Greta walked to the police department and interrogated the man, but they still hadn't gotten a solid. It seemed like everything she was doing lately had been a failure. She had disappointed her whole world and everyone in it. She wanted to fall in love, she wanted to be swept off her feet. She wanted passion, obsession, and desire. And yet when she spoke, there wasn't an ounce of excitement or whisper of a thrill. She wanted lightning to strike, she wanted it to strike with Eric. He seemed so close, yet so far away.
She wrapped her scarf around her neck and pulled her coat on. She pushed the door open and could instantly feel the lack of heat. She shivered and continued outside. The snow was falling more heavily then when it had been almost an hour ago.
As she passed by the stores she looked inside the shop windows. There were dolls, toy trains, puzzles, rocking horses, games. She could remember when she was little all those things in the shop window would have made her face light up in a second. Now it seemed like nothing could ever be right again. She would never get her one true Christmas wish...
As she rounded the corner, a man in a Santa Claus suit, collecting for charity stopped her.
"I know what you want for Christmas," he said.
"What's that?" she asked politely.
"This," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling a candy cane out. Greta gratefully accepted the candy and reached into her pocket and gave him the only change she had left. He thanked her as she started off again.
"Close, but no cigar Santa," she whispered as she continued. She shoved the candy cane in her pocket, along with her hands. She had forgotten to bring her gloves. But when she had left, she had had other things on her mind. Another person on her mind. It seemed like Eric was the only thing she could concentrate on anymore. He was the only thing that made her wake up in the morning. Eric was him, her dream man.
"Excuse me, do you need a ride home?" someone asked as they drove up beside her. Greta jumped at the sound of someone else's unexpected voice. She turned to see who it was, and when she did, a smile danced across her lips. It was Eric.
"Yes, thank you," she said, walking in front of the car and getting in on the passenger side.
"How come you're out this late at night?" she asked him, "Don't you have better things to do then pick up strange girls in the middle of the night?"
Eric laughed and put the car back into gear. "First of all, you're not strange. Second of all, who says a guy can't go out for a drive every once in a while?"
"Driving in the dark, during a snowstorm, and in the freezing cold. Not the best driving conditions, if I do say so myself," she replied.
Eric looked over at her, then focused his eyes back on the road. "Okay, you caught me. Abe saw you leave the police station alone and he wanted me to make sure you got home alright," he admitted shyly.
"I could have made it home by myself," said Greta, disappointed that Eric had picked her up because of orders from Abe.
"I know, I know, but I know that Abe, and especially me, would like be rest assured that you got home alright. We wouldn't want a pretty girl like you disappearing right before the most magical time of the year, now would we?"
Greta blushed at the mention of her being pretty. Every time Eric said something like that, her heart melted and she felt dizzy.
"So," she said, snapping out of her daze," have you done any Christmas shopping yet?"
"Some of it. I know, I need to finish up, Christmas is only two weeks away," he admitted.
"I haven't done any of mine yet," Greta said, "Guilty as charged."
"I believe you are now on Santa's naughty list," he joked, "Now youwon't get your Christmas wish."
Greta froze. But you are my Christmas wish, she thought. You are my one true love. I guess dream's never do come true.
"So what is your Christmas wish?" he asked as he turned a corner.
"I don't have one," she said softly, turning her head to look out the window.
"You don't? Why not?" he asked.
"I've given up on dreams and wishes, they never come true," she said as a tear slipped down her flushed cheek.
"Sure they do, you just got to give them time. That's what miracles are for," said Eric seriously. Greta wiped her tear away and turned to Eric.
"You're right, and you're at my house," she said. He slowly came to a stop and she opened the car door.
"Bye," she said.
"Bye, and goodnight," Eric said as she shut the door.
Eric watched her walk up to her house, then unlock her door and shut it again. He sighed and put the car back into gear. "I love you," he whispered softly as he began to drive off. He fumbled with the radio, he was trying to find a good and happy Christmas song to cheer him up. Instead, he stopped on a country station. The song playing reminded him so much of Greta and him. It was called "What If I Said?" by Anita Cochran and Steve Wariner.
"What if I did say?" he said quietly, stopping at his own house. He got out and jogged up to his door and opened it. He was thankful to be inside once again, in the warmth and safety of his own house. It was comforting to be around your own surroundings. He took his coat off and threw it on the back of a chair, then he plopped down on the couch. He aimlessly began flipping through the channels.
"The news, The Grinch, sappy love story," he announced every channel he came to, until he got back to the beginning. He really did love Greta, but something kept telling him that she didn't love him back. Something told him that he wasn't good enough for her. So, he had discarded the thoughts and pushed them into the dusty, cob-webbed, corner of the back of his mind. But they always surfaced, everytime he heard her voice or saw her smile. It was the same thing everytime and he couldn't get rid of his feelings for her, no matter how hard he tried. He also couldn't get rid of his feelings for Nicole. She had played a major part in his life. She had been his first love, but now it was Greta.
Nicole had married Lucas and now they were happily married living in their large mansion with Kate. He should have known better then to let himself fall for her. He should have known better then to wear his heart on his sleeve, only to have it taken away and torn into a million pieces. He didn't really associate with Nicole anymore, or Lucas for that matter. But occasionally he'd see them out together and it saddened him, but not as badly as it had before.
Greta and him had gone to Paris to find out about her mother, but turned up empty. He knew it had to hard for her, not knowing anything about her past really. To not even know her mother, to not be surrounded by family. All she had now was the comfort of her friends, her friends for life. He had tried his best to comfort her, but all she wanted was to be alone. She had closed herself off to him and everyone else. But then something had happened that turned her around. She had finally realized that life is too short to worry about what was or what could have been. So she had come back and had begun to build a new life. And she was doing pretty damn good if you asked him. She was always putting her best foot forward. Whenever she got a call from Abe to come down to the police station, she dropped everything and came at that moment. She was helping out at chairty events and she was even helping to plan this year's Salem Ball at the Penthouse.
The Salem Ball this year was going to be the best yet. Especially with Greta here, he had determined. It was going to be wonderful dancing, flirting, have her in his arms all night. But then it would all come to an end and it would all be over. He would still have her for a little while and that was better then nothing. It was going to be held on Christmas Eve at the Penthouse at nine to twelve. Everyone in Salem was planning on being there to celebrate Christmas. Christmas really was the happiest time of the year, for everyone except Eric it seemed.
He threw the remote down in frustration and sighed, "If you only knew," Eric said, "Things might just change, for better or worse."

