Words: 2085

It had been a few days since the bombshell had been dropped on him. Azzo had his hands in his pockets and was walking down the street. He'd been seeing donation boxes set up all around, so he decided now was as good of time as any to investigate. He noticed the city was collecting donations for the needy. "Hm... if you feed a hobo for luck, then what would donations to the needy give you?" There was a pause as he considered the question, "Happiness, the spirit of the holiday? Hm... Hopefully it's something like that. I feel like the Grinch stole Christmas after all."

He straightened his hat as he headed towards the nearest store. Christmas gifts were one thing he needed. However, it seemed those were about to be pushed to the side in favor of getting some important things for the donation boxes. After all, he could use a little good Karma right about now. The store may not have been top quality or anything but he decided it was best to browse around anyways. It wasn't like he couldn't go somewhere else and if this failed he could just continue on his way to Christmas shopping and picking up things as he went.

He was looking for a pick-me-up no matter the cost. Of course, the store was decorated with cheer, good will and commercialized Christmas. It played songs of the season and there was even a rent-a-Santa. Who seemed a little less busy than normal, "Wow, I thought kids would be lined up to see him." Maybe because it wasn't a fancy department store, or someplace in the mall that kept this Santa from being so busy. Either way Azzo decided, in the name of the season to have a visit with Santa. Something he hadn't done in a long time.

Waiting his turn he got a few funny stares, he was alone in line for Santa. He knew it was weird especially since he was practically an adult. But, he'd learned never to doubt the power of magic; because it might just be able to happen. Talking cats existed, so why wouldn't Santa?

When it was his turn he sat down and looked at the old man with the fake beard, who asked in a jolly tone, "And what do you want for Christmas?" Good old Santa, always sticking to the script.

Azzo watched the old man for a second before answering, "I want my Family to get along for once. I don't want to fight with my father anymore. I just wish he'd see me for what I am and not the disappointment he thinks I am. I also want him to be just a little bit nicer to my girlfriend."

The rent-a-Santa looked a little puzzled before nodding, "I'll see what I can do." He answered offering Azzo a candy cane.

Azzo took the candy cane and got up to leave before pausing, "Oh... and I want my grandmother not to hate me." He said before giving a wave, and walking away from the jolly old fat man. Even if it didn't come true, at least being able to say that had Azzo feeling a little bit better. He gave a sigh and headed on towards the shopping aisles.

Stopping to look at the little Christmas Village they had sat out on display and looking at the prices. "Hm... those are interesting." In the end he snagged one for Grams that looked like a country farm and made sure to get a few farm animals. It was something he figured might be more appreciated than anything else because he knew she loved the farm in the winter time and it was something she could keep out most of the winter.

He continued on his way through the aisles with the buggy and occasionally stopped at this thing or that taking time and care to pick out some really good pieces for the donations pile before going again. He stopped around the baking aisle to have a look at what they had. Though it didn't seem anything really interested him giving a small frown he moved on and grabbed a few canned goods before heading towards the check out. At least he got one thing on his Christmas list, after he finished checking out Azzo headed back towards the donation center to drop off what he'd managed to get.

"Okay, so next stop." He paused to look at his Christmas list; his mother, Aurora and... his father. The only three top people on that list, then there were the Christmas cards he needed to get not to mention little things to add into those. Including one for Ridley, he remembered her address after having stared at it for so long as a cat waiting on *********. He also needed to get Ridley a little something extra since she helped him out. So his first stop was heading towards the mall's toy district, he knew Ridley loved cats. It wasn't going to be that bad to pick the child out a Christmas present. As he walked through the doors of build-a-plush he paused looking at the wall of animals. Stopping at one particular cat, it was perfect! He still had his bag for Grams, "Ma'am can you hold on to this for me while I make a plush for a friend of mine?" He asked the lady behind the checkout.

"Of course," She smiled as he handed her the bag, she didn't seem to mind which was nice.

He then moved to pick up the cat and paused when he caught sight of an Arctic fox. So much of the profit went to help one of the wild life funds which made Azzo also pick that up. "Hm... I think I know a place for this." He said with a smile as he picked up eyes, noses and other things that they had for customizing the animals. For Ridley's he got bright orange eyes and the fox he picked up bright blue ones, the noses were both black. He took it to the lady who was sitting at the station waiting to sew them on.

"Would you like to do it?" She asked offering him the needle and thread.

