A TWFAF Christmas

by Bigmac1989

Carrie and her friend Danielle create a virtual Christmas pageant to raise money and spread Christmas cheer. Featuring Tony Stark as King Herod, MJ as Queen of the Magi and an unfortunate accident involving a shepherd. Join Carrie, some Avengers and her friends for a Christmas like no other.

A TWFAF Christmas

Merry Christmas to everybody! This is just my little attempt at providing some Christmas cheer this festive season. Especially in this festive season, which is unlike any other. On a personal note, I met my personal goal of delivering this chapter by the time Boxing Day started here in New Zealand, so I'm pleased.

On with the story! Tis the season!

Carrie grinned in a cheeky manner as she opened a large cardboard box. The telekinetic took in the sight of the large amount of tinsel, lights, candy canes, holly and Nativity figures. There was only one time of year where these items would make an appearance, bringing light and hope to all those around them. That time? None other than Christmas. Christmas had always been a wonderful time of the year for Carrie. It served as the promise of new life in the world, as well as offering joy and hope for better times to come. She had celebrated Christmas in Providence, Rhode Island with Sue and Tommy in 2018, and with Tony, Pepper and Peter in 2019. To her, Christmas served as a sign that the old year was coming to an end, allowing her to turn the page and move forward.

And Carrie was extremely ready to turn the page on 2020.

Between the onset of COVID-19, the onset of racial unrest over the death of George Floyd, the death of her mother, witnessing the grief three of her friends had to endure after losing loved ones to the virus and the bitter partisanship caused by the recent elections, the preceding twelve months had been, to paraphrase the Comic Book Guy, the Worst. Year. Ever. The only thing that would have made the year even more terrible, would've been if Carrie or one of her friends and family had contracted the coronavirus. Mercifully, that hadn't happened yet.

But Christmas was here. And nothing was going to ruin Christmas for Carrie. She smiled brightly as she wrapped a green piece of tinsel around her neck.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. Give me mood music." She called out.

"Christmas music found." The tower's AI system intoned, in an Irish woman's lilt.

Deck The Halls began to sound out over the tower's sound system as Carrie got to work. The blonde draped tinsel over the walls of her bedroom, the hallway and the main living room of Avengers Tower. After that, she unfurled a long string of Christmas lights and began to set them up along the roof. Using a stepladder and F.R.I.D.A.Y's guidance, she arranged them so that the roof resembled a star-filled sky when the lights were operational. Once that task had been accomplished, the telekinetic began to set up the Nativity scene. Carrie lovingly set up the stable, the hay, the cows and sheep, the shepherds, the Wise Men, Mary, Joseph and at the centre of it all, the child Jesus. Carrie stared at the scene in awe. She truly believed that Jesus was the reason for the season, and the reason for her hope in the face of unrelenting bleakness. The blonde then grabbed a handful of decorations from the box. It was time to surprise her tower family.

Carrie moved around the tower with all the subtlety of the Black Widow. By the time she was done, Peter was sporting a pair of reindeer antlers, Steve was wrapped in tinsel, Bruce had a sprig of holly hanging around his neck and Tony and Pepper both had candy canes stuck in their mouths.

"Ah! Here's our Christmas angel!" Tony smiled, as he plucked the cane from his mouth.

"Tis the season!" Carrie giggled, as she hugged her adoptive father.

"Aren't you feeling festive today?" Steve joked, disengaging himself from the green tinsel wrap.

"I think we could all use a little festive feeling." The telekinetic smiled.

"So, got any plans today?" Peter inquired as he exited his bedroom, still sporting his antlers.

"The youth group is getting together to plan our Christmas pageant. We're going to livestream it from our homes to raise money for Catholic Charities." Carrie explained.

"That sounds fantastic! Well done!" Pepper praised.

"If you need any star power, just make sure to hit up your old man!" Tony joked, pumping his chest out.

"We'll see!" Carrie laughed, playfully punching Tony's arm.

Sure enough, later that day Carrie's core group of seven friends gathered together on a Zoom call to discuss the plans for the pageant. The actual concept was bubbling away for a while, with their usual methods of fundraising simply not feasible at this time. It was unanimously agreed that there would be a pageant, and it would be streamed from the participant's homes via YouTube Live. However, there remained the small matter of what exactly the pageant should be about.

One by one, the participants logged on. Normally, these young people would be living it up at college. However, the pandemic had put a massive spanner in the works. Whilst Carrie was not majorly affected – she still studied online at the Xavier Institute long after her graduation as a superhero – her friends were severely affected. Alexis and Cat were meant to go off to Stanford, in California. However, restrictions meant that freshmen students would not be allowed on campus until after the New Year at the earliest. Brianna had earned a scholarship to Dartmouth; whilst her parents had weighed the risks and decided she could go, her moves were rigorously monitored by university authorities, as well as the New Hampshire Department Of Health. She was very conscientious about wearing a mask and distancing when outside of her room. Olivia was set to go to Notre Dame on a soccer scholarship, however on the advice of her parents, she had opted out of the soccer season and chose to do virtual learning. Danielle did likewise, when LSU allowed her to take her classes online after she produced a doctor's certificate stating that she was in a high-risk category when it came to COVID-19, due to asthma and a family history of lung cancer. Unfortunately, this meant she would not be able to cheer for her football-playing twin, Michael, in person. Renee was back home in Philadelphia – NYU's restrictions meant only those who lived in the city or state of New York could be on campus, in an effort to maintain physical distancing.

"So, come on guys! Details! What's our pageant going to be about?" Renee buzzed.

"I think it should be something that combines both the secular and Christian meaning of Christmas." Carrie stated, putting her cards on the table. "The reason I love Christmas is because of the variety of carols."

"That sounds great. But I think it should include a statement of sorts that Jesus is the reason for the season." Brianna chipped in.

"Absolutely. After all, we're Catholics, and we're doing this to fundraise for Catholic charities." Olivia agreed.

"And it should be family-friendly. We want the widest possible audience." Alexis reasoned.

"Well, actually, I was thinking…" Danielle began, but then shook her head. "Nah, forget it."

"Come on, Dani! Tell us!" Cat wheedled.

"Well, Carrie mentioned combining both visions of Christmas. Over the years, the two things I've noticed that children flock to – well, apart from Santa – are the elves and the baby Jesus. I mean, at my parish last Christmas the kids were just swarming around the nativity. And when I was an elf-" The rocker girl began.

"You were an elf?!" Olivia interjected in surprise.

"Yes, Livy. I was a mall elf helper to a mall Santa." Danielle responded, seriously. However, her eyes twinkled at the mention.

"Okay, I'm going to need details. Like, now." Brianna ordered.

"Dad's a security guard at Bay Plaza. Part of my probation was making a positive contribution to the community and staying out of trouble. So, when Dad found out there was an elf shortage at Bay Plaza's Santa's grotto, he managed to get me a job." Danielle explained. "So, I had to put on the green and red uniform, with the goofy hat and everything."

"What did you do? As an elf?" Carrie wondered, suddenly curious to know what festive antics her friend had been up to.

"Smile at the kids as they came in. Take photos. Make sure Santa was comfortable. That type of thing. The kids were really excited to see Santa, and as a result, that excitement carried over into their interaction with the elves. I remember one day, this boy and his mum came up to me in the line. The boy was all like: "Do you work with Santa?!" and I smiled and said "I sure do! And he's so excited to see you!" You guys should've seen his smile. It totally made his day." The brunette smiled fondly.

"Awww! That's so precious!" Renee cooed, while the rest of the group were grinning like idiots.

"It wasn't all smiles, though. It could be challenging – especially trying to stop people from snapping their own Santa photos and not pay for a photo. My conduct not only reflected my family, but also the mall, so that was pretty straining. But I stayed happy and professional. " The rocker reminisced. "Which brings me back to the topic at hand. Kids love elves, and they love baby Jesus. So, I figured, why not combine the two?"

"I think I see where this is going…" Cat hummed in anticipation.

"Imagine if you will, a plucky little elf named Holly. She's the hardest worker Santa's ever seen. But she gets picked on by some mean girl elves, Sapphire and Glitter, because they don't see her true beauty. She also gets taken advantage of by some other elves, who push their own work onto her and don't appreciate her. One day, this elf trips and accidentally breaks the toy Glitter was working on. Naturally, there's a lot of anger and yelling involved. This causes Holly to not want to be an elf anymore, because nobody appreciates her." Danielle narrated. Her virtual audience was spellbound. Carrie, in particular, seemed intensely sympathetic to Holly's plight.

"Just then, there's this bright light, and an angel appears!" The brunette continued, throwing her arms out for dramatic effect. "The angel asks why she's crying, and Holly tells her that nobody loves or appreciates her. The angel says that's not true, because there's somebody who has loved her ever since the dawn of time – and his name is Jesus. He was the most important man who ever lived – and Christmas is his birthday. The angel then takes Holly back in time, so that she can show her the reason for the season. Cue an elf showing up in every part of the Biblical Christmas story. Annunciation, Shepherds, Wise Men, the star, the Nativity. After all the shepherds and wise men are finished, it's Holly's turn to approach the manger. She now understands that this child is not a mere child, but rather a king. As she bows down to worship, she notices that there's something in her pocket. It's a small rubber ball – the last toy she was working on before she left the North Pole. It's such an insignificant gift compared to gold, frankincense and myrrh. But she offers it anyway. And baby Jesus loves it. Holly's so full of pride and joy. Meanwhile, Holly's absence threatens to ruin Christmas – the shortfall in toy production threatens to leave a large percentage of the world's kids without presents. When the other elves find out that Sapphire and Glitter were responsible for Holly's disappearance, they're furious – they've put their livelihoods at risk. They're ostracised by their peers and have to muck out the reindeer stables as punishment. As they work, Sapphire and Glitter begin to feel remorse for their actions. Just then, the angel appears and says that if they're truly sorry, she can take them to Holly right now. The two miscreant elves agree – anything to get out of their punishment and set things right."

Noting that she had their attention, Danielle continued. "The angel takes them to Bethlehem, where they find Holly asleep near the stable. When Holly wakes up and sees her tormentors, she's furious. She refuses to accept Sapphire and Glitter's apologies, and says that if they were truly sorry, they wouldn't have insulted her in the first place. She wonders if they knew the damage they were doing to her self-esteem. She's the elf that makes Christmas run on time, and she has received no recognition nor one thank you note from a grateful child. When the baby Jesus liked her toy, it made her the happiest she's ever been, and she wants to stay in this time and follow him. Holly wants one good reason why she should return to the North Pole. Sapphire and Glitter say there'll be layoffs if the demand for gift production is not meant, and millions worldwide will go without presents. The angel agrees, and tells Holly that both the star and the child represent love itself. And what greater example of love could there be, than to help two people who've wronged you to bring joy to people across the world? Holly sighs – she knows the angel is right, and forgives Sapphire and Glitter. As they make up, the angel realises she has to deliver a warning. The three elves then see the angel warn the Wise Men not to return to Herod, and learn what he has planned for the children. Of course, the elves are horrified – they want to stop the killing. The angel says they can't change these events – they were ordained since the beginning of the world. They are necessary for the everybody. The angel says that Holly needs one more good reason to go back – "Christmas is coming!" Holly, Sapphire and Glitter wind up back at the North Pole. Presents made, sleigh loaded, ho ho ho, Merry Christmas! The best part is, Holly receives plenty of thank you letters from children – apparently Santa left notes insisting on it. She also receives a copy of the New Testament from a pastor, who tells her that Jesus' gift of salvation was meant for everybody, including elves. Holly sits down to read it and becomes entranced, and decides to become a Christian, even though she doesn't explicitly say so. When another elf asks about it, she says: "For a long time, I didn't understand why I loved to celebrate Christmas. Now I understand."

"That sounds lovely, Danielle! It's a wonderful Christmas message!" Carrie smiled.

"Yeah, we all need a little Christmas magic this year. I sure know I do." Ashley nodded.

"And you deserve it more than anyone. I know I've been praying for you every day since you've been on the frontlines." Carrie nodded. "I've made a lot of donations to the hospitals here in New York."

"Us too. We've all been supporting you, Ash. Thank you for everything you're doing. You're so fucking amazing." Renee declared, proudly.

"We're so proud of you." Cat stated. This caused the whole group to briefly brush away tears. Ashley had been preparing for her sophomore year as a student majoring in sports medicine and minoring in nursing. However, the onset of COVID had forced her to receive an early graduation, so that she could fill vacancies left by staff shortages. Although she never worked on a COVID-19 ward, she worked at a hospital in Albany where the virus threatened to run rampant. Mask-wearing, swathes of PPE and constant washing and disinfectant were the norm for her. She and her family followed rigorous protocols including disinfecting of surfaces, physical distancing and entering and exiting the family home through separate doors. And of course, Ashley always wore a mask when she was near other people regardless. The reality of the situation became clear to the friendship circle when she had posted a photo on Twitter of her dressed in full PPE with the caption/tweet storm: "This has been my reality since July. Every day I dress like this, work with people whose COVID exposure status is uncertain, wash my hands every 20 minutes and sanitise and wipe my clothes down in the car. I haven't spoken to my parents face to face for five months because I could be an asymptomatic carrier. My family and I enter and exit the house through separate doors. I always wear a mask whenever I go anywhere beyond my bedroom. And I pray that it's enough. So, to all those harebrained idiots saying this virus is no big deal…do you want my job?" All of the girls respected Ashley greatly and admired her determination in the face of the pandemic.

"Okay, so roles?" Alexis queried.

"I've got some here for us. Lex and Cat, you're playing Sapphire and Glitter – you both have that popular girl vibe that those two elves need to have." Danielle began, purposefully. "Carrie, you're playing Mary – you just have that innocence about you. Ashley, availability permitting, you'll be the angel Gabriel. Brianna, you'll be the Christmas angel who'll chaperone Holly about. Olivia and Renee, you'll be shepherds along with Rebecca Weston. And lastly, I'll play Holly."

"Way to make yourself the star of the show, Dani." Olivia joked, good-naturedly.

"I'm not the star – the baby Jesus is. Holly's just a guide for the viewer. There are other roles to fill – I'll update you once we've done that." The rocker retorted. After everybody had disconnected from the call except for Carrie and Danielle, the two girls continued their conversation. "Now, Carrie, I've got some ideal roles for some of your family – specifically Mr. Stark, Mr. Rogers and Doctor Banner. Could you get them in front of the screen, please?"

"Sure thing, Dani." Carrie then opened her bedroom door and called out. "Dad, Steve, Bruce! Could you come here, please?"

"Is everything okay, Carebear?" Tony asked, as the trio of Avengers entered the room. His eyebrows shot up as he saw Danielle on screen. "Hey, if it isn't Sister Act! How's it going?" He asked. His nickname for the deeply religious rocker had come about after he had seen her in her mantilla, a lace chapel veil that made the wearer look like a nun. For Danielle, wearing the mantilla was a symbol of obedience – after all, she harboured a desire to one day be a nun, a Carmelite nun to be specific. However, the pandemic had given her time to re-evaluate and reflect.

"Not bad for a sinner, Mr. Stark." Was Danielle's reply. "Any day alive at this point is a good day."

"I was sorry to hear about your grandma. Carrie was really distraught at the height of the first wave. How are you coping?" Bruce asked, gently. Danielle's grandmother had succumbed to the coronavirus in a nursing home just before Easter. For someone who enjoyed seeking out companionship with the elderly, the toll the pandemic had taken on that section of the population was devastating. Not to mention the obvious family tragedy.

