A/N: This is for my sister. I'm neither creative nor artistic enough to come up with a great card the way she always does. Merry Christmas! Also, thank you to her and everyone else involved in The Washington Ballet's Nutcracker for keeping me awake during the performance. That is, let me assure you, no small accomplishment. Thanks, guys!

Disclaimer: Actually, this isn't your normal "oh boo hoo, the characters in this story aren't mine, all hail whoever the heck created them, God Save the Queen" type of disclaimer. I own these characters just as much as Tchaikovsky does. I'd just like to say that any inconsistencies with your normal Nutcracker (wrong number of families at the party, battle scene isn't EXACT, etc.) exist for one of two reasons: 1) So as to make the story more interesting and give it more of a plot; or 2) Because I just plain forgot whatever the exact number or name was. For those of you who are avid fans enough of the ballet to realize these faults (read: were involved in a production of it somehow...come on, no one who wasn't could possibly remember that sort of stuff), I'm sorry. I've tried to keep them to a minimum while still keeping the story interesting.

Chapter 1: An Extremely Boring Party

Clara Silberhaus paced the floor anxiously. It was Christmas Eve! Her parents had a beautiful tree, and now they were throwing a Christmas party for all of the family friends. Problem was, Clara didn't really want to be bothered with a Christmas party. Yes, she was excited to see all of her friends, but she'd rather sit around with her brother, Fritz, and work herself up into a frenzy about the presents tomorrow would bring. That's when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Clara! Clara!"
It was her brother, Fritz.
"Yeah?" she said, turning to face him.
"Let's see what mommy and daddy're up to! P'raps they'll give us some candy, and maybe the guests are getting here."
"Well, maybe," she said, lacking the same enthusiasm as her brother, who happened to be two years younger than her. She was fourteen, he was twelve, and they usually got along. It depended on the day as to whether the influence was on the "usually" or the "got along".
"Yeah, but I'd rather stay back here," she finished. "I mean, it gets so dull out there and you always have to smile."
"So?" Fritz demanded. "I like smiling. It's happy-ful."
"Happy-ful isn't a word," Clara said irritably. "You can go out there if you like. I think I'll stay back here, and you can come and get me when the guests arrive."
"I'm not going out there without you!" Fritz exclaimed. "Are you crazy? Let mom and dad both get at me and the same time? They'd pull out every hair on my head. They'd adjust my clothes until I couldn't move."
"Exactly why I'd rather stay back here," Clara said.
"But...but...we could..."
"Oh, I suppose you're right. I mean, mother might not be happy if we just hid back here the entire time. You know how she gets."
"Humph!" Fritz said. "She's always telling me I have to be more SOCIAL. Ha, wonder what she'd say if she saw this...ME, trying to drag YOU out with other people."
"Whatever," Clara replied. "Yeah, you're right, let's go out into the living room."
Their living room was beautiful. It was a spacious old room, with a gigantic tree standing at the back. At the front was a door that led out onto the snow-covered ground outside. The knocks signaling the first guest arrivals would come on that door.
All around, the room was furnished with couches and the like, but they'd all been pushed back to the wall so as to give the adults room to dance. All that space also gave the children room to run around and play, something they enjoyed doing very much...even though Clara often fancied herself above it all.
"Clara!" exclaimed her mother, Mrs. Silberhaus. She was a woman of middle years, perhaps forties, and her face was creased with smile-lines. "Fritz! Oh, our party's going to be just wonderful, don't you think."
"Yes, mother, wonderful," Clara replied, upon her face a smile. Not a huge fake smile, but a real smile.
"You look beautiful," said her father. "And Fritz! You look wonderful tonight as well."
"Thank you father," Fritz replied, noticeably lacking enthusiasm. "May I have a candy, mother?"
"It's up to your father," she replied.
"May I have a candy, father?"
"Not yet," his father replied. "You'll have plenty of candies in the morning. Right now, you have to save room for our dinner."
"Aw, dad..."
"No Fritz," Dr. Silberhaus cut off his son. "There'll be plenty of candy in the morning."
"Aw, man..."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"Oh, dear!" Mrs. Silberhaus exclaimed. "They're here already! I wasn't expecting them for another fifteen minutes! Oh no!"
"It's fine, dear," Dr. Silberhaus said comfortingly. "The house looks wonderful...I don't think fifteen minutes would've made a bit of difference."
"Well, that's nice of you to say," Mrs. Silberhaus said, looking around the house anxiously, trying to find fault with the living room she'd taken hours to set up.
Satisfied that her living room was presentable, Mrs. Silberhaus pulled open the door.
