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Chapter Text

Julie and her dad walked into the den, snacks in hand.  Everyone had claimed a seat, but the couch still had a couple of open spots and a chair and a half behind Luke, who was sitting on the ottoman, tuning his guitar, an old thing with scratches in the dark finish. 

He glanced up at Julie as she moved to sit behind him, a smirk sliding across his face. 

“Everyone keeps asking me what song you sang the night we met. Should I play it?” 

Julie’s face practically burned off her skull. “No!” 

Luke ignored her, trying to strum the first few chords. “It’s not really written for the acoustic, but I’m sure I can make it work.” 

She knew his confidence was well-earned. Still, did he have to tease her like this? She smacked his shoulder while blushing even darker.

Flynn cackled, grinning wickedly, and Reggie started chanting, “Play it, play it.” 

Soon, everyone had joined in. 

Luke played the opening chords before launching into the first verse. 

He was right, he could make it work on the acoustic. 

Across from her, Emily’s brow creased. 

Her father’s eyebrow shot up, and she cringed a tiny bit. 

When I gave you my heart

You ripped it apart

Like the wrapping paper trash

So I wrote you a song

Hope that you sing along

And it goes Merry Christmas

Kiss my ass

As if sensing the growing discomfort, Luke changed songs, moving to something much more lighthearted. Based on the reaction from his brothers, she suspected it was a family standard.

Oh, I just got a message from 'ol Saint Nick way up in Christmasland

And he says that the toys for good girls and boys are being made as planned

There's a truck for little Billy and a dolly for Molly dear

But you ain't gettin' diddly squat 'cause you really messed up this year

Reggie snorted and muttered something about pots and kettles. Luke stuck his tongue out at him in retaliation. 

Flynn tossed out a cheeky suggestion, and Luke’s expression turned mischievous. He jerked his chin towards his brothers and drummed out a short rhythm on the body of the guitar. Reggie and Alex joined him and they promptly started the acapella song.

Christmas, Christmas time is here

And Christmas songs you love to hear

Thoughts of joy and hope and cheer

But mostly shopping, shopping, shopping!

Christmas, Christmas time is here

The sleigh bells and red-nosed deer

Songs and songs we love to hear

All played a thousand times each year

“Do you know every Christmas song?” Julie asked.  

“Yes,” he said without even a second of hesitation. 

She didn’t bother to hide her surprise. She’d been kidding. 

“I’m Santa, Julie. It’s kind of in the job description.” 

The gentle, affectionate teasing in his voice sent a pleasant heat through her body. 

Mitch and Emily watched him with soft, fond expressions. 

“Any other requests?” he asked. 

Flynn smirked. “I’d like a duet.” 

No. She was not going to suggest- 

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside?” Reggie chimed in, a matching smirk on his face. 

She glanced at Luke, who was unnecessarily focused on tuning his guitar. 

He doesn’t want to put pressure on me, she realized.

Julie rolled her eyes. “You guys are trying to embarrass me, but it’s not going to work. I think that song is fun.” 

“Yeah?” Luke tried to keep his voice casual, but Julie knew he was as excited as she was. 

She smiled at him and sang the first line of the silly, flirty song. 

I really can’t stay 

Baby it’s cold outside, he responded. 

Singing with him was as perfect and magical as she’d imagined it would be. Their voices just fit together, despite their different ranges and styles. The magic between them glowed with happiness. 

Baby, it's cold outside 

When they finally finished together, Julie felt like her lungs were going to float from her body. And judging by the deep, trembling breaths Luke kept trying to draw in, he was clearly just as affected. 

That had been… 

Wow.

Thank heaven they had an audience, or Julie wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep her hands to herself anymore. And absolutely no one needed that kind of show. What was that?

Alex cleared his throat. “I think next time that one should be just for you two.” 

Truer words had never before been spoken. 

Ray looked at her, with tears in his eyes. “Oh, Mija. It’s so wonderful to hear you sing again! You two sounded incredible.” 

Julie grinned, happy to hear the pride in her father’s voice (and super happy to have something to focus on besides how much she wanted to get Luke undre–uh–un der the mistletoe). “Thanks, Papi.” 

“You’ve gotta join the band,” Luke whispered, nudging her cheek with his nose. 

Julie opened her mouth to protest out of habit but was shocked to realize she actually wanted to do that more than words could say. She drifted closer to Luke until-

“Presents!” Reggie nearly shrieked, effectively ending the moment. 

Emily laughed. “Go on and pass them out, then.” 

Julie stared at her lap as Reggie distributed the packages. Several of which she recognized from under her own tree. The magic of Santa at work again. 

The way her dad’s jaw hit his chest almost had Julie laugh herself right out of her seat. She still struggled with the magic aspect herself, but after literally going around the world in one night, the appearance of gifts from her house seemed minor. 

The exchange was over quickly. The boys got each other strange things she couldn’t even pretend to understand. Emily had made her entire family ugly Christmas sweaters. Their resigned expressions sent Julie into a fit of giggles. 

She almost had it under control, until she made eye contact with Flynn and they both lost it again. 

“Ha. Ha.” Reggie rolled his eyes. “This is only funny because you don’t have one. That won’t last long.” 

