Christmas with the Calvins

Chapter Twenty-One

"Curtis! Report to my office!" Bernard's voice cracked through the loudspeaker of the main workshop building. The number two elf was taking his mid-day cookie break in the kitchen with Abby when the call came for him.

"You'd better go Curtis." Abby suggested. "He sounds really upset."

All the more reason not to go." Curtis shrugged. He reached for another cookie and took a large bite.

"Curtis!" Santa had gone to the kitchen for his own mid-day snack and was surprised to see the Keeper of the Christmas Handbook there. "I think Bernard just called for you..."

"He did, Sir." Abby confirmed.

"Well, you'd better get going." Scott suggested before plucking a cookie off the plate between Abby and Curtis. Santa took a bite out of the cookie before using it to point at the chubby elf. "Rumor has it our head elf has something to ask you."

"Really? What?" Curtis questioned, adjusting his glasses excitedly.

"Well you'll just have to head up to his office and find out!" Scott insisted, a mischievous twinkling present in his eyes. Following Santa's suggestion Curtis hustled out of the kitchen, through the main floor of the workshop and up to Bernard's office. He knocked rapidly on the office door before letting himself in.

"You wanted to see me Bernard?" He questioned his mentor. Curtis noticed Bernard looked more frazzled than usual, scraps of paper covered the desk between them. "What are you doing?"

"Jessie asked me to design the wedding invitations." The head elf replied without looking up. "I wouldn't mind it's just...I want them to look perfect!"

"Is that why you called me up here?" Curtis asked.

"No." Bernard sighed and put his pen down. This was going to be the hardest thing he'd done in at least four hundred years. Overall, Bernard supposed he liked Curtis. Sure they butted head sometimes but like Jessie said, the younger elf meant well. "Curtis, as you know, Jessie and I are getting married at the end of the month. We've got the meals planed out, decorations, I'm working on the invitations...we have everything we need except a best man."

"You want me to find you a best man, sir?" The young elf frowned.

"No, Curtis." Bernard did his best not to sound irritated. "I want you...I'm asking you, if you would like to be my best man."

"Is Jessica making you do this?" Curtis wanted more than anything to be a part of the wedding, but not if Bernard didn't really want him there.

"No!" Bernard said with genuine offense in his voice. "Let's face it Curtis, you're the closest thing I have to a friend."

"We're friends?" Curtis chimed in excitedly.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Bernard grumbled in agreement. "So will you do it?"

Jessie and Bernard were lying together in their bed the morning of their wedding.

"Morning." Jessie yawned before nestling her chin on his neck.

"Good morning future Mrs. Head-Elf." Bernard murmured. "Ready to get married?"

"That requires getting out of bed." Jessie complained.

"You didn't have to leave in the middle of the night to pick up Charlie, Lucky, Dr. Miller and your mother." The Head elf pointed out.

"So let's just go back to sleep." His bride resolved. She wrapped her arm across his chest and closed her eyes.

"As much as I would love that," Bernard gently plucked her arm off of him before sliding out of bed. "We have a wedding to attend."

"Mmmhhh." Jess mumbled. She dragged her groom's pillow from his side of the bed and cuddled it.