Author's Note: Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas full of family and relaxation. There should be maybe one more chapter before Operation Christmas Lloyd officially comes to an end. Once again, I apologize for not being able to finish this before Christmas, but I really do appreciate the ongoing support from all my readers! Please enjoy "Christmas Eve"!

Replies to Reviews:

Guest: I had a wonderful Christmas, how about you? Sending much love your way and hoping that you enjoy this next chapter!

Jbomb217: Foreshadowing and referencing past events is something I really enjoy getting to do! It's super fun to see what people manage to catch. You found all of them, I think. And yep, that was Harumi! I fail to believe that being adopted by the royal family would not gain the attention of the media… also, I thought she was an interesting character, whom I may attempt to do something more substantial with someday, if I ever get the time. Yup, definitely very awkward. That imagery just popped into my head, so I went for it. Everything worked out – I don't have the heart to be mean to Lloyd at Christmas! Thank you so much for your feedback! Please enjoy "Christmas Eve"!

Spider-Man Super-Fan: Oh, Yay! While unexpected, I really wanted to have at least a little bit of Garmadon in this story, and the thought of Kai and Nya being forced to meet with him in such a sketchy way was super fun to write! Having four hands doesn't help with everything, I'm afraid, but Garmadon is trying, and that's all that really matters anyway! Hope you enjoy "Christmas Eve"!

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"Rockin' around the Christmas tree – something, something, something rock," The ninja of earth sang at the top of his lungs, setting a plate of cookies on the table. Nya looked up from her sketchpad, laughing.

"Pretty sure that's not how that song goes, Cole."

"Whatever. It's Christmas Eve. Who cares if I don't remember the lyrics to every Christmas carol ever?" He replied before bursting out in song again. Carrying a jug of eggnog and some glasses, Jay joined in the singing. He relieved himself of the beverage before prancing over to his girlfriend, who quickly covered the drawing she'd been working on. Was it a Christmas present for someone? He was tempted to ask, but knew he probably wouldn't get an answer. Nya had been very secretive about anything regarding gifts for her family.

"Mistletoe hung where you can see, ev'ry couple tries to stop," Jay pulled her off of the couch, twirling her around the room as the two continued harmonizing. Dizzily spinning and laughing, the two lost themselves in the song, enjoying the moment they had snatched for themselves in the midst of all the holiday chaos. He dipped her as they leaned in for a kiss (and somehow managed to not drop her), just in time to hear the rest of their family – minus Sensei Wu, who was off meditating somewhere - enter the TV room.

"You guys are such dorks!" The future Green Ninja complained. The couple righted themselves, smiling softly at each other.

"That may be true, but we're your dorks. Can't get rid of us, now can you?" Cole said, throwing an arm around his shoulders. Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"And we're the only dorks who'll let you stay up past your bedtime and watch movies." Kai pointed out, "Especially when one of us doesn't even particularly like Rudolph."

"You're sure you are up for this? We can select something else, if need be." Zane offered. Kai shrugged.

"I'll be fine. Probably? I can always wear this if I need to. Hearing the movie shouldn't bother me as much as seeing it." He held up a sleep mask he must have snagged from Nya's stash of self care products. It was bright blue and coated with sparkles – not something Kai would have been likely to keep on hand for himself.

"Not even going to ask how long you've had that…" His sister decided wisely. Growing up as each other's only family, Nya had long ago resigned herself to the reality that pretty much everything she owned was in joint custody with Kai. Even the things she would never had expected him to take an interest in, like sleep masks and strawberry scented shampoo – speaking of which, he definitely still owed her for that. Not that she could complain very much, given that she treated his belongings just the same. What could she say? He had astoundingly good taste sometimes. But if he ever touched her samurai mech? She would take no responsibility for any retaliation that might occur as a result.

"I for one, plan to make the most of Sensei Wu letting us off of early sunrise exercises tomorrow, so let's get this party started." Jay commented, attempting to avoid any conflict between the two. Who knew what else Kai had stolen (? Yeah, that seemed like a good word.) from her.

"Eh. Might as well." The movie quickly made its way out of its case and into the DVD player. The samurai found herself wedged tightly between Lloyd and Jay. A familiar tune played as the opening credits rolled into view.

"What is this, a game of 'how many ninja can you fit on a couch'?" She cried when her brother tried to join them on the already overcrowded piece of furniture.

