Does everyone remember the kid in the very last clip of the O. C. When Ryan asks if he needs help? I have decided to bring that kid into this story. I call him Adam Jensen. His mum's name is Sarah (she will be in future chapters) Jensen. And she's portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Douglas is portrayed by Dolph Lundgren.

I have made a collection on polyvore edits for this story, and edits for Annie, Sophie Rose, Adam and Sarah. My polyvore is "Linneagbffn"

The story will switch in between Sandy and Kirsten's point of view. This chapter is Sandy's pov.

December the 24th 2013, the phone call.

"Well then. That's everybody…" I looked over the hallway and the kitchen. "Seth, Summer, Sophie Rose, Kirsten, me and... Adam, was it?"

"Yep." The young guy answered and shook my hand. "Adam Jensen. Nice to meet you sir."

"Don't sir me." I jokingly made a face. "It's Sandy. No more, no less. Let's move into the kitchen. We have food. I hope everybody's hungry because there is loads of it."

"I'm always hungry." Adam said with half a smile. "But I'm allergic to peanuts so I hope you've got no such things in here."

"That's okay." Soph answered before I had the time. "I'm allergic to peanuts too. I'm happy you are here because Ryan told me about you and I think we could be friends. But why aren't you having Christmas with your mummy and daddy?"

"They're just not at home. So Ryan thought I could come here with you."

"Where are they?"

"My mum's working. My dad… Well. My dad's dead."

Silence fell around the table, and a deep frown had formed in Sophie Rose's forehead. She was usually well- behaved. But very sneaky, and I didn't hesitate that she was going to ask more questions. Then just as I was about to interrupt the hearing she had asked the one question I had been afraid that she might at the moment Adam had spoken the word 'dead'.

"How did he die?"

"Sophie Rose Cohen." I interrupted before anyone had had the time to answer her anymore. "What have I told you about asking such questions? You can't just ask someone you barely know something like that."

"It's fine." Adam interrupted. "Do you still want to know?" Sophie Rose hesitated, then nodded. "Do you?" He looked around the table, but nobody else said a word. "It's not a problem. I've done it a million times. My dad did drugs, along with games and betting and stuff. He got a lot of depts, he met mum. Mum wanted kids. Dad decided to change. He joined the army to make a living. Then, just as mum got pregnant he went to Afghanistan… And he never came back. End of story."

"Oh…" I searched for the right words. Hearing about kids that lost a parent always broke my heart. "I'm so sorry." Adam only shrugged and didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"It's okay. I never knew him and I can't miss what I never had, right? Anyway, I have mum. We do alright. But she works as a janitor at the hospital, the supermarket and my school. So she works a lot. I think she's trying to save up for my college fund. And that along with paying for all of those depts dad got himself and her. But anyway, she works during the holidays now. So Ryan said I could come here instead of sitting alone the whole Christmas. I hope it's not a bother."

"Nope." I handed him the potatoes. "It is not. And as long as you don't mind a Hanukah menorah by the fireplace or the word Chrismukkah then… why bother even thinking about it? What's up Soph?"

Sophie Rose had food on her place. But since Adam gave her the answers on why he was here with us today she had been staring ahead of her and seemed distressed and sad.

"I'd be very sad if I had to celebrate Christmas without my parents." Sophie Rose stated. "And very, very sad if something happened to my dad." She lifted her little hand and I reached out mine and took hers.

"Well." Adam shrugged again. "Of course I get sad I never met my dad sometimes. I just prefer trying to be grateful for what I do have rather than sad for what I don't. I mean what I said. I do have mum and… some kids don't even get to have one parent. Or live with one or two that don't treat them well. And…"

Adam was interrupted when a loud phone's signal sounded through the kitchen. I quickly reached down into my pocket.

"Geez. I thought I'd turned it off…" I felt a frown form in my forehead when I saw the name on the screen. "Doug? I think I'll take this actually… Hey." I stood up, put the phone to my ear and hurried out to my ear. "Douglas? It's been ages… But why call on Christmas Eve?"

I knew one thing for sure, Doug wouldn't be calling if he didn't need anything.

"Sandy. I so badly need a favor from you. And it's totally too much to ask but I didn't know who else to call and I'm only about twenty minutes away from your house. So I'll say it right out. I need a foster family placement. I have a girl sitting right next to me. She's just been kicked out of a foster home. And we are loaded with jobs right now. I myself am going on a journey on Boxing Day. I just need to find an emergency placement for her for the next week and a half or so. But nobody seems to feel up to taking in an extra kid on Christmas Eve… Now please Sandy. I know you know what I am about to ask and I'm so sorry but please Sandy, please… pretty… pretty…"

"You know… That only works for my daughter and to hear an adult man plead like that."

"Darn." I could hear Doug swearing on the other line. "Please Sandy. I can't chuck her out on the street, it's Christmas for Christ's sake. And I promise you, as soon as I get back from my daughter's after New Year's I'll fix it up with a more permanent home for her. It's only for a week…"

"I…"

I wanted to say yes so badly at this very second.

"Yes?"

"I need to speak to my family. Can you call me up again when you're getting closer?"

"Sure can do."

I didn't want to tell what Doug had said about this girl having been kicked out of her earlier foster home. I knew nothing about how that had happened anyway. And if there was someone who would be sceptic about this it was the one and only Kirsten.

