If Only In My Dreams ~ Naughty and Nice Episode Nine

Hello friends!

Wow…we’re getting uncomfortably close to Christmas…

Anyway, this is the second-to-last episode of Naughty and Nice. I’m kind of sad that it’s ending…but I do really love this episode. The first line is my favorite.

(Series recap thus far…)

He’s Making a List ~ Naughty and Nice Episode One

A Mantle of White ~ Naughty and Nice Episode Two

We Are Santa’s Elves ~ Naughty and Nice Episode Three

Checking It Twice ~ Naughty and Nice Episode Four

I’ll Have a Blue Christmas ~ Naughty and Nice Episode Five

Santa Tell Me ~ Naughty and Nice Episode Six

Candy Canes and Silver Lanes Aglow ~ Naughty and Nice Episode Seven

Please Christmas, Don’t be Late ~ Naughty and Nice Episode Eight

Like most children, I was eagerly awaiting Christmas Eve.

Unlike most children, I was awaiting Christmas Eve because it meant that Santa Claus would take my brother and me home in his sleigh.

Part of me was sad that our time at the North Pole was coming to an end. This whirlwind of a week had been the most wondrous vacation. We’d made friends, eaten tons of unhealthy (but delicious) food, and we’d even met Santa Claus! It felt like a dream.

But a bigger part of me missed my family. I was ready to go home.

How would we explain this to Mom?

If I showed up after being away for a week and simply said, “Hey Mom, I know we were away for a while, but it’s okay! We were at the North Pole! No big deal!” she’d probably take me to a psychiatrist. But then again…that was the truth. I couldn’t think of any other way to explain this.

“Mmmmm,” Jack said, surrounded by cookies. I couldn’t blame him! There were so many flavors. My personal favorite were the peppermint chocolate chip ones. However, I wasn’t currently clutching my stomach in pain as Jack was. One of the many differences between us was that my eyes were not bigger than my stomach. Jack’s were.

“Is this really how you want to spend our last day at the North Pole?” I asked.

Jack moaned. “The cookies looked better when I’d only had a couple.”

I laughed. I wasn’t surprised that Jack had gotten himself sick. There was one Christmas he’d eaten all the candy on our gingerbread house and spent Christmas Eve puking.

My heart stopped when I thought of Christmas Eve. I wondered what Mom and Dad were doing. If Jack and I were home, we’d all be curled up on the couch in our Christmas pajamas. It was tradition for the White family to have a Christmas movie marathon on Christmas Eve. It was one of my favorite parts of the holidays.

I couldn’t wait to get back.

“Ready to go?” Santa asked.

It seemed much too early to leave. But Jack and I were still operating on American time, and Santa needed to deliver worldwide. It meant we’d have a while to travel with the big guy before we got home.

“Of course,” I said. “Thank you so much, sir.”

“Thank you,” he laughed heartily. “You two have certainly shaken things up here at the North Pole.”

“That’s for sure,” a now-familiar gruff voice, added.

I was surprised to see Cocoa. She hadn’t spoken to either of us since she found out we weren’t elves.

“I just wanted to say that you two are some of the best list-keepers I’ve ever seen. If you ever need a place to work…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but I gathered that the grumpy elf had become rather fond of us.

I tackled her into a hug. Jack joined in.

“Thank you for everything,” I replied.

Cocoa laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Now you’d better get going!”

Peppermint nodded and handed Santa a clipboard. “That’s for sure! Here’s your itinerary. You need to stick to this strict schedule in order to deliver everything on time. I even adjusted it in case you need to spend more time at the White household.”

“Thank you.”

I gasped when I saw the sleigh. I knew Santa loaded all the toys on his sleigh, but this was a lot of toys.

Jack’s eyes lit up. I immediately knew he was thinking of all the mischief he could get into with those toys.

“No.” I nudged him.

He pouted.

“How did you know what I was thinking?”

Santa knelt beside the sleigh.

“Come along,” he beckoned. “Let’s get you loaded up.”

He picked us up and buckled us in the sleigh.

Some elves harnessed the reindeer and then we were off. I was shocked at how easy the process was. But I supposed that the elves were experienced. I wondered how many years they’d prepped the sleigh.

“On Donner! “On Dasher!” Santa called.

The reindeer took to the sky. My jaw dropped. You’d think that after all the magic I’d seen in the past week I wouldn’t be surprised by flying reindeer. But if you saw flying reindeer, I’m pretty sure you’d be shocked too.

The stars sparked up the night sky. They provided enough light for me to see Jack’s awestruck face. I grinned, sharing this moment of joy with my brother.

It wasn’t long before it was time for our first stop.

“Wait here,” Santa instructed. “I won’t be long.”

He slid down the chimney carrying a large sack of toys. It looked like a movie scene.

“Ooh,” Jack poked around the sleigh. “Look at all the toys!”

“Jack, stop.”

But he didn’t. He kept shuffling through the toys. One of the reindeer turned around to snarl at us. I think it was Blitzen. He always seemed kind of rude to me.

“Uh-oh…”

My heart dropped as one of the toys went falling down, down down. Just then, Santa flew up the chimney.

“What’s going on here?” he boomed.

I gulped. What was going to happen now?

“It was an accident I swear!”

“I see…” Santa stroked his beard. “And how exactly do you propose to fix this? I’ll have you know that was a very special doll for a very nice little girl. And we’re already on a tight schedule.”

“Um…we could give her another toy?”

My suggestion was weak. I couldn’t think of anything to get Jack out of this mess.

Sorry, but you’re on your own for this one…

I shot him a pained glance.

Jack beamed. It was almost as if I could see a literal lightbulb flash above his head.

“What if we made her a new gift? There are a lot of ribbons and excess wrapping paper on this sleigh. Nick and I could turn that into a doll!”

“Alright,” Santa decided. “I’m willing to try it.”

As Santa focused on leading the tray and delivering gifts, Jack and I worked on the doll. Not only did I not want to disappoint Santa, but I also didn’t want the little girl to be sad when she didn’t get the toy she’d wanted.

We worked for as long as we could to arrange the ribbons and make the doll look as special as possible. I was worried that it wasn’t good enough when Santa finally arrived at the little girl’s house.