Substitute Santa
By: Miss Raye
Christmas Eve – General Hospital – Port Charles
Epiphany knew things weren't going to go smoothly the instant she opened the locker room door. She took one sniff and turned her head over her shoulder and called over to the desk. "Robin, we have a problem!"
Doctor Robin Scorpio was used to any number of dangerous situations, having lived in Port Charles for most of her life, but she had never quiet seen 'this' before. "Chuck? What's wrong?"
"Chuck," Epiphany wryly provided, "up-chucked all over our floor."
The young maintenance man lifted his head and tried to smile. "I'm real sorry 'bout that. I felt all right this morning, but once I got here I… I dunno… I just felt sick to my stomach." He tried to brighten. "But don't you worry, Robin… I'll be all right for the party."
Robin held up her hands to ward off the thought. "No… no way, Chuck. First thing, you're going to Emergency so someone can examine you and the second thing," she looked at Epiphany, "I'm going to need to find another Santa Claus."
Jason Morgan was always on the lookout for an ambush, even in General Hospital, too many things had happened there for him to be completely at ease. Just a few steps into the Administration wing and he was put out of his misery. "Jason, there you are."
He was surprised at the easy way a smile curved at the corners of his mouth. "Monica."
She reached out hesitantly and touched his arm. "I know you have other places to be but I'm glad you took the time to come and see me."
"You called."
Monica smiled. "Always so practical. Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you'd like to have dinner with me some night. At the Metro Court… or somewhere else… wherever you'd like." She blushed a little, embarrassed. "I would just like to… talk, if that's all right."
Jason saw the tension in the way she held herself, heard it in the tone of her voice.
He knew how hard it was for her to ask.
"I miss him, too." He saw the surprise in her expression and the way she wiped at the corner of her eye. "I-"
"Jason!" Robin stepped off the elevator and nearly knocked him over. "Thank God you're here!"
Cornered in the locker room, the air thick with industrial strength Lysol, Jason Morgan stared at his friend and wondered just when she'd lost her mind.
"You want me to-"
"Save my life, please!"
He lifted the Santa Suit in his hand and stared at it as if it was a snake. "No one in their right minds would believe that I'm Santa."
Robin rolled her eyes. "They're kids, Jason… hopped up on sugary candy and the excitement of the season… they're not in their right minds!"
He held up the jacket to his body and shook his head, unconvinced.
"That's not the whole suit, Santa." Epiphany walked in with a pillow in her hands. "We can't do a thing about those rock hard thighs of yours but this should hide those abs, or at least keep those children from injuring themselves." She tossed it at him and winked.
Jason turned it over and saw the elastic bands sewn onto it on either side. Looking from one woman to the other he sighed. "How long do I have to wear this?"
The line of children waiting to sit on Santa's lap just never seemed to end. They all took their turns and talked and talked and talked and talked. Jason braved his way through it all, knowing that it was a small sacrifice to make for a friend.
Robin was enjoying herself a little too much and she was wondering if she should feel bad about how 'much' she was enjoying it until Epiphany elbowed her and asked, "Should I make some popcorn?"
Shaking her head Robin smiled. "He looks like he's having 'some' fun."
"Some," Ephiphay laughed, "he's been climbed on, kicked in the… jewels, and slobbered on by babies and it's still hard to believe that no one has taken a look at those baby blues and those muscular arms and 'not' known that it's-"
"Jason Morgan, please…" Carly growled into her phone a few feet away, "what do you mean he's not there, Max? He hasn't answered his phone and I know he'd want to be here with Michael and Morgan at the Christmas party… well you find him and you tell him that I'm wait- what do you mean you have other things to do?"
Epiphany and Robin moved away, hoping to distance themselves as far as they could from Mt. St. Carly before she blew. They barely missed Elizabeth Webber as she stepped off of the elevator with Cameron and Jake.
"Okay, here we are," she managed to huff the words out between each frantic breath. Her grams wasn't up to attending the party this year and had opted to stay at home, leaving Elizabeth to rush to the party, late. "So, let's make sure we're on our best behavior for,-"
The instant Cameron saw the other children from day care he was off like a shot.
"Santa." Elizabeth leaned her forehead against Jake's and gave her younger son a smile. "I'm just glad you're not old enough to go running around like Cameron."
