As much as Finnegan Patrick Frayne liked California and its gorgeous California girls, he liked New York more. New York, more specifically, Sleepyside, New York was home. Home was a large, rambling house, some might have called a mansion, but it was just home to him.
He always thought of it as part of the Frayne-Belden-Wheeler-Lynch compound. Sort of like a New York style, Hyannis Port-Kennedy compound, only the New York complex spread out over the hundreds of acres his father, Granddad Matt, and Uncle Ed scooped up over the years. The whole compound consisted of his home, Ten Acres; Manor House, his dad and Aunt Honey's childhood home; Crabapple Farm, his Mama's family's place; and Amethyst Acres, Uncle Ed and Aunt Sharon's house.
The rest of it was all woodland, interspersed with a few outbuildings. Grandad Matt had a few hunting cabins here and there, and Celia, Tom, and their brood lived in a house that once was used for counterfeiting, as the story went.
It was a great place to grow up, surrounded by family and all his cousins. His parents were the most fecund of the lot. Finn had five brothers, one of whom was his identical twin and one sister. Aunt Honey and Uncle Brian had three, and Aunt Di and Uncle Mart also had three. Uncle Dan and Aunt Hallie had four. Uncle Bob and Aunt Elyse had one and he didn't even count in Larry, Terry, Laura and Lissa's kids.
Sometimes it was stifling, though, and he needed space. Hence, going to school all the way cross-country instead of in Boston as the rest of them did. The downside was it was lonely, rattling around in the million-dollar condo Granddad Matt bought 'for your safety'. It was lovely; modern with the open spaces and country look he loved. He had an entire room for all his computer stuff, and he had a lot.
But Skype and Facetime didn't replace warm hugs from his Mama, or man-to-man talks with his Dad. It didn't replace tramping in the preserve for hours, thinking about life in general or working out coding. It didn't replace his crazy-ass sister Kim barging into his room and taking him on one wild adventure after another.
It didn't even replace his brother Bailey lording it over him that he was the elder of them by five stinking minutes.
But it was almost Christmas, and he'd be flying home for the long Christmas break. Home. Damn, he was happy. He grinned as he sat in his last final, sending a couple of female hearts to flutter, wishing they were the recipient of that tender smile'
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"You know, it's been awfully quiet around here the last few years." Martha Claus stepped into Command Central with a steaming cup of cider. "No missing elves, no stolen recipes, nothing."
Santa accepted the mug with a grin. "I swear, Marty, sometimes I think you like the mysteries. Like my little friend in Sleepyside." He nodded towards the huge digital screen where he monitored the activities of all the children of the world.
"Trixie Belden Frayne?" Martha laughed. "You really do have a fondness for the Fraynes, and especially her, don't you? I should be jealous." She wasn't, not one bit. Trixie and her children had helped the Clauses out of some sticky situations over the years.
One might say Trixie Frayne was the owner of the Official Detective Agency of the North Pole.
"Her children are scamps, though. They make me laugh, and that, my dear, is a good thing."
The was a buzzing at the door, and a high-pitched voice requested to enter Santa's inner sanctum. "Elmer." Santa was not happy.
Martha had to giggle. It was years and years ago that Elmer Elf got bombed at the after-Christmas party on the disgusting elf-concoction of Patrón and candy cane pieces. That wouldn't be so bad, but he tried to look up Martha's skirt, all the while making loud remarks about how hot she was.
That was the portion that did not sit well with Martha's spouse.
It became worse when Elmer became the Grand Poobah or Vizier or whatever of the elf community, and Santa had to deal with him on an almost daily basis. Martha suspected the feud was now more for show than real.
Elmer entered Command Central through the whooshing door. He didn't care much for having to deal with the fat, not-so-jolly man himself. But hey, a job was a job. And he had a family to think about.
"What is it now, Elmer?" Santa's voice was weary. Every year it was the same issues. Elf mating season coinciding with the Christmas Rush, a scarcity of some product needed to produce this year's hot item. Irritable reindeer. The list was endless.
