A/N: The last chapter!!! I know this is really short, but my stories have a mind of their own!

Violets are red, roses are blue. Me no own, so you no sue!

December 24:

At exactly 9 pm GST, Faye, Spike, Jet, Ed, and Ein were all clustered on a dark street corner, while huge snowflakes poured from the sky.

Spike wore his huge puffy pink jacket, over his favorite blue suit. Jet wore the exact same outfit he had worn in Blue Crow. Faye wore tight black leather pants, and a see-thru white turtleneck over a black lacy bra. But her look was spoiled by the brown bomber jacket she wore over top, buttoned up to the chin. Ed wore a black puffy ski jacket, a banana yellow woolen cap with a big pom-pom, and a bright red scarf wrapped around her face. Ein even had his own knit sweater, a red one, with white snowflakes.

"Well? It's nine o'clock. Where is he?" griped Faye, her teeth chattering.

"You sure we're at the right place?" asked Spike, stuffing his hands farther into his coat pockets.

Jet chose not to dignify that with an answer, and instead turned away from them, looking decidedly miffed. "Voila!" He pointed down the street, to where a figure trudged slowly towards them.

It was a medium sized man, wide around the middle, not tall, but not short either. He had a white beard, and a thick mustache. A non-descript green jacket and a Prussian deer cap, completed his bland appearance.

"Hello." His voice was fuzzy and warm, like hard apple cider in front of a roaring fire. "Jet." He shook Jet's hand, pretending not to notice how surprised Jet was. He gave Spike a peculiar look, before shaking his hand also. "Mr. Spiegel."

He regarded Faye levelly, before smiling slightly and kissing her hand gently. "Faye, I presume?"

The funny old man dropped to his knee in front of Ed, a twinkling smile on his face. "Edward!"

Ed grinned at him and kissed his hand. "Hi!"

The man laughed, and ruffled her hair. "And last, the brains of the operation! Ein… I think I have something in here for you… It's a little old, and I might have sat on it at one point, but…" he pulled out an old dog biscuit, which Ein accepted gracefully.

"Now then. I am Mister Cringle. You wished to contact me?" He stood, and watched them.

Jet coughed. "Yes. We want to know where Santa Claus is."

Mr. Cringle blinked, and then began to laugh, great jolly bubbles of mirth. "Why ever would you want to know that?"

Faye crossed her arms. "Because there's 25 million woolongs on his head! Duh!"

Mr. Cringle stopped laughing, and slowly turned to her. "Money? Is that what you want? Is that all you care about? Money?"

Faye reddened. "Yes! I don't care about anything but money, because it's the only thing you can rely on always being there! Back before… I trusted people! And look where it got me! They're all dead, and I'm 50 frickin' years old! And every time I start to trust someone, like Gren, or… or… or Spike, they go and get themselves shot! I can't trust anyone… Oh God! Why am I saying this?!" She covered her mouth. "I've never told anyone this! Why can't I stop talking!" she looked at Mr. Cringle frantically.

He just smiled sadly. "It's time to learn to trust again" He rested his finger next to his nose.

A small girl with bright purple hair lay in bed, asleep. Slowly she awoke, blinking rapidly. She pushed aside her bedroom curtains, unveiling a world of snow. "It's Christmas!" she shrieked, jumping out of bed, and shoving her feet into fluffy slippers, before running out of her bedroom, and into the hall.

She burst into another bedroom, pouncing on the two people still in bed. "Mommy! Daddy! Wake up! It's Christmas!"

The unfortunate parents groaned and rolled over, until the exuberant girl finally dragged them out of bed

The girl grabbed each of her parents' hands, dragging them downstairs, to where the Christmas tree was lit up like a saloon, and presents were stuffed under it like too many clothes in a small suitcase.

The little girl shrieked with joy, pouncing on her presents faster than a mouse on cheese. Her parents laughed, as she hugged them happily. "Thank you Mommy! Thank you Daddy! I love you!"

A young man with unruly green hair stood in front of a cozy fire, sipping a mug of eggnog. A sudden light in the corner made him turn, to see a Christmas tree, lit up brightly with strands of shining lights, glinting off the tinsel and bulbs.

A blonde haired woman stepped from behind the tree, letting the cord drop to the ground. "Merry Christmas…" she whispered.

He smiled. "Merry Christmas." He stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "Thank you…"

She smiled up at him. "I love you."

He cupped her chin. "I love you too."

The light from the fire cast warm shadows on the two, kissing under a hanging bunch of mistletoe.

A balding man, what little hair he had left, a dark black, sipped his hot butter rum, as he watched the flames of the roaring fire dance in the warm darkness. A lady with short dark hair nestled against his chest, with a warm blanket over both of them. She closed her eyes, sighing contentedly. "I love you Jet…"

He smiled down at her. "I love you too…"

She didn't answer, and he grinned. She was already asleep.

A red haired girl and a violet haired woman crept silently up behind two men, who were sitting around a mini fridge, drinking and talking.

The woman held tinsel and a garland of popcorn, and the girl held ornaments and a treetop star. They reached the men, tiptoeing behind the green haired one.

The girl held her breath, as she gently nestled the star in his unruly green hair. Her older counterpart wound the popcorn around his head, and set the tinsel though his hair. Then the girl softly slipped the ornaments onto his ears, and they tiptoed away, stifling giggles in their hands.

There was an outburst of hearty laughter from behind them, and a loud curse. "FAYE! EDWARD!"

The young girl rolled on the floor, giggling maniacally, as the woman leaned against the ship walls, laughing so hard tears ran down her face. "I'm sorry Spike…But we just noticed how your hair…bears startling resemblance to a…Christmas tree!" she managed to gasp out between fits of laughter.

"A Christmas tree?! I'll show you a Christmas tree!" The green haired man began to chase them around the ship, throwing tinsel at them, and laughing.

The young girl giggled as she ran.

They jolted abruptly back to the present.

Mr. Cringle smiled softly at them. "Those memories are what Christmas is really about. Not money."

Faye stumbled forward, tears streaming down her face. "Was that me? Was that my family?"

Spike stared up at the sky, one hand to his lips.

Jet closed his eyes, smiling to himself, as Ed danced around them all.

When they all gathered themselves together, they were surprised to see that the old man was gone.

"Mr. Cringle?" Faye called.

"He's gone." Said Spike wryly, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "C'mon. Let's go home."

Jet grinned at them. "What do you say we take a detour to one of those tree lots? Think they might have any trees left?"

Ed jumped up to hug Jet around the neck. "Trees, trees! Christmas trees!"

Faye put her head on Spike's shoulder, and smiled, as a gentle snow began to fall.

Jet raised an eyebrow as they walked off. "Should I also buy some mistletoe for you two?"

He found himself simultaneously pelted with two snowballs. "JET!" They hollered.

As the crew of the Bebop disappeared into the snowy night, Ein remained standing where he was, staring at an alley. He woofed slightly, before running off after everyone else.

In that alley, an old man chuckled merrily, and winked. And through the peaceful city, everyone could hear a jolly voice shouting, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"