It was a few days before Christmas and a little boy was excited to see what present his mother had got him. Plus he had been allowed a friend over, plus his cousin who was staying too.
"Better be on your best behavior for Santa, kid." The cousin smirked playfully as she knelt beside the boy by the Christmas tree before they would all go to bed.
"I will," the boy smiled to his cousin. It was five days before Christmas and he was having a friend over right until after Christmas. "Emmy will be too." he smiled.
His friend, who was a little girl called Emmy, looked over from where she was sitting. "'Course I will." she said quietly. She didn't sit in the fray with everyone as she didn't really want to intrude though she had been told she would be part of the family for this week at least.
"Ah, yes, Christmas is a very magical time of year," The older girl agreed, even if she was too old to believe in certain holiday things such as Santa Claus and his reindeer, but she often did it just for the younger ones. "I'm glad you're also joining us, Emmy. Auntie loves your visits."
The boy smiled and nodded to Emmy. Emmy gave a shy smile, tucking her sandy blonde hair behind her ears shyly.
"Gloria, could you come help me, please?" The boy's mother called out.
"My name is Graphite..." The gothic young teen muttered to herself before calling back to her aunt to help her out. "Coming!"
The boy came and sat beside his friend. "Later, we can sneak down to the basement and peek at our gifts." he whispered to her.
Emmy looked to him and gave a small nod, not wanting to upset her friend. The girl helped out her aunt as they came back into the living room with more decorations, though a plate of cookies for the kids to snack on.
"I hope you kids aren't sneaking a peek at the gifts that Santa helped Mommy bring~" The woman giggled as she held out the plate for her son and his friend to take one cookie each.
"No, Mommy," The boy said. He then smiled and took a cookie. "Thank you." he told her.
Emmy took one of the cookies too. "Thank you, ma'am." she said as she then took a nibble of the cookie.
"You are both very welcome," The woman giggled. "Gloria, you may have one too."
"Thanks, Auntie." Graphite replied, putting up with her birth name which her aunt still called her even after she changed her personality last year, though not too dramatically.
The boy ate his cookie happily. Emmy neatly nibbled on her cookie. She made sure she didn't spill any crumbs. The woman gave a silvery laugh as she went back into the kitchen. Graphite rolled her eyes, but seeing the kids having a good time made her smile herself. The boy smiled happily.
Emmy twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she nibbled her cookie. "Graphy?" She asked quietly.
"Yes, Emmy?" Graphite replied to Emmy politely.
"Do you think Santa would still get me a present?" Emmy asked her quietly. This was the closest to a family holiday she had gotten in two years.
"I'm sure he will, Emmy," Graphite smiled down to the girl. "After all, you've been sweeter than these cookies for him all year~"
Emmy blushed but gave a smile and a giggle.
"If he doesn't, then we can write him a letter." the boy assured, hoping to keep Emmy cheered up.
"That work out," Graphite replied. "When I was your age, my friends and I always wrote letters to Santa before Christmas Eve."
Emmy gave a small, but brighter smile.
"Yeah, tomorrow we'll write a letter to Santa for you." The boy smiled.
"Aw, you'd do that for me, kiddo?" Graphite cooed before smirking as she playfully ruffled up the boy's hair. "You're really startin' to grow on me, kiddo."
Emmy giggled.
"Agh, Graphy!" The boy complained.
"Sorry, Charlie~" Graphite smirked playfully to her little cousin. "You know the rules, and so do I~"
Emmy watched, still giggling.
"Graphy~" Charlie complained, but was smiling.
"Okay, I'll stop~" Graphite giggled as she soon let go of her little cousin, teasing him, though never actually bullying him. "Merry Christmas, Pipsqueak."
"It's not Christmas Day yet." Charlie teased back.
"It's always Christmas when I'm here." Graphite smirked.
Charlie stuck his tongue out playfully. Emmy, by now, was hiding her face with a cushion and giggling away.
"Gloria!" Charlie's mother called.
Graphite rolled her eyes to her aunt's calls, but soon went off to help her aunt again. "Coming!"
"So tonight, after everyone is asleep." Charlie whispered.
Emmy calmed down and though unsure, nodded.
Later on that night, Graphite looked at the beautiful Christmas tree as it always made her feel happy, even if she was dark and gloomy nowadays, but just the sights and sounds of the happy holiday always made her filled with childlike glee and wonder. She also knew that Charlie would love his gift this year as it was quite the talk of the neighborhood. Charlie and Emmy were currently in bed, going to sleep until midnight when everybody should be asleep.
Graphite checked up on Charlie and Emmy, she gave a small smile as they were fast asleep. "Good night, little tykes." She whispered before gently shutting their door and then went to get to sleep herself.
