December 24th, or whatever day it is for Halkeginia. Saito looked out the window to his and Louise's room at the academy. Snow covered the yard where the nobility of the school would generally sit to have discussions he truly did not care about. He looked at the clock and saw it was past noon. Only one thought ran through the Japanese boy and it is of tomorrow's date.

"Christmas is tomorrow, I wonder how mother and father will celebrate it." Saito asked himself, staring out to the falling flakes of ice. "Sadly Halkeginia does not have such a holiday, nor would I expect one, Santa Claus does not exist in this world."

Saito continued to look out to the winter beauty, thinking. He knew the spirit of Christmas, that of giving to those you love and spend time with them, hardly existed in the realms of those of higher regards. He also knew that not everyone was cold-hearted but to actually spend the time out of their lives for just one day, inconceivable.

"That settles it," Saito rose up with renewed life in his body. "If no one in this world knows about such a wonderful holiday, then I will just have to introduce it myself." He walked over to the desk Louise did her homework on. The boy grabbed a slip of paper and a feather. "But first…"

Colbert sat in his studies, researching about specific formulas that pertained to the next lesson. He took a sip of his tea when the door to his room received a knock. "Come in." He spoke and saw the is as Saito. "Hello Saito, how is your morning?"

"That will largely depend on if you say yes."

"Okay, what might I help you with?"

Saito took a deep breath, signaling to the teacher this was a big favor. "Well… I was hoping that you might help me with a project."

"And what would that project require?"

"I need some gold to make a costume."

"Done."

The boy's expression uttered the definition of shock, confusion, and happiness all at once. "But, I didn't even say what it was for?"

"True, but I imagine that if you would come to me instead of your master for finances, it must be something special that she cannot see. With that mindset, I will gladly help; I would however like to know what you are planning?" The teacher said as Saito took a breath of relief.

"Well, on my home world, tomorrow is a special event. The event has it where friends and love ones come together to spend time as one. They also give presents to each other. The moral is the spirit of giving to others and other things in that nature."

"Very interesting. Alright, you have my support, how much do you need?"

"As much as it takes to make a red and white suit along with by some nice gifts."

The dark night set on the world of Halkeginia as every student went to go to sleep for the evening, wearing of the next day of study at the academy. What they did not expect is a certain familiar to be dressed for a non-existence holiday in a shack on the school grounds.

On the table in the center of the room laid a sword, who was voicing his opinion on the matter. "Partner, are you sure this is wise, sneaking into the rooms of students like this; more so dressed in a ridiculous outfit such as that?"

"Hey, I think it looks nice on me Derf, especially since the woman who made it had to go off a picture of an outfit that she most likely has never seen before." Saito responded, feeling insulted by his supposed friend. "Besides, the tale goes that Old Saint Nick used to ride on a sleigh with reindeer pulling it along on the night sky and go through chimneys to deliver the goods. Well, since we are not that rich, the rooms have no chimneys and we barely got everything we needed," Saito motioned to a large red bag sitting in the corner of the shack. "we just have to do the next best thing."

"And what might that be?"

"Climb through the windows."

"You know that we could just ask Sylphid to help up to the windows, correct? I am sure she would understand."

"As much as I would love to make our job easier, we can't risk her telling Tabitha about this little mission. We'll just have to do it ourselves." Saito rose from his seat and grabbed the hat and placed it on his ebony hair head. "Well Derf, I suppose it is high time we start this little event. Who should we deliver the first present for first?"

The talking sword just laid there, not able to move on his own with the exception of popping out of the scabbard to talk. "Tabitha would be a good start. She along with Louise does not have a familiar guarding them. Siesta would probably be next and so on. Kirche should be one of the last due to Flame and same with Guiche."

"But Siesta always sleeps in the same room as me and Louise, wouldn't that lead to trouble?"

"Yes, that would lead to much more trouble."

"So… last for those two?"

"Last, going any time before will wake the school up and ruin any chances of you getting the other presents in stealthily if Louise catches us. At least with the others if you get caught, you could maybe reason with them without making the school go on high alert."

"Comforting as always Derf," Saito grabbed the sword and strapped him on his back and started walking to the bag. "Interested on what I got everyone?"

"Honestly, not really."

"So cold, much like Tabitha's spells. I'll tell anyway, ill just grab her's while on the topic." Saito plunged his head into the crimson bag to retrieve the first of many treats to come. "Here we are." He pulled out of the bag along with a small box.

"And what is in it?"

"A necklace with a gem that symbolize ice. Supposedly the store owner had them on sale along with other variations and said they were quite rare."

"You do remember the sword Kirche got you last time correct?"

"I know, I know, which is why I asked if someone could take a look at them before hand. Long story short since we don't have much time, these are real gems for the specific element they represent. Tabitha will get an ice, Kirche a fire, Guiche an earth, and so on."

"What about Henrietta? I imagine you would not have left her out?"

"Actually, I already dealt with that."

Saito was walking casually through the capital city towards the royal castle. Two guards briefly looked at the male and noticed the chevalier cloak, signaling that he is of importance. The two opened the doors for the commoner as he made his way towards the area her bodyguard would most likely be stationed, right next to her majesty.

He walked up to the door and pressed his ear against the closed chambers to hear a heated debate going on. Under any other circumstance he would just walk in and be as he is, however time is against him so he did the next best thing with the options under his control. Be creative in this world..

"Pizza delivery!"

Saito shouted and sure enough, the door opened to reveal Agnes herself. Before she could say anything, Saito shoved the box into her hands and told her to read the note on top for details. Afterwords, the guy bolted from the woman towards the nearest horse he could catch to get back to the academy before sunset.

Agnes stood there for a moment before looking down at the note. "Deliver this to Henrietta. In the event of this being shoved to you and me running off, it is because of a lack of time. Also, she is not allowed to open it until tomorrow morning. This is a tradition back in my world, place see it done. Thanks, Saito." The woman spoke as she read the note on top of the present, more confused than before.

"Partner, you are an interesting character."

"Thank you?" Saito said, confused on how his sword just realized this. "Anywho, it is time we start this adventure." He grabbed the bag with his right hand and threw it over his shoulder. Saito took the present and placed it into his Christmas coat pocket with his left hand.

He opened the door to have the icy wind blow on his face. He blinked a few times before forcing his body forward. After trending in the snow for a minute, Saito thanked whatever deity existed in this world for the quality of the clothing he is wearing. Making it to the wall of the central tower, Saito gripped Derflinger to have the power course threw his veins.

Using his memory of the school's layout to his advantage, Saito jumped up to the fifth floor and grabbed onto the bottom of a window by releasing Derflinger with his left hand. "Up we go…" He told himself as he pulled himself up into the inside of the room and saw that the operation had already hit a roadblock.

"Hello Saito…"

Tabitha spoke in a calm voice as the dressed up male felt his spine freeze. Whether it was by Tabitha's magic or of fear is anyone's guess. All Saito knew was that he needed to think of something quick otherwise the joyous day tomorrow would bring would be shattered into pieces of ice.

"Ugh… hi… I did not expect you to be awake so late… I can explain." Saito began to panic, not wanting this to be ruined on just the first stop.

"Please, do."

"You see… on my home world, we celebrate an event where we uh…" Saito stopped himself and took a seat on the floor. "Look, I need you not to say anything about this please. I just want to help celebrate a holiday that I miss and me doing this is the only way it can be done."

"I am listening…"

"Let me show you." Saito pulled the bag in front of his lap and opened it in front of the lady. "The purpose of the event is to bring people together and spend time with those you love and care for. People also get gifts for those they care deeply for as well. I actually have one for you I was planning to give until this happened."

"A present for me?" Tabitha asked, somewhat in disbelief.

"Yes, yours was actually the first I got." Saito ran his left hand into his coat pocket to pull out a small box. "However, you cannot open it until tomorrow morning, as it says on the note. Although… I imagine people will just ignore it and just throw it away since it's from a person they have never heard of."

"I see, I thank you."

"Y-you're welcome Tabitha." Saito tossed the box to the female who expertly caught it. "Well… I guess I will be leaving to the next room."

"A moment." Tabitha said, causing the male to freeze his movements at the window. She placed the present on the table in the corner. "Why are you wearing such an outfit?"