Emily’s eyes shone with mischief, and Julie had the sinking feeling that a sweater very much like Luke’s would be presented to her sooner rather than later. 

Once the gifts were exchanged, everyone broke off into smaller groups to talk and relax. 

She was pleasantly surprised at how casual Christmas day felt. She didn’t know why, but she’d assumed it would be a grand production in the Santa household. Instead, it was a day for relaxing with family. 

Luke smiled at her, obviously sensing the direction of her thoughts. “Christmas Day means our work is done for a bit. We use it to take a break before starting all over again after the New Year. Besides, there’s never any company to impress.” 

Julie grinned. “You mean my dad and Flynn don’t count?” 

Luke shook his head and bit his lip. “They’re your family. Which means they are ours now, too.” 

The rest of the day passed, helped along by the fact that she hadn’t even woken up until noon. Time seemed to speed up and slow down all at once as the group lost themselves in a flurry of games, food, and fun. It felt like Julie barely blinked and everyone was heading off to bed. 

She was half convinced that Emily and Luke magicked more guest rooms into existence. She wanted to ask, but when she got back from brushing her teeth Luke was already asleep. He roused enough to press very sleepy kisses to her forehead, the tip of her nose, and the corner of her mouth before snuggling up to her and drifting back off. Warmth and happiness swelled in her belly, and she quickly followed him into sleep. 

//

Luke woke up to weak winter sunlight and the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. He didn’t recognize them, but there were certainly more people at the house than usual. 

Julie shifted slightly next to him. Her lips brushed against his neck. Repeatedly. Which was just unfair, honestly. Soft, sensual heat spread through him until he felt as though he was going to burst. Just as he couldn’t stand it anymore, Julie smirked against his skin. 

So she was doing it on purpose. Well, two could play that game. 

He slid his fingers up under her pajama top, slowly tracing across her stomach and up her sides. She shivered and arched towards him. 

“That’s not fair,” she whispered breathily. 

“You started it,” he rasped. 

“Mmm, but you’d better finish it.” 

His fingers trailed lower, and Julie didn’t even try to quiet the appreciative moan that burst from her lips. 

It was his turn to smirk. 

Her lips trailed the slope of his neck before she tugged on his earlobe and rolled on top of him.

“Let’s cross a few more things off that list,” she murmured, tracing the shell of his ear. 

“Absolutely, boss.”  

 //

When Luke woke up for the second time that morning he was alone. Dang, he must have been out. But then, he and Julie had kind of worn each other out before falling asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. He smiled. He hadn’t even noticed when she got up. She must have already gone downstairs. 

He knew he should follow her and check in with his family, but something uncomfortable twisted in his stomach at the thought. 

Now that Christmas was over and there weren’t any more looming distractions, he felt off balance. The big drop on the rollercoaster of the last couple of days was finally hitting him, and it was like he’d forgotten to fasten his safety harness. 

He took a steadying breath and climbed out of bed, slipping into some warm layers. The sky was bright blue, but he knew it was probably below freezing. If he went downstairs and tried to sneak outside, someone would catch him for sure. He closed his eyes and focused, disappearing with a jingle to reappear in the fort.  

His dad had built it for him in a spruce tree at the far edge of the property the summer he turned ten. Mitch had built it by hand, but magic permeated every inch of the structure, keeping it perfectly maintained and impossibly warm. The treehouse had two floors and was fully furnished with comfy chairs, a futon, and even a wood stove. 

Luke was pretty sure that everyone else had forgotten about the place, so no one would come looking for him here. 

He lit the stove and then settled in his favorite bean bag chair that faced the windows. An expanse of winter wonderland spread out in front of him wild, untouched wilderness spreading as far as he could see.

The tight knot in his chest started to release. 

He just needed some space to think. So much had happened. 

He was married. 

He was Santa. 

He’d done the Christmas Even run with virtually no prep. 

The first one was tripping him up the most, if he was being honest. He loved Julie. Part of him had fallen in love with her while she sang Merry Christmas, Kiss my Ass, and the rest of him had fallen shortly after. But she had been so angry and had felt so betrayed by him that he thought he would never see her again. The moment she’d rejected him, his magic had turned on him. His memories of those days were filled with darkness and chaos, and he wasn’t sure how many of them even reflected reality. 

Then she’d come back. a beacon of bright light piercing the darkness and pulling him inch by inch back into that light. It had taken him some time to come back to himself. Even the earlier parts of their wedding ceremony were hazy. 

Christmas Eve had been an indescribable combination of exhilarating and exhausting. He was meant to do this, and he loved every moment of it. Even better, Julie loved it, too. His brothers being there made it perfect. 

And then there was after, when he and Julie were finally alone…

He could barely think about their wedding night or earlier that morning without his face turning as red as Rudolph’s nose.

His favorite part though, was Julie telling him that she loved him. He’d almost given up hoping for that, convinced that she came back out of a sense of guilt and obligation after she’d seen his nightmares. 

She’d quickly convinced him otherwise. He’d treasure those words for the rest of his very long life. 

He hadn’t forgotten about her promise of a serious conversation, but he was content to wait until she demanded answers. He was fairly certain he knew the questions. 

