The weather was seemingly calmer than yesterday as the sun set beyond the misty hills a few miles away. The wind blew softly around the snow-covered houses as the streetlamps gradually went on, lighting the streets with a dull bronze glow. The last of the neighborhood's children ran back to their homes, seeking warmth and shelter from the darkness that bestowed the streets. 

Sure, the day had been a bit of a mess since that morning, thanks to the visit of the Ghosts of Christmas Past the night before, but there was always something to add.

The twins had their own idea of a little plan B, to give plan A a bit of a push. If something bad happened to one of the Go Jetters, they'd start saying that things might've been better if they had no argued about something so preposterous.

That particular day, Kyle took Kyan to a dentist to help him get that chipped tooth of his sorted out, and Tim tagged along. After an hour of boring waiting in the waiting room, the turn was theirs.

"Kyan Rivers? The dentist is ready to see you."

Having heard his name, Kyan grabbed his rubber ball, stood up, and entered the dentist's office, Kyle and Tim in tow.

After an examination at the tooth and the missing chip that Kyle brought along, the dentist said that he'll have to re-insert the chip with special dental glue, and everything will be alright.

Kyan, however, wasn't so sure. He really didn't trust the dentist about what she was doing, and started squeaking.

That's where the little gymnast saw his chance.

Advancing toward Kyan, with a smug look plastered on his face, he said in a teasing tone, "Oh dear. In distress, are you?"

Kyan fearfully nodded.

"What a shame. And to think, you wouldn't be going through so much fear if you and your friends hadn't bickered so much. Why, they could've been here to help you!" Tim said, maintaining his teasing tone.

Kyan's eyes widened with fear and confusion, and muttered something that sounded like: "Bum day wo-"

"Don't speak like that to me, mister." Tim snapped, "Face the truth, Rivers, your friends would've helped you if you just gave them a second chance. I mean, for something as stupid as a star? You lot have gone insane."

He could've said more if Kyle hadn't pulled him out and the dentist starting the operation.

The dentist started the procedure, washing the mouth, then taking the chip from Kyle and using special dental glue on the chipped-off part. The tooth was soon re-inserted.

Kyan, however, was squirming and uneasy the entire time, thanks to the procedure going on carelessly in his mouth. But that wasn't all that was troubling him.

Tim's words ran through his head, and slowly sank their way into his head, and the worst part was: It wasn't a lie! The thought that his friends could've helped him with this seemed to do him in. He knew it was stupid for him to think about, yet he just couldn't help it.

He eventually ended up walking out of the dentist's office with a newly inserted tooth and an ice pack pressed against his jaw. His appearance felt very awkward,  and add to that Tim kept making toothy puns all the way back. He had never felt so embarrassed in his entire life.

~*~

Tim and Lily entered the house, their jackets covered up with soft, white snow. Bailey made them take the jackets off and put them in the laundry for the night as the children helped themselves to a hot beverage in the kitchen.

It was promised that Bailey would read the next chapter of A Christmas Carol to everyone that night, as they seemed to take the book very seriously and enjoy listening to it -the only downside, of course, was the Go Jetters waking up the following morning claiming that they've seen the ghosts of the book that had been told to them, showing or telling them a specific part of their lives-. 

After the sun had gone down, everyone gathered together in the living room in front of the roaring fire, dressed in dressing gowns and slippers and enjoying the warmth that the flames brought forth.

Bailey entered the room, holding Ace in one hand and her precious book in another.

Sitting down in the same chair as the last two nights, she put Ace down in her lap and held the book for everyone to watch.

"Who remembers where we left off last night?" She asked, directed to everyone in the room.

"When the Ghost of Christmas Past leaves Scrooge to wait from the next ghost to show up," Foz said, rubbing his chin.

"A correct guess!" Bailey laughed, "Now...let's begin..."

As everyone waited for her to start, she looked into the fire, her eyes glimmering as the dancing orangery and amber lights illuminated a small light display on the brick walls.

~*~

Scrooge woke up in the middle of a snore, just before the clock struck one again. He sat up in his bed and waited for the second ghost to come. And there it was – the Ghost of Christmas Present. It had curly brown hair, sparkling eyes and it wore a simple green robe with white fur. Its feet were bare and on its head it wore a holly wreath.

