This was originally written for Christmas of 1995, and posted to the FKFIC-L list on Christmas Day. _______________________ I heard this Christmas song on the radio, and considering the third line, thought that it was *perfect* for an FK story--so here it is, a Christmas present from me to the list. The song is "Here is Christmas", sung by Nancy Wilson (don't know who wrote it). Oh, and since this is my first fanfic post to this list, I hereby give permission for this and all subsequent FK fanfic that I write to be put on the Web Page. Characters used are the property of James D. Parriot, etc. Here is Christmas by Trudy A. Goold The night was black as velvet The stars were all around A stranger landed right there On the frosty ground Nick landed carefully on a snowdrift and looked around. He was in the middle of Sunnybrook Park; he'd come here to get away from the memories that his empty loft conjured up. It was a quiet night, and the sky above him shone brightly with stars, undimmed by the lights of the city. His eyes were wide with wonder And filled with stars of space He'd searched the heavens over Until he found this place Reese had told him quite firmly that he was *not* going to be working tonight- -since he was working tomorrow--he'd been given orders to go enjoy Christmas Eve with friends. But Tracy was with her family; he didn't want to go down to the Raven--not tonight; and Nat... Nat was... occupied --her sister-in-law and her niece were visiting. And Nick popping over would remind her too much of Richard. A sweet and snowy carol Echoed in his ears A song so faint and distant So strong and true in here Abruptly, Nick cocked his head, frowning. He could just hear, ever so faintly, a hint of music coming from the north-east. Feeling puzzled-- since he couldn't hear anything else out of the ordinary--he took to the air to investigate. Here is Christmas Come inside, Here is Christmas Far and wide A thousand candles Burning bright Here is Christmas Shining in our eyes He wandered through the city Lost in the shopping crowds People rushing, people pushing He watched without a sound He landed just outside Victoria Terrace, where the music had come from. The stores were still open, for those who still had to get last-minute Christmas presents, and people seemed to be rushing all over the place. He walked through the crowds silently, searching for the elusive thread of music that had caught his attention. The cash machines were singing About the biggest year But above this strange confusion The carol still rang clear Everywhere Nick looked, he saw evidence of the commercial event that Christmas was becoming; he could hear people arguing about prices, and cash machines, and frustration in people's voices. But above even that noise, he could still hear the sound of the music. Then he saw a raggedy man With an ancient mandolin And he knew he'd found the answer When the song began again And then he saw the source; standing near the entrance to the mall was a tall, elderly man, dressed in clothes that had definitely seen better days, playing a mandolin. Nick moved closer, drawn irresistibly by the music. He listened, as the music spoke of days gone by, of joy and sorrow, and of love and friendship. Here is Christmas Come inside, Here is Christmas Far and wide A thousand candles Burning bright Here is Christmas Shining in our eyes Nat felt puzzled as she got into the elevator. Nick had called just after Sarah and Amy had left to go back to their hotel, and she'd been feeling a little down. He hadn't told her what he wanted, just asked her to come over. She opened the elevator door, stepped out, and gasped in surprise. In the middle of the loft was a large tree, aglow with lights and decorations. Nick looked up at her, and smiled shyly. "Do you like it?" "It's lovely!" Nat exclaimed. "But I thought you were spending the evening alone. What changed your mind?" Nick's smile widened. "A song." Here is Christmas Come inside, Here is Christmas Far and wide A million candles Burning bright Here is Christmas Shining in our eyes _____________________________________________________________________ "Here is Christmas" is copyright 1995, Trudy A. Goold. May be distributed electronically as long as this notice remains intact. All characters of Forever Knight are copyright James D. Parriott and associates. No infringement of that copyright is intended by this story. ________________________________________________________________ _____ I hope you all enjoyed that... ---------------------+----------------------------------------- Trudy A. Goold | Keeper of the Ranger Sightings Web Page Toronto, Canada | B5er, Dark Knightie, MFWC tag@myna.com | http://www.myna.com/~tag/