This is just a little oneshot about my character James. James is a Beagle puppy that was adopted by a family of snakes who belong to a friend of mine, Randy of course being a snake. James was adopted from an orphanage shortly before Christmas, having been an orphan since he was little. How he became an orphan is unknown to his new family at this time. However, he still has someone very special looking out for him. James belongs to me and Randy and Randy's family belongs to my friend.

Both of the characters in these stories are in the Rango style and verse, and I am currently working on the stories that they DO meet Rango. James will be visiting Dirt with his Brother-in-Law whom is orignially from just outside of Dirt who is already in one of my stories that is published here on FFN. Cherie will also be making an appearance in Dirt in a oneshot where she meets up with Ambrose in a reunion of sorts because they met one another in his travels around the world. Both of these stories are in progress. Just because James and Cherie have not met anyone in Rango yet, does not mean I won't. I just finished a very difficult college semester so I am extremely behind in my work. These two belong in the Rango category because they are in the Rango-Verse and will be meeting Rango and the citizens of Dirt. Whether you want to read them or not is your choice. I am very behind in my stories and I am working on it.

He hadn't meant to wander so far. He just wanted to see the snow becoming cradled so tenderly amongst the trees. And now he was all alone. The sun had set what seemed like forever ago, sending his world into darkness. It was cold and his warm winter clothes had gotten wet from the snow and no longer provided much warmth at all. He just wanted to go home…He wanted his mother and father, his brother and sister, and his grandfather. Anyone really. So long as he wasn't alone anymore.

Softly he sniffed, rubbing a few tears from his eyes so they wouldn't freeze to his fur. Then he'd be even colder. Something he wasn't even sure was possible anymore but he didn't want to find out. Tightening his scarf with a soft whimper, the Beagle pup continued walking through the park that had not too long ago been a place that filled him with happiness and laughter, now it only frightened him. He never should have wandered away…

"Randy? Can we go home now? Randy?"

As he called for his brother, he would pause and perk his ears, hoping to hear a call, a sound, a whisper of a response, anything to let him know his brother was there. Was waiting to take him home. But there came none. No one was there to hear him. Just the sleeping trees and the falling snowflakes. He was very much alone.

Giving another soft whimper, he tucked himself under a large tree, drawing his coat tighter around him as he sat back against the hard bark and sank into the cold snow. He knew better. He knew better than to wander off in the middle of the park alone. He had promised his mother he would stay by Randy's side. But he broke it even after he had been told to stay put. Despite all the trouble the pup knew he was going to be in, he didn't care. All he wanted was to go home, to be with his family. But as the night seemed to draw out forever he wasn't sure if that was ever going to happen. As more tears came to his eyes, the pup whimpered and drew his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and resting his chin on them. "I want my Mother…." Closing his eyes he buried his face into his knees and cried, just cried. It was all he could do.

"You'll see her soon baby. Don't you worry."

The sudden voice caused him to look up, ears perking as he spotted a figure moving amongst the falling snow. It was a bird, but not one he readily recognized. Her feathers were as white as the snow that swirled around her, her eyes like pure onyx as she softly stepped over to him. Not a sound came from her feet as they passed across the snow. She smiled as she went to him, kneeling and softly brushing the tears from his eyes. "It's alright now baby, everything's going to be alright." Her smile held as he sniffed, rubbing his eyes a bit as he looked up at her.

"Who, who are you?"

The white bird just held her smile, "Just a friend baby. I'm going to help you find your brother, so you can go home." At her words the pup smiled and wagged his tail, brushing snow from side to side. "Really? Oh thank you!" She just smiled and tenderly scooped him up, cradling him to her soft and warm chest feathers as she began walking through the snow laden trees. "You're welcome baby. It won't be long now, I promise."

The Beagle pup smiled and hugged her, nuzzling his face into her soft feathers before looking up at her curiously, ears perking as he recalled what she was. "You are a Snow Petrel, right? But, should you not be in the Antarctic?"

She merely smiled at him, brushing some snow off his cheek. "I'm, visiting my family. I wanted to make sure my son was doing alright. I haven't seen him in such a long time. I've missed him. So I came here because he needed me." "Oh. Have you seen him yet?" "Yes, I've seen him quite recently. And he's growing up to be a handsome young man. I just wish I could see him more often." The little pup tilted his head curiously as he gazed up at her, "Doesn't he want to see you?" The petrel laughed softly, "I believe so yes. It's just very hard for me to see him." He tilted his head a bit at her words but she just smiled before setting him down lightly. "Now baby, be a good boy for your family. You're a very special young man James. You have a wonderful family that loves you. Don't you forget that now."

Gently she nudged him forward, taking a few steps back before turning and vanishing into the snow filled night. He turned and gazed back at her fading figure before his ears perked hearing his brother's voice. A smile came to his face and his tail wagged eagerly. He was finally going to go home.

"Randy!"

Yipping in joy the pup ran out of the dense trees and up to his brother, hugging him tightly the moment he could, saying he was sorry for running off and that he would never do it again. His brother just brushed it all aside and hugged him fiercely, having been worried a great deal about him. With a smile from each of them, the pair left the park to head home. Knowing well the rest of their family would be very worried by now. As they left, a figure peaked out from behind the trees, her wing lying on the tree softly as she smiled, tears coming to her eyes as she gazed at them.

"Merry Christmas baby…"

Turning away she began walking in no real direction, the snow picking up and swirling around her before she vanished without a trace. No prints in the snow. No trail where she had carried the Beagle to his searching brother. Nothing. Nothing but a memory now forever remembered in the thoughts of a young boy. One he would surely think back to and wonder, just how did she know his name? How did she know where his brother was? As he grew older he would often wonder, had this white maiden truly been what the legends spoke of? Was she truly, an Angel of the Snow.