"This is about it," Kevin told his friends, "He's in the fourth house down from here."

"What were you and Brian talking about before they left?" Danny asked him.

"He wanted my advice on a last minute Christmas gift for a friend of his," Kevin said with a wry, knowing smile.

"Why did you mention turtle doves?" Kayla inquired.

"It's something I found out last year," Kevin explained, "The way it works is, you keep one, and you give the other to your friend. As long as you both have yours, you'll be friends forever."

"That's kind of sweet," she smiled.

"I know," Kevin said, "I still have the one I'm sharing with the pigeon lady I told you guys about. The problem is, of course, where to find turtle doves in today's market. I was lucky enough to get them last time."

"Uh, the guy you told us about lives here?" Skylar asked tentatively, pointing at Del's now dilapidated house. Kevin glanced slowly up from porch to roof. "It's not usually this bad a place," he said, "He keeps it in decent shape--I think."

"You sure about that?" Skylar asked, eyebrows raised.

"Hey, I'm not the type of person who'd lead you out here for nothing!" Kevin protested, "He probably just hasn't cleaned the place in a while." Danny hustled over to the window and peered in. "Nobody's inside," he announced, "The place looks like a dump."

"I don't want to live in a dump," Skylar told Kevin.

"He may not be the neatest man on earth, but he's very nice," Kevin said.

"So where is he?"

"I guess he's at the store or something," Kevin shrugged, not knowing how close Del was, "Maybe if we check out there we'll find him."

"I guess," Kayla shrugged.

"Follow me, then, "Kevin led them in the direction of the center of town.

"What did you say your name was again, sir?" the teller at the Des Plaines First National Bank of Shermer asked Harry.

"Uh, Papagiorgios," Harry told her, "Nick Papagiorgios."

"Well Mr. Papagiorgios, we've been doing business with the Kovalchuks for over thirty years now, and I've never seen you handle his finances before," the teller admitted.

"I'm the new guy," Harry explained, "And Mr. Kovalchuk says if you don't put everything he's got in Trinidad now, he's gonna go under."

He handed the teller the Kovalchuks' bank book. The teller shrugged and punched some figures into her computer. "You did tell Mr. Kovalchuk that only you can open the deposit in Trinidad once his resources are put there?" she asked him.

"Of course I did," Harry said with a big fake smile. He lowered his dark glasses slightly. "And just between you and me, toots, when he retires there in a couple years, he'll be glad he did."

'Okay then, I have transferred everything to Trinidad," the teller announced as the words TRANSACTION COMPLETE popped up on her screen, "Tell Mr. Kovalchuk to have a happy holiday."

"I will," Harry smiled, walking backwards out of the bank. Once we was outside and clear of all the security cameras, he pumped his fists in ecstasy. He'd just pulled off the most successful heist of his career. He walked over to the nearest phone booth, where Marv was finishing a conversation. "How's it look?" Harry asked his buddy as he hung up.

"Veeko says they'll have the runways at O'Hare cleared by noon, and we should still be on time for later tonight," Marv told him, "Did it work?"

"Oh yeah," Harry grinned, "By the time they figure out what hit 'em, we'll be soakin' up their dough on the beach. The money's specifically rigged so that nobody can touch it but us. And if Interpol thinks they can yank the combination out of me, they can forget it, 'cause I ain't never telling' no one the....."

He had been glancing across the street and suddenly noticed Kevin and his friends walking on the other side. His eyes widened in delight. "Hey, look who's out for a walk, Marv!" he exclaimed.

Marv gasped in excitement at the site of his bitter foe. "Well, what are we waitin' for, Harry; let's rip him limb from limb!" he said.

"Right," Harry said, reaching into his pocket to make sure his gun was ready if needed. The two of them strode across the street toward the kids. As soon as he was close enough, Harry covered Kevin's eyes. "Guess who, pal!?" he sniggered, "Don't even think about screamin'!"

Kevin gasped in terror at the sound of his enemies again. "Get out of here, guys!" whispered to the others.

"I wouldn't think about it, kiddies," Harry told them as they started to break away, "I got a gun in my pocket, and I ain't afraid to use it on anybody. Now all four of ya, start walkin' that way!"

He and Marv shoved the kids toward the general direction of the town pond. "Ya thought ya'd seen the last of us, huh kid?" Harry asked Kevin, "Well ya were dead wrong, in more ways than one. I don't know how ya pulled of that stunt at yer place last night, but it don't matter now, 'cause ya let yer guard down, and that always gets 'em. The only thing left to decide is whether we break a hole in the pond and drown you and yer homies here or throw ya on the train tracks and let the noon express take care of ya."

"And this time you can't stop us, little buddy," Marv piped up, "'cause we already got all the stuff we wanted to steal. In a few hours, once we finish our job at the high school, it's off to O'Hare and a nice plane flight to...."

"Marv!" Harry cut him off.

