"Marce, hey, how are you?" Ridley greets her sister warmly over the phone. " You haven't really been picking up a lot of my calls these days. Are you doing overtime at work or something?"

"Well, I have been busy." Marcy sighs. "I managed to finally sell the house off, though it didn't really fetch me a good price anyway. It's so like that man to have just left it to us in his will. So selfish. He couldn't have given the damn house away to our aunt, could he? Of course not. He wanted us to bear the burden. Just to spite us."

"Now Marce," Ridley says kindly, "you know he didn't really do it out of spite. He was just trying to...trying to make amends with us. In his own way. I've forgiven him, Marcy, and maybe you should too."

"We have had this conversation before, Ridley. I don't want to repeat it again."

The hardness in Marcy's voice buries the matter completely.

"I'm sorry I can't make it for Christmas this year," Ridley says finally after a rather lengthy pause between them. "And you've been so busy sorting everything out anyway so I'd be a bother –"

"Oh, do shut up, Ridley. You're my sister. Family members don't bother each other." Another pause. "Besides," Marcy says and there is a small, hesitant edge to her voice that makes Ridley feel worried, "I have plans this Christmas anyway."

"Wait what?" Ridley nearly falls out of the chair she has been sitting on. "Plans? Marcy...are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I have absolutely no idea what you mean, Ridley."

"No!" Ridley shouts as excitement begins to bubble inside of her. "No, Marcella Denvers you are not going to play coy with me. Marcy...oh my lord -- Marcy are you finally seeing someone?"

"Now where in the world did you get that—"

"Who is he?" Ridley interrupts very demandingly. "How old is he? Does he look like Leonardo Dicaprio? Where and how did you guys even meet? And—And when did you start going out? Details, my girl, details!"

"Alright, alright, boss!" Marcy lets out a very embarrassed laugh. "We met a few weeks ago. He's a new waiter at the restaurant where I work. And I accidentally spilled cold tomato soup all over him the first time we met and well...apparently, that's what really reeled him in. Or so he says." Ridley grins at how warmly Marcy talks about him. He sounds really special to her, unlike the men she used to see in the past.

"And his name?"

"Jesus Christ, Ridley, when did you get so demanding?" Marcy giggles. "His name is...erm..." She giggles again and Ridley's jaw drops. Marcella Denvers has got it bad for this man. "Elijah," Marcy finally mutters in a sort of soft whisper. She sounds like a twelve year old schoolgirl who has a secret crush on her cute Maths teacher.

"OOOOOOOOOH," Ridley coos in her best juvenile teenager voice. "Someone has a cruuuuuuush—"

"Well, we are seeing each other so it doesn't really even affect me when you—"

"You want to huuuuuuuuuug him."

"Really, you're really going to—"

"You want to kiiiiiiiiiiiiiis him."

"Dear lord."

"You want to make looooooooove to him."

"This is extremely disturbing to hear from your younger sister."

"Soooooooooo," Ridley sings. "What do you two plan to do over Christmas?"

"Go see his parents, actually," Marcy says as nonchalantly as she can. "They live in the countryside and they've been very eager to meet me."

"His family?" Do wonders never cease? Ridley cannot believe what she is hearing right now. Not only has her sister – yes, her sister – have a boyfriend but they're in a serious relationship. "His family?" Ridley repeats again, still in disbelief.

"Yes, Ridley, there's no need to parrot yourself."

"And the next thing you know, you'll both be jetting off to Hawaii for your honeymoon!"

"We're seeing his parents, not throwing an engagement party." Though, there is a pause and Ridley can't help but feel that her older sister is holding something from her. "I—" Marcy begins, but then there is silence at the other end of the line again.

"You didn't meet him just a few weeks ago, did you?" Ridley is hurt, and annoyed – but more hurt, because her older sister has been hiding the fact that she has a boyfriend for who knows, maybe months now? "You know, it's really not fair that you know everything about me while I have to beg on my knees to even get a glimpse of your love life."

