Meghan stumbled past the six deer, the feel of a knife once again pressed to her back sending shivers down her spine. The deer only watched rigidly, their eyes holding lines of red on white. Something about them was unnerving. Santa had mentioned that his brother could control animals.

She lowered to her knees when Santa's brother forced her down. Gordon and Brek joined in kneeling, the elves hissing and prodding at them from behind. Meghan bit back sounds of pain as a burning sear grew gradually worse in her leg. The bone had broken the surface, poking out from a jagged break in the skin. Blood stained the grass below them. Brek saw it and took her hand in his, squeezing softly. She forced herself not to make any twitch in her face signifying her pain as Santa's brother crouched down to look into her eyes.

The shadow of the hood hid the top half of a grotesque face, but the wide mouth lined with large, pointed teeth was visible. It curled into a sneer, the skin around it cracking open and the dry skin withering. Meghan swallowed, willing herself not to look away.

The decaying hand with a missing finger grabbed her throat, the long fingers squeezing slightly. Meghan remained unwavering, though her internal self wanted to scream and cry.

"What?" she whispered hoarsely, slipping her trembling hands between her legs. "What do you want?" Though she knew perfectly well what he was there for.

He used his free hand to pull a piece of paper out of his cloak. Moments of complete silence passed before his face turned down to her oddly leg angled. He pressed the paper against the small spike of bone visible. She cried out through gritted, tears blurring her vision as the bone tore through the paper and held it in place. Santa's brother left it attached to the fractured bone as he then released her throat to jab the gingerbread-man knife at Gordon's stomach.

"Stop it!" Brek hissed, his voice quavering but his eyes holding a fiery rage. He began to move forward, but Meghan grabbed his shirt tightly in her fist.

"No," Gordon said. Meghan squeezed her eyes momentarily shut, still blinded by the spiraling pain making rounds across her leg.

Gordon looked up at Santa's brother and the creature nodded his head toward Meghan's leg. Her ex-husband looked at her with pained eyes and an apology buried in them before reaching out to delicately pull the slip of paper off of the bone. She cringed and bit her lip to a point where it bled as he unfolded it. Her hands moved to squeeze her leg. The blood still oozed out, soaking her jeans a dark red.

"You've run out of chances for you read my other notes and knew," Gordon read out loud, his voice seeming like a shout in the silent air, "so now I'll torture your children and use their flesh for stew."

The breath hitched in Meghan's throat. But then she gave Santa's brother a triumphant smile and croaked, "You can't. They're gone."

He turned back to her, his sneer widening, making the cracks in his flesh open further. The elves surrounding them hissed and screeched almost approvingly, causing a slant of doubt to chill Meghan's heart. They were gone. They were safe. Why were the elves happy?

The three adults were prodded to their feet by the elves and Santa's brother motioned toward their totaled car. He then waved for the elves to follow him and began walking away, his chilling, rasped moans filling the air. The six deer followed swiftly behind him. Meghan watched them leave with her stomach twisting in fear. What strategy was he playing at? Why did he keep catching and releasing? How were they supposed to kill him?

Once they were out of sight, Meghan slumped forward, groaning softly as Gordon and Brek grabbed her to keep her from falling over.

"You need the hospital," Brek said shakily, glaring after where Santa's brother had disappeared.

How was he going to get the kids? There was no way he would reach them. And yet, Meghan had the sickening feeling that if they didn't give the fawns up, something bad would happen. It was only a matter of time before Santa's brother broke them and they yielded. The game he was playing at was already getting to be too much. Meghan trembled against the two men as they helped her toward the edge of the road.

"We...we need to call 911," Gordon croaked, making sure Meghan had Brek fully for support before letting go and pulling his flip phone out; quickly dialing a number.

"Is he going to get the kids?" Meghan whimpered.

"No," Gordon said, though Meghan can detected the hint of doubt scarring the firmness to his tone. "He can't. They're long gone and he can't fly."

Meghan frowned. No cars seemed to be occupying the road much today. She wiped away a bead of sweat on her brow, her shaking legs beginning to give way beneath her. The fractured wound in her left leg continued to steadily bleed. Some of the blood had already dried from its state of stickiness to a cracking layer of red.

"Meghan?" Brek said, holding her more tightly as she began slipping to the ground.

"I...I need to sit," she immediately replied.

"Are you sure that's a good-?"

