THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement Clarke Moore
or Henry Livingston
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

"I can not believe I am stuck on some stupid stake out on Christmas Eve." Chuck had been rather whiny ever since he found out about the most recent mission for Team Chuck. "Believe me Chuck this is not how any of us wanted to spend tonight." Casey's voice came over the radio. "You think you have it bad?" Casey, dressed as Santa, asked as he stood in front of a nearby store ringing a bell and smoking a pipe. "Both of you knock it off. We have to be here so we might as well make the most of it." Sarah reached into a small cooler that she had brought along and pulled out a container of eggnog. "It may be nonalcoholic but maybe it can help put you in the Christmas spirit."
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The entire plaza was decorated to the hilt for Christmas. The jewelry store that Team Chuck was monitoring was no exception. It had very large ornate candy canes on either side of the main entrance. The windows in the store front were also extravagantly decorated with oversized stockings hanging from a fake brick fireplace. The mantel of the fireplace holding a sign that read "Fill her stocking with something memorable this year."
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

Chuck had lightened up as he sat next to Sarah. They had been sitting close to each other enjoying each others warmth as the night had turned especially cool. "So what did you get me for Christmas this year?" Sarah asked Chuck. Chuck smiled a sly smile, "I'm not going to tell you. You are just going to have to wait until tomorrow morning to find out. I can say this though, this year is even better than last year." Sarah smiled warmly, "I don't know. This will be the longest I have ever had an alarm clock. The fact that it was a gift from someone I care about is just enough to keep it safe on those rough mornings."
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

The conversation had grown quiet. Chuck and Sarah were enjoying the closeness that this mission had thrown them into, though after a while Chuck had started to nod off. Finally after Chuck's head had bobbed for the third time in five minutes as he tried to fight off sleep, Sarah turned to him. "Why don't you lie down for a while? I can keep an eye on things." "Only if you are sure that you will be alright." Chuck replied. He did not want to sound too eager but her offer sounded too good to resist. "If you get tired you can wake me up, okay? Sarah grinned and nodded, though they both knew that she would not be waking Chuck unless something related to the mission happened. Chuck thought that was because she was so much better at surveillance, which she was. Truth be told though, Sarah liked to watch Chuck sleep, especially when he was lying near her. It gave her a very comforting feeling. Chuck tried to get comfortable in the passenger seat of the van though his long legs made that impossible. He then tried lying on the floor in the back of the van. This too seemed to be in vain as he simply tossed and turned trying to ball up a jacket for a pillow. Sarah smiled and rose from her seat. "Lift your head." Chuck did so allowing Sarah to sit on the floor next to him and slide his head onto her lap. She could still see the monitors and she was still wearing the headset. "That is much better," Chuck said with a grin. He could have lain awake like that forever if not for him being so exhausted. Before long Chuck was deeply asleep.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

The sound of breaking glass had gotten Sarah's attention. As she sat up Chuck's head flopped onto the floor of the van with a thud. "Ow," Chuck said groggily as he woke. Sarah realizing what she had done slightly giggled, "sorry about that." She then turned her attention back to the monitors.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

Casey had also heard the breaking glass, and had quickly made his way to the jewelry store front. He cautiously peered in the large windows past the fake fireplace.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, The inside of the store was even more decorated that the outside. Nearly the entire store was covered in fake snow. Funny how even in southern California some people are looking for a white Christmas. Casey thought as he looked in the window. The white of the fake snow as well as the ample moon light coming from a very large glass ceiling was enough for Casey to see the intruders making their way through the store.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, Chuck and Sarah were watching the store's video security feed that they had piggybacked for surveillance that night. They could see that a large portion of the glass ceiling had been shattered. A large metal basket, similar to those used for sea rescues, was being lowered from the now open roof into the store. Sarah also identified eight men total, two on the roof and six inside. Chuck, who had glanced at another screen, saw someone else lurking around the outside of the building.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

The man that Chuck was watching was moving with great speed and stealth, though he was dressed as Santa. Chuck turned to Sarah, "Is that Casey at the front of the building?"
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

"Yes it's me. What did you think? It was the real Santa coming to do some last minute shopping." Casey grunted over the radio. "Walker, get over here and bring my bag with you. We are going to have to go through the roof. This door can only be opened from the inside. Bartowski you stay in the van."

