Chapter Text
13 year old Hannah Hook didn't believe in Santa Claus.
Why would she? He had never brought her or any other isle kid the whimsical presents that the Auradon kids spoke of in excited voices, and showed off if they still had their awesome gift from last year. He never came to the isle at all or did anything for any of the isle kids.
LeFou Deux did.
Sure, he did so under the name ‘Santa Claus’ but that didn’t magically make him Santa Claus—even if Hannah was one of the only people not involved in the ‘Isle Santa Business’ who’d figured out his whole do-gooding scheme (could it even be called a scheme when the lovable goof had only good intentions?).
She’d seen LeFou Deux bring the children of the isle presents.
She’d never seen the actual Santa Claus do the same.
So, the logical conclusion was that the father of Christmas and the guardian of Wonder wasn’t real—even if all the Auradon kids seemed baffled by Hannah’s firm belief in that matter.
He had to not be real. Otherwise why wouldn't he have visited Dizzy or Hadie or the wee Smees or her kids (her younger crew mates) who were never anything but good and left them gifts like Ben insisted he did.
So no. Hannah Hook didn’t believe in Santa Claus.
Until she did.
Hannah tossed and turned in her bed, fists clenched in the pirate blankets and sheets that she had swapped out the more boring and girly Auradon Prep ones for. She’d given the old ones to Luke, who was making good use of them as he snored away in her roommate Amira’s bed.
Her mind raced and raced as Luke continued to snore obviously—it felt like her hearing had been dialed up to ten (was her hearing aid on the wrong setting?). Everything sounded so much louder.
Luke’s snoring.
River’s restless tossing and turning, and rolling over that hadn’t stopped even when he’d fallen asleep thanks to the soft allure of Joy (her other roommate’s)’s covers and heavenly comfortable mattress.
Even the staring of her the pets she'd brought to Auradon with her (an owl named ‘Icarus’ and a raccoon named ‘Mias’) and Skia sounded louder, though the pirate captain couldn’t explain how.
It was infuriating and Hannah hated it.
Her ears were throbbing, her eyes stung, her skin was hot and cold, and her back and arms and legs were cramping in ways that felt like a phantom was torturing her. She was boiling alive and freezing to death at the same time. The noise was killing her and the eyes on what little of her skin was showing were urging her to rip it off so that it could run away and hide.
She held a pillow over her head trying to block out the noise.
“Snnnn–mmmemmeeme–gaaaauuuug.”
Creeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaak.
Joy’s bed was creaking.
What a novelty in Auradon.
Thuth. Thuth.
River was almost as anxious as Hannah was about her hiding him, Skia, and Luke in Auradon: it was a relief in comparison to Skia’s indifference and Luke’s empty assurances that he couldn’t ensure would happen.
“Snnnn–mmmemmeeme–gaaaauuuug.”
Creeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaak.
Thuth. Thuth.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Skia had a habit of unconsciously swaying her feet when she was bored—something she’d picked up from Hannah in their thirteen years of friendship. They were basically family. Their dads had been friends when they were younger. They were still friends.
The blue haired godling knew that something was bothering Hannah, no doubt.
It wasn’t often that the young pirate blocked her, Luke, and River out of her thoughts. In fact, the three of them could each list the number of times Hannah had put up a mental wall to prevent them from reading her thoughts through their mental link on one hand. They were best friends.
Blood brothers and sisters via the ritual they’d seen on tv that each of them still had a scar on their palms from even four years later.
But Hannah couldn’t bear to tell any of them just how stressed, scared, angry, and hopeless ( and sad ) she truly was.
The four of them, the core four, and Freddie were the only ones left in the whole school minus Coach Jenkins, his husband, and their children and a couple of other staff members who’d volunteered to stay behind with them so that they didn’t have to be alone or go back to the isle.
Hannah was secretly glad, even though her heart ached to be with her friends and family who were still on the isle. She feared she wouldn’t be welcomed after what she did. She knew Jay, Mal, Evie, and Carlos wouldn’t be safe if they were caught stepping foot back on the isle. Hannah would have her crew, even if she didn’t have her family or family friends, and they would protect her. She knew deep in her bones they would.
But it didn’t mean her heart stopped aching for them and the time they could be spending together.
Hannah was scared to go back to the isle, though she knew it was cowardly, and she knew that if word ever got out that she had snuck her three best friends to Auradon and hid them in her dorm room without coming clean about it after the Maleficent incident, that’s where she and her trio of friends would be going right back to.
The very thought had been making her paranoid for months.
It didn’t matter that her roommates (Joy Foxworth and Amira of Agrabah) and two guy friends (Kyle White and Haul Bjorgman) knew that her friends were there, and would raise hell if it came to it if it meant they could stay in Auradon. It didn’t matter that Ben, Doug, Jane, Lonnie, and even Audrey and Chad, who Hannah had befriended, might vouch for her if it came to it.
