Christmas with the Calvins

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Jess can you take a look at this, I think I did something wