Author's Note: I have been away from this fandom since season 3 ended, but I found this story I'd started in a folder and thought I'd finish it for this holiday season. Hope you enjoy. Inspired by Lindy Booth's Christmas movies: Twelve Trees of Christmas and Christmas Magic

Art history professor Jacob Stone signed his name with a flourish on top of a stack of papers and handed them to his department's secretary Charlene. "There that's the last of the finals graded." He looked up at the clock on the wall over her desk. "If I get on the road now, I can be at the hotel with plenty of time to look over my paper before tomorrow morning."

Charlene looked out the window behind him, "sure you don't want to wait until tomorrow? They're saying the storm is only gonna get worse."

Stone chuckled. "That's what they said about that dustin' we got last week. Besides, I'm not lettin' that prick Bancroft get any edge on me."

Charlene just sighed and shook her head. "Wear a scarf!" she yelled behind him as Jacob hurried out the door. Then she returned to her filing, glad she was within a short cab ride of her cozy apartment with its fireplace and cat.

Just on the edge of town, Jacob stopped to get coffee. Normally the place would be packed with college kids, but most of them had already left for break or were back in their dorms packing. There still were some customers in the shop but he only had to wait a few moments to order. He ordered a large coffee from the kid behind the counter and as the guy went to ring him up, paused and said, "add a shot of espresso to that, I've got a long drive in front of me." The kid nodded and gave him his total and then went to make his drink.

"The weather is getting quite nasty out there," commented an elderly well dressed man who was sitting at the counter to his right, a cup of coffee in front of him and an unwrapped candy cane in one hand. The man sucked on the candy for a minute thoughtfully. "In a hurry to get home after finals, professor?"

Jacob looked startled. "How did you know I . . . ." the old man gestured to the lanyard that was still around Stone's neck with his candy cane. "Oh," Jacob laughed. "In a hurry to get somewhere, but not home." His laugh faded and he grimaced.

"Ah home for the holidays is not a song you fancy," the man continued. "A young lady perhaps?"

Jacob rolled his eyes wondering why with no one else waiting for their order his was taking so long. "Symposium. I'm presenting tomorrow and I want to get there early."

The old man went back to chewing on his candy cane and finally Jacob's coffee was ready. As he thanked the barista and turned to leave, the old man spoke again. "Are you sure you want to go out in that? Is it worth it?" He gestured toward the blowing snow.

Jacob shook his head. "Ain't nothing more important to me than my work, sir."

The old man looked like he was going to say something else, but finally just shook his head. "Candy cane for the road?"

Jacob just made a face that he quickly covered with a smile. "Uh, no thanks. You uh, have a nice night and . . ." he shrugged as if the decorations suddenly reminded him. "Happy Holidays."

"You be careful out there, young man," was all that the man said as Jacob disappeared into the storm.

The old man at the counter finished his candy cane with a sigh. The staff at the counter took no notice of him as he spoke to the ceiling. "Well I tried; I still think this is a bad idea. But if you think he's the one, well you're the boss."

Children's librarian Cassandra Cillian sighed to herself as she read the email like she had every morning for the past month. Despite her cheerful snowflake skirt, on the inside she was not experiencing her usual holiday cheer. No matter how many times she read the email, it still said the same thing. The owners of the building her public library branch was in had chosen not to renew the city's lease. The branch would be closed as of January 1.

Her friend in IT, Ezekiel Jones had shrugged and asked her why she was so upset. They were all keeping their jobs, just in new locations. He just didn't understand and she hadn't been able to make him. After all, this branch was just a job site to him; it wasn't home like it was to her.

She looked at her desk, of the photo of her and her mother, smiling on the day that Cassandra had gotten her first job in the library. Her late mother had once been at this desk and Cassandra had grown up here amongst the books. Her great-uncle had been the library's beloved director for years. This was more than a place to work for Cassandra; it was her heart and soul.

She looked at the photo again, picking it up. "I know, Mom, but what can I do? I've tried everything . . ." she looked around the old walls, "so much history in this place, but no one cares . . . ." Cassandra's eyes widened and she jumped up and marched toward her director's office.

Boxes were crammed in Eve Baird's workspace as she had started to pack up. She hadn't been too pleased to be assigned to an assistant director's position but it was at a much larger branch and that's all that had been open. It was just as well, that building was relatively new and she'd be happy for a heater that worked and wiring that wasn't nearly so temperamental. She tried and failed to not roll her eyes when Cassandra knocked on her door frame. She knew what this was about.

"Eve . . . ."

