The Gifting with the Gal Pals – Part One

(Story Summary: In part one of this premiere oneshot for the Winter Arc, the holiday season come again to Royal Woods and everyone is preparing for the big day as quickly as they can; including Lincoln. But while out shopping for his family, he's also on the lookout for anything the Gal Pals might love. At the same time, however; the rest of Loud Family is not quite so anxious for Christmas Eve, this year.

After everything that happened during the Spring Break season, last year; they fear that Santa may have them on the Naughty List forever. Will this Christmas be a bust for everybody, will Lincoln be able to get his shopping done on time...or will he need to do some extra work to earn a little extra cash?)

Christmastime has come again for the small rural town of Royal Woods. Every house was coated with snow, the bright glow of holiday lights could be seen almost everywhere and the sounds of children at play rang out merrily. Suddenly, like a shooting star, a red blur suddenly whizzed by along the sidewalk; accidentally knocking some kids over in the process.

In reality; this blur was none other than Lincoln Loud, riding along the way on his trusty Fearsome Flyer sled. "Sorry about that, everybody" he called over his shoulder, "I'm kinda in a hurry and I need to get where I'm going quick!" Those who saw Lincoln pass by either wished him a "Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday," yelled for him to slow down or simply dismissed his speedy sledding as innocent play.

In any case; as long as his sledding didn't purposely put anyone in direct danger, no one gave him heck for it. Soon, Lincoln's sledding led him to the downtown area; where he finds himself going down a large street slope. While still keeping onto the sidewalk, Lincoln suddenly picked up speed and went straight down said slope.

Admittedly, this was one of the wildest experiences he had on his sled in years. But then, in the blink of an eye; Lincoln suddenly remembered the fundamental flaw of fast sled-riding...remembering how to stop. As he zoomed down the slope, Lincoln looked ahead and spotted a mound of snow left behind by a passing plow.

Typically, he always hated accidentally ramming into such things while sledding. But in cases like this, where he needed to come to full and complete stop;Lincoln always made an exception. After positioning himself just right, Lincoln and his Fearsome Flyer continued to surge forward until...WHAM!

Though dizzy, mildly sore and covered in snow from every side; Lincoln was still in one piece and so was his sled. "Thank goodness I stopped when I did" he murmured to himself, "I dunno if I'd get a ticket from Miss Higgins, Simmons or Campos; if they saw me sledding that fast." After making sure everything was still in tact, Lincoln dusted off the excess snow from his clothes and his sled.

While doing so; he caught sight of the viewer "watching him," chuckled softly and gave a little wave in greeting. "Happy Holidays, everybody" he stated, "you're all probably wondering why I was goin' so fast back there, no doubt?" After collecting his sled under his arm, Lincoln decided to go the rest of the way on foot while explaining things to the "viewer."

"As you can see around me, Christmas Day is coming soon" he explained, "which means you can expect all sorts of singing, laughing, merriment and (in some cases) hasty preparations going on in town." As Lincoln made his way down another part of the neighborhood, his ears were soon filled with the soft melodies of carolers singing. At the same time, Lincoln could also smell the rich scent of Christmas goodies baking in people's homes.

"Yup, everyone's getting excited for the big night" he said with a blissful sigh, "everyone...except for my sisters, that is." Upon saying this, he quickly assured the viewer that his family wasn't becoming a group of Scrooges. "Far from it...actually, after Thanksgiving; a few of them were already making up ideas for what they wanted from the big guy" Lincoln stated, "you guys know who I talking about, right?"

Within seconds, a thought bubble popped up over his head and an image of Santa Claus instantly appeared; giving out his iconic "Ho-Ho-Ho" laugh. When the bubble popped; Lincoln confessed that his sisters feared ol' St. Nick would decide not to visit the Loud House, this year. "I don't think I need to explain why they're so afraid" he said dryly, "but...just in case there are any newbies out there, allow me to give you a quick recap."

(With the aid of his cellphone, Lincoln begins to show the "viewer" a sort of "clip show" version of the events from the original Gal Pals story. Said clips featured many of the... not so nice moments between Lincoln and his sisters, for lack of better terms.)

"To make a long story short; around Spring Break of this year, my family and I had...a bit of a tiff" Lincoln murmured, "words were said, fights were had and we all had to go to court to settle everything." Having said this, he assures the "viewer" that things were now back to normal between him and his sisters again. "Sure, we have our 'sibling moments' still; like me having to play Rock, Paper, Scissors with Lynn on some nights for the remote or trying to be quicker on the whole 'not it' thing we do" Lincoln chuckled, "but they aren't quite as severe as they were before."

After this, he reminded everyone of the community work his family did and all the classes his sisters had been taking. "Yet...even with all this in mind, my sisters are afraid" Lincoln sighed, "they're afraid that Santa might skip over our house, after learning about what happened." No sooner had he said this, Lincoln informed everyone that the "big guy" had his way of knowing these sorts of things.

"My little sister, Lisa used to be doubtful of these kind of things" he chuckled, "but after last Christmas, she's become...slightly more open-minded." After saying all this, Lincoln quickly got back to the main point of his story and revealed the reason why he was sledding so fast earlier; to get to the mall and find something special for his sisters. "Sadly, I don't know how much time I have left" confessed Lincoln, "with Christmas Day being almost two weeks away, I wonder how much stuff will be left on the shelves!"

With that said, he doubled up his running speed and hurried off to the next crosswalk. While running; Lincoln tells the "viewer" that for a "mission" like this, he would need plenty of backup to help him. With that in mind; reached into his pocket, brought out a walkie-talkie and pressed the button.

"Calling Cupid, Comet, Donner and Blitzen; this is Dasher" he called out softly, "repeat...this is Dasher calling in, does anyone read me?" After a few seconds of waiting, some feedback was heard and Lincoln could immediately hear Clyde's voice murmuring on the other end. "This is Cupid here; read you loud and clear, Dasher" he replied, "the guys and I are all here at the mall entrance waiting for you."

Before signing off, Rusty's voice quickly chimed in and he proceeded to ask why they were using the names of reindeer for their codenames. "It matches with the holiday season, Rusty" Lincoln said simply, "anyway, you guys have all the money you need to get your shopping done?" One by one, each of Lincoln's four male friends sounded off in response; which made him all the more pleased.

"Great to hear, guys" Lincoln said with delight, "I'll meet you there in just a bit." Almost immediately; Zach, through the walkie-talkie, asked Lincoln if he planned on sledding the whole way there. "Originally, I was thinking on that" he chuckled sheepishly, "but after crashing into at least, three snow mounds on the way...I think I'll just take the bus up to the mall."

After that, Lincoln said his goodbyes to the boys and made his way over to the bus stop.

(Line Break)

Down at the mall entrance; Clyde and the boys were standing outside, waiting patiently for Lincoln to show up (or impatiently, in Rusty's case.) But after almost fourteen minutes of standing in the cold, they were just about ready to give up. "C'mon, guys; let's head in" grumbled Rusty, "I think my hair is starting to freeze!" Ever the dutiful friend, Clyde vowed to stay put at the entrance; no matter how long it took.

"If'n the cold don't scare ya none, pardner...the crowds inside might" Liam murmured fearfully, "if and when Lincoln does get here; by then, things will be real crazy inside!" No sooner had he said all this, the boys spotted the bus stopping off at the parking lot. As the doors opened and everyone began to exit it orderly, they immediately spotted Lincoln within the crowd and waved to him.

Without any further delay, the young Loud boy rushed up to his friends and exchanged a quick high-five with each of them. With each slap he gave them, Lincoln's friends sighed with relief due to their hands feeling slightly warmer. "Sorry to keep you waiting, fellas" he said apologetically, "the bus got caught behind a snow plow and we had to wait forever for it to move aside."

Before anything else could be said; Rusty quickly said "no harm done," got behind the boys and gingerly pushed them all through the mall entrance. Once inside, they were immediately enveloped by the soft touch of the warm air; which caused them to sigh deeply with satisfaction. "Quick mental note for the future" Zach said suddenly, "next Christmas, if one of us hasn't arrived yet; we wait inside the mall for them to arrive."

Without hesitation, the other four boys quickly sounded off with a simple "aye" and shook hands in agreement. "Okay...we're here, now" Rusty murmured, "so, where should we go first?" The first suggestion came from Clyde, who said that his dads were looking into buying some new sweaters they spotted during their Black Friday shopping.

"I'm fixin' to get my hand on some new cookin' tools for my Mee Maw" Liam stated, "plus...Dory's been pleadin' for somebody to get her that new Blarney the Dinosaur doll she saw on the TV." Lincoln couldn't help but chuckle at this, due to the fact that both Lana and Lola were just as anxious for it. "If you find any, save one for me" he stated, "I'll be browsing around for ideas."

