"Mummy…Mummy…" Steve heard as he tossed and turned in his slumber. Then he heard the small voice again
"Mummy…" The elder Claus son covered his head with a pillow trying to block out the calls
"Daddy…" the voice went again. Then the man finally rose groggily out of bed, only to see his wife Judy put on her slippers.
"What are you doing?" He asked her sleepily
"Your son is awake…" Judy told him, walking out of the room. It took Steve a while and he followed after his wife to his son's room. The young boy was wide awake holding a small teddy bear in his hands.
"Jake...What's the matter?" Judy sat by her son on the edge of his small bed.
"I can't sleep…" Jake, cuddling his bear tightly in his arms.
"Do you want your father and I to read you a story…" She asked.
"Yes please…" Jake nodded.
Then Steve came in when Judy turned the lights on.
"Must you try and blind me…"
"How else am I supposed to see…" Steve rolled his eyes.
"Why do you guys fight all the time?" Jake asked innocently. The husband and wife looked at each other with surprise and Judy gently approached her son
"Daddy and I don't fight all of the time...We just have disagreements...It happens every once in a while…"
"How about these books Jakob…" Steve held a stack of books and Judy gave him a look. "What?"
"He's heard those before…"
"Well, why can't you read one of your books for him…"
"He doesn't understand those words, Steven...He's 3 for heaven's sakes…"
Jake opened his mouth for a second and closed it and Steve noticed.
"What is it, son...Go on…"
"How did you and Mummy meet…" then Judy perked up with a smile.
"That's it…" then Steve turned to her
"That's what?"
"That's a good story to tell him…How we met…"
"Yeah yeah yeah...Tell me the story, Mama…" Jake bounced. Judy grinned warmly and picked him up in her arms.
"Are you sure honey…" Steve asked.
"It's time he knows...It's better to tell him now than never…" Then Judy turned to her son who was eyeing his stuffed teddy bear. "Would you like to take Teddy with you…" Jake nodded as Judy fetched his stuffed animal and gave it to him, who caught it in a big hug. Then Judy marched off towards the corner and sat in the rocking chair and rocked it slowly.
"Before I was Judy Claus...I was Judy Greene…"
"Like the color…" Jake asked.
"Yes...I was an author in New york...Well, upcoming author...I had some jobs to keep me afloat...Why don't I take you back to the night everything started.
4 years earlier
One Christmas, in New York City, one apartment was throwing a calm Christmas party. Judy had her long hair in a bun with a braid in the front(Think Anna from Frozen). She wore a thick brown sweater, gray jeans, and some black sneakers. She was passing around the wine and charcuterie board to serve the cheese and ham on it.
"You really outdid yourself, Judith…" a blonde woman said.
"Thank you...Parties like this are my specialty Leanne…" Judy raised a wine glass.
"Hey, cheers…" everyone at the party said.
As everyone left, Judy looked around and saw the copy of her latest book, Dancing in the moonlight. She smiled and began to think to herself
"It's now or never…" Judy said out loud. Then she grabbed the copy and went out of the door.
During her walk, she heard a rustle in the streets and began to hide away under a tree.
"Thank goodness...At least I'm alone-" then the woman had to eat her words when something fell on her
"Ow…" Judy looked up and saw a man in a red, green, and black camo suit. His white hair was perfectly cut along with his tree-shaped beard. Then he looked down and saw that he was crushing her
"SO sorry I apologize." His British accent nearly matched hers and it sent chills to her spine
"No matter, you didn't crush any bones and what not…" Judy tried to get up but slipped on the ice. The man picked her up and placed her on the ground. "Thank you.." then the man looked down at her copy of the book
"Are you an author…" He asked her
"Well not yet...but I will be soon…" then she heard a police siren. "Come on…" She grabbed his hand
"Where are we going…" he interrogated.
"Away from here...to an office building...police always make a fuss at this time...Come along…"
"Oh, I'm Steve Claus by the way…" He extended his black-gloved hand to her.
"I'm Judith Greene...Judy for short…We're almost there Steve…" then they stopped at a small office building. Judy picked out a bobby pin and began to unlock it
"Are you trying to break in…"
"Of course not...I know myself better than that...I forgot my keys again...I was taught to use a bobby pin to get past locks…" then the door was unlocked and she and Steve slipped inside. She used her phone as a flashlight to look around
"Where on earth are we…" Steve asked
"We are in the author's center...this is the place where writers give out their pieces to the director to see if they approve of the piece or not...mind you they make you or break you...I've sent a few of my works here at times…" Judy explained.
Then she saw a door that said, "Managers office" and slipped her copy of her book inside, grabbed Steve's hand, and ran off back to her apartment
"Listen, Judy, it was nice meeting you but I have to" then gunshots went off and Judy pulled him into her apartment.
"Mind you, this can be a violent neighborhood. It usually dies down within 30 minutes…Hope you don't mind my place…" Judy turned on the lights and Steve got a good glance at her apartment. It was a considerable size but the girl had a bit of decorating skills.
"Lovely place…" Steve complemented
"Thank you...I see you're not one with emotions…"
"What?"
"I can tell in your voice...You're a cynical man I presume…" Judy crept closer to him.
"Ah, Judy…" Steve began to back away
"Why so scared...I'm only a woman…"
"I see that but Something about you just scares me…" then Judy tilted her head.
"Well I'm a bit confused...what about me scares you…"
Then Steve looked around and glanced at the door. Then Judy finally got it
"Listen...if you ever want to talk again here's my number…" Judy gave him a piece of paper." Whoever you are waiting on should be expecting you…"
"Thank you...Judy…"
"Your welcome Steve…" then Steve exited the apartment in a hurry. Then he slowly looked back...feeling guilty for leaving her all of a sudden.
"How could I leave her like that...I have her number...I can apologize from there…" Steve them marched outside to find the S-1 waiting for him with a couple of the elves
"Where have you been sir?" One elf asked
"Everyone was worried…" another asked.
"There's no time to explain...Let's just go back…" then Once Steve got in, the S-1 took off back to the North Pole.
Once he was finally able to be alone, Steve looked at the paper in his pocket with Judy's number. He looked around for a phone and began to dial the numbers. He waited for a little while until he heard her voice
"Hello…" Judy answered.
"Hello…it's Steve again…" The elder Claus brother said.
"I guess you have decided to call me, ha ha ha…" Judy teased over the phone
Steve rolled his eyes before he continued. "Listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for leaving you in such a hurry…"
"No worries…So your Steve Claus…as in Santa Claus…"
"Well yes…." Steve answered
"Wow…very intriguing…"
"You don't believe me?"
"What do you mean of course I do…it's just that I never knew Santa Claus could have any children…" Judy assumed
"Well, we come from multiple generations…I could go on about the history of Santa Claus…"
"Brilliant…" Steve chuckled at what she said.
"You sound like my brother Arthur…"
"You have a brother too…younger or older?"
"Well, he's 4 years younger than me…"
"Well, that's one thing we have in common…I recently just got off the phone with mine and he told me he misses me…I told him to visit so he'll be here tomorrow…you'll love him..he's an Angel…"
"Well, I'm sure it would be nice to meet him and see you again…"
"Okay do you have paper and pen on you…I'll give you the address to meet us…"
Then Steve got a paper and pen and wrote the address.
"Well, I hope to see you, Steven Claus…" Judy said
"I hope to see you too…Judith Greene…" Then Steve hung up the phone and sighed.
"Judy Greene, what have you done to me," Steve sighed to himself, before dozing off to sleep.
Then Judy saw her husband and son were asleep and she smiled to herself
"I guess the rest will have to wait until next time…"