CHAPTER ONE

Christmas morning 2013

"Rose…Roooooose." The stubborn little redhead peeked her icy blue eyes over the bed, hoping not to scare the person she was trying to wake up. Rose grunted, and peeked through the covers so her eyes weren't sensitive to the light coming through the window, which wasn't a problem.

"ughhhhhhhhhhHHH..the sun is barely coming up…go to bed Jessica." She was of course joking, because she knew how much Christmas meant to any 6 year old. Jessica shrugged her shoulders and sat down next to Rose's bed, like a little puppy waiting for food "well fine" she exclaimed "I guess I'll never have another Christmas again, I'll just stay here until you're ready... which unfortunately YOU will never be.. Merry Christmas rose..." she started to sob and then she felt two hands pick her up by her waist and plop to the top of the bed. Rose started to tickle her "well with that kind of attitude I doubt Santa brought you ANYTHING! I think you don't even want your gift from me."

Jessica's head popped up from all of the laughter and shouted "ILL CHANGE MY ATTITUDE PLEASE ROSE! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEAAAAAAAASSSSSEEEE". Rose grabbed the present from underneath her bed and handed it to the little girl. She ripped open the glittery blue wrapping paper and opened her mouth wider than a train tunnel. "NO way. You're giving me Polly?" Polly was an old doll Rose had since she came to the orphanage, her once royal purple dress lost its luster, and her blonde curly locks turned to waves, only her soft smile and bright blue eyes is what truly lasted all those years.

"I've had her since I was little, and I know you will take the best care of her" Rose stretched while closing her eyes, but when they opened she gasped when she saw that Jessica disappeared, and then heard screaming running through the whole orphanage.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I GOT SOMETHING SPECIAL!" Jessica shouted at the top of her lungs, waking everyone in the building

Rose saw that as a sign for her to wake up, she trudged out of bed and sat in front of the wooden vanity Maggie gave to her. She grabbed a comb to softly touch her thick shoulder length brown hair, and she rubbed her eyes so that she could see what she was doing. Her hazel eyes gleamed in the now rising sun, but despite the beautiful sunrise, she slightly frowned knowing how this holiday made her feel.

In a brown box she took out a gold heart necklace and clasped it around her neck, she fondled the heart and she started to tear up, but rubbed them away because of how brave she was trying to be. 18 years have finally passed that she has gone without knowing her parents. I turned out fine without them she would think to herself, but some part of her wanted to know who they were and why they would give her up. She brushed away the sadness and thought of Maggie, she became a guardian to her, protecting her and advising her since she arrived at the orphanage exactly 18 years ago today.

"I'm sorry..."

Rose turned around to see Maggie leaning in the doorway, with a sad look on her face. "There was no trace of who left you or what happened to your real parents that night... I just couldn't leave you there cold and alone, and I certainly couldn't hand you off to the first family that wanted you, I'll never fit that piece that your parents left, but I hope I was that person you could always trust."

"You became so much more than that" Rose walked over and hugged Maggie harder than she ever has.

"Merry Christmas Rose"

The whole day was filled with the rest of the children opening presents and the HUGE Christmas dinner the fire department provided for Maggie and the kids. The night ended with Rose and Maggie tucking in and kissing all 30 children goodnight, and both women descended down the staircase.

"That was a VERY productive day." Rose said as she cleaned all the kids toys, she looked down "Jessica forgot Polly..." she saw the poor little doll laid across the couch "I'll fix you up don't worry Polly" she lifted the doll and fixed her unruly hair and laid her on the table next to the couch.

Maggie yawned "I'm gonna turn in now.. I swear every Christmas those kids always wear me out" she chuckled as she glanced at the tree and noticed one unopened gift.

"Hello what's this?" she lifted the golden wrapped box. "Rose it's addressed to you"

"Me? Who from" said Rose.

"Doesn't say maybe if you open it we can find out?"

She opened the gold box and her look of concern vanished into a look of wonder. Inside was a nutcracker doll. He wasn't like the traditional, with a long white beard and big hulking teeth, but almost human like: he had a blue uniform with a gold belt, a gold scabbard holding a tiny silver sword. He had on black pants with brown knee high boots. His hair was brown and trimmed, with brown chestnut eyes and a small helmet resting on his head.

"A Nutcracker? This has to be one of the weirdest gifts I have ever gotten, but the detail is amazing...it's a cool weird I guess" Rose exclaimed, smiling at the doll.

Sarcastically Maggie burned back "Cool and weird, looks like both of you fit perfectly together, whoever sent it knows you QUITE well." She giggled and kissed Rose's forehead "goodnight Rose"

" G'Night Maggie"

Rose didn't know what to do or to say about the gift she just received, she hasn't gotten a toy or doll since she turned 13, and clearly was stumped as to who brought it under the tree. Who would give me a nutcracker? What am I six? But there was something about that doll that intrigued her, that made her want to protect it from being hurt or scratched. She picked up the doll out of the box and walked to the giant china cabinet, resting him there.

"Out of all the gifts I have gotten, I think I like you the most." She whispered as she closed the cabinet. Rose took out the pins securing her hair and walked into the bathroom, changing into her white and blue stripped pajamas. She then plopped on the couch, and debated whether sleeping down here or upstairs, suddenly she started to yawn and went into a deep sleep, not knowing there was a figure watching her beneath the tree.

"Midnight, wait till midnight..." said the cloaked figure, watching the grandfather clock in the far right corner of the room.

12:00 a.m. *ding dong *ding dong the clock chimed as the room began to change. The fireplace began to glow again, the lights on the Christmas tree began to illuminate, and a glow was coming from the mouse hole next to it.

Two mice and one lizard came out, watching their surroundings for any humans that were awake.

"Bill is this the right place..." whispered the chubby tan mouse named Arthur as he lit his cigar

"I'm telling you the truth, the boss said we'd find him here, and when we do..." he made a slicing motion against his neck that shocked the other two mice, making them clutch their necks.

The other mouse by the name of Charles, looked around and saw Rose sleeping on the couch. "THERE'S SOMEONE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH!" He whispered loudly and broke Bill and Arthurs thoughts of execution.

"SHUTUP you idiot! You want her to wake up and kill us all?!" Arthur shut Bills mouth and watched to make sure the girl didn't wake up.

"As long as we stay quiet, and we get the job done. We are not gonna die, can you handle this job Charles? We just need to get the boy, without getting killed."

Arthur removed his hand and gently said "yes..yes I can handle it." And they moved swiftly to the china cabinet. Arthur grabbed a grappling hook from his bag and threw it with a hard force that was able to let it hook on to the china cabinet handle. Arthur smiled menacingly and nodded at the other two as they started to climb, the last was Charles, who started to struggle.

A voice behind him "Man this has to be a pain in the butt..."

Charles shakes his head "yeah I mean he's not eve—wait a minute." He turned around to see the nutcracker alive, looking triumphant at the mouse in shock before him.

"I don't think you'll have to climb that high... because well I'm right here."

Charles was speechless, all he could do was stutter "A—Art—Ar-"until he finally screamed "ARTHUR!"

After that scream Rose's eyes opened.

Oh crud..whats gonna happen... rose is gonna wake up and something is gonna happen..Ok of course something is gonna happen. I do not own Bill the lizard, Arthur, or Charles, I just named Arthur and Charles (Ratigan's thugs) Charles is the one in the movie that has the orange shirt, suspenders and bowler hat, and Charles is the tan mouse with the grey cap, brown jacket and striped shirt. Bill is the lizard... kind of self-explanatory... I mean his name has lizard in it.