Chapter 10
With a sudden lurch, Stan then realized…he was no longer in the graveyard. He was in a bedroom, grasping at curtains.
"Wait…this is…MY room!" Stan said in shock before laughing in relief.
"Yes, the bedposts were his own. The bed was his own. The room was his own."
Steel and Hikari were sitting on the windowsill, Steel munching on a Subway sandwich, "Yeah, we're back."
"We promised we would be…but these two had to stop at Subway." Meteora said as Hikari herself was having a mini-pizza.
"What? I felt like a snack." Steel shrugged. Hikari nodded before swallowing.
Stan looked over his room, overjoyed and laughing as Hikari continued, "But the thing that made Stan happiest of all was that his life lay before him. And it could be changed."
"I'll live in the past, the present and the future…Alastor, Blitzo…" Stan said. He then got into a praying position—kneeling at his bedside with his hands clasped, "Alastor, Blitzo! I'm saying it on my knees! ON MY KNEES! I KNOW YOU'D LOVE THAT!"
He then stood up and began looking around, "Hey, everything's here! And I'm here, too! It's a miracle! A-ha…HAHAHAHA! I don't know what to do! I'm as light as a feather, happy as an angel...HAHAHA!"
Outside the room, Steel looked at Hikari as some concerns rose, "Hey, is it really safe for us to be hanging out here?"
"Stan is saved, what could go wrong?" Hikari said. The windows were flung open, sending the three hurtling into the snow below.
"CALLED IIIIIIIT!" Steel yelled before landing in the snow.
Stan looked down. There, he saw the two children who tried caroling to him just the previous day.
"Hey! Hey, kids! Up here!" Stan called. Just then, the blue cat threw a snowball at Stan's face. He yelped and recoiled, "GAH! I deserved that…"
"Gumball, maybe we should hear him out." The fish with legs said.
"You two! What day is it?" Stan asked, wiping the snow off his face.
"Uh…what?" the fish said.
"Today! What's today?" Stan asked.
"Today? It's Christmas Day, dude." Gumball said.
"Wait, it's Christmas? THEN I HAVEN'T MISSED IT!" Stan laughed, "THE SPIRITS DID IT ALL IN ONE NIGHT! OF COURSE, THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY LIKE!"
Gumball threw another snowball at Stan.
"Gumball!" Darwin said.
"Darwin this guy tossed us out in a wreath when we were just caroling and now, he's acting like a psycho! I think I'm allowed some revenge!" Gumball said to his brother/pet.
"Are you done?" Stan asked.
"For now." Gumball said.
"So, you two know about the poultry shop?" Stan asked.
"Yes, sir!" Darwin said.
"Now, THERE'S a good kid…fish…thing!" Stan said, regaining his excitement, "Hey! Have they sold the prize turkey yet? The one in the window?"
"Wait, the one as big as me?" Gumball called.
"Yeah, yeah! That one! Go out and buy it!" Stan said, "Bring it here! Be here in ten minutes, you'll get five bucks! BRING IT IN FIVE, AND YOU'LL GET A TWENTY!"
The two took off running, becoming nothing more than a blue-and-orange blur.
"HA! Money moves, never fails!" Stan grinned, "I'll bring it to Sai Sayers' house! It'll be as big as Lorelei! It'll feed 'em for a whole month, given proper rationing!"
Later, Stan burst out of his front door, wearing his best clothes.
"He-ey! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" Stan called. He helped Steel and Hikari out of the snow, "Merry Christmas!"
"Huh…thanks!" Steel said.
"He's really changed." Meteora said.
"Yeah…guess so." Steel nodded.
Hikari smiled and narrated, "Everyone was out and about this fine morning. And soon he encountered two familiar faces."
Then, Stan (almost literally) ran into the disheveled form of Twilight and Spike. They offered hurried apologies, but then Twilight recognized him.
"Mr. Pines…" she said, darkly, as she glared while Spike tried hiding behind her.
