A/N: Merry (late) Christmas everyone! So yeah, this isn't my first fanfic, but it's currently the only one I have published. So yeah it's actually... (dun dun dun) a SECRET SANTA GIFT OH MY APPLE PIE but yeah this is for Freek Sheet! I hope you all enjoy it, but if you don't, I don't really care, as long as Freek does so yeah! Merry Christmas again y'all! And happy new year!

...

Luke stirred in his bed as the doorbell rang. He rubbed his eyes sleepily as he got up to see who would be knocking down their door at this time of night.

As Luke made his way to the door, he saw that Professor Layton had already opened it and was smiling cheerily. On the other side of the door, a quartet of carolers sang a festive song.

"Hark! How the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say 'throw cares away.' Christmas is here bringing good cheer to young and old, meek and the bold. Ding, dong, ding, dong. That is their song with joyful ring; all caroling. One seems to hear words of good cheer from everywhere, filling the air. Oh, how they pound raising the sound, o'er hill and dale, telling the tale. Gaily they ring while people sing songs of good cheer, Christmas is here. Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas. Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas. On, on they send; on without end, their joyful tone to every home. Ding, dong, ding, dong!"

The Professor applauded as Luke grinned. He had just remembered that it was Christmas Eve. As the good Professor closed the door, Luke couldn't resist but tugging on his coat.

"Professor, what time is it?" he asked.

"Time for you to be in bed," Layton answered. "But if you're looking for an exact time, it's just after midnight on Christmas Day."

Luke's face fell. "Then why hasn't Santa come yet?"

Professor Layton became unsure of how to answer and stammered. "Um, well... Luke, you see... Perhaps..."

"We have to go find him, Professor!" Luke beamed while jumping up and down.

"Luke, it's far too early to be out and about!"

"It's never too late to find Santa!"

"I'm not sure about this..." said Layton. "I'm sure he'll be here later..."

"No, he comes at midnight every year!" pouted Luke. "And now he's not here! I won't rest until I find out what happened to poor old Santa! What if he's injured?"

"Luke..."

"It'll be just like a puzzle!"

Layton sighed in defeat. "I suppose we can go looking for him, just this once..."

"Well, c'mon, then!" chirped Luke, pulling the Professor with him as he ran out to the rest of London.

...

Snowflakes fell on the empty streets as Luke and the Professor meandered around London.

"Look, Professor!" cried Luke as he pointed to a bakery on their right.

"Well, I do declare!" exclaimed the Professor. "A bakery, open this early on Christmas day!"

"Maybe they've seen Santa!" suggested Luke as he ran into the bakery.

"Um, Luke, I don't think-" Layton sighed before walking into the bakery.

"Excuse me, Miss, but have you happened to have seen Santa Claus?" Luke asked the bakery owner.

"Sure have!" she smiled.

"Really?" Luke said in excitement. "Where was he?"

"I last saw him flying over Big Ben. If you hurry, you might can catch a glimpse of him!"'

Professor Layton was unsure about this. "Luke, Big Ben is quite the distance away from here and-"

"Nonsense!" cried Luke, running out the door. "We can't just leave a mystery unsolved!"

Luke sighed once more as he ran after the young boy.

...

The area surrounding Big Ben was shockingly empty, even for Christmas morning. All that was nearby was a small girl, around the age of six or seven, humming a tune that sounded like an out-of-key arrangement of "Let There Be Peace On Earth." Luke made his way up to the girl.

"Hello there!" he smiled.

"Go away!" she yelled. "I've got a boyfriend already!"

Layton chuckled to himself as Luke's face flushed.

"That's not what I was going to ask you about!" Luke stuttered. "I was going to ask if you've seen Santa Claus flying around."

"I haven't," said the girl. "But my boyfriend said he saw him at the London Eye. He's probably lying."

"Oh, well, thanks?" asked Luke in confusion. "...Merry Christmas?"

...

"It appears the young girl's boyfriend was lying, my boy," said Layton to Luke as they searched around the giant carousel.

"I can't believe it..." muttered Luke, trying not to sob. "What's Christmas without Santa Claus?"

"Well, Luke..." said Layton. "I know this may be hard to believe, but Santa actually doesn't-"

Suddenly, a gust of wind cut the Professor off. The duo looked up only to see a red sleigh piloted by nine reindeer and a man in red.

"Santa! Santa!" waved Luke to the old man in red. Layton's jaw dropped as Santa spun circles around the London Eye.

"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Santa called after them and to anyone else who could hear.

"He was so...majestic! Stellar! Don't you think, Professor?"

"Oh! Um! What?" asked the dazed Layton.

"It's nothing," laughed Luke. "Now what were you saying before we saw Santa?"

"Oh..." said the Professor with a faked laugh. "It's...nothing...Merry Christmas, Luke. I'm sure you want to race home to see what presents Santa left you...?"

"Oh, goody, goody!" cried Luke as he darted ahead.

"Luke!" called the exasperated Professor. "I didn't mean literally!"

-Merry Christmas-