Disclaimer:

Sonic and Amy are (c) SEGA

Volt and Energy are (c) ME

Santa Claus is (c) Santa Claus

Synopsis:

This is just a cute little story that I wrote on impulse

To Catch a Clause

"Energy," the blue hedgehog whispered, poking his sister's arm. "Let's go! He'll be here soon!"

The small purple hedgehog yawned, opening a single eye. "Volt, Santa?"

Her big brother smiled, revealing a gap where his front teeth would soon grow in. Lately he'd been having fun squirting water and juice through the opening and impressing his friends by sucking from straws between teeth, too.

The shoelaces of his green sneakers were untied because he still couldn't quite get the hang of it. Bunny ears were challenging. Dad had told him that Santa would bring him Velcro or a buckle if he was good. As the boy was very envious of the gold buckles on his father's bright red shoes, the thought of his own buckles left him ecstatic.

"Santa's not here yet, but he will be. So let's go! We can sleep in the big chair."

"Under tree," the girl protested, reaching for her brother.
"Okay, we can sleep under the tree." Because she was only two and he was a whole three years older, Volt was easily able to lift his sister from her crib. Holding her hand tightly in his, he started walking towards the stairs. She toddled, doing her best to keep up. Sometimes, the boy walked faster than his little sister unless he paid really close attention.

He helped her down the stairs and then they made there way into the living room. Volt made sure to look around first, just in case Santa was already in there. But there were no new presents beneath the tree and the cookies on the plate hadn't been eaten yet. Red and green nightie dragging on the ground, Energy made her way straight to the tree. "Lights?" she asked, pouting. The lights that had been so bright when they'd gone to bed were dark.

Frowning, Volt walked up and laid a hand on one of the bulbs. With a little bit of focus, he charged the wires and the tree lit up pretty and bright. Energy squealed with delight and fell back. Mom had draped a "skirt" around the base of the tree and Energy and Volts had hidden pillows beneath it. So the little girl wasn't injured when she fell. Volt laid next to her, draping a protective arm around the baby after folding the skirt over them.

They snuggled together and, though they tried really hard to keep them open, their eyes soon drifted shut and they fell asleep.

Sometime later, they were both awakened to a loud, delighted round of "Ho, ho, ho!"

Volt, careful not to wake the baby, shifted to look up at the tall, round human. Dressed in red with shiny black boots and pretty golden buttons, a human with a beard whiter than the trim of his suit smiled down.

"Well, hello there." The large man knelt down, exuding a vitality of a much younger, much healthier man. "I believe only presents go under the tree, lad."

"Energy likes it here."

"You're such a good big brother," the man praised, reaching a hand into a large burlap sac. "I believe I have just the thing for you."

"Really? Thank you, Santa." He took the brightly wrapped package with a grin. "What about Energy? She's not a bad little sister."

Belly bouncing with another robust laugh, the man produced another package to the little girl who was yawning and rubbing her fists over her eyes. "Santa!" she squealed when she saw him and toddled over to give him the biggest hug she could muster. He lifted her three whole feet off the ground. Her and Volt, to the boy's utter delight.

"There we are," Santa said, setting the children down. "Now then, you put those gifts under the tree, right where the two of you were sleeping. Then I want you both to go to bed."

Both children did just as they were told and Energy exclaimed, "Present! For Christmas."

"That's right, my dear." He patted the young girl's head and sent them both towards the stairs. "And I may have another package or two if you go straight to sleep."

While the children made their way up the steps, Santa Claus went about his work. Eating cookies, drinking milk, and giving.

Volt and Energy, rather than go to their own bedrooms, went all the way down the hallway to see their parents. Using one another as leverage, they got onto the big bed and snuggled between the two adult hedgehogs. It wasn't an easy feat as they were wrapped around one another.

The pink hedgehog didn't awaken as she accommodated her children instinctively.

The blue hedgehog, however, opened one eye and studied them. "Did Santa come?" he whispered, grin flashing.

"He said I was a good brother," Volt confided, interrupted only once by his own yawning.

Energy snuggled close to her mother. "Presents," she breathed, already half-asleep. Going up and down stairs was tiring work, after all.

The blue hedgehog slowly slipped out of bed and then, using the speed he'd had since birth, was outside in under ten milliseconds, looking up at the roof for any sign of reindeer.

Nothing. Even when he turned around and looked at the sky and at other roofs, he saw nothing. He heard a faint jingling for a moment coming from his roof, but still saw nothing. Laughing, he kept his gaze in the roof. "Merry Christmas, Santa. I'll catch you in action one day." And the hedgehog was back in his bedroom in another ten milliseconds.

Santa touched the side of his nose and the sleigh and reindeer became visible again. "Phew," she sighed. "He almost caught us this year, boys. Yah!"

He snapped his reigns, called out nine names, and the sleigh lifted into the sky. As he flew out of sight, the hedgehog family could faintly hear him cry, "Almost had me, Sonic! Looks like you're not yet the fastest thing alive!"

All I want for Christmas are reviews!

lol

Merry Christmas, all!