Elmer didn't dare look at Martha Claus, so he stared at Santa with his lime-green eyes. "Santa, we seem to be having a glitch in the assembly line for the Build Your Own Lightsaber." It was the hottest toy this year for both girls and boys, and the factory was hard-pressed to keep up with demand.
"Glitch? What kind of glitch?" Oh, this did not sound good.
"Some of the kits are coming down the line with parts missing or broken pieces. I had Elena, the best mechanic check, and all the machines are working correctly." There was a little grumbling the in the community when Santa modernized some of the production methods, but making things by hand was old-school.
And they needed to keep up with the times. Even at the North Pole.
"There's also a big storm tracking in through the US and Canada," Elmer informed them in a dirge-like tone. "Other parts of the world are experiencing bad weather, too."
Santa snorted out his dismissal of that. "We have Rudolph to take care of that. His nose can brighten the way through any storm." El Niño was causing severe weather patterns all over the world, and Santa sighed. Global warming was causing grave problems, even here at the NP.
"All right, Elmer, we'll go take a look-see." Santa hefted himself out of his extra-large chair and went to put Command Central on autopilot when the lights blinked and the screen stuttered.
Martha screamed as the room plunged into inky darkness, and Elmer let out a shout himself. A blackout at the North Pole?
Impossible.
The lights blinked back on, dimly at first and then back to their cheerful, bright selves.
But the big screen remained black. Santa fooled with the controls for a few moments, but it did not sputter into life. "What in Heaven's name is wrong with this thing?" The question was rhetorical.
There was a loud, crackling sound and a bright scarlet line split the huge screen in two. A disguised voice issued from the speakers, all over the North Pole Compound. As the electronically disguised voice spoke, the red line undulated with each word.
"We have taken control of the North Pole Computer System. Everything is shut down. You will meet our demands, or there will be no Christmas this year. We will contact you shortly." The line shrunk to a small red dot in the middle of the black screen before it winked out altogether, and the screen went to static.
Every computer operated program, every screen, every assembly line and conveyor belt simply stopped. Messages began to pour into Command Central though the My Little Pony Walkie-Talkies from panicked elves and their families.
The computer elves tried mightily, but they couldn't break through the hackers' wall. The question was on everyone's mind, up there in the frozen North.
What did they want?
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Back in California, Finn Frayne was staring at the weather reports, scrubbing at his temples. "Gleeps! Everything is getting socked in from here to the East Coast." There were massive flight cancelations, including his.
His cell phone chimed, the distinctive sound he had for his Mama. The Mission Impossible theme. It fit her to a T. Not only because she was an incredible detective, but because she was an excellent mother who apparently had a sixth sense when it came to her children.
And man, she really needed it. They were a handful!
"Finn, honey, it's me, Mama." He had to grin, even though his heart was sinking. Only his mother would announce herself as if he didn't recognize her voice or number.
"Hi, Mama. I know why you're calling," he replied, his tone gloomy and upset. "Everything between here and Sleepyside is shut down. I might not make it home for the holidays."
Trixie rubbed her eyes at the other end of the call. It just wouldn't be Christmas without all her children around the table. "Granddad Matt can't even get a private flight in the company jet," she confessed. "He tried, but they said it was just too dangerous."
"I can try driving home," he started, only to be met with a sharp no from the other end.
"Finn, the mountains are treacherous this time of year. Heaven only knows what this storm will dump. I don't want you to take that chance."
"But, Mama, I'll miss Christmas with you and Dad and…" His deep voice held the whine she rarely heard and her heart was just breaking into tiny pieces. Trixie admitted to herself she loved all of her children equally and fiercely, but differently because they were all different people. Finn was the child of her heart, though. Her sensitive, brilliant son who looked like Jim but had her eyes. They had a special bond, she and her youngest boy.
"I know, honey. We'll just have to see what happens in the next day. If there's any chance, you know Granddad will get you home."
"I know." Trixie could picture him with his bottom lip stuck out. He didn't pout often, but when he did, it always made her want to laugh.
She wasn't in the mood now.
They talked for a little while before reluctantly hanging up.
Christmas was going to really suck this year.
