#12daysofkv2020

* Someone is transported to a Christmas in a past century. 

* After the blizzard hits, they’re stuck together for a while, and they have to stay warm. 

* They’re putting up a Christmas tree at the hospital. 

* Someone receives a gift wrapped in newspaper and duct tape. 

* What’s a reindeer doing in this part of town? 

* Character A and Character B, sworn enemies, are chosen to prepare the company Christmas Party. 

* Character A’s best friend rigs the Secret Santa, because they know Character A has a crush on Character B. 

* Character A and Character B are co-workers, but they barely know each other. But they both have to work through the holidays. 

* Character A and Character B meet in the ER on Christmas Eve. 

* Character A and Character B broke up, but now they meet at a Christmas party. 

*  Character A and Character B have to save Christmas. 

Barry zipped around the reindeer, feeding them with Velocity 10 formulas as Ralph massaged Rudolf’s legs. Barry had just come back from his first part of the journey and had fourteen minutes before he had to take off again.

“Not even close!” Cisco yanked his jingle hat off his head, sweating. “The rubber duck for that kid in Shiraz melted next to the electric mitten-warmers for that family from Rivieres-des-Loups!” 

Iris exchanged a glance with Barry. “Okay, so? Rubber ducks, you’ve made those in five seconds flat.” 

Cisco snapped his fingers together and peppermints littered the ground. “Yeah,” he said, stressed, gesturing at the candy. “I know. But my magic is all wonky today.” 

Barry crossed his arms over his chest. “Cisco, did you sleep at all in the last two weeks?” 

Cisco scratched at his growing beard. “Uh...I think I did.” 

“When?” Ralph asked, dialling something on his North Phone.

Cisco paced around the barn, distributing carrots to the reindeer. “It was on a Friday. I had a three-hour nap. I remember because I fell asleep during uh—” He went red, remembering exactly what he was in the middle of when he fell asleep. His wife was not too pleased but resigned and tucked him into bed.“...During Eggnog and Chill. We were watching the Macy’s parade.” 

So yes, this year has been particularly hectic. And Cisco had been falling behind in toy-making since Christmas in July.

 And it was all because of global warming. 

The melting ice caps, the endangered polar bears, threatened habitats, and so on have been requiring Mother Frost’s assistance all around the world. Where it was getting too hot, Caitlin was stuck in deserts, for some weeks at a time trying to cool down the earth’s surface. Where it was too cold, she’d try to absorb the moisture in the air with gulping breaths. Between all their work, they barely got time to have quality time together, and it was really taking a dive on Cisco’s spirit. 

Mrs. Claus gasped. “That was American Thanksgiving in November!” She whacked the side of his head with his doll. “Why hasn’t Caitlin said anything??” 

At the mention of his wife, Cisco froze suddenly. “Holy gingerbread.” 

“What?!?” Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Ralph, and all the elves asked him, pausing in the middle of their 10-minute countdown. 

“I left Caitlin’s gift in my workshop!” He spun on his heel, about to run back through the poinsettia field when Barry grabbed the collar of his green vest. “Cisco. The rubber duck.” 

Cisco jumped. “Right. Right!” He pulled Ralph from Rudolph by the wrist despite his protests and dashed through the snow. 

Iris and Barry stared at the two from the sled. 

“Cisco’s usually ridiculous on Christmas Eve, but this year I don’t know…” Iris said. “He’s frazzled. Like, more than usual.” 

Barry glanced at the countdown and bit his lip. “He’s been distracted.” 

“By what?” Mrs. Claus asked, stealing a kiss to smooth away Santa’s frown. She picked Cisco’s abandoned hat from the hay and stuck it onto his head, giving it a little ring-a-ling.  

“SIX Minutes Until Santa’s Sleigh Takes Off!” Gideon the AI informed Santa Land. 

A few elves freaked out in the corner and Barry tried to reassure them that Cisco would be back in time. He answered Iris’ question just as Cisco and Ralph came bounding back with a purple gift box, panting as they shoved it into the back of the sleigh. 

“Uh…” Barry said. “You’re probably better off not knowing.” 

Mrs. Claus quirked an eyebrow. “Well, okay.” She pointed at Ralph, who was holding a blue box with a red ribbon. “Is that supposed to be on the sled?” 

“No!” Cisco yelped, yanking it out of Ralph’s hands. He went red again. “Uh. No. This is uh, not for the sleigh. Ralph was just holding it for me.” 

Iris gave him another odd look but decided not to push it. 

“THREE Minutes Until Santa’s Sleigh Takes Off!” 

They all scrambled, sticking bows on the last of the gifts as Cisco went over the itinerary with Barry once again.

“Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran. Got it?” 

“Got it!” 

And off Barry went at lightning speed into the northern lights. 

Ralph slung an arm around Cisco’s shoulder. “Hey man, you’ve been decking the halls all day. How about some sleep?” 

Cisco laughed. “Caitlin’s coming back from South Korea in an hour. I haven’t seen her since the 20th, I’m not sleeping now.” 

But then, his eyelids felt heavy and he started to sway. “Pine needles,” he slurred. “Does anyone else feel fuzzy?” 

He took a step forward, and then another, needing some fresh air. He clutched Caitlin’s gift to his chest as sugar plum fairies started to dance in front of him. “Uh—Dibs? You see that too?” 

Another wash of fatigue flooded his system like slow molasses and his grip on the present slackened. 

“Okay, buddy.” Ralph’s voice said in his ear as he started drifting off. Cisco sneezed, and gold dust surrounded him. 

Oh. He’s been Sandman-ed. 

Not. Nice. 

So. Not Nice. 

So so so so so so so not nice. 

But. 

Maybe a small nap...would be okay. 

~.~ 

Cool kisses pressed against Cisco’s neck. He smiled, nuzzling into the pillows of their bed. Caitlin’s side hasn’t been slept in for a few days now, but the dip in the bed beside him indicated that would end tonight. 

“Oh, my poor toy master,” Mother Frost sighed, stroking his hair. “All tuckered out from a year’s worth of hard work. I’m home now.” 

He blinked awake, and there was Mother Frost in her natural beauty. Snowflakes stuck to her silver hair and crystals on her lashes, but her ice coloured eyes melted his heart. Cisco leaned up on his elbows and pouted. “They Sandman-ed me. On Christmas Eve.” 

Caitlin thumbed at the scruff along his jaw. “Cisco, you haven’t shaved in days and you were running around Santa Lab with a hot chocolate stain down your shirt. I don’t blame them for doing that.” 

“What if they needed me!” He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand and yawned. “How long have I been out?” 

“Four hours. Barry’s going to be back for the next round soon. And you know Hartley can handle things, you just don’t give him the chance.” 

Cisco muttered under his breath. Caitlin chose to ignore it. 

“Kiss me.”

“Not with that on your face.” 

He swung his legs over the edge of their bed and padded to the fireplace. After throwing a few logs in, he went to the bathroom. With a razor in hand, he walked back out. “How long did you say Barry would be gone?” 

Caitlin raised an amused eyebrow. “Less than two hours. Why?” 

Cisco gave her a sly smile. “I’ve got some plans that involve us, that bed, and that present.” He pointed to the purple gift box sitting on the rocking chair. “You should open it.” 

The snow fairies brought the gift to Caitlin as Cisco went back to shave. 

After the rustling of gift wrap, Cisco reemerged fresh-faced and ready for quality time with his wife. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her ear. “Like it? Made it myself.” 

Caitlin stared at the gift box. “I love you and I appreciate everything you make, but how exactly is this rubber duck going to be used while rocking around the Christmas tree?” 

Cisco laughed into her neck, tickling her waist. “Stop being funny.” 

Mother Frost turned around, waving a bath toy in front of him. “I’m not.” 

Cisco went white. “Oh fuuu-nnel cake!” 

The profanity magic just barely covered up his expletive. Caitlin nearly dropped the toy.

He let go of her immediately, nearly tripping over the bow as he continued to curse translated festive phrases. 

“Cisco! Your naughty watch is going to beep.” She giggled at his franticness to get dressed, snow pants and everything. “Slow down, it’s just a missing toy. We can get Barry to run back and give it back to the child.” 

“Heckin’ Holly, no you don’t understand. That kid already has a gift.” He grabbed onto her shoulders. “Your gift.” 

Caitlin frowned. “The duck?” 

He shook her lightly. “Your real gift.” 

They stared at each other, Cisco watching the features of the Snow Queen’s face morphing to mimic his own panicked expression. 

“...What was it?” 

He snapped his fingers to open a portal, snatching his sketchbook. Thankful that his powers decided to work properly when he needed them for the first time today. He flipped to the page of drawings with Caitlin’s very non-family friendly gift. 

It was an outfit. A red white and green fantastical outfit. 

Mother Frost took the book from him, aghast. She tilted it sideways. “You put bells on it?!?” 

“Forget the bells!” he snapped, glaring at the snow fairies who had fallen to the floor, chiming in the way Cisco had learned meant they were laughing at him. “Now a little girl in Shiraz is going to open your very private present in a few hours!” 

