Santa's Helpers by bjnkha9192
Chapter 1 by bjnkha9192
Christmas was fast approaching; December had finally made its way into the foreground and it was all about the most wonderful time of the year.

"Have a wonderful day and happy holidays" Sasha said to a customer "So? how are we doing?"

"Sash this idea was perfect, between this and the store downtown you're making out like a bandit" Calista said to her.

An older man with a large broom came into the store “Hello again Miss Miller” he said happily.

“Oh, hi, Janitor Bob” she said approaching him.

“How’s business these days?” he asked.

“Going absolutely wonderfully” Sasha said “How about you? How’s your day going?”

“Eh, can’t complain, course Santa did throw up on some poor kid earlier” he said holding onto his broom.

“Oh…don’t you mean the kid threw up on Santa?” she asked confused.

“No” he said “Yeah that’s Jerry for you, any day he doesn’t come to work hungover could be considered a Christmas miracle” he said.

“Hello Miss Miller” a woman holding a clipboard said approaching her.

“Oh Ms. Beaumont, hello” Sasha said “Nice to see you again” she said.

“Janitor Bob” Ms. Beaumont said to him “ “I trust you took care of the Santa vomiting incident” she said.

“Yes ma’m good seeing you again Miss Miller” he said leaving.

“You too!” Sasha said to him “So Mrs. Beaumont, what can I do for you?” she asked politely.

“Just came to see how business was going” Ms. Beaumont said to her.

“I can confidently say that business booming” Sasha said.

“Well I’m glad to hear it, of course it does make what I have to tell you that much harder” Ms. Beaumont said.

“Oh…something wrong?” Sasha asked.

“I’m afraid we’re going to have to shut you down” Ms. Beaumont said.

“What?” Sasha asked “You can’t do that!” she said.

“Aw I’m so sorry dear but unfortunately for you…I can” Ms. Beaumont said.

“Wait!” Sasha said “What happened?” she asked.

“Well it seems the holiday staff you provided us with are no longer employed” Ms. Beaumont said.

“What? why?!” Sasha asked.

“I guess the work was just too much for them” Ms. Beaumont said.

“Okay…what does that have to do with me?” Sasha asked.

“Oh didn’t Bernie tell you? Oh dear…” she said “The terms of your employment with us were on the basis that you supplied us with holiday staff and since have now all gone and quit…you're also going to have to go” Ms. Beaumont said to her.

“But!…” Sasha said.

“Oh I’m so sorry dear but it was fabulous having you here, please keep us in mind just incase” Ms. Beaumont said handing her a business card.

“Wait! You can't do this! Especially so close to the holidays” Sasha argued.

“Well…I guess you could stay…but if and only if you find us replacements by tomorrow or this whole store will be closed and all your profits will go to the mall in compensation for all the work that was put into this…have a nice day” Ms. Beaumont smiling wickedly before turning and leaving.


~*~



Boxes of decorations sat scattered around the guys’ living room, Nick stood struggling with a string of lights. He shook them and tried to pull them apart but to no avail, Brian came into the living room.

“You alright there?” Brian asked coming into the room and bending down to search through a box.

“Yeah, I’m fine, why?” Nick asked holding the balled-up Christmas lights.

“Need help?” Brian asked.

Nick scoffed “No!” he said, pulling at the knotted-up lights.

The door opened and Sasha came in “Sash! Thank god” Brian muttered "We're all ready for you to start decorating" he said.

"Christmas can bite me” she said irritated.

“Ouch” Brian said.

“You could’ve just said no” Nick said.

she groaned “I’m sorry…I’m just not in a holly jolly mood right now” she said.

“What’s up?” Nick asked still finagling with the lights.

“Remember that deal I got at the mall?” she asked.

“…Oh yeah…yeah sure I remember” Nick said.

“You have no idea what I’m talking about do you?” she asked.

“None” he said.

“A friend of mine offered me a store in the mall for the holidays” she said to him.

“Okay…and?” he asked.

“There were some conditions to me getting this storefront" she said.

"Conditions? Like what?" Brian asked.

"I need two elves, two gift wrappers and a photographer" she said.

"All that just to get a store at the mall?" Brian asked.

“You couldn’t find anyone to do it?” Nick asked.

“Oh no I did… but they all went and quit on me” she said “Stupid teenagers!” she grumbled “And now I may lose the store” she said.

“They can’t just close you down” Brian said to her.

“Not what that bitch of a mall director told me…god I could’ve kicked her ass!” she said.

“You really need a second store? Don’t you make enough from the one downtown?” Nick asked.

“That’s not the point! With this store in the mall I could double my profit!” she said.

“Wow…anger and greed…sounds like Christmas to me!” Nick said.

“So you got five spots open” Brian said.

“Mm” she said.

“Where could you find five morons willing to do anything for money…” Brian said.

“That’s really sweet of you guys but you don’t have to” she said absently.

They glared at her “We meant the boys!” Brian said.

“Oh! Right sorry” she said patting his knee “No I couldn’t do that to them, they face plenty of humiliation already thanks to you guys” she said, they looked at each other.

“I told you they got it from their mothers” Nick said, she turned to face him, he then smiled sweetly at her.

"Hi" Harry said entering the house.

"Hey Harry" Brian said to him.

"Hi Harry...hey Harry?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Uh I think I have the perfect job for you, the mall's looking for a photographer to take pictures of the kids with Santa, you like taking pictures" she said to him "Would you want to do it?".