He gazed back at her with his solemn blue eyes.
"But, you'll be there before I know it huh?"
"That's what happens, you know?" Epiphany ruffled Jake's hair and smiled at her friend. "They grow up before you know it and suddenly all you want is to hold them tight and never let go."
Elizabeth nodded. "Exactly. The day Cameron just ran straight into day care without even looking back at me I cried through two of my breaks."
Arching an eyebrow Epiphany sighed. "I remember."
"Sorry," Elizabeth blushed a bit, "of course you do."
Robin waded through the mob of toddlers and touched Cameron on the head. "Hey there, buddy."
"Hiya, Aunty Robin!" She couldn't help but smile at his big bright grin.
"Looks like Santa has a short line about now, what do you say we get your brother and-"
Cameron was on his feet and dragging her toward Elizabeth a moment later. "Mama?"
Elizabeth looked down at her oldest son. "What is it, honey?"
"Aunty Robin's taking us to see Santa!"
"She is, is she?" Elizabeth looked at Robin for confirmation. Cameron was known for talking pretty women into all kinds of things.
Robin reached out for Jake. "Looks like a short line for Santa, right now and I think we ought to make a run for the line while there's no waiting."
Elizabeth was grateful for the help and handed Jake into Robin's waiting arms. She watched as the two little boys that owned her heart walk over to Santa Claus.
Jason felt something in his chest tighten as Robin walked over with Cameron and Jake. He looked past them at Elizabeth standing beside Epiphany and he was suddenly a little short of breath. The practical side of him said the suit was too tight, the padding too high on his neck.
The honest side of him said it was… was it was. He missed seeing them. He missed touching them. And thanks to Robin he had a chance to see them on Christmas Eve.
Cameron climbed right on up into his lap and smiled. "Hi, Santa!"
"Hey , Cameron."
Wide-eyed, the little boy gaped back at him. "You know my name!"
Jason smiled behind the itchy fake beard. "Of course I do. Isn't that my job?"
Cameron nodded like the little expert that he was. "Yep, just like you got me my Chuggin' Charlie last year… Mama said you knew it was what I wanted, so I guess you'd know my name."
Jason nodded in agreement and looked up in surprise as Robin set Jake on his other knee and stepped away. He was vaguely aware of someone snapping a picture but he didn't care. Jake held his attention, the child's blue eyes watched him with open curiosity.
"Hey, Jake."
"See?" Cameron crowed. "You know his name too!"
"Yeah," Jason knew his voice was barely a whisper, "I know his name too." He drew in a shaky breath and looked from one boy to the other. "So, what should I bring you both tonight when I stop by your house with my reindeer?"
Jake turned to look at Cameron and a silent moment passed between the two boys as though they spoke volumes without saying a word.
"I dunno," Cameron hedged, his own voice softening as he dipped his gaze, "it's kinda hard."
Jake lifted his hand and touched the side of Jason's face just above where the beard hooked over his ear and at that moment Jason was half a second away from ripping the silly thing off just so he could feel Jake's hand a little more. Instead he lowered his head a little to coax Cameron into looking at him.
"Go ahead and give me it a try. I might surprise you."
Cameron looked at Jake and again the two carried on their own little silent conversation with their eyes. "It's not really a toy or somethin' stupid like that." He looked at Jason. "It's not even for us."
Jason lifted his head and regarded the little boy with a curious look. At a time when most children had lists of toys as long as their arms… Michael and Morgan, especially… Cameron had something else on his mind and Jason made up his mind that no matter what it took to make it happen, he'd do it.
"Go ahead," he encouraged Cameron to continue, "I know you've both been really good boys this year." And they had… between the hell that had happened to them because of Sam and Lucky's anger and frustration, if there were two boys that needed a special Christmas… it was Cameron and Jake.
"Mama." The word came from Jake and it was full of such worry and longing that anyone would have heard the message loud and clear.
"What," Jason had to force himself to breathe, "what about your Mama?"
Cameron took the cue from his younger brother. "We want something for Mama."
Monica stepped off the elevator and saw the heartwarming scene by the tree. She was suddenly frozen in place as she watched Jason with Elizabeth's children.
"Hello, Monica… Merry Christmas!" Elizabeth wrapped her arms around the startled woman and gave her a hug.
