A/N: Because it's that lovely time of year at my work where I have overtime mandated, my update schedule for this fic is going to become less frequent after Tuesday's posting. Just advising you now and I apologize for disappointing you guys. Thank you for your patience...especially you...the one guy in the third row with the tomatoes. You know who you are.

'Twas the Year Before on Christmas
Act 2-If Wishes Were Horses
Chapter 3

Minako

Somewhere, Somewhen

"Mina…Mina…Wake up…" Minato's voice said.

"Toto…?" She asked. She saw her brother in his pajamas.

"Wake up, Mina…It's Christmas Morning," Minato said.

"It is? Already? I missed him…"

"Missed who…?" Minato asked.

"Duh! Santa Claus!" Minako said as if Minato was the biggest dummy in the world.

"Santa Claus doesn't exist, Dummy!" Minato said.

"You're the dummy!" She said.

"I know you are, but what am I?"

"A dummy…" She said.

"I know you are, but what am I?"

"A dummy..."

"I know you are, but what am I?"

"A dummy..."

"Takes one to know one..." She said.

"Hey..." He said.

The twins then heard a noise.

"Who is that?" Minako asked. "Who made that noise?"

"Maybe it was a burglar…" Minato said.

"OR… Maybe it is Santa Claus!" Minako said excitedly. Then she got out of bed.

"Mina!" Minato said, chasing after her.

She ran down the stairs excitedly.

"Mina!"

She reached the bottom of the stairs.

She made a noise of disappointment when she saw there was a tree and presents...but no Santa Claus.

"Well…It seems that someone was so excited for Christmas that they scared Santa off…" A man said.

"Santa doesn't like little kids bother him when he works," An amused woman's voice said. "Does he, Makoto?"

Her husband chuckled and said, "No…He doesn't, Hamuko…"

"But, Daddy…I wanted to see him…" Minako said.

"He's not real…" Minato groaned.

Makoto looked at his son with his red eyes and said, "Minato…Santa Claus is real…He exists…"

Hamuko swept back her dark blue hair and said, "Your father's right…Santa Claus gave us two wonderful gifts…"

"But Mom…If you mean us…We were born in November…"

"Yes…But on Christmas 1992 you two finally recovered from the illnesses that you had received shortly after you were born," Hamuko told Minato.

"Yes…Our Christmas Miracle…" Makoto said.

"Mommy…Does Santa come here every year because he… 'did you a solid?' Minako asked.

Both parents laughed at Minako's use of English. "Silly goose. He does this for all the little boys and girls…because he wants to make them happy."

"He sure does…because you know why?" Hamuko asked.

"Why?" Minato and Minako asked.

"Because their smiling faces is the greatest gift he is given by them…"

"So…Does Christmas start yet?" Minato asked after a pause.

"Takes after someone I know…" Hamuko said to Makoto with a smirk.

"Who? Me?" Makoto said. Then he said gravely. "Well…we could start Christmas…or we could ask you kids to sleep a little longer…"

Both kids looked stunned and disappointed.

"…But I think you won't be able to sleep, so…Yes…Christmas…God help us… can start at 4 in the morning this year…"

"YAY!" said the Arisato twins.

The family opened gifts. While the twins received toys and games, and electronics, both of them gave their parents nice cards and ceramic sculptures they had made for school…

But the family enjoyed their time together…

…

Unaware that an 18-year-old Minako was watching. "Dad…Mommy… It's Mina…Don't you see me…can't you hear me…?"

She sobbed.

"Toto…?" She asked…but her Brother with 12 years trimmed off his age didn't hear her.

"Mina…Can you hear me…?" She asked

Even her younger self was oblivious.

Minako sobbed…she didn't know why she was here… She missed her parents and Toto so much…

Then she felt a hand on her. She jumped, was turned around, and then she gasped.

"You should not be here…" The woman with blonde hair said.

Kanji

Tatsumi Textiles

Kanji had woken up a few moments before. Nature had called and so he had taken care of that. He went downstairs to apologize to his Ma…but she may have gone to bed.

Kanji sighed. He didn't mean to be a jackass, but sometimes he felt he was bristling…no chafing under his Ma. So he lashed out. He tried not to get in trouble…but sometimes, trouble followed him…

"Why am I such a pain in the ass?" Kanji said aloud.

"That's what I always asked myself," An amused voice said.

