Santa's little helpers

by Aria Morid

After the war Santa's a bit behind schedule. G.E.N.I.E. is called to help on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile the adults are having their own Christmas fun. Sequelish to Everything is Fair in love and war. Contains mix with Hay Lin's Christmas Carol. One-Shot

Santa's little helpers

Snow was falling outside, slowly covering Heatherfield in a beautiful blanket of snow. Everywhere people were walking, searching for last-minute presents or just window-shopping. Others bought their last ingredients for the food they would cook tonight. For you see, it was the 24th of December. The day before Christmas.

But our story starts with a peculiar group, walking through the snowy streets of Heatherfield. The company consisted of four women, one being around the age of 15 while the other tree were in their early twenties, and three men, all around their late twenties or early thirties. The young girl was skipping happily in front of the group while two of the three men were in a heavy discussion.

"I'm telling you that you can't mummerboard the way I can." Caleb argued.

"You may think I'm just a Prince but I've mummerboarded in the past and no one could defeat me!" Phobos replied in annoyance.

"This is worse than hearing Cornelia and Irma argue." Elyon muttered to the other three.

Will and Nerissa both nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed that their men were arguing. What was even more embarrassing was that Phobos was now Caleb's stepfather but the two acted like little children.

"Can't you two act like the grown-ups you're supposed to be?" Marcus questioned as he sighed heavily. "This mummerboarding sounds a lot like snowboarding. We can do it tomorrow on the slopes of Heatherfield."

Phobos turned to Marcus, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Now that you are sleeping with my sister does not mean that you can boss me around, Earthling." He spat before turning back to Caleb.

"Phobos, that's your future king you're speaking to." Elyon growled under her breath, but Phobos simply ignored her and restarted his argument with Caleb.

The others just sighed heavily. They would stop...eventually. The group continued walking till they were at the cliffs of Heatherfield. There a rather big house was standing, covered in Christmas decorations and a big Christmas tree was standing outside. Phobos and Caleb stopped their bickering when Phobos looked stupefied at the house.

"What's this for preposterous mansion?" He asked, utterly surprised.

Nerissa grinned at Will and Elyon, who grinned back. Caleb, however, could not see the fun in this.

"It's a house. Decorated for Christmas." He stated bluntly. "I thought you would know, Almighty and All-knowing Prince of Metamoor."

"Caleb..." Will, Nerissa and Elyon growled, sending him dangerous glares and making Caleb feel rather scared.

Phobos was also planning to continue the argument Caleb intended to start when he got tackled by his step-granddaughter. She smirked at him and Phobos felt awkward. He still couldn't grasp how is former nemeses could accept him so easily or why this child was so fond of him while ten years ago every kid would shudder and the sound of his name. But he had to admit that he wasn't missing those times at all. He just wished he could celebrate this 'Christmas' alone with Nerissa, without any additional family. Because, thanks to a lot of marriages, he ended up being family of the former and current Keeper of the Heart, the former also being the Oracle of Kandrakar. He was family of the former Earth Guardian and Fire Guardian together with their husbands and adopted children. He wondered if this was a way of the universe for saying: 'Sorry that we pulled you through so much...What was it that Earth kids called it? Shit?'

He frowned at his step-granddaughter and was about to scold her when a snowball flew over him, hitting Caleb in his face. His step-granddaughter giggled a bit.

"Oops...Sorry dad. I thought you had moved already." She said before struggling up.

Phobos got up as well, grinning at his accursed step-son when another snowball hit him in the face. He growled angered, his annoyance growing because of the giggles from his sister, wife, daughter-in-law and his future brother-in-law.

"Who did this!" He yelled enraged. "Who dares to..."

*SPLOF!*

Another snowball was targeted for his head and Phobos started spewing bits of snow while rubbing any snow away that had landed in his eyes.

"Come on Phobos! It's fun!"

He could have known that the Water Guardian and her aunt were behind this. When Phobos had managed to open his eyes again he saw a lot of snowballs flying across the field in front of the ex-Water Guardian's house. He rolled his eyes when Nerissa pulled him away from another attack.

"You people call this fun?" He said, not understanding.

Nerissa grinned and gave him a snowball.

"Now, try first and complain later." She said.

She then pointed to his left and Phobos turned to see his step-son and daughter-in-law throwing snowballs at the ex-Water and Fire Guardian. A smile formed on his lips and he saw how Nerissa prepared a snowball as well.

"I do Will. You Caleb." She said, making him grin.

They waited until Caleb and Will were out of ammo when they started throwing. The two were surprise by the attack.

"Mutiny!" Will yelled through her laughter. "You'll pay for this!"

Nerissa and Phobos weren't done with their ammo when everyone was standing around them. Cassidy, Joel, Ehren, Ilana, Martin, Alchemy, Georgi, Natasha, Will, Caleb, Taranee, Nigel, Elyon, Marcus and Angelo were all armed with at least three snowballs. All having a big grin on their face.

"You guys wouldn't..." Nerissa said, backing away a bit.

"Surrender, or get smothered." Caleb said eyeing Phobos with a grin,.

He got answered by Phobos's last snowball, hitting him right in the face.

"How did you say that again?" He countered with a smirk. "No! Never go back! Am I right?"

Will, Irma, Taranee and Nerissa laughed at Caleb while Caleb glared furiously at Phobos. He raised his snowball and was followed by the others.

"Fire!"

Nerissa and Phobos ducked in a failed attempt to dodge the massive amount of snowballs heading their way. When the barrage finally ceased, Phobos and Nerissa were completely covered in snow. The laughter of the others rang over the field while the two eldest members were cleaning the snow away. They glared at the others, making it very clear that they should be happy that their magic was limited. A voice broke the angry glares.

"Hey! I see that Elyon and the others have arrived?"

The group turned around to see Cornelia and Edeline standing in the entrance of the door, both wrapped in a blanket and holding a cup of hot chocolate. Nerissa and Phobos were quickly forgotten and the whole group turned to Irma's house. Elyon smiled and walked up to Cornelia, hugging her best friend. Natasha greeted Edeline and the whole group went inside, Phobos and Nerissa closing the line.

Irma's house was beautifully decorated with mistletoe, wreaths and a Christmas tree, decorated with icy blue and white balls. The group hang their coats and Nerissa and Phobos quickly got some hot chocolate. The adults were all sitting on the couches in front of the crackling fire of the fireplace while the children sat on the ground, near the tree.

"So, you're sister isn't coming?" Nerissa asked Cornelia, who shook her head.

"Nope. She is staying with my parents and Irma's. You have no idea how glad I am to be released of her." Cornelia said with a grin.

"How can you say that when you haven't seen her for years?" Taranee said incredulously.

Irma could easily answer that question.

"You know, that enthrallment thing had its advantages." She said with a shrug. "Just that empty feeling in your head makes it something you don't want to repeat."

"I know where you're coming from." Cassidy said with a nod. "Your head really feels empty."

Nerissa grinned at Cornelia and both nodded silently.

"Say Cass, how is that different from normal?" Nerissa said with a sly smile.

"Yeah Irma. I thought there was nothing in there to begin with." Cornelia added with the same smile.

The two ex-Water Guardians glared at their friends while the others started laughing. Cassidy started to sob loudly and grabbed Joel's arm, hugging him close like a little kid.

"Whaa! Joel! They're being mean to me!" Cassidy cried, making the others laugh harder.

Joel hugged her close and faked an angry glare.

"How dare you hurt my girl?" He said angrily.

This got him a nudge from Cassidy who started pouting.

"You don't take me serious, do you?" She said with a pout.

"Cassidy. When the day comes that we need to take you serious will be the day of the apocalypse." Angelo said with a grin, adding more fuel to the laughter.

"Where are Caleb and Phobos?" Irma asked when the laughter had subsided.

Everyone looked around when Will started to sigh.

"Please don't tell me that they.." She muttered.

"You're looking for dad and granddad?" Natasha asked, just walking by. "They were whispering a lot and they then went outside.

Nerissa and Will shot up, hurrying to the door. The others gave them questioning gazes that were ignored by the two women. Natasha sighed.

"I wish granddad knew a bit more about Christmas. This is almost embarrassing. The two have been arguing ever since granddad arrived." She said before she went back to the other Guardians.

This of course had all the adults getting up and they ran to the doorway, leaving the Guardians alone in the house. Georgi was playing a little tune on her flute while Edeline and Ehren were petting Edeline's dog Nana. Ilana stared dreamily at the Christmas tree. Natasha went to sit next to her and she swayed a bit on Georgi's music.

"Is he real?"

Natasha turned her head to Ilana, who was still looking at the Christmas tree. Georgi had stopped playing and everyone's attention was on Ilana.

"He? He who?" Natasha asked, not understanding.

"Santa Claus." Ilana answered. "Mom and dad have been talking about him for a long time now. Is he real?"

The other girls looked awkwardly at each other. Ilana's parents weren't the only one who were claiming that Santa Claus was real. Their own parents tried to make them believe it too. But how stupid did they think they were? They were no longer six. Santa Claus wasn't real, but...Was it a good thing to take Ilana's believe away?