The ghost took Scrooge to Bob Cratchit's house – a very poor little dwelling. In the kitchen you could see Mrs Cratchit preparing Christmas dinner. Her children were cheerfully running around. Then the door opened and Bob Cratchit came in with Tiny Tim upon his shoulders. Tiny Tim was Bob Cratchit's youngest son. He bore a little crutch and had an iron frame around his limbs.

"On our way home, Tiny Tim told me that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple. It might be pleasant to them to remember on Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see." Bob's voice trembled when he said this.

Then Christmas dinner was ready, and everyone sat down at the table. As the Cratchits were very poor, it was not much they had for Christmas dinner. But still everyone was joyful and you could feel that they all had the Christmas Spirit in their hearts.

"A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears! God bless us!" said Bob Cratchit.

"God bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim.

He sat very close to his father's side upon his little stool. Bob held his little hand, as if he feared to lose him.

"Spirit," said Scrooge, who felt sorry for the boy, "tell me if Tiny Tim will live."

"I see an empty seat," replied the ghost, "and a crutch without an owner. If these shadows don't change in the future, the child will die."

This made Scrooge very sad, but the spirit went on and took Scrooge to his nephew's house. Fred and his friends had a very cheerful party and played games. Scrooge really enjoyed their party and wanted to stay for another while but in a second it all faded and Scrooge and the spirit were again on their travels.

They visited many homes in many places: they saw sick people who were cheerful; people in foreign lands who were close at home, poor people who felt rich that day – all because of the Christmas Spirit.

Suddenly, Scrooge noticed something strange about the ghost. Two children-like figures were at the ghost's feet – a boy and a girl. But, they looked old and dreadful, like little monsters. Scrooge was shocked.

"Spirit, are they your creatures?" Scrooge asked.

"They are Man's creatures," said the spirit "The boy is Ignorance. The girl is Want. Beware them both, but most of all beware this boy" said the spirit.

"Have they no place they can go?" asked Scrooge.

"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" the spirit turned on Scrooge with his own words.

The bell struck twelve. The Ghost of Christmas Present disappeared. And at the last stroke of the bell, Scrooge saw the third ghost coming towards him.

~*~

Bailey closed the book once again, looking up at everybody else in the room.

"That's the second one of the ghosts making his appearance." Bailey smiled.

"Wow," Lily whispered, "Scrooge is missing so much Christmas glory thanks to his stinginess, and he doesn't even know how some people, like Tiny Tim, are suffering!"

"Excuse me?" Said Tim, who was right next to her.

"I didn't mean you, I meant Tiny Tim from the story." Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"One more ghost to go?" Kyle asked.

"One more ghost to go." Bailey confirmed.

Nobody but the Go Jetters knew what this chapter of the book meant for the four of them.

There was a ghost about to visit them that night.

The thought was interrupted  by Bailey's voice, snapping out of nowhere. "Okay, everyone. It's time to go to bed."

Everybody stood up and headed off to their rooms without thinking about it. The four teens were soon held back by Bailey, who looked solemn.

"Listen, you four, if you come to us tomorrow morning telling that a ghost has been haunting you again and showing you some creepy (there she said something that made Ubercorn yell "BAILEY!") about some parts of your past, we are not gonna believe you. You hear me?" She said, her tone serious, which was rare, because they never heard Bailey be solemn.

The Go Jetters looked utterly bewildered, as they didn't really expect that from her. They could've said something in their defense, but she sent them off to bed without another word. 

Soon, the four were in their room, climbing into their bunks.

"Don't you guys think Bailey's a little...cranky by what we said this morning?" Foz asked.

"I think she is," Lars agreed, "But why?"

"Well, she's the one who's reading the story to us, and thinks it's pure fiction." Xuli quipped.

"Nobody else believes us either," Kyan added, "Not Kyle, not Ubercorn, and not even Lily and Tim!"

With nothing more to say, the four settled down into their bunks, pulled the covers over themselves, and fell into a deep sleep almost straight away.

Sometimes, drifting off to sleep deeply almost straight away can be very inconvenient, as some people need to be awake for something. But in this case, the Go Jetters falling into a deep sleep in treble-quick time was kind of convenient, as all that Bailey needed was them out of the way for the next phase of the plan.