It's Christmas
Chapter 8
It was now one month later. Late April.
Lucy was making great strides in adapting to her new body. "I want to stand up, Lilly. I want out of this bed."
Lilly started to try to talk her out of it. "But, Lucy..."
"Please, Lilly, I want this," Lucy pleaded.
"Alright, let me get Santa. I think we'll need his muscles. You're too big for us."
"I'm not that big, am I?" Lucy asked her.
"You're almost two feet taller than some of us. So, trust me, you're big. Go get Santa," she told a nurse who walked instead of running since it wasn't an emergency.
Rick showed up in a mini snowstorm. "I hear someone wants to stand up."
"Yes, please, Santa," Lucy asked hopefully.
"I'll give it a try. It might work out better if Mother was here to help us," Rick told her, and Lilly looked at the other nurse standing there.
"Fine, I'll go find Martha," she told them and grumbled.
"That's not very happy-Elf-sounding of you," Rick pointed out, and he got more grumbling. "I take it she didn't get her coffee this morning?" Rick asked.
Lilly shook her head. "We don't have coffee, Santa."
"Hot Chocolate, then. Maybe with a little moonshine," Rick offered.
"SANTA!?" Lilly was shocked.
"I know all about moonshine. I am Santa, after all," Rick told them.
Lilly raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know about moonshine, Santa?"
"Yes, Santa, how do you know about moonshine?" Lucy asked him.
"I plead the 5th," Rick said.
"The 5th of what, Santa?" Lucy asked while Lilly looked at him.
"Mother, please!" Rick wished she would show up and save him.
"SANTA!?" Lucy questioned him.
Rick kept his mouth shut until Martha showed up. "Someone wants to stand up, I hear," Martha told them. "Let's get to it. I have a play to work on."
Between Rick and Martha, with some help from Lilly and the nurse, Lucy was standing. She was on shaking legs, but she was standing.
Lilly watched as she tried to take a step. "Lucy, what are you doing now?"
She made it one step before she collapsed. Only Rick and Martha catching her stopped her from hitting the floor.
"That's enough of that! Back into bed with you," Lilly told her.
Lucy was back in her bed. "If you caused your catheter to come out, I swear, I'm going to spank you," Lilly told her as she searched for her catheter and was satisfied it was still in.
"Since that's over with, I'm returning to my play. But it's good to see you making some progress, Lucy." Martha hugged her and picked up her things.
"Thank you, Martha," Lucy called as Martha headed out.
"I'm going to leave you two alone for now. YOU, no more getting out of bed." Lilly pointed at Lucy, and she and the nurse left.
Rick looked over at Lucy. "So, how are you and little Katie Beckett getting along?"
"Pretty good, I think, Santa. She's rather smart for a 3-year-old," Lucy said.
"And you don't mind sharing the same body? Not like you have much choice," Rick told her.
"I don't mind, Santa," Lucy replied. "She's pretty fun and sometimes funny. She's a good kid."
"Have you thought about what to do about the Dear Santa letter because I've got nothing," Rick asked her.
"I've got an idea, Santa," Lucy said. "I'm trying to see if Katie will go for it."
"And are you going to share this idea with me?" Rick inquired.
Lucy shook her head. "Not just yet, Santa. You trust me, right?"
Rick gave her his best Of course, I trust you look. "Just so long as you plan to share with me."
"I'm going to go back to work without you telling me to," Rick said, watching her smile at him. "Oh, before I forget, I'm planning changes for your little office."
"NO!" Lucy protested. "I like my little office."
"But you won't fit in it any longer," Rick reasoned with her.
Lucy looked down at her new body. "Fine, but it had better look the same, just bigger."
"Leave it to me. You'll love it," Rick told her. He made it snow on him, and he was gone.
"SANTA!" Lucy yelled at him. She lay there and fumed.
"You don't trust Santa?" Katie asked her.
"Yes. No." She shook her head. "It's rather complicated. Santa can be such a child sometimes and drives me crazy. But I love him," Lucy sighed.
"We need to talk about what you do when you see your mommy and daddy again, Katie."
"Okay," Katie agreed.
*~{[}~*
It is now a month later. Late May.
"Lilly?" Lucy called out since she was all alone. Lucy yelled a little louder this time. "LILLY!"
Lilly showed up shortly. "Yes?"
"Bathroom, please," Lucy said.
Lucy had managed to convince her to remove the catheter, and it helped that now she could walk a little. She needed assistance, but she could walk a little.
"I'll get Santa or maybe Martha to help us," Lilly told her. She was just too big for them to carry her anywhere.
Rick arrived at that moment in a mini snowstorm. "And how are we doing today?" he asked Lucy.
Lilly took one look at him and relaxed. "Santa, you're right on time. Lucy wants to use the bathroom."
"Bathroom!? Alright, to the bathroom, you shall go." Rick got her out of bed and watched as she shuffled, moving slowly but surely toward the bathroom. He helped her inside.
