15 comments/ 56091 views/ 64 favorites Elves' Tale: A Christmas Romance By: jsragmanus This is my submission for the 2014 Holiday contest. It's primarily a romance with a Christmas theme. I hope you enjoy it. I'd like to thank Bramblethorn for editing this story for me. Her comments and edits are very much appreciated. ** Emily I was having the Christmas dream again. I have the dream every year at Christmas time. In the dream, I am a little girl, five years old. It was Christmas Eve and I was asleep in the overstuffed chair in the living room. I was wearing a long cotton night gown and I was sitting in the chair with my legs drawn up, and the night gown was stretched tightly over my knees. Our family Christmas tree was hung with tinsel and ornaments. Next to the chair, on the table were homemade sugar cookies and a glass of milk. In my dream, I was awoken and when I looked up, there was Santa Claus, standing in front of me nibbling on a cookie that my mother and I had so lovingly decorated. When Santa saw that I was awake, he knelt by the chair, and took my hand. "Hello Emily, how are you tonight?" I looked down, and buried my face in my nightgown. I could feel my burning cheeks against the cool cloth. "My dear child..." He paused and a single tear slid down from the corner of one eye. "I'm very glad we got to meet tonight. I can tell you're a very special girl with a lot of love in your heart," he continued. Looking up, I smiled shyly at him. "Thank you," I whispered. "If you can keep the love in your heart, I think we will meet again someday." He placed his hand on the side of my face, leaned over me and kissed the top of my head, and I fell back into sleep. ** I woke up from my dream to the gentle chiming of my alarm. The dream had come a little earlier than normal this year. It was the first Saturday in November and I needed to get moving. Today was elf-training! That's what I called it in my mind anyhow. This season I was going to work evenings and weekends at the mall as one of Santa's helpers. I was really excited about it. I love children, and the thought of being around so many excited little kids was just too wonderful to pass up. I ran a brush through my hair, and did my minimalist makeup routine: a touch of blush, some mascara, and a quick swipe with some lip gloss. Looking at myself in the mirror, I took a quick inventory. Not bad. At 25, I still enjoyed the full bloom of youth. I'm about 5'5", and trim with cute breasts, shoulder-length red hair, and blue eyes. With a quick goodbye to my cat Romeo, I headed out the door, and caught the bus to the mall. ** The training session was being held in an empty space near the south end of the mall. When I walked in, I saw a half-dozen girls all younger than me, and the person that I guessed was going to be our Santa. I did a double-take when I saw how closely he resembled the Santa from my dream. It was uncanny. He smiled up at me and then turned his attention back to the person he'd been talking to. Right after I came in, another woman entered. She was a few years older than me and I was entranced. As she glided noiselessly into the room, I furtively looked her over. She was the most amazing creature I'd ever seen. She had waist length black hair done in a loose braid that tumbled down her right side, accenting her curvy breasts. Her eyes were dark, and her eyebrows were full and perfectly shaped. She had cheeks that were high and proud, and rich lips that stopped just short of being pouty. Her frame was very slender, and she was wearing a peasant blouse that made her look both warm and inviting. It was tough to guess her height because she was seated in a wheelchair. She wasn't "stunningly beautiful", but I could see in her face and eyes a depth and complexity that I knew would be terrific to be around. As I looked at her, I felt a warm tingle go through me, and an urge to get to know her. When she wheeled into an empty space near the end of one table, I quickly sat in the chair beside her. As she looked me over, I could feel myself blushing. One of the curses of being a red-head is that with my pale blue complexion, when I blush, it's pretty obvious. Pushing myself past my embarrassment, I introduced myself. "Hi there, I'm Emily!" I grinned. A warm smile spread on her face. "My name's Daphne Winston, kind of a weird name huh? I guess my parents were really into Scooby Doo" she said, grinning lopsidedly. "I can understand that. My mother named me after her favorite poet, Emily Dickinson. I'm so excited to be here today," I blurted. "I LOVE Christmas, and I love kids. How about you? Do you love children?" I was practically hyperventilating from the combination of her presence, and my anticipation at being Santa's helper. "I do. When I was a tween, a friend and I used to babysit all of the kids in my neighborhood. It was an awesome time for me." But she sounded sad. Just then, the woman from the talent agency called for everyone's attention. "Welcome everyone. I'm so glad to see you all. I think we're going to have a wonderful time this year. I want you all to know that everyone here was highly recommended for this position. We're also incredibly fortunate to have as our Santa this year, Mr. Chris Norling. Mr. Norling will start today's presentation." "Thank you Ms. Larsson." His eyes were twinkly, and he had a ruddy, flushed appearance and while he wasn't fat, he was soft and sort of rounded. He exuded a warmth and confidence that made him seem to be the kindest and gentlest man I'd ever seen. When his words came, I felt a simple joy swelling in my chest. He was amazing. "I must say I'm so excited to be here with you all. I've worked as a Santa for a number of years, and I can't say I've ever seen a group of helpers that were livelier, more intelligent, or more beautiful. I can tell that we're going to have an excellent season together." As he sat down, bashful smiles burst into blossom on every face, including Ms. Larsson's. The morning was spent going over how to use the photo equipment that would produce pictures of the children with Santa, and policies (no flirting with parents). During a break, Daphne and I talked with each other. "Do you mind if I ask what you do?" Daphne queried. "Most people are kind of uncomfortable around disabled people, but you seem to be doing OK." "I'm a first grade school teacher. When I was in college, I worked at a teen camp, and we had two groups of disabled teens every year. Not developmentally disabled, but physically disabled. So I guess it's pretty normal for me. I could act more awkward if it would help," I said earnestly. Daphne placed one of her hands on mine. The physical touch was unexpected but felt so natural. She smiled and looked into my eyes and said: "You're a nut, you know that right?" There was a softness, and a hint of longing in her voice that put little butterflies in motion in my stomach. "Are you OK?" she said, concerned. "I really didn't mean anything." Taking a deep breath, I fought the butterflies down, and pushed my happy face back on. "So, tell me about yourself, what do you do?" Confusion ran over her face for a second and I could tell she was trying to work out how much to say, and the right tone to say it in. "I work for the county in the children's services division as a child protection caseworker," she said, looking down. "Wow," I exclaimed. "That's an amazing job. I can't imagine the heartaches you must see every day. You must be a very strong person to do it," I mused. "I wish my well of compassion were that deep. I'm really super-impressed..." Daphne flushed and looked embarrassed. "It's really not that bad..." "How did you become interested in social work?" I asked. "Well, when I was fifteen, my mother had kind of a crazy spell. I ended up living in a kind of group home the county provided. They gave me a small income and checked in on me every now and then. I got to know my case worker really well, and as corny as it sounds, I saw what a difference she made for me and I wanted to be able to do that for other children. I've only been doing it for four years now." "Well," I started, "I want you to know that I think you're a super-hero and I really admire you." Blushing again, she turned forward as the training session resumed. At noon the training ended, and I suggested that we have lunch together in the food court. As we ate, we talked back and forth about our plans for the holiday season. "About the only definite plan I have is that 17 of my fellow teachers and I are going to rent a condo and go skiing for a few days after Christmas," I said. "What about your family?" she asked. "My mother died when I was seven, and my father died right after I graduated from college. My parents were both only children. I have a few distant cousins but we don't really hang out that much. What about you?" "Well, I never really knew my father, and things with my mother are pretty non-existent. I try to stay away from her just to protect myself. I guess the wounds haven't quite healed," she said ruefully. We talked for another hour, and then we wandered around the mall, looking various things. We happened to go by a lingerie shop. "Oh," I exclaimed, "we have to go in here! My secret vice is that I have to wear sexy underwear!" I