Epilogue: It will be a cold day in hell...
"Oh good heavens, am I glad that's all over with!" Calliope sighed, perching on the arm of the wingback chair Stephan was seated in.
"You can say that again." The Fey King said, laughing.
"Oh good heavens, am I glad that's all over with!"
Stephan groaned and looped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his lap. "Smart ass."
Calliope laughed and poked a finger in his side. Stephan retaliated and soon the two were laughing hysterically.
"Do get a room, won't you?" Jareth shot the giggling couple an annoyed look.
Caillean poked him. "Oh, put a sock in it, Scrooge."
Jareth gave her a wounded look. "I'll have you know, I have plenty of Christmas spirit."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." He gestured to the three goblins munching on gingerbread.
"You know, you're not funny."
"You just don't have a sense of humor!"
"Ah, quit bickering! It's Christmas Day, for heaven's sake." Calliope shook her head accusingly at Jareth. "You're like that Care Bear with the cloud on its tummy. You're only happy when you're not."
"Speaking of Christmas, where's my present?" Jareth asked, looking around.
"Not to worry, my boy. I have it right here."
Caillean spun around. "Santa?"
With an apologetic shrug, "Santa" removed his hat and wig. "No, just Talius, I'm afraid. But I really do have a present for Jareth." He handed the Goblin King a small bundle.
The king eagerly unwrapped the parcel. "A hunk of coal?" His face fell.
Talius smiled. "Well, I'm sure the real Santa is more forgiving."
"You guys are strange." Hades said, leaning against the mantle.
Calliope jumped out of the chair. "Oh, Hades, I completely forgot!" She darted over to the tree and picked up a gaily-wrapped package and handed it to the surprised God of the Underworld.
"Ice skates?" He looked at the grinning muse.
"Well, that's only half the present." Conjuring a crystal, she smiled. "Hold on, guys. You're in for quite a ride."
And with that, the group disappeared.
* * * * *
Stephan sighed as he looked around. "Okay. What is it this time? Past, Present, or Future?"
Jareth shrugged. "Hell, actually."
Caillean looked around in confusion. "But it's all ice."
Calliope laughed. "Yup." She turned to face Hades. "Hell is officially frozen over."
He looked at her in disbelief. "What?"
"Well, only temporarily." She amended, conjuring up ice skates for the rest of the group.
Grinning like a schoolboy, Hades eagerly laced up his skates and stepped confidently onto the ice.
And landed with a resounding "thud!"
Calliope giggled as she glided by. "Perhaps some lessons would be in order. Stephan, give me a hand here? Uncle Hades weighs a ton!"
* * * * *
On the other side of the pond, Jareth and Caillean skated silently side-by-side.
"Caillean, I'm sorry."
The redhead stopped and gazed at him in surprise. "Jareth?"
"I've been such a bear this holiday season. It's just that -"
Caillean stopped him. "Jareth, it's ok. I understand. I imagine that Christmas would get a little old after a few centuries."
He grinned ruefully. "Yes, that's very true."
As Caillean started to skate on, Jareth put a hand on her arm.
"Yes?"
The Goblin King extended a hand. "May I have this dance, my lady?"
Caillean smiled. "Why certainly, kind sir."
As the two twirled gracefully on the ice, Jareth leaned close. "Merry Christmas, Caillean."
Looking back up at the Goblin King, she smiled softly.
"Merry Christmas, Jareth."
* * * * *
"Aww, look how cute!" Calliope let go of Hades' arm and clasped her hands over her heart.
With a yelp, the god of the Underworld crashed to the ice, pulling the Fey King down with him. The muse turned back to the pair sprawled on the ice. "Oops." She tried to look contrite and failed miserably.
"Calliope?" Stephan said, dangerously.
"Yes?"
"You might want to get a bit of a running start."
She looked puzzled. "Why?"
The Fey King stood. "Because when I catch you, I guarantee you won't be escaping like the last time."
Calliope let out a yelp and dashed off across the ice, Stephan in hot pursuit.
"Hey!" Hades struggled to get up. "Hey, you can't just leave me here!" The god of the Underworld gave a put-upon sigh.
"When hell freezes over, indeed!"
