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Christmas had always been Noelle's favourite time of the year, the lights, the music, the presents, and most of all the time you spent with those who you loved. And though her Christmas Spirit filled the air, her father was not the most festive person and many couldn't understand how Noelle could hold onto her faith in the holiday when her parents were the opposite. But she never paid them any mind as she decorated the home, baked cookies for Santa and prepared the Christmas tree knowing that her father wouldn't do his best with it; However, he had learned to leave the decorating to Noelle.

The doorbell rings alerting Noelle that Charlie had arrived, she rushed over and opened the door with a grin. Fake elf ears sit on her ears as she wore a green felt dress that stopped at her knees revealing her snowflake socks matched with her boots that had stars painted on them by Charlie. "Charlie!" Noelle greeted as she opened her arms for the boy, he rushed forward and jumped into his older sisters arms. Laura watched her two kids fondly, she had custody over Charlie but Noelle had moved in with Scott when she was sixteen and had been there since then.

"Merry Christmas, mom," Noelle said as she embraced her mother. "Very festive as usual, Noelle," Laura replied with a small smile as Noelle looked out to see Neal sitting in the car, she waved enthusiastically at him recieving a half wave back. "Are you excited for Santa?" Noelle asked Charlie but before he could answer, their father pulls up to the house and gets out of the car. "Laura! Charlie!" Scott greeted with an encouraging smile before smiling at his daughter, "Lovely as always, Ellie." Noelle grinned at her father before turning to Charlie, "Wanna see the Christmas tree?" Charlie nodded.

Noelle leads Charlie into the living room, Charlie's eyes are wide as he stares at the big tree decorated with lights and tinsel alongside baubles and snow. Underneath the tree are a mix of presents wrapped in pretty paper that showed that Noelle had been in charge of it all, the sight gave Charlie a little more joy. "But where's the tree topper?" Charlie asked Noelle with a small frown. "Oh, well... I thought we could do that together!" Noelle answered him as she pulled out a star topper that she had made herself. "Cool!" Charlie cheered before Noelle picked him up and put him onto her shoulders.

"Alright, here you go!" Noelle stepped closer for Charlie to place the star at the top while Scott and Laura watched the two. Both were glad that Charlie had Noelle to cheer him up and always bring a smile to his face, the two were very close and being apart for long periods of time seemed to affect both of them. "Good job, bud!" Noelle told Charlie before putting him down looking at their work, "Couldn't have done it without you." Charlie grinned up at his sister. "And once Santa comes, there'll be more presents to fill the space!" Noelle expressed to her brother moving towards their parents.

"Neal doesn't believe in Santa," Charlie told Noelle who frowned at the implication behind his words, had he stopped believing too? "Well, Neal's head comes to a point," Scott spoke up causing Laura to glare while Noelle grinned. "He's smart. He's a doctor," Charlie reminded Scott, it was clear that he thought Neal was cool. "He isn't a doctor, Sport. He's a psychiatrist," Scott replied to Charlie. "Uh, dad, technically a psychiatrist is a doctor. He's just a nosy, know-it-all and no imagination kind of doctor," Noelle teased ignoring her mother's unimpressed expression while Scott chuckled.

Before Laura could scold either of them, a horn honks outside causing Scott to turn to Laura with a frustrated expression as Charlie inspected the presents. "Did that jerk tell Charlie there was no Santa?" Scott asked Laura while Noelle frowned, she knew what was coming and she hated Charlie hearing the two argue. "What? No. Oh, Charlie came home from school the other day in tears because some big kid told him there was no such thing as Santa," Laura explained to her ex-husband, "And you know Neal. Well, he sat him down and--"

"And told him there was a Santa Claus," Scott interrupted expectantly. "Well, all he said was that Santa was more like a feeling. You know, more like a state of mind than a person," Laura defended Neal making Noelle's frown deepen. "What?" Noelle whimpered out, she knew there was chance Charlie would stop believing but Neal's reality check was not good for Charlie's imagination. "Kind of like Neal. And who gave you permission to tell Charlie there's no Santa Claus?" Scott told Laura with an unimpressed huff, he wasn't liking the frown on his daughters face.

"I think if we're going to destroy our son's illusions, I should be part of it," Scott added with a frown. "Yeah, but you're never around, are you, Scott?" Laura asked making Noelle look away, she couldn't really argue her mother there. "Listen, all we are trying to do is give Charlie a firm grasp on reality," Laura explained to them making Noelle scoff at her words. "Now that's a nice idea. We wouldn't want our boy running around using his imagination, now, would we?" Scott snarked at Laura. "Mom, a child's imagination is something special. If you take it away when they're young, they'll become dull creatures like lawyers, politicians, and Neal," Noelle expresses openly, recieving another glare for using her husband as an example.