He heard his brother's raised voices, arguing about something as they left the Workshop.

“We need to go,” Alex said. 

“No one has seen Luke today,” Reggie countered. 

“Dad needs help. Luke’s a big boy, he’ll be fine.” 

He shuddered as the words came uncomfortably close to one of his warped memories. Caleb had been brutal, and sometimes it felt like there wasn’t a single memory he hadn’t twisted into something awful. 

What was Caleb’s interest in him anyway? He’d never done anything to the old boogeyman but his attacks felt very personal. He could ask his mom, but that meant explaining everything, and she would be devastated. He didn’t want to put her through that. 

The memories would fade. 

Probably. 

Hopefully. 

He just needed to power through in the meantime. 

The mid-afternoon bells rang out from the Workshop signaling the elves’ daily cocoa break. Crap. How is it already so late? 

He’d just turned off the stove when an odd distress tugged at his magic and he immediately popped to the source. 

//

Luke was still sound asleep when Julie woke up, and for a few minutes, she just lay there, watching him. 

How had this become her life? How had she gone from a crank that would give Scrooge and the Grinch a run for their money to the literal Mrs. Claus all in two months? And to top it all off, her Santa was probably the single most amazing man she could have ever met, both with magic and without. 

Someone up there had a sense of humor, that was for sure. She’d done everything she could to forget about Christmas, and her soulmate was the Head Toymaker himself. 

She reached over and used the tips of her fingers to fluff his bangs out of his eyes. Heat tingled down her spine as she thought about just how talented those toymaker hands of his had been as they traced every inch of her skin in the wee hours of the morning. Maybe if she tickled his forehead she could talk him into a round three… Or was it four? 

Ugh, she needed to put some distance between them before she did something stupid. Besides, he was probably still feeling the fatigue from Christmas Eve. She really didn’t want to wake him. She suspected he’d be catching up on sleep for a week at least. So, she carefully extracted herself from his arms and made her way downstairs, where she wandered into the surprisingly quiet kitchen and headed straight for the coffeemaker. 

Emily was facing the other direction, in the middle of baking something that smelled incredible. 

“Morning, Emily,” she said, stretching and taking a deep breath. “Whatever that is smells great.” 

“Good afternoon, Julie!” she corrected with a wink before gesturing at the oven. “It’s just some scones for later. Luke has developed quite the taste for coffee, and I thought these would go better than cookies.” 

“Cookies go with everything, but I’m sure those will be delicious. Wait, he didn’t like coffee before?” Julie was confused. In the time she’d known him, he’d been constantly drinking it. 

“It’s a newer development. I must say I don’t understand. Vile, bitter stuff.” She shuddered. 

Julie clutched her mug a tiny bit closer on reflex and added a liberal amount of milk along with a teaspoon of sugar. “Where is everyone?” 

“Oh, Mitch took the boys into town to help him carry supplies. It’s grocery day. For us, and all of the animals in the stables.” 

Julie pictured the shopping trips she’d been on with the boys. “Mitch is in for an adventure.” 

Emily laughed. “It’s far from his first rodeo. He’s been wrangling those three for years. He has a method, or so he claims. Besides, Alex and Reggie don’t usually cause too much trouble without Luke.”

“He’ll have to teach me his ways.” 

“They never worked for me, but you might have better luck.” 

Her timer chimed and she turned to pull the cookie sheet from the oven, setting it on the counter to cool. 

Julie shifted her weight, unsure if she should stay or go. She hadn’t spent much time with Emily one-on-one.  

“Julie, why don’t you go sit by the fire? I’d like to have a ch-chat.” Emily stumbled over the last word.  

“Oh. Umm, okay.” 

“Great, I’ll meet you there when I’m finished with this. Shouldn’t take longer than eating a candy cane.” 

Julie had no idea what Emily wanted to talk to her about, but she was certainly curious. It could honestly be just about anything. 

She settled on the couch, pulling a blanket over her lap. 

A few minutes later Emily appeared with a plate of cheese and crackers that she handed over. 

“Oh, there’s no need to be nervous, dear. It’s just that we haven’t talked much since that terrible day at the house in LA.” Emily wrung her hands. “I’m so sorry about what happened. I shouldn’t have assumed and blurted it out like that. You were so upset.” 

The words came easily. “You couldn’t have known, and you didn’t mean to upset me. You were just excited.” For both Luke and me.

“Luke didn’t tell me very much about you. It was quite the surprise when you visited the Workshop.” 

“No one was more surprised than I was,” Julie laughed. 

“What do you mean?” 

Julie didn’t know how to tell her. It would hurt her to hear it, but she couldn’t lie. “It wasn’t just that I didn’t believe. I hated Christmas.”

Emily looked heartbroken.

Once she started, the words just kept coming. “That’s why it took Luke so long to find me. It’s why I responded so badly when he told me who he really was. Not to mention when I found out that we had to get married because the magic of Christmas said so.”  

“If you felt that way…. why did you come back?” 

Julie wasn’t sure how much, if anything, Luke had told his mom about those painful, terrifying days before their wedding. 

“I was already doubting my decision. I missed him so much. Finally, my magic had enough of my denial, I guess. It showed me something I couldn’t ignore, or allow to happen.” 

