A/N:
Okay, so the big night is here! It is time to celebrate and to give gifts!

Please give at review in the end of the chapter - telling me both what you think of the chapter itself as well as answering the daily question.

- NOTE THAT THIS CHAPTER HAS YET TO BE BETAED.

Disclaimer:
«I do not own any of the following pictures, music, characters or the original universe. Nor do I own the Christmas Calendar or its content. I only own this Christmas story and the mixing idea.»

For practical purposes, Hange Zoë will be referred to with female pronouns. The character's gender has not been confirmed by the creator, so there is still a mystery about what is the truth of it. However, because it is hard to write around the pronouns, I chose the female gender because this is what they used for the English dub of the Anime. I hope that you all understand my reasoning for this, and that if you have another opinion on the gender, you can still replace the pronouns while reading.

DECEMBER 24TH

"Put them on! Come ooooon!"

"Fine! Fine! Just stop!" Fighting off Hange with one arm, Reiner used the other one to fasten a pair of reindeer antlers. "There. Are you done now?"

Taking a step back, Hange looked upon the new creature in front of her. "Yes! I most definitely am! Well, at least for now." Then, making sure that her own set of antlers were still in their place, she walked off.

"Why is it always these silly things..."

"Probably because it sounds the same." Bertolt smiled down on him. "As your name I mean."

Reiner grunted, but before he could comment further, the commander clapped his hands.

"Very well, very well. Now that we are all here, I feel it's only fitting that we read the last part of the Christmas Calendar."

Armin was sent upstairs to get the calendar, and while he was away, Eld opened up the boxes of cakes and marzipan and placed them on the table. As the genius boy was back downstairs, all the soldiers were gathered around the table, all with a cup coffee in one hand, and a cookie in the other. Picking up a cookie for himself, Armen went over to Erwin to give him the piece of paper, but Erwin shook his head.

"It is your Calendar," he smiled. "You started the journey, so it's only fitting that you will be the one to end it."

Nodding, Armin found his place, unfolded the paper, and read:

The twenty-fourth of December: The Christ Child

… a spark from the great beacon behind those weak lanterns in the sky …

It's the middle of of the world between Europe, Asia and Africa. It' in the middle of history at the beginning of our era. Soon it will be the middle of the night as well.

A silent crowd is stealing upwards between the houses in Bethlehem. They are a little flock of seven sheep, four shepherds, five angels of the Lord, three Kings of Orient, one Roman Emperor, the Governor of Syria, and Elisabet from the long, narrow country below the North Pole.

The weak glow of oil lamps is streaming from the windows in a few of the simple houses, but most people in the old town have gone to bed for the night.

One of the Wise Men points up at the sky where the stars are burning in the darkness. They are like sparks from a beacon far away. One star is shining more brightly than all the other stars in the sky. It looks as if it's hanging a little lower in the sky as well.

'A little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by,'
murmurs Elisabet softly, remembering an old carol.

The angel Impuriel turns towards the others, puts a finger to his lips, and whispers, whispers, 'Hush . . . Hush...'

The procession of pilgrims gathers in front of one of the inns of the town. In a moment or two the innkeeper appears at the window. When he sees the group outside he nods firmly and points to a cave in the wall of rock.

The angel Ephiriel Whispers something; it sounds like the words of a nursery rhyme.

"And while they were there, the time came for her child to be born, and she gave birth to her son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

They creep across the yard and stop in front of the cave. The smell from it tells them that it is a stable.

Suddenly the silence is broken by the cry of a child.

It is happening now. It is happening in a stable in Bethlehem.

Over the stable a star is twinkling. Inside the stable the new-born child is wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.

This is a meeting of heaven and earth. For the child in the manger is also a spark from the great beacon behind those weak lanterns in the sky.

This is the wonder. It is a wonder every time a new child comes into the world. This is how it is when the world is created anew under heaven.

A woman is breathing deeply and weeping. Not out of sadness. Mary is weeping quietly, deeply and happily. But the child's cries drown out Mary. The Christ-child is born. He has been born in a stable in Bethlehem. He has come to our miserable world.

The angel Ephiriel turns solemnly towards the other pilgrims and says, "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour."

The Emperor Augustus nods.

'And now it's our turn. Everyone is to take up their places, everyone must remember their lines. We have rehearsed this for almost two thousand years.'

Quirinius speaks, at a sign from the Emperor.

'Shepherds! Take your flock out into the fields, and never forget to be Good Shepherds. Wise Men! Depart to the desert and mount your camels, each one of you. May you never cease to read the stars in the sky. Angels! Fly high above the clouds, all of you. Do not reveal yourselves to people on earth unless it is absolutely necessary, and never forget to say, "Fear not!" For now Jesus is born.'

The next moment all the shepherds and sheep, the angels and the Wise Men, had vanished. Elisabet was left alone with Quirinius and the Emperor Augustus.

'I must hurry home to Damascus,' said Quirinius. 'I have an important role to play there.'

'And I must go back to Rome,' said Augustus. 'That is my role.'

Before they went, Elisabet pointed at the stable and asked, 'Do you think I may go in?'

The Emperor smiled from ear to ear.

'Of course you are to go in. That is your role.'

Quirinius nodded energetically.

'You haven't come all this long way just to hang about.'

With those words the two Romans started running back along the way they had come.

Elisabet looked up at the starry sky. She had to tilt her head far back to see the big star which was shining so brightly. Again she heard the cry of a child from inside the cave.

