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xtremeroswelliaTitle: Santa Got Runover by a Mustang
Authors: NYPDBosco & Xtremeroswellian
Rating:Safe and fun for the whole family
Storyline: Santa Clause got runover by a...Mustang? Who is going to deliver the toys?!
Bosco reached out and cranked up the heat. Shaking his head he held his hand in front of the vent to make sure the heater in his car was actually working. Deciding that it just needed more time to warm up he settled back into the seat as he drove slowly down the street which was covered in snow. Hearing a horn honk he looked in his rearview mirror to find an SUV tailgating closely. Tailgaters always pissed him off.
He didn't see the large man in a red suit and hat step off the curb just as he pressed his foot against the gas peddle.
When he heard a thump he quickly hit his brakes, his eyes wide. Once he put the car in park he quickly scrambled out of the mustang, horrified to find a man dressed as Santa Claus laying on the ground in front of his car, rubbing his hip. "Oh shit."
* * *
Faith awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of the telephone ringing incessantly. Groaning, she rolled over on her side and grabbed the phone off the receiver, pressing it to her ear. "What?"
"I ran over Santa."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Huh?"
"I hit him. With my car." He let out a breath and plopped down on the couch, beer in hand. "At least he says he's the real Santa."
She sat up slowly in bed, her head still fuzzy from sleep. "You ran over Santa Claus?"
"Yes! That's what I just said."
Annoyed at his tone of voice, she nearly hung up on him. "You realize it's like...two in the morning, right?"
"And you realize I just -hit- a man with my car!"
"So what, are you like in jail? Do you need me to bail you out?" She raked a hand through her hair, sitting up.
Sighing he shook his head. "No. The guy didn't press charges or anything. He just said that..."
She waited for him to continue, her eyebrows furrowed.
"He said that...he'd forget about the whole thing as long as I..." Bosco took a swig of his beer. "Delivered Christmas toys to all the little boys and girls."
There was a moment of silence. "Okay, so I'm assuming he was drunk."
"That's what I thought, but he passed the sobriety test. Hell, he -offered- to take it."
"So where is he?"
"At home I guess. He went to the ER and they said he needed to stay off his feet for a couple days."
Faith sighed softly. "Well at least he's all right."
"Physically, yes. Mentally? I'm not so sure."
She yawned. "Well there's really nothing you can do about that, Bosco. I mean, the guy's obviously crazy."
He ran a hand through his hair. "Faith…I hit a guy with my car...on Christmas Eve," he said softly.
"Yeah but he's all right."
Bosco nodded his head. "Yeah, I just..." He shrugged. "Sorry I woke you. Just needed to talk I guess."
"All you all right?" It hadn't really occurred to her that Bosco may have been hurt.
"I just can't believe I hit a guy. I mean one minute I'm just driving along, then this jackass starts tailgating and then...bam."
She was silent for a minute. "You wanna come over?"
"That's okay. I've already bothered you enough tonight."
"Okay." Faith sighed softly. "So I'll see you at work?"
"Yeah." He nodded his head, and took another swig of beer. "See you there."
"Night, Bosco."
"Goodnight, Faith."
She slowly hung up the phone. Yeah. Like she was gonna be able to go back to sleep now.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
With coffee in hand Bosco followed Faith outside to the RMP to start their shift. Per their normal routine Faith headed over to the passenger's side of the car, and Bosco made his way to the driver's side. He paused with his hand on the door handle, thinking about what had happened the previous night. "Hey, you wanna drive?"
She arched an eyebrow as she sipped her coffee. "Sure." She studied him for a moment, then moved around to climb into the driver's side of the car.
Nodding his head he handed her the keys before heading around the vehicle. He climbed into the passenger's seat and pulled on his seatbelt.
After a few moments of silence as they drove, she glanced at him sideways. "You know, Bosco, it's not your fault some guy walked out in front of your car."
He was staring straight ahead, his face expressionless. "I wasn't payin' attention."
"Yeah, but still--"
"I hit him, Faith. How the hell do you make up for something like that? I coulda killed him."
"But you didn't. And he's all right. They didn't even keep him overnight," she pointed out.
"I know, I just..." He looked down at his coffee cup. "I couldn't sleep at all last night. I just kept thinkin' about it, and thinkin' about it."
Frowning, Faith glanced at him again. "Maybe you shoulda taken the day off."
"Maybe." He took a drink of his coffee then slouched a little in the seat.
She started to speak again when his cell phone rang. She cocked an eyebrow. "Jingle Bells for a ringtone?"
"That's not my ringtone." His eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head as he dug his phone out of his pocket. Glancing at the caller id he just stared at it for a moment when the only thing that came up was 'Ho ho ho'. Glancing at Faith quickly he then opened the phone. "Boscorelli," he said cautiously.
"Hello, Officer Boscorelli!"
"Uh...Hello."
"Are you ready for your big night?"
"Big night?" He looked over at Faith. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"
The man on the other end of the line chuckled. "This is Santa. I'm sorry, I thought you knew who I was from the Caller ID."
"Excuse me?"
"Come by my apartment around five and I'll go over the routes with you. For the most part you won't have to worry because the reindeer know their way."
"Whoa. Whoa! Who the hell are you? How'd you get my number?"
He sighed. "I already told you who I am. And I know everything. I know when you've been bad or good, naughty or nice..."
Frustrated, Bosco rolled his eyes and snapped the phone shut.
"Who was that?" Faith frowned and glanced at him as she turned down the next street on their usual route.
"Apparently that was Santa."
"Wait, the guy from last night?"
"I don't know. I guess so." He shook his head and put his phone away. "He was spouting off about wanting me to come by his place at 5 so we could go over the route."
"The route?"
"Remember last night? I said he told me I'd have to delivery all the toys because he couldn't."
"And you gave him your cell number?"
"No. Of course not."
"But, Bosco, you have an unlisted number. So if you didn't give it to him then how did he get it?" She shook her head.
"I don't know." He ran a hand through his hair. "I have no idea. No fu--" Before he could get out the obscenity his phone began to ring, playing Jingle Bells once more. Glaring at the caller ID he then flipped open the phone. "What now?!"
"I forgot to give you my address. It's not my permanent one of course, but it's where I'm staying until my leg heals enough to go home. I live in Apartment 6C on Candy Lane."
"You gotta be kiddin' me."
"If you don't show up, there are going to be an awful lot of disappointed children in the morning, Officer Bosco."
"Look, I don't know how you got my number, and I'm -really- sorry about last night, but--"
"I already told you as long as you take my place, last night is forgotten. Now don't forget. Five o'clock. And bring your pretty partner. You don't want to leave her alone on Christmas, do you?"
"Bring who?" He quickly glanced at Faith. "My partner? Listen pal--"
Faith's eyebrows furrowed a little and she glanced over at Bosco.
"I gotta go, Bosco. It's time for more painkillers. Be here at five or you won't get started soon enough to finish." The line went dead.
Pulling the phone away from his ear Bosco stared at it for a minute before closing it and placing it back in his pocket. "This is so f'd up."
"Bosco, maybe we should go over there and see if we need to take him back to the hospital. Maybe he hit his head or something."
"Yeah." He nodded his head. "Yeah, I couldn't live with myself if something else happened to this guy. He lives on uh...Candy Lane. Apartment 6C."
Faith couldn't help but snort. "Candy Lane?"
"That's what he said."
"That's kinda ironic."
"Ironic or crazy?"
"It's a toss-up." They drove in silence until they arrived on Candy Lane and she parked the RMP outside the large apartment building.