"What!?" Marv asked, puzzled as to why he'd been interrupted.

"If ya give away the plan again this year, I'm gonna break yer neck!" Harry snapped.

"I wasn't gonna tell him nothing, Harry!" Marv protested.

"Ya think so!?" Harry yelled sarcastically. "Hold up a minute, kids," he ordered, pulling Kevin and the other to a stop. "Ya know what yer problem is!?" he berated Marv, "Ya never know just when to shut yer yap! Last year the cops could've let us go scott free in Central Park, and they would have if SOMEBODY hadn't told them that we'd robbed the toy store to their faces! Yer lucky I didn't break yer neck then!"

"Well if we hadn't been robbin' the store we might have got the presents back in prison and not gotten ourselves beat up again!" Marv shouted in self-defense, "Why'dya always look at things with the glass half empty, Harry!?"

"Because there ain't nothing left in the glass once you get through with it!" Harry snarled. "Five years ago, when the DA asked the night watchman if he recognized the guys who hit the warehouse, we might have gotten away with it if you hadn't raised your hand to the question! Just listening to the judge break up in laughter was embarrassin' enough; then havin' him tell us that we're a disgrace to....!"

"I don't have to take this Harry!" Marv roared, "After all the years of service I've given to ya......"

"After all yer years of service to me, yer lucky I'm still alive!" Harry barked, "You and yer stupid pyramid outta the cellar last year, now that's one great example. That couldn't've held up if.......!"

"HARRY, THERE THEY GO!!!!" Marv yelled, pointing down the sidewalk. Kevin and the others had taken off while the crooks had been busy arguing.

"What're ya standin' around here yellin' for, get that little twerp!" Harry shouted. He and Marv barreled after the kids.

"I can see what you mean about these guys being easy to beat," Skylar told Kevin as they headed for the park in the center of town.

"Yeah, but they don't give up easy," Kevin admitted. A gunshot rang just over their heads. "Case in point," he gulped.

"They're getting closer," Kayla pointed over her shoulder. The burglars were about a hundred feet behind them and gaining fast.

"I've got an idea," Kevin said, "It's something I tried before, but not on these guys." He pointed to the pond ahead of them. Immediately, Danny froze up. "I can't," he said, looking petrified.

"Look, I know you're afraid of water, but they'll crush our bones if we don't," Kevin pleaded with him, "And the pond's solid."

"How do you know!?" Danny half-screamed, "You haven't been here in three days!"

"You're not going to die, Danny; I promise you!" Kevin cried out loud.

"But what if I do!!??"

"I've been afraid of lots of things, but if you don't face them, they'll eat you alive! You've got to trust me on this!" Kevin pleaded. Danny took one look back at the gaining burglars, closed his eyes, took Kevin's hand, all the while muttering under his breath, "Please don't kill me Lord!", and the two of them took of diving leap across the ice, seconds before Harry's crowbar came crashing down on what would have been their heads. With Skylar and Kayla following, they slid screaming across the pond, coming to a stop about five feet from the edge. With Danny still screaming, they scrambled to safety.

On the other side, Harry and Marv hit the ice running--and promptly fell on their backs. "Come on, they're getting' away!" Marv shouted. All he and his buddy could do, however, was slip and slide in place and watch as their quarries escaped. "Forget it," Harry said, crawling back to solid ground, "We'll get 'em later."

"What if there ain't a later, Harry?" Marv asked, crawling after him.

"We'll talk about it later," Harry said, showing Marv his watch, "Right now we've got to get to the high school to see what the hell he wants us to do. Then we'll see if we can destroy him."

On the far side, Kevin helped the others to their feet. "Everyone OK?" he asked.

"Yep," Skylar said, brushing himself off.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Kevin asked Danny, who looked mixed.

"No," Danny said, "I feel funny--like I've just had a near-death experience."

"Well you're alive, aren't you?" Kevin inquired.

"Yeah," Danny said, "And it feels great. It's like I killed some demons."

"You did," Kevin said knowingly, "You should be proud of yourself."

"I do, almost....."

"So where do we go now?" Skylar inquired.

"I've got an idea," Kevin said, "An old friend of mine."

"Who were you calling just before we left Kevin's?" Claire asked Bender suspiciously as they and the other teens walked down Chestnut Avenue.

"Oh, I figured I might as well wish Dick a merry Christmas in case I don't see him tonight," Bender said, clearly not saying all he knew, "He wasn't in, so I gave his wife the message."

"And what exactly did you say in that Christmas greeting?" Claire pressed on.

"It was special greeting for Dick, and therefore not really of your concern," Bender headed her off.

"After what we agreed on last night, I think it's very much my concern," Claire said.

"Don't I get any say in....."

"Will you two please act your age!" Andrew interceded, "You behave like you're married...no offense."

"And you're turning into that McCallister rat...no offense," Bender told him roughly.

