This was created as part of the Bateses Secret Service "Banna Secret Santa Exchange 2018" on Tumblr as a gift for my lovely friend, Skeeter0003. Merry Christmas, you sweet human! I hope you enjoy!
THE SECRET OF SANTA
December 18th
"One week til Christmas!" Emma thundered down the stairs and tore through the family room like a lightning bolt, shouting all the way. In her wake, the ornaments on the tree swayed and jingled.
"Darling, I know you're excited, but please stop yelling about it. If you wake your brother, there will be a reckoning in this house." Anna spoke calmly from the couch. The laundry was stacked high in sorted piles around her while quiet christmas tunes played from the TV.
"Jack-Jack should be excited about it too!" She answered in a harsh whisper. The six-year old inherited her father's looks, right down to the stubborn, stray lock of hair that came loose from her ponytail. She pushed it back with a sweaty palm only to have it fall back into her eyes again.
At almost a year old, "Jack-Jack," as the girls dubbed him, courtesy of the Incredibles, was their surprise and welcome New Year's blessing. Always so excited and content with everything, he surely would be excited about his very first Christmas.
"Why don't you go see what Harriet is up to?"
"I did," She whined. "She's doing hooooooomeworrrrk." She draped herself dramatically over the arm of the couch.
Anna couldn't help but laugh at the stark contrast between the flamboyant personality of their little girl who had all the features of her father, and knowing how silly John were to look if he did the same.
"Don't you have any of your own?"
"I did it already! She's just taking forever."
"Maybe she has more homework to do. She is two years older," Anna offered.
"Well, she acts old...like an old lady. It's because she has an old lady name."
"That's not fair, Emma. Why do you tease her like that?"
"Well, it is, isn't it?" John chimed in, sauntering around the corner and into the room after just arriving home from work, already having unloaded his coat and scarf in the entry closet.
"Oh, not you too."
Emma leapt into her father's arms, "Daddy!"
"Hello, Little Bean," he pressed a kiss to her cheek as he lifted her up. He looked to Anna and continued, "Well it was my mother's name, so..."
"And so what? It's adorable and it's a wonderful tribute to her." His eyes crinkled in the corners, the way she loved, when he smiled at her and leant down to kiss her too.
"Daddy, ew!" Emma wriggled to break free. When he obliged, she tore off down the hall.
He chuckled, "At least we know PDA works as a child-repellent."
Anna shook her head at him, "Silly beggar. How was work?"
He found a clear spot to sit and reached for a sweater to fold. "Oh, you know, very busy and important. Robert doesn't know what to get Cora for Christmas and he called me into the office three times just for my opinion." He raised an eyebrow at Anna, eliciting a giggle. "And then there was Thomas…" He hissed the end of his name through his teeth for effect. "He spent every opportunity crowing about the new client he scored for the company."
"You know he's just itching for a promotion and thinks the more attention he calls to his achievements, the better." Anna herself was a valued member of Crawley Architecture & Design, but after the birth of their third child, she minimized her hours dramatically and opted to take on assignments remotely from home. Similarly to John, it helped to be "like family" with The Family.
"He's been a thorn in my side since I started there. It's my job he wants, really. Thinks I haven't earned it."
"We both know how untrue that is. You have earned your position and you are the best man for the job. Being 'best bros' with the boss is just icing on the cake," She shrugged.
He winced. "You really just said 'best bros,' didn't you?"
"Well it's true!" She giggled. "The army is a brotherhood. You went through so much together, and there's a bond there that Mr. 'stick-it-up-your-jumper' Barrow could never have because it would require thinking about someone other than himself."
"I do love you, you know."
"I know," she winked. "I love you too." She glanced at the time on the TV, "Uh-Oh, I really should check on dinner...unless we want another impromptu smoked chicken episode."
He laughed, "You go on, I can manage this."
She left him amidst towering stacks of laundry. The girls' piles should go first, he thought to himself. Help would be nice, though.
"Hey Bean! Come here, I have a mission for you!"
He smiled, receiving his answer in the thumping of running feet.
"See that basket? Can you lift it?"
Her ponytail bounced as she nodded, and stuck her tongue out when she picked it up. The weight wasn't the problem, the height was, leaving only the very top of her head visible above the tower.
"Maybe this wasn't a good idea, you can put it down, Bean."
"I can do it!" A muffled voice insisted from behind the pile as it teetered dangerously.
"Can you see where you're going?"
"No."
"You still think you can do it?"
"Yes."
"I'm sure you can, but I think I have an idea that's more fun. Put it down on the floor."
Miraculously, she didn't argue with him, giving him the opportunity to concoct a new game. "Now, I'll leave Harriet's basket here next to yours. Bend down and put your hands on the edge of it, and I'm going to wait at the bottom of the stairs. I want you to count to ten, then slide the basket all the way around the corner and to the bottom of the stairs. And when I take it up to the top, I want you to run back and do the same thing with the other baskets. How does that sound?"
She gave him a wicked grin, the one that reminded him of Anna when she was feeling particularly mischievous. "Let's go."
"Alright, alright." He chuckled. "When I get them all to the top of the stairs, you can slide them to their doors too."
"Okay, okay, Daddy, let's go!"
When he disappeared around the corner, she made the quickest count she could muster and took off like a jet. He was already regretting his choice of "funning up the chores," as he and Anna liked to call it. But it was when he only barely stopped the stack from toppling all over the bottom step, he knew he made a mistake and would have no choice but to see it through and minimize the damage she made at the expense of his knee, which, wrenched at his very first turn to lift the basket to the top of the stairs. In a blink, all four baskets were lined up on the upper level and ready for distribution and he sent her off to deliver two to the girls' shared room. Thinking a little clearer, he picked up Jack's basket, choosing to bring it in himself lest he suffer the wrath of his wife for letting Emma scare him up from his nap.
As he turned the knob to the nursery, he looked over his shoulder for Emma's progress just in time to hear her slam into her own door, and he grimaced after hearing Harriet's surprised shriek from the other side. Saying a quick prayer of thanks that Anna was too distracted in the kitchen to notice the demolition derby upstairs, he continued into the nursery.
Expecting to hear the soft snuffles of the baby sleeping, he was surprised to hear contented gurgles from the crib instead. Placing the basket down by the wardrobe, he padded over to the crib a peeked inside.
"Hey little man! Look who's awake!"
"Da!" The baby squirmed and clapped his hands excitedly.
"That's my Jack-Jack, how was your nap?"
"Da!" Little arms reached up as John leaned down to lift him from the crib, hitching him on his hip.
"Oh my, that's good to hear, tell me more. Did you have sweet dreams?"
"Da!"
"Oh good! I thought so! So now you're up, let's go see mama, eh?"
"Ma!"
"Yes, that's right, she'll be so happy to see you!"
As he left the nursery, he could vaguely make out the sound of bickering from the girls' room further down the hall. It was partly of his own making since the laundry race was his idea, he should've known that Emma's zeal would overtake any sense or sensitivity from her regarding her sister, though.
Hoping to derail them, he called out, "Girls! Dinner's gonna be ready soon! Go wash up!"
Huffs of "fine," and "yesssss" reached his ears before he saw them pop out from the room.
Emma charged for the bathroom ahead of Harriet, leaving her in the hallway, sullen.
"What's wrong, Hat?"
"She made me mess up my homework," she whined. "She scared me and I made a scratch across the whole page."
John winced. "I'm sorry about that, we were playing a game and got a little carried away," he nodded up the hall to an oblivious Emma emerging from the bathroom, "didn't we, Bean?"
"Yeahhhhh, but it was fun," she grinned.
Harriet scowled at her, still sore.
"Ha!" Jack contributed.
"Even though it was fun, we should've been more careful. I'm sure you feel bad for scaring your sister, right?"
"Yeah…"
John raised his eyebrows at her.
"M'sorry," she added.
Just then, Anna called from downstairs. "This dinner isn't going to eat itself, you know, are you all coming?"
"We're coming!" John shouted back to her before turning his attention back to the girls, "Alright, enough of this, let's have a good night now, yeah? Go wash up, Hat, we'll head down now. I'll save you your favorite seat." He winked at her, and to his relief he got a smile.
"Another disaster avoided," he thought to himself.
December 19th
"Well Mum, supposably, Santa isn't real."
The statement came out of nowhere. John tipped his glasses down his nose as he looked to Anna from his spot on the couch, newspaper momentarily ignored. A minute before, Harriet marched into the kitchen while Anna was packing away dinner and made her proclamation after a simple question about her day.
"Now where did you get that idea?" They were both blindsided by it, but Anna scrambled to try to find the right response. Neither of them were ready for this conversation, even though they'd both admit it was only a matter of time. At eight-years old, Harriet was growing and learning at a breakneck pace. But as often as she surprised them with her knowledge, there were many childlike tendencies she retained and they longed to preserve for as long as possible. This was no exception.
Harriet shrugged, "On the bus."
"...and where did you hear that word?" Anna didn't have any bright ideas yet, so she tried to buy time with a grammar lesson.
"Supposably?"
"Yes, you've never used it before."
"The bus…" She rolled her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course...the bus...the source of all worldly knowledge…" John interjected quietly from his roost, hissing slightly as he drew out the words.
"You're not helping here, John." She refocused on her daughter. "Well, that's very clever, but it's not a real word, love."
"But Timmy said..."
Again, John interrupted, "No one is smarter than Mum, darling, you'd best start learning that now." He chuckled, which earned him looks from both mother and daughter, their expressions identical.
Anna shook her head and turned her attention back to Harriet, "First of all, it's pronounced supposedly, and just where did Timmy get this wild idea from?"
"He has big brothers!"
"Oh, and I'll bet they know everything," she said dryly.
"They do! And their parents wrap all their gifts and leave them by the tree themselves!"
"And what do you think about that?"
"I dunno, Timmy said..."
"I'm sure Timmy said a lot, but I'd like to hear what you think."
A frown very much like John's crawled across her features as she thought hard. "Well...it's kind of crazy that Santa can make it to every single house all in one night..."
"But that's what makes him so magical." She tried that simple logic in hopes that she'd take the bait, but their girl was just too smart.
"Yeah...but what about the kids who don't get anything?"
There it was. They certainly didn't see that coming either. Sensing the serious turn in the conversation, John shifted from his spot on the couch and placed his hand on Anna's back when he reached her, a united front.
"What kids are you talking about, love?" Anna asked, her concern evident in the knit of her eyebrows.
"There's some kids in my year that don't have a lot of money. They never have anything new to wear and they never get anything for Christmas."
Anna exhaled and looked to John, defeated. What could she possibly say to combat that one?
And then John broke the silence, "You know, Anna, maybe it's time to tell her the truth." He winked at her.
"What are you doing?" She whispered, confused.
He kissed the tip of her scrunched nose lightly and his eyes sparkled when he whispered back, "Trust me."
"Cocoaaa with Miss Baaaates."
Harriet giggled as John entered the living room with a tray of hot cocoa and biscuits. The tree glowed from its place, lighting the space with a warmth that is always present in their home, but seemed to be amplified around Christmastime. He placed it down on the ottoman, and sat himself on the edge of it so he could face her.
Anna came in a moment later and curled up on one side of her daughter on the couch. "Jack is all settled in for the night, and I left Emma snuggled up in our bed watching Elf...So that leaves us with plenty of time for our little talk." She wiggled her eyebrows at John teasingly. "So, I think it's time you let our girl in on the big secret."
Springing this on her the way he did, he knew they'd require a bigger, private conversation later on. But, for the moment, she seemed content to let him take the lead.
He took a deep breath before delivering his speech. "Well, Hat, you sure have grown an awful lot this year. Not only are you taller, but I can see that your heart has grown too." She sat up straighter in her seat after this, listening intently. "I've watched you help Emma with her schoolwork, and you did it even without being asked. You jump in and help Mum a lot, looking after Jack-Jack when she's got her hands full. We've even noticed you saving extra change for the charity collections in the stores." Now she began to smile. Anna looked down at her proudly, and John continued. "In fact, your heart has grown so much that I think you're ready to become a Santa Claus."
"What do you mean, Dad?" Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline in confusion.
"You probably noticed that most of the Santas you see are dressed up like him, like outside shops and such. And we already know one of your friends has told you there's no such thing as Santa."
She nodded.
"A lot of children think that...and that's because they aren't ready to BE a santa yet, but YOU are."
She sat back at chewed her lip, letting his words sink in.
"Tell me the best things about Santa."
"He brings happiness wherever he goes. He gives gifts to everyone...and all in one night every year."
"Okay, and what does Santa get in return for all his trouble?"
"Well...he gets a lot of cookies and milk."
Anna stifled a laugh next to her. John tried his best to stay serious.
"Okay, yes he does, but what's more important is the reward he gets in his heart from the good feeling of having done something for someone else."
"So, you and Mum are Santa's too?"
"Uuuuuuuh-of course we are."
"Yeah, that makes sense. You donate those shoeboxes to the kids in Africa, and you raise money for the homeless...you volunteer at the food pantry…"
Anna's head tilted as she and John looked to each other. Neither of them really considered it that way, it was just something they did to give back a little. Coincidentally it fit the bill perfectly for the conversation. It struck them with pride that their deeds didn't go unnoticed by their children.
"Why yes, we do." John managed to say before trying to regain his footing. "And, we think you're ready to join us and do your first job as a Santa yourself!"
Her smile widened and she sat forward, placing her cocoa mug on the tray while she thought. "What do I need to do?"
John counted that as a win. "You get to pick someone. It could be anyone: a neighbor, a classmate...your busdriver? You find out, secretly, what that person needs. Together, we'll get it, wrap it and you get to deliver it to the person. But," he exaggerated a whisper, "they can never know where it came from. They can't even know it was you."
"But why not?"
"Because being a Santa isn't about getting credit, but about unselfish giving. They won't know they have you to thank, but you will know that you made a difference and you'll feel good at the end of the day for being able to do something nice for them."
The room was quiet for a moment as they watched her mind work through everything John shared.
