Kidnapped on Christmas

Chapter 9

My head was reeling as I sat up. I looked around the new room, had they moved me to a new suit? I was wearing red pyjamas with the initials S.C. the door on the other side of the room was large and wooden with Christmas themed carvings all over it.

The room was filled with toys and sweets. I shook my head and pinched myself to wake up from the crazy dream, but I never did. I rolled over to the side of the bed where a night stand that matched the door sat patiently. There was a cup of hot chocolate with a sticky note stuck to one side. It read:

Hi Kat,
You passed out so I let you sleep in my bed. I hope that is okay. Pull the bell if you need anything, take your time, I'll be waiting.
P.S. I hope you like the hot chocolate. I made it myself.
Steven.

His hand writing was beautiful like in old hand written books or fake hand writien books. You know, the kind with too much details on the first letters. Well Steven did that too. It made me giggle.

I sipped on the hot chocolate and stole a cookie, I just couldn't help myself. This was the first time in a while I hadn't woken up with a man watching me, I could do whatever I wanted.

After my sugar rush wore off I decided to ring the bell. I gave a light tug on the rope and waited. A few seconds later Steven poked his head in. I giggled and motioned for him to enter.

"Can I ask where my own clothes are?" I motioned to the borrowed pyjamas I was wearing.

"Oh. Um. You wanted those?" He asked as if there was something wrong with them.

"Well. Yeah they actually fit me." I retorted.

"But they were from your uncle, and pyjamas anyway. I'll get Jingles to bring you up some new clothes." He didn't let me argue and headed out the door.

A few minutes later a small knock on the door woke me from my day dreams. I opened it to see a little girl with a bundle of clothes with ribbon wrapped around it.

"Here you go." She handed them to me. "Steve picked them out." She smiled.

"Thank you. Uh, Jingles?" I half said and half asked.

"You're welcome Kat." She smiled and left.

I untied the bow and held up a long red dress. It had white fur around the bottom, sleeves and neck with a strip going down the middle. Still on the bed was a pair of black winter boots, a pair of green pants and a white tee shirt. I slipped off Steven's pyjamas and pulled on the tee shirt and pants. Inside the boots were a pair of socks that were warm and soft. By the time I had everything on I felt like Mrs. Claus, so I left the front of the over coat open.

I rung the bell again and Steven came back. He looked at me with wide eyes and a shocked expression. I looked down at myself and back at him.

"You picked it out." I mocked.

"No. No. You look nice." He shook off the shocked face and walked closer.

"You know if you keep up is unhealthy eating you'll end up like your dad." I turned and picked up a cookie. He scoffed and picked up a remote off the night stand. With the push of a button a wall opened to reviel a small home gym. "Of course, a Claus that works out." I sighed.

"And that's just so kids will like us. They enjoy the idea of a fat man. It's odd, but they are more welcoming." He shrugged.

"So your dad is ripped too?" I asked. He cocked his head and made me giggle. "You know, buff?"

"Oh. Uh I guess. He certainly isn't fat." He smirked. "Come on, I have more to show you before my dad gets home." He pulled me along.

"Wait? It's still Christmas?" I asked.

"Yeah. One night here is like four or more nights." He explained. I nodded my head, but the confused expression remained.

"So I could still be home for Christmas?"

"That is what you asked for. But you don't open presents untill morning." He gave me a sly grin.

"Why didn't your dad come get me?" I asked the question that was burning in my head. Steven stopped dead in his tracks.

"Kat." He looked me in the eyes. "You're on the naughty list, you have been for years and years. He didn't think you deserved the gift you asked for. Especially seeing as you aren't really supposed to see him, or any of this." He explained.

"Then why did you come?" I gave him a suspicious glare.

"Because of your letter. I felt something spark in you the night you wrote it. Hope. I couldn't let that die, not again. You deserve to know, to believe in magic." He answered. Tears were filling up in my eyes.

"B-but how? H-how did you see it?" I started to stutter.

"When I was younger my dad was watching children to see if they were naughty or nice. I was watching too. You appeared on the screan, you were so happy to have a little brother, but slowly I could see him overshadowing you. You knew it too. You became naughty that year. And we stopped giving out coal. It was unsanitary and bad for the environment. I knew you still had some good in you, so I kept my eye on you. And when I saw the opportunity to make you believe again I took it." I shook my head to hide the tears. "I guess you could say I developed a crush on you. Most Santas choose a wife who believes in Christmas magic and is on the nice list. I want to be different, change the cycle and have a wife who once need to believe." He stared into my eyes.

"Are you proposing?" I asked. His face turned red and he scratched the back of his head.

"No? I mean you just met me." He saved himself. I nodded, my mouth was open and the confused expression was back. "Why don't we go see the village."

"Okay." I agreed.