This story is part of my MacGyver AU series, Domestic Adventures. You can find information on its premise, philosophy and origins and a timeline of stories on my profile page. It's also part of the Second Chances AU.
Wishing everyone Happy Holidays, and may the joy, warmth and peace of the season stay with you and your loved ones throughout the coming year.
-Christmas, 1978-
"There's no such thing as Santa Claus," Chris says scornfully.
"There is too!"
Becky knows Santa's real. She spoke to him in person at the shopping mall the day after Thanksgiving, told him what she wanted for Christmas. Mom and Dad saw him too. So there.
But her brother and his nasty friends just laugh and tease her some more.
Uncle Mac's the smartest person she knows, and he always says if you want to prove something then you have to try it out for yourself and see what happens.
So on Christmas Eve she decides to do just that. Stay up all night, watch Santa coming down the chimney to fill their stockings. Prove to her big brother he's wrong.
She goes to bed like the good girl she is but doesn't yet go to sleep. Reading secretly under the covers with a flashlight, she waits until the house is finally quiet before wrapping up in her warmest robe and fuzzy slippers. It's always cold after the heat turns off for the night.
Becky sneaks down the stairs- avoiding the creakiest ones- and totters to the kitchen. Unc's told her it also helps to have something physical to show for results, so she gets some cookies then goes to the fridge for milk and a bunch of carrots.
It's really dark outside when she enters the living room but there's enough light to see by, thanks to the lights on the tree that Mom and Dad keep on just for tonight. After setting the food down she sits right in front of the hearth, frowning at the faintly-glowing embers. Will Santa burn his toes when he comes down the chimney? She hopes not.
"Hey, now." The voice behind her is deep but also kinda soft and smooth; it belongs to her best friend in the whole world, Uncle Mac. He's sitting on the couch, brown hair tousled, one shoulder bare while the other's covered by a comforter. "Thought you were in bed, Becky. Can't sleep?"
"Nuh-uh. Got something really important to do."
"What's that?"
"Wait for Santa Claus to come. Chris says he's not real, but I wanna show him he's wrong. So I'm conducting a 'speriment."
"A what?"
"You know, Unc. To prove something's wrong or right, I gotta try it out for myself. You told me that. It's a 'speriment."
"Oh, an experiment, right. What are you using as proof, to show Chris in the morning?"
"I made Santa some milk and cookies. If they're gone in the morning then that means he came, right? That's my proof, along with the filled stockings of course."
"Makes sense to me. But what about the carrots? Are they to help with Santa's eyesight?"
She rolls her eyes. Grown-ups, really. "They're for the reindeer, silly! They need a snack too, don't they?"
"Sure do. Real thoughtful of you, Becky." He cocks his head in that funny way. "You know, I haven't seen Santa since I was a kid. Why don't you come sit here with me, and we'll wait for him together?"
"Okay." She climbs onto the couch and snuggles into his lap. She leans against him as he pulls the comforter around them; he's warm and comforting to be around, and smells so good, like the forest when they went out to cut down the Christmas tree the other day. "Uncle Mac?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you believe in Santa?"
"Course I do."
"Really? But he's magic and Mom says you don't believe in magic. You like science better."
"That's true, I do like science better than magic. There's usually a rational explanation for everything. But that doesn't mean I don't believe in Santa Claus anyway. You know why?"
She shakes her head.
He playfully taps her on the nose. "Because of you, Becky. You're the one who's really magic. With you in my life I can believe anything's possible, including someone who brings presents to every child in the world only on one special night in a sleigh guided by flying reindeer. And gets fat 'cause he likes to eat a lot of milk and cookies."
He's so silly sometimes. She giggles, but soon it turns into yawns.
"Getting sleepy, huh?"
"Am not. Gotta wait up for Santa." Another yawn.
"Tell you what. Why don't you rest your eyes for a bit, and I'll keep mine open. That way when Santa comes I'll wake you right away."
"Promise?"
"You bet." He kisses the top of her head and she nestles closer against him, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "Just relax. I've got this."
"Okay," she yawns. "Thanks. Merry Christmas, Unc."
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart."
She falls asleep quickly, surrounded by warmth, gentleness and love.
"Hey, sleepyhead. Time to wake up."
Becky blinks in the daylight and finds her mom looking down at her with a strange little smile on her face. "Is it Christmas yet? Did Santa come?"
"Sure did," Mac chuckles from near the fireplace. "Come take a look."
Her jaw drops. The stockings are full, there are presents under the tree that hadn't been there last night, and- yes!- both glass and plate are empty.
"Unc, why didn't you wake me up when Santa came?"
"Guess I fell asleep too," he says, sheepishly. "Sorry. But he left you a note."
He points to a folded piece of paper resting alongside a neat pile of green tops:
Rudolph and the others say thanks for the carrots, they were delicious. Tell your uncle I said hi. Maybe you'll get to see me next year, if you're a good girl. Enjoy the presents. -S.C.
Her brother comes into the room, still yawning. Her dad's not far behind; he too is smiling in a strange way.
Grown-ups are weird sometimes, she'll never figure them out.
But for now that doesn't matter. She runs over to them, laughing. "Chris! I was right! My 'speriment worked- Santa Claus is real! He ate the snack I set out for him and he filled the stockings and he wrote me this note..." She's so intent in showing him her evidence she fails to see the winks and grins shared among the three adults.
"All right, everyone," her mom finally says. "Which are we doing first, breakfast or presents?"
Becky and Chris look at each other and shout at the same time, "Presents! Presents!"
Mac laughs. "Did you really have to ask, sis? Come sit by me, Becky. This time I think we can stay awake."
So together they open presents, have breakfast, play games and sing carols. By the end of that wonderful day she falls asleep again on the couch as they watch TV, safe and protected in the arms of her best friend.
Christmas Day. The time when both science and magic can come together to create some truly unforgettable memories.