"Thank you, Doctor Banner. It's been a rough year. I've been turning to prayer during this time. I've got asthma and there's a history of lung cancer – if I get COVID, it's flip a coin time for me. I miss her. One of the first times I saw her after juvie, I gave her this card with the verse from 1 Corinthians about a new creation. I told that this meant the old Danielle – the one that hated her family and vandalised a house of worship – was dead. My family couldn't make it to Grandpa's funeral because of my court dates. I think she was still pretty upset about me for that. And yet she still made time to come see me in detention, even though I didn't deserve it. That's true family love, and I'm grateful for that every day." Danielle then grabbed a box of Kleenex, wiped her eyes and continued. "I've also had a difficult time with my Dad. Our relationship just nosedived during COVID. We've had big fights over Black Lives Matter and abortion – specifically about whether he profiled people as a mall cop in the case of BLM, and how to help out my pregnant band mate. I asked him if I could give Jess and Dylan a place to stay if their parents kicked them out, and he lost it. He told me that I was a know-nothing meddler who should stay out of people's lives and they were just dumb kids who should get the abortion, and that set me off and we had a shouting match. That created a lot of tension. Jessica and Dylan are keeping the child, by the way – they're both going to raise it together! I don't like fighting with Dad, especially now, but I'll call him out if he starts demeaning my friends. But things are getting better though. Dad and I apologised to each other, talked and hugged it out. I think he understands my view on things better now. Of course, he's been under stress as well – he's on furlough from Bay Plaza, and Michael was involved with a COVID scare at LSU. He doesn't feel like God's around for us, so I'm showing him what God's done in my life."

"If things ever get too tough, you know you have a home here with us. We'd do anything for one of Carrie's friends." Steve offered.

"Thank you, Mr. Rogers, but I don't think I need that. Mum's been really supportive and Dad and I are getting along better now. In any event, he was never abusive. Just stubborn." The singer replied. "Anyway: roles! Dr. Banner, I'll start with you. You're well known, peaceful and jolly – well, 50% of the time anyway. What better person could there be to be our Santa Claus?"

"Well, that's certainly very…exciting. I'll give it everything I've got." Bruce smiled, accepting the role.

"Hey! Why don't I get to be Santa?" Tony playfully huffed.

"I'll get to you, Mr. Stark. I'm saving the best for last." Danielle promised. "Now, Mr. Rogers, you'll play Saint Joseph. Husband to our Blessed Mother, you'll shepherd Carrie on the way to Bethlehem."

"It would be my honour." Steve smiled.

"And this brings me to Mr. Stark. You're in a position of authority, you're brash and don't like competition…come on down, King Herod!" Danielle grinned.

"A king? Sweet! Hey Capsicle, you hear that? I get to play a king!" Tony boasted.

"Carrie and I are going to write the script. I'll send copies out in due course." The rocker nodded, as the three Avengers walked out of the room, chatting amongst themselves. Once they were alone, the pair continued to discuss. "Is Peter there? I'd like to offer him and his friends some roles as well."

"Peter? Could you come here please?" Carrie called out. Sure enough, her adoptive brother appeared at her side, only to do a double take when he saw Carrie on a video call. "Uhhh…I'll come back." Peter muttered, not wanting to interrupt his sister's time with her friend.

"No, please stay. I actually wanted you here." Danielle admitted. "Hey, Peter!"

"Oh, hey there, Danielle. Haven't seen you since, when, Carrie's birthday?" Peter wondered.

"February 10. I know. It was our last normal day." The rocker reflected.

"Listen, I never got to thank you for explaining Catholicism and the Mass to me. You and the rest of the youth group." Peter began. "I really enjoyed going to Mass with Carrie and learning more about what she believes. Now I go to church with her whenever I can or watch online with her, and I'm much more interested in asking her about spiritual stuff."

"It was no trouble at all, Peter. I truly believe God put you and Carrie together for a reason. It's fantastic that you're starting to attend Mass more often!" Danielle enthused. "Anyway, I've got a proposition for you as well as MJ, Ned and Betty. I'll send you guys an invite for a new call so we can talk about it." After she had said that, she and Carrie logged off the call. Within a few moments, Carrie heard the ping of a new email invite. As she logged back on, four separate boxes appeared on screen. These boxes contained Danielle, Peter's girlfriend MJ, his best friend Ned and the trio's sidekick (for lack of a better word), Betty.

"Well, if it isn't the dork, the dorkette and the Black Veil Bride. Are you feeling magical yet?" MJ inquired, as she wore a green striped Christmas sweater decorated with stars and candy canes. The shirt, combined with MJ's acerbic personality, leant a rather ironic air to proceedings.

"Yes! I'm waiting with a Heart Of Fire for Christmas Day!" Danielle beamed, as she allowed the spirit of the season to consume her. "The anticipation may feel like Knives And Pens, but once the day comes, it's Goodbye Agony! On Christmas morning, we'll sing our Rebel Love Song as we celebrate the arrival of our Saviour! And if anyone thinks Christmas isn't the most wonderful time of the year? Why, that's Sweet Blasphemy! Heh. Just a little hardcore humour to start the day. It's really funny you call me a Black Veil Bride, because Ashley Purdy says the name of the band was inspired by nuns….and I'm rambling again. The reason I've got you here is because the youth group is going to be performing our annual Christmas Zoom and streaming on YouTube, and I've got some roles for the four of you. That is, if you're interested."

"Depends. What would we be playing?" Ned asked, cautiously.

"Why, the wise men, of course! The Magi of the East were, contrary to the popular carol, not kings, but rather astrologers and scholars of great repute. Carrie and Brianna always go on about how you're near the top of your classes – and it made me think of you." Danielle offered.

"I don't know. I'm not so sure that I can identify with the Christian perception of Christmas." Betty admitted.

"Would you feel more comfortable if I told you that Tony and Bruce are also involved?" Carrie asked.

"And that it's not exclusively a Nativity story because Santa and his elves are in it as well? And that it'll raise money for affordable housing, refugee resettlement and other worthy causes via Catholic Charities?" Danielle followed up.

The four teenagers sat and pondered this for a while. Eventually, MJ broke the silence. "Fine. We're in. Carrie really helped us with the stress of COVID, so we owe her one. But don't call us the wise men. You know, in the script."

"Wouldn't dream of it! You're the Magi. Two wise men, one wise woman…and whatever Betty's supposed to be." The rocker shrugged.

"Humph! I shall have thee know, O wearer of synthetic cowhide, that I am the herald of the Company Of The Spider, the most intrepid band of warriors to ever grace the land of the fair Queen! Thou art a contemptible wench!" Betty interjected, in a friendly huff.

"It's a LARPing thing." Carrie clarified, clearing up Danielle's confusion.

"LARPing? I didn't know you were into that, Carrie." Danielle replied, in a surprised voice.

"I didn't know I was either…until I tried it." Carrie grinned. "I really wanted to say thank you to Peter for coming to Mass with me and learning about the faith, so I decided to engage myself in one of his interests. As it turned out, I really loved LARPing – it allowed me to escape to a fantasy land. Peter was the brave Sir Parks, Lord of the Spider, Ned was his personal squire, MJ was a mage and-"

"Black Mage, Wielder Of Magic And Kicker Of Ass. Get the title right, Carrie." MJ quipped.

"Sorry. Black Mage, Wielder Of Magic and Kicker of Ass." Carrie blushed. "Betty was our group's herald. She would blow a trumpet and introduce us whenever we came across another company of LARPers. And yes, it was every bit as annoying as you can imagine. And I was Sister Grace, the group's medic/spiritual advisor. But we had a lot of fun."

"Looks like I'll have to make some changes to the script then." Danielle pondered.

"Why?" Peter wondered.

"Because the Magi just found a fourth person to join them on their quest for the star – their own herald. That was well acted, Betty." The rocker praised.

"Uh…thank you." The blonde reporter shrugged.

*** TWFAF ***

And so the ambitious project proceeded apace. Carrie and Danielle needed a larger cast than they had already, so they ended up bringing back the wider Eternal Pentecost group. Made up of some thirty young men and women, many of them students at NYU, the group had effectively disbanded when COVID struck, many choosing to return to their own towns, cities or countries to ride out the pandemic. A larger number of people were needed in order to fill out the large cast of extras.

Notable among these were Luis Flores, a baseball player from Los Angeles who was the closest thing Carrie had had to a boyfriend. The pair had bonded over their tough home lives, both of them having empathy for one another. Carrie and Luis had gone on a series of dates and tried to add some romantic spice, however the expected spark didn't materialise. The baseball player had given Carrie her first kiss however, and for that she would always be grateful. He would be playing a courtier of King Herod's. Other notables included Rebecca Weston, a Mid-Western girl from St. Louis who would be playing a shepherd. She had gotten a blue streak dyed in her hair to celebrate the St. Louis Blues and their Stanley Cup victory. Andrew and Nikita, the group's twin leaders, would be playing elf accountants, Carmen Sepulveda, a Chilean exchange student who had returned to her own country when the pandemic hit, would play a member of the angel choir that would greet the shepherds and Sarah Wareham, a blunt but funny British girl from Manchester, would play a supervisor at Santa's Workshop.

Danielle took charge of the script. Her job was to make sure that the dialogue and story elements held a fine balance. The pageant had to be sweet without being sappy, family-friendly without being condescending, spiritual without being overpowering and joyful without being tone deaf. The rocker decided to use the Shrek movies as her template – the creators included enough material to delight young and old in equal measure. Carrie, meanwhile, got to work on the costumes. Her skills as a seamstress were never more handy then they were now. Through tireless dedication, she was able to pump out bright red and green costumes for the elves, the trademark red suit for Santa, brown skin suits for the reindeer extras, a simple peasant girl's attire for Mary, tunics for Joseph and the shepherds, as well as head coverings for the women involved in the Nativity portion of the story. There were also sumptuous robes for King Herod and his court, as well as the Magi, which Tony and Peter took great delight in. Tony used Stark Industries vast global delivery network to ensure that the costumes were delivered safely to the doors of the recipients.

This was an ambitious project. This was set to take in some thirty-odd cast members, operating from nine different cities across five countries and three continents. But they all had one goal – to bring some Christmas spirit to a weary population. The Avengers used their social accounts to promote the show. Danielle, herself a popular YouTuber in her own right, did likewise. Accordingly, the show was set to receive a significant number of viewers.

Then came the night they were all waiting for: December 19, the night of the pageant. Carrie had finished dressing up in her grey dress with a tea towel tied around her head. She then turned to see the rest of her family standing beside her – Peter as the wise man seeking truth, Bruce as everyone's favourite gift giver and Tony as the devilishly handsome face of evil. The telekinetic smiled broadly – she could feel the magic of Christmas in the air.

"You guys ready?" She asked, excitedly.

"Let's hope those rehearsals were enough." Peter muttered. Tony, as the Zoom account holder, set about undertaking the process that would enable them to stream the Zoom performance of the pageant on YouTube. Once that was Dione and the call began, the other four retreated to various Zoom stations across the tower whilst Carrie addressed the watching virtual audience. Due to her role in the costume department, as well as the fact that she would not be needed until later, made her the ideal choice.

"Good evening. My name is Carrie Stark. I'll be playing the Virgin Mary tonight, and I'd just like to welcome you to our Christmas pageant, entitled The Elf At The Manger. I know just as well as anybody that 2020 hasn't exactly been a magical year. But I have always been a big believer in the light of Christmas. And it is my fondest wish that that this entertainment that we offer you tonight will serve to bring some hope and magic to you, wherever you may be. God bless you all."

And with that, the pageant began.

*** TWFAF ***

The opening scene showed Danielle sleeping on a bed. Her room had been transformed into a Christmas paradise. Tinsel, candy canes and gingerbread men lined the walls. The rocker had been fully transformed into Holly. She was wearing a red and green costume, along with a green hat and red leggings. Letting out a big yawn, she stretched her arms wide and climbed out of bed. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she did a double take when she noticed her zoom camera on her.

"Hi, everybody!" She waved, excitedly. "I'm Holly the elf! Welcome to the North Pole!" After she had said this, Danielle threw open the door to her bedroom. Paper confetti was being thrown over her to simulate snow, courtesy of her parents Thomas and Amira. Several Zoom windows opened up, showing the similarly decorated rooms of the various elves. Danielle then proceeded to skip gaily around her room. "Good morning, Santa!" She called out, cheerfully as she waved.

"Ho ho ho! Good morning, Holly!" Bruce rumbled from behind his Santa beard.

"This is Santa's Workshop, where toys are made for good little children around the world!" Danielle proclaimed. As she said this, Alexis, Cat, Andrew, Nikita, Sarah, Lukas (a German student), Marcus (Brianna's brother) and Sophie (a student from Belgium) all popped up at their Zoom windows, dressed in full elf regalia. They began to eagerly beaver away on various toys, their hands moving at quick speed. Meanwhile, Danielle had approached Andrew and Nikita holding a pad of paper.

"Mistletoe, here's that list of expenses for the North American leg that you wanted." The rocker elf informed.

"Mmmmhmmm." Nikita noted breezily, as she stretched out her hand to take it without so much as a thank you. However, since one obviously could not pass objects through Zoom, it was merely dropped on the bed

"Those two are Mistletoe and Wine, Santa's accountants." Danielle exposited. "It's their job to make sure that everything's covered and paid for. Toy making materials, reindeer feed, Santa's food supply, you name it. The North Pole doesn't run cheap." As she turned around, she absentmindedly bumped into Sarah. The British girl threw her body forward, to simulate being bumped into. Given that Sarah was a much taller and stronger girl than Danielle, this was no mean feat.

"Watch it!" Sarah grunted, as she rubbed her arm.

"Sorry, Silver Belle!" Danielle blushed in embarrassment.

"Clumsy little bugger." The British elf grumbled, shaking her head as she walked away.

"That's Silver Belle. She's the supervisor of the workshop. When she says jump, we say how high. Nobody likes to get on her bad side. Legend has it she beat up a troll with her bare hands." Danielle pointed out to the audience. A smile began to cross her face. "Oh! It's time to feed the reindeer!"

She then picked up a pair of plastic buckets and carried them with her. After a few moments, she let out a whistle. "Feeding time, guys!" She called out, in a loud voice. Almost immediately, Dasher, Prancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Vixen and Rudolph all stood up on their legs and began hankering in excitement. The reindeer were all played by younger children, many of them younger siblings of the performers, such as Olivia's younger sister Maria or Sarah's younger brother Angelo. "Here you go, Prancer! Here you go, Vixen! And here you go, Rudolph!" Danielle cooed in delight, as she shovelled imaginary deer feed into imaginary feeding trays. The assembled reindeer then put their heads down and began to eat. Satisfied with her work, the rocker elf returned to the workshop, where she began to settle into the work of making toys.

"Oh! I cannot work any more! I'm burned out!" Lukas lamented, as he slumped back in his seat. "Holly, could you take over for me?"

"Sure thing, Angelo!" Danielle smiled, as she grabbed a hold of his rocking horse that he was carving and began to take up the work. Once she was done, Marcus and Sophie approached her, toys in hand.

"Yo, Holly, can you work on my airplane?" Marcus asked, as he presented a disassembled toy aircraft.

"And my toy soldier?" Sophie requested, displaying the beginnings of a plastic warrior.

"Of course, Jasper and Eira!" The rocker elf grinned. She grabbed the two toys and began to diligently work on them. Once they were finished, Marcus and Sophie snatched them up and quickly walked away.

Over at the next set of Zoom windows, Cat had picked up a carrot nose, similar to one that you might find on a snowman, and had placed it over her own nose.

"Look at me, Sapphire! I'm Holly!" The Latina elf jeered, fully getting into her role as the catty Glitter.

"Ha! You're so funny, Glitter! She's so ugly!" Alexis cackled, letting her inner bad girl shine as Sapphire.

Danielle's shoulders began to slump and her head began to drop as she heard those cruel words. As an outcast at her school, she bought her own experiences to bear in conveying Holly's emotions. "Those two over there are Sapphire and Glitter. They're Santa's most skilled elves…but they're mean. They always make fun of me." A true vulnerability began to settle into Danielle's monologue. "I'm,,,I'm not as pretty as the other elves." She adjusted the camera so it put a strong focus on her nose ring and her noticeable lack of makeup. "Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it to carry on being an elf when nobody appreciates you." Letting out a sigh, she got up from her work station, put the toy she was working on in her pocket and began to walk. Lost in her funk, however, she did not notice the stray toy truck sitting on the floor. As she tripped over it and tumbled towards Cat, both elves went into slow motion, letting out cries of shock and warning. As they crashed into each other, Cat threw the doll she was working on to the ground, to simulate it being knocked over. The impact caused an arm to come loose.

Silence reigned around the Zoom workshop as the pair stared in shock at the damage done. Eventually, Cat erupted in fury.

