Five faces showed matching looks of undivided attention. Five snowmen made of silver glitter adorned the back of a tall, sturdy greeting card. One voice recited the lines of script within with soft alto tones and clear diction.

"My beloved Alice, and her most wonderful friends Marie, Natalie, Rachel, and Jasmine, Merry Christmas! It is my hope that your remote cabin has been the retreat of your holiday dreams," said Alice.

She had been the one to discover the letter that had mysteriously appeared on the table. She had opened it and read it twice before Marie had returned from her bathroom break. The card, at that time, had only said two things in all of its vast inside; "Please gather all five of you in the same place to read the card," and "I love you and miss you, Alice."

"Though I have not pulled out -all- of the stops (a magician always keeps a few tricks up his sleeves), I have spared no expense in making sure your Christmas is one that you will never forget. There are many bells and whistles going on behind the scenes that would be tedious to explain and boring to most of you, but there is one thing - or, more accurately, five things - that I must tell you about; your stockings."

Alice (with her love's card in hand) and Marie (with her detached head in hers) had went up the stairs to get their friends. They had opened Rachel's door first and Alice had shut it seconds later, her cheeks flushed red at what she had witnessed; her friend, reduced to her hips, legs, and feet, gyrating on a thick dildo with lustful intensity.

"Alice requested my support in coming up with a gift for all of you. After listening to her explain what her heart wanted for each of you, both individually and as a whole, I knew what the best gift would be. Everything is ready for you, but for you to receive the gift on Christmas morning, you must know what the stockings do and how to use them."

Marie had elected to go to get Natalie and Jasmine while Alice worked through her embarrassment. She had been mildly surprised to have found them resting. Jasmine (still just arms, breasts, and an upper back wrapped in a bundle of wool) had panicked a bit when Natalie had gotten off of her, but she had relaxed quickly.

"You already know that the stockings can take and 'shut off' parts of someone's body, and that no one can open their own stocking until Christmas. I know you know because I know when the stockings are used. What you do not know is what happens if you leave part of yourself in the stocking while you sleep on Christmas Eve into Christmas Day."

Natalie had listened to Marie and Alice. She had told them to keep Jasmine company while she went into Rachel's room. Twenty minutes later, Natalie had returned to her room with a complete, exhausted, smiling Rachel. They had arrived in time to watch Jasmine take Marie's head, shove it into her sweaters, and cram it between her tits.

"Each of you gets to decide what part (or parts) of yourself you will leave in your stocking. What you choose and how much you choose to put in is important, but the reason WHY you choose it is key; all five of you could put in the same thing tonight and you would get five different results."

Alice had laughed when she had heard Marie's muffled responses. Marie's body had writhed on the bed but had not bothered to retrieve her head. Natalie had walked over and removed her sweater from Jasmine's body. Their faces had shared matching smiles when Jasmine's head returned; they had both decided on an open relationship a long time ago. Tangles of Marie's hair could be seen underneath the white tank top from between the sides of the deep neck of Jasmine's remaining sweater.

"So that begs me to tell you the rules I will give you for this process, rules that will ensure that the gift you create for yourself tonight is exactly what you want it to be."

Alice and Natalie had helped Jasmine shift to the side of the bed. They each had pulled down one side of her sweater, bringing back the rest of her body. Jasmine had stood up and helped their headless friend to her feet. Marie had reached to Jasmine's chest, patted her hidden head, then circled behind her. She had stood with her hands on Jasmine's waist and waited.

"Once this card is read, remain silent. Do not speak to each other until you have sat and thought through what part of you you wish to put in your stocking. Once you know, you should only speak if you will need help moving to bed after making your contribution. Give each other the space and the time to be certain of your heart's desires by leaving each other to your own thoughts."

The girls had made their way downstairs while supporting Marie to keep her balance. Her body had walked into the den while her head and the ladies had went into the kitchen. They had eaten (Rachel feeding Marie's head while her body relaxed in the warmth of the fire), then came together in the den.

