𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐒 | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐒

𝟎𝟎𝟔-𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤'𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

    

THE KIDS SOON made it to a road which led to a pub. Santa sighs with relief, crossing his arms. "Perfect," He said, making their way to Nick's Place.
Santa flew open the door. Ziggy peeked through, leading the worried Pierce kids. "Uh, I dont think I'm supposed to be in here." Kate cautiously said, clinging onto Ziggy with camera still in hand.
     "Just stay next to me. I'll do the talking." Santa answered nonchalantly. Ziggy drew her head to the passed out man on the counter with an unthinkable amount of glasses surrounding him. Yeah, Kate should not be here.
"Can I help you?" A woman asked working at the pub. She stared confusedly at the three disheveled kids and the tall man. Santa smiled at the woman, prancing up to her.
"Wendy!" Her eyes widened.
"Um, how do you know my name?¨
"You've gotten so big!" Santa chuckled. Wendy raised her eyebrow, staring offendedly.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, you know what I mean. Grown up big!" Santa had finally reached the counter, still containing that jolly smile he usually has. ¨Now do you remember that letter you sent me about dreaming of being a fashion designer?¨ Santa asked while Wendy stared blankly in shock. He turned to the kids, rambling on. ¨She always used to ask me for sewing kits; little toy sewing machines. I think it was 2009 when you made," He paused for a breath. "all the stockings by yourself." Wendy chuckled at the man, her smile starts widening.
"Yeah, I think so." Wendy replied. Santa looked around, his jolly smile slowing down.
"I'm sorry the fashion designer thing didnt quite pan out." Santa consoled morosely.
"Yeah. I wanted to go to Parsons and live in New York but I couldn't afford the tuition.¨ Wendy explained like she was talking to a friend. Little did she know she was. Santa pondered.
"Hmmm.¨ Santa looks at Kate, holding her camcorder. Wendy glared at the girl, looking back up to the three older people.
"Wait, what? Is this some kind of reality show; how do you know that stuff?" Santa turned to Kate again, bringing the camera down one last time before she finally stopped. "Do you talk to my mom?"
"No, no, no, no, no. Certainly wouldnt want to ruin the surprise of that beautiful scarf you made for your mom." Wendy's eyes glistened with wonder. She laughed, charmed by the man. "Now Wendy, we've got a big problem. We need a ride into the city." Santa explained. Wendy paused.
     "Oh...I dont have a car. Can you...call an uber?" Wendy asked, trying to help as best as she can.
"Don't have an account." Santa replied.
"Um...a taxi?" Santa raised his eyebrow. He turned back to the listening kids.
"You guys got any cash?¨ The kids rummaged through their pockets. To no avail, no money. Santa dug through his pocket. "You think I can pay the driver...with these?" A big stack of candy canes were placed on the counter. Wendy laughs at the man. She didn't know if he was serious or not; but something deep inside of Wendy made her believe.
"Santa! Sorry," Kate said, taking the candy kanes from him. Wendy smiles, heading for her pockets.
"You know what? Um...here, take my tips," Wendy offers, holding them out on her hands. "um, although I don't think it's enough to cover a cab ride-"
"No, no, no, no, Wendy that's very kind of you, but I'm sure somebody in here will help us out." Santa nodded, heading for some unsuspecting people. The kids paused, slowly following Santa.
"Ooh, Kate, gimmie one." Ziggy asked, getting a candy kane from Kate's warm fuzzy gloves.
"Uh, sorry for the intrusion, folks." Santa announced loudly. "I'm-"
"Santa Claus!" Kate introduced loudly. "The real Santa Claus! Not just one of those phony mall ones." The crowd settled down, all eyes on the four.
"I've got this." Santa reassured, pushing Kate back.
"You don't look like Santa Claus." A man says, smiling devilishly. Ziggy looks the man up and down, making her disgusted face at him. He really thinks he's all that? The man confidently points out the window to see a big Coke billboard of a big, jolly, red-nosed fat man.
"Yeah, well, billboards add 80 pounds, Freddie." Santa says as Freddie's smile dropped. "As I was saying, we've got ourselves an emergency situation here. Christmas is in trouble," Teddy looks directly at Ziggy as she turns to look at him. They were having the same thought, no need to speak. "and if you all want presents under the tree and in your stockings in the morning, then I need your help. So... Who here can give us a ride into the city so I can find my reindeer?" Santa asked, going into his hero stance, confident everyone was going to leap at his feet to give help. The chatter continues with not even a word towards the man standing before them. It was pretty predictable though. Santa scanned the room for peoples help. "Uh, Min-Jun," Santa began walking up to the family. "can you help?" Santa asked in Korean.
"I'm sorry, we can't help." The woman replied back. Santa began looking else where. Sydney and Teddy knew this was going to go South very quickly.
"Vijay! Beena!" Santa smiled, as if he was seeing some old friends. Which in his eyes, he was. "You guys have a car you can lend me?" He asked in Mindi.
"Please leave us alone," Vijay replied back in Mindi. "And I speak English, you moron." Vijay says sternly in cold hard English. Ziggy couldn't watch; she was getting embarrassed for him. Santa sighs, pinpointing anyone in the restaurant at that point.
"Larry and Sheila Bumperton." Santa said in a not-so-thrilled tone. "Hey, Larry!" Santa yelled happily. "Sheila. Larry, you drove your Porsche here tonight, didn't you?" Larry nodded, looking the man up and down "How would you like to trade that Porsche for mint condition 1952... Mickey Mantle rookie card?" Larry's eyes widened with desire. He had to have it. "I know you've always wanted one." Larry slowly took the card out of Santa's hand, examining it with wonder.
"Is this thing real?" Larry asked quietly.
"Oh, yes." Larry then immediately was taking the keys out of his back pocket.
"It's a deal. It's a deal." Larry scrambled to get his keys out, eventually handing his keys over.
"I thought so." Santa smiled victoriously.
"It's a the valet." Larry informed before his wife, Sheila chimed in, snatching the keys and card out of Larry's hands.
"No, it's not! you're not trading or porch for a baseball card, Larry!" Sheila grumbled.
"know what that thing was worth?" Larry begged.
"What it's worth?" Sheila then ripped the card to shreds. "Nothing!" Larry snd Santa groan. Larry's eyes popped out of his skull in shock. "That's what it's worth!" She threw the card shreds at Santa, straightening her fancy posture. "Get outta here, you bum!" Santa sighed in defeat with these two, respectfully saying "Merry Christmas" and leaving onto the next people. Ziggy and Teddy couldn't handle this anymore. They had to get out of there as soon as possible. Ziggy listened in as a woman spoke on the phone saying:
     "There is a maniac dressed in a weird Santa costume harassing the customers," She turned her head to the three kids, standing awkwardly where Santa had left them. Ziggy quickly turns her head back. She did not want to go to jail in Chicago on Christmas Eve right now. "he's got three kids with him, it could be an amber alert situation." Teddy widened his eyes, turning to Ziggy.
     "We gotta get out of here." Teddy and Ziggy stormed up to Santa picking him up from whatever argument he was having with a costumer. "Okay! Sorry folks!" Teddy began.
     "Pop-Pops a little...you know." Ziggy chuckled awkwardly, containing her urge to yell at the costumers. Who would believe her anyway?
     "What are you doing?" Santa asked, offendedly. "What has gotten into you two?" Santa yelled, still being forced towards the door.
     "Okay, Santa, lets go!"
     "Hey! You four! Out!" A grumbling man barks. Ziggy panics, turning her head to Teddy and back to the intimidating man.
     "That's exactly where we're headed sir—"
     "Well, well, well," Santa laughed, breaking free from the two teens. "if it isn't Charlie Plummer!" He turns back to the kids, as if he is ready for story time. "Now, old Charlie here is in the Naughty List Hall of Fame! Ah, you just got outta the joint again, what, a month ago, Charlie?" Santa exposed. Charlie's eyes widened in shock, pretending to play it cool. "Armed robbery...money laundering, grand theft auto." Kate turns her head towards the guilty, car-stealing teens. They turn back. They don't  know what to say. In the name of love? "You know what, Charlie? I don't think your parole officer would be too happy if he knew you'd stolen that red Dodge Challenger a couple of days ago, do you?" Santa asked with a secret smug look on his face.
     "Yeah, well, what my parole officer doesn't know won't hurt him," Charlie rasped naturally, his short temper ticking down like a bomb. He bent down and came up with a big, heavy bat. "You, on the other hand, might not be so lucky!" Teddy flinched, backing his girls up with them behind him. But Santa? He stayed as cool as the North Pole.
     "No judgments!" Santa said calmly, now turning towards the kids. Specifically Teddy Pierce and Sydney Boggs. "After all, my friends, Teddy and Ziggy here are headed down the same path," guilt overthrew them. Ziggy knew she shouldn't have convinced Teddy to do what he hid. Her heart was thinking more than her brain was. And as for Teddy, he just sort of...froze. "I mean, they're a little young, but...you two keep going, couple years, this could be you." Ziggy's heart dropped. No way on gods green earth was Ziggy going to become like that. And no way was she going to let Teddy be like that either. "Prison tattoos, divorced, and...slinging tequila shots!"
     "Okay, that's it!" Charlie runs for the four. Santa rushes to his feet, trying to get him and the kids out.
     "Okay, out, out, out, out, out!" Santa yells. He turns to Wendy, blowing a lighthearted kiss. "Bye, Wendy!" Wendy waved quickly in awe.
     "Good luck!" She says back.