Saito took a breath of relief and turned around to lean on the window. "This outfit is actually the one a person named Santa Claus would wear during Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas Day. He had a beard but I didn't have enough time for the female to make me a white beard or spectacles."

"Please explain further this Santa Claus."

"Well, Santa Claus would deliver presents to all the good children of the world during the night of Christmas Eve. Those who were naughty the year received coal as a substitute. Pulling him along to his destinations were reindeer that flew across the night sky as he sat in a red sleigh from house to house. Although he does not truly exist, it is the spirit that makes the holiday and the man seem so real."

"Anything else, was he a single man?"

"Nope, he had a Mrs. Claus and hundreds of little elf workers build the toys and other products for the people. He also lived at the most northern tip of the world called the North Pole." Saito just realized that he was going on about the topic when he needed to be moving and fast. "I am sorry Tabitha, but I must really get moving otherwise I will not make it on time."

Saito turned again with the bag in hand and looked to the right where his next window was located. However, it just hit the male the structure of the building. "I… just remembered that the building is a cylinder shape… crap." Saito said as he tried to rethink his plans.

"I shall assist you on this night." Tabitha said behind the male who jumped from shock and started falling downward, only to stop by a magical wall of wind. Saito looked up to see Tabitha's head popping out of the window.

"Don't… scare me like that." Saito gathered his breathing as he was lifted back up to the window and inside. "Thanks. So, you said you wanted to help?"

"Yes, you will need my assistance if you are to make the deliveries on time."

Saito leaning against the wall to the right of the window as he thought about it. "This can't be coincidence." He said as Tabitha looked at him with her standard blank face. "The lady made a female variant of this outfit. I have it in the bag but I did not imagine I would use it."

"Let me see it." Tabitha asked to which Saito swung the bag in front of him and started searching for the piece.

After a moment of silence, Saito's body paused as he finally grabbed the outfit. "Here we are."

He grabbed the pieces of clothing and pulled them from inside of the bag. The first thing Tabitha saw was red that matched Saito's outfit. The first look on Tabitha's face was of interest but quickly returned back to her neutral look. He walked over to the woman and handed her the clothes.

"Honestly, I don't know what they will look like on you so… keep that in mind." Saito said, receiving a nod from the lady who began walking to her bathroom.

Derflinger popped from the scabbard, not wanting to remain silent any longer. "Was this a part of your plan, to give Tabitha this outfit?"

"Not at all, I was expecting this to happen to Louise and use it as a decoy for me to escape from my impending doom."

"Would you have expected your master to wear it?"

"Nope."

Saito answered his sword and walked over to the edge of the window. He looked out to the winter wonderland as visions of his past ventures back home began to run through his mind. The thoughts of the holiday and spending it with family meant so much more to Saito now that he did not have that anymore.

"Now I understand that you do not truly appreciate something until you have lost it completely." Saito chuckled at his comment, thinking about how much differently he acted. "I suppose friendship is the most important thing for me now since I have no family. Louise, Siesta, Tiffania, everyone I care for so dearly that I just don't want to be alone again."

"Indeed, sometimes friendship is the most powerful weapon one person has. We both know that quite well when you decided to become a one man army."

Saito started laughing at the point his sword made. "Indeed, that sure was something though. I doubt I could pull something off like that again."

The door to the room Tabitha was changing in opened slowly as Saito turned to see how the female look. Needless to say with her sky blue hair, she looked like the seasonal version of winter. The outfit shared many of the same properties Saito has, red and white coat, a feminist variation of his hat and other similarities. The only difference is that her glasses were missing.

"Tabitha, where are your glasses?" Saito asked, confused on why the lady removed them.

"Although you said that this person wore them, I do not believe it is required for tonight."

"Tabitha…" Saito just smiled and made his way into the changing room to grab the spectacles. "If you ask me," He walked in front of the female with the red glasses in both his hands. "I think it adds to the overall outfit with them being red. Besides, I don't want you having to struggle during this little fun time together." Saito moved the visual add carefully on Tabitha's face before releasing his grip. The act caused her to blush.

The ice mage did not utter a word, only trying to remain as emotionless as possible. This plan was easily falling into pieces. "Thank you Saito, shall we?" She said in a much high pitch then she meant.