“What did it show you?” Emily looked tense. 

“That isn’t my story to tell,” she said it gently, but firmly. 

Emily’s eyes darkened as she glared into the fire. “That monster. I knew he was trying to hurt me, but I didn’t realize…” she trailed off, tears running down her face. 

Julie felt like she’d missed part of the conversation. Who was Emily talking about?

A jingling sounded right next to Julie’s ear. “Mom? Are you okay?” Luke knelt down next to her chair, glancing frantically between Emily and Julie. 

Emily reached out and wrapped him in a warm, tight hug. “My sweet boy,” she murmured. 

When she let him go she shooed him towards the couch and Julie. “Both of you should hear this.” 

Luke settled next to her, and Julie immediately melted against his side and claimed his hand. Whatever was coming would be hard to hear. She could tell. 

Emily offered them a small smile. 

“I grew up here, of course. But unlike you, Luke, I wasn’t an only child. I had an older brother named Caleb.” 

Next to her, Luke stiffened in surprise. That name means something to him . 

“Caleb should have been Santa, but he never wanted it. He only wanted power. He refused to ever search for his other half, convinced that he could control the magic alone. He couldn’t, of course, and it destroyed any good he had in him. The title, and the magic, passed to me. For years he was weak. The chaotic nature of his now dark magic kept him from having any control over it.” 

She looked down. “Still, I could always feel his rage. Over these many years, he gained control and started to interfere here and there. Mostly small things, trying to cut into the number of believers, hoping to weaken my powers and tear Mitch and me apart. It never worked. Our love was strong enough to weather any storm he could toss at us.” 

She smiled sadly.“The only thing we wanted that we didn’t have was a child. We tried and hoped for years. A little over a century ago I thought I was pregnant. We were so excited.” Emily sniffled. “My brother sent a terrible frost and wildfires. The Workshop was nearly destroyed and I lost the baby because of the stress .” 

Julie’s heart ached. 

“That was the year I heard Alex and Reggie wishing for homes and a family that loved them. I didn’t think about it, I just took them both with me. Later I learned that as a result of Caleb’s failure, Santas will only ever have one biological child. The magic thought that his having a potential competitor in me contributed to his decision. We waited so long for Luke because we were waiting for you too, Julie.” 

Emily stood and started pacing. “Caleb cut off my powers and drained my magic to force the title to pass now, all because he knew that Julie wasn’t ready for this. He was counting on it.”

Revenge, Julie realized, horrified. 

She stopped in front of them, looking straight at Luke. “Your uncle wanted to trap you in the darkness with him- forever. It was the only way he could get back at me, by destroying something irreplaceable.” Her voice cracked and she started sobbing. 

Luke stood and hugged his mom. “Shhh, I’m right here. I’m okay.” 

Mitch practically sprinted into the room. “Oh Em, what happened?” He tried to shift her into his arms but she refused to let go of Luke. Mitch moved to hold her from behind, sandwiching her between. 

Alex and Reggie filed in and sat on either side of Julie. 

“What happened?” Alex whispered. 

“Is someone hurt?” Reggie wondered. 

Emily released Luke abruptly, hands moving to cup his face. “What did he do to you?” 

“Mom,” he sighed, breaking eye contact to look at the floor. 

“We don’t keep secrets in this family. You know that.” The expectation was clear in her tone. 

Luke’s body tensed, and he froze. 

Julie stood and knelt next to Luke, and before she could even figure out what to say Mitch spoke. “Em, I think he needs some space.” 

Luke turned towards her, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers. He was trembling. His magic felt jittery and dissonant. 

Julie realized with a start what was happening. Something had triggered one of Caleb’s false memories. 

She blocked out everyone’s worried comments and wove her fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck, squeezing gently. 

“Please, come back to me,” she whispered.

 He let out a shaky breath and opened his eyes. “I’m here.” 

His eyes were shiny and a tear trailed down his cheek. She kissed it away. 

“I just want this to stop.” 

“Want what to stop?” Emily was so worried that her question turned into a demand. 

Luke flinched. 

Julie walked them back towards the couch, urging him to sit first and then settling across his lap. 

“What is going on with you, Luke?” Reggie added. “I know this hasn’t been the easiest year, but you stopped eating, you stopped talking to us, and you hid from us. It’s better now but even still sometimes when you look at us it feels like you’re seeing someone else.”

Defiance and exhaustion flickered across Luke’s face before it shifted into resignation. For a wild moment, Julie wanted to tuck them both into bed and ignore the world. But this had already waited too long. 

“Tell them,” she whispered. 

“This year has been utterly miserable. At first, it was constant, worsening migraines. The more magic I channeled in the Workshop, the worse I felt.  I was lightheaded, nauseous, and constantly exhausted. The only thing that helped was being around Julie.” 

Emily just looked devastated. “Oh, Luke. I had no idea. It wasn’t supposed to be painful. It should have been an exciting, joyful time.” 

“It gets worse,” Luke said softly. “Caleb…” He trailed off. 

“We can’t help if you don’t let us in,” Reggie whispered. 

“I can’t explain it,” Luke looked like he already regretted his next words. ”I need the Snowglobe.” 