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Finn rattled around in the condo, finishing an assignment and sending it off to the professor. His last one due before Christmas break. He was free and should be jumping for joy and packing for home. But he wasn't.
He did have a small, artificial tree in the living room, but it didn't hold a candle to tramping through the preserve with his family while they argued over which tree would be best to cut down.
When they finally made a choice, they'd haul it back home, singing carols and generally having a wonderful time. Mama and Kimmie would make hot chocolate while the guys helped Dad get the tree upright. Trimming the tree was a hilarious affair, with dozens of lopsided, dog-eared, homemade ornaments alongside the cherished, more expensive ones collected over the course of his parents' marriage.
A fire would be going in the fireplace and… and he was being shaken awake. "Cut it out, Bailey. I'm tired."
"Not Bailey," a rather shrill voice answered. "Elmer."
"Don't need any glue." All Finn wanted to do was… waitaminute. Elmer? Finn cautiously popped open one blue eye, only to stare into lime green ones. Lime green eyes attached to an elfin face, pointy ears and… he was dreaming. That's it. It was all those stupid Elf on a Shelf memes in Facebook.
"Finn, wake up," the squeaky voice commanded, as much as a helium-laced tone could command. "We need your help."
Both of Finn's eyes finally popped open and he looked around. Yeah, he was in the condo in the living room. Everything seemed exactly right… except for the tiny guy in the elf costume, tapping his foot and looking pissed.
Finn scooted back on the sofa. "Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?" He knew he set the security system. He knew it. He glanced at the elf or whatever he was again, gauging the distance to his cell phone.
"I told you, I'm Elmer Elf, and you need to come now. We need you." Elmer stalked back and forth in front of Finn, the bells on his shoes jangling in time to his agitated steps.
"Who needs me? How the hell did you get in here?" Somebody must have slipped something into his milkshake in the mall earlier. That was it. Because it was entirely impossible that he was in his condo having a conversation with a little person calling himself Elmer Elf.
Wearing green tights, yet.
"The North Pole!" Elmer was exasperated. How dense could this young man be? Wasn't it obvious?
Finn decided to humor him. "Oh, yeah. The North Pole. I forgot all about the telegram they sent me. Sure, Elmer, I'd like to go, but you know, everything's grounded. Do you have a reindeer outside?"
Elmer put a hand on one hip. "You're as skeptical as your mother was," he snarked.
"My Mama? You know my mother?" Oh, yeah. He glanced down at his clothes, making sure he wasn't wearing a white apron over a blue pinafore.
"Sure, I know your mother. And Jamie and Kim, too. You might say your family is the Official Detective Agency of the NP. North Pole, you know."
Oh. My. God. This… this elf knew the names of his brother and sister. He knew his mother was a detective. Elmer, or whatever his name really was, could have gleaned that information from any one of the public sources out there, but it was seriously creepy.
"Listen, Finn, we're wasting time here. You need to come with me, now." Santa was going to have his hide if he didn't get Finn up there shortly. "Somebody sooner or later is going to notice the reindeer double-parked out there."
Outside. Finn figured he was in remarkably good shape and this guy, elf, whatever, Elmer was pretty short. Finn could just sprint down the block and get help. "Okay, what do I need to bring?"
"Your skills."
Finn followed Elmer outside, every cell in his body poised for flight. He stepped out his front door and stopped short.
There was a reindeer out there, a huge buck with impressive antlers.
And a bright red nose.
Before Finn could blink, he found himself on the back of the buck, taking off into the fog. In the air. Not galloping through the paved lot, but up into the freaking sky.
Now he knew he was in Wonderland, even if his name wasn't Alice.
Rudolph's red nose cut through the fog, well, to put it in the same vernacular as the children's Christmas special, like a blinkin' beacon.
The night air went rushing by and Finn should have felt cold. He should have been deprived of oxygen, so high in the clouds. But he felt warm and the air was as fresh as the sweet air in Sleepyside. He thought maybe they would up there for hours, but a few minutes after Rudolph leaped into the sky, Finn could see the multicolored lights of the North Pole compound.