"I-I..I don't know?" Natasha answered helplessly. "I mean...I've never seen him."

This made Ilana nod while the others sighed from relief. Ilana was someone who would only believe things she'd seen. If Natasha said she'd never seen him meant that it was highly probable that he existed.

"But what about those books?"

The others sighed again. Of course Ilana had found something to counter Natasha's answer.

"Those books say that he has his ways to keep him from being seen by children. What if it's true?"

The others were silent. Ilana got up and went away, probably to go to the restroom. Right when Ehren was sure that Ilana wouldn't hear her she started laughing.

"Bah! Come on! We all know he isn't real." She said stubbornly. "We just ought to tell her."

"We can't tell her." Georgi said with big eyes. "What if he does exist?"

Natasha, who had been nodding with Georgi's first statement, sighed when she heard the second. It was true that their parents could be very convincing but Santa Claus couldn't be real, could he?

"Georgi, there is no such thing as a Santa Claus." Edeline said stubbornly. "We all know our parents eat the cookies and place the presents."

"Then explain to me why my mom hasn't gone for any Christmas shopping?" Georgi countered.

"She had my mum buy your stuff." Edeline said with a nod. "I'm sure of it."

"That may be...but I think we shouldn't tell Ilana." Natasha said. "At least for this year. She deserves to have some faith in that old saint, just like we had."

They all nodded in agreement and the conversation dropped just in time. Ilana was returning and was now staring at the tree again. Georgi resumed playing the flute but Ehren, Edeline and Natasha looked at Ilana.

"Don't you think...something's missing?" Ilana asked as she pointed at the tree.

The others looked at it as well but thought that is was just an ordinary Christmas tree. Except for the lights.

"Maybe some lights." Natasha muttered. "But other than that, no."

"Do you think She will mind if I...?" Ilana asked as she snapped her fingers, setting them on fire.

The others smiled at her while Ilana started to work. In no time small fires were floating in the tree, without burning it down. They all grinned at Ilana when Ehren suddenly remembered something.

"Say Nat. Where's Terry and Kerry? Aren't they coming?" She asked.

At this Natasha pouted. Terry and her had been dating for some months now but Terry had gone back to London for Christmas. He did say he was sorry and Natasha wasn't annoyed by him. It was the fact that her mother had forbidden her to use her teletransporting to go to London that really ticked her off. Only because she was 'just learning it'. She had also said something about that she was only allowed to use her powers with real evil but for some reason her aunt Irma and Taranee glared at her, making her retreat the statement.

"No." She said with a sigh. "He's back to London for the holidays..."

"Ah..." The girls chorused with a nod, knowing how Natasha's mood was at the moment.

The silence was short lived when voice started to roam through the room.

"Can you believe it? On Christmas Eve no less!" Cornelia complained.

"They're men Cornelia. Simple life forms." Irma replied with a shrug. "If one is challenged everyone is."

"But why did Elyon, Alchemy, Cassidy and Nerissa have to join them?" Cornelia replied. "We could have had a girls' night."

"Hey and what are we? Potatoes?" Irma replied annoyed, getting a laugh from Taranee and Will.

"You know what I meant." Cornelia replied before stopping with walking.

She, just like the other three looked at the Christmas tree. Their gazes automatically went to the five girls near the tree, who were trying to hide from their gazes.

"Couldn't wait for the proper lighting, hum?" Irma joked with a wink.

"Pretty nice, Ilana." Taranee praised as she touched one of the flames.

Ilana blushed under the praise and just nodded. She glanced at Will but Will only smiled back, signalling it was okay that she used her powers.

"Where's dad and the others?" Georgi asked as she looked through the room.

Both Irma and Cornelia groaned heavily while Will just sighed. Taranee smiled helplessly at them.

"You see...Caleb and Phobos got into another fight." Taranee started slowly.

"This time it was about who could survive the cold the longest." Will said with a level of annoyance.

"And now, Elyon has taken them along with Alchemy, Cassidy and Nerissa to good old Shell beach so that they can compete in 'Real men don't feel cold'." Irma said while rolling her eyes. "The other guys felt pretty much challenged...Elyon, Nerissa, Cassidy and Alchemy are the cheerleaders..."

"Aaaaw! I want to go there too!" Ehren complained as she got up. "Please mum?"

Cornelia raised an eyebrow while the others snickered but before she could answer something else caught their attention. Natasha's shirt was lighting up and making a buzzing sound, making all the girls groan and the remaining adults look surprised at Will before a smirk spread on their faces.

"Mom! It's Christmas! Can't evil lay off for just a couple of days?" Natasha moaned.

Will shook her head and couldn't help but grin.

"Let me tell you this. There is no evil you need to fight. Someone asked for a helping hand and you're going to help." She said.

The other girls looked pleadingly at their mothers but all of them shook their heads and pointed upwards.

"You can't keep Santa waiting." Irma said with a grin.

All the girls looked confused at Irma but Ilana and Georgi started hopping.

"You mean he's there?" Ilana asked hopefully.

"Really real?" Georgi added.

The adults didn't say a thing and just grinned. Natasha took the Heart of Kandrakar and held it up.

"Guardians Unite!"

Lights erupted from the Heart and in no time the girls were transformed. Ehren leaned to Georgi while the others were watching how Natasha opened a fold.

"I thought you didn't believe in Santa Claus?" She whispered.

Georgi shrugged.

"Well...After what we've seen I'm starting to believe that he does exist." She replied with a grin before flying through the fold after she waved her mother and aunts goodbye.

Ehren stared incredulous at the fold before snapping back to reality. She sighed and waved at her mother before jumping through the fold. As the fold closed the four former Guardians smiled at one another.

"I wish I could see the faces of Ehren, Edeline and Natasha when they see him." Irma said with a snicker.

Cornelia and Taranee chuckled. That would indeed be hilarious, especially since they had been just as unbelieving as the current generation of Guardians when it came to Santa Claus.

"Remember when you asked him about your cup size?" Taranee asked with a snicker.

Irma grinned broadly as she recalled.

"Yeah...I hope Ehren or one of the others will make such a blunder." She said.

The three kept chuckling when Cornelia turned to look at Will. Will was busy putting her coat and snow boots on.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Going for a walk." Will said with a grin. "Coming?"

The others shrugged and got up, not knowing that Will was planning to visit an old friend.

Meanwhile in Kandrakar

The Guardians entered from the fold and as the fold closed behind them they were greeted by a smiling Orube.

"Welcome Guardians." She said with a grin. "And merry Christmas."

Ehren scoffed. Natasha grinned at Orube while Ilana nudged Ehren with a glare.

"Merry Christmas Orube." She said. "What's the problem?"

Orube smiled and signalled them to follow her.

"It's not a big problem but it could still be a bit problematic." She said, making the five Guardians look confused at each other.

They walked silently through the new palace, passing several gardens with people from the Council who greeted them with a smile. They arrived at the Congregation Room and they could hear the Oracle speaking with someone with a heavy voice. The Guardians, along with Orube, entered and when they entered the five Guardians stopped with walking. They looked at the person who was talking with the Oracle. The man had a white beard and white hair, with on top of it a red hat with a white trim. He was wearing a red coat with white trim and a red pants with black shiny shoes. A small pair of glasses were standing on his nose.

"Hohoho. So these are the five Guardians. You've been good this year." He said.

Ehren was staring at him and started rubbing her eyes while Natasha and Edeline looked at each other, their mouths wide open. Ilana and Georgi on the other hand managed to get over their shock and squealed.

"Santa!" They said as they rushed over at him, though slowing a bit down when they saw the Oracle's scolding look.

"You can't be Santa Claus." Ehren stated boldly as she walked at him. "He's just a fairytale."

"Just like fairies with elemental powers." Ilana stated, receiving an icy glare from Ehren.

"Hohoho! So the Water Guardian doesn't believe in me? It must be something all Water and Earth Guardians have in common." Santa Claus said. "Do you want me to proof it?"

At this, even the Oracle lost composure. The Guardians looked confused at her while she got her composure back. Ehren was still eyeing Santa Claus with suspicion while the others just looked at him in amazing, not believing their eyes. Ehren finally shrugged, thinking this was maybe one joke from the Oracle.

"In that case, Happy Birthday!" She said with a grin, making the other girls groan.

"No, that's Jesus." Santa Claus replied with a grin of his own.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's you." Ehren said with a firm nod.

The other girls looked at each other and just shrugged. Leave it to Ehren to act like this.

"So Mister Claus. What do you want us to do?" Natasha asked politely after giving Ehren a warning glare.

"Ah!" Santa Claus said. "You see, with Hay Lin and Yan Lin going on a rampage and cancelling Christmas, I'm a bit behind on my deliveries. And I need your help. Therefore, could you please transform back?"

Natasha nodded and transformed them back while both Edeline and Ehren had a frown on their faces.

"Help? What do you mean by help?" Edeline asked.

"I hope it doesn't involve us being reindeer." Ehren added, getting a nudge from Ilana.