"Oh, Ridley, please." There is a stifled sigh at the other end of the line. "Alright, so I lied. We didn't meet a few weeks ago. I met him around May – but we didn't really start seeing each other until October. I thought it was going to be casual, you know? I didn't think it would actually...work out. I didn't think it was a big deal."

"But it is!" Ridley argues. "I can't believe you wouldn't tell me."

"I'm sorry," Marcy responds apologetically. "We've both hidden stuff from each other, and that was really wrong of both of us. From now on there are no secrets, OK?"

"It's a deal."

"Anyway," Marcy says, "I really need to get going now. I have loads of packing to do. We're leaving really early into the holidays. I'm nervous too. I'm not exactly the bring-the-girl-home type, am I? Also, I'm wishing you an early happy birthday, probably because I won't be able to call you for a long while after this, knowing how shit the network can be there. And I—"

Ridley cuts her off with a laugh. "You're rambling."

"Sorry, I'm just – just –"

"They'll love you."

"You really think so?" Marcy asks.

"I bloody know so," Ridley affirms. "Now, can we stop having this really cliché before-meeting-the-parents conversation and end the call? I'm freezing and I feel tired of talking to you."

"How very touching, sister," is Marcy's sardonic response.

"Only for you, sister." Ridley chuckles.

"Alright, bye."

"Goodbye, sister dearest. And use protection!"

"What the hell do you—"

Ridley hits the end button on the call, knowing Marcy will be fuming over the fact that Ridley has had the last laugh – and got away with it.

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Although Ridley misses Marcy dearly and the thought of it being her first Christmas away from her sister makes her feel all the more homesick, she cannot deny that Christmas at the Raddisons' – that is, Dee's aunt and uncle's—is quite the treat. They have been kind enough to include Ridley in all their festive activities, and soon, she can barely sense her homesickness. Mrs Raddison is on full Christmas mode and has the entire house donned in Christmas decorations by the first two days of the Holidays, which Mr Raddison finds a bit of a nuisance because he can't stop tripping over random stray streamers that lie about the house .

On the third day of the holidays, the Raddisons, Dee, Ridley and Christopher (who invited himself over) decorate the Raddison Christmas tree, and Ridley honestly cannot remember a time when she has laughed as hard as she does on that day. On the fourth day – Christmas Eve – Mrs Raddison presents Dee and Ridley with two handmade elf costumes that she admits she had been working on since the beginning of September and although Dee strongly protests against them at first, she eventually gives in to wearing her costume after Mrs Raddison threatens to tell Dee's mother about 'that one time', which successfully shuts Dee up.

"This is child abuse!" Dee mutters to Ridley when they are instructed by Mrs Raddison to go out into town to get her some more wine – they are having a Christmas party in the evening and Mrs Raddison seems even bossier than usual. Ridley laughs as they walk past a couple who stare at their luminous green elf costumes that Mrs Raddison has insisted they wear for the entirety of the day.

"You are twenty years old, Dee," Ridley reminds her as she fiddles with the elf hat she is wearing.It's a tad too big for her head and it keeps slipping down and covering her eyes. "I don't think you could call this child abuse anymore."

"My aunt is crazy," Dee hisses, her cheeks flaming up in embarrassment. "Can you just imagine what Christopher would say if he saw us right now?"

"He will, at the party," Ridley points out quite unhelpfully. Dee groans.

"Ah, fuck." She tugs on the bright red-and-white striped stockings she is wearing. "Well, won't I look extremely attractive to him."

"Maybe not Angelina Jolie sexy," Ridley admits, "but you still look Chloe Moretz cute."

"Cute?" Dee stares at Ridley as though she's a madwoman. "And Chloe Moretz is like twelve years old! I do not want to look twelve years old!"

"Sixteen, actually," Ridley replies as she casually strolls into the big ASDA shopping centre once they reach town. Dee follows meekly behind her, trying very firmly to ignore all the people that have begun to stop and stare at the two of them. Ridley waves at an obese teenage boy who snickers when they walk past him.

"What're you looking at, Plumpton McPork?" Dee calls at him when he continues to goggle at them. Perhaps it's her strong Scottish accent, or maybe it's just the costume – whatever the reason, the boy looks away and starts to run away from them. Really. Run.