"We can take it from here, Santa," Lilly said.
"You sure you don't want me to…" Rick began to tell them.
"OUT, SANTA!" Lucy told him.
"Okay, okay, I'm leaving. I'll be right outside." Rick stepped outside and waited for Lucy to finish.
The door opened. "Okay, Santa, back to bed," Lilly told him. He went into the bathroom and helped Lucy back to bed one tiny step at a time.
"So you can use the bathroom now. When did this start?" Rick inquired.
"This was the first time, Santa," Lucy replied. "I talked Lilly into letting me."
"Dinner time," Lilly announced as she brought in dinner for her and waited for the nurse to raise the bed so Lucy could eat.
"Ooo, steak. I didn't know they were serving steaks today." Rick was jealous.
"Special treatment." Lucy just smiled at him as she cut up her steak in front of him and ate it.
"So, how are you and little Katie Beckett getting along?" Rick asked her.
"Pretty well, Santa," Lucy replied. "She's a smart kid. I think Katie is beginning to understand that she's a big girl now when compared to the others. But I don't think she understands why that is, and I will never, not ever, tell her. No one should know that."
Rick agreed with her. "What I saw is forever burned into my brain."
"And that's why I won't tell her anything about that. She's sleeping now, so we can talk, Santa," Lucy said and waited.
"So, are you ready to tell me your idea about what we'll do about the Dear Santa letter?" Rick asked her.
"Not until I can convince Katie to accept it. But I will, Santa. I promise," Lucy told him as she continued to eat her steak.
Rick moaned; he wanted to know what she had come up with. "I trust you and love you. And I can't take it anymore. I want a steak." He made it snow on him, and he was gone.
Lucy just smiled and continued to eat her steak.
*~{[}~*
It was now a month later, toward the end of June.
Lilly caught Lucy out of bed. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Bathroom."
"Need any help?"
"No, I can make it. I think." She got a little off balance but righted herself, entered the bathroom, and closed the door.
Lilly waited just outside for her. Finally, she knocked. "You okay in there?"
"Yes," Lucy replied, so Lilly stood there and waited.
Finally, the door opened, and Lilly helped her to bed.
"I can do it, Lilly." Lucy didn't want help.
"TOUGH. I'm helping you, and you'll like it." Lilly helped her walk, caught her when she stumbled a little, then got her back into bed. Lilly tucked her in. "You hurt yourself, and I'll get Santa to spank you."
Lucy smiled back at her. "Promise?"
"LUCY, I NEVER!" Lilly huffed. "What are you thinking?"
Lucy looked around and didn't see anyone else within earshot. Lilly did the same.
"Katie's a virgin. Well, she isn't technically a virgin after what I saw, but Katie is a virgin. So, I need to time this right when Katie's asleep, but I want Santa to make love to me. Is that too much to ask, Lilly?"
"That's why you did this? So Santa could make love to you?" Lilly asked her.
"He wasn't going to while I was an Elf. He didn't even kiss me, and I so wanted him to. I'm human now, just like Santa." Lucy worried her bottom lip. "Aren't I pretty enough?"
"I'm not the person to ask. Santa is, so ask him that question. But I think he'll say yes, you're pretty."
Lucy moaned. "He's never going to make love to me stuck in this bed. That's why I need out of this, Lilly."
"You've got maybe another month at least before you can go home. Home!" Lilly saw a problem with that.
"What, Lilly, what is it?"
"Your apartment is probably just like mine, small and not meant for a person your size. They're technically one bedroom large enough for someone like you were. But you barely fit in this bed now, Lucy."
"Santa's bed. What am I going to do about clothes? None of my clothes will fit me now. NONE!" Lucy was beginning to panic.
"You forget where you live, Lucy. We're Elves. We make clothes all the time. I'll get you a designer, and together, you can make clothes that fit you now."
Lucy relaxed a little. "Thank you, Lilly. I don't know what I would do without you."
Lilly blew her off. "How are you and Katie getting along in there?" Lilly inquired.
"We're doing well. Katie truly is a smart girl. She catches on quickly to what I tell her. I'm not certain she understands just how big – meaning how old – she is now, but she's getting there," Lucy replied.
"Have you thought much about the Dear Santa letter?" Lilly questioned her. "That is going to be a huge deal."
"I have a plan, yes. I need to get Katie to understand and agree, but I'm getting there," Lucy replied.
"At least one of you has a plan since I'm betting Santa doesn't have a clue," Lilly told her.
"It was Martha who gave me the idea," Lucy said. "It should work."
Lilly blinked. "Really? Martha. Interesting."
"Can I have some paper and a pen, please?" Lucy asked her. "I need to write something. It has to do with my plan."
"Pen and paper coming right up." Lilly left her to retrieve those for her.
"One pen and some paper. Let me know if you need more paper; the trash can is over there." Lilly pointed out of her ICU room. "Feel free to try and hit it." Lilly smiled at her and left her to it.
