A slightly belated Christmas gift for coatntails, inspired by her drawing entitled "Ghost Stories." Thank you for sharing you art, friend! I hope you enjoy this humble attempt at capturing your vision. Merry Christmas!

Twas the Night before Christmas and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring….

...except for one Opera Ghost…

...one star soprano…

...and one mischievous feline.

If one must be fair, there was quite the flurry of activity taking place in the house on the lake. So much so, in fact, that all hopes Christine had for a quiet Christmas Eve were quicking being dashed.

"Ayesha, no!" She scolded, as the cat in question swiped at the plate of cookies. "Erik may spoil you to no end, but you won't find the same luck with me."

Ayesha darted away, seemingly casting a triumphant meow over her shoulder at her exasperated sigh. With a shake of her head, Chirstine followed the paw pads to the sitting room where Erik sat in his armchair, lost in the newspaper. Ayesha tossed her another glare before launching herself into Erik's lap, purring as his fingers absently found her back.

His eyes lifted as she set the plate on the bureau adjacent to the flicking candles, tracking her steps back to the kitchen to add a glass of milk to complete the equation. "Fancying sweets now, are we?" he murmured.

"Not tonight." She flashed him a dazzling smile as moved to his side, pressing a kiss to his exposed cheek, ignoring Ayesha's irritated snarl. "Tonight is Christmas Eve. They're for Santa, of course."

Erik blinked in response. "I see." With a series of quick folds, the paper was set aside and his eyes were on hers again. "Christine, what in the world would lead one to believe Santa Claus would find his way to a home located on a subterranean body of water?"

"Oh, stop being a Scrooge," she chastised, stepping away. "It's tradition, and no matter how surely you endeavor to be, you will not ruin this for me."

"I would never dream of it."

"Not when your protege made a noble attempt of it for you,"

The visible brown quirked. "Ayesha?"

"Quite emphatically I might add," Christine huffed as Erik's gaze dropped to the Siamese, who had returned to purring contentedly on his knees.

"I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding, wasn't it?" He murmured, tone low, voice soothing. "This little lady would never wreck havoc intentionally."

"Oh, for the love of…" Christine muttered. "Shall I leave the two of you alone?"

"Come, Christine," Erik's voice had turned on her now, the same quiet tone that had been directed at the cat only moments before. "You know there is room in my heart for both of my girls." When she only stared in response, he sighed, then set Ayesha aside with a protesting howl from the later, before lifting a book form the side table and extending it to her, honey practically dripping form his lips "Sit me with, darling. Would you read to me, Christine? There is nothing more I would love more than to be utterly lulled into serenity by its exquisite beauty."

She stood by, impassive, as he rose, mouth quirking into a ghost of a smile, then moved to snach her favorite blanket from the sofa, then parachute it to the floor, creating an inviting surface. His expression was almost childish in its excitement and she smiled despite herself before brushing past him to take a seat in the center, legs dovetailed to the side, plucking the tome from his spindly fingers as she past..

Wordlessly, he stepped around her and folded his lanky frame to sit beside her. "Does this please you, my love?"

Christien pursued her lips, gaze darting around the small space. "Not yet.." Grabbing the throw pillow from its home in his armchair, she placed it in her lap, patting it gently with an inviting smile. Gemstone eyes ignited as her meaning was comprehending, but he wordlessly opened, stretching long legs out as he settled onto his back, long fingers laced together over his midsection, as his head came to rest in her lap. He stared up at her, watching and waiting. She gazed down at him, heart warming at the immovable trust she saw there, miraculously confident after a lifetime a heartbreak.

Her lips lifted into an affectionate smile and she smoothed a hand over her hairline as she began to read, selecting an old seasonal favorite. He offered no protest, only gave a satisfied sigh as his eyes fell closed, tempted into gratified coma by the steady cadence of her soft soprano floating over the words, line by line until his breathing evened into the regulated tempo of sleep.

Christine glanced down, pausing with another smile to his prone form. "Oh, my poor Erik.."

A flash of movement called her attention to the bureau and her eyes lifted from the text, frozen, as Ayesha landed with a soft thump on the carpet.

"Ayesha!" She hissed. "Get away from there this minute!"

The cat barely spared her a glance before crouching low, no doubt calculating how best to attack the menacing furniture to get to the treasures above.

"Ayesha!"

Again, ignored. That damnable cat knew very well that she was trapped..quite literally… and there was nothing to be done about it.

Across the room, Ayesha leapt, catching the edge with her claws, lifting a paw to swipe at her prize, but to no avail. She pulled her paw back, adjusted her stance to strike again…

"Ayesha! Get down!"

This time, the feline paused, staring right back at her, a holiday battle of wills to see who would emerge triumphant. Christine stared for what felt like eons, refusing to submit to Erik's cat, resolute in her mission to establish herself as mistress of the house.

Even if it meant defeating a cat in a staring contest.

Letting out a long exhale, she tried again, voice soft, but firm. "Ayesha. Those are not for you. Get off of that bureau this instant."

Erik shifted in her lap, drawing Christine's eye to him. Back at the bureau, Ayesha saw her opportunity, but Christine was quicker. "Ayesha!"

The cat glanced at her, up to the cookies and milk, then back to Christine before emitting a short meow and dropping to the floor, landing solidly on her feet. With nothing short of a scathing glare, she stalked past Christine and no-doubt traitours master before settling into the armchair with another meow of protest.

"Good girl," Christine stated, lips lifting into a triumphant smile. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Ayesha could not be bothered with a reply.

With the satisfaction that the milk and cookies would live to see their intended and the former Opera Ghost snoring contentedly in her lap, she turned her attention back to the task at hand, a victorious note to her voice that brought a special thrill to the final lines.

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."