He looked up at the building for a moment then reluctantly got out of the vehicle. When they reached the entrance to the building he stopped Faith by putting a hand on her arm. "Oh, and you should know. He knows about you. Wants you to help tonight. But I swear I didn't tell him about you. I swear."
She stared at him in confusion. "Okay."
Bosco shrugged and pulled the door open for her. "Here goes nothing."
They headed up the apartment stairs, both pausing when they heard the faint sounds of "Here Comes Santa Claus" coming from apartment 6C.
His eyes widened and he looked over at Faith. "Please tell me that I don't hear what I think I hear."
"Maybe a psych consult is what the guy needs," she murmured.
Letting out a breath he continued up the stairs. When they reached the sixth floor he pointed toward the end of the hall where there was an apartment door that in Bosco's opinion was over-decorated for the holidays. "That must be it."
Shaking her head a little, she reached out and knocked on the door, waiting.
"Maybe we shoulda sent the medics or something. Incase the guy needs some kinda...medication, ya know?"
Before she had a chance to respond, the older man opened the door, leaning on crutches. "Merry Christmas! Come on in, Officers. Glad you're early. I made some eggnog and there are plenty of cookies in the kitchen."
"Uh, no thank you sir. We just came by to uh..."
"Oh, go over the routes. Always been one to get right to the point, haven't you, Maurice?" He hobbled away from the door, leaving it open for them. "I've got the suit in here, too. You'll need that, of course..."
"Whoa. Wait. No." He shook his head, holding his hands up. "We just came by to make sure you weren't...Well...you know, crazy."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not crazy, but we are short on time. So have a seat so we can get started." He motioned to the kitchen table. "You, too, Faith. He'll need your help."
Faith stared at him, surprised he knew her name.
"Look, is there someone we can call for you? Somebody who can look after you?" He walked into the kitchen and picked up the bottle of pain pills, trying to determine if the man had taken too many.
"Oh, don't you worry about me. I'll be headed back up North in a couple days."
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but this is all a little strange."
"Well of course it is, Maurice. It's not every day you run over St. Nick," he said with good spirits as he sat down at the table and unrolled a large map.
"Can you uh...can you give us a minute?" he asked the man as he grabbed Faith's arm and started pulling her toward the door.
"Of course."
Faith, looking dubious, glanced from "Santa" to Bosco with raised eyebrows.
When they were in an area that Bosco figured was out of the man's earshot he looked at Faith. "What are we supposed to do? This guy is..."
"Delusional?"
"Yeah." He nodded.
She glanced over at the older man, who was intently studying the map he'd unrolled. "Should we take him to Mercy or...?"
"Maybe it'd be easier to get the medics over here? I don't know if this guy would go to the hospital willingly."
"Well at least he doesn't appear to be dangerous." She frowned.
"He sorta just..." He glanced at the man who looked up at him with a cheery smile. "Seems like a really nice old man," Bosco finished softly.
She was silent for a moment. "Maybe we should just...leave him be. I mean, what's the harm in letting the guy believe he brings joy to little kids all over the world every year?"
He nodded his head. "What's the harm in going along with his little plan, right? I mean, once we go over the route and head outside we can act like we delivered toys."
"Right." She nodded her agreement.
"Okay." He went back into the kitchen, putting a smile on his face. "So, where were those cookies you were talkin' about?"
Santa smiled at him and motioned to the large cookie canister on the counter. "Help yourself. I have your favorite--chocolate chip."
"Aren't chocolate chip everyone's favorite?" He wandered over to the counter and grabbed the canister. Pulling the top off, his eyes widened when he saw the cookies inside. They were perfect. Big, perfect round shape, and full of chocolate chips. They looked and smelled like they'd just come out of the oven.
"No, I believe Faith's favorite is peanut butter cookies. Or at least they were when she was 12." He looked over at her and she stared at him for a moment, a little weirded out.
"They're still my favorite."
"The Snowman canister on the right has peanut butter cookies."
"Did you bake these yourself?" Bosco questioned.
"Oh, ho ho, no." He shook his head. "My wife made them and sent them up with Andy."
"Who's Andy? Your son?" He asked curiously.
"No, no. No kids of our own. Andy's my right hand elf."
Bosco nearly choked on his cookie. "Your...elf?"
"Of course. He's packing the sleigh for you as we speak. Now, here are the houses you'll need to stop at in Manhattan." Santa motioned to the map that had certain houses circled in green marker.
Curious, Bosco walked over to the table and looked down at the map. "There aren't as many houses as I thought there'd be."
Santa smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Too many don't believe in me anymore. Others, of course, have been naughty."
Nodding his head Bosco gave a slight shrug. That definitely made sense. "Does time like...stop or something for you?"
Faith nibbled on one of the peanut butter cookies, noting the rich flavor. It wasn't just good, it was everything a peanut butter cookie should be.
"Oh, no. Stopping time isn't a possibility. The reindeer know where to go, and we get there quickly."
"Well how do you sort through all the presents? How do you know who gets what?"
"It's all sorted in the magic bag."
"Oh, okay." He nodded and took another bite of his cookie. "These cookies are amazing," he commented with his mouth full.
"Glad you like them. There's milk in the fridge if you want some." Santa motioned toward the refrigerator. "You remember those cookies you used to leave out for me?" He glanced at Bosco. "The ones your mom made with the raisins and oatmeal?"
His eyes widened slightly and he slowly turned around to look at the man. There was no way this guy could know what kind of cookies he'd left for Santa when he was a kid.
"Those are my favorite," he commented without looking up from the map. "And the reindeer always appreciated the carrots you left out, Faith."
Faith stared at him as well.
"H-how do you know all this," Bosco questioned softly.
Santa looked up at the two of them silently, his eyes bright.
"So you're sayin' that you're really..."
"Santa Claus?" He nodded. "I am."
Bosco looked at Faith. "Are you buyin' this?" he asked, trying to act as if he wasn't being pulled in by this man.
She didn't answer him, instead looking at "Santa." "So whatever happened to my pony?"
He gave her a look. "Your parents never would have let you keep a pony, Faith and you know it. But I did bring you a kitten, remember?"
Faith's mouth dropped open a little.
"I've got a question for you." Bosco looked at the man. "When did I stop believin'?"
A flicker of sadness passed over his eyes. "When you were ten. You and your brother woke up on Christmas morning and there were no presents under the tree. But it wasn't because I didn't leave them, Maurice. Your father took them and sold them and spent the money on dog racing at the tracks."
He swallowed hard and turned away, walking into the living room and staring out the window. He was a grown man, but that Christmas was a very sore spot for him. Always was and he had a feeling that it always would be. It was supposed to be such a happy time, and had turned into a complete disaster even though his mother had tried so hard to make it better.
Feeling unnerved, Faith slowly followed him, moving to stand beside him at the window that overlooked the city. "Bosco, what are you thinking?"
"That guy, Faith." He paused. "He's right. That Christmas was...terrible."
She stared out the window for a long moment. "So are you sayin' you think he's..."
"Nobody else knows that, Faith." He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Me and ma and Mikey we never told anybody about that. We don't talk about it."
"I never told anyone I left carrots out for the reindeer," she admitted softly.
"So...I really hit Santa Clause with my car?"
Faith glanced over her shoulder at the old man still seated at the table.
"Hey uh...One more question," Bosco said as he took a couple steps back toward the kitchen.
Santa looked up. "Yes?"
"When I was 10, what was it that I really wanted? Not the thing I put on the list I gave my mom, the other thing."
