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 Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:19 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:49 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 7:50 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:13 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:21 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:22 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:39 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:44 pm
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:01 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:15 pm
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:16 pm
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 6:53 pm
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*~Ali and Zaias’s Christmas Special!~*
Dr. Stanfield watched as Ali placed the star, aided by a lift from Zaias at the top of their Christmas tree. They had planned on waiting until Christmas Eve, but Ali had been far too excited to wait any longer to decorate. The hilarity of seeing her childlike restraint, an effort which, to her credit had lasted a whole twenty minutes, was satisfactory enough in itself. So much so that the need to create the perfect Christmas for kids who had more than likely never had one, was overpowered.
When Zaias placed the little girl’s feet back on the ground and she stood back to admire her work, the doctor knew he’d done the right thing for the pair of them. Heck it wasn’t like he was getting married any time soon.
Zaias took a step back as well. The tree looked good. They’d bought a real one and a hodge podge of awkward and…unique decorations to decorate it with at a lot in town. Along with the requisite lights and bows. Originally he’d been surprised that Doctor Stanfield didn’t have these things, though it would seem, before they had all started living together…the doctor didn’t have much in the way of family or holiday traditions. Shrugging he stepped up just in time to prevent Ali from grabbing a box of tinsel she’d slipped into the decoration pile before anyone had noticed.
“Not on this tree sis” He said, folding his arms with tinsel box in hand. For some reason he hated tinsel, with a vengeance. It just looked…tacky.
Ali looked longingly at the tinsel. It was just so...shiny. "But Zais! It's so pwetty!" She hopped up and down, to emphasize just how pretty the sparkly stuff was. If she had known a bit more, she would have argued that it was tradition. Or something like that. Heck, who cared, she just wanted sparkles on her tree!
Zaias just held the tinsel up higher, as high as he could with one arm in fact. There was no way.
Dr. Stanfield couldn’t help but agree with Zaias, he’d never liked tinsel, trying to get it off a tree after Christmas was over was almost impossible. Plus, it looked tacky. Chuckling to himself at the antics a child could create so easily, he sat down in his leather chair and turned on the television. The images on the screen immediately switched to commercials from whatever Christmas special had been on.
The relative silence of the room, minus the sound of Ali’s feet landing on the floor from her pitiful attempts at jumping for the tinsel Zaias was holding up about 7 feet in the air, was brutally disrupted when the sound of jingle bells nearly deafened everyone in the room. Dr. Stanfield blocked one ear with his hand while the other reached for the remote. ‘Damn commercial volume hikes’ he thought. He couldn’t wait until the motion banning that was passed in parliament. He switched the volume down several levels and watched the commercial with a mild windblown look.
“209 is throwing a SALE SALE sale! Come on down and bring the kids! There’s an ice slide, petting zoo --with actual reindeer- and visits with SANTAaaaa!”
…There was a pause and then
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" Ali screamed and pointed at the TV. She was hopping again but for a different reason. Zaias and the Doctor just looked at each other and in unison, sighed. Zaias looked up and mumbled ”I'll go get the coats” while Dr. Stanfield slumped low in his seat.
~Later at Santa’s Village in the 209~
The family group entered the candy cane pillars of Santa’s Village beneath the red ribbon like banner that announced the name. Already Zaias had his hands shoved in his pockets as he looked around at the less than enthusiastic reindeer and their leading elves, a United Way guy in a Santa suit he was sure was actually obscenely obese and probably suffered largely for it. Lastly he looked to the beleaguered parents and the bright eyed insanely driven hyperactive monsters that dragged them around by the hands. At least Ali wasn’t there yet. Even if she did magically transform, the doc had hold of her today.
Sr. Stanfield just gripped tightly and waited.
Ali started springing lightly on her toes, slowly at first, then with increasing velocity as her little head took in all the colorful bright and no doubt holiday fever inducing environmental stimuli. It took her all of twelve seconds to locate and zoom in on Santa’s position and she immediately started pulling Dr. Stanfield in his direction.
The line behind the man’s chair was just forming, as he’d apparently returned from break or was just emerging for the day. Either way, with the two seemingly running they ended up about eighth in line.
Zaias had gotten distracted by the reindeer on the way and was currently buying handfuls of hay by the quarter to feed to them while smiling happily. While the two reindeer on the left munched happily on the hay, the reindeer on the right's eyes sparked, and seemed to accuse Zaias of not having any carrots on hand. This reindeer was obviously one for tradition. (Though secretly it would've jumped on some cookies and milk). Though as carrots only cost 50 cents, Zaias was quickly sucked in and bought a round for all.