laughed. Near the door was a gorgeous light pink bra that was decorated with lace appliques. Holding it up to myself, I asked her what she thought. "It's lovely" she said softly. Her face sort of flushed for a second and then she looked away, and exclaimed "Oh, look over here! I've been needing some flannel pajamas!" and she wheeled over to them. After much debate, she settled on a light pink pair decorated with hearts and roses. I thought they were totally cute! As we paid for our purchases, I glanced at my phone to check the time. "Oh," I exclaimed, "I need to get going. The bus I need to catch is in ten minutes, and the next one isn't until after the mall closes." "I've got my truck," Daphne said warmly. "I'd be happy to take you home." "Would you mind? That would be great. People get kind of single-minded this time of year, and some a little sad, and the bus isn't the nicest place to be then." Heading for the exit we went out to the parking lot. Daphne had a pickup truck with a little hoist that came out and lifted her chair into the back. I was surprised when she awkwardly got out of her chair and took a few halting steps to climb in. "Oh, you're not totally paralyzed," I said wonderingly. "No, my accident just badly injured my back. I can walk really short distances, but anything more than about three steps makes me pay for a couple of days." I frowned looking at her. "That really sucks," I said angrily, "here you are a genuine superhero, and you have to be disabled and in pain a lot." I thought I saw a small tear in the corner of one eye, and she smiled softly and whispered "Thanks. It's awesome knowing that you think I'm a hero. The pain's usually not that bad." ** The next few weeks were a lot of fun. The kids loved Mr. Norling. I remember thinking what a gift he had. A child could be cranky, tired, and just plain rotten, but once they got on his lap they were transformed into shy innocents that never wanted to leave. Sometimes when a parent couldn't afford to buy the pictures, Mr. Norling would catch Daphne's eye and give her a wink. She would tell the parents that the photos were a gift for their Christmas and at the end of the night Mr. Norling would pay for them out of his own pocket. Whenever Daphne and I could, we would meet before our shift, or after for dinner together. I shared the story of my life, the early loss of my mother, and how it was growing up with my Dad. I told her about how my Dad helped me prepare for prom, and she told me about the endless procession of roommates she'd had to endure in the IL house. Other times, she would talk about her job, and the children she was trying to help. As I got to know Daphne, I realized just how incredibly complex she was. She would do really well with the kids, but sometimes when a parent was losing patience, I saw her eyes ice over and a terrible glare overcome her face. When I started to catch on to this, I kept a close eye out and when I saw something was happening I would try to work with the kid or parent to smooth things over. It came to a head one Thursday evening. A woman went by us dragging her little girl and at the same time berating her and telling her how worthless she was, and how her father was a worthless piece of filth, and she would never amount to much. I was shocked. When I recovered some composure, I saw that Daphne was frozen, and tears were rolling down her eyes. Her face was a mask, and her lips were pursed together so tightly, there was just the thinnest line where her mouth should have been. Leaning forward I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her fiercely. "I'm so sorry. She was wrong to do that." As she shuddered and the tears streamed down her face, I caught Mr. Norling's eye and nodded toward the bathroom. "Come on, I need to go to the bathroom." Walking around behind the chair, I grasped the handles and pushed her towards the women's bathroom. Once I got her inside, I wordlessly knelt and held her tightly again. Her plaintive sobbing redoubled. "I'm so sorry honey. I'm so sorry. It's OK, shhhh... It's OK baby. I'm so sorry. It's OK Daph, I'm so so sorry..." I repeated over and over. My heart was breaking as I felt my wonderful hero crushed in my arms. I had an overwhelming urge to find the woman and yank her daughter away from her so that she would never turn into my beautiful wounded Daphne. After a few minutes her sobbing subsided and she looked up at me. Her eyes were rimmed red, and her mascara was smeared. Her nose was kind of swollen and was running. She was devastatingly adorable in my eyes... I guess what I'm trying to say is that in that instant I realized I adored her. Overwhelmingly, and unconditionally. I was struck by the idea my whole life had been riding on the world's most boring roller coaster, and suddenly the track had fallen away into a screaming dive and I now understood the wonder and excitement. "Why are you so sorry? It's not your fault. You're not the one who hurt me," she sniffled. "I know that. I'm just so sorry that you had to go through it. You're a wonderful person, and you didn't deserve what she did. Do you want to tell me what happened?" "I'm sure you've pretty much figured it out. When I was a little girl, I heard those things from my mother," she said emotionlessly. "My mother is a terrible person. She's mean, abusive, arrogant, and a lot more. When I took abnormal psych, I tried and tried to come up with a diagnosis for her. I was really trying to come up with some way to excuse her for who she was, and how she had treated me. What I realized was that she didn't have a personality, or mental disorder. She just plain hates me and likes doing whatever she can to destroy me." Wordlessly, I handed her another tissue, and after a minute of silence, she worked on her makeup briefly and then led us back to Santa's Workshop. While I had comforted Daphne, the storm that had been threatening all day broke. The weather forecasters had been hyping it for days, calling it the "storm of the century", but I sincerely doubted that. When you live in our state, you learn to laugh at them. Still, sometimes they're right. Tight, dry flakes were flying, and the wind was starting to pick up. Looking out the doors, I couldn't see the lights at the outside edge of the parking lot. The mall was rapidly emptying and the other elves were working on shutting down Santa's Village. Daphne looked at me. "Would you like a ride home tonight?" "Are you OK? I'm worried about you," I said. She nodded."I'll be OK." "I don't know, I'm worried about you driving across town twice to take me home and get to your place," I paused. "I'd feel better if you would let me spend the night with you. I mean, could I sleep on your couch?" I didn't want to leave her side tonight, and at the same time, I felt flustered. Smiling shyly, she nodded and we moved towards the exit. It was a bitch getting into her truck. I found out that wheelchairs suck in the snow, and the deep ruts left in the frozen slush made things almost impassable. We got about halfway to where she was parked, and I had to go to the truck and get her crutches. I took the crutches to her and then carried the wheel chair to her truck. Finally, I returned to her and we navigated the last torturous yards to her truck together. When we got to her apartment complex, we reversed the process. I took the chair to the door, and then returned and helped her navigate through the deep snow. By the time we got to the building, the pain was visible on her face. "Are you going to be OK?" "It looks like it's going to be a Percocet night." She winced. Then she shrugged, and led me into the elevator and up to her apartment. The space was clean and neat, but the oppressive darkness caused by the storm and visible through the windows made me shudder slightly. Still, the couch looked big and squashy and comfortable, and Daphne turned on the gas fireplace for me. After a minute, the blue flames brightened and turned yellow. "The couch looks super comfy!" I called. "Thanks for letting me stay with you." Daphne was over at the sink, fishing a pill out of a disturbingly large prescription bottle. As I watched, she swiftly threw the pill in her mouth and washed it down with some water. "I'm afraid it's not as comfortable as it looks," Daphne started. "I've got a queen-size bed. We could share if you wouldn't mind. Please? Could we cuddle? I feel so lonely tonight." I looked out the windows at the snow swirling, and I saw the desolate solitude of a single lamp in the parking lot. I could feel the beating of the wind against the building, and the beating of my heart, and I thought of the comfort in my friend's arms. "That would be awesome." I smiled. "Let me get changed." She grinned. Going over to a dresser, she pulled out a couple of large t-shirts and handed one to me. "Here you go. Hope you don't mind it's kind of nerdy," she giggled. Unfolding the shirt, I looked at it and squealed, "Oh my god, it's a Totoro shirt. I love Totoro. It's my favorite movie! My dad and I used to watch it together. It was his favorite too!" If you're not a nerd, My Neighbor Totoro is this Japanese anime move. It's about a family that moves into the country. The mother is sick and in the hospital, and the children meet a forest spirit