Work Text:
"Harry, this is demeaning, not to mention dangerous. Why are we breaking into Detective Murphy's apartment?" Bob quietly demanded as Harry very carefully and quietly traced a rune for sleep on her bedroom door with a sprig of dried lavender. Harry didn't answer as he moved back to the living room and set a small package among the rest sitting under the tree.
"Tell you later. Right now, I'm going to make just enough noise to wake Anna up. Can you fake Santa or not," Harry whispered.
Bob sighed but nodded. If his version of the jolly old elf's robes were more green than red, and a bit more druidic than traditional American, certainly Anna wouldn't know. The look on her face when she saw him stand up from apparently putting gifts under the tree was worth it. From that baby cynicism that obviously expected to see her mother to the dawning awe and wide-eyed wonder as he disappeared in a shower of red on gold sparkles gave him a moment of pure glee.
Later, back home, Harry explained. "Connie was talking about it the other day, how sad it was that her little girl had outgrown Santa. She wasn't even going to put any gifts under the tree with 'Santa' on the tag. I just--I wanted her daughter to keep that bit of childhood a little longer."
Bob wished more than ever that he could be corporeal, that he could wrap his arms around Harry and comfort him. It was times like these he saw the vulnerable boy Harry had been when Justin Morningway had brought him home. "A true gift to give such a true friend as Detective Murphy has been to you. But what was it that you left under the tree?"
Harry smiled, "You remember that silver pendant I found? The unicorn with the moonstone? I got a nice chain for it, wrapped it in a pretty box, and put that it was from Santa. Seemed like something a nine-year-old girl would like. And it's proof that Santa was there, because Connie will have no idea what it is, and Anna will know that."