Once Ali had stopped running, she returned to hopping on her toes, though more like at light speed than anything else this time around. Dr. Stanfield just bore it. He even considered himself to have gotten off easy, just think, all the other parents had had to do this sort of thing every year, since their children were born. The Santa was a pretty efficient guy however, and was quickly getting through the line of children and the requisite photos with a surprising speed. Dr. Stanfield felt bad, as all the other children seemed to be dressed somewhat fancily, and Ali had showed up in her overalls and navy reindeer shirt. Though he supposed it did suit her more than any frilly dress would have.
Ali’s breath seemingly stopped and she became very still as she became the next child in line. She had her hand to her mouth as the little boy on Santa’s lap hopped off and waved goodbye as his mother took him by the hand to lead him away. She froze for a moment as the old man tuned to look at her holding out and hand and lowering his head. Breathing shallowly she looked up to Sr. Stanfield, and Zaias too as he showed up behind her. They both smiled and Zaias gave her a little nudge. She hesitated only a little more before letting go of the Dr’s hand and running up to the old man in the Santa suit arms outstretched.
Santa picked up the child, one he’d been missing for so long. She’d always been on the nice list, though she might not believe it. Children so often had a tendency to blame themselves. He looked beyond her bright smiling face to the men who stood behind and for her. He saw in their happy faces as well, nothing more than pride, and perhaps excitement, for a child’s special moment. Her first ever with Santa. He would have to make sure it was a special Christmas indeed for this little one. But not yet. The real magic had yet to begin.
Turning he looked at the small girl again, and with a smile lifting his rounded cheeks asked her easily“So now, what might this good little girl like for Christmas?”
Ali froze. She had no idea what to ask for so she just shrugged. “A candy cane?” she proposed, having had one already today and deciding another would be great.
She’d wondered if she’d asked for the wrong type of thing as the Santa man just laughed loudly, his chuckles dissolving easily into tiny little Ho-hoho’s.
“I’ll most certainly see what I can do, it shouldn’t be hard. I’ll see if I can’t find something else special for you too shall I?” He asked
Ali just nodded her mouth slightly open before giggling as Santa bopped his knee up and down.
And that’s how the photographer caught them on film. A laughing girl and an adoring Santa; apparently, not even he was immune.
LATER BACK AT HOME
Ali returned home from her day at Santa’s village both hyper excited and exhausted. Dr. Stanfield and Zaias could only claim half the same. Everyone easily fell asleep that night. For the next day was the 23rd. Christmas eve, eve, (or Tib’s eve for newfies). It was spent in general revelry, and secretive wrapping with Zaias and the Doctor switching out between games of candy land and holiday movies.
FINALLY the day came.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Ali started the day in a hazy sleep induced stupor. Which terrified Zaias to no end as these things usually resulted in insurmountable energy surges no adult power stood a chance of overcoming. The key to controlling them was not to initiate the energy frenzy.
Unfortunately luck was not on his side. His phone, which happened to be on the table beside his sister, who was sluggishly eating cereal, trilled shrilly. And as had become her habit, the little girl reached out and turned the phone in her tiny hand to read the small display. She had taken the time to learn the names of his friends, as they more than likely ended up hers as well.
When he saw the small spark alight in her eyes he knew his day was screwed. She flipped the red phone open and said shyly. “Hi Avery” in her best little kid warbly voice.
Zaias heard only group noises and shouting from the other end of the phone, to which Ali simply giggled, she ended up sitting up straighter, listening intently. Meanwhile Zaias tried to signal her to put the phone on speaker which she fumbled with for a moment before it finally worked.
Loud yelling from several familiar voices sounded through the phone. Shige was just finishing a long spiel the point of which seemed to be “so be a good girl for Santa okay? And eat a gingerbread man for me!” after which the phone was promptly grabbed from him, as evident by the scuffling noises heard over the line. Several more voices wished himself and Ali a merry Christmas, he swore he even heard Ms. Powers in there somewhere, and a guy with an accent?? Who was that?
Finally a breathless sounding Avery came back on the line. “I think that was everyone kiddo. They all just seemed to think of you at once! Anyway, I thought to alleviate some of the pressure of your first big Christmas I’d give you a tradition we do in my family. We get to open one present on Christmas eve, so I thought I’d give you permission to open mine. You remember which one it is right?”