"You…you broke it!" She shrieked. "You broke the toy I was working on!"

"I'm so sorry, Glitter! Let me try and fix it." Danielle pleaded. However, Cat was having none of it.

"You can't fix it, Holly! What part of "these things cost a fortune to make" don't you understand? You know, I knew you were needy, clingy and ugly, but I didn't think you were stupid as well! How could not see that truck there?! You know what? Just go away! Nobody wants you here!" Cat shouted, jabbing a finger towards her Zoom window.

"Yeah! Go away, Holly! This place'll be a lot better without us having to look at your ugly face!" Alexis agreed, loudly.

"Oi! Oi! What's going on here?" Sarah demanded, as she came across the arguing trio. "You okay?" The British elf asked Danielle.

"Yeah. I just need to take a break." She whispered in reply, her glassy eyes becoming thick with tears. With that, she turned and walked briskly out of the workshop. However, she was oblivious to the fact that she still carried the toy she was working on in her pocket. As Danielle opened the door, more paper snow was thrown in to simulate a winter wonderland. The rocker elf stumbled down behind a tree/her bed, put her head in her hands and began to cry. As she wept, Danielle could not help but reflect on the wonder of being the only one of Carrie's circle of friends to be able to cry on cue. Truth be told, it wasn't really that hard. All she had to do was remember the personal losses she had suffered this year, as well as how she had disappointed hand hurt her family, and the tears continued to flow.

Just then, a bright light appeared in the Zoom window next to Danielle, and Brianna appeared. Playing an angel, she was wearing a beautiful white gown, along with feather wings and a cardboard gold halo.

"Greetings, Holly!" Brianna's voice rang out. Her volume was raised to make it sound as impressive as possible.

"Who are you?!" Danielle gasped in shock, as she covered her eyes.

"I am the Angel Of Christmas!" The angel replied. "It's my job to help spread the Good News of the Christmas story!" Brianna then lowered the volume, so that she could have a more nuanced conversation. "What's wrong, Holly?" She asked, gently.

"I don't want to be an elf anymore!" Danielle sobbed, returning to full cry on cue mode. "All the other elves either bully me or don't appreciate the work that I do! It's like nobody loves me!"

"That's not true. I love the work that you do." Brianna declared, refusing to let this line of thought slide. "And I know someone who loves you very much as well. He's loved you ever since the dawn of time. And his name is Jesus."

"Jesus? No, that can't be. I've never heard of a Jesus. I've made toys for Jason and James and Jessie and Jaylen – but never a Jesus." Danielle muttered in a furtive tone, as she dried her eyes.

"Jesus is the most important man who ever lived." The angel decreed.

"More important than Santa?" Danielle inquired, surprised at that revelation.

"Yes, Holly. More important than Santa. In fact, Christmas just so happens to be his birthday. There's a reason so many people feel happy at Christmas, and it's not just because of Santa Claus. Come with me." Brianna requested.

"Where are we going?" Danielle inquired.

"To see the first Christmas, and to show you the true reason for the season." Brianna replied, as a white flash of light enveloped the screen.

*** TWFAF ***

When the light subsided, the pair were left staring at a third Zoom window, marking the start of the pageant's retelling of the Christmas story. In the third window was Carrie. She was depicting the Virgin Mary. The telekinetic and costume designer designer was wearing the simple garb of a peasant girl, a drab grey dress with a tea-towel tied over her head as a head covering. Her bedroom was stripped almost bare, save for a small mattress on the floor, in order to better represent the poverty of first century Galilee. She was sitting on a small stool, focusing on washing clothes. She had a tub full of water in front of her, and was washing and drying a set of tunics by hand.

"Who's that? Where are we?" Danielle remarked, curious. "And why is she dressed like that?"

"Her name is Mary, and she's dressed like that because we've gone back in time. 2000 years ago, to be exact. The place where we are is called Galilee, in a town called Nazareth. Mary is about to receive some news that will change her life forever." Brianna explained.

As if on cue, a light filled the screen as Ashley appeared in a new window. Dressed in similar angelic attire as Brianna, she held a scroll in her left hand, symbolising that she was the angel Gabriel, God's messenger. The angel's sudden appearance caused Carrie to jump up in fright, almost knocking over the washing tub. "Greetings, favoured woman! The Lord is with you!" Ashley proclaimed in a regal voice.

"Who are you? What do you want? My husband is outside chopping wood. Leave, or I'll scream! And what do you mean, the Lord is with me?" Carrie trembled, conveying the fear and anxiety Mary must have felt.

"Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God!" Ashley reassured. "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great, and will be called Son Of The Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his kingdom will never end!"

"So Jesus is going to be a king?" Holly whispered to her angelic guide.

"Yes. But not just of this place – of the entire universe!" Brianna enthused.

"The entire universe? Wow…" The elf murmured.

"But how can this happen? I am a virgin." Carrie gasped, blushing as she did so. Unbeknownst to the viewer, the dialogue resonated deeply with the young telekinetic. For she was a virgin as well. Even she and Luis had kissed and canoodled during their brief courtship, sexual intercourse was the Rubicon that Carrie would not allow to be crossed, at least until marriage. She thought of her body as a pearl of great price which was worth protecting. Such a view may seem old fashioned. But, as Nick Fury once said, the world could use a little old fashion.

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." Ashley explained, patiently. "So the baby to be born will be holy, and will be called the Son Of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has gotten pregnant in her old age!"

"Elizabeth?" Carrie whispered, unable to believe it.

"Yes! People used to say that she was barren, and now she is in her sixth month of pregnancy. For the word of God will never fail." The angel decreed.

"So Jesus isn't going to be conceived in the, you know, normal way?" Danielle whispered.

"Correct. Jesus is so holy, that he is going to be conceived through the power of God's Holy Spirit." The angel nodded.

Carrie sighed and nodded her head. "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true," She declared, determination in her voice. Later, when Steve, who was playing Joseph, had entered the virtual stage, Carrie made to address him.

"Joseph?" She began, hesitant.

"Yes, Mary?" Steve answered, patiently.

"I…I am with child." Carrie murmured, cradling her stomach in a vulnerable manner. She was wearing a pregnancy simulator underneath her grey dress, so a small bump was starting to show.

"But we did not consummate our union. Where is this child from?" Steve questioned.

"It is from the Lord. Everything the angel said about me was true. Elizabeth is pregnant in her advanced years, and now I am pregnant, even though I am a virgin. Trust the Lord, Joseph. Trust me." Carrie urged, as she squeezed Steve's hand. After a few moments, "Cap" let out a deep breath.

"Okay. I trust you, Mary. But we must keep this hidden from the town, or it will cause scandal." Steve replied.

"Of course, husband." Carrie nodded, playing the ever-dutiful wife. A huge smile then split her face. "We are pregnant!" She laughed, as Steve kissed her gently on the lips. Carrie returned the kiss, happiness radiating from her. Steve then placed his hand tenderly on the bump.

"I'm glad that Joseph trusted Mary." Danielle noted, as she and Brianna kept watch.

"Me too. The whole world shall be glad. Now, we move onto the glorious Nativity – the occasion where Jesus was born." Brianna agreed.

The scene fast forwarded eight or so months. The pregnancy simulator on Carrie's chest had advanced considerably, with her bump now protruding in front of her torso. Meanwhile, Steve was pacing around the room, his hand glued to his chin in deep thought. Eventually, he stopped and let out a loud call. "Mary!"

"Yes, Joseph?" Carrie responded, as she waddled over to him. The ultra-realistic simulator was starting to severely impact her movements.

"There is to be a census of all Roman territories. My family line descends from the House Of David, in Judea. We must go to my ancestral home of Bethlehem so that you and I can be counted." He answered. Steve then shook his head. "I don't like this. Censuses are forbidden by Jewish law, and rebellion was only stopped by order of the high priests. Plus, with how far in the pregnancy you are, I don't feel so good after leaving home." He then noticed that Carrie had a look of awestruck recognition on her face. "Yes?"

"The angel said that my child was to be given the throne of King David. He is to be named Jesus." Carrie explained. "I am certain this is a sign from the Lord. I will go with you, husband." She then leaned up and kissed Steve on the cheek.

"Fine. We shall go. But I don't like the sound of you walking all that way in your state. I'm going to get you a donkey to sit on, and I'll guide you on the way." Steve agreed.

In the next scene, Carrie was sitting on a life-sized donkey doll while Steve stood at the front, holding a rope to guide it. Meanwhile, the feed then switched to a snow-filled church yard. The brick church standing in the yard was Our Lady Of Mount Carmel in Kingsbridge Heights in the Bronx, Danielle's home church. In the yard stood members of the church's choir, each of them dressed in white and green choir dresses. They were spaced out around the yard to ensure physical distancing and they each wore a face mask. However, the joy in their voices was evident as they began to sing the traditional children's carol Little Donkey. The song told the story of the most forgotten part of this story, and yet the most important – the donkey. Without it's willingness to bear heavy loads, simply put, there would be no Nativity. Danielle was deeply grateful to the parish's choir director for agreeing to this, because she felt it added that little extra air of gravitas. She and her priest, Father Gabriel, had repeatedly stressed that this performance was strictly voluntary. While some members who had potential coronavirus risk factors had opted out, eight singers was still a healthy number. The feed switched between Carrie and Steve and the choir as they sang. Carrie looked up at the sky with a mixture of trepidation and hope in her eyes.

"Now we are headed to Bethlehem, Holly. The birth of the Messiah nears!" Brianna enthused.

"So, is Jesus going to be born soon?" Danielle asked, excited.

"Yes. Now we're about to go to his birthplace." The angel announced.

Once the song had finished, Carrie, Steve and the donkey arrived at the inn. "Hello?" Steve asked politely, as he knocked at air.

"Go away! Inn's full!" Danielle's father Thomas, a gruff bald man, called out as he appeared in a new window. The relationship between father and daughter had started to fray during the pandemic, however his presence in this pageant was an offering of peace and reconciliation.

'Hello? We need a place to sleep." Steve inquired, politely.

"What part of inn's full don't you understand?" Thomas repeated.

"Please! My wife could give birth at any time! You've got to let us in!" Steve begged.

"Just let them use the stable out the back." Amira, Danielle's new mother and Thomas' second wife, called out. She had been super enthusiastic about helping her daughter out with the play. She and Danielle had gotten off to a rocky start, but the love between mother and daughter was starting to shine through. Both Christmas and Hanukkah would be celebrated with gusto in the Horton household this year.

"Yes…yes. Fine. We'll do that." Steve agreed, nodding his head desperately.

"It isn't very comfortable back there." Thomas warned.

"I know. We'll manage. Just…please. My wife needs a place to rest and give birth." Steve urged, desperation filling his voice.

Just then, Carrie let out a gasp of pain as the first of her contractions started to take hold. Yes, the simulator did that as well. She was beginning to go into labour.

"J…Joseph?" She stuttered, shock in her voice.

"We need that space now!" Steve shouted, impatiently.

"Okay, then. Right this way." Thomas muttered, as he unlocked the door. The trio then walked/ran to the stable, with Steve supporting Carrie's heavily pregnant body. Once they had arrived, the pair settled into the hay that had been strewn about the room to simulate a stable environment. Meanwhile, the telekinetic's contractions were getting closer and closer together. Carrie cried out in labour pains as the birth drew near.

'I don't know if I can do this….AAAGH!" Carrie moaned, as one particularly sharp contraction took hold.

"I'm right here. You're doing so well!" Steve smiled.

"Ah…ah…ah…" Carrie panted, as she tried to push the baby out.

"You're almost there! Just one more push!" Steve urged, squeezing her hand in support.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Carrie screamed, as she scooped her hands under her and produced a baby doll that would act as the child Jesus. She began to pant heavily from the strain as she stared at the doll. After she breathed heavily, a bright smile crossed her face.

"It's our baby, Joseph! It's our baby!" Carrie beamed, as she held the doll in her arms. 'Hi there, little one! I'm your mama!" The telekinetic cooed in adoration as she blew a kiss on the doll's forehead.

"And I'm your dada!" Steve added, as he tenderly touched the doll's hand. A thoughtful look then crossed his face. "Where shall he sleep?"

"There." Carrie pointed out, as she pointed out a large plastic tray that would double as the manger. Once Steve had passed it over, she lovingly placed the doll inside the tray. She then slumped back, exhausted from the effort of the day. Her husband then crawled over next to her.

"What shall we name him?" Steve wondered, as he and Carrie cuddled together.

"The name the angel said to give him. Jesus." Carrie replied, simply.

"Jesus slept in a manger? But I use a manger to feed the reindeer!" Danielle gasped in shock.

"Yes. That's an example of his humility – he was born not in a palace filled with gold or jewels, but in a manger in poverty." Brianna sagely noted. "Now come. Now you have learned of the King's coming, we must see some other people learn as well."

*** TWFAF ***

The next scene showed Olivia, Renee and Rebecca all sitting in their bedrooms. Each one wore a full length dress – Rebecca's was red, Renee's blue and Olivia's purple. All three, like Carrie, wore towels as head coverings and each held a wooden crook made for shepherding imaginary sheep. The trio were involved deep in a conversation.

"Who are these people?" Danielle inquired of the angel.

"They are shepherds, whose job it is to guard their flocks from ravenous prey. Say, Holly, would you be fine by yourself for 5-10 minutes? There's just this thing I've got to do." Brianna responded, in a questioning voice.

"Sure." Danielle shrugged, as Brianna disappeared off screen. The curious elf then inclined her ear to listen to the talk of the shepherds.

"So, you heard about this census that's going on? Turns out that it's come straight from the top." Rebecca began, as she munched on a midnight snack.

"You mean…" Renee began.

"Yep. Rome." The Midwestern shepherd nodded.

"The Romans? Pffft! What have they ever done for us?" Olivia scoffed. "Apart from building that lovely public latrine so I don't have to go in the street. You know, at the next Sanhedrin elections, I'm voting for the Judean People's Front. There's something about that Judas Iscariot that's just so trustworthy. He'll never sell anybody down the river!"

"Oh please! The JPF have had their time." Renee dismissed, waving her hand. "Now the People's Front Of Judea – that's an independence movement I can get behind. Simon the Zealot is the leader this nation needs!"

"Judea's a Roman territory, not a nation." Rebecca corrected.

"Well, not with that attitude!" Renee scoffed.

"Oh great. You're one of them. You're off my Festivus list, splitter." Olivia harrumphed, turning her back to her fellow shepherd.

"Same to you, splitter." Renee agreed, doing likewise.

Just then, a bright light appeared and two angels, Brianna and Carmen, appeared before the shepherds. Olivia, Renee and Rebecca all let out wild screams and jumped back in fear.

"Please don't hurt us!" Rebecca begged.

"Who…who are you?" Renee gasped.

"Don't be afraid! I bring you news that will bring great joy to all people." Carmen answered, in an authoritative voice.

"Herod had a heart attack?" Rebecca inquired, hopefully.

"Even better." Brianna boomed. "The Saviour, the Messiah, has been born today in Bethlehem!"

"Wait…you mean the prophesied Saviour? The one that was foretold? That Messiah?" Renee babbled in shock.

"Yes! And you will recognise him by this sign: you will find a baby snugly wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger." Brianna decreed. She and Carmen then thrust out their winged arms and spoke as one voice, simulating a heavenly choir.

"Glory to God in the highest heaven;

And peace on earth to those who enjoy God's favour."

With that, the angels disappeared, and Brianna returned once again to Danielle's virtual side.

"So, that was the thing you had to do?" The elf inquired.

"Like I said, Holly. My job is to spread the message of the Christmas story." Brianna nodded.

Meanwhile, the three shepherds were still recovering from the shock of having seen the angel.

"Well, I'm convinced. Let's go to Bethlehem!" Rebecca decided.

"Yeah, we have to get in on the ground floor." Renee agreed. She then turned to the third shepherd. "You coming, Olivia?"

"You go ahead. I'l…I'll catch up with you." Olivia murmured, sheepishly. Her legs were pinned together and her face was flushed with embarrassment.

"Why?" Rebecca wondered.

"I…I pooped myself. When the angels came." Olivia whispered in shame. "There's, like, actual poop on my dress." This caused Renee and Rebecca to gasp.

