Chapter Text
Gale really could’ve been working on getting dinner ready, but he just couldn’t focus. Who knew weekends could feel so torturously long. He used to look forward to them before it became the time he had to give up his daughter.
He was out of his recliner immediately when he heard the car pull up. Despite how fast he was moving, his daughter was faster as she barreled in through the door to hug him.
After squeezing her for a good few seconds he shut the door, noticing that the car she’d been brought in left already.
“Mommy didn’t want to bring you to the door?” He said, with as little judgement in his voice as he could muster.
“Nanny brought me, she said sorry for not saying hi, but she was in a hurry for something else.” She said as she was pulling something out of her backpack, a card covered in glitter and green tinsel, a Christmas tree scribbled on the front “and Nanny helped me make this!” She handed it to Gale.
“Funny how I send you there to spend time with your mother and all I hear about when you get back is things you did with the governess.” Gale said as he took the card.
“I know..” was the quiet response he got, one filled with more understanding than another six year old might have.
Gale opened the card to reveal a simple drawing of himself and his daughter, in pajamas with opened presents around, there were some cookie stickers on a plate drawn with red crayon. At the top in green crayon and glitter glue were the words
‘Daddy and Melli having a happy Christmas!’
Gale didn’t try to hide the tears that welled up in his eyes “Thank you, sweetheart.” He leant down to hug her. As he pulled away it hit him once again just how much she resembled his mother. Olive skinned and chubby, short for her age, a dark mane of curls atop her head, matching her dark eyes.
“Are you gonna help me cook dinner or what?” Melli asked.
“Help you cook?” Gale chuckled “Lead the way, chef.”
Gale was afraid he’d fall asleep as soon as he and Melli settled on the couch, but The Muppet Christmas Carol was as captivating as ever.
Though they watched the movie every year Melli still looked quite perturbed while Marley & Marley sang their warning to Scrooge.
Gale was perturbed by something else, a nagging craving. He sighed, it was Christmas Eve, he’d worry about his diet after the holidays “I’m going to get ice cream, do you want some?” He asked.
Melli’s face turned grim, in a real manner instead of empathizing with the characters on screen “Ballerinas can’t have ice cream.” Ballet had been her latest obsession ever since Gale took her to see a small production of The Nutcracker earlier in the month. She was now set on being a ballerina when she grew up.
Gale frowned “Who told you that?” He already knew the answer but wanted it confirmed before he got angry.
“Lorroakan.”
Gale rolled his eyes, out of all the step fathers in the world, his daughter was cursed with that one “I’m sure ballerinas eat ice cream, darling.”
“I don’t want any..” She insisted, looking back to the screen.
Gale gently moved her off of his lap so he could go to the kitchen. He got two scoops of chocolate ice cream, adding some whipped cream and maraschino cherries on top before returning to the couch.
He gasped as he sat down with the bowl “Oh, dear. It looks like I accidentally got two spoons,” one of said spoons was Melli’s favourite Bluey themed one, it matched her current Bluey pajamas “Well, I don’t want to get up again. I guess I’ll just have to leave it in there.”
After a while Melli took her spoon and snuck a few bites. As she went for a cherry Gale took gentle hold of her wrist.
“What’s that from?” He asked, referring to a purple bruise wrapped around her wrist like an uneven bracelet.
She took her arm away from his grasp “It happened at recess.”
“Again? I’ve asked you to stop playing rough games at school.”
“It was an accident.” She said with frustration “We were playing pirates with some older girls and one of them grabbed me hard when she captured me, she was really sorry.”
“Well, don’t play that anymore. You bruise so easily I don’t think you’re cutout for contact sports.” He chuckled, ruffling her hair. That made her smile.
Apparently Twas The Night Before Christmas wasn’t as exhilarating as the muppets, both Gale and Melli had fallen asleep while reading it. Gale was glad he awoke, remembering immediately that he needed to set presents from “Santa” out before morning. Though his relief dissipated slightly when he realized Melli was the one who’d awoken him.
“Daddy, I heard something on the roof.”
“Like what?”
“Like moving around. Maybe Santa?”
“I’m not sure about that.” Gale went to get up until he noticed Melli’s downtrodden face.
