"Um, my daughter and I were in our beds. Mike was downstairs decorating the tree. I heard a thump on the roof and then I heard Mike scream, and now I'm talking to the FBI." The woman said as I stand in front of her.

"And you didn't see any of it?" I asked her. "No, he was...he was just gone." She said, devastated. "The doors were locked? There was no forced entry?" I asked. "That's right." She said.

"Does anybody else have a key?" I asked, curiously. "My parents." She replied. "Where do they live?" I asked. "Florida." She replied as Sam and Dean walk out of the house. "Thanks for letting me have a look around, Mrs. Walsh. I think we, uh, got just about everything we need." Sam said as he and Dean walk up to me.

"We're all set." Dean whispers to me and I nod at him before I turn to Mrs Walsh. "We'll be in touch." I said to her and she nods. The boys and I walk down the steps before Mrs Walsh turns to us. "Agents..." she calls out and we turn around. "The police said my husband might have been kidnapped." She said, worried. "Could be." Dean said.

"Then why haven't the kidnappers called? O-or - or demanded a ransom? It's three days till Christmas. What am I supposed to tell our daughter?" She asked us and the three of us give her a sympathetic look. "We're very sorry." Sam said and we walked away and Mrs Walsh turns to go inside.

"Find anything?" I asked the boys and Sam sighs. "Stocking, mistletoe...this." He said and he gives me something out of his pocket. "A tooth? Where was this?" I asked as I examine the tooth. "In the chimney." Dean replied. "Chimney? No way a man fits up a chimney. It's too narrow." I said. "No way he fits up in one piece." Sam said. "Alright, so, if dad went up the chimney-" I said and Dean talks over me. "We need to find out what dragged him up there."

Sam and I were searching the internet for information about demons when the door opens and Dean walks inside, carrying a brown paper bag. "So, was I right? Is it the serial-killing chimney sweep?" Dean asked us. "Yep. It's, uh, it's actually Dick Van Dyke." Sam said, jokingly, and Dean looks at him, confused. "Who?" He asked, confused. "Mary Poppins." I said.

"Who's that?" Dean asked and I scoff in surprise. "Oh come on- never mind." Sam said as he waves his hand. "Okay, after this, we are having a Disney movie marathon." I said. "Oh God, kill me now." Dean groans and Sam and I chuckle at this. "Hey, don't knock it til you try it, Dean." I said and Dean rolls his eyes.

"Anyway....It turns out that Walsh is the second guy in town grabbed out of his house this month." Dean said. "Oh yeah?" Sam and I said, in unison. "Yeah." He replied.

"The other guy get dragged up the chimney, too?" Sam asked him. "Don't know. Witnesses said they heard a thump on the roof." Dean said as he shrugs. "So, what the hell do you guys think we're dealing with?" He asked. "Actually, we have an idea." I said. "Yeah?" Dean asked. "Uh, it's gonna sound crazy." Sam said.

"What could you two possibly say that sounds crazy to me?" Dean asked and Sam and I exchange a look.

"You wanna tell him?" Sam asked me. "I'll let you do the honors." I said, smiling, and he rolls his eyes then looks up at Dean. "Um...evil Santa." He said as he smiles. Dean pauses and then nods. "Yeah, that's crazy." He said. "Yeah...I mean, we're just saying that there's some version of the anti-Claus in every culture." I said and I show Dean some evil Santa pictures. "You got Belsnickel, Krampus, Black Peter." I listed off as Dean takes the pictures from me.

"Whatever you want to call it, there's all sorts of lore." I said. "Saying what?" Dean asked. "Saying back in the day, Santa's brother went rogue and now he shows up around Christmas time, but instead of bringing presents, he punishes the wicked." Sam explains. "By hauling their ass up chimneys?" Dean asked, confused. "For starters, yeah." I said, nodding.

"So, this is your theory, huh? Santa's shady brother?" Dean asked us. "Well, we're just saying that's what the lore says." Sam said. "Santa doesn't have a brother. There is no Santa." Dean said. "Yeah, I know. You're the one who told me that in the first place, remember." Sam said as he looks at Dean, who looks down, then sighs. I could feel some tension between them again.