"Really?!" Rebecca exclaimed in shock.

"For Caesar's sake!" Renee moaned, putting her head in her hands.

"Well, it's not every day you come across one of Yahweh's fearsome messengers! You heard of Jacob and the angel? You'd mess yourself too if that happened to you!" The soiled Italian-American shepherd argued.

"Okay. We can fix this, Olivia." Rebecca stood up. "Come with us to the river. We'll wash you up and get changed."

"It's going to be okay. Come this way." Renee soothed, as she helped guide her friend to the water.

"Eeewww! Ew ew ew! It's running down my leg! This is so gross!" Olivia whimpered, shuffling along sideways in an effort to hide her shame.

There was no dirty brown mess, of course. It was a stunning testament to Olivia's acting skills, as well as those of Rebecca and Renee, that she was able to make people believe she had shit herself.

"I don't really think we need to see this." Danielle decided, in a grossed out voice.

"Agreed. Let's flash forward a bit, shall we, Holly?" Brianna nodded.

"Oh my.." Renee gasped, as she saw the state of Olivia's ruined dress.

"EEEEEWWWWW!" Olivia wailed.

1 HOUR, A THOROUGH BATHING AND A CHANGE OF CLOTHES LATER

The three shepherds were walking into Bethlehem. Olivia had now changed into a simple white dress after her previous dress had been the victim of a bowel "accident". She, along with Rebecca and Renee, were making haste to see the long prophesied Messiah, who had been born that very night. Excitement and anticipation were rising fast amongst the trio. However, the Italian-American wanted to make one thing crystal clear.

"That. Never. Happened. GOT IT?" Olivia questioned, sternly.

"Sure. Never happened." Rebecca hummed. "We've having a long night. We'll be wiped out!"

"Yeah! Why are you so red? You look flushed!" Renee giggled.

"I'm glad we asked those travellers to watch our sheep. I don't rectumend leaving them alone!" Rebecca snorted, covering her mouth.

"Lighten up, Olivia! It's good to be more self-defecating about things like this!" Renee and Rebecca both began to laugh heartily.

"Screw you guys!" Olivia ground out. However, the Italian-American was doing all she could to avoid bursting into laughter herself. This scene was one of the funniest in the story, and the three girls had a blast rehearsing it. What made this scene so hilarious to act and watch was it's close proximity to almost verbatim scriptural reading. In addition to Shrek, Danielle was greatly influenced by Monty Python's Life Of Brian – in fact, she blatantly shouted it out in the shepherd's scene. In the movie, whilst the Python's treated the actual words of Jesus with great respect, anything outside that was fair game, exemplified by the "Blessed are the cheese makers" scene. Likewise, she would take care to ensure that the words of Scripture were quoted as accurately and respectfully as possible. However, Danielle had a lot of fun with the peripheral details.

Eventually, the trio of shepherds arrived at the stable, near one of the town's inns. As they entered, the small, dimly lit structure, they squinted to try and see. Sure enough, sitting there in the hay were a woman and her husband. And lying there, in the empty manger, wrapped in swaddling cloth, was the child who would be King. One by one, Rebecca, Renee and Olivia dropped to their knees in worship.

"My King. We have come to adore you." Rebecca whispered, so as not to wake baby Jesus.

"You come to us not in a palace, but a stable. Who are we to deserve this?" Renee added, in awe.

"Glory to God in the highest. Everything his angels told us is true!" Olivia proclaimed, praise in her voice.

"Jesus bought those shepherds together…" Danielle observed.

"Exactly. Olivia and Renee have their differences in politics, but, at the end of the day, they are United in their admiration and worship for Jesus. Come now. Let's go watch some other people who learn of the Messiah's birth." Brianna nodded.

After she had said this, the duo were teleported away to their next location.

*** TWFAF ***

When the scene shifted, Danielle and Brianna happened upon Peter, MJ and Ned sitting at their respective Zoom windows. They were wearing elegant robes of the sort associated with Eastern royalty. Peter was clad in blue robes, Ned in red and MJ in emerald green. All three looked to be deeply involved in whatever they were doing.

"Who are they?" Danielle inquired.

"They are the Magi. They are scholars from the Eastern Kingdoms far from Judea, and people of great knowledge and wisdom. Here they are, diligently studying all there is to know." Brianna pointed out.

MJ was indeed working hard, as she focused intently on something involving a protractor and a compass. Peter and Ned, on the other hand, were much more focused on a game of Connect 4. This being biblical times, they were playing with rocks instead of plastic tokens. That did not matter, though – the game was just as intense. Eventually, the wallcrawler grinned in triumph over his opponent..

"Four on the diagonal." Peter smirked, as he pointed out the four stones lined up diagonally.

"Man!" Ned groaned, as he pushed his stones off the table. "That's the fourth time in a row you've beaten me!"

"Well, Balthazar my man, you really need to work on your blocking game!" Peter laughed, slapping a virtual high-five with his friend.

"You know, Balthazar, if you and Melchior would come and help me plot this star chart, that would be great." MJ butted in, looking annoyed.

"Sorry, Jasmin. We got carried away." Peter blushed, embarrassed. Peter and Ned were given the two male Magi names of Melchior and Balthazar respectively, whilst MJ was given Jasmin, the closest feminine name to Jasper, the name of the third wise man.

"You seem to be getting carried away a lot recently." The frizzy-haired girl noted.

"Well, there's this big Connect 4 tournament in Phoenicia in April, and I've got to be on my game!" Peter argued.

"And what is the study of the heavens to you then? Chopped liver? By the gods, I am surrounded by idiots! Now come over here and help me chart the course of this star." MJ instructed.

"Which star? There's so many!" Ned questioned.

"That one!" MJ pointed out. It was at this point that a new window joined the screen. This one showed a large golden star that was situated at the top of Carrie's Christmas tree. A camera was pointed at it. This was meant to represent the Christmas star, a symbol of hope for all humanity.

"That's the biggest star I've ever seen!" Peter exclaimed in awe.

"Thank you for that insightful analysis, Melchior. Now maybe we can explore some ideas about what this could mean? Or where is it going?" MJ responded.

"Well, I personally believe that a person's life is linked to the stars." Ned began, profoundly. "Just as there are millions of people, there are millions of stars. I've never seen this star before, so it's a new star. Someone must have been born recently. And the size of the star must mean that it's somebody important, like a king!" He finished, getting excited.

"See? You're a man of wisdom after all! Now help me chart it's course!" MJ grinned. Buzzing with excitement, the trio began to work on the star chart, plotting out the course of the bright bright star. After some pondering and mapping, they began to form a hypothesis.

"The star seems to be tracking pretty consistently to the north west." Peter noted, deep in thought. "At this trajectory, it looks set to pass right over Jerusalem, in Judea."

"Judea? That's a Roman territory. Do you think we're seeing the birth of the next Caesar?" Ned gushed in anticipation.

"No. Only members of the Roman nobility can become emperor. Future king of Judea? Maybe…" MJ pondered.

"Well, we won't find out unless we follow it!" Peter declared.

"Exactly. Saddle up those camels, dorks – we're off to Judea!" MJ ordered. A brief flash-forward then showed the trio miming riding in camels, each with a precious gift clasped in their hand. MJ was responsible for the gold, whilst Peter had the frankincense and the myrrh.

"Let's make sure we've got everything. I've got the gold here. This future king is going to be rich! Melchior?" MJ checked off.

"Frankincense here! This kid is going to smell better than Old Spice!" Peter responded.

"Balthazar?" MJ completed the roll call.

"I've got the myrrh." Ned noted. He then proceeded to frown. "You know this is used on dead bodies, right? Who gives a newborn something for their corpse? This is the most depressing gift ever!"

"CYBERPUNK!" Screamed two girls and a boy from their bedrooms in frustration and anger. These were Petra, Dylan and Jessica, band mates in Danielle's cover band The Four Last Things. Sure enough, at approximately four months pregnant, her baby bump was starting to show. The reference was to Cyberpunk 2077, the much anticipated – and glitch-ridden – video game. So numerous were the faults with the game, it was pulled from the PlayStation store. The purpose of this scene was to remind Ned that yes, there are more depressing gifts out there.

"Okay, so we're all set? Off we go!" MJ decreed, powering forward. Just then, a shrill voice filled the air.

"Wait! Wait, wait, WAAAIIITTT!" Betty then appeared in her own window. She was dressed in a smart grey tunic and wearing a felt cap. "You're going to see the King, aren't you? The king that the star is for?" She inquired.

"Who wants to know?" MJ quizzed, in a suspicious voice.

"Bettias of Antioch, licensed herald." She greeted, doing a bow and curtsy. "I've introduced princes and paupers from Athens to Asia Minor, and now I want to introduce YOU!"

"Forget it. We don't have any spare camels." MJ shook her head.

"But if you're travelling somewhere, you need to make yourself known to the rulers!" Betty insisted, getting into character. "You just can't show up in another kingdom and not have the king know who and where you are! You need someone who can make a good first impression, and I can make it happen. Please, I really need the work! I even have my own camel!" She begged. This caused the three Magi to relent.

"Fine. But you don't speak unless you are spoken to, or if you're introducing us." MJ instructed.

"Yes! Thank you! You won't regret it!" Betty smiled, as she hopped on her imaginary camel. "By the way, my fee is 5000 denarii per introduction." She added, in a snooty tone.

"And you wonder why you can't get work." MJ deadpanned.

The foursome then began to imagine riding their camels across the vast desert as they headed for Judea. Day and night, they kept up their dogged pursuit of the star. MJ, Peter, Ned and Betty would regularly pause to wipe their brows or take a swig from a water bottle, in an effort to simulate the heat and toll of a long desert trek.

"You know what I've really come to love lately?" Ned announced, to nobody in particular. "Camel-side pickup. It used to be you had to trek into the market, find out what you wanted and dig out the money to pay for it. Now, they just bring it out to the camel after you make a deposit with the money changers. It's so much easier."

"So…what did you say your name was again?" Peter asked Betty.

"Bettias of Antioch. But you can call me Betty, if you prefer." The blonde answered.

"Okay, Betty. My calculations have this star passing right through Judea. Who do we have to talk to there?" Peter requested, politely.

"Oooooh! You'll have to seek an audience with King Herod. He's the Roman client king of Judea, and he's known for his vast building projects." Betty explained, helpfully.

"What's he like?" Peter wondered.

"I heralded before him for the Prince of Sheba once." Betty replied. "He's…different."

The Zoom wall then focused on the Villain Of The Piece, and one of the great villains of biblical history. However, just like his ancient counterpart, the portrayer believed that he was the star of the show.

"STOP! HEROD TIME!"

MC Hammer's U Can't Touch This began to blast over the loudspeaker. Standing on the screen was none other than Tony Stark a.k.a: Herod The Great. Fully transformed into character, he was dressed in flowing Ruby red robes, with a diamond tiara on his head and a wicked grin on his face. Tony fell in love with the writing of King Herod from the time he first picked up the script and began to read. It gave him plenty of chances to chew the scenery and be his cheeky playboy self. And as far as he was concerned, he was not going to let it go to waste.

"Yeah! Herod in the house!" Tony raved as he danced to the music. "Who's the best foreign-controlled king Judea's ever seen? THIS GUY! Do the Herod. Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum….I'm the king here!" The billionaire chanted to the tune of the MC Hammer song.

Meanwhile Luis, who was playing the captain of the guard, encountered the group of the Magi (plus herald) through their screens. "Halt! In the name of the king, who goes there?" He ordered, thrusting a hand out.

"These are Jasmin, Melchior and Balthazar, the Magi of the East, astrologers of some renown. They have come to seek an audience with the king." Betty replied, doing her best to play the role of providing an introduction.

"His Majesty is busy entertaining guests right now. However, I will see if he is able to receive you." Luis droned, playing the role of bored guard and courtier down to a T. He then turned his attention to Tony's screen, where he was still throwing his own private party.

"H to the EROD, K to the IZZAY! Come on, sing along!" He boasted, as the strains of Jay-Z's Izzo pounded away in the background.

"Sire?" Luis began, in a tentative voice. However, Tony took no notice and continued to strut his stuff. "SIRE!" The Latino yelled, trying to get the king's attention.

"What? What?" Tony responded in an irritable voice as the music stopped. "Why're you killing my buzz, bro?

"There is a delegation to see you, sire. From the Eastern Kingdoms. From what I've been told, they ate astrologers of considerable skill." Luis answered, dutifully.

"Tell them I'm busy!" Tony huffed, still annoyed that his dancing was interrupted.

"Rome did stress to you how important it was to keep cordial relations with the East, sire." The Latino noted. At these words, Tony let out a big sigh.

"Fine. I'll see them. But I'm not putting them up in the palace." He responded. Letting out a sigh of relief, Luis made for the palace entrance. After a few moments, he reappeared with the four star-seekers. The Latino opened his mouth as if to speak, however Betty stole his thunder by blowing a blast on her trumpet. "Your Majesty! I present to you Jasmin, Melchior and Balthazar! Learned Magi of the East and astrologers who are the envy of the world!" She proclaimed.

"THAT'S MY JOB!" Luis shouted, angry at being overshadowed.

"Jeez, man." Tony snarked in his direction. "Protocol, protocol, it's all about the protocol with you. I like this kid's style! Maybe she should stay behind with me." The king then turned his attention to the Magi. "Whatever you're here to do, make it quick. I have important kingly business to get back to."

As Luis rolled his eyes so hard they almost fell out of his head, MJ began to speak. "Thank you, Your Majesty." She began. "Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We have seen his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him."

Tony froze, as though he had heard a needle scratch on his party music. "New…born…king?" He stammered, as though he was trying to speak a foreign language for the first time. "And…a star?"

"Yes, a new-born king and a star. You've seen the star right? The big-ass star that's just the right size to herald a king, passing right over here?" MJ responded, proving she was no slacker in the snark department.

"I see." Tony mused, thinking in his feet. "Well, thank you for bringing this most urgent issue to my attention. You are, of course, welcome to the hospitality of the palace whilst I consult with my advisors."

'But, Sire, you said…" Luis began to protest, but was cut off.

"Yes, I know what I said. Circumstances change! You gotta roll with the punches! That's why I'm the king, and you watch my front door. Now that our new arrivals have left us, it's time for a HEROD HUDDLE!" Tony barked. Almost instantly, he, Luis and two extras from NYU's School Of Drama stood close to their screens. Almost comically so, in fact, in order to make it seem as if they were having an actual huddle.

"Let's skip the chit chat, shall we? Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?" Tony asked/ordered.

"In Bethlehem, in Judea." Replied one of the extras. "For this is what the prophet wrote: And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be a shepherd to my people Israel. Seems pretty definitive to me!"

"A shepherd? A SHEPHERD?" Tony thundered, picking up his utensils for more scenery chewing. "Leaders are not supposed to be shepherds, they are supposed to be lions! Kindness and empathy from the ruling class? Who wants that?!"

"But Sire…" Luis attempted to speak before being cut off.

"BUT NOTHING! Now go and bring the star boys back here. I've got a mission for them." Tony cackled, whilst rubbing his hands together. Once the Magi were reassembled, he began to instruct them thusly: "So, I've been having a chinwag with some of my courtiers and the holy types, and I have a question for you. When and where exactly did you see the star?"

"About, I dunno, a week ago? It was definitely visible from Arabia. We've been following it ever since." Peter confirmed.

"Hmmm…" Tony pondered. "Go on your way. Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me, so that I can go and worship him too! After all, if there's anything that King Herod loves, it's the little children!"

"Okay." Ned shrugged, although MJ and Peter narrowed their eyes slightly at the king's over friendly attitude.

"You want that info in person, Your Majesty?" MJ replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Yes! It's like you totally get me!" Tony exclaimed, happily.

And so, the Magi continued on their quest to find the child king. When they arrived in Bethlehem, they let out an awestruck gasp as they saw the star high in the night sky, resting over the stable. As they drew near slowly, they came to behold the baby Jesus, lying sound asleep in the manger. As they watched in reverence, Betty cleared her throat as she turned her attention to Carrie. "Ma'am?" She began, doffing her hat in a sign of respect. "I am Bettias of Antioch, licensed herald. My clients Jasmin, Melchior and Balthazar, learned Magi from the Eastern Kingdoms of Arabia and Persia, saw the star that led us to this place. We know that your son will be a great king, and we have come to adore him." Betty then knelt down and bowed her head briefly, before disappearing to the side and allowing the Magi to enter.

