It’s Christmas in New York again and Alex is searching for a gift for Zophie. As he wanders the streets, browsing the windows he passes by the diner where he was put on trial by the Archangels a year ago (Crimson #7). He looks inside and remembers what went on there and is startled by the ringing of a phone, his phone. Alex’s mother is calling him reminding him not to miss the Christmas party but when he turns around he gets an even bigger surprise when Julie is standing right behind him. Alex can only wonder what’s going on as they head back home to get ready to go out.

Van Fleet’s Christmas party is going fine for everyone until Alex starts getting memories of a past he can’t quite remember. Then Van Fleet announces his ambitions to run for President to the crowd but Alex can no longer hide his fears and yells at him trying to tell everyone what he really is before storming out. Julie goes after him to ask why he’s acting strangely. She tells him it must be from the accident in Central Park that put him in a coma for three months.

The next day Alex gives Julie her present and while they are walking together they see a familiar church. On the way in Alex sees Scarlet’s face but doesn’t quite recognize her. He enters and sees Ekimus hung up and suffering and realizes this life is a lie. He runs from the Church searching for Joe but when he finds him it’s no good, Joe doesn’t remember him. Scared Alex steps back, right into Rose the Puppet spilling drinks onto One-I-Phish.

When a brawl erupts Julie is caught in the middle and is killed for a second time. The demon that killed her jumps away from Alex and makes his way into a back alley. There Alex is greeted by Stella, the strange witch, but not just one of her. The demon taunts Alex with the necklace he gave Julie, grabs him by the collar and then … Alex is standing back in front of the shop windows.

Satan tells Alex it had all been a dream, a lesson meant to teach him that what he wished for could never really happen. Alex then meets up with Zophie and gives her the necklace he had given Julie. Zophie’s gift to Alex is a white rose, but where on Earth did she get a white rose in December?