"You got it?"
"Yup!" The Right Hand Lady called back after placing the glass ornament on the tall tree. She landed back down in the ground next to Raychel.
"Hailey, you ready?" Ellie asked her leader.
Hailey nodded.
The leader's right hand lady picked up the large star that goes on top of the tree and gave it to the leader.
"First time out of many!" Raychel called.
Hailey giggled and climbed the ladder to the top of the tree as Ellie held it still.
Hailey adjusted the star on top of the tree until it was stable and could be on top without it having to be held.
She slowly moved her hand away from the star, and it stayed stable. She climbed down the ladder and proudly glanced up the tree.
"Alright, let's do this." Raychel picked up a button connected to the cord of lights.
She clicked the button.
The colorful lights that were on the tree turned on and the large tree drowned in ornaments lit up.
"Well, that's nice." The Right Hand Lady commented.
"Definitely." Raychel nodded in agreement.
"We all got eachother presents, right?" Ellie asked.
"Of course! We all get eachother presents every Christmas." Raychel nodded. "Because we don't pay for them. We steal them."
Everyone laughed.
"Well, I suppose we call the rest of the Toppats to place the presents under the tree?" Ellie suggested.
Hailey nodded and lifted a walkie talkie to her mouth. "Everyone please report to the cafeteria to place presents under the tree." She spoke.
The Toppats were placing presents under the tree, and Hailey managed to break her way through the crowd, and slipped seven presents under the tree. Two for Ellie, one for Raychel and her Right Hand Lady, one for Burt, one for Sven, and one for Carol.
She stole them and hoped they liked the gifts she had gotten them, because she really appreciated their work.
She walked away from the crowd.
"You got a lot." Ellie nudged her leader.
"I did. I hope they like it."
Burt sipped his coffee, knowing all the commotion in the cafeteria wouldn't go away that easy, and he preferred to stay away from the crowd. He placed his coffee mug down on his desk.
"Hey." Burt heard a masculine swedish calm voice of Sven behind him. "Why aren't you out here opening presents?"
"I don't like all the commotion." Burt simply answered. "Plus, I wanted to give you your present in private."
"Oh, okay. Let me get your presents real quick, then I'll open mine from you." Sven answered, walking away and the door hissed shut.
Burt sighed and glanced back at his computer. If only I could see my brother. He loved Christmas. He glanced at the picture of him and his brother that was on his desk. His brother wore red headphones and he had a big and passionate heart. Burt had always been dull and wore orange headphones without a top hat in the picture. "Miss you, little bro." He whispered and glanced back at his computer.
Sven returned, holding two stacked boxes wrapped in Christmas colored paper.
Burt glanced back at him.
"One from me, one from the chief, and a card from Carol." Sven said, placing the boxes down next to him.
Burt grabbed the small box on the top.
"That one's from me." Sven told him excitedly.
Burt gently tore away at the paper, and opened the small box inside and pulled out the contents. "I've always wanted these! How did you know?" Burt held the black airpods.
"I just figured you'd be the type of person to use those. When you're not wearing your headphones." Sven shrugged.
"I love them! Thank you!"
"Thanks, Burt... Glad you like it."
Burt grabbed the next present.
"That one is from the chief, I believe." Sven told him.
Burt nodded and tore away the wrapping paper.
There was a note on top of the box with the chief's handwriting. It read;
Thanks for all of your hard work, Burt. This is the least I can do for you. - From the chief
He placed the note on his desk and opened the box, it was a coffee mug covered in bubble wrap.
Burt loved popping bubble wrap, but he placed it on his desk.
He turned the white mug over to see if it said anything.
It had a picture of a top hat on it, and there was text the quoted;
"I wear a top hat and I'm a criminal."
"I guess I'm a Toppat."
"That fits you." Sven commented.
"Heh. Yeah." Burt nodded.
"Here. This one's from Carol." Sven handed Burt a white envelope with Carol's cursive handwriting.
"How come she always writes in cursive? I can't read that." Burt squinted.
Sven snickered.
He flicked open the envelope and pulled out the card. It had a Christmas themed coffee mug on the cover. He opened the card.
"Merry Christmas. Even if all it is to you is a day to sleep in and drink more coffee."
Read the main text, then there was something written from Carol that Burt could just barely make out.
"Merry Christmas. Sorry I couldn't get you anything. - Carol Cross"
Burt didn't say anything about it and he closed the card, placing it back in the envelope and setting it back on his desk.
"Sven, here's what I got you." Burt opened a drawer from his desk and turned his chair, pulled it out a little. He grabbed the small wrapped box and handed it to Sven.
I hope he likes it.
Sven pulled the paper away from the gift, revealing a small black box. He opened it and his eyes widened, and read the small note that Burt had fit inside.
"Helig skit!" He exclaimed. "JA!"
Burt could translate that "Ja" meant "Yes"
He knew a little swedish.
Burt sighed in relief and stood up. He wasn't expecting him to say yes.
Sven embraced Burt without hesitance. "Bästa julklapp jag någonsin kunde be om!"
Burt couldn't translate what he said, he didn't know enough swedish.
"Here." Sven handed Burt the black box which contained a gold wedding ring.
Burt slid the ring on Sven's ring finger. "Better?"
"Definitely. Best Christmas ever." Sven answered.
"That was most certainly fun." Raychel commented, rubbing her face with a towel to clean off any of her remaining makeup.
"I agree." Ellie agreed, and Hailey nodded.
"These chargers feels nice. Much better than my other ones." The Right Hand Lady commented, wires plugged into her cybernetics. "Thanks, 'ailey."
Hailey gave the cyborg a nod.
"Well, I'm tired." Ellie stretched. "I'm going to sleep." She stood.
"Goodnight." Raychel brushed her curly brown hair.
Ellie shut the door behind her.
Hailey rested her head back on the seat and stared at the ceiling of the lounge.
"First chief's Christmas is always exhausting. Trust me, I've been there before." Raychel told the leader.
Hailey slowly blinked, trying not to let her exhaustion take her.
And that was the first Christmas when Hailey was chief of the Toppats.