"Great king, I bring you gold." MJ whispered, copying Betty's gesture of reverence before placing the box on the floor of her bedroom.

"Anointed Messiah, I bring you frankincense." Peter added, as he knelt in homage. Since he was in the same room as Carrie, he was actually able to place his gift at the foot of the makeshift manger. As Carrie's eyes met his, both parties fought to suppress the urge to smile at one another and stay in character. Words could not express what this moment right now meant to them.

"King of the Jews, I bring you myrrh." Ned concluded the gift giving as he placed his jar on his bedroom floor.

After the last gift was given, Betty put her trumpet to her lips and began to play the opening notes of Little Drummer Boy. The mood among the cast, both in the scene and those watching on Zoom, was quiet and humble. The song choice here was deeply symbolic, both because of the involvement of a musical instrument, albeit a trumpet girl rather than a drummer boy, but because of the role it played to serve as a lead in to what would happen after the Magi departed the stable. The song's theme was a simple one: even the smallest act of devotion would serve as an acceptable gift to Jesus.

"I still maintain that myrrh is the most depressing gift to give an infant." Ned decreed, as he and his fellow Magi stepped away from the scene. This left Danielle and Brianna, who had been virtually following along, the only ones left watching the manger. "Don't you want to adore the Messiah, Holly?" Brianna asked, gently.

"I…I can't do it!" Danielle whispered, allowing Holly's anxieties to come to the fore.

"What do you mean, you can't do it?" The angel wondered.

"I mean, I can't approach him! I'm nobody! The other people who came to see him had great responsibilities. The Magi looked so beautiful! I'm not pretty like them!" The rocker elf lamented.

"Holly, I know Jesus. More importantly, I know the man he will become. And if that man were standing in front of you today, he'd invite you to come to him just as you are, in all your imperfections. Go to him, if you want. Look, Mary and Joseph are saying it's okay!" Brianna encourage. Just as she said, Carrie and Steve were smiling brightly, inviting her in. Gulping, Danielle stepped closer to her screen, simulating stepping into the stable. "Hi…" She whispered, anxiously. She knelt down on both knees and bowed her head in her own act of worship. However, as she knelt, she felt something in her pocket. Reaching deep inside, she pulled out the rubber ball she was working on at the North Pole before Sapphire and Glitter's taunts drove her away.

"It's that toy that I was working on!" Danielle whispered, speaking to the audience. "It was meant to go to some little boy somewhere. It's such a small, insignificant gift compared to gold or frankincense…" She trailed off, as she turned her focus to the doll in the manger. "But maybe, Jesus is that lucky boy." The elf placed the small ball on her bedroom floor, hesitatingly. On the other side of the screen, Carrie picked up an identical ball that had been placed there to facilitate the giving of this particular gift. "Do you want to play?" The telekinetic cooed, as she dangled it over the crib. "Wheee!" Carrie exuded, as she dangled the ball up and down, trying to convince viewers that the doll acting as the child Jesus was trying to swipe at it.

"I think he likes your toy." Brianna smiled. "See, Holly? Even the smallest act of kindness is pleasing to Jesus."

Danielle just watched on in absolute joy as Carrie and the doll bonded over the toy. At that moment, all she wanted to do was to thank Carrie for helping her put on this pageant and giving her the best Christmas ever. However, she couldn't do that yet. Not when there was still part of the pageant to go.

"I wonder what's happening at the North Pole?" Danielle wondered, giving voice to Holly's thoughts.

*** TWFAF ***

The situation at the North Pole was, quite frankly, a shit show.

The two things that Bruce Banner and Santa had in common, was that they both liked to have a good time, and they both wanted to avoid stress. However, Bruce's version of the Jolly Red Man looked close to tearing his white beard out as he watched the chaos that was developing around him. F.R.I.D.A.Y, deeply involved in the pageant as well, was blaring a siren while repeating an emergency message. Meanwhile, in the windows around him, various elves were running in circles screaming and yelling, creating an atmosphere of bedlam.

"Warning. Toy shortage emergency. Warning. Toy shortage emergency." The AI droned.

"Mistletoe! What's going on?" Bruce demanded of his accountant.

"Oh! It's a disaster, Santa!" Nikita fretted, as she wrung her hands in anxiety. She then picked up a list she was holding. "Holly's our hardest working elf. Without her work in her absence, we're looking at distribution shortfalls of 25% in North America, 20% in Europe, 25% in Africa, 15% in Asia/Oceania and 25% in Central and South America! Which means millions of kids are going to go without toys this Christmas! This is horrible!"

"How can one elf be responsible for so much work?" Bruce questioned.

"You didn't hear this from me. But a lot of the elves are just dumping their own work of on her. No wonder she snapped!" Andrew interjected, channeling his role as Mistletoe's partner in accounting, Wine.

"Gah! We're behind on present delivery, and I've just found out a lot of my elves are lazy. Could this Christmas get any worse?" Bruce moaned, rubbing his head. It was a good thing this was Santa's stress he was channeling as opposed to his own, or else there would be a risk of Santa having quite a different complexion this year.

Suddenly, Marcus came rushing up to his window. "Bad news, Santa! The reindeer are getting restless!" As if to underline his point, the various reindeer extras were standing up close to the screen, growling and pawing at the ground. "Holly was always the one who fed the reindeer, and her being gone has messed up their eating cycle. If the reindeer are grumpy, the sleigh won't fly!"

"And it just got worse." Bruce sighed, letting out a silent scream in his hands. "What's being done about it?"

"Silver Belle's taking care of it." Marcus nodded.

Just then, the epic opening theme from Terminator 2 began to play, as the fussing reindeer looked up. Standing in the middle screen of the circle was Sarah a.k.a: Silver Belle. In additional to her elf costume, she was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. The tall British girl was holding a life size candy cane in her right hand, looking like she meant business. Striding purposefully down the aisle that was her bedroom, she slammed the giant cane into the ground, in a manner not unlike Gandalf The Grey in The Lord Of The Rings. At that thumping sound, the reindeer settled down, becoming quiet and docile. After a pause that seemed to last forever, Sarah spoke. "Right. Who wants treats?" She commanded, shaking a plastic bag of what looked like dog treats. Instantly, the reindeer leapt to their feet in desire. The British elf then began to toss the treats out, letting the reindeer eat happily.

"Just got done feeding the reindeer. They love the whole Terminator shtick." Sarah announced, as she met up with Bruce and the other elves. "And I think I can shine a light on where Holly's gone."

"Really? Do you know where she is?" Bruce asked, in a excited voice.

"No. But I know who she was talking to before she went off – Sapphire and Glitter." The Brit revealed. "It looked like they were having an argument. I'm going to take a crack at them. You're welcome to come with."

Alexis and Cat then appeared alongside the others in their own windows, working on some toys. They both looked up to see Sarah towering over them, using her own screen to maximise the height difference.

"Silver Belle! Hey!" Cat began, nervously.

"Right, let's get down to business. Where did Holly pop off to? And don't cherry pie me, me old china." Sarah commanded, putting on her best cockney accent.

"I don't know what that means!" The Latina riposted.

"Don't lie to me! Where is she?" The British elf rumbled.

"We don't know! And who cares? This place is so much better without looking at Holly's ugly face!" Alexis smirked. Just then, Nikita slammed her fist down on the table in her bedroom.

"ARE YOU BLIND?!" She yelled, getting in the bad elves' faces. "We are not better off! This whole place is going to the dogs! Without Holly and her work, global distribution of toys is down 20% - at least! Kids will get depressed and stop writing to Santa! There'll be layoffs and job cuts! And the fact that you two seem to be fine with this disgusts me! Holly's not the ugly one here – you two are!"

"Don't tell us how to act, hypocrite!" Alexis retorted, sharply. "You come in here like you're this big defender of Holly, but where was this appreciation when she was briefing you on how much a trip across North America costs? Didn't hear you say thank you! And Angelo, Jasper and Eira, don't think that Glitter and I didn't see you three try to get her to do your work for you. Sure, maybe we stepped on a few buildings and hurt her feelings. But you created the monster by taking her work for granted."

"At least we didn't bully her!" Marcus scowled.

"Yeah, this one's all on you." Sophie added, in a cold tone. She, Marcus, Lukas,Nikita and Andrew then turned their backs on Alexis and Cat, effectively ostracising Sapphire and Glitter from the elf community. Banner Claus then let out a deep sigh. "For the sake of my own sanity, I will let Silver Belle determine your punishment. But I found out today that a large portion of my elves are lazy, and my two most talented elves have been cruel to my hardest working elf. This has not been a very happy Christmas." He intoned, a look of grave disappointment on his face. For the first time, Alexis and Cat tried to convey a sense of remorse in their characters, as they couldn't look Bruce In the eye.

"With me." Sarah ordered, as she escorted the disobedient elves off to their punishment. Bruce then turned his attention to the remaining group. "How many of you would say that you liked Holly?" He inquired. A large number of the assembled elf extras raised their hands. "Now how many of you actually showed that you liked her? That you appreciated her?" Bruce continued on. Disappointedly, he received no raised hands and a whole host of uncomfortable postures. A large number of the assembled extras found the floor very interesting viewing. Banner Claus then gave an impassioned speech to the assembled gathering.

"Do you know why the North Pole is often referred to as the happiest place on earth? Do you know why each and every one of us is so happy to get to work? Do you know why I love saying 'ho ho ho' and why the world loves me for it? It's because we appreciate that there are people who believe in the magic of Christmas. Not everybody has that child-like wonder for the season of Christmas, the season of giving. But Holly did. I don't know where she's gone. I hope she comes back. That way, you can appreciate why she makes this workshop – this magical workshop - run so well."

Meanwhile, Sarah was escorting Alexis and Cat to their punishment. "What's going to happen to us?" Alexis wondered.

"You're going to be the doing the job that Holly was meant to be doing right now – mucking out the reindeer's stalls." Sarah decreed. "Put these on and get to work." Alexis and Cat then dinned a pair of yellow rubber gloves that they had in their rooms. As they approached the stables, the two miscreant elves began to plug their noses, for the obvious stable-related reasons.

"Ugh! It smells!" Cat whined, as she held her nose.

"Well, score another one for you. I had to calm the reindeer with treats, because Holly wasn't here to give them the good stuff. Really opens up their southern ends." Sarah replied. "Now get to work!"

Groaning, Alexis and Cat then began to get to work mucking out the stalls. They mimed the various tasks involved, such as picking up the hay and removing it, sifting manure out of the shavings with a shaving fork, depositing the reindeer manure in a wheelbarrow, scooping up wet shavings and seeping the floors. As they worked, the duo became deeply lost in thought. After a while, Alexis opened her mouth. "Glitter? I feel really terrible about how we treated Holly." She murmured, as she leant on her broom.

"Me too. I've always wanted to be one of Santa's elves. I would've wanted people to be nice to me. I never knew she did so much for the workshop." Cat sighed, as she mimed shovelling manure.

"They're saying Santa might have to let some elves go because of this. I never wanted that to happen!" Alexis began to tear up as she spoke.

"And I don't want kids to go without toys!" Cat cried, as she put her head in her hands.

"So, all that's left to say is…" Alexis choked up.

"WE RUINED CHRISTMAS!" The two elves chorused together. Alexis and Cat then broke down, sobbing despondently in the two elves couldn't see the damage they were doing at the time. However, they were learning the lesson that a lot of people had learned – words have consequences. They knew that their actions had just pushed Christmas to the brink of disaster. And they were searching for a way out.

"Why did we do what we did? Why did we have to be so mean?" Cat bawled, as she wrapped her hands around her legs.

"I wish Holly was here! I wish that we could say sorry to her!" Alexis wept.

Right on cue, a bright light appeared and the image of Brianna appeared on the screen next to them. Alexis and Cat let out a gasp of shock as they saw the great creature. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Alexis wondered in astonishment.

"The Angel Of Christmas. I know what you did to Holly, Sapphire and Glitter. And let me tell you, I am not pleased. And neither is the Big Man Upstairs. But I see that you're learning your lesson – that doing the wrong thing stinks." Brianna replied.

"In more ways than one." Alexis grumbled, as she caught a whiff of the imaginary manure.

"How do you guys feel?" The angel inquired.

"Horrible! We just ruined Christmas for the whole world! It's all our fault!" Cat lamented, shaking her head.

"What if I told you that it wasn't true? That there was still a chance for you to put this right and save Christmas?" Brianna asked the two elves.

"You mean…we can make up for our mistakes?" Alexis breathed, daring to hope.

"Yes. But you have to come with me." Brianna nodded.

"We'll do it. This is our fault – we need to fix it!" Cat stood up, with determination on her face.

"You know, if you don't like the smell of an animal's, uh, natural calling, you're not going to like where we're going next very much either." The angel warned.

"We don't care! Please! Let us make this right! Let us help to give the world a happy Christmas!" Alexis begged, clasping her hands together.

"Then come on!" Brianna beamed, as she whisked the now remorseful elves off to what would be the beginning of the pageant's denouement.

*** TWFAF ***

When Brianna, Alexis and Cat next appeared on screen, the Christmas Star appeared along with them. The two elves got up and dusted themselves off as they grumbled about the impact. Their eyes squinted as they adjusted to their new surroundings. "Where are we?" Cat wondered.

"We're in a place called Bethlehem, 2000 years ago. This is where Holly is!" Brianna pointed out.

"That's a massive star!" Alexis gasped, pointing out the bright object in the sky and in the screen.

"That star marks the place where Holly currently is. Let's go find her. You know what you have to do." The angel replied. Nodding seriously, Alexis and Cat allowed themselves to be led in the direction of the star and stable by Brianna. After a period of walking, they came across the stable where the Nativity took place. Carrie and Steve were still awake, fussing over the doll that acted as the baby Jesus. However, in another window, was Danielle. Dressed in Holly's costume, she was having a big, long nap on a pile of nearby hay. Alexis and Cat began to approach their screens tentatively, to simulate getting closer to her. "She looks so peaceful…" Cat whispered.

Just then, Danielle jerked out of her peaceful sleep. Her eyes narrowed and a look of indignation crossed her face as she took in the sight of her tormentors. "Not you two!" She fumed, as she got up out of the hay and stormed away from the stable. Alexis and Cat followed her, calling out "Holly!" repeatedly. Eventually, Danielle turned around to confront the angel. "Why did you bring them here?!" She shouted, pointing out the two miscreants. "They ruined my life!"

"We're really sorry, Holly! I'm sorry for laughing at you!" Cat pleaded, tears in her eyes.

"Please give us another chance!" Alexis begged, earnestly.

"No! Apology not accepted!" Danielle answered, in an angry voice. "You don't get to show up here and act all sorry after you almost made me want to leave the workshop. Heck, part of me still wants to leave the North Pole! Let me ask you something, Sapphire and Glitter: Did you have any idea of the damage you were doing to my self-esteem every time you laughed at me? And it's not just you: Lukas, Jasper and Eira have been dumping their work off on me for years! Their toy cars, their soldiers, their freaking NBA League Pass subscriptions! HOW DO YOU MAKE A SUBSCRIPTION? IT'S A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION! And yet, I do it all! You know why? Because I love Christmas! I'm the elf that makes Christmas run on time! And I've never heard a single word of appreciation for all that I do. No thank you for making those lazy elves stay gainfully employed, nor a note of thanks from a grateful child for making their first toy! Well, it's tough luck for you, because I've finally found someone who appreciates me for me!"

"Who?" Cat inquired.

"Jesus! The boy in the manger!" The rocker elf shot back. "He got all these amazing gifts, but guess what? He liked my toy the best! The angel says he's going to be a king, and I want to stay here and follow him? You know what? Give me one good reason why I should go back to the North Pole! Just one!"

"There's a massive shortfall in toy distribution. If we don't make up the difference, millions of people all across the world will go without presents this year! If that happens, people will stop writing to Santa and there'll be job cuts! Please come back!" Alexis begged.

