Carly clutched Ryder tightly, both of their pale faces stricken with absolute fear. An elf moved to poke at Carly with a knife but Ryder kicked it away, wrapping his arms around Carly and screaming, "Don't touch her!"

The camera angle lowered closer to the ground before Santa's brother stepped out in front of it, stopping in front of Meghan's children. They both stared up at him. Their clothes were torn and stained with spots of blood. Tears glistened in Carly's eyes. The cloaked figure reached out and grabbed Carly's red curls, yanking her away from Ryder. She screamed and kicked as Ryder shouted something incoherent, trying to lunge forward but being held back by dozens of the short elves. His next words rang out loud and clear. "Let her go! Leave her alone!"

A sob escaped Meghan. Santa's brother lifted Carly up with both hands until she was even with his cloaked face; holding her by the neck and hair. She choked softly, still kicking at him. The garbled chatter of the elves intensified as they screamed their approval, gnashing their teeth together. Ryder still struggled to reach Carly, tears glistening on his cheekbones. "Stop it! Please! Hurt me, not her!"

Santa's brother turned back to Ryder, studying him for a chilling moment before dropping Carly. She crumpled to the floor, coughing and wheezing, immediately being grabbed by elves that pinned her down, their sharp nails sinking into her skin and drawing blood. She cried out in pain before sobbing, "Ryder, no! Hurt me! You can hurt me! Leave Ryder alone!"

Her words didn't sway the cloaked figure as he stepped up to Ryder. An elf's raspy cackle sounded from right behind the camera, and the scene began shaking with its laughs. It focused again just as Santa's brother pulled the familiar gingerbread-man knife out of his cloak, the sharp tip gleaming in the dim lighting.

"No," Meghan whispered, her shaking hands reaching for the phone. "No!"

As the knife was plunged into Ryder's stomach, Carly's terrified scream and Ryder's agonized one were both drowned out by Meghan's own screech of horror. The knife was yanked back out. Dark blood immediately began pouring from the wound and staining his blue shirt dark crimson. Ryder was shoved over, clutching at his stomach.

The screen went black.

"No!" Meghan screamed. "No! No!"

A doctor burst into the room, panicked and confused, but Officer Jyles shook his head, shouting words Meghan couldn't make out. The doctor then hesitantly left.

"What was that!" Meghan screamed, grabbing the cop tightly. "What was that! Where are they? How did you get that video?"

"Miss Byer, please calm down," the young man pleaded, grasping her arms when she struggled to climb out of the bed.

"I need to get to them!" she sobbed, trying to lunge for the door.

He forced her back into the bed, pinning her down with surprising strength. "Ma'am, calm down! Please! Nothing can be done if you're in hysterics."

Several minutes had to pass before Meghan was able to get a grip on herself. Her tears didn't cease, but her composure did relax into a rational phase of calm. Officer Jyles slowly released her, straightening himself solemnly. "The video was sent in last night from an unknown source, estimated around the time where you were in for surgery. I was able to track you down back here because you were no longer in the area."

"Was that video real?" Meghan whimpered, sobbing some more.

"I'm not sure."

Meghan squeezed her eyes shut. "He has them. Ryder's dead."

"No." Officer Jyles shook his head. "He may not be dead. But in order to find them, I need your help."

"Someone was with Gordon and Brek," she sobbed. "He looked exactly like you! He said he was helping! That he was Santa's son!"

"Santa's son? As in, Santa Claus?"

Meghan nodded, sitting up. "Santa. Santa. Santa Claus!" She searched frantically for her phone. "I need to call Gordon and we need to get in contact with Santa Claus!"

"Miss Byer, we need to find your children," the officer said, clearly concerned about her mentality.

"And this is how we will!" Meghan replied.

She dialed Gordon's number as Officer Jyles watched in confusion, making no move to stop her. She was convinced he believed she was a psychopath, but as long as he helped her find her children, he could think whatever he wanted.

The dial ringed a few times before someone picked up on the other end. "Hello?"

"Gordon!" Meghan exclaimed.

She could hear him sigh softly. "Meghan, I told you that I would call you."

