The Gifting with the Gal Pals – Part Two

(Story Summary: Lincoln spends the next several days at the mall, working as one of the elves at the "Meet Santa" pavilion. During this time; he's yelled at by the manager of the spot, insulted by "Santa," teased by some of the kids waiting in line and to make matters worse, two of Lincoln's rivals from school catch wind of what he's doing and decide to "pay him a visit."

Will all this finally cause Lincoln to crack under the pressure? Will he decide to quit, as a result...or will someone come to help him hold on to his hope for a good Christmas for his family?")

It was a cold, breezy Friday morning; the snow was falling lightly outside the Loud House. The moment the sun rose, Lincoln was the first to wake up for the day; which was often rare for him to do. Truthfully, he wished he could remain in bed and sleep for a couple more hours...but he couldn't.

Nope; Lincoln had to wake up bright and early, have a quick breakfast, get his teeth brushed and get dressed. Once all that was done; he packed up his bag, left his bedroom and proceeded down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, Lincoln saw his mother waiting for him with a cup of cocoa in her hands.

"Thought you could use a quick pick me up before you leave" Rita offered, "would you like a sip, honey?" Without a moment's pause, Lincoln took the cup from his mother's hands and proceeded to guzzle the drink down; not caring how much the warm liquid stung his lips and mouth. Rita was, quite understandably taken aback by this but chose to not say anything.

Truth be told, these mannerisms were all too familiar to her. This was the demeanor of someone who'd been running themselves ragged. Rita had seen her children look this way after long study periods, working on tons of homework or from simply doing chores around the house. But in this case, Lincoln looked like an adult going off for the morning shift...which was exactly what was happening.

"Oh, wait...I knew I forgot...(yawn) forgot something" the boy said tiredly, "I gotta go get my...uniform." Upon saying these words, Lincoln dreaded having to go back up to his room to collect his "uniform." The reason being wasn't the climb up the steps, mind you...it was the risk of being heard or spotted by one (if not all) of his sisters.

But just as he turned himself around, Lincoln felt his mother tapping on his shoulder lightly. "Hold on there, honey" Rita said suddenly, "I've already got your...uniform stored in Vanzilla, I even had it cleaned after the girls went to sleep." This news came as a bit of a surprise to Lincoln; specifically, the latter part.

If Rita cleaned his "uniform" for him while the girls were all asleep, that must mean she did it late in the night. In which case, Lincoln suddenly found himself feeling rather guilty and apologized to her. "You have nothing to feel sorry for" Rita insisted in a hushed tone, "consider it a thank you for putting yourself out like this for the family."

Soon after saying this; she held Lincoln tightly in her arms, kissed his forehead and helped lead him quietly out to the van.

(Flashback: The Royal Woods Mall – Monday)

Now...no doubt, some of you may wonder how Mrs. Loud came to know about Lincoln's little job; am I right? Well, back during Lincoln's shopping day; the kindly old bell-ringer that Lincoln met made a call out to her cellphone and informed Mrs. Loud of everything. At first, she felt disappointed in her son for using up his spending budget so quickly.

But the bell-ringer immediately told Mrs. Loud that Lincoln used one bit of his cash to help someone in need; as well as donate what remained to his charity collection bucket. With all this evidence presented, Rita's temperament quickly softened and she was no longer upset with her son. Then, when she heard about what Lincoln considered doing to earn back some of the money he spent; Rita almost thought the bell-ringer was playing a Christmas joke on her.

No sooner had she made this statement, she received an e-mail from Lincoln on her phone...which contained a photo of him in his elf costume. Upon seeing it, Rita was mere seconds away from squealing with joy at how "cute" he looked. But then, the bell-ringer politely insisted for her to keep her voice down and not let any of Lincoln's sisters know what he was doing.

Although she didn't quite like hiding things from her children, Rita knew full well how much the girls enjoyed teasing Lincoln over certain things. Thus, she agreed to keep quiet and promised Lincoln she'd help him on his endeavors as much as she could. So, over the past week; Rita helped drive Lincoln to the mall for his job and helped keep his uniform clean.

Ironically enough, Rita performed the latter task each day of that week. On his first day, Lincoln had only one or two stains on his person; which he revealed were left by two kids poking his costume with wet candy canes. Such an issue wasn't too big of a deal for Rita, after cleaning off similar candy stains from each of the kids Halloween costumes two months earlier.

