December 24 1994
11:00 PM
"Francine, I don't think that getting our informant drunk on eggnog was the best way to get him to talk," Lee said, as he opened his front door.
"It worked, didn't it?" Francine said. "He talked."
"Yeah he talked all right," Lee said, taking off his Santa hat and putting it on the nearby hat rack. "About the weather, about his mother, about his ex-girlfriend-it took him two hours until he told us what we needed to know."
"You're just nitpicking-" Francine said, her blue eyes widening as she saw the plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table near the Christmas tree. "In my opinion, Scarecrow, it was a job well done."
"It could have been well done in about have the time," Lee said. "NEXT TIME WE DO IT MY WAY. And don't touch those cookies-Jenna and Amanda spent all afternoon making those for Santa."
"I notice that you just grabbed a couple."
"I'm entitled, I'm dressed for the part." Lee patted his pillow-enhanced midsection.
Francine sighed. "Well, Santa, in that case I'm going home to eat my own cookies in peace," she said. "Give Amanda my best and tell Jenna I hope she feels better-Christmas is a terrible time to have the flu."
"I'll tell them," Lee said. "Goodnight Francine-Merry Christmas."
"You too," Francine said.
After she was gone Lee sat down in the armchair near the table and ate a few more cookies, eyeing the assortment of presents underneath the tree. Jenna's new bike was carefully hidden behind the tree where she wouldn't see it-thank god he had put it together over a week ago-the
one year that he'd waited until Christmas Eve he'd been up until 2 AM.
Definitely not his old Christmas traditions, he thought. But then again, Lee Stetson was no longer the same person. If someone had told the old Lee Stetson that someday he'd have a wife and a family to spend Christmas with he would've laughed in their face. He yawned-this chair was so comfortable he could easily fall asleep right here-but he needed to get out of this getup and get into bed with his wife. Lee rose from the chair.
"Hello?" a small voice said. Lee saw Jenna at the foot of the stairs, dressed in her favorite pink nightgown. Her blond hair was tousled and her cheeks were the same bright pink as the fabric-a sign that she still was running a temperature. The expression on her face was confused as she stared at him and then Lee realized- dressed like this Jenna didn't recognize him.
"Ho, Ho, Ho –and why are you still up, little girl?" He said, making his voice deeper. "Don't you know that all children should be in bed?"
"I couldn't sleep," Jenna said. "I feel all hot."
"Where's your mommy?" Lee said.
"Asleep by my bed," Jenna said. "She said she was `sausted."
"Do you mean, exhausted?" Lee said. Jenna nodded. "Well how about I give you some more Tylenol and get you a cold cloth for your head so that you can sleep, okay?"
Jenna frowned. "Don't you have more presents to deliver?"
"Ah-" Lee thought fast. "Well my-uh-my sled is superfast and I'm almost done anyway, I have time." Lifting Jenna into his arms he took her upstairs.
"Did you get my letter this year, Santa?" Jenna asked.
"Of course," Lee said. "Now let's see-you wanted a doll, a baton, a pair of skates and-can't quite remember the last thing."
"A bike," Jenna said. "But I don't know if I'll feel like riding it tomorrow."
Lee ruffled her hair. "Well that's okay-it'll still be there when you do feel like riding it."
Amanda was in the armchair by Jenna's bed sound asleep, wrapped up in a fleece throw, her head leaning against the backrest. She did look exhausted, he thought-after he got Jenna to sleep he'd carry Amanda back to their bedroom.
Lee put Jenna in the bed and tucked her in. The bottle of chewable children's Tylenol was on the nightstand-Lee gave Jenna one of those. Jenna made a face while she chewed.
"It tastes gross," she said.
"I know it does," Lee said. "But it'll help you feel better. Just one minute, okay munchkin?" Jenna nodded. Lee went into the bathroom and wet one of the washcloths, wringing it out so it wouldn't drip. Coming back he put it on Jenna's forehead.
"That feels better," Jenna said, covering her mouth as she yawned. "I think I might go to sleep now-can you get my Scarecrow doll?"
"Sure," he said, carefully tucking the doll under her arm. Her eyes slowly closed. "Goodnight, Jenna," he said.
Jenna smiled. “Goodnight, Daddy.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
*Note: not a continuation of my previous stories this week-that's coming tomorrow. This is just a little thing that came to me.*
*The usual disclaimers apply-Lord only knows why a Christmas story came to me this close to July on one of the hottest days of the year. Let me know what you think.*
*The usual disclaimers apply-Lord only knows why a Christmas story came to me this close to July on one of the hottest days of the year. Let me know what you think.*