He looked at Bosco. "You wanted your mom to leave your dad so he wouldn't hurt any of you anymore."
Faith swallowed hard, feeling unsteady as she gripped the back of the chair she stood beside.
Pressing his lips together Bosco nodded his head. "I never told anybody that," he whispered.
Santa gazed at the two of them silently.
"So..." Bosco moved over and sat down at the table. "You really are him."
He nodded slightly. "But tonight I need you to take my place."
"I can't believe I hit you with my car."
Faith slowly sat down, rubbing her hands over her face. "So what exactly is it we're supposed to do?"
Santa smiled at them. "The reindeer will pick you up in about two hours. There's enough room in the sleigh for two."
"So Faith's gonna be my elf, huh?"
Santa simply grinned.
"All right, so there's a magic bag that sorts the gifts, the reindeer know the route. Now...how do we actually deliver the toys? I'm guessing these people aren't just going to leave their front doors unlocked for us."
"Down the chimney, of course," Santa told him.
Bosco raised an eyebrow. "That may work for you."
"It'll work for you too. The magic is all in the outfit."
"Oh come on. You can't expect me to wear a Santa suit."
Faith raised her eyebrows. "Well, Boz, you do kinda owe him."
He looked from Faith to Santa and sighed heavily. "Fine. Fine, I'll wear the damn suit."
Faith grinned and looked at Santa. She had a feeling it would be a Christmas Eve to remember.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bosco looked at himself in the mirror and quickly closed his eyes. Shaking his head he took a deep breath then reached for the doorknob. He quickly stuck his head out the door, hiding the rest of his body so Faith couldn't see. "I'm not doin' it."
"Bosco, come on." There was more than a hint of frustration in her voice. "It cannot be that bad."
"Faith, it's like..." He looked down at himself. "30 sizes too big for me."
Groaning, she leaned her head against the wall. "So we'll...stick a pillow under the suit."
"I am -not- going around all night with a suit stuffed full of pillows."
"It's not like you have a choice."
He sighed. "Okay, but -no- laughing."
"No laughing. Check." She stepped away to make room for him in the hallway.
Letting out a breath he stepped away from the door, straightened the suit a little and put on the santa hat before stepping out of the bathroom.
A faint smirk tugged at her lips but she managed to suppress it, nodding a little.
He looked like an unhappy little boy dressed up in a Halloween costume that he'd been forced to wear. "I look like an idiot."
"So everything's normal. Kidding." She quickly held her hands up. "Only kidding. Come on. We have to get going."
"I don't understand why you didn't have to wear an elf suit or somethin'," he grumbled.
"All I gotta do is make sure you get the right presents outta the magic bag and make sure you don't fall outta the sleigh. No kids are even gonna see me. That's why." She took hold of his arm and led him out into the living room where Santa sat in front of the television, his leg propped up on pillows as he watched 'It's a Wonderful Life'.
"Well. Looks like you're all ready." He smiled.
Bosco nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I don't think I'm cut out for this though."
"Nonsense. You'll do just fine. Just remember to be nice to the reindeer, especially Rudolph. He can get quite testy at times." Faith caught sight of a flash of something fly past the window, and then a moment later there was a loud noise on the roof.
He swallowed hard and glanced up at the ceiling when he heard the noise. "So, that must be our ride, huh?"
"Have fun!"
Feeling as nervous as Bosco looked, Faith reached out and took his arm, leading him out of Santa's apartment and toward the stairs at the end of the hall that led to the roof. "This should be interesting, huh?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "Interesting."
As soon as they were on the roof, Faith stared in awe of the nine reindeer that were harnessed to a large red and green sleigh. Inside the sleigh was a huge black bag. "Wow."
"Man, that's...amazing." He slowly approached the lead reindeer. "You must be Rudolph," he commented as he reached out to pet the reindeer's head.
Rudolph lifted his nose a little in greeting and allowed Bosco to pet him.
Faith swallowed hard, feeling inexplicably like she might cry at any moment. She too reached out and gently patted the reindeer's nose.
"So you're the guy who runs the show out here, huh?" He said to the reindeer. "I'm countin' on you." He scratched behind the reindeer's ear and could have sworn that Rudolph smiled.
The other reindeers shifted restlessly as if annoyed by all the attention Rudolph was getting. Smiling a little, Faith went along, petting each one and receiving gentle nudges from each one's nose in approval. She looked at the sleigh, then back to Bosco. "What do you say we hop in and get this show on the road?"
"I think this could be fun," he said, smiling softly as he made his way back to the sleigh, petting each reindeer as he went.
Faith climbed into the back of the sleigh next to the large bag, unable to help but grin at Bosco as he climbed in the front.
Climbing in Bosco looked around for the reins to hold onto, but found none. He gave a shrug figuring that Santa's reindeer probably didn't need any reins anyway. He glanced back at Faith. "You all set?"
"As set as I think I can possibly be in a sled guided by flying reindeer." Smiling, she shook her head a little at the absurdity of it all.
"I know. This is so crazy." He pointed toward a red blanket that was sitting on the seat. "You might wanna cover up with that. I've got a feeling it could get a little chilly."
Faith didn't hesitate before reaching out and pulling the blanket over her. And a moment later, the reindeer began to move, Rudolph in the lead.
"Take it easy on us, boys." Bosco called out as he quickly grabbed hold of the edge of the sleigh. "We're rookies."
She couldn't help but laugh with delight as the reindeer propelled them into the sky.
It took a few moments for Bosco to get used to the sensation of flying then he carefully leaned to the side, looking at the city below them. "Wow."
She did the same, amazed and excited and a little afraid all at once. "I don't know about you but I think we should quit our day jobs and do this full time," she joked.
He laughed. "Let's see how the rest of the night goes first."
Faith grinned, watching as houses and apartments and building complexes disappeared beneath them. One thing was for sure--this was definitely the most excitement she'd ever had on Christmas Eve.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bosco climbed out of the sleigh and Faith handed him the presents that the magic bag had sorted through for her. Together they placed them in a smaller red sack and Bosco carried them over to the chimney. His eyebrows furrowed as he walked in a circle around the chimney's opening. It looked big enough for him to fit through, but he had no idea how to get down it or back up to the roof. Santa hadn't given any instructions, he'd just said the magic was in the suit. He glanced over at Faith. "You got any ideas?"
Before she could respond he was practically swept off his feet and down the chimney. Her eyes widening, she peered down into the chimney. "Bosco!" She whispered loudly. "Are you all right?"
He landed on his butt with a thud in the fireplace below, and he groaned softly as he rubbed his backend. Hearing Faith's voice he looked back up the dark chimney. "I hope it doesn't go like this all night or I'm gonna need to cushion my ass."
She stifled a chuckle, quickly glancing over her shoulder at the reindeer. "Is he gonna be able to get back up the same way?" she whispered, even though they didn't talk. Rudolph simply gazed at her with big brown eyes, his red nose glowing and she could just about swear he was smiling.
Looking around Bosco spotted the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. Standing up he brushed himself off and grabbed the red bag of presents he'd brought with him. As he made his way over to the tree he spotted the plate of cookies and glass of milk that the children had set out for him. He quickly scribbled a 'Merry Christmas. Love Santa' note at the bottom of the letter they'd left for him, grabbed a few cookies and chugged down the milk before setting the presents around the tree. When he was finished he stood back and admired his work before making his way back over to the fireplace, looking at it much the same way he'd looked at the chimney when he was trying to figure out how to get inside.