But on Wednesday, when she came to pick him up from the mall; Rita was shocked to see all the bits of candy, stains from spilt drinks and...who knows what else stuck on Lincoln. When Rita got the chance to speak privately with him, she asked Lincoln how he ended up getting so filthy. In response; he listed every instance someone "accidentally" spilt their drink on him, a child threw up on his costume or when some teens thought it would be "funny" to pelt him with trash from a nearby trashcan.

"What the...where's the security during all this" Rita asked in a dumbfounded tone, "why aren't they doing anything to stop this behavior?" With a dejected sigh, Lincoln revealed how the security staff had their hands full in keeping all the crazy shoppers in line. Rita's heart ached for her son, saddened to see him go through so much in a single week.

"Well...at least the tips must be good" Rita murmured hopefully, "how much are you given for your time?" Without even a sliver of emotion in his voice; Lincoln revealed that after working almost eight hours at the pavilion...he's only given $24 for his service. "That's basically three dollars an hour I'm getting paid for" he growled, "scratch that...I lost half of that today, after the manager claims me and Santa 'scared somebody's kid.'"

Now, having raised eleven kids most of her life, she was familiar with children feeling nervous around the mall Santa. At the same time, however; she questioned why a child would feel so afraid that their parents would demand their money back. "Let's just say...this Mall Santa isn't the jolly type" Lincoln sighed, "then again, the only time Flip feels 'jolly' is when he's either scamming people or they're paying him."

Upon hearing that Flip of all people was the mall Santa, it all became quite clear why some kids would feel nervous. "I'm just glad nobody from school was there" Lincoln grumbled, "if they were, I'd be humiliated!" As she watched her son massage his forehead for several moments; Rita, like any mother in this situation would, told Lincoln that he shouldn't feel so concerned about what his classmates think.

"It's not the whole class I'm worried about, Mom" he retorted, "it's only certain people." With this simple statement, Rita started to have a better understanding of the situation. To start with, there were quite a few students at Lincoln's school who seemed to either have it out for him...or they simply enjoyed watching him act anxious.

But perhaps; he felt more concerned if any of his lady friends, the Gal Pals, might think about his position. With all this in mind, Rita started to understand things a bit more. "Okay...you may have some good points there" she stated, "but answer me this...after everything you've all been through together, do you truly believe your friends would think less of you, if they did see you dressed like this?"

For a few seconds, Lincoln didn't answer; he spent that time thinking long and hard on how his friends (male and female) often perceived him. Sure, they might've giggled at his mildly awkward moments...but the likes of Jordan and Cristina learned their lesson from past instances (like the internet video thing or the "Polar Bear Challenge" thing.) So, Lincoln felt that his mother had a point; his friends wouldn't judge him as harshly as he believed.

"But what about Lori and the others" he said suddenly, "if any of them find out, not only will they laugh...they'll also discover the reason why I've been doing this!" Rita gave him a soft yet knowing look and assured Lincoln that she'd keep his sisters in the dark as long as she possibly could. "That being said...sooner or later, someone else may learn the truth" Rita said matter-of-factly, "when that time comes, you may have to face them."

With that; they buckled their seat-belts, Rita revved up the engine and went off back home. Along the way, Lincoln mentioned how much he dreaded going back to work the next day. No doubt; he would expect more garbage flung his way, more insults directed at him and hear more kids crying loudly in his ears.

"Unfortunately, honey...the only thing I can suggest about the first two issues is to inform the manager about it" Rita stated, "but as for the third one, just tell the kids what I used to tell you all back when you went to see Santa...just imagine him as someone sweet that they know." Soon after saying this, she also reminded Lincoln of whom he and his sisters chose to picture as Santa; Pop-Pop.

Of all the people in his life, he was always the jolliest person the Louds ever knew. Upon looking back on the memory, Lincoln couldn't help but smile a little. "That's not a bad idea, Mom" he said kindly, "I hope that will work on the other kids, though."

After that, the rest of the ride home went silently; as Lincoln sat and contemplated on how to go about things the next day. Time passed and on Thursday morning, he returned back to his post at the pavilion...albeit reluctantly. As he stood in line, helping usher little kids through as politely as possible; nearly all of Lincoln's earlier fears soon came to pass.

While no one pelted him with items from the trash like they did earlier that week; at least, three kids touched his outfit with their sticky hands. Minutes later, a High Schooler from Huntington Oaks not only told Lincoln to "get a real job" in a mocking tone; she also dumped her cappuccino atop of his head. Said beverage was still quite hot and it stung Lincoln's face like the dickens.