or Totoro. There's this magical pagan scene where the children and Totoro dance around a tree that had just been planted. Every time I watch the movie I remember the wonder of the first time that I saw it. "I love Miyazaki! Studio Ghibli films are my favorite. I think I die every time I watch Howl's Moving Castle. Sophie is so beautiful when she's restored. I just adore the way she's transformed. The way her experience changed her on the inside and out," I gushed. We carried on for a few more minutes, and then Daph excused herself to get changed in the bathroom. After she finished, I went into the bathroom and saw that she had left out a new toothbrush for me. While I brushed my teeth, I stared at myself in the mirror. There was something subtly different about my look. I knew I wasn't magically looking sexier or prettier, or skinnier, nor thank goodness any fatter. My hair was still wet from the blowing snow, and I could see that I was sort of in a state of disarray. It took me until I was done to come up with it. I looked content. I felt like I was living in the moment, and the moment was all I was ever going to need. I'd never felt so free, or so joyful. In that precious moment, I could feel the difference between happiness and joy, and I knew the joy was coming from feeling complete. With a shock, I realized that Daphne made me feel whole. Elves' Tale: A Christmas Romance When I came out of the bathroom, Daph was already in the bed and she patted the other side beckoning me to join her. As I crawled in, I felt the sharp coldness of the sheets, and then the warmth as I scooted over to where she was. Reaching to the stand, she turned off the light and cuddled up to me. "You'll have to excuse me tonight. I took a Percocet earlier and it makes me kind of loopy sometimes," she said. "It's OK Wonder Woman," I whispered. She started talking more about her work with children, and how heartbreaking it could be sometimes. I could tell the medication was starting to get to her. Her words were slowing down and she kind of started to ramble a little. "Wanna save 'em all. Wanna live forever and save 'em all," she slurred. "Emily?" "Yes Daph?" There was no response. "I love you Daphne," I whispered to her. "Love you too Em..." and then she fell asleep. I could feel the burning in my heart as I realized the truth in the words I had just said. I could feel the warmth of her body feeding into mine, and I remembered how good it had felt earlier to want to protect her, to kill for her if that's what it took, and to give my last breath for her. As I lay there, I listened to her breathing, feeling her close to me. I looked at the ceiling and thought about my life. I was coming to the realization that this evening had transformed me and that life was going to be very different. In a way, I felt lucky. I had no family to disappoint, no grandmother to freak out. I knew that loving this woman wasn't going to be a problem for me. Suddenly, my joy was rocked when I realized that I didn't know if Daphne was going to be able to love me back. I felt tears streaming down my face as the weight of the thought hit me. I don't know how long I lay there. As I held Daphne, an errant tear rolled the wrong way down my cheek and fell on her. She stirred, and then touched my check. Without waking up, she held me tighter and whispered thickly: "'S OK baby, I got you." Turning towards her, I gently, so tenderly, brushed my lips against hers. As I fell asleep, I thought about how marvelous they felt. ** After our next shift, Daphne and I had dinner again in the food court. The Percocet she had taken during the storm had destroyed the memory of my confession to her, and I hadn't brought it up. I was feeling very sad as I looked at her. I flashed back to that night, and the struggle out to the truck. A struggle I realized she must live with daily. "Daphne, how did you end up in the wheelchair?" "Emily, it's a story I don't often tell," she said quietly. I was angry! I was in love with her, and she wasn't sharing herself with me! I could feel grief and frustration building in me. Suddenly, I felt calmed. God, how irrational could I be? She didn't know I was in love with her. "Please, I want to get to know you better. Please?" "Well, when I was in high school, I was a cheerleader," she began. "You're kidding right? I just can't picture you as a cheerleader." "Truthfully, I wasn't a very good cheerleader, but the captain of the squad, Annabelle, was my friend, and she wanted me on her squad." Her voice trailed off, and she became very distant. "Annabelle was my girlfriend and we were in love. She wanted me to be a cheerleader so we could spend more time together. So I made the squad," she continued. "Oh hey, you're OK right? I wasn't trying to seduce you the other night you know." "Oh, hey, no, we're good." I choked. I felt a swirl of emotions. Part of me was instantly envious of Annabelle. How could she have dared to hold my treasure in her arms? Part of me was excited by the idea that maybe, just maybe, my relationship with Daph could really happen and we could be lovers. Inextricably mingled with the hope was the terror that I would try to take my relationship with Daphne to the next level and I would be rejected and lose her friendship forever. "So, what happened between you and Annabelle?" "A 1983 Chevy Malibu happened." She sighed. "One night after a game, we were waiting for my mom to come pick me up. Annie and I were kissing when my mother suddenly walked up and slapped me. She started verbally abusing me, and then tried to hit me. I ran away from her, and was walking down the side of the road towards home when..." She stopped, and choked back a small sob. "I'm sorry baby, soo sorry," I whispered. Reaching forward, I took her hand in mine and held it tightly. "Well, she ran over me with her car, and put me in this wheelchair. Annie's parents were stout Baptists, and they sent her off to live with an aunt and uncle in Tennessee. Anyhow, I was placed in foster care, and then in the independent living home until I graduated from high school. I got some scholarships, and some student loans and I got my undergrad degree, and then my master's in social work." A minute passed. "And here I am," she finished lamely. "I'm really sorry. I can't believe your own mother would hurt you. That's just fucked up," I fumed. "Unfortunately, what you learn in child protection is that just because a woman can give birth doesn't mean she can love a child. The most common belief in our circle is that people should have to be licensed before they can have kids." She smiled. "Did she ever," I stuttered. "Did she ever apologize to you? Did she ever explain why she did it?" "We had to sit through a couple of family therapy sessions afterwards. She talked about it being because she was shocked at seeing me kiss a girl. She tried to pass it off as a homophobic thing. You've got to remember, this was when I was fifteen, and being homophobic was still "accepted" in some circles back then. But that wasn't really it," she stopped. Taking a drink from her cup, she leaned forward and looked at me. Her eyes were piercing, and filled with pain. "No, I figured out that the truth and the truth was that she hated that I was happy, and she wanted to destroy that happiness. I got to be a Disney princess, only I was struck down by my own mother who hated me, and there was only an overworked case worker for a fairy godmother, and there was no ball," she finished quietly. "Did you ever see Annabelle again?" I asked. "No. I heard third-hand that she had married and had children...Anyhow!" she exclaimed, "anyhow, now you know why I don't tell the story often. I get maudlin and I overdramatize everything! Look at the time. We should probably get you home." "Daphne," I said. "Could I please stay with you again tonight? I'm really sad and I'd like to cuddle." "Emily, I don't think that's probably a good idea." "Please?" I turned on my best puppy dog look, and widened my eyes, trying my best to look like an anime orphan. "Please, I really need you tonight." "OK." I think that she had wanted to all along, but I think like me she was afraid. ** As we drove towards her home, I reached over and took her free hand in mine. We made our way through the dark city, past the shuttered stores, and the blinking stop-lights, and the hollowly cheerless decorations, I thought about the pain she'd gone through. I thought about the kind of woman that would try to kill her own child. I thought about the special place in hell that I hoped she was in. I resolved to myself that I would never let anyone hurt her like that again. When we got into her apartment, we hardly exchanged any words as we prepared for bed. When I came out of the bathroom the lights were all out. Daph had turned on the gas fireplace and she was in her wheelchair in the living room, staring pensively out into the dark night. She looked so worried. Sliding up behind her, I absently started to brush her hair and then put it into the loose braid that she'd been wearing when we first met. When I finished, I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. At first she stiffened, and then I felt her relax, and her head rest itself on my arm. "It will be OK. Come on, let's go to