"No, Gordon, this is urgent!"

There was a slight pause. He seemed to notice her raspy voice and terrified tone. "Are you okay?"

"You need to come back right now," she sobbed. "It has the kids. Santa's brother has the kids!"

"What?" Gordon was clearly panicked now. She could hear him picking up into a sprint. "Meghan, just wait! We'll be right there, okay? Brek! Brek, come here!"

"Is Marcus there?" Meghan asked nervously.

"No. We got separated, but we're looking for him right now."

"Just l-leave him," Meghan ordered through hiccups. "He's not who he says he i-is."

"What do you mean?"

"Just g-get here and I'll explain!"

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She couldn't bring herself to watch the video again, but she could hear Ryder's scream of agony more clearly that time, and she sank back in the bed, fresh tears and sobs steadily gathering. Gordon remained pale-faced and silent as the video went dead. Officer Jyles slipped the phone back into his pocket, allowing the silence to continue.

"Is Gwen with them?" Brek finally asked from beside Gordon, his tone broken.

Meghan blinked. She forgot about Gwen. "I...I don't know."

"I'm going to kill him," Gordon hissed, clenching his fists together. "I'm going to kill that-!"

"Gordon, stop!" Meghan interrupted, grabbing his arm. "We'll get them back! We will!"

"Yeah, but that's where complications begin," Officer Jyles said. "Do any of you have any idea where that video could have taken place?"

Gordon glared at the officer. "And who are you again? Because last time, you said you were Santa Claus's son and your name is Marcus. And now you deny that!"

"I don't know who that was," Officer Jyles replied. "But that is not the most pressing matter right-"

"It's not?" Brek took a step closer to him. "Not when the other guy looked exactly like you?"

Meghan was about to intervene and keep her brother from attacking the officer when an abrupt thought scorched through her head. She gasped loudly, looking between the three men. "Oh my gosh! Gordon, do you remember when the police officer that stayed the night at my house said he only saw you leave the house the next morning when we talked to him? But you never left the house that night, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

"So what if that person was this same person disguising himself as Officer Jyles!"

"Sure. But who-"

"Santa's brother!" Meghan exclaimed. "He can change his appearance! It makes sense! Since Santa is magical, why can't he be too? They're brothers!"

"Hold on." Officer Jyles held his palm up, shaking his head. "You keep going on about Santa Claus and "his brother" but I have no clue what you're talking about."

"You know we told you about the fawns we kept finding?" Gordon told him, still trembling with his anger. "Yeah. They're Santa's new generation of reindeer."

Officer Jyles only stared at them before closing his eyes. "You are all adults here."

"So?"

"So you actually believe this links to Santa Claus?" He shook his head. "Of all the cases I've handled before, never have I had grown adults talk nonstop about Santa Claus and his own involvement in their problems."

Meghan slowly nodded. "Yeah, it's hard to believe. But we got proof. And you're younger than the rest of us, so you should believe it more than we did."

The young man only stared at her. "I'm a cop."

"So?"

"So..." He shook his head again. "Nevermind. Look, if you want your children back, we need to work together on this. Was that place in the video familiar to any of you at all?"

There was another silent pause. Meghan wracked her brain. It did remind her of those fancy homes she and her family would drive by when she was a little girl. "No."

Gordon shook his head too, but Brek lifted his gaze with realization gleaming in his eyes. "The mansion! There's a mansion nearby that Gwen and I toured through three years ago. That room looked exactly like the main entrance!"

"Are you sure?" Officer Jyles pressed.

"Yes!"

Meghan moved to climb out of the bed. "Then let's go!"

"Woah, what are you doing?" Gordon grabbed her arm.

"We need to get Santa Claus over here."

"And how do you expect to do that?" Brek asked suspiciously.

"I don't know," Meghan admitted. "But we need his help getting there."

"We can drive," Gordon answered.

"No," Brek objected. "It's on a hill. The drive up there is at least an hour."

An hour. If Ryder wasn't already dead, he would be. And so would Carly and Gwen. More tears glistened in Meghan's eyes. "Right. S-So I have the right idea."