"There are plenty of chairs that are not already occupied. I think everyone, including yourself, would be more comfortable if you selected one of them instead." Suggested Zane. Nya nodded in agreement. She'd appreciate actually having room to breath, thank you very much.

"But-" He protested, looking warily at the two teens, who were, in his opinion, sitting far too close to each other. The nindroid stared at him sternly. He sighed before eventually taking up residence in a nearby recliner. He'd just have to supervise the couple from there. Conversation died off once the anthropomorphic snowman introduced the story. Lloyd, having never seen a talking snow sculpture, was immediately drawn into the plot. Nibbling on a cookie and noisily slurping his eggnog, he made sure to squee and gasp dramatically at all the right moments. Until… Were those tears in his eyes?

"Lloyd, you okay? You kinda look like you're… Crying?" A concerned Nya asked him during the segment that took place on the Island of Misfit Toys. Lloyd shook his head stubbornly.

"N-nuhuh. M'not crying… Just… Rudolph's got a red nose, an' all Hermie wants is to be a dentist, and sure, some of those toys are a little weird, but people are so mean to them? Like, they did nothing to deserve that? And it's… it's so sad! Why do people have to be so mean?" The small boy sobbed. He rubbed furiously at his face in attempt to remove the snot and tears. Someone would definitely have to confiscate his sweater for washing later.

"I know! It's heartbreaking!" Jay joined in, completely serious.

"Okaaay… No more eggnog for you two." Cole determined, snatching their glasses. The two boys looked despairingly at each other. Not only was this movie depressing as heck, but now they'd lost their drinks as well? Nya wasn't quite convinced that the eggnog was the only thing causing Lloyd to become so emotional. Jay, sure. He was awfully sentimental, crying easily while watching soap operas with her, and the added sugar probably wasn't helping. But Lloyd? It seemed much more likely that he was unconsciously aware of the parallels between his own life and the events displayed in the movie. After all, his history of abandonment and difficulty fitting in with peers could certainly speak to what many of the characters experienced. So, she put an arm around his shoulders and told him,

"Don't worry. Everything gets better for them in the end – I promise…" And hopefully, the same will be true for you…Lloyd snuggled up to his adoptive sister's side, reveling in the safety and comfort she radiated. Eventually, his breathing calmed, and his face began to dry. Soon, he was content to watch the remainder of the movie in silence. Lloyd was pleased to discover that Nya's assurances had been accurate. Seeing the reindeer and the elf (whom Kai still seemed slightly terrified by-he'd ended up donning the sleeping mask almost immediately) gain acceptance from the rest of the North Pole and each of the toys finally find a home, brought a look of joy to his face. Though, he thought as he let out a ginormous yawn, he was starting to understand why the others didn't usually let him stay up so late. His eyelids were so heavy… Nobody would mind if he just fell asleep right there on the couch, right? It was so comfy and…

"Oh… Look, he's sleeping…" Nya whispered. He looked so calm and peaceful like that. Not much like the energetic, mischievous boy he was when awake.

"Kid's had a lot going on lately. Let's get him to bed." The master of fire (sans sleeping mask) gently lifted the boy and carried him to his bedroom. Even after months of living with the ninja and having people who were very invested in his wellbeing, Lloyd was still awfully small for his age. And light. It felt like he weighed less than most of the tools Kai had used back when he was still a blacksmith. If the kid didn't have a growth spurt one of these days, he was gonna end up being a midget or something.

"Don' forget… the… cookies fer Santa… Gotta make sure… He's…" He murmered softly, only half awake, as Nya tucked him in. She smoothed his hair and whispered,

"We got it covered, sleepy head." Lloyd sank onto his pillow, satisfied that his family would take care of things.

/\/\/\/\/\

The group of teens admired their handiwork. After Lloyd had been safely dropped off in his room, they had set to work arranging presents under the tree. Though they had agreed not to go overboard when getting each other gifts, there was still a fine collection of wrapped packages to be distributed the next morning. And, since Lloyd so vehemently believed in Santa, they had chosen to keep all the presents hidden until tonight, to perpetuate the magic of the holiday and give the illusion that the Bounty had been visited by his sleigh. The task had involved a fair amount of shushing – they couldn't have Lloyd waking up on them, now could they – and almost knocking the poor Christmas tree over (multiple times) , but in the end, it had been worth it.

"He's gonna love it." Commented Nya.

"He'd better, or I'm returning that action figure I bought him."