THE END
"Oh good heavens, am I glad that's all over with!" Calliope sighed, perching on the arm of the wingback chair Stephan was seated in.
"You can say that again." The Fey King said, laughing.
"Oh good heavens, am I glad that's all over with!"
Stephan groaned and looped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his lap. "Smart ass."
Calliope laughed and poked a finger in his side. Stephan retaliated and soon the two were laughing hysterically.
"Do get a room, won't you?" Jareth shot the giggling couple an annoyed look.
Caillean poked him. "Oh, put a sock in it, Scrooge."
Jareth gave her a wounded look. "I'll have you know, I have plenty of Christmas spirit."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." He gestured to the three goblins munching on gingerbread.
"You know, you're not funny."
"You just don't have a sense of humor!"
"Ah, quit bickering! It's Christmas Day, for heaven's sake." Calliope shook her head accusingly at Jareth. "You're like that Care Bear with the cloud on its tummy. You're only happy when you're not."
"Speaking of Christmas, where's my present?" Jareth asked, looking around.
"Not to worry, my boy. I have it right here."
Caillean spun around. "Santa?"
With an apologetic shrug, "Santa" removed his hat and wig. "No, just Talius, I'm afraid. But I really do have a present for Jareth." He handed the Goblin King a small bundle.
The king eagerly unwrapped the parcel. "A hunk of coal?" His face fell.
Talius smiled. "Well, I'm sure the real Santa is more forgiving."
"You guys are strange." Hades said, leaning against the mantle.
Calliope jumped out of the chair. "Oh, Hades, I completely forgot!" She darted over to the tree and picked up a gaily-wrapped package and handed it to the surprised God of the Underworld.
"Ice skates?" He looked at the grinning muse.
"Well, that's only half the present." Conjuring a crystal, she smiled. "Hold on, guys. You're in for quite a ride."
And with that, the group disappeared.
* * * * *
Stephan sighed as he looked around. "Okay. What is it this time? Past, Present, or Future?"
Jareth shrugged. "Hell, actually."
Caillean looked around in confusion. "But it's all ice."
Calliope laughed. "Yup." She turned to face Hades. "Hell is officially frozen over."
He looked at her in disbelief. "What?"
"Well, only temporarily." She amended, conjuring up ice skates for the rest of the group.
Grinning like a schoolboy, Hades eagerly laced up his skates and stepped confidently onto the ice.
And landed with a resounding "thud!"
Calliope giggled as she glided by. "Perhaps some lessons would be in order. Stephan, give me a hand here? Uncle Hades weighs a ton!"
* * * * *
On the other side of the pond, Jareth and Caillean skated silently side-by-side.
"Caillean, I'm sorry."
The redhead stopped and gazed at him in surprise. "Jareth?"
"I've been such a bear this holiday season. It's just that -"
Caillean stopped him. "Jareth, it's ok. I understand. I imagine that Christmas would get a little old after a few centuries."
He grinned ruefully. "Yes, that's very true."
As Caillean started to skate on, Jareth put a hand on her arm.
"Yes?"
The Goblin King extended a hand. "May I have this dance, my lady?"
Caillean smiled. "Why certainly, kind sir."
As the two twirled gracefully on the ice, Jareth leaned close. "Merry Christmas, Caillean."
Looking back up at the Goblin King, she smiled softly.
"Merry Christmas, Jareth."
* * * * *
"Aww, look how cute!" Calliope let go of Hades' arm and clasped her hands over her heart.
With a yelp, the god of the Underworld crashed to the ice, pulling the Fey King down with him. The muse turned back to the pair sprawled on the ice. "Oops." She tried to look contrite and failed miserably.
"Calliope?" Stephan said, dangerously.
"Yes?"
"You might want to get a bit of a running start."
She looked puzzled. "Why?"
The Fey King stood. "Because when I catch you, I guarantee you won't be escaping like the last time."
Calliope let out a yelp and dashed off across the ice, Stephan in hot pursuit.
"Hey!" Hades struggled to get up. "Hey, you can't just leave me here!" The god of the Underworld gave a put-upon sigh.
"When hell freezes over, indeed!"
THE END