"Let me sit, gosh dang it!" she shouted hoarsely, allowing herself to become dead weight in his arms. He grunted at the added weight. "Who's the former nurse here? Not you!"

He quickly lowered her to the ground, running a hand through his red hair. "Sorry."

She swallowed, a rawness scraping her throat. She could hear Gordon speaking on the phone, but some part of her brain wasn't registering it.

The kids could be hurt. Or safe. Or injured. Or on their way to a secure location. Meghan swayed slightly, grabbing Brek's leg to keep herself upright. If she didn't get an ambulance soon, lack of blood and the concussion she got when they crashed would be fatal for her. Brek crouched down beside her and gripped her hand tightly in his. "It's okay, sis."

She shook her head slightly, feeling herself sway again. "Get my sw...sweater off. I n-need to apply pressure."

He nodded, but instead of helping her get her sweater off, he slipped his own off over his head and handed it over. She didn't argue and took it, pressing it firmly against the bleeding wound but making sure to avoid pressing into the broken bone.

"Should I get you talking?" Brek asked doubtfully, his gaze nervous as his eyes flitted over to where Gordon stood with his back turned, arguing into the phone.

Meghan closed her eyes for a brief moment, her face scrunching as another pulse of sharp pain singed away at her nerves. Her grip on the sweater tightened. "I think so."

The kids were safe. The kids were safe. The kids were safe. Another gust of cold air whipped her hair around her face. He was bluffing. The kids were safe.

"An ambulance is on its way," Gordon said, kneeling beside Meghan as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. The smell of gasoline was thick in the air.

"You okay?" Brek asked her.

Meghan nodded. "Y-yeah."

But despite that answer, her thoughts were becoming fuzzy; melding into one another to create a jumble of confusion. Gordon gently rubbed her back, seeming just as helpless as Brek. They should know enough about medical procedures to know what they should be doing. But then again, the men in Meghan's life had never been particularly fond of anything to do with blood. When they were growing up, Brek would faint at the sight of any blood until he was about eleven. And during part of their marriage, Gordon's squeamishness with anything associating with blood was in plain view for all to behold.

"You should call the kids or...something," Meghan mumbled absently, trying to focus her gaze on Gordon's face.

He nodded. "I did. They're safe."

She allowed herself to lapse into a more relaxed posture, a feeling of relief replacing the anxiety.

"Officer Jyles is also on his way," Gordon informed them, still rubbing Meghan's back. "I believe he's closer than the ambulance."

"Marcus?"

"Yeah."

If Meghan could give anything to have the family safely living back at their house, she would with no hesitation. There was no denying that things were only going to continually plummet downhill. She didn't doubt the thought that she would be needing surgery to clean out the wound, tissue, and bone so that infection was less likely to happen. That meant she would barely be able to walk. If she couldn't walk, how were they to best Santa's brother? To keep themselves safe? She was dead weight now.

"I need more blood," Meghan mumbled, her unfocused gaze on the blood-soaked sweater pressed against her leg.

An exchange of silent looks was given between Gordon and Brek. Meghan shook her head sharply to try and clear her head. The throbbing in her nose was dull. Only a month prior, they had been living peacefully. Gordon was deployed and Meghan had Ryder and Carly keeping her company as holiday preparations were made for Thanksgiving.

She found it funny how quickly things could change.

A police car came into view down the road, getting gradually closer. But the closer it got, the worse Meghan's vision faltered. She found herself tipping backward. Gordon and Brek both grabbed and steadied her, but her eyes subconsciously drifted shut. She slowly exhaled as some last thoughts drifted through her mind. Just a shot of sedatives to knock the patient out so the doctors can continue with the procedure. Nothing to be scared of.

❄⛄❄❄⛄❄

The surgery was successful. Or as successful as it could be.

Meghan leaned back against the stack of pillows behind her. The TV droned on, but she hardly paid attention. She couldn't sit around in the hospital forever. Not now. Not with their dire circumstance. Gordon rubbed his face tiredly, pacing around the hospital room. Brek had gone to grab some lunch for them all. Meghan couldn't stand anymore hospital food.

"I can't be here anymore," Meghan finally spoke, gaining Gordon's attention. "We need to catch Santa's brother before he gets to us first again."

Gordon sighed, holding her gaze with his. "You're in no condition to be walking around."

"But-"

"No," he objected. "I've been thinking about it. Brek, Marcus, and I can go finish this Christmas fiasco and you can stay here and get the rest you need to heal."