Before departing, Rusty called Lincoln back over and asked whom he was shopping for. "Yeah, Linc; you have more on your plate than the rest of us" Zach stated, "not only do you have your parents and ten sisters to shop for, you've also got your...extended family, the Gal Pals to keep in mind." Lincoln shook his head slightly and assured his friend that he'd already got the aforementioned "extended family" taken care of.

"Over Thanksgiving Break, I've been working on something for each of the Gals" he stated, "but I can't tell you what it is, they might try and get you to tell them...and before you even say it; that will happen, Rusty." It didn't take long for the boys to understand the meaning of those words. Once too often, the Gals managed to get them to squeal about something; not through force...but through their own charms.

With this in mind, they fully understood Lincoln's point and respected his wishes for secrecy. "Now...as for my blood family, I'm okay there" he assured, "I'll simply browse the different stores and see if anything catches my eye." While the plan didn't have a 100% success guarantee, it was still something Lincoln could work with.

After this, they began to formulate the second half of their plan; find what they need at the mall, inform everyone on their success on their walkie-talkies and meet back at the main lobby. "Sounds like a good idea" Rusty stated, "there's just one other thing we need to keep in mind." Without hesitation, he revealed the one thing that could put a monkey wrench into their whole trip; crazy holiday shoppers.

"He's not joking, Lincoln" Zach stated, "you can never know when the crazy ones will strike next." Upon saying this, the intercom above them suddenly turned on and a female voice started speaking through it. "Attention, shoppers; attention" it called out softly, "just to remind you, the boutique is having a special holiday sale price...four pairs for $30."

The moment the price was announced, the boys suddenly felt the ground beneath them quaking violently. As Lincoln braved a look behind him, he spotted a crowd of mad shoppers charging in their direction. They tried to find cover but the stampede was so big, there was little space to run away to.

As a result, the boys were suddenly trampled by the crowd of mad shoppers. Five seconds later, they had disappeared into the east side of the mall. Meanwhile; Lincoln and his friends were still in one piece, despite their joints aching slightly and looking a little dirty with footprints on their clothes.

In spite of all this, they were still quite okay and thankful none of them were seriously hurt. "I see what you meant now, Rusty" Lincoln groaned softly while shaking his head, "best keep watch for any big crowds in this place...for safety sake." Everyone nodded in agreement, did a quick hands in the middle cheer and wished each other luck on their shopping ventures.

"Keep your eyes peeled from here on out, Lincoln" the young Loud boy thought to himself, "after what just happened, who knows how crazy the rest of the mall will be."

(Scene Change: the West Side of the Mall)

Moments later, Lincoln arrived at the music shop and was browsing through the Rock section of the CDs. Sadly, in Lincoln's mind; it looked as though nothing there truly screamed "Luna" or even his dad's name. Even on the shelf that showed albums of Mick Swagger's work were ones that they already owned.

Just as he was about to give up hope, he passed by a poster that made his eyes grow wide with amazement. On it; it advertised "For a Limited Time: Enjoy This New Collab Album Featuring Two of the Biggest Names in Music" and at the bottom; Lincoln saw Mick's name alongside that of a band that both he and his sister loved...SMOOCH. "A CD with two of my sisters favorite musicians playing side-by-side...AWESOME" Lincoln cried with joy, "I wonder how much it costs?"

Upon thinking this, he took a look at the bottom of the poster; hoping to find a price sticker. The moment he found it, Lincoln's eyes almost popped out of his head in shock. "Excuse me...this thing is HOW MUCH" Lincoln screamed mentally, "that's like...half the spending budget my parents gave me!"

With that thought in mind, he quickly turned away from the advertisement; not wishing to perform any kind of accidental reckless spending. With that idea scrapped, Lincoln's only remaining option was to look through the bargain bin; the place where all dated music is stored. While rummaging through the array of CDs, tapes and other random items; Lincoln feared he wouldn't find anything either Luna or his dad might like.

But then, after a while; something caught his eye...an album featuring a (supposedly) younger Mick Swagger on the cover. The title read Classic Mick; which, to Lincoln must've meant that this was some of his earlier work. "Luna has been listening to Mick's music since I was little" Lincoln murmured thoughtfully, "I wonder if she's ever had a CD like this before?"

For several moments; he simply stood there, staring at the CD intently. On one hand, a part of him believed she might already have this album in her collection and getting another copy would seem like a waste. But on the other hand, not only did this particular one seem rather unfamiliar to him; it was also reasonably priced.

Lincoln would've been staring at the CD forever, had he not heard the sounds of impatient coughing reach his ears. He looked to the side and spotted the store cashier, who appeared to be tapping her fingers upon the counter rhythmically with a slightly sour look upon her face. "This is a store, little dude; not a library" she said firmly, "you plan on buying that or not?"

With this simple inquiry, Lincoln's choice was clear and he decided to purchase the CD for Luna. If she already had a copy of it, he could offer it up to his dad instead. In the end; Lincoln made his purchase, offered a short but sweet Merry Christmas to the cashier and was about to make his way out.

But then, just as his foot hovered over the linoleum floor outside the store...Lincoln suddenly froze. "Hold up, dude" he thought to himself, "best make sure the coast is clear, before you leave." With that in mind, Lincoln cautiously stuck his head outside and looked both ways three times over.

After the third time, he saw that the coast was clear and cautiously made his way out. Lincoln was about halfway down the hall when suddenly, the intercom chimed on again. This time, it announced a special deal at the boutique; 80% off to the first ten people to enter.

"Oh, no...of all sale deals, why that one" Lincoln thought fearfully, "I gotta hide somewhere quick before I get trampled again!" His eyes darted side-to-side worriedly, hoping to find anyplace to find cover. If what his sister, Leni told him about the Senior Shopping Extravaganza at Reininger's taught him anything, it's that 80% sales always brought out the crazies.

With this thought in mind, Lincoln made another attempt to find any kind of hiding spot to take cover in. After a while, he found only one visible place to do so...a nearby pretzel cart. With few other choices in mind, Lincoln dove towards the cart and pressed himself up against it for safety.

At the same time, a crowd of Holiday Shoppers came charging by like a herd of mad longhorns; each one of them desperate to get to the big sale. As he watched them run down through the eastern side of the mall, Lincoln sighed with relief; happy that he didn't get caught up in another trampling. But somehow, Fate believed he shouldn't get away from this clean as a whistle and decided to "remedy the situation."

As the crowd continued running by, the vibrations from their stampeding feet caused the salt shaker from the pretzel cart to topple off the counter. Not long after that; it fell atop Lincoln's head, spilled some salt on his hair, fell to the floor and spilled its remaining contents all over. Upon hearing all this; the pretzel vendor looked down, saw the mess and cursed himself under his breath.

"Aw, dude...that tanks" he grumbled, "that's like, the tenth time that's happened to me this week!" Before long, the teenaged vendor suddenly slipped into a fearful tirade; talking about how his boss will take money out of his Christmas bonus to refill the salt shaker again. Upon hearing all this, Lincoln suddenly felt a twinge of empathy for the teen and wished he could help make things right.

The moment this thought popped into his head, an idea suddenly struck the young Loud boy. "Hey, uh...Mister" he murmured shyly, "don't worry about using your pay to refill the salt, take some of mine." After saying this, Lincoln quickly drew out one of the twenties from his Shopping Budget and presented it to the vendor.

Upon seeing the money, the vendor was mere seconds away from accepting it. But then, he said that he shouldn't expect patrons to pay for his mistakes and told the boy to keep it. "It's my fault, really" the vendor murmured shamefully, "when big crowds come running through, you've gotta put the salt shaker on a more stable spot or hold onto it so that it."

While all of this was true, Lincoln still offered up the money to him; assuring the vendor that he still had "plenty more left to use" (though he wasn't entirely certain on that.) "Please, I don't want to see you get in trouble for an accident" Lincoln urged kindly, "in honor of Christmas...it's the least I can do to help." Though he still had his reservations, the teenage vendor knew to never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Thus, in the end; he accepted Lincoln's offer and told the boy he "owed him big for his generosity." "Think nothing of it, dude" Lincoln said humbly, "just make sure to keep that salt in a safer spot, next time...and Merry Christmas!" With that, he made a quick beeline down the west side of the mall; eager to get to his next destination before another stampeding shopping crowd would appear.

Meanwhile, the pretzel vendor collected the fallen shaker and was in the midst of cleaning up and disposing of the bits of salt that remained on the floor. While he did all this, he watched Lincoln's form disappear into the distance and smiled. "I can't believe that kid used money from his own pocket to help me" he thought warmly, "nice to see that not all Christmas shoppers are crazy out there."

(Line Break)

Sometime later, after making a quick stop at the restroom to clean the salt from his hair; Lincoln made his way to the book store (not to be confused with the comic shop he frequently visits.) Upon entering, the first thing he grabbed was a journal full of blank pages; proclaiming that Lucy was in need of a new poetry journal for some time. Unfortunately, the twenty he gave the pretzel vendor earlier cut his budget down slightly.

