Work Text:
Wolf looked herself in the mirror. She was dressed in a cozy red christmas sweater and a pair of white sweatpants. Song had taken her to the hair dresser to get her hair braided again, and they were tied with red and green beads.
Despite it not being what she normally would wear, she liked the christmas themed outfit. She looked pretty.
Today was a special day - at least for her dad and her big sister.
They were about to meet Santa. Wolf knew that he wasn't real, and that the man at the mall wasn't actually Santa, but she was still curious. Back in the clover burrow, someone would dress up as Santa every year. Kipo and her dad would always visit him and it was a very dear tradition for the both of them. Despite the fact that Kipo was a lot older now, she was still just as excited to experience her first visit with Santa on the surface.
Wolf had barely known about him before Kipo told her about him and why he was important. She thought none of it made sense, but she wanted to be there for her sister.
Wolf exited the bathroom, joining her family by the kitchen table where they were eating breakfast. Kipo was rambling on and on about all of her memories with Santa. About how he was always so kind and made christmas even more magical. She made him seem like the best person in the world.
After breakfast, they grabbed their jackets and boots, as well as their mittens and hats. The ground was covered in snow and it was getting colder by each day. It was important that they stayed warm.
Kipo happily filled the silence as they finally left the house and made their way to the mall.
Wolf was thinking about the naughty list. Kipo had explained that bad people got written up on the naughty list and recieved coal as presents. Wolf knew that it didn't exist, but she couldn't help but wonder if she would be considered to be put on the naughty list.
She didn't think that she was a bad person. Not like Dr. Emilia or the wolves that raised her. But she wasn't completely innocent either. She had killed. She had hurt other people and treated them badly. She had lied and been selfish. And while she did have a reason, she didn't think that it was an excuse.
She remembered the way she had treated Kipo when they met. She wondered if that version of Wolf deserved to be put on the naughty list. Or if she still could be considered to be a good person. She had done her best to become a better person and think about others instead of herself. But maybe it was too late?
Did she really deserve everything that she'd gotten since she met her sister, or was her heart too good even to reject someone like Wolf?
She was pulled out of her thoughts as they arrived at the mall. Inside, there was a long queue of children and their parents, waiting to get to see Santa. He was in the very front, sitting on a throne with a child on his lap.
They joined the queue and waited patiently for their turn. Kipo was basically bouncing on the spot in excitement, barely able to contain herself. After what felt like forever, they were finally st the front.
"Next", Santa called out with a deep voice.
Wolf couldn't figure out who he was behind the gigantic beard, but he was a human. Kipo hurred up the steps and sat down on his lap with the biggest grin on her face. Wolf couldn't help but smile at her. Her childish enthusiasm was pretty amusing.
She didn't know how, but all three Oak siblings managed to fit together on Santa's lap. Song and Lio were taking pictures and Wolf tried to get herself to relax and not look too tense.
"And who might you three be?" Santa asked.
They introduced themselves and Santa continued to ask them a few simple questions, like how old they were and what they liked the most about the winter season.
"You seem like some very nice kids. Have you been nice this year?" Santa asked with a mischeavous tone.
"Yeah!" Kipo and Benson replied in unison.
Santa looked over at Wolf.
"And you?"
"I... I think so", Wolf fidgeted with her hands.
She thought that she had been nice. But it had only been a few months since she moved in with the Oak's, and before that, they had been fighting Emilia and Wolf knew that she hadn't been the nicest person back then.
Santa seemed to notice that Wolf was nervous. He tightened his hold on her and looked deeply into her eyes.
"Well, I'm a proffesional at finding nice people, and I think that you're a very nice girl."
Wolf looked dumbfounded.
"Really?"
"Of course! I can see that all three of you have kind hearts. So tell me, is there anything that your hearts desire?"
Kipo leaned forward to whisper into Santa's ear, and Benson did the same. Wolf didn't know what she wanted to wish for. She had everything that she ever needed. A home and a family that loved her. What else could she need?
After a minute of thinking, Wolf decided that there was one thing that she wanted. She leaned forward and whispered into Santa's ear, quiet enough so that only he was able to hear.
"Hmmm... I think I'll be able to get that for you", he said and winked with a big grin.
Wolf smiled. And it was genuine. She wasn't nervous about Santa anymore. In fact, she really enjoyed visiting him. As they returned to their parents, Wolf could feel a weight lifting off of her shoulders.
She had a feeling that her wish was already coming true.