I DID NOT
KILL SANTA CLAUS!

IT WAS THAT TIME OF YEAR FOR THE MATTHEWS FAMILY, AND ALL FAMILIES AROUND PHILLY; CHRISTMAS. To start off the soon to be holiday, like every year before, Anna and Eric were sitting together on the couch in the Matthews living room, staring intently at the screen. For normal people, around this time, Christmas movies would be rolling, cookies would be baking in the oven, and eggnog would be poured for all to share. However, things were a little different for the older Hunter Matthews pair.

"If only he knew... if only they knew she loves him!" Eric shouted, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth as he stared at the screen. Anna chuckled, her eyes also still trained on the tv screen. Just like every year, there they sat, watching the cinematic masterpiece that was Dirty Dancing.

"They do know Eric, they're trying to protect her."

"Well they aren't doing a very good job. They're keeping her away from Swayze, they don't know anything!" He yelled again, queuing the younger Hunter Matthews pair to enter the living room. Shawn furrowed his eyebrows and Cory's face scrunched up as they stared at their siblings.

"What are you doing?" Cory asked, seemingly disturbed by his brother's state. Shawn came over behind Anna, snagging a handful of her popcorn, smirking back at the glare she sent him.

"Dirty Dancing?" Eric said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's a Christmas tradition." Anna finished, pulling her bowl away from Shawn teasingly, as Cory stared at the older siblings confused.

"You don't have normal traditions? You know, like caroling, decorating, baking cookies...not Patrick Swayze in a muscle tee." Cory asked sarcastically, making Eric fume. The two plastered fake smiles on their faces to hide the angry expression they shared, and slowly turned to face Cory.

"You know, you're right. There's is that one tradition where we make eggnog, and then we, pour it over the big heads of our little brothers." Anna said angrily, as Shawn and Cory both looked at Anna, laughing nervously before making their way to the back yard.

"That's what I thought!" She shouted after them, high-fiving Eric before returning her gaze to the tv.

"Anna Anna Anna!" Morgan shouted as she ran into the room.

"Moe!"

Morgan jumped into Anna's lap, ignoring Eric who's eyes were trained on the screen as Amy Matthews walked in from the kitchen. Eric sighed, another interruption.

"Eric honey..."

"Hold on hold on..." Eric waited until Patrick Swayze on the tv finished his line, then paused the movie, looking up at his mother happily.

"What can I do for ya mom?"

"I need you to bring your sister to the mall to see Santa." Without peeling his eyes from the screen Eric answered.

"Why can't you or dad do it?"

"Because I need to get some shopping done and your fathers at work. I figured you wouldn't be doing much, maybe you and Anna could go."

"But mom! We have an action packed day ahead of us!" He whined. Anna looked at him confused, pointing.

"We do?..."

"We do now."

Anna raised an eyebrow at Eric who sighed, turning off the tv and whined like a child. He turned to his mom and smiled falsely.

"We have to take Morgan to see Santa... that's what we're doing." Eric said, smiling family before yelling to himself, and dragging Anna up the stairs.

"I didn't even get to finish dirty dancing." He grummbled, making Anna chuckle as he pulled her up the stairs to get ready."

• ✧ •

ERIC'S SULKED AROUND THE MALL, CARRYING THE MANY BAGS AND STUFFED TOYS MORGAN GUILTED HIM INTO BUYING ON THEIR WAY TO SANTA, MUMBLING ANGRILY TO HIMSELF AS HE FOLLOWED THE TWO GIRLS. Morgan's hand hadn't let go of Anna's since they got to the mall, and she hurried her way around without a care in the world. They have been at the mall for 3 hours now, and have yet to get to Santa. Since walking in the entrance, every store they'd pass, Morgan insisted they'd go in, and had bought at least two things from each. Eric wished he wasn't a people pleaser, if only it was Cory instead of Morgan, his dear baby sister, maybe he wouldn't be stuck here, with almost an empty wallet.

He dropped the bags to the ground with a huff, catching both girls attention as they turned around.

"Alright Wease, here's the deal. I got about," he checked his pockets, pulling out a 20 dollar bill. "20 bucks. This twenty bucks is staying in my pocket, until we get to Santa, alright?" He looked between the two as Morgan stared at him.

"Okay Eric." Morgan said sweetly, making Eric look at her shocked. No whining, no bargaining, not even a single pout on her lips, and he watched in shock as she shrugged her shoulders, and continued to pull Anna over to Santa.