Caitlin ordered her fairies off the floor and out of their house, helping to bundle up Cisco in his coat and scarf as she opened a window to call out for the Snowy Owl. 

She ran to her desk to write a letter and then wrapped it with a blue ribbon around the Owl’s feet. 

“Give this to Santa right away,” she told her. “It’s urgent.” 

They bustled into the Holiday Cortex. Cisco slammed down on the giant red button on the monitor and Caitlin flipped on the signal to the Comms in Barry’s suit. The alarm sounded and Iris came running in from Mrs. Claus' office. 

“What’s the emergency?” she demanded, pushing Cisco out of the way to watch the live feeds of Barry. 

Ralph came jogging into the Holiday Cortex too, removing the candy cane from his mouth. 

“We’ve got a really big problem,” Cisco began but was interrupted by Gideon, the AI, announcing over the bugle system: 

“CISCO RAMON HAS COMMITTED A CRIME AGAINST SANTA.” 

“Son of a buche.”

All the elves took a step back from their boss. 

“It was a mistake!” 

Barry crackled in from Sudan, “...What the nutcracker? I just got Mother Frost’s message about the SOS SANTA.” 

Mother Frost spread out her frost, protecting her husband from the angry elves. “Look. It is all a big misunderstanding, but we need to fix it right away. Cisco accidentally swapped my present with one Santa already delivered in Iran.” 

Barry groaned from the Sleigh Cam. “Cisco. You didn’t. I’ve warned you so many times.” 

Cisco bristled. “Look, I’ve been Head Toy Master for over thirty years. Not ever have I committed a crime against Santa.”  

Mrs. Claus put a hand in her hair, trying to come up with a reasonable course of action. “Can’t we just leave it be?” 

“NO,” said Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry in unison. 

“Why not?” she asked. “Doesn’t he usually get her a fairy feeder?” 

Barry chuckled dryly. “...If you only knew what was on his Christmas list.” 

Mother Frost grew irritated. “It’s not naughty for him to miss me. I’m his wife and we’ve both been so busy.” 

“That’s not the issue,” Barry said through a hushed whisper. The monitors switched to his suit cam since he was now shimmying down a chimney. “The issue is that it’s been leaking into his work. That’s why his magic’s been all messed up this month. He’s been using it for non-festive purposes.” 

“Love is festive,” Cisco argued stubbornly. “Love is the most powerful magic in this place.” 

Ralph was in the corner laughing with the snow fairies. “I can’t believe this. My Crimes Against Santa were child’s play compared to this.” He took a sip of hot chocolate but ended up snorting it all up over his tunic. “I’m sorry,” he said, crying tears as his shoulders shook. “I can’t take this seriously, I really can’t. I gotta go.” 

“Ralph!” Iris called after him. “You can’t leave during an SOS SANTA.” 

Hartley, who had heard everything, strode up to Cisco and yanked his Toy Expert Pin from his vest. 

“Hey!” 

“You sent a naughty gift to a seven-year-old,” he hissed. “You better believe article 24 of Santa’s Handbook would call for your expulsion.” 

“You can’t do that!” Caitlin gasped. The Snow Fairies stopped laughing, humming angrily at Hartley. 

“Guys!” Mrs. Claus grabbed a bell and rung it, clanging above the outbursts. “We’ll worry about Cisco later. Right now we need to help Barry get back that gift.” She checked the international clock. “It’s already morning there. That gift could be opened at any minute and Hartley is right--If that child opens that present, Cisco’s Crime Against Santa would call for his removal as Head Toy Expert.” 

Ralph let out another snort. 

“It’s not funny!” The elves cried. 

“Yes, it is!” 

~.~ 

Santa ended up having to turn the sled around. 

“How mad are you?” Cisco asked meekly as he slid into the passenger seat of the sleigh. Blitzen wouldn’t even look at him, so he knew it was kind of bad. 

Barry wouldn’t answer his question, instead telling Cisco to stay put, unbuckling his seat belt to climb off the sleigh. Cisco slunk into his seat, petulant. His wife might’ve been the daughter of Jack Frost, but it never stopped feeling crummy to be given the cold shoulder

At the Holiday Cortex, the team tried to come up with a new plan. They followed Santa as he led them to the Time Vault. 

Hartley pushed up his spectacles from the bridge of his nose. “Santa, what are we going to do about our delay?” He looked at his clipboard, reading his calculations. “We’re now two hours off schedule, meaning we’re 42% below the required ratio of housetop click click clicks.” He did some more calculations. “That’s 79 thousand kids not getting a present this year.” He glanced at his watch. “And counting.” 

“I know,” Barry said shortly. He paused in front of what he had come into the Time Vault for.