So she went into the stable.

"And?" Krista asked.

"And that it."

"It can't be," Krista protested. "We wanna know what happened next!"

Armin double checked, turning the paper to see if anything might have been written on the back of it, he even went up to check if there was any signs of a second paper, but there was none.

"I don't know?" Armin checked again, and soon others got on their feet as well, looking for the finally of the story.

"I don't understand," Krista looked underneath the benches. "It can't just disappear into thin air?"

"Of course not." Ymir agreed as she helped moving the table.

Krista sighed. "Then where could it be?"

"Maybe..." Erwin stopped, a though had just come to him. "Maybe it was never finished?"

"What?"

"It might be that it was intended this way. That an ending would conflict with the message?"

"Message?" Armin got on his feet and went over to the Commander. "What do you mean?"

"The message that has been hidden underneath the story. It has been there from the were beginning, and if I'm right, then it would explain the absence of an ending."

"Ah!" Listening to the Commander's words, Amin finally understood. "It's about us!"

The commander. "I think so as well. I think that, more than anything, the calendar wants us to think."

"Indeed," Hange nodded, a serious expression on her face. However, a second later it was replaced by a wild grin. "and speaking of thinking, I think it's time to stop thinking!" Putting a bottle of beer to her lips, the scientist began chugging. And, seeing her, cheer broke out in the room and they followed her lead.

The night went on, and as it did, the Christmas spirit filled each and every one of them i turn. Games were played, and there were much of spiced wine and beer to go around. All were mingling, all except...

"You too, eh?" Oluo had been using the bathroom, and on his way back, he noticed the horse faced recruit standing by himself; leaning toward the door frame. "I was thinking the exact same myself."

"What are you doing?!" Jean's eyes widened as the older man stopped beside him.

"I'm waiting under the mistletoe, of course." Oluo hissed. "What did you think I was doing?"

"Idiot!" Jean hurried to look to both sides and was about to push Oluo away, when-

"Look! They're underneath the mistletoe!" Sasha Blouse, her own set of antlers swaying from side to side, shouted out; pointing at the two standing underneath it. "Kiss!"

The attention turned to them, and Oluo became very, very aware of the situation. "Hey, wait-"

"I'm not doing it!" Jean refused.

"Me neither!" Oluo nodded.

"But you have to." From her seat on the mental piece, Hange sent them an evil grin. "Rules are rules, boys. Or," Her eyes widened as she sent them a judging glare. "That is what you would tell the girls, riiiiight?"

"I..." Jean opened his mouth to protest, but before he could do that, something hit him in the face.

It wasn't the gentles or longest kiss they had seen, but seeing as Jean escaped up to his room as room as Oluo released him, they all accepted it. And so, the party continued, all making sure to stay clear of the mistletoe - all except Oluo that stayed on his post, patiently waiting for Petra to walk past.

It never happened, however, as he closed his eyes for a brief second, a kiss was planted on his cheek, but before he could see who it was, the person was gone.

Wondering who it could have been, he wondered if he should ask around, but as he reached a decision, Erwin announced that the secret santa was about to begin. Hearing this, all hurried upstairs and got their presents and hurried to put them in a pile beside the Commander. As all the presents were fetched, he picked up gift and read out:

"Mike."

The squad leader went up and accepted the present. Taking his seat, he unwrapped the brown paper, and inside it he found-

"A set of smelling salts." He gave it a sniff, and a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Thank you."

Erwin picked up the next present. "Mikasa." And another. "Gunther."

Both accepted their presents and opened them.

"Just what I needed." Gunther looked at his newly grinded knife. "Thank you Eld."

"Me?"

"Of course," Gunther smiled. "You're the one I've been complaining to about it having lost its edge."

"I guess it wasn't that difficult." Eld had to admit, and then he got on his own feet to receive a gift.

Mikasa was looking at her present in wonder. She knew they couldn't expect much from one another - especially because they might not know their receiver all too well, but this… Holding the three nuts up in front of her, Mikasa couldn't make out who it was from. A gift should represent something between the two of them, or at least the person receiving it, but nuts… She pondered a little while longer, but then the young woman shrugged her shoulders. It didn't matter who had given her the nuts, what was important was that she felt a strangely fond for them. And so, putting them in the breast pocket, she continued watching as her friends received their gifts.

Soon all gifts were handed out. Most seemed pleased with their gifts, but there were also a few that couldn't keep their disappointment, and even anger, from their face. Most noticeably was to be seen on Reiner's face - his face burning as he looked down on the drawing he had gotten. It was no question who had picked him in the hat. Who but Ymir would have given him a drawing of Krista dressed in a wedding dress with a speech bubble coming from her saying: "I wanna marry Ymir!"

The happiest reaction, however, was from the potato girl. Opening her present, one you see the happiness beaming from her face. "CHOCOLATE!" Picking up a piece, she threw it in her mouth, her expression changing to pure pleasure. "Aaaah! Sooo gooood."

Beside her, Connie smiled. He knew she would like it, and although he would have liked to try a piece himself, watching her joyous face was indeed worth it.

Looking at his soldiers, Erwin smiled. It was such a blessing that they had come across the Mysterious Christmas Calendar. Never in his time as Commander had he ever felt so satisfied. The days they had spent here had been happy, but it would all come to an end. Tomorrow they would leave.

A/N:
Question of the day:
What is the best Secret Santa gift you have received?
And were you able to guess who it was from?

Please leave a review with your thoughts, okay?

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