A/N: Hey, I'm back! Wow, it's been months since I've posted a story… sorry about that. Last year I thought chapter two was gonna be the last chapter of this story, but I thought what the hey and wrote another one. My OC Holly is in this chapter. She's from my story Unexpected and she's also in my one-shot Their First Fight. If you haven't read either of those you should! Anyways, on with the chapter! Merry Christmas!
Darry, his wife Holly, Ponyboy and Sodapop were all decorating the house for Christmas.
"You know what I think we should do this year? We should make one of them gingerbread houses!" Sodapop suggested as he was putting ornaments on the tree. Darry laughed.
"I don't think so, little buddy. That's way too much sugar for you."
"Aw, come on, Darry. You let us have chocolate cake for breakfast!" He tried to reason. Darry just shook his head.
"Yeah, I don't know why I do."
"That's because you like it too! You think it's a good idea, don't you Ponyboy?" Pony grinned.
"No, Darry's right. You're hyper enough all the time." Soda frowned at his brothers.
"You guys are no fun!" Before anyone could say anything else, Two-Bit ran inside, slammed the door behind him and started singing.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Everywhere you gooooo…" Dally threw a pillow at him, glaring. He was lying on the couch with a hangover.
"Shut up, will ya?" Two-Bit waved a beer bottle in front of his face.
"Looks like somebody had a little too much to drink!" Dally clumsily swatted him away.
"Says you."
"I don't know, you guys. I got some bad news. I heard someone tried to tell Santa that Dally's been good this year. He died laughing!" Two-Bit started cracking up and Dally tried to kick him. Darry and Pony shared a knowing look. Pony had found out that Darry was the real Santa Clause. He was the only one in the gang that knew because as hard as it was, he kept his promise not to tell anyone. It was tough being in high school where everyone insisted that Santa wasn't real. Pony wanted so bad to tell everyone the truth but he couldn't.
Darry hadn't actually told Holly yet either. Since they were married, it was okay for her to know. The truth was that Darry occasionally forgot about being Santa with all that was going on and all his responsibilities. It was a good thing he had his magic watch to remind him. He wondered how his wife would react to this news. And how was he going to tell her?
His thoughts were interrupted when Two-Bit came over and hug up a mistletoe right above where Darry was standing with Holly.
"Oh, look at that. Christmas rules, you two!" Holly blushed and Darry rolled his eyes although he was smiling.
"Like those rules you made up about our house?" Two-Bit pretended to be offended.
"Hey, those rules were perfectly valid!" Holly put her arms around Darry's neck and kissed him. Pony sort of laughed to himself as he realized that he was looking at Mr. and Mrs. Clause. Darry's eyes widened as he looked at his watch.
"Uhh… sorry guys. I gotta go. There's something I need to do." Soda watched as Darry left.
"Where's he been goin' off to? He's been disappearin' a lot since after Thanksgiving." He looked at Holly, thinking maybe she knew something about it but she just shrugged. Pony had to stop himself from telling them again. Still, he wondered what they would do if they found out. It would probably be really funny, but hopefully that would never happen. Two-Bit would make sure the whole world knew about it. Darry was sure lucky that it was Ponyboy that knew. Anyone else in the gang would never be able to keep their mouth shut.
At the workshop in the North Pole, Darry was hard at work making a list and checking it twice. He was also reading the letters from the children of the world. How does he have time for all that? Well, he had some special reading glasses to help him out.
"Nice, nice, naughty, nice… oh boy, I never would've guessed I would end up being Santa." Darry soon noticed that it was getting late, so he changed back into his regular clothes and pushed the button on his watch to go home. The rest of the gang had left, leaving just his brothers and Holly. She was already in bed reading a book. She smiled up at him.
"Hey, Darry. Where did you have to go in such a hurry?" He bit his lip and figured now was a good time as any to tell her.
"Uhhh…" he realized he was still wearing the glasses and took them off. "I have something important… and a little crazy to tell you." She laughed softly.
"What, are you the real Superman or something?" She said jokingly. Darry chuckled and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Not exactly. I know what I'm about to tell you sounds crazy and impossible, but it's the truth." She gave him a funny look.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Darry sighed and closed his eyes.
"What's the reason you stopped believing in Santa Clause?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked, confused. Darry thought for a minute.
"All right, I'll just get to the point… Santa is real, and I am him." Holly looked at him like he was nuts.
"What?" Darry looked down.
"I know how it sounds, but believe it or not, it's always been in my family's blood." She just stared at him.
"Darry…" she said slowly, "did you hit your head or something?"
"No, no… look, I'll prove it to you." Holly was almost sure by now that her husband had gone crazy. But he didn't look like it… He pushed the button on his watch, expecting them to be immediately transported… but nothing happened. Darry tapped it, surprised. "What's the matter with this thing? It always works…" Holly put a hand over his forehead.
"Dar, honey, maybe you should lay down." He shook his head, trying to figure out what was wrong.
"Wait, let's try it again." This time it worked and Holly looked around, completely dumbfounded.
"How…?" She couldn't believe it as he snapped his fingers, magically changing into his Santa suit.
"Sometimes I forget I can do that. Well, you believe me now?" He nearly laughed at the expression on her face.
"… oh my gosh I married Santa Clause." He took her hand.
"Hey, I'm still the same guy." Once she recovered from the shock of this news she nodded. After she promised not to tell anyone Darry changed back and they went home.
On the night of Christmas Eve, Holly caught Darry before he left to deliver the presents.
"You can really do all this in one night?" she asked.
"Yeah, but don't ask me how," he answered with a smile.
"Since I believe in Santa now, does this mean I get two presents from you, or do you only deliver to kids?" He laughed.
"Hmmm… I suppose I could make an exception for my wife." He winked at her and kissed her gently. Love swirled in Darry's heart and he pulled her closer to him. "Goodnight," he whispered.
"Goodnight Darry," she whispered back as he disappeared.
'My life is so bizarre,' she thought as she went to bed. After all, the sooner she went to sleep, the sooner Santa would come.
A/N: Uh hahaha I just noticed after I posted this that I made Ponyboy think 'my life is so bizarre' at the end of chapter 2! Oh well. :/
