It was Christmas and while Dan would have loved to be at home with his sister and parents, he'd offered to play his guitar at one of the local pizza restaurants. The owner was a little quirky, but he was one of those bleeding heart types who offered a free place to be for people who had none. As a music major at UC Berkeley, it was good exposure for him as a musician and it was just the right thing to do. He'd be home soon enough, playing the kiddie songs for his sister that made her laugh.

And it did make him feel better to know he was cheering up the lives of people who probably needed it most. Like the scrawny kid who had just walked in and slinked into a corner booth. After playing Silent Night, he grabbed Casey's sleeve and asked for a cup of water and nodded to the kid who'd just came in. Casey followed his gaze and grinned, assuring Dan he'd get it taken care of. RJ had a good staff so Dan didn't think anything of it as he started playing Jingle Bells.