don't worry. Right now she's with her mom at my office at the school... Steve, when you go back there later, can you make sure they get a propper room for the night?" Steve and Nicki both nodded. Chris sighed: "Thanks."
"No problem," Nicki said, "but now you have to open our gifts for you." And with this she pulled out a little box wrapped in golden paper, decorated with a big loop.
"Oh, but I don't have anything to give you right now, since I braught your gufts already up there for the party in two days..." Chris said, feeling a little bad about that.
"Oh come one... We know that, still we want you to open those now. We wanna see you reaction... so just do it, will you?" Nicki insisted.
The Elder-witch nodded, took the box from his friend's hand and unwrapped it. Actually he felt eve a little nervous while opening it, just like if he would be a 5 year old excited about hid gift. He opened the little box which was hiding under the paper and loop. And when he looked inside he grinned: "A mood ring?"
Nicki laughed: "No... It looks like one, true, but no. It's more. This ring changes the color when it senses evil."
Chris looked at her, then back at the ring, and then back at her with a smile: "Wow... Thank you!"
"Now, mine," Tom said, giving Chris another box, which was a little larger, wrapped in the same style as Nicki's but in different colors.
Chris smiled as he opened it and found an old hour glas. It was large, and made of wood with some gold aplications here and there. And the sand inside was sparkling. "Oh my... is this an elve's hour glass?"
Tom grinned when he saw the excitement in Chris' eyes: "Yes it is..."
"So you know about those things?" Veronica asked, since she herself did have no idea until Tom had told her about it.
Chris nodded: "Yeah this hour glass helps you, by showing you things from your past. It reminds you of things when you need to remember them... Like when you have to make a tough decision or something. You can ask the glass and it shows you what you need to see to find your way." Then he turned to Tom again: "Thanks. This is an amazing gift!"
The young man smiled. "You're welcome."
"Mine shall be the next one," Veronica said then and gave Chris another little box.
The elder-witch smiled and opened it. Inside the box, wrapped in cloth was a little snowglobe. It showed a couple standing in the snow, holding hands, next to a snowman."
"Don't you agree that those two almost look like you and Bianca?" Veronica said excited. Chris had to agree on that. "And it's a music box, plays a romantic melody."
"Thanks," Chris said, "that's beautiful."
Now it was Steve's turn. "That's from me," he said as he gave Chris a larger box.
Chris took it, complaining that they all had spend too much money for him... But when he saw what Steve had baught for him he lost his voice for a moment. "Wow," he muttered as he pulled out a sheath. It was beautiful handwork, made of fine leather and decorated with old symbols. It looked like it was a few centuries old but it was absolutely flawless.
"I though you need something to transport Excalibur in the propper way... in case you wanna take the sword with you," Steve explained.
Chris was still speachless, he just looked at the sheath and shook his head. "Really," he said then, "this is far too much, I don't..."
"Oh no!" Nicki exclaimed. "Don't even think about complaining. Got it? Those gifts are for you... And we want you to be happy about them. So no 'that's too much' ok?"
The Elder-witch nodded smiling: "Thanks so much for all this. I can't even find words for telling you how much this means to me... Thank you, thank you, thank you." And again he hugged them all, truely thankful. Those gifts really were amazing and more than he would have ever expected.
When they finally parted the four friends had to say goodbye, since their parents would be already waiting for them. "Tell the others some greetings," Steve said. Chris nodded and then Tom shimmered them away.
Meanwhile Victor had observed the scene from the door to the dining room, smiling. He didn't know what happened, when his grandson was away, but something did happen, that he was sure of. Chris visibly had relaxed and was more at ease. Plus, he was really excited. It seemed to Victor that the Christmas spirit had finally found a way into his grandson's heart.

Chrissy.W.x wrote:A couple of minutes later all the family and their guests were seated at the dining table. The Halliwells did own a huge table, already. But for this dinner they had enlarged it a little - magically. "God, this family has really grown a lot," Phoebe had complained earlier, when she saw all the mess. But in fact she knew that this family was better then everything she could have wished for.