A second later he was whisked back up the chimney and landed with a light thud on the roof.
Somewhat dazed by the way he had been sucked up and down the chimney he rubbed his temple and looked over at Faith. "One down. Eight gazillion more to go."
Faith smiled, bemused and glanced at her watch. To her surprise only a couple of minutes had passed. But she still couldn't help but wonder if they'd really be able to hit every house on the map in time.
When they reached the second house he and Faith once again loaded up the smaller red sack with the presents and he made his way over to the chimney. Having no clue what triggered his first trip down the chimney he walked around it and then looked over at Faith and the reindeer. "I have no idea how I--" Before the words were out of his mouth he was quickly pulled down the chimney. Once again landing in a heap in the fireplace below. "Oww," he grumbled softly.
She couldn't help but chuckle this time. Bosco had been right--if he didn't perfect that landing and fast, his ass was definitely going to be sore in the morning.
He quickly but carefully moved throughout the small room where the tree was standing in the corner, and deposited the presents under the tree. On his way back to the fireplace he crouched down and read the note that this child had left for Santa. He wrote a quick thank you. Took a couple drinks of the milk and grabbed a few cookies for the road. Before he even had time to contemplate how he was supposed to signal his need to go back up the chimney he was pulled off his feet, and a moment later deposited on the roof. Once again landing on his butt.
"You know, you need to learn how to land on your feet, Boz."
Bosco glared up at her. "You think I don't know that?"
She smirked and held her hand out to help him up. "Come on. It's gonna be a long night."
When he was on his feet he handed her a cookie. "Here. You gotta help eat these or I'm gonna be as fat as Santa when the night's over."
She chuckled. "At least you'd fit in the suit."
Shaking his head he climbed back in the sleigh then offered his hand to help Faith in. "Wish he woulda told me how the whole going up and down the chimney thing worked."
She climbed into the sleigh beside him, grinning. "Now what fun would that have been?"
---
"I did it," he whispered loudly up the chimney a few houses later. "I landed on my feet."
Faith grinned as she leaned against the chimney and waited for him to finish.
He was getting pretty good at the routine inside each house. Quietly putting the presents under the tree, writing short notes of thanks to the children, stuffing cookies in his pockets and finding the nearest sink to dump the milk down because a man could only drink so much. He'd come to realize that he was sucked up the fire place when he was a certain distance away from it, and that to go down the chimney he merely had to turn back toward the sleigh and look at the reindeer. Why that triggered it he didn't know, but he wasn't going to ask questions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At nearly four in the morning, they arrived at the last house on the map and Faith was both exhausted and exhilarated though all she'd done was bring presents out of the magic bag.
"Come with me," he told her softly.
"Uh, I don't think that'll work, Bosco."
"Sure it will. I think I like...get liquefied or something when I go down the chimney. We'll both fit."
"Yeah but I think it's because you're wearin' the suit," she said hesitantly.
He grinned. "I got an idea."
"I'm not putting the suit on."
Bosco shook his head. "I wasn't planning on that. Here...hold the bag."
Her eyebrows furrowing, she held onto the bag.
With a wide smirk on his face he started to unbutton the jacket of Santa's suit.
"Bosco, what are you--"
"Come here," he told her as he opened the jacket wide. "Wrap your arms around me."
Faith looked at him skeptically.
"You know you don't wanna miss out on this."
"I'm just not sure it's going to work."
"With all the magic we've experienced tonight I don't think this'll go wrong. Come on."
She hesitated a moment longer, then wound her arms around his waist, closing her eyes.
Smiling, he closed the jacket, wrapping his arms around her as well.
A second later they were whooshed down the chimney, landing in a heap together on the floor.
He laughed, his arms still wrapped around her. "See. It worked."
She couldn't help but smile at him, her arms still around him as well. Without thinking about it, she kissed his cheek.
"What was that for," he asked softly.
"Just because," she said just as softly, slowly sitting up and looking around the living room. It was dark but the sun was starting to slowly rise. "Here you go, Santa." She handed him the bag. "Do your thing."
He hadn't expected that he would have so much fun doing this, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Taking the bag he set the gifts out around the tree then took a moment to just gaze at it. "I can't believe this is the last house."
"It went by fast," she agreed, standing beside him and admiring the way he'd set up the presents.
"I've gotten pretty good at this" he told her, motioning to the gifts. "And this too." He went over to read the note left for Santa.
Faith smiled as he signed the bottom of the note, then walked back over to her. "You ready to go home?"
"Almost," he whispered.
Her eyebrows furrowed a little. "So what's left?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "Guess I just wanna savor the moment."
"Oh." She gazed at him, her eyes widening when she heard footsteps on the stairs. "Boz, come on, someone's coming!"
"Shit," he whispered, quickly grabbing hold of her, putting his arms around her.
She braced herself as they were whisked up the chimney by the same invisible magic that had brought them down only moments before.
"That was close."
"No kidding." She glanced at the reindeer who were watching them expectantly. "So I guess this is it."
He sighed. "Yeah. It's almost...sad."
Faith smiled a little. "Yeah, but...look at it this way. We got to experience something that...pretty much no one else ever has."
"All 'cause I ran over Santa."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Faith tucked some hair behind her ear as Bosco handed the magic bag back to the real Santa Claus.
"So did you have fun, Maurice?" Santa asked.
"Actually...yeah." He nodded his head. "I didn't think I would, but...It felt good, ya know?"
"It always feels good to give people things you wouldn't normally give them."
"I'm uh...kinda glad I hit you." He glanced from Santa to Faith then back again. "I mean, we had a really nice time tonight."
He winked at Bosco, nodding. "I know. Oh, before you go...I have gifts for the two of you."
"What? Really?"
Santa nodded again and headed across the room, hobbling a bit. He returned with two gifts--one for Bosco and one for Faith. "Here you go. Merry Christmas."
"Thanks," Bosco responded softly as he took the gift in his hands. He looked over at Faith. "Open yours first."
She smiled a little and slowly unwrapped the present, her eyes widening a bit when she lifted a small silver cross necklace from the box. "Thank you," she murmured.
Santa smiled.
Bosco looked down at the gift he was holding, and slowly began to tear off the paper. He slowly pulled off the lid, his eyebrows furrowing. "It's empty."
"Because you already got what you wanted, Maurice." There was a twinkle in Santa's eyes.
Meeting Santa's eyes Bosco smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. Yeah I did. Thank you."
"Merry Christmas. Be good in 2006 and I promise a nice surprise under you two's tree next year." Winking, Santa headed for the door.
"Come on, Faith." They followed Santa to the door. "You wanna go get some coffee or somethin'? Watch the sun come up?" He asked her.
She smiled. "That sounds nice."
Santa pulled the door open for them and Bosco reached out to shake his hand. "Never thought I'd be so happy to hit a man with my car." He paused for a moment at the look in the other man's eyes. "Did you walk in front of me on purpose?"
"I'll never tell." He winked once more and headed toward the stairs to the roof.
"Hey! Are we ever gonna see you again?"
"Oh, you'll see me again."
Bosco nodded his head and gave the man a wave. "Take care."
He waved back and disappeared through the stairway door.
Faith walked with Bosco down the second set of steps toward the front door.
"I can't believe he's real."
"No kidding." She smiled as they walked outside. "So coffee?"
"Yeah." He placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her down the sidewalk.
Overhead nine reindeer flew pulling a sleigh. And they heard him say as he rode out of sight "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
"It's definitely a good night," Bosco whispered as he slid his arm around Faith's waist, pulling her close.