"Yeah, but how do we get him here from the North Pole?"

"Look," Officer Jyles finally cut in, "I respect you all, but we must get going! This is not something to be discussing right now."

The three adults ignored him. Meghan frowned to herself. "Maybe if we-"

The door burst open before she could finish her sentence. With nurses dawdling behind him in shock, Santa Claus entered the room. He shut the door behind him, waving an apology to the doctors and nurses who tried to get in from the hallway before looking at Meghan. "Sorry for the interruption."

Despite having met him before, there was still something unnerving about a magical man who made a trip around the world in one night being involved in their life and seeming to turn up when he pleased. But Meghan had no complaints at the moment.

"Santa!" Meghan exclaimed, sobbing again. "We need your help!"

"I know," the old man answered gravely. "I came here right after finding out my brother was using his cloaking magic to disguise himself as your officer friend."

"How could you not tell us about that?"

Santa looked offended as he ran a hand through his white beard. "I'm an old man and it slipped my mind."

"Well," said Brek, unphased, even if this was his first meeting with the real Santa Claus, "we got that part sorted. We just need your help rescuing our kids."

Santa's face grew grave. "What's happened to your children?"

"Your brother has them," Gordon replied through gritted teeth. "And we need your sleigh to get up to the mansion they're trapped in."

Sleigh. Reindeer. Sleigh. Meghan suddenly felt queasy. She hated heights. But the thought of Ryder and Carly's mangled bodies in caskets at a funeral drove that thought away. "Yes. Santa, can you help?"

Santa nodded, still blocking the door. "Of course. I'm so sorry about this circumstance you're in. If I hadn't been so stupid..." He shook his head.

Officer Jyles, who stood rigidly during the whole exchange, adopted a wary gaze and closed his opened mouth. He took a step forward. "Hold on just a minute. You're Santa Claus?"

Santa turned his gaze to the young man. "What do you think?"

Officer Jyles frowned. "I think that you're a possible phony poised as the man of Christmas."

Santa chuckled softly as Gordon helped Meghan out of the bed. She limped over to the window, hissing with each lance of pain in her leg. "You were never one to fully believe someone's story. But I assure you, if you come with us, you'll know the truth."

Officer Jyles hesitated, looking between Meghan, Gordan, and Brek. Meghan gave him a firm nod as she opened the window, a rush of cold air pushing into the room and causing her to shiver. Outside, a red sleigh was afloat in the air, the edge brushing against the building. Meghan involuntarily gasped, her eyes trailing down the sleek sleigh to the reindeer at the front, attached to it with harnesses. They bobbed softly in rhythm to the sleigh's swaying, turning slightly to look back at her. At closer inspection, she noticed the aging they'd endured. It was no wonder Santa must retire them and use the baby fawns in their place.

"Nice, isn't it?" Santa motioned for them to move forward. "Get in! I can't keep this door shut forever."

All of the adults hesitated. Officer Jyles gaped at the sleigh, standing by Meghan's side to closer inspect it. He turned back to Santa with speechless alarm, his face pale, to which the jolly man responded with, "I know. Now get in! We must rescue those children."

Meghan was the first to move from her trance, sliding her good leg over the ledge before cringing deeply as her injured leg slid out after her. When her feet touched the sleigh, she gasped loudly, gripping the windowsill with a steel hold. The sleigh bobbed beneath her, shifting ever so slightly. Brek and Gordon both grabbed her arms to help her securely slip into the sleigh. She quickly dropped to the ground to release weight on her leg, and to also keep from tipping the contraption over.

The reindeer shifted impatiently as Gordon and Brek followed after her. She only had to glance over the edge before the queasy feeling in her stomach was back. It was for the kids. Do it for the kids.

She only hoped they were still alive.

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With the wind whipping her hair every which way and the extent of their height in the air, Meghan had to grip onto the black rim of the sleigh in order to have even the slightest sense of peace. But even that was small. She squeezed her eyes shut, listening to Santa's deep voice commanding the old reindeer onward. The sleigh bounced in the rapid wind surrounding it, the air swirling wildly. She only peeked for a second, but at the sight of the city only as a small speck from her view, she quickly squeezed them back shut.

