Author's webpage: http://www.angelfire.com/la/KnightScribe/index.html

DISCLAIMER: I promise to put them back no worse for wear when I'm done, please don't sue me.

RATING: PG

PAIRINGS: none

NOTE: sequel to "Peg O'My Heart"

Angels

(c) 1999 by M. Megan O'Neil

She looks so happy. God Almighty, the place hasn't changed. No, that's not true. It has. It looks...liveable? Is that the word I want? Much different than when I was here. Seems like another life, another person. Now she's running around in the snow. Get back inside kid, before you freeze your little butt off! Guess I shouldn't complain. I'm glad she likes the gifts. I hope she like hers. The tree looks nice. Not quite as perfect as I pictured it in my mind, but pretty. Yow! The kid's got an amazing set of lungs! I guess she unwrapped the ice skates. Yep! There she goes, right down to the river. Enjoy kid! Glad you like the presents.

I don't ever remember there being any Christmas in that shack, happy or otherwise. Of course, it wasn't like it was the greatest place to live in. It looks really nice since they rebuilt it, but I can't believe anyone would willingly move this far out. Oh mama, what did you ever see in that bastard? He would have killed us. He did kill you. Why didn't we leave? It couldn't have gotten any worse! It wasn't like we had a decent amount of food or a place to live with him! I hated this place. It still manages to scare the hell out of me. I don't why I come back here every year. I guess I just want to make sure she doesn't doesn't have those kinds of Christmases. Even poor kids have a right to a little magic. Guess I better head back. Dad, I miss you. You always tried to make me forget this place. But you couldn't.

She turned and walked back over the hill, unaware she was being watched.

Benton Fraser watched, quietly hidden in the woods near her. She seemed so sad. Her face had shown many emotions in the time he had known her: aggravation, anger, exasperation, amusement, and...a fleeting look which he hoped he hadn't imagined, but never sadness. Something below that hill was holding her interest. He could see nothing but a dilapidated old cabin and a little girl running around outside. An adorable little girl, to be sure, but an ordinary little girl. He knew she would be angry if she found out he had followed her, but her behavior had been so strange the past few weeks, he had felt it was his duty to make sure she was alright. He blushed slightly. It was his duty, yet he had considered the possibility that it could have been someone she was seeing. He felt guilty over how wrong he had been. She was leaving. Quietly, he moved down the hill.

"Kit! Kit?" Jessie Tyler put her hands on her hips in annoyance. "Katherine Rose Tyler, where are you?"

        "I believe she went down towards the pond."
        "What the-" She whirled around to face a handsome man whose friendly

blue eyes eased her guard. "That kid! I'm sorry, you startled me. No one really comes out this far from the mining camps. Are you hunting?"

Benton shook his head. "No, actually, I came here following Insp-uh, a friend and I saw her on that hill. I thought you might know her, but she did not come down this way as far as I know."

Jessie's brown eyes widened and she leaned on the porch in interest. "Someone was standing on that hill up there? For how long?"

        "Well, I really couldn't say-"
        "You said you know her?  What does she look like?  Who is she?"
        Surprised, Benton was rather at a loss for words.  "Ma'am, you have

no idea who she is? I though perhaps she was an estranged relative or..."

He trailed off as he watched the woman lean against the wooden post, an odd smile spreading across her face. She was not an unattractive woman, but her face showed the life of poverty and backbreaking work. Her dress, while clean and neat, was obviously second-hand. Jessie Tyler finally spoke. "I think you know our Christmas angel." Benton's face must have showed his confusion, for she laughed and led him in. His eyes took in the festive holly decorating the room, the large Christmas tree the crowning glory to this small room.

Sitting next to him at the kitchen table, Jessie explained as best she could. "Look, me and Kit, that's my daughter, the kid you saw running around? Well, we lost my husband about five years ago. He was killed in a mining accident." Her voice shook as she struggled to maintain control. "Well, when Tom was alive, we never had much, but we had a little more than we have now." She looked him in the eye. "Not that we were rich or anything, 'cause most everybody's struggling around these parts. But we at least had a decent house over our heads. Kit was three when he was killed." Benton leaned forward, listening sypathetically. He had heard many stories concerning the poverty of the miners of Cape Breton Sound, yet had never known anyone from that life personally. "Please go on."

Jessie took a breath, drumming her fingertips on the table. "Well, I didn't have enough money, so we lost the house. And, well, we stayed with people, even camped out a couple of times." She let out a bitter laugh. "It was bad. Well, I did odd jobs, anything I could do to make sure Kit didn't go hungry. Saved up a little and found this place. It looked like something from the pits of hell, it was so rundown." She smiled. "But Tom's buddies, they came and they helped me out and rebuilt this place. One of the old guys told me the last time this shack had been lived in, the guy ended up burning it to the ground. Something about him killing his wife. He told me maybe it was time this place saw a little happiness."

Fraser smiled as he listened. This was the strength he envied; the strength that made one carry on when it was impossible. The strength that people like Meg Thatcher and Ray Vecchio possessed. "You said something about a Christmas angel?" Laughing, Jessie nodded. "I'm getting to that. Kit was five at the time and Christmas was rolling around. I didn't have any money for extras, least of all Christmas presents. Well, Christmas Eve come around and we didn't even have a tree and all Kit could talk about was how Santa was going to be mad because there wasn't a tree." Her face held that odd smile. "And then, the funniest thing happened. I was upset that I couldn't even get Kit one Christmas gift. Somebody knocked on my door and it was the old man who runs the store in town. He and four guys came in carrying a tree, food, presents, you name it!"

        Entranced, Benton leaned forward.  "Who gave it?"
        Jessie shrugged.  "I don't know.  To this day, I still don't.  But he

helped decorate and set up the tree and I started cooking that night. You should have seen my little girl's face when she woke up the next morning. All she could say was 'I told you Santa would find us.'"

Benton laughed. "I can imagine. And you still don't know who it was?" "Is."

        "Eh?"
        "Mister, I still have barely enough to get by, but every Christmas Eve,

the same thing always happens. Almost makes me believe in magic. And it makes Kit happy. I don't know if your friend is who does it, but whoever it is, I'm grateful." He smiled, wondering if she would ever know how happy she had made someone. Her reasons were her own, but he hoped she knew someone watched over her as well. "Mom! Hey, who's he?" A red-haired little girl came running in, clutching her brand-new ice skates protectively.

Jessie stood up, brushing away a tear. "Hey sweetness. This is-" He offered his hand. "Constable Benton Fraser, ma'am."

"Kit, this is Benton and he's going to join us for Christmas dinner!" "Oh ma'am, really, I couldn't impose-"

        Turning to him, Jessie Tyler shook her head.  "I insist."
        Kit jumped up in the chair next to him.  "Yeah, Mom cooks pretty good!"

"Pretty good?! Kit Tyler!"

Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men...Merry Christmas.