“I knew it.. Lorroakan and Mommy said Santa isn’t real.”
Gale tried to keep his face neutral as he turned to his daughter “Alright, don’t repeat this, but Lorroakan is a very willfully ignorant man who doesn’t bother to be informed in regards to the things he speaks about. And, well, your mother obviously should have done her research before going along with what he said, because Santa is most definitely real.”
“Then why aren’t you sure it’s him on the roof?”
Gale thought quickly, sweating a smidge now “Hmm, you see it’s because I think it’s a little early for Santa to be here.” He pointed to the clock which read 12:09 “He’ll have just gotten started with delivering presents and besides, he’s supposed to come when everyone’s sound asleep in their beds, but I’ve accidentally fallen asleep in your bed. So he’d probably wait for our house to be in order before he rushed over here.”
“Ohhh.” Melli thankfully looked convinced “I think maybe Lorroakan just said that because maybe he’s on the naughty list…” she said quietly.
Gale smiled “I think you may be right.” He said before getting up “I’m going to go see what this noise is about.” He went to walk out the door, but turned back to Melli “You know how to call 999, don’t you?”
“Sure, you press 999.” she said matter of factly.
“Right.” Gale said, feeling a little silly for asking, but reassured by the confirmation.
Gale didn’t know what to make of the scene on the snowy ground beyond his door. It was a Santa suit with hat and boots laid out as if someone had laid down in it and just disappeared.
He tilted his head, some kind of prank?
“Did you find the roof noise?”
Gale jumped at Melli’s voice behind him and he spun around to her “Melody, you shouldn’t be out here!”
She frowned “Hey, you used my serious name. And I have my coat and boots on, I’m not cold.”
“This is serious, there’s something odd going on out here, go back inside, please.”
She folded her arms “Only mummy and strangers use my serious name.” She unconsciously included Lorroakan in the strangers category even though Mystra married him when Melli was two.
“Alright, Melli, go inside now, please.”
It was only now that she saw the Santa suit on the ground which prompted her to run out to look at it “What happened??”
Gale went over as well “I don’t know, I found it like this. Now you should really get back-“
“Maybe Santa got hypothermia.”
“What??”
“At the field trip last week the park ranger told us that when people get hypothermia they can get confused and take all their clothes off.”
Gale wasn’t even processing what she’d said, trying to figure this out, he went over and gathered up the coat, searching the pockets for some kind of anything to give any context to this. He only found a card that read ‘Property of Santa Claus’ there was some smaller writing on it, but he just shoved the card back into the pocket.
“Maybe he fell off the..” Melli trailed off as she looked towards the roof “Daddy.” She pointed.
On top of Gale’s roof was a huge sleigh and eight reindeer “Oh my God.” Fell out of Gale’s mouth.
Melli spotted a red ladder propped up on the house leading to the roof and started running towards it.
“Melli, don’t go up there!” Gale called.
“Why not?” She stopped and turned back to him. “But it’s just Santa’s reindeer. You said Santa is real, he wouldn’t have dangerous reindeer.”
“But getting on the roof is still dangerous...” Gale looked up at the roof before snapping his fingers “I see what’s happened. I’m still asleep in bed with you and this is a dream.” He’d had the odd lucid dream here and there, but not one so vivid.
“Then I can go up?” Melli asked.
“Carefully.” Gale said.
She ascended the ladder with him behind her in case she fell.
Gale had never smelled anything in a dream before, but the distinct smell that came with being in the presence of hooved animals hit his nose. It wasn’t bad, though certainly very vivid. The reindeer seemed to look at him expectantly.
Melli ran over to the sleigh and jumped in.
Tearing his gaze away from the reindeer, Gale did the same. The reins were hanging gently and perfectly over the front of the sleigh. Gale got a chill as he ran his hand along the fine leather. He took a deep breath “If these fly then this is most definitely a dream, if they don’t then we’re in for a long confusing night with animal control.”
Gale rested the red coat on the seat and took hold of the reins. The up and down motion to get the reindeer going came naturally and to his slight surprise, since he already heavily suspected this to be a dream, they took off into the sky.
