Last chapter! Thank you so much again for reading! Hope you all had a great Christmas. ^_^

Despite Rouge's casual dismissal of the 'Nice' list, the idea clearly still irked her. Shadow was going to tell her to drop it, but in the evening she disappeared—and she wasn't seen until next morning, when she turned up walking down the road that led to her house, looking rather battered and weary. Shadow and Omega ran into her along the way and swung into step with her, not commenting on her disheveled state but wondering if she'd explain.

They knew her well. At length she gave a disgruntled snort and tightened her scarf.

"So I went up to the North Pole . . . "

"You . . . " Shadow blinked at her.

"Yeah. I waited by the mailbox in Station Square, and when the elves came to take the letters, I nabbed one and asked him to take me with them. So he did."

"Why would you even . . . "

"It was bugging me, okay?" snapped Rouge. "I had to know if I'd really been on the 'Nice' list. So I went there, and Santa was kind of busy—it being the time of year it is and all—and he said he couldn't tell me which list I was on now. 'Cos that's strictly classified. But he said he could tell me where I'd been two or more months ago."

"Mmm?"

"Yeah." Rouge shrugged. "I was on the 'Nice' list."

"Congratulations?" said Shadow, shrugging in return. He wasn't sure what quite else you should say, in response to that kind of news, and "never thought I'd see the day" didn't seem quite right.

"Thanks," sighed Rouge. She kicked a loose clump of ice aside. "But we sure know which list I'm on now, all the same. So that's just swell. And then I had to take the magic express wind-tunnel whatsitsname to get back here so fast. Never again, I tell you. All-around sucky experience."

"Well don't look at me."

"I'm not looking at you," muttered Rouge. She chewed her tongue for a minute, glaring at the road, then looked up suddenly as if she'd just remembered something. "Oh, Omega—Santa said to give you this." She dug in her coat pocket and handed the robot a slim red-and-green envelope. "He said something about delivering it early so he could make it down the chimney safely—seemed to think it was a huge joke. What was in that letter you sent him? You weren't threatening the poor guy, were you?"

"Nothing of the kind," said Omega, unruffled. "I was asking his opinion."

"Opinion? Hobnobbing with jolly St. Nick himself, are you?" Rouge huffed. "I bet you're on the 'Nice' list."

"Indeed, I expect I am."

Rouge snorted bitterly. As Omega fell back, studying the address on the envelope, Rouge dug her hands into her pockets and looked contemplative.

"I should've stole one of his elves," she muttered.

"That would be the 'Naughty' list for eternity right there."

"Aw, come on. They just go on a year-by-year basis, right? Doesn't matter how bad you are one year, it doesn't carry over into the next." Rouge snapped her fingers suddenly. "Come to think! Since I just landed on the wrong side of the list this year anyway, I should at least make it worth my while before Christmas goes by and they start counting for next year's list. Maybe I will plunder a few orphanages!"

Shadow raised his eyes heavenwards and decided to wash his hands of the matter. Leave it to Rouge to take Santa's good-behavior system as reverse psychology.

"Or at least I could pour ice water down a few chimneys," continued Rouge, clearly warming up to the concept. "Or I could burn down the big Christmas tree in Station Square, or hijack an armored vehicle, or stick up a bank and steal all their free mints! Heck, I could really live it up before Christmas!"

"If you get yourself jailed, don't expect me to bail you out," muttered Shadow.

"Forget jail, I'm gonna live dangerously! What's the most dangerous thing I could do? . . . " Rouge rubbed her hands together and eyed Shadow contemplatively. "Sayyyyy, are you getting me anything for Christmas?"

Shadow looked at her oddly, but shook his head.

"Good," said Rouge, and pushed him unceremoniously into a snowdrift. "Okay, that was exciting! Now for the second-most-dangerous. Probably that would be the . . . " She looked up. "Uh-oh—"

At least it was Christmas. Presumably Shadow wouldn't bring out the Chaos Spears.

Hopefully.

Omega watched his teammates fondly, but from a safe distance. A familiar whine of engines sounded just behind him, and he turned to see Metal Sonic pulling up to a hover nearby, observing the scene curiously.

"Savage little creatures, aren't they?" remarked the smaller robot at last.

"The very savagest."

"At least you are not keeping entirely disgraceful company," continued Metal, making a little too big a show of grudging the concession. Omega grated amusedly.

"You have received correspondence, then?" inquired Metal, pointing at the still-unopened letter. Omega nodded and slit it open, pulling out a very formal-looking cream-colored stationery, neatly printed.

"His binary is excellent," he noted, surprised.

"But what does it say?"

"The usual formalities," murmured Omega, scanning. "Also: 'With regards to your question, yes, I am acquainted with Doctor Eggman. He has attempted to cause trouble for me several times, and there has not yet been a year in which he was not on the 'Naughty' list. I am also aware of your enmity with the Doctor, and while I do not endorse violence of any sort, I understand your sentiments and wish you luck in your endeavors. Sincerely, Saint Nicholas.'"

"So then, he is not Eggman?" asked Metal.

"Evidently not," said Omega. "We shall have to call off the attack."

Metal gave a grudging chirp.

"I had been looking forward to some excitement for a change . . . "

"You have no upcoming plans?"

"Nothing of interest." Metal shrugged.

"It looks like things will be fairly exciting over here," ventured Omega, glancing back at his teammates. "You would probably be welcome here for Christmas."

Metal glanced over with something like surprise; that was really going out on a limb, for Omega. It touched him enough that he made the effort to word his answer carefully.

"The offer is not entirely disagreeable. But still—your company is not my company. This unit does not acknowledge nor participate in the organic traditions. However, the offer of goodwill is acknowledged, and documented under 'favorable.' Goodwill: returned in kind."

Aww. That was really going out on a limb for Metal Sonic, too. Omega nodded in acceptance.

"Safe travels, then. Do endeavor not to get damaged too spectacularly; I grow tired of repairing you."

That metallic warble of ironic laughter, a swish of parting air, and Metal Sonic was gone. Omega settled down, more or less satisfied. He knew his robot brother couldn't really appreciate the traditions of the holidays, but he could accept and respect that.

It was enough, really, that he had caught the glint of a bright-red magnet against the blue of Metal's hull.