Jade felt her body shake, and suddenly went crashing into something made of glass. Picking herself up, she dusted off the glass shards.

"Why is it always a glass table?" she whined.

An ear-splitting scream sounded right by her ear. Unfazed, she continued to dust herself off before daintily picking her way out of the glass. Looking up, she regarded the shocked face of her newest mission.

"Charlie, right? Hi, I'm Jade, your Snowglobe Elf!"

He blinked.

Unsurprised, Jade pressed on. "I'm here to grant you a wish this Christmas season! What would you like? I can give you anything, but they must be exclusive to you. None of that solving world hunger stuff, that's way above my pay grade unfortunately."

Charlie ran a chestnut hand over his face, as if trying to ascertain if this was real. Jade was patient, and gave him time to process that a woman just popped out of the snow globe he had just shaken.

"Um, a wish right? I wish for love," he said eventually.

"Huh. You adjusted faster than most. True love is a common wish, but a noble one nonetheless," Jade replied, snapping her fingers.

Nothing happened. She snapped her fingers again. Nothing. Confused, she tried one more time, to no avail. Bewildered, she looked up.

"What, your elf powers don't work or something?" Charlie asked, beginning to think this was just a weird dream or hallucination.

"No, my powers work just fine," Jade shot back in annoyance.

"Then where's my 'true love'?" he air-quoted.

Jade scrunched her eyebrows, thinking hard. Suddenly, she remembered something. She plucked the snow globe out of Charlie's startled hands and held it on either side before holding it back out to him.

"Uh...why would you take the snow globe if you're just going to give it back?"

"No, silly. I want you to close your eyes, think of your wish, and put your hands on it. If your wish is granted, it will glow and you will see the image of your true love and where they are at this very moment."

Charlie frowned, clearly skeptical. "How do I know this'll work if snapping your fingers didn't?"

She glared at him, annoyed. "You clearly have a special wish for whatever reason, that's why it didn't work. Just trust me, okay? I've got a good feeling about this!"

"Okay, I guess I've got nothing to lose since I've already lost my marbles apparently."

Charlie closed his eyes. "I wish for true love," he said in his mind.

Blindly, he fumbled before placing his hands on the snow globe, accidentally touching Jade's hands in the process. Suddenly a warm and bright rose gold light enveloped them. After the bright light faded, there was still a soft glow remaining. Jade and Charlie opened their eyes. Jade was the first to react.

Her jaw dropped. Charlie's clothes had changed completely. He now wore what male elves usually wore in December: a bright green sweater, burgundy slacks, black dress shoes, and a red velvet Santa hat with its signature white puff. She also realized the glow that remained came from their hands. She was used to seeing her hands glow every day, but a human with glowing hands and an elf outfit simply didn't exist. No wait...She listened carefully for his heartbeat, coming to a startling realization.

"You're an elf!"

"What? What is happening? How did my clothes change? My coffee table is back too!"

"Yeah forget the coffee table," Jade said dismissively. "You're an elf now! But...why? Whose face did you see when you made your wish?"

"That's the weird part. I saw your face, and your environment was right here in my living room," Charlie replied, totally confused.

Jade was silent for a moment, piecing things together from what she had learned over the 32 years of her life. Although she was a rare elf in that she was born as one instead of turned, she knew that some elves were very lucky and received soulmates, which were much more powerful pairings than the usual normal romantic bonds elves had. She remembered her parents once telling her that soulmates were usually found by skin to skin contact.

She looked back up at Charlie, studying him in a new light. He was practically faceless to her before, but now she realized he was quite handsome. Of course, now that he was an elf, he was guaranteed to be handsome. But based on her perfect memory, she realized he was already extremely attractive as a human. His chestnut skin matched his beautiful brown eyes, and his jet black curls flopped rather adorably over his forehead, undoubtedly soft to the touch.

"I think...I think you're my soulmate," she said softly.