He closed his eyes as the snowdrifts appeared to rush toward them, expecting to skid through the soft white stuff like an Olympic skier through powder. However, the landing was soft, and he and Elmer slid off Rudolph.
"I hope all this was worth it," the red-nosed reindeer snarked. "I'm going to have to eat a ton of special cookies to get my strength back for the big day."
That sparked a long-ago memory, one where Dad kept them all enthralled with the story of a young boy who solved the mystery of Mrs. Claus' missing reindeer cookie recipe. Could that have been real? Was JW – Jamie back then – was Jamie that little boy?
"Come on, come on," said the irritable Elmer. The elf's cheeks were flushed a light green and he led the way into a castle-like edifice.
Finn expected a hive of activity, but the corridors were silent. Small groups of elves were milling about, looking upset and murmuring as Finn walked past them. They came up to a door and Elmer pressed a button.
A deep, annoyed voice came through the intercom. "What?!"
Finn almost laughed. He always imagined the North Pole to be full of ebullient, singing elves; a fat, jolly man and his equally cheerful spouse spreading happiness and joy as everyone worked in harmony to get Christmas presents ready for the big day.
So far, he met a crabby elf, a snarky reindeer and now a surly voice that undoubtedly belonged to The Man.
"I have Finn Frayne with me, Santa."
"What are you waiting for, Elmer? Bring him in."
The door slid open and Finn was escorted into Command Central. He stared at the huge room, with the large, dark screen and the enormous desk positioned right in the middle. Sitting at the desk was the white-bearded man himself, and standing at his side was a lovely woman Finn assumed was Mrs. Claus.
"Santa, this is Finn Frayne. Finn, Nicholas and Martha Claus."
"Hello, Finn." Martha's voice was soft and comforting. "We're happy to have you here."
"Uh, thanks. I think."
"You're wondering just what you're doing, way up here, right before Christmas, aren't you, Finn?" Santa's voice was just a little weary. "Maybe even doubting your sanity."
"Yea… yeah."
Santa gestured to the dark screen and the quiet banks of computers against one wall. "That's…" he began, when the screen leaped into life, with the same scarlet line. The whole system came on board and Finn recognized the cold start.
Santa pressed a button, shutting off the intercom to the outbuildings. There was enough worry and panic.
"You know we mean business, Santa. Our demand is simple. Cease operations at the North Pole, or we will shut down Christmas forever."
Santa removed his rimless glasses and scrubbed at his eyes. "I can't move everything before Christmas. It's impossible."
"It will only be one Christmas out of many. Next year you may resume operations… if you obey."
"Why are you doing this?" Martha Claus cried out. "The children… everyone will be so disappointed."
"Begin dismantling Christmastown immediately. Or we will dismantle it for you." The voice winked out again, leaving three stunned people and a swearing elf.
"That's why we need you, Finn. We've been hacked. They shut down the whole operation. If we can't get everything up and running, I'm afraid we'll have to cancel Christmas." Santa's deep voice quivered. "I have no way of tracking the naughty and nice children. No way at all."
Finn was confused. "What did you do before computers, Santa?"
"I had the PRS… Parent Reporting System, and the ERS, Elf Reporting System. We had elves stationed all over the world. I also visited communities undercover and saw for myself. Do you think you can help?"
Finn glanced at the dark screen. When he left home for Stanford, his Mama whispered in his ear, asking him to write a program that would change the world. Maybe he wasn't quite that accomplished yet. He was good, great even… but was this beyond his capabilities?
"Why did you choose me, Santa? I'm sure there are much more accomplished computer scientists who would be better than I."
Santa rose from his seat, placing a large hand on Finn's strong shoulder. "You're the best. I know, I've been watching you your whole life. You were barely six when you hacked into the Homeland Security Database. You defeated their AI, Finn. I'd say you are definitely the man for this job."
Finn blushed hotly at the memory. Thank heaven his mother was the head of The Locard Society, or else he might have been spending his entire childhood in a Federal prison. The only thing he had to do was show them how he did it.
And promise not to do it again.