But...he had no choice but to quite literally, grin and bear it while also extending a holiday greeting through his clenched teeth. Sometime after that, Lincoln saw a family approach him with their children. One was a boy around five and a half and his sister appeared to be seven years old.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that both of them had a fearful look in their eyes; despite the sister trying to appear brave. It didn't take long for Lincoln to realize what the issue was...they were afraid, afraid to go speak to Santa. "I no wanna talk to him, Mommy" the little boy whimpered, "he looks grumpy...and dirty and I think he smells like bad eggs."

No sooner had the boy said this, Flip (once again playing the role of the Mall Santa) let out an eggnog induced belch. The moment this happened, the nostrils of every elf were suddenly assaulted by the same "bad egg smell" the little boy mentioned; including Lincoln. While doing everything he could to not vomit, he looked over at the little boy's parents were having difficulty trying to get him and his sister to move forward.

Upon seeing this, Lincoln suddenly remembered his mother's earlier advice and decided to put it to the test. After taking a moment to clear his throat, he got down on one knee and asked the kids to approach him. "Hey, guys...I know how you feel" Lincoln said sympathetically, "when I first saw Santa, I was scared to...but my family taught me something that helped me get over that fear."

Without hesitation; he told the kids that when their turn to approach Santa came, they should try to imagine that they were talking to someone who actually made them happy. "It could be anyone you like" Lincoln stated, "you could imagine the face of one of your parents, a grandparent...or even Blarney the Dinosaur is talking to you in a Santa costume." Though still a little nervous, at first; the kids decided to give Lincoln's advice a shot.

When the time came for them to sit on Santa's lap, the brother and sister both closed their eyes in fear. But the moment they opened them up again, they no longer saw the grubby face of Flip looking at them. Instead, the little girl saw the face of her grandfather; while the boy saw the face of a superhero.

Soon, neither of them was afraid and happily took their places upon Santa's lap. As the parents started taking pictures of them together, Lincoln couldn't help but gawk at the scene in amazement. "Holy moley...that actually worked" Lincoln thought in surprise, "thanks a bunch for the advice, Mom."

Then, at that moment; he was suddenly shocked back into reality when he felt someone tapping his shoulder. Much to both his relief and...slight surprise, it was the parents of the two little ones; who then proceeded to extend their thanks to him. "Thank you so much for helping our babies out, young man" the mother said while shaking his hand, "you have quite a way with children."

The father also expressed his gratitude for what Lincoln did, emphasizing how hard a time they had in getting them to be calm the previous year. "It was n-n-no trouble, ma'am" Lincoln said shyly, "my mother gave me the same advice, back when I was your son's age." Soon after he said this, the two little ones had finished their time with Santa and proceeded back towards their parents.

But just before they left the line, the little boy suddenly wrapped his arms around Lincoln's waist and hugged him warmly. "Tank you Mr. Elf" he said in an adorable voice, "hope you have a Merry Crismas at the workshop!" With that said, he and the family proceeded off to another area of the mall.

For a moment or so; Lincoln stood perfectly still, lost in awe of the kind gesture the boy showed him. After several stressful days, that bit of kindness helped managed to perk him up...just a little bit. But in spite of that small success, there was still the rest of the people in line to attend to.

With that in mind, he sorely hoped that today wouldn't be a long one.

(Line Break)

This brings us back to our present situation, where Lincoln was rushing off like mad towards the nearest bus stop. Originally, he hoped to start of the last day of the work week off smoothly...but there were quite a few issues during that morning alone. To start with, Vanzilla had broken down (for the umpteenth time) when Rita offered to help drive him to work again. This meant that Lincoln had to, once more take the bus to the mall.

But just like what happened on his shopping trip earlier that week, the bus arrived late. But this time, instead of being caught behind a plow; his bus had to take an entirely different path due to the usual one being too icy. "Boy, I could really use Lisa's salt machine about now" Lincoln murmured in annoyance, "she could get through that in no time."

Sadly, this was not to be; after being found guilty in court, Lisa was forbidden to interfere in city affairs (street maintenance being one of them.) As a result; her winter cleanup inventions (like most of her scientific creations) were all confiscated and either sold off to more capable individuals or sold for scrap. "Well, at least the other roads are clear" Lincoln thought to himself, "hopefully, it won't take me too long to get to the mall."

(An Hour and a Half Later)

Eventually; the bus arrived at the mall parking lot and the instant the doors opened, Lincoln rushed out like a bat out of the Underworld (or from out of Lucy's coffin.) As he ran up towards the entrance, desperate to get inside in time; Lincoln failed to see that the pavement had iced up due to the snow. As a result, he slipped and fell over at least four times before getting to the entrance.