Anna chimed in now, "Darling, you don't have to pick someone right now. You can think it over for a day or two if you want." She reached up to stroke her fingers through Harriet's hair.
"Ava."
Her parents spoke at the same time, their words stumbling over the other's.
"I'm sorry?"- "Excuse me?"
"Ava. I pick Ava. She's in my class."
"Oh that's great!" John supplied. "What did you want to get-"
"Something warm." She said in a rush, eyes growing wild with her eagerness. "She's always cold...still wears the same coat from two years ago and the sleeves are all short."
Anna put her hand to her mouth to mask her expression.
"I have money saved, can we go tomorrow and get her something?" Her excitement was building, bubbling over.
"Absolutely."
"Everyone's in bed?" John asked as Anna shut the door behind her.
"Even the boy," she sighed and began to undress. "He wanted a bottle and he wanted mama, but he's finally off." She paused a moment to look directly into his eyes. "I have to admit you had me scared there for a minute earlier."
He chuckled and joked, "Well, every now and then you need to trust your husband. He doesn't have all bad ideas."
She raised an eyebrow. "Unlike laundry races?"
"Uuuuhhhhh, yeah, about that…" He scratched the back of his neck.
"I'm just teasing you," she laughed. "Emma told me all about it when I set her up in here with her movie."
"It was a means to an end," he shrugged.
"I know. I've had my own trial and error sessions around here, except now we know it's better if we come up with something a little more tame for our most exuberant one."
"What can I say? When you're right, you're right. And you're always right," He teased.
"As it should be," she smirked at him and sat on the edge of the bed to pull on her sleep pants. "So, where did you get this Santa idea from anyway? As much as I don't love being surprised with something like that, it really is lovely."
"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about that first, it just sort of popped out. I read it online somewhere and it sounded like a great way to transition. I mean, this way, Santa isn't just some lie that gets discovered. I don't want an angry, disappointed or just plain upset kid on our hands, just as much as you. Instead, we get them in on doing things for others."
"It's alright, it's a wonderful idea…although…you might still have a little making up to do."
"Oh really?" He waggled his eyebrows, coming to stand in front of her.
"Mmhmm." She nodded slowly and gestured to her shoulders.
Climbing up on the bed behind her, he started to knead at her shoulders. He paused once or twice to nuzzle her ear, receiving appreciative hums. Deciding to try his luck, he took his massaging around the front, pulling her tightly back against his chest in the process
"Hmm, are you trying to get frisky, Mr. Bates?" She breathed.
"That depends," he murmured between kisses to her neck. "Is it working?"
"It may be," she hummed.
"Then I guess I'll have to try harder."
December 20th
"You told her what?!"
"You heard me."
"That's bloody brilliant, Bates. God knows that would've never flown with my girls." Robert perched himself on the edge of his desk, impressed.
"Not even Sybil?"
"Okay, she's the only one," he conceded, "but you know Edith and Mary. They knew the real Santa was their old Dad and made sure they got whatever they wanted."
John chuckled.
Robert let out a low whistle and continued. "But leave it to you to come up with a thing like that. And she really ate it up, eh?"
"Hook, line and sinker. But really it's down to Anna's influence on them that she's got such a good heart. All of them do, really, and I know Jack will be just as good-hearted. How could he not be?"
"Well they certainly didn't get it from a cranky bugger like you," Robert teased.
"Hardly," John laughed.
"So, who's her target?"
"Oh, that's a sad one. There's a girl in her class whose family must not have a lot and Hat's noticed that she never gets anything new, and not even anything for Christmas, really. It was hard not to react when she said it too. Just to think that there are kids right there next to yours who are cold, and most likely hungry...it twists my mind a little. I mean..." he gestured vaguely, "we always think of the less fortunate as being those that are far away, like...Uganda...but we fail to notice those that are right in front of our faces."
"It makes you feel pretty awful, doesn't it."
"Amongst other things, yeah."
"Think of it this way, some people never notice. You're raising good kids, John." He slapped him on the shoulder and circled back to his desk.
John smiled to himself, thinking, "Yeah, they are pretty good."
"Five days…" Emma yelled as she came around the corner, and immediately softened her voice after one look from her mother. "...til Christmas!"
"Bah!" Jack supplied from his play mat on the floor.
"Bah, like 'bah-humbug,' Jack-Jack? You don't mean that! Christmas is the best!"
"Bah!" He answered back.
She crawled on all fours until she came nose to nose with him. Sitting back on his chubby legs, he grabbed at her cheeks in delight as she puffed them up, letting him push them til the air escaped in a glorious raspberry. Anna and Emma joined in with his infectious giggles until he decided it was time to try and go for a walk. Never quite caring to crawl the traditional way, he opted instead for shuffling himself along on his hip with one leg always tucked under the other in a move his father dubbed "the booty scoot." When he reached the edge of the couch, his pudgy fingers grasped for the edge of the cushion and he started to pull himself up.
