Everyone ready to enjoy a kids' holiday party?

Mike: (Moans) Noooo... :p

Peter: I'd love to!

Micky: I am! :D

Davy: Sounds fun!

(We open with a romp, "Christmas Is My Time of Year." Adults in good clothing chaperone children, who run around, dancing, laughing, playing with toys, shouting, and just generally having a whale of a time.)

(Jordan stays by his mother, shy. Katie grabs his hand and pulls him out to the other kids, but he clings to her.)

(Katie takes a little guitar and plays it for everybody, declairing "Jus' like Papa!" Emma grins.)

(The kids gather around as three familiar men, now wearing ship steward uniforms, deliver cookies, milk, soda, cake, chips, and pretzels. :D)

(Jordan stands away, looking scared. Katie drags him over to a group of children that includes the twins.)

(No one notices as the young men slip around adults quietly, serving drinks and cookies.)

(Two young women, the children's program directors, lead the children - and any adults who want to join in - in simple carols and dances.)

(Emma gets up and dances with Katie. Peter picks Jordan up and swings him around the room.)

*The twins dance, too. Mick spins in circles. Shelly sways back and forth.*

(We next do a project. The children are set up with smocks, seashells with holes in their tops, glue, ribbon, and glitter. They're going to make glitter seashell ornaments for their parents.)

(Katie covers her shell with gold and coppery glitter. Jordan puts a little green on his.)

*Mick's shell has every color on it. Shelly's is purple.*

(Katie gets a gold ribbon. She gives hers to her mother. Jordan's is tied with a green ribbon, and he hands his to his father.)

*Mick ties Shelly's ribbon in her hair. He takes his, ties their shells together, and presents them to their mother.*

(Emma pats Mick on the head and says "How sweet!")

*Mick grins widely.* :D

(As one of the directors and two more stewards - not the three who were there before - clean up the glitter mess and another director leads the children in a rousing game of "Simon Says," the two snobby adults who were in the dining room the night before walk in, both wearing their cheap knockoff fashions. The man carries a red sack and plops it down as the woman, complaining over the noise and the messy glitter, goes to get a drink.)

(We see Kris and Jessica off to the side, Kris half in a Santa Claus outfit. As Jessica helps him into his coat, he plops the red sack down...right next to the OTHER red sack. The three stewards from earlier reappear, arguing amongst themselves, carrying jewelry. They stash the jewelry in another red sack, which they drop next to the other two as they argue. They're arguing so much, they don't pay attention to which sack they pick up and don't pick the same one up that they did before!)

(The two snobs pick up another red sack. Kris, now in his Santa Claus outfit, grabs the third and slings it over his shoulder as the song winds down. He and Jessica enter the room.)

Katie: Santa!

Jordan: Oooh!

(All of the kids run over to Kris as he brings the sack over to the children, beaming. He sits down in a large chair. Little Mick is the first child in line. Jessica puts him on Kris' lap.)

Kris: Why, hello there, George Michael Dolenz the Third!

Mick: Hi, Santa! :D

Kris: And what do you want for Christmas this year, Geor...Micky?

Mick: *grins* I wanna hula hoop!

Kris: And you'll get it, Micky. Here you go... (Kris opens the sack...but when he reaches in, he pulls out a few rings, a watch, and a necklace) What's this?

Jessica: (Eyes widen) What in the WORLD...

Man In Cheap Suit: (Squawks again) Hey, my watch is gone!

Emma: (Wails) That's my necklace! The one my mom gave me when I was a kid, and the typewriter pendant!

Mick: *peeks in the bag* What else you got in there?

Kris: Um...uhh...

Jessica: (She dumps the bag out. Jewelry and watches of all kind spill onto the floor) Oh my GOD! This is NOT our sack!

Kris: Where's the other sack?

Peter: (Peers at one of the rings) Hey, that's Maxine's garnet ring!

Mother 1: That's my watch! I lost it last night!

Mother 2: And my wedding ring!

Peter: And Val's wedding ring.

Man In Cheap Suit: (Narrows his eyes at Kris) How did you get that?

Mick: *pulls an object out* Daddy's watch!

Kris: Honestly, it was all a mistake!

(But everyone is now gathered around the collection of jewelry on the floor, including the woman in the cheap Paris knockoff.)

Woman: My diamond necklace!

Mother 2: Please, that's rhinestone if I ever saw it.

Program Director 1: I'm going to call the police.

Kris: No! I don't know how this ended up in my sack!