"Yeah, you know what, (y/n) and I could be wrong." Sam said. "Maybe, maybe not." Dean said. "What?" I asked him, confused. "I did a little digging. Turns out both victims visited the Same place before they got snatched." Dean replied. "Where?" Sam asked him.

Later, we come up to a Santa's Village where Christmas music plays, children were playing, and people wearing Christmas costumes walking around, obviously looking like they weren't having a good time. "It does kind of lend credence to the theory, don't it?" Dean asked us. "Yeah, but anti-Claus? Couldn't be." I said. "It's a Christmas miracle." Dean exclaims as we walk in to the village.

Then Dean turns to us. "Hey, speaking of, we should have one this year." He said. "Have one what?" Sam asked him. "A Christmas." Dean said and Sam scoffs at this while I give a slight nod. "Not a bad idea." I said, shrugging. "No, thanks." Sam said. "No, we'll get a tree, a little Boston market, just like when we were little." Dean said.

"Dean, those weren't exactly Hallmark memories for me, you know." Sam said as we stop and he turns to his brother. "What are you talking about? We had some great Christmases." Dean said. "Whose childhood are you talking about?" Sam asked him, annoyed. "Oh, come on, Sam. I think it would be nice little break. We could head back to my safehouse and I could cook up a good meal." I said.

"You know how to cook?" Dean asked me. "Yeah...dad taught me how when he wasn't out killing monsters and demons." I replied and Dean makes a surprised face at me. "What do you say, Sammy?" I asked as I turn to him. "No, just...no." Sam said, shaking his head and we look at him, surprised. "All right, Grinch." Dean said and he and I walk away, while Sam stands still.

After paying for our entrance, we head back over to Sam, who was still standing there. "You'd think with the 10 bucks it costs to get into this place, Santa could scrounge up a little snow." Dean said as we come up to him. Sam jumps a bit then looks over at us. "What?" He asked and Dean glances at him then shakes his head.

"Nothing. What are we looking for, again?" Dean asked. "Um...lore says that the anti-Claus will walk with a limp and smell like sweets." Sam explains as he looks around. "Great. So we're looking for a pimp Santa. Why the sweets?" Dean asked. "Think about it, Dean. If you smell like candy, the kids will come closer, you know?" I said and Dean scoffed. "That's creepy." He mutters and Sam and I chuckled.

"How does this thing know who's been naughty and who's been nice?" Dean asked. "Don't know." Sam and I said as we see a man wearing a Santa Claus costume sitting outside a small barn then a woman and boy walk up to him.

"So, Ronny, come sit on Santa's knee." The guy said and the boy sits on his lap. "Ah, there you go. You been a good boy this year?" Santa asked. "Yeah." The boy replied. "Good. Santa's got a special gift for you." Santa said as the boys and I look at Santa and the boy. "Maybe we do." Dean mutters as Ronny's mother takes his arm and leads him away from the Santa. "Come on, honey, let's go." She said as they leave.

Then a woman in an elf costume walks up to us. "Welcome to Santa's court. Can I escort your child to Santa?" She asked as she looks between me and Dean. "Uh..." Sam mutters then Dean speaks up. "No. No. Uh, but actually my brother here...it's been a lifelong dream of his." Dean said, smiling, and the woman looks at Sam like he's a freak.

"Uh, sorry. No kids over...12." She said and Sam shakes his head. "No, he's just kidding." Sam said and I speak up. "Yeah, we're just here to meet up with my sister and niece, who should be around here somewhere." I explained. "Oh, okay." The woman said and she walks away.

"Check it out." Dean said and we watch the Santa leave his chair. As he walks, he has a bad limp. "Are you guys seeing this?" Dean asked. "A lot of people walk with limps, right?" I said and the Santa walks past us and I smelled something kind've sweet.

"Tell me you guys didn't smell that. That was candy, guys." Dean said to us. "That was ripple, I think. Had to be." Sam said. "Maybe." I said, shrugging. "We're willing to take that chance?" Dean asked us and we exchange a look.

Inside the Impala, we were sitting and spying on a simple house that is decorated with Christmas lights. "What time is it?" Dean asked. "Same as the last time you asked. Here.." Sam said as he hands Dean a thermos. "Caffeinate." He said and Dean takes the thermos from Sam and tries to pours coffee into the cup, but the thermos is empty. "Wonderful." He grumbles then suddenly he scoffs.