Here are the lyrics to the song I mentioned in my story, enjoy! =)

What If I Said
By: Stever Wariner and Anita Cochran

We’ve been friends for a long, long time
You tell me your secrets, and I tell you mine
She’s left you all alone, and you feel like no one cares
But I have never failed you, and I’ve always been there

You tell your story, it sounds a bit like mine
It’s the same old situation, it happens every time
Can’t we see, oh maybe you and me is what’s meant to be
Or do we disagree

What if I told you, what if I said that I love you
How would you feel, what would you think, what would we do
Do we dare to cross that line, between your heart and mine
Or would I loose a friend, or find a love that would never end
What if I said

She doesn’t love you, oh it’s plain to see
I can read between the lines of what you’re telling me
He doesn’t hold you they way a woman should be held
How long can I go on keeping these feelings to myself

What if I told you, what if I said that I love you
How would you feel, what would you think, what would we do
Do we dare to cross that line, between your heart and mine
Or would I loose a friend, or find a love that would never end
What if I said

Oh, we’ve both had our share of loneliness
So who’s to say that we can’t have a little happiness
And if I found that in you
It would make my dreams come true
Or would you walk away
Hear what I have to say

So what if I told you, what if I said that I love you
How would you feel, what would you think, what would we do
Oh, do we dare to cross that line between your heart and mine
Oh, I’ve always wondered, from the day that we met
What if I said, what if I said, ooh, ooh, ooh, what if we said

