This has been a hard year for all of us. No matter what faith we may be, the events of the last few months have been heartbreaking. Still, I feel that there is much good to be found in the world, and we have had the chance to see some of it in the many wonderful ways people have reacted to the crisis.

As they say, "It takes the worst in circumstances to bring out the best in people." I have always loved this Christmas carol, but in no time has it seemed more appropriate than now. [Ed. - I Heard The Bells, words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1863.]

Thanks to Rose, who encouraged me and incessantly read over my shoulder while I was trying to write.

I Heard The Bells
by Megan Hull

I heard the bells on Christmas day,
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Nick breathed deeply of the frigid air as he walked through Toronto. Anyone else would have been freezing, but Nick just felt comfortable. There really was no reason for him to walk, except that there was no reason not to. With the sun setting so early, he didn't have to rush to work, and he enjoyed the opportunity to relax and take his time.

His attention was drawn by the sound of church bells nearby. About a block away, a stately old church stood where it had for decades, and the cast-iron bells rang out their traditional carols of Christmastide. He smiled. He could remember clearly the first time he had heard 'Joy to the World', and 'The First Noel.' It was amazing that the old songs had lasted through the centuries. There were changes, to be sure, as time sped by and the songs were passed from one language to the other. But they were still recognizable.

It was Christmas Eve once again, and all around the world, good christens celebrated the birth of the Lord and prayed for an end to the strife and pain that riddled the world. It seemed to Nick that the years passed by so quickly, and each was little different from the last. Still, he treasured this time of year, and the renewal of hope it brought, however briefly.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th' unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

The precinct was quiet tonight. Everyone with family was anxious to be at home tonight, and Nick had volunteered to give up his night off to cover for someone else. It was a small thing, but if it helped someone have a good Christmas, Nick was happy to do it. Soft greetings of Merry Christmas floated through the air as he headed to his desk. Tracy had also decided to work tonight, declaring that someone with kids ought to be at home instead of her. But Nick knew that she found it easier to be here than at home during the holidays. In a very real way, she had no more family than he did.

"OK, everyone here?" Captain Reese's baritone got everyone's attention. "Good. First off, Merry Christmas, everyone, and I want to thank those of you who volunteered to work tonight so someone else could be off. It means a lot to them. Now," he took a deep breath, "it doesn't take a genius to realize that we're short-staffed tonight. Now that's not usually a problem-Christmas Eve tends to be quiet. But that also means that not everyone is necessarily going to stay in their departments. If something comes in, we might get someone from vice over here to help out, or a few of you may end up in uniform out on the street. That's the way it works here on holidays-everyone shares the workload." There were a couple of muttered jokes about getting someone to do someone else's paperwork, but the captain ignored it. "Anything else? All right then, let's get to work."

At first everyone made an effort to keep focused, Christmas Eve or no. But since that mostly meant working on backed-up paperwork or reviewing unsolved cases, the talk quickly fell from work to quiet conversations about Christmases past, favorite memories and family traditions. Nick did not join in, but listened quietly as Tracy talked about her Christmases as a child, before her family had fallen apart. It was nice that even those who were not in the ideal circumstances could enjoy the memories and spirit this time of year brought with it.

"We've got a call, folks, let's get moving!" The captain's voice boomed out across the bullpen, jerking them all out of their pleasant haze. "Knight, Vetter, you're on it!" Nick and Tracy stood to leave while other officers grumbled as they turned back to their desks, the spell broken beyond repair. Nick sighed, a deep sadness filling him. Even at Christmas, evil didn't rest.

"There's a fire down at the old Whitburg hotel, pretty obviously intentional. The fire department is already there, and some guys from arson are on their way. You guys are going to question witnesses and make yourselves generally useful, OK?" They nodded. The captain sighed and shook his head. "On Christmas Eve, of all things," he muttered as he turned back to his office.

And in despair I bowed my head,
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song,
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

The Whitburg was blazing, easily visible from a few miles away. It's old timbers and trash-filled hallways caught and burned easily. The firefighters tried valiantly, but it was clear that the building was going to be a loss.

"Hey, wasn't this place condemned a few years ago?" Tracy whispered. Nick nodded. "Then who are they?" She pointed to a rag-tag group of people standing not far from the building, watching it burn with hopeless eyes.

"Squatters," Nick replied heavily, then made his way over to try to talk to them. At first they were reluctant to talk to an officer, but Nick smiled and reassured them that he just wanted to know how the fire got started. Most said they didn't know. They were asleep when suddenly there was an explosion, and then fire everywhere.

"Was anyone hurt?" was Tracy's anxious question. No, the murmured consensus returned. It had started in an area where no-one slept because the floors were weak. Nick kept prodding until one boy said that after the explosion, he had looked out the window and seen a man jump into his car and drive away. No, he hadn't gotten a good look-it was too dark.

Nick sighed and shook his head. There was nothing here to help them. He thanked the group and walked away. "Now what?" Tracy asked.

"Now we tell arson that someone was seen, point out the witness, and then we go back to the precinct."

"No, I mean, now what about them?" She gestured behind them. Nick looked over his shoulder to the homeless bunch they had just left. It was a sorry sight. A mother gathered two small children close, several old men tottered on weak legs, and a trio of young men stood protectively over a young woman. All shivered violently in the snow and the sharp wind.

"I don't know," Nick confessed. Why tonight, of all nights? he wondered. These people didn't have anything to begin with, now they don't even have a roof to keep out the snow. What a Christmas.

"Hey, check it out." Tracy nudged her partner and pointed. The fire had attracted plenty of attention and there were people from other buildings standing around and watching. A small group of them had approached the dispossessed squatters and were speaking with them. Nick could just make out the words that were spoken.

"We don't have much to offer," one man explained to the mother, "but why don't you come spend Christmas with us? Our place is warm, at least."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

The poor woman looked unsure, then glanced down at her children and nodded slowly. Other offers followed, and one by one, the homeless people disappeared, following their benefactors through the snow. Nick and Tracy just watched in awe. These people didn't have money-they were almost as poor as those they were helping. Yet help they did.

"Incredible," Tracy said quietly. "Just when you're ready to give up on the world, someone goes and turns it upside down for you."

Nick nodded silently, and then their attention was drawn by the distant clang of church bells. Tracy checked her watch. "Look at that, it's midnight." She grinned at Nick. "Guess that makes it official. Merry Christmas, partner."

"Merry Christmas, Trace."

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day.
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Music appropriated from An Online Christmas Songbook.