A/N: Second to last chapter! Merry Christmas Eve's Eve! ;)


"A Christmas Carol"

4. The Last of the Spirits

Sue watched the girl walk around the dark room, the robe flowing in her wake. She'd crouch to look at one trophy, pick up another, squint to read a plaque, nod to herself. "Do you have a favorite? Do you give it a good polish every week?" she joked.

"So who are you supposed to be?" Sue asked, taking the trophy she held out of her hands.

"I am the ghost of Christmas yet to come… I know my colleagues aim for the sweet and the bittersweet… but wait until you see what I've got for you." She offered her hand. "Are you ready?"

"If I say no, will you go away?"

"Of course not," Ghost Santana chuckled.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," she put her hand in hers, surprised for a moment that she was actually able to do so, but that thought quickly went away as her eyes went from the darkness of the living room to the too bright daylight of a snowy day. She let go of the ghost's hand in order to cover her eyes. "Where are we?"

"Lima, Ohio… You're not asking the right question," Ghost Santana shook her head.

"When…"

"December 24th… more than ten years in your future… and her future. Notice anything else?" Sue looked around. All the houses around them were decorated, to one level or another. Lights, wreaths… all of them except the one they stood before.

"So, what, this is where I live? I chased my daughter away so now I'm all alone, is that what this is?" she looked back to the ghost, who didn't say a word; she looked down the street. Sue turned to look, finding a car coming up and driving on to the driveway. A woman emerged from the driver's seat. It took her a second to realize who it was and she gasped. It was Brittany alright, but there was something else. It wasn't just that she was older, physically. Regardless of age, her daughter had always had this brightness of spirit that made her… extraordinary. Looking at her now though, it was gone. "But…"

"There's more," Ghost Santana told her. The older Brittany moved to open the door to the back seat, and then out came a small girl, blonde, no more than four years old. Sue was amazed at how much she looked like her daughter when she was that age.

"She's… This is her house?" her voice broke. As a response, the ghost offered her hand once more. Sue took it, like somehow she would be taken to a place that would erase the image she was being presented with. The next place she found herself was inside the house, as the older Brittany and the girl entered. Brittany crouched to undo the small blonde's winter jacket, take it off along with mittens, hat, scarf and boots. The girl was out of breath, cheeks rosy from the cold.

"Go wash up before lunch, okay?" Brittany told her daughter, smiling and touching one of those cheeks.

"Okay, mommy," she nodded and ran off. Brittany hung up the clothes, took off her own jacket and boots. She moved into the kitchen, and Sue and the ghost followed.

"She's not raising her alone, is she?" Sue looked to the ghost.

"You tell me," Ghost Santana shrugged, indicating her hand. Sue looked back to the older Brittany, looked to her hand and saw a wedding ring.

"But it's Christmas Eve," she shook her head. She knew what the house was supposed to look like at this point. Back in her time, the moment December began the house took an air of holiday magic… This house had about as much Christmas spirit as a lump of coal.

"As far as she's concerned, it's December 24th… and nothing more," Ghost Santana told her.

"What about her… her daughter…" Sue asked, watching her own daughter putting together two plates.

"As far as she's concerned…" Ghost Santana nodded along as she repeated.

"… it's December 24th," Sue finished the sentence, closing her eyes.

"After what happened that year, she just stopped believing. Not just in Santa Claus but in the holiday as a whole, the time, the spirit… Losing that part of herself, it took down a lot of other things along with it."

"So I killed her…" Sue spoke, flat and near tears. "I killed… who she was…" she shook her head. Just then the little girl ran into the kitchen, took her place at the table.

"She gets by fine. She loves and is loved, she has a good life, with joy… but she's empty, in places she should be full, bursting at the seams. Her daughter has never known her as she once was." Sue looked back to the table, as Brittany set the plates and sat with the girl, who grabbed her fork and went hungrily at the food on her plate.

"Take it easy, no one's going to take it from you," Brittany laughed. The girl stopped mid-bite, swallowed and nodded. Sue was laughing too; Brittany had been the same. That should have made her feel better, but it didn't. And then she felt the ghost take her hand once more. She blinked and they were in yet another living room, in the older Brittany's house. There was no tree in this one, no small blonde child on the c…

The girl came climbing down the stairs, one at a time. Her long hair was made into a braid, and from her pyjamas and slippers Sue guessed it was night time. Clutched in her arms was a plush dolphin. She scooted into the living room, looking around before going up to the fireplace. Hunched over, she tried to look up into the chimney.

"What is she doing?" Sue asked the ghost. Then the girl startled, spun back around… looking up.

"Who are you?" she asked. Sue hesitated, looking back to the ghost.

"She can see me?"

"Who are you talking to?" the girl asked.

"Just you," Ghost Santana revealed. Sue looked back to the girl, whose blue eyes hadn't left her. She took a few steps and crouched in front of her.

"It's alright, I'm… a friend," she explained, giving a reassuring smile. "Who's your friend?" she indicated the dolphin. At the mention of the toy, the girl squeezed it protectively.

"Fishy," she declared. "Because she's not a fish, but she's from the ocean…"

"So she's fish-y," Sue chuckled. "I like that," she told her, and the girl smiled with pride. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Susie," she answered, and Sue felt her throat close up, hand reaching to cover her mouth for a moment.

"That's a… a pretty name," Sue told her. "What were you doing over there?" she pointed to the fireplace.

"Looking for someone…" her voice had gotten low, almost a whisper, so Sue did the same.

"Who's that?"

"Santa," Susie whispered now. She took a step toward the stranger. "Mommy says he's not real," she pouted, looked down to Fishy.

"What do you think?" Sue asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged, with something like sadness in her eyes. Sue looked back to the ghost, who nodded in a sort of 'go on, you know what you have to do' way. She looked back to the girl… her granddaughter…

"Can I tell you something, Susie?" The blonde nodded. "You mother, she doesn't… she doesn't really care about this time of the year, does she?" She frowned, lost. "Christmas…" Susie blinked, understanding, then shook her head. "I see… Do you know she used to?" Susie's eyes went wide.

"She did?" Sue hesitated, wondering if… She reached out and touched the golden braid resting over the girl's shoulder… contact. Sue breathed out, picking up the girl and sitting her on her lap as she herself sat on the couch nearby.

"When she was your age, she couldn't wait to decorate the house, and the tree. Lights, and bells, and garlands, everywhere it was just magical," she told her, and Susie beamed. After a moment, a question emerged, making her frown again.

"But she doesn't do that," she shook her head.

"I know, I… It's kind of my fault. That's not important though. What is important is this, and I want you to remember, you think you can do that?" Susie nodded and smiled. "Okay," Sue smiled back. "I know it's a shame that your mother took this experience away from you when she took it away from herself, but you know what? That's okay."

"It is?" Susie tilted her head.

"You love your parents, right?" Susie gave a resounding nod. "Every day?"

"Every day," she confirmed.

"Then that's what matters. You just show them that tomorrow, can you do that?"

"Yes," Susie went on nodding. "Really, really hard." Sue smiled.

"Good girl," she offered her hand and Susie high fived it. "Let's get you to bed," she got her back on her feet, throwing a look to the ghost who'd been standing by in silence throughout the exchange. Ghost Santana gave an approving smile, standing back and following as Sue guided the girl up to her room. Susie climbed into bed and Sue pulled the covers over her.

"Good night, Susie… good night, Fishy…" The girl giggled quietly. Sue got back to the door, turned back to look at her. "Close your eyes now, okay?" Susie did as told, while Sue walked out of the room, though she did pull one eye open, as Ghost Santana reached to shut the door. Her eyes locked on to her, connected to her. The ghost held a finger to smiling lips and the girl retreated into bed, shutting her eyes to fall into a sound sleep.

At the bottom of the stairs, Sue looked back to the descending ghost, robe billowing around her. "That was very touching, Coach, really."

"Is she going to be okay? Are they going to be okay, both of them?" Sue asked. Ghost Santana didn't answer. "Hey, did you hear me?"

"Time to go home, Sue," the ghost offered her hand. Sue smacked it away.

"I asked you a question."

"Ooh, I'm shaking," Ghost Santana mocked, grabbing the woman's hand. She didn't have time to complain; they were already back in her own darkened living room.

TO BE CONCLUDED (TOMORROW)


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