Chapter 14: What She Wants

Disclaimer: You've heard it before. I probably won't have this done before Christmas at this rate. Take my advice: Never, ever, EVER, work on more than one story at once!

SPLAT! Maria nearly dodged being hit by another snowball. She heard familiar laughing. "Mario, you little creep! You almost hit my glasses! Shouldn't you be making deliveries right now?"

Mario revealed himself, still laughing. "Actually, I was fired a few minutes ago for being late again."

"That's right, Mario Foxxy! You're a fine young man, but you are not reliable enough to work for me!" called , shaking his fist. "And don't you dare come back!" The goose stormed off.

"But I'm sure everyting will work out for the best. Nice coat, Chameleon. What's wrong? Don't you like being hit by snowballs?"

"No!" said the Chameleon. "I hate anything cold and wet."

"Too bad." Mario threw another. It hit him on the back of the neck.

The Chameleon yelped. "Enough!"

Then Maria was hit. "Do you want to get even with the little twerp?" she asked him, with a snowball in her hand and a devilish grin growing.

"Thought you'd never ask." They began making some of their own and began bombarding Mario.

"Hey! Two against one?! That isn't fair!"

"Too bad. You started it!" said Maria. She threw two that went right down her brother's pants and made him squeal.

Mario focused on the Chameleon again. But this time, the Chameleon caught a snowball with his tongue and launched it at his face with deadly accuracy. "Boo-yah! What's wrong, Mario? Don't you like a taste of your own medicine?"

Maria and the Chameleon, whose reflexes proved very helpful, ganged up against poor Mario, who desperately tried to defend himself. It lasted for 20 minutes until a car came.

The three of them began running onto the sidewalk. Mario slid on the ice and knocked over the Chameleon, and Maria fell on top of them, but she did it gracefully. And for a while they just laid there on the icy sidewalk laughing. I feel so much younger, thought the Chameleon.

After they walked home, Maria said, "Hey, Chameleon, isn't there something you wanted to talk to Mario about?"

"Hm? Oh yeah."

"Well, I'll go work on a project for Mr. Fowl and leave you boys alone. See ya," she said, stopping to kiss the Chameleon before going inside.

The formerly lonely lizard took a moment to look at the Foxxy household. Malcolm Foxxy was certainly no Scrooge when it came to Christmas. There were lights of every color in the rainbow, and even more. There were eight tiny reindeer standing in the yard. Mistletoe hung in the front doorway and from the windows. There was an enormous wreath on the "Foxxymobile," a gleaming red Jaguar. An angel was hanging from Maria's balcony. And on the roof, there was a "Welcome Santa!" sign and there were lights more blinding than the sun that spelled out, "MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE FOXXY FAMILY!"

It distracted the Chameleon until Mario said, "Ah-hem? Isn't there something you wanted to say?"

"Oh. Right." He let Mario into his house. He had also started to decorate. His decorations weren't as showy as Malcolm Foxxy's, but whose were?

Mario was very excited to be in the house of a wanted man. It wasn't as scary as he imagined. "Don't have your tree up yet?"

"Not yet. Maybe you and Maria could come over and help, if you wanted."

"That sounds pretty cool. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"What does your sister want want for Christmas? I thought I should ask an expert."

"Oh. Well, don't get her the diary of Marilyn Mongoose, because that's what I'm getting her. She has a really wide range of interests, so it's hard to say. She loves art. And she reads a lot. You know what? I think she'll like whatever you get her, as long as it's personal."

"Oh. OK." The Chameleon thought about it. He didn't feel like that had helped much. But then something occurred to him.

"Can I ask you something?" said Mario.

"You already are. But go ahead."

"Do you, like, commit less crimes around the holidays?"

"Not really. I might slow down a tad at this time. But I'm usually evil year round. I remember the time when Snaptrap, Bird Brain, and I tried to keep Christmas from coming. Good times, good times."

Mario tried to contain his shock. "Why would you do that?"

"It's not that I didn't like Christmas. I just never got what I wanted."

"What do you want?"

"I don't know anymore." An awkward pause. The Chameleon sighed, and thought about how his life had changed recently. "Actually, there has been a large decrease in my criminal activites lately. Do you know why?"

"You started dating my sister."

"Bingo. It's like, ever since I met her, I haven't been motivated to do bad at all. I haven't felt the urge. In fact, I almost feel motivated to do good things. Do you think I might be . . . reforming?"

"Maybe. Sure. I don't know. I'm not an expert. Do you think that might be what you want?"

The Chameleon thought about this. "Well, if it involves being with your sister, I think so. I love her, Mario. I love her more than I've ever loved anything or anyone in my entire life."

"Yeah. She's pretty crazy about you too. I've heard her talk in her sleep. It doesn't happen often, but I hear her say your name. And I've looked in her sketchbook." He grinned mischieviously. "Do you want to see?"

"You're bad, Mario Foxxy."

"I know. No one else would've gotten away with it. I only did because I'm so dang cute."

"Anyway, the thing I'm worried about is . . . What if I can't reform? What if I've been wicked too long? What if I'm no good at being good?" Mario saw him bury his face in his hands and swore he saw tears.

He reached out and covered the lizard's hand, awkwardly wrapping his other arm around him. "I think you've been doing pretty well."

The Chameleon's mood brightened. "Thanks. I appreciate it. You know, I never really had friends before. I used to think that Snaptrap, Bird Brain, and some of the other villains were my friends, but they despised me and treated me like dirt. I know that you and Maria are the real thing."

"Yeah." They walked outside. As Mario went home, they saw that Maria was outside again with her trumpet.

"So, what did you two talk about?"

"Oh, this poor fool wanted to know what to get you for Christmas." The Chameleon winced.

"Is that it? Well, it's really simple, actually." She took a deep breath and began to sing:

"I don't want a lot for Christmas,

There is just one thing I need.

I don't care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree.

I just want you for my own.

More than you could ever know.

Make my wish come true.

All I want for Christmas . . .

Is. . ." The Chameleon listened closely, trying to hear what she wanted.

"You!" Oh. Really? Him? That was all?

She played a few notes. "That's right. And if I have that, then I'll be happy." The two of them kissed, and the Foxxy siblings went inside, leaving the Chameleon alone to his thoughts.

Later that night, the Chameleon was writing a letter to Santa. He wasn't sure if he should even bother. Every year he was on the naughty list. But he decided to take a chance. Dear Santa, he started. Then he paused. Will he throw this in the fire when he sees who it's from? He shook his head and went on with it. All I want this year is for Maria to be happy. She's a really good person, and she may be making me a better one. If she's happy, I will be too. Please. Best Regards, The Chameleon.

This story may turn out shorter than I anticipated. I was planning on giving Marileon, as I think of them, one last obstacle in their relationship before a happy ending, but I think I should probably wait until after Christmas for that. I'm not sure what it should be. Something bad enough to break them apart, but not so bad they can't get back together. And it could be Malcolm-related. Feel free to give suggestions in reviews, if anyone is reading this. Ciao for now.