{Reader's POV}

A few rays of sunlight peeked through the grey clouds and did very little to warm up the ground. A fresh new layer of snow had cascaded down onto the city last night and enveloped everyone's home in a thick blanket of snow, especially mine.

I stared out the window as I watched a few more flurries of snow settle onto my front lawn.

My health wasn't getting any better and neither was my fondness of winter. I'll admit, I did find the white, sparkling scenery to be beautiful, but I hated how I could be so vulnerable towards the cold.

Every year, my nose'd get stuffy and red, my throat raspy and barley audible, and finally, fatigue would overwhelm my body from head to toe.

But as the memories of my childhood reappeared in my mind, I remembered how much I'd love the holidays and snow ball fights, despite the sickness.

This time of year was always festive and golly. Decorations were always hung up around town, Christmas lights shined and glowed with merry throughout the rest of the night, and gifts brought to homes for loved ones... It was all so festive.

Which reminded me... The holidays weren't going to be the only celebration to consider this year...

My eyes suddenly turned to look at the sleeping figure sprawled out on the couch. I lightly chuckled to myself as I watched the monochrome clown resting comfortably with a blanket half covering his tall frame.

Even for a monster, he slept so peacefully that he reminded me of a child.

My fingers unconsciously began to caress his hair and I gazed into his sleepy face. Jack almost seemed to move closer towards me as my warm hand grazed against his cheek.

Then, still dead asleep, Jack shoved my body towards him.

My eyes widened as Jack's long arms wrapped themselves around my body and pulled me into his chest. I felt heat rising in my cheeks and the tips of my ears as I tensed up in his embrace.

Now that I've realized my feelings towards Jack, I've become extremely self-conscious of myself and sensitive to his touch.

I held my breath and kept my eyes wide open as I quietly felt Jack's chest rising and falling as he breathed. But as I gradually began to calm down, memories of Jack's past with Isaac flashed in my head. One specific memory was Jack being given to the blonde boy on Christmas Eve...

I let out a small sigh and frowned at the image of Isaac receiving Jack for the first time.

My hands gently pressed against Jack's broad chest and I carefully, so as to not wake him, wiggled out of his hold and got off the couch. I gazed at the monochrome clown once more and grinned as I saw his mouth slightly part open, "He's so cute sometimes", I thought to myself and chuckled as I walked towards the door.

Grabbing my white trench coat and purse, I tip-toed outside and cautiously closed the door behind me.

I trudged through the snow and anxiously got into my car as a harsh, icy breeze struck my body. As I rubbed my gloved hands together vigorously, I immediately regretted leaving Jack's side inside my warm, cozy home.... But I had to suck it up.

In just a few weeks, Christmas Eve would arrive... Jack's birthday would arrive and I would need to make up for all those lonely nights he must have lost to Issac's intolerable actions.

Let's see... He spent at least thirteen years locked up inside that music box of his... And let's not forget the two hundred years following Isaac's murder...

I let out a heavy sigh and nervously tapped the steering wheel as I drove into the city. My foot unconsciously stepped on the gas and I anxiously scanned every building in sight as I drove through the city.

It was bad enough I had a lot of pressure and expectation riding on this, but now I was seriously doubting myself that I could find the perfect present for Jack... I mean, what would a psychotic, sadistic, serial killer clown like for his birthday?

Ironically I knew the answer (a victim), but that idea was out of the question.

I let out a groan as I suddenly pulled up into a parking lot and turned off the engine. I pressed my hands against my face and began thinking deeply about what I should give him.

Candy?

No. (He can make some by himself, so what's the point?)

A sweater?

No. (He'd rip it in half with his claws trying to put it on)

Cologne?

No. (Might seem a little offensive...)

Or maybe should I make him a dinner with all his favorite foods?

No. (His only favorites are candy... and I already crossed that one off the list)

At that point, I let out another frustrated groan and angrily got out of my car. Locking it up and placing the keys in my purse, I marched inside the mall, determined to find the ultimate Christmas present for my killer clown love interest. (Even if that sounded really weird...)