Meghan immediately shook her head. "That's not happening, Gordon."

"You can't stop it," he replied, sitting beside the bed. "And, to be frank with you, if you leave the hospital to help, not only could you potentially worsen your leg's condition, but you'd be more of a burden than a help."

A prod of pain poked at her chest. Meghan scowled, feeling a familiar rush of anger. "Excuse you? A burden? Is that what I am to you?"

Gordon shook his head. "Not like that. But-"

"But nothing," she seethed, turning away from him with her fists clenched. "Fine. Go. See if I care when you're killed."

Although the words came out with the spittle of anger she'd been bottling up over the whole ordeal, a small piece of guilt quickly came to her. She frowned. Gordon only watched her quietly before nodding. "Fine. If that's how you feel, I can't stop it. Marcus will contact us in an hour and than Brek and I are heading out with him. Hopefully this is all over one way or another by nightfall."

She watched him move across the room to the window overlooking part of the city below. Meghan exhaled slowly. She was only going to make things worse. He was only trying to keep her safe. But the pride swelling in her chest closed off her throat to keep her from apologizing. She was tired of being the first to apologize.

Her phone laid silently on her lap. She eagerly awaited a call from her parents. She made them promise to call her once the kids got there, and they should have arrived by now. But she tried not to get too worked up. Since when had her parents cared about her small requests? They were most likely at a beach right now with not a care in the world - unaware of their hospital-ridden youngest daughter.

The medicine she took only twenty minutes prior hadn't taken effect in the throbbing pain in her leg yet. She gently massaged the skin around the heavy bandage, trying to ease some of the ache. She took care of many fractures in her years of being a nurse. The doctor she had worked for was an incredible surgeon, and she had witnessed many medical procedures. She could have taken a career as a surgeon, but she gave birth to Ryder, and knew right away that she wanted to stay at home and raise a family.

And now her family needed a special surgeon to piece them back together.

With a quick pinch on her wrist to snap herself out of it, Meghan graced herself with some humility and looked down, muttering softly to Gordon, "I'm sorry."

He looked back at her. His stoic expression gently shifted into compassion. He nodded slowly, hands in his pockets. "Me too, Nutmeg."

"I just..." Meghan tried to find the right words. Words that wouldn't make her an emotional mess. "I just hate how...how - with this whole paranormal Christmas havoc aside - our family would still have tension and resentment. I...I know it's not because of this situation. This situation has just caused us to release it. But we would still be distant. The only difference would be our emotions wouldn't be out on our sleeves like they are now."

"So you're saying this circumstance has helped us?"

"Oh, goodness no!" she quickly exclaimed. "I'd rather do without all of this...this probable death around each corner thing."

"I agree." Gordon took a seat in the chair by the bedside again, hands clasped together. "And I'm sorry that I've been an awful...friend. I haven't been here for you, and I realize it must hurt. You probably think I'm like your family. And I'm truly sorry for that. I don't ever want to abandon you, and I certainly don't ever want you thinking that I won't or don't want to be here for you. Just because our marriage didn't work out doesn't automatically conclude that a friendship won't. I still love you, Meghan. A lot."

Meghan smiled at that. A warm sensation spread across her body. And when a feeling of relief began to emerge and an unseen weight lifted off of her shoulders, she froze at a quick realization. All she ever wanted to here was that Gordon still loved her. And even if it wasn't the kind of love they used to have, any form of love was good for her.

"When you came home," she slowly began, struggling to meet his warm eyes, "I was having doubts. I felt like you were going to make everything worse. And although I managed to convince myself that we were still good friends, it quickly became clear that we hadn't reached that point yet. And it hurt. I...I realized I still partially loathed you, and I took it out on your actions - small or not. I guess I wasn't exactly ready to accept that we were no longer together, and I hid that loneliness and pain with anger and resentment; though I tried to hide that too at the beginning of your stay. For Carly, and Ryder...and for myself."

Her last word hung torturously in the air. Meghan could hardly look at the hardened gaze in Gordon's face. Was he angry?

He finally spoke, softly, and with the opposite tone of voice Meghan thought he would use. "I'm sorry you felt that way. I guess I kind of saw it, but I, too, was trying to not show any of my negative feelings at Christmastime when we're supposed to be a happy family. After I threatened to take down the door when Ryder locked himself in the bedroom, the look of shock and disapproval you had on your face was enough to make me realize that you were not happy with my arrival. And that - no matter how hard you tried to hide it - you did not approve of my still being a father to Ryder and Carly. I could tell you wanted me to disappear, and I was having the same thoughts. That maybe I should just leave. It was Carly who was the only person that actually kept me there. She did not have the resentment that you and Ryder did. She was excited. Happy. And I wouldn't have torn that away from her."