Now they all sat there, talking lively and waiting for Piper and Bianca to come in with the turky. In fact they had two of them. Otherwise there wouldn't be enough for all them. But the other one was at Chris' apartment at the school, and they would pick it up 15 minutes later, since they started that one a little later, too. This way it would be fresh when it was needed.
Then finally Bianca came in with a bowl of sauce followed by Pier who carried the turkey on a plate. Everyone cheered when they saw that wonderful and abolsutely delicious looking bird, congratulating Piper even before they have tasted it.
"Oh wait until you had the first bite... I'm afraid I used a little too much pepper," Piper warned smiling.
Cole then grinned. "Well then better give us something before we starve," he said, earning a slap on his farm by his wife.
"Oh.... yeah... who shall spread the turkey???" Piper asked then. And when everyone looked at her she added: "Oh no... I had all the work today, now it's MY time to relax." And with this she sat down to underline her point.
Chris grinned at her and offered to do it, but Victor interupted him: "I guess it's a family tradition of ours... well back before Patty and I..." he interupted himself, he didn't want to go there right now, to be honest. "Well, what I wanna say, it's tradition that always the oldest has to cut and spread the turkey..."
Piper laughed and agreed enthusiastically. Chris and Bianca started laughing too, when they saw the faces of Michael and Angela after they told them what this meant. Piper and Kyle also agreed, not that it really mattered to them who gave them their food... not that the food mattered at all since they almost only had eyes for each other. Leo also nodded and then took care of Wyatt again, who was about to play with the salt on the table. So Piper finally took the knife and gave it to Cole.
The man - who had been a little distracted by the woman by his side - turned to her questioning: "Me?"
"You're the oldest," Piper said. "Not even Leo can beat your age..."
"Awww.. you make me sound so old..." Leo complained, laughing.
Cole still hesitated: "I don't know if I'm... I mean... it's your turkey I..."
"Oh come on, it's just a turkey... And it will get cold if you don't get your butt to move," The oldest of the sisters explained.
Cole grinned the nodded: "Ok." Then he stood up and went around the table to the huge turkey. And when he ceremoniously cut in the bird and the stuffing came out the whole place smelled like onions, like apples, like cinemon... like Christmas.

Chrissy.W.x wrote:The family-Christmas-dinner went on in a very happy and relaxed way. Everyone enjoyed each other's company on this special day. Piper was floaded with compliments for the wonderful meal, and then again a second time when the other bird was served. Then everyone giggled when Wyatt decided to eat his mashed potatos with his fingers... Oh yeah, this was fun. And all the time, Christopher and Hope were playing in the playpen near by (since they had been fed already).
"So," Cole then looked over at Michael, "what is it with the sword you braught with you?"
Chris sighed: "I don't think that's the right time to discuss." And his friend nodded in agreement.
"Oh come on," Angela encouraged her husband, "just spill it..."
"Well," Michael started, hesitating. He knew it wouldn't end up good if he explained it all. But his wife kept asking. "It was the sword of Gareth and... Amy gave it to me."
"Amy?" Bianca asked confused.
"That girl from the Middle Age?" This was Victor, and Chris nodded.
"And why?" Angela then asked.
Michael shrugged: "Well... she said, I'm supoposed to be Chris' knight and therfore I need something to defend myself."
For a moment everyone fell silent, just looking at the man and at Chris in turns. "NO!" Angela excalimed then, looking straight at Chris. "I won't allow you to take him when you go after a demon or something. He's just a mortal! Got it?"
Chris rose his hands in defence: "Don't look at me, I already told him that this whole idea is crazy!"
"It's not," Michael gave back. And suddenly all the peace seemed to slip away and even Wyatt looked up from his plate. "It's logical," the man went on, "you are the owner of Excalibur. And as Arthur did, you'll need people to trust and to rely on. Your knights. And as your friend I'll be one of them, I already am. And I don't plan to go after a demon with you, or something. I will just be there for you whenever you need me, as I already do... And if that puts me into danger, then now I'll be able to denfed myself! Not more, not less... Got it?"
After this was said, again silence filled the room. No one really knew what to say to this. Chris looked seriously at his friend and then smiled, shaking his head: "Thanks."
Cole and Victor and Leo shared a look, and then smiled, too, while Angela's face still showed all her worries. But Bianca assured her, that she would have an eye on her husband and winked.
"So," Paige said then, "Who will be your other knights?"
The Elder-witch looked at her wordless. He didn't know what to answer to this, because he had never thought about that... Therefore he shrugged and admitted: "I have no idea..."
Leo sent him a calming smile: "Don't worry son, you will know it when it's time..."
Cole giggled about this 'so-typical-Leo-comment' and said: "Absolutely, but I guess we all know who his Merlin is..." And everyone started to laugh.

Chrissy.W.x wrote:Later that night Cole, Chris, Michael, Phoebe, Angela and Bianca were sitting in the living room, talking, while Paige and Kyle were in the kitchen, cleaning the chaos. Phoebe and Bianca had wanted to help, but the other two insisted to do it on their own... most likely to have some more private time. Leo, Piper and Victor were meanwhile busy with getting the kids ready for bed.
"So you really burnt down your Christmas tree?" Cole asked laughing.
Michael nodded: "Yeah... I mean, no one planned it, but the crash let the tree fall a little to the side and the candles lit up the branches."
"Well, you shouldn't have hunted your cat around the tree then..." Chris laughed.
Michael looked at him with faked anger: "Hey I was five!"
At this Angela took his hand and caressed it lovingly. Then she took his face in her other had and made him look at him: "Well... I'm sure your parents forgave you... such a cute boy, I'm sure no one was able to be angry at you..:" Again everyone laughed at this.
Right that moment blue lights appeared on Cole's lap and formed into Wyatt: "Uncle help me... Don't wanna go to bed!"
"Oh.... But why?" Cole asked.
The boy looked seriously at him: "I wanna see Santa... Wanna wait for him and say thank you to him for my gifts."
Cole grinned at Wyatt, like everyone else in the room. Then he said: "But you know... only good kids will get gifts... and I don't think that he'll see you as a good kid, when you stay up all night."
Wyatt frowned, then he looked at the others before he looked at Cole again: "But isn't it also a bad thing to not say thanks?"
Now everyone laughed heartily about the boy's cute innocence. While Chris got up to kneel by his brother's side. He smiled at him and pulled a blond curl out of his face. "You know," he said, "that's why we made the cookies earlier, that's why they are on that plate over there, together with the mild... to thank him."
This moment Piper came down the stairs. When she heard what they were talking about she smiled: "Wyatt... come on, it's time for bed..."
The boy again looked at his uncle: "Promise me that no one else will this?"
Cole smiled and nodded: "I swear, I will let no one else than Santa himself have it!"
The boy sighed like an old man and then nodded: "Ok." Then his uncle kissed him on his forehead and sat him down to his feet. Wyatt then hugged Chris tightly before he ran over to his mom, who picked him up.
Piper turned around to the others and mouthed a "Thank you" before heading up the stairs again.
Bianca chucked as Chris sat down next to her again, pulling him into her arms.
"You are really good at this, buddy," Michael said and Angela nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, but you are, too," Phoebe said to her husband before kissing him.
Cole then looked at his watch with a sigh. It was time to go. "Well," he said turning to Chris, "I guess we better get going... Maybe you could just orb us down and come back since... I mean, since we have guests."
Chris looked at Michael and Angela, an "Oh" escaping his lips.
"What?" Michael asked.
"Well, actually we planed to pay another friend of us a little visit... you know..." he looked to the hallway, "without them knowing..."
Michael looked at Cole and then back at Chris and said: "Oh..." Then he looked at his wife again and smiled at her before turning to Chris again: "Then go, before they come down again... We'll cover for you."
"Really?" Cole asked.
"But what will you say?" This was Phoebe.