Thus, the journal he picked out from the shelf had a relatively basic black and white cover. "It's not really that bad" he thought to himself, "the cover has two of Lucy's favorite colors...and it has over 300 pages inside." Upon double checking the contents; Lincoln believed that with so many pages inside, Lucy would be able to write months worth of material.

After this, he came across a joke book; which immediately made him think of Luan. But upon studying the cover intently, Lincoln saw that the title read "1,001 Anti-Jokes;" which was something he seldom ever heard of. "Maybe there's some stuff here Luan can use that could actually be funny" Lincoln suggested to the "viewer," "let's have a quick peek and see."

With this idea in mind, he picked up the book and began to study the jokes inside. At first, a few of them only made his eyes roll in annoyance like...

"Knock Knock"

"Who's There?"

"To"

"To Who?"

"It's actually 'To Whom.'"

But once or twice, he came across a few jokes that actually made him laugh heartily. "'What did the farmer say after he lost his tractor'" he murmured softly, "'where's my tractor?'" Another joke tricked Lincoln with the tagline "'here's some of my favorite ones.'"

When he looked beneath said line; instead of finding a list of jokes...he only found a list of "ones" in other languages, instead (one, uno, un, ein etc.) Regardless, he actually found the trick pretty funny and felt that even Lisa might like that. As he went on to the next joke, he saw that it was one of those classic scenario ones.

It told a story about an owl and a squirrel sitting on a fence, watching a farmer go by. The owl then looked to the squirrel and said nothing because, as the book read, owls couldn't talk. In the end, the owl eats the squirrel because it's a bird of prey.

"Is it just me or did that joke feel like something either Lucy or Lisa came up with" Lincoln asked himself, "I dunno if Luan would like that particular joke." After that, he went on to the final joke on the page and...he did everything he could not to burst out laughing. It read "Queue is just 'Q' with four silent letters after it; you're not silent, you're just waiting your turn."

"Okay, that settles it" Lincoln said with a light chuckle, "this book would be perfect for Luan." With that said, he placed the book in his shopping bag beside Lucy's notebook and went back to browsing the shelves. At one point, Lincoln came upon another advertisement poster; one promoting a sale for a "hot item" on display.

Said item was a hardcover book with the title "The Mystic Wood of Avilar: The Jewel of the Elements." "Oh, yeah; I think I heard Haiku talking about this book before" Lincoln thought to himself, "said that it's the latest part of the series." In that moment, he set out to try and find any copies of the book; hoping that it would be at a reasonable price.

But when he asked the store clerk about it, she regretfully informed Lincoln that their last batch of copies sold out earlier today. "I'll tell you what, kid" she said kindly, "I could order you a copy online and have it get sent to your house after the holiday; is it a deal?" For a moment or so, Lincoln hesitated; contemplating the opportunity that was presented to him.

On one hand; if he took up on the clerk's offer, he'd still be getting Haiku a Christmas gift. But on the other hand, he wasn't sure if she would approve of receiving a gift after Christmas was over. In the end, Lincoln decided to politely decline but still thanked the clerk for her kindness.

"Alrighty, then; let's see here" the woman murmured, "your subtotal comes down too...twenty dollars even." Without delay; he paid for his books, thanked the clerk for her service, wished her a Happy Holiday and went off on his way. As he stepped out of the store, Lincoln gave a sigh of relief and felt thankful that he still had sixty dollars left on his spending budget.

At the same time, however; he felt mildly ashamed that he wasn't able to get the Mystic Wood of Avilar book for Haiku. True, he would've procured a copy, if he'd taken up on the sales clerk's offer. But he didn't like the idea of having one of his friends wait till possibly January to receive it.

"At least I got two of my sisters covered" Lincoln murmured, "that just leaves...eight more left." The moment this thought popped into his head, the young Loud boy pondered how he would be able to shop for the rest of his family with only sixty dollars left. Not to mention the fact that he'd yet to find anything for the Gal Pals.

"Keep your chin up, Lincoln" he thought to himself, "you'll find some more stuff for the family...and you've got your friends to help you as well." With this spark of hope burning within him, Lincoln set out to continue the remainder of his shopping venture; hoping to find more gifts for his family.

A few minutes after he left, the bookstore clerk spotted the pretzel vendor passing by and greeted him with a hearty hello. "Off on your break, I'm guessing; right" the clerk asked, "bet you're glad to get a chance to be off your feet right now." The vendor responded to this inquiry by plonking himself upon a nearby bench and sighing heavily.

