The Princess and the Wolf

Xmas eve, for hal and christian, little plot twists as usual.

Princess and the Wolf

        �Are you and David on your way?� Hallie�s mother chirped into the phone.

�Um it�s just going to be me I think,� Hallie replied.

Her mothers phone call had woken her up from her hang over and for the past half hour Hallie had been trying to make herself look presentable hoping the imprints of the tiled floor on her face would soon disappear. Her back hurt like hell from the hard surface she slept on all night and the last thing she wanted to do was see her family, even if it was Christmas Eve.

�Alright well he is always welcome,� Rita replied.

Hallie found it strange that she wasn�t being yelled at, that David hadn�t blabbed about the troubles in their relationship yet, but then again it was only ten in the morning.

�Let me gather up my presents and get dressed up, I�ll see you soon,� Hallie yawned hanging up the phone.

As much as she wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep through Christmas, she was excited to go back to her old house in Sacramento, �the holiday house� she called it. Her parents just saw it as an extra home to show off, but it had a special place in Hallie�s heart, it was where she grew up after all. Granted she had grown up in several houses, and even though her Beverly Hills home was modern, and located directly next to Rodeo Drive, the simple fact that it occasionally snowed at the �holiday house� had made it a hundred times better.
        Stepping into a hot shower she lathered her hair with Victoria Secret Love Spell shampoo to get rid of the lingering vomit smell that might still be in her hair. After blow dying and styling her hair to wavy perfection she slipped on a pair of Jill Stuart jeans and chose an ivory body hugging sweater to top it off. Who said you couldn�t look classy the day after a hang over? After applying a touch of make up she gathered up all of her families gifts, feeling like Santa Clause as she lugged them all in one bag out to the car. Once she stuffed everything into the trunk she realized she left the Tourneau watch for David in the house. Before running back up to get it, she paused contemplating if he really deserved it.
        It wasn�t like he stayed with her after she passed out drunk, he could have had the decency to at least carry her to her bedroom, but then again she could have had the decency to keep her big mouth shut about Christian. Unable to recall what she said in last night�s drunken stupor, she figured maybe she deserved to sleep on the cold bathroom floor all night. She vaguely remembered insulting David for always telling her family every little detail of their relationship, but maybe he deserved that too. Figuring that maybe they were even, Hallie went up to get the gift she spent over four thousand dollars on. After she gave him that he couldn�t say she was a bad girlfriend ever again, or could he?
Driving from stormy Malibu beach into serene, snow patched Sacramento automatically rejuvenated Hallie. Even though it was daytime, nearly every house was glowing with Christmas lights. The enormous front yards were scattered with silly reindeer decorations, life-like moving Santa Clauses�, all the kinds of things to make one forget they�re love life was hanging by a thread, .
        Hallie punched in her gate code and drove up the steep driveway parking alongside several other cars, and rang the doorbell to her own house. Jessica opened the door like she was the Harris family�s new adopted daughter and she lived there all her life. �Oh hi Hallie,� her cousin greeted in an equally phony and nasal tone.

�Yeah hi,� Hallie mumbled shoving past.

�I heard you like, fell at you�re lingerie show!� Jessica said trailing behind her like a fly that Hallie wanted to swat.

�Oh you heard wrong. I just stood there a little too long, but that worked out well, especially since a bunch of other fashion labels got a longer look and want me to work for them,� Hallie shot back, leaving out the part about going off at everyone backstage.

�I�ll be waiting to see that,� Jessica snorted.

�I�m sure you will be.�

As if she was Jessica�s little lackey, Aunt Elizabeth poked her head around the corner then rapidly disappeared like she was about to tell everyone there was a burglar in the house.

�I�m going to get the presents out of the car,� Hallie announced to no one in particular going back outside. Anything to be away from her idiotic cousin.

�Good stay out there,� Hallie thought she heard Jessica mutter.

As she took her time carrying all of the presents inside the house, and imagining suffocating Jessica with a Christmas stocking, she debated whether or not she should call David. Argument with her boyfriend or trembling from wanting to punch Jessica�s beaver-like face. It was a tough decision.

Picking the first choice she tossed the bags of presents under the Christmas tree, and darted upstairs cell phone in hand, but as she ran down the hallway she wasn�t watching where she was going and ran straight into her father.

�Oh�hi dad,� she stuttered awkwardly. Instead of offering a hug, or wishing her a Merry Christmas he squinted his dark eyes at her sternly.

�Who were you about to call?� he asked suspiciously.

�David if you really want to know,� Hallie said showing him her cell phone with her boyfriends picture on the contact list.

�Merry Christmas,� she said after he didn�t respond.

�We are about to all have brunch together, don�t make it too long,� her father said retreating downstairs.

Hallie was used to her fathers abrasiveness and strict rules, but she didn�t think it would kill him to be nice one day out of the year, or maybe it would who knew.

Locking the door to her still ballet-decorated bedroom, she flopped onto her enormous pink princess bed and dialed David�s number.

�Merry Christmas honey,� she said when the phone finally picked up.

�What are you doing?� he asked jadedly.

�Nothing, just avoiding my family as usual,� she replied. �I�m willing to talk about the things I said last night, unless you want to wait till after the holidays.�

�No, I want to know right know. Tell me everything from the beginning about what happened with Christian, and you better not lie to me,� David warned.

�Well, I kind of realized that a few weeks ago was the anniversary of his parents death, and I just went over there to see if he was ok and everything,� Hallie tried to relay the truth carefully, well at least parts of it.

�I don�t get why you needed to do that. I mean why did you feel the need to see him?�

�I didn�t need to see him, I just wanted to see how he was doing. I mean is that so bad?� Hallie asked.

�Do you want me to go visit my ex�s? How would that make you feel?�

�If you were just friends it would be fine, and that�s what me and Christian are, we�re friends,� Hallie argued.

�Oh just friends huh? Sure, and what about him coming to the lingerie show?�

�I told him about the show at the graveyard, and about how nervous I was about it. He kind of just showed up,� Hallie lied. Well it was partially true wasn�t it? Telling David about how she called Derek would have lead to a whole different mess she wasn�t ready for. It was all about baby steps.

�Did you two do anything? That is what I want to know? I mean what on f*****g Earth was he doing there?� David demanded talking out of control.

�We didn�t do anything! He just told me not to be nervous and stuff, and he helped me. He helped me after you just laughed at me and told me to suck my stomach in!� Hallie yelled.

�I was joking about that!�

�Well I didn�t need any jokes! I needed you to be my boyfriend and tell me that I�m the hottest chick there. I need you to know who I am, and not order disgusting tuna steak when you know I love sushi. I need you to stand up for me when your mom treats me like garbage. My god damn family hates me as it is, it�s the least you could do David!� she shrieked not caring who heard downstairs.

The line was silent as David took what she said in.

�Why couldn�t you carry me to bed last night? I�m not saying it was honorable to pass out drunk, but did you really have to leave me on the bathroom floor all night? Do you give a damn about me, the girl you supposedly want to move in with?�

�Of course I do, I didn�t know you felt all this,� David said surprised.

�Well now you do!� she replied, hanging up in his ear.

She chucked her cell phone across the wall nearly breaking it. Deep down she knew it wasn�t David�s fault that she cheated, but then again she felt like he had driven her to cheat with Christian, as wrong as that may have been. Not wanting to face the fact that she had a choice to make with her relationship, whether to mend it or discontinue it, she reluctantly joined her family downstairs in the dining room.

Assortments of gourmet lunch treats were spread across the lengthy mahogany table, prepared by the Harris family chef. There was a three level platter of cheese, crackers, and fruits, and then several plates of smoked salmon and halibut. Hallie gagged when she saw the fish wishing she could just go to good old fashioned McDonalds and order something greasy to soothe her stomach.

There were six perfectly decorated place settings for each person, three for the Harris�s and three for Jessica, her mother Elizabeth Hughes, and her father Thomas Hughes. Thomas was a middle aged fitness freak who always counted his calorie intake and purchased every new exercise machine that came out. He was rather built and often had young girls flirting with him, which he never seemed to mind. Next to his flabby wife, Aunt Elizabeth, it was so obvious to even the dumbest person that Mr. Hughes had to have been sleeping around. Maybe that�s why Aunt Elizabeth was such a nutcase.

�What was all that noise?� her mother asked right when Hallie appeared.

�Nothing,� Hallie answered tiredly plopping down on the dining room chair.

�Did David dump you or something?� Jessica asked nosily.

�No dumb a*s,� Hallie replied carelessly as the whole family gasped.

�Don�t you speak like that to your cousin! What is wrong with you?� Edward Harris burst almost spitting out his food.

�She doesn�t have to say stupid stuff like that,� Hallie replied.

�Well are you two still together? Or did you screw that up by screaming at him so the whole house could hear?� Mr. Harris shot back.

�We had an argument, it�s none of your business. Can I just eat my food in peace?�

Her father shook his head at her disapprovingly like she just said she was about to become a stripper. Everyone else ignored her little tirade and continued smacking loudly on the fish like it was bubblegum, talking about mindless crap that seemed to repeat every single year. Hallie personally wanted to fling her plate like it was a Frisbee in hopes to knock someone out, but instead she nibbled on a fresh strawberry off the platter. As the boring talk ceased, awkward silence filled the room since the family no longer had anything else to talk about. It became so hushed that Hallie could hear the beginning snowflakes starting to fall outside. It made her feel serene after her intense argument with David, and she began dozing off. Just as she was about to completely conk out into her plate of fish, she was startled by her mother�s announcement that they were about to exchange gifts.

� But it�s not even Christmas day yet!� Hallie protested. She loved to do the traditional open-presents-in-your-pajamas on Christmas morning, that�s how they�d always done it.

�Come on we�re all going to the front room,� Rita urged her daughter. The awkward silence was obviously too much for everyone so they resorted to opening their presents early. Could her family be any lamer?

After they all gathered around the fake Christmas tree they took out of their closet every year, Hallie watched her father unwrap the Panini grill she bought him for Christmas. Once it was opened he frowned, and she could automatically tell he didn�t like it.

�What is that a grill?� her mother asked.

�Yeah, I know you like eating that smoked fish so much so I thought you�d both like a grill to use every now and then,� Hallie explained.

�That�s really nice, thanks,� Edward said dryly handing it to Rita.

�You know honey, I feel bad that you spent your money, we have cooks that do this for us there is really no need for the grill,� her mother tried to say sweetly but sounded callous as ever.

�I wanted to get it for you, I thought you�d like it,� Hallie answered shakily.

�Where did you get this Bloomingdales? They do refunds don�t they? We really have no use for it honey, but thank you anway,� her mother said setting it off to the side.

Hallie watched speechless as everyone else continued opening their presents. There were a few marked with her name on them but she was too overwhelmed with anger and shock to want to open them. Even if they didn�t like the damn present did they have to hurt her feelings by just saying upfront that they were going to return it? She thought they really had a lot of nerve, and wanted nothing more than to just be alone.

�I�m going upstairs,� Hallie said picking herself off the floor and putting David�s gift wrapped watch in her jean pocket. Who knew, maybe her father would think that was a bad present choice too and want to return it.

Trudging upstairs she went into her childhood all-ballerina decorated room, locked the door behind her, and flopped on her enormous pink princess bed and drifted to sleep. She woke up several hours later to find that it was already evening, and that she had pretty much slept the majority of the day.

She sat in her cushioned chair out looking the Christmas scenes outside watching twilight take over. The last of the sun poked through the white thickness of the winter sky as if trying so hard to break through. Depressingly she leaned her face against the cold glass of the window. It was funny that she was trying to imagine herself anywhere else, it wasn�t like she was living on the streets, or in an abusive household. She lived in one of the most prominent houses in California, in fact she lived in several, so why was she sitting at the window as if she was longing to get out?

Several SUV�s pulled up, unloading with children, parents, grandparents, who were warmly greeted by eager families running outside their house, smothering each other with affection. Hallie did the same thing she used to do when she was a little girl, and imagine that she was a part of their family instead, that the one she was in was fake, and that later she�d be having a homemade Christmas dinner around the fireplace, and in the morning exchange badly wrapped gifts with her loving parents and relatives that no one would want to return. Yeah right.

