Chapter Six

Chris knew that Sebastian had been able to see right through him during their meeting at the diner after he had gotten off his first day of Santa duty. He had tried to act like he was listening as Sebastian kept up his cheerful banter about the day he had, had on set. He hadn't realized that as he talked, he was pushing around the food on his plate with his fork in an absentminded fashion. Sebastian could tell that Steve wasn't listening to a word he was saying, and was debating how to snap him out of it.

"So that's when I told him that I broke into the bank and stole all that gold. Remember that heist, Chris?"

"Oh yeah. Yeah, I remember," said Chris, using the prongs on his fork to slap the lettuce in line behind his tomatoes.

"Really? You remember that? You remember the horse-drawn wagon we used to escape with too?"

"Oh yeah. I remember that."

Sebastian narrowed his gaze as he watched Chris' lettuce do a floppy cartwheel into the dressing.

"Cut the crap, Chris. You aren't even paying attention to what I've been saying."

Chris looked up at Sebastian, letting his blue gaze roam his face for a moment before looking back down at his salad.

"I have been paying attention."

"Then what have I been talking about?"

"You were...you were telling me about filming..."

"Yeah...a good twenty minutes ago," stated Sebastian. He sighed and leaned back against the booth he was seated in. "What has the iron grip on your attention? Spill."

"There's nothing to spill," remarked Chris.

"Dude, no. There is obviously something going on upstairs, otherwise you wouldn't have tuned me out to abuse your poor salad," said Sebastian, gesturing towards the salad that Chris had been beating about with his fork.

Sighing, Chris pushed his salad plate forward, allowing the fork to rest against the rim. He leaned back against the booth, sliding his hands over his thighs several times as if to rid them of sweat before making eye contact with Sebastian again.

"I met this little girl while I was at work today. She...She was remarkable."

Sebastian quirked a brow in Chris' direction, wondering what he was getting at.

"And how was this little girl remarkable?"

"She didn't ask for a toy or anything of that sort for Christmas. Her Christmas wish was that her mother would be happy again."

Sebastian hummed in thought then, touched also by that little girl's request. He studied Chris, noticing the way in which he was staring off into space again as his eyes stayed on the salad plate.

"Why are you still thinking about it?" asked Sebastian.

"It's just...all the other children made requests that could be fulfilled through coupons. Atty's request won't work like that."

"I take it Atty is the name of this little girl?"

Chris nodded his head, still staring absently at his limp lettuce.

"Chris, you do know that you aren't actually Santa Claus. You don't actually have an obligation to fulfill each of their wishes."

"It's just...no one makes such a selfless request, and I want her to have a Merry Christmas just the same as all the rest of those children will."

"Yes, but Chris. Think about this, man. Logically, how are you going to do that?"

"I have some money. I'll find Atty again, and give her some money to give to her mother. Maybe she's unhappy because she's struggling financially."

"Chris! Dude! Stop this."

Chris' eyes snapped back up to look at Sebastian; surprise festering in them.

"Why?"

"Do you realize how many Attys there probably are in the world? What makes you think you'll find her again? What makes you think the thing that will make her mother happy is money?"

"Seb, I don't know, but I can't give up. That child...it was one request I just can't let go of. It's going to be my mission to make that child have a Merry Christmas. You can choose to support me or not."

Sebastian let out a long sigh before turning his gaze to look out the window for a moment, trying to figure out what the right words in that situation would be.

"I'm not meaning to sound like I'm heartless. I'm just trying to be practical, Chris." Sebastian turned his gaze away from the window again to look at Chris. "I got you this gig to get you out of the rut that you found yourself in."

"And it is Seb. I must admit that I wasn't crazy about this. Even this morning, I wanted nothing more than to back down, but that has changed. Now I feel like I have a purpose. A mission, if you will."

Sebastian smirked at the way Chris worded it.

"A mission, huh?"

"Yes, and I would really like you to support me. I know it may be futile, but I can't give up. Not on this child. Not on Christmas."

