Riley and Sophia's Adventures Aboard The Polar Express

A Start-Off to Christmas in the Anderson Household

It was Christmas Eve, and as Riley and Sophia were getting ready for bed, they heard the pitter-patter of shuffling feet as their mother and father came up the stairs.

"Knock knock" there mother said in no more than what sounded like a whisper. "Whose ready for a story!" she exclaimed holding up a book.

"Really mom, is that a picture book? How old do you think we are?" she scoffed, her arms crossed.

"Hmmm... well, it's Riley's favorite book so--"

"I see" her older sister scoffed again, looking rather unimpressed... ever since that one time in December when she and her younger sister had teamed yup with the guardians to stop that evil, vile, and dastardly Vilnian Pitch Black. Riley has been acting... different, much younger than twelve at least.

"Would you like to join us?" her mother asked sitting down on one edge of Riley's bed.

"Hmmm... well--" she said while mentally rolling her eyes.

"Come on, it'll be fun" her mother encouraged, patting the space next to her.

"Huh..." she breathed. "Okay" Sucking up her pride, she walked over and sat by her mother.

"Now then, whose ready for... The Night Before Christmas"

Really? Sophia thought-- even North would never recommend that book.

She sighed as their mother opened the book and handed it to their father, even through she, herself, was three years older than Riley, at fifteen; she still decided this wasn't worth a complaint-- she was just glad to be around her mother and father again.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

After the book had concluded, Riley snuggled up into bed as Sophia got into hers. The two parents went around to each of the girls and gently placed a kiss on their forehead.

As Sophia lay in bed, she look adjacently towards her sisters bed to see that she was already sound asleep. Sophia shifted her glace towards the ceiling.

She dare not make a sound because although she had spent all of her fifteen years with North and knew whole-hearted that what had happen had indeed happen; she couldn't help but began to have some doubt as to if all that was still important to her or not.