"That was awfully rude, Dee." Still, that doesn't stop Ridley from giggling. They walk into the aisle where they have all varieties of wine stocked up and once they get what they need, Ridley and Dee make their way to join the massive queue of impatient people who have foolishly decided to do their Christmas shopping last minute.

Dee checks her watch and clucks her tongue impatiently.

"The way this line is moving, it'll take an hour before we even get to the front of the cashier's till."

"That's fine," Ridley replies. "The party is four hours away. We can wait."

"But it's freezing."

"You just don't want to be seen wearing an elf costume in public."

"I'm so glad you finally understand." Dee tugs Ridley. "Let's just go somewhere else. Please."

"Dee, I swear you tug me one more time and I—" Ridley stops talking because she's noticed something – someone, rather, walking towards them and her heart begins to race because it can't be him – no, of course not—he's all the way in Canada. No. It's a mistake. This is just another guy who happens to look like him. A lot like him. Same curly hair, same blue eyes. The same blue eyes that are staring right at her, looking just as surprised as she is.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck!" She hisses under her breath. She whips around and, without even thinking, begins to run away from the queue. Dee runs after her, calling her name, but it is only when Ridley is back in the aisle where she got all the wine that she stops running. Dee jogs up to her, panting like a dog.

"What – you – crazy – doing?" Dee exhales deeply as she wipes off some sweat off her brow. Ridley shoves the wine that she's been carrying into random shelves and turns to face Dee guiltily.

"I'm sorry!" she whispers. "It's just that – Ben –here—and my elf costume."

"Wait – Ben?" Dee frowns. "Ben, as in, your Ben? The Ben you rejected but you love but he has a girlfriend who likes X-Men? That Ben?"

"Yes that Ben!" Ridley snaps. "And we don't know if he has a girlfriend anymore!" She tugs on her red plait as she finally begins to think about the situation at hand. Ben, here? In this town? On Christmas? All the way from Canada? What the hell is this all about?

"Well, go talk to him, you crazy girl!"

"Ugh!" Ridley is affronted. "Says you! You're the crazy one! He doesn't want to talk to me. He made that pretty obvious months ago."

Dee is rolling her eyes and she grabs Ridley by the shoulders and begins to shake her. "Idiot!" she hisses. "Why do you think he's here, of all places to be during Christmas? And so suddenly? For the brilliant weather England has to offer?"

"Oh, please don't suggest that—"

"I'm not suggesting. I'm stating." Dee's eyes grow wide with excitement. "He's here all the way from Canada for you, Rids! Ugh." She begins to fan herself. "That is just so...so goddamn romantic."

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Dee." Ridley places her hand on Dee's shoulder and stares back at her friend sadly. "He isn't here for me. Probably...probably has some family here that I don't know about. Can we just go now? Please? I don't...I can't...not now."

Dee opens her mouth to protest but immediately clamps it shut when Ridley shakes her head. "Please," Ridley repeats.

"You're an idiot, you know that right?" But she nods reluctantly. "Let's go somewhere else then. But that means I get to choose what we buy with any spare money we have left from the wine."

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The party is in full swing. Initially, Ridley feels quite awkward and out of place with a room full of guests she has never seen before in her life, but she soon warms up to the guests who are just as warm and courteous as Mr and Mrs Raddison. Christopher eventually arrives to the party looking extremely striking in a fancy black tuxedo, and he spares no time teasing Ridley and Dee – mostly Dee- about the luminous elf outfits that they, unfortunately, still have on.

He swings his arm around both their shoulders and begins to sing a very horrible rendition of 'Jingle Bells' and Ridley is mid-way through a laugh when she hears someone familiar say her name from behind. Her blood runs cold.

"Ridley?" He says it again. She can't kid herself into believing it's not him, because it is. Ridley turns around, nearly stumbling against Christopher's weight. Both Christopher and Dee turn around too.

He looks nice. Really nice. Ben isn't wearing a tuxedo. In fact, he's dressed in a dorky Christmas jumper that has 'What the Elf?' written on it and casual jeans to go with it. And he still manages to take her breath away.