"Whatever you do Bender, don't call Kevin a rat," Allison told him, "Or I'll tell him in the chat room tonight, and he'll take appropriate action." She patted her coat pocket and added, "And besides, no one who's a rat would hold out twenty bucks for Andie's cause."

"You think that's really funny, don't you?" Bender snorted, "Everybody gang up on John Bender because they all want to make him their punching bag after a kid.....a kid, well, shows he can stand toe to toe with his worst nightmare."

"Stand toe-to-toe? Forget it Bender, Kevin totally got the best of you," Andrew said with a small chuckle.

"We're not out to get you," Chandra told the criminal.

"I didn't ask your opinion!" Bender snarled at her.

"I think you should be a bit nicer to her, Bender," Brian said softly, his fists balled up. Bender immediately backed down. "So, do you have anything on tap for later tonight?" the brain asked Chandra, "Because if you don't, you're more than welcome to come to the dance."

"I have church at 7 until about nine thirty," Chandra told him.

"Well the dance goes till midnight," Brian pointed out, "You can come afterwards if you want."

"I'm not really that comfortable with dances to be honest, Brian," Chandra said, "They make me nervous."

"So you'd rather waste your time in some run-down church than be a real, normal...." Bender started to retort, but backed down again when Brian gave him a dirty look.

"You and your stupid God bit again, "Claire muttered, "When will you let it go that he doesn't exist?"

"Never, because he does," Chandra said stoically.

"All right, why don't we put it to the test?" Andrew said suddenly, "What church do you go to?"

"St. Xavier's, why?" Chandra asked.

"We'll go there, and see if he can heal this," Andrew pointed to his broken leg, "And if nothing happens, then we'll know for sure."

"You shouldn't put him to the test like that," Chandra protested.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Claire said, giving Chandra a rather downing look, "Why don't we go see if it works right now?"

"Very fine with me," Andrew led the way up Chestnut. The others followed, for the most part eager to follow up the suggestion.

St. Xavier's was empty at first glance, but behind the scenes, church personnel could be heard scurrying around getting ready for the dual Christmas Eve services. And right up front, the minister himself was busy testing some of the candles. "Excuse me sir," Andrew called up to him, "Can I borrow the altar for a moment?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, son," the minister frowned.

"I'm sorry, Reverend Herdman," Chandra explained to him, "He's looking for proof that God exists."

"And I'd like to find out for sure, if that's okay with you, reverend," Andrew told the holy man.

"Of course," Reverend Herdman waved him forward. He trudged toward the back of the church and asked Chandra, "I'm guessing you'll be singing at the seven o'clock service, Chandra?"

"I can't see how I can avoid it," she said.

"You wouldn't mind it if any of the rest of us showed up?" Brian asked him, "I've heard that the choir here's one in a million."

"Really?" Reverend Herdman said, amazed, "Well this church is open to anyone, especially on Christmas Eve."

"Why? Is that your biggest night of losing your virginity?" Bender cracked under his breath. Allison kicked him in the shin. "What'd you do that for?" he growled, "That's Johnson's job to abuse me!"

Up front, Andrew approached the altar slowly. "Are you there?" he asked the Jesus figure on the cross, "If you are, could you, well, you know, make everything better?" He waited a minute, and then touched the feet of the figure. After about thirty seconds, he stepped back expectantly. Nothing happened. Shaking his head, he hobbled back down the aisle. "No luck," he told the others, "Let's get out of here."

"Well, I guess we'll see you later, then," Chandra told the reverend as the teens all left the church.

Outside, Andrew hobbled so fast that the others had to rush to catch up with him. "No luck, huh?" Claire asked him. Andrew shook his head silently, looking gravely disappointed.

"See, I told you there was no God," Bender told Chandra triumphantly.

"He's is there!" Chandra protested, "He just doesn't work that way! You can't just go in and demand that he give you his mantle. You need to have faith."

"I DID have faith!" Andrew yelled at her, "I thought for sure he'd come through! For just one moment I had the feeling that something great was going to happen. Boy was I...!"

And then, without warning, he stumbled and fell. "Andy, are you all right!?" Allison half-screamed as she and the others surrounded him.

"No!" Andrew yelled, looking like he was in incredible pain, "Get me back up!"

"You really need to be more careful when you try and get into these holy things," Bender muttered, helping the athlete up by the collar.

"You know something Bender, you shouldn't blaspheme about..." Andrew shouted, lunging toward him.

"Andy, you're walking!" Claire gasped. Andrew looked down. The cast was gone, and his leg was back to normal! "It worked!" he yelled, pumping his fists in ecstasy, "It worked!" The others cheered in delight and embraced him. Chandra tossed the crutches into the trash. "See," she told Andrew, "faith does work."

"I see now," he said, patting her warmly on the back. He turned over to Bender. "Well Bender, what about your theory now?" he asked him.

"No comment," Bender said quickly. He paced off a few feet, muttering under his breath, "She's the next Carrie!"