Meghan frowned slightly, processing his words as he took a slight pause. Before she could speak, he concluded with, "I was actually going to sign the paperwork giving away my rights to Ryder and Carly after Christmas. That way, you'd have full custody, and I could disappear if you ever needed or wanted me to."

A sharp intake of air was heard as Meghan snapped her head up to look at him. His sullen gaze avoided her own shocked one. For minutes, they sat in a painful silence. An ache in her chest formed slowly, almost worse than the pain in her leg. She finally slipped her hand into his and gripped it tightly, urging him to look at her as she said, "Gordon, I would never want you signing your rights to them away! I...I may have seemed that way before, but if you actually went through with it, it would have hurt more than the divorce. I never want you disappearing from mine or the kids lives! It would break me. Break Carly. Break Ryder, no matter how hard he would try to hide it."

Gordon met her teary-eyed gaze with an empty smile. "I know. It would break me too. And after the night when I found you crying and freaking out on the floor in the kitchen with another note in your hand, I knew I would never really be able to do it - no matter how much I might want to."

"Well," Meghan croaked, trying to blink away her tears but to no avail, "don't ever think of doing it. I'll murder you if you do, and yes, that's a threat. Sue me if you want. You're not going anywhere."

He chuckled at that, pressing a gentle kiss to her fingers entwined with his. "Don't worry. You're stuck with me."

"Good." She smiled. "If I had to be stuck with any person I loathe, I'd want it to be you."

He scoffed, raising an eyebrow at her. "You loathe me?"

She shrugged, bobbing her head. "So-so."

"Well, I loathe you too."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

The smile on her face widened and, even if she might have wanted to, she wouldn't be able to hide it. The urge to lean over and hug him tugged at her, but she quickly chastised herself. Baby steps. It might be too awkward.

The door opened before either of them could do anything else and Brek walked into the room with Wendy's bags. He lugged them over to the bed and tossed them both a package. "Bon appetite! You're welcome."

They both stared at him as he opened a burger and took a bite, nodding in satisfaction. When he looked back up at them, he paused, eyebrows furrowing. "Did I miss something?"

They both laughed. Gordon released Meghan's hand to rummage through his own bag. "Just eat and enjoy."

Meghan quickly became sullen, staring at her own bag with a churning pit in her stomach. That could be one of their last meals. She looked back up at them. "I'm coming with you guys afterward."

Gordon quickly objected. "I already told you no, Meghan."

"But I need to!"

"You're still healing."

Brek nodded in agreement to Gordon's words. "Sorry, sis, but I'm with Gordon. You've not even been out of surgery for forty-eight hours. You need to heal."

"I can heal afterwards," she promised.

Brek scoffed. "As if you have a choice. And besides, the doctors won't let you go. You know that."

"But if anything happens to either of you-" she began.

"And if anything happens to you," Gordan interrupted. He shook his head. "I'm not ready for that to happen. Think about Carly and Ryder."

"You think about Carly and Ryder," Meghan lashed back. "They're your children too! How about we wait things out a little longer until I can help? Four is better than three."

Brek shook his head. "We can't wait that long. I don't suspect that thing will take vacation to wait until you heal."

"But I can't just sit around waiting to hear what happens," Meghan pleaded, sounding almost childish.

"You'll have to."

She huffed  frowning to herself. If one of them died, there was no restart button. They couldn't come back. And she would never be able to live with that.

"Do you even have a plan?" Meghan questioned softly.

"We're going to go for the diadem that can take him back in time first," Gordon answered. "Just as a precaution. And then we're going to kill him."

"That's a stupid plan."

"No, it's not."

She rubbed at her stinging eyes. "Fine. Hurry up and eat. I suspect Marcus will want to meet up with you as soon as possible."

❄️⛄️❄️❄️⛄️❄️

Snow had begun falling again outside the window. Meghan sniffed softly, trying to clear up the aftermath of her crying before another nurse or doctor walked in. Gordon and Brek had left to meet up with their police officer friend half an hour ago. Her halfway eaten burger was back in the brown bag. Her stomach just couldn't take it right now.

