Disclaimer: Last time I checked, my name wasn't Hayao Miyazaki. Therefore, Spirited Away isn't mine.

Christmas Wish

Dear Santa,

I know that many years ago I might've asked you for an iPod, a computer, the newest Hello Kitty stuffed pillow or even one of those Bratz dolls from the United States. But this year, I only have one thing to wish for: all I really want for Christmas is him. Thank you.

Sincerely, Chihiro

Chihiro self-consciously pursed her lips as her mother scurried around the room carrying around the extravagant Christmas ornaments that have yet to be put on the fake Christmas tree before the annual Christmas party that was held at their house every year. What was she doing back home? Holiday spirit, of course (every single good kid goes home during Christmas). But Chihiro hated being home, especially during the holidays. Ever since she had left home for college two years ago, there was nothing more that she would like than to be away from home.

From the day she left Aburaya, maybe it was her, maybe it was her parents, but one of them, or even both had changed. She was less sulky about things, less moody, happier about what she had and was well, a good girl. Yet her mother had become a nagging, severe mother to her daughter, as her father could do absolutely nothing to help his daughter against his wife. Chihiro couldn't stand being home, even if it was for Christmas. But some things can't be helped, can they?

"Chihiro," her mother called. "Come help me decorate the tree. We need to get it ready before the guests arrive."

Chihiro sighed. "Coming," She called, wearily getting out of her seat from the kitchen. "What do you need help with, Mother?" she asked as she walked into the living room, where her mother was waiting for her.

"Grab those lights and start wrapping them around the tree." Her mother ordered, handing the new box of brightly colored lights to Chihiro, who in return reluctantly took the box and handed another box of ornaments back to her mother.

Two hours later and countless reprimanding from her mother for hanging the ornaments up "wrong", Chihiro and her mother finally managed to finish decorating the tree. As her mother walked into the kitchen to check on the soon-to-be dinner, Chihiro took that chance to escape to her former room that she used to live in before she left for university.

Sighing, Chihiro couldn't help but spite her mother for her nagging. Gods, didn't she know when to stop, or when it was completely unnecessary? Wearily rubbing her eyes, Chihiro felt a dull pain starting to pound behind her temples. There was so much pressure every time she came back, so much tension between her and her mother. What had happened?

Then, at that moment her father happened to walk past her slightly ajar door. Sensing her unhappiness, he knocked on her door.

"Chihiro?"

She looked up, hands still pressed at her cheeks. "Hey." She greeted, attempting to crack a smile. "Is there something you need, Dad?"

Her father shook his head, but said, "It's about your mother, Chihiro."

Almost immediately, the smile on her face fell. It pained her father so to see that happen, especially when talking about his wife. "What about her?" he heard her ask quietly.

"Chihiro honey," he started. "She means well. Really, she does." He added when he saw her raise her eyebrow skeptically.

With that same doubtful look in her eyes, Chihiro held up her hands in defense. "Didn't say she didn't," she said, averting her eyes from her father.

He just sighed, wondering how he could explain things to his daughter without straining the already fragile relationships between the two women in the household. However, before he even opened his mouth he heard Chihiro speak.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She whispered with the saddest expression on her face that her father had ever seen that it nearly broke his heart.

"For what, Chihiro?" he asked gently, almost feeling the tears spring up at his daughter's pain.

"For being causing you and Mother so much trouble." She answered softly, staring at the ground, blinking furiously.

Her father just stared at her, bewildered. Why would she think something like that? "Come here, Chihiro." He said, holding out his arms to her. Chihiro gratefully went to them, hugging her father hard.

"She just doesn't understand you anymore." Chihiro heard her father tell her as she silently cried into his shirt. "Neither of us had, ever since that move when you were ten." He paused. "Which is why your mother has been the way she has. Please don't take it to heart," he begged to his daughter, unable to bear the pain he felt radiating from the two most important women in his life. "She really loves you, except it's hard for her to show you, especially now."

"I believe you, Daddy. I believe you." He heard her say, her voice muffled by his shirt.

When he felt that her shoulders had stopped shaking and she had stopped crying, her father pulled away from her to stare into her big, doleful (and now slightly red) chocolate brown eyes. "Chin up, Chihiro," he advised his daughter. "Who knows, maybe Santa will come and grant your wish tonight." With that, he awkwardly pat her on the head and strolled out of the room to check upon the delicious aroma floating from the kitchen.

And Chihiro was left to her own devices again as she fell into deep thought, until the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the first guest.

"Chihiro!" she heard her mother call from across the room. "Please get the phone!"

Chihiro looked over at her mother's busy face that struggled with the other mothers to lay out the food for everyone. She hurried over to the urgently ringing phone. "Got it!" she shouted back as she picked it up. "Hello?" she spoke into it.

Silence.

"Hello?" she said again, this time with more hesitation. This was probably another one of those Christmas pranks that the immature neighborhood children played.

"...He's coming for you."