Hannah was terrified and her friends being out in the open like this only made it worse.
Everything in her was scolding her for allowing Luke and River to be at their regular size and for allowing Skia to be out of her crow form. Everything in her was screaming at her to tell Skia to get off of the wardrobe and to turn back into a crow before someone saw her—everything was hollering at her to do something. Her fingers were itching to shrink River and Luke down, and to put them back in the dollhouse.
But the logical part of Hannah reminded her that that would be unfair to her friends who she’d dragged here and that it would be controlling of her. The brunette didn’t want to be controlling. She was better than that. A good captain couldn’t be unfairly controlling. She only had the amount of power she had because her crew trusted her and believed in her enough to know that Hannah wouldn’t go mad with power.
Or paranoia.
But dear Brizo, the illogical part of her—the emotional part that said damn the consequences— was making a lot of terribly good points about how it would be better for her friends to hate her while alive than love her while dead. But regardless, the logical part won over.
Another reason her crew trusted and believed in her.
She usually did her best to make the choice that was best for them and not just her.
Hannah bit her tongue and allowed her friends to stay out. They deserved to relax and stretch their legs, even if she couldn’t.
Even if the idea of her friends and her being dragged back to the isle was making her shake with fear and boil with anger.
It wasn’t fair.
Hannah was a kid. She shouldn’t be this scared.
Her friends shouldn’t either.
It wasn't fair that she had to hide her best friends.
It wasn’t fair that she was scared to go home and face her family.
It wasn’t fair that Ginny had hurt her the last time they’d seen each other or that she couldn’t safely spend Christmas with Peter and Ally who she’d discovered were her long lost half-siblings without risking their place in Auradon.
It wasn’t fair that her friends and family were still there while people were trying to force her to conform to Auradon’s beliefs.
It wasn’t fair that two of her bio parents and one of her adoptive parents were dead or that Hannah had been made disabled by Gothel, her own grandmother.
And it certainly wasn't fair that the rest of her family and crew were still trapped on the isle.
Absolutely nothing about what happened to Hannah or her family and friends in her childhood was fair.
It wasn't fair.
It wasn't fair.
IT WASN'T FAIR.
None of it was fair and she hated Auradon for it with every fiber of her being.
She hated them for all the abuse and sorrow and pain her friends and her had been through. For every inch of agony.
And she hated that if anyone were to catch Skia, River, and Luke here, that all four of them would get a one way ticket back to the isle simply because they didn't want to be separated.
Her bed creaked as the brunette sat up and she tossed her pillow and covers to the side, quietly getting out of the bed. Doing her best not to wake Luke, despite how much his snoring annoyed her, or River, who’s restless fidgeting was driving her insane. Knowing that having to live in a dollhouse and sleep in a fake wooden bed with fake cloth covers and pillows and no mattress for months on end couldn't be comfortable. The two of them deserved to be able to rest in a real bed for once.
Joy and Amira had even told them they could before they left to be with their families. Codependency and separation anxiety was a bitch.
"Where are you going?" Skia asked curiously from where she sat atop the wardrobe, unblinking. Not breaking her stare for even a second—her blue hair illuminating the room as her silver eyes followed her. She looked strange in the pink shorts and green cat t-shirt Joy had lent her.
Luke had been right. Pink and green weren’t her color. Something Skia had agreed with before she accepted the offer anyways. It was that or borrow something from Amira's almost entirely pink wardrobe.
"For a walk" Hannah replied half-truthfully. Not wanting to admit that the three of them and her pets were driving her up the wall atop of the pressure of keeping them safe and hidden along with the thoughts of everyone back home were driving her nuts.
The godly tilted her head to the side slowly. “Okay. Be back before breakfast or I’ll burn this shitshow to the ground.”
The brunette really hoped she was joking, but knew deep down that she wasn’t. Skia didn’t play when it came to her safety and if she even thought for a second Hannah was hurt or in danger, she wouldn’t hesitate to do what she thought would help her find her. The perks of being friends since infanthood.
Hannah’s fingers twitched as she pressed them into her palms—desperately trying to calm herself. She took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. She'd have to pay attention to the time during her walk instead of just letting herself get lost in her head again like she usually did, then. Hannah was wondering if she'd ever be able to breathe freely again without worrying about whether her friend would commit arson without her there to bail her out of the inevitable trouble it would bring them. “No promises, dear second mate of mine.”
Hannah shivered as she made her way through the snowy woods in her rudolph slippers, wrapping her arms around herself to keep herself warm. She had been mistaken when she thought that her Rudolph pajama pants and reindeer lead pirate ship sweater were warm enough on their own for the weather and now her teeth just wouldn't stop chattering.