"When you are ready, insert the piece or pieces of yourself you've decided on. When all of you have done so, feel free to speak again. Though the presents will work no matter how much sleep you get tonight, I would recommend turning in. You will want to be well-rested for the Christmas morning ahead of you."

Rachel had sat down next to Marie after giving her her head. She had fixed her hair and eased her head back onto her neck with a content smile. Natalie and Jasmine had fallen into each other's arms onto the large armchair with both of them hanging their legs over the sides. Alice had walked to the fireplace and turned to face her friends.

"Above all, -trust- yourselves. Only you know what you truly want, and it is most likely the first thing that just came to your mind. Do not judge it; love it. Trust it. Follow it."

When Alice had started to orate the card (she had refused to let go of the enchanted memento from Gerald), the women had been ruminating in the comfort, respect, and love they felt for their friends. Now that Alice had spoken nearly all of the card's contents, the girls were thinking about themselves; Gerald's words were received loud and clear, even if what their presents would be was still a mystery.

"May your stockings bring you all your very own Christmas miracle. I bid you all a goodnight.

"With tidings of joy,

"Gerald."

--------------------

There was no clock in the den to mark the passage of time. The logs of the fire were unchanged since they first saw them a day ago, as though they created the flames that were meant to consume them. Nothing could show the girls how long they remained still. For all of them, it felt like an eternity of self reflection.

In reality, just twenty-two seconds passed before Rachel stood up. She walked without hesitation to where her stocking hung. She stripped topless in silence. Her clothes dropped to her feet. She lifted her stocking from the mantle and opened it, placing each of her small breasts inside in turn. When she turned around to face the others (finding all eyes on her, but no judgement on their faces), she said, "I can help any of you around...just, let me know."

The others nodded. Natalie managed to say, "Thanks." Rachel understood; they were thinking through tough thoughts right now. She had been sure what she wanted since she wished for her breasts to get bigger as her Christmas miracle. She only took as long as she did to go to the stocking because she was stunned it could come true.

("But the others...Natalie could do anything...It must be hard to sort out.")

Alice was next to her stocking, standing where she read the card. She turned, opened the velvet gap, stuck her head into the sock, and pulled back. Her head was severed and fell.

"I should've guessed," said Jasmine. They all chuckled lightly.

Rachel walked over to Alice. She placed a hand on her friend's neck stump, the other lightly on her waist. Alice reacted, nuzzling into Rachel's palm. Her body squirmed and held the stocking, her thumbs rubbing the velvet. She was in half-thought, pondering if her head was all she wanted to put in.

("I...be headless...what if...up losing...again?")

She didn't know why this was the answer for the question she wasn't sure of, but she trusted herself and slipped both of her hands into the stocking. Alice severed them at the wrists, then turned under Rachel's palm. They embraced, then Rachel sat her down on the couch; someone might need someone else to hold onto to get upstairs tonight.

Jasmine and Natalie were whispering back and forth on the armchair. To Marie, it seemed like they were planning out what they wanted to do and how. She herself felt lost and uncertain.

("I don't know what I want...I only wanted my arms to be divisible, and I have that. I don't want to change anything else. All I want is my safety, and for my friends to stay safe, too...what do I do? Will the gift be able to give me that? Can it? What would the stocking want from me?")

She pondered on as the couple stood up. They went to Jasmine's stocking first. Marie was shocked at how smooth and swift Jasmine was when she plunged her hands, arms, head, and shoulders into her stocking. Natalie helped her pull back. The top of her chest was the new top of her body.

Rachel and Marie watched Natalie help Jasmine lay down. Natalie bounced back up to the packed stocking. She pulled it down, crouched by her girlfriend's feet, opened the end, and brought the opening up Jasmine's legs. She kept going until there was just an inch or so of her thighs outside of the velvet before lifting the stocking away.

Jasmine wiggled and arched her back. She felt like an object, a living  pillow, a love doll. As Natalie hung the stocking back up and surveyed how to carry her helpless girlfriend, Jasmine half-did the one thing she could; 'think' about it.