"It was that easy. You're kidding me." He groaned, picking back up his bags and chasing after the two girls.

"I hate it here. It's so crowded, and nothing but clothes and, and girls..." Anna looked at Eric shocked, and he looked back at her mockingly.

"I'm sorry, I thought you loved girls?"

"I'm going to see Santa, as a 15 year old...I do not want girls, seeing me and my..." he pulled a doll out of the bag and looked at it rolling his eyes. "Cuddle me Katie doll!" He said annoyed, squeezing the doll. The doll was trigged by the squeeze, and said 'googoo' in response making Eric gasp. "Aww, it said googoo." He said in a high pitched voice, making Anna roll her eyes as he out it back in the bag. He quickly returned to his angry expression and looked back around.

"Too many people at the mall, too many things to... ooo shaved ice!" Eric jumped excitedly, about to walk over to the stand before Anna pulled him back by his collar.

"I thought you were keeping your twenty in your pocket until we see Santa?" She asked slyly, making Eric pout.

"But it's shaved ice?"

"But you haven't seen santa?"

"But it's shaved ice!" He pouted at her, as if she were crazy for thinking anything else, but she stood her ground.

"You get that, you know Morgan's gonna want some."

"Mmm."

"And then she'll spill it on her shirt, which can only mean one thing..."

"I gotta buy her another shirt..."

"And you know she's gonna want a stuffed bear to match the one on her shirt."

Eric groaned, stomping his foot angrily.

"Fine! No shaved ice!"

"We're getting shaved ice!?" Morgan asked excitedly, before Eric whipped around, pointing at Morgan.

"No! No shaved ice, no new shirts, no stuffed bears until we see Santa, okay!?"

"Don't have a cow I just wanted to know." Anna smirked as Eric angrily stomped over to where the line for the mall Santa began. Anna chuckled, picking up Morgan on her back and following after him.

"No cow's either!" He yelled, turning around before dropping his bags as they stood in line.

They waited in line for another few minutes, before one of the female workers at the store came over to Eric, smirking at him.

"Hey cutie." He snapped out of his annoyed daze and quickly straightened himself up, smiling back at her.

"Who me?" He asked teasingly, wiggling his eyebrows at the girl. She smiled, and giggled, making Eric laugh along with her.

"You just looked so bored over here I had to come and save you." She ran her fingers through his hair, causing Anna to roll her eyes.

Eric raised his hands and smiled at the girl.

"Im saved."

"I uh, just started my break, wanna join me for lunch?" She smirked at him, and he smirked back, leaning in closer.

"Will there be eggnog?"

"Oh you know there will be."

Eric giggled nervously, and Anna leaned over to whisper to him.

"You only got a 20..."

"Shut up, she's cute." He whispered through gritted teeth. He continued to smile at her before she spoke up.

"So how bout that date?" Eric smiled, looking nervously between the kid in front of her who just sat on Santa's lap, and Anna's sympathetic smirk before he groaned again.

"Sorry, I got a date with Santa." Eric sighed angrily, and moved to sit on Santa's lap making Anna chuckle.

"Well, you can never be too old to come to Santa." The red dressed man said, smiling at Eric as he sat on his lap.

"Hey Santa."

"Now what do you want for Christmas son."

"I wanna leave, I don't wanna be here, I wanna go on a date, I don't wanna have to wear itchy sweaters that match my family, I wanna finish dirty dancing and sit in my pj's drinking eggnog with no interruptions..." Eric rambled, pausing for a minute before pointing at Santa, "and cash."

Santa chuckled and Eric smiled, pulling a drink out of his pocket.

"You like peach Santa?"

"You could say tha..."

"Here, take this, on me. Between you and me I think you work too hard." Eric said, making Santa laugh.

Anna chuckled at him before taking a picture of Eric on Santa's lap, right before Eric got off, standing beside Anna.

"You're so kind Eric." She said, and when shrugged with a smile.

"I'm a man of the people, what can I say. Right my big bellied friend!"

Santa gave Eric a thumbs up, mirror his actions before taking another drink of the peach soda Eric gave him.

"Alright Moe, you're up kiddo."

"Hello there little girl what's your name?" Santa asked, as Morgan glowed with excitement on Santa's lap.

"I'm Morgan. I've been very good this year."