"It'll be different this time, Holly! We promise!" Cat urged, desperately.

"I agree with them.' Brianna declared, putting her stake in the ground.

"What?!" Danielle gasped. She presented Holly's shock that such a creature of light and purity would side with her bullies over her.

"You said it yourself: you put up with the shabby treatment from the other elves because of one simple reason. You love Christmas." The angel began. "The reason parents go through the trouble of sending their children's Christmas lists to the North Pole is because they love their children and want to see them happy. Don't you get it? Christmas isn't a holiday about presents, it's about love! The child Jesus in the manger, and that star? They represent love itself, coming to earth. I told you before, Holly, that I know the man that child becomes. He has a lot of interesting things to say. One of them is to love your enemies. If you want to follow Jesus, the author of love itself, what greater example could there be than working with two people – well, two elves – who have wronged you to bring joy to millions?"

Danielle hang her head and let out a deep sigh. She conveyed Holly's realisation that the angel was right – that the best way to follow Jesus was to put aside her differences with her fellow elves and get Christmas back on track. "You're right." She moped, kicking the ground beneath her feet. "I was so desperate for some sort of validation for my work that I forgot what Christmas is truly all about: the love people have for one another. I love my fellow elves, and don't want to see anything bad happen to them. So, I will go back with you, Sapphire and Glitter. And I forgive you."

"Oh, thank you, Holly! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Alexis smiled in relief, as she and Cat surged toward their screens. The trio then stood at their screens with their arms out, trying to simulate a group hug. As Alexis, Cat and Danielle wiped away tears and exchange 'I love you's, Brianna looked deeply satisfied with her angelic work. Eventually, the trio of elves disengaged from their hug and turned to face the angel.

"We're ready to go back. We're ready to save Christmas!" Danielle announced, a determined edge to her voice.

"Excellent! I'll just summon up my angel magic and-" Brianna began. However, she was interrupted the beeping of her Apple Watch, another amusing anachronism. "Shoot! I just realised I have to deliver a warning! You three are going to have to hang around for a bit." The angel grumbled, annoyed.

The next scene brought the Magi foursome of MJ, Peter, Ned and Betty back into focus. Danielle, Alexis and Cat watched on as Brianna appeared in the dream of the astrologers and their herald to deliver a chilling warning.

"Hear me, O Magi!" Brianna trumpeted, getting their attention. "Just a little APB about King Herod. Do not go back to him! Do not trust him! He doesn't want to adore the Christ child – he wants to harm him! Return to your own country immediately! And don't take the same route back – Herod will have his guards watching for you! Go now!" After the message was sounded, the four travellers began to stir from their sleep.

"I just had the weirdest dream!" Peter gasped.

"Yeah, an angel was telling us not to go back to that Herod guy. I think we should listen to her." Ned agreed.

"I concur – he just gave me the creeps." MJ spoke, deciding for the group. "Saddle up – we'll go back through Jordan and Syria. Herod has no influence there."

"Before we go, there is the small matter of my payment. I count three introductions made across this journey, so you owe me 15,000 denarii." Betty noted, thrusting out her hand.

"And I say again, you wonder why you can't get work." MJ grumbled.

The scene then flashed to an irritable Tony, whose King Herod was grappling with the fact that it seemed there would be no update on the location of the new-born king. Luis, playing the ever-dutiful captain, was trying to calm him down, to no avail.

"It's been three weeks since those star chasers came through here. You know what? I think they've screwed me over!" Tony fumed, getting angrier by the second.

"Maybe they just forgot, sire." Luis suggested, nervously.

"DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID?!" Tony thundered, as he rose from his throne.

"Um…yes?" Luis responded, grinning sheepishly. Unimpressed, the king snapped his fingers. As two other extras playing guards advanced towards their screens, Luis threw himself to the ground flailing and screaming, in an attempt to simulate being dragged away to his own execution. Once the screaming had subsided, Tony addressed another guard. "You're in charge now. As captain of the guard, I want my every command carried out down to the letter…starting with this one."

"Okay." The poor guard squeaked, not wanting to face the fate of his predecessor.

"Spread the word throughout the land. I have a decree that all boys aged under the age of two in the town of Bethlehem and it's surrounding areas are to be put to death, as a threat to the security of the kingdom of Judea!" Tony commanded, putting some sadistic menace into his performance.

"WHAT?!" Danielle, Alexis and Cat cried out in horror, praying that they misheard.

"You did not mishear anything." Brianna answered, a stray tear slipping down her cheek.

"Your will be done, sire. But I question both the logic and morality of this command." The new captain replied, putting his objection out there for all to see.

"He has to be around there somewhere. As long as that boy lives, he is a threat to my reign. And a threat to my reign is a threat to the Herodian Kingdom. And a threat to the Herodian Kingdom is a threat to the authority of the Roman Governor. And a threat to the authority of the governor is a threat to Caesar. Do you know how Caesar handles threats, as well as those who fail to contain them? We have a pretty lenient Roman presence, in regards to allowing us to practice our religion and it's customs. They even allowed me to build a new Temple! I will not see my people subjugated and forced to worship Jupiter for the sake of a few thousand brats! As for the morality of the matter, which is worse: to "accidentally" kill a few hundred innocents in search of a security threat, or knowing that your inaction led to your entire nation being subject to a conquest that would make the Babylonian Exile seem tame by comparison? No. It is best that these children die, so that their parents may be free. I do not expect you to agree with the orders I have given you. But I do expect them to be carried out." Tony rationalised.

Scenery! Yum!

"Your will be done, sire." The soldier nodded, stony-faced, as he turned on his heel. Meanwhile, Tony continued to present the full face of King Herod's evil to the watching audience.

"You wanted to see Rachel weeping, huh, Jeremiah? TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE!" He cackled as he rubbed his hands together. The previous monologue was an example of the real King Herod. While his previous appearance painted him as a comedic figure, this scene showed the king as he really was – a cold-blooded master of realpolitik that would stop at nothing to protect his grip on power.

"After all." Tony whispered, in a voice that would make Ramsay Bolton flee in terror. "If there's anything King Herod loves, it's the little children…"

The scene then returned to the outskirts of Bethlehem. Danielle, Alexis and Cat were heartbroken by the knowledge of what was about to happen.

"This is awful! King Herod is evil!" Danielle choked out, channeling her own rage towards such an atrocity into Holly's feelings.

"We'd never dream of hurting children! Why is this happening?" Alexis gasped, covering her mouth in horror.

"We have to stop this! We can't do nothing!" Cat shouted, starting forward.

"We can do nothing about it because there is nothing to be done!" Brianna responded, showing angels, too felt anguish about what was happening. "We can't change history!"

"But what about Jesus? We have to warn Mary and Joseph! I don't want him to die!" Danielle panicked.

"Jesus is perfectly safe. There is nothing to fear." The angel soothed. "One of my brethren has warned Mary about Herod's plot. She and Joseph have taken the child and escaped."

"Where's Jesus now?" The rocker elf questioned.

"In a land far from here, where Herod will never find him." Brianna promised. This caused a very small sigh of relief to come from the elves. The angel's face grew thoughtful. "You know, a lot of the children who write to Santa are children who have seen terrible things happen to them. A lot of them have seen slaughters like what Herod has planned. Those kids deserve a merry Christmas most of all." Brianna reflected.

"We'll give one to them! We promise!" Alexis vowed.

"That's the Spirit! Now you three had better get going – Christmas is coming!" Brianna urged, as she sent them twirling home to the North Pole. After a few seconds of spinning, the three elves threw themselves to the floor. Danielle, Alexis and Cat each took turns patting the floor, to simulate the elves feeling out the surface of their new location.

"You guys! This is snow, not sand! We're home!" Danielle called out in excitement.

"Look! There's Santa's Workshop!" Alexis added.

"And the candy cane forest!" Cat added in wonder. Radiant smiles flashed across all three of their faces as they caught sight of the final piece of the puzzle – a certain man in a red suit.

"SANTA!" The trio cried out in happiness as they threw themselves at their screens.

"Ho ho ho! Where have you three been?" Bruce called out as he virtually hugged them.

"Remembering why I love working here." Danielle replied.

"Learning our lesson." Alexis and Cat added.

"Come on! Let's save Christmas!" The trio spoke as one.

"Lead the way, then. On, Holly! On, Sapphire! On, Glitter!" Santa cheered, as they entered the workshop. Once inside, they faced a horde of cheering elves. "Look, Holly's back! Hooray!" was the popular call. In amongst it, Nikita, Andrew, Lukas, Marcus and Sophie looked sincerely at Danielle through their Zoom windows.

"We're really sorry, Holly." Nikita began, in a thoughtful voice.

"We've taken your hard work for granted." Andrew added, morosely.

"We've taken advantage of your kind spirit." Lukas moped, scuffling at the floor.

"We've used you to do our work for us." Marcus murmured, humbly.

"And we didn't even say thank you." Sophie finished, bowing her head in shame. "Can you ever forgive us?"

"We thank you for your hard work." Nikita declared, throwing out her hand to give Danielle a virtual hug.

"Of course I forgive you guys. And I forgive Sapphire and Glitter as well. After all, we're all on the same team - Team Christmas!" Danielle flashed a cheeky grin.

"Ahem." A British accent butted in as Sarah interrupted the touching moment. "We're all stoked you're back, Holly. But I think now's the perfect time to institute a new rule. All elves must work on their own toys, unless there is an issue they cannot fix themselves. Got that? Fan-bloody-tastic. As you were." As she stomped off, Danielle, Alexis, Cat, Nikita, Andrew, Lukas, Marcus and Sophie all put their hands to the screen to simulate a group huddle. "Team Christmas on three!" The rocker elf called out. "One! Two! Three!"

"TEAM CHRISTMAS!" The rest of the group called out.

And with that, the rest of the elves got down to business. Each one of them doggedly kept at the task, in an effort to make up the deficit. It transpired that each elf was more effective working in one set toy than choosing which ones to design off a list. As a result, they were able to produce a large amount of smaller, more labour-efficient toys than before. And, on those rare occasions where an elf struggled with an element of the task, the others were only too happy to help. This system of output maximisation and co-operation enabled them to complete the full list of orders in December 23 – just in time for Christmas Eve.

"Mistletoe, are all expenses accounted for?" Banner Claus called out.

"Check!" Nikita nodded, as she ticked the list off.

"Sapphire, Glitter, are all the toys made and listed off?" Bruce followed up.

"Check!" Alexis and Cat gave the thumbs up.

"Holly, are the reindeer adequately fed and watered? It's a long journey." Santa questioned his hardest worker.

"Check! And check!" Danielle smiled, tipping her hat.

"Very well then! Off we go!" Banner Claus called out, as he boarded the large, present-filled sleigh that had been set up in the living room of Avengers Tower. Grabbing hold of the reigns, he began to call out the names of the reindeer. "On, Dasher! On, Dancer! On, Prancer! On, Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner! On, Blitzen! On, Rudolph!" Banner Claus' voice rang out. In response to their leader, the various reindeer began to gallop along in their rooms. Meanwhile, the elves settled down and began to watch Santa's progress around the world. One by one, they checked off the names of some of the greatest cities in the world.

"London!"

"Paris!"

"Madrid!"

"Rome!"

"Berlin!"

"Brussels!"

"Vienna!"

"Moscow!"

"Jerusalem!"

"Mecca!

"Damascus!"

"Kolkata!"

"Karachi!"

"Kathmandu!"

"Shanghai!"

"Beijing!"

"Tokyo!"

"Los Angeles!"

"San Francisco!"

"St. Louis!"

"Chicago!"

"Boston!"

"Washington D.C!"

"New York!"

"Miami!"

"Mexico City!"

"Santiago!"

"Rio de Janeiro!"

"Sad Paulo!"

"Buenos Aires!"

"Cape Town!"

"Johannesburg!"

"Melbourne!"

"Sydney!"

"Auckland!"

As the very last gift was delivered, Bruce turned to the camera.

"Well, that's all the presents delivered!" He announced, in a jolly voice. "Looks like there's nothing left to do but for me to say this. Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!"

A huge cheer went up from the watching elves. To celebrate the epic achievement, Sarah popped a bottle of champagne. "Bubbly's on me, people! Bigger than Cheltenham, this is!" She called out. Just then, F.R.I.D.A.Y began to play Kool and the Gang's Celebration, officially setting the party in motion. The elves cheered, whooped and hollered as they popped Christmas crackers, threw streamers in the air and ate and drank merrily to celebrate the occasion. As Danielle drank a glass of egg nog, Alexis and Cat came over to her, streamers in hand.

"You did it, Holly! You saved Christmas!" The two elves cheered as they threw their streamers at the screen and blew party whistles.

"No. We did it. Team Christmas did it." Danielle answered, as she raised her glass of egg nog and drank deeply.

And the party would continue all through the night.

The scene then switched to the following morning, where Danielle was groaning in pain in her bed. Apparently, the previous evenings festivities had taken their toll.

"Oooohh…shouldn't have drank that much egg nog…" She whimpered as she grabbed at her chest. Stirring from her sleep, she slowly clambered up and walked over to the table. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw a large stack of letters waiting for her.

"All of these letters are addressed to Holly The Elf. Are these letters for me? But I never get letters! Only Santa gets those!" The rocker elf gasped in surprise. Hurriedly opening the first letter, Danielle began to read. "Dear Holly, thank you for making my toy aeroplane that Santa bought me. Santa knows you work really hard, and he left me a note telling me to write this letter to you. Merry Christmas from Max." She paused momentarily after reading the letter. "Santa actually asked the children to thank me?" The elf whispered. Frantically thumbing through the pile, she began to read more letters like it. "Thank you for my Barbie doll…my racing set…my toy robot. Wow. People actually appreciate the work I put in to make their presents for them." Danielle then grew curious as she saw the last letter at the bottom of the pile. Sitting alongside was a wrapped present. Very helpfully, the letter was marked "READ ME FIRST." Picking up the letter and opening it, she began to do just that.

"Dear Holly." The letter began. "My name is Father Gabriel, and I lead a church congregation in New York City. On behalf of all the happy children in my congregation, I want to thank you and the other elves for brightening their Christmas. You don't know me, but we have a couple of friends in common. The first is Jesus Christ. You witnessed his birth, but it is my life's mission to share the story of his whole life, from birth to death, and encourage others to live by his example and follow him. You may be wondering how I know you witnessed the Nativity."

"Yeah! I am!" Danielle interjected, wondering how this stranger knew Holly's secret. She then continued reading.

"Which brings me to the second person we have in common: the Angel Of Christmas. You now know that angels appear to humans in dreams. Well, that is what happened to me last night. She said to me: "Father, there is a Christmas elf who seeks to know the ways and things of God. Get her started on the right track." And, as the story of the Nativity has shown, you don't ever question an angel! So, I honoured her request. Now it's time for you to open your present, Holly. You once said you wanted to stay in Judea and follow Jesus. Well, this present will enable you to do just that – from the comfort of the North Pole! If you're ever helping Santa out while in New York, you are most welcome to visit my church.

God bless and keep you

Father Gabriel."

Danielle then began to unwrap the present that lay in front of her. She let out a loud gasp as she saw what the present was. It was a small, leather bound book that came with a note attached. Opening up the note, the rocker elf resumed reading.

"Dear Holly, this book is a Bible. It contains the word of God our Heavenly Father, who walked among us as Jesus, the child you adored in your little trip to the past. It contains details of the life and ministry of Jesus, as well as his death and miraculous resurrection in order to conquer sin and death and save the human race. It also contains the writings of some of the apostles who travelled with Jesus, as well as one of his most ardent followers who used to despise what he stood for. Also fascinating are the writings are the prophets of old, who predicted many things that would happen in the Christmas story. But the most important thing for you to read will be the gospels. They tell of the Good News of Jesus Christ, which is meant for everyone – even elves! I hope this gift acts as a blessing to you.

Merry Christmas

Father Gabriel."