("Control...have none...must know...to lose...order to...what I...since I...remember")

She rolled herself into Natalie's arms as she was picked up. Marie and Rachel watched them leave.

Alice was squirming on the couch and enjoying herself. The knowledge that she was stuck like this until morning pleased her to no end, and her movements showed it.

Marie finally stood up. Her steps to her stocking were slow and cautious. Her mind was still rolling forward through her questions and intentions. She felt her answer was close, as though it were an apple in brushing distance of her fingertips but still too far to pick.

("I want to be able to look out for myself and my friends. We're lucky that the parts we lost came back to us. What if I never got my arms back? What if Alice never found her head?")

Timid hands held the stocking. She pulled it towards her. Her hazel eyes glowed with a ring of rubies cast by the fire.

("I want to bring people together, bring them to safety...kind of like a lighthouse...")

Her hands clenched the rich velvet.

("If I were a lighthouse, then my head would be the spotlight that brings the ships home. I think I know what to do.")

She turned around to ask for Rachel's help just as Natalie finished descending the stairs. Natalie spoke before Marie could gather her words.

"Hey Rach, can you help me out?"

"Sure. What should I do?"

The pair walked over to Natalie's stocking and spoke out their plans. Rachel grabbed the sock. Natalie bent in half and grabbed her ankles. Rachel pulled the top of the stocking over and around Natalie's rear end. When the velvet edge passed Natalie's waist and the top of her thighs, Rachel tugged upwards. Natalie's hips were swallowed away. Her top half fell forward onto her back; her legs stayed standing, supported at the ankles by her hands. As Rachel and Natalie moved around so Rachel could carry all of the pieces, Marie spoke up.

"I'm sorry to ask, but can you come back for me when you're done?"

"Oh, of course! Don't worry about it," said Rachel. Natalie had her arms wrapped around her shoulders. Rachel held a leg in each hand.

"Sleep well," Natalie said as she was carried away.

"You too."

Marie sat on the opposite end of the couch Alice was on. While her headless friend rubbed her wrist nubs against her blank neck, Marie began to slide the stocking over her ankles...her calves...her knees...

("If I want to be able to bring anything back together...")

She shifted onto her back. Her head was bent forward by the back cushion. She wiggled and tugged the band of velvet up her hips like a skirt...then her waist...then over her breasts...

("...it has to leave in the first place.")

The stocking reached her armpits before she pulled it off. She was taken aback by how light her stocking felt and how small most of her body looked in the velvet. She slipped her left arm and shoulder in and separated again. She paused, unsure how to continue, as Rachel re-entered the room.

"Marie? Where did you-oh! There you are! Wow, you...sorry, I didn't expect to see this from you, that's all. What do you need?"

"...I want everything but my head in my stocking," she replied. "If I do it myself, I might fall in completely."

Rachel nodded. In moments, Marie was just a head on the table. Rachel made sure all of the stockings were hung up right, then came back to Marie and Alice. She had a gleam in her eye.

"...what?" said Marie.

"I want to try something...do you trust me?"

Marie looked away and down in thought. She took a breath (an odd sight from a head) and let it out. "Yes. Do it."

Rachel moved intently and carefully. She lifted Marie's head and circled the couch. She was standing behind Alice, who was still lost in self-touch and squirming. Marie realized what Rachel was going to do as her head descended above Alice. Before she knew it, Alice's neck stump was pressing against the bottom of her head. Marie felt the same sticking feeling she got when she rejoined her own parts. Alice jumped at the connection.

("...can see...don't have...there's a...whose is")

"Alice? Is that you I'm hearing?"

("Marie? Your head...my body...can't move...but still...hear what...and see")

Alice was moving her body as she thought her words to Marie. Marie could feel everything; how she sat on the couch, the slight soreness of the left ankle, the jiggle of a much bigger chest...but couldn't control any of it.