"Kai! I wasn't just talking about the presents. I mean… Well, everything. The whole Christmas atmosphere. Spending time with family. Playing silly games and sticking bows to the top of someone's head. Simply enjoying a day of peace and goodness… There's so much more to tomorrow than giving and getting. And besides," The girl elbowed her brother sharply, "That would be downright cruel! You wouldn't deprive our precious green bean of this chance at happiness, would you?" He rolled his eyes.

"Of course not, sis. I was joking. That kid deserves a good Christmas more than any of us. Though, I do hope whatever Garmadon put in that box doesn't traumatize him." The others nodded in agreement. They hadn't tampered with it, but everyone was anxious to find out exactly what Lloyd's father had sent him.

"He has kept his word on the truce thus far. I would like to believe he was being truthful about this as well." Zane stated. There had been absolutely no sign of Serpentine, nor anything that could have been created by the Mega Weapon as an attempt to antagonize the group. This fact was greatly appreciated by all of them, even Lloyd, who did not fully understand the situation, as they had kept the meeting with Garmadon a secret.

"Guess we'll find out tomorrow. I doubt Lloyd's gonna let us sleep in, though. We should probably follow his example and hit the hay." Commented Cole with a yawn. His exhaustion was contagious; it didn't take his fellow ninja (and samurai) long to say their good nights and begin dispersing to their nighttime haunts. As he approached the door to the TV room, Jay felt someone gently grab his wrist.

"Wait! I-I know it's late, but… Would you stay here? With me? Just for a second… I have something I want to give you before everything gets all crazy tomorrow…" Nya whispered. He smiled at her, tenderly, despite his tiredness.

"O-of course… Just gimme a minute. I'm… I have a little something for you, too." A kiss on her cheek and he was gone. She seated herself and opened her sketchbook. After a moment, she carefully tore out the page she'd been dedicating all her recent spare time to. Tracing the image she'd drawn, she rolled it up and tied it off with a piece of electric blue ribbon she'd been saving. Everything looked so pretty in the soft glow of the Christmas lights and the star that represented the greatest gift that had ever been given. Without the insanity that accompanied her family whenever they entered a room, the scene was so peaceful…So…Huh? Why were her eyes covered?

"Guess who?" Her boyfriend joked.

"Preetty sure no one else is still awake, Jay… Come sit." He removed his hands and joined her on the couch.

"Hard to believe it's Christmas already, huh?"

"It's crazy… Last year, it was just me and Kai. So much has changed since then… But I'm glad I get to spend this Christmas here. With you." Nya held out her gift, "Here… I didn't have a chance to wrap it very well, but… I-I hope you like it…" Jay accepted it with gentle hands.

"Nya, this is… Wow…"

"You really think so?" Together, they examined her work of art. He was confident she'd captured the imagery perfectly. The words 'You are the best you' were written in curlicue lettering across the bottom of the sketch, which featured the moment he'd found his true potential.

"I do. And I'm not just saying that cause we're dating. I really, really mean it. This was the best gift you could possibly have given me!" Jay wrapped his beautiful warrior princess (as he liked to think of her) in a tight hug. She burrowed into him. His warmth was intoxicating to her; she wanted to stay that way forever.

"You're amazing. You know that, right?"

"Psh. I don't know about that…" He kissed her nose, "But I should probably give you your gift before you fall asleep on me. I don't think your brother would be a fan of me having to carry you to your room... So, here, this is for you, my darling samurai." She smirked at the pet name, appreciating that they had reached the point where this was okay for them. Unlike her, Jay had actually been able to wrap his present prior to giving it to her. She delicately removed the sparkly blue bow that adorned its top. Next came the crinkle of the wrapping paper as she tore it off.

"I- How did you even get this?" Nya exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, not gonna lie - it wasn't easy… There was a heavy amount of bribery involved… But, Cole gave in eventually, heheh." Jay told her, "D-do you like it?" She glanced down at the framed photo of the mistletoe incident and then stared into his eyes.

"Like it? It's perfect. You're perfect!" Nye gushed, blushing when she realized exactly what she'd just said.

"Merry Christmas, Nya." The master of lightning remarked before claiming her lips for one last kiss. This was the best holiday ever.

/\/\/\/\/\/

As always, I hope that you found joy and entertainment when reading "Christmas Eve". All the feedback and suggestions I receive are greatly appreciated and go a long ways towards inspiring me to keep writing. Have a fantastic remainder of your holiday season!

~GwenBrightly