"Oh, it's you! Hey, uh, I know yesterday, I kinda said some…stuff that I regret. So, how about I make it up to ya? Put me down for…" he then leaned over and whispered something to Twilight.
Her eyes went wide, "That much?!"
"And not a penny less!" Stan grinned, "And there's more where that came from, believe me!"
"I…I…wow, thank you!" Twilight said, "I don't know what to say! I just wish there was something…"
"Wait…wait, here." Spike smiled, taking off his scarf and handing it to Stan.
"For me? Well, thanks!" Stan said, putting the scarf on.
"Merry Christmas!" Spike said.
"Same to you, kid!" Stan smiled as Gumball and Darwin ran over to him.
"Here's your turkey!" Gumball said, holding up the turkey.
"Good kids! Now, WITH ME!" Stan said, leading the way with his cane in hand like a grand marshal at a parade. Gumball, Darwin, Twilight, and Spike began following him as he began singing.
Stan: With a thankful heart,
With an endless joy,
With a growing family
Every girl and boy
Will be nephew and niece to me!
Crowd: Nephew and niece to me!
Stan: Will bring love, hope, and peace to me!
Crowd: Love, hope, and peace to me!
Stan: Yes and every night will end
And every day will start
With a grateful prayer and a thankful heart!
Stan walked into a general store, buying half the inventory. All the while, the crowd kept growing.
Stan: With an open smile
And with open doors,
I will bid you welcome
What is mine is yours!
With a glass raised
To toast your health!
Crowd: With a glass raised to toast your health!
Stan: And a promise to share the wealth!
Crowd: Promise to share the wealth!
Stan: I will sail a friendly course,
Follow a friendly chart!
On a sea of love
and a thankful heart!
He walked into his office showing him putting a few gifts, paired with buckets of coal on the desks. Individually addressed to "Anne", "Hopadiah", "Sprigg", and "Polly", with a red ribbon and a "Merry Christmas" note attached with them.
Stan: Life is like a journey,
Who knows when it ends?
Yes, and if you want to know
The measure of a man…
You simply count his friends!
He walked back out of his counting house.
Stan: Stop and look around you,
The glory that you see
Is born again each day!
Don't let it slip away,
How precious life can be!
As they paraded through town, Steel watched.
"I want in on that." He commented, running after them. Hikari smiled as she followed after him.
Their path led them to Dipper, Mabel, and Pacifica's house. Stan walked up to the three, hugging them tight before handing them each a present. With a jovial wave, he left them behind. The twins were confused, but happy.
Stan then led the procession to the retirement home. There resided his old headmaster, Skinner, and his old boss, Pinkiewig. Both had become quite advanced in years, but recognized him all the same. He handed them each a present and left with a bounce in his step. The two looked at the items and began to shake them
Stan then led the procession through the city.
Stan: With a thankful heart
That is wide awake,
I do make this promise
Every breath I take
Will be used now to sing your praise!
Crowd: Used now to sing your praise!
Stan: And to beg you to share my days!
Crowd: Beg you to share my days!
Stan: With a loving guarantee,
That even if we part
I will hold you close
In a thankful heart!
I will hold you close
In a thankful…
Heart!
Crowd: In a thankful heart!
The crowd then made their way downtown, to a home he visited twice, unknown to everyone else. The home of Sai Sayers. When he got to the door, Stan turned to the crowd with a mischievous expression.
"Now, guys! Quiet!" Stan snickered, making a shushing motion, "Got it? Good!"
The crowd quickly hid as Stan laughed to himself. He then cleared his throat, straightened his fez, and wrapped on the door with his cane. He then snickered again before taking a serious expression.
"Hey, Sayers! Open up!" Stan barked. He heard rustling and Lorelei's voice saying "Conceal" moments before Sai in (what Stan now knew to be) his disguised form looking nervous, a stray falcon feather on his shirt, "Well, it's about time you showed up."
"Mr. Pines!" Sai yelped, frightened.