When he arrived at the Meet Santa pavilion, Lincoln saw a sight that almost made his eyes pop from his head. From the entry point of the line point to almost all the way back to where the fountain stood, all kinds of families stood in waiting...and they did not look very happy. "C'mon, somebody let one of us through already" shouted a mother within the line, "who cares if the usher isn't here yet?!"

The moment this statement was made, Lincoln suddenly realized the issue; they were all waiting because he wasn't there to help lead the kids through in an orderly manner. "The manager's gonna have my head, once he finds out I'm not there" Lincoln thought, "just...try to get to your post without anybody noticing." After taking in a breath for luck; he cautiously tiptoed his way behind trashcan, underneath a nearby table, hid himself behind a display rack of combs and made his way towards the pavilion.

But just as he was inches away from getting to his post, a voice suddenly stopped Lincoln in his tracks...a rather familiar one. "How nice of you to finally come, little elf" the voice said snidely from behind, "what happened, had trouble getting your jingle bells on?" Not long after this comment was made, the young speaker broke out into a fit of laughs.

While making sure not to completely reveal his face, Lincoln angrily glanced over his left shoulder; feeling "eager" to know who was hassling him. When he caught sight of the boy's face, Lincoln's heart almost stopped. Standing behind him was Biff Packard and his friends; who were currently rolling about the floor in laughter.

"Oh, great; just what I needed" Lincoln thought dejectedly, "of all people...why did it have to be them that saw me?" In his mind, the young Loud boy felt that Fate must enjoy seeing him suffer at the snobbish boy's hands. At the same time, though; Lincoln felt thankful that no one else he knew was there.

Just then, another voice called out; telling him "it's about time you showed up" in a familiar condescending tone. Upon hearing this voice; Lincoln, once again, risked a glance over his right shoulder. There, he saw that the speaker was none other than Chandler; one of the most popular kids in his grade.

Alongside him were a few members of his posse; including Lance, Trent, Ritchie and several others. In that moment, all the color instantly drained from Lincoln's face. Of all people, he was particularly worried about what Chandler and his friends might think of him in his current outfit.

"On the plus side, Kat isn't with him" Lincoln thought, "as long as she doesn't find out what I'm doing...I'm willing to endure this humiliation." After brushing that thought aside, he proceeded to make his way towards the pavilion entrance; ready to get the job done as quickly as possible. But then, Lincoln suddenly found himself tripping over his jingle bell shoes; thus resulting in him falling flat on his face.

This caused the two groups behind him to laugh even louder at his expense, while the crowd in line started glaring daggers at him. As the patrons began shouting out their complaints at him, Lincoln bitterly pushed himself up from the floor; all while trying to keep his face hidden from Biff and Chandler's respective posses.

"Just block them out, Loud...don't let their behavior bother you" he thought to himself tensely, "keep walking and get this day over with." As Lincoln continued to trudge his way over to his post, Vicky was the first to notice that none of their insults were getting under his skin. Then, when she saw how angry the crowd was and spotted the manager approaching; she thought of a much more wicked idea.

After doing a few breathing warm ups, Vicky glared slightly in the elf's direction and cried "well...it's about time you showed up, Mr. Elf!" This sudden exclamation immediately caught the attention of "Santa," the line of angry patrons and the approaching pavilion manager. "Yeah, lil' man" Flip grumbled, "what took ya so long, I've been sittin' here all mornin' and my rear end's startin' to itch somethin' fierce!"

While choosing to ignore the man's rather...course remark, the line of mall patrons felt just as annoyed by the elf's tardiness. Some complained that their legs had been hurting from standing for so long, while others fussed about having their "important shopping trips" be disrupted. As for the children, the elf desperately tried to get them to calm down; to tell them he could let them in to see Santa now.

But unfortunately; this was met with a collection of shin kicks, face slaps and even a few punches to the stomach. Eventually, the pavilion manager arrived at the scene and did his best to calm everyone down. But the first thing he did, after getting everyone to back away slightly was get up into the elf's face and growl angrily.

"This was the third time this week you've been late, kid" the manager sneered, "I warned you about the consequences if it happened again." The elf tried desperately to plead his case, to tell the manager it was the bus' fault he was late...but the manager wouldn't hear of it. "There's no excuse for your slipshod work, Loud" he grumbled, "you're...FIIIIRRRRED!"

The moment the elf's name was spoken, all time seemed to slow down for both Biff and Chandler's groups. Meanwhile, Lincoln stood frozen in place with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide in shock. For almost a whole week; he'd been assaulted, screamed at, had people invade his personal space with sticky fingers and who knows what else...all for the sake of his family.