"AH!" Kanji said. "Who the hell are you?!"

The man sitting on the couch looked bemused, but he sternly said. "What did I tell you about using such language…especially around your mother…?"

"No way…You can't be here…You're…"

"Dead?" The man snickered. "Of course I am…But let's just say I crawled out of a grave to let you know what I thought about your progress in becoming a man…"

"This has gotta be a dream and this is my guilt talking back to me…It's like in that Anime made by those guys who made 'Time Marshals'…'I Walk with Guilt…' That's the only explanation…"

"OR…I could be your Christmas Wish coming true… Seeing me…"

"You ain't real…You can't be…"

"Why not? Just because I died in the hospital doesn't mean that I can't come back if you make a Christmas wish…"

"No…It ain't possible…I saw you in a white Kimono at the funeral. Tatsumi Hiroshi's dead. You're dead!"

"And yet…why are we having this argument."

Kanji looked at the man for a moment. He was stunned and didn't know what to do.

"Umm…can I…can I touch you…?" Kanji asked, blushing for some odd reason.

"Umm…Kanji…I don't think…"

"Can I just poke ya with my finger?"

"If it's not too hard. I may be dead, but I still bruise easily…"

Kanji poked the man, first gently on the face. Then on the chest.

Kanji looked at his finger. Then he looked at the man in shock…Then he looked at his finger again…Then he looked at the man again.

"Esteemed Father!" Kanji bowed in respect, though still not entirely believing it.

"My…such respect to an elder, at last…and all it took was for me to rise from my ashes…"

"Maybe the Buddhist priest screwed up the Sutra with your alternate name…That's probably it…" Kanji said, rationalizing how his Pa could be there.

"No…that part of the sutra he got dead on…he just ruined the rest of it… Kanji…we need to talk…"

"…Look, Dad…Can't we just watch something together on the TV…?"

"Kanji-kun…we NEED to talk…Man-to-man…"Hiroshi said.

Kanji didn't know what to say.

Nanako and Ryotaro

Dojima Residence

Dojima had woken up with a start.

"Ryo…what's wrong?" A woman asked.

"What? What's going on? Why are you here?" He asked her.

"Why are you asking me that…? I'm supposed to be here…" She said. "Did you have a little more than what you were supposed to have to drink again?" She asked, bemused.

Dojima was surprised…Then a wave of disorientation passed over him and he took the woman into his arms. "I'm sorry, Chisato…I guess I did…"

"Well…no harm done…" Chisato said with a smile. Her brown hair and brown eyes looked nice in the sunlight creeping in through the window, even though the blinds were down.

"So…How soon until Nanako…?" Ryotaro asked.

"5…4…3…2…1…" Chisato counted down.

"Mom! Dad! It's Christmas…aren't you gonna get up?" Nanako's voice came from the other side of the door.

"Well, I suppose that we should have expected that…She's done that for the last 3 years…"

"I wonder if she'll do it again next year," Chisato replied to her husband.

"Would make for an interesting 2011…" He said with a smirk. Then he sobered.

"What is it?" Chisato said, sitting down on the bed.

"You know…ever since that near-fatal accident…I'm glad I realized what was important. You. Nanako… "

"DAD!" Nanako said. "MOM!"

They both chuckled and said, "In a moment, Nanako…" Then Ryotaro continued. "I still want to protect this town. To keep it safe. But I also want to keep you two safe. You two are my world…"

"What happened to your dream of being the 'greatest, super-awesome cop' in Inaba…?" Chisato had said, referring to what Nanako had called Ryotaro.

"Well," he chuckled. "It doesn't mean much aiming for that if I don't have you two…keeping my compass pointing straight."

"And we always make sure it's pointed straight…" She said right before she kissed him.

"God, what would I do without you?" Ryotaro said.

"Let us pray that never happens…" Chisato said.

They heard hard knocking on their door. They looked at each other and laughed.

They then opened the door and Nanako was standing with her arms folded. She looked annoyed. "You two are missing Christmas!" She said.

"Sorry, Nanako…We would make sure to never miss it…" Chisato said.

"You two can be busy later…" Nanako said.

Both of her parents looked at each other as if the other was responsible for her knowing what went on when the door was shut. Neither would admit they were responsible.

They sat down in the living room, giving each other gifts.

The household was happy and filled with love.