bed," I whispered. As I crawled into bed with her, she turned on her side and faced me. I could see her eyes in the soft moonlight. Fear was in her eyes, fear mixed with hope and longing. As she spoke, I listened to the words, and more wonderfully, listened to the soft sub-text. "Emily," she said, "I, I really like you. I'd like to stay friends with you after Christmas." "I'd like that too," I said softly. "I'm fighting with myself to tell you this, but I can't bear to keep it in... I feel like when I'm with you, I'm whole. I've never felt this way before, and it's a little scary." "I feel the same way," I said. "The first night I stayed with you I realized how content I am to just be with you. You're the most amazing person I've ever known. I want to know you better." Reaching towards her, I brought her to me. Her head nestled on my shoulder, and her free hand rested on my abdomen, her fingers curled in mine. I could feel a powerful heat in my center, and I wanted desperately to make love to her. Make love; definitely make love. Definitely not fucking. I didn't think I was ever going to fuck again. I wanted Daphne in my arms, radiantly shining with the joy that comes from being cherished. I wanted to hold her in my arms as she called out my name over and over. For a brief second, I flashed on a vision of her dark tresses between my legs, her mouth giving me the ultimate kiss. I wanted to stop thinking about this before I soaked the bed I realized. Still, the arousal I felt was almost overpowering. Just as I turned my head towards her to deliver a hopefully seductive kiss, a delicate snore escaped. Darn, Darn, Darn! The next morning was bright and sunny. Daphne had court that morning, and I still had a class to teach. Except for a slightly prolonged hug, there was no acknowledgement of our increasing intimacy. A childish part of me wanted to petulantly pout, and the contented part of me planned for a lifetime of intimate moments ahead with her. ** Thanksgiving was that week, and the agency was having a Christmas party on Sunday after we finished work. They'd rented a small ballroom at a nearby hotel and we had catered dinner. Ms. Larsson was more than a little tipsy, and was shamelessly flirting with Mr. Norling. She kept going on that she'd been a good girl, and Santa should bring her what he knew she wanted. If it hadn't been so comical, it would have been a little gross. Daphne was wearing black slacks and a gold lamé blouse along with her green elf hat from work. Her hair was so silky and beautiful, picking up highlights from the mood lighting in the ballroom. The perfume she wore was a lost dream of sensuous desire. She was a picture of the sexiest elfin perfection. When I gazed at her, I felt little quakes of desire running through me, and I was desperately afraid that someone would notice how stunningly beautiful she was and take her away from me. Daphne had decorated her wheelchair by wrapping ribbons through the spokes of the wheels. Hanging from the sides of the arms were homemade Christmas ornaments. "I love your decorations." "Thanks. I was visiting some kiddos on my caseload, and they surprised me with them." "They must really like you to have planned that." Daphne and I spent the next hour enjoying the dinner, and just intimately talking with each other. One of the girls from the other mall had stopped by repeatedly, and was trying to flirt with Daphne. She was complimenting Daphne on her hair, and the decorations on her chair. I was starting to get a little worried by then. Looking at the girl again across the room, I recognized the expression on her face when she looked at Daphne. It was lust, and the curiosity to know if there could be more. As I watched her, I saw a resolve come over her face and I decided that I needed to act quickly. I saw Daphne coming back into the ballroom from the bathroom. While she was still in the darkened part of the ballroom, I walked up in front of her. "I've got another decoration for your chair." I smiled awkwardly. Moving behind her I fastened it to the handle, and then coming back around, I gently seated myself on her lap. As I did so, she glanced up and saw the sprig of mistletoe that I had placed over her head. "Is this your big plan for seduction," she said throatily. I just came unglued. All of the tension that had been building up in me for the past month, the ache and desire to hold her, the tenderness I felt when was with her, all boiled up in one confusing mass of emotions. "Nobody said it was a good plan," I blubbered. Tears were rolling down my face, and it felt like a river of snot was running out of my nose. "You make me crazy! When I'm around you, all I can think about is pressing my lips into yours and kissing you until I faint from excitement, so no, it's a bad plan, probably because I hold my breath when I think about it, and I get lightheaded, and then I can't think right because I'm not getting any oxygen to my brain, and the planning department shuts down. So no, it's not a good plan." At this point, I was out of breath again, and even more embarrassingly, I started hiccoughing. Leaning forward, she cupped my face in her soft hands. "It was a wonderful plan. I love it." And then she kissed me. The Christmas songs being played faded into silence, and the entire room shrank into a space that only contained Daphne and me. And time stopped. And I had to remember to breathe, because honestly, the passion of her kiss and the anticipation I'd felt had just made me forget. It was soft, and warm, and inviting, and it tasted like sugar cookies and her tongue beat against mine, and she was nibbling on my lips. I could smell my excitement. Most of all, I could remember my insistent desire. The desire I had earlier felt towards her was like the flame of a candle that had turned into a raging forest fire. A fire so all-consuming that it left nothing in its path. Leaning into her, I pulled her face closer to mine. A small moan escaped my lips, and I could feel my heart beating its way out of my chest. Most of all, I was lost in Daphne. The feel of her hair, the smell of her body wash, the feel of her breasts pressed against me and the cool smoothness of the gold lamé top. One of her hands was at my waist and it felt perfect and natural to have it there. I know it sounds crazy considering I'd already spent two night sleeping in her arms, but it didn't feel anything near the same. I felt desired and sexy and loved. Slowly, Daphne ended our kiss. I let out a small whimper of frustration when our lips parted. Opening my eyes, I tried to guess what she was thinking. Her breathing was rapid, and her eyes were shining and she was smiling at me, her expression spoke volumes of want and passion. "Would you like to come home with me tonight?" "More than anything in the world," I breathed. Sighing again at the loss of contact with her, I got off her lap and we went over to the table and got our coats. Mr. Norling smiled in my direction, and gave me a wink. I smiled back at him and gave him a small wave. It felt kind of weird because to me he really was Santa Claus, but I was no longer a little girl. Returning to the moment, I bent over and helped Daph get her coat on, and then we left together. I won't try to build anticipation by describing the trip back to her apartment as some long drawn out scene of seduction. I felt like a live wire, and I wanted to scream in frustration at every light and stop sign. When we arrived at her apartment complex, the immensity of what I was about to do started to fall in on me. I was about to make love with a woman. I realized that I was OK with that. I knew I was going to be making love with Daphne and it was going to be terrific. Once inside, she started the fireplace up, turned off the lights and went to the couch. I moved onto the cushions, and she lay on it, placing her head in my lap. While the flames danced, I caressed her face and we kissed. I'd like to go on and give you paragraphs of descriptive prose about what it was like. Unfortunately, I'm a math/science type and I just can't make the words come out. There was only Daphne and I kissing and it was wonderful. Our souls were knitting themselves into a unified whole with each kiss and tender touch. Each gentle word of endearment and knowing glance removed some of the distance between us until our hearts were really beating as one. Wickedly I slipped my hand under her top. I felt the heat of her stomach, and the lace at the bottom of her bra. Waking from her reverie, Daphne pushed herself up. Giving me a quick kiss, she made her way to the bathroom. While she prepared herself, I turned down the bed that we had shared before. I thought of those nights we had spent together earlier and how wonderful they had been, and how this evening was going to be different. Looking around, I found a lighter and lit the candles spread around the room. When Daphne came out of the bathroom, a small tear glistening in the corner of her eye. Bending over, I gave her a quick hug, and took the liberty of cupping one breast. It felt magnificent and the mere touch sent a shiver of excitement through my core. Excusing myself, I entered the bathroom to brush my teeth and use the toilet. As I brushed my teeth, I looked into the same