"As tiring as being on my feet was, the real issue came when my salt shaker fell after some shoppers stampeded past me" he groaned, "it fell and landed on some...white-haired kid who took cover by my cart." The bookstore clerk blinked slightly in surprise, proclaiming that she saw a similar kid come in just a while ago. "Hold up...did you say this kid helped pay to replace your salt" she asked, earning a light nod from the vendor; "huh, I thought shoppers would all be in their 'every man for himself' mindset."

The pretzel vendor chuckled softly, expressing his thanks that not everyone was riding on the Crazy Train during the holidays. "I just hope he'll get through the rest of his shopping okay" he stated, "if the kid's not careful, he could either come up short on gifts...or he could get trampled by the crowds."

(Line Break)

Ironically enough, Lincoln was experiencing those very troubles (or at least, half of them.) First, when he arrived at the jewelry shop; he hoped to find something that his mother, one of his more "fashion oriented" sisters or even Carol might like. But when he got a look at the prices, not only was everything twice the amount of his original shopping budget but he couldn't buy any of the cheaper baubles with his twenty.

"I thought stores were supposed to have big deals for the holiday season" Lincoln muttered dejectedly, "but all this looks like the same prices during the rest of the year!" Three times over, Lincoln scoured the store; hoping to find at least one pair of earrings or even a necklace worth less than sixty bucks...but to no avail. With a defeated sigh, Lincoln left the store and decided to go check the Sporting Goods shop; hoping to find something for Lynn.

But when he arrived, Lincoln saw nothing new or interesting in the place; just the same old items that his sister already had in bulk. With that idea down the drain, he considered going into Reininger's next and see if they might have any good deals. "I doubt I'll be able to find anything stylish for twenty bucks" Lincoln thought, "but you never know."

With his mind made up, Lincoln made his way towards the opposite side of the mall; where a small electronics shop could be seen. There, Lincoln set out to find a new camera for Phoebe or something Lori could use for her phone. But...much to his dismay, everything there cost far more than what he had on hand still.

By the time he left the store, ten minutes later; he did manage to buy something...a small yet stylishly decorated picture frame. Granted, it wasn't one of those fancy digital ones; just a typical wooden frame with a glass cover and some adorable emojis along the frame. "Maybe...Maybe Lori could use something like this" Lincoln thought hesitantly, "at least, I hope she will."

After he carefully placed the frame into his bag with the two books he purchased; Lincoln reached into his pocket, pulled out his leftover cash and sighed dejectedly. In his hand, there was only one twenty dollar bill remaining; much to his dismay. Looking back to when he was in the store; Lincoln felt as though he'd been punched in the gut, when he heard how much the one frame cost.

"After buying this, handing the pretzel vendor some money for the replacement salt earlier, the CD I got for Luna and buying the two books I found for Lucy and Luan; I've got so little cash left to spare" Lincoln murmured, "but...at least I've got four of my sisters taken care of now." As Lincoln looked at the lone twenty in his hand, he questioned himself on what else he could buy with it. "Maybe I could find something at a good price in the boutique" he pondered, "like a snow scarf for Mom...or something for Lola."

With this in mind, he left the electronics store and went off to another area of the mall. Along the way, he caught sight of something that made him smile a little. It was an elderly bell ringer, the kind that stands out in public areas asking for charitable donations from passersby for the less fortunate.

Upon getting a closer look at him, Lincoln saw that this man was dressed in a long-sleeved Christmas sweater, red pants, wore a red apron around his torso and sported a small red and green wool hat on his head. He looked either middle-aged or elderly (to Lincoln's eyes,) was about five feet tall and despite his portly physique, he looked rather healthy for his age.

But perhaps, the most noticeable thing about this stranger was his long, snow-white beard. Upon putting all these pieces together, Lincoln started to believe that the stranger could be...him. "No way, Linc...that's crazy" he murmured to himself, "plenty of Pop-Pop's friends have facial hair like that and also have jolly bellies on them."

As Lincoln was about to continue on his way, the bell ringer suddenly spotted him and gave a light whistle. "So sorry to trouble you, young man" he said in a kind voice, "but would you be kind enough to make a donation for charity?" Lincoln was moments away from fulfilling the request.

But as he reached into his pocket, the young Loud Boy realized that the only money he had left...was his twenty. "Oh...gee, Sir; I'd like to help...really" Lincoln murmured hesitantly, "but I don't have that much money left on hand and I've barely got a start on my Christmas shopping." From here, he proceeded to reference his family situation; which didn't seem to surprise the man all that much.