But after this, Lincoln realized that no amount of money was worth subjecting himself to such lows anymore. "No, Sir...you can't fire me" he said in a dry, monotone voice (near similar to Lucy's;) "BECAUSE I QUIT!" With that proclamation; he ripped off his elf costume, tore off his elf ears, threw down his hat onto the ground and proceeded to stomp it into the dust.

Afterwards, Lincoln took the remnants of his costume in his arms and threw them hard into the pavilion manager's face; causing him to stumble back and fall atop some of the Christmas décor around the pavilion. Thankfully, Lincoln had his real clothes underneath his costume; otherwise...things would've been even more embarrassing for him. With his identity now fully revealed, both Biff and Chandler's groups stood frozen in astonishment at Lincoln.

Then, after almost twenty seconds of silence; Biff, Vicky and the punk kid suddenly blew up into a vicious fit of mocking laughter. Meanwhile, Chandler and his group stood in silence; as if mentally pondering on whether they should also mock Lincoln or if they should pity him. "Wait...hold on, wait" murmured Ritchie, "all this time...we were razzing on Loud...what's he even doing here?"

Unfortunately, Chandler could only think of three small yet mildly plausible explanations on the situation. Either Lincoln was here "performing a service" for "Good Boy Points" towards Santa (not Flip,) that he was doing said service for the sake of his loved ones...or he was probably dared into doing it by somebody. Whatever the case, he and his crew suddenly felt guilty for all the hazing they sent Lincoln's way while on duty.

Meanwhile; Flip, feeling emboldened by the boy's courage, also decided to call it quits on playing Santa. "I'm tired of sittin' here all day listenin' to these lil' brats whinin' and cryin' in my ears" he grumbled while throwing the Santa suit in the trash bin, "I'm goin' back to my store and I'm gonna earn some cash the proper way...with my new limited time Holiday Flippees!" Soon after he said this, Flip faced the crowd and revealed a picture of what looked like a typical Flippee drink.

But after giving it a closer look, the patrons saw that was merely a Strawberry Flippee mixed with candy cane crumbs. "That's right, people; made 'em myself" Flip said with pride, "broke a whole load of candy canes to make 'em with my own two hands." This proclamation left the crowd at a bit of a crossroads, surprisingly enough.

On the one hand, they shuddered slightly; wondering if Flip had washed his hands before making the beverages. But on the other hand; considering how sour all the kids, teens and adults felt at the moment...everyone was willing to do anything to lift their spirits up again. Thus, everyone in line quickly dispersed; making a note to buy the "Holiday Flippees" after their shopping trips were finished.

As the crowd walked off to other areas of the mall, the manager desperately tried to get them to stay in the area...but no one listened. "It's bad enough that you made us wait in line for ages, SIR" a woman sneered, "but the fact that you've employed a child to do the greeter job shows just how shady of a businessman you are!" Several other parents voiced similar complaints, while also expressing their apologies to Lincoln for any unintentional harm their children might've given him.

After giving the crowd a small but kind grin, he proclaimed that it was "all water under the bridge." "We're sorry, Mr. Elf" a group of toddlers murmured sadly, "please, don't tell Santa on us." Upon hearing the sorrowful tone in the kids' voices, Lincoln's smile grew a little bigger and he exchanged quick high fives with each of them.

"Don't worry about it, kids" he assured, "I'm actually used to getting hit around a bit." With that said, the parents and their children said their goodbyes and went off to other parts of the mall; leaving only Lincoln and the pavilion manager remaining at the scene. The two looked upon one another with utter contempt for what felt like ages. Then, the manager reached to his side and brought a walkie-talkie up to his lips.

"Hello, security team" he grumbled, "I have a bit of a rabble-rouser down here at the Santa pavilion, could you...help him outside, please?" Upon hearing this, Lincoln's earlier anger slowly gave way to fear; wondering what the man had in mind for him.

(Line Break)

One moment, Lincoln was holding his ground and defending his honor. The next; he found himself being roughly grabbed by a pair of security guards, was dragged towards the exit and tossed out the door. Before leaving him there, the pavilion manager vowed to have Lincoln be banned from the mall for his actions...once he was able to get in touch with the higher ups (who were all at home prepping for Christmas.)

"And I'm taking all the money you 'earned' back as well, you little brat" the man grumbled, "consider it compensation for humiliating me, costing me loads of customers, losing my Santa and wrecking my pavilion!" With that said, he walked over and proceeded to root his hand around inside of Lincoln's pockets. In time, he collected the right amount of bills from the boy's right pocket and went back inside.

