A/N: As usual, when the ending of a story approaches, so does the lengthy reviewer responses. But you all deserve it! (hugs the reviewers)
Ithiliel Silverquill – Bad girl! You should have been studying! Oh, well. My story's better than studying! HA! No, I've never heard of David Sanz, but I really like "Christmas in Sarajevo" by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Your poor Sirius. And Delilah ROCKS!!
matrixelf – Are you suggesting…a sequel?!?! Perhaps… Oh, dear, now you've given me bad ideas.
Kalayna – Glorfy DOES deserve it!
LilStripedTomato – Don't really like hair metal. I'm more into Journey, the Police, Brian Adams, U2, Survivor, etc. And I pity the poor man who was dressed up like Santa.
Miss Piratess – Not the Grinch. He's just irritated. I mean, how would you feel if this happened to you every year?
Erestor – Exactly the moral. And also: Don't get Erestor vengeful. I'm not evil! I would never cripple him! I love him too much! And well, Glorfy's just like that. Thank you for reviewing ANFoT! Glad you're better.
Arwen – I am nuts. Thought you knew that, hun. (Looks at all the freaked-out reviewers) She's my sister!
Fat Hippo05 – Interesting name. Thanks!
Malara – Don't die! Glorfy will pay, you can be sure. ANFoT was taken off because they said it had "chat-speak". It did not! I'd know, I wrote it! And I'm sorry, but no pageant. Perhaps next year. Thank you for going all the way to CoE to review ANFoT for me!
And now, the chapter!!! Please note – All eggnog consumed in this story is NON-alcoholic. I only drink (due to my religion) NON-alcoholic eggnog; therefore my Elves – although they're Elves – only drink NON-alcoholic eggnog. You may continue now.
Erestor woke early Christmas day. He sighed and pulled himself out of bed. More madness than ever from Glorfindel. He could just imagine him running around in circles with whatever gifts he received, his cloak flowing out behind him like a menacing black banner. Menacing, all right. Glorfindel the Menace. Erestor grinned. That was a good nickname.
He strode to the Hall of Fire, where the twins had rigged up a ten-foot tree. The fire was lit, though it was broad daylight. He had bought his gifts at the last moment the night before, almost being crushed by the usual rush of holiday shoppers. He was happy to see the twins sitting in a pile of wrapping paper, Elladan already typing away at the laptop Erestor had given him and Elrohir reading the back of the DVD he'd received from Elrond. Arwen snapped away like mad at everything that moved with her new camera phone, and Celebrian was bobbing her head in time to a rap song playing on her Walkman. Erestor had bought her the Walkman. He'd gotten tired of her taking his all the time.
"Hey, Uncle 'Stor!" Elladan called, noticing him in the hallway. He ran up and hugged the advisor. "Thanks for the comp!"
Erestor decided to take that as meaning "computer". "You're welcome," he replied, hugging him back.
"Look at what I got you!" Elladan called, running to the tree and picking up a present wrapped in silver paper. He held it out to Erestor as he walked up to him. Erestor smiled and sat down by the fire and began to remove the paper.
Then that voice, the voice of the ultimate terror, drifted into the room.
Elrond got run over by a reindeer,
Walking to Imladris Christmas Eve,
You may say there's no such thing as Santa,
But all of Rivendell, they believe!
The voice was embodied as Glorfindel bounced into the room and snatched up his many presents from under the tree. Erestor shook his head and tore the paper off his present. It was a large book about the history of Middle-Earth.
"Like it?" Elladan asked hopefully.
Erestor loved it. "Thanks!" he said happily and hugged Elladan.
"Now open mine!" Elrohir grinned, holding out another gift.
Erestor took the oddly-shaped present and lifted an eyebrow skeptically.
"Don't worry," Elrohir said. "You'll like it."
"Glorfindel certainly likes what we got him," Elladan said, pointing at the gleeful-looking Vanya. Glorfindel was blissfully staring at the new stereo system. Then, he hugged one of the speakers, stood up on a chair, and jumped off, landing on the tree. With an ominous creak, the tree began to fall.
Unfortunately, at that moment, Elrond decided to enter the room, a glass of eggnog in his hand. And predictably, the tree fell smack into him.
Celebrian screamed and threw off her headphones, running to the tree. Glorfindel sheepishly stood up and said, "Sorry, Lord Elrond."
Arwen ran to Celebrian's side and grabbed her arm. "Is Ada dead?" she asked in a loud, theatrical whisper.
Elrond groaned.
"No, he's alive," Celebrian said, looking relieved.
"Oh, good!" Arwen squeaked happily. She then lifted her camera phone and snapped a picture of her fallen father.
Elrond somehow or other managed to get out from under the tree, and with Celebrian's help, righted it. Everyone finished opening their presents and soon the Hall of Fire was abandoned. Elrohir had gotten Erestor a coffee maker. It had been taken out of the box, explaining the awkward shape.
"For those late nights of paperwork," Elrohir had grinned.
That afternoon, Erestor headed outdoors. He could no longer resist the temptation of the delicious smells streaming from the kitchen, and his hands still smarted from the whacking he'd received after trying to sample a pie. He saw Glorfindel standing with the twins, busily working on a snowman. Erestor decided that now was the time to take his revenge.
He headed over to the trio. Glorfindel was humming "Elrond Got Run Over By a Reindeer" joyously. Around his neck was the scarf Erestor had bought him, printed with multi-colored candy canes. Erestor wore the reindeer gloves that Glorfindel had gotten him. "Hello, all," he said, happily, his hands behind his back.
"Hey, 'Stor!" Glorfindel smiled, his booted toes tapping a pattern into the snow.
"I brought you something," Erestor said.
"Oh, really! You shouldn't have!"
"Of course I should have!" Erestor grinned evilly. Like a flash, two snowballs pelted Glorfindel in the face. The snow fell away, leaving the golden-haired Elf's eyebrows frosted as white as Gandalf's, a shocked expression on his face.
"Merry Christmas, Glorfindel!" Erestor laughed, taking off across the lawn.
And for the first time, he liked Christmas!
A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it! To all who celebrate Christmas, merry Christmas! And to those who don't, happy last-week-of-2004!! And now I'm off to Fiji on the back of my domesticated emu!! Farewell!!