Worry flitted across Emily’s face before she nodded. “It’s in my office. I’ll be right back.” 

Julie wondered why she didn’t simply summon it. 

Mitch answered her unspoken question. “It’s filled with magic none of us know how to replicate. Completely irreplaceable.” 

“What does it do?” 

“It displays memories,” Luke explained. 

Oh. Instead of explaining the unexplainable, he was going to show them. 

Emily returned and carefully set the antique on the coffee table. It was exquisite. The gold base was covered in intricate runes and scrollwork. 

Luke nodded to himself and reached for the snow globe. Julie’s heart clenched at everyone’s rapt expressions. They had no idea what was coming, or how badly it was going to hurt. 

Magic sparked along the edges of her awareness. The snow in the perfectly clear globe whirled into a miniature, glowing blizzard that expanded until it had filled most of the room. 

An image formed in the snow. 

A twelve-year-old Luke lay in bed, propped up by a stack of pillows. His face was pale except for the fever spots and covered in a sheen of sweat. His breath rattled in his chest and he coughed wetly. 

The door to his room slammed open. 

“Get up!” Alex snapped, expression hard and eyes cold as a frozen lake. 

“Sick,” Luke wheezed. 

“You’re being lazy.” Alex pulled the covers off and tossed them on the floor. “Being Santa is hard work, and you don’t get days off. If you’re not dressed in the next five minutes, you’ll regret it.”

Luke shakily climbed out of bed and got dressed. He shivered so hard his teeth were chattering on the walk to the stables, but Alex ignored it. 

He dropped him at the stables. “Don’t come back in until you’re done.” 

Julie’s heart broke as he wheezed and stumbled through his chores. It’s not real, she reminded herself. 

The snow filled the room again, the image fading away. 

A nine-year-old Luke knocked on a closed door, guitar clutched tightly in his free hand. 

“Come in,” Reggie called from inside the room. 

Reggie’s eyes immediately narrowed when he saw Luke. “What do you want?” 

“I was wondering if you could help me with my bar chords. You’re so good,” Luke mumbled. 

“Of course ,” Reggie growled, setting his guitar aside. “Of course. You always want to do whatever I’m doing. You already took my role as the baby brother and stole all of Mom and Dad’s attention. Wasn’t that enough? Can’t I have one thing that’s just for me?” He threw up his hands. 

“I didn’t mean-” Luke whispered. 

“Get out. I’m not going to teach you.” 

Julie heard a sharp gasp as the image faded into the snow. 

One more memory appeared. 

Emily paced behind an eleven-year-old Luke, who was seated at a workbench. Mitch stood across from him. 

“Is this what you call a doll?” Emily sneered. 

Mitch’s face was a mask of disappointment. 

“I’d be embarrassed to leave this for a child.” 

“You have to do better, Luke. This is unacceptable.” Mitch shook his head. 

“You’ll just have to keep trying until you get it right. Don’t come inside until you do or you’ll be sleeping in the stables. Your stocking will be full of coal again this year.” 

Luke worked until his fingers bled.

The magical snow disappeared back into the crystal ball when Luke let go of the base. 

Alex, Reggie, Emily, and Mitch were blatantly shell-shocked. Tears rolled down Emily’s face. 

Luke was stiff as a board, expression drawn and exhausted even as he braced himself for a fight that wasn’t coming. Julie wrapped his limp hand in hers and squeezed. 

She’d suspected there were more but hadn’t really thought about what that meant. How many were there? 

There was a heavy silence as if all the air had been sucked from the room. Then it rushed back in and suddenly everyone was talking over one another.

“I would never have done that!!” Emily cried, frantic. 

“No, I-” Reggie cut himself off. 

“That’s not what-” Alex started. 

Mitch’s mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. 

“I know,” Luke mumbled. She could feel him trying to hide his face in her hair. 

“How long did this go on?” Mitch finally asked. 

Luke made a tiny whimpering sound in the back of his throat. And that was enough for her. 

Julie raised two fingers to her mouth and whistled a single loud, sharp note. 

Then, blessed silence. 

Reggie’s face crumpled in worry and he darted over to wrap Luke in a hug. Luke flinched back and Reggie froze. 

Julie could see the exhaustion pulling on Luke like an anchor. She climbed out of his lap and  

took his hand, tugging gently. He followed her, unresisting as she pulled him to his feet and led them out of the room and up the stairs to their room.

“Are you alright?” 

“Used too much magic.” 

That wasn’t really an answer. Or, maybe it was. “Which makes you tired?” 

He nodded. 

Julie concentrated, shifting his clothing into flannel pajama pants and a cutoff. “Bed, now.” 

He obediently climbed in and she followed, settling against the wall. 

Luke curled up next to her, face pressed into her thigh. 

 “I shouldn’t have shown them. I just wanted them to understand. What if they hate me,” Luke whispered against her leg.

Julie leaned forward a little and tipped his chin up, holding eye contact. “They love you. They’re scared for you.” I’m scared for you. She hated this, hated seeing the cracks Caleb’s meddling had left behind. 

“I know,” he whispered. Julie trailed her fingers up his cheek as she moved her hand to his hair. She scratched at his scalp lightly. 

“Go to sleep,” she whispered. 