Charlie was about to protest, but for some reason he knew deep down that she was right. He was so overwhelmed with everything but that was probably the only thing he was sure of at that moment. He looked down at their glowing hands on the snow globe. He could scarcely believe it had actually happened, that he made a wish on a snow globe and got the love he wished for.

"Is this the 'Magic of Christmas' that the note next to the snow globe was talking about?" he asked, tentatively moving his hand fully over Jade's on the globe.

Jade's breath hitched. The contact sent a zing of pleasure through her hand where they touched. Judging from his expression, it seemed Charlie felt it too.

"I..I don't know. I believe the Magic of Christmas is more akin to hope," she replied.

"That would make sense," Charlie said, breathless all of a sudden as he felt the effects of the new soulmate bond. "I feel some kind of anticipation, like hope for the future?"

"Yeah. Yeah that's it. That means your wish was definitely granted, which means this is really real. You're my soulmate...I have a soulmate!"

Suddenly a ring pierced the air, coming from the direction of Charlie's head. Jade started. She put the snow globe down on the coffee table, breaking contact with Charlie.

"Take your hat off and reach inside, there's a HoloCaller in there. Press the button on it."

"Wha-?" Charlie started, entirely overwhelmed. Seeing how serious Jade was, he dazedly pulled off his new hat and reached inside, feeling a little silly until a small metal disc appeared in his hand. Pulling his hand out of his hat, he saw the button and pressed it.

"Hello Charlie, my name is Rina from the North Pole HR Department! Please set your HoloCaller to share so Jade can participate," a woman said as her image appeared on the HoloCaller.

Numbly, Charlie did as she instructed and turned the HoloCaller so that Jade could see as well.

"There's a lot to explain so sit tight. First of all I can see that your hands are glowing, which means you two are soulmates! Congratulations! It is very rare for elves to be born, and for them to get soulmates, so you're an exceptional elf, Jade!"

Jade preened. "I knew that already but thanks for confirming," she said playfully.

Rina chuckled. "Charlie, because your soulmate is an elf, you are one too now, hence the magically changed clothing and glowy hands, which you can stop yourself by just thinking it out of existence. Try it!"

"Okay," he replied, still barely sure if he was dreaming as he thought about their hands not glowing anymore. "Whoa, it really stopped!"

"Yeah, it did! Which brings me to my next point. Charlie, now that you're an elf, you will now live for 1,000 years instead of 100, you now have magic, and you'll be assigned a job as soon as you make your way to the North Pole, which is in Fiji this year for the first time in over 400 years!" Rina exclaimed, clearly happy to be back in Fiji.

Charlie was so overwhelmed he had no idea what to think. He was an elf? He had magic? He could live a lot longer, and the North Pole moved around? What? He was so full of questions that he didn't even know where to begin.

"I'm sure you've got a lot of questions, and I'll tell you one thing: stick with Jade and you'll figure it out together," Rina continued. Pausing for a moment, she addressed Jade next. "In fact, if you think a bit harder Jade, I'm sure you know exactly where to go for help."

Jade, puzzled, furrowed her brows. "Where to go for help?"

Suddenly it dawned on her. Smiling at Rina, she thanked her before ending the call.

"Come on, Charlie, let's go somewhere. But first, we need to get you processed. We need to get to the Soulmate Department and get a few things, like our rings and house. Usually we'll remain in the Soulmates Department for a hundred years or so before being assigned elsewhere, so-"

"Wait wait wait. Rings? What, like marriage?"

"Yeah, kinda. I mean, soulmates are for life, and by human terms we'd basically be married. You're 28, I'm 32, it's legal even by human standards, right?"

"Yeah but..." Charlie trailed off uncertainly.

Jade's face fell slightly. "You...don't want to be my soulmate, do you? I guess I get it, it's really sudden."

"No no, that's not it. I mean it is, but...Ugh I don't know! I'm just...I like you, I might even love you, but this is just a lot to take in," Charlie said, running a frustrated hand through his curls before burying his face in his hands and sitting on his couch.