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

Sarah had grabbed Casey's duffle bag and checked her gun before hopping out of the van. "Chuck you stay here. Tomorrow could be fun spending Christmas with your family, but it will be a lot less fun if you leave the van and get shot. Are we clear?" Chuck nodded in response as Sarah shut the door and ran across the parking lot. Chuck was able to see the two of them as they each threw a rope with a grappling hook attached to the end onto the roof. If was amazing how quickly the two were able to scale the wall, especially with Casey carrying his large duffle bag.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

Soon after Casey and Sarah had disappeared onto the roof of the building Chuck heard the distinct sound of gun play. He tried to find the agents on any of the monitors, but was unable to do so. Chuck, deciding that he could not just sit there while Sarah could be in danger, jumped from the van and ran towards the front of the store. He stopped at the corner of the building and leaned towards the front window to take a look. As soon as Chuck saw through the glass he noticed one of the intruders heading towards the front door. Chuck spun with his back against the side of the building, quietly freaking out. "Why don't I stay in the car?" He thought out loud before turning to look around the corner of the building again. He could hear the large metal barrier behind the front doors being lifted. Knowing that he only had a few seconds before the intruder would be outside and able to get away, Chuck grabbed one of the large Candy canes standing next to the door. The large metal candy cane was solid but light enough that Chuck could wield it with relative ease. When the man had made it no more than a step outside of the front door Chuck was able to strike the man in the head with a pretty good blow, knocking him unconscious.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

Chuck dropped the candy cane and made his way in the now open door. He was able to hide relatively well behind some of the Christmas displays at the front of the store. He was also able to keep an eye on the five remaining men in the store while working his way further into the building. He had made his way half way back the store when he heard some foot steps on the ceiling above him. He looked up just in time to see the glass break beneath the man's feet. Chuck covered his head in an attempt to protect himself from the falling glass. When he looked up he saw Casey dangling from a rope, he had been using as a safety cord in case the glass did break, upside down in the middle of the store.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

Upon falling through the ceiling, the bag that Casey had been carrying fell from his shoulder and slid towards the display that Chuck was currently hiding behind. The intruders had all been startled by the man now hanging from the ceiling and all had the attention set firmly on the dangling Santa. Chuck used this opportunity to sneak from behind the display and pick one of the weapons from Casey's bag. "Nobody move!" Chuck tried to muster his most authoritative voice. His results were not what he had hoped for as his voice had cracked rather loudly.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! Though Chuck's voice had cracked his words and his weapon were enough that the men each placed their hands above their heads and did not resist. Casey, whose face was a very bright shade of red from the blood rushing to his head, shook his head at Chuck. "Bartowski make your self useful and cut me down."

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

Chuck picked a knife from the bag and walked over to where Casey was hanging. He reached up and cut the rope causing Casey to fall unceremoniously to the floor with a loud thud followed by an intimidating growl. Sarah, finally finished dispatching the threats on the roof, yelled down from the ceiling, "Is everything alright down there?" Casey, grabbing the pipe that had fallen from his pocket, stood and took the weapon from Chuck, "Yeah, everything is fine." He then looked down at the padding that he had been wearing as part of the Santa costume. It had been shifted to the right and was making movement difficult. Casey placed one hand on either side of the pad and pushed the pad back and forth until it settled into the proper position. The sight was too much for Chuck, who had been trying to fight the need to laugh building inside him. A loud laugh erupted from Chuck as he looked at Casey, "like a bowl full of Jelly!"
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

Casey growled and shook his head. "I thought I told you to stay in the van." "It is a good thing I didn't or you would still be hanging upside down from the ceiling." Chuck had suppressed his laughter to a small giggle. Casey grunted but decided that he owed the kid one and decided to let it drop, "Fine, but don't let it happen again."
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

Casey turned to the men standing with their hands in the air. "Down on the floor, and don't get any ideas. I am not in the mood." He used zip ties to secure the hands of all the men and then placed each of them two at a time into the basket the intruders had intended to use for the robbery. He then looked at Chuck who was still holding the knife he had used to cut the rope. "Give me that," as he took the knife and placed it back in his duffle bag.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

"We have a helicopter coming as part of the clean-up crew. We have to get these guys out of here before LAPD gets here. There is no way a regular prison would hold these guys," Casey said as he threw the last man in the basket and climbed in himself. You go back to the van and wait for Walker. I will meet you at my apartment tomorrow morning for a debriefing."
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

Once Casey had exited the basket on the roof he instructed Sarah to take Chuck home, and that he would finish up with the clean-up crew. Sarah had then repelled down the same wall which she had climbed earlier and made her way around the building to find Chuck. A few moments later the chopper arrived, and Casey loaded the men on the chopper. He then climbed aboard himself and whirled his finger in the air to the pilot. As the chopper took off Casey saw Sarah and Chuck looking up at him and gave them a small wave and nod.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night." Chuck said as he looked up at the chopper. "What did you say?" Sarah looked over at Chuck. Chuck smiled, "nothing really, just thinking that as far as Christmas Eves go I guess it could have been worse."