Anna and Emma watched quietly as he concentrated on his mission. The family learned a while back not to mess with him or otherwise help him when he was trying to do something, especially if it was a skill he hadn't mastered yet. Anna had to admire his determination to do things himself, as frustrating as it was to watch sometimes. His legs wobbled underneath his body as his fingers worked hard to keep their grip. Before they knew it, was standing up and beaming proudly. Anna and Emma clapped for him, cheering him on.
"Look at you! There's my handsome man! So big!" Anna praised.
"Ma!" He answered as he moved his hands further down the cushion, closer to where Anna was sat. He started to walk himself sideways in shaky steps and she tried not to reach out for him to hold him up.
"There you go! Four steps, what a big boy! Come on, come to mama," she encouraged him.
He was almost at his goal when he tried to reach for her leg, but without taking another step, he ended up plopping onto his rear, just at her feet.
"Uh-oh!" He said.
"Uh-oh, Jack-Jack," Emma added.
"Look how far you came, baby, I'm so proud of you!" Anna said, and clapped her hands for him once more.
He began to clap for himself, giggling happily before she leaned down to scoop him up for a smacking kiss on his cheek.
"What did I just miss?" John arrived home from work and came straight to where the commotion was.
"Daddy's home," Anna said to Jack as she bounced him in her arms.
"Da?" Jack questioned and Anna turned him to face John, settling him on her hip when she stood. "Da!"
"That's right, little man! Daddy's home." John met Anna halfway, kissing her softly before leaving one on Jack's cheek. Suddenly, he felt a weight wrap around his leg. "I didn't forget about you, Bean." He looked down to see her smiling up at him from his ankles. "Come on up, give us a kiss."
She shook her head at him and tightened her grip, determine to make him drag her about.
"Hat's just finishing up her work and then she'll be down so you can take her to work on her project," Anna said.
"But why can't I go?" Emma whined.
"Because you and I are going to stay here and decorate those cookies I made earlier, doesn't that sound like fun?"
"Do we get to eat them too or do we have to save them?"
"Well we have to save some of them for the neighbors and for Santa, but if you behave…"
Emma's face was serious. "I'll be so good."
"I'm sure you will," Anna laughed. "Why don't you go on up and see if your sister is ready to go? After all, the sooner they leave, the sooner we can start."
Emma didn't need any more convincing after that. Unwinding herself from John's ankles, she bolted around the corner and up the stairs.
John chuckled lightly and turned to Anna. "If we could all just have a fraction of her energy…"
"We'd have enough to power the sun, I'm sure." She took a breath to continue as he came up close to wrap his arm around her waist, brushing Jack's hair back with the other. "Now, I know she has money saved up, and I didn't ask her how much, she was so excited to do it all herself. But you'll make sure she doesn't spend too much, won't you?"
"Of course. I mean, I'll honestly feel guilty coming home with anything less than an entirely new wardrobe for the girl," he laughed when she fixed him with a glare. "But I think we're pretty set on a coat at the very least."
"Daddy, are you ready? I got the keys, I'll be in the car!" Harriet's voice rang out from the entryway, followed quickly by the slamming of the door.
They turned to each other with surprised faces.
"My goodness," he grunted. "I guess she really is excited."
"I wasn't joking," Anna laughed. "You'd better get going before she drives off without you."
"And you'd better save me some cookies."
"What'll you do if I don't?" Her tone was flirty.
"You'll have to make it up to me somehow." She shivered when he whispered into her ear, "Like last night. It's nice to have the shoe on the other foot every once in a while."
The blush crept over her cheeks when he pulled away, she opened her mouth for a sassy reply, but the beeping of the car horn beat her to it.
"Yes, yes, I'm coming, I'm coming!" he waved into the air as if she could see and hear him. "Duty calls, Mrs. Bates, and I'm off. I'm serious about those cookies." He pointed at her. "There will be consequences."
She smiled wickedly before placing a goodbye kiss to his lips. "Maybe I like to live dangerously, Mr. Bates."
The click of the door and the rustling of bags alerted Anna to their return. Jack's eyes, which up until a minute before were drooping as he nestled into his mother's arms on the couch, were suddenly bright at the arrival of his father and sister.
"Well, I do think Daddy's home."
"Da," he said, beginning to twist around to follow the sounds coming from around the corner.
"And we're back with the spoils of war!" Harriet giggled as John's voice echoed around the living room in dramatic fashion, puffing up his chest and spreading his arms like a proud conqueror. "We fought the crowds and emerged victorious! Now...where are the cookies? We deserve a reward."
Jack wriggled excitedly at the sight, reaching his arms out for a change of venue.
