Disclaimer: DC/Vertigo comics own these characters and it's their copyright. I am making no money and this is intended for entertainment purposes only.

 Continuity: This story is set outside of "Preacher" continuity during the period of time when Jesse and Tulip were traveling through the Southwest the first time they were together, before Jesse left her in Phoenix and before Annville, etc. So they're very young and just as "exuberant" as ever. So if [mild] mentions of sex bother you, please don't read any further.

El Paso...a stone's throw from the Rio Grande, a city of transition and the farthest corner of the Lone Star State. The West was never won there, but paid for in blood and sweat and grime. The romance of the conquering hero had long faded from its dusty soil, replaced by the churning beast of heavy industry. Even in late December, as a Christmas moon hung low in the sky, the city smelled of sweat and the promise of the new American Dream. And as the tired city breathed a raspy breath outside his twenty-dollar hotel room, Jesse Custer couldn't help but smile as he leaned back against the headboard of the rickety bed and lit a cigarette.

As he exhaled a cloud of yellow smoke, he shook his dark head and smirked at the woman next to him. "Damn, baby."

Tulip O'Hare returned his grin and shrugged her bare shoulders as she purred, "You took the words right out of my mouth."

Raising an eyebrow, he took another drag of his cigarette and mused, "I could do more than that."

Winking as she removed herself from a set of tangled sheets and padded across the shag carpet toward the bathroom, Tulip laughed, "Oh I know you could, Jesse."

As she shut the door to a crack, not bothering to close it all the way, a bright light seeped out from the door's hinges, casting a sliver of light across the bed. Jesse put out his cigarette in a tiny, cactus-shaped ashtray and lit another as he listened to the running water in the bathroom and the sound of Tulip softly humming a Christmas carol. He released a deep sigh and said in satisfaction to himself, "Damned if she don't have the voice of an angel, too."

Ever since he met her months before in a dingy Austin bar, his life had become a whirlwind of passion, adventure and grand theft auto. Jesse couldn't remember a time when he was happier or more alive. And even though he and Tulip risked their freedom every time they hotwired a car, he never felt safer...not since before Angelville, before...he shuddered and quickly repressed the memories, hoping by sheer force of will to erase his turbulent past.

In the bathroom the water stopped running and Tulip kept humming, the chorus of "Little Drummer Boy" bringing a smile to Jesse's lips. Somehow she could even make carols sound sexy. Either it was a special talent of hers or he had it really bad for this woman. Though he wasn't sure which, he knew better than to think on it for too long. All he knew was when she looked at him with those big eyes, his stomach turned itself inside out and he'd do just about anything to make her smile. And if that was love? Well, he was in it and it wasn't half bad.

As he got out of bed and picked at the last piece of pepperoni pizza from their makeshift Christmas dinner, still in the greasy delivery box sitting on the dresser, he called out to her as she started into a rendition of "Jingle Bells," "So what's with the Christmas songs?"

Her voice slightly muffled by the bathroom door, Tulip asked, "Hmm? What was that?"

Walking toward the bathroom, he repeated, "What's with the carols, baby?"

"Oh, was I doing that out loud?"

Leaning against the frame, Jesse pushed open the door slowly as it creaked on its hinges. "Yeah, you sure were."

As she toweled off her short, blonde hair, she grinned at him. "You want me to stop?"

"Nope, you sing as much as you want to. I like my girl happy."

Batting her eyelashes, she mock-scoffed, "Your girl? My how presumptuous, Mr. Custer."

He returned her smile as he studied her, taking in every inch of her as she posed seductively and then rolled her eyes as she went back to drying her hair. They had little games they would play with each other, friendly taunts that could go on for hours. It was all part of the excitement and they both knew it. It made every moment just a little more delicious. Jesse reached out to touch her naked form and she snapped a towel at him as he pretended to relent and then sprung on her, taking her in his arms from behind and kissing her neck and shoulders.

Tulip giggled in his embrace. "You are too much."

"I know. Ain't my fault you bring out the devil in me."