"Ah, yes; I know quite a bit about you already" the man chuckled, "you and your sisters have developed quite a reputation within this mall alone." Upon hearing him say this, Lincoln suddenly grew self-conscious and did his best to convince the man that they "weren't as bad as the news made them out to be." "Don't worry, my boy; I'm simply ruffling your tinsel" the man chuckled, "but in all seriousness, you do seem to have a lot on your plate."

After giving the man a silent nod, Lincoln decided that there wasn't much he could buy for his family with only twenty bucks left and chose to slip it into the man's bucket; proclaiming that the needy needed it more than he did right now. "That is very kind of you, my boy" the man said with a soft smile, "and as my way of saying thank you, I would like to give you something."

At first, Lincoln thought the stranger planned on giving him a physical item as a token of gratitude. In which case, he respectfully chose to pass on it. "No, my boy; what I want to give you is an opportunity" the man stated, "something that could help you in your...financial situation."

Feeling both confused yet intrigued, Lincoln asked the man what he had in mind for him. "Well...word through the grapevine tells me that there's a problem over in the main lobby" the man explained, "seems they're short an elf over by the 'Meet Santa' spot in the main lobby...would you be so kind as to lend a hand?" After making certain he heard the man correctly; Lincoln didn't know whether to faint, groan in dismay or simply walk away.

But then, at that moment; his walkie-talkie suddenly turned on and he quickly answered. It was Liam's voice on the other end and he regretfully told Lincoln that he was unable to save one of the Blarney dolls for him the way he promised. "I tried to, pardner...I really did" the young farm boy said apologetically, "but there were so many youngins that wanted one...they tried to claw at my face with their tiny fingernails!"

The moment he said this, the poor preteen lad found himself having a sort of PTSD-style flashback. After trying to shake the memory from his head; Liam, once again apologized to Lincoln for his failure. "No need to apologize, dude" Lincoln insisted kindly, "even if you did save it for me, I probably wouldn't be able to afford it anyway."

Upon making this confession, the other three members of Lincoln's "Guy Group" suddenly chimed in; asking Lincoln how he managed to spend his entire shopping budget so quickly. "It...It's a long story, guys" he muttered shamefully, "half of which you probably won't even believe me, if I told you." Thinking quickly, Lincoln saved face by revealing to his friends that he did manage to find some things for three of his sisters.

But Clyde, while being as respectful as possible, reminded his bestie that he had eight others he still needed to shop for. "How do you plan on doing that with so little cash left" he asked, "are you going your parents for more?" With a heavy sigh, Lincoln said that his parents wouldn't give him any more than one-hundred dollars to use and even that was pushing it a little; considering the amount of people in his family.

"But...I think I found a way to help get some more shopping money" he murmured uneasily, "I can't quite explain it now...but it's nothing shady, I promise you." After a moment or two of soft debating, Lincoln's friends came to realize that their buddy had few other alternatives to turn to for his situation. "Okay, buddy; we trust you" Clyde's voice stated, "but if...whoever's offering you this job plans on having you do anything shady, I'm calling the police."

With that, the boys said their goodbyes and added that they hoped to see him soon. After that, the line went dead; leaving Lincoln "alone" with the strange charity man. "I know what you're thinking...why didn't I tell my friends the truth" he said matter-of-factly, "well, the thing is I..."

Before Lincoln went on any further; the man held up his hand, causing him to go silent. "I understand, my boy" he said kindly, "if you told your friends what you were asked to do, you're afraid they might mock you." Upon hearing these words, Lincoln's cheeks flushed red in both embarrassment and mild shame.

"It's quite alright" the man assured, "the fact that you're willing to answer my call, in spite of your fears, shows just how much you wish to help give your loved ones a merry Christmas." After that; he patted Lincoln on his shoulder, collected his red bucket and offered to help show Lincoln off to the lobby.

"When we arrive, we need to get you fitted for your elf costume" the man stated, "as well as your faux elf ears." Upon hearing him mention what he was going to wear for his temporary role, Lincoln suddenly became even more anxious. But then, as if sensing this change in behavior; the man assured Lincoln that the position wouldn't be permanent.

"We'll get the full story, once we arrive at the lobby" he stated, "I'll also make sure to notify your parents about it." With this single phrase, Lincoln's anxieties grew to critical levels. As much as he feared what his friends might think of him for taking this job, he wondered what his parents...or even his sisters would say.

"Just remember, dude...you're doing this for the people you love" Lincoln thought to himself, "I'll make sure to remind my sisters about that; just in case Lola decides to blackmail me with this or Luan thinks about making jokes at my expense."

