Hey everyone. Thank you all for your reviews so far. It is really encouraging to get such good reviews. I'm glad you all are enjoying it. And now, let's proceed to the story itself.

Disclaimer: I don't own any aspects to this story.

Chapter 37

First Gift

Elsa stared at the gloved hand pointing straight at her. It took a second for her brain to realize what this meant. Then her jaw dropped. She had been chosen. She, Elsa, was getting the first gift of Christmas.

How was that possible? Elsa had been so sure that Olaf was going to be chosen. His bright personality and cheerfulness would have made him a great choice. Come to think of it, Anna and Jack would have made better choices than Elsa. Santa had said that Anna had really helped Elsa during these past months and Jack was clearly someone who spread cheer to others. Elsa didn't deserve this privilege.

Elsa turned to the others to see if one of them had a reaction indicating Santa had meant them. She saw the Conductor give her a surprised smile, one that showed surprise and happiness for her. Anna was clapping her hands, a huge grin on her face. Jack's jaw quickly adjusted from an open mouth to a large smile, just as genuine as the others. Olaf joined in with wide smiles and clapping. Clearly, there was no mistake at all and no hard feelings about who Santa picked.

Elsa found herself lifted up by a group of elves, carrying her after Santa as he made his way to the platform. The elves moved quickly, but were gentle. They soon dropped her off at the foot of the platform.

Elsa got a clear glimpse of the sleigh for the first time. Green walls collaborated with a red base, giving off a rather festive color scheme. Golden runners gleamed at the bottom of the sleigh, making the green and red appear brighter. Elsa looked over to see Santa sitting in the sleigh, waving her over and tapping the seat beside him.

Elsa gulped. She went over to the sleigh, climbing aboard. Sitting down, she turned to Santa. Santa cleared his throat. "Now, Elsa, what would you like for Christmas?" he asked.

"Me, sir?" Elsa asked.

Santa nodded. "You."

Elsa looked down at the floor. What could she ask for? In theory, she could ask for anything she ever wanted. Being isolated took a toll, not just in losing social interaction, but also in learning about new items that she might want. Now that she was out and about again, there were plenty of things Elsa knew she wanted. But most of those things were stuff she could get as queen, if she ever decided to. No, what she should ask for needed to be something special.

Elsa's eyes flicked to the group of kids. Anna was back on Jack's shoulders, getting a good view of the proceedings. Olaf was lifting his head on top of an elf, also taking in the scene.. They all seemed to be very happy for her.

Elsa frowned. Why shouldn't they get a gift as well? Santa had made it clear that giving was very important. Even the story Elsa had heard about the origin of Christmas seemed to focus on gifts. God had given his Son so that all who believed would not be separated from Him by sin. That had been a truly special gift. In the same way, Elsa wanted her gift to be something that could be shared.

But what to get? Nothing really came to mind. There didn't seem to be much that connected Elsa to her closest friends and family. Then it hit her. There was something. Something she knew that Anna wished for as well. Something she felt that Jack would appreciate and that Olaf would cherish because his friends would cherish it. Elsa smiled. She knew what she wanted to ask for.

Elsa leaned into Santa's ear, whispering her wish. Santa leaned back, stroking his beard. "Yes, indeed." He turned to Elsa, a warm smile on his face. "Of course. That can be easily arranged."

Santa then leaned over and whispered to a yeti standing next to the sleigh. The yeti nodded, going off to the side with Warren. Two minutes later, the two fellows were back. Elsa looked at the item in question. It was exactly as she had pictured when she requested it.

Santa stood up, taking the item from the elf and yeti. "Thank you, friends." Lifting the object high, he exclaimed, "The first gift of Christmas!"

The crowd went wild, cheering and celebrating. The volume of cheers was almost deafening.

Santa then lowered the item, turning to Elsa. "I can tell you put a lot of thought into this. You clearly meant this gift to benefit others, not just yourself. That is truly wonderful. As a result, I added a touch of Christmas charm to it. Got the idea from a book somewhere. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Elsa nodded.

Santa then lowered his head, giving the gift to Elsa. "One other thing," he whispered. "Usually, I try to remind people about the true spirit of Christmas at this time. However, I think you've already got an idea of that. Giving to others is much more rewarding than getting. That's seen in the different stories and events connected to Christmas, from it's early beginning in a manger in Bethlehem to a tale of a rich man learning generosity on Christmas Eve night. It's a very important message, my dear. Don't ever lose sight of it."