"I don't know you know...Christmas time...the mall's way too overcrowded, people are nuts..." Harry said.

"Pays fifteen bucks an hour" Sasha said to him.

"I'm in" Harry said going up the steps.

“There you go, that takes care of one job” Nick said to her.

“Yep…now I just need some elves” she said.

“Yo” Bradley said as he and Neilson came through the front door, entering the house “Hey padre” Bradley said to Brian.

“Parentals” Neilson said.

"Hi sweetie, how was school?" Sasha asked.

"School" he said collapsing in a chair.

"Just three more weeks until Christmas vacation" Bradley said sitting on the chair's arm, Nick nudged her and nodded towards them.

Sasha looked at them before looking back at him, she then looked at them both.

"What?" Neilson asked as they still stared at them "What?!" Neilson asked once more.

"Stop looking at us like that" Bradley said.

"Yeah, you're creeping us out" Neilson said.

"I think I have a job for you guys" Sasha said as they looked at her.

"I think we already have one of those" Neilson said to her.

"This one pays fifteen bucks an hour" she said to him, they looked at each other.

"We're listening" Bradley said.

“You interested?” she asked.

“Yeah I guess” Bradley said

“Fifteen an hour sounds pretty good” Neilson said.

“Great, I’ll bring your uniforms by later” she said.

“Uniforms?” Bradley asked.

“Don’t worry, they’re really cool, I promise” she said to them.

“Great” Bradley said standing up.

“Yeah, thanks mom” Neilson said kissing her cheek as they left the room.

“This is great! I’m almost done, I’m going to head over to the mall and get the elf costumes” she said heading towards the door.

“Well, I guess we’re putting up the decorations ourselves this year” Nick said.

“Who’s we?” Brian asked.

“Okay fine I’M putting up the decorations” Nick said irritated.

“You’re going to decorate for Christmas?” Brian asked.

“Yes...” Nick said.

“Great, can I give you some advice?” Brian asked.

“What?” Nick asked him.

“Don’t” Brian said “Just let Sash and Chris come over and do it like they always do, they’re designers they know what they’re doing” he said.

“You heard Sash she’s busy with her store besides I think I can put up a few decorations alright? I’m not an idiot” Nick said as the lights lit up and singed his fingers, he quickly dropped them to the floor.

“You were saying?” Brian asked.


~*~



Bradley and Neilson stood in Neilson's room dressed as elves...unhappy elves.

"You guys look so cute!" Sasha said as they looked at her angrily.

"I wish I were dead" Bradley said.

"Fine just kill me first" Neilson said to him "Mom...you know I love you..." Neilson said "But if I have to go out in public dressed like this...you're going to find a dead elf hanging from a candy cane in Santa's workshop" he said to her "Isn't there something else we can do?" Neilson asked "I mean come on this is..."

"Embarrassing?" Bradley asked "Life scarring, Horrifying?" he asked.

"Yeah we'll go with all that" Neilson said.

"Alright fine, I get it, you don't want to do it, that's fine" she said as Neilson breathed a sigh of relief "I just think you could do this one thing for me after all the pain and agony I went through giving birth to you...at sixteen" she said as he hung his head in defeat.

"Alright!" Neilson said "I'll do it" he said.

"Bradley?" she asked.

"You didn't give birth to me" he said.

"No... but I know who did...and all I need to do is make one phone call" she said glaring at him.

"Damn it!" Bradley said to her.

"Great, all I need now are a couple of gift wrappers" she said.

“Oh why can’t we do that job?” Neilson asked.

“Oh honey…I’ve seen your work and frankly…you suck at wrapping” she said “I love you” she said kissing his cheek and leaving the room.

“She’s got a point” Bradley said.

“Shut up!” Neilson said to him as Brian and Nick came into the room.

“Oh no” Neilson groaned before they burst out into hysterics.

"Well don’t you two look cute" Brian said.

"Oh yeah, they're...they're precious" Nick said as they continued laughing loudly.

Bradley and Neilson began to laugh as well.

“You think this is funny huh?” Bradley asked.

They shook their heads yes “Oh yeah” Brian said.

“Yeah? Well we’ll think it’s really funny when we put you guys in a home” Neilson said as they became serious, they stopped laughing.

“And not just any home…a special home…for retired boy band members…where you guys can swap teeth with Justin Timberlake” Bradley said to them.

“There’s no such thing” Brian said.

“There could be” Bradley said glaring at him.


~*~



Sasha went down the steps "Oh good, you guys are home" she said to Kyle and Adam who sat at the kitchen table.

"What's up?" Kyle asked.

"I'm friends with someone who co-owns the mall and they promised me a store for the holidays if I found them gift wrappers".

Kyle and Adam turned to look at each other "No" they said to her.

“Bradley and Neilson will be dressed like elves…in public” she said crossing her arms.

"I'm in" Kyle said standing up.

"Don't you want to know how much it pays first?" Sasha asked.

“Nope just the thought of that is more than enough” Kyle said shaking her hand.

"Not for me" Adam said "Public humiliation notwithstanding...how much we talking here?"

"Fifteen an hour" she said.

"Hmmm...it’s tempting..." Adam said.

"And the possibility of watching Harry be kicked all day by little kids" she said.

"Got yourself a gift wrapper" he said as he shook her hand.


This story archived at http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=11506