"Hohoho!" Santa Claus laughed. "No, your predecessors were so kind to do me that favour."

At this the Oracle started to blush a bit, but her face stayed calm and the smile that had formed on her lips was somehow a bit scaring. The girls were snickering, planning to grill their parents on this subject. They hadn't noticed how Santa Claus clapped his hands or how their clothing changed until it was too late. Edeline was the first to notice and shrieked in surprise while she pointed at Ehren. Ehren looked at Edeline and quickly a look of surprise dawned on her face. All the girls were by now screaming and pointing at each other.

"You're dressed in green!" Edeline said shocked.

"You've got pointy ears!" Ehren replied while trying to feel if she had pointy ears as well.

"We've got a funny hat!" Georgi said as she played with the bell on the top of her hat.

The others stopped stressing when they heard Orube laughing loudly. They all shot a cold glare at her but it didn't stop her from laughing loudly. Natasha then turned to Georgi who was still playing with the little bell of her hat.

"You're joking, right?" She said.

"What?" Georgi asked. "Come on! This is fun! We get to help Santa!"

She then remained silent as she went over Natasha's look. Natasha was wearing an outfit that resembled the one of Santa Claus with the only difference being her wearing a skirt instead of pants. Natasha seemed to notice that everyone was staring at her and she decided to look at the ceiling instead, hoping that they would stop staring.

"Why is she wearing a Santa outfit?" Ehren demanded, not liking the fact that Natasha looked agreeable while they looked like elves.

"Seeing that you are special elves, you fall under other management. Natasha will tell you where to go through your telepathic link while you all bring the presents. Don't worry, the clothing you are wearing can teleport you to the right house." Santa Claus replied.

"So we can teleport for a mission but I'm not allowed to teletransport to see my boyfriend? Where's the justice in that?" Natasha asked annoyed.

The Oracle only smiled at her.

"I'm sure your mother has a reason for that and remember. You shouldn't use your powers for such a trivial thing." She replied. "Now I believe you have to hurry. It is Christmas Eve and time is ticking by as we speak."

"You are right!" Santa Claus said. "Follow me deputy elves and deputy Claus."

Ehren and Edeline grumbled softly while Georgi hopped after Santa Claus and Ilana and Natasha followed quietly, wishing this was all over. They walked through a long hall before the Guardians stopped walking. In front of them was a sleigh with in front nine reindeers, the first one having a shining nose. Several elves were sitting in the sleigh while some were tending to said reindeers.

"No...Way." Edeline muttered surprised.

"I...No way...Are that?" Ehren stammered.

"Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph?" Georgi exclaimed happily.

Santa Claus laughed loudly as Georgi and Ilana rushed over to the reindeers to get a closer look while the other three stared at him as if they thought they were dreaming.

"This isn't real..." Ehren muttered as she rubbed her eyes. "No way..."

Santa Claus only laughed and guided the remaining Guardians to the sleigh. There he reached into the giant sack and pulled out five amulets. He handed them to the Guardians while explaining.

"These amulets will show you where to go." He said. "Natasha will tell you which present you should place under the tree or in a sock."

With that he handed them five sacks. The girls looked into them to find them empty.

"Mister Claus..."Natasha started carefully. "There is nothing in there."

Santa Claus laughed again and patted Natasha on the head.

"That's because you need to know which present you want. Once you picture it, it will appear." He said with a warm smile.

He hoisted himself into the sleigh, with more agility than the girls gave him credit for. He patted next to him on the sleigh.

"Now come on. We don't have the whole night!" He said.

The girls nodded dumbly and jumped in the sleigh. The remaining elves gathered as well and went to sit behind Ehren, Edeline and Georgi. Santa Claus gave Rudolph a sign and the reindeer started to run. A fold appeared and within seconds they were in the air, somewhere above a town.

"Now girls, I want you to do the United States. I'll manage the rest of the world." Santa Claus said.

"You need us for the States only?" Ehren asked incredulously. "Why can't you do it too?"

"Because I don't have enough time, I'm afraid." Santa Claus said. "So, here we part. Activate the amulets and off you go!"

The girls looked questioningly at each other before they shrugged. They all grabbed for their amulets and pressed them. They shone brightly before the five of them disappeared.

With Ehren

The light dimmed and Ehren noticed she was in a house. She looked around and the moment she spotted the Christmas tree, she knew where she was and to whom she was delivering a present.

"Okay...Maybe I do believe." She muttered. "Now let's see...I have to contact Natasha to see what this kid is getting."

'Natasha! What do I have to give Julia Garrison?' Ehren sent telepathically.

For a couple of minutes there was no reply when suddenly an image of a doll popped up. Ehren grabbed inside the sack and to her surprise she pulled out a doll, completely wrapped and all. More images flew into her mind and Ehren quickly grabbed the presents from the sack, knowing she would forget them if she waited too long. Once she was done she sighed and looked at the tree. A small mountain of packages was laying beneath it.

"One, two, three..." Ehren counted softly. "TWENTY PRESENTS?"

She quickly clasped her hands in front of her mouth, hoping that she hadn't woken someone in the house.

'She was either very nice this year..and the year before...and the year before the year before...AND the year before the year before the year before... And...My head hurts.' She thought as she clasped her head.

She then let her eyes wander over the darkened living room. The lights in the tree illuminated a rather small room. The furniture looked rather old and Ehren could see a destroyed window. Her heart nearly stood still.

'This house...It reminds me of my own on the day my parents were killed.' she thought sadly. 'Maybe these people were attacked as well?'

Her eyes wandered over the old fireplace. Her eyes widened as she noticed a crack in the fireplace. It ran upwards past a hole with the form of a small key. She recognized the hole. This was her house! She fell on her knees and felt how tears streamed down her face. Memories, which she had tried to forget, started to return. She could see her mother laying dead over her father in an attempt to stop the killer. She could hear how the assassin laughed.

A sound made her startle and she quickly turned around. She saw a girl, six years of age, standing in the door opening. She looked at her with big eyes and Ehren forcefully rubbed her tears away.

"Why are you crying?"

The girl's voice was not filled with fear but with curiosity. Ehren reminded herself that the girl would most likely not remember the war, being too young. The girl slowly walked at her and Ehren backed away, not sure how to react to the girl. This girl was now living in her house.

"Do you work for Santa?"

Again a innocent question and Ehren grinned. This girl was innocent. It hadn't been her choice to live here.

"I...Yes." Ehren said, her voice still thick with tears. "Santa's a bit busy so he asked me for help."

"Oh." The girl said.

Ehren sighed and was ready to activate the amulet again. Just before she pressed it the girl stepped forward.

"Uhm...I made these for Santa... But you seem so sad. You can take them if you want?" She said as she pointed at the stool next to the fireplace.

A small platter of apparently home-made cookies was standing on the stool, together with a glass of milk. Ehren smiled at the girl and took one.

"Thank you." She said.

"Why are you sad?" The girl asked as she sat next to Ehren, who went to sit next to the fireplace.

"I...It doesn't matter." Ehren said, feeling better as she took another cookie. "Just promise me one thing."

The girl looked at her and Ehren just smiled. The girl, for some reason, made her remember how her life had changed and how happy she was now.

"Love your parents. You have no idea how much they mean to you." Ehren said.

The girl looked almost frightened at Ehren before Ehren smiled the biggest smile ever. She patted the girl on the head before drinking the glass of milk.

"Don't worry. As long as those Guardians wander around you're safe, right?" Ehren said.

The girl nodded and a smile graced her face. A yawn quickly followed and Ehren grinned.

"Come on. Hop to bed! Tomorrow you can open your presents." Ehren said, guiding the girl out of the room.

"Yes. Thank you!" The girl said as she hugged Ehren before walking away. "Merry Christmas!"

Ehren grinned.

"Merry Christmas." She said before reactivating the amulet and disappearing in a small burst of light.

With Edeline

Edeline appeared with a flash of light in a what looked like a rather wealthy families living room. She looked surprised at the wealth that was decorated over the fire place and the countless paintings that were hanging on the walls. Somewhere inside her she despised these people. They lived the good life while so many others had been suffering or were suffering. She sighed.

"Can't be helped. The children here still deserve a present. No matter how spoiled they may be." She muttered slightly before contacting Natasha.

'Hey Tasha! What do the kids Jason, Jorick and Janna Harbringer get?' Edeline sent telepathically after taking a glimpse of the Christmas tree.

'So the tree tells us who lives here? This ridiculous outfit does have some perks...' Edeline mused as she received the information from Natasha.

She quickly got to work and reached into the sack. Within no time a total of fifteen packages was laying under the tree. Edeline grinned a bit.

"Five a person isn't that bad...I guess." She said softly before noticing a tray with cookies and a glass of milk.

"Right! The cookies for Santa..." Edeline muttered softly.

A grumble erupted from her stomach. She sighed as she rubbed it.

"That'll mean they're all for me.. Good thing I'm hungry. I bet Ehren has eaten them all before she went. She's such a glutton sometimes."