Authors: NYPDBosco & Xtremeroswellian
Rating:Safe and fun for the whole family
Storyline: Santa Clause got runover by a...Mustang? Who is going to deliver the toys?!
Bosco reached out and cranked up the heat. Shaking his head he held his hand in front of the vent to make sure the heater in his car was actually working. Deciding that it just needed more time to warm up he settled back into the seat as he drove slowly down the street which was covered in snow. Hearing a horn honk he looked in his rearview mirror to find an SUV tailgating closely. Tailgaters always pissed him off.
He didn't see the large man in a red suit and hat step off the curb just as he pressed his foot against the gas peddle.
When he heard a thump he quickly hit his brakes, his eyes wide. Once he put the car in park he quickly scrambled out of the mustang, horrified to find a man dressed as Santa Claus laying on the ground in front of his car, rubbing his hip. "Oh shit."
* * *
Faith awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of the telephone ringing incessantly. Groaning, she rolled over on her side and grabbed the phone off the receiver, pressing it to her ear. "What?"
"I ran over Santa."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Huh?"
"I hit him. With my car." He let out a breath and plopped down on the couch, beer in hand. "At least he says he's the real Santa."
She sat up slowly in bed, her head still fuzzy from sleep. "You ran over Santa Claus?"
"Yes! That's what I just said."
Annoyed at his tone of voice, she nearly hung up on him. "You realize it's like...two in the morning, right?"
"And you realize I just -hit- a man with my car!"
"So what, are you like in jail? Do you need me to bail you out?" She raked a hand through her hair, sitting up.
Sighing he shook his head. "No. The guy didn't press charges or anything. He just said that..."
She waited for him to continue, her eyebrows furrowed.
"He said that...he'd forget about the whole thing as long as I..." Bosco took a swig of his beer. "Delivered Christmas toys to all the little boys and girls."
There was a moment of silence. "Okay, so I'm assuming he was drunk."
"That's what I thought, but he passed the sobriety test. Hell, he -offered- to take it."
"So where is he?"
"At home I guess. He went to the ER and they said he needed to stay off his feet for a couple days."
Faith sighed softly. "Well at least he's all right."
"Physically, yes. Mentally? I'm not so sure."
She yawned. "Well there's really nothing you can do about that, Bosco. I mean, the guy's obviously crazy."
He ran a hand through his hair. "Faith…I hit a guy with my car...on Christmas Eve," he said softly.
"Yeah but he's all right."
Bosco nodded his head. "Yeah, I just..." He shrugged. "Sorry I woke you. Just needed to talk I guess."
"All you all right?" It hadn't really occurred to her that Bosco may have been hurt.
"I just can't believe I hit a guy. I mean one minute I'm just driving along, then this jackass starts tailgating and then...bam."
She was silent for a minute. "You wanna come over?"
"That's okay. I've already bothered you enough tonight."
"Okay." Faith sighed softly. "So I'll see you at work?"
"Yeah." He nodded his head, and took another swig of beer. "See you there."
"Night, Bosco."
"Goodnight, Faith."
She slowly hung up the phone. Yeah. Like she was gonna be able to go back to sleep now.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
With coffee in hand Bosco followed Faith outside to the RMP to start their shift. Per their normal routine Faith headed over to the passenger's side of the car, and Bosco made his way to the driver's side. He paused with his hand on the door handle, thinking about what had happened the previous night. "Hey, you wanna drive?"
She arched an eyebrow as she sipped her coffee. "Sure." She studied him for a moment, then moved around to climb into the driver's side of the car.
Nodding his head he handed her the keys before heading around the vehicle. He climbed into the passenger's seat and pulled on his seatbelt.
After a few moments of silence as they drove, she glanced at him sideways. "You know, Bosco, it's not your fault some guy walked out in front of your car."
He was staring straight ahead, his face expressionless. "I wasn't payin' attention."
"Yeah, but still--"
"I hit him, Faith. How the hell do you make up for something like that? I coulda killed him."
"But you didn't. And he's all right. They didn't even keep him overnight," she pointed out.
"I know, I just..." He looked down at his coffee cup. "I couldn't sleep at all last night. I just kept thinkin' about it, and thinkin' about it."
Frowning, Faith glanced at him again. "Maybe you shoulda taken the day off."
"Maybe." He took a drink of his coffee then slouched a little in the seat.
She started to speak again when his cell phone rang. She cocked an eyebrow. "Jingle Bells for a ringtone?"
"That's not my ringtone." His eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head as he dug his phone out of his pocket. Glancing at the caller id he just stared at it for a moment when the only thing that came up was 'Ho ho ho'. Glancing at Faith quickly he then opened the phone. "Boscorelli," he said cautiously.
"Hello, Officer Boscorelli!"
"Uh...Hello."
"Are you ready for your big night?"
"Big night?" He looked over at Faith. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"
The man on the other end of the line chuckled. "This is Santa. I'm sorry, I thought you knew who I was from the Caller ID."
"Excuse me?"
"Come by my apartment around five and I'll go over the routes with you. For the most part you won't have to worry because the reindeer know their way."
"Whoa. Whoa! Who the hell are you? How'd you get my number?"
He sighed. "I already told you who I am. And I know everything. I know when you've been bad or good, naughty or nice..."
Frustrated, Bosco rolled his eyes and snapped the phone shut.
"Who was that?" Faith frowned and glanced at him as she turned down the next street on their usual route.
"Apparently that was Santa."
"Wait, the guy from last night?"
"I don't know. I guess so." He shook his head and put his phone away. "He was spouting off about wanting me to come by his place at 5 so we could go over the route."
"The route?"
"Remember last night? I said he told me I'd have to delivery all the toys because he couldn't."
"And you gave him your cell number?"
"No. Of course not."
"But, Bosco, you have an unlisted number. So if you didn't give it to him then how did he get it?" She shook her head.
"I don't know." He ran a hand through his hair. "I have no idea. No fu--" Before he could get out the obscenity his phone began to ring, playing Jingle Bells once more. Glaring at the caller ID he then flipped open the phone. "What now?!"
"I forgot to give you my address. It's not my permanent one of course, but it's where I'm staying until my leg heals enough to go home. I live in Apartment 6C on Candy Lane."
"You gotta be kiddin' me."
"If you don't show up, there are going to be an awful lot of disappointed children in the morning, Officer Bosco."
"Look, I don't know how you got my number, and I'm -really- sorry about last night, but--"
"I already told you as long as you take my place, last night is forgotten. Now don't forget. Five o'clock. And bring your pretty partner. You don't want to leave her alone on Christmas, do you?"
"Bring who?" He quickly glanced at Faith. "My partner? Listen pal--"
Faith's eyebrows furrowed a little and she glanced over at Bosco.
"I gotta go, Bosco. It's time for more painkillers. Be here at five or you won't get started soon enough to finish." The line went dead.
Pulling the phone away from his ear Bosco stared at it for a minute before closing it and placing it back in his pocket. "This is so f'd up."
"Bosco, maybe we should go over there and see if we need to take him back to the hospital. Maybe he hit his head or something."
"Yeah." He nodded his head. "Yeah, I couldn't live with myself if something else happened to this guy. He lives on uh...Candy Lane. Apartment 6C."
Faith couldn't help but snort. "Candy Lane?"
"That's what he said."
"That's kinda ironic."
"Ironic or crazy?"
"It's a toss-up." They drove in silence until they arrived on Candy Lane and she parked the RMP outside the large apartment building.
