Disclaimer: All I own is Ava. Thanks and enjoy Nightmare Before Christmas.


Nightmare Before Christmas

Ava had been living with Pitch for almost a year and a half by then, and they were still getting used to living with each other. Ava still had to remember where she was when she woke up and Pitch had to remember that someone else was living in his house. There had been some times when Ava would walk into the kitchen and scare the hell out of Pitch. But this day was different. Ava had heard of something on her way home that would change a lot.


"Why don't we have a Christmas tree?" she demanded as she touched onto the floor, skipping the hello.

"Why would you want a Christmas tree?" Pitch questioned. He had never celebrated the holiday, not to his knowledge anyway.

"Christmas is next week, and we haven't even decorated yet!" Ava protested. "Everyone else has been done for weeks now. I was almost blinded by a display somewhere in Jersey yesterday. Pitch, we've got to decorate! What will Santa say if he comes and we haven't decorated?"

Pitch almost choked on his shock. Ava thought Nicholas St. North was going to come to their home? Why on earth would the Guardian of Wonder visit them? Pitch asked the girl, though he wasn't prepared for her reaction.

"Contrary to what I normally tell you, I am still a child. And as a child who believes in Santa Claus, I think I'm right by saying that he should come and visit on Christmas Eve, don't you?"

Pitch sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Ava was insistent, was she not? Eventually he sat her down and explained the entire situation to the girl, just to shut her up.

"The man you call Santa is actually a Guardian named North," he told her. "Yes, he brings children presents on Christmas Eve, but he might skip over this home."

"Why?! I've been good this year. Well, goodish," she amended, a bit upset at what Pitch had told her.

Pitch sighed. How was he to explain his old rivalry with the Guardians?

"Ava, the Guardians and I have been fighting for centuries. They hate me and I hate them. By extension, they might hate you as well. Don't be offended if St. North skips this house."

Pitch would never admit it, but he was growing attached to the girl. He remembered his daughter, Seraphina, and how she had been as a young child and felt as though he had to make up for not being with her somehow. Ava was just filling a void.


Ava sat down at the desk in her bedroom and stared at the blank sheet of paper. She was determined to get North to stop at her house. And the only way the spirit knew how to do that was to write him a letter.

Dear Mr. Nicholas St. North,

Pitch told me your real name is North, but he might have been lying. I'm sorry if I got it wrong. Maybe I should explain what's going on so you'll know why I'm writing so close to Christmas. That way you might be persuaded to stop by. Not that I want anything for Christmas though. I just want to know that you've been here.

I'm almost four hundred and five years old, but I look and act like a fourteen year old. Yeah, I know that I'm probably way older than the kids you normally visit, but could you please overlook that? Anyway, I've been living with Pitch Black for a year and a half now. He's letting me stay in what used to be a guest room, so now I'm not homeless anymore.

I'm the spirit of choice, which means I go around and help people make up their mind. I don't usually influence their decision, but there have been times when I had to. Random note: I heard that you have yetis that work for you, but I always thought it was the elves that made the toys. Do they?

If I could have anything for Christmas, I would please like a doll. Not just any doll, but a porcelain doll in a red and white gown with red-streaked blonde hair and green blue eyes. She could also have grey angel wings. If it's not too much trouble, could you please bring a doll like that on Christmas Eve? If I made the nice list, I mean. I don't really expect much. But even if you just read this letter and stop by for a visit I'd be happy.

Merry Christmas –Ava

Ava reread her note and nodded to herself. That would work. Maybe North would stop by on Christmas Eve.


The next day, North was sitting in his private office when he noticed a sealed letter on his desk. Thinking that one of the yetis had left it there –they always brought him the oddest letters they received –he opened it up and read the note.

When he was done, the Cossack was admittedly confused. How had none of the Guardians heard of a child-spirit living with Pitch? Why had she moved in with him? The boogeyman was not one to be taken lightly.

But then again, in the letter Ava had been kind and considerate. She hadn't asked for much, just a doll. North had a suspicion that she wanted it to look like herself, but he didn't think much of it. Most female children wanted a doll like that at one point in their life.

One thing was certain. North had another stop on Christmas Eve.


Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the house

Every shadow was stirring

Scaring even the mouse

"Sorry buddy," Ava cooed as she scooped up the tiny critter. "Did the big mean Nightmares scare you?"

After she sat the mouse down near the way out of the house, she rounded on the Nightmares.

