A/N: Double post tonight as I've decided to finish up this setup...and then totally shift directions...just to shake things up... :). You'll see what I mean...

'Twas the Year Before on Christmas
Act 1-Blue Christmas
Chapter 5

Somewhere

"I'm beary lonely…I wish I had some friends…I've been bear-ren all this time…" Teddie said.

All Teddie knew was that he was a bear. He didn't know when or how long… It made his head hurt. All he knew was that there was fog that his eyes had adjusted to since they were lenses and the Shadows. He didn't know anything else.

He just walked around this large spacious place. He thought about calling it a "bear cave" but he had this odd feeling that he'd be sued…and then he wondered why he would think that because he didn't know what that meant.

The Shadows seemed to be aware of stuff that went on in other worlds. He didn't dare get too close bearcause they would tear his fur…but he listened all the same. Shadows weren't beary quiet after all.

Teddie had listened to one Shadow tell another about a "Christmas" that humans were celebrating. Teddie knew about humans. He had heard lots of things from the Shadows on the subject. But Teddie was confused by the Shadows saying that the humans celebrated "peace", "love", "hope", "good will", and after "9 PM" they celebrated something called "Six." Teddie was confused bearcause the Shadows knew what they were talking about, but Teddie didn't.

Teddie heard other things…about gifts, and spending time with something called "family" and "fur-ends"… Teddie listened but didn't understand why the Shadows thought it was a bad thing to have a family and fur-ends and Christmas…But Teddie did understand that the Shadows were rawr-pressed emotions from the Humans… So maybe the Shadows only thought it was bad.

Teddie walked off bearfore the Shadows noticed him. He was good about that. He had heard them saying a word called "ninja" one day and thought he made a good one.

Teddie went back to his "den" The Shadows fur some reason would not come here. Teddie was glad.

But then that meant that no one came to visit him.

While he had known of mostly negative Shadows…he knew of a few positive ones…but they were few and far beartween.

Teddie wished he had family and fur-ends to be with…especially on this Christmas thing…

Teddie bearcame tired. He didn't think it was time to hibearnate…but then again he didn't know what time it was… fur all he knew it could be that 9 PM…but he knew he wouldn't get any "six"…

…

As his lids bearcame so heavy he couldn't keep them up he found he was making a wish…

I wish Teddie could be with family and fur-ends for Christmas…

…

And "six" at "9PM"…

Hokkaido Police Department

"Burning the Midnight Oil, Naoto-kun?" came the voice of Detective Felicia Reyes.

Shirogane Naoto blinked as she thought she had been alone. "Oh! I'm sorry. Yes… I've been trying to figure the ins and outs of this financial scheme…there seems to be a lot of loose ends that need to be tied down…"

"I thought Lieutenant Bukenchi told you to put it to rest until after tomorrow."

Naoto looked blandly at the American Detective, who had spent the last 3 years here in Hokkaido on an exchange program with the Chicago PD. "He did…but then a few things nagged at me…"

"Like a certain TV detective?" Felicia asked with a grin.

"I would look terrible in a rumpled raincoat…" Naoto sighed. "As it is…I felt writing what was bothering me down would be helpful when I came in on Sunday…And then next thing I knew…I was looking at more things."

Felicia looked at Naoto. "Are you sure you don't have anywhere to go for Christmas?"

"I…uh…No…My Grampa is in Paris, consulting with the police there about a string of wine poisonings…His secretary would be with him…so If I were to take the train home to Inaba…Manse Shirogane would be empty."

"Then would you care to join me for a late dinner…?" The tone in Reyes's voice sounded a little suggestive.

"Ummm…No thank you…I believe I have tired myself out for this evening…I appreciate the invitation…Really…Good evening…" Naoto said with a blush as she put on her jacket and bowed.

"Damn…came on too strong again…" Reyes was heard to say.

Once Naoto was on the elevator and it went down a floor and she pressed stop. "Thank God! The only thing more annoying than being treated like a child is being treated like a consenting adult…"

Naoto had no time for callow affairs. She felt that they weren't even WORTH her time. But that was the price she had to pay.

For dressing up like a boy.

Naoto started the elevator again after she caught her breath. Felicia was nice and Naoto actually liked talking to her…but she felt that Naoto wasn't Reyes's type of boy.

Naoto managed to walk briskly enough until she caught a taxi that took her to her hotel. She said, "Merry Christmas" and went in the hotel.

It had been lightly snowing out, so when she had reached her room she took off her outer clothes and then once she was assured that she had privacy, she took of the bandages she used as bindings on her breasts.

"SHIT! How did Mulan do this?" Naoto said…somewhat as a wry joke, since Mulan was not real in the way Disney Pictures portrayed her.

Naoto took a few deep breaths. Satisfied there was no bruising on her chest, she put on a loose T-shirt and boxer shorts. Men's boxer shorts to be sure.

She turned on the TV and was gnawing on some pocky snacks she had packed with her. She knew should have something a little more healthful…something with a balance to it…but she figured she could make up for it at breakfast.

Naoto watched the news. There was an interesting item out of Salt Lake City, Utah about a boy being arrested for being the ringleader in a gang that was set to participate in multiple robberies and heists, using weapons that were typically used for Martial Arts.

Interesting... An American boy attempting to commit crimes with those kinds of weapons. It makes me wonder if he had any parental figures…She thought.

And then she frowned. She realized she wasn't one to talk about a lack of parental figures. She had Grampa and Yakushiji, the secretary…but she hadn't seen her parents since she was 5. Their having died in a tragedy in London.

Naoto had wanted to follow in their footsteps as legendary consulting detectives…but she had found that consulting detectives were usually male and hard-boiled. In Japan…a female private eye was a joke…Something the gaijin would admire in their works of fiction…but had little use in Japan's male-dominated society.

So…she decided…she would become a male. She would dress up as one… (Even though the bindings that gave her a flat-appearing chest was hell on her voluptuous breasts and so she had to learn to breathe and adjust her posture so the bindings didn't loosen and suddenly everyone knew her secret…) She would walk like one, talk like one…She even went so far as to write like one.

But she knew that this charade was only as convincing as she played it…so she studied theatre as much as detective work. Hours upon hours of film…read…no, devoured…books on the subject of acting…as well as hard-boiled detective fiction.

In the end, she was quite convincing as a he…although she rued the fact it was a very nubile he.

She mentally dismissed it and turned her thoughts back to the boy on the news.

I doubt I could trust such a boy with that kind of secret… That I'm a girl…I feel he'd be the type to "blow it" for me and reveal that I'm a girl.

I wonder what my parents would have thought of me doing this… The Shirogane name alone allowed Mom to break the barriers of gender roles…but she had Dad with her. And after they died…the barriers came back anew…making it difficult for me.

…

It probably would have been easier to just be point woman for a fictional male Detective…But that would be fraud and was done better on American TV in the 1980's, anyway…

…

Would they have been proud of my 15 successes thus far…or would they have tried to stop me…?

…

That's the question I wish so much to ask them…

…

Christmas was the last day I saw them…

…

Why did you leave me?

…

Why?

The answer never came as sleep claimed her.