mirror again. What I saw surprised me. Where the last time I had done this, I'd seen contentment, tonight was quite different. The raw sexiness that Daphne had ignited in me shown through, and I wasn't recognizable to myself. As I gazed into the reflection, the person I saw exuded a powerful sexuality. Peeling off my clothes, I examined my breasts, and hoped that my lover would be enchanted by them. I looked at my hips, and saw a perfection in them that I'd never felt before. Finishing my teeth, I removed the rest of my clothes, leaving only my panties. Turning off the bathroom light, I opened the door and entered the bedroom. Daphne was already in bed. The moon was shining through the transom window above her bed, and the covers were pulled up over her stomach, leaving her chest exposed. The soft candlelight was giving a flickering warmth that accentuated her skin tone, and the dancing shadows accentuated the fullness of her breasts. I wanted to stare at her breasts forever, because I was pretty sure they were the best looking ones I was ever going to see in my life. Hopefully, they would be the only ones I'd ever see in my life. Instead of walking to the side of the bed opposite Daphne, I walked up to her side. Sliding the covers away, I climbed on top of her, carefully bearing my weight on my elbows and knees. Then reaching around, I pulled the covers back over us. I could feel the heat of our bodies joining as my breasts touched hers, and my stomach molded itself over her smaller frame. I pulled my face down beside hers, feeling the tender skin, and the silky softness of her hair. "Hi," I whispered shyly. "I'm glad you're here." "Daphne, I want you to know that I've never..." I trailed off. "You've never made love to a woman?" she asked. Looking at her, I slowly nodded, afraid of her response. "It will be spectacular, because it's you and me, alright?" As she asked, her beautiful dark eyes looked adoringly into mine, and I felt treasured. As I nodded, she reached up and she pulled my face down to hers to resume our kissing. Where our earlier kisses had ignited a slow burn, our kisses were now pushing me beyond any level of excitement I had ever known. As we kissed, she ran her nails lightly down my spine, and then brought them up along my side, exploring the curves of my breast. As she did so, I could feel my breath quickening, and an explosive desire spreading from my core outwards. I could feel the heat and moisture leaking from my panties, raising the humidity level under the covers. Reaching under me, she slid her hand along my stomach, and then into my panties. When her fingers touch my clit, I stiffened as bolts of pleasure shot through me. In seconds, I was coming. Elves' Tale: A Christmas Romance "Oh, oh, ohmigod, Daphne, don't stop, oh," I moaned. As her fingers danced over my mound, successive waves of bliss crashed through me. Every sense became more intense, and more focused on my core, and each time I came, sensation radiated along my body to the furthest parts. I felt as though I were a clock being very tightly wound, and then rapidly spinning out. Finally, I could take no more. I rolled off her and then pulled her tightly into me pressing my lips into hers, and exploring her mouth with my tongue. I've already tried and failed to describe how beautiful she is. As we lay together, I wanted to explore every millimeter of her body. I began planting kisses on her body. I started behind her ear, trailing my lips downwards to the perfection of her throat, burying my face in the hollow where her throat joined her chest. At the same time, my hand had a mind of its own, wandering down to her side, drawing lazy circles and then resting itself on her hip. Eventually, I worked up my courage and rewarded myself with attention to her breasts. Planting little kisses on them, licking the gentle curves, and finally taking her beautiful nipples into my mouth, teasing them erect with my tongue. As I ministered to her breasts, Daphne's excitement reached a fever pitch. "Please baby, please I need more," she moaned. Reaching down, I brought my hand to her secret place. Daphne eagerly spread herself, granting me access to her treasure. Slowly, I inserted a finger into her, coating it with her slickness, and then rubbing the moisture over her hooded clitoris. Soon, she was arching her back, trying to thrust her hips up, trying to force a more solid contact with her pleasure. Slowly, I rubbed the outside of her, feeling the slickness of her shaved mound and its heat. "Please Emily, please. Please, I need you inside me," she cried. Adjusting my position, I slowly worked two fingers into her womanhood. As I did so, she let out a deep sigh of satisfaction. "So good baby, so good," she moaned. Slowly at first, and then with increasing speed, I plunged my fingers in and out of her. As I held her in my arms, she began calling out my name. "Oh, Emily, Emily. Oh, oh, ohmigod. Emily, I'm coming. Please Emily, please kiss me love." I covered her mouth with mine as she rode out her pleasure. Wave after wave tore through her, and I could feel her tightness trapping my fingers, and the hot slickness of her as they worked frantically deeper into her. Finally, she sagged limply into the bed. Idly, I continued to work my fingers gently in and out of her moistness. Opening her eyes, reached down, took my hand, and placed it on her breast. Then, she closed her eyes, and leaned in for another kiss. I don't remember exactly, but soon we drifted off to sleep. I remember making love with her one more time in the night. It was slower, and more sensual. While it lacked the astonishing fireworks of our first time, it was more intimate and impossibly, I felt even more connected to her emotionally. In the morning, I woke up to her laying on her side. She had a hand on my hip and she was looking at me intently. "Emily," she started when she saw I was awake, "I can't tell you how wonderful last night was. I've been dreaming of you for weeks it seems." "Well, I hope the reality lived up to the expectation." "Emily, I," and then she trailed off. I brought my finger to her lip. "Please, let me say something first," I said. "I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you I think since the moment I first saw you." "I think I fell in love with you when you were holding me in the bathroom. I realized then that I wanted you to never stop holding me." She sobbed happily. Joyous tears rolled down her face, and her complexion started to get blotchy, and she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. ** The morning after we first made love, I was grading papers on my free session when a delivery guy brought in a dozen roses. Where I'd been levitating through the halls all day long, the gift of the flowers had me floating on the ceiling. One of the older, married teachers took one look at me and said: "You've got it bad. Who's the lucky guy?" she asked. "Her name's Daphne, and you have no idea how wonderful she is," I said absently, still staring at the flowers. "Congratulations, she must be very special." Over the next few weeks, Daphne and I were almost inseparable. We would work at the mall, and then stop somewhere for dinner afterwards, and then go to her place and make love. I don't know how I was doing it. Finally, a week before Christmas, I couldn't take it anymore. "Daphne love, I adore you, but I need a day away from you." "Are we OK? I'm not smothering you am I? It's alright..." "Baby," I began, "we are fabulous. I need to do some laundry, and my cat is turning into a passive/aggressive nightmare, and I need to wash my hair, and I need to take a bath... Can I see you Monday?" I asked. "I'll have to check my calendar." Reaching down into her purse, she brought out her planner and opened it. Looking up, she looked seriously at me and said, "No, I can see nothing more important than you for the rest of my life." ** The next day, I was working on laundry, and sitting with my clean hair in a towel when my phone buzzed and started playing a Jingle Bells ringtone. I thought it was kind of weird. I didn't remember ever setting that tone. When I looked at the message it was from Mr. Norling. "Emily, are you free today? I'd like to meet you for coffee -- Chris Norling," the message said. I didn't remember giving him my number, but maybe he'd gotten it from Ms. Larsson. I thought about begging off, but decided that I would go. I texted him back that I was free in 30 minutes, and he asked me to meet him at the coffee shop across from my apartment. When I walked in, I was again struck by how much Chris looked like the Santa in my annual dreams. As if he were reading my mind, he looked at me and said: "I'm sorry the Christmas dream was earlier than usual this year." "How do you know about my dreams?" I asked, startled. "I've never told anyone about them." "Ahh, well, now I have to make a little confession. Do you remember your dream?" I nodded my head yes at him. "Well then, you remember the first time you and I met?" A strange sense of unreality took a hold of me. "I'm not sure..." "Your dream is really your memory of our first meeting," he said. "Then you're really Santa Claus?" I whispered. "Yes, Emily, I really am Santa Claus. As I told you when we first met that if you