Santa raised an eyebrow and looked over at Anna.

"It's true, she's the best." Morgan smiled happily at the answer, nodding vigorously.

"Pft, tell that to my credit card." Eric mumbled and Anna rolled her eyes.

"Now what do you want for...for Christmas." Santa said. Anna furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at him, he seemed... not well.

"Well there's this Susie homemaker oven..." Morgan began listing all the things she wanted, and just before she finished, Santa grabbed his heart, gasping for breath.

"Rudolph!" He shouted. Anna and Eric looked at each other nervously, then back at Santa, just as he passed out, falling back on his chair.

The elves standing by his chair started running around nervously as Morgan screamed loudly.

"You demon child! The demon child killed Santa!" One of the elves shouted, he looked strange in Anna's opinion, like a hit but meaner. Definitely meaner, he just called a child a demon.

"Oh my goodness oh my goodness... Oh my goodness!" Morgan yelled, getting up and running from the scene. The elves were rushing around as paramedics arrived and Anna and Eric looked at each other, confused at the chaos. Both their eyes slowly trailed to the empty bottle of juice beside Santa's chair, and Eric's heartbeat picked up. He chuckled nervously, trying to seem laid back.

"You don't think it was...it can't be right?" Anna's eyes widened as she looked at Eric.

"You poisoned Santa Eric!" She shouted as Eric shushed her, covering her mouth with his hands. He looked around nervously before looking back at her.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" He yelled back, in a hushed tone, not wanting to be caught.

"You, you and your death juice killed the most jolly man on earth!" She whispered back, and he continued to shush her.

"You heard the elf, Morgan did it!" He said, gesturing towards Morgan, who was screaming as she ran away.

Anna slapped Eric's arm before looking around for Morgan.

"I mean on the bright side, I was gonna drink that, I mean there are thousands of Santa's, there's only one Eric Matthews."

Anna slowly turned to look at Eric, glaring at him as he puffed up his chest.

"I wish you'd drank it you moron." She flicked his forehead before running to catch up to Morgan, who was still running away screaming in fear that she had killed Santa.

"Um, ow! That was rude of her wasn't it Santa?" Eric turned to Santa, who fell out of his chair, making Eric jump, laughing nervously before picking up his bags, and making his way to the the girls.

• ✧ •

AFTER FINALLY GETTING MORGAN TO SETTLE DOWN, THE TRIO MADE THEIR WAY BACK TO THE HOUSE, NOT WITHOUT MORGAN SINGING TWISTED CHRISTMAS CAROLS THE WHOLE DRIVE THERE. They had called Courtney to pick them up, who was utterly confused by Morgan's rendition of 'Here comes Santa Claus.' Carefully, to not bring up their trip to the mall somehow, they made their way inside.

"Hi." Eric announced, as they walked in. Amy and Alan smiled at them as they walked in, and Alan turned away from the tree he was decorating.

"Hey, did you have fun at the mall?" Alan asked Morgan, who looked tired, and sad, probably scared from the day's events.

"I don't think I'd call it fun." Eric said, as both teens chuckled nervously, scratching the backs of their heads.

"Well, hi pumpkin. I bet you had fun."

"Did you get your picture..." Eric and Anna began making signals, trying to stop Amy from talking but she continued. "Taken with Santa Claus." And just like that, she was out the room screaming, running upstairs and slamming her door.

"We tried to tell you." Eric said, falling back into the couch. The Matthews looked at the teenagers confused.

"I'm sorry I didn't know," she re-enacted their movements, "meant 'don't mention Santa.'"

"What happened?" Alan asked, making both teens sigh. They looked at each other before both chuckling nervously.

"Well, Morgan was waiting in line to sit on Santa's lap... and she was kind of nervous, and there was this elf... who looked like a hitman, only meaner." Eric explained nervously, and Alan tried to push him along.

"What? Did Santa scare her?"

"No, no. He was just this nice old man... with a jolly red face. You know, looking back, his face really was too red. I mean I just thought he was overheated. Velvet is a fabric that doesn't breathe..." Anna scoffed at Eric's lie, folding her arms.

"Eric poisoned Santa with his juice of death." Eric threw hands hands up angrily.

"I did not poison Santa!" He yelled, amazing Anna roll her eyes.

"Well, he was fine until he drank your juice, then all the sudden, boom, flat on the floor!"

