Kerry's Surprising Christmas Adventure Chapter 4: Epilogue, an ER + The Santa Clause Crossover fanfic

Epilogue

"Are you sure that..."

Carol took Kerry's arm and dragged her into the new building. "I know a lot of them look like children, but they're not. Some of them are older than we are, by quite a bit. Henry will be fine. Here we are."

Kerry glanced around and raised an eyebrow, "I'm not this easy."

Carol chuckled, "We've been trying to build it since... for a while. But, if a few whiz bangs and gizzies here and there help convince you that you should join me up here, I won't complain."

"It's more complicated than that."

Carol nodded, "I know. It's the moving again, it's becoming a Legendary Figure. It's many things. I can wait. She couldn't. I'm not her, you keep expecting me to be her. But I can wait, always have been able to. Do you know just how long it takes for glue to dry on wood? I can wait."

Kerry shook her head, "I don't look good in red." Carol frowned at Kerry, who chuckled and took Carol's hand, "Gah, you're so easy."

"So I've proven I'm not this other blonde in your life? I mean, really, this would be one long, long, long con ya know."

"Actually I called her, asked her if she'd ever been Santa Claus, if she'd ever met Santa Claus."

Carol's eyes nearly came out of their sockets, "What?"

Kerry shook her head and put her free hand on a heart rate monitor. "Sooo easy... Now, I believe the point of getting me alone in here was..."

"Excuse me Santa, sorry, sorry, sorry to disturb you... you two."

Angelo was bright red from the edge of his dark haired hairline to the very tips of his ears. Next to him stood a very blond haired elf with a half a smile on his face, shaking his head.

Carol looked between the two. "If you never call me that again, we're even."

"Oh, sorry ma'am. Uh, we just..."

Kerry spoke up, "Had the same idea that the Jolly one here had?"

Angelo stuttered, shaking his head furiously, "No, no... I mean. Gay elves. C'mon."

Kerry raised an eyebrow as Carol's gaze bounced between Kerry and Angelo. "Angelo?"

"Ma'am."

The other elf rolled his eyes and spoke up, "You've got gay elves ma'am. You can either deal with it or ship us off to help Tooth, but we won't hide anymore. Right Angelo?"

Angelo looked mortified. "Thomas... that's... what Thomas means..."

Carol stared at Thomas, one of her stable elves, and then she was laughing. Side splitting laughter that echoed through the North Pole, causing every elf and the two human boys to look up. There hadn't been a whole lot of uproarious laughter at the North Pole since Scott had died. And the place seemed to get just a bit brighter as the laughter faded.

Back in the almost finished medical center Carol was catching her breath. She spoke to Thomas as Angelo still seemed to be hyperventilating. "Does Curtis know?"

Thomas shook his head, "No, but that's only because he can be a bit dense when not engrossed in his rule book. Bernard knew."

Carol's head came up, "Ah, they're about to start the sing and dance. It's my favorite part of New Year's Eve and day. Even get to sing Carols other Christmas-ey songs." Kerry looked a bit confused, "Well, we're busy during advent season and we're all dead, dead tired on Christmas Day..."

Angelo had finally gotten his composure back and interjected, "Or partying..."

Carol inclined her head, "Indeed. So... do you sing Kerry Weaver?"

Kerry immediately shook her head, "Oh no..."

Angelo took a hold of Thomas' shoulder, "C'mon Tommy, we'll tell Judy that Sa... that she should wait just a moment to start."

Carol and Kerry were once again alone. "Sorry. That's... they're not kids, but sometimes they act like it."

Kerry smiled, "It's okay Carol. I know that... this is the real world, and yet it's not."

Carol studied Kerry's face, "And you're okay with that?"

"Weirdly enough, I am. I've had a lot of..."

"...suckage?"

"I was going to say pain and disappointment in my life. I wonder where they get their... youthful demeanor." Carol shrugged with an innocent look on her face, "If I can give Henry a happier life here, with you and... let's just say many uncles and aunts." Carol chuckled, "Why shouldn't I do that?"

The grin disappeared from Carol's face and she looked more serious than Kerry had ever seen her. "This isn't..."

Kerry covered Carol's lips with two fingers. "I want happiness too Carol. I thought I'd found it with Ralph, with Kim, with Courtney. I had it for a while with Sandy. Maybe I can find it at the end of the world with a female Santa and wearing red."

Henry came running before Carol could respond, SJ trying valiantly to keep up. "Mama. They're gonna sing and dance, but Carol has to dance with someone first."

Carol shook her head, "Three years with some of those elves out there and it's Santa this, Santa that. Just more than, what, a week and Henry's able to call me Carol."

SJ took a hold of Carol's hand and pulled, "Too slow, no talk, too slow."

"What, Henry, I don't get pulled?" Kerry raised an eyebrow at her son.

"But you'll come without pulling." Kerry raised the other eyebrow. Henry hurfed and grabbed his Mom's hand and dragged her out the door after SJ and Carol.

The elves stood in a loose circle, though there were more on one side than the other. Bernard walked up to Carol and gave a half bow. "I believe you need to usher in the singing and dancing portion of this party."

Carol shook her head at the former Arch-Elf. "Hello to you too Bernard." She started forward and the crowd parted a bit. Kerry did a double take. "Wait, isn't that..."

Carol covered Kerry's mouth with her hand. "We do not speak her name up here. But yes, it is, she's an honorary elf. Now... may I have this Waltz?" Carol held out her hand as the short woman in front of all the elves started singing. For a bit the elves simply watched as Carol and Kerry slowly drift from side to side to the music.

"Frosted window panes

Candles gleaming inside

Painted candy canes on the tree

Santa's on his way,

He's filled his sleigh

With things, things for you and for me."

Bernard and Curtis stood off to one side, "So, do you think this will work?"

Curtis shrugged, "I guess we'll find out in 2014."

Bernard did a double take at Curtis. "Are you relaxing a little bit my friend?"

Bernard put an arm around his former second in command as Curtis sighed, "Gay elves, a lesbian Santa who's a woman."

"Generally that's what it takes to be a lesbian. And I believe she's technically Bi."

Curtis shook his head, "I should start on next years naughty list." He walked off towards the toy factory where his office was located and Bernard chuckled. A throat cleared and he looked down. "Bernard, I would appreciate this dance."

Bernard smiled, and guided Judy to the dance floor.

"It's that time of year

When the world falls in love

Every song you hear

Seems to say

Merry Christmas

May your New Year dreams come true

And this song of mine

In three quarter time

Wishes you and yours

The same thing too