Work Text:
Christmas 1998
Charlie sat on the floor, playing with his new dinosaurs. His enthusiastic growling noises filled the living room as the early morning sun streamed in.
Anna opened her last present under the tree, a cute little bear she would be able to draw on.
"Doodle Bear!" she yelled, laughter in her voice.
It was the last thing she had asked Santa for, and her happiness was so infectious, Alan and Ellie grinned as well.
Charlie brought one of his dinosaurs next to Anna's bear.
"Rawr!" Charlie said.
"Stop!" Anna yelled, but she was laughing as her brother's T.rex chomped down on her bear's head.
Sitting next to Alan on the couch, Ellie sipped her coffee and leaned into him, her mouth close to his ear.
"Our kids are kind of loopy."
Alan was smiling at the kids, but then turned toward Ellie, raising an eyebrow, prepared to defend the miniature versions of themselves.
Ultimately, he agreed though.
"Yeah, they're goofballs."
Ellie raised a hand to his face, kissing his stubbled cheek.
"Your influence, no doubt, I'm sure."
Anna's bear "growled" as it chomped down on Charlie's arm with its non-moving mouth. Charlie pretended it hurt as the bear "bit" him again.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure, too," Alan joked.
After a quick return kiss to Ellie's lips, Alan jumped up.
"I'll save you, Charlie!"
He scooped up Anna, cradling her in his arms and dancing around the room. The four-year-old's laughter was so adorable, the room bristled with holiday cheer as the Grant family enjoyed their time together.
Suddenly, Alan stopped moving, looking Anna in the eye.
"Uh oh, did you hear that?" he asked.
"Uh oh," Charlie repeated.
"No, Daddy," Anna said, giggling. "No!"
"Oh, it's too late for that. Kissing monster time!"
When Alan began kissing her arms and face, Anna's laughter doubled, and Ellie's heart swelled as she watched them.
Anna finally wiggled and wormed her way out of her father's embrace, and he gently placed her on the floor. She ran to Ellie, plowing into her.
"Save me from kiss monster, Mommy. Pleeeease!"
Ellie nodded and gave Alan her best stern look as he approached. Mother and daughter stuck out their arms, fortifying their defense.
"Stay away, kissing monster," Ellie warned.
Alan paused, his hands in the air. He wiggled his fingers at them.
"How about the tickle monster then?"
"No, Daddy. Get away!" Anna said, giggling in her mother's arms. "No monsters at all!"
"Okay, you're safe . . . for now," he said.
Anna jumped down and ran toward Charlie, picking up her bear again.
Alan moved closer to Ellie.
He leaned in and kissed her, his warm breath on her skin as he whispered.
"Thought mommy liked the kissing monster."
Ellie kissed him back, her body shivering at the low sexy timbre in his voice.
"Oh, you know I love the kissing monster," she teased. "Maybe he can show up tonight in our room?"
"Definite possibility."
They shared a smile as Ellie touched his arm, rubbing it ever so gently.
Focusing on their kids, Ellie studied the room, eyes landing on Charlie. He was cleaning up wrapping paper from the floor. Such a good little man. Anna was uncharacteristically quiet though, hunting through boxes and paper, her bear tucked under her arm.
"Anna honey, what are you doing?" Ellie asked.
Her daughter looked up at her, eyes watering suddenly.
"I think Santa forgot something," she whispered, sadness overwhelming her tiny face.
"Oh, no, what did Santa forget?" Ellie asked.
"My green Furby."
The air went out of the room as the two parents looked at one another, both certain the other had hunted one down.
Ellie cleared her throat.
"Are you sure it's not still under the tree?"
When Anna turned back to search, Ellie looked at Alan, but he shook his head. Oh no.
"Be right back, sweetie."
She grabbed Alan by the arm and led him into the kitchen.
"I thought you found one?" she questioned.
"I did."
She was relieved.
"Well go get it. Did you forget to put it under the tree?"
"I thought you were supposed to pick it up?"
Ellie shook her head, confused.
"Alan, why would I pick it up?"
"I thought we talked about it?"
Ellie breathed in slowly, suddenly remembering the quick conversation.
"Well, I didn't. So, I just lied to our baby, Alan."
"She got so many cool things," he pointed out.
"We blew it," Ellie said, sighing.
Now Ellie looked almost as sad as Anna. Alan's heart couldn't take much more of his girls being sad. Hands on his hips, he brainstormed. Moments later he had a thought.
"Okay, go in there and help her look. I have an idea."
Ellie looked at him, uneasy about any plan that she didn't know the details of. She trusted him though, so she nodded and went back to the living room.
Alan flipped through some of the blank Christmas cards Ellie had on the kitchen table, finding the perfect envelope. He grabbed a pen and gathered some paper as he went to work on his plan.
In the living room, Ellie helped Charlie pick up the last pieces of wrapping paper. They placed all of it in the largest present box, which was a bicycle for Charlie.
Alan entered the room, nodding and smiling at Ellie. He walked to their daughter, who was still looking near the tree. Her shoulders were slumped, hopeless about finding anything.
He kissed the top of her head, rubbed her shoulders and then leaned down by the tree.
"Hey, what is this?" he asked, pretending to find a green envelope.
Anna looked up at him, her curiosity perked up.
"What?" she asked.
"Looks like a letter from Santa."
Charlie and Ellie looked on now, too. Alan sat on the floor, his curious little girl settling onto his lap.
He opened the envelope and took out the letter.
"Read it, Daddy," Anna said with new excitement.
"Dearest Anna," Alan started.
Ellie smiled.
All of Anna's attention was on his next words.
"I'm sorry that we didn't bring your Furby. The elves were so hard at work this year and they didn't have the chance to finish making all of the toys on their lists."
"Oh no," Anna whispered, mesmerized.
"But rest assured, Anna," Alan continued. "Just as soon as they are finished, I will make a special trip to bring it to you."
Anna touched the letter and looked at the writing on it.
"Was that really from Santa?" she asked, amazed.
Alan took her little finger and traced where it said the word Santa on the paper.
"There it is, right there. Santa himself."
"I hope the elfs are okay," she said.
Ellie almost cried, not only for the lovely thing Alan had done, but also because their daughter was such a sweet little thing, worrying about others. They were fictional others, but that wasn't the point. They were raising wonderful people.
"I’m sure they will be fine," Alan said. "They have extra time to get things done now."
"Yeah," Anna agreed.
"Okay, let's get the rest of this mess cleaned up," Ellie said. "Then breakfast."
"I'm starving!" Charlie announced.
"Me, too," Alan added.
"Hear that, Anna?" Ellie asked. "Our boys are hungry."
"It's their turn to cook," Anna said.
"Yep," Ellie said, smiling at Alan.
Alan looked at Charlie.
"I think we've been tricked, son."