"Hey, Sam." He said. "Yeah?" Sam asked. "Why are you the boy that hates Christmas?" Dean asked him. "Dean-" Sam groans. "I mean, I admit it. You know, we had a few bumpy holidays when we were kids." Dean said and Sam looks over at him.

"Bumpy?" Sam said. "That was then. We'll do it right this year. I mean, even (y/n) has offered to cook." Dean said. "Look, Dean. If you and (y/n) want to have Christmas, knock yourselves out. Just don't involve me." Sam said and Dean and I look at Sam in disbelief. "Oh c'mon, Sam! I'm not that bad at cooking. Plus it won't be a complete Christmas without you." I said but he shakes his head and I let out a sigh as we go back to watch the house

Santa looks outside from his window, then closes his curtains. "What's up with Saint Nicotine?" Dean asked just as we hear a woman's voice shout. "Oh, my God!"

We jump out of the car and run to the house with our guns drawn. Dean looks inside the window of the front door. "Huh." Sam mutters and I look over at him. "What?" I asked him. "Nothing. It's just that, uh...well, you know, Mr. Gung Ho Christmas might have to blow away Santa." Sam said and Dean and I shrug before Dean opens the door.

The guy stands up, holding a bottle of whiskey, then turns to us in shock and surprise. The boys and J quickly hide our guns. "What the hell are you doing here?" Santa asked us as I look around and realized the guy is only watching TV. I look at the boys, who shrug. Then Dean starts to sing Silent Night, pretty badly. He looks over at us and Sam and I join in and Santa begins to smile and laugh and join in the singing until the boys and I leave.

"That was awkward." I muttered. "Yeah..." Sam said as we head back into the car.

"So, that's how your son described the attack? Santa took daddy up the chimney?" I questioned Mrs Caldwell. There was another kidnapping and this time a kid had witnessed this. "That's what he says, yes." Mrs Caldwell said. "And where were you?" I asked her as the boys were looking around the house for clues. "I was asleep and all of a sudden...I was being dragged out of bed, screaming." She replied as the boys come stand next to me.

"Did you see the attacker?" I asked and she shakes her head. "It was dark, and he hit me. He knocked me out." She replied. "I'm sorry. I know this is hard." I said then Sam speaks up. "Yeah...um, Mrs. Caldwell, where did you get that wreath above the fireplace?" He asked and Dean and I look around at the wreath. "Excuse me?" She said, confused, as Dean and I look at Sam, waiting for an answer. "Just curious, you know." He said.

Later, we walked out of the house and Dean looks at his brother. "Wreaths, huh? Sure you didn't want to ask her about her shoes? I saw some nice handbags in the foyer." He said, jokingly. "We've seen that wreath before, Dean." Sam said. "Where?" Dean and I asked.

"The Walshes'. Yesterday." Sam replied. "I know. I was just testing you." Dean said and I look over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure you were." I said as we drive away in the Impala.

"Yeah, all right. Well, keep looking, would you? Thanks, Bobby." Sam said then he hangs up while Dean and I were sitting nearby at our motel roo. "Well...we're not dealing with the anti-Claus." Sam said. "What did Bobby say?" Dean asked. "Uh, that we're morons." Sam said. "Well that's nothing new." I said, shrugging.

"He also said that it was probably meadowsweet in those wreaths." Sam said as he goes to look at his laptop. "Wow! Amazing." Dean said, with sarcasm. "What the hell is meadowsweet?" I asked Sam. "It's pretty rare and it's probably the most powerful plant in pagan lore." Sam explained.

"Pagan lore?" Dean asked. "Yeah. See, they used meadowsweet for human sacrifices. It was kind of like a...Chum for their gods. Gods were drawn to it and they'd stop by and snack on whatever was the nearest human." Sam said.

"Why would somebody be using that for Christmas wreaths?" I asked, confused. "It's not as crazy as it sound, (y/n). I mean, pretty much every Christmas tradition is pagan." Sam said. "Christmas is Jesus' birthday." Dean said, firmly. "No, Jesus' birthday was probably in the fall. It was actually the winter solstice festival that was co-opted by the church and renamed Christmas. But I mean, the Yule log, the tree, even Santa's red suit - that's all remnants of pagan worship." Sam said.