Finn considered his options. "All your computers here are compromised. The whole network is. I'll need a computer that wasn't connected."
"No problem," Elmer squeaked. "We stopped off before we picked you up. Got some other stuff Mr. Dell said you might need."
The door whooshed open again, and several elves were struggling with a large box. "Here, let me get that." Finn quickly lifted the box and placed it on the desk. Within moments, he had unpacked a state-of-the-art laptop, cables, charger and everything he would need to hack into the system.
"These people, hackers, they operate in the Black Heart of the Web," Finn explained as he was expertly attaching all the hardware. "It's known by a lot of different names… the Deep Web, Invisible Web, Undernet. But even deeper than those is the Darknet. That's where I think these criminals are hiding. I just don't understand why they want you to move from the North Pole. It doesn't make any sense."
"it doesn't make any sense to me either, Finn. Why tell us to relocate? Why not just shut us down?" Martha rubbed her temples. "Where would we relocate to? It's not like we can open up shop just anywhere."
"That's what I need to find out, Mrs. Claus. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to get to work." He set out the powerful, satellite hotspot and was instantly connected to the web.
"This is bad, isn't it, Nick?" Martha never saw her husband looking so, well, not jolly. Not even when Elmer... "Elmer, you need to address the elves. They're scared and we need to tell them we're working on it."
"Don't mention their demands yet, Elmer. I… I don't want all the families to think we're going to have to leave this place. Leave their homes, leave their past, leave everything behind." Santa imagined the panic that would cause.
"Okay, Santa. Meanwhile, I'm going to get everyone back to work. They can still pitch in with wrapping."
Santa smiled, one of the first genuine smiles Elmer was the recipient of in a long time. "You can count on me." He was out the door in a blink.
"Nick, I'm going to finish baking the cookies, and I need your help." Martha didn't, not really, but she knew her Nick. He'd be looking over that poor boy's shoulder, making him nervous. Therefore, she made the ultimate sacrifice of having him in her kitchen as she baked.
It was going to be more naughty than nice.
Finn never even heard them leave. He was peeling through the layers of the web, his eyes a dark, cobalt blue as they scanned the chatter. He wasn't Finn Frayne here, the good son. He was 5minl8tr, as a nod to his brother.
This was his milieu, these binary strings of code his quick brain translated with ease. He could get lost here, fingers tapping to the beat his brain could hear. There was beauty in numbers, no matter what Mama thought, an elegance. Some people thought atoms ruled the world, but Finn knew.
It was math.
Funnily enough, there was not any chatter regarding the North Pole hack. Finn squinted at the cyberspeak, unable to discern a person or group claiming victory. And that was one thing hackers just loved to do.
Brag.
It was strange.
Finn dug a little deeper, past all the craziness, worms, ransomware and viruses in development. But, still, nothing stood out. Nothing screamed I'm holding Santa Claus and Christmas hostage.
He realized his need to connect to the network, and do it fast. He set up his filters and guards, and took a deep breath and held it. If the hackers' virus or worm infected this computer, he might not be able to save Christmas at all.
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"I don't know about this. My baby brother is going to be really disappointed when Santa doesn't come. Maybe we should have waited until after Christmas."
"And then what leverage would we have? After Christmas is just a bunch of parties and elf marriages and collapsing. Even Santa takes a breather."
"Still, you never missed a Christmas when you were a kid, did you?"
"No, but…"
"I just don't know about this."
"We have to finish what we started. Everything depends on us.
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He was in! Finn was surprised at the lack of sophistication of the hacker or hackers. They programmed in some simple code that he could have cracked at a young age. He never realized that the deciphering was easier for him than it was for most people in the world.
He needed to find the source. Obviously, the hackers were deep into the North Pole computer system and using it to their ends. This is where it got interesting, and where it began to challenge him. They were smart, bouncing the signal off satellites and through Asia, Brazil, Canada and a few other places that were almost unpronounceable.
When he reached the end of the trail, his eyes, so like his Mama's, grew round with shock and his well-sculpted lips formed an O. Finn looked around on the large desk until he found the intercom. "Santa, please report back to Command Central."
Crap. This was not good.
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Jim woke up alone in bed, wondering where his Trixie was. It wasn't the first time he awoke alone. There were plenty of nights with sick kids or when one of them traveled without the other. She was not her usual full-of-Christmas-cheer self and he knew why. He knew where he would find her, too.
He slid out of bed and padded upstairs to Finn's room. The door was open, and she was sitting on the window seat, shoulders slumped, staring at the starry night sky. What was it about the winter sky that made the night seem so dark, and the stars sparkle so coldly in the heavens?
He leaned against the doorframe. "Can't sleep, baby?"
She turned her head, her beautiful profile captured by the gentle glow of the night. "You know me well, James." A tender smile curved her lips.
He crossed the plank floor, over the braided rug Moms made so long ago. Or maybe it was just a moment. Time is a fluid thing, Jim thought as he sat next to his wife and took her small hands in his.
"He'll be home."
"I know. I just wish… I'm selfish. I wish Finn went to school in Boston. He'd be close to home. I just miss him, Jim."
"They are all growing up, baby. Someday we may have to share them with in-laws and their own children."
"But not yet, babe." Trixie heaved out a sigh and smiled up at the man she loved since she was thirteen. "I just want a couple more Christmases."
"Come to bed. Miracles happen, baby." They happened in a run-down room full of junk and to a dispirited boy who woke to the snapping blue eyes of his destiny.
She slid off the seat, her hand still in his. "Yeah. Miracles happen."
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Elmer was addressing the elf population in the Great Meeting Hall. The polar bears were crammed into the back of the room, and everyone, elf or bear, was waiting for the news.
Questions were being shouted from the floor as they demanded answers. Elmer's temper began to flare, and recognizing the signs, his daughter Prudence commanded the stage.
"Listen up, everyone. Shouting and screaming and having an elf-conniption is not going to help matters one bit. My father has information. If you want to listen, fine. If not," she gestured to the exits. "If not, don't let the doors jingle your bells when you leave."
Elmer's lime eyes shone with pride. His girl was a natural leader. Maybe, just maybe, someday she'd take his place.
Prudence strong, smart and capable.
Even if her name didn't begin with an E.
"Santa is aware of the computer issues and has called in expert help from the lower forty-eight," Elmer informed the crowd. "Our computers may be down, but there is still a lot of work that can be completed. There are still gifts to be wrapped, tags to be written and we can get a head start on cleaning." The last brought out a cacophony of groans.
"Look, we need to be ready when we get back online. So let's sing cute elf songs and dance and be jolly. Because you know Christmas is coming!" Prudence added.
There was some grumbling, but elves were naturally optimistic. Several of the team leaders began to organize groups and Elmer breathed a sigh of relief. "It's bad, Daddy, isn't it?" Prudence whispered when they got back to his office.
"Yes, it is, honey. It really is."
Prudence's big eyes filled with tears for all the children that might be disappointed, and just a little tiny smidgeon for herself. Kim Frayne wouldn't be sending her a hamburger and fries this year. She so looked forward to the little treat Santa brought from her friend in the US. Honestly, desserts all the time were so overrated!
Just then, Finn's voice broke the silence of the most of the buildings at the North Pole with his request for Santa's presence. Elmer told his daughter to hold down the fort as he took off at full elf speed, his bells jingling all the way.
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Finn was still working when the Clauses and Elmer barged through the door. "What did you find, Finn?" Santa glanced at the screen. It all looked like gobbledygook to him.
Finn scrubbed at his tired eyes. "I was able to hook into the mainframe without getting detected," he explained in simple terms. "I checked my sources and there wasn't a whole lot of chatter about this situation, which I found odd. Hackers like to boast and I found nothing."
"What did you find, Finn?" Elmer was growing impatient. Humans!
"I tracked the hack to the source. You're not going to like this."
Martha put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "What did you discover, Finn?"
"The hackers are right here. At the North Pole. Somebody here doesn't want Christmas to happen."
Santa abruptly sat on the chair next to Finn. "What?"