"Ben, what're you—"

"I—"

"But Canada—"

"Yeah." Ben shrugs. His eyes move from Ridley's face to Christopher, who still has his arm slung around her shoulder. Ridley thinks she sees something flash in his eyes but maybe she's just had a little too much wine tonight. "Hello," Ben finally says quite tersely. Christopher grins back at him.

"Benjamin, right? I'm Christopher," he says, taking his hand off Ridley and giving it for Ben to shake. Ben ignores his hand. Dee moves forward and gives Ben a hug, startling him, and Ridley silently thanks Dee for interrupting the painfully awkward moment that was no doubt about to ensue after Ben's rebuff.

"Oh—uhm—"

"I'm Delilah, but please call me Dee!" she says chirpily.

"Oh, er -- hi." He seems a bit alarmed by Dee's forwardness but Ben smiles at her, nevertheless. His attention diverts back to Ridley and his lips twitch as he takes in the ridiculous elf costume she's wearing. The elf costume! Ridley completely forgot about that!

"Ridiculous, aren't they?" Christopher blurts very suddenly and his arm is back around Ridley again. Ben nods very stiffly but his eyes are on Ridley only.

"You guys together?" he asks. Ridley and Christopher both snort at the same time.

"No! Of course not—" Ridley begins but she is cut short by Dee who, out of nowhere, pulls Christopher towards her and – much to Ridley's shock—wraps her hand firmly around his. Christopher looks at Dee with a slack jaw but he doesn't try to shake her hand off his. In fact, his hand is holding hers back. Despite how painfully weird this situation has gotten, Ridley cannot help but grin widely at Dee. She mentally cheers her friend's bold move.

"No," Dee says very smilingly. "I'm with him, actually."

Ridley does not even see it coming. Before anyone can speak, Dee stands on her tip-toes and firmly presses her lips against Christopher's. Her eyes flutter shut for just a moment—just a moment—before she quickly breaks off, gasping breathlessly.

"You – You see?" She's still grinning but her eyes say a different story. Christopher is unable to say anything, too stunned.

"You see?" Ridley repeats. Ben raises an eyebrow.

"Uh...right," he nods.

Ridley opens her mouth to say something but she, once again, stops when she notices a feminine hand hook itself on to Ben's. Her eyes fall on a very pretty blonde girl who is wearing – well, she isn't wearing an embarrassing elf costume that's for sure. The blonde smiles very warmly at everyone.

"Hello!" she says in an irritatingly cute way. "I'm Mary. Delilah, it's so nice to see you again! And you guys are Delilah's Uni friends, I'm assuming?"

Ridley and Christopher do not respond. Dee lets go of Christopher's hand and walks over to give Mary a hug. She turns to Ridley with a small smile on her face, and it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"Mary is my third cousin," she says, looking right at Ridley. "She lives in Toronto. I...uh, I haven't mentioned her to you before, have I?"

"Not a word," Ridley murmurs.

"I haven't been to England in years now!" Mary exclaims, still gripping onto Ben very tightly. She gives Ben's hand a squeeze and giggles girlishly. "I was with Ben when we arrived on our flight to England but he had his own hometown to go to, so we were away from each other for a few days, but when I asked him if he would come all the way down here to Oxford for a party, he agreed!" She sighs. "Isn't he just so romantic? Driving all the way here just to be with me."

"Oh, very romantic," Ridley says with narrowed eyes. Mary, not recognizing the sarcasm, giggles again.

"Mary, I think we should—" Ben begins, refusing to meet Ridley's eye but Ridley just cuts across him with a laugh. She gives them both a huge grin.

"Enjoy the party, you cutesie pair of lovebirds!" She says. "And a merry Christmas to you two!"

And she's walking away, away from Ben and his new girlfriend Mary. They both seem very happy together. And like she said, he was in town for her, not Ridley! Ha! The very idea!

She goes to her and Dee's empty bedroom and slams the door shut; making sure it is locked before slamming herself down on her bed and bursting into tears.

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