Ms. Claus. Chapter 2. Hope that you all like the beginning of the story. It's much fun to write a holiday story. So, what's wrong with Santa? Well, we will find out next.
Giles falls on a bunch of wrapping paper. Everyone in the workshop stops working and runs over to where Giles has fallen. Buffy is the first one to jump into the wrapping paper.
"Dad, are you okay?" asks Buffy as she grabs his hand. Giles' eyes open and he begins to breathe hard.
"Medic coming through," says a young, tall man. He quickly checks his blood pressure and sees that it is through the roof. "Giles, have you been sneaking some extra chocolate chip cookies from Joyce?" Giles nods.
"Daddy," says Buffy.
"Oh my gosh, what happened?" asks Joyce when she sees everyone surround her husband.
"He fell," says Connor.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Claus," says the medic named Riley. "He's going to be fine, but he needs to rest. Can you get up?" Giles attempts to get up with the help of Connor and Riley, but he falls back down in a lot of pain.
"What's the matter?" asks Joyce concerned that Giles could not get up.
"Uh oh," says Riley. Everyone looks at him. "I think he has a broken leg. I need a stretcher." The elves oblige and quickly get one for him.
"He can't have a broken leg. He has a lot of work to do," says Connor as the elves help Riley get Giles on a stretcher.
"Connor, you can handle everything else," says Giles. "I'll be back in time to do the trip."
"Um, I don't think you will," says Riley.
"What?"
"From what I see here, your leg is broken in two places and it will take more than two weeks for it to heal. You'll need a lot of bed rest for the leg to heal right."
"But he can't. He's got to deliver the gifts on Christmas Eve," says Connor.
"I'm sorry," says Riley. "I can't do anything about that."
"Oh, dear," says Joyce. "What are we going to do?"
"I'll do it," says Buffy. Everyone turns their eyes to her.
"Honey, you can't possibly," says Giles.
"Your father is right," says Joyce.
"Yes, I can," says Buffy as she walks over to Giles. "I can do anything once I set my mind to it." She grabs Giles' hand and he smiles at her.
"I believe in you that you can take reigns for me," says Giles.
"She can't play Santa," says Connor walking over to Giles' other side. "She's a girl. No offense." Connor looks at Buffy.
"No one ever sees Santa," says Buffy. "No one is going to notice."
"Connor, I trust my daughter," says Giles. "Please help her in everything as you help me." Connor looks at Buffy and nods his head. Then the medics take Giles away. Joyce hugs her daughter and then follows the medics.
Buffy stands in the middle of the workshop and looks around. She then looks at Connor and smiles at everyone. Buffy then leans over to Connor.
"What does daddy do right now?" asks Buffy.
"He tells them to go back to work," says Connor.
"Oh. You can all go back to work now." Everyone still stands in the same position. "Please." After that the elves move back to their posts.
"Come with me." Connor grabs Buffy's hand and leads her to her dad's work room. The room is cleared up from the letters, but it had a couple of papers piling up on the desk and three bags of unapproved toys for Santa to approve. "Your dad has done the major work already, but you'll have to take care of the stragglers and the non listed kids."
"The what?"
"The stragglers are the Christmas lists that come late and the non listed kids are the kids that can't or don't send a Christmas list to Santa."
"Oh."
"Sit down and read the lists here from some stragglers and I'll go bring you some more."
"More?"
"Yeah, you'll be getting these lists until the eve of Christmas."
"That's fourteen days from now."
"Yeah, are you a fast reader?"
"I think." Buffy whines a little and pouts.
"After you're done with that, give me a call so we can through these toys to approve or not approve, okay."
"Okay." Buffy starts to read the lists as Connor heads over to the door. He then turns around.
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?" She looks up from her lists.
"Don't stress out. I'm here to help."
"Thanks, Connor." She gives a sweet smile and returns to her reading. Connor exits the room and closes the door. He leans on it and takes a deep breath.
"I haven't the slightest idea of how we are going to do this." He nods his head and heads into the workshop.
"Dear Santa, My list is short this year because I only want one thing and that is to have our very own home. I've always dreamed of having my own bed and my own room. It would be nice if you can grant me this Christmas gift. Love, Suzy."
"Dear Santa, I want a fire truck…a basketball…a tea set…a my scene Barbie…a power wheel hummer…computer…digital camera…a DVD player…flat screen TV…a CD/FM/AM radio with remote…a chemistry set…a karaoke machine…"
An hour later, Buffy is done with the list and is in shock that she can remember all of them and what they wished for by heart. It's a special gift that she had for being the daughter of Santa. She then goes over to one of the bags and drags it over to the sofa by the window. Buffy pulls out the first toy.
"Wow," says Buffy to herself. "This is pretty neat." She continues looking over all the other toys in the bag and before she knew it, she fell asleep.
A couple minutes later, Connor enters the room and sees Buffy asleep on the sofa. Surrounding her are the bags of toys that she had already looked over. He is impressed that for her first day, she did pretty well. Connor heads over to sofa and covers Buffy with a quilt that is on the chair and then he starts to put the toys back in their bags. He takes a seat next to Buffy and starts to check off the list he had.
Half an hour later, Connor too begins to fall asleep. Buffy then starts to move a little and her head falls to the side and on Connor's shoulder. He doesn't want to wake her, so he decides to sleep as well. Connor lets her rest on his shoulder and he just puts his head back and falls fast asleep.
The next day, Buffy wakes up. She looks around with a worried expression and then looks at Connor next to her. Buffy nudges him and he quickly wakes up.
"I fell asleep," says Buffy. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry," says Connor.
"Don't worry? We're on a schedule. How could I not worry?"
"Because you actually finished."
"What? But you said there are more non listers and stragglers."
"I've decided to keep the non listers for later, until we are finished with the regular ones and the stragglers. Besides, we didn't get anymore stragglers yesterday."
"Oh."
"You liked the toys?" Buffy looks at the bag of toys.
"Yes, I approve them all. They're great."
"Okay." Connor smiles at her.
"What? Do I have bed hair?"
"No, you look beautiful…I mean fine…umm. I'm going to go and…bye." Connor leaves the room.
A week passed and Buffy becomes natural, just like her father. She surprises herself and everyone at the workshop for doing a fine job as Connor would say it. Soon, Buffy is confronted by the biggest surprise of all.
"Sweetheart, sit down," says Joyce. "You know you're supposed to rest."
"I can't take it anymore," says Giles. "Being in this bed all day."
"It's your own fault."
"Don't start with that."
"Giles, you were supposed to retire three years ago."
"I couldn't because there would be no one to take my place. We didn't have a son."
"So, what? At least during those three years you could of asked for help, but no you wanted to do everything yourself. You are as stubborn as your daughter is."
"Yes, and that's why I love her so."
"She can't do this… fill your shoes."
"I don't want her to." Buffy is listening in at the door. How is she going to fulfill a miracle if her mother and father don't even believe in her?