Jade was silent for a moment before she sat down next to him. She put a tentative hand on his arm, dispelling the glow that immediately sprang up as she did.

"I get it. I mean I can't empathize because I was born into this, but I can recognize that you're dealing with a lot. I'm not sure how I can help but I'll be here every step of the way." She held his hand and when he didn't resist, she intertwined their fingers. "To be honest, this is all pretty new to me too. I'm a child of soulmates, and it's sometimes lonely because of how rare elves like me are. Even my parents are a rare couple, with a love I hope to have someday. So I can't help but hope, hope that you and I can someday have even a fraction of what they do."

Charlie looked up. He hadn't quite considered what this must've been like for her too. She was also new to some of this, and yet she was trying to comfort him. He patted her arm gently with his other hand. He wasn't sure what the future held, but he made a decision to take the plunge and see.

"Okay. I don't know what will happen, but I can't deny the strange attraction I suddenly feel for you. So I'm willing to explore it...together," he said with a small smile.

Jade also smiled, hope fluttering in her chest. "Are you ready? We're going to teleport."

Charlie chuckled. "Of course it would be magic. Let's go before I freak out."

They closed their eyes as the room filled with a golden glow. Eventually, the room went back to normal, not a trace of Jade, Charlie, the snowglobe, or even an extra piece of ancient paper lying around.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Finally!"

Sam stretched leisurely, his limbs taking up every inch of the picnic cloth he was laying on. It had been a long week, and he'd finally laid down in his backyard in Fiji to catch a rare midday nap. He had barely closed his eyes against the sun when a shadow fell across his face and a hand gently shook his arm.

He opened a very irritated eye, ready to give whoever it was a large piece of his mind. Realising who it was, his other eye opened as well, his face morphing into a smile.

"I love you, but I hope you have a good reason for interrupting a nap that's been 427 years in the making," he said with a lazy grin.

"I do have a good reason, it's called Jade," Sam's wife Elsa said.

Sam sat up. "Jade? Is she okay?"

"Obviously, or else I wouldn't just shake you awake. She wants to come over, and says she's got something she needs us to help her figure out."

"You woke me up for that?"

"No, I also wanted to annoy you since it's Fiji in December and all," Elsa said with a knowing wink.

Sam laughed, laying back down as Elsa joined him on the ground, clasping their hands together. He remembered the day they met like it was yesterday. All he wanted to do that day was soak up the sun's rays in Fiji and take a nap when he was suddenly sent on a snow globe mission. Little did he know that he would meet his soulmate, the love of his life, and the mother of his child. Elsa may have been 453 years old, but she didn't look any different than she did at 26. She was radiant even now as she lay next to him.

The couple closed their eyes, finally falling asleep together under the sun that felt blessedly warm despite it being December. They had just barely fallen asleep when they were rudely awakened. Before opening their eyes, they already knew exactly what happened and groaned audibly.

"Why do you always have to do this?" Elsa asked, annoyed.

A melodious laugh sounded below her. "Cause it's fun, Mom!"

Elsa opened her eyes. Sure enough, she was suspended about 10 feet in the air. Turning herself upright, she guided herself downwards, breaking the hold her daughter had on her body. Sam did the same, a wide grin on his face.

"She gets it from you, y'know."

Elsa shook her head with a smile, unable to deny it. Jade had always had a mischievous streak, and her habit of levitating her parents was something she definitely got from Elsa. It should have been corrected, but as elves, having a child was more rare than a total solar eclipse, so they couldn't help but allow Jade to continue as long as she stuck to harmless pranks.

"So. You said you need us to help you with something?" Sam asked, curious about what could possibly make his 32 year old daughter show up suddenly during the elves' busiest month of the year.

Jade frowned. "Yeah, let's go inside, you'll see what I mean."

Sharing a curious look, Sam and Elsa clasped hands and teleported back inside the house to their living room. Jade appeared right after, this time with an extra person.

"This is Charlie, 28 years old. Charlie, say hi to my parents," Jade said, turning to the bewildered man beside her.