"How do you know that? What are you gonna tell me next? Easter bunny's Jewish?" Dean asked but Sam says nothing. "So you think we're gonna dealing with a pagan God?" I asked Sam. "Yeah, probably Hold Nickar, God of the winter solstice." He said.

"And all these Martha Stewart wannabes, buying these fancy wreaths..." Dean said and Sam nods. "Yeah, it's pretty much like putting a neon sign on your front door saying Come kill us." Sam explained. "Great." Dean and I muttered, sarcastically, as Sam reads an article on the laptop.

"Huh...When you sacrifice to Hold Nickar, guess what he gives you in return." Sam said. "Lap dances, hopefully." Dean said and I punched his arm. "Mild weather." Sam said to Dean, who runs the spot I punched on his arm. Then I look out the window. "Like no snow in the middle of December in the middle of Michigan." I pointed out. "For instance." Sam said, nodding.

"Do we know how to kill it yet?" Dean asked. "No, Bobby's working on that right now. We got to figure out where they're selling those wreaths." Sam said. "You think they're selling them on purpose? Feeding the victims to this thing?" I asked and Sam exhales. "Let's find out."

"Help you, three?" The shopkeeper asked as we made our way into a shop. "Uh, hope so. Uh, we were playing Jenga over at the Walshes' the other night, and, uh...well, she hasn't shut up since about this Christmas wreath, and..." Dean said then he turns to me. "I don't know, you tell him." Dean said as I glanced at him. "Sure. It was yummy." I said.

"I sell a lot of wreaths, guys." The shopkeeper said. "Right, right, but - but you see, this one would have been really special. It had, uh, it had, uh, green leaves, um, white buds on it. It might have been made of, uh...meadowsweet?" I said and the shopkeeper gives me a look.

"Well, aren't you a fussy one?" He asked and Dean smiles and places his arm around my waist. "She is..." he laughs and I shrug as I give a fake smile. "Anyway, I know the one you're talking about. I'm all out." The man said. "Huh. Seems like this meadowsweet stuff's pretty rare and expensive. Why make wreaths out of it?" Dean asked the man. "Beats me. I didn't make them." The shopkeeper said.

"Who did?" I asked him. "Madge Carrigan, a local lady. She said the wreaths were so special, she gave them to me for free." The man said. "She didn't charge you?" Sam asked. "Nope." He said. "Did you sell them for free?" Dean asked. "Hell no. It's Christmas. People pay a buttload for this crap." The shopkeeper said and I give a sarcastic smile. "That's the spirit." I said, sarcastically.

Back at the hotel, Dean opens the door and turns on the light, Sam and I follow him in. "How much do you think a meadowsweet wreath would cost?" Dean asked. "A couple hundred dollars, at least." Sam replied. "This lady's giving them away for free? What do you think about that?" I asked them. "Well, sounds pretty suspicious." Sam said as we take off our jackets and sit on the edge of our beds.

"Remember that wreath Dad brought home that one year?" Dean asked Sam. "You mean the one he stole from, like, a liquor store?" Sam asked, annoyed. "Yeah, it was a bunch of empty beer cans. That thing was great. I bet if I looked around hard enough, I could probably find one just like it." Dean said.

"All right. Dude...What's going on with you?" Sam asked. "What?" Dean asked, confused. "I mean, since when are you Bing Crosby all of a sudden? Why do you want Christmas so bad?" Sam asked Dean. "Why are you so against it? I mean, were your childhood memories that traumatic?" Dean asked. "No, that has nothing to do with it." Sam said.

"Then what?" Dean asked. "I-I mean, I-I just...I don't get it. You haven't talked about Christmas in years." Sam said. "Well, yeah. This is my last year." Dean said and Sam and I look at him and I give a look of sympathy to him.

"I know...That's why I can't." Sam said and I look over at him. "What do you mean?" Dean asked him. "I mean I can't just sit around, drinking eggnog, pretending everything's okay, when I know next Christmas you'll be dead." Sam said, a hint of sadness in his voice, and Dean nods. "I just can't." Sam said, again, and Dean nods, realizing the sadness in Sam's voice.

The three of us sit there in silence.