Melli looked more worried about the situation than he was “Where are we going?”
“How about my mother’s house?” He said towards the reindeer “I’m sure she’d enjoy this.” He chuckled.
After a few minutes they did land on a roof, however it was not his mother’s.
Before he could try to correct course, he felt a tug on his sleeve.
“You should put on the coat.” Melli said.
“Why?”
“You’re obviously supposed to deliver something here.”
Gale looked around “There’s no toy bag, and no chimney.” Still he obliged in putting on the coat. His hand found it’s way into one of the pockets and he felt something soft there. Pulling it out, he found he was holding a red velvet sack no bigger than his hand.
“I don’t think any toys could fit in..” he trailed off as the bag suddenly started growing, elongating due to the weight of something now inside. Looking inside he saw a wrapped easy bake oven, further solidifying that this was a vivid dream since he couldn’t have known what was behind the shiny red paper. “Huh, I guess that is more convenient than lugging around a bag with a million things in it.” He gasped as the strings of the bag wrapped around his wrist and suddenly he was jerked towards an open roof vent pipe which he wouldn’t have been able to fit even his chubby arm through. He hardly had time to process that before it felt like he was thrown forward.
His stomach turned as he experienced the sensation of being quickly flipped over. Taking a breath and trying to settle himself, he could see he was now standing in a fireplace which logically couldn’t be placed here.
He shook the weirdness off and went over to the tree to set the present down among the others, until he heard a voice.
“Santa?”
He turned to see a child laying on the couch under a quilt.
“Yes.. I think so.” Gale said slowly.
“Did you dye your hair? My mum dyes her grey hairs.” She said.
“I was trying something new.” Gale took the wrapped box out of the bag “Now I can’t put this down until you’re asleep.”
The child quickly shut her eyes which made Gale smile as he put the gift down.
He went back over to the fireplace, wondering how he would ascend before he found himself shot back up onto the roof. He was glad for the heavy snow since he didn’t stick the landing, ending up on his ass.
The bag shrunk back down and Gale returned to the sleigh.
Melli was giving him a strange look “How did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“You turned into sparkles and they went down the chimney.” She said matter of factly “Purple and gold sparkles.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize.” Gale chuckled. One of the reindeer snorted impatiently and Gale gave them the cue to go, the sleigh taking off into the air again.
He was a bit peeved when they landed on another random house “I suppose this is what I’m doing until I wake up.” He sighed.
Finally Gale was done, he actually felt like he’d been out all night, he was so worn out he’d dozed off in the sleigh on the way home… though it turned out not to be the way home as he discovered when he opened his eyes. Looking around he could see he was in some sort of stable. He immediately looked over to make sure Melli was still with him and she was.
“How long have we been here?” He asked.
“We just came through the ceiling.”
Gale surveyed the area, there was no one else around. His mind could apparently conjure an ornate stable that looked like it was made of candy canes and gingerbread though he could tell it was real building materials, but it couldn’t conjure other people. At least that’s what he thought until about a dozen small figures entered the large room.
They looked like children, but had pointed ears, it was easy to guess they were probably elves.
Gale carefully got out of the sleigh, helping Melli out and keeping her in his arms. He was beginning to doubt this was a dream, but what else could it be? Still he decided to proceed with caution. He went over to the elves who were tending to the reindeer, detaching them from the sleigh and leading them to stables to get them settled.
“Sorry, who’s in charge here?” Gale asked.
“You are.” The nearest elf said before focusing on their task.
Gale frowned “I guess I would be.. I mean who can I talk to about getting home as I’d really like to do that about now.”
“That would be me.”
Gale jumped at the low voice behind him and he turned to see a figure that was towering over him. Another elf, though this one was a very tall sturdy looking one.
“I’m Halsin, your head elf. I’d shake your hand, but they’re full.” He chuckled looking at Melli “Before you feel the need to tell me, I am aware I look different than the other elves. It’s so you humans will subconsciously recognize me as the authority even though I’m actually on the younger side around here.” Halsin said.
Gale looked at him a bit blankly “Could you just tell me what’s going on here? I just want to wake up.”
Halsin started walking and gestured for Gale to follow “This isn’t a dream, but you’ll find that out soon enough.”