He shook his head. 

Silly stubborn man. Julie started humming the melody to a song that was just starting to form in her mind. 

 Luke was asleep in a few moments. She knew if she lingered too long he’d happily snuggle up to her and she’d be unable to resist cuddling with him.  

It was so very tempting, but she had to go back downstairs. She could practically feel the rest of the Pattersons panicking. 

// 

Julie heard them squabbling as she approached.

“We have to make him feel safe.” Emily sniffled.  

“How do you propose we do that? He’s afraid of us!” Mitch nearly shouted. 

“Not of Julie,” Reggie muttered. 

“Why is that anyway? It’s not fair!” Alex complained. 

That stung, she had to admit. Still, they were scared and hurting, he didn’t mean any harm. 

“Julie!” Reggie whisper-yelled. 

“Luke’s asleep, so I thought I’d come and see how you guys are doing with all of this.” She glanced at their faces. “Not well I see.” 

“How could we have missed this?” Emily finally voiced what was really bothering them. 

“He wanted you to.” Julie was sure of her answer. “Luke is good at hiding when he’s upset. He knew there was nothing you could do, so he chose to try and handle it alone. Now that you know, you can decide what to do. Honestly, I think the best approach is to just keep being yourselves. Remind him that those painful false memories are just that: false. Just…”  she trailed off. 

“What?” Reggie asked, impatient. 

“Don’t push him too hard. Let him come back to you in his own time. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but it’s for the best.” 

Having said her piece, she glanced towards the staircase. She wasn’t sure how long Luke would nap and she didn’t want him to wake up alone. 

“Missing someone?” Mitch teased. 

Julie could feel the blush spreading across her face. Which was ridiculous. She was twenty-five years old and married for heaven’s sake. 

“Go.” Mitch laughed. 

She didn’t need to be told twice. 

Luke was still asleep, but it didn’t look peaceful. 

Julie climbed in next to him and pressed a quick kiss to his temple, running her fingers down his arm. Soft warmth filled her at the way his expression cleared and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Closing her eyes, she quickly followed him into sleep. 

//

After Julie went upstairs no one seemed to know what to say. Emily certainly didn’t. Alex and Reggie made their excuses and everyone decided to call it an early night. 

Emily couldn’t sleep and her mind raced. She couldn’t believe she had missed this. Luke might be good at hiding things, but she was his mother. He’d never been able to hide anything from her. She always knew when he’d eaten the last cookie, or broken a truly ugly glass ornament. How had she become so distracted that she hadn’t seen his pain? What other secrets was he carrying?

Caleb had ruined everything about Luke’s final steps towards becoming Santa. He’d never get those back, never be able to have the wonderful, joyous experience it should have been. Combined with the twisted memories her brother had created, it was enough to make her sick to her stomach. 

Watching Luke flinch away from Reg had shattered her broken heart. 

Caleb needed to pay.

“You’re planning something, I can feel it.” Mitch’s voice cut through the darkness of their bedroom. 

“I should have handled Caleb years ago, after my miscarriage. Instead I let his power grow unchecked, and it almost cost us everything.” 

“What will you do?” Mitch’s voice was neutral, but there was a hint of warning in it. 

“Whatever it takes. I won’t let him hurt Luke–or anyone else–ever again.” 

“Em, you’re not planning to kill him, are you?”

She didn’t speak. Her brother had threatened her son. She didn’t trust what answer would come out of her mouth. 

“You know what will happen if you do that.” 

She did. 

Written deep within the ancient magic was a clause that ensured no Santa would ever use their magic for anything but good: The Krampus Clause. Many a human legend spoke of the horrifying creature that followed Santa on Christmas Eve to punish the naughty children of the world, usually by eating them. What the stories missed was the fact that the creature was once a Santa who used their magic to kill another human being. That abuse of power would transform the Santa into a monster, and the only way to cure them was to kill them. 

Emily had sworn long ago that would not be her fate. 

But now? 

“It might be worth it,” she whispered. 

Mitch was quiet for a long moment before a smirk spread across his face. “You know dear, I’ve always wanted one of those creepy Victorian dolls. He’d certainly make a striking one.” 

Emily felt an answering smirk spread across her own face. “What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t get you one?” 

Mitch snorted. “What kind indeed?”

// 

Emily slipped out of the Workshop early the next morning. There was no way her brother hadn’t realized that his plan hadn’t worked, and she had no interest in finding out what he might try next. 

As soon as she cleared the magical bubble of the Workshop, she sensed his poisonous magic. She scowled as she realized how close he was to her family. He was far too confident.  

She’d prefer to poof to the source, but her magic still came and went in waves. She couldn’t afford to waste any of it so she would have to walk. 

She reached his lair in less than an hour. 

The small cabin was tucked deep into the forest, engulfed in shadows. The already cold air turned frigid, and it hurt to breathe. 

She marched through the shadows and turned the doorknob, letting herself in. 

“Oh, my dear little sister! How lovely to see you after so many years,” Caleb crooned from the corner. He was hiding in the shadows, his voice sharp enough to cut through diamond. 

“I can’t say the same,” she spat back. 

He tutted in disapproval. “Now where are your manners? You are the one who barged into my home, afterall.” 

“I have a good reason for that.” 

”Then by all means, enlighten me.” 

“You attacked my family.” 

“I think you mean our family. I just wanted to get to know my nephew.” He crossed his arms and pouted. “You never let me come and visit.” 

How dare he? “You don’t want to visit, you just want to ruin something good. Well, too bad. You lost. He found his Mrs. Claus, he’s Santa, and you’re still alone in the dark.” 

Caleb smiled. “If it was as simple as that you wouldn’t be here. I can feel your hate, Emmy. Careful or you’ll be joining me instead of Luke.” 

“Why aren’t the twisted memories fading? What did you do?” 

He laughed. “I used the magic I stole from you to create them.” 

“No,” she breathed, horrified. A Santa’s magic was tied to the Workshop. It was possible that the Workshop would keep feeding them and giving them power. 

“You’ve underestimated me for too long. Surely you didn’t think you’d get away with taking what should have been mine.” 

“You never wanted this, and whatever power you’ve managed to cobble together is gone. I can feel it. You’re weak, and you are never hurting my family or anyone else ever again!” 

She focused her remaining magic in his direction, picturing what she wanted. A cone of red and green light surrounded him, flashed twice, and then it was done. 

She stepped forward, picking up the doll that used to be her brother. She’d expected to feel drained, but instead energy flooded her, all of her magic returning now that Caleb wasn’t able to interfere. 

She poofed back to the house and proudly presented him to Mitch, who grinned wickedly. “Oh, Em, it’s perfect. Just what I always wanted. Now, lock him in the safe.” 

She did just that, peace and satisfaction flooding her when she slammed the heavy metal door and spun the lock. It was finished. 

//

Luke woke up early, with a melody playing on loop in his mind. It didn’t have words yet, but he already knew it was a love song for the beautiful woman sleeping next to him. He could scarcely believe this was real. He’d gotten so incredibly lucky. Julie was everything he’d ever dreamed of and more. She was the most incredible woman he’d ever met. He thought he’d loved her the moment he met her and maybe he had but that was nothing compared to the depths of his feelings now. He reached over and brushed a finger featherlight down the line of her nose, tracing it across her cheek and tucking her wild, gorgeous curls behind her ear.  He carefully extricated himself from Julie’s grasp and grabbed his acoustic before reconsidering. If he started playing anywhere in the house, he’d wake everyone up. 

His electric was in the music room, and he could play it with headphones without disturbing anyone. Music always helped him feel grounded, and he needed that.  

Yesterday felt like a dream. On some levels it was a relief to have everything out in the open and not be trying to carry painful, terrifying secrets alone. On the other hand, he didn’t really know how they were handling it and had no idea what to expect. He wasn’t sure he was ready for any hard conversations. 

Or affectionate, well-intentioned smothering, which, knowing his family, was also a distinct possibility. 

He set the acoustic back on its stand, careful not to make any noise, and tiptoed out the door. He could scarcely believe he’d managed that without waking Julie. 

He kept his steps light, deftly avoiding the creaky step just before the landing. 

He paused by the picture window in the den, the stunning, silent, snow-filled landscape snagging his attention. He’d bring the guitar out here. 

His teal electric was exactly where he’d left it, the headphones hanging from the stand. He picked it up carefully and walked outside, sitting and giving it a strum after he plugged his headphones in. After sitting untouched for months, it was painfully out of tune. He winced as he tried to tune it while playing as little as possible to spare his ears. 

He wasn’t sure how long he played, composing a song too delicate and precious to share with anyone quite yet. 

Warm lips pressing a kiss to his forehead pulled him back into the real world. His father smiled down at him, setting a steaming mug of coffee on the end table.

“Morning, Luke.”

“Hi, Dad.” 

Mitch’s smile grew, and he squeezed Luke’s shoulder warmly before turning and heading back to the kitchen. 

Julie found him next. 

“You look like you could use some time away. I have some errands in LA. Wanna join?” 

Boy, did he ever. He nodded eagerly. 

“Then go put on something normal people wear.” She made a shooing motion. 

“What does that even mean?” he called back as he bounded up the stairs. 

She just laughed at him and he rolled his eyes fondly. He would manage. Probably. 

//

Julie drove them to a cute craftsman style home in the picturesque LA suburb of Los Feliz. 

She knocked once before opening the door calling out, “We’re coming in!” 

“Hi, mija , ” Ray answered from the depths of the house. He appeared in the dining room. “Hello there, Luke. Make yourself at home.” 

“Is she coming?” Julie asked. 

Ray raised an eyebrow. “You ghosted her on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, mija . Of course she’s coming. I still don’t know why you insisted on doing this at my house.” 

Mischief sparkled in Julie’s eyes. “You said you wanted to be there when I told her, Papi . I’m just granting your wish.” 

Ray muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “She’s just like you, Rose,” before throwing his hands up and walking away. 

A few minutes later a beautiful Latina woman walked into the living room. Luke could tell that she was a kind soul, but at that moment her face was a mixture of worry, hurt, and disappointment that carried a heavy weight. 

“Tia, I’m so sorry,” Julie started. 