Although Saito caught this change in tone, he did not either want to intrude or have the item to ask since he should already be at his third stop by now. "And how do we plan on doing this, I don't see Sylphid anywhere?" He asked and grabbed the bag on the floor and looked out the window

"We fly." Tabitha commented, grabbed her staff and jumped out the alternative exit. Saito watched as the female began to levitate on nothingness. "Come."

"I will never get used to magic." Saito muttered and followed Tabitha's example by jumping out. This proved much more difficult with the heavy load on his back. He fell faster than Tabitha but still was about to gain his vertical base and rise up to her level. "Alright, so… we just float on our way?"

"Indeed."

"Alright, first is… Kirche."

"Very well."

Tabitha said in a monotone voice. The two casually floated towards the first objective as a thought eat away at the male. He wanted to badly ask it but did not want to intrude any more than he already has on Tabitha's privacy; breaking into a woman's room in the middle of the night just to get caught and have her willingly assist you in this foreign holiday is already pushing it.

Curiosity got the better of him.

"Say Tabitha, can I ask a question?"

"You may."

"Have you ever spent a holiday with family members before?"

Although Saito could not see it since he only could see the witch's red backside, Tabitha's face shown shock; a feature that very, very appear on her face. Aside from Kirche, Saito is the only person who she could consider a close friend. But for her to consider either of them family, true family, would be nonsensical. Still…

Tabitha turned her head to see the young adult with a smile on his face, one that gave hope to whoever gazed upon it. "No, my family… it's complicated." She wanted to press on the topic, she truly did inside, but a part of her did not want to have the boy shoulder the responsibility of knowing such a past. "Maybe at a different time."

"Whenever you want, I will be more than willing to listen." Saito said in his carefree voice that has defined him for such a time.

The two proceeded on with their objectives with a mix of results accruing. Most of the stops were peaceful with Saito slipping into through the window, dropping the present off underneath a small pine tree with a star on top of it he placed down, and returned back outside. This process worked with the majority of their friends.

And then there is the tricky one.

Saito and Tabitha was float towards the one that would truly make or break the evening. Saito leaned to the right of the window with the bag in front of him. Tabitha pressed her back against the wall to the left of the window as the Gandalfr moved to open the window.

He slowly tried to lift the window up but it would not budge. Saito tried to force the glass panel up but the same result resulted. He looked at Tabitha and moved his eyes to the lock inside when she looked at him. She gave him a nod and readjusted her gripping on her staff. With a swirl of snow dust, a rather load click sounded off from the lock.

Both teens looked at each other as they heard the snoring of the gifty stop, followed by the sound of feet touching the floor. The window opened with Louise popping her head out from the inside. She looked to the right, and then the left and found no one there. The void mage moved her pink hair head back in and locked the window once more.

"Well… that was close." Saito said as he leaned off the railing on top of the tower's roof. "Now what, she is obviously awake and getting in will not be easy?" He asked himself as Tabitha walked over next to the male.

"Is there anything this holiday has shown in day's past?"

Saito thought on the manner but nothing that could work appeared in his thought. "The only thing I can think of is the ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come appearing before her and telling her to change her ways. But, there are more holes in that idea than a block of cheese."

"Explain."

"The summary of the story is an old man penny-pincher by the name of Scrooge gets visited by three ghosts. The first ghost takes the old man to his childhood and reminds him of Scrooge's innocence when he was not a business man."

"I already see where our problem lays. We have very little information on Louise's past."

"That, and I don't think you know a spell to make me look like a ghost Tabitha."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Saito sat on the thought. It was already Christmas day and the sun would rise in an hour. Already the sky was beginning to brighten up due to the sun nearing the skyline. "I guess there is nothing else to do but wait until morning for me to give it to her." Saito spoke in sadness, feeling he failed such a simple job for his fellow peers; even if most of them were jerks.

The Santa of Halkeginia plopped down with his back to the railing and threw the bag directly in front of his being. The sound of a box hitting the floor did not sound as the bag slowly formed into a flat surface. Saito looked at the bag with confusion. He reopened the bag and his body's actions said everything.

Tabitha looked at the male with interest of the change of posture. "Is something amiss?"

"The box for Louise is missing." Saito pulled his head out of the bag. "It was in there when we were down at her window; there is no way it could have fallen out."

