Christmas Countdown (8 page)

Emma and Pip were in the car with Mum on the way to meet the boys. Emma was excited but there was one thing she needed to know first, something more important than presents, more important than Christmas even.

‘Mum, how's Grandma?' she asked.

Emma's mum sighed. ‘She's fine, Em, thank goodness.'

Emma felt like a pile of bricks had been taken off her heart as her mum kept talking.

‘I know, Em,' said her mum. ‘She scared us all with that fall but it turned out to be only a broken arm. It's nothing six weeks in plaster won't fix. Let's hope she might retire completely now.'

‘I don't know,' said Emma. ‘It's pretty cool having a mum and a grandma being in the same spy agency as you. Will she be at Swedish Christmas?'

‘Try to stop her,' said Mum, laughing. ‘And she says she has something for you.'

Emma didn't know what Grandma might have for her and she didn't really care. She was just happy she was okay and the only thing she really wanted from her was another one of those grandma hugs.

‘Okay then, let's see the windows!' said her mum, parking the car. ‘And do try to act surprised when you see them, Em!'

Emma did manage to look surprised and she enjoyed seeing the windows with the whole family. But it wasn't until they walked back into their house that Emma realised it was actually, finally, really Christmas. The smells of the Christmas tree and the meatballs cooking in the kitchen, the sight of the specially set Christmas table and the candles and the sound of Dad singing his Swedish Christmas songs a little bit too loudly. That was Christmas. That was family. And so was the voice coming down the hallway.

‘Is that my Emma?'

It was Grandma. Emma ran to her and nearly knocked her over.

‘Careful, darling. I might break my other arm!' cried Grandma, laughing. Then she put her good arm around Emma and whispered, ‘I have something for you. Let's go to your room.'

A few minutes later, Grandma sat on Emma's bed and took out a small round case. ‘You should keep this with your CHARM bracelet,' she said.

‘What is it?' said EJ.

‘Open it and see,' said Grandma.

Emma carefully opened the box. The inside was lined with red velvet and in the middle sat a shiny gold medal. A medal with the
SHINE
logo on it. Around the edge were the words ‘Spy of the Year'.

‘It's beautiful' sighed Emma. ‘Is it yours, Grandma? A1 said you'd won one.'

‘No,' chuckled Grandma. ‘It's yours Emma. You are this year's
SHINE
Shining Star Spy of the Year. I'm so proud of you.'

Emma blushed and felt tears coming to her eyes. They were happy tears though, really happy tears. She was proud of herself and thrilled that it was Grandma who'd given the medal to her. She couldn't wait to tell Isi. Emma then took off her bracelet to put it back in its secret compartment on her bookshelf. As she did, she noticed the Christmas heart charm: she hadn't used it. She twisted it and, as she did, an inscription appeared on the heart.

Emma smiled.

‘You knew that already didn't you?' said Grandma softly.

‘Come on, you two,' cried Dad. ‘Are we having Christmas or not?!'

Emma hid her bracelet and medal and she and Grandma walked down the hallway. They couldn't stop beaming. It was hard to tell who was more proud. As they walked passed the Christmas tree Emma saw a red Christmas bauble that she knew hadn't been there last year, one that looked remarkably like one of
SHINE
's bauble-cams.

‘You go on, Grandma,' she said. ‘I won't be long.' And then she whispered to herself, ‘Gotcha,' as she gently turned the red bauble around and switched the camera off. She glanced under the tree at the present wrapped in green with red stars paper. She knelt down and looked at the tag again.

Emma looked at the bauble on the tree and then something did click.
How could I have not got that? The answer is a camera; you shoot pictures but nothing is hit!
Emma was thrilled; she had wanted a camera all year. But she wouldn't let on that she knew. She'd keep quiet—just as she did every year. After all, did they really think
SHINE
's Spy of the Year couldn't crack a Christmas-tag code?

‘Emma!' cried her mum from the dining room. ‘Are you feeling those presents again?'

How did she do that without the bauble-cam?
thought Emma.

‘Not any more, Mum,' she answered, laughing, as she came down the hall into the kitchen where everyone was waiting for her, ready to start the Christmas celebration.

Everything was back to normal again. It was going to be the best Christmas ever—thanks to a little help from EJ—and IJ-12!

Emma Jacks and EJ12 will return in

BOOK 12
SECRET SAFARI

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ej12girlhero.com

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