"What? Parents? I thought they were your siblings!" the man spluttered, eyes wide.

"Nah, we don't age much."

"Um...well...hi? I'm Charlie, it's nice to meet you."

Sam and Elsa studied the man before them. He wore a bright green sweater, dark red slacks, dress shoes, and a fuzzy Santa hat atop a mop of jet black curls.

"New elf or born elf? My money's on new," Sam asked his wife telepathically.

"Definitely new, he's obviously got the new elf jitters," Elsa replied telepathically.

Jade frowned at her silent parents. "Stop with the telepathy and say something out loud already, you're scaring him!"

Sam laughed. "Sorry, take a seat Charlie."

After they all sat down, Elsa spoke up. "So Charlie, I take it you're Jade's romantic partner?"

Charlie, lost, looked at Jade. Jade scrunched her eyes closed for a moment.

"Yeah about that, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I went on a snow globe mission today and I was sent to this guy's door," she said, jerking a thumb in his direction. "Basically he made a wish and turned into that outfit, then boom! All of a sudden he's an elf and for some reason we're attracted to each other, and Rina called saying we're soulmates."

Sam and Elsa shared a knowing look.

"Ah, so he's your soulmate. Congrats!" Sam said.

"Yeah well, we came over here cause I thought maybe you could help Charlie adjust to all this, being a new elf and soulmate and all."

Sam and Elsa chuckled.

"Ahh, I remember when it was our turn," Sam said, nostalgic. "I was so confused yet so ready for it all."

Charlie nodded enthusiastically. He felt exactly like that.

"And becoming an elf was so overwhelming for me, I felt like I was hallucinating or something!" Elsa added.

"Yes, that's exactly it!" Charlie exclaimed. "How did you adjust?"

"Well I think Elsa is better suited to answer that, since she became an elf and a soulmate at once, just like you," Sam replied, turning to Elsa.

"Ah right, I suppose so," Elsa said with a startled chuckle. "I can only say that for me, I adjusted quickly because I was eager to start my new life. I was desperate for anything new that I took to being an elf rather quickly. The initial shock was a lot, but Sam was there every step of the way, and I just learned to expect nothing because something would always defy my expectations."

"You also got thrown into the deep end pretty quickly, I think that also hastened the process," Sam added. "Remember the ice age?"

Elsa laughed. "Of course, how could I forget? We all had to get to work immediately, there was barely any time to think about my worldview crashing down."

Charlie cut in, bewildered. "Hold on. Are you two talking about the 21st Century Ice Age? The one that lasted for 50 years? You were there?"

Sam and Elsa chuckled.

"Yep, we were new soulmates back then, barely a few months at the time," Sam said. "It was supposed to last a millennium and outlive us actually, but we elves all worked together to find a solution and finally brought the seasons back to how they were before."

Charlie shook his head, perplexed. That was so long ago, he only knew about it from school and online!

"Wait. So when Jade said you were her parents, you're actually..." he trailed off, not quite sure how to ask.

Elsa laughed. "I know what you're probably thinking, and yes, we're a lot older than you'd expect normal parents to be. I'm 453 years old, and Sam is 461 years old."

"Whoa," Charlie whispered in disbelief. Suddenly he swiveled his head over to Jade and narrowed his eyes, a question forming.

"Yes, I'm really 32 years old, don't worry. I'm not 300 yet, not by a long shot!" Jade said defensively, shaking her hands as if to emphasize her point.

"You two will also grow to our age and older, Charlie," Sam said. "You're an elf now, remember? You get the same lifespan."

"Wild," he breathed out.

"Yeah. But I guarantee you, I'll be here every step of the way, just like my dad was there for my mom. If you'll let me, that is," Jade said, her hand coming to rest gently on Charlie's.

"And we'll be around for several centuries yet, so if you ever need us, we're just one thought away Charlie. We already see you as our son, so feel free to treat us like parents if you wish," Sam said, holding hands with Elsa as she nodded in agreement.