"Meghan?" Gordon asked, touching her arm.

"Just tell me when we stop," was her quick response.

"Well, these old reindeer get slower by the day, so we won't be getting there nearly as fast as I'd like," Santa told her, whipping the reigns loudly.

Meghan felt some tears trying to squeeze out of her eyes, but the pressure of the cold wind against her face kept them back. "Gordon, what if we don't make it in time. What if something has already happened!"

She felt his hand wrap around hers, squeezing it tightly. "It's going to...it's going to be okay."

Meghan didn't respond. All she could see behind her closed eyelids was the gingerbread-man knife plunging through her own son's tender flesh and deep into his body. The blood that spilled out. The look of agony that scarred his face. What if he was dead? What if Carly had been given a similar fate?

"We need to go faster!" Brek shouted over the roaring wind. Officer Jyles remained pressed into the back of the sleigh, still in shock.

Santa replies, but Meghan couldn't make out his words. She slowly opened her eyes, looking dead ahead at the empty sky before them. The reindeer kicked their hooves against the air, gold shimmers trailing in the sleigh's wake. Meghan almost felt as if she were in a fantasy movie. Normally, she might have made fun of something like that.

"Onward!" Santa ordered the reindeer. "On Greta, on Farmin, on Bretle, on Royin, on Yaxin, on Barbara, on Detroit, on Coin!"

Meghan furrowed her eyebrows. Those were their names? She'd never even heard of most of them before. But she made no verbal judgments.

"We're nearing the mansion," Santa said, seeming to glance down at something out of Meghan's view. "When we get there, please understand that I can't go in with you...for a couple of reasons."

"It's alright," Gordon said, still gripping Meghan's hand.

Something out of the corner of Meghan's eye caught her attention. She squinted out into the clouds but saw nothing. Santa snapped the reigns again, urging the elderly reindeer to move faster. But their pace didn't pick up. Instead, they seemed to gradually slow down, their sides heaving with strained breaths. Santa frowned as they came to a stop. A cloud moved past them. "Come on, fellas. You can't take a break now! I know you're old, so I'll retire you when we get back. But, please, keep going right now!"

The reindeer made no signs of moving. Their heads drooped downward tiredly, huffs escaping them. Meghan rose shakily to her knees, feeling lightheaded when the sleigh tilted. She didn't even want to know how high up they were. She leaned over the red bench Santa sat on to look at the reindeer. "They're not moving?"

"I'm afraid not."

Meghan dropped back down, tears streaming down her numb face. "Great. That's great. We're never going to make it! R-Ryder and Carly are p-probably dead a-already!"

"Meghan." Gordon pulled her into a tight hug, making the sleigh tilt again. She pressed her face against his warm shoulder. "We'll get there. We will!"

Brek was pale-faced, leaning back against the edge of the sleigh. Who knew what had even happened to Gwen. That innocent girl.

Officer Jyles looked between them all. Santa shuffled around, his own eyes watery. "I'm so sorry. I'm failing in protecting the children and bringing joy. Christmas is failing. The holiday is..." he swallowed "...is done. Forever."

Gordon's arms tightened around Meghan's waist before he released her. She sat back with a hiccup and adjusted her glasses. But then she froze. The clouds behind them billowed oddly. And as she continued to stare, brown fur peeked briefly through one of them. The breath hitched in her throat. Santa's brother.

A tiny fawn popped into view, floating out from the clouds. Several more followed, bleating very softly.

"They're here," Meghan breathes. She looked back at Santa who gaped in surprise. But he quickly recovered, standing up and pulling a white lever.

With several clicks, the harnesses on the old reindeer were released. They immediately galloped away from the sleigh with no hesitation, disappearing into the clouds.

"Where'd they go?" Brek asked.

"Back to the North Pole." Santa Claus rummages through a hidden compartment. "I can't touch those fawns so I can't coax them over to the harnesses. But you can."

"Will they listen?" Meghan asked, staring at one who blinked back at her with big, dark eyes.