Lucy looked at the trash can. "Maybe I can hit it from here. Probably not, though." She got busy writing. It was going to be a long and complicated letter.
*~{[}~*
Lucy was busy writing when Santa suddenly showed up. There were times when she hated he could do that stunt with the snow, and this happened to be one of those times. She scrambled to hide her papers.
"Hi," Rick told her. He didn't know who he would be talking to, whether it would be Lucy or Katie, so he left off the name. "What's this?" Rick spotted crumpled papers all over the floor.
"SANTA, NO!" Lucy yelled. She knew she shouldn't have thrown them toward the trash can but couldn't resist. The more she missed, the more determined she became to make one.
But Lucy watched him pick up one anyway. "SANTA, PLEASE! You said you trusted me, that you loved me. PLEASE!" Lucy begged him.
Rick was conflicted. He wanted to know what was so important, but he trusted Lucy.
"Too many secrets, Lucy." He didn't drop the paper.
"I promise to tell you, Santa. But not until I finish. Please, Santa," Lucy pleaded.
Rick knew he was a goner. He could never deny Lucy anything. "Fine, but this is the last time, Lucy. No more secrets." He threw it into the trash.
"Thank you, Santa. I promise to tell you, but not until I finish."
"Alright, Lucy. So, how are you doing?" Rick asked her.
"Katie is sleeping." Lucy used a finger to motion him closer. "Closer, Santa." Once he leaned in close enough, Lucy leaned forward and kissed him right on the lips. He didn't get time to kiss her back.
"I've wanted to do that for so long," Lucy told him.
Rick smiled at her and moved in to kiss her again, long enough for Lucy to kiss him back. Lucy even put a hand on his cheek.
Rick finally broke from the kiss, mostly because he needed some air.
"Wow," Lucy told him softly. "Santa, am I pretty?" she asked point blank.
"You are beautiful, Lucy, inside and out. You're positively beautiful," Rick told her, and he kissed her again.
That had Lucy smiling. "Darn it, Katie's awake." She wanted another kiss but didn't want to explain it to Katie.
Rick smiled at her. "How are you doing, Katie?"
"Fine," Katie answered in a little girl's voice.
"Just fine? You should be doing great. Fantastic, maybe. Not just fine," Rick told her.
But she didn't respond to him. "What's wrong, Katie?" Rick inquired.
"Nothing."
"You can tell Santa. I may not look like Santa right now, but I will sometime. You can tell Santa anything."
"I miss my mommy and daddy."
"You'll get to see them. I promise. Except you have to wait until it's Christmas. And you can't leave until it's Christmas. Even I'm stuck here at the North Pole.
"You'll get to ride in my sleigh, being pulled by reindeer," Rick told her.
"REALLY!?" Katie perked up at that.
"Absolutely. Santa would never lie to you."
"YAY!" She actually raised both arms. "When is Christmas?"
"Let's see." Rick used his fingers to count. "About six months."
"That's forever." Katie felt deflated.
"It'll pass faster than you can imagine, Katie," Rick told her. "It'll be here in no time. You'll see."
Lucy smiled at her. "Santa tells the truth. Christmas will be here soon, sweetie."
"Okay," Katie told her. She looked at them. "I'm bored."
"Bored she says. Wait right here. I'll only be gone for a moment." Rick made it snow on himself, and he was gone.
Katie was wide-eyed. "How does he do that?"
"He's Santa, sweetie. It's what he does."
Rick was back, and he brought something with him. "Candy Land. It was just made, hot off the press, so to speak." He opened it, took the board out, and unfolded it on Kate's lap. He took out the pieces and the cards and read the rules. "You go first, Katie." She drew a card, and Lucy explained to her what it meant. Katie moved her piece.
*~{[}~*
Rick was putting away the game. He couldn't take it back to where he found it since it was now a used game. He was going to have to take it home with him.
"You did good, Santa," Lucy told him.
"She didn't even stay awake to complete the game," Rick said. He watched her use a finger to motion him closer. He knew that trick by now, and he kissed her.
"You're a good man, Santa."
"Don't let that escape. I have a reputation to uphold, and you, my dear, are ruining it," Rick told her. But he saw her motion with her finger for him to come closer, so he kissed her again.
"I love you, Santa."
"I love you too, Lucy. I love both of you, even though she's asleep and can't hear me."
"I'll tell her for you," Lucy promised. "Just as soon as she's awake again."
Rick got up with his game in hand. He made it snow on himself, and he was gone.
That Katie was asleep allowed Lucy to start writing again. Then she asked the nurse if she would be so kind as to hand her all those crumpled-up papers.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Santa not to peek, but why risk temptation? It was hard enough writing it. She knew it would be hard on Katie's parents when they read it. But she didn't plan to hand it to them until she was gone again.
That was Martha's idea. She would ask Santa to stop at Katie's parents' home first, drop her off, then come back and pick her up.
It would solve the Dear Santa letter and allow her to be with Santa. It also meant Katie didn't get to stay with her parents. That was what Lucy was working on.