She hated feeling sorry for herself, she knew that people had it so much worse than her, but how could her parents do that to her? Not wanting to think about it anymore, and not wanting to trail off into thoughts of David she decided it would be best to just go back to sleep, and hopefully not wake up till the next day, but it was only eight o clock at night and she wasn�t tired anymore. Maybe if she just knocked herself out with cold medicine she�d become drowsy and just sleep through the rest of her crappy holiday. Just before she was about to get up and finds some pills in the bathroom, she looked down her long driveway to see someone standing at the front gate.

She could tell it was a guy, but since the gate was so far down it was hard to make out who it was. She figured it was just someone trying to find a house, but when she took a better look she saw that it was unmistakably Christian West. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his coat looking up at Hallie�s bedroom window, not seeming to see her looking right back at him. She smeared the fog off the window pane with the sleeve of her sweater and even from far away she could see his surprised expression. After grabbing some mittens from her bedroom drawer she lifted the window sill open, permitting the icy breeze to flutter into the room. Knowing now where she wanted to be, she carefully stepped out onto the roof, wrapped her legs around the sturdy pillars holding up the large house, and slowly slid down quietly as possible.

A rush of excitement filled her body, she hadn�t done that in quite a while, but she still had it. She walked down her steep driveway to the front gate, then quickened her pace becoming even more excited as she approached Christian. She punched in the code to open the tall metal gate squeezing through it to the other side before it could open all the way.

Both looked at each other lost in deja vu�s of past Christmas�s spent together.

�I can�t believe you just climbed out the window,� he said blinking snowflakes off his eyelashes. His nose was red with cold and he took his hands out of his brown coat pockets blowing warm air on them.

Hallie had no idea what he was doing there in the first place, she just knew he looked adorable as ever standing in front of her house.

�I just took a walk, I accidentally ended up here without even knowing it,� Christian explained. Sure he did.

�I�m glad,� she answered genuinely.

�You are?� he exclaimed, catching himself grinning stupidly.

She nodded smiling back, her crystal blue eyes lit up brightly in the darkness.

�I don�t know why I came, but whenever I think of Christmas I always think about this place. Anyway, I can go if you want,� he offered.

�I don�t want you to go,� Hallie said.

He eyed her curiously wondering why she was being so welcoming, maybe she�d forgotten about that embarrassing declaration of love he made for her last time he saw her. He looked down at her wool mittens and soft white sweatshirt, wanting to squeeze her tightly and kiss her everywhere possible, but he restrained himself.

�Are you having a good Christmas so far?� he asked.

�Not at all. Probably one of the worst I�ve had in a long time. I got my Dad this really nice gift and my parents both want me to return it.�

Christian shook his head disgusted. How could such a sweet girl have such rotten parents? Too appalled to hear anything further he began walking to the front of the gate making his way out.

�Where are you going?� Hallie called after him confused.

�Come with me,� he beckoned, practically standing in the middle of the street while Hallie was still behind the gate, spellbound. She felt ridiculous being so mesmerized by him commanding those three simple words, and stood there contemplating what might happen if she went, not that things could get any worse with David.

Her judgment became obscured when Christian walked up to just the outside of the gate , with only his hand held out reaching through the other side. Taken aback by the expression of trustworthiness, and the way he offered his hand to her, she realized was the most sure thing she�d ever seen in her life. It was certain to her that he wouldn�t try anything that she didn�t want him to do, and right now she couldn�t say no to his nearly non-human, angelic face, and so in return she took his hand.

Without letting go she shut the gate behind them and they continued through the neighborhood. Even through her mittens she could feel Christian�s freezing palms and wrapped her wool covered hand around his tighter. She had no idea where they were going, but hypnotized she allowed him to lead her.

They crossed the now snowy roads in the darkness with the Christmas lights to illuminating the way to wherever Christian seemed so determined to go. After for walking for about fifteen minutes, they entered the familiar woods that they used to play in as children once upon a time. Hallie knew now they were about to approach their �castle�, the little stone structure that she was unsure was still standing after all these years. She began growing uneasy being in the dark forest at night, and just when she was about to mention it to Christian, she saw a hint of light through the thicket of trees. They made their way through the slumping branches and finally their castle was in view, like Hallie had never seen it before.

