It's pretty amazing how when presented with a problem while in a group, humans tend to stop questioning the solutions given to them. An almost mob mentality, a switching off of individual thoughts, as the group begin to move as one. Each just following what the others are doing. It raises the question of where the leading thought comes from. I don't know, maybe someone else knows. You could ask them if you really want to know. Oh look I'm getting side tracked. I'll stop before we completely lose the plot. See what I did there? Okay enough now. The point I'm trying to make is that the same mob like mentality has spread over everyone in the lodge. It's a peculiar thing and it's spread to Dave, and Jeff, who are finding themselves swept up in odd festive human customs like gathering around burning wood, next to another larger piece of wood that when hit makes almost pleasant sounds as they stand singing. There are chairs surrounding tables, and yet they're choosing to stand. Someone mentioned that the room is used for eating in. The strange large melodic piece of wood is apparently kept there to create ambiance, whatever that is, while other people eat.     

Mia is standing a little way off from the rest of the everyone. James, feeling pleased with his efforts in implementing phase three through to four of his plan to convince Mia that it's the best time of year. He also feels pleased with the fact that he can do it all while stopping the Aliens from gaining any real power over the situation. You better believe that he's proud of himself right about now. Well you know what they say about pride...

He struts, yes struts, into the dinning room and makes his way over to where Mia is standing next to a wall with a mug in her hands. "Hey there, you come here often?"

"Has that ever worked for you?" She asks but still smiles and moves over a little bit to make space for him next to her.

He leans his back against the wall looking out over the room, "Not really, no, but I believe there's a first time for everything."

"Smooth." Her voice is quiet, and her tone light, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"I think you just did."

"You know what I meant."

He sees another chance to tease her a little bit, "Did I? Did I really know?"

"Yes." She looks at him smiling at his little joke, and then back out across the room. She laughs for a second before voicing the question that's been bothering her since he opened his mouth. "Why do you like this time of year so much? The winter? The snow? Christmas?"

"Why don't you like it?" He challenges.

"That doesn't answer my question. Why do you like it so much? Why do you care if I like it?"

He doesn't answer any of her questions. Instead he just asks her again, "Why don't you like it?"

Sighing Mia gives in. She's blinded by the idea that maybe, just maybe, if she answers his question he'll answer hers. "It's cold. Cold and dark. I mean look outside it's only five and it's already dark outside."

"Alright, cold and dark. The world's dark every night no matter what time of the year it is. We happen to be inside a very warm room near a fire. I think you're making excuses. Look around, this place is beautiful. It's cozy and smells like Christmas, and yet you're standing by yourself without a trace of Christmas spirit.''

"We might be inside but it's still cold and dark everywhere else. As for Christmas spirit I think you have enough for the both of us." She tries to make her words sound lighter but the silence that's settling over them makes her think that she should say something. "I'm just not a Christmas type of person. I don't really see the point in all of it, you know?" 

"But it's the most wonderful time of the year." He looks in her direction to watch her reaction.

"Don't you dare start singing." She turns her head and locks in direct eye-contact with him. She looks away, redirecting her eyes to a spot on the floor, but not before she notices the little flecks of green in his eyes. "Christmas just isn't a happy time of year for me."

"Who was it?"

"Sorry, who? What?"

"Who was it that stole the childlike happiness from you? You know, the kind that's in everyone that comes alive at Christmas?" He asks not to take his eyes off of her. When she doesn't answer he takes her hand from where she was resting it on her leg. Not knowing what to do she doesn't do anything but look at him confused. "Come with me?"

"Where? We're snowed in here. We can't exactly leave."

"Just trust me on this. There's something you need to see." He takes a step backwards away from the wall. She doesn't say anything. She also doesn't let go of his hand and he takes that as a small victory. 

So he leads her to the door. He also signals to Dave and Jeff who jump into rounding up everyone in the room. They begin to lead the happily dazed group back to the common room at the front of the lodge. James doesn't follow them, instead he begins to walk up a flight of stairs. Leading Mia to the top floor and then out onto a balcony. None of the lights are on. Mia finds herself almost completely reliant on James to lead her, and she doesn't like it one bit. She likes to be in control. She definitely doesn't like admitting that she needs help. James gently places her hand on the railing so that they're facing out onto the ground floor.

"I know you think that Christmas has nothing to offer but cold and darkness, but I don't agree with you. Any day can be cold, and the world is dark no matter what time of the year it is. Christmas is different though. Christmas is the one time of year when everything changes. Mia, see where you see darkness I see the light."

As he says the words the lodge lights up simultaneously. A luminescence of red, green, golden, and silvery lights fill the common room. An almost impossible occurrence if it wasn't for the twenty-four minutes Dave had left him alone in the ship where he had found all manner of fancy looking pieces of tech, and a cupboard in the lodge filled with extra lights they just hadn't had the time to put up.. He'd then spent at least an hour stringing up lights on the tree, the railings on the stairs, and just about any surface he could find to hang lights off of. It was a sight to behold. To truly understand you would have to be there to see it. The soft glow of thousands of little lights all synced up by some or other bored of switches he'd spent a good while trying to understand.

Mia looks out at all the light. She can't deny that it does look magical, and she feels special just being there to see it. Without any other lights on it looks like they're part of the night's sky surrounded by the light of slow burning stars. "It's amazing."

"Do you see it now?" He asks, watching her.

She looks away, turning her face away from his, trying to hide a stray tear or five. She swallows the ache that wants to escape past her lips. Still looking away she decides to trust her voice to stay steady for a moment, "How did you do all this? And what exactly have you done to Aliens?"

"I didn't do anything to them. They're pretty much just like really big children. I just had to tell them that these are normal human customs if someone takes over the planet. They think this is how they're meant to act. That this is what rulers of countries do." He explains, respecting that it might be a little bit much for her.

Mia laughs and sniffs feeling a little bit better. She wasn't sure what she was feeling but the moment the lights came on it felt like for that second her mom was right there. A shadow, of a memory of a time when Christmas was something she looked forward to. "They might think that now, but as long as they're still here we're in possible danger."

"Don't worry so much, Snow-Angel. I've got a plan." He winks at her, and she hates the fact that it causes her cheeks to feel slightly warmer and possibly turning pink.