A nurse walked into the room with a cup of water under Meghan's request. Meghan silent accepted it, taking a sip as the nurse studied her tear-stained face warmly. "Don't worry, Miss Byer. You're healing nicely. You won't be here for too much longer."

Meghan sighed, gripping the cup tightly. "Yes. Thank you."

The nurse nodded before leaving the room. The silence was unnerving. It was like the whole atmosphere was waiting for a phone call from Gordon, Brek, or Marcus confirming deaths - one of their own or Santa's brother. And sitting silently anticipating it was killing her. She turned the TV on, tried to eat more food, busied herself with talking to the doctor, but none of it made a good preoccupation.

She slowly shifted around on the bed to lower her legs over the edge. A slight hiss left her mouth as her left leg rejected it, the stitched area tightening and causing pain to jolt up the limb. Hesitantly, she pressed both feet onto the ground and used the bed as support to cautiously rise to her feet. When weight was pressed down onto her left leg, Meghan immediately fell back into the bed, tears trickling down her face as a stifled cry of pain escaped. It was nowhere near ready to be walked on.

Before she could properly position herself back in the bed, the door opened. An excuse as to why she deliberately disobeyed doctor's orders to try putting weight on her leg quickly dissolved when she saw Marcus, disheveled and seeming to be hiding a burst of panic behind his composed manner. Meghan immediately freaked out, sitting straight up and clasping her shaking hands together in fear. "What happened? Is he gone? Is somebody hurt? Was it a success? Why are you-?"

"What?" he asked, moving into the room. His dark green eyes swept the room casually as he stopped by her bedside. "Miss Byer, where is your family?"

Meghan gaped at him. "What? You know where they are! What are you doing?"

His gaze turned to her. "Like heck I know where they are. Now listen to me carefully. Where are your children?"

"In Hawaii," Meghan answered frightfully. "But you know that! What's wrong?"

"Hawaii?" he repeated. "Why?"

"What?" Meghan's whole body trembled now. "Marcus, what's going on?"

"Marcus?" He shook his head. "I'm Officer Jyles. Remember me? You reported a stalker back at the station. I managed to track you back down here after you and your family moved locations due to the fire. This is urgent, and I need you to listen carefully-"

"You're not named Marcus? You told us that was your name! You're Santa's son!"

It was his turn to look at her in confusion, but he quickly shook it off, pulling his phone out. "You need to see this. Normally, this would be highly confidential and with a team acting right away, but I had to come here alone lest my comrades and I draw attention that your stalker could see and cause him to take quick action."

Confidential. Stalker. Take action quickly. The words swirled sickeningly in Meghan's head. She stared at him. "Where's Gordon? Brek? Did you leave them?"

"I haven't been with them at all," he answered. "I just arrived. Please, watch this and then listen to me carefully. Your childrens lives depend on it."

Meghan swallowed thickly. "You're not named Marcus? You're not Santa's son?"

"No."

Tears trickled down her face and dripped off of her chin. Then who was with Gordon and Brek?

Marcus - Officer Jyles - held the phone out for Meghan to see, his gaze pained. His eyes watched the door as Meghan's turned to the screen. At first, everything was pitch black. But then the camera - or phone - was moved and slowly focused on unfamiliar surroundings.

A spacious room with marble ground and pillars was full of the little evil elves that Meghan, Gordon, and Brek had previously encountered after the crash. They chanted simultaneously together, teeth bared excitedly. A door in the back of the room opened and two figures were shoved through the doorway. Meghan squinted at the screen to try and see who they were, and as they were shoved closer, Meghan gasped loudly, an electric tide of fear taking over all of her senses.

Ryder and Carly.

❄️⛄️❄️

Writing this chapter out took longer than expected! I just had no clue how to carry it out or word it, and with this as the result, it's no wonder why. *cringe*

I'm both nervous and excited for what is to come next! This story is nearing an end and I can hardly believe it! It's been one of my best adventures, so seeing it coming to a slow conclusion is unreal. I hope you're still enjoying it!

Why Santa's brother decided to stick the slip of paper on Meghan's *deep cringe* fractured bone *shudder* is because, by this point, his patience is really being tested - though it's not shown - and he's ready to just inflict whatever pain possible on the poor family.

Question: What do you think is going on with Officer Jyles? What is this video he's showing Meghan? :O

Bonus Question: Thoughts on Meghan and Gordan's heart-to-heart?

Bonus Question: How do you think things are going to work now with Meghan's leg fractured?