Charlie stared at Jade's hand on his for a long moment, lost in thought. This was going to take some serious getting used to, but with Jade by his side and the advice of her parents, he figured he'd be alright in the end. Besides, he had no family, having grown up an orphan. Having the support system of 3 people, one of whom was his soulmate, was something he never dared to dream of. Friendships were already an out of reach luxury, much less family. But now...now he had a family. He had a best friend and a lover in Jade, and he had parents who were willing to support him in Sam and Elsa.

"I've never had a family before," Charlie said, overcome with emotion. Out of everything, he was most affected by the fact that he was no longer alone, rather than the fact that he was no longer human.

"We're your family now, Charlie," Jade said, clasping their hands together with tears in her eyes. She didn't know personally what it was like to not have a family, but she had watched the humans enough to understand a bit about how much it affected them to be alone. She had granted so many wishes during the holiday season where people simply wished for company, anything to stave off loneliness.

Her heart broke for Charlie, knowing that he'd grown up without anyone to love and cherish him. She wanted to be the one to show him how much he meant to someone, that there was someone out there who cared more about him than even themselves.

"Thank you," Charlie whispered gratefully. "Thank you all, truly. I really did get what I wanted, even though it wasn't what I verbally wished for."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked curiously.

"I wished for true love, but I guess what I really wanted was a new lease on life: a family to love me, a friend who cared, and a person who could love me as much as I'd love them," he said, smiling at Jade.

Elsa chuckled, remembering her own experience. "Yeah, I get exactly what you mean. These snow globe wishes have a habit of giving you exactly what you want, even when you don't know it yourself."

Sam kissed her cheek. "It goes both ways, honey. Both of us got our wishes granted because I got a beautiful soulmate with a beautiful heart to spend the rest of my life with."

"Aww Sam!" Elsa lightly kissed him on the lips, momentarily forgetting they had company.

"Seriously you guys, you're too old to be acting like teenagers when there's company!" Jade whined.

Sam and Elsa broke their kiss, glaring playfully at their daughter. "Yeah well the company and her soulmate can always see themselves out," Elsa said, waving a glowing finger menacingly.

"Yeah no, we're leaving, bye."

Jade grabbed Charlie's hand and teleported out of her parents' house.

"Uh...are they always that..." Charlie trailed off, waving a hand vaguely once he and Jade had teleported away, now in their own new house.

"Cheesy?" Jade finished with a grin. "Yeah, all soulmate elves are totally in love and cheesy all the time. But I think those two are on another level."

"Will we be like that someday?" Charlie asked, suddenly feeling more hopeful.

"No one knows what the future holds, but something tells me we'd be just like that, if not more so," Jade said, a quiet smile on her face.

Charlie looked at her, really looked at her for once. She was bold from what he'd seen of her before, but right here and now, there was a shy hopefulness in her demeanor, much like what he was feeling. He slowly stepped closer to her and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He could hear her already slow heartbeat pick up ever so slightly at his actions. Cupping her face like a priceless treasure, he leaned in and captured her lips in the softest of kisses, delighted to feel her melt into it immediately.

After they eventually broke apart, he gazed into his new soulmate's eyes.

"I can't wait to grow old with you," he whispered, surprised by how much he meant it.

"Me too," Jade replied with a smile before leaning in to kiss him again.

Oblivious to their surroundings, they didn't notice that the now elf-less snow globe that sat on a table behind them suddenly disappeared in a snowy puff along with a mysterious ancient note, ready to be sent along to its next mission to unite another legendary pair.

Jade and Charlie had no idea that this particular snow globe was different from all the others the elves used. On the bottom of the globe, engraved in an ancient and forgotten language as old as the paper that accompanied it, were names. If one could translate, they would have seen names like Rina and Noah, Annika and Hamid, Brian and Amethyst, Sam and Elsa. Before winking out of existence, 2 more names were engraved by an invisible hand.

Jade and Charlie.

・・・・☆・・・・☆ ・・・・