Here we go! New chapter! I'm sorry it took so long, but I think my roll is gone. Darn! Oh well, I hope you enjoy. I'll try to update as often as I can. Enjoy!

The kids were in shock. How could this be? It didn't seem possible, and yet the evidence was right there. Their names all in fine, perfectly readable print.

Raz sniffled, eyes beginning to sting. "Guess iss' true then." She lowered her head. "We ain' getting Christmas…"

"I can' believe it. We came all this way…" each set of eyes filled to the brim with tears. "An' we don't even get Christmas…"

The sloths were beginning to look over curiously, right as the first tear slid down one's cheek. Gupta sniffed and wiped the tear away, but more just replaced it. That seeming as a cue to the others, they started to cry too, and within seconds they were all sobbing heavily, gathered up together in a bunch, a fruitless attempt to comfort each other.

The elves looked over questioningly, a bit annoyed. All this ruckus wasn't helping their last minute preparations, but they could do nothing about it. If the reindeer thought they were worthy enough to be here… they had to be near the very top of the nice list.

But that didn't explain their sudden disruptive wails. What on earth could be wrong? They were at the North Pole for Christmas' sake! One of the braver ones, a blond furred female with green eyes, put down the doll she was sewing with a pine needle and some cotton thread, and began to walk over.

"Uh… kids?"

"Wh-What?!" came a choked reply from she-couldn't-tell-who. They were all huddled together with their faces facing the inside of their little group circle, heads down.

"What's, um, what's wr-"

"What's going on here?" a new, naturally rather loud voice boomed. The kids didn't move, but Holly turned to her boss, and the two deer from earlier.

"Santa, sir, well… I'm not sure."

"…Santa?" a quiet voice whimpered questioningly. The rabbit was peaking out from their circle, eyes and cheeks wet, ears down, trembling with sadness.

"That's me." The little boy looked ready to say something, but the humans eyes landed on the paper. "And what do you kids think you're doing? Trying to make some last minute changes?" he demanded rather crossly.

"W-Well…" Raz swallowed and rubbed her eyes. "Act'lly, yeah."

He made a 'tsk tsk' sound. "Young lady-"

"'m sorr'eh!" she exclaimed. "Bu' why're weh on th' naughty list?" she gave him a pleading look. "Why? Whaddid we do?"

"Naughty list?" he sounded exasperated. "What are you talking about Raz?"

She looked astounded. "Ye know mah name?"

"Well of course. How else am I supposed to keep track of what everyone wants?"

"Um…" they shared confused looks. "But San'a…" while he didn't want to jinx it, Gupta was curious. "Isn' this the naughty list?"

He laughed loudly, startling the little ones a bit. "Of course not!" he picked it up and shook the snow off, holding it up for them to see. It was still the perfect green print from before, but now they could see the top. In much bigger writing, underlined for emphasis, at the top of the page were the words 'Nice List.' They shared wide eyed looks. But that meant…

"WE GET CHRISTMAS!"

-Elsewhere-

Lily felt so very guilty as she walked side by side her brother behind their mother. She'd never meant it to go this far. Poor Lisa, so overwhelmed, had just suffered an emotional/mental breakdown of some sorts and collapsed crying before completely losing consciousness. While everyone assured Nathan she'd be alright, he still looked a bit pale.

Why had this happened? Why had she been so stupid as to tell her little brother such things? Despite common local belief, she didn't hate the little squirt. During the seldom time he was around her, when he wasn't off playing with his friends or lounging with Amethyst for a nap of just 'lazy' time. Whenever she got the rare moment alone, which was hard as she and her twin were nearly inseparable, she had to admit, he was innocent and rather sweet, like all kids his age.

She had to admit to herself, she was jealous. She'd jealous of the little tyke ever since he was born. Because the second their mother announced she was pregnant, jealousy flamed within her two other children. They didn't want to share their mother and father with a new baby.

Soon after the little guy was born, their father died. Of what, they didn't know. He just became aware of strange pains throughout his body, this went on for a few weeks, and one morning, he didn't wake up. It had been a time of mourning for all of them. Even the few day old child seemed to know something was wrong and got fussy for a few days.

It was worse than ever after that. Amethyst spent every moment of her time with their new little brother. She hardly even glanced at her other children after that, while the baby needed constant attention.

The others secretly felt the same. When they're newest (and final, had been decided) siblings had arrived, they'd been shoved aside. It was a little later for the Australian brothers, considering their sister didn't need much attention beside slight caution of her mother before her first trip out of the pouch. The family still had equal amounts of fun together. The boys enjoyed the quality time with their parents. Then she came along and spoiled everything.

The second their little sisters feet touched the ground for the first time, it was as if the world revolved around her, as if everything had to be made perfect especially for 'mummy and daddy's special little princess'. They had moved, after all, from their old home, all the way up to lush center-ish of the continent, just so Raz could grow up one hundred percent safely. No dangers of dingoes, their natural predators, or water scarcity, and there was more than enough food everywhere.

Aaiden still couldn't help but slapping himself over and over in his head. He'd broken his mothers heart and put a crack in their usual mushy, lovey-dovey relationship. He hadn't seem them cuddle or give each other sweet looks for two days, about the time they'd been out here, which was a huge record for them.

He'd admit, he was worried. Not just for his parents, but his baby sister. While she may have been annoying, and always getting her way, and had both their parents (unknowingly) totally wrapped around her fingers, she was still his sister.

And he was her big brother. He was supposed to protect her, and be there for her. Not fill her head with horrible untruths and make her cry, and bully her.

He just couldn't get the image of his poor, innocent little sister out there all alone in the middle of a blizzard, glowing eyes that only he could see surrounding her, shivering, crying, calling desperately for her friends, family, someone.

And the fact that it was his fault. 'Poor bab'eh sis…' he thought, gazing ahead at the land ahead of them. 'Please be alrigh.' He sighed and bit his lip. 'An if yer no'… Ah'm so sorr'eh I gotcha inta this.'

-Further North-

The kids had finally gotten over their excitement and were beaming uncontrollably. Scanning the lists again and again, overjoyed. First the nice, they'd find their names, then the naughty, overjoyed when they didn't see anything. That is, until…

Raz frowned curiously. There was a sprinkle of snow on one of the list, blocking out one of the names. Wondering, she gently brushed it off and read the name. She gasped, once merry metallic pools filling with horror. "Uh oh… mates…?"

"Yeah?" Squint jumped up on her shoulder.

"Look." She pointed at the name, written there in bright red writing. Jemal. She looked near it and, sure enough, there were her other brothers names as well.

"Hey!" Flynn cried obliviously. "That's my sister!"

"And my brother and sister!" they shared sad looks. Uh oh…

Well… what'dja think? I honestly wanted to put more emotion in the first scene, but I just couldn't come up with anything.

I'm sorry, but I think my lucky roll is over. But I promise, it will be done by December 20th. Now I don't believe in all that doomsday stuff (I mean no offense whatsoever to anyone who may. And if I have offended you, I'm very very sorry.), but I'm just being cautious. You never know. I'd hate to have us all die before it's done. Oh, and one more thing…

ICE AGE 4 COMES OUT ON DVD IN EXACTLY AN HOUR AND FIFTY MINUTES! Yeah, I'm obsessed. Sue me. …Please don't sue me. But anyway, I've actually got someone on hold at school to go get it for me at lunch if my mom can't pick me up and drive me to walmart after school.

Please review!