AN: This was completely inspired by "Playing The Part" by awesomelikethat.

Year 24: Coal

Jayden Evans sat in the hallway, waiting. Natalie was upstairs in her room dancing to her CD player, while Jayden just sat silently, waiting. A second later another child toddled up to him shaking her head.
"Not there." Announced Marie. "Where's present?"
"I don't know, but we'll find them." Said Jayden. For the past hour now, Jayden and Marie had been searching the various cupboards downstairs to try and find the secret location of their christmas presents. They had grown tired of Jayden's presents, and had decided to try and find his new ones.
"We looked in the kitchen and behind doors and under tables." Frowned Jayden, trying to think of where else they were hiding. "We can ask mommy?"
"Okay." Shrugged Marie, and he followed Jayden into the study where Kelsi was working on a new composition. "'Lo." Announced Marie, waving at Kelsi. She swivelled around to face them.
"Oh, hi guys. What's wrong?"
"Mommy where's present?" Asked Jayden. "I want toys."
"You have a whole play room of toys, Jayden, you don't need anymore." Said Kelsi, softly. "Why don't you go and play with Natalie?"
"No, she's a girl. Girls smell. Daddy said." Announced Jayden.
"Oh did he now?" Said Kelsi, raising an eyebrow. "Well you go and play with Natalie, and you'll see she doesn't smell. Are you taking good care of Marie?"
"She's my friend!" Grinned Jayden, and Kelsi laughed.
"I know, baby. You look after her she's smaller than you." Jayden nodded, and ran off with Marie.

A few hours later, Ryan got in from work. He was busy choreographing the latest show at the theatre, and wanted to get it right. The Evans' shows were getting more and more critical acclaim, one currently touring the States, while one had found it's way back to New York, and was currently just off-Broadway in one of the smaller theatres.
"I'm home!" He announced, coming up behind her and hugging her. "Good day?"
"Yeah. Jayden and Marie went looking for their christmas presents." Explained Kelsi. "And since when was it okay for you to tell him that Natalie smells?"
"I didn't tell him that. I just said that boys sometimes thought girls smelt." Said Ryan, teasingly. "Come on, at his age he'll probably say it anyway."
"You did because Sharpay did smell." Laughed Kelsi, hugging him. "I just don't want him growing up to hate Natalie."
"She'll be fine, and he'll be fine. He's got a future brains of America as a girlfriend, he'll be happy for life."
"Yeah, I can't help but think of us whenever I look at the two of them. It makes me wonder what would have happened if we had never got back together." Kelsi sighed.
"Well...Natalie and Jayden wouldn't be here, for starters." Suggested Ryan.
"Yeah...And we'd both be at Julliard but we'd be seeing other people just to annoy eachother, and it'd be really awkward when we'd have to work together."
"Exactly. And we never would've moved back to Albuquerque, we'd both be miserable, single and alone in New York, avoiding eachother everytime we flew home for christmas." Kelsi laughed.
"And all those reasons are why I'm not going to let Marie and Jayden argue. Ever. Now go and talk to him and explain that girls don't smell."
"Yes miss." Teased Ryan, giving her another quick kiss, and heading into the twin's bedroom. Natalie had worn herself out with all her dancing, and was fast asleep in her bed. He sat at the end of Jayden's bed.

"Mommy tells me you were being mean about Natalie." He said.
"But girls do smell!" Said Jayden, sighing. "You said Auntie Sharpay smelled!"
"Well, does she?" Asked Ryan. Jayden thought about it for a second, and then shook his head. "That's what I thought. And does mommy smell?"
"Mommys not a girl, silly! Mommys a mommy!"
"But she's still a girl. So does she?"
"No...."
"And Marie?" Jayden giggled.
"No she's nice." He admitted. Ryan smiled, and ruffled his son's hair. He lived for bonding moments like this with his children, which when he was rushing around, he hardly ever got time to have.
"Then you be good to your sister, or you'll get coal in your stocking, and Santa won't be happy with you, and you might not get your toys. And if you go looking for your presents Santa'll put you on the naughty list, and you won't get any presents next year." Jayden pouted, and nodded.
"Okay. Love you daddy." He said, leaning up to hug Ryan. Ryan hugged him back tightly, and settled him to sleep, before closing the door.

The twins were particularly hyper about this Christmas. As the day got nearer, they found it harder and harder to contain their excitement. The christmas tree had already been pulled over three times, Natalie and Jayden were bickering with eachother even more than usual, and Natalie had taken a crayon to some of Kelsi's music sheets, which had luckily just been photocopied beforehand. As the twins fell asleep on Christmas Eve, Ryan helped Kelsi put the tree up yet again.
"What happened this time?" He asked. Kelsi shook her head.
"They were playing tag just like I told them not to, and they ran into the tree. They've been driving me crazy all day, I was so pleased when you got home."
"See, I have some uses." Smiled Ryan. "Don't worry, I think I've got a perfect way for them to behave today."

At 6 in the morning, Ryan groaned as he felt to pairs of feet jumping up and down on the bed.
"Mommy! Daddy! It's christmas day and Santas been here! Wake up!" Cheered Natalie, as Jayden threw himself onto Kelsi, who hugged him. After Kelsi and Ryan climbed out of bed, they followed the twins downstairs where there was an empty glass of milk, and a note lay on a plate of cookie crumbs.
"What does it say!" Asked Jayden, bouncing up and down. Kelsi smiled, and read out the note.

Dear Jayden and Natalie Evans,
I have come to your house today and spoke to your mommy and daddy, and I'm very upset to hear you've been a naughty boy and girl. Because of that, I have left you a present to remind you that you need to be good in the next year or I'll put you on my naughty list. Thank you for the milk and cookies,
Love Santa

Ryan passed them a box, and when they opened it, Natalie gasped.
"Mommy it's coal!"
"Well then we'll put it on the mantelpiece, and you can look at it this year so it can remind you that you have to be good, okay?" Said Kelsi, picking it up and placing it there. As Jayden and Natalie started furiously unwrapping their presents, Kelsi wrapped an arm around Ryan, and whispered in his ear.

"Good work, Santa."