[A/N] Seasons greetings to all, hope you're enjoying this little experiment into the festive season. As this tale serves as both a prequel and a christmas special I've kind of killed two birds with one stone. Hope it keeps you entertained...

Broken Bow: The 12 Years of Christmas

Chapter 2: 2001

December 24th 2001 10:30pm

Apollo was pacing about, and if he were aware of the slight singe he was burning into the newly laid carpet, he didn't show it.

He really needed to get going.

He turned about to regard the form sat almost rigidly at attention on the sofa, "Are you sure you don't want to go to bed? I mean...it really is getting late."

Armani didnt respond, he merely shook his head once to the left and then to the right and resumed his posture, his fingers drumming occasionally on the arm. The only sound coming from him was the hiss of breath every time he blew the pompom off the Santa hat perched on his head out his face (he'd given up trying to tear it off as soon as he learned Apollo had enchanted it to instantly reappear on his head).

The god shifted almost nervously, "You sure?"

He nodded, followed by another puff of breath.

He took a breath, "You really should. If you don't, Santa might not come."

A twitch of the eye.

Apollo sighed and turned about, reaching for the front dooknob.

"He'll come." A tiny voice suddenly said.

Apollo paused, "Oh, and what makes you so sure?"

"Because if he doesnt... I win."

Despite his efforts, Apollo found his brow twitching into a scowl, "And how do you figure that out?"

Little Armani frowned, "Because he ran away last time. He was scared, he was probably worried I'd beat him."

"R-really? I'm sure that's not how Santa remembers it. I'm sure he just didn't want to be seen by anyone else.."

Armani scowled and turned to look at the god, "No, he got scared and ran away!"

"That's not what happened!"

"Yeah, and how would you know!"

"I know all and see all!"

"Then you know he'll be here!"

"Oh, he'll be here! He'll be here alright, and you'll be sorry!" Shouted the god and slammed the door behind him.

Armani fumed for a moment, then frowned in thought as to why he was so angry. Pushing the thought aside for a moment he slid down and hopped off the sofa and prodded over to the wooden chest in the corner, the one where Apollo stores all his pointy and sharp things, and flipped the lid open.

He clambered up and over the rim, reaching down to the bottom, small legs flailing up as he leaned back and pulled out his minature training crossbow. Pausing to flick the bobble of his hat out of his eyes, he trotted back over to the couch and climbed back up. Pulling back the string, he adjusted the sight and took aim at the fireplace, waiting...

11:35pm

'Santa' climbed over the edge of his sleigh and onto the condo's flat roof. He paced over to the chimney and paused, glancing down.

The fire hadn't been lit, so he snapped his finger and vanished with a flash, reappearing crouched down in front of the fireplace.

He glanced up, and then suddenly found himself face to face with what, at first glance, could be mistaken for an elf with a crossbow.

'Santa' locked eyes with him as a small smile spreading across the child's face, "Submit." said the boy simply

'Santa's' eyes narrowed at the boy, "I give you points for courage, little one, but you wouldn't really shoot Santa, now would you?"

He got his answer a split-second later.

'Santa' flicked an eyebrow up and the bolt burst into a cloud of ash mid-flight.

Unfortunately it was followed by the actual crossbow itself.

'Santa' cursed loudly as the weapon hit him smack in the face.

He scrambled up, cradling his nose, "Again between the eyes! Why is it always right between the damned eyes!"

He didn't even need to look as he snatched the boy out the air by the scruff of his shirt before he managed to finish his kick.

Armani's legs flailed in the air as 'Santa' kept him at arm's length, smirking, "Did you really think that-"

He was cut off as the boy somewhat unceremoniously reared back and slammed his forehead into his own.

"Gah! AGAIN!" He cried, losing grip on the child as his hand when to his face, only for the boy to kick him once on the way down.

'Santa' had to admit; that one hurt.

The man dropped to his knees, "Ooh, you little imp!"

'Santa' gritted his teeth and staggered back to his feet, glaring at the boy who had taken a readied stanse, "Low blow, kid! Low blow!"

"Submit!" The boy repeated, pausing to adjust his hat again.

'Santa' glowered at the boy, his voice shifting, settling somewhere between his deep tone and that of a young man, "Boy, you are a thousand years away from even standing on the same field as me."

Armani frowned, "I'm much stronger than I was last time we met!"

As 'Santa's' retrieved a present and slid it under the tree by his feet, his mouth twitched into a smirk, "Is that so? Then why don't you come prove it."

The boy's center of gravity shifted slightly as 'Santa' mirrored his pose and, as the boy attacked, 'Santa's' eyes followed him as the boy leapt up onto the arm of the sofa and kicked out at the taller man, who blocked effortlessly.

The boy thrust himself off the arm and began throwing punches, 'Santa's' hands moving in a blur as he parried him, the child propelling himself of his wide chest and into the air to continue attacking.

'Santa' smiled with amusement as the boy threw out evey move he had been tought over the past year, mixing and changing combos in an effort to get behind the larger man's guard.

Armani landed, staggering back and mopping his brow with his hat bobble, feeling less than amused with the situation than the grinning man in red.

Apollo had been teaching him basic hand to hand combat, at least that's what the sun god called the repeated sessions of pummeling the demigod until he picked up on the lesson at hand.

This one though, he was reading his moves as if he'd seen them a million times.

The smart thing would be to admit when you're outclassed, cut your losses and take it as a life lesson.

It was a shame no one had taken the time to tell that to Armani.

"You have gotten better, you should be proud that you at least-" 'Santa' didn't get to finish as the boy attacked again, barely stopping to breathe until the man gasped hold of the boy's hands.

So what did the boy do?

He did exactly what any wolf would do when someone grabbed hold of his paws.

'Santa' yelped as the boy bit down on his thumb.

"Enough of this!" he shouted in a bellowing voice.

Before the boy could hit the ground, with blinding speed, 'Santa' swung his sack around and scooped the boy out of the air, "Got you..."

"Oy!" yelped the boy as he thrashed about, "Lemme out!"

'Santa' held the sack at arm's length and puffed out an exasperated breath and tied the top closed, pausing to hang the thrashing bag on one of the coat hooks.

"Well," said the 'old man', shrugging his shoulders, "...until next year then." His response was a series of indecipherable shouts and moans from inside the bag as 'Santa' turned and vanished.

December 25th 2001 12:15am

Apollo closed the condo door behind him, pausing to check himself in the mirror before peeking into the living room, and then into his charge's empty bedroom. The building was oddly silent.

"Armani?" he called gently.

There was a slight muffled mumble and Apollo turned to the sack still hanging from the hook.

The god smiled tiredly and gently lifted the sack off, opening the top up to find the child asleep inside, arms folded and scowling, unconciously chewing on his thumbnail.

Apollo moved to the bedroom and gently deposited the child in the bed and turned to leave as the boycontinued mumbling ocassionally.

Apollo did however feel a slight note of aprehension, just after he turned off the light and began to close the door, the child mumbled "mummm...'smeans ...war."

The god just shrugged, he could worry about that next year...

To be continued...

[A/N] And that's the second year of christmas, hope you enjoyed it. Again I'll try and get the next one out in good time. So with that I'll catch you all again soon in:

Chapter 3: 2002