𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐒 | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐒

𝟎𝟏𝟐-𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬

    

     SANTA'S BACK IN BUSINESS, using his magic to teleport to the prison's roof. The three kids hop out of their seats, running up to the jolly man with his arms wide open. "I can't believe it! You busted outta jail!"
     "First time for everything, Katie-Kat!" Santa chuckles victoriously. The three high five. "How's the the sleigh looking?" Santa nods with an approving look. "Oh...looking good, Lars!" Santa compliments in Elvish; that's what the elves language is called. The elves bow, hopping back into their sack. "Let's go to work," The kids run to the sleigh excitingly ; but Santa stays in his place, his jolly expression dropping disappointingly. "Woah! No, no, no, no, no!"
     "What's wrong?" Teddy calls. Santa's watch chimes, echoing in the dead silence.
     "I lost all track of time. We've only got less than an hour until the sun rises." The mood grows stiff and saddening. Their thoughts grow laden of dissatisfaction and guilt waving over the three kids. Tormenting them. All this work for nothing? No way! He can't give up! Not on us. Not on me.
     "But...we can still save Christmas, right?" Kate worriedly asks. Santa looses his words, stammering in defeat.
     "We're at the end of my window, Kate." Kate's eyes become glossy. Cold air exiting her mouth slowly.
     "No, no, no, no! There's gotta be...something!" Ziggy shouts, her voice breaks slightly while reaching for Santa, gripping his arms. Teddy clutches his hands into a ball, fighting the words that wanted to escape his mouth. The Pierce boy glances at his saddened girls, wrapped in anger and sorrow. Santa stares into Ziggy's confused, betrayed eyes. He's never felt more awful looking into her eyes. It was like he was looking at that little girl again who always fell asleep on the couch trying to catch him. Santa struggled to break the news to her that he was giving up.
     "I'm afraid not, Ziggy." Santa murmurs, bringing her hands off him arms softly.
     "But that can't be! There can't be Christmas without presents!" Kate shouts, somehow holding herself together. Santa sits on a cop cruiser, tucked in tight as the rest of the kids missing their presents are. "Without Santa!" Kate stops, her voice giving up. Teddy can't take it anymore.
     "Listen, Santa. We started something last night, and we're gonna finish it. Now I don't know how you guys do things in the North Pole, but...a Pierce always sees it through," Santa clicks his tongue. His mind racing; but Santa is for sure not believing himself.
     "I admire your passion, Teddy. But I haven't cut it this close in, I don't know, maybe ever. I—I just don't see how it's possible." Santa grumbles. Teddy was not gonna take it. That's what Ziggy loves about him.
"You do the entire world in one night all by yourself! I mean, imagine what we would cover if we all work together!" The glimmer of hope appears once again in the younger Pierce's eyes.
"Yeah! Just think of us as...Santa's helpers!"
"Helpers?" Santa ponders. "Well, I've never had human helpers in the sleigh before..." Santa stands up, pacing around. "I dunno, maybe there's...some way we could work together to...make things move faster. We've only got a bit of North America left. Wait a minute! Wait a minute." Santa turns around to the kids, something clicking just in time. "If I didn't have to carry my sack, I could move twice as fast! All right, this just might work!" Santa springs into action, giving orders galore. "Now, Ziggy, you're in charge of getting all the presents ready to go!" Ziggy nods like she's in army; It sure feels like it. "You just listen to Kate call out the addresses and the names, and you just throw 'em outta the sack. Just chuck 'em out. I'll catch 'em and I'll deliver!" Santa takes a breath, moving onto Teddy. "And that means, Teddy, you drive!" Ziggy turns around, roaring with laughter. Teddy's determined expression turned dumbfounded.
"What? The sleigh?"
"No! The cop cruiser! Of course the sleigh!" Teddy stammers, barley keeping himself together.
"You—you want me to drive...that?" Santa raises his eyebrows, putting his hands on his hips.
"Oh, I've seen you drive!" Santa says referring to Cody's stolen car.
"Yeah, a car. But, I mean, this is...this is..." Teddy chuckles. He has no clue what else to do.
"Now where is all that huff and puff about A Pierce always sees it through?" Santa quotes.
"That was before you told me I was gonna have to drive the sleigh!" Teddy argues, still absolutely astonished.
"Well, this is the only way we're gonna make it so I guess it's gonna be baptism by fire!" Teddy stands stiff, looking for any excuse or explanation.
"Well, maybe I can help Zig and Kate with presents, right?" The girls look at him, nodding their heads no. They look back, Santa not in sight. They look around in horror. Not again!
"Let's go!" Santa calls from the sleigh. "I told you, we're gonna have to move fast!" Teddy looks at Ziggy, taking her hand, frolicking to the sleigh. Kate hops in with Teddy helping Ziggy in like a gentleman. He stares from below. Ziggy turns around me meet Teddy's gaze. She bends down, holding Teddy's chin.
"Have fun, Teddy bear." Ziggy coos. Teddy grins, throwing himself into the sleigh. Ziggy's words repeated in his head. He has no choice.
"On Donner! On, Blitzen!" The reindeer fly off, the force throwing Teddy into his seat. They are going to save Christmas. And they only have less than an hour.