Eve sighed. "Cassandra for the last time, there's nothing you can do. The building's owners plan on using the land for a development project and they aren't budging from their position. I'm really sorry, I know how much this place means to you, but it's over. You have a great job already to go at Greenville."

Tears stung Cassandra's eyes and she shook her head. "But this place has so much history, there has to be something that would make them name it a landmark."

Eve bit her lip. "Cassandra," she said gently. "Just because something is old doesn't necessarily make it valuable. I know you have a lot of personal history here, but personal history . . .well it lives in our memories not in a building. Please, okay? It's not healthy for you. Just make this last Christmas the best it can be for our patrons okay?"

Cassandra left, shaking her head. No one was going to help her. This place, this place where her parents had fallen in love, where she'd grown up, it was going to be gone in a few weeks. And there was nothing she could do about it.

When she got back to her desk, she sent off one last desperate email to the local historical society. Then she took a deep breath and plastered a smile on that she didn't feel and grabbed the book she was reading for story time.

Jacob felt like he was waking up from a deep sleep. Then he got a good look around. He was lying on a couch in what looked like a cross between his office and a library.

"What the hell?"

"Ah, Professor Stone, you're awake," came a voice. Jacob rubbed his eyes and shook his head. The voice was oddly familiar but he couldn't place it. He finally saw the man, elderly and well dressed and stared at him. "Candy cane?"

Jacob continued to stare, the words "what" and several others forming on his lips but not being spoken until he finally spit out. "You?"

"I certainly hope I am," the man said. "You may call me Jenkins, Professor Stone."

"How . . .how do you know my name? And what is this place? Last I remember, there was ice and the car . . . ." Jacob's eyes widened and he patted down his chest. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

The man, Jenkins, moved his head from side to side which Jacob took to be an affirmative. "It's not really important how I know your name, besides you've already figured that part out. This place, this is the Annex, a sort of waiting room if you will to the main well Library."

"Heaven is a library?"

"In a manner of speaking, heaven is what you wish it to be. At any rate . . . ."

Jacob got up and looked around, "so you said this was a waiting room? Waiting for what?"

Jenkins smirked. "That's up to you and well, the Big Guy. He has a task for you."

"A task?"

Jenkins harrumphed. "Please Mr. Stone, your constant questions are becoming quite tedious. May I continue?"

Stone gestured, "go ahead."

"Follow me," Jenkins led him over to a large book that was open on a pedestal. Suddenly a picture of a beautiful red headed woman appeared on one page with an old building on the other side. The young woman was smiling and Jacob couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face, she had the kind of smile that made you smile, that lit up a room. He was trying to keep himself from asking yet another question that would annoy Jenkins when the old fashioned tv on the desk in front of him suddenly crackled to life.

The woman was walking among the shelves of what he guessed was a library, definitely not smiling. She looked like she was going to cry, her fingers trailing across shelves and the walls before stopping at a large bay window and taking a seat with a sigh that Jacob could feel since the television had no sound. The poor thing, what could make that smiling woman so sad?

"What's wrong?" Jacob whispered.

Jenkins took a deep breath. "They're closing the library she works at."

"She lose her job?"

Jenkins shook his head. "They're reassigning her."

"Then why is she so sad?"Jacob seemed confused. She wasn't out of work, it would probably be a hassle but not worth crying over.

"Take a look at that building," Jenkins said. "They're tearing it down for condos."

"Aww geez," Jacob muttered, the building was beautiful and his artist's soul could see the folly in it. Still . . . .

"She grew up in that building. It's her home. Her parents met there, she practically took her first steps there. Her mother died last year and her great-uncle who was the director as well. "

"Oh," Jacob's heart went out to her. His family, well, he and his old man didn't get along at all. But if he didn't have that summer house that his pops never knew he bought after they sold it . . . .he'd never forgive himself. It was what he had of his momma. "What can I do?"

"Well, it just so happens that Cassandra," Jenkins gestured toward the girl. "just sent an email to the local historical society looking for someone to help her try to find landmark status on that building. The Big Guy intercepted it. We think if anyone can help her find that evidence, well it's you."

"And if I do?"

"Then you get access granted to the Library for eternity. Everything you could want . . .and the people you love that are already there."

"Otherwise?"

"You hang out with me until you accomplish your good deed. I have lots of filing that needs to be done. Candy cane?"

"Uh, how do I get to uh what was her name again?"

"Cassandra, Cassandra Cillian. Right, this way, young man." Jenkins opened a seemingly ordinary door and gestured Jacob inside.