She quickly ate the cookies, which were filled with chocolate, and she drank the milk. She smiled before activating the amulet. If there were more cookies, she wouldn't mind doing this job.

With Georgi

The light vanished and Georgi looked around. Immediately a shiver ran over her spine. She couldn't be...This wasn't... A sound reached her ears and she quickly hid behind the many tables of the restaurant. Her keen sense of hearing picked up a voice she had wished never to hear again.

"Don't they know how to read? Who would dare to come and…Oh. You've got to be kidding me."

Georgi froze up when she heard Hay Lin descending the staircase. Why was she in the Silver Dragon? This was Hay Lin they were talking about! She hadn't been nice for five years! Georgi followed Hay Lin with her gaze and noticed something that surprised her even more. Her mother, together with her aunts, was standing outside in the snow. Aunt Will seemed to have a smile on her face while her own mother wasn't looking to happy and while aunt Cornelia and aunt Irma were actually scowling. Hay Lin opened the door and glared at her mother and aunts.

"What?"

Georgi shivered again, silently thanking the Oracle for taking any remainders of Hay Lin's powers or else she would have died the moment she released her sigh.

"Wow. Bitch alarm. Sorry to burst your happiness bubble today, Hey Hay." Aunt Irma scowled. "We just came because miss Bigwig here said that you could use some company."

Georgi looked curiously passed the chairs. Why did aunt Will want to visit Hay Lin? Was Hay Lin truly changing? Georgi decided, against her better judgement, to keep listening.

"Well, if you don't want to be here than just go." Hay Lin bit back.

"Oh believe me, I…" Aunt Irma started before aunt Will nudged her again.

"Hay Lin. Christmas is a time that you have to spend with your friends and family and, seeing that tonight is Christmas Eve, I was hoping that…" Aunt Will started but was rudely interrupted.

"Oh please." Hay Lin hissed. "You four hate me and I despise you. I don't need you and you have your own 'families'. So why don't you just fuck off and leave me alone?"

With that she slammed the door shut. Georgi listened how Hay Lin rushed away towards her bedroom. She sighed again, this time a little louder. That was close. She looked at the tree and saw that it was still decorated, despite the fact that Hay Lin seemed to despise Christmas.

'Uhm…Say Natasha… What do I have to give…Hay Lin?'

She had never felt so awkward in her life before. She waited until a reply came back.

'Hay..Hay Lin?' Natasha said stupefied. 'You know that these jokes are meant for Ehren and Ehren only, right?'

'It's no joke…I'm standing in the Silver Dragon right now.' Georgi replied.

Silence replied when an image filled her mind. Georgi was slightly surprised by the gift but shrugged. If Santa found it necessary to give Hay Lin a present then it should be okay. She carefully placed the gift under the tree and was ready to teleport away with the amulet when she heard the sound of something flying. A *plof* sound came from outside and Georgi walked to the window. She saw a book laying in the snow and she heard a window closing.

'Maybe she didn't like the book?' Georgi mused before reactivating the amulet, teleporting away as quickly as possible.

With Ilana

Ilana looked around. It looked like her own house and she quickly realized that was near the ocean. She looked out of the window and could see a city in the distance.

"I must be at another city. Of course…The U.S. is bigger than just Heatherfield…" Ilana muttered before looking around.

Mistletoe was hanging above the door opening while socks were hanging above a central heating. There was no Christmas tree and Ilana smiled sadly.

'These people must be too poor for a tree.' She thought sadly.

'Natasha. What should I give Tommy Lirics?' Ilana asked.

Immediately an image popped up and Ilana grabbed for the sack. She managed to not only stuff Tommy's sock but those of his parents as well. She smiled when she saw the cookies.

'These people, who seem to have it difficult, still prepare cookies and milk for Santa.' She thought. 'I may not know much about this whole Christmas but I do think they shouldn't have done it. But if I don't eat them I might hurt some feelings…'

With some remorse Ilana ate the cookies and decided she had been lingering long enough.

"Merry Christmas." She said softly before using the amulet to teleport away.

With Natasha

Natasha arrived in a living room. The first thing she noticed was that it was entirely dark. Within seconds she felt a net being pulled over her while someone yelled in excitement.

"We've got him! We've got Santa!"

Despite the fact that Natasha couldn't blame the kid for wanting to catch Santa, she was on the verge of shooting lightning at the little pests. She sparked her powers and the lights went on, giving her a good look on her captors. There were two kids, a boy and a girl, looking surprised at her. The boy she estimated to be seven while the girl seemed ten. The boy was looking very surprised to see her while the girl only raised an eyebrow.

"You're not Santa!" The boy almost screamed. "WHERE'S SANTA? I WANT SANTA!"

Natasha looked surprised at the boy and she noticed that the girl sighed. She walked forward and clasped her hand around her little brother's mouth.

"Be quiet! Mom and Dad don't know were down here! If we're caught you can say goodbye to your presents!" She hissed.

Natasha raised an eyebrow as she saw how the little boy tried to wriggle himself free from his sister's grip.

"SAN…! WANT TO…! YOU'RE MEAN!" The little boy managed to say before his sister went to the extreme by sitting on top of him and silencing him completely.

Meanwhile Natasha was busy with handling the newly incoming demands of her friends. They all came at the same time and Natasha's head was spinning. It was hurting. Suddenly her hat started to warm up and slowly her head began to clear up. She could handle the demands of her friends easily and quickly while also paying attention of what she was doing. Though if this were to happen next year, she would ask if someone else could take her place. This was no fun and she knew she was having a headache tomorrow.

She noticed the sudden silence and saw how the girl was glaring at her while the little boy was apparently sleeping.

"Is he…Sleeping?" Natasha asked unsure.

The girl looked beneath her and poked her little brother's cheek. There was no reaction. She bent forward and kissed the boy on his forehead. Still no reaction.

"Yep, he's asleep." She replied.

"And you had to kiss him because?" Natasha asked a little awkward.

"He often fakes his sleeping. He hates it when I kiss him so he'll react to it if he were awake." The girl said with a shrug before getting off of her little brother and dragging him to an old couch.

She managed to pull him on the couch and laid a blanket on top of him. She then turned around to Natasha with her arms crossed, glaring at Natasha. Though Natasha had seen scarier things, this girl seemed very intimidating. She took a step back while holding her hands up in defense.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

Natasha looked surprised at the girl. Instead of asking "Who are you?" or "Why are you here?" she asked "Why are you dressed like that?" Natasha kept blinking at the girl before pointing rather stupidly at herself.

"You know who I am?" She asked stupidly.

The girl nudged at her. Natasha looked down and she saw the Heart shining on top of her chest.

"That's the Heart of Kandrakar, right?" The girls asked. "At least, that's what they told me on school and the news. So that must mean that you're the Keeper. Right?"

Natasha nodded dumbly, having forgotten that she was on the news a couple of months ago.

"Though you seemed older." The girl silently pondered. "But anyway, why are you here, dressed as Santa Claus?"

Natasha sighed in relieve, glad that the girl wasn't asking awkward questions. She smiled a bit but she saw that kindness wasn't getting her anywhere with this girl.

"Santa Claus is kinda busy, thanks to that war he hasn't been able to deliver any presents and now he's catching up." Natasha explained, hoping the girl would buy her excuse.

The girl raised her eyebrow.

"You want me to believe Santa Claus is real?" She asked, a laugh in her voice. "Come on! You seem like fourteen years old. And you still believe?"

Natasha sighed. Why did she had to get this house?

"Look…I didn't believe it either but I really met him." She said.

The girl looked calculatingly at her before she shrugged.

"So…Does this mean I've got to go back to bed?" She asked.

Natasha looked surprised at the girl. Did she believe her?

Natasha nodded and only then she noticed that the net was still laying on top of her head. She shook it off of her while the girl giggled softly. She glanced at her little brother before nodding at Natasha.

"Then I guess I'll leave you here. Sorry for the net. The cookies are on the table." She said. "My name is Tessa by the way. And that little monster who attacked you was my little brother Martin. Merry Christmas Santa's helper."

With that Tessa walked away. Natasha stared at the place where Tessa had been standing before shaking her head. There were a lot of people she had to visit and she could not stay here. After placing the presents underneath the tree and eating the cookies she disappeared, hoping that she hadn't ruined little Martin's believe in Santa.

With Elyon, Alchemy, Nerissa, Cassidy, Angelo, Phobos, Caleb, Joel, Marcus, Nigel, Martin and Andrew

It was pitch black. The only lights on the beach came from Elyon. She had been lighting the beach so that the guys could proof who could withstand the most cold. The women had been standing at the end on the beach, completely dressed, cheering for their men, while some of the men went to the extreme of going naked in the sea.

The only ones who remained in the water were Caleb, Phobos, Nigel, Andrew and Angelo. Martin, Marcus and Joel had already forfeited and were now being warmed by Elyon. The women had laughed at first but now they were starting to freeze completely and they wanted to go back, hoping that they could get some hot chocolate or soup.

"Boys! Come on! It's getting cold!" Alchemy moaned as the men all looked at them. The women could easily see the blue lips and paling skin. "We want to go back."