"I hope you and whatever family of savages that raised you has the worst Christmas of your lives, kid" the manager grumbled, "it's more than what you deserve!" With that, he stomped his way back inside of the mall; leaving Lincoln on the sidewalk, shivering both from the cold and his still boiling rage. "Well...who needs your lousy bonus, fatso" he roared bitterly, "you can take your three bucks an hour and STUFF IT IN YOUR STOCKING!"

For what felt like ages, Lincoln remained fixed on the spot; panting and fuming furiously from everything he endured. But then, the reality of the situation suddenly struck him like a dodgeball to the face. Now that he was fired, he didn't have enough money to do anymore Christmas Shopping. Now, here he was; out on the mall sidewalk without any money in his pocket, without his job and on the week before Christmas!

"I haven't even got the chance to shop for anyone else yet, I've been so busy" Lincoln fretted, "oh, jeez...the girls are all going to kill me, if Mom and Dad don't have me grounded first after learning what I did." Soon, he realized he was moments away from another panic attack and needed to calm himself down right away. After spotting a nearby empty bench; Lincoln sat himself down, closed his eyes and proceeded to do the calming exercises Dr. Lopez taught him.

While doing this, he decided to softly hum a Christmas Carol to himself; hoping that it would help in lifting his spirits. Unfortunately, the first song that popped into his head wasn't a carol; instead, it was the tune to "I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas." After a while, he stopped humming the song and started to openly sing a particular verse from it; one that he felt "best represented him.'

"I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas

Mommy and Daddy are mad

I'm gettin' nuttin for Christmas

'Cause I...ain't been nuttin'...but bad!"

Now, in one afternoon alone; poor Lincoln's spirits were pretty low already due to everything that happened. But after humming the last line of the song verse, he suddenly broke down and burst into tears. "Mom...Dad...Everybody...I'm sorry" he murmured between sobs, "I tried...I really, really tried to help give you a good Christmas...but like most of my plans, I failed." After that, Lincoln sprawled himself atop the bench and was moments away from calling his mother to pick him up.

But then, just as his finger lingered over the auto-dial button; a soft voice suddenly stopped Lincoln in his tracks. "Now, now; there's nothing wrong with failure, my boy" the voice said kindly, "we all make mistakes...what's important is that they help us become stronger and help us improve ourselves for the better." At first, Lincoln was mere moments away from dismissing the phrase as "cheesy PSA nonsense."

But after hearing the speaker talk, he suddenly shot up from his laid back position and spotted a familiar sight. Standing near his bench was the kindly old bell-ringer Lincoln met when this whole "adventure" started. This time, however; he appeared to be dressed in a full-bodied Santa outfit.

At the man's right, Lincoln could see his trusty charity donation bucket; which appeared near full to bursting with bills. "It's nice to see you, Sir" Lincoln said in a weak yet respectful tone, "but...how long have you been standing there, exactly?" The man let out a hearty chuckle and told him that he'd only just came out of the mall.

"My fellow ringers and I switch places around the mall, from time to time" he explained, "sometimes, I'm inside...and other times, I'm out here." Upon hearing the man mention about him doing his job in many spots of the mall, Lincoln's face suddenly shined red with shame. "I'm guessing, then...you probably saw what happened" he murmured, "I...I just don't know what came over me."

The man shook his head slightly and assured Lincoln that his behavior was rather understandable; saying that he'd seen it happen many times before. "Christmas isn't an easy time for a lot of people" he stated, "even I have a hard time every now and again." After wiping away the tears from his eyes, Lincoln suddenly let out a sarcastic chuckle; pointing out how full the man's bucket looked.

"Sure, it's full today" the bell-ringer said matter-of-factly, "but it's only because we have loads of last minute shoppers here." Lincoln sighed in response to this, saying that he would be among those shoppers...if he only had the money. "But...I just couldn't handle it anymore" he groaned, "compared to what I endured in there, my family scolding me for my failure would feel like nothing."

Once again, the bell-ringer told Lincoln that there was no reason to fear making a mistake. "The only time someone has truly 'failed' is when they decide to stop trying altogether" he stated, "are you going to do that?" Despite the ring of truth in the man's words, Lincoln still felt he was beyond hope now.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong" the man offered, "it might help lift your spirits a little." Though the idea seemed tempting, Lincoln remembered what happened the last time he shared his struggles with others (namely the Gal Pals) and softly shuddered. There was also the fact that this man was...more or less of a stranger to Lincoln and his mother often stressed to the Loud Children to not speak with strangers.