could keep the love in your heart. I'm really so happy to say that you have. You are truly a most delightful woman." "But, why are you here? No offense, but I'm seeing someone else," I said dumbly. "Oh, my heavens no, I'm not here for personal reasons," he said, embarrassed. Looking across the table, he took my hands in his and started out his pitch. "Emily, I have a job opening and I would very much like for you to be the person to fill it. After the first of the year, I'm branching out. I'm going to be opening an adoption agency here in the city, and I'd like you to head it up." "But I don't know anything about it," I said. "There must be a million laws regarding that." "Oh, my dear, I have people to handle that part. What I want is for you to handle interviewing potential adoptive parents. You see, I'm very committed that none of the adoptions through our agency should fail. We're going to be placing abused and neglected children and I would be terribly distressed if they suffered further trauma because of my doing." "But how can I do this? I'm not really an expert on people? Shouldn't they be given psychological exams or something?" "Well," he laughed, "that might work, but I have another idea. You see, you could use magic to look into their hearts. It really is much simpler. "Uhh, there's only one flaw in your plan. I don't have any magic." "Oh, my dear, you have much more magic than you realize. However, I've left out the price you would pay for coming to work for me," he said sadly. "What is the price?" "You would be transformed into an elf. As an elf, your part in human society will be decreased. Once you become an elf, you will be able to use the magic that's bound into your heart. Humans will still see you as one of their kind, but the fae folk, the elves and fairies and such, would know you. As an elf, you will be immortal as long as you wish to be." "Immortal?" "For as long as you wish to be. It's not a curse. If eternal life becomes too great a burden for you at some point, you can lay it down." I sat in the booth, looking at Santa, and the people around me. "About this immortality thing. I have a question." "By all means, ask away my dear." "If I had a broken leg when I was made immortal, would the leg be healed?" "Really Emily, that is a very strange question, but to answer it, when you become transformed, you would be made whole. You would not have an immortal life of infirmity." "I have another question," I continued, "what if the injury were much older, would it too be healed?" "Ahh, I think I see where this is going," he said glumly. "To answer your question, if Daphne were made immortal, she would be restored." "Can you," I choked. "Can you also transform Daphne? She's a social worker, she would be very valuable." Tears were running down my face, and people were giving questioning looks at Mr. Norling. "I'm sorry my dear, my magic is limited. I can only transform one person." "Would you please choose Daphne," I sniffled. "My child, your love for others is heartbreaking," he whispered. "I will speak with Daphne. I must ask you not to speak with each other about this. It must be a decision you reach individually," he warned. Before he left, he gave me one backward glance. "Emily, if it were within my power to transform you both, would you come to work for me?" Tears brimming in my eyes, I nodded yes. ** Santa I was weary when I left the coffee shop. In my centuries of living, I was still stunned and amazed at the human capacity for love and selflessness. It almost exceeded their capacity for cruelty and hatred. Almost. And then you have people like Emily. In another day, Emily would have entered a convent and became a nun. In an age when belief had been strong, she would have been capable of great miracles. Her innate magic and love for others (really, the same thing) would have set her on a course that would have eventually lead to sainthood. Whistling tunelessly, I contemplated Ms. Daphne Winston. Ms. Winston and those like her were why I was embarking on the course of setting up the adoption agency. I thought about the cruelty she had suffered at the hands of her mother, and how that cruelty had scarred her heart until she had been healed by Emily. With a moment of concentration, and a rub of my finger on my nose, I was standing outside her apartment. Sighing deeply, I knocked on the door. A harried voice shouted out from inside the apartment. "Who is it?" "Daphne, its Chris Norling. I've just come from seeing Emily, can I speak with you?" The door opened and she wheeled into sight. "Is something wrong with Emily?" she asked. "No my dear, Emily is perfectly fine. But I need to speak to you about her if we could." Wheeling backwards, she moved out of the way, and I sat on the couch while she closed the door and then positioned herself across from me. Pointing at the fireplace, "Do you mind?" I asked. She shook her head, and I gave a little wave of my finger. The fireplace cheerfully burst into flame. Daphne gave a small start, and looked at me closely. "Daphne, if you don't mind, could I impose upon you briefly?" Slowly, she nodded her head. "Daphne, I'd like you to take my hand and tell me what you see." Trembling, she reached out and took my hand in hers and stared intently at it. "Umm, Daphne, I'm up here. Please tell me what you see." Looking up, her face broke in wonder. "You're wearing a Santa Claus suit. Your eyes are a twinkly shade of green as are the tips of your pointed ears. You..." she paused and inhaled deeply. "You smell of cinnamon and cloves, and cardamom." "Don't forget the nutmeg dear," I chuckled. "You're Santa Claus," she said wonderingly. "You can let go now," I said gently. As she let go of my hand, my appearance to her became that of Chris Norling again. "Daphne," I began, "I've just come from seeing Emily. I've asked her to come to work for me. I'm starting up a new enterprise, and her talents would be extremely valuable to me. After hearing my offer, for her own reasons, Emily has rejected my offer and asked me to offer it to you." "What exactly is this offer?" Daphne asked. "I'm starting up an adoption agency, and I asked Emily to work on selecting adoptive parents for children. It's very important to me that we have no failed adoptions and I believe Emily has talents that would make her invaluable at selecting placements for the children we work with." "You on the other hand," I said more sternly, "would be ideal for working with families of children that should be placed for adoption. Your experiences as a social worker, and your own personal history would make you very well suited for this." Daphne looked at me suspiciously before starting. "Just how exactly am I to convince neglectful and abusive parents to give up their children? Most of them have no thought for anyone but themselves." "As an elf, you would have certain magic that would..." A snort erupted from Daphne's mouth. "An elf?" "Well, yes, as part of coming to work for me you would be transformed into an elf. As an elf, you would have certain magical powers. Also, as part of the transformation, you would be made whole. Your wheelchair would become a thing of the past, and you would be immortal." She sat stunned in her wheelchair. I could see the thoughts chasing themselves in her head. It seemed like long minutes passed while she pondered the things I had told her. "Exactly how would the magic work to make these parents give up their children?" "Well," I said brightly, "you would have the ability to give these parents a moment of perfect clarity. In that moment, I expect that they will see the lives they've made for their children, and the lives their children will have if they stay, and what the lives of the children could be if they were adopted by someone who could truly love them." "That sounds like powerful magic," she said wonderingly. "I wonder how the parents would keep their sanity if they had this perfect clarity, and still chose to do the wrong thing." I sat impassively, trying to keep the truth hidden from her, but she was much too clever. "They wouldn't, would they?" she said coldly. "You know that if they don't do the right thing, the spell will destroy them." "Daphne, I'm very old, and I'm really not human anymore. My sympathy for someone who won't choose what's best for their children is severely limited... As I said, I'm really not human anymore." "No, I understand your feelings. What if they give their children up for adoption and they have more? Could we bind them in such a way that they would agree to not have children until they're able to provide a safe and loving home?" "I hadn't really thought of that. I suppose that we can make that part of the magical enchantment in the contract they sign. They won't be able to conceive until they can properly care for children." "I'm torn, you know," she began quietly. "All I've ever wanted to do is protect children. Now that I've met Emily, I'm wondering about the balance. Without her will it be even possible for me to love children? I don't want to be an immortal without love. Can you hire us both?" "My magic is only sufficient to transform one person. I can transform you or Emily, but not both of you." "Would Emily remember me?" "We have a magical cleanup squad that would