"Explain to me why I ever agreed to this?"
"Because I asked nicely. And it's for a good cause."
"It's a good cause for me to be standing here half naked and smiling at little kids?"
"You aren't half naked Helga, You have tights on."
Helga looked at the red and green top and short skirt she wore over the green tights and red shoes.
"I seriously can't believe this is what elves wear in the North Pole. They'd get too cold."
Phoebe sighed and adjusted her hat. "Seriously Helga? Put on the damn hat and let's go out there and show off our green clad legs and make some damn kids happy."
Helga put on her hat with a wry smirk. "You sure get bossy when you get annoyed."
"Move it!" Phoebe growled at her laughing best friend as she pushed the blond out into the crowd of children.
The party for the children was a rousing success. Helga's feet were killing her but seeing the looks on the children's faces when they saw Santa and got a gift was worth sore feet. The cookies were a big hit…or so she heard. She kept hoping that someone saved her one before Harold finished off any leftovers.
That was her Christmas wish, one damn cookie.
A quick glance to the clock in the cafeteria told here there was only an hour left for this shindig and then she could take off this ridiculous outfit and go home.
"Is he really Santa?"
Helga blinked and looked down at the little girl standing in front of her. The little thing looked like she was maybe five with curly brown hair and huge brown eyes. The kid looked like she just stepped out of one of those big eyed kids paintings. Helga squatted, taking care not to flash anyone behind her, so she was eye level with the girl.
"He is. Did you want to ask him for something for Christmas?"
The little girl nodded her head. "I'm afraid he won't be able to give me what I want, though."
A chill went down Helga's back and she glanced around the crowded cafeteria. Pasting on a smile she straightened up and held out her hand to the little girl.
"Well, all we can do is ask. Santa is good at making wishes come true but we have to remember that something there are things that not even Santa can do."
The little girl took her hand and they walked up the small path towards the guy sitting in the chair. "That's what Mommy told me, but I want to ask, just in case."
They reached Santa and the man smiled down at the little girl. "What's your name sweetie?"
"Janae," she responded still holding onto Helga's hand. Santa patted his lap and Janae climbed up. Phoebe gave Helga a questioning look and Helga could only shrug her shoulders.
She glanced around and spotted a dark haired woman standing just out of the little girl's line of sight smiling and covering her mouth with her hand. Beside her stood Arnold with a taller man in fatigues standing just out of sight. Most everyone else in the cafeteria had begun to watch the proceedings. Helga looked back at Phoebe and then to Janae who was still sitting on Santa's lap.
"So, what can I bring you this year Janae? A bike? A new game?"
The little girl shook her head, clearly rethinking her idea to ask Santa for something. Knowing where this was going, Helga stepped up to where they were.
"It doesn't hurt to ask." She told the girl. "If you're scared, I'm right here."
Janae grabbed Helga's hand and looked back up at their Santa. "My daddy is a solder and he had to go to another place. We didn't get to see him last Christmas and I miss him. I haven't seen him in a long time and I just want to see him and wish him Merry Christmas this year."
On the other side of the Santa's chair Phoebe was already trying to surreptitiously wipe her eyes. Helga glanced back towards where Arnold stood and spotted the man in the fatigues making his way towards where Santa and Janae sat.
Oh man, Phoebe was going to need a box of Kleenex after this one.
On his seat, Santa thought about what Janae had told him. "Well, you know your Daddy is being a hero for the rest of us but I heard from one of my elves that you didn't get to see him last year and it's not really fair for a little girl to not see her daddy two Christmases in a row, not is it?"
Janae shook her head, her eyes wide.
"So between you and me, let's see if we can wish up an early Christmas present. Remember this is a special wish, it can only happen on rare occasions so we have to make sure we wish real hard, okay?"
Phoebe wasn't even trying to hide her crying now, she had to step behind the chair to keep her face away from where Janae might see her. The little girl nodded vigorously.
"Okay, let's close our eyes and wish real hard." Janae's eyes slammed shut tight and Santa smiled.
"We need a little of Santa's North Pole magic, a little Christmas cheer and a huge wish from a little girl."
Helga stepped over to where the soldier was trying to step over the rails and moved it out of the way. He nodded his thanks and made his way over to where Santa and Janae sat.
"On the count of three, we're going to throw out that wish like we'd let go of a butterfly and open our eyes. One, two, three."
Janae's hands opened up and outward as if she was releasing a butterfly and the soldier caught one of her hands. Janae's eyes opened, and then grew wider as she realized who was standing in front of her.
"Daddy!" She screeched and almost fell off Santa's lap to get to the soldier. The man lifted his daughter off Santa's lap and hugged her.
"It worked!" She cried, clutching onto him. "Santa and I wished it and you're here!"
Helga stepped towards a still crying Phoebe and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"How are you not crying?" Phoebe sniffled.
"Made of stronger stuff?" she offered. "But you were right, now I remember why I agree to these things." As they watched the father and daughter reunion, she may have ran a knuckle under a moist eye.