The whole thing was covered in Christmas lights that sparkled off the black water, making it look like a cozy home in one of Thomas Kinkade�s paintings. Small icicles had formed in the stony archways, adding timelessness to their once, and now again special spot.

�Did you do this?� Hallie whispered in wonderment.

Christian nodded making his way across the stepping stones, up the little stairs to the top. Hallie followed him looking down at the nearly frozen pond.

�My god,� she breathed. �It�s beautiful.�

�I made this for you, for us,� he said his deep voice echoing off the stone walls.

Hallie took the rubber band out of her hair letting it cascade down her shoulders, with the snowflakes that had fallen on her head floating to the ground.

Knowing she wouldn�t refuse him, he held her face in his hands and kissed her collarbone softly, moving up to her neck, her cheek, and then straight to her reciprocating lips. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders enjoying the bare trees being their only audience, and became soothed by the cold lips calming the heat within her. The feeling was opposite for him, as her warmth melted away the coldness he�d been contained with since the last time he saw her.

He sat her on top of the stone ledge delicately making sure she wouldn�t fall.

�Why did you do this for me?� Hallie asked nuzzling her head against his chest like a cat.

�Because I know you didn�t throw my photograph away,� he said kissing curly tendrils of hair.

�Because you know I love you too,� she replied stroking his wintry pale face. It was a delayed response to his declaration of love a few days ago, but she finally admitted it, and nothing else mattered now.

He always wished, but never knew what it would feel like to be inside that snow globe Hallie had given him several years ago, and now he did, except there wasn�t just a howling lone wolf inside of it anymore, there was also a princess who was no longer lost, at least for now.

Author's Note

i worked on this chapter for a while trying to get the plot the way i wanted. i did and redid it tons of times hope you all enjoy it. :)

Reviews

[Ariadne President]

It is a great chapter. I have not read the first one, but again I had not gone through your read requests in months due to going through other stories that I wanted to review by the time I was a new writer. It truly was a great story in itself, but I promise I will get to the other ones. Also when you said "After blow dying and styling her hair to wavy perfection she slipped on a pair of Jill Stuart jeans and chose an ivory body hugging sweater to top it off." It's supposed to be blow drying and also mothers should be written like mothers, lol. Well, take care and I hope you hav emore stories for me - I'll be glad to read them when I get the time.

[Angel's Lady]

Very beautiful indeed and very romantic. I love this. Thank you for writing it. I realize you didn't write it especially for my contest, but it definitely fits to a tee. Thank you for entering it. Beautifully written. I need to see the rest of these chapters, apparently!

[MorganLyn]

very good work! well done!! ah man... your work is gettin sooo romantic lol...I guess its the whole love and christmas put together thing hhaha

I can't believe her and David haven't split for real yet!! geeezzz, I want more :)

[Rita]

What can I say?

I always check to see if you've added any chapters.
They just get better and better.

Great work.

[t0xic_rose]

i loved this chapter, actually this whole story. The imagery in this chapter is unbelievable. You used so much detail that i felt like i was there.

[Wolfwind Words]

It keeps getting better and better! It gives the meaning of true love as Christian and Halie talk outside the gate.
I am hooked!

One thing I noticed- "After blow dying and styling...." Made me chuckle as i imagined someone trying to kill their hair with a blow drier! :)

I love this story! Keep up the good work!

Infinity's Shadow

[Mysteral - Night Prowle..]

"He helped me after you just laughed at me and told me to suck my stomach in!" I thought, soon as David said that at the fashion show, haha... one way ticket to Dumpsville. I'm only surprised it took her three chapters to get there...LOL

I was confused over which side of the gate Hallie and Christian were on. You seem to suggest Hallie opened it and went out, then a couple of paragraphs later, that Christian was outside and she was inside.

Other than that, a great chapter.

[bluessadmood]

well i liked the ending a lot ,so romantic ,i knew from the start they belonged to each other ,it was a wonderful scene,you have drawn at the end,she left all family and home for him ,that was so sweet i think they were bound to get together,so sweet,moayad

[ShadowWolf]

Right from the very beginning this just would not let me stop reading! Well done!