Katie: No toys?

Kris: Yes...no...just not now...Santa seems to have lost his magic sack.

Jordan: Awww!

Shelly: Santa's sack stolen! :P

Kid 1: Someone took Santa's sack?

Kid 2: Oh no! We won't get toys!

Kris: I'm sure we'll find it...

Jessica: Where? Kris, this is a big ship. It could be anywhere!

Mick: *motions to the sack* This not Santa's!

Kris: No, it isn't. (Squints at the sack) Come to think of it, my sack is lighter, and it's made of more expensive velvet...

Jessica: Kris, I've been telling you for years to get glasses.

Kris: It's not good for my image.

Jessica: This isn't the first time you've misplaced something we've really, really needed when we really, really needed it. :p

Police Officer 1: (Several police officers arrive as parents round up their children) What's going on here, folks? Something about recovered jewels?

Kris: Officer, I tell you, it's all been a big mistake!

Program Director 1: Officer, I don't know what to think. Mr. Bass has a good reputation, but, well, here's the evidence. (Indicates the jewels)

Program Director 2: If it's worth it, I think Mr. Bass is right and it's a mistake. I saw someone else carrying a sack like this when everyone was boarding yesterday.

Mother 3: So did I!

(The cheaply-dressed couple makes their discreet exit at this point. The four kids, however, see them.)

Police Officer 2: (Sighs) As much as I hate to do it, based on the evidence, we're going to have to take you in for questioning, Mr. Bass.

Kris: No! I never stole anything in my entire life!

Jessica: What about that mince pie I baked last Christmas that mysteriously disappeared from the windowsill? And don't tell me it was a reindeer!

Kris: (Grumbles) I'll remember you when I need a character witness, Jess.

Police Officer 2: We're not arresting you yet. We're just asking questions.

Police Officer 1: (Scoops the jewelry back into the bag in gloved hands) We'll get fingerprints from these as well as we can, then return them to their owners.

Emma: I had no idea my necklace was gone!

Peter: My wife and our friend thought they just dropped their rings. (Frowns) Maxine was right. There ARE jewel thieves on board!

Emma: Wonderful.

(Katie, the twins, and Jordan watch as the policemen lead Kris out, one carrying the bag wearing gloves. Jessica follows them.)

Jordan: "Why are the policemen taking Santa away? Did he do something bad?"

Mick: "I don't know! He didn't do anything!"

Katie: "I don't think so. I don't think Santa would ever steal rings and things! He gives people things. He doesn't take them."

Jordan: "I hope the police aren't mean to Santa! Daddy says policemen can be very mean sometimes."

Shelly: "I don't think they'll be mean to Santa! Santa probably brought THEM presents when they were our age!"

Katie: "The police didn’t really think Santa took the jewels, anyway. The nice ladies who had the party didn't, either. I'll bet it was those two people in the fancy outfits. I saw them with a red sack earlier, and now they're gone!"

Jordan: "I think I saw someone ELSE with another red sack right before Santa came."

Katie: "Maybe they ALL stole the jewels!"

Jordan: "Or someone else is stealing more stuff!"

Emma: (She, Lauren, and Peter come over to the kids, shaking their heads, having just been questioned) I knew there was something I couldn't put my finger on about those two, but I never thought it would be this...

Peter: Emma, you don't seriously think Mr. Bass would steal, do you? He's the nicest old man I've ever met!

Emma: I don't know what to think. He did have the sack with the jewels.

Lauren: All I know is there is definitely something not right about this whole situation, and I don't think it has to do with Mr. Bass. Wrong place, wrong time.

Peter: Maybe we should round up the others and see what they think. Mike wanted to rehearse this afternoon for our gig tonight in the main ballroom, anyway.

Emma: And Maxine will want her ring back.

Peter: Come on. (Picks up Jordan) Why don't we take the kids out for a swim, then head back to our rooms?

Jordan: Oooh!

Katie: We'll go swim!

Emma: And while you guys nap, we'll have a Council of War with the other adults.

Peter: Let's go, then.

Katie: (Looks at the others) "And we'll have our own talk with Chrissy when they think we're taking naps!"

Jordan: "Ok!"

Mick: "Yeah!"

Shelly: "Alright."

(Peter picks up Jordan. Emma picks up Katie. Lauren takes each of the twins' hands. As Emma walks off, Katie winks at the twins over her mother's shoulder. They wink back at her, and we fade out as they head to their staterooms to retrieve their bathing suits.)