December 25, 1:00 AM
(My turn at last!) Ax said.
"We are not going to make it." Jake groaned. They had finished three towns. Erek had said they were 0.027 done.
(We will!) Ax said firmly. (For every scientist who didn't trust with out question! For every Andalite child who cast away the shaky support of their childish dreams and stood upon the solid ground of sweet logic. For everybody, Human and Andalite, Hork-Bajir and Chee, that refused to believe.)
"Whoa. Deep." Marco said, sliding over so that he would load the sleigh. "No more, um, er - Where did you get that from?"
(From myself.) Ax said. (It came from my heart.)
"And where'd you get that from?" Marco snorted.
(The young and the restless.) Ax said, grabbing a package. He leapt down the chimney.
(Ahhh.) He groaned, squeezing his Andalite body through the fireplace.
He emerged into the living room. There were two cookies and a glass of milk on a table near the stairs.
(Oh yes!) Ax crowed. He quickly morphed to human and grabbed a cookie.
"Hey!" A man yelled. He was standing on the stairs, and had his hand on the same cookie. "What the #$ are you doing in my house?"
Ax glared at him. "This card says these cookies are for Santa." He said hostilely. "Are you Santa Claus? I don't think so. Since I am substituting for Santa at the moment, I believe that entitles me to his share of cookies as well."
"Listen, punk." The man said aggressively, dropping the cookie and heading for the closet. "Get outta my house now!"
Ax ignored him and finished off the cookies. He started gulping down the milk.
Click. The man was pointing a gun at Ax.
"Such violence is unnecessary!" Ax exclaimed. "I just want to put these presents under your tree."
"What is it?" The man snarled. "A bomb? Drugs? Get out of my house, you sicko!"
"I merely wish to spread Christmas joy." Ax said. He put the presents under the tree. "I am not like Troy from New School Blues. He had serious gun problems. He was criminally insane. Hey! Are you criminally insane?"
"GRRR!" The man yelled. He pulled the trigger.
"You ARE criminally insane!" Ax screamed. "AHH!"
(Ax!) Tobias yelled. Ax kept screaming.
"Huh?" Ax looked up. The man's face was a frozen mask of anger, his finger unmoving from it's tight position around the trigger.
Ax squinted. The bullet was frozen in midair, a centimeter from his face.
(Wow.) Ax whispered. He touched the bullet, and quickly yanked his hand back.
HELLO.
(I should have known.) Ax said, sliding smartly out of the path of the bullet.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FIGHTING YEERKS, NOT PLAYING SANTA CLAUS. YOU WERE ALMOST KILLED.
(We are doing a service for Donner.) Ax said. (It was his last request.)
I DO NOT APPROVE.
"Well Boo Hoo Hoo." Marco said sarcastically from somewhere above. There was a smacking noise.
(We promised.) Ax said.
I AM SORRY. YOU COULD DIE. YOU WOULD HAVE DIED. I DO NOT APPROVE.
Instantly they were all back home, in bed.
"NO!" Rachel bellowed. "WHAT THE $& IS THAT GUY'S PROBLEM?"
"Wha- Hi, Rachel." Sara said guiltily. She pulled her head from under the bed and smiled her sweetest smile. "When did you get home?"
Rachel gave Sara a suspicious look. "What were you doing under my bed?" She asked.
"Looking for my Barbie?" Sara smiled.
Rachel shook her head.
"Dusting?" Sara asked hopefully.
Rachel shook her head. "You were looking for your presents, weren't you?"
"Noo!" Sara said loudly. "I mean, maybe. I mean- yes."
Rachel rolled her eyes and pushed Sara lightly out of the room.
"Go bother Jordan for a little way, ok?"
Sara hurried away down the hall.
"Argh!" Rachel wrung and invisible neck. "I hate Ellimist."
WHY? Ellimist's old man disguise appeared.
"You!" Rachel yelled. "You stupid little meddling nitwit!"
EXCUSE ME? The Ellimist swelled to twice his height. The air rippled.
"Um." Rachel gulped. "Nothing, sir."
"Rachel?" Sara poked her head in the doorway. "Who are you yelling at?"
Rachel glared at the Ellimist. "You didn't freeze time?"
I DID! Ellimist yelled. He looked at Sara. OOPS. I MUST HAVE MISSED HER.
Rachel shook her head. "Would you just freeze her?"
TIME IS ALREADY FROZEN. Ellimist sighed. A TIME FREEZE WITHIN A TIME FREEZE IS IMPOSSIBLE.
"Ooooooh!" Sara yelled. "Mommy! Rachel let a freaky man in the house!"
Rachel leapt forward and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Shut up and I'll give you your presents early."
"Rachel?" Jordan stuck her head in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. "Rachel, wake up. You having another -"
Jordan stopped when she saw the Ellimist. "Maybe I'm the one having the nightmare." She gulped.
Rachel glared at the Ellimist. Then she heard loud snoring from Naomi's room.
WOOPS. I MUST HAVE MISSED THEM TOO. Ellimist chuckled nervously. MUST BE SLIPPING UP.
"Jordan! Jordan, look!" Sara said. "Rachel let this freaky guy into the house!"
Jordan rubbed her eyes again. "I need to go back to sleep."
"Let's get her in trouble!" Sara said, jumping up and down.
"No." Rachel snapped. She grabbed Sara. "Be quiet or I'll break all of your Christmas toys!"
Sara shut up.
"Good." Rachel grabbed the phone and dialed Jake's house. Jake picked up immediately.
"What the & is going on?" Jake hissed. "I was just getting chewed out by my mom when she froze in mid-yell."
"Ellimist froze time." Rachel said. "Except Ellimist missed my family!"
"Ookay." Jake said slowly.
"Everybody in my house is moving around when they're supposed to be frozen!" Rachel said.
"Oh." Jake said. "Well, I'll take this opportunity to sneak out of the house. Meet at that last house we were at before Ellimist teleported us back home. That's were the sleigh is going to be. I'll tell the others."
Jake hung up before Rachel could say anything else.
HEY! Ellimist snarled. Rachel turned around to see Sara poking the Ellimist.
"Stop it!" Rachel yelled. She picked up Sara and put her on Jordan's lap. Jordan had been staring at Ellimist from the safety of Rachel's bed.
"Don't touch the Ellimist, don't bother the Ellimist, don't even look at the Ellimist." Rachel commanded. "He could kill you with a snap of his fingers, so don't make him mad. Got it?"
"Ellimist? What a weird name." Sara laughed. Rachel grabbed her.
"Add, 'don't make fun of the Ellimist' to that list." Rachel snapped. "He'll be leaving in a little while, but while he is here, do exactly what I tell you."
Bring! The phone rang. Rachel snatched it up, keeping her eye on Sara and Jordan.
"What?" Rachel snapped.
"Chill, Xena, It's me." Marco said. "Jake just called, and told me Ellimist had frozen time. I mean, tell a guy next time, huh? I thought my dad had stopped breathing."
"Did you call just to annoy me?" Rachel sighed.
"Yup." Marco said. "And to tell you to not let Ellimist leave. I just thought of something."
"What now?" Rachel said.
"Time is frozen!" Marco said excitedly. He lowered his voice. "We can deliver toys while time is frozen! We just have to trick the Ellimist into keeping time frozen."
"Marco, that is the stupid plan I have ever heard!" Rachel growled. "Who did you plan on having distract Ellimist, Anyway?"
Marco told her.