At around midnight, Charlie woke up and woke Emmy up too. He held the torch and then led her towards the basement where the big presents were kept. Emmy tiptoed after him, hoping they wouldn't get caught and into trouble. Graphite lightly snored as she was fast asleep, not knowing what her cousin and his friend were up to. There were light noises of footsteps from the kids which would hopefully not wake up Graphite or the mother. Charlie smiled excitedly and led her down to the basement. Emmy looked nervous as they went into the darker basement.
There was one wrapped present on a small table beside a stocking and another present was on the floor beside the table. Charlie read the labels and then unwrapped his present.
Emmy opened her one carefully too, so it could be rewrapped. "Oh, a Mama Tattletail." she quietly gasped.
'Me Tattletail, me love you~' The toy spoke. 'Haaaappy Birthday!'
Charlie smiled. "A Tattletail." he grinned.
Emmy looked at the Mama Tattletail and smiled, hugging it.
'Play nice for meeee!' Charlie's Tattletail told him.
Charlie decided to play a little with the Tattletail and took it to charge, eat and get it groomed. Emmy couldn't carry the Mama Tattletail around, but stayed downstairs with it.
'Come to Mama~' Mama Tattletail told Emmy.
"Hello, Mama." Emmy smiled, sitting politely in front of the tape playing 'toy'.
"Would you like to play a game?' Mama Tattletail asked Emmy.
"Ummm... Okay." Emmy thought a moment, then agreed.
'What is your name?' Mama Tattletail asked Emmy.
"I'm Emmy." Emmy smiled to Mama Tattletail.
'I can make bad people go away, Emmy...' Mama Tattletail told the girl. 'Does anyone hurt you?'
"The other kids and the staff are mean to me, only the ones here are nice to me." Emmy said softly.
'I can make bad people go away, Emmy...' Mama Tattletail told Emmy.
"Really, Mama?" Emmy asked, hopefully.
'Whatever will make you happy, Emmy.' Mama Tattletail promised.
Emmy hugged the Mama Tattletail.
'I love you, Emmy.' Mama Tattletail told Emmy, though her eyes seemed to glow from the hug.
"I love you too." Emmy assured, not noticing the glow.
'We will be best friends forever and ever and ever~...' Mama Tattletail told Emmy.
Emmy nodded. "Uh-huh." she agreed, though getting quite sleepy.
'You must sleep now, we will play again soon~' Mama Tattletail told Emmy.
"Okay, Mama, I'll have ta wrap you back up, but I'll uncover you again tomorrow." Emmy promised, sleepily, but awake enough to mean it.
'Sweet dreams, my dear friend...' Mama Tattletail told Emmy.
Emmy gave Mama Tattletail one last cuddle then wrapped her back up too. "Night night." she said quietly, then went upstairs with Charlie to go back to bed.
'Sweet dreams, my child~' Mama Tattletail told Emmy.
Charlie glanced to check on if Graphite and his mom were asleep still. Tattletail kept on asking Charlie about giving him some treats, becoming louder with each demand.
"Charlie...?" Graphite's voice asked wearily and tiredly.
"Shh..." Charlie whispered gently to the Tattletail and hid it behind his back as he looked to Graphite's door. "Just getting a glass of water." he said.
Graphite nodded and yawned, cupping her mouth as she then went off back into her room and shut the door behind her as Tattletail whined and cried to Charlie.
"It's alright Tattletail, I love you, but I opened you early to play with you, so I can't show you yet." Charlie soothed the Tattletail.
'Give me a treat!' Tattletail told Charlie.
Charlie went to the fridge to get him something to eat.
'Want a snack!' Tattletail kept telling Charlie, seeming to get louder with every plea.
"Here." Charlie told him and fed him.
'Me love you!' Tattletail giggled while jerking with its blinking eyes. 'Play time for me!'
Charlie smiled and played with his Tattletail.
Tattletail giggled loudly and had fun with Charlie even though it was just a toy before looking slow. 'Me tired...'
"Alright, I'll charge you up before I have to put you back." Charlie said softly, and took Tattletail back to the basement.
'Me sleepy! Me sleepy! Me sleepy!' Tattletail told Charlie.
Charlie charged up his Tattletail.
'It's dark!' Tattletail piped up.
Charlie shook his light to make it less dark. "Bedtime, Tattletail." he said softly.
'Back in bed...' Tattletail replied.
Charlie took the Tattletail back to its box and put it away and wrapped it back up.
'Night, night~' Tattletail told Charlie before going to sleep.
Charlie went back to his room with Emmy and then fell straight into bed and asleep. Emmy did the same thing. Graphite came up for a glass of water, she glanced all around, but was too tired to react or focus on anything else as she went back to her own room for the night, though she had a chill down her spine for some reason.