"This is true, there's no denying that" the man stated, "but seeing as how we've worked in the same location all week, I see us as...kind of, sort of coworkers than strangers." This statement caused Lincoln to chuckle a little, in spite of the tears that were still flowing. This sight brought a smile to the bell-ringer's face and he immediately took a seat beside the distressed young man.

"I applaud you for going above and beyond for the people you love this Christmas, Lincoln" the bell-ringer stated, "but even the most selfless of souls have their limitations and need to learn when to throw in the towel." While Lincoln admitted there was some truth to the man's words, he insisted that he had to do something for them; after everything that's happened.

"Seriously; this year, my sisters all fear that their Christmas will be ruined" Lincoln said bluntly, "since you seem pretty aware about current events, I'll bet you can guess why this is the case." The man smiled beneath his thick beard and gave a soft laugh, upon hearing this inquiry. "Oh...I've heard enough" he stated, "I know of the failed golf game Lori had, about the former Sister Fight Protocol...I know about you leaving home to find peace, how you came to meet Miss Carol Pingrey and two of her friends, all the stories you shared, the tears you shed...quite a bit of it."

After hearing this strange bell-ringer recite the family incident almost word for word, Lincoln didn't know whether to be amazed...or freaked out. Then, he suddenly realized that the news had been talking about the incident non-stop; before the day of the trial came. Thus, Lincoln speculated that this was the reason the stranger appeared so knowledgeable about him and his loved ones.

"Well...with all that in mind, you must understand why I've put myself through all this till now" Lincoln said in exasperation, "I don't want my family to be put on the Naughty List over a fight that happened ages ago." Upon saying this, he revealed the second reason why he put himself through the wringer for several days straight. "Ah, you're referring to your lady friends; correct" the bell-ringer said suddenly, "the 'Gal Pals' I believe they call each other?"

For the second time that afternoon, Lincoln was left dumbfounded by the man's strangely extensive knowledge about him. It was then he proceeded to ask if he was part of some hidden camera series; perhaps, one of Luan's notorious prank feeds. "Oh, no; I would never mislead you, my boy" the bell-ringer assured, "and as for how I know about you...it's a story as equally long as your own."

Though he still felt a little concerned about the strange yet kind man, Lincoln didn't forget the good he did for him and decided to disregard such feelings...for now. "My point is, my family's become better now and all they want is a good Christmas" Lincoln stated, "as for the Gals...I wanted to try and give them something to say 'thanks' for all that they've done for me this past year." In terms of the latter, he revealed that he did make something for the latter group...but it felt much too small in value, to him.

"Lincoln, during this time or any festive time of year; it's not the size of the gift or the amount of gifts one gives to others that matters" the bell-ringer said in a matter-of-fact tone, "what's important is the love and thought you put into your gesture." As a final point to his statement, the bell-ringer said that even the smallest of things could have the greatest of value; if it's given out of love. "Heh...if she were here; my sister, Lisa would say that such an idea would seem sentimental yet rather unrealistic in her eyes" Lincoln stated, "but as for me...I hope you're right."

The bell-ringer smiled down at him, patted the boy lightly on the shoulder and proclaimed that he knew he was right. "Tell you what...in recognition for what you've done tonight, I'd like to give you a gift of sorts" the bell-ringer said kindly, "would you like for me to help give you a ride home?" Though the offer was most generous; in the end, Lincoln passed on it for two reasons.

The first one was that if his parents saw a strange man him a ride back home, they'd be beyond worried. But perhaps, the biggest reason was his sisters; whom Lincoln still didn't want to learn what he was doing. "I understand...just let me call your mother for you like last time" the bell-ringer politely insisted, "it's the least I can do after all you've done and been through."

With a bright smile on his face, Lincoln thanked the man; not just for calling his mother for him...but also for just listening to him vent a little. "You're quite welcome, my boy" the bell-ringer chuckled, "no one deserves to be downtrodden during Christmastime." With that said, Lincoln handed over his phone to him and the bell-ringer quickly rung up Mrs. Loud's cell number for the second time that week.

While waiting for the call to be answered, Lincoln took a seat back on the bench and sighed softly. While not...completely relieved of his distress, he felt thankful that the bell-ringer chose to hear his plight. Now, Lincoln no longer felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I just hope my sisters and everybody will forgive me for coming up short, this Christmas" he thought sullenly, "I'm sure they will...eventually."

