Word Count: 1,123 Words
For: AdventChallenge on livejournal.

They name their daughter Leann after Tootie's beloved grandmother, who often helped her escape her cowardly mother and evil sister. When Tootie was carrying, after they realized that they were having a girl, they started calling her Tammy in conversation, simply because Tootie loved the name and had always dreamed of naming her daughter that. In the end, they realized that they didn't like the name, especially Timmy. So Leann it was and years later they love her just as much as they did when she was first born which was quite a bit.

The three spend Christmas Eve that year alone in front of the fire, Christmas lights flashing different colors all around the house. Timmy had given up his fairy godparents a year before Tootie had gotten pregnant, saying that he no longer needed them, so it truly is just the three of them. He does enjoy when they came to visit but it isn't often and they haven't been around in nearly a year. Timmy doesn't mind, though. It always surprises him when he realizes just how long it has been since he has seen them, just how much he doesn't miss them, knowing that he can do things on his own.

"Daddy, look at the picture I drew," Leann says, pulling him out of his thoughts, holding up a picture of the small family. Tootie's stomach is rounded in the picture, just like it is in the world, due to the brother for Leann that she's carrying now.

Timmy smiles, holds out his arms for his daughter and she runs over, crawling into his arms and sitting on his lap, pointing at each part of the picture that she's proud of. Timmy sits back, closes his eyes, enjoying the sound of his daughter's voice. Even just a few years ago, when he was being Santa Claus and saving Christmas, he had never expected that he would enjoy a domestic life so much. He had talked to Tootie about marriage and children before it had happened, telling her that marriage was possible but never children. He didn't want to be tied down and he certainly didn't want anything to interfere with his fairies.

Things had changed, though, and after he had given up his fairies they had talked about it again. The pregnancy was a happy accident, unplanned but certainly not dreaded. Timmy had been apprehensive, considering himself still a child no matter how old he was. He hadn't thought that he would be able to take care of a baby but Tootie was a natural and she helped him out as much as he needed.

"That's brilliant," he says, meaning it with all of his heart as he traces his finger across the paper, across her sloppy lines and simple colors. Everything that she does is brilliant to him, though, and he wonders if anybody had felt this way about him. He has a feeling that Wanda and Cosmo would probably think it before his own parents would. They loved him, still love him, but they hadn't been the most active parents.

Leann beams under the praise, looking up at her daddy. He no longer wears his signature cap, having traded it in for slightly longer hair that Tootie loves running her fingers through. She does it when she brings out the plate full of Christmas cookies, setting them down.

"You may have one before bed and then we'll leave a few out for Santa Claus," Tootie says as Leann looks longingly at the plate. Leann cheers, taking the sugar cookie shaped like a reindeer from her mother and taking a bite. Crumbs spill onto Timmy's pajamas but he doesn't notice, resting one hand on Tootie's stomach, the other holding onto Leann.

"Is there really a Santa Claus, Mommy?" Leann says after swallowing a bite of cookie.

Tootie smiles, looking over at Timmy and then looking solemnly back at her daughter. She nods, picking up one of the cookies and taking a bite. "Oh, yes, Leann. There certainly is. I met him myself, as did your father."

Looking intrigued, Leann leans forward. She doesn't know that Timmy used to have fairy godparents or really any of the interesting things that he had done. They decide that it's best that she certainly not know at the young age and perhaps never. Timmy is just certain that he won't be the kind of parent that inspires Leann to need fairies. He knows that Tootie won't ever let that happen. "That's true," Timmy says, nodding as well. "In fact, one year I actually was Santa Claus."

At that, Leann laughs, shaking her head and hitting Timmy gently on the shoulder. "Very funny, Daddy. I don't believe you."

Timmy shrugs, keeping a mysterious look in his eye as they all eat the cookie. After Leann's done, Tootie takes her upstairs to wash up and brush her teeth. Tootie and Timmy both say goodnight, Timmy telling Leann a bedtime story with Tootie's help and then they kiss her forehead. They finish wrapping some presents that they had gotten for Leann before heading up to bed themselves, knowing that Santa needed to be alone to deliver the presents.

"It's cute that she thinks that you were teasing her about being Santa Claus," Tootie says, washing her face in the bathroom, her voice carrying through the open door but muffled by the wash cloth.

Timmy laughs, already in bed, only one lamp left lit so that Tootie could get to bed. "It's too bad, really, that she won't ever have fairy godparents. I… and we had some good times with them."

On the way to bed, Tootie turns off the lamp. They face each other, cuddling as Timmy rests his hand on Tootie's hip, Tootie's hand against Timmy's heart. "If they could just have one or two then it would be okay but being such an absentee parent… I couldn't do that."

"Me neither. Leann is my world," Timmy agrees. He doesn't blame his parents, has never really blamed his parents. He understands that things happen and, as a parent himself, he probably understands better than anybody. He knows that he would never let anything like that happen though.

Tootie yawns, pressing up against him, feeling a familiar sound downstairs and knowing that Santa Claus was leaving their presents then. "You're a good father, Timmy. Much better than I was expecting," she says with a yawn.

Laughing, Timmy rubs Tootie's hip, pressing deeper into the bed and closing his eyes. "Thank you… I think."

Tootie giggles, under her breath, sleepily. She sleeps well, all three of them do. It's a nice Christmas. No magic, no yelling, just a nice quiet family. It's everything she's ever wanted.