Elsa nodded, taking the gift. "I won't, sir. Thank you very much."

Santa nodded. "Merry Christmas."

A clock tower bell started ringing. Elsa looked over to see that the clock had finally struck midnight. That had been the longest five minutes in the history of existence. Now she could feel it was time for Santa to make his deliveries.

Elsa walked down from the sleigh. The Conductor came over, helping her down. "Better hang onto that. It's a very special gift," he said in a touching, yet serious, way. Elsa gripped the gift tightly. She was not going to lose this gift, guaranteed.

Elsa made her way back to the group, getting many congratulations and pats on the back from others congratulating her. Anna, Jack, and Olaf were the most excited. Anna had the largest smile, beaming with happiness at her sister's good fortune. There was not a hint of jealousy or malicy in any of the group's faces. Elsa was reminded yet again how blessed she was to be around friends and family who truly cared for her.

Elsa turned to watch the proceedings. The elves and yetis holding the reins let go, clearing the platform. Santa lifted his hand and a whip of pure light, varying in colors like a rainbow, formed in his hand. The whip was flicked in the air, not hitting any of the reindeer. The sound served just as well, after all. The reindeer started moving, jumping up and pulling their legs. The sleigh started to move forward, pulled along by the sheer power of the reindeer. Soon the sleigh left the platform, gliding along after its flying pulling team.

Then the flight began. Slowly at first, but then gaining speed, both reindeer and sleigh flew in a large circle around the tree. The reindeer moved as one, flying in loop the loops and figure eights. Sven seemed to keep up with the other reindeer nicely, looking around occasionally as if he couldn't believe he was flying and pulling the sleigh. The sleigh flew above the crowd, sometimes going higher or lower as the reindeer flew. A building would be circled, a portion of the crowd passed. At one point, the Polar Express passengers ducked impulsively as the sleigh flew close above them.

Jack smiled. "This is certainly a night to remember."

Elsa squinted. There was something at the front of the reindeer, something that seemed to be guiding them. "Quick question. What are those things at the front of the reindeer?"

Jack looked over where she was pointing. "Those look like fairies. Same type as the one with the bell earlier. Wonder what they're doing?"

"Maybe they're leading the reindeer?" Anna suggested.

"Indeed they are," the Conductor interjected. "Those tooth fairies lead the reindeer on a flight path as the sleigh starts out. It's only for a few minutes, as the reindeer soon get into a groove and don't need as much guidance."

Elsa nodded. Given everything else that had happened, that explanation seemed to make a lot of sense.

The Conductor pointed. "See, they're leaving now."

Sure enough, the fairies were flying out of the way of the sleigh. The reindeer were really moving now, flying around and around the tree, going higher and higher. Soon they reached the top and Santa flicked the whip at the star. The star and all the tree lights immediately glowed, making the city center shine.

The sleigh then turned south, starting to emit a trail of light. Elsa heard Santa shouting, "To the top of the roof, to the top of the wall. Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all."

The sleigh sped up and disappeared, leaving the light behind. The light started to rain down, making the same sounds as the sleigh bells. Sheer silence met the sound, everyone looking up where the sleigh had disappeared.

One minute passed. Two. Not a sound was heard. Even Olaf stayed quiet, indicating that this was not a time to make sound.

The light and sounds disappeared, three minutes after the sleigh had departed. Then all the elves grabbed their hats and threw them into the air. A loud cry of "yipee" was heard all throughout the town square. It was soon raining hats, with several elves exchanging hats that didn't fit for ones that did. Several yetis also passed hats that fell on their heads back to their owners.

Elsa clapped her hands. That had been one of the best experiences she had ever seen, and she knew that she would never forget it for the rest of her life.

The Conductor then looked at his pocket watch, nodding his head towards the engineers at the Express. "All aboard," he shouted, the train's engine warming up and the whistle blowing to accompany him.

And now, we have done the first gift and the send-off. I went back and forth about either Elsa or Anna getting the first gift, as I felt it would be appropriate, given the story. In the end, I felt that Elsa had to be the one, as it fit with the character development of the story. Hopefully, the idea was a good one. As always, please rate and review.