In time, the duo arrived at the mall lobby; where the "Meet Santa" pavilion was stationed. When Lincoln got a look at what the "elves" were wearing, his face went pale and his eyes shrank in fear. From the curly-toed green shoes to the hats with the jingle bell hanging on the tip, the attire looked like something out of a cheap Christmas play.

To make matters even more awkward, the person playing Ol' St. Nick...was Flip; Royal Woods' resident shyster. "Ho-Ho-Ho" he sounded off in a horribly off-key tone of voice, "Merry Christmas, every..." Before he could finish his sentence, Flip suddenly let out a rather gross burp; causing bubbles to pop out of his mouth.

Beside him, the other elves made silent complaints about his breath smelling like rancid eggnog. "I think I now understand why the original guy quit" Lincoln muttered to the "viewer," I just hope that I'll last longer than he did." Not long after he said this, he noticed the stranger talking with the pavilion manager.

After some debating between the two, the latter gentleman gestured for Lincoln to come closer; which he did. Then, the manager began to look over him intently from top to bottom and front to back. After what felt like ages of waiting, he clicked his tongue softly and murmured "okay, he'll do."

With that simple statement, he tossed the elf costume into Lincoln's arms and told him to go change immediately. "Be quick about it, the line will be building up again soon" the manager instructed, "and you best toe the line...or else you won't get paid." With his point made, the manager returned to his post and resumed trying to hype up the line of kids to go see "Santa."

Meanwhile, Lincoln suddenly started to have second thoughts about his whole plan. Not only would he be wearing a costume that would make him an easy target for mockery. But the fact that Flip, a man who was on pretty familiar terms with him and his family, made things all the more difficult.

Lincoln was but moments away from bailing...until he felt the kind hand of the stranger upon his shoulder, once again. "It's only for a few days, my boy" he said reassuringly, "and it will all be worth it in the end, I promise you." With that; he collected his change bucket, wished Lincoln good luck and went off to his next post.

This left Lincoln on his own at the pavilion with the elf outfit still in his hands. For what felt like ages, he mentally debated on if going along with the idea was a smart choice. But then, when he remembered how much his family hoped for a good Christmas, it all became clear to him...he had to do it.

Then, he was suddenly shaken out of his thoughts by the harsh tones of the pavilion manager; who told him to go get changed lickety-split. Not needing to be told twice, Lincoln made a quick beeline for the nearest restroom to get into his outfit. "I'm really hoping I won't be doing this for very long" he said worriedly to the "viewer," "if anyone...other than my parents learns that I'm doing like this, who knows what they'll do or think!"

(First AN: No one ever said Holiday shopping would be easy, am I right? Anywho, how do you think Lincoln will do in his new position? Who was the stranger that helped him, will he be able to earn back enough money to shop for his family and friends...or will something happen that will cause him to crack and abandon his plan altogether?

Tune in next time for Part Two of "The Gifting with the Gal Pals")

(Second AN: Just in case anyone is wondering...NO, this was not meant to be seen as a sort of "Lincoln Torture Porn" sort of story; where writers place Lincoln in awkward, dangerous or emotionally harrowing situations for "comedy sake." Nope, everything that happened to Linc here was meant to show how strong his devotion was to his loved ones; even if it meant putting his dignity on the line a little.

Plus, I needed to show certain randos *or random critics* within the guest reviews that nothing is simply "handed to Lincoln on a silver platter" *as they assume.* You may have seen some of their reviews within past installments for this anthology fic or the OG Gal Pals story. Regardless, I hope this will satiate them in some way.

If not...well, I tried and that's all that matters)

(Third AN: I apologize if any of the math I used in this part was incorrect. Math was never my strongest subject over the years, back in school)

(Fourth AN: Since Lincoln and Clyde both use codenames while talking to each other on their walkie-talkies, I thought it would be fun to include the rest of the Guy Squad on it; at least, for something like Christmas shopping. Lincoln is Dasher, Clyde is Cupid, Zach is Comet, Liam is Donner and Rusty is Blitzen; just in case anyone felt confused)

(Fifth AN: The "Dory" Liam mentioned when he's discussing his shopping plans is the name of his little sister. Though she has yet to appear in the original show, I thought it would be nice to mention her here)

(Final AN: For anyone who's curious...no, I won't tell you what Lincoln's "secret gift" for the Gal Pals is; not yet, at least. It's a special surprise, one that will hold great meaning in either the Part Two or Three of this oneshot. But once it's revealed, I hope you'll like the sound of it)