Sitting down on the bed, Danielle opened up the Bible and began to read the words of Jesus silently. She conveyed to the audience the full gamut of emotions that Holly was experiencing through her facial expressions. She looked to the sky in hope at the promise of eternal life, gasped in amazement at his miracles, pressed her fingers to her mouth in thought during his parables, covered her mouth in sadness during the crucifixion and bounced up and down in joy during the resurrection. Eventually, she just sat on her bed and bowed her head in silent reflection. As she did so, Danielle hugged the Bible close to her chest. She did not believe in grandiose spiritual gestures – a small but significant action was all that was needed to signal Holly's choice to follow Jesus. As she did this, the other elves happened upon her.

"Hey there, Holly. I see you've got some thank you letters as well." Cat noted.

'Wait. You got letters as well?" Danielle inquired.

"Yeah. Seemed Santa left letters with the children asking that they thank us for what we do. I've never been thanked before." Alexis responded, a note of emotion in her voice. Her curiosity was piqued. "What's that you've got there?" She asked, pointing at the Bible.

"For the longest time, I've never understood why I loved everything about Christmas. I knew I loved making toys for the children, but I never thought there was anything more to it. Now I know there is. The reason why we here at the North Pole literally go to the ends of the earth to put smiles on faces? It's love. Love that came to earth in the form of a boy who was born over 2000 years ago – a birth that I was truly blessed to be able to see. This book is the story of that love." The rocker elf answered.

"So…that boy we saw in the stable…" Cat pondered.

"He was Jesus. The Messiah. This book is his story. I'll tell you all about him sometime." Danielle nodded. A look of realisation crossed her face. "I just remembered! It's time to say goodbye to everyone!" She exclaimed, as she gently placed the Bible down on her bed. Turning to the camera, she smiled and waved. "So long, everyone. Thanks for coming with me on my Christmas journey! But there's one thing I'd like to tell everybody. You don't have to go to the North Pole or to church to find Christmas. As long as there is a home with love, joy, peace and happiness, Christmas is there! And on that note, we all just want to say…"

The whole cast then launched into the grand finale of the pageant: Burl Ives' Have A Holly Jolly Christmas. The song served a dual purpose: to riff on Holly's name, and to remind people to keep their spirits up during the holiday season. The uplifting song served as an excellent way to close off the show, as all the participants sang and danced in their Zoom windows. Danielle, Bruce and her fellow elves celebrated at the "North Pole", Carrie and Steve sang along in "Egypt" (their Zoom station had been redecorated to reflect the Holy Family's new location), Tony sang along unnervingly in King Herod's palace, Rebecca, Olivia and Renee partied in the fields with their sheep, the Magi celebrated while they were deep in their textbooks and Brianna and Carmen shouted in praise along with the choirs of angels. After the song had concluded, the cast gave one final address to people of the world.

"From all of us to all of you, we wish you a Merry Christmas!" Danielle smiled.

"Joyeux Noel!" Sophie acclaimed, the Belgian student adding best wishes in her native tongue of French.

"Frohe Weinachten!" Lukas added, representing Germany.

"Feliz Navidad!" Carmen and Cat chorused, representing the large number of Spanish speakers.

"Buon Natale!" Olivia beamed, chipping in for her homeland.

"Or just Happy Holidays!" Peter chirped, happily.

After the performance was finished, the entire cast began to take their virtual bows. The cast who weren't bowing took their turns applauding those who did. People who earned particular applause were Danielle, who looked embarrassed to receive such effusive praise; Carrie, who simply nodded humbly and Tony, who did a big bow worthy of his "royal" status. Once the bows and thank you's were completed, the cast retired to celebrate with their families.

Carrie made a bee-line for Peter and hugged him the second he got off the Zoom call. Both siblings were still in costume. "I love you, Peter. Thanks for commemorating the birth of my Lord with me." She smiled.

"It was no problem, Carrie." Peter nodded. Carrie then turned her attention to MJ, Ned and Betty. "Thank you for playing your parts. You had no obligation to play characters from the Bible."

"I actually really enjoyed it. But don't tell anybody – I have a reputation to uphold." MJ replied, flipping her hair.

"It was great! That Danielle girl's such a good writer." Ned raved from his screen.

"It was beautiful." Betty agreed. "You know, Carrie, I said before that I wasn't sure that I identify with the Christian meaning of Christmas. But, after having walked with these characters through a script and seeing the dedication and joy the Nativity brings out of believers, I'm looking at it differently. I think I understand why Christianity in general, and the Nativity in particular, brings people so much hope."

"Yeah, I know how you feel, Betty. I didn't understand much about Carrie's religion before." Peter agreed. "Now that I've started going to or watching Mass with her, as well as having more spiritual discussions with her, I understand why she has some of the beliefs she has – even if I don't quite agree with them."

Meanwhile, Carrie was hugging the tower's resident Santa. "You were great, Bruce! Thanks for making our pageant extra jolly!" She enthused.

"Ho Ho Ho! You're on my nice list, Carrie!" Bruce grinned, as he returned the gesture.

The telekinetic's focus now turned to Tony. "Every good story needs a good villain. And you nailed it, Dad. Thanks for honouring Jesus with me." She whispered as she clasped her father tight.

"I know how much this part of Christmas means to you. It was my pleasure. Merry Christmas, Care Bear." Tony nodded, as he embraced his daughter.

Meanwhile, the rest of the cast were taking their own victory laps. Alexis and Cat, the separated lovers, were embracing their own parents.

"You look so beautiful. I'm proud to be your father, darling." Alexis' father praised as they embraced.

"And I'm proud to be your daughter, Dad." Alexis flashed a million watt smile.

"Feliz Navidad, mija." Cat's mother wished as she hugged her daughter.

"Feliz Navidad, mami." The Latina echoed into her mother's shoulder.

"You two were just fantastic!" Brianna's mother, Candace, gushed as she pulled out her camera to take a photo of Marcus in costume and saved a screen capture of Brianna in hers. "This is going in the family Christmas letter!" Both siblings notably cringed at these words.

In the De Rossi household, Maria, who had played Prancer the reindeer, rushed down the stairs and hugged Antonio and Francesca, her and Olivia's parents. "There's our little reindeer!" Francesca beamed.

"Did you see me fly the sleigh, Papa?" The eight year old asked, in an excited voice.

"We sure did! You were the best reindeer ever!" Antonio praised.

"Hey! Where's my hug?" Olivia pouted, as she descended the stairs dressed in her shepherd's garb.

"And how could we forget our shepherd girl?" Francesca greeted, as she opened her arms. The elder daughter face shone like the sun as she rushed into her mother's arms. "Our dirty little shepherd girl…" The matriarch giggled, as she recalled Olivia's "accident" from earlier in the play. "Maybe we should put you back in diapers!"

"MAMA!" Olivia gasped in horror.

"Oh, I'm only joking, sweetheart. You sure were convincing though!" Francesca responded.

Ashley was talking on a video call to her parents from her bedroom.

"We're so proud of you, sweetheart." Her mother, a woman in her late forties with thinning brown hair, praised.

"Oui, in more ways than one. You are truly our angel, our nightingale." Her father, a strong willed Quebecois man nearing his sixtieth birthday, agreed.

"Merci beaucoup, papa et Maman." Ashley flashed a watery grin, as she let her French-Canadian heritage shine through. Just then, her phone flashed with that familiar yet urgent text. We need you. Come in now. 'No, no, no, not tonight!' She groaned, shaking her head.

"You got called in for another shift, didn't you?" Her mother asked, sympathetically.

"Yeah." The daughter replied, simply.

"Go. We know the drill. This is what we signed up for." Ashley's father nodded, as the call ended. Sighing grimly, Ashley pulled out a small bottle of hand sanitiser and began to furiously sanitise her hands. Once she was done, she got changed out of her uniform into loose fitting blue scrubs, her uniform she would wear in her role as a nurse at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, New York. She then grabbed a blue medical face mask and proceeded to put it on. Once she made sure she had covered her nose and mouth with the mask, Ashley picked up her sanitiser and her bottle of Clorox and a wet cloth. Once she had gotten in the car, she sprayed and wiped the steering wheel furiously, as she noticed her parents doing the same to the door she had just got through. She would repeat the process once she arrived at St. Peter's. Just then, she received a text message from Carrie.

Sending this on behalf of group. Know u might b working 2nite. Believe us, Ashley – u r so brave. U r the best of us.

Tears came to Ashley's eyes as she read the message. Once she had sanitised her hands after wiping her eyes, she got out of the car. Ashley then stride determinedly into the hospital, masked up and ready to fight in the ongoing pandemic.

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Renee was sitting in the living room with her mother.

"So, did you like the play, Mum?" The former cheerleader wondered.

"It was okay." Francine Hawthorne, her mother, a woman with a slightly greying variation on Renee's dirty blonde hair, responded. "It could've been more edgy."

"What, a shepherd shitting herself not edgy enough for you?" Renee laughed.

"You know all these Christmas specials. They always bang on about the hope of Christmas, and yet they never seem to acknowledge those of us who are on struggle street. The real battlers." Francine fumed.

"Well, I love you and acknowledge you every day. Especially today. Three years, Mum!" Renee exulted in joy. That night marked three years since Francine had taken her last drink of alcohol and started attending AA meetings. The large glasses of water both women held in their hands were testament to that fact.

"Merry Christmas, Renee." Francine wished, as she clinked glasses with her daughter.

"Merry Christmas, Mum." Renee returned the gesture.

"Fuck the Cowboys." Francine ground out. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same in regards to the Eagles and their hated rivals.

"Amen. Now and forever." Renee agreed, as she took a sip of water.

In St. Louis, Rebecca was attempting a DIY hair-dying situation. It was the Christmas season, after all, and she was feeling festive. So accordingly, she was trying to dye the blue streak in her hair green, in order to properly celebrate. However, dying one's own hair required a fine balance of skill and tact. As she tried to dye the small blue area, she accidentally mixed two different shades of green.. Before she knew it, a large swathe of her hair was the colour of the Grinch. But it turned out surprisingly well.

"You know what? I could get used to this!" The Midwestern girl grinned.

In Manchester, in jolly old England, Sarah was facing a particularly unwelcome conversation – namely, with the local constabulary. Two officers from the Greater Manchester Police stood at her door on a freezing December morning.

"Good morning, madam." The officer introduced, dressed in uniform and wearing a face mask. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah, 4am. Why?" Sarah retorted. She was still dressed in her elf costume, but had added a festive green mask. She was still on a high after the performance.

'We've received several noise complaints related to this residence. Could you tell us exactly what you were doing?" The officer inquired.

"I was in a pageant." The Manchester girl nodded.

"A pageant…you mean, like a play? A Christmas play?" The officer wondered.

"Yep! Best play of the sodding year, if I do say so myself!" Sarah's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"At three in the morning?!" The officer exclaimed.

"American cast, prime time for the States. Can't change that." Sarah shrugged, nonchalantly.

"You know, I did hear about this. Something about an elf and a manger…" The second officer pondered.

"Due to the circumstances, I'm letting you off with a warning." The first officer declared.

"Well, that is so bloody generous. Can't imagine there are any real crimes that might need solving right now." Sarah snarked. She then turned to the other officer, the one who had heard of the pageant. "Thank you for supporting our play. Have a merry Christmas." She wished, sincerely.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." The officer answered, nodding his head. Sarah stood at her doorway and watched the two cons tables return to their vehicle. Once they drove away, she let out a scoff.

"Wanker." She grumped, directing her ire at the first officer. She then entered her flat and shut the door behind her.

Lastly, Danielle was sitting in a couch with Thomas and Amira. Both of them had their arms around her. "You did so great, honey." Thomas whispered, kissing her.

"This was the best Hanukkah present ever." Amira added, contentedly.

"Thanks, Mum and Dad!" Danielle smiled, as she returned the kiss. She then grew downcast as a melancholy tone entered her voice. "I just wish Grandma was here." She whispered, tearily, as she let out a sniffle.

"We know. I wish she was here as well. But I know she would be so proud of you." Thomas comforted. Father and daughter then shared a long hug together. Just then, Danielle's phone started to vibrate. Scrambling up from the couch, she rushed over to pick it up. A huge grin crossed her face as she saw who was calling.

"Who is it?" Amira inquired.

"It's Michael!" She beamed with joy as she answered the call. "Hey! How are things?"

"There's my sister the elf! You were brilliant!" Michael, her twin and an offensive lineman at LSU football, raved over the phone.

"You didn't do so bad yourself today. 53-48 – you gave the quarterback a lot of time to throw! Ole Miss didn't stand a chance!" Danielle praised her brother.

"Well, flattery gets you everywhere. Could you put me on speaker?" Michael requested. Nodding, Danielle pressed the speaker button on her phone and placed it on the table, so that the whole family could talk.

"Hey there, son. Had a big win today, I see." Thomas began, happily.

"Yeah. We had to play for pride in the school and the program, and we did that." The twin brother noted.

"You know, Michael, with LSU not having a bowl game this year, I was hoping you might make it home for Christmas." Thomas stated, in a hopeful voice.

The loud groan that came over the phone quickly dashed those hopes. "No can do. I'd have to quarantine for 14 days if I came up there. The Christmas break here's only about a week. Looks like I'm stuck here. Plus, this is for the best: I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to Dani because of me."

"You're a good brother, Michael. So, how are you going to spend Christmas?" Amira wondered.

"The team's going to have a socially distanced Christmas party. The O-line will have their own bubble, wide receivers another, quarterbacks another and so on. We're all going to be masked and anything. I'll patch you in, Dani. You might even meet Coach O!" Michael enthused, referring to Coach Ed Orgeron, the colourful mentor of LSU's football program.

"The only thing that comes out of his mouth that I can understand is Geaux Tigers. It's that damn Cajun accent!" Thomas fumed.

"Yeah, it took some getting used to." Michael admitted. He then injected some extra gravel into his voice. "Cher, boys. Gotta run this practice virtually, because papere threw my mask in the bayou. Geaux Tigers." He rumbled, doing a spot on impersonation of the infamous coach that had his family in stitches of laughter. Once she had gotten her laughter under control, Danielle took up the questioning: "What's it like on campus?"

"Fantastic. You'll love it. Next year, okay Dani?" Michael promised.

"Next year. Cool." She whispered, trying to get some hope into her voice.

"Well, we won't keep you. Until next time, son. Take care." Thomas farewelled, as he signed off the call. After taking a deep breath, he turned to Danielle. "Well, we had better get our little Christmas elf some hot cocoa. She's earned it!" He smiled lovingly. A small but contented smile crossed the rocker's face at his words. Sure, their relationship wasn't perfect. And they still had a long way to go. But it was in moments like this – just simple family bonding – that Danielle realised the true magic of Christmas. The cocoa tasted as sweet as honey as she drank it down.

*** TWFAF ***

A week later, December 25 came, and with it, Christmas Day. It was a day full of music and cheer in the Avengers Tower.

The day started at 6am, as Carrie got up at the crack of dawn. "Give me Christmas music, F.R.I.D.A.Y." She grinned. Here Comes Santa Claus began to play as she donned a small red Santa hat. Her face full of glee, she ran into Tony and Pepper's bedroom. "Wake up, Mum and Dad! It's Christmas!" She squealed in glee as she threw herself on their bed. With energy to burn, she then ran into Peter's bedroom. "Wake up, Peter! It's Christmas!" Carrie laughed as she tagged her brother on her shoulder. Running down the hallway to Bruce's room, she threw open the door. "It's Christmas, Bruce!" She called out as she sprinted into the kitchen. She jumped around in anticipation as the other occupants of the tower came crawling into the living room.

"Well, we may as well open these presents." Tony cracked, as he spread his hand around the large amounts of gifts that were strewn under the tree. 'Carrie can give them out, since she's so enthusiastic about it."

And so, the gift-giving session began. Gifts Carrie bestowed included a new bottle of perfume for Pepper, a "World's Best Dad" beer glass for Tony, an advance subscription to Discovery's new streaming service for Bruce and a Brooklyn Nets City Edition jersey for Peter. She had also ordered and sent out several gifts to her various friends. These included the latest Italian Azzuri soccer strip for Olivia, a Philadelphia Flyers away sweater for Renee to complement the home one she possessed, a pair of gay pride flags for Alexis and Cat, a statue of Our Lady Of Fatima for Danielle, an "I Am Black Excellence" T-shirt for Brianna and a small nightingale necklace for Ashley, a symbol of her ongoing fight as a health worker in the pandemic.

