"Come here Chica, come here girl!"

Chica was running as fast as she could through a snowy field of giant candy canes, toward the voice of her bestest friend Mark. Chica lept over a bushel of wild muffins and dodged a robot in a scuba diving suit, only to find Mark in the mouth of a big bear with a top hat.

"Help me, Chica!" he cried

Nobody hurts Chica's friend. Chica dashed at the bear before jumping on it and knocking it down. Chica put her paw in the bear's mouth and grabbed Mark's hand, pulling him out.

The bear ran for the snow covered candy canes, Chica barking a warning after it to stay away from her pal in the future. Mark scratched behind Chica's ear.

"You are the best pup" he told her, it always made her happy when he said stuff like that.

"Oh bother!" exclaimed a strange voice from far away. Was it the bear? thought Chica

Chica braced herself to protect Mark again.

"Why is it always the gamers?" the same voice sighed

Chica opened her eyes stirring from her dream. She was in her bed and it was dark inside the house. Chica could tell that she wasn't alone in the lounge. Someone was moving around. Mark?

"Borf?" Chica asked quietly

"No, no it's just me" assured the strange voice that woke Chica.

Stranger? in the house? Chica thought. She had to protect Mark.

"Bark!, Ruff! Bark!" she shouted

"Hush" said the stranger, his voice was soothing, like the bubbly baths Mark put her in to get clean.

"You might wake Mark" the stranger noted

The stranger knew Mark? thought Chica, Who was he?

"Whoof?" Chica asked

"Oh me? I might have to put on the light for this..."

The stranger fumbled for a few moments before finding a lamp and switching it on. The room filled with light, revealing the stranger to be a little round man in a red outfit with a big fluffy beard.

"I'm Santa" the stranger announced

Satan? Chica had heard of this person, she shouted "Ruff, Ruff" and eyed him, suspiciously.

"No, not Satan, Santa, Santa Claus" Santa corrected

Chica had heard of Santa Claus, Mark was always talking about the good beardy friend that brings them both gifts every year. Chica thought it was odd but cool. Chica wanted presents.

"Bork, Bork" said Chica quietly

"Yes, of course I have something for you, Chica"

Santa went over to the fireplace, Chica didn't even know that they had a fireplace. The strange man put his hand up it and grabbed something, he tried pulling it down but it seemed to be stuck.

"Almost got it..." Santa announced "This chimney gets smaller every time I use it"

Finally Santa was able to wriggle it down, revealing the thing to be a big red and green cloth bag. Presents! Thought Chica.

Santa rummaged through the bag, Carefully examining the gifts inside.

"Heather, Carly, Lewis, Victoria, Jodie..." he rattled off unfamiliar names

"Ah ha!" Santa almost shouted, before remembering the sleeping Mark upstairs and lowering his voice again.

Santa pulled two things out of his bag and placed them down by the Christmas tree.

"Mark and Chica"

The presents were wrapped in gold paper and had big red bows on them. Chica couldn't wait to find out what her presents were but she'd have to wait until Mark woke up.

Santa noticed that the nearby coffee table had a large paper bag and eight carrots on it. Beside them was a note.

Santa read aloud, well more in a whisper.

"Dear Papa Claus

I hope your night is going well. Thank you for last year's presents, my Ed Sheeran guitar picks are awesome and Chica loves her Marky Moo chew toy"

That chew toy was Chica's favorite, she enjoyed giving it a good squish.

"So we decided as a token of our thanks to give you a present. We went to Cracker Barrel and picked you up a Maple Jam N Bacon Burger with extra fries. On the way back we stopped at Bex Farm in Thousand Oaks to pick up some carrots for your buddies on the roof.

Happy holidays

Mark

P.S

You know when I was ten and you didn't bring me Donkey Kong 64, what was that about?

P.P.S

I mean never mind it's cool"

Santa chuckled and gave Chica a pat on the head.

"That year I had a bit of a mix up at the factory, James Rolfe got Donkey Kong 64 and Mark got the latest Metal Jukebox album, Mark was confused but both enjoyed their presents"

Santa gave a passing glance at the presents under the tree and smiled, he looked back at Chica.

"Happy holidays, my friend"

Chica licked his hand as a thank you before adding "Bork, Boof, Woof" - which in Dog language meant "You too friendo"

With that, Santa lifted his bag over his back, picked up his Cracker Barrel food and the carrots for the Reindeer and ran toward the fireplace. The fireplace swallowed him whole and disappeared leaving only the wall behind it. On the roof, Chica heard the sound of hoofs clippity clopping and Santa laughing merrily.