The teens continued to ramble, angrily fighting over the events of the day before Amy interrupted.

"Guys, what happened?" She asked softly, and Anna sighed.

"Eric got this juice from the food court, strawberry peach, and didn't drink a sip the whole walk to Santa. So he gives Santa the juice as a...peace offering." Eric nodded, looking over at his mom's shocked expression.

"Yeah, little did I know, Santa's allergic to strawberry, who knew." They both shrugged as Amy gasped, and Eric chuckled nervously.

"Santa, he drinks the whole thing."

"The whole thing, he was probably hot under that suit." Eric chummed, as the two nodded at each other, agreeing as they told the story.

"Oh my god." Amy covered her mouth nervously.

"Well, oK, so Morgan climbs up on Santa's lap... and he asks her what she wants... and she says a Suzie Homemaker oven... and then he grabbed his chest, yelled "Rudolph," and fell over." Eric explained, making Alan laugh as Amy listened with fear.

"Flat on the floor." Anna chimed in, smacking her hands together.

"Oh my god."

Eric scoffed, squirming nervously.

"It wasn't my fault okay?! I was just trying to get in the Christmas spirit..."

"By killing Santa?" Anna asked interrupting him.

"I didn't kill him!" He yelled back, running his fingers through his hair in fear as he sighed.

"Are we talking eight reindeer pulling a pine box?"

"No, no. I think he's all right. I mean, the hitman elf gave him CPR... while Mrs. Claus called the paramedics." Eric explained, and Alan burst out laughing. Anna and Eroc tried to hold back their laughter as Amy pushed Alan, trying to hide her laughter as well.

"Alan, it isn't funny! Morgan thinks she killed Santa Claus." Amy said, chuckling a bit.

"It wasn't her it was Eric." Alan said, making Eric raise his eyebrows at them.

"I did not kill Santa Claus!" He said laughing

"Well, did you tell her that he's oK?" Alan asked, the laughter dying down as Anna nodded.

"Of course we did. I said he was just resting... and he'd be fine."

"Maybe you can take her to visit him in the hospital." Alan suggested and Anna shook her head.

"I really don't think it'll help her to see... Santa Claus with a tube stuck up his nose." She explained making them all agree. As if on queue, Cory and Shawn came into the room.

"Hey. What's with Morgan?" Cory asked, catching both Anna and Eric's attention almost immediately.

"She locked herself in the bathroom... and she's singing... 'On the first day of Christmas, I murdered Santa Claus.'" Shawn sang, mimicking one of Morgan's many twisted Carols from the car ride home. Anna sighed, and patting Eric's back to signal him to follow her.

"We'll go check on her."

• ✧ •

"WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS..." Morgan sang loudly, Anna and Eric having heard it from the other side of the door.

"Morgan, if you come out... I'll let you play with my makeup." Anna suggested. It was quiet for a minute, and then morgan continued.

"And a happy new year!"

"Morgan, come out. Santa's fine." Eric reassured, as they both listened in closely to the door.

"No. he's not."

"Well, then how come he just called me on the phone?"

"He did?" Morgan asked excitedly. Anna raised an eyebrow at Eric, not sure where he would end up going with this lead.

"Yep."

"What did he say?"

"He said, "Ho ho h... ohh! ohh!" Eric said, grabbing his chest to mimick Santa. Anna hit hit arm as both teens started laughing, and Eric looked at her teasingly.

"Stop it." She whispered, both of them giggling.

"What?" He mouthed back, earning another push.

"He said you've been a very, very good girl... and I should give you something really special." He continued his earlier bribe, causing Morgan to chime back in.

"Like what?" She asked, and both teens thought of something.

"Whatever you tell her, she's gonna want it... the second you open that door." Anna explained, as Eric looked around for something. His eyes landed on his flannel, and he smirked.

"How about my new flannel shirt that you like so much?"

Morgan opened the door, grabbing the flannel and slamming it, opening it again to get the piece that was stuck, and then once more before the whole flannel was in her possession. Eric shrugged, seeming as his plan didn't work.

"Okay..." Eric said, sighing as he rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Just go and tell her it wasn't her fault."

"Don't you think I tried that?! The elf called her a demon child, I think it's gonna stick with her." Eroc argued, making Anna roll her eyes.

"Well, just tell her that you did it." She said, making eric get defensive...again.

"It wasn't my fault! I just.."Anna's phone started