Notable gifts that Carrie received included a new Google Chromecast, a book about the history of baseball, a subscription to NBA League Pass, a blue New York Giants cap, a year of free Disney+ and a biography of Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine. These were just some among a large number of gifts she received from her family and friends.

After presents, Carrie sat alone with Peter and Steve and watched the live-streamed Christmas Mass from her home church, St. Mary Of The Angels. Given the major roles all three had played in the pageant just a week prior, hearing the Christmas story served as a poignant beacon of hope for the three viewers. Carrie had prayed earnestly for the safety of all people, especially her family and friends, during this Christmas like no other.

That afternoon, after a sumptuous feast of meat and potatoes, Carrie invited her friends to celebrate a Zoom Christmas with her. To the surprise of many, she had invited two others who up until that point had not been part of their little circle – Rebecca and Sarah.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see them, but why are Rebecca and Sarah here, Carrie?" Cat inquired.

"Because I hadn't really got to know them before the pageant. And now that I've gotten to speak with them and learn more about them as people, I think it's time we induct them into the friendship group." Carrie responded, honestly.

"Induct? You're not going to "Black Mirror PM" us, are you, Carrie?" Sarah joked, as she sat in her Manchester flat surrounded by Christmas decorations.

"No! Nothing like that!" Carrie laughed. "We just really enjoy having you around, Sarah. You and Rebecca."

"Yeah, you two really gave something to the pageant." Olivia agreed.

"That settles it, then." Carrie smiled.

"Sweet." Rebecca laughed, happily. She did a double take when she noticed the group staring at her dyed green hair. "Oh, this? Tried to dye my blue streak green over the weekend, and accidentally got the whole bunch. But you know what? I like this better."

The group then took turns discussing Christmas at their place and their presents, with the ones Carrie had sent presents to thanking her for them.

"Here's my Nativity set, which I call "A Very Philly Christmas!" Renee introduced, as she showed off her set. Joining the shepherds, angels and Magi at the birth were Swoop The Eagle, mascot of Philadelphia's football team, the Phillie Phanatic; a green furry creature with a prominent snout that rooted for the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball and Gritty, the orange creature that had become the meme-worthy face of the Philadelphia Flyers.

"That's very creative, Renee." Olivia praised.

"Hey, it's like I say, every created thing shall bow." The Pennsylvanian shrugged.

"Thanks for the statue of Our Lady Of Fatima, Carrie. It means a lot to me.' Danielle thanked.

"No problem. I knew how bummed you were at not being able to visit the Fatima shrine this year. Thank you for the book you sent me." Carrie replied.

"You've often heard me talk about being a "Dave Mustaine Christian" – that book explains why." The metal fan simply answered, nodding her head.

"Thanks for the League Pass sub, Olivia!" Carrie acknowledged.

"Don't mention it! Now you can stop sucking on the Knicks' saggy tits, Carrie!" The Italian-American cackled in glee.

"You know, you could always just follow the Nets…" Alexis suggested.

"No. I'm not from Brooklyn. I don't want to be a fake." The telekinetic shrugged.

"You follow Kansas City in the NFL." The blonde lesbian pointed out.

"That's different." Carrie reasoned. "That Patrick Mahomes, he…he's just so dreamy!" She swooned.

"Oh! Our girl has a celebrity crush! He's taken, by the way." Olivia pointed out.

"I know. Speaking of the NFL, Peter got me a Giants cap. I don't really know how to feel about that – I already have a team." The telekinetic pondered.

"Chiefs are your AFC team – Giants can be your NFC team." The Italian-American shrugged.

"Okay. I'll do that, then." Carrie nodded.

"Traitor! I took you to an Eagles game, Carrie! We saw Gritty! Did that mean nothing to you?" Renee exclaimed, in a fit of mock indignation.

"It was just a fling. Nothing more." Carrie giggled, getting into the spirit.

"You…you mascot whore!" The former cheerleader gasped. The rest of the participants in the chat were cracking up laughing. "What's so funny?! Carrie's letting her morals slip! She doesn't know where the G-Men have been!"

"Please tell me more about slipping standards, Miss Tied With The Bengals." Olivia sassed.

"Isn't that part of the fun?" Carrie teased, in a sultry voice.

"Is that a saucy little minx I hear hiding away beneath that wholesome image, Carrie?" Cat chuckled.

"Maybe there is and maybe there isn't – I never kiss and tell!" She laughed.

"I'm just joking, Carrie." Renee chuckled, shaking her head. "You can cheer for who you want. But know this: now that you have made your choice, for two Sundays every year, I will be obligated to hate you with the fury of a thousand suns. Fine, maybe only a hundred suns – thousand sun level hate is still reserved for those blue star wearing idiots in Dallas."

"Can we chill with the sex as sports fandom metaphor talk now and focus on what's really important – on how we're keeping safe?" Danielle interrupted. "Michael's not coming home – he's having his own safe gathering with his O-line in a beer pod."

"I would think we're all keeping safe by staying at home." Ashley responded, simply. "I mean, if I even step outside my bedroom I'm wearing a mask."

"Yeah, my family have had video Christmas with Marco in Vegas and my relatives in Italy." Olivia agreed.

"Same thing with my family in Austria." Alexis nodded.

"It's just me and my family here." Carrie chipped in.

"Same with me and my mum." Renee pointed out.

"I'm actually at home – quarantining in my room." Brianna revealed. "I just wanted to be in my own bed, even if I have to spend the entire winter break here. But Mum told me about this new rule that you can test out of quarantine after five days if you get a negative test when you arrive and before you departed. I tested negative before I left Dartmouth, and Mum took me to get my second test today. If it's negative, I get to spend the rest of the holidays with my family."

"Here's hoping!" Carrie nodded.

"Hell of a present, though. Swab up your nose, Merry Christmas!" Olivia teased.

'If only I was so lucky." Sarah grumbled. "My mother's been getting on my case about why I'm not coming over for Christmas lunch, not understanding that stay at home orders mean just that - to stay at fucking home!"

"Your mum's not a pandemic denier, is she, Sarah?" Carrie asked, concerned

"Not a denier, thank Christ. She wears her mask and obeys whatever distancing/movement restrictions are in place." The British girl answered. "But she is one of those people that thinks that if United can go gallivanting off to Leicester to play in the Premier League, then I have no excuse. I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's not a bloody lockdown if the schools are open and the footy's on!"

"That's one of my major issues with how America has handled COVID-19. With sports operating, many people are thinking: "Travel for thee but not for me? Screw you!" and going off all over the show, causing spikes. I just know I'm going to be wiped out over the next fortnight." Ashley sighed.

"Well, that's why we're gathered together like this. We're staying home for you, as trite as that may sound." Danielle replied.

"I meant what I said in that text, Ashley – you're the best of us." Carrie agreed.

"When this is over, and we're allowed to meet in groups and we've all got the needle, we're going to host a party, the sole purpose of which will be kissing your ass. You're doing God's own work right now." Olivia announced, proudly. "Anyway, Ash, we were talking earlier and we each have some big news to share with the group."

"You go first." Ashley demurred.

"Thanks. Anyway, I'll be going to Italy next year. I've accepted an invite to a Juventus women's summer training camp. I'm going to have the opportunity to make the team! Dad and I have been frustrated with this purgatory, trying to find ways to revive my stalled career. There were a number of other pro teams out there interested, but their invites were conditional on me going through college. Dad figures that if I'm going to resume formal activities, it should be done in the safest environment possible. If there are still quarantine requirements in the summer, they'll pay for that as well."

"That's amazing, Livy? But what about Notre Dame?" Brianna wondered.

"They've been really supportive. They're leaving open the option of me coming to play for them if I don't make it over there. They were really gracious about me opting out this year as well." The Italian-American nodded.

"This is a fantastic opportunity, Livy. We're so happy for you!" Carrie beamed in pride.

"Yeah, you're going to slay!" Cat cheered. The rest of the group followed suit and began to pound their tables in support.

"Thanks, guys!" Olivia smiled. Her voice then grew semi-concerned. "You're taking this well, Carrie. I mean, by this time next year, all things going to plan, none of us will be here in New York."

"Do you want to know the one thing about 2020 that I'm grateful for?" Carrie asked, as she fiddled with her hair. "It's that it's forced me to act as if none of you are in the city. Some of you aren't, even now. Sure, we could have had these calls from our various colleges if things were normal. But initially, I'm sure I would've felt some resentment. I mean, I had just made all these friends, and now you'd be leaving me! However, this pandemic has forced me to make that adjustment out of selfless, altruistic motives. And now I realise that you all have such amazing destinies, and that it would be selfish of me to complain. I've learned to let go of my sadness at not being able to see you in person, and simply be grateful to see you at all."

"That's the spirit, Carrie! Keep your head up – we'll do this together next year!" Alexis flashed a broad smile.

"Now, you said you had some news, Ashley?" Renee asked, curiously.

"Well, I didn't want to make a big deal about this, but…I learned yesterday that I'll be getting the vaccine next month. They're prioritising those who work directly with COVID patients and the elderly, then moving on to other health workers. My first jab of two is set for the 15th." The nurse revealed.

This announcement drew a vocal round of applause from the assembled virtual group, along with much whooping and cheering.

"This is great news! Praise be to God!" Danielle rejoiced.

"Now this is what I call ending the year on a high!" Sarah grinned.

"Congratulations, Ashley!" Carrie smiled, happily.

"Come on! Virtual hugs!" Olivia called out, as the group formed their hands into heart shapes, showing Ashley just how much they loved her. The French-Canadian nurse smiled as she returned the gesture.

Buoyant, the rest of the group spent the rest of the afternoon singing Christmas carols together. Carrie, Alexis, Cat, Brianna, Olivia, Danielle, Renee, Ashley, Sarah and Rebecca all took turns nominating carols for the group to sing. These included O Come All Ye Faithful, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, The First Noel, Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, O Tannenbaum, Snoopy's Christmas, Away In A Manger, Fairytale Of New York, Silent Night, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire, Santa Baby and We Wish You A Merry Christmas. The ten girls all wore huge smiles in their faces as they let their hearts be filled with the spirit of the season. In these moments, it didn't matter how tough things were. This moment, right here, with good friends – this is what Christmas was all about to Carrie.

"Right, I think we all want to spend the evening with our families. But that still leaves time for one more carol." Danielle decided.

"Yeah. And since we're here on Carrie's posh Zoom plan, she should decide it." Sarah agreed.

"I'd be honoured to." Carrie responded, her eyes twinkling. "This is my personal favourite carol. And it also represents my fondest wish for the world in this strenuous time."

The telekinetic then led the group in a stirring rendition of Joy To The World. The virtually assembled girls felt their hearts soar as they poured out their joy at the Christmas season. As they sang, they couldn't help but reflect on what the wonders of his love had done for each of them. Even though none of them was what one might think of as a perfect Catholic, their faith had kept them going through good times and bad – especially the bad. The love of God had also inspired them to put on a wonderful pageant for a viewers from all around the world. All in all, they could not think of a more appropriate sing to mark their Christmas gathering.

"I love you guys so much! Merry Christmas, everybody!" Carrie smiled broadly, as she farewelled her friends.

"Merry Christmas, Carrie!" Olivia farewelled.

"God bless you, everyone!" Danielle waved, referencing the end A Christmas Carol.

"Stay safe!" Alexis and Cat intoned as one.

"And raise a glass to the world!" Sarah grinned, as she left the call.

Having said her goodbyes, Carrie got up and went back out into the main room of the tower. Tony and Peter sat at one of the large windows, watching snow fall in the winter air. "Hey guys." She announced.

"Oh. Hey, Carrie. Did you have a good Christmas chat with your friends?" Tony asked.

"Yes! We discussed our presents, argued about sports and sang Christmas carols!" Carrie beamed.

"So just like any other Christmas then." Tony joked.

"Are your friends having a good Christmas, Peter?" Carrie inquired.

"Yeah. They all feel it's nice to just slow down and relax." Peter nodded.

"That's good. Anyway, a couple of my friends have some really big news." The telekinetic segued.

"Oh?" Tony wondered.

"Olivia's gotten an opportunity to train with the Juventus women's team in Italy next summer and Ashley just learned she's getting the COVID-19 vaccine in the New Year." Carrie smiled, beaming optimism all over the room.

"That's wonderful!" Peter grinned.

"Yeah. Looks like 2021's already a better year than 2020, huh Carebear?" Tony smiled fondly, as he rubbed Carrie's shoulder.

"Yeah, Dad. I sure hope so." Carrie wished. Her attention then turned to the snow that was falling outside. "I just love white Christmases. They're beautiful." She stated, as she watched the white flakes swirl, fall and settle on the ground. "Do you remember my first day in New York, Dad? When you took me around the city and the snow fell on us as we were walking? That was the most magical day of my life. And now I feel that same magic again now."

"Yeah. It's beautiful." Tony agreed, as Peter nodded.

Carrie then opened her mouth and began to sing her own take on Bing Crosby's White Christmas. Her wistful voice carried around the tower, causing Steve and Bruce to drop what they were doing and come listen. She imagined herself running all over the famous city of New York as snow fell around her. She imagined herself arriving at each of her friend's house and throwing snowballs at them, and getting some snowballs of her own back. Her voice conveyed wonder at the amazing sight, but also mild sorrow for those things she had missed out on and her deepest hope that she would be able to do all those things with her friends in person next year; that she would be able to have a Christmas like the ones she used to know.

"Merry Christmas, Carrie." Peter whispered, as he gave her a big hug after her song.

"Merry Christmas, Peter. Merry Christmas, Dad." Carrie responded, with happiness in her voice as she embraced her brother and father.

"Do we get in on this hugging action?" Bruce joked, as he and Steve joined the hug.

"Of course!" Carrie laughed, as they gathered together in a circle. Once they disengaged, Tony got a wicked look on his face.

"Come on, now! Enough of this sappy stuff. Friday, give us some funky Christmas beats!" He announced.

"And maybe pick a song that Peter will like." Carrie suggested.

"I think I have just the song for you, Mr. Parker." The AI introduced. Peter then gasped in excitement as the opening beats of Christmas In Hollis by Run DMC began to play across the tower's music system.

"I love this song! I'm from Forrest Hills, not Hollis, but Queens represent!" The wallcrawler laughed as he began to dance to the music.

"See? I know you'd like it!" Carrie winked, as she began to dance alongside her brother.

"Come on, Capsicle! Get in there!" Tony encouraged Steve. Reluctantly, Steve stepped in the middle of the gathering and began to do the robot. As Bruce tried to boogie down, Carrie and Peter stood together, drinking glasses of soda.

"Here's to the Christmas spirit." Carrie smiled.

"To the Christmas spirit." Peter agreed.

"Cheers!" They both chorused as they clinked their glasses and drank.

As the beats of New York's Christmas anthem continued to pound out, both Carrie and Peter's friends were celebrating the festive season in their own unique ways.

MJ was placing the Christmas star high above all her other decorations – a reference to her role as leader of the Magi in the pageant. Ned had made a snowman with a scarf wrapped around his nose and mouth, a reference to the ongoing pandemic. Betty and her parents were laughing as they made snow angels in the backyard. Alexis and Cat were both covered with tinsel and fake snow as they blew kisses to each other over Skype. Brianna smiled as she received a text informing her that she had tested negative for COVID-19 - that plus the negative test she had returned when she had left Dartmouth's campus had meant she was able to test out of quarantine after five days and was able to join her family for Christmas dinner. Olivia let out a gasp of delight as she watched LeBron James nail a devastating poster dunk over Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks during the Christmas Day NBA action. Danielle was dressed as a mini Santa and was holding a virtual jam session with her band. Renee had made a snow Santa and began to kick it down, a twist on the infamous snowballing of Santa by Philadelphia Eagles fans. Ashley and her parents each wore a mask as they stared at the winter stars together. Rebecca and her younger brother played video games together as Christmas dinner was served. Sarah was dressed up as the pink Power Ranger and was dancing and singing from her couch as she watched that most British of festive traditions – the World Darts Championships from Alexandra Palace.

Yes, for Carrie, Peter and their family and friends, it was a very happy Christmas indeed.

THE END.