"Well," Angela said, through she wasn't so sure what they were talking about, but trusted her husband's decision, "we will say that Chris and Bianca looked after that girl he'd saved."
"Yeah, and you two," with this Michael looked at Cole and Phoebe grinning, "were just 'tired' and went to bed."
"Thanks..." Chris said. The he turned to his wife: "So I suggest you bring them down and I follow in a second... because I really need to check on that girl and her mother... I promised it."
Bianca nodded and so all four left the living room by orbing and shimmering respectively.
Angela sighed and snuggled closer to her husband, who hold her close, watching the lights at the beautiful Christmas tree.

Chris materialised in front of a door at magic school and immediately knocked. It took a moment but then the woman opened the door.
"Hey," Chris greeted shyly. She smiled and let him in. "How are you? Do you got everything you need?" he asked then when he she had closed the door behind him.
"Oh, we're fine... thanks to you," she replied. Right that moment the young girl came running into the room. She ran over to Chris and hugged his legs.
"Annie, did I say to you, you should stay in bed?" the mother said seriously, but still smiled a little bit.
Annie looked at her: "But mom, I have to thank him..." Then she looked up at Chris and said: "Thank you angel. I knew you would save me."
Chris smiled at the girl and then knelt down to her level: "I'm not an angel, sweetie. I'm just human, ok?"
"But you are shining," the girl insisted, "I can see it."
"I know," Chris said, but I'm still not an angel... I'm just..." He stopped unsure what to say. He looked at the girl's mother, but she just shrugged. So he turned back to the girl: "I'm just someone with a gift... a gift to help people. And that's what I do..."
Annie sighed and looked down: "Ok..." But then she looked up and him again and asked: "But do we have to stay here?"
"Yeah, I guess it's saver for now..." Chris answered. "Why don't you like it here?"
"I do," the girl said, "but I'm afraid that Santa won't find me here..." Now her mother started to sob softly, through she still smiled.
Chris grinned but then he remembered something...
"No, actually they had all been there... everyone who was on our list. But as it seems we bought one doll to much," Jeremiah had said.
'Maybe Santa really exists," Chris thought. Then he looked at the girl again seriously..."Hmmm... you know what? This is a special place, and here usually Santa arrives a little earlier... You do know that in other places Santa arrives at a different time right? I mean he can't be everywhere at the same time, right?" The girl nodded and the mother looked at the Elder-witch interested. But he just went on: "So... Santa had already been here yesterday..."
"Yesterday already? Oh no... I missed him," Annie was close to tears now.
Chris just smiled at her: No-no... Ok, he was already here, but... he left something for you."
"He did?" both daughter and mother said in union.
Chris nodded and hold his hand behind his back to orb the remaining gift from the show to his hand. What the mother registered astonished but the girl didn't. Then he gave the gift to the girl, who looked at it with wide opened eyes.
"Can I open it?" She asked.
Chris looked up at the woman who nodded and then said: "It's up to you... if you want you can open it, or you wait until tomorrow."
Annie frowned and then said determined: "I'll wait until tomorrow..." Then she hugged Chris again.
"Ok young lady, " her mother said, "time for bed." The girl nodded and then said good night before she heeded back to the bed room.
The woman meanwhile turned to Chris: "You really didn't have to buy something for her."
"I didn't," Chris answered. And when she looked at him questioning, he explained: "We had a school play yesterday, and we gave gifts to the kids... the gifts were counted, but still... after the play there was one doll left." Chris smiled at the woman who didn't know what to say to this. Then he added: "Seems Santa knew this all along... Good night." Then he orbed away.

"This is so amazing... and weird... but mostly amazing."
Leo chuckled as he watched his father in law rocking little Hope who was weeping softly, while he himself changed the diaper of baby-Chris.
"You know," the man then went on, "it's hard to believe that this here is actually my great-grandchild."
Leo now nodded: "Yeah, I now... I'm wondering about that fact, that I'm granddad already, nearly every day..."
Now Victor looked at the Elder: "Really? I thought you would be used to it by now."
"Well, I doubt I will ever get used to this... It's too weird."