"Perhaps… a miracle?"

Tabitha's answer did not make sense to her as such events did not seem possible. Saito's face however deemed otherwise. "You may be more close to finding out the answer than you realize… a Christmas miracle."

"I assume it is something that only happens on the day we are delivering gifts upon?"

"Yup, despite all the odds. Mind if I say in your room until the sun rises?"

"I see no reason as to saying no."

"Wait, really?" Saito asked, dumbfounded the lady actually said yes to his request.

"Louise will likely suspect that you are behind the window incident. This way, you can enter her room while class is underway and resume the day as normal." Tabitha explained, getting a smile from the male.

"You always have a plan for your plans, don't you Tabitha?" The swordsman commented, getting himself back up. "That's something I have always admired about you, you always are ready for whatever challenge awaits."

"It is because I am in the same situation as you are that has built up such a mindset." Tabitha quickly silenced her lips but the seeds have already been plants and she saw that Saito was not going to let this go without answers.

"Tabitha, what are you hiding from me? You know you can tell me anything, all you need to do is say something."

The ice witch looked at the male with a questionable gaze. Such a look Saito had never seen on the one person he had the hardest time reading, the look of worry. Silence broke out between the two until Saito filling said she does not have to tell him anything if it is so bad. However, Tabitha shook this off, saying that she will finally tell the truth.

The two walked in silence off the roof of the building, down the stairwells, through the hallways and finally to the door leading to Tabitha's room. The female opened the door and walked in, followed by Saito who closed the door behind him. They both took off their respective hats and placed them on a coat hanger.

Tabitha motioned Saito to take a seat at the circle table in the corner next to her bed as she walked over to a cabinet. Saito took a seat on the chair away from the bed and unstrapped his trusty sword off his back and leaned it against the left side of the chair he sat on. He used both his hands to brush his hair back into place because of the hat messing it up. Saito reached forwards and turned the lamp in the room to give some source of light.

"Tabitha, I-"

"Do not call me that, not now at least." The female quickly stopped the male from saying her name, worrying the boy even more.

"But Ta-" Saito stopped himself before restarting his sentence. "But why is it you don't want me to say your name?"

"Because it is not my true name." Tabitha answered and pulled out a small blue box from the lowest cabinet. She closed it and began walking to the table. "Saito, I am not who you think I am."

"Then who are you if not Tabitha?" He asked, more confused than before.

The witch pulled a chair from the opposite side of the table and moved it to the right, next to Saito. "Someone who has been locked away for many years…"

Tabitha said in a hush tone before hovering her hand on the blue box. In the center of it shine a symbol Saito recognized as a royal crest but of what is beyond him. She moved her hand away from the top of the box as it creaked open. Tabitha moved her fingers to the opening and slowly moved the top upward to reveal a number of items inside.

"A doll, pictures and… wine?" Saito paused at the last one as the woman next to him pulled out a vial of the liquid.

"This is what changed my life forever; or rather, the life of my entire family."

Tabitha carefully placed the vial on the table and began shuffling through the pictures in the corner until she found the desired one. The image showed a little girl who shared a striking resemblance to Tabitha but with the exception of longer blue hair.

"This is you when you were little?"

Tabitha nodded as she took a moment of silence. "That was how I was before everything changed. I was called Charlotte Hélène d'Orléans at the time."

"Charlotte… so that is why you didn't want me calling you by your other name. But why don't you wish for me to call you Tabitha?" Saito said, seeing a change of her face by the question.

"Because, Tabitha… is an alias of who I once was." Tabitha shifted the picture to another with a much older lady sitting next to Tabitha, or rather Charlotte, on a couch. "This is what my mother once was, we were family until she was poisoned." She once more shuffled through the pictures until it showed one of the very same woman but in a much more crippled state and a doll sitting on her lap.

Saito's face grow of worry as he could see the sadness seep from Charlotte's eyes but was trying to hold back any unnecessary emotions. "This is what caused the change?" Saito pointed at the vial of liquor as his friend nodded.

"Yes, at a party when I was younger, an elf guest poured poison into mine and my mother's drinks. She drank hers before I did and realized that was in it. She quickly took mine away but she was already too late for herself. The result was this." Saito looked back at the picture of the woman and felt pity for the girl next to him.

