Naughty Elf: Humbug (Santa’s Naughty Elf Mates)

Chapter 15

Chapter

Fifteen

B ax stared down at his daughter’s face, completely stunned at the turn his life had taken in one short year.

He’d found out he was an elf. He’d discovered his knot. He’d mated with Gavin. He had a baby.

And now, in his house, which was decorated for Christmas with an exuberance he’d never been able to muster on his own, his daughter was having her first Christmas.

Gavin was asleep, hopefully dreaming of sugarplums or something. Hell, he hadn’t even known what sugarplums were until Gavin made them for him. Weird little hard candies. But cool.

“It’s late, little snowflake. But I guess your tummy knows no time.” He bounced her on his shoulder, pacing, hoping to get her to burp. “Should I sing, baby girl? I know you like that.” He hummed a little, then launched into “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, which had her dozing in no time.

Then she burped, her whole body getting into it, her eyes opening wide.

“That’s my girl.” She had Humbug’s temper, but his manners. The idea made him laugh.

The clatter of hooves out in the yard made him frown. It was Christmas Eve. Hell, Christmas Day by the actual hour. It was the busiest night of the year for the family he’d married into. Well, he was going to marry Gavin. He just had to figure out how since Gavin had no paperwork…

But at any rate, no one should be arriving by reindeer. And that was a lot of clatter. Maybe it was a herd of elk.

“Should we go see, baby girl? That would be a neat sight.”

Guffy woofed softly, rising and heading to the fireplace, not the kitchen door. And, as Bax looked out the window at the huge sleigh and the eight reindeer attached to it by harness, he heard the sound of… Christmas twinkle.

That was what Gavin called any kind of elf magic that happened, and now that he had accepted his elf side, it was happening more and more frequently between the three of them.

The fire had mostly gone out, but the coals went completely dark, and something popped out of the chimney, starting small and becoming a full human-sized male in a bright red suit and hat trimmed in white. He glowed in the lights on the tree and the mantel.

Bax stood there, mouth hanging open, while the old fellow opened a bag and started putting presents under the tree.

“Good morning, Baxter. Ho-ho! Do you think you might go wake up Humbug? I want to say hello.”

“You—I?—”

“Yes.” The guy really did look jolly, his nose and cheeks bright red from the cold, his blue eyes twinkling. “Humbug.”

“Right. Be right back.” He took Merida with him. No changelings needed. Not that he hated his life.

Far from it. He did wonder if his human counterpart was happy.

He put Meri down in her bassinet, which was in their room for now, and woke Gavin up. “Santa is here to see you.”

“No yellow snow?” Gavin yawned. “Well, hand me my robe. The old coal breath is on a tight timeline tonight.” Gavin slipped out of bed and into house shoes. Bax helped him into his robe, and Gavin shuffled to the front room.

Santa was squatting down, rubbing Guffy’s belly. The big St. Bernard looked ecstatic.

“Et tu, Guffy?” Gavin muttered.

“Now, Humbug, are you still out of sorts with me? Look at your life.” Santa’s booming laugh had Bax grinning.

“Yeah, yeah.” Gavin grinned at Santa, then threw himself at the old guy. “Thank you.”

Santa hugged Gavin hard, patting his back. “Congratulations, Bug. You did it.”

“I did. I love them both, and even Guffy, so much.”

“I knew you would.” Santa patted Humbug’s back. “I always know.”

“Bah.”

“What can I say? His name is Baxter Alexander Killian.”

Gavin blinked. “B.A. Ba. Ba Humbug. Oh, sparkle.”

Santa laughed heartily. “Anyway, this is for you.” He backed off, pulling more stuff out of his bag. He handed Gavin a flat box. “Papers. So you can get married and all. And for little Meri.”

“Aw, Santa. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. There’s something under the tree for all of you, as well. Your mother’s gift is at Doc’s house,” Santa told Bax.

“Oh? Is she in the pole with him?” Wouldn’t surprise him one bit.

“She is.”

“Well, good on her.” He winked.

“I must be off. But I wanted to stop in and say Merry Christmas.”

“Santa…”

The old elf slung his bag over his back. “Yes, Bug?”

“About Stardust…”

Santa hooted. “He’ll be fine, my boy. I won’t turn him into a doll. I promise.”

Gavin relaxed, and Bax grinned. That had been Gavin’s last worry.

“Thanks, Santa. I’ll see you in June when we come up for the long days.”

“I’ll see you then.” And with a nod, Santa disappeared, and the fire came back to life.

“So that was Santa fifteen, huh?” Bax asked, holding his arms out for Gavin, who came to him right away and hugged him tight.

“It is. The old reindeer hienie.”

That made him laugh. “He looks just like the one in the parade.”

“Might have been. Some of them look like that.”

“Not all, huh?”

Gavin rubbed his cheek against Bax’s chest. “Nope. Wait until you see sixty-nine this summer without all his winter clothes.”

That still blew his mind. “I can’t wait.”

“I can. We have so much good time to spend together first. All of us.”

“We do. I love you, Gavin Humbug McPherson.”

“I love you too, BA Killian. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, love.”

Wrapped together, they headed back to bed. They had a busy day tomorrow, opening presents, making dinner, and making love.

Just the way Christmas should be.

End