"Ohhhh, welcome home, mighty warriors." Anna stood to place a kiss on his cheek and smoothly deposited the baby in John's arms before sauntering away. "You can each have one cookie, but not just yet. Me and Hat are going to have a look at the plunder of the evening first," she took the bags in one hand, wrapping the other around her daughter's shoulder to usher her into the kitchen. Over her shoulder, she said to John, "...And you, my fierce fighter, have the honor of putting your son to bed. Perhaps you can regale him with the tale of your heroic exploits," she smirked.
John hoisted the little boy further up his chest and turned for the stairs.
"Da!" Small fingers pinched and pulled at John's ear.
"Yes, my son, your old dad is a hero!" He boomed as he disappeared around the corner.
His declarations waxed lyrical until they faded away the further he went, ultimately leaving mother and daughter in the peace of the downstairs.
"So, why don't you show me what you've got here." Anna plopped the bags down on the dining table, allowing Harriet to lay it out while she went to the fridge to pour a glass of milk.
"I got her a new coat!" She gestured to it like a game show model, wiggling her fingers for a dazzling effect.
"Oh, lovely darling, let me see." She placed the milk on the island counter together with a cookie. "You can have your cookie over here, I don't want you to get icing or crumbs on anything."
"Now, you and Daddy are sure about the size?" She held up the simple but warm, black puffy coat.
"She's my size." Harriet answered through a mouthful of cookie. "When they line us up in PE, we're always next to each other."
Anna exhaled at that as it would make it an easy pick for them. Heaven knows there are children in Harriet's year that are already almost eye-to-eye with Anna with no signs of slowing down.
"What else have we got here?"
"Those were daddy's idea, but I picked them out!"
Anna held up a bright Hello Kitty hat with matching mittens. "Well, I'm sure Ava will love these, if you do." Harriet grinned proudly at that. "I pulled out some wrapping, so after you finish your cookie, we can get this all beautiful for you to smuggle in tomorrow before Christmas break."
"And then, Princess Hattie and King John drew their swords and slashed their way through the angry mob. The King lifted the princess up to climb above the bodies of the slain to reach their goal: the winter coats..."
The elaborate battle story had gone on for long enough that Jack's "Ooohs" had now turned into the soft grunts and snuffles of a sleeping baby lulled by the melody of his father's baritone. Satisfied with the results, John smiled to himself and placed a kiss to his son's cheek before laying him in his crib.
When he shut the door to the nursery, a flashing from underneath his own bedroom door caught his eye. As he suspected, he found Emma curled up asleep under the blankets of her parents bed while the final credits of the classic Rudolph movie scrolled past.
"Alright, time to go, Bean."
He lifted her up from her cave and she stirred only to mumble softly at him. "Fairy Princess Bean."
He chuckled to himself knowing what she meant. It has been dictated to him many times that the Fairy Princess Bean needs to be floated to her bed and swooped smoothly between the sheets, and that's what he intended to do. Determined to relish this for as long as she'd let him, he embraced his role as the Fairy King. Carrying her in his arms, he dipped and whirled her across the hall and settled her into her own bed. "Goodnight, Princess, I love you."
"Love you, Daddy," she murmured and rolled into her pillow.
Arriving downstairs, his girls were putting the final touches on the gift. Harriet was just signing the label and he announced his presence with his input. "Make sure you say it's 'From Santa,' Hat."
"I remember, Daddy." With a flourish, she finished and held up the box for him to see.
"That's my girl," He kissed her forehead. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, Dad." She blushed.
"Alright, darling, I'm going to make it fit in your bag and you make sure you bring it out at recess and sneak it into her cubby. Don't let anyone see you, though."
"I know, Mum."
"Good girl. Now, I think it's time for you to get off to bed. Goodnight love," Anna dropped a kiss into her hair and patted her off towards her father.
"Emma's already asleep so be nice and quiet, alright?" John added before pulling her in for a hug. "Goodnight, Hat, I love you."
"'Night, Mum, 'night Dad, I love you too."
"Alone at last," he breathed and slinked closer to his wife. "I think I deserve my reward now."
"Oh do you?" she smirked, winding her arms around his hips. "And what would that be?"
He dipped low, placing several kisses along her jaw and rumbled in her ear, "Cookie."
Her head tipped back in laughter before pushing him away gently. "You silly beggar."
His eyes crinkled while he chuckled. Two cookies were set aside on a plate on the counter for him. "And these are the atrocities I'm left with?" Holding one sugar-coated mess up between his two fingers, he cringed jokingly. "Not that I'm ungrateful, but…" The multiple shades of icing blended together to make a rather unappealing, blotchy brown. A mess of sprinkles and every other decoration at Emma's disposal made it onto these cookies.