"N-N-Not y-yet." Andrew said with chattering teeth.

"I-I-I hav-have-haven't w-w-won y-y-yet." Caleb said with a grin, while his teeth were chattering loudly.

"And how are we supposed to explain to Will, Irma, Cornelia, Taranee and Nerissa that their men turned into mencicles?" Cassidy yelled at them.

The men didn't answer and continued their glare wars, hoping that the others would get out of the water before one of them froze to death.

Elyon, Nerissa, Cassidy and Alchemy sighed and looked at each other before an evil grin formed on their lips. Martin, Marcus and Joel, backed away in fear, not knowing what the women were planning.

"Okay, let's change the phrase." Elyon said. "You all seem to forget that I'm currently the only one with enough energy to teletransport all of you back to Irma's house. You can walk the distance, but seeing that you are all frozen and wet I am almost willing to bet my entire kingdom that you will not arrive at the warm lodge. AND I will go now, with or without you."

The men gulped softly but then nodded, knowing that they had no other choice. Elyon smiled a fake smile while they all walked out the water and started to put their clothes on.

"Never seen something that small." Cassidy commented cheerily.

"Do you reckon it's a smurf?" Alchemy said, making the men all turn around in shame and dress quicker.

"Remind me that I have to tell the others that there won't be any action tonight. It's so small that they'll need a magnifying glass just to find it." Nerissa cackled.

As the men, now dripping in their clothes, were warmed by Elyon they all glared nastily at Nerissa, Alchemy and Cassidy, who were laughing without mercy. Before a fight could break out, Elyon called on her magic and teletransported them back to Irma's house.

They arrived right outside the house and they quickly entered. They noticed that the atmosphere in the house was a bit somber and they found Will, Irma, Taranee and Cornelia sitting on the couches, looking into their soup while the Guardians seemed to be missing.

"Hey guys. Everything okay?" Elyon asked carefully as Nigel, Andrew, Angelo and Caleb walked to their wives.

The four women looked up and smiled warily at them before seeming to remember that they were holding soup. Andrew sniffed in the air and placed an arm around Irma.

"Mmm. Is that your soup I'm smelling?" He asked with a grin.

Irma grinned back but someone else answered for her.

"Oh…So you're sure that this isn't dog food mixed with water?" Will asked with a sly grin.

Irma shot her a glare while the other three started laughing. Elyon and the others looked confused at them.

"Irma accidentally gave Will dog food with water instead of soup." Cornelia said with a big grin.

Now the others started laughing too and Irma only huffed. She crossed her arms and stuck her hose up in the air.

"Well then. No soup for you." She said easily.

Andrew stopped laughing and looked with puppy dog eyes at Irma.

"No soup?" He asked in a childish manner.

Irma looked at him and kept her arms crossed.

"No soup." She repeated.

Andrew started to rub her arm like a dog would do to get some food.

"But Andrew like soup." He said with big eyes.

Irma was now trying to repress a smile as she kept her gaze.

"No soup means no soup." She said.

"Aw baby. Don't be so cold. It's Christmas." Andrew tried to coax. "I've had enough frost to last a year."

"You say that while you left us for a stupid competition." Irma countered.

"What if I gave you something in return?" Andrew asked with a sly smile.

Irma cocked an eyebrow while looking at her husband.

"And that is?" She asked.

Andrew grabbed her by surprise, making her spill her soup on the ground. He dipped her and kissed her passionately on her mouth. The others who had been watching were now all clapping and whistling, though the girls were making fun of them.

"Get a room!" Cassidy yelled.

Irma grinned as the kiss continued. When they broke apart she smiled at Andrew before turning to Cassidy.

"I'm sorry but if I'm not mistaken, this is my house and with that every room is my room." She said with a grin, making Cassidy laugh.

She then turned to Andrew.

"Okay, fair enough. You'll get your soup." She said.

"Yes! Jackpot!" Andrew said, getting high fives from Nigel, Joel, Martin, Angelo and Marcus.

"Say Irma…I would like some soup too…But I think that if I'll kiss you someone else will make me spent the night outside." Angelo said with a grin.

"You bet your butt you will!" Cornelia said warningly.

The others just laughed while Irma rolled her eyes and walked to the kitchen. Elyon cleaned the mess and they all took their place in front of the fire place.

"So…Who won?" Will asked as she cuddled against Caleb.

Caleb blushed a bit before looking the other way. Phobos also was avoiding any gazes.

"We all tight for first place, though I swear that I would have lasted longer if Elyon didn't force us back." Angelo said cocky.

Will grinned while Cornelia gave her man a congratulating kiss. The other men, however, weren't agreeing with Angelo's statement and all were protesting. The women mostly laughed.

"I still don't get why you guys did it." Taranee said, shaking her head.

Caleb rolled his eyes, almost as if he wanted to say that she was a woman and would not understand it, but he quickly changed his mind.

"It was a test of manhood." He said, getting several nods from the other guys.

"Not that there's much left of it." Cassidy countered, making all of the women laugh while the men just blushed furiously.

Will saw how Caleb was sulking and she grabbed his chin, kissing him on the cheek.

"I'm sorry." She said. "You're still my number one."

Cornelia nearly choked in her soup while Cassidy sighed loudly.

"Honestly! I thought we were celebrating Christmas, not Valentine's Day!" She said exasperated.

"That was cheesy, even for you Will!" Cornelia said with a groan.

Will only replied by sticking her tongue out before Caleb pulled her closer and kissed her. The ladies were of course planning on teasing Will but the men stopped them by pulling them into a kiss. Except for Phobos, who was still a bit grumpy by Cassidy's statement. Nerissa rolled her eyes and pulled him into a kiss. At first he scowled at her but that quickly changed when he saw Nerissa's eyes sparkle with happiness. Andrew just rolled his eyes as he watched how all his friends were kissing their counterparts and was glad his wife entered the room.

"All of you, get a room! No kissing in my house! Only when you've filed in a paper in triplicate! With the exception of me and Andrew of course." Irma said as she came in with a tray of bowls with soup.

The whole group stopped their kissing party and either glared or grinned at Irma. Irma just winked at them and started handing out bowls of soup. Everyone started eating their soup in silence when Elyon finally brought something up that everyone had been wondering about.

"Where's G.E.N.I.E.?" She asked. "I mean I thought they were outside, but I don't see any lights."

At this the remainder of W.I.T.C.H. started to laugh.

"Elyon come on!" Cornelia said with a grin.

"It's Christmas Eve." Taranee said with a grin.

"And guess who needs help on Christmas Eve?" Irma asked grinning.

Elyon's eyes opened wide and she looked at Will, who was innocently trying to sneak some chicken from Caleb's soup.

"No…You don't mean they…" Elyon started.

"Are helping Santa Claus?" Nerissa finished with a grin, remembering how terrible she had experienced her first time.

Will only grinned in reply and now most of the adults, with the exception of Andrew, Marcus, Joel, Martin, Alchemy and Phobos started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Martin asked. "Santa Claus doesn't exist so why are you laughing?"

At this the laughing stopped and everyone was looking seriously at Martin.

"Martin. Heed my warning. Never doubt Santa's existence. Trust me." Irma said with a nod, making the others grin for a bit.

"We had to help him when his sleigh was stuck on the North Pole." Cassidy said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "The sleigh had broken down and we had to deliver the packages all over the world. Nerissa had to carry the presents all the way."

"And the clothes we had to wear!" Nerissa said as she shivered. "Worst outfit ever."

"Don't complain. Our first time was when Phobos had captured Santa Claus and we had to rescue him." Irma said with a sigh, making Phobos look away in shame.

"Thanks to Cedric injuring the reindeer, we had to act as reindeer that evening." Cornelia said with a shiver.

"And Caleb was elf." Taranee said with a grin.

Caleb blushed furiously at the memory while the others just laughed.

"So that means we won't see the kids for the whole evening?" Joel asked.

Will looked at her watch.

"Nah…They should be here in…Three. Two. One."

The moment she had reached "Zero" a flash appeared. Georgi, Ehren, Natasha, Ilana and Edeline appeared from the flash and all were looking very tired. It was near midnight and all of them were yawning loudly.

"NEVER. AGAIN." Ehren exclaimed as she let herself fall on the rug in front of the fireplace.

"Hi mom. Dad." Ilana said before letting herself fall next to Ehren.

"Hey kiddos. How was your night?" Angelo asked with a grin.

Edeline shot him a nasty glare before falling on the rug as well.

"I hate kids." Edeline uttered while Natasha and Georgi fell next to her.

"How come?" Cassidy asked grinning. "Tried to catch you?"

All of the girls started groaning.

"Don't get us started!" Ehren said with a moan.

"You can't complain!" Ilana replied. "We found you and Edeline sleeping!"

The adults looked curiously at Ehren and Edeline, Will silently smiling, knowing the reason why. Ehren and Edeline shrugged while they looked at the tree.

"We're tired. That's all." Edeline defended.

The girls seemed to tired make a big issue out of it and just groaned a bit.