_____

"Let's go! Okay, hold the doors!" Santa orders as the kids obey. The four hold down on the jingling door with Charlie racing towards it with his bat. Wendy swiftly but causally "accidentally" spilled ice all over the floor; just scattered enough for Charlie to slip and fall. Which he did do. Everyone reacts, even Santa. It was a nasty fall.
     "Be careful." Wendy says, trying to contain her smile. Charlie couldn't respond. He just lays there in defeat, soon passing out.
     "Sweet dreams, Charlie." Santa says, turning around from Nicks Place. Note to self: Never go to Nicks place if you're in Chicago. Santa's watch chimes as they walk down into the parking lot. "Oh no! Christmas spirt's already down 35%. We need to get things back on track." Before they took their turn, Teddy stops the three, forming a plan in his head.
     "Hold on."
     "What?" Santa asks while Teddy eyes the security guard who's busy watching Netflix. Teddy shush's the three, slowly making his way towards the keys the security guard is supposed to be protecting. Ziggy knows what he was about to do; and she wasn't proud of it. Teddy swiftly bent down, eyeing the key of his choice. With almost little to no sound, Teddy has stolen a pair of keys. At least all Ziggy had ever stolen was some makeup products from Target. But a car key? Santa and Kate sighed in disappointment. Although Ziggy wanted to be on their side, she couldn't. They have to save Christmas and this is the only way they're gonna do it. "Ah...no, no, no, no, no. Teddy, Teddy. I don't think this is a good idea." Santa warned.
     "Neither do I." Kate agreed. The three turned to Ziggy for her input.
     "I think it's great idea." Santa and Kate sighed, turning back to Teddy.
     "Oh, come on! Don't you wanna save Christmas?"
     "Well, not by stealing a car. That kinda undermines the while naughty or nice concept, don't you think?" Santa argued.
     "Sometimes you have to do things for the greater good!" Ziggy defended. "And don't you break into, like, a gazillion homes every year?"
     "Technically, that's illegal, too." Teddy adds; the two teens high five each other behind their backs.
     "Fair point." Santa shrugs.
     "And, plus, it's not just any car," Teddy grinned. "It's this car." the alarm beeps revealing that red Dodge Challenger Santa was talking so much about. Ziggy's eyes shone. Ivan always wanted that car. He was saving up for it before he passed. A big smile was pasted all over Ziggy's face. Santa turned to Ziggy, suddenly giving Teddy the biggest hug. Teddy was hugging back, smiling as well.
     "I mean, we're not even breaking the law because...you know the cars already stolen. And when we're finished, we'll just turn it into the police," Teddy explains, still holding onto Ziggy. Santa looks at the car, smiling slightly under all that beard.
     "Yeah...let's go," The three started dashing for the car. Santa stopped them, forcing them to walk at his pace. "All right, now, slow down. Just be cool," Ziggy couldn't contain herself; she snatched the keys secretly out of Teddy's grasp, walking faster towards the car. "Walk regular..." Ziggy got faster and faster. "Regular. Hey, hey, slow down! Slow down!" Ziggy was now dashing for the car with Teddy racing behind for those keys. "You're not even old enough to drive!" Santa hollered chasing after the kids.
     "Hey!" A loud, obnoxious voice screamed. It was none other than Charlie Plummer awake from his slumber.
     "No time to argue! Look!" Kate yelled, pointing at the man with the bat.
     "That's my car!" Charlie yelled. Kate peeked out of the car.
     "No it's not! You stole it!" Ziggy smiled at Kate's remark, loving everything about that.
     "Kate!" Ziggy yelled happily. Santa hopped in the passengers with Ziggy on the wheel and the Pierce's in the back. The engine roars as Ziggy shoves her foot onto the gas. The tires squeal as the three buckle up. They had no idea what they are getting into with her on the wheel. Who does? Charlie comes running for the car, but he's not fast enough for Ziggy Strong. Who is?