Entering the mall, I look around and scanned over all the clothes adorning the building. However, I shook my head and teared my gaze away from the cute, designer clothing and pinned my attention back on Jack.

"Excuse me, do you by any chance know where I could find a gift for my...uh..my boyfriend..?", I asked a lady wearing a uniform as I stuttered on the last word...pathetically.

"Hm? Oh yes, of course! What exactly do you have in mind?", she replied inquisitively and I gave deep consideration into what she had said.

"Something he can treasure forever... And it has to be something unique and irreplaceable...", I smiled warmly as my thoughts went back to thinking about Jack. The woman widened her eyes and grinned from ear to ear, "Well that's simple!", she beamed.

I raised an eyebrow and gawked at the woman as she smiled, "It is..?", I muttered as I marveled at the woman's craftiness. She chuckled to herself and nodded her head enthusiastically, "The perfect gift you should give him is you...", she started kindly as she gazed at me seriously.

"You're something he can treasure, something that's unique and irreplaceable, right?", she asked jokingly and earned a faint smile from me.

"Alright! Then let's head off to the lingerie section and get you wrapped up in a bow!", she blurted out loud and eagerly tugged on my arm. I suddenly felt my cheeks burning and I immediately began to protest in embarrassment, to which the woman only chuckled at.

"I'm only joking! Now, follow me and we'll find a gift for him", she said reassuringly and I let out a heavy sigh of pure relief.

The woman lead me down an aisle and quietly scanned over the objects as she muttered something to herself. Then her eyes lit up as she stumbled into what she was looking for.

I furrowed my eyebrows and stared in confusion as the woman showed me a glass case full of watches.

"I doubt he cares what time it is..", I remarked and the woman perched her lips at my words. "Oh silly! It's not the watch that matters, it's the engravement you'll put behind it!", she exasperated as she pulled out a silver watch with a leather strap.

She turned it around and pointed to it's back, "What more can he treasure than your love for him? Tell him how much you mean to him on this watch, so when time ticks by, he'll never forget it, even if decades past and the memory becomes hazy", she paused and took my hand in hers, "Sweetie, something is only irreplaceable when it has sentiment attached to it", she reasoned.

I gazed at the watch and smiled to myself as I thought about Jack and the face he'd make, confused to have received something so ordinary... and the other face he'd make when he'd read what I'll engrave in it..

"You're right, I'll buy it", I responded enthusiastically as the woman returned my smiled and handed me a piece of paper. "Write what you want it to say", she explained cheerfully as she handed me the pen in her hand.

I nodded my head and scribbled away on the piece of paper, writing down what I've felt every since I fell for him... ever since I learned about his past:

"Jack, Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!
I'm glad I met you, or else I wouldn't have met the man I love.
No matter what, I'll never forget about you... I'll never abandon you, ever... I'm here to stay if you'll let me"

I put down the pen and smiled again as I handed the paper to the woman. She scanned over the writing and gazed at me with warm eyes, "that's beautiful...! He'll love it!", she exclaimed as she put the note in a safe place. I nodded my head and beamed at her, "I hope so! Thank you so much, Miss!", I smiled and waved goodbye as I headed back outside.

However, the woman yelled over to me from where she stood, "I'll need your address to send it to you through mail! Make sure your boyfriend doesn't open the mail box first!", she said with concern and I hurriedly jogged back towards her to finish the rest.

After paying for the watch and ordering it to have it wrapped up in festive paper and a cute bow, I stepped out of the mall with a huge grin plastered on my face as I excitedly waited for Christmas Eve to come.

However, my joy was short lived when I felt a hand roughly shove a cloth over my face. A strong smell entered my nostrils and shocked me.

My mind became blurry and my senses disappeared as I began to slip from consciousness.

Seeing black splotches everywhere, a face came into my view as I sunk to the ground... Sandy brunette hair was the last thing I comprehended when I felt myself lose my grip on reality.