"You lot had it easy. I think I'll have a headache tomorrow." Natasha groaned as she rubbed her head.

A snore came back in reply and everyone turned to Georgi. Georgi was curled up and sleeping soundly, snoring sometimes. Their parents smiled softly as they watched how all of their children were falling asleep. The men got up and picked up their adopted daughters.

"I think they're exhausted. Too bad, they'll miss Saint Nick coming here." Angelo said as he went to put Ehren in her bed.

The others decided it was late and all went to bed

The next morning Georgi woke up with a loud yawn. She looked around and noticed she was laying in the guest room she and her parents were using. She noted that her mother was gone and that her father was shamelessly snoring. A knocking sound made her father turn in his bed, but he kept sleeping. Georgi opened the door to see Natasha, Ilana, Ehren and Edeline standing outside.

"Merry Christmas!" They said in choir.

Georgi grinned.

"Merry Christmas." She said. "Does any of you know where mom is?"

"Yours has disappeared too?" Natasha said concerned.

"Dad said they were meeting an old friend." Ehren said while shrugging. "Their loss. Now come on! Dad made breakfast and I'm starving!"

The other girls on the other hand started to look a bit pale. Ehren raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at her friends.

"What? Did I say anything wrong?" She asked.

"How can you still eat after last night?" Natasha asked sickly. "I've had way too many cookies to want to eat some breakfast…"

"Me either." Ilana said with a nod.

Ehren shrugged.

"Your loss then." She said.

The girls descended the stairs and the first thing they saw was the Christmas tree. The fires were still hanging in the tree but there was something that demanded their attention.

"Presents!" Ilana exclaimed surprised as the girls now rushed down the stairs.

Right before the girls could jump their presents a voice echoed through the room.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The girls turned around to see Elyon walking down the stairs. She was smiling at the girls.

"Merry Christmas and I wouldn't touch those presents." She said. "At least…Taranee's warning was this. Touch those presents and you'll be doing chores for the rest of her life."

The girls gulped and stepped back. Their lips quivered as they smiled at Elyon while Elyon smiled at them. The girls decided to kill the time with some games while once in a while one of the remaining adults came to guard the presents, with the exception of Phobos, who found it hard to grasp why he had to wait for what was apparently rightfully his. Near two o'clock Will, Irma, Taranee and Cornelia entered, all looking happier than they had been in years.

"Why the smile?" Angelo asked as he greeted Cornelia with a kiss.

"I'm having probably one of the best days ever." Cornelia said as she broke the kiss.

"Hay Lin?" Caleb whispered in Will's ear.

Will's eyes shined with happiness and Caleb grinned back.

"It won't be long..." She said happily.

She was being interrupted by five very eager girls and a man who were very eager to open their presents. Nerissa only laughed when she saw Phobos his expression and even Caleb grinned at his step-father.

"Can we open the presents now?" Ehren moaned slightly.

The adults smiled at each other before giving the relieving nod. The girls shot at the presents like bullets and in no time paper was laying all over the ground. Phobos had glanced at them, wanting to know how he had to behave and then glanced at Nerissa. She smiled at him and nodded encouragingly at him. Phobos then followed suit after the girls and started at his presents. Most of the adults looked with humor at him while Will and Caleb sat in the couch, both grinning at Phobos.

"Never thought to see him this excited." Will said.

"Never thought he would lose his composure." Caleb breathed nearly shocked.

Will kissed him under his chin and he looked down on her. She smiled at him and cuddled in him.

"Remember your first Christmas?" Will said teasingly. "You looked like Hay Lin when we told her that we liked her clothes."

Caleb breathed a laugh as he remembered. He couldn't really blame Phobos for the excitement. He looked back at Phobos and smiled. The man wasn't that bad, though Caleb still found it strange to look at him as his step-father. He heard Will breathing a laugh and he looked back at her. She had made an Astral Drop, just so she could be with him. She was looking more and more like the old Will, the Will who left him for her studies all those years ago. She could still bite sometimes and Natasha would then react as if she was still in the assassination squad, but those signs were diminishing. Now Will had returned to her old self, while sometimes holding more wisdom than a human should have. He leaned forward and captivated her chin. A smile played on her lips and he kissed her. First gently, before deepening the kiss, savoring the moment. Will leaned into the kiss and they stayed like that for some time. As they broke apart Will cuddled against his chest. He would never say it out loud but he liked the feeling of her body against his chest.

"Merry Christmas Caleb." She said.

"Merry Christmas Will."

…

Nerissa smiled silently as she watched how Phobos let himself marvel at the present he just unwrapped. As Prince he'd seen many things and he had often gotten what he asked. This also showed when Nerissa decided to visit him on a frequent base. The man just didn't seem to be capable of grasping the fact that not everything was for nothing. He had even been outraged when he heard that his sister would give him a farm, where he could work. Nerissa knew he still felt guilt for the things he'd done many years ago, but the little spoiled Prince had taken over then. Too bad for him that his sister was terribly resistant to his spoiled behavior and he was placed in the farm. Nerissa had seen him stare awkwardly at a plow, not knowing what to do with it. When she visited him he always complained of the unfairness in his sister's decision and how he did not understand why he had to work for his food or new clothes. During these tirades Nerissa had waited patiently, letting him finish and hopefully he would see what he was saying. He hadn't seen the light until one day that he was raging again. He had finally noticed how her own mood fell as he started and his worried look still filled her with warmth. He had finally taken his time to listen to someone else and he was slowly understanding why he should work.

She gave him a present on his birthday, which had clearly stunned him. At first Nerissa thought it was because of the kindness she was showing him, but later she found out that it was his first present in years. He had not received anything, except punishment and a mind swipe, from the moment his sister had ascended the throne and he had admitted, though shyly with a lot of grumbling, that he had forgotten the joy of a present.

And now he was enjoying the same joy, happiness clearly shining in his eyes. He didn't want to admit it in front of Caleb, but he really loved Christmas. Nerissa had told him all the stories, repeated them till his heart was content. He didn't understand some of them, his own logic arguing with the fantasy of the stories, but still managed to enjoy them. The lights fascinated him and Nerissa knew he had already asked his sister to celebrate Christmas next year on their planet. The decorations was another thing that baffled him and he could only feel repulsion because he still not grasped why they were necessary.

Her eyebrows raised playfully as his gaze shifted from the presents to her, as if he finally realized he wasn't alone. As he got up, a present grasped in his slightly long fingers, he walked to her, a blush gracing his cheeks probably because he realized how he lost his composure in front of the people who were once his enemies. Nerissa silently mused and wondered if Caleb's first Christmas had been like this when Phobos kneeled in front of her, a small smile playing on his lips.

"You Earthlings have a term right? Something you say during this holiday?" He questioned, his eyes shining with a happiness Nerissa never thought to be possible to see in his eyes.

Nerissa grinned at him, knowing full well that he knew the term.

"Yes." She said. "We say: Merry Christmas."

Phobos showed her the present in his hands. Her name was printed on the little box and he smiled at her.

"Merry Christmas Nerissa." He said, kissing her softly on the lips.

"Merry Christmas Phobos." She replied, accepting the gift and his kiss.

…

Andrew could feel Irma's happiness. Something must have happened while she was away. She hadn't told him where she went, but he trusted her. If it was something she wasn't ready to say it then he would wait. Now he watched how Irma was looking with mirth at the kids, almost hopping in her seat. He knew she wanted to open her own presents and it was a mystery to him why she waited. As if she was reading his thoughts, Andrew silently thanking that it was Taranee who was gifted with this power, she got up and ran to the tree.

"Move it!" She exclaimed, childish happiness ringing in her voice. "You guys had your time!"

Andrew didn't hold back his laughter as he saw how the five girls, especially their adopted daughter, looked surprised and slightly flustered at her while Irma was busy grabbing some of her own presents. Without any embarrassment she returned to her place in front of the couch, in front of him, holding a small pile of packages. She sat down and started ripping the papers, child like awing at every present. Andrew didn't feel any surprise when she was already done unpacking, Irma seemed to have an interesting ability to strip things off, paper or clothes for that matter.

He raised an eyebrow as she turned to him, mischievous sparkles shining in her eyes. Before he could do as much as to open his mouth, Irma had pulled him off the couch. He fell hard on something that seemed to be filled with air. A very annoying and embarrassing farting sound came from said cushion and Irma started giggling loudly, a sound that even after their marriage, hadn't been heard in years and which made him forget his slight annoyance as he grabbed her firmly.

"You, young lady, are a menace." He said while her eyes kept twinkling.

"I live dangerous." She replied with a grin before the two of them locked lips.

The kiss was sweet and passionate, as he traced the line of her jaw with his teeth. She only smirked and captured his lips with hers again, not willing to let go. Faintly in the background they heard Cornelia groan something about children and never growing up. Irma and Andrew broke the kiss, Irma's eyes still twinkling.

"Merry Christmas Andrew." She said, slightly breathless after the kiss.

"Merry Christmas Irma." Andrew replied with a smirk.