"Sounds like ungrateful to me," she quipped, "but you asked for cookies, and there they are. You didn't tell me they had to be pretty. I'm sure they'll still taste as good."
"Not as good as you." He received a look for that, and he took a bite. "But still...it should go without saying they should look good."
Ignoring him, she asked, "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Has the sugar wiped your memory? You're not at all worried about our little Santa?"
"Mmm, she'll do fine."
"What if she gets caught, though? Or lets it slip?"
"She'll manage." He said confidently.
"Just like her father."
December 21st
"I didn't want to admit it to her, but I'm terrified. It was my idea, after all."
"I'm sure she'll manage just fine," Robert said.
"That's what I said, but I have a harder time believing it."
"Just have a little faith, she's going to do fine. I know it's hard to let them fly on their own, but she's got a good head on her shoulders and a caring heart."
"Wow, that was really sensitive of you."
"I know, I need to go...do something manly…" He grunted and beat his chest twice.
"Feel better now?" John asked flatly.
Robert cleared his throat, "Yes. Anyway…"
"Yeah...I keep wondering whether or not I made the right decision in all this. Anna had no idea, it was all me just throwing it out there. But what if I made a mistake and I set her up for failure?"
"Okay, let's say she mucks it up a bit and the kid finds out it came from her? What would be so bad about that?"
John sighed. "I don't know. I guess I worry more about how Harriet would feel if she was discovered and then feels like she couldn't follow through."
"Trust me, Bates. She'll be fine."
Anna's eyes popped when the front door slammed and was followed by a little girl's shriek.
A million thoughts ran through her head as she instinctively ran for the door. Emma stood, mouth gaping as she stared at her sister and their mother finally exhaled when she saw Harriet's victory dance.
"Mum, is she okay?"
"Yes, baby, she's just really excited...for...Christmas break. Yes, that's it. Why don't you run upstairs and get changed, huh?"
Emma shrugged and made a run for it, but stopped halfway up the stairs. "Hey Mum." She waited for Anna's attention and she grinned impishly, "Four days til Christmas!" And with that, she finished her rampage up to her room.
Shaking her head, Anna turned to an electric Harriet, who, twitched and wriggled with her fists clenched until the excitement escaped in another shriek. Not really needing to ask, she did anyway. "So, how did it go?"
"Oh! My! Gosh! That was so exciting!"
"So it went off alright?" Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for the details. The girl was in another dimension, she didn't even notice when Anna started to pull her backpack to the floor and slipped her coat from her shoulders.
"She had no idea! I was the last one in the room to leave for recess and I put it in her cubby. She didn't see it til it was time to go home. She was hugging the box, Mum!"
Anna's shoulders visibly relaxed and she under her breath she said, "Oh thank God."
"What?"
"I said, thank God she loved it! Great job, darling! Why don't you run upstairs with Emma and get changed, then we can all get this holiday started!"
She squealed once more and ran up the stairs much like her sister did.
"Ma!"
"Oh my God, Jack!" She whirled around to see him sitting in the doorway. In her rush to the door she completely forgot about the boy, leaving him alone on his playmat in the family room.
"Ma!" He continued his "booty scoot" and she met him halfway to pick him up and double check him for signs of injury. Giggling, he thought it was a game and started to touch his different body parts right after she did.
Finally, when she relaxed, she picked up her phone to send John a quick text. "OPERATION SECRET SANTA: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED."
December 24th
"Alright, alright, everyone get in here! It's time to open our Christmas Eve boxes!"
Anna set John to the task of rallying the troops to get them in line for the evening. His booming call carried its way up the stairs. The response was the stampede of feet coming down the stairs. Smirking over his shoulder at Anna, he raised an eyebrow, impressed with himself. An excited Jack was hitched even higher as he bounced him in front of the tree. "It's your first Christmas Eve, little man!"
"We're here!"
The girls skidded around the corner, landing near the tree.
"Are you ready, mum?"
"Am I ready? The excitement is killing me!" She dried her hands on a towel, dropping it on the island counter as she came closer to the family. "Everyone's box has their name on it, on my count, we go. Are you ready?"
The two girls were poised and ready to strike.
"1-2-3-Go!"
Bits of wrapping paper and ribbons flew in the aftermath of the attack. John managed to swipe Jack's box out from under their noses while balancing him on one hip. Together, they slid from the frenzy in a mock moonwalk.
"Smooth," Anna commented from the couch.
"You married me for my moves, you don't have to tell me." He handed Anna the box and dropped onto the cushion next to her. "Now it's time to teach you the finer points of opening presents, my son. In this house, we don't save our wrapping, so we've no need to be careful with every edge, and corner, and strip of tape, and ribbon bit..."
The boy slapped the top of the box while his father spoke.
"Clearly, you're not scarred." Anna quipped.