"Damn cold weather. Damn lost boys' kids stealing my coat. Damn everything!” The thirteen year old scowled, furiously shaking. "Damn Auradon rules making my fucking eye twitch every five minutes. Damn Auradon snotty royals breaking my goggles and leaving me mostly blind, what the fuck Scarlet you fucking blige rat’s wench. Damn Maleficent forcing me to come to stupid Auradon on threat of my friends' lives–"
Jingle Jingle Jingle...
The pirate captain whirled around in the direction of the sound and narrowed her eyes. Gripping the fork in her pocket tightly, ready to fight off an attacker if need be. She let down her guard slightly when she spotted a tiny figure in the distance, and followed. Worried that it must be a lost pet or child that needed help getting back home.
The figure bolted and Hannah followed slowly, worrying her lip. Wondering if this was a trap.
SNAP.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Hannah sped off towards the terror filled scream, fearful for the child, pet, or creature's safety—and secretly her own, though she’d never admit it.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
When Hannah finally arrived at the source of the sound, her jaw dropped. Almost not able to believe the strange sight was in front of her.
Because there in front of her was undoubtedly a small, triangular shaped creature with pinkish skin, sharp teeth, and pointy ears that was about as tall as her boot. It was dressed in an odd, hat-like outfit that had a bell at the top. Just like the elfs that Ben and the others had described.
And it was trapped in what looked like a rabbit trap, unable to free itself.
Without hesitation, Hannah raced over and dropped to her knees beside the trap.
Startling the poor elf, who started to flail unhappily. Hissing at her like a cat.
Hannah blinked, baffled. Wondering if this was really what made the mysterious Santa Claus' toys.
She quickly shook the thought off, telling herself that she could come back to that later as she raised her hands up. Hopefully showing the critter that she wasn't a threat.
"Hey little fella. It's okay. I'm here to help. I promise I'm not gonna hurt you—" she slowly lowered one hand, not taking her eyes off of the trap as she searched through her pocket . "I'm gonna get you out of there. You just gotta stay calm."
The elf hissed again.
Hannah knew that it must have been terrified. She was a lot bigger than it after all.
"Are you hungry?" She asked softly, brows furrowed.
The elf perked up before giving her a face splitting grin. Nodding eagerly.
Hannah, not sure whether or not meat would hurt the elf, gave him Graham crackers instead. He quickly snagged them from her, practically inhaling them.
Hannah quickly grabbed her pair of mini bolt cutters (that she may or may not have borrowed from the school) from her pocket. Slowly but surely breaking through the darrated trap.
" Wal-la! There you go little guy! You're free now!"
The elf scurried into her lap, a lot more friendly now that he (at least she thought it was a he) knew that she had treats.
"Okay then. Let's go find your ...boss?" Hannah said unsurely, not sure whether or not that was the correct term anymore.
The elf just babbled at her.
Hannah was seriously starting to doubt that he and his friends were the ones making the toys.
Hannah carried the elf through the force, her shivering getting worse the longer she stayed out in the cold.
Teeth chattering.
Her feet, face, ears, and fingers were starting to feel numb, and her lip was getting worse.
She was starting to see why her dad wanted her to wear gloves and boots everywhere.
"Are you sure this is the direction he was heading?" It was so cold out that she could see her breath.
The elf just nodded eagerly.
Hannah was slowly growing frustrated, wondering if the elf even knew what it was talking—gesturing—about. But she did her best not to let that show, not wanting to scare the little guy since she got the impression that he was a lot like a small child. Unable to talk or completely understand/help her in the way she wanted. Much like the little ones in her and her siblings’ crews.
So, instead of yelling or swearing like she felt like doing, she settled for sighing and continuing forth "If you're sure."
She hoped it was sure.
Her friends were never going to believe this.
" DINGLE! DINGLE! Where'd you go?!" a booming, Russian accented voice called out from a little ahead. Nearly causing Hannah to jump out of her skin and exciting the elf.
The 13 year old looked down at the elf, confused "Is that your boss?"
The elf nodded, confusing her more.
The stories didn't mention Santa being Russian.
But then again, they never really said where he had come from before he moved to the North Pole.
And people weren't really supposed to be awake to talk to the guy. So maybe no one knew who he really was.
Hannah shrugged and decided to just go with it, taking a deep breath before loudly calling out to the far off man who she couldn't see.
"SANTA!"
She heard leaves scrunching and what sounded like someone slipping as the loud, booming voice from before exclaimed "SWEET MAN IN MOON!"
Which was quickly followed by a loud thud and groaning.
Hannah winced. "Oooh... welp. If I wasn't on the naughty list before, then I definitely am now."