Merry Christmas everyone! This idea hit me while I was thinking about how Christmas was when I was younger and how a parent might feel about this change.

This is my entry to a little contest being held over at a forum called Xana's Lair. There should be a link on my profile, if not you can just hop over to the profile of the fabulous Kittyclaw and find a link there.

I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko. I do however own Leila.

XxX

Odd's POV

Christmas Eve, 8:00 PM.

"Time for bed Leila." Aelita says as the movie ends. How The Grinch Stole Christmas, our favorite Christmas movie. It's old, but timeless, as most holiday movies are.

Leila jumps up from her seat, "I have to set out cookies first!" She exclaims.

I grin as I get up to help her get a paper plate and a glass, because you can't have cookies without milk.

Leila picks out the two biggest cookies in the jar for Santa. She can't pour the milk, it's too heavy for her, so I help her.

"Can I leave a carrot for the reindeer?" She asks.

"Alright." Aelita says, "But after that it's time for bed."

"Ok Mommy." Leila nods, rummaging in the refrigerator for a carrot. She pulls out a big one and sets it on the table beside the cookies and milk.

"Is that everything?" I ask, smiling at my daughter.

"Yes." She answers decisively, "Everything is ready for Santa."

"Except that you're still awake." Aelita reminds her.

"Not for long." Leila says with a grin, hugging my waist, "Goodnight Daddy." Turning and hugging her mother's waist she repeats her goodnight. "I love you."

"Love you too kiddo." I tell her as she runs off to her bedroom.

"How long do you think it will take her to get to sleep?" Aelita asks.

"She'll be up until midnight if I know her." I reply.

"We'd better get to bed too then." Aelita states.

Christmas Day, 2:00 AM.

I peer into my daughter's bedroom cautiously. She lays sprawled out on her bed, fast asleep. I grin; excited seven year olds never could pull an all-nighter on Christmas.

"She asleep?" Aelita whispers.

I nod, closing Leila's bedroom door again gently.

Aelita and I creep into the living room, arms loaded with piles of gifts. We gently flick on the light and Aelita sets herself to arrange the presents under the tree. I grab my dress shoes and place them in front of the fireplace before tiptoeing to the kitchen for the flour. Returning to the fireplace I sprinkle flour around the shoes, careful to not put too much, but still enough for the shoe prints to show. Then I take the shoes and wipe them off to destroy the evidence. One thing left, the cookies and milk.

"She always picks the big ones doesn't she?" Aelita whispers.

"Of course. She's my daughter." I reply simply.

"That she is." Aelita smiles, "We could put them back in the cookie jar, she'll never know."

"Ok, we could take a smaller cookie instead, so that there are crumbs left." I suggest.

"And what about the carrot?" Aelita asks, taking the cookies gently to the cookie jar to be eaten another day.

"I guess we have to nibble at it." I say, taking the milk, now warm from sitting out for so long, and dumping a good portion of it down the sink.

"That's your job." Aelita decides, taking out a small cookie to munch on.

"You get the cookie and I get the carrot?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah." Aelita responds through a mouthful of cookie.

I finish off the little bit of milk left in the glass. "Lucky me."

Aelita dumps the cookie crumbs on the paper plate and looks at me expectantly.

I trade the glass for the carrot and take a few bites, hoping it will be convincing enough before setting it back on the table.

"Next year, we're using baby carrots." I huff, bits of carrot flying out of my mouth and onto the table.

"Sounds like a good plan." Aelita says, "But for now let's go back to bed."

I follow her upstairs, swallowing the last few bits of carrot left in my mouth. Next year, I get a cookie too.

Christmas Day, 7:00 AM.

Any moment now Leila will burst through the bedroom door and come land on me yelling about how Santa came and we have to come see. I grin at the thought, eating that carrot will be worth it to see the joy on her face.

I'll miss it when the magic ends. When shoe prints in flour will no longer be amazing, when cookies won't be left out half the night with milk and carrots, when she won't come bursting into my bedroom on Christmas morning yelling about how we have to get up right now and come see what Santa left. Children grow up, and before I know it her five-mile long Christmas list of stuffed animals will turn into a five-inch long list of computer programs and CD's.

"Mommy! Daddy! Santa came! Santa came!" Leila screeches excitedly, launching herself onto the bed, "It's 7:01 we can get up now and go open the presents he left!" Her emerald eyes sparkled with excitement and wonder, the one night a year that was truly inexplicable for every young child.

I grin, "We're coming Leila, why don't you go start sorting them into piles for us?"

"Ok Daddy." Leila says with a smile, leaping off our bed and running into the living room.

Yea, I'm going to miss this when she's fifteen and too old for Santa Claus. But for now, I'll enjoy every minute of it. Even if it does taste a little like raw carrot.