"It was a rough childhood when you had to hold everything back because your mother wanted to save everything in sight."
"You poor thing."
"Darned right."
"It's pajamas! And popcorn!" Emma shouted.
"I got the the same pajamas! And Hot cocoa!" Harriet's voice joined in.
"Bahhhhh!" Jack wanted to participate too.
"Well let's see what Jack-Jack has, hmm?" Anna said.
John started to peel back one edge and the sound caught Jack's attention, his fingers immediately reaching for the source. After the first pull, Jack was hooked and in an instant the box was open. Unlike the girls, he was less enthused about his matching pajamas or even the Christmas movie in his box. The discarded wrapping proved to be much more fascinating.
"Everyone, let's put on our new pajamas and take our picture by the tree." A couple of moans made it to Anna's ear after she said it, prompting her to continue. "The sooner we take our photo, the sooner we can hang our stockings and watch our new movie...with cocoa...and popcorn…"
Now, that was more like it.
John, in his own red plaid pajamas, set the angle of the camera on the tripod. Meanwhile, Jack shifted distractedly in Anna's arms, trying desperately to grab at the ornaments behind them. Finally, she plucked a bulb from the branch and handed it to him. No amount of effort would make the whole thing fit in his mouth, but it wouldn't discourage him from trying.
"Mum," Emma tipped her head back, whispering from her place in front of her mother.
"Yes, Bean."
"One day til Christmas," She whispered again, grinning at her upside down.
Anna laughed softly and leaned down to press a kiss to her daughter's nose. "Merry Christmas Eve, my darling," she whispered back.
"I hope you're all ready because we have….10 seconds." John jogged back to take his place beside Anna, looping his hand around her waist, his other hand landing on Harriet's shoulder in front of him.
After the flash, he jogged back and checked the photo. Pumping his fist in the air he said, "Bateses, congratulations! We've finally done it one try!"
"Woo!" Cheered the girls.
"Thank the Lord," breathed Anna. "Remember that one year where Emma did nothing but cry and Harriet was was determined to dig for buried treasure in her nose?"
"Gross, thanks Mum."
"That was a classic year, Hat" John chortled. "What do you say we get these stockings sorted, eh?"
After the movie, only Harriet was left awake. John, scooped up Emma, who was sleeping too deeply to even care to be a fairy princess. Anna lifted Jack onto her shoulder and nudged Harriet gently.
"Off we go now, love."
As a family, they ascended the stairs. Everyone was arranged into their beds and snuggled in with goodnight kisses, whether or not they were awake to appreciate them.
"I don't care if Santa is just you guys or not," Harriet whispered.
"You don't? Why not?" John whispered back.
"Because we're all Santa's now and we can make everyone happy. Together."
"Oh, my sweet girl. We're so proud of you," Anna dropped a kiss to her forehead and they wished her a goodnight.
As they reached for the lightswitch, they heard heard whisper again, "Don't worry, I won't tell Emma." Then she winked and curled into her blankets.
"You sure you got everything?" Anna asked as she flicked off the lights on their way through the house and up the stairs.
John ticked off his fingers as they met on the landing. "I got the garage and our closet and you got the laundry room, right?"
"Yep, I think we did it."
They both sighed with relief, turning towards each other. He walked his fingers back along her buttocks, pulling her in tightly.
"I know the kids are getting what they want from Santa, but what are you hoping he'd bring?" She traced her fingers enticingly up his shoulders, and bit her lip playfully.
"Hmm, I was hoping that Santa would have something to do with that red lingerie you've got stashed away under the bed." He held back his laugh as he gave her rear a squeeze for good measure.
She slapped his chest. "That's not fair! You peeked!"
"I can't help it, you know I'm naturally curious."
"A nosy bugger, more like."
"Yes, that too."
"Mr. Bates...I hope you realize this requires some 'making up' on your part," she started to unbutton his pajama top, toying with the hairs she found there.
"Oh, most definitely, Mrs. Bates. I was rather counting on it," he smirked.
He backed her up until they reached their bedroom door. "Ooh, Mr Bates" she purred as she was pressed against the solid wood of the door. "I think I'll definitely be getting my Christmas wish tonight."
"A Merry Christmas to all, and to all...a good night." His naughty chuckle was silenced as together they opened the door, clicking the lock soundly behind them.
AN: Disclaimer-I'm extremely guilty of the crime of trying to be British while being American. Please forgive the blending of Britishisms and Americanisms as I've no concept of how the school system in England works or even if things are even named the same, etc. Hopefully, despite these egregious errors, I hope you find this to be altogether diverting and pleasant no matter where you hail from.
I saw the Santa idea on Tumblr a long time ago and I'm not sure who to credit with the concept, but I love it.
Please leave me a note to let me know what you think :)
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful, fresh New Year to you all.