He looked up at the building for a moment then reluctantly got out of the vehicle. When they reached the entrance to the building he stopped Faith by putting a hand on her arm. "Oh, and you should know. He knows about you. Wants you to help tonight. But I swear I didn't tell him about you. I swear."
She stared at him in confusion. "Okay."
Bosco shrugged and pulled the door open for her. "Here goes nothing."
They headed up the apartment stairs, both pausing when they heard the faint sounds of "Here Comes Santa Claus" coming from apartment 6C.
His eyes widened and he looked over at Faith. "Please tell me that I don't hear what I think I hear."
"Maybe a psych consult is what the guy needs," she murmured.
Letting out a breath he continued up the stairs. When they reached the sixth floor he pointed toward the end of the hall where there was an apartment door that in Bosco's opinion was over-decorated for the holidays. "That must be it."
Shaking her head a little, she reached out and knocked on the door, waiting.
"Maybe we shoulda sent the medics or something. Incase the guy needs some kinda...medication, ya know?"
Before she had a chance to respond, the older man opened the door, leaning on crutches. "Merry Christmas! Come on in, Officers. Glad you're early. I made some eggnog and there are plenty of cookies in the kitchen."
"Uh, no thank you sir. We just came by to uh..."
"Oh, go over the routes. Always been one to get right to the point, haven't you, Maurice?" He hobbled away from the door, leaving it open for them. "I've got the suit in here, too. You'll need that, of course..."
"Whoa. Wait. No." He shook his head, holding his hands up. "We just came by to make sure you weren't...Well...you know, crazy."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not crazy, but we are short on time. So have a seat so we can get started." He motioned to the kitchen table. "You, too, Faith. He'll need your help."
Faith stared at him, surprised he knew her name.
"Look, is there someone we can call for you? Somebody who can look after you?" He walked into the kitchen and picked up the bottle of pain pills, trying to determine if the man had taken too many.
"Oh, don't you worry about me. I'll be headed back up North in a couple days."
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but this is all a little strange."
"Well of course it is, Maurice. It's not every day you run over St. Nick," he said with good spirits as he sat down at the table and unrolled a large map.
"Can you uh...can you give us a minute?" he asked the man as he grabbed Faith's arm and started pulling her toward the door.
"Of course."
Faith, looking dubious, glanced from "Santa" to Bosco with raised eyebrows.
When they were in an area that Bosco figured was out of the man's earshot he looked at Faith. "What are we supposed to do? This guy is..."
"Delusional?"
"Yeah." He nodded.
She glanced over at the older man, who was intently studying the map he'd unrolled. "Should we take him to Mercy or...?"
"Maybe it'd be easier to get the medics over here? I don't know if this guy would go to the hospital willingly."
"Well at least he doesn't appear to be dangerous." She frowned.
"He sorta just..." He glanced at the man who looked up at him with a cheery smile. "Seems like a really nice old man," Bosco finished softly.
She was silent for a moment. "Maybe we should just...leave him be. I mean, what's the harm in letting the guy believe he brings joy to little kids all over the world every year?"
He nodded his head. "What's the harm in going along with his little plan, right? I mean, once we go over the route and head outside we can act like we delivered toys."
"Right." She nodded her agreement.
"Okay." He went back into the kitchen, putting a smile on his face. "So, where were those cookies you were talkin' about?"
Santa smiled at him and motioned to the large cookie canister on the counter. "Help yourself. I have your favorite--chocolate chip."
"Aren't chocolate chip everyone's favorite?" He wandered over to the counter and grabbed the canister. Pulling the top off, his eyes widened when he saw the cookies inside. They were perfect. Big, perfect round shape, and full of chocolate chips. They looked and smelled like they'd just come out of the oven.
"No, I believe Faith's favorite is peanut butter cookies. Or at least they were when she was 12." He looked over at her and she stared at him for a moment, a little weirded out.
"They're still my favorite."
"The Snowman canister on the right has peanut butter cookies."
"Did you bake these yourself?" Bosco questioned.
"Oh, ho ho, no." He shook his head. "My wife made them and sent them up with Andy."
"Who's Andy? Your son?" He asked curiously.
"No, no. No kids of our own. Andy's my right hand elf."
Bosco nearly choked on his cookie. "Your...elf?"
"Of course. He's packing the sleigh for you as we speak. Now, here are the houses you'll need to stop at in Manhattan." Santa motioned to the map that had certain houses circled in green marker.
Curious, Bosco walked over to the table and looked down at the map. "There aren't as many houses as I thought there'd be."
Santa smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Too many don't believe in me anymore. Others, of course, have been naughty."
Nodding his head Bosco gave a slight shrug. That definitely made sense. "Does time like...stop or something for you?"
Faith nibbled on one of the peanut butter cookies, noting the rich flavor. It wasn't just good, it was everything a peanut butter cookie should be.
"Oh, no. Stopping time isn't a possibility. The reindeer know where to go, and we get there quickly."
"Well how do you sort through all the presents? How do you know who gets what?"
"It's all sorted in the magic bag."
"Oh, okay." He nodded and took another bite of his cookie. "These cookies are amazing," he commented with his mouth full.
"Glad you like them. There's milk in the fridge if you want some." Santa motioned toward the refrigerator. "You remember those cookies you used to leave out for me?" He glanced at Bosco. "The ones your mom made with the raisins and oatmeal?"
His eyes widened slightly and he slowly turned around to look at the man. There was no way this guy could know what kind of cookies he'd left for Santa when he was a kid.
"Those are my favorite," he commented without looking up from the map. "And the reindeer always appreciated the carrots you left out, Faith."
Faith stared at him as well.
"H-how do you know all this," Bosco questioned softly.
Santa looked up at the two of them silently, his eyes bright.
"So you're sayin' that you're really..."
"Santa Claus?" He nodded. "I am."
Bosco looked at Faith. "Are you buyin' this?" he asked, trying to act as if he wasn't being pulled in by this man.
She didn't answer him, instead looking at "Santa." "So whatever happened to my pony?"
He gave her a look. "Your parents never would have let you keep a pony, Faith and you know it. But I did bring you a kitten, remember?"
Faith's mouth dropped open a little.
"I've got a question for you." Bosco looked at the man. "When did I stop believin'?"
A flicker of sadness passed over his eyes. "When you were ten. You and your brother woke up on Christmas morning and there were no presents under the tree. But it wasn't because I didn't leave them, Maurice. Your father took them and sold them and spent the money on dog racing at the tracks."
He swallowed hard and turned away, walking into the living room and staring out the window. He was a grown man, but that Christmas was a very sore spot for him. Always was and he had a feeling that it always would be. It was supposed to be such a happy time, and had turned into a complete disaster even though his mother had tried so hard to make it better.
Feeling unnerved, Faith slowly followed him, moving to stand beside him at the window that overlooked the city. "Bosco, what are you thinking?"
"That guy, Faith." He paused. "He's right. That Christmas was...terrible."
She stared out the window for a long moment. "So are you sayin' you think he's..."
"Nobody else knows that, Faith." He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Me and ma and Mikey we never told anybody about that. We don't talk about it."
"I never told anyone I left carrots out for the reindeer," she admitted softly.
"So...I really hit Santa Clause with my car?"
Faith glanced over her shoulder at the old man still seated at the table.
"Hey uh...One more question," Bosco said as he took a couple steps back toward the kitchen.
Santa looked up. "Yes?"
"When I was 10, what was it that I really wanted? Not the thing I put on the list I gave my mom, the other thing."