She whispered, "Jesse."

He looked up to catch their reflection in the cracked mirror and he saw her watching him, her expression a mix of amusement and a strange sort of longing. As he watched her watching him, he said, "So I was thinkin' we could sell the Lumina when we get into New Mexico. Pro'ly get enough cash to take us to Arizona."

Earlier in the week, they had stolen a nice-sized American sedan. They had not talked about how long they were going to keep it, but after a few days Jesse's fingers started getting itchy and he was looking to sell the hot car and then steal a new one...something a little less middle-class, something a little more comfortable and with a better stereo system. While he liked local color as much as the next guy, he was getting awfully tired of AM radio.

Tulip squeezed his hand as she wriggled out of his arms and went to fetch her underwear and clothes. "Whatever, sweetie. If we head up toward Albuquerque I'm sure there are a few places on the way we could sell it."

He watched her dress in the dimly lit bedroom as the television flickered blue against her skin. She buttoned up a long-sleeve shirt and squeezed her way into to a pair of tight blue jeans, much to Jesse's amusement. Flicking the light off in the bathroom, he asked, "Whatcha doin'?"

"What's it look like? I'm getting dressed. "

"Why. Where you going?"

Tulip frowned as she picked up an empty beer bottle, the last of their twelve-pack. "I dunno. There's gotta be a bar open around here."

"It's Christmas, baby."

She grinned a wry grin as she rummaged through her bag, "My point exactly. What better day of the year to cry into a glass of whiskey? We'll find a place open, trust me. Supply and demand...it's a fact of life."

As he searched the room for his t-shirt, he asked, "And you feel like crying into a drink?"

Tulip shook her head. "No, that's not what I'm saying at all...I well, this has been one of the best Christmases I've ever had."

Jesse looked at her a moment as she blushed to herself and quickly stammered, "Now get that sexy ass of yours into a pair of jeans and let's see what's out there."

He winked at her as he found his pants. "Yes, ma'am."

She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes as she continued looking through her bag. "There you are," she declared as she pulled a worn fifty-dollar bill from her satchel, a victorious smile on her lips. She kissed the wrinkled bill and then tucked it into her pocket. "Drinks are on me tonight."

Tucking his t-shirt into his jeans, he asked, "How long you been hidin' that?"

"Since Dallas. Been saving it for tonight."

Pulling her into his arms and nibbling playfully on her earlobe, Jesse said, "Yessir, you are an angel sent from heaven itself."

She smirked at him as she said coolly, "Was there ever a doubt?"

Looking at her with a suddenly serious expression, he beamed from ear to ear as he said, "Nope. Not a one."

They looked at each other a long while and he knew that as long as she was in his arms, everything would be okay. The world might not make sense and the heavens themselves might fall down around his feet, but if she was by his side, then none of it mattered. Finally after a long while, she whispered, "Come on. Let's go get that beer."

Jesse nodded as he pulled on a denim jacket and stepped out into the Texas night. As soon as he set foot onto the cement walkway outside their door, he felt something cold and wet on his face and as he turned his head up to examine the sky, he saw it was filled with fluffy, white flakes. Raising his hands up to catch a few of them on his fingertips, he called out, "Tulip, look! It's snowing!"

Behind him, she grumbled as she pulled the door shut behind her. "Jesse Custer, you know I'm not falling for it. It is not...snowing?"

Tulip giggled despite herself and stuck out her tongue to catch a few large flakes. Jesse picked her up in his arms and spun a wild path in the slick dusting of snow now covering the pavement. After a few seconds, he put her down as he regained his balance and watched her laugh until tears formed in her eyes. Snow was starting to stick to her hair and eyelashes and he couldn't think of anything he'd ever seen that was more beautiful.

As her laughter faded, she looked up at him with those eyes of hers, the ones that made him weak in the knees, and said with a smile twinkling in her gaze. "Merry Christmas, Jesse."

Jesse laughed as he pulled her close and started the walk toward the car, knowing that for the first time in his life he really meant the words, "Merry Christmas, baby."