"But, why did you change your name to Tabitha rather than keep it Charlotte?"

"The doll." Charlotte pointed to the object on the lap of her mother as Saito took a better look at it. "The poison corrupted her mind so thoroughly that she could not tell the difference between me and the doll. She believed it was me and I was trying to steal it away."

"When only you wanted to be loved like the inanimate object…"

Charlotte nodded at his edition. "The doll was mine, afterwards when she took it thinking it was me, she treated me so cruel."

"What was the name of the doll?"

"Tabitha."

Saito began to place the pieces together. "The poison that destroyed your mother physically and mentally, the denial of your mother believing a doll was you in place of yourself, everything is just too much."

Charlotte did not say a word, only return the pictures and vial back in the box and slowly push it away from them. Saito could not hold it any longer and pulled the girl into an embrace. "I am so sorry you had to endure such pain, Tabitha."

This surprised Charlotte, not by Saito calling her by her alias but with the hug. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his frame as the tears she held back for over a decade finally released. The once silent and often unreadable barrier Tabitha threw on day in and day out had been broken. She held onto Saito with such force, not wanting him to let go.

Saito knew this might happen but for him, the kind of background he was told is unspeakable for someone like Tabitha. "Tabitha, if only I could help you in some way to help ease the pain within you." Saito thought as he slightly opened his eyes to see one of the two moons setting. An idea popped into his head. "That's it, thanks nature."

"Charlotte…" Saito said softly, using the proper name of the woman he held in his arms. Said woman slowly looked up to look him in the eyes. "Christmas is about spending time with family and loved ones. I want you to be happy on the first ever. Will you allow me to spend it with you?"

Charlotte looked at the male with water running down her face. No longer did she have the stone face she had so long held. "If… if you really wish."

"But, I must know who I am spending it with. Tabitha, or Charlotte?" the dual named witch did not respond to Saito, which is exactly what he wanted. "If it were my choice dear, I would see you being Tabitha as a way of moving forward. No longer being Charlotte, leaving the past behind you and moving forward to a brighter future."

"You are right." She said and regained herself from the crying. "Charlotte has vanished. I am Tabitha now, and will be Tabitha forever."

Saito smiled at hearing this. "Glad to know that you are still you Tabitha." He commented released the female from his loving grip. The warrior looked at the clock and saw it was nearly daytime. "I suppose now would be a good time for you to open your present."

Tabitha nodded and reached for the same present she placed hours ago. She carefully started removing the wrapping from it and found a small box. The mage opened it and found a gem identical to her hair hanging off the end along with smaller diamonds surrounding the aqua color gem.

"I hope you like it. Like I said, yours was the first I got." Saito smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Thank you Saito, I only wish there was something I could give to you in return."

"Oh don't worry about it." Saito said as the sound of someone knocking on the door was heard by the two. Tabitha rose to her feet and walked over to the door to open it. As Tabitha opened the door, she found no one outside. She closed it and turned to look at Saito. "No one I assume." Saito said and turned his gaze back at the table where a sight could be seen. "Oh you have got to be joking me?"

Sitting on the table in front of Saito where he diverted his attention for only a few second sat two glasses of milk and a plate of cookies. The male just laughed at the scene before him and asked Tabitha to share them with him, saying this is the food children would leave for Santa when he would come by.

Welp, since we were basically Mr. and Mrs Claus tonight for the academy, I think we deserve them Tabitha, let's eat!"

Author's Notes – Well… I knew I was going to do a Saito and Tabitha to end my three characters I truly believe should be with him, little did I know it would become like this. That being said, I still plan on doing one with these two sometime in the future, this was just a side thing.

Originally, this was going to be a simple 1k story where Saito delivers the presents. A the scene where he gets caught by Tabby, the idea of using her hit me and this went from a simple Saito becomes the first ever Halkeginia Santa Claus story to a mine story with these two.

What is even more interesting is how this idea came by. Since it's Spring, I am often in bed dying from my allergies to pollen. Yes, freaking pollen puts me in the sickbay for weeks, stupid I know. While I was wishing for this yearly torture to end, this idea popped up out of nowhere and here we are