He looked at Bosco. "You wanted your mom to leave your dad so he wouldn't hurt any of you anymore."
Faith swallowed hard, feeling unsteady as she gripped the back of the chair she stood beside.
Pressing his lips together Bosco nodded his head. "I never told anybody that," he whispered.
Santa gazed at the two of them silently.
"So..." Bosco moved over and sat down at the table. "You really are him."
He nodded slightly. "But tonight I need you to take my place."
"I can't believe I hit you with my car."
Faith slowly sat down, rubbing her hands over her face. "So what exactly is it we're supposed to do?"
Santa smiled at them. "The reindeer will pick you up in about two hours. There's enough room in the sleigh for two."
"So Faith's gonna be my elf, huh?"
Santa simply grinned.
"All right, so there's a magic bag that sorts the gifts, the reindeer know the route. Now...how do we actually deliver the toys? I'm guessing these people aren't just going to leave their front doors unlocked for us."
"Down the chimney, of course," Santa told him.
Bosco raised an eyebrow. "That may work for you."
"It'll work for you too. The magic is all in the outfit."
"Oh come on. You can't expect me to wear a Santa suit."
Faith raised her eyebrows. "Well, Boz, you do kinda owe him."
He looked from Faith to Santa and sighed heavily. "Fine. Fine, I'll wear the damn suit."
Faith grinned and looked at Santa. She had a feeling it would be a Christmas Eve to remember.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bosco looked at himself in the mirror and quickly closed his eyes. Shaking his head he took a deep breath then reached for the doorknob. He quickly stuck his head out the door, hiding the rest of his body so Faith couldn't see. "I'm not doin' it."
"Bosco, come on." There was more than a hint of frustration in her voice. "It cannot be that bad."
"Faith, it's like..." He looked down at himself. "30 sizes too big for me."
Groaning, she leaned her head against the wall. "So we'll...stick a pillow under the suit."
"I am -not- going around all night with a suit stuffed full of pillows."
"It's not like you have a choice."
He sighed. "Okay, but -no- laughing."
"No laughing. Check." She stepped away to make room for him in the hallway.
Letting out a breath he stepped away from the door, straightened the suit a little and put on the santa hat before stepping out of the bathroom.
A faint smirk tugged at her lips but she managed to suppress it, nodding a little.
He looked like an unhappy little boy dressed up in a Halloween costume that he'd been forced to wear. "I look like an idiot."
"So everything's normal. Kidding." She quickly held her hands up. "Only kidding. Come on. We have to get going."
"I don't understand why you didn't have to wear an elf suit or somethin'," he grumbled.
"All I gotta do is make sure you get the right presents outta the magic bag and make sure you don't fall outta the sleigh. No kids are even gonna see me. That's why." She took hold of his arm and led him out into the living room where Santa sat in front of the television, his leg propped up on pillows as he watched 'It's a Wonderful Life'.
"Well. Looks like you're all ready." He smiled.
Bosco nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I don't think I'm cut out for this though."
"Nonsense. You'll do just fine. Just remember to be nice to the reindeer, especially Rudolph. He can get quite testy at times." Faith caught sight of a flash of something fly past the window, and then a moment later there was a loud noise on the roof.
He swallowed hard and glanced up at the ceiling when he heard the noise. "So, that must be our ride, huh?"
"Have fun!"
Feeling as nervous as Bosco looked, Faith reached out and took his arm, leading him out of Santa's apartment and toward the stairs at the end of the hall that led to the roof. "This should be interesting, huh?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "Interesting."
As soon as they were on the roof, Faith stared in awe of the nine reindeer that were harnessed to a large red and green sleigh. Inside the sleigh was a huge black bag. "Wow."
"Man, that's...amazing." He slowly approached the lead reindeer. "You must be Rudolph," he commented as he reached out to pet the reindeer's head.
Rudolph lifted his nose a little in greeting and allowed Bosco to pet him.
Faith swallowed hard, feeling inexplicably like she might cry at any moment. She too reached out and gently patted the reindeer's nose.
"So you're the guy who runs the show out here, huh?" He said to the reindeer. "I'm countin' on you." He scratched behind the reindeer's ear and could have sworn that Rudolph smiled.
The other reindeers shifted restlessly as if annoyed by all the attention Rudolph was getting. Smiling a little, Faith went along, petting each one and receiving gentle nudges from each one's nose in approval. She looked at the sleigh, then back to Bosco. "What do you say we hop in and get this show on the road?"
"I think this could be fun," he said, smiling softly as he made his way back to the sleigh, petting each reindeer as he went.
Faith climbed into the back of the sleigh next to the large bag, unable to help but grin at Bosco as he climbed in the front.
Climbing in Bosco looked around for the reins to hold onto, but found none. He gave a shrug figuring that Santa's reindeer probably didn't need any reins anyway. He glanced back at Faith. "You all set?"
"As set as I think I can possibly be in a sled guided by flying reindeer." Smiling, she shook her head a little at the absurdity of it all.
"I know. This is so crazy." He pointed toward a red blanket that was sitting on the seat. "You might wanna cover up with that. I've got a feeling it could get a little chilly."
Faith didn't hesitate before reaching out and pulling the blanket over her. And a moment later, the reindeer began to move, Rudolph in the lead.
"Take it easy on us, boys." Bosco called out as he quickly grabbed hold of the edge of the sleigh. "We're rookies."
She couldn't help but laugh with delight as the reindeer propelled them into the sky.
It took a few moments for Bosco to get used to the sensation of flying then he carefully leaned to the side, looking at the city below them. "Wow."
She did the same, amazed and excited and a little afraid all at once. "I don't know about you but I think we should quit our day jobs and do this full time," she joked.
He laughed. "Let's see how the rest of the night goes first."
Faith grinned, watching as houses and apartments and building complexes disappeared beneath them. One thing was for sure--this was definitely the most excitement she'd ever had on Christmas Eve.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bosco climbed out of the sleigh and Faith handed him the presents that the magic bag had sorted through for her. Together they placed them in a smaller red sack and Bosco carried them over to the chimney. His eyebrows furrowed as he walked in a circle around the chimney's opening. It looked big enough for him to fit through, but he had no idea how to get down it or back up to the roof. Santa hadn't given any instructions, he'd just said the magic was in the suit. He glanced over at Faith. "You got any ideas?"
Before she could respond he was practically swept off his feet and down the chimney. Her eyes widening, she peered down into the chimney. "Bosco!" She whispered loudly. "Are you all right?"
He landed on his butt with a thud in the fireplace below, and he groaned softly as he rubbed his backend. Hearing Faith's voice he looked back up the dark chimney. "I hope it doesn't go like this all night or I'm gonna need to cushion my ass."
She stifled a chuckle, quickly glancing over her shoulder at the reindeer. "Is he gonna be able to get back up the same way?" she whispered, even though they didn't talk. Rudolph simply gazed at her with big brown eyes, his red nose glowing and she could just about swear he was smiling.
Looking around Bosco spotted the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. Standing up he brushed himself off and grabbed the red bag of presents he'd brought with him. As he made his way over to the tree he spotted the plate of cookies and glass of milk that the children had set out for him. He quickly scribbled a 'Merry Christmas. Love Santa' note at the bottom of the letter they'd left for him, grabbed a few cookies and chugged down the milk before setting the presents around the tree. When he was finished he stood back and admired his work before making his way back over to the fireplace, looking at it much the same way he'd looked at the chimney when he was trying to figure out how to get inside.