There was a family standing there, an older boy about a year older than Clara, a girl about Clara's age, and a young girl who couldn't have been more than five. Clara recognized the family immediately...they lived right down the street, and she'd known them since before she could remember. She didn't have any special attachment to them though...they were your average neighbors...known 'em forever, really should've formed a deep friendship...and just haven't.
Clara curtsied to the family at large. "Hi," she said, waving a bit after coming back to her full height. She didn't feel that each individual needed a greeting. She moved away from the door as her mother and father and the neighbors' parents exchanged fake greetings.
The girl dashed over to Clara. The one thing that this girl liked, more than anything in the world, was to talk. Whenever she saw Clara, Clara learned enough information about the girl's life, secret crushes, backstabbing best friends (why a person would ever hang out with such a bunch of losers, Clara would never know), and anything else that a human being could ever possibly think about to fill a novel.
The thing that sickened Clara the most about each of their meetings was that she had to pretend to care. So she smiled and nodded her head as the girl rambled on about how she had liked some boy at school and she'd told one of her friends and that friend had told the boy...KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Thank God, Clara thought to herself. I didn't think she'd EVER shut up. Hmm, I wonder who this is.
Both girls moved towards the door as Dr. Silberhaus pulled it open. It was another family...these people lived a little further away, though, and as a result Clara didn't get to see them as much. There were a girl, slightly younger than Clara, and her two younger brothers. Once again, the parents exchanged warm greetings as the girl rushed over to join Clara and the neighbors' daughter.
They talked for a little while (Clara was glad that the new girl was with her to share her misery as they listened to the incessant yapping of the social girl), then decided it was more entertaining to watch the boys pretend to fight with whatever objects they could lay their hands on. They laughed as the little kids went at each other with all their might, completely unchecked by the parents who were too busy drinking and talking.
After a little while, Clara got bored with watching the boys go at it with their fake swords and guns. She ran over to her father, who was standing in a crowd of adults, yakking away happily.
"Dad! Dad! Can we light the tree now?" she demanded.
"I think that's a wonderful idea, Clara," he said. Then he turned to the larger group and announced, "We're going to light the tree now! Everybody watch!"
Clara and Fritz walked toward the magnificent tree, admiring its height and its lush branches.
"Would you care to do the honors, Clara?" her dad asked.
"What?" she replied incredulously. "I can't reach that high...you know that, father."
"I could lift you," Dr. Silberhaus responded.
Clara's face lit up with joy.
"Oh would, you? Would you please? I'd LOVE to do it! Where's the lighter? Wow, thanks dad."
"You're very welcome."
Dr. Silberhaus handed his daughter the lighter. Slowly and carefully, he boosted her up towards the top of the tree. Extending her arm and pointing her toe at the same time with the grace that defined her, Clara touched the lighter to the star.
It gleamed gold in the candle-lit room, and the beauty of it made everyone at the party gasp in amazement. Soon, the adults were all asking Dr. and Mrs. Silberhaus where they had gotten the star and if it was still possible to attain one on Christmas Eve. Neither would tell.
The party dragged on interminably, every now and then perked up (or not, depending on who the arrival was) by a new arrival. Clara was especially dismayed when the family whom she and Fritz knew simply as "the Pompouses" arrived.
There were so many children in that family, and all of hem obeyed their mother and father perfectly. Even their heights seemed as though they were perfect: it was like a stair step from youngest to oldest; the difference between the heights of each successive child was exactly the same.
But the single reason that Clara and Fritz hated the Pompouses so much was the fact that after they visited, their mother and father expected Clara and Fritz to behave exactly like them. And when they didn't, they were incessantly whined at about how perfect this family was.
And the kids weren't even very nice! They had their noses in the air and clearly considered themselves above Clara, Fritz, and all the other children at the party as well.
Another moment that briefly livened up the party was when the boys trapped the youngest girl (whose name was Cindy Lou), inside a circle and made threatening looks and remarks. The girl had begun to cry, and had to be dragged from the circle by her father, who proceeded to berate the boys (especially Fritz) for trapping her in the first place.
They had begun to dance. Everyone at the party had joined hands and they were skipping around the room. Clara found the whole exercise rather boring. But just as the snake that they had formed passed the front door, it burst open...and revealed the only thing that had been keeping Clara Silberhaus awake through that party.