Anna poured from the lamp as a cloud of smoke that spiraled around her Master's room, curling and twisting until she found a spot to reform. The Genie could not say how long she had spent inside the lamp, only that when she opened her eyes she saw a room filled with half-wrapped boxes and her Master standing jaw dropped and wide eyed in front of her.

"Hell, Mistress,” Anna said with a deep bow. "I’m Anna, and I’m your Genie. What do you wish of me?"

She caught only a glimpse of the woman who had released her from the lamp, but it didn't matter to Anna who her Mistress was, what her name was, or even what she would wish for: the Mistress had released Anna from the lamp, and so Anna must serve her. But as the Genie began to stand again, she heard her Mistress's voice, and everything changed.

"Anna?!" Mistress shouted, and it made her Genie jump back, eyes going wide. Anna knew that voice. She knew her Mistress from before the lamp. Despite this, the Lamp bound Anna to only think of her as Mistress, not even allowing Anna to think her Mistress’s name, even if they had taken history together last semester.

Anna noticed a lamp sized box beside her Mistress, and she realized the lamp would make a great Christmas gift. She had to put this idea away, though, as the her excited, energetic blonde Mistress before Anna needed her attention.

"How did you get in there?" She asked.

"I told you, Mistress, I'm a Genie. And since you released me, I'm your Genie to grant you one wish, whatever you so desire." Anna said, while she wrapped her hands around her midriff, suddenly feeling exposed. She never thought she would serve someone she knew from real life. They had worked on a paper together, with Anna doing a bit more than all the work. Though she had liked Mistress in school otherwise.

"Why would a Genie be going to a human school?" Mistress asked, scrunching up her nose.

"I…became a Genie after the semester ended, Mistress." Anna had asked to become a Genie, so she couldn’t say the lamp captured her. And she would be free just after Christmas, so she couldn’t say the lamp trapped her. And Christmas Day seemed soon, at least, based on the lights, the tree, and the decorations. Soon, she would be free.

Anna’s Mistress thought for a moment, "Hey, since I bought your lamp, does that mean I own you?"

"You are my Mistress, Mistress. I am bound to do whatever you say." Anna said. She didn't like the word ownership, even though she couldn't easily replace it with another word. She came with the lamp, and Mistress owned the lamp.

"Wow, that's cool!" Mistress looked around the room and then at the half-wrapped presents, "Genie, can you wrap the rest of these presents for me?"

She phrased it like a question, but it struck Anna like a compulsion, the lamp and her geniedom forcing her to obey, and she quickly sat down cross legged next to the nearest present, a toy bulldozer, and began to wrap it. Mistress watched, slightly confused.

"No magic?" She asked.

Anna shook her head, "I'm only allowed to use magic when I grant my Master's wish." Yet, somehow, she had perfect knowledge of how best to wrap presents, and quickly figured out how to wrap up every oddly shaped box. The command had cooled some and no longer overrode her thoughts, though Anna knew the command would not allow her to stop working.

To the Genie’s surprise, Mistress sat down next to Anna. She helpfully handed over presents, tape, and whatever else sat out of Anna’s reach as she needed them. But mostly, Mistress just asked questions.

"Anna, how did you become a Genie?"

The Genie told her story, about jogging, about seeing the lamp, and meeting the prior Genie. About his vacation, and the way they bargained.

"Was he hot?"

Anna didn't have to answer, but her small, coy smile said it all. "Very. And he looked great in pink." Anna’s vacation would only last a few more days, but Mistress didn't pick up on, or care, about that.

Mistress laughed. "That's cool. I sort of want to wish for a hot guy to fall in love with me and take care of me. But then, I worry if he would be a jerk, or be like stalkery, or something."

"You're worried I might twist your wish somehow?

"Would you do that?"

Anna honestly thought about it. "I want to grant my Master’s wishes, Mistress. I think it’s really cool that I can grant someone what they want most." The Genie said, and she wondered if that's what the lamp wanted her to say, or it nudged her to feel.

"Aww, you're such a good Genie, Anna." Mistress said, handing over a clothes box. "Have you thought about staying a Genie?"

The question startled Anna, almost dropping the ring box she held. The Genie shook her head, "Honestly, I haven't."

"You should think about it." Anna did, almost compelled to do so. The previous Genie had been in the lamp for over two thousand years, serving countless Masters and Mistresses. Could she do that, too? Would she be happy as a Genie? Anna frowned when she didn’t answer with an immediate no, though neither did she answer with a yes.

"I'll think more about it, Mistress."

"Good," she said brightly and handed Anna the last box, a bobblehead of a sportsball player. "Oh, man, I don’t have a present for my brother now. He's into all this new age magic stuff, so I thought your lamp would be cool. He's a dork, but I think you'd like him for a Master."

"Hmmm. Mistress, tell him his present didn't arrive in time, and you'll give it to him when it does."

"That's a great idea, Anna!"

The Genie wrapped the last present quickly and topped it with a gold bow. The compulsion fell away completely. "All done, Mistress."

"Thank you so much." Mistress said, though she didn't have to. I didn't have choice but to obey, but the thought counted for a lot.

"Is there anything else you need, Mistress?"

She shook her head, sending waves through her messy blonde hair. "No. I need to get ready for the Christmas party. Genie, can you go back in your lamp for a bit?"

Anna nodded, "Of course, Mistress," she said without thinking, bursting back into smoke and swirling into her vessel. The Genie wondered just when her Mistress would make a wish. The vacation would be ending soon, and Anna didn’t want to leave Mistress without granting a wish.

But her Mistress had given the Genie lot to think about.