A second later he was whisked back up the chimney and landed with a light thud on the roof.
Somewhat dazed by the way he had been sucked up and down the chimney he rubbed his temple and looked over at Faith. "One down. Eight gazillion more to go."
Faith smiled, bemused and glanced at her watch. To her surprise only a couple of minutes had passed. But she still couldn't help but wonder if they'd really be able to hit every house on the map in time.
When they reached the second house he and Faith once again loaded up the smaller red sack with the presents and he made his way over to the chimney. Having no clue what triggered his first trip down the chimney he walked around it and then looked over at Faith and the reindeer. "I have no idea how I--" Before the words were out of his mouth he was quickly pulled down the chimney. Once again landing in a heap in the fireplace below. "Oww," he grumbled softly.
She couldn't help but chuckle this time. Bosco had been right--if he didn't perfect that landing and fast, his ass was definitely going to be sore in the morning.
He quickly but carefully moved throughout the small room where the tree was standing in the corner, and deposited the presents under the tree. On his way back to the fireplace he crouched down and read the note that this child had left for Santa. He wrote a quick thank you. Took a couple drinks of the milk and grabbed a few cookies for the road. Before he even had time to contemplate how he was supposed to signal his need to go back up the chimney he was pulled off his feet, and a moment later deposited on the roof. Once again landing on his butt.
"You know, you need to learn how to land on your feet, Boz."
Bosco glared up at her. "You think I don't know that?"
She smirked and held her hand out to help him up. "Come on. It's gonna be a long night."
When he was on his feet he handed her a cookie. "Here. You gotta help eat these or I'm gonna be as fat as Santa when the night's over."
She chuckled. "At least you'd fit in the suit."
Shaking his head he climbed back in the sleigh then offered his hand to help Faith in. "Wish he woulda told me how the whole going up and down the chimney thing worked."
She climbed into the sleigh beside him, grinning. "Now what fun would that have been?"
---
"I did it," he whispered loudly up the chimney a few houses later. "I landed on my feet."
Faith grinned as she leaned against the chimney and waited for him to finish.
He was getting pretty good at the routine inside each house. Quietly putting the presents under the tree, writing short notes of thanks to the children, stuffing cookies in his pockets and finding the nearest sink to dump the milk down because a man could only drink so much. He'd come to realize that he was sucked up the fire place when he was a certain distance away from it, and that to go down the chimney he merely had to turn back toward the sleigh and look at the reindeer. Why that triggered it he didn't know, but he wasn't going to ask questions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At nearly four in the morning, they arrived at the last house on the map and Faith was both exhausted and exhilarated though all she'd done was bring presents out of the magic bag.
"Come with me," he told her softly.
"Uh, I don't think that'll work, Bosco."
"Sure it will. I think I like...get liquefied or something when I go down the chimney. We'll both fit."
"Yeah but I think it's because you're wearin' the suit," she said hesitantly.
He grinned. "I got an idea."
"I'm not putting the suit on."
Bosco shook his head. "I wasn't planning on that. Here...hold the bag."
Her eyebrows furrowing, she held onto the bag.
With a wide smirk on his face he started to unbutton the jacket of Santa's suit.
"Bosco, what are you--"
"Come here," he told her as he opened the jacket wide. "Wrap your arms around me."
Faith looked at him skeptically.
"You know you don't wanna miss out on this."
"I'm just not sure it's going to work."
"With all the magic we've experienced tonight I don't think this'll go wrong. Come on."
She hesitated a moment longer, then wound her arms around his waist, closing her eyes.
Smiling, he closed the jacket, wrapping his arms around her as well.
A second later they were whooshed down the chimney, landing in a heap together on the floor.
He laughed, his arms still wrapped around her. "See. It worked."
She couldn't help but smile at him, her arms still around him as well. Without thinking about it, she kissed his cheek.
"What was that for," he asked softly.
"Just because," she said just as softly, slowly sitting up and looking around the living room. It was dark but the sun was starting to slowly rise. "Here you go, Santa." She handed him the bag. "Do your thing."
He hadn't expected that he would have so much fun doing this, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Taking the bag he set the gifts out around the tree then took a moment to just gaze at it. "I can't believe this is the last house."
"It went by fast," she agreed, standing beside him and admiring the way he'd set up the presents.
"I've gotten pretty good at this" he told her, motioning to the gifts. "And this too." He went over to read the note left for Santa.
Faith smiled as he signed the bottom of the note, then walked back over to her. "You ready to go home?"
"Almost," he whispered.
Her eyebrows furrowed a little. "So what's left?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "Guess I just wanna savor the moment."
"Oh." She gazed at him, her eyes widening when she heard footsteps on the stairs. "Boz, come on, someone's coming!"
"Shit," he whispered, quickly grabbing hold of her, putting his arms around her.
She braced herself as they were whisked up the chimney by the same invisible magic that had brought them down only moments before.
"That was close."
"No kidding." She glanced at the reindeer who were watching them expectantly. "So I guess this is it."
He sighed. "Yeah. It's almost...sad."
Faith smiled a little. "Yeah, but...look at it this way. We got to experience something that...pretty much no one else ever has."
"All 'cause I ran over Santa."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Faith tucked some hair behind her ear as Bosco handed the magic bag back to the real Santa Claus.
"So did you have fun, Maurice?" Santa asked.
"Actually...yeah." He nodded his head. "I didn't think I would, but...It felt good, ya know?"
"It always feels good to give people things you wouldn't normally give them."
"I'm uh...kinda glad I hit you." He glanced from Santa to Faith then back again. "I mean, we had a really nice time tonight."
He winked at Bosco, nodding. "I know. Oh, before you go...I have gifts for the two of you."
"What? Really?"
Santa nodded again and headed across the room, hobbling a bit. He returned with two gifts--one for Bosco and one for Faith. "Here you go. Merry Christmas."
"Thanks," Bosco responded softly as he took the gift in his hands. He looked over at Faith. "Open yours first."
She smiled a little and slowly unwrapped the present, her eyes widening a bit when she lifted a small silver cross necklace from the box. "Thank you," she murmured.
Santa smiled.
Bosco looked down at the gift he was holding, and slowly began to tear off the paper. He slowly pulled off the lid, his eyebrows furrowing. "It's empty."
"Because you already got what you wanted, Maurice." There was a twinkle in Santa's eyes.
Meeting Santa's eyes Bosco smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. Yeah I did. Thank you."
"Merry Christmas. Be good in 2006 and I promise a nice surprise under you two's tree next year." Winking, Santa headed for the door.
"Come on, Faith." They followed Santa to the door. "You wanna go get some coffee or somethin'? Watch the sun come up?" He asked her.
She smiled. "That sounds nice."
Santa pulled the door open for them and Bosco reached out to shake his hand. "Never thought I'd be so happy to hit a man with my car." He paused for a moment at the look in the other man's eyes. "Did you walk in front of me on purpose?"
"I'll never tell." He winked once more and headed toward the stairs to the roof.
"Hey! Are we ever gonna see you again?"
"Oh, you'll see me again."
Bosco nodded his head and gave the man a wave. "Take care."
He waved back and disappeared through the stairway door.
Faith walked with Bosco down the second set of steps toward the front door.
"I can't believe he's real."
"No kidding." She smiled as they walked outside. "So coffee?"
"Yeah." He placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her down the sidewalk.
Overhead nine reindeer flew pulling a sleigh. And they heard him say as he rode out of sight "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
"It's definitely a good night," Bosco whispered as he slid his arm around Faith's waist, pulling her close.