"Looks like I'm controlling my head and you're controlling your body, but we are still able to feel and see and hear everything the other one does," said Marie. She would have said it out loud for Rachel no matter what, but she didn't know if Alice could read her thoughts. Seems like she would need a mind of her own to do that.

("It feels...not have...eyes look...want them...like...took control...head away")

Marie felt a tingle run through Alice. She felt her (their?) nipples harden. "Oh...Alice...I feel what you feel..."

("...touch me...touch us...do you...have Rachel...share bed")

"Rachel," Marie gasped. "Alice wants...we both want you to...oh god I can't stop her and it's-"

Rachel ran her hands from the back of their combined neck to Marie's cheeks. "I would love to," she whispered. Her hands dragged down Alice's skin onto her shirt until her breasts were cupped tight in both palms.

("Oh thank...wants to...us like...Marie...her bed...walk us")

"Rachel, your bed, now," Marie said between sharp breaths. Alice stood with their shared handless body. The merged girl swayed and staggered behind Rachel on their way up the stairs.

("Marie...never shared...someone else...can you...her ass...round and...no!...keep looking...this feels")

It wasn't long before Rachel had a new clean toy out of her suitcase and a new merged woman out of her clothes.

--------------------

Jasmine was the first to fall asleep. Natalie watched her body pillow girlfriend at rest for some time before cuddling on top of her, her head and her hand on her breasts. She was dozing shortly. They wouldn't move until they woke up Christmas morning.

Rachel, Alice, and Marie were up for an hour more to experiment with their shared form. Afterwards, Rachel laid down on Alice in almost the same way Natalie laid on Jasmine, except Alice was topless. They moved once in the night; Marie's head slept straight through Alice getting up to use the bathroom.

Her head lolled backwards in a snore Alice couldn't hear when walking there. It rolled over her shoulder and hung on her chest as she struggled with her clothes and empty wrists. Marie was still lightly snoring as they returned to Rachel's embrace. Alice would never forget this night; she had a head that wasn't working on her own shoulders, and she wanted to do it again.

Rachel curled around Alice's backside as the big spoon. Her hands stole out to fondle Alice's chest (eliciting a few pleased wiggles, Marie's head rocking lazily on the pillow). They relaxed and returned to slumber.

The girls had stopped stirring in life and in dreams, but the den was alive with motion and creation.

The stockings shifted, expanded, crumpled, and reformed. This pattern continued for over an hour (Marie's stocking went on the longest). When the velvet stopped shifting, the stockings were empty.

The couch and armchair began to drop into the floor. Their descent looked like a glitched video game as they descended and disappeared. The table moved to the true center of the room. The moment it came to rest, five black circles identical to the one that delivered the card appeared in a loop on the table.

Five crystal stoppers rose from the darkness. Five glass bottles followed suit, each with a label that only said a name. Five different colored liquids settled in the bottles. Five larger circles opened on the floor, one next to each of the bottles, as the first five dimensional disks disappeared. Five piles of body parts rose through the darkness to settle on the carpet.

Two small, perky breasts, nipples-up under red bows;

Two hands laced with ribbons framing an airtight gift wrapped head;

Two long legs seated Indian-style under rested arms and a black-haired head connected by shoulders and a neck, lowering as a group into a large gift box with a lid;

A pair of hips in a thin cloth bag, tied tight with a bow and taunt around the curves and crevices;

And an entire body sans-head seated with legs folded and arms at rest palms up, wearing a slim green strapless velvet holiday dress with fuzzy white trim at the top and short bottom.

One last black spot stretched and grew from the center of the table into the largest hole yet. Its edge was micrometers away from every bottle. A bright and shining white gold star rose from the middle. A flawless trimmed tree followed, covered in shiny ball ornaments, silver and gold tinsel, and tiny lightning bugs that glowed and dimmed in a rainbow of colors.

The tree stood at three feet high. The circle of dark shrank into nothingness. The roots appeared to be growing into the table, as though Mother Nature had planted it there herself.

The girl's presents were wrapped.
The tree was trimmed. Christmas was here!