Merry Christmas

Chapter 10

Kate had class the next morning but she spotted her mom in the kitchen, getting ready for work. "Here, Mom." Kate dropped her pad on the countertop next to her.

"What's this?" Johanna picked it up but didn't start reading it yet.

"Everything we need to get from here to Hawaii. There are even three address for houses in Honolulu," Kate said and hurried toward the front door.

Johanna was shocked. "You did this? How did you do this?" They had only told her last night.

"Santa did it." Kate opened the door so she could leave.

"And how does Santa know we are moving to Hawaii?" How did he get involved in this? Saving their daughter she understood, but not this.

"Santa sees everything, Mom." Kate closed the door behind her.

"Santa knows everything," Johanna muttered to herself and began looking at what was on the pad. She soon found train schedules, both freight and people. Boat schedules to get from Los Angeles to Honolulu. There was even a company to contact to have everything moved from here to the train yard to have it loaded onto a freight train.

Then she found three address that talked about housing in Honolulu. Literally all the work was done for them. Yes, some of it was a duplication of what she and her husband had already found out. But now it was all on two sheets of paper instead scattered on separate little pieces of paper.

"Santa, huh?" However it still meant they had to sell and get packed and have it all picked up in under two weeks.

Jim and Johanna had already decided that today they would be turning in their resignations and not going back. They needed this time to pack and sell everything.

oOo

Kate came home a week later and realized some of the living room furniture missing and there were boxes everywhere. She made her way to her bedroom so she could change clothes and help box up everything that wasn't in boxes that could go in boxes.

"MY BED'S GONE! …MOM! MY BED IS GONE!" What the hell was she going to sleep on now?

oOo

A few days later she was coming home and watched as her parents' bedroom set came out the door and into the back of a small panel truck. Their home was getting emptier and emptier as each day passed.

Kate entered her home and saw nothing but boxes. All of the furniture, right down to the lamps, was gone. Her bedroom was already empty and now her parents' bedroom was going to be empty.

Her mom wasn't even cooking any longer. They didn't have anything to cook with, let alone eat on or drink with. The entire kitchen, which included a few canned goods and all of their dry stuff, was in boxes. Everything else had been donated in one way or another or dumped into a trash bin.

She found her parents in their bedroom looking at what was left which was just suitcases and some dust and a little trash. "Now what do we do?" Kate asked them.

"We sleep on the floor tonight and all the boxes get picked up tomorrow. Then we find a hotel room for the night before boarding our train the next day." Jim knew the schedule by heart. He knew because he wasn't looking forward to tonight. He was going to be sleeping on a hard floor and he just knew it was going to kill his back.

"Welcome to my world." Kate left them and went to her room so she could see just what she had left.

Like the last number of nights ever since the kitchen was gone they ate out before coming home and going their separate ways to groan about sleeping on the floor.

"Santa, please." Kate was sitting crossed-legged on the floor with her back up against the wall where her headboard had once been.

"Hi Kate." Rick was all smiles.

"Don't hi Kate me, mister. I'm still sleeping on a hard floor. Do you have any idea what this is doing to my back?" Kate rubbed it just to reinforce her point.

"Technically, no. But just think of all the golden sand beaches or black sand beaches you're going to see. Get that deep dark tan you've always wanted. Maybe learn how to surf." Rick was still smiling.

"I'd rather have my bed back," Kate moaned. "How long is it until Christmas?" She wanted to be back at the North Pole so badly about now.

"Exactly…" Rick had to look for himself actually. "One hundred and sixty one days." Then he listened as Kate groaned. "Hang on." Rick made it snow on him and he arrived right where he wanted to be.

He motioned for him to be quiet and come to him. Once he was close enough. "How badly do you want Kate to come back so you can take her flying?" Rick asked Prancer who instantly snorted and grunted several times.

Kate's smile was wide and she felt warm all over. "Hi, Prancer." She also felt tears starting. Now the pain of not being at the North Pole only got worse. She was missing out on so much.

Rick moved to Comet's stall and opened it. "Come here. Come on." Rick coaxed Comet 10 away from his mother. "Say hello to Kate," Rick coaxed him one more time.

Kate heard a soft snort and grunt. "Little Comet says hi." Rick stood up, left her stall, and closed it. "Feeling better now?" Rick asked her but all he heard was crying.

"What did I do wrong now?" Rick thought he was giving her something special.

"Nothing." Kate sniffles and wipes away her tears. "I just miss being there." She loved everyone there and couldn't help herself.

"You sure I can only stay 24 hours?" She wanted to stay a whole long longer. Like forever.

"Rules," Rick told her even if he didn't like it.

"I wish you would stop saying that." She was long since tired of his rules.

"Sorry, I didn't make them and can't break them. Enjoy your trip to Hawaii." Rick ended the call and sighed since he had obviously made Kate cry and that wasn't what he was hoping to achieve.

oOo

"Santa?" Lucy had been sleeping and while surprised to see him she was still happy to see him. "Something wrong?" Everything was going smoothly as far as she knew. The elves were happy and they were well on their way to making enough toys for Christmas.