His smirk only grew wider as Irma turned to Cornelia, throwing a pillow at said blonde.

"You should know, Corny, that I'll never intend to grow up." She said grinning.

"Never growing up doesn't justify for creating a bigger mess than the ones allowed to do it!" Cornelia replied as she threw the pillow back.

Irma dodged the pillow and stuck out her tongue. She then returned to Andrew and kissed him once more, ignoring the blond mud queen's comments.

…

Angelo watched Cornelia rolling her eyes as she watched Irma and Andrew. He had told Will that he had never thought he would have missed the two bickering and he was glad that they were at it again. Cornelia and Irma weren't the same without their usual arguments. Cornelia could lose her fire, her temper when she was trying to out-argue Irma, a feat still being impossible to this day, and he loved to watch it. Not only did he know it was bringing her joy, but it also made him smile. At least he didn't have to fight a full tempered Cornelia back home.

He chuckled slightly at his thoughts and noticed how both Will and Cornelia looked at him. While Cornelia looked quizzically at him he could see the mischievous look in Will's eyes, telling him that she knew what he had been thinking. He silently thanked God that Caleb had grasped her chin once more and kissed her again, keeping him in the clear from a temporary attack from both his wife and best friend.

"Something funny?"

His eyes were once again captured by the beautiful blue eyes of his wife. Her eyes being as blue as the ice she loved to skate, while they were as warm as the summer she seemed to portray. He faintly recalled the enthralled look she had for many years and he only smiled at her, tipping her nose with his finger.

"Nothing. Just happy that you and Irma have one of your healthier discussions." He said with a grin, making her smile in return.

She playfully raised an eyebrow at him and she flicked his nose.

"Oh?" She said, feigning innocence. "If you're jealous then I would be more than happy to start such an 'discussion' with you, my husband."

Angelo let out a soft laugh before hugging her tight, bringing his head to her ear.

"You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" He asked, a childish tone of fear laced in his voice.

He could feel her grin as she breathed next to his ear.

"Only if you finally greet me in the way that's appropriate for this holiday."

He felt her tugging his sleeve and he looked at her. She pointed at the ceiling. A feeling of mirth filled him as he looked up. A branch of mistletoe was hanging above them, though he was sure it hadn't been there before. He glared playfully at Cornelia while she only snickered. He kissed her with every ounce of love he felt for her, without having to end it in their bedroom. Once they separated for the air that had been sucked out of each other, they looked at each other, a smile gracing their faces.

"Merry Christmas, my little Guardian." He said with a grin.

"Merry Christmas, my big Warrior." She replied.

…

"Sometimes I feel so old."

Joel had to smile at that. He watched Cassidy sighing at their friends, who were all starting to lock lips with each other. He knew Cassidy was just making a jest and the smile just became plastered on his face as she moaned loudly, making the kids look up and notice all of their parents, including Elyon, Marcus, Alchemy and Martin, snog each other. He saw how they all made a face and groaned as well, though he was quite sure that at least two of them did this only to get back at their parents for denying them to spent Christmas with their boyfriends.

He grabbed Cassidy's arms, as she tried to get a present and was also most likely to be barraged by a pile of pillows thrown by their friends, and pulled her back, preventing her from doing any more damage and also providing a bit of protection. She pouted slightly at him, almost trying to claim that he didn't allow her to have a present. Before she ever managed to finish that sentence he captivated those lips with his own, swallowing the last part of her sentence. She could complain and jest all she wanted, but she would never deny this kind of present.

Their friends of course moaning in annoyance, if only to have a small bit of revenge on Cassidy and he felt how Cassidy's smirk stopped their kiss.

"Aaaaaaaw." Their friends had chorused.

"Aaaaaaw. Shut up." Cassidy had replied with a laugh, before burying herself in him in a futile attempt to dodge a barrage of pillows.

While he was being attacked by pillows he smiled at Cassidy while a playful glare made her shrug with a grin. He could never express his gratitude to her for saving him from enthrallment and she knew it. Now he was happy to have this moment with his friends and more importantly with Cassidy.

"Merry Christmas, you old hag." He said, jesting at her actual age.

She nudged him a bit before kissing him on his nose, biting afterwards.

"Merry Christmas, my little pup." She said with a mischievous grin.

…

Nigel grinned as he threw his last pillow at Cassidy. He had just managed to discretely kiss Taranee, not wanting to hear any jests of his friends or adopted kin but he should have known Cassidy would spoil the mood.

He couldn't really blame her. He, of everyone here present, was the only one who had had his lover by his side for the whole time during the war and even after the war he had to take three months to muster up the courage to ask her for marriage. She had giggled at that, a sound he loved to hear, stating that he wasn't afraid of fighting monsters or trained ninjas but that he was actually trembling in front of her when he held up the ring. She also stated that she found him cute, a statement Nigel would normally try to fend off. He had to admit that the day of marriage had been the scariest yet happiest day of his life and he knew he would never turn back on his decision. And to spent their Christmas together with friends made him only happier, though he had to admit that his family had grown in a way he never expected. Through his marriage with Taranee he was automatically related, even though through marriages, to Angelo and by his marriage also related to Cornelia. And after the marriage of Elyon and Marcus next June he would be family of a Queen, her brother, Caleb's mother, Caleb and the actual Oracle of Kandrakar.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. He looked up to see Taranee standing in front of him with two mugs of hot chocolate. He hadn't even noticed she had gone to the kitchen to get the mugs. She handed him one with a smile and went to sit next to him, placing her head on his shoulder. He took a sip of his chocolate and then leant towards her, placing a kiss on her cheek. The chocolate that had been on his lips had left a kiss mark on her cheek, though the color seemed pale in comparison to her own chocolate skin. She cuddled some more to him.

"Merry Christmas Nigel." She said with a happy sigh.

"Merry Christmas Taranee." He replied with the same sigh.

…

Martin smiled as he looked at his wife. She was now absently trying to straighten out the wrapping paper that had been thrown carelessly on the ground. He knew of what she was thinking. It couldn't be anyone else than the one that they had been watching for ten months by now. Hay Lin. He and Alchemy had often talked about her, though it was Alchemy who voiced her concern. Alchemy had always had such a caring heart and even after all the things Hay Lin had done, her first question to him when they had left the Silver Dragon was: "Won't she be alone?" After he finally got over Irma, a feat he prized himself with, he had started to see Alchemy's better qualities. He'd always ignored her, thinking she was a combined Cornelia and Elyon. Not that he had anything against those two, but he was never attracted to them. But when Elyon left and Cornelia started to miss some classes he noticed how lonely Alchemy was. And the day when she stood up for him because the Grumpers were once again pestering him was also probably the day he fell in love with her. He'd seen how she cared for people around her, helping strangers cross the street and even bandaging a kid who'd fallen off his skateboard. She'd always seemed to care for everyone.

When the war came he was afraid Alchemy would lose her innocence, but it seemed as if the war had only given her the power to stay kind and good-willed. She loathed it if she had to kill someone and she was the one who, if she knew the man only followed orders, would bandage the enemy. That was probably the most shining aspect of her character and something Martin admired.

His thoughts fleeted away as she looked at him, her grey with green eyes looking curiously at him. He noticed he had started to play with her honey colored hair and felt a small blush creep over his cheeks. She smiled at him and took his hand. She pulled him to the tree, the smile still on her face, and picked a present. She turned to him with the present on her back, the smile now one that indicated teasing.

"Choose the right hand and you'll get your present." She said in a sing song way.

Martin smiled as he raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that the present was now in both her hands and she would keep teasing him this way. He noticed how her attention temporarily went to the ceiling and he looked too, finding a branch of mistletoe hanging above them. He grinned at her and walked forward, kissing her full on her lips while sneaking his hands behind her back, easily tricking her into letting the present go. She only glared playfully at him as he broke the kiss, holding up the present with a cocky grin.

"Cheater." She said.

"I rather call it, using your position and situation." He countered.

He then noticed that the name on the present wasn't his, both Alchemy's. She still had managed to trick him, but he was no sore loser. He gracefully bowed and held the present up for Alchemy to take.

"Merry Christmas, my sugar plum cutie." He said, adding the nickname to annoy her for a bit.

He never knew why, but every woman he met seemed to hate the nicknames he made up. Alchemy grumbled a bit before taking the present with the same grace as he presented it.

"Merry Christmas, Martin." She said, kissing him on his cheek.

…

Marcus grinned as he looked around. His friends and family were all enjoying themselves, either by kissing their better half or by ravaging on the presents. Elyon had only been sitting next to him, smiling like she usually did in the palace. It was the royal smile where the happiness seemed to lack. But when he looked at her eyes he could see he was wrong and right at the same time. In her eyes the emotions were swirling like rivers, strong and uncontrolled. Happiness and sadness were both trying to win the battle in his pretty Queen's head and he lay a soothing hand on hers.