Elmer's eyes flashed green fire. "You're wrong, young Frayne. No-one here would do that. No-one here has the technical knowledge." He tugged at Finn's pants leg. "You're mistaken." His voice had risen to that shrill level beloved of dogs and bat echolocation.
"I traced the source of the hack. It's here; more specifically, the building called The Center for Elf Excellence."
"The school?" Santa's voice was incredulous. "The elf school?" He sat there for a moment, rubbing his head and then stroking his beard with a large, capable hand. "It makes sense," he murmured. We do have a computer lab in there for the students."
"How could kids do this?" Elmer scoffed. "Even our tech elves couldn't figure this out."
"I broke into the Homeland Security network when I was six," Finn confessed. "It's not out of the realm of possibility that your kids," Finn paused and smirked a little. "Are smarter than you."
"I think it's time we made a little visit to the CEE," Santa interrupted. "We'll take the tunnels. Do you think you'll be able to get us back online, Finn?"
"Yes, I think so, but it would be faster if the hackers canceled the cyber attack."
"Marty, you stay here and let us know when the systems come online. Finn and Elmer, you're with me." Santa was determined to get to the bottom of this mess. He opened the trapdoor on the far side of the room and led the way into the vast network of tunnels that connected the outbuildings.
Finn was surprised the temperature was pleasant and the tunnels, although old, were lighted with OLED bulbs. It felt as though they walked for miles, yet when he checked his watch, it barely showed the lapse of a few minutes.
Santa pressed on the third berry of a sprig of a holly bas-relief near a small staircase, and the door opened into the Center for Elf Excellence. Most of the rooms were dark, as school was out for the last couple of weeks of the busy season.
However, they could see the soft glow peeping from the seam of one door. The trio approached the door, ready for almost anything.
Except what they found when Finn kicked the door open.
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Bailey Frayne woke from a sound sleep, confused at first as to his location. It wasn't his dorm at Harvard, but yeah, he was home for Winter Break. He scrubbed a hand across his chest, full of the Wonder Twin Tingles that signaled his brother was up to something. Something dangerous. Bailey's heart was pounding and he felt almost giddy with an adrenaline rush.
Oh, Good Lord. What the heck was Finn up to now? Bailey brushed a hand through his thick, red-gold hair. Damn it, Finn just should have gone to Harvard or MIT like the rest of them. Now he had to sit back in bed and worry.
And pray his twin made it home for Christmas.
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The little group sleeping around the big computer the teacher used jumped in alarm as the door slammed open. Their jaws dropped open as they clung together in fright. It wasn't some hardened group of cyber criminals who stumbled upon the empty school.
It was elves. Teenage elves, to be sure. And polar bears, a couple. Two reindeer and a very out-of-place walrus rounded out the group. They looked at each other and stood shoulder to shoulder, not backing down.
"What is going on here?" Elmer thundered. Finn smothered a grin. Thundered probably wasn't a very descriptive word. It was more like nails on a chalkboard, and Finn shuddered lightly.
Santa held up a finger, and Elmer stopped posturing. A green flush filled his face, but hey. He was only an employee and Santa was The Man.
Santa's blue eyes went from one to the other, saying their names in that round, deep voice. "Evan and Erin Elf! Barnaby and Brody Bear! Dillon and Desiree Deer… and Westminster Walrus!" Each one flinched in turn.
"Would you care to explain all this?" Santa's voice was gentle but firm. They shared a glance, and Erin Elf stepped forward.
"We had to do something, Santa," she began. Her voice quivered and green-tinted tears gathered in her eyes. "We had to do something right now before the North Pole disappears!"
"Disappears? Whatever do you mean, Erin? We're not going anywhere at all."
"Tell that to the other walruses and to the bears." Warminster chimed in, his voice a deep, dark baritone. "Tell that to the moose, the seals, and the whales. They're starving, Santa and the Arctic grows warmer. Every day we lose more ice."
Yup. This definitely was some crazy dream. Elves, talking animals, and Santa Claus. Finn rubbed his cheek, slightly bristly, and thought how real it all felt.
"I am aware of that," Santa began, but Evan was angry.