Melli gasped softly as they entered the enormous workshop. The space was bathed with colour and warmth and activity.
Halsin stopped, letting Gale take everything in “I’m guessing you didn’t read the card properly since you don’t seem to be understanding what’s going on.”
“What card?”
“This one.” There was a swirl of small golden sparkles from his fingers as Halsin conjured the card previously in Gale’s pocket.
“Oh, yes, I read that.” Gale said. His sentence punctuated by a yawn from Melli.
“Maybe we should let Melli have a lie down while we discuss the contract you’ve agreed to.”
“Contract?? Wait- how do you know her name?”
Melli buried her face in Gale’s shoulder “I do feel sleepy, dad..”
Halsin gestured another elf over “Take her to the Santa suite.” He caught Gale’s perturbed look “She’ll be alright, this is only a dream after all, right?”
Gale gently put Melli down and let the elf lead her away, kicking himself as the safe feeling this place and the elf in front of him seemed to provide was overriding his logic.
“Now, back to the card.” Halsin said “You didn’t read the small words.” He showed it to Gale.
“I don’t have my glasses.”
Halsin sighed “Luckily I have mine.” He said with slight impatience, producing them from thin air and putting them on before clearing his throat “In putting on any part of Santa’s ensemble and entering the sleigh the wearer waives any and all rights to any previous identity, real or implied, and fully accepts the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus in perpetuity until such time that the wearer becomes unable to do so by either accident or design.”
Gale’s brow furrowed “By design. What does that mean?”
“It means by design.” Halsin was about to put the card back in Gale’s pocket, but paused “Do you understand or do I need to read it again?”
Gale shook his head and put a hand up “I’m a professor at a prestigious university, thank you. I can comprehend the English language.” He huffed “So, me putting on the coat means I have to be Santa now? That seems like a flawed system, what if I’d been an axe murderer or something?”
“We wouldn’t let that happen.” Halsin said with an offended tone as if Gale was implying incompetence “You are Santa now, however you don’t start your duties immediately. You have until December 1st to get your affairs in order, you’ll go through a transformation of sorts and gradually develop magical abilities, then you’ll come back here. Oh, but you will have to check the naughty and nice list, I’ll send that over in June. It should be easy since you’re used to grading papers.”
Gale scoffed “I-I couldn’t just move to the North Pole, I have a child that I’m legally required to share with someone else.”
Halsin frowned at the mention of that “Those things have been considered.” He started moving again, leaving Gale to assume he should follow.
“Wonderful, more cryptic statements.”
Gale was taken through the workshop which was absolutely breathtaking, they stopped outside of a grand wooden door, a wintery scene with reindeer carved into it.
“Melli is already asleep, there’s pajamas for you inside-“
“I’m already in pajamas.”
“You’ve been wearing them all night in all kinds of people’s houses, you really wish to sleep in those?” Halsin raised a brow.
“Good point.” Gale said, looking down at himself.
“Before I forget.” Halsin pulled out a snowglobe, another object coming from seemingly no where, and gave it to Gale. It had nothing inside except for fake snow and it had a plain dark wooden base “If you need to contact me, you need only shake this and I’ll answer when I can.”
“What if it breaks?”
“It’s unbreakable.” Halsin said as if it was obvious “We’ve been running this operation for centuries, you really think we haven’t figured these things out?”
Gale breathed a laugh “A lot of worldbuilding for a dream.” He said before entering the ‘Santa suite’. The room was just as beautiful as the others. Large bed, a grand fireplace, a little open study tucked in a corner with an ornate desk and large bookcases. There was also a balcony. More beautiful stained glass windows as he’d seen all over the workshop.
Gale went over to the nightstand by the bed and put down the snowglobe. Melli was already fast asleep under the plush bedcovers, she’d clearly been provided with pajamas as well, green ones.
Gale’s eyes shifted to the red silk pajamas set out for him on the bed.