Ali nodded eagerly a big “Unh hunh!” coming from her. Zaias knew he was double-screwed when she abandoned her cereal to go look at the few presents people had dropped off and were placed beneath the tree.
Avery’s were wrapped in sparkly green paper with yellow ribbon –where did girls learn to do that stuff anyway?- Ali quickly ran over to her package and poked it. The paper denting in slightly.
“Can I open it now!?” the girl asked excitedly.
“mmmm,” Avery pretended to think about it. “As much as I hate to disappoint you I think this is probably a present best saved for after dinner. Sorry kiddo.” Avery added with a chuckle.“But tell you what Zaias can open his now, and you can tell him I told him to play it with you okay? Oomph” the last was an unrelated Oomph having to do with Avery being hit from behind with a snowball. “In any case I have to go kiddo, Merry Christmas, and say Merry Christmas to Zaias and the Doctor for me! Happy New Year too! bye bye!” .
Ali folded the phone shut eerily slowly and looked from the box shaped present to Zaias with a small curved smile.
Six hours later they were still playing Mousetrap. Oh there had been tournaments, movie breaks and a Santa check using Norad online.
Throughout all of which the Doctor, thankfully, was ignored; because hey, someone had to cook. Though he seriously thought about stealing and hiding that little metal ball until after Christmas. Or the next several Christmases…whichever.
“Dinner!” He called, wondering at the sound of running little feet and the sudden presence of Ali in her chair with her fork and knife clutched in her fists. The doctor was about to say something but at Zaias’s cut throat motion behind the little girl he quickly shut up and just went with it.
After Dinner
Ali ran from her apple pie, still licking the ice cream from her mouth, to her present sparkling in the lights beneath the tree.
She picked it up and looked brightly at Zaias. A ‘can I?’ look clearly evident on her little face. At his nod she tore into the paper and held up her present.
Onsies. Fleece onsies with green alligators on a blue background. ”Pajama’s with FEET pajamas with FEET! An adi-gators!” Ali cried holding them aloft in triumph, messing up her words in her hurry to say them. She ran from the room to hurriedly change and emerged triumphantly only moments later.
Zaias just wondered how girls managed to pick perfect presents for 4 year olds off the tops of their heads. Girls were fricking amazing. He plucked the tags dangling from his sister’s collar with his powers and just shook his head. She even got sizes right.
Sighing he looked over to where Ali was now hugging the doctor to ‘prove the softness!’ and smiled.
Later than night
Ali and Zaias were sleeping on the couch, as she had been adamant about waiting up to see Santa again. It was approaching midnight and the little girl had finally fallen asleep on top of her big brother as she had so many times throughout her childhood. He planned lazily about getting up and tucking her in at some point. But that fleece sure was soft, and warm. He didn’t even need a blanket.
As Zaias too fell under the power of the fleece alligators, and as he cracked a yawn and slung an arm over his little sister a small thump sounded above on the roof. Though he was too far gone to notice.
The little girl’s eyes, however, popped open; she woke as if by magic, slipping quietly from underneath her big brothers arm, she padded silently over to the window to look out at the sky.
The snow had cleared momentarily, and the moon shone down blue over the bright carpet of snow.
Sighing at the empty sky Ali turned back around and headed for her brother. Only to stop as a gentle ringing of jingle bells near the tree made her look. She turned back and stared as her spot by the window was filled with a newly familiar form.
Her eyes lit up as the jolly man stepped silently up to the tree and knelt down on one knee. He held out his arms as before and she quickly ran to him for a hug.
She was about to gush something that only a four year old proven positive in their belief of Santa could, but he held a finger to his lips. Instead he turned his hand over, and where there had been nothing a green cloth alligator appeared instead. Handing it to the little girl he rose and pat her on the head.
He walked past her, she turning to follow him, hugging her gator tightly to her chest, not noticing behind her that the bottom of the tree was newly full of presents. She watched the man until the lights on the tree turned on and surprised her, making her look.
When she turned back Santa was gone, and Zaias was covered by a blanket. She took a step towards him but stopped as she heard a small thud again on the roof, followed by a jingle and a familiar laugh. She rushed to the window in time to see a bright flash and a streak of light across the sky; ending in a star speck of light.
She waved her Alligators foot ‘bye bye’ and smiled widely; Sparing her bulging stocking and multitude of presents (including a CANE sized candy cane) a brief glance before running to wake up her brother.
“Zaias Zaias! Wake up! You won’t believe it!” |
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 6:55 pm
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 6:59 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:24 pm
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