"They're reindeer. They're smarter than ordinary deer. They should understand your command."

Officer Jyles stared openmouthed at the fawns. "Are those-?"

"The fawns we told you about?" Meghan answered, gaining the young man's attention. "Yeah, they are."

Gordon rose slowly to his feet, causing Meghan to gasp out in fear for him. The sleigh was not completely stable. He beckoned the eight fawns forward, his voice gentle as he said, "Hey, come on over! We need you to pull the sleigh. Just come to the front."

Meghan didn't expect them to obey, so it was a shock when they did just that. They bobbed over to the front of the sleigh, each one stopping by a black harness and slipping their small necks through them. Santa seemed to find what he was looking for in the compartment. He pulled the lever again and the harnesses attached snugly around the baby reindeers necks.

"Isn't the sleigh too big for them?" Officer Jyles suddenly asked, glancing around the spacious sleigh with doubtful eyes.

Santa Claus shrugged, saying, "We'll see," and snapping the reigns. The fawns quickly began moving forward, their bodies straining before the sleigh got into a smooth momentum of movement. Then they were on their way, soaring swiftly through the air, faster than the pace the previous reindeer had pulled it at. Santa laughed loudly. "Good job, little ones!"

Grasping the rim of the sleigh again, Meghan muttered incoherently to herself. She used to love heights. But when her mom dangled her over the ledge of a staircase when she was nine, not being firmly planted on the ground left Meghan sick with fear.

"How did the fawns find us?" Gordon muttered thoughtfully.

"How did they find us when we moved into your apartment after the fire?"

"Touché."

They flew in silence the rest of the way. Meghan huddled on the ground, not looking up anymore. There was nothing to see except sky anyway. So she spent the time rubbing her throbbing leg. She should have requested some more pain medicine before leaving.

"This is it," Brek finally whispered almost half an hour later.

The adults stared at the ancient mansion as Santa Claus guided the sleigh to land it on the cobblestone driveway. There was no sign of life anywhere. The clouds had hidden the sun, darkening the bright day.

"Was it always this old?" Meghan questioned.

"No," Santa replied. "He used the diadem to fast forward time on it."

"Give me a recap of this diadem?" Officer Jyles turned to the old man.

"The diadem is a magical artifact I use to get around the world in one night. It can move an object into the future or the past. It isn't completed magic, though, so it does not change things in time that would otherwise be affected by it." Santa remained seated as they climbed out of the sleigh. He then handed something over to Meghan.

She took it. A first-aid kit. But not the cheap ones you got at the store. She unclasped the locks and opened it. Gauzes, ointments, medicines, and even medical thread and needles for stitches. She looked back up at Santa. "Where did you-?"

"I'm Santa Claus," he interrupted, taking the reins into his hands again. "Of course I have an advanced medical kit."

Meghan swallowed. "Thank you."

Santa nodded, pulling the lever and releasing the fawns. "I must be on my way. I can't take them with me until you defeat my brother and willingly hand them over yourselves. But, please, keep them safe."

"We will," Brek answered firmly.

Santa smiled grimly before lifting an object to his lips. He whispered something to it and - in an instant - vanished. The sleigh disappeared, too, leaving an empty place in the spacious driveway.

"Well," Brek said into the silence. "If we die in there, let me just go on record and say-"

"We're not going to die," Officer Jyles responded, shooting Meghan's brother a glare.

Meghan nodded, her voice quivering as she said, "Okay. Let-let's do this."

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Riding in Santa's sleigh would be fun, don't you think? Except for the height, of course. I don't do extreme heights! I could barely make it up a rock climbing tower - let alone could I soar above clouds like that without panicking. :/ If I'm attached to something (for example, a roller coaster, airplane, etc) than I'm fine.

Thanks so much for continuing to read. You guys are really something else!!!

Question: What do you expect is going to happen inside the mansion?

Bonus Question: What do you think of the *real* Officer Jyles?

Bonus Question: Do you think Carly, Ryder, and Gwen are still alive and well? ...in District 13? ;) (Sorry, I had to! xD) But seriously. Do you think they're okay?