"She's right and you know it," Scott added before Laura began mocking him. "Why do you guys always have to fight?" Charlie asked as he stepped into the foyer. "We're not fighting, Sport," Scott assured his son before moving closer to him, "You see, Mom and Neal don't believe in Santa Claus because they've been naughty. They're going to get a lump of coal in their stockings." Noelle rolled her eyes playfully while Laura scoffed. "I don't know. Seems kind of babyish to believe in that stuff," Charlie spoke up, Noelle lowered her gaze at that. "Ouch..." Noelle muttered as she leaned back against the doorway.

"Babyish?!" Scott exclaimed before leaning down to Charlie, "Your sister and I believe in Santa, and we're not babies." Noelle nodded when Charlie looked in her direction, she huffed when Neal honked the horn again before she moved into the kitchen to take out the cookies she was baking. "You better go. We wouldn't want to keep Doctor Pinhead waiting," Scott mocked while Laura and Charlie hugged. "I'll see you tomorrow," Laura told Charlie. "Do I have to stay?" Charlie asked softly though Scott and Noelle heard him, Noelle's heart breaking at the words.

"Will you pick me up tomorrow?" Charlie asked next. "Of course I will," Laura promised him while Noelle placed the cookies onto a plate trying to ignore and understand her brothers words. "Early?" Charlie questioned hopefully. "You'll be fine," Laura told him before she turned to Noelle, "Merry Christmas, Noelle." Noelle smiled at her before she walked by them up the stairs, she went into her room and laid back against her bed. She removed the fake elf ears and placed them onto her bedside table, sighing out a breath as she heard the front door close and Neal's car leave down the street.

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A few hours later, Charlie and Noelle are sitting at the table watching as Scott uses the extinguisher on the turkey he had managed to set on fire. "You should've let me cook," Noelle teased making Scott look at her with raised brows, Charlie giggled slightly before the flames reappeared. Noelle shook her head and moved to help deal with the issue, she threw out the burnt food as her father got Charlie dressed to go out for dinner instead. They were driving around for a while to find somewhere open, Noelle had a feeling they would end up at Denny's as that's where he often ate.

"You know, Neal's a really good cook," Charlie spoke up from the back seat, Noelle sighed. "Yes, and he does his own dental work," Scott replied to Charlie. "You don't like him much, do you, dad?" Charlie asked him, Noelle and Scott shared a glance before Scott's tone softened. "Oh, he's alright. There's just something about the guy that makes me want to--" Scott is cut off by Charlie, "--Lash out irrationally?" Noelle smirked at her brother's words before she turned her head to her father. "Where'd you hear that?" Scott asked Charlie, glancing in the rear view mirror.

"From Neal. I learn a lot from him. He listens to me," Charlie stated matter-of-factly. "Yes, but then he charges you for it," Scott said as Noelle spots the closed sign on the restaurant door. "I listen. Don't I?" Scott asked Charlie as he pulled away from the restaurant, "You know, Charlie, you could learn stuff from me, as well, if you came to visit more than just every other weekend." Noelle shrunk in her seat, she knew why Charlie didn't stay considering their father was more focused on working then anything else which is why Noelle is so good at looking after herself; she had been doing it since she was young.

"We'd have a grand time. The three of us together," Scott added due to the silence coming from both of his children. "We never have a grand time. Noelle and I do," Charlie set straight. "How can you say that? Didn't I take you both to the Bear's game last weekend? That was fun!" Scott exclaimed to his children. "No, it isn't. We don't even like football. I like soccer and Noey loves hockey," Charlie replied to their father, Noelle smiling softly at her brother. "Soccer! It's not even American! Only wimps play soccer. And Hockey?! Ellie, c'mon, it's nothing like football," Scott says with a shake of his head.

"I joined a team last month," Charlie told Scott who furrowed his brows. "You did? I didn't know that," Scott remarked but Noelle frowned, she had tried telling him but he had been busy with work as per usual. Scott pulls into the car park for Denny's making Noelle sigh, she was right in the end. "It's open. We're in luck!" Scott exclaimed while Charlie frowned. "I don't want to eat here," Charlie told him. "Niether do I," Noelle voiced. "C'mon. Everybody likes this," Scott told them before they headed inside, the place was busy and both children weren't happy though Noelle ignored the obvious lack of festivity and kept a smile for Charlie.

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Rosemary Speaks

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and happy holidays to those who do not.

Some parts may differ from the movie as the script I'm following has some inaccuracies as its a previous draft to the film.

See you in the next chapter!