"Kate called and I made her cry." Rick felt like shit and Lucy was the only person he could think of.

"Come in, Santa." She was pretty sure Santa had never been in her place so this was a first.

Rick went inside and sat down and looked the place over. It was beautiful, much like he knew it would. It was also maybe a little small for him. Much like everywhere else it was definitely celebrating Christmas. It was also very, very feminine, so very much not his style.

Rick watched as Lucy came back with a tea cup and a gingerbread man cookie.

"Thanks." Rick took the cup and let her put the cookie on a Christmas napkin. He sipped his hot hot chocolate and looked at Lucy. She had put something in it.

"I added a splash of moonshine. Don't tell anyone." Alcohol wasn't forbidden but it wasn't readily available either.

"Your secret is safe with me," Rick promised.

Lucy got down to business. "What happened?"

"Kate and her parents are moving soon. They've sold everything so Kate has been sleeping on the floor the last few days. I tried to make her feel better so I went to Prancer and got him and little Comet to talk to her. But all it did was make her cry." He hated the sound of her crying. It was almost as bad as listing to Alexis cry which thankfully she didn't do very often.

"Santa." Lucy shook her head. "Kate loves you. She learned to love everyone here including Prancer and little Comet so she misses them."

Rick set down his cup, picked up his cookie, and bit his head off with authority. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"You leave that to me and don't fight me when you find out what it is. You do love her don't you, Santa?" If he didn't her plan was dead in the water.

"Yeah, but she was a child." It was the only thing stopping him. Plus there was no way of being allowed to let her stay here. Rules!

"You trust me?" Lucy questioned him and saw him nod. "Then trust that I have a plan that will work." If she shared he might resist or actually tell her no. "Now go home and leave it to me, Santa."

oOo

The boxes were all gone. The place was totally and completely empty save for one suitcase for each of them. Each of them had actually scoured the place just to make sure they were leaving nothing behind. Even secret hiding places got checked.

Now they were dropping their suitcases in their hotel room for one whole night. "A BED!" Kate jumped on it and spread her arms and legs wide. Her parents could have the other one next to her. It wasn't the North Pole but it would do.

"Up Katie, we still have find somewhere to eat dinner," Johanna reminded her. This wasn't the time for sleeping or being lazy. Not just yet.

Kate moaned but got out of bed and followed her parents.

Once back to the room they took turns using the only bathroom and turned on the TV since they didn't have much of anything else. Jim wasn't watching, he was going over the list Kate had given them for how to get to Hawaii that she had gotten from Santa.

"Santa actually did all this?" He was trying to understand why and how.

"Yeeess." Kate sank deeper into her pillows and kept her attention on the TV.

"This is all very precise and so far very accurate." But just how did he get it to Katie?

"Jim." Johanna placed a hand on his arm and looked at him. Pleaded with him. Asked him.

"We believe, we believe." Jim laid the papers on the side table where he would find them in the morning. They still needed them and would still need them even after they got to Hawaii.

Kate kept checking to see if her parents had given up and gone to sleep even with the TV on. Eventually she decided that they had so she went into the bathroom, closed the door, and sat on the toilet.

"Santa, please." Kate waited and finally saw a sleepy-eyed Rick answer.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, you were sleeping." Now she felt bad.

"I don't sleep. I never sleep. Haven't since Alexis was born. You have kids and you'll find out real fast." Rick rubbed his eyes.

The only children I'm having are with you. Kate thought to herself.

"So far what Lucy gave me is working perfectly." She owed Lucy big time for this.

"That sounds like Lucy." Rick knew she was the very best. "Where are you now?" He didn't have the list she had.

"In a hotel room waiting for our train tomorrow. Our place is empty and all we have is what's in one suitcase each." She really hoped she had packed correctly because if she hadn't she or her parents had trouble.

"What are you wearing and wear are you?" Her voice had this echo sound to it and he could see the top of something and it was pink.

"In the bathroom and I'm wearing pajamas. I can take them off." Kate grinned at him then bit her lower lip.

"Naughty list," Rick warned her but grinned back at her.

"Oooohhh." Kate stomped her foot on the floor. Him and his naughty list. One of these times she was going to tell him what he could do with his naughty list.

"I'll tell Lucy her hard work is paying off. Have a nice train trip." Rick killed her call and went back to bed so he could get some sleep.

"I'm almost 18, you know," Kate told the empty space where his head had been. "Wait, what was he wearing?" Kate thought about calling him back so she could ask. But he would just remind her of his naughty list so she didn't. She turned off the TV and went back to bed.

oOo

Kate looked over their little space. Little being the operative word. There were bunk beds on either side, though you could tilt each of them up to create more space if you wanted or didn't need both bunk beds. They did, though. So suitcases went on one of the uppers. Jim and Johanna took one of the lowers each while Kate got the upper of her choice. Above her dad or above her mom.