"What?" Chihiro blurted. The voice was strangely familiar, but no face came to mind. She was tempted to hang up on whoever it was, but someone else spoke up loudly on the other end as the doorbell soundly rang again and Chihiro's heart almost stopped.

"Stop that! You're probably scaring the poor girl out of her wits!"

"Kamaji?" she whispered. "Rin, is that you?"

"..." Suddenly, silence again.

"He's coming for you."

Dial tone.

Chihiro stared at the phone that she held in shock and amazement. Could that really be her two friends from Aburaya? What did they mean by 'He's coming for you'?

Her train of thoughts was interrupted by her mother walking in with the newcomer guests. "Chihiro, here is someone that I'd like you to meet."

Gently, Chihiro placed the phone back down into its resting position, and turned to meet a pair of very familiar emerald green eyes. Her own eyes widened in shock as she could feel the strength in her knees weakening. Chihiro reached out and gripped the table behind her to support her.

"H-hello." She stuttered out, hoping that her mother didn't catch anything.

Fortunately, the other woman didn't notice anything. "Chihiro darling," she started excitedly. "This is Kohaku, someone that I bumped into in the neighborhood a few days before you came back for vacation. He mentioned that he was giving up on his find for someone, and I mentioned I had a daughter coming home in case he wanted to meet her, so I invited him to our Christmas party. He didn't want to, but I insisted. He's such a nice young man, I'm sure that you will like him..."

Her mother chattered on excitedly, like a young child on Christmas morning, opening up gifts. Chihiro flickered her eyes to her mother, averting the man's eyes. It couldn't be him, it just couldn't! Not after all these years...

But same name, same eyes? Just coincidence, she told herself firmly. She wanted to thank her mother for all the troubles, but she couldn't stand looking like a goggling fool in front of a perfect stranger.

"Thank you, Mother." She interrupted. The other woman looked radiant.

"Why don't you sho–"

Before she could complete her suggestion, Chihiro quickly said, "I have a headache right now, Mother. I'm going to run upstairs to get some aspirin really quickly."

The look on her mother's face softened. "Of course, Chihiro." She said, and Chihiro bolted. "But come right back down!" she yelled after the girl, and turned back to her guest.

"Would you like some punch?"

Despite what her mother told her to do, Chihiro did not return to the party, instead locking herself in her room. She was being a coward, she knew, but she wasn't strong enough to face him, whether he be the real Haku that she knew from Aburaya or just some really, really good look-alike.

But the headache was true enough. She took a couple of aspirin from her medicine cabinet, and sat down on her bed, nervously glancing at the door, half expecting it to burst open. Bringing her knees up to her chest, Chihiro curled back onto her bed, still carefully eyeing the closed door.

There was a knock, and she almost fell off the bed in surprise.

"Yes?" She called, straightening her limbs out to walk over to the door, only opening it to see the person on her mind. "Is there a problem?" she asked politely.

He looked a bit uncomfortable. "Your mother would like you to come down for dinner." He answered cautiously.

"Oh." Chihiro bit her lip. "Okay, I'll be down in a second." With that, she quickly closed the door in his face.

"Wait! Chihiro—" she heard him call through the door, but she refused to open it. "It's me, Sen." His soft whisper floated through the thin barrier between them.

The girl winced at the sound of the name she used at Aburaya. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said, it coming out with less bite than she had intended.

"But you do know." She heard him protest. A slight pause, when she refused to answer. "It's Haku." He said softly. "I've finally come for you."

The door opened slightly, and a teary, brown eye peeked out at him. "Is it really?" Chihiro asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Is it really you?"

"Yes," he breathed out, as the door opened all the way and was replaced by the girl behind it. "It is."

"Then," Chihiro paused, averting her eyes from his. "Why did it take you so long? I've waited so many years..."

He reached with a hand to tip her chin up so that she was looking at him. "I know," he replied softly, looking at her tenderly. "And for that, I'm so sorry." Closing his eyes, he reached out with his other hand to gather her into his arms. "But now, I'm here to stay."

She was quiet for a moment, and he suspected she was crying into his shirt. "Promise?" she finally asked, sniffling.

"Promise," he swore. "I don't make promises I can't keep."

As Yuuka Ogino quietly stepped up the stairs to see what was taking those two so long to come down for dinner, she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that she saw. It wasn't exactly a "passionate embrace," like those old cheesy romance novels that she used to read, but she could tell that Chihiro was going to be happy this Christmas. Something that she long wished for, for the past ten years.

-fin

­A/N: Written for a friend of mine; I remember starting this a little over a year ago, when I was on that blasted ski trip up north. I was talking to her on the phone, when I started the first page or so, and promptly dropped it for the rest of the year. Yes, anyway, rushed the ending because I wanted to finish it before the year ended again, thank you—I know it sucks. It's also unbeta-ed (because I'm a lazy wench and this is already late), so if anyone spots any mistakes that really shouldn't be there, please tell me! (And I definitely have some Fullmetal Alchemist stuff waiting to be uploaded, in case anyone was wondering.)

Also, please R&R! I love to know what you guys think!