“I just don’t understand, Julie! I thought we were in a better place, that you were in a better place-” she cut herself off abruptly, seemingly noticing Luke for the first time. 

“Who is this?” 

He stood up, and extended a hand. “I’m Luke. It’s nice to meet you, Victoria.” 

She accepted the handshake, seemingly on autopilot, before her eyes narrowed. “I never introduced myself.” 

Uh oh. “Julie talks about you so much, I just knew it must be you!” 

Victoria huffed. “You’re a terrible liar, no matter how cute you are,” she chastised, shaking her head. She looked around, from Julie’s guilty, blushing face, to his own deer in the headlights expression and finally settling on the mischievous glee lighting Ray’s face. “Okay, I’m missing something, and I demand to hear everything, right now.” She sat on the sofa primly, smoothing down her purple velvet sweatshirt and flipping her hair behind her shoulder. 

Julie opened her mouth and the story just tumbled out. 

When it was all finished, Julie seemed to wince back, waiting for an explosion. 

But it never came. Instead Tia’s expression turned thoughtful. “When is the wedding, then?” 

Luke’s cheeks heated. How exactly were they supposed to tell her that the wedding was two days ago? 

Julie shifted uncomfortably. “Um, Tia… About that…” 

Victoria rolled her eyes. “ Híjole, you two already got married, didn’t you?” 

Julie giggled, a blush darkening her cheeks. 

Chestnuts roasting, he wanted to kiss her. 

“ SOBRINA??? How could you just go and do that? You… You…” Victoria stood and started pacing. “You know what, it doesn’t matter.” She flipped her hands dismissively as if wiping away everything she’d just said. “You got married, fine, but you did it without any of your family or friends. So, we are going to have another wedding, a proper wedding. My sister, God rest her, asked me to make sure that we brought that Pinterest dream board of yours to life, and that is exactly what we are going to do!” 

Luke could feel Julie’s excitement at the idea. 

“I didn’t realize people could do that,” he said quietly. 

“It can absolutely be done. Now, where is Luke from and when can I visit? I want to meet my new in-laws!” 

“Well, there are a couple more things we need to talk about before that happens….” Julie trailed off. 

Tia waved off her concerns and practically danced into the kitchen to talk to Ray. 

“That didn’t go the way I thought. At all,” Julie murmured, sounding shell shocked. 

“No one can hate Santa, Julie. Afterall, look at you.” he teased, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. . 

She reached up and smacked him on the shoulder. He probably deserved that, but he still grinned all the way home. 

//

The surprises just kept coming. 

First his parents encouraged him and Julie to take a long, restful honeymoon somewhere warm and sunny. (They chose Hawaii and had a wonderful time.) The longer he was away from the Workshop the more the terrible false memories faded. He felt more and more like himself each day. He and Julie relished the time to connect and learn even more about each other. 

He’d expected to return to a depleted Workshop in desperate need of his Santa magic. Instead he walked into a warm, thriving environment, overflowing with his mom’s familiar magic. 

Emily was waiting for them with a massive smile. 

She wrapped him in a warm, welcoming hug. 

“Mom?” he asked. 

He felt her chuckle more than he heard it. 

“Once my brother lost his ability to block my magic, I realized I still have almost as much as I did before. I’m not quite a full Santa, and you’ll still need to make the Christmas Eve run, and be here for at least a few weeks a year but….” She trailed off, squeezing him even tighter. “You’ll get your chance to explore and see the world before you need to be here all the time.” 

He shared an astonished look with Julie, relief and excitement coursing through him. Her soft, affectionate smile and the sparkle in her eyes made his knees feel weak, no matter how much alone time they’d spent together in the last month. 

He and Julie could build a life outside of the Workshop, maybe even in Los Angeles. She wasn’t going to have to give everything up to be with him after all. This changed everything. 

Ray and Flynn wandered out of the kitchen, coffee mugs in hand and Luke felt his jaw hit the floor. 

“Surely you didn’t think we were going to let Julie do this alone?” Flynn teased. 

Ray just smirked at their surprise. “We’re moving in mijos ! ” 

Tia Victoria called across the house for Emily, something about wedding plans and as quickly as everyone appeared, they vanished. 

Julie popped up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. It started out soft and quickly grew heated. 

Alex screeched. “Lovebirds! I thought you might be done with that by now!” 

“We’re never gonna be done, Alex,” Julie warned, looking like the cat that ate the canary. 

Her lips were kiss-swollen and red and Luke couldn’t stop staring at them. She winked when she caught him looking. 

“We hate to interrupt,” Reggie cut in, “but we are long overdue for band practice.” 

Luke knew better than to say no to the expectant expression on Reggie’s face, with one important difference. “Not without Julie.” 

Reggie grinned. “I never expected anything else.” 

Julie was the perfect addition to the band. Sunset Curve was great, and while Luke loved playing in the pop punk style, the pop rock slant they took with Julie was incredible. 

From the very first moment, playing with Julie was pure magic. Magic unlike any he’d ever experienced before. 

Thanks to his mom, they would get the chance to explore this future in ways he never thought possible. 

After discussing it as a family, everything was decided. Julie and Luke would have a second wedding the next December, and after Christmas they would head to LA and start their future as Julie and the Phantoms. 

O