A.N. Some of the info mentioned in this story and my upcoming story I had actually gotten from the main website - like how Wayne and Magee had split up - so they're canon (unfortunately the site seems to be gone...but some of the info is on the Disney and Prep and Landing Wikis). The rest - like Wayne and Noel's grandmother - I made up and aren't canon.

It was late November, and Lanny and Wayne were hanging out at Magee's house for the afternoon. Santa had taken pity on Magee and let her have the day off, and since Prep and Landing elves don't get that busy (except for Christmas Eve) Magee had invited Lanny and Wayne over so that they could have a nice long chat. Magee often got so busy that she hardly had time to chat with Wayne or Lanny at all despite them being two of her closest friends.

At one point Wayne had gone into the kitchen to get a refill on cocoa...and to take a break from Lanny's peppermint cocoa. He was starting to get a rash from the smell.

"I still can't believe Wayne is allergic to peppermint." Lanny shook his head.

"It happens." Magee shrugged. "Some humans are allergic to chocolate."

"Even worse." Lanny winced. "So, forgive me for the personal question but how are things between you and Tiny? I overheard Wayne say something about that during my first mission."

"It's over. Ended not long after that Christmas actually." Magee said. "We decided it was too risky to continue dating."

There was a slightly-strict protocol about elf-dating: elves weren't allowed to date their assistants, partners, or secretaries. This was to avoid problems or distractions during work. Fortunately Magee and Tiny had been professional enough to keep their relationship a secret. Wayne in fact had only found out due to Magee telling him herself. They had been friends for so long that Magee knew him very well, meaning she knew that he wouldn't tell anyone, not even his brother. She didn't expect him to use it as blackmail though, but then again that particular Christmas had a lot of unexpected moments...

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Lanny said sympathetically.

"Don't be, there's was nothing really serious about our relationship. It was just a fling." Magee dismissed it; she then looked sad. "Still, it is kinda lonely not having anyone in my life."

"Well...what about Wayne?" Lanny suggested awkwardly. "You two seem to be pretty close-"

"It won't work." Magee interrupted. "We did date once, years ago, but ended it right after he gave me this horrible sweater."

"Horrible sweater?" Lanny was surprised to hear that. "But Wayne is actually really good at giving presents. I can't imagine him picking out a sweater with clashing colors or a weird pattern or anything."

"Well that particular Christmas he wasn't a good present giver. And the colors and pattern weren't what made it horrible. Actually it was a nice mix of green and red, with jingle bells along the cuffs and collar even." Magee frowned. "But the message...it read 'You Ful Col' of all things. Misspelled too! Either Wayne bought a plain sweater and knitted the words himself or he wrote it wrong on an order form but either way I was really offended."

"What?"

Startled, Lanny and Magee looked up and saw a surprised Wayne standing in front of them with a mug of cocoa.

"That's what the sweater read?" Wayne said, sounding very surprised.

"Well...yeah." It was now Magee's turn to be surprised. "You didn't know?"

"Of course not, when I got the sweater it had already been put into a box." Wayne explained. "You see...my grandma knitted that sweater. She was one of our biggest supporters and wanted to give you a gift that showed how grateful she was that you were dating me. However...she was on her deathbed at the time...I guess her eyesight was failing when she reached the message and stitched it on wrong..." Wayne now sounded as if he was about to cry.

"Your grandma..." Magee now felt bad; at that moment she remembered that Wayne's grandma, who had he always been close with, had died that same Christmas. "But then...what was the message supposed to read? Did she tell you?"

"Yeah...it was supposed to read 'You Wonderful Gal'." Wayne tried to fight his tears.

Magee now felt horrible.

"Oh sweetie...I'm really sorry." She said regretfully.

"Don't, it's not your fault." Wayne wiped an eye. "I'm the one who lashed out without thinking. I should've asked you why you acted so offended instead of yelled at you like I did. I...excuse me."

Wayne set his mug down on the coffee table and ran off.

"I can't believe we broke up over a stupid misunderstanding..." Magee groaned, burying her head in her hands.

"Should I go after him?" Lanny asked.

"No, sometimes when it comes to moments like this he needs to take a walk to clear his head." Magee sighed.

Wayne did take a walk...but only back to his snowmobile. He then drove back to his house still lost in thought. Don't worry, he was able to keep his mind on his driving at the same time.

"Every time. Every time I lose my temper I hurt something...or someone." Wayne thought. "I almost hurt Timmy Terwelp and his Christmas, I hurt my brother when we went after that hacker...and now I find out that I hurt my relationship with Magee. No matter how hard I try I end up hurting someone. Maybe...maybe I just don't deserve anyone. I don't deserve Lanny's friendship, or Noel for a brother, or Magee. I don't even deserve my job. I don't deserve anything here."

So, Wayne went inside his house, packed some essentials, and drove off. He kept driving...until he had entirely left the North Pole and was now amongst the mountains.