Robin had rejoined the small gathering in the corner handing cups of hot cocoa to everyone. "I'm so glad 'Santa' had an opening to see the boys, Elizabeth."
"Me too," the young surgical nurse blew out a relieved breath, "that's all I heard all the way here… Santa this… and Santa that… after last year and the Chuggin' Charlie miracle, I don't know what Santa's going to do to top it this year."
Monica was curious. "Chuggin' Charlie?"
Epiphany stepped in to help. "Cameron's must-have toy last year. Elizabeth and Audrey drove themselves crazy looking for it… by the way," she turned a curious look right back on the young mother, "how 'did' you find one on Christmas Eve?"
"Umm," Elizabeth felt a little silly saying any of this in front of Monica but she 'had' brought up the subject, "I was on the phone with one really grumpy salesperson who had just sold the one he'd promised me when I saw this 'thing' out of the corner of my eye on the docks."
Robin grinned, knowing where this was going. "Chuggin' Charlie made a 'magical appearance'?"
Elizabeth blushed a little, her cheeks flushed with pink. "Jason had heard me talking to Epiphany and somehow… he'd found one and put a tag on it saying it for Cameron from Santa, can you believe it?"
Monica looked over Elizabeth's shoulder and fought the tears that threatened to fall. "I'm beginning to."
Jason swallowed and shook his head to clear his thoughts. "You want something for Elizabeth?"
Cameron nodded and turned to Jake. "See? He knows Mama's name." Turning back to Santa he continued. "Mama's been so sad. She smiles for us and makes us laugh, but she misses Aunt Emily a lot."
Nodding, Jason let Cameron continue only because he couldn't find his voice to speak.
"But Aunt Emily's an angel now and we can't see her anymore." Jason opened his mouth to say something but Cameron continued on. "But what she really needs is Jason."
Jake nodded, his little hand fisting in the front of Santa's suit as his eyes stared straight at their substitute Santa.
Cameron continued on. "Jason makes her happy. Jason makes 'us' happy." He pointed to Jake and then himself. "We think if you could bring Jason to Mama for Christmas everything would be gre-"
He didn't get to finish his reasoning or even his word, Santa was up on his feet, Jake in one arm Cameron in the other. He paused only long enough beside Elizabeth to utter three words and then they all stepped into an elevator.
As Monica looked after them she struggled to recall what exactly Jason had said to Elizabeth in that moment, but what he said didn't matter so much as the fact that she had gone with him.
"Oh My God," one of the orderlies ran into the staff lounge and gasped in a breath, "Elizabeth Webber was just kidnapped by Santa Claus!" She looked from Robin to Epiphany to Monica with wide eyes. "This huge black SUV pulled up outside and Elizabeth and the boys climbed in with… with… Santa! Should I call police or security?"
Monica grinned and shook head. "Neither… it's all a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding? Hell!" Epiphany smiled from ear to ear. "I'd say it's about damn time."
The co-pilot walked quietly through the cabin and stopped beside the leather couch. He bent over and lowered his voice. "We'll be landing in a little less than an hour. There's a car waiting for you at the hangar and the staff has nearly finished airing out the villa."
Jason nodded and the man disappeared back into the cockpit. Sprawled out on the floor of the plane, padded by a bunch of thick blankets and pillows, Cameron and Jake slept peacefully as the world spun away beneath them.
Elizabeth was curled up against Jason's side, her hand tucked in through the front of his Santa suit. She roused a bit as he brushed a kiss on her forehead. Blinking back her exhaustion she looked up at him in the dim interior of the plane and returned his smile. "It's a little early for a Christmas present."
He shook his head. "Taking you to Italy isn't about Christmas." He raised his hand and brushed back her curls, threading his fingers through her hair and letting the silk of it brush over his palm. "It's something I should have done years ago."
The speaker in the cabin crackled to life and a hushed voice announced. "Sorry to bother, folks, but we've just crossed over into another time zone so I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas."
Jason looked over at his watch and nodded. It was indeed Christmas morning in Italy. He looked down at Elizabeth and wondered. "What do you want for Christmas?"
She moved up beside him on the couch, her hands framing his face as she pressed a warm kiss to his lips. "I've got everything I want right here."
He shifted, his arm pulling her closer. "Me too."