go through your life, and erase memories others have of you. But," he paused, "I'm sure you've read the stories. Magic finds its limit when confronted by true love." "Would she find love again?" Daphne asked. "It's difficult to say with humans. There's a chance that her heart will remain entwined in yours." "When would the transformation take place?" "Midnight on Christmas. It's when my magic is at its most powerful. So," I said bracingly, "can I count on you to come to work for me?" "It's tempting..., but I think not. There's just no way I can lose Emily and still have enough heart left to do the job you want. So, the answer is no." "If I could find a way to transform you both, would you come to work for me?" With hope shining in her eyes she nodded yes. Before leaving, I warned her not to discuss our meeting with Emily. ** Emily The next 6 days were a nightmare. Not only were we asked not to speak about the offer with each other, the fat elf had lain a geis on us that magically stopped us from discussing his offer. I was pissed, and every time I went to give Chris Norling a piece of my mind, I magically remembered that I had to go to the bathroom, or comb my hair, or some other ridiculously mundane task. I don't think either of us felt comfortable enough in our new relationship to know how things would go. On top of that, neither one of us knew the details of the other's conversation with Chris. I desperately wanted to encourage Daphne to take the offer. More than anything in the world, I wanted to see the injury inflicted on her by her mother erased, and see her walk without pain. On Christmas Eve, Daph and I put the presents we had purchased each other under her little tree. I felt like our mutual agreement to not open the presents until Christmas meant that we were assured a future together. I don't know, I guess it was a child's reasoning nurturing a child's hope, but it was all I had. We snuggled on her couch and watched a succession of Christmas movies. Finally, around 11:30 PM, we went to bed. ** The next morning I was awakened by the sound of knocking on Daphne's door. Before I could fully wake up, Daphne was up walking across the apartment to open the door. When she did, Chris Norling was standing there. "Ahh, so good to see you both ladies. Miss Winston, it's especially good to see you up and walking about so well." Suddenly I realized what my sleepy brain had failed to register. Daphne was walking. Her eyes were now subtly shaded with green flecks, and the cutest, most adorable pair of pointed ears were sticking up through her beautiful long hair. Squealing in delight I ran up and hugged her. "Oh, Daphne, I'm so happy. Look at you, it's wonderful! You're healed! And your ears are super-cute!" "Oh Emily, I was healed when I met you," she breathed. "But how can I see your ears?" I wondered, looking at Mr. Norling. "Well now ladies if you'll allow an old elf a few moments of explanation, I'll let you resume your holiday festivities," he began. "I'm sorry this past week has been so difficult for you both. Believe me, if there had been any other way, I would have chosen it. Now then, you may remember the last time we spoke I told you both that my magic was somewhat constrained and that it was beyond my power to transform both of you." After a quick look at Daphne, I turned and nodded in Mr. Norling's direction. "Well, under ordinary circumstances, my assessment would have been wholly accurate. However, there were two things that made it in error." "First, is that Emily's heart is filled with powerful magic. I've known this about her for years, but it appears I underestimated its power. Her capacity to love others is far beyond what mortals are capable of. Emily's magic reduced the amount of magic that I needed to perform her transformation." Elves' Tale: A Christmas Romance "Secondly, there is a profound and deep love between the two of you. I suppose in non-magical terms, I would say your hearts are so tightly interwoven that after I transformed Emily, only a small nudge was required to transform you as well Daphne." "I cannot tell you how supremely pleased I am that you will both be working with me on my new venture. Together I hope we will be able make a difference in the lives of many children." A small tear glimmered in his eye, and he continued, "and that after all, is what's really important." "Now then, I expect to see you both after the first of the year. Here's a card with my address. 9:00 AM on the 5th would be excellent then. The liaison from the magical cleanup squad will be contacting you both as well." "Chris," Daphne began, "could we make our first case the little girl from the mall?" "I think that's an excellent idea. We'll start on it after we meet. What was her name again Daphne?" "Sarah Elizabeth Cooper, 317 E 16th Street, Apartment 508," she said in wonder. "Excellent." Mr. Norling laughed. "So good to see that your magical powers are already working at peak levels." "Now then, I'll leave you two ladies to your holiday, and again thank you so much for coming to work with me." Chris gave a big grin, and then rubbed the side of his nose with his finger and he was gone. ** Daphne and I sat on her couch together. Our arms were wrapped around each other and once again I was in the moment and content. "Your ears are ravishingly sexy you know," she flirted. "I'm sure you're the sexiest elf I've ever laid eyes on." "I bet you say that to all the elves. "Let's open our presents!". Reaching down, I retrieved the presents I had purchased for her, and the one addressed to me. "That's not fair! I thought we agreed to limit it to one present each!" she groaned. "Well, open the little present first. The bigger package is kind of an us present," I leered. Daphne opened the smaller present, which was a heart pendant necklace. A beautiful purple gemstone was set in heart shaped mount made of rose-colored gold. When I'd seen it at the store, I had immediately been taken by it. It had a very Victorian appeal to it, and the deep hue of the crystal combined with the enameling done on the mount gave it a subtlety that would go marvelously with Daphne's hair and skin tone. Leaning forward, she had me fasten the necklace around her. I could see the delicate interplay of her muscles under Daphne's skin as she spoke, and I could almost feel her pulse as it beat in her neck. The delicate quiver of the tips of her hair, and the way green flecks in her eyes picked up the flames from the fireplace. Her sweet lips were irresistible, and pulling her in tightly, I kissed her. Daphne and I had spent just about every spare second for the last month or so kissing, and I felt like I had a pretty good handle on it. Was I ever wrong. When I kissed Daphne, I didn't "stop caring about time" because when we kissed, there was literally nothing outside us. I was totally aware of her breath, her tongue dancing against mine. I had no desire to take charge and force my kiss upon her because I knew that our kiss was an act of perfect desire and worship between the two of us. Because she was reading my thoughts, Daphne leaned back looking startled and said, "I think Mr. Norling forgot to give us a complete rundown on all of the ramifications of being transformed into elves." When I'd been a teen, I'd read a YA vampire series, and in the last book the author brought in vampire sex. From her description, it made it seem like human sex, only taken to an Olympian ideal. Sex so pure and wonderful because the participants were super-humanly pretty, and powerful, and had enhanced senses that made the simplest acts more pleasurable. Elf sex is nothing like vampire sex. Elf sex is what you could get if you could be perfectly mindful of living in the moment, enjoying every sensation, each gentle gasp as an act of love in and of itself. You're also perfectly perceptive about your partner's emotions and sensations, and at the same time your partner is perfectly in synch with your thoughts, desires, and mood. It takes making love to the pinnacle of physical and emotional pleasure. "Well, I guess it's a good thing we don't have to start work for 10 days. I have a feeling we're going to be pretty busy," I said blushing. Next it was my turn to open the present Daphne had gotten for me. Inside the box were a set of three t-shirts with Studio Ghibli artwork on them. "I found a fan site that had t-shirts with Miyazaki artwork. I wanted you to have them." "Oh, Daphne, they're wonderful. Thank you so much sweetie." As I sat back with Daphne in my arms, I realized that I was truly where I belonged. "Daphne?" "Yeah honey?" "I love you Daphne. I love you so much!" I choked. We sat together and cuddled for I don't know how long. It wasn't really necessary to even talk about what we were feeling. After a while, I felt the slow burn of desire emanating from Daphne, warming my heart, and being reflected back towards her, rising in a feedback. "I think it's time to open our other present," I said as sexily as I could. Tearing open the box, Daphne revealed the contents and let out a low chuckle. I could feel my face blushing furiously in embarrassment. In her hands was a double-ended dildo and harness. One end was shaped more or less like a normal male organ, but where that ended, it curved