"And that's the story of how I captured my first leprechaun," Ford said, he was trying desperately to keep Dipper awake by recounting exciting stories from the journal, but the boy was losing his strength rapidly.

"so tired…so cold," Dipper whimpered, his lips were turning blue, time was running out.

"Dipper…please son…I can't lose you!" Ford pleaded. He glanced up towards the sky and began praying one of the traditional Jewish prayers his mother used to pray.

"Mi Shebeirach avoteinu v'imoteinu,
Avraham, Yitzchak v'Yaakov, Sarah, Rivkah,
Rachel v'Lei-ah, hu y'vareich et hacholim
[names]. HaKadosh Baruch Hu yimalei
rachamim aleihem, l'hachalimam ul'rapotam
ul'hachazikam, v'yishlach lahem m'heirah
r'fuah, r'fuah shleimah min hashamayim,
r'fuat hanefesh ur'fuat haguf, hashta
baagala uviz'man kariv. V'nomar: Amen."

As soon as Ford muttered amen he saw two headlights in the distance and frantically started waving it down.

"HOLY MOSES!" Stan shouted as soon as he recognized Ford and the distressed Dipper he rushed from his car and began sprinting towards them.

"STANLEY!" Ford exclaimed, he had been happy to see his brother in the past, but never as much as he was in that moment.

"Sixer! What the hell happened? Oh! Explain on the way, help me get the kid to the car, we gotta get you to a hospital!" Stan said as he gathered the boy into his arms and carried him off.

In that moment Ford felt a weight lift off of him, call it divine peace or whatever, but he knew in that moment Dipper would be all right.

He actually tried to go ahead and lift the tree that had caused them so much grief, but Janice of all people called out.

"Honestly Stanford!? Forget that stupid tree! It doesn't matter!"

Ford couldn't argue with that as he hopped in the car and Stan sped towards the hospital, there were no snow tires on earth that could match the speed of a scared father and they reached help in no time.

While Dipper was being checked out his four very different, but very similarly worried family members sat in the waiting area. Stan brought over hot chocolate, but everyone knew that no one would drink it.

Mabel finally broke through the silence, "Graunty Janice? Why do you care so much about having a traditional Christmas?"

Janice was shocked at the nature of the question given everything that was going on, but she figured the girl deserved an answer.

"When your mother was a girl…she loved Christmas so much. She used to help me decorate my house top to bottom with tinsel and wreaths and a big Christmas tree. We would have so much fun together. Then, she married your father and…suddenly she picked this whole new culture, this whole new life, and well…I thought if I could maybe celebrate Christmas with you and Dipper, I could somehow relive those memories now that she's…gone."

Mabel placed her hand over Janice's, she was still upset about everything that had happened but at least now she had a better understanding of where Janice came from.

"Memories aren't meant to be recreated Graunty Janice. That's why they are memories, but you can keep making new ones,"

Janice managed a smile at the child wise beyond her years, "I know that now dear…I just hope that I can make more…with you…and Dipper," Janice started shaking.

Mabel had tears in her eyes, but forced a confident smile, "Dipper's a tough cookie…he'll be fine."

The three adults tried giving her reassuring smiles to show that they agreed with her, but you could still cut the tension in the room with a knife.

At that moment, the doctor emerged and was subsequently bombarded.

"Where's my son?" Ford asked.

"Is he okay?" Stan pleaded.

"How bad is it?' Janice inquired.

"Can I see him?" Mabel begged.

The doctor smiled and in rapid succession answered the questions, "He's resting in the back, he's fine, a few bad scrapes and a lot of tenderness but otherwise he's going to be just fine, and of course you can."

He led them back to the boy's room and sure enough he was bandaged up, but sitting up straight and looking like he was feeling much better.

Mabel bonded over and hugged his head tight, so not to harm his tender body. Stan took his hand, Ford stroked his hair, and Janice just looked ashamed.

"I'm okay Graunty Janice, I'm not contagious," the boy kidded.

"I'm sorry about the tree…' he finally said.

That was what broke Janice into tears, 'oh Dipper, I'm the one whose sorry…I'm so very sorry…for everything…."

She looked at the four of them; they looked so happy together….so natural. She suddenly felt like such an intrusion on that happiness.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your Hanukkah…it was close-minded of me, and yes Stanley, it was bigoted as well. I guess, I just…tried to force something for my own gain. It was selfish of me…I know that now…. I can just go and leave you all to your festivities." She said as she turned towards the door.

"Graunty Janice….please stay…we want to celebrate with you. You are our family." Dipper pleaded from his bed.

Janice smiled as she remembered her niece's words on memories, and suddenly she knew what to do.

"I'm leaving, but just for a bit…I'll be back soon!"

She returned an hour later with the menorah from home, and proudly wearing Mabel's Hanukkah sweater.

"Now we can celebrate right here! What is tonight the….fifth night?"
"That's right Graunty Janice! Do you wanna light it?"

That's just what she did, and there in that cramped hospital room, she made some of the happiest memories she had made in a long time, and looked forward to many more to come.