Sebastian looked at the seriousness that was etched on Chris' face, and knew that there was no talking him out of the mission that he had in mind. He could either go along for the ride, or get out of the way.

"What is your plan exactly?" asked Sebastian.

"I'm not entirely sure. It's what I've been pondering..." Chris looked at Sebastian with a small smile. "Are you supporting me in this?"

"Lets get one thing straight," said Sebastian as he reached for his water glass, lifting up off the table and bringing it towards him, "I think that you're absolutely insane, but..." He shrugged, taking a sip of the glass before putting it back on the table, "Lets see what your plan is. You do have a sound mind at the end of the day."

Chris smirked at that, chuckling slightly as he shook his head.

"Thanks for that..." He cleared his throat, taking a sip out of his own glass before begin to unfold what little of an idea he had at the moment, "I suppose the only thing that I can do is wait a few days and see if she comes back to the toy store to spend her coupon. Smithy did give her a coupon for anything within the store."

"And if that doesn't work?" asked Sebastian, arching a brow, "What's your back up plan?"

"I don't have one yet," said Chris. "I'm going to have to take it one step at a time, and just hope that it works out."

"Hope and faith seem to be a pattern within your thought pattern," remarked Sebastian.

"Faith is all you need at the end of the day," said Chris back before slipping a hand into his pocket to begin looking for money to pay for his food.

Sebastian didn't say anything, not quite sure how to refute that. He was just happy to see that Chris seemed to finally be out of that slump that he had been in for so long. It hadn't been fun for him to watch someone he regarded as his best friend in such a dark place. He had been so scared for a while there that Chris wouldn't ever come back from that.

"So, you heading home then?" asked Sebastian as he watched Chris tuck his tip between the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

"I have to stop at a store first. I need a new belt for my Santa uniform."

"Dude, no. You didn't break the belt," said Sebastian as he moved to stick his tip with Chris'.

"It was fraying, and I was trying to keep the pudge up on my stomach."

"Dude! The woman that lent it to me from prop storage will kill me."

"I'm getting a replacement! I promise!"

Sebastian chuckled then, standing up from the booth as Chris did and playfully punched him in the arm.

"You'd better, or I'm going to come back from the grave to kick your..."

"I get it," chuckled Chris, looking about the diner as other diner goers turned to look at them.

The two of them moved to pay for their bill before stepping back outside. They stood on the sidewalk outside for a moment before Sebastian's phone chirped. He slipped a hand into his pocket to withdraw it and look at who had messaged him.

"Hey, it's Robert," said Sebastian. "He liked the picture I sent him."

Chris slipped his hands into his coat pocket as he turned to look at the text on Sebastian's phone. He could see Robert's text being displayed, and smirked at what he said.

"He's calling me Chris Kringle? Really?"

Sebastian chuckled, quickly composing a text back to Robert before slipping his phone into his pocket once more.

"Seems fitting and all what with you playing Santa Claus and your name actually being Chris."

"Sarcastic twit," muttered Chris with a smirk. "I'm going to find a way to get back at him."

"Or you could give him a break considering you're all jolly and everything," suggested Sebastian.

"Um...no..." said Chris with a chuckle. He moved to step away from Sebastian then, giving him a small salute. "Have a good evening, Sebastian, and good luck with shooting tomorrow. Tell everyone I say 'hey'. I'm off to go find a belt."

"Yeah, okay. Good luck with that mission," said Sebastian, "And your other mission as well."

A small smile eased its way onto Chris' face then at Sebastian's comment, and he nodded his head to acknowledge it.

"Thanks, Seb. It'll work out. It just has to."

"I'm sure that it will."

Sebastian watched Chris as he walked off down the sidewalk to where his vehicle was parked. He was sincerely hoping that Chris got what he needed to from all this. This gig could have been just the right thing to bounce him back from the dark place he had been in. Sebastian moved to walk towards his own vehicle then, happy that his best friend seemed to finally be back.