"Oh no ma'am; I don't know how to sew, I'd be afraid to mess it up." He smiled as she nodded understandingly and went to work on the two animals fixing their noses and eyes.

"Okay you're all set, next is the stuffing station! Which is right over there," the woman pointed to the large machines filled with stuffing. Azzo had never actually done anything like this so he was impressed as he walked over inspecting the machine as he did.

"Ah so I see you have two friends to stuff." Said an older lady as he approached taking his animals to fill them with stuffing, "Step on the peddle, for me please." She instructed, after they were both properly stuffed she nodded, "Now what you need to do is pick a heart for each, make a wish and then we'll place them inside."

Looking a little baffled Azzo nodded before doing as he was told. He might as well not ruin the magic of the experience, especially since there were little kids around too. After, he was finished the lady closed up the cat and the fox and handed them back to Azzo. "There you go dear."

"Thank you ma'am." He said as he walked back towards the counter, he didn't plan on dressing them. They didn't really need clothing, at least not until he saw a cut little hat. There was a pause as he stared at it, and picked it up placing it on the cat's head. "There."

It didn't take too long at the checkout and he now had two 'plush condos' and a bag of Christmas village. "Now then... where should I go next?" He paused to look at his list and crossed out Ridley's name. "Christmas Cards, I think the store's not far." He paused, wondering if he should rent a cart. This was going to be a lot of stuff to carry since he was getting larger presents than first expected.

Eventually, he argued with himself that a cart would be good and rented one before heading to buy Christmas cards. He didn't spend long in that store, grabbing a few packs of nice looking sceneries before moving on. Next on his list was his mom and aurora, he made a quick stop in a perfume store for his mother before dropping into the bath and body to grab up a few things. "I hope they don't mind gift baskets." He said eyeing his haul; he'd taken time to scope out Aurora's bath stash while he was a cat.

Moving on he paused at a few more stores and finding something for his father, he finally stopped at a Jewelry store. Biting his lower lip he paused, outside of the corner store. It was inviting to everyone but he wasn't really sure what to buy if anything. One of the associates caught him looking unsure. "Can I help you sir?"

Azzo was standing there still and it took a moment for the question to register. "Well... maybe?" He said glancing at the prices; it was a mite steep considering all the rest of the spending he'd been doing. Glancing at this cart and then the jewelry, he inched his way closer to the display.

"I'm looking for something... nice for uh... my girlfriend." He finally answered giving the woman more to go on. "I don't really know anything about jewelry though."

The woman nodded and seemed to understand that problem, "Well then, what are you interested in? A ring, bracelet, or necklace maybe?"

Azzo twitched at the word ring, "Mm... too soon for a ring I think, maybe a nice bracelet or a necklace."

The woman spent a little time explaining some of his options and the things that they had. She let him look and the prices to sink in a little too, which she noticed some seemed to hurt a little more than others. It's the price of love, was apparently her motto for the store.

"Hm... I might have to come back..." He said after a second looking at the pieces. "I'll have to uh... get someone that might know a little more about this stuff." He admitted, "I mean I wouldn't want to pay these prices and she not like what I get." The woman nodded and as he walked off it sounded like she sighed because she just wasted her time.

The final stop on his list was the Christmas wrapping store he'd been working at before he got turned into a cat. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come in for a week." He said sheepishly as he approached the manager of the store.

"Oh, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. That bug you got sounded awful." She frowned looking him over before taking the packages he sat on her table to be wrapped. It seemed he managed to find a time they weren't all completely swamped. "Do you want to work a few extra hours next week? It'll be Christmas rush and I could use all the hands I could get."

He paused, "Really? I'd be happy to work." He said with a nod, "After all, I have a feeling one of the last presents I want to get will really need a bit more cash than I have." He gave a small frown; he wasn't going to ask for any more money if he could help it. After Christmas it was finding a decent job and busting his butt to get enough money to live somewhere if his parents sold his Gram's house out from under him. He tried to push that thought away though.

"Great. I'll put you down for next week, and on call for the rest of this week?" She asked getting a nod from him.

When his presents were all wrapped and he had paid, he thanked his boss and headed back towards his home. Luckily with a larger box to carry it all, he paused once more to drop off a few extra things he'd found at the mall for the donation box. "There, that should do it for now..." He said to himself before lugging the big box home so he could place presents under the tree.