Thankfully they did have a window that worked so it would let in some fresh air. They were lying on their beds and watching as they finally pulled out of the station. They had four long days ahead of them.

Rivers to cross, mountains to pass over and not through since there were no tunnels or only really short ones. One good thing about traveling at this time of year. It meant the mountains didn't have any snow on them. None of them were thinking about rock slides.

"Let's find out what this train has to offer," Jim decided and got up followed by his wife and Katie hopped down even if she had had to climb up to get into bed.

Their car was all sleepers as was the next one. Then came a lounge car that served drinks. "Jim," Johanna cautioned him as he stopped to look at the bar. It was tiny and offered very little.

"I know, one beer a week. Good thing it's been almost a month," Jim replied.

"That doesn't count. It's not a bank." He couldn't do without for four weeks then drink four beers all in one sitting, Johanna argued.

The next car turned out to be the dining car which was serving breakfast for first class passengers. They just needed to show their tickets to prove it.

oOo

"This isn't bad." Jim had pancakes, two strips of bacon, one egg, and some toast along with milk and orange juice. It didn't hurt that it was free since it was part of the cost of their ticket.

Johanna and Kate had chosen omelets with the same drinks. Once done Kate was sipping her orange juice while Jim and Johanna drank coffee.

"Four days of this." Jim thought they would survive.

"Four days and limited to just three cars. Bed, booze, and food," Kate muttered and still wished for a transit wall. It would be so much faster.

"We'll survive, just remember where we are going." Johanna saw beaches, and lush greenery everywhere.

"Yeah, a ship with a room just as small for a week," Kate groused.

"On a ship several times the size of this entire train," Johanna countered and glared at her daughter.

Kate sighed since unfortunately her mother had a point. There would be several decks they could use and all the open air she could want. "I could work on my tan." Suddenly Kate found a bright spot.

"That's the spirit." Johanna was happy now. It lasted all of about four seconds.

"I didn't pack any lotion." Kate slumped. If she stayed out too long she would fry and suffer for the entire trip.

"We have a hotel room in Los Angeles while we wait for the boat. We can find you some," Johanna quickly said. That at least had Katie sitting back up straight.

oOo

Kate had proven to herself that train travel was a boring pain. Oh there was lots of scenery when you could find a chair or table at a window, which it turned out were at a premium and hard to get since it was first come first served.

There were just the three cars they could use. She didn't want to know what you got not traveling first class.

Then came lugging their suitcases from the train out to a taxi to reach their hotel for the night.

As expected it was another small room with two beds and a bathroom. "Your father and I are going to do some shopping or sightseeing. You want to come?" Johanna stopped at the bed she was lying on and watching TV.

"No, thanks." Kate was content right where she was. Besides she had an ulterior motive.

"Suit yourself." Her parents left and Kate gave them a few minutes just to be sure. Then raised her arm. "Santa, please."

A moment or two later his face appeared. "Hi, Kate. Where are you now?"

"Hotel room in Los Angeles. Mom and Dad went out sightseeing."

"And you didn't go?" She had locked herself in a hotel room instead of going outside.

"I wanted to talk to you." She didn't have to hide in the bathroom to do it, either. She had very limited options during the train ride. Their bathroom area was a shared one with everyone in that car. Thankfully it wasn't open, you had some privacy. Just not enough to talk to him or anyone else.

"So where are you?" Kate inquired.

Instead of answering her she heard a snort and a grunt. That had her grinning from ear to ear. "Hi, Prancer," she cooed at him. God, how she missed him and everyone else. Christmas Day couldn't get here fast enough.

Then suddenly she saw Alexis. "Hi, Kate!" Alexis was all smiled. "I talked Daddy into flying today." She almost always did. Not always, but usually.

"Good for you." Then Rick was back.

"Lucy said she's happy it's all working out for you. Just one cruise on a ship to go." Rick had finally gotten his copy.

"And a hotel room while we search for a place to live. Then wait for our stuff to arrive. Unpack it all, then find Mom and Dad's hospital and where the high school is." She had just her senior year left to go before starting college. Except she wanted college to be at the North Pole. She still only had that one plan and it was going to take another year after this Christmas. Which was FOREVER!

"You'll survive. Besides I might have a surprise for you." Rick knew something she didn't yet.

"Surprise. What's the surprise? You know I hate surprises right?" She wanted to know now.

"And spoil the surprise?" Rick wasn't doing that.

"YES!" He better tell her too or he was the one going to get the spanking and not her for being on his damned naughty list.

"No can do, gotta go. Have a nice trip." Rick ended the call.

"Santa? SANTA!" Kate yelled at him. "He hung up on me. Oooo that man!" She was going to get him for this.

oOo

Kate was still fuming and watching TV when her parents came back.

Johanna dropped a bottle on her bed. "Suntan lotion."

"More lotion." Jim dropped his bottle on her bed.

They were both happy with themselves. Insufferably so.