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So the children were scolded, but only slightly because it really was impressive that Corli had managed to carry himself and two others up the stairs, although he was informed that he wasn't to do that again until he was at least thirty. Thousand.

And all of the islands inhabitants were forced to sit through another viewing of White Christmas with Bing Crosby, a handful of them enjoying it. Including Jayde, who actually teared up at the end when it snowed and everyone sang 'White Chrsitmas.'

But she hadn't missed Damen's irritated noises that he was making, or Taro's bored expression. Or how crowded it was, although she was greatly humored to see that Lyra didn't say anything about it since Aiko was having such fun watching the movie with all ofher little ones and some of Jayde's crowded around her.

She also didn't miss how Anna was sitting close, but not too close to Nigel. That humored her, too.

With a wistful sigh, she looked out the window at the spot where all the wood she'd purchaced to build the new house had been covered with snow. No more snow was falling, but it was still thick on the ground, impinding the already snails pace of the building crew, which was Lyra and Damen. When they felt like it.

"I just wish it were done," she said on another sigh. "Maybe then everyone would be able to enjoy themselves for Christmas." Idly, she patted the big fuzzy muzzles of Freya and Akhor that had managed to find their way into her lap.

Jayde rubbed her eyes to see if maybe in her desperation she was hallucinating, but no. The house was finished. It looked a lot like this one, with the rope bridge she'd wanted so badly hanging happily between the two treehouses.

Oblivious then to Akhor and Freya, she stood, and would have dumped their heads in the floor had they not been paying attention to her expression of wonder and awe. It looked rather like her vacant expression, with a few subtle differences, the main one being the tears that had gathered in her eyes that had nothing to do with White Christmas. At least, not the movie.

"How...?" she she breathed, walking over to the window and putting her hand on the edge almost to support herself.

"The house is done." A chorus of 'what?'s rose up from the masses, at least from Jayde's rabble. A few came to look and were just as dumbfounded as she.

"What?"
"How did this happen?"
"Forget how, when?"

"Who, where, and why," Lyra said, finishing the collection of questions sarcastically. "I'm just glad it's done." His eye began to twitch when one of the kittens on his ears choped down on them again, but he said nothing.

Lyra sent Aiko a rather bland look.

"We're staying in a house with a half demon, two full demons, a dragon on the roof, and only God knows what else, and you expect me to be surprised at a house being put up?" He snorted. Of course he was surprised, but he wasn't about to say so.

Jayde, still in shock, turned to Elysia. "Y-yes," she managed, eyes wide. How did she know that? She'd been certain that her pitiful plea had been heard by no one other than Freya and Akhor.

"Yes, it's gorgeous," Jayde breathed, "better than I could have...wait, something gone wrong? With what?"

She wasn't stupid; she realized that some magic had been afoot when a house miraculously appeared in seconds. But the way she said it made Jayde think that maybe Elysia knew more than she did.

Jayde, looking out over what had to be a sea of faces, could almost read each of them as they thought of their own wish.

Blank was first to decide. Settled in Lyra's lap, he "looked" up at Elysia, ears twitching slightly in her direction. If I could wish, he thought to himself, I'd wish that I could talk. Other thoughts swarmed his head, but, of course, he couldn't put words to them and ended up simply flopping back down into Lyra's lap.

Damen was currently resisting the urge to wish that the movie would either melt or spontaniously combust because he was tired of seeing it. It was CHristmas though. Well, kinda. So getting in the spirit of things, he kinda wished for someone he could snuggle with on nights like these. As little as he liked to admit it, the green eyed monster raised its ugly head as he watched the two couples sit close to gether during the movie and cuddle. And he couldnt' cuddle with Jayde...cause that would just be weird. It was Jayde.

Taro didn't think quite the same way. While the movie had been playing, he'd leaned against her...just a little. Like he had when they'd first met. He wished...he wished it could be like that more often.

Others, however, didn't wish for anything so deep or thoughtful. Several toys, a day to rest, the snow to last just a little longer...

And Lyra. His might be the most interesting of all of them. For once in his life...he didn't wish for anything at all, except that he could remember this moment forever.