On Christmas Eve night, I watched all the specials on tv with Phil. Everyone else had gone to bed. "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it, you'd put back on all your clothes..." Phil sang. I burst out laughing. Of course he'd say something like that. "You laughing at Rudolph busting streakers? That's gross, kid."

"You sang about it!"

"Just spreading the Christmas spirit. Hey Angus is coming tomorrow, since everyone else is here. That'll be nice. Right?"

"Yeah. 'Cept Ellen still hates me."

"She's all talk and no bite. Don't worry about her alright?" I shrugged.

"I'm just tired of losing friends," I mumbled. Phil looked over at me.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No, what'd you say?" he pressed. Here we go again.

"Something happened several years ago and I don't want it to happen again."

"Well it's not gonna. If Ellen wants to throw away years of friendship over something like this, that's on her."

"Something like this, does no one realize how big this something is?"

"Yes, I do. We all do." We were silent a few minutes. "Do you-" Phil laughed. "-do you remember when we took you guys out to that bar? And-and you got so mad at us?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Oh, but you're not mad anymore are you? 'Cause you guys hooked up that night."

"No, never."

"Right. You don't like that stuff. Why not?"

"I don't know."

"Did something happen?"

"I don't think so."

"When you were a kid?"

"I don't know, Phil."

"Just asking, Hannah." That was one of the only times I heard him actually say my name. "It's getting late kid, you should get some sleep."

"I will." I got up and went to my room. I suddenly got a bad feeling. It was familiar...similar to what I felt around Malcolm's birthday last time I...

I was gonna leave.

My feet pounded the floor when I ran to Malcolm's room. The door was closed and I knocked hoping he'd answer. I knocked again. And again. "Hey what's wrong?" Malcolm asked when he saw my worried and tear soaked face. I grabbed him for a hug and he pulled me in the room, shutting the door behind us. Linda sat up in the bed.

"What's the matter?"

"Hannah's upset, hey what's up?"

"I got that feeling again."

"What feeling?"

"The one I felt last time I was here right before I left."

"Oh no," Linda said. "Well how strong is this feeling?"

"I don't know, enough."

"When did it start?" Malcolm asked.

"Right when I went to bed."

"You can't leave now, Angus isn't here yet. He wouldn't be happy I let his girl disappear on my watch," he chuckled. "Here come on." He picked me up and got into bed with me sitting on his lap.

"I can't fall asleep, I mean, it took a few days last time but still."

"Go ahead and sleep, I've got this," Malcolm yawned.

"But I don't-"

"Go ahead, I've got this." I looked at him, tears still rolling from the situation. What was he doing? "Hannah just go to sleep, you're okay." My face burrowed into his chest and my eyes closed. I trusted him. A little hard to sleep in that position though.

"What are you gonna do?" Linda asked.

"Shh, I've got this."

"You said that already."

"I do."

The next morning I woke up in Malcolm's bedroom. On Malcolm's lap. What the? I looked up at my host whose eyes were half open and exhausted. "Thank God," he said before laying down in a huff. Out like a light.

I got off him confused. Then I remembered last night. He potentially saved me from leaving. What a pal. Thank you Mal, and merry Christmas.

Linda had left a while ago since I saw her downstairs bright-eyed and bushy tailed. "Merry Christmas! You're still here! That's great! I can't believe Malcolm did that, but I'm glad he did."