up and a thick bulb allowed the wearer to feel the stimulation of being penetrated and use it without a harness. However, I'd read reviews on lots of sites, and everyone agreed that it really needed to be used with a harness. "Were you hoping I'd use this on you?" she smiled coyly. "Well," now my flushing had to be heating up the whole building, "I... I thought we could you know," I blushed furiously, "take turns." "Mmmm, I think that sounds super-sexy, but what else could I expect from the mind of the world's sexiest elf?" she mused. Reaching around, she pulled me onto her lap. She delicately placed little kisses on my throat. Greedy girl that I am, I sat and soaked it in. She was making love to me and I knew she wanted to express her adoration for me in the most personal way. As her kisses reached my nightshirt, she looked frustrated. She then concentrated for a second and suddenly the shirt was gone. "Ooooh, I could like this," she cooed. "Mmmm..., I think we need to find out where the shirt went before we do it too many times." "Spoilsport, I could have fun with this." She nuzzled her face deep into my neck. A second later I felt the heat of my bare skin on her legs as my panties disappeared. As she kissed me I let myself slip back into the moment. Feeling the poke of her nipples into my arm and the gentle moistness of her breath as she trailed her mouth over my body. Unlike the other times we had made love, there was no desire to move things along, no anticipation of the next kiss. As my passion started to rise, she turned her focus to my breasts. Where other lovers had been perfunctory, she gently cupped each breast, feeling their weight and fullness. Admiring the soft texture of the skin and the swelling curves, kneading them individually, taking delight in how I responded to each sensuous touch. When she finally brought her mouth to my nipples, I exploded. "Oh Daphne," I cooed, "that feels so good baby. Mmmm..." Suddenly, she gently nipped on one nipple, and instantly, I was coming. "Ohmigod, ohmigod, I'm coming baby, oh, oh." As the waves rolled over me, she urgently kneaded both breasts, each firm grasp perfectly timed and in synch with the perfect suckling of her lips on my nipples, working in concert to feed the next crescendo of lust crashing over me. I don't really know how long the orgasm lasted. I think several minutes. I was just so perfectly in synch with her, and so perfectly lost in the moment that the waves just kept coming. Finally, I had to push her mouth away from them. Grinning mischievously, she pushed herself lower. I gave out a gasp as she buried her tongue in my navel, determined to explore every corner with her wickedly talented tongue. Just when the sensations became too intense, she brought her face down to my pussy. I could feel the warmth of her breath, and her anticipation as she took in my delicate flower. Lust was radiating from her in great waves and I could sense her wonder and delight as she took in its delicate aroma, and the ruddy hue of my lips, inflamed by her passion. Reaching toward her, I brought her face to mine. "Kiss me, love. Never stop kissing me," I moaned. As we kissed, I caught delicate undertones of eggnog, and I could smell her excitement, and well, it smelled like cinnamon. "That's new," I laughed amused at the new sensations. "What do I taste like?" "You taste like mulled wine. You have all of the velvety complexity of the grapes, and it's subtly spiced and it's heady without being overwhelming, and wonderfully satisfying, just like you." I blushed at her words, and then squealed as she tipped me back and brought her mouth to my sex. The intimacy of having her kiss my special place was amazing, but what made it stunning was the wonder she found in it. As she explored me, she would become fascinated by some hollow of flesh, some curve, the delicate interface between my most feminine parts, and my hips and thighs. She gently explored them using her tongue, lips, and fingers. Learning each intimate detail of my body, memorizing it, treasuring it, and then loving it. As my excitement mounted, she changed tactics, burying her tongue deeply in my treasure, holding my hips tightly to keep me from escaping her grasp. Screams of pleasure were soon rolling out of me. "Oh, Oh, that's it baby, lick me there. Yes. There." It felt like my words were superfluous because she was totally immersed in my pleasure and intuitively sensing where the next lick should go, and where the next small bite could be delivered for maximum effect. When I could take no more, she started laying down long flat licks, starting at my perineum, and going under the delicate hood of my clitoris. My desire kept mounting until finally, I was delirious with lust. Bolts of pleasure shot through me. I would feel tension as each lick began, and time was radically altered. I could feel every piece of flesh individually as her tongue traced over me, culminating on her arrival at my clit. Each time her tongue touched my clit, I could feel the wave of physical tension bursting out from my core, bringing all of my senses even further alive. When I finally recovered, I stood up and reached for our joint gift. Looking at Daphne and she lay on the floor, I was taken by how beautiful she was and how much I loved her. Reaching to the couch, I picked up the dildo and harness, inserting the bulb end into myself. I fastened on the harness and then knelt before her. "You know, you look like a goddess," I said. "You're so beautiful. You make me feel so treasured." As I knelt before her, I slipped one finger, and then a second finger into her depths. As my fingers were coated, I would bring them to my face, and suckle them, eagerly taking in her essence and then returning my fingers to their happy task. Daphne was on her back, propping herself up on her elbows. Her rich full breasts were ripe, and her hips and waist were a marvel of femininity. Her face was so beautiful as each physical sensation merged on it with her affection towards me. Leaning forward, I brought the tip of the dildo to her entrance. "So beautiful," I mused. I could feel her urgency rising, and without hurry, I gently buried the length of the cock into her. When I could feel her mound pressed against mine, I stopped and started kissing her. In between each kiss I spoke of my love and passion for her. "I love you Wonder Woman," I said simply. I could feel the powerful effect my adoration was having on her. "You are my soul mate. I had no idea how incomplete my life was without you. And the part that blows me away, is just how mind-numbingly wonderful you are. I hope I never get used to it. I hope that every day when I look at you I'm struck with the awe I have now. You are my one true love." As I spoke to her, I could see the healing effect my words were having on her. The last of the scars on her heart healed and in that moment we became a whole. Slowly, I started thrusting the dildo in and out of her. It was my first time using it, but the enhanced intimacy we enjoyed kept me perfectly in tune with her body and her needs. As I moved in and out of her, I became lost marveling at her skin, the tingling aromas she gave off, and the mounting sighs of pleasure. On each stroke, there was a small sigh of loss as the dildo slid out, and then a deep grunt of satisfaction as I buried it deeply within her. I could see her pulse throbbing in her neck, and I could feel the slickness of her skin as the insides of her legs rubbed against me, and I enjoyed the rosy flush of her body as her pleasure rose. Then, I could feel a gentle urging as her excitement picked up. Soon, we were bucking in passion against each other as our mutual orgasm rode over and through us. As she recovered, I stayed in place admiring her beauty. Then, slowly I started fucking her again. As we continued to make love, I intuitively felt just how the next thrust needed to be delivered, and how fast or slow I needed to adjust the tempo. Soon, she was coming again. "Oh Emily, fuck me baby! Fuck me! Oh, Gawwddd..." she moaned. Just then my third orgasm of the morning burst upon me. It was beyond spectacular. ** That was twenty years ago and things are still totally beyond spectacular. We got the agency opened, and we've been able to place a lot of children in better homes. There's been a few losses along the way, but today we were going to celebrate our most thrilling victory. Santa appeared before the staff. "Everyone," he started, "twenty years ago we started with a dream to rescue children and make a difference. You've all done far better than I could ever have dared hope. I am so immensely proud of you. And in celebration of the work that we've done together, and in particular, Daphne and Emily, I would like to introduce you to our newest elf member." "Miss Sarah Elizabeth Cooper." ** Thanks for reading. This story has truly been a labor of love for me. I'd like to acknowledge two stories that inspired me to write this. The stories are "The Elf Who Shagged Me" by FiveWolves, and "The Christmas Elf" by MyHands316. Thanks to both of those authors for their really terrific stories. I'd also like to thank Bramblethorn for editing this story. If you enjoyed this story, please take a moment to vote for it and leave a comment.