"Well, kid? What do you have to say for yourself?" Stan asked, intensely.
"Sir, what are you talking about?" Sai said.
"WORK, Sayers! You didn't show up this morning!" Stan shouted.
"But Stan you gave me the day off" Sai said. Secretly, Misa was listening in on this.
"ME? Give YOU the day off? Does that sound like something I'D do?!"
"Well no, but you did, sir!" Sai said.
"Sai Sayers, I've had enough of this tomfoolery!" Stan said, darkly…though, mentally, he was questioning why he said 'tomfoolery'.
Misa finally had enough. She stormed out and shouted, defensively, "And I have had my fill of you!"
"And, therefore, Mr. Sayers…" Stan proclaimed.
"And therefore, you can leave this house at once!" Misa shouted as Sai tried holding her back.
"And therefore, I'll RAISE YOUR SALARY!" Stan proclaimed.
"And I'll raise you right off the pavement…" Misa started but paused as she and Sai realized exactly what Stan said.
"Excuse us?" the two said together
"Yeah, Sai. I'm raising your salary. And paying the mortgage on the house." Stan said, smiling as he leaned on his cane.
"Uh…won't you come in Mr. Pines?" Sai said in surprise, but giving a short laugh in relief and surprise.
"Yes, please come in! It's cold out here!" Misa said as Marco, Adam, Kion, along with the twins and Lorelei came over.
"Hey-ey, family's doing great, eh?" Stan asked before murmuring, "Don't worry, Sai. Lorelei's gonna be fine. That's a promise."
"Uh, what's with Sai's boss doing here?" Marco said
"Apparently he just gave Sai a raise and offered to pay off our mortgage." Misa said.
"You serious?!" Kion said.
"If I'm lying, I'm dying." Stan said, looking at Lorelei, "Hey, you must be Lorelei. I've heard a lot about ya."
"Um, yes sir. Nice to meet you!" Lorelei said lightly bowing.
"Heh, you're a good kid. I can tell." Stan said, mussing Lorelei's hair, "Sai, wanna join us for Christmas Dinner?"
The gathered crowd stepped out of their hiding places, carrying their food and gifts. The Sayers looked over at Stan in shock
"Merry Christmas, Sayers family!" Stan said as the crowd began to enter their home, making their holiday greetings and showing off the massive turkey. Despite all the shocking things they happened, the elder Sayers smiled.
Outside, Steel and Hikari were chuckling to each other. Hikari began her concluding narration, "And Stan was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more."
"And Lorelei?" Steel asked.
"And to Lorelei…" Hikari started, leaving a pause before continuing, "Who did NOT die…"
"HA! That's great!" Steel laughed, happily. Meteora laughed in agreement.
"Yeah!" Steel grinned.
"To Lorelei, Stan became a grandfather." Hikari said, "He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the old city ever had."
Inside, Stan sat at the head of the table. For once in his life, he was surrounded by friends. And, with that in mind, he himself carved the turkey with Lorelei next to him with a smile.
"It was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge." Hikari narrated "May that truly be said of us and all of us."
"And so, as Lorelei observed…" Hikari said.
"God Bless us…" Lorelei said.
"God bless us…" Stan said, putting a slice on Lorelei's plate first.
"Everyone!" they said in unison.
Everyone in the building then sang, filled to the brim with the Christmas spirit.
Crowd: The love we found
The love we found
We carry with us
So we're never quite alone
The love we found
The sweetest dream
That we have ever known
The love we found
So we're never quite alone
"He-ey, this was pretty good." Steel said as he and Hikari began walking away.
"Yeah, we need to do this more often!" Hikari said smiling Meteora on her shoulder.
"Yeah, should probably come back for the sequel." Steel said before proclaiming, "Christmas Carol 2: Marleys' Revenge!"
Hikari rolled her eyes
"I'd see that movie." Steel snickered as the two vanished from sight in the snow of Christmas Day.
The End