"Guys." I walked back into the kitchen still holding onto my phone for when Doug would call back up. "I need to talk to you about something very important. Calling was my friend Douglas that I knew a long time ago because he was working with my mum as a social worker. He is still working as that. And he's here, about fifteen, twenty minutes away from here. He's got a girl with him and he very badly needs a family for her to live with for the next week and over New Year's."

"What do you know about her?" Kirsten asked while I barely had the time to finish the sentence. "Name? Age? What is she like?"

"Ehrm… I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I know it's a girl, I know it's a child. That's about it. But like I said, she only needs a placement for the next week or so until Doug can find a more permanent foster family for her. And I've known Doug for a long time and he wouldn't ask me for something he knew I couldn't handle."

"I think it could work mummy." Sophie Rose said before Kirsten had the time to say anything else. "I've always wanted a sister. And I'll have someone to play with during the Christmas Holidays. And she'll have somewhere to live and we're all nice people."

That was one down.

"I agree with Soph." Ryan continued. "I mean… you took me in. At the moment it was only temporary…"

"Which." Kirsten interrupted her adoptive son. "If this happens, actually will be temporary."

"Well…" Ryan continued. "If… When it is. I am a hundred percent sure that if there's anyone who can help this girl then it's you guys. Well, we."

"We know nothing about this girl. We don't even know what her name is or how old she is."

"It's only a little girl." I sat down by the table next to my wife again. "...and a few days. What could happen?"

Kirsten looked sternly to me. It was obvious she was very sceptic to this. But still, I knew she felt exactly what I did- where else was this girl supposed to go? And we did have space, food, warmth and all the other essentials.

"I think it could be great." Seth gave a short, but kind of nervous smile. "I mean mum, you were kind of sceptic when Ryan came too but look how that turned out. And now I, Summer, you two and Ryan are all adults."

"Yeah. Me too." Summer nodded. "I mean there are these types of Children's homes but come on… It's Christmas."

"I have been to one of those places once." Adam said. "I would not have liked to spend any day and the very least a holiday there. And she's only a kid."

I looked back to Kirsten, now when everybody had gotten to make their own voice heard. And knowing that whatever it was, the children's opinions were what was the most important to her, and to me of course. We didn't really have a choice anymore.

"Doug." I walked out of the room when he called me up again. "She can live here for a week or two. But can you tell me a bit more about her, name, age? What she's like?"

"Annie Derrek, nine years old. I'm not sure what words I should use. Maybe… Try to imagine someone named Annie at nine years old and you imagine someone like sweet and kind and innocent and, well you know all of that?" I hesitated, imagined for a second and then nodded towards the phone. "Yep? Well can you, in every way imagine the complete opposite of that? Then I think you might get somewhere close to what she's actually like."

"Doug?" I suddenly thought of something. "Can she, at this very moment- hear what you're saying?"

And Doug's silence spoke the whole truth.

"Just driving up your street now." Doug said quickly. "See you in two minutes. Bye." The phone clicked when he hung up and I was left standing with the phone in my hand for for certain thirty seconds before I knew what to do.

"Well you guys." I walked back into the kitchen. "That was my friend Doug who is bringing this girl over."

"What's her name?" Sophie Rose had a big smile on her face, reaching from ear to ear. "How old is she? Can she share room with me? What is she like?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I held my hands up and interrupted. "First of all, her name's Annie. She is nine years old. I think…" I rubbed my neck and brainstormed for the right decision. "I think it's the best if she gets her own room. At least for now… So Ryan… Maybe you could move in with Soph. Sophie Rose, is that alright with you?" My daughter nodded so fast her fringe fell into her eyes and she laughed.

"It will be like having a sleepover." She said happily. "A real sleepover. Won't it Ryan?" Ryan smiled and nodded. As long as Sophie Rose was happy he'd be too. "Awesome."

"I'm afraid though…" I turned to Adam. "…That means you'll have to stay on the couch. Are you alright with that?"

"Yeah sure." Thank God Adam didn't neither seem to have anything against it. "I'll go get my things so they aren't…"

"When is Annie coming daddy?"

As on a given signal, at the very second Sophie Rose finished her question we could hear the doorbell ring and sounding loud through the house.

And at that I realized this was for real. And we would from now on be having a child from God knows where living with us. Only for a few days if everything worked out like it should but anyway…

"Okay, all of you guys…" I forced the nervous shiver in my voice away. "The last thing Annie needs right now is for us all to come greet her at the door. So you wait here. And I'll go." I turned towards the hallway just as the doorbell rang once again. "I'M COMING."

"It's just a little girl and a few days. What could happen?"

Well after this whole week and a bit more it would show. And believe me when I say- a whole lot!

So, turning to all of you guys who celebrate Christmas. Mainly Americans, but really anyone will do XD. Can you tell me a bit about how YOU celebrate Christmas? Because the Swedish celebrations include most of the celebrations, including opening the presents, happens on Christmas Eve. So. If you want to tell me a bit more about how your Christmas goes during Christmas Eve and Christmas day then please write about it in a review or send me a poem and I'll make something out of it.

Random fact

You might have noticed Taylor isn't in the story even though Summer, Seth and Ryan is. And that is for one reason only- I canNOT stand Taylor. So she will not be having a part in this story and Ryan's single. Okay? Great. See you next time.