She seemed to jerk out of her thoughts and looked at him, gratefulness showing on her face. He had never thought he would end up with the Queen of another world and if anyone would have told him he would have laughed. Now he was sitting here, with her sitting right next to him, being back on Earth since a few months. Though he had visited his brother or one of his cousins over the months, most of his time he'd spent in Metamoor. He had been learning about their culture and marveled at everything Elyon found normal. But the thing that surprised him the most was that he had proposed to Elyon not a month ago and that she'd said yes.

Even though he could not claim this Christmas as his first Christmas as husband and wife, like many of his friends could, he was still enjoying every bit of it. He looked again at Elyon and he pulled her in for a kiss, just feeling that she needed a bit more support. Maybe she was thinking about the wars she had been through or the people she had hurt. Or maybe she wondered if it was a good idea to celebrate while many still suffered. He knew something was bothering her and he wanted to take her concerns away, if just for this single day. She could worry tomorrow, and he would worry with her, but now she had to relax. He kissed her forcefully, yet gentle, on her lips and she only seemed to sigh as she deepened the kiss. He could feel her relax and knew she was grateful for him pulling her out whatever thought was haunting her. They separated again and Elyon's eyes showed only peace and happiness for the moment.

"Merry Christmas, my Queen." He said, making her giggle.

"Merry Christmas, Marcus." She replied.

He wanted to kiss her again, to feel her lips on his once more, but he noticed the mischievous look in the eyes of Will and Angelo. He turned his head, making Elyon turn hers as well, and he watched how the apparently newly dubbed devious duo got up from the couches and stepped to the Christmas tree. Under the slight pile of wrapping paper they managed to find two presents. Both were long and thin, making Marcus wonder what kind of presents it may be. They both turned to two different people, Angelo turning to Nerissa while Will turned to Elyon. Both kneeled in front said people and held up the two presents. Marcus and Elyon eyed Will cautiously while Nerissa and Phobos did the same to Angelo. Without a word Elyon slowly reached out for the present and pulled the bow. Once the bow was loosened Marcus noticed that the box was wrapped in such a way that Elyon could now easily lift the lid of the box without ripping the paper. With another suspicious look at Will she lifted the lid and Marcus felt his breath stop somewhere in his throat. It was a beautiful sword, shining a slight blue and Marcus had the weird feeling he'd seen it before. On Phobos and Nerissa's side a gasp sounded as well. He saw Elyon look surprised at Will and slowly took the sword, stuttering as she went.

"How?" She questioned. "I thought it was gone?"

Both Will and Angelo got up and grinned at each other.

"I found them after the battle. Boy did they look overused!" Will said with a grin. "I intended on giving them to you once they were repaired."

"I repaired the G-Sword, Nissa. Grandpa Joe told me how in case of his death." Angelo said with a grin.

"You intended?" Nerissa said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well…When Angelo came by to pick them up he came with the idea of hanging them in the Golden Dragon dojo and wait and see if any of you would recognize it." Will said with a grin. "But I, with all my goodwill, decided to give it to you with Christmas."

"You were the one suggesting to hang them as decoration." Angelo countered with a glare. "But I couldn't let these swords rot away as decorative items."

Elyon and Nerissa both laughed, the others snickering as well.

"We're both of you grateful." Elyon said. "I'm just happy my family heirloom survived the latest battle."

"And I'm happy that I still got a reminder of Joe. Thank you both." Nerissa said, tears in her eyes.

The day seemed to pass quickly and soon evening came. They had gone to the slopes of Heatherfield to have some healthy winter fun and for Caleb and Phobos to proof who better mummerboarder, only to have Angelo win their race. Now they were again sitting in Irma's house. Cornelia, together with Irma, Joel and Nerissa, had started to cook dinner while the men were in some heavy discussion about several things, from politics to cars and swords. Taranee and Will had sat themselves in the couch, both reading a book, while Elyon and Alchemy were trying to catch up. Cassidy had disappeared for the moment, though no one seemed to be very concerned. Georgi was playing her flute, trying some new songs from her new song book while Ilana was painting and Ehren and Edeline were playing a videogame.

Natasha slowly advanced on the group of men, meaning to pluck Angelo from the group to have a short conversation.

"Uncle Angelo, can I talk to you for a bit?" She asked, interrupting the current topic on cars.

Angelo looked surprised at her and nodded, gesturing the guys that he would return. She led him away to hallway and took a deep breath. Angelo only raised his eyebrow, wondering what Natasha would ask him what she didn't want to discuss with Will.

"What's wrong Natasha?" He asked. "Is this about Terry?"

Natasha blushed at his words, confirming his suspicions. Will had made it clear that none of the adults were allowed to spoil the surprise and he had the faint feeling that this was also the reason why Natasha spoke with him instead of Will or Caleb.

"Well..You see…" Natasha started slowly. "When aunt Irma and uncle Andrew came to visit they got into a conversation with mum and dad. And well, they were talking about relationships. Over how funny it was how you ended up with aunt Cornelia after having dated my mum and aunt Irma. And that the same happened with grandma Nerissa and your grandfather. And now…I…"

"You're scared you will lose Terry?" Angelo finished for her.

She nodded sadly and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If one thing is true from what happened to mine generation and the previous one, is that you'll always stay friends with him." He said reassuringly.

"But what if we break up? What if he starts dating Ehren? And if he ends up with Edeline?" Natasha asked fearfully.

"How much do you care for Terry?" He asked her calmly.

"A lot." Natasha said, blushing slightly. "I really care about him."

"Then stop your worries. If the two of you are meant for each other, you'll end up with him." Angelo told her reassuringly. "Don't let what happened to me and your mom and grandma have any effect on your love life. Besides, Will and I broke up because we thought a long distance relationship wouldn't work out."

"Really?" Natasha asked curiously.

"Really." Angelo replied with a grin. "Now off you go, the girls will be wondering where you are."

Natasha hugged him before running back into the room. Angelo looked through a window of the hallway and smiled. He had known that would happen and he was glad he could calm her down. Next to the fact that Terry had been asking him about this a week ago.

"That was some good advice you gave Natasha there."

Angelo turned around to see Will leaning against the doorpost of the hallway, her arms crossed. Angelo just shrugged in return as he walked up to her.

"I only told her what she needed to know." He said. "Nothing more."

"That's very Oracle like of you." Will said with a grin. "You trying to take my job?"

"Oh heck no!" Angelo said with a grin. "You can keep that job! Way too much stress for me."

Will laughed at that, though her grin was slowly weakening.

"It has its moments." She admitted. "But I wonder. If you and I had tried our hand at a long distance relationship, do you think that we'd be together right now?"

Angelo shrugged.

"Maybe in a different universe." He said with a grin. "But then again, things happen for a reason."

"Amen to that." Will said with a grin as she walked away.

"Amen indeed." Angelo said as he followed her.

They were barely in the living room when a voice rang from outside.

"Hey you guys! I hope the orgy is over cause we're coming in!"

Angelo felt a blush creep over his cheeks as he glared at the person who opened the door. A grinning Cassidy walked inside and smiled at all of them, while Cornelia, Irma, Joel and Nerissa walked out of the kitchen.

"Girl one more sex joke and I believe you'll find your head in the snow." Irma threatened, even though she smiled.

Cassidy held her hands up in defense.

"Okay okay. I'll just wait till New Year's Eve." She said with a grin.

"Where were you anyway mom?" Ilana asked curiously.

"Ah, well…After begging and pleading I finally said yes to…" Cassidy started but stopped when Will cleared her throat. Cassidy shot her smile before starting again.

"I got a handy dandy stone to create some folds. To visit old friends and stuff, you know?" Cassidy said with a grin, glancing at Will. "And while I was at it I met some people. People I wanted to introduce to you guys. Their parents couldn't come but the two guys were very eager to visit, wonder why…"

Cassidy stepped aside to show two boys and a girl standing behind her. One had blue shaggy hair and grey eyes, dressed in rather medieval clothes while the other had brown eyes, dark skin color and his black hair was done in short dreadlocks while being dressed in normal clothes. The girl had the same skin tone as the boy with dreadlocks and was dressed the same way. Her black hair was done in a high ponytail.

"Maqi?" Edeline said surprised.

"Terry, Kerry?" Natasha added, feeling as surprised as Edeline.

The two ran to their boyfriends and hugged them closely. Kerry smiled at them before interrupting the rather cute moment.

"And I'm an elf of Santa Claus, happy to meet you!" She said with a grin.

Though this made every adult laugh and almost everyone of G.E.N.I.E. glare at her she was still hugged by Natasha.

"Why are you guys here?" She asked.

"Your mom. She gave us permission to come and visit, after having a deep and long argument with our parents." Terry said with a grin.

Natasha turned around and ran at Will, hugging her closely.

"Thanks mom." She said.

Will smiled at her and hugged her back.

"That's the least I could do for the work you guys have done." She said. "And Natasha, merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!" Natasha said before turning back to Terry.

This was truly the best Christmas ever.

[A/N] That was it! Though it a bit late and all I still wanted to finish it. Maybe the last bit a bit over the top but I thought that at least Edeline and Natasha could snog as well, don't you think? Lexvan, thanks for the idea. Anyway, people a Happy New Year and don't forget to REVIEW!