Part Three

It was around midnight and Greta was still awake. The wind was howling outside and the snow continued to fall. She was laying on the couch with a quilt draped over her legs and a pillow under her head. The television was tuned into "It's A Wonderful Life". It was her favorite movie, it made her think about how good she had it, no matter what has happened to her. She was surrounded by friends who cared deeply about her and she was always deeply appreciative of that.
"You know Santa," she said softly, sitting up, "If you are real, then give me my one wish. Give me Eric Brady for Christmas."
The credits started rolling on the screen, so she grabbed the remote off the table and began flipping again. Eric Brady, Eric Brady, Eric Brady, the words chimed inside her head. She let out a frustrated sigh and fell back against the pillow. She groaned and turned the television off. She could hear the fierce winds outside beating up against the house.
She jerked the cover off and stood up. She approached the window and pulled a chair up to the window sill. She drew the curtain back and hung it on a small hook. Then she sat down in the chair and rested her head in her hand. She watched as the clouds dropped more and more snow.
"Santa?" she said. She knew it was silly still talking to him like he was real, but she had already tried everything, "Do you believe in miracles? Because if you do, could you bring me one for Christmas?"
This would be her first Christmas in Salem and she was looking forward to it. Sami had told her all about the ball they had every year and about the lighting of the tree. It all sounded like a fantasy that Greta had only dreamed about. She couldn't wait until she got her house decorated, after that, she would really be in the Christmas spirit, with or without Eric.
Eric was sitting down on his bed, watching the snowflakes fall in numerous number before him. Ever since Sami and him were little they had always had a tradition. Make one wish on a snowflake, and it will come true. It was still worth a shot.
"I wish that I could find true love this Christmas," he said as he closed his eyes.
"So that's your Christmas wish?" someone asked. He turned around and saw Sami standing in the doorframe. She was leaning up against it with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Hey," he said. She stood up straight and walked into the room. She gave her brother a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.
"You want to find true love, huh?" she asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah," he admitted with a sigh, sitting down beside her.
"I know what you mean, I do too," she said.
"Listen to us," Eric said with a laugh, "we sound like a bunch of old grumpy men sitting around complaining. So why'd you come here in the first place?"
"Oh yeah, I came to tell you that I already promised Greta I'd help her hang decorations so I'll have to cancel my shopping with you, sorry."
"You're helping Greta hang decorations?" he asked.
"Didn't she tell you?" Sami asked, a little confused and surprised Greta hadn't asked Eric to help.
"No," he said, "but it's okay, we can go shopping some other time. Why didn't you just call?"
"Have you picked the phone up lately? Dead, gone, it had to be in this storm. I'll see you later, bye."
"Bye," Eric said, walking over to the window again. But just as Sami was about to walk out she turned around.
"About the true love thing, you never know, lightning may strike," she said, then darted out of the room and out of the apartment.
"I just hope it strikes in the right place," he said.
Greta was sitting down at her kitchen table now. She had a glass of eggnog in her hands. She had already downed three glasses and this would be her fourth. She would just have to get over Eric. She'd have to get over him forever. It was obvious his heart still belonged to someone else, someone who would never be her. There were other vast possibilities out there waiting for her.
"But I want my vast possibilities to be singled down to Eric," she said, "listen to yourself Greta, get a grip. Forget about Eric, if he's too blind to see you love him, he doesn't deserve you."
No, she thought, you can't give up hope. Maybe Christmas this year will carry a different tune. I've never really experienced true love. All I want is to sing with rapture and dance like a dervish. She wanted all of this to happen with Eric. She would just have to wait until he came to his senses, whenever that would be. She would be read, she wouldn't fall in love with anyone else, not now, not ever.
"I can't wait much longer," she screamed aloud, "I can't wait forever for him to come around."
She picked her glass up and threw it against the wall. It made a loud crash and it sent glass flying everywhere. The fragments fell to the ground in a thousand different pieces and the liquid began to slowly roll down the wallpaper. She fell back into her chair and began to silently cry.
Eric had stayed awake all night, just gazing at the ceiling. The only thing, or should I say person, on his mind was Greta. She was so beautiful, and kind, and smart it made him crazy just to think about her.
"Why don't you just tell her?" he said. Because if you do, he thought, you could get rejected. You know you don't deserve her, she's high above you. She'd brush by you in a minute, if even that. Love will win in the end.
"Of course it will, I mean look at Austin and Carrie. Or, or, John and Marlena. And heaven forbid Hope and Bo," he said, "they've waited so long to be together, I just hope I don't have to wait that long."
He placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Greta. Her image danced across his mind.
"Stop it," he said smothering himself with a pillow, "great, it smells like her."
He tossed the pillow aside and sat up, "Damn it," said Eric, "why can't I stop thinking about her? Why do I keep asking myself questions that I can't even answer? Why am I even talking to myself?"
I'm going crazy, he determined, crazy in love.