(Line Break)

It was 4:50 in the afternoon when Mrs. Loud arrived and Lincoln couldn't be any happier. "I'm so sorry for being late, sweetheart" Rita said remorsefully, "had a bit of a baking incident at home and then, I got caught behind a salt truck and then, Vanzilla almost broke down on me!" Just as she was about to slip into a tirade, Rita suddenly saw the bell-ringer approach her and kindly pat her hand in reassurance.

"It's quite alright, these things happen" he stated, "I've been keeping your son company until you got here." At first, Rita felt suspicious of this fellow; thinking he was some sort of creeper. But after hearing his voice, she recognized him as the kindly bell-ringer who helped Lincoln out earlier this week.

"I regret to say that your son won't be working at the pavilion anymore" he said sullenly, "but...it's honestly for the best, the fellow who managed it thought more about the profit than he did about the employees." Feeling surprised by this news, Rita asked what exactly happened with her son at the pavilion. "It's a long story, Mom and I'll tell you on the way home" Lincoln mumbled, "but right now...I just want to leave this place."

With that said, he opened the passenger side door and took his seat beside Rita. Afterwards, she helped buckle Lincoln's seat-belt and thanked the bell-ringer for calling her up. "Between this and helping my son out, you're a real life-saver...despite things turning out so sour for him" Rita said gratefully, "in any case, thank you...you know, I don't think any of us got your name yet?"

The bell-ringer chuckled softly at Mrs. Loud and shook her hand, while also addressing himself as "Nicky." "Everyone calls me that, sometimes" he stated, "friends, family, coworkers...even my wife." Rita was surprised that "Nicky" was revealed to be married and asked why his wife wasn't working at the mall with him.

"Much like you, my special lady is also keeping busy this time of year" he stated, "before the big day arrives, we make sure to do whatever we can; inside and outside of home." Rita smiled warmly at the man, mentally praising his and his wife's dedication towards the holiday season. "Well...Nicky, thank you so much for everything" she said gratefully, "I hope you and yours will have a Merry Christmas."

With that, she revved up the van and was about ready to leave...but not until Nicky offered one last word to Lincoln. "Have a safe trip home, my boy" he stated, "and remember what I said; however big or small or however many gifts you give your family...remember that they must all come from the heart, in the end." Lincoln gave Nicky a soft grin, a thumbs up and shared one final thank you for everything; just as Vanzilla started to pull out.

As he stood there, watching the vehicle disappear in the distance; Nicky felt that he had given Lincoln just what he needed to ensure his family's Christmas would turn out well. He only hoped that when the big day came, that his hunch turned out right.

(First AN: And thus, Lincoln torturous work week has come to an unceremonious yet. What will happen now; will this Christmas turn out to be a bust for Lincoln and his loved ones or will it somehow turn out well with the small gifts he did manage to get for some of his family? Tune in next time for these answers in more in Part Three of The Gifting with the Gal Pals)

(Second AN: At first, I was tempted to make Chandler and his group be the only ones to mock Lincoln for his shortcomings in this part. But seeing as how the show depicts them being "sort of friends" to Lincoln and Clyde, I decided to have them regret their behavior; once the group saw that it was Lincoln whom they were mocking.

The other reason I included the aforementioned group was in response to one of my reviewers' critiques/requests, which insisted that I give Lincoln at least a few more "guy friends" to hang with instead of having females surround him. I hope this was satisfactory to you; if not, well...I tried.

Just like I did with what happened in the first part.)

(Third AN: Although the pretzel vendor didn't appear again in this, his encounter with Lincoln will have some mention in the next part. But you will have to wait and see what this will entail, when Part Three comes around)

(Fourth AN: The song Lincoln hums to himself in sadness is I'm Getting Nuttin' for Christmas, a comedic Christmas song that's been covered many times over. I felt it fitting for Lincoln to sing the refrain aloud, due to the emotional situation was in. For those unfamiliar with the song, I recommend looking up any version available on YouTube)

(Fifth AN: Once again; I want to stress that everything that happened to Lincoln here, much like in Part One, is not any form of "Lincoln Torture Porn." They were all simply a set of tragic circumstances that usually befall workers during the holiday season. Some may not have garbage thrown at them, maybe...but others have certainly had dealt with kids touching them with sticky fingers or yelling at them for one reason or another.

This is also meant to represent that not everything is "handed to Lincoln" as some people claim, just like I mentioned in the Author's Notes for Part One. Just thought I'd point that out, sorry if I'm overreacting a bit)

(Final AN: The salt machine Lincoln mentions is a reference to the episode Snow Bored, for those unaware. The reason she no longer has it now is explained within this part. But for deeper clarification, I recommend reading the OG Gal Pals fanfic)