"Shame on you!" she scolded. "He was just trying to get home and you went and scared him!"

The Nightmares back away from her, remembering when their leader had been put in a sparkly tutu the last time they had crossed her. Soon after she finished yelling at them, they vanished into the shadows.


The stockings were hung

On the cages with care

In hopes that St. North

Soon would be there

"This is ridiculous," Pitch stated.

"If you're gonna do it, do it right," Ava retorted, hanging up their stockings. Pitch had huge cages dotting their home, so Ava was taking advantage of them to hang up the colorful socks.

"I don't see why you made me a stocking," he argued.

"Because I wanted to," the fallen angel retorted, flying back down to ground level.


Pitch started cursing

And then he just snapped

Finally he got Ava

To settle down for a nap

"Go to sleep."

"No."

"Go to sleep."

"No."

"Go to sleep!"

"No!"

"GO TO SLEEP!"

Ava knew that Pitch was serious when he raised his voice so loud. Without another word, she crawled underneath the covers and bid him goodnight.

"Night Pitchy," she yawned, closing her eyes.


But then from the surface

There rose such a clatter

Ava bounded out of bed

To see what was the matter

A loud bang sounded from the surface, waking Ava. She launched out of bed, terrified that North had crashed while coming over. What if he ran into a tree just because she asked him to come on Christmas?

The fallen angel rushed toward the skylight, intent on finding out what had happened.


The Moon was too bright

On the fresh fallen snow

Ava knew it was Jack

Hadn't he heard her say no?

"Dammit Jack!" Ava grumbled when she saw the bright snow on the ground. She just wanted one Christmas where she was warm, was that too much to ask?!


But then to her right

What a thing should appear

But a massive red sleigh

And eight feral reindeer

Ava saw a huge red sleigh soar down from the sky and land not twenty feet away from the entrance to her home. The reindeer looked like they would kill you as soon as look at you, they were that frightening. Ava felt a small smirk creep up on her face.

Awesome.


He was dressed all in fur

From his head to his toes

And Ava thought certainly

"Doesn't Santa have better clothes?"

She couldn't help but think it when she saw the Russian Santa Claus. He was wearing fur of all things! Santa Claus wasn't supposed to be wearing tacky black-and-red fur! He looked awful!

Ava couldn't help but giggle, though she kept it as quiet as possible. North looked so funny!


He spoke not a word

But went straight to his work

Filling the stockings

Then turned with a jerk

North filled the red and grey stockings with candy –sweet for Ava and sour for Pitch –before he pulled a box out of his cloth bag. Ava grinned, secretly hoping that it was the doll she asked for.

North didn't seem to notice the girl standing behind him; if he did, then he didn't say anything. He made sure the gift wasn't going to fall as soon as he stepped back. Once that was done, he turned around.


North sprang to his sleigh

And to his team gave a shout

And away they all flew

Like birds just let out

North left the lair as quickly as he came, too fast for even Ava to keep up. He plopped down in the sleigh and hollered a command to his team of feral reindeer. They took to the skies, leaving Ava standing just outside of her home.

She smiled as she watched the sleigh fly up. Santa Claus had visited on Christmas. Ava must've made the nice list after all.


But Ava heard someone exclaim

As they flew out of sight

"Merry Frost-mas to all

And to all a cold night"

"Jack," Ava laughed loudly. "Quit taking other people's holidays!"

"No!" the other immoral teen called back, flying away. "Merry Frost-mas Ava!"

"Merry Christmas Jack!" she returned, heading back inside.


The next day, Ava woke Pitch up by hitting him in the head with her pitchfork. He grumbled something about 'immature children' and how Ava was 'older than America' so she should be more mature than she was acting. Ava wanted to tell him that she could be as mature as she wanted to be, but it was Christmas, and she deserved to act like a child.

She pulled the Nightmare King into the main room where she had seen North just five hours earlier. Ava thrust a darkly wrapped gift into his hands. It was a black robe with a golden hem. Pitch also got her a present. It was a grey dress with a red ribbon around the waist.

Now Ava turned her attention to the gift left by North. When she opened the box, she gasped. It was the doll she had asked for! It looked exactly like her! She hugged the doll to her chest, grinning a mile wide.

Best. Christmas. Ever.


Tada! The ending was rushed, and I'll admit that, but other than that I think it worked. What do you think? Thanks for reading!

~C