The other nodded: "Yeah, I guess... But a good weird..."
"Absolutely, a weird good family..." Leo agreed as he closed the sleepers and picked the boy up to his arms. Then he turned to the other man and smiled: "And it's good that you are a part of it."
Victor smiled back at him, understanding: "Thanks."
Right that moment Piper steeped through the door, Wyatt on her arms with his head on her shoulder and his thump in his mouth.
"Ah see who's there, Hope..." Victor said looking at the girl, "you're uncle is here now, too... and he's going to sleep right now, too."
Wyatt looked up when he heard his grandpa say this. "I'm a big boy," he said, making the other's chuckle.
"Yeah and the big boy will go to sleep now, right?" Leo asked after he had laid the already half dozed off Christopher into his little bed.
The boy nodded and as soon as his mother put him to the ground he ran over to his own bed and crawled under the blanket.
Victor shook his head: "What have you done to him that he's so easy to get into bed?"
Piper sighed: "I've no idea... usually he isn't like this, but maybe it's because of Christmas..."
"I'm sure he's just afraid that Santa won't orbing him anything if he doesn't behave..." Leo chuckled.
"No!" Wyatt exclaimed pulling the blanket over his head. And then they all heard a muffled: "I'm sleeping..."
Piper laughed and went over to him, pulling the blanket back a little. "Ok, boy... Good night, sleep well," she said and gave him a kiss. Then she said good night to the other two kids, too.
Leo then did the same and they both stepped to the door, while Victor lay down Hope into her crib. She finally fell asleep, too. "You coming?" Leo asked.
Victor looked at the girl and then at Christopher and then at Wyatt, before he turned to his daughter and son-in-law asking: "Do you mind if I read him a story or something?"
Immediately Wyatt sat in his back again, looking at his parents expectantly.
"Ok..." Piper said with a serious voice, "one story... But that's it, alright?" Both Victor and Wyatt nodded. So the smiling parents left the room, clothing the door behind them.

An hour later, Belthazor looked at all the stuff Cole and the other had brought and smiled. The three and the decorations, and all this little useless but still beautiful things. And the food... And some gifts for Julian, too. "Thanks," he said, "thanks for all of this."
Cole looked at his brother and smiled: "You're welcome."
"Yeah," Phoebe added, "I love Christmas shopping and this gave me the opportunity for another round."
"Uhhh... don't remind me," Cole exclaimed, gaining a playful slap from his wife, and a chuckle from Chris. Even Belthazor laughed about this.
Then an alarm sound was heard. "He's coming," Belthazor said.
"Turn of the lights," Bianca commanded. And so they did. And then they waited in the dark... patiently.
Soon the door to the cave was opened and a figure stepped into the dark room. "B.? Are you home?" Julian called closing the door behind him before he switched on the lights.
But when he did, he was startled to the bones when five voices screamed "SURPRISE!"
"Wha... What's going on here?" Julian exclaimed looking around confused. Then he noticed the tree and the candles and the loops and the mistletoe and the reindeers and Santas and other stuff, the food on the lovely decorated table and... the smiling faces of Belthazor and their guests. And he almost choked out his next question: "What is this..."
The red demon stepped closer and put an arm around his friend. Then he gestured to the stuff and said: "This is for you... Merry Christmas Julian!"
"Yeah, Merry Christmas," the others' voices were heard, too.
"That... that's amazing," Julian whispered, close to tears now. "I... I can't believe it."
"Just do it, "Bianca said, as she hugged her husband close.
"Yeah," Cole said, "this is all for you... well, and him." With the last words he gestured at the demon.
"Belthazor told us that you wouldn't have a Christmas this year, so we thought we help you out," Phoebe explained.
And Chris nodded agreeing: "Yeah, everyone deserves to have a Christmas... Or something similar at least."
Now Julian began to laugh: "This... this is just unbelievable. Thanks you so much!" He hugged his friend tightly, and then went over to the others, to give everyone a hug, too.