"You might be aware, we all might be aware, but what is the North Pole doing but contributing to the global warming? We have to stop this and move on somewhere else, Santa. Maybe the South Pole or… or the moon!"
"I understand your concerns," Santa said gently. "It's laudable that you are all so aware of the problems facing our planet. You all need to put your collective intelligence together and look for a solution. Being a hacker, no matter how altruistic your motives is not the answer."
Finn spoke then. "I saw some of the processes here. Your facilities are maintained by geothermal heat. Solar collectors are on the roofs. If you are contributing to the warming, it's not a huge carbon footprint."
Santa laughed then, his jolly ho ho hos echoing in the empty halls. "You forget the magic, Finn. This is an enchanted place, a joyful celebration and we are protected by the heavens. Our mission is not just to deliver presents. Our mission is to bring joy and happiness, and maybe just a little goodwill to man. We are the season." He looked at his small band of hackers. "Do you understand? Our purpose is greater in this old world."
"I think so, Santa. We… we should have asked first. We just thought…" Erin's voice faded.
"We thought we were doing good," Dillon said sadly. "But now we may have ruined Christmas for everyone."
"We need to get back online. Can you do that?" Elmer was exasperated with all the feels in the room. He had a business to run!
"That's just it," Brody cried. "We can't. We didn't have a backup plan. We just thought we'd up and move."
Santa turned to Finn. "Can you do it? With their help?"
Finn looked over the motley crew of slightly green-tinged elves and various animals without opposable thumbs and figured the North Pole was a magic place. Or he was having a nervous breakdown. "We can try. But, I'll need everyone's help." He seated himself in front of the computer with its bright green strings of code scrolling by. "Okay, now just what did you guys do?"
Santa grinned as he watched his band of North Pole Hackers crowd around the tall, handsome man. Finn's fingers fairly flew over the keyboard as the others fed him the data. "Elmer, go and get the troops ready," Santa commanded. "We're going to be back!"
Finn never heard him. He took a deep breath and muttered, "Here goes nothing!" He pressed enter and…
The last thing he remembered was Martha Claus' excited voice from Command Central. "We're back up! We're back up!" There was cheering coming from somewhere, but he couldn't focus.
He vaguely remembered being so tired he couldn't keep his eyes open. "Wonderful job, Finn. We knew we could count on you. You are truly your mother's son."
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When Finn opened his eyes, he was swaying on his feet in front of the door to Ten Acres. Home? But, how? His backpack was on his back and his keys in his pocket. The clear night sky was shining down on him as he inserted his key into the lock and entered his home.
A light was glowing in the kitchen, and he wondered who was awake. He stood framed in the doorway as watched his Mama pour some milk into a saucepan. Her and her hot chocolate!
"Make sure you put enough in there for me," he whispered.
Trixie nearly dropped the gallon of milk as she turned to face her youngest son. "Finn."
"Mama." He was at her side in an instant, lifting her off her feet into the biggest bear hug ever.
"I… I don't understand," Trixie scrubbed at the tears glistening on her cheeks. "How…"
"I promise to tell you over a cup of that hot chocolate," Finn grinned. "I just wonder if you'll believe me."
She turned to get another cup out of the cupboard, looking out the kitchen window. A red streak was in the sky, and she heard the faint rumble of familiar laughter. Thank you, Santa. As the milk heated, she sat with her son.
"You know, I don't think I'm going to have such a hard time believing whatever you tell me," Trixie laughed. Official Detective Agency of the North Pole, indeed.
Later on, Finn was in his very own bed in his very own house. Tomorrow they would go and cut the tree in the preserve. And he'd be here for Christmas, snug with his extended family. He thought about the what had occurred and the plight of the animals in the North Pole. Indeed, the fate of the planet, a beautiful blue marble spinning through the universe.
Mama told me to write a program to change the world, he thought drowsily. Now I know. A program to help change the world. I can spread the word about the effects of pollution, about the animals, too. I can help. I can be part of the solution.
Yeah. I can do that.
Merry Christmas, Santa. Merry Christmas, World.