Despite him never being here before he found the bathroom immediately and used it to change. The pajamas fit perfectly which was a rarity for him when trying new clothes. He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment, trying to comprehend the events of the night. This had to be a dream, it felt like it’d gone on for hours, but it could’ve only been an hour or so really, Melli’s twin bed wasn’t comfortable enough in adult standards for him to stay asleep all night in. He’d wake up and put out Melli’s presents and go to bed for real. For the moment he went over to the bed and got in, it was amazingly comfortable, though he’d convinced himself this was a dream the pain in his knees felt exceedingly real, it was dissipating now as he drifted off.
Gale woke with a start, expecting to still be in Melli’s bed, but he was in his own and it was morning. His brow furrowed as he looked down to see that he was still in the red pjs. And the snowglobe was on his nightstand. His blood ran cold as the implications hit him.
He gasped when he turned over to see Melli was sitting in his bed staring at him. She was also in the green pjs from the night before.
“I think we need to look at the situation logically and see if our stories match up.” Melli said.
“You are most certainly my child.” Gale said absently as she voiced what he was thinking “Where did we go last night?”
“North Pole. How did we get there?”
“The sleigh appeared on the roof and there was a Santa suit in the yard. Who’s Halsin?”
“Your head elf. He’s big so you will respect him and he gave you that snowglobe.”
Gale put his head in his hands as it was clear things lined up “Oh god, what am I going to do?”
Melli flopped into a laying position “Be Santa I guess.”
“But how am I going to explain that to your mother? To my mother?” As if on cue Gale’s phone suddenly rang, the screen showing that Morena was calling. He picked it up “Yes, mum?”
“Oh, good you’re awake. I was afraid I called too early.” Morena said.
“You really think Melli would let me sleep in on Christmas morning?”
“Neither of you are morning people.” She chuckled “I am getting ready to cook things for tonight, what are the things you can eat right now?”
Gale thought for a moment, he had a lot more to deal with now than sticking to his millionth attempt at dieting “You know what, cook whatever you want?”
There was a pause before Morena spoke “Really? You don’t need any special things?” By special things she meant watered down sad versions of the recipes that defined his childhood.
“Your cooking is special enough, don’t worry about it. Tonight I’m eating whatever you make.” Though Gale couldn’t see her he could feel Morena was smiling.
“That is a relief, I will see you two tonight.” She said.
“Bye, mum!” Melli piped up. When she was learning to talk she mirrored what Gale called Morena instead of any traditional term for a grandmother, much to Mystra’s annoyance since Melli addressed Morena as mum before she adressed Mystra as such.
“Bye, bye, dears.” Morena said before hanging up.
Gale sat up after putting his phone down, he turned to Melli with a serious look “Listen, I need you to promise me that you won’t tell anyone about this Santa business. They’ll think we’re both.. erm, mentally unwell and it’ll cause trouble.”
“I’m good at keeping secrets.” She said flatly, locking her pinky with his in a pinky promise.
“I hope none from me.”
“I’m not telling.” She said playfully.
Gale’s gaze drifted to the snow globe on his nightstand and he reached for it hesitantly. Taking it in his hands he shook it gently. After a few seconds it filled with a light green glow.
“Yes, Santa?” Came Halsin’s voice, the light glowing brighter when he spoke and dimming when he was silent.
Gale exhaled, not realizing he’d been holding his breath “So this is.. really real.” He mumbled.
“It certainly is.” Halsin said, sounding amused.
Gale rubbed his temple “Alright, could you run me through the specifics you told me last night once more now that I know you’re serious.”
Halsin laughed “Of course, that is what I’m here for.”
Despite the enormous and sudden life change looming over him, Gale felt completely relaxed on his mother’s couch in front of her fire place. It was the first time in about a decade that he’d been able to have an unfiltered Christmas dinner with her. No restrictions or substitutions, just culinary bliss. He could hear the sounds of Melli in the corner playing with the new video camera she’d begged for all year.
She was trying to film a video of her dolls with the tree until the lens was obscured with fur “Daddy, auntie Tara is messing my video up!” Melli called.
“You should get some videos of Tara, she won’t be around forever, you know.” Gale said, the cat was nearly twenty years old after all.
Melli’s annoyance thankfully passed and Gale went from dozing to napping, his mother coming over to put a quilt on him after he’d drifted into the best sleep he’d had in a while.