Chris smiled brightly when he hugged the demonic witch back and said: "Come on, lets sit down and eat, before it gets cold."
Julian nodded and so they did. They enjoyed the leftovers of the Halliwell-dinner, they chatted, they laughed... And Julian thought it was all he needed. Sure it was sad that his family had kicked him out, but now he realised he had found a new one. He had Belthazor, who was a great friend... no, who was like family for him. And as he now knew, Cole and Chris and their wives cared, too.
Later, when all food was gone and they sat just there, talking, Belthazor asked his friend: "Won't you open your gifts?"
But the demonic witch shook his head: "No... not before tomorrow."
"Yeah, you can't open them now... it's against the rules," Phoebe agreed.
Belthazor shrugged: "Ok... I guess I can wait this long to see your face." Julian grinned about this.
"Well... I hope you'll like your gifts, too," Cole said then, directed at his brother.
The demon looked at him surprised: "You got something for me, too?" And as Cole nodded the demon smiled. "Thanks." And this really came from deep inside his heart. He had just wanted to make his fried happy, but what he got was even more.
"You're welcome."
Julian then turned silent, staring into the nothing for a moment, thinking. First no one noticed but then Phoebe asked: "Hey, are you ok?"
Julian looked at her: "What? Oh, yeah... I was just thinking."
"About what?" Belthazor asked.
"Well," Julian sighed. Then he turned to Chris: "Are you still searching for a job?"
Chris frowned: "Yeah, why?" What was this all about?
"Because, when I visited my grandma today, she made me a gift. But I can't take care of that on my own, since I don't live up there anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Bianca now asked.
Julian grinned: "I'm talking about the 'Silver Spoon'."
"The restaurant at the bay?" Chris asked, wondering if he was really talking about that famous little restaurant, where he, too, liked to eat now and then.
The demonic witch nodded. "Yeah, I thought you could be my manager... or you and Piper, if she wants to. You can have half of the profit... So, do you want to?"
Chris looked at Bianca, who squeezed his hand, then he turned back to Julian. "If you're really serious about that, then yeah, of course I want. But please, think through this again first. I mean, that's your gift."
Julian nodded: "Ok, I will... But I doubt I'll change my mind, since I can't think of anyone better for this job."
Chris blushed: "Thanks."

When Bianca and Chris orbed home later - Phoebe and Cole had decided to stay a little longer - Piper, Leo and Victor had still been awake, sitting in the living room, talking quietly.
"Hey," the greeted. And then Bianca asked: "Where is the rest?"
"Michael and Angela already went to bed about half an hour ago." Piper explained.
Leo chuckled: "And Paige and Kyle are upstairs, too, through I doubt they are sleeping."
"Uhhh," Chris grimaced, "I really don't need that picture.
"So, how is the girl and her mom?" Victor asked then, when the newcomers finally had sat down.
"They are fine for now... But after the holiday we should try to find out what this was about..."
Piper nodded: "Don't worry, we will..." Then she slapped her hands on her knees and stood up. "But now I guess I call it a day, too... Since I'm pretty sure Wyatt will wake us up early."
"Oh yeah... I guess he'll be up at sunrise," Leo agreed chuckling and stood up, too. Then he waved his hand and all the gifts appeared under the tree.
Chris looked at all the boxes and smiled: "Wow, that's a lot."
Piper grinned: "Yeah..." But then she turned serious. "Don't dare to look at them before tomorrow morning, or I'll ground you for the rest of your life!" she stated and then had to smile again, when she saw the scared expression on her oldest son's face. She gave him a kiss on his forehead and said: "Good night sweetie. Don't stay up to long..."
Chris just nodded and said good night to Leo, too, same as Bianca and Victor did. Then the Elder orbed himself and his wife up to their room.
But as soon as they were gone, Bianca yawned. "God, I guess we should go to bed, too, don't you think?"
Chris was about to answer when Victor said: "He'll follow you in a minute, there just one little thing we have to talk about.
Bianca looked at her husband who shrugged, since he had no idea what this was about. Then she nodded and left the room. But not before saying: "Don't let me wait to long, baby..."
Chris grinned as he followed her with his eyes, then he turned back to his grandfather and asked: "So what do you wanna talk about?"
Victor's answer was simple: "You."
"Me?"
"Yeah, I wanna know what happened today. Because you seem to be so different since you're back from wherever you had been with Michael this afternoon."
Chris sighed, understanding what his grandpa meant. He remembered the talk they had have earlier. But how should he explain all those things he had seen this day, all those things that had happened?. "Well," he started, "I guess I just remembered some... good things, from my past." Victor nodded. So Chris went on: "Well actually it was just one thing, but that must have triggered something inside me, like someone switched on a big neon-sign saying 'Hey buddy it's Christmas for God's sake'... "
At this Victor had to chuckle. Then he said: "Well as long as it helped you, it's fine."
Chris nodded: "Yeah..."
Then they both kept silent for a while before the older one asked: "I don't want to be insensitive but... Do you like to tell me what it was that you remembered?"
The Elder-witch smiled a 1000-watt-smile: "I remembered how Leo played Santa Clause when I was 2 and a half years old."
Victor looked at his grandson with wide opened eyes, since Chris had once told him about 'his' Leo. "You're kidding?"
"No," Chris replied, "I guess he wasn't as bad as it seemed, at least at the beginning."
Victor just nodded, what else could he say to this. They again kept silent for a moment until Victor stood up, too, saying: "Come on buddy, it's time for bed..."
Chris nodded. So they turned of the lights and went both up the stairs. On the first floor their ways parted and Chris turned to Victor for one last time this night. "Good night grandpa," he said, "merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you, too, Chris."

Chrissy.W.x wrote:Ok... here we go... The finale
It was early in the morning when Victor was awaken by a tapping sound... like little feet running over a carpet. Then he heard some swearing from someone that sounded a lot like Paige.
He smiled and got up.
Christmas was finally there.
He put on his bathrobe and stepped out of the room, just to see an exited Wyatt running in his PJ out of the other guestroom, from where he heard laughter.
When the smiling boy saw his grandpa, he came over to him and hugged his legs. "'s good that you're wake, so I don't have to wake you," he said. Then he smiled even brighter saying: "Santa was here, tonight!"
Victor grinned at the boy and ruffled his hair. Then the boy let go of him and ran to the next room he found and the man followed him.
Meanwhile a sleepy Piper came now out of her room, too. And when she saw her father already awake she asked: "Did Wyatt wake you, too?"
Victor turned to her and smiled: "Good morning, Piper, and no, he didn't I was already up."
The woman grimaced: "Lucky you, because that little monster jumped on us while we were far away in dreamland..."
Victor laughed and then Piper grinned, too.
Meanwhile Wyatt had entered Chris's and Bianca's room and used their bed as trampoline saying again and again: "Wake up... Santa was here, Santa was here!"
Victor chuckled even more as he saw his one grandson so excited, while his other slowly woke up. But when Chris was fully awake he hugged the boy and said with a huge smile: "Did you wake the others so that we can go and open the gifts?"
Wyatt nodded.
Chris looked hurt: "What? You did this without me?" But then he smiled: "Good so we can get the gifts faster..." And he jumped out of bed too. First he circled his bed to the side where Bianca just was half awake and gave her a very intimate kiss, before wishing her a Merry Christmas. Then he took Wyatt's hand and left the room, wishing Victor Merry Christmas, too, on his way...
Bianca meanwhile shook her head, smiling. Then she noticed the man standing in the doorway, and said: "Good morning."
"Good morning," Victor replied, then asked, "have you ever seen Chris like this?"
Bianca shook her head: "No... But really, I don't mind, I like him this crazy and excited."
The man nodded: "Yeah, me too."
Meanwhile Wyatt reached the stairs, followed by Chris, but they both didn't go far because Cole just came up that moment and grabbed the small boy in his run on the small middle landing of the stairs and lifted him over his shoulder. "Not so fast young man," he said.
Wyatt giggled, and Chris did, too, saying: "See Wyatt, this is the advantage of being a grown up." And he tried to get passed Cole.
But the man wouldn't let him. Laughing he let go of Wyatt, who tried to run but ended up in Phoebe's arms. Then he grabbed Chris around his waist with one arm and started tickling him with his free hand, simply guessing he would as sensitive to that on his sides, like baby Christopher was... and he was right.
Chris was laughing so hard, trying to get free, but at the same time enjoying this so much. Still he needed air... "Please... Cole... Ok... I... I surrender..."
Meanwhile Michael and Angela had also climbed out of their beds and they watched this scene played in front of them with amusement. Cole then let go of his nephew and smiled widely while Chris caught his breath. The Elder-witch just shook his head, and started to laugh again, when he saw Wyatt's face who was smiling brightly.
Then he turned to Cole again: "So what? We have to wait here...?"
Phoebe nodded: "Yes, non of you will go down there as long as not everyone is awake and here..."
It took about five minutes then everyone was awake. Even Christopher and Hope who were carried by Leo and Bianca respectively were looking excited, through it was probably more because of the chaos and all the people at one, then because of Christmas, since they both were too small to really understand this.
So finally Cole stepped aside to let the others pass him on the stairs and within a millisecond both Wyatt and Chris were on their way again. They ran into the living room to see what Santa brought and both stopped right at the door as they saw the tree and all the gifts... even more gifts then it had been when Chris went to bed... The most eye catching thing through was a model railway in garden-size which was doing it's turns around the tree.
"Wow," Wyatt breathed out and Chris just nodded, feeling again like he was just a kid. Then both went over to take a closer look at the train. It was lead by a classical steam locomotive and had four wagons in dark purple. It was really beautiful.
Meanwhile the others reached the living room, too. And when Michael and Kyle saw the train they immediately joined Chris and Wyatt.
Angela and Paige meanwhile had the same thought in mind: 'They're just huge kids...'
"Surprised?" Leo asked as he slowly went over to 'his boys'.
Chris looked up at him: "More than that, dad. Much more..."
"Well," this was Piper who had sat down on the sofa, "why don't we open the other gifts then, to see if there are more surprises."
Wyatt and Chris looked at her with a huge smile, then they both crawled over and pulled out some of the boxes, handing them to the persons they were meant for. And within minutes the whole room was filled with abandoned loops and ripped colourful papers. Then Chris found another gift with his name on it. Smiling he opened it to find...
"Lollop?" Chris exclaimed as he pulled out a fluffy toy in the shape of a bunny looking confused at his parents.
Piper and Leo looked at each other while the rest of the family was kind of confused now. Leo then said. "So you know this little bunny, do you?"
Chris nodded: "I... I got one at my first Christmas... This one..."
Piper smiled: "Thought so..." Then she explained: "I was searching for a gift for mini-you and came across this bunny. And I bought it. But then I thought about you, and that maybe in your timeline you had one, too. So I decided to give this bunny to you and buy for Christopher the cat instead." With this she gestured to the baby who was sitting in the playpen, shaking a fluffy cat by holding it on it's tail.
Chris looked at the bunny again and then hold it close saying: "Thanks mom... This is great..."
"You're welcome, sweetie."
Leo then turned to his father in law and whispered: "Have you eaten Santa's cookies?"
The man shook his head: "No I haven't. Chris wouldn't let me."
Leo frowned: "But when I went down tonight to add the last gifts they were gone... That's mysterious."
Cole, who sat a little in front of them on the ground turned now to them and smiled: "Santa will have eaten them, of course..." Then he grinned, when he saw the confused look on the others' faces: "Tell Piper they were delicious..."
Leo laughing at this: "Ok, Santa, I'll tell her."
Victor meanwhile lend back in the armchair, smiling. He watched all his family, who were so happy and relaxed and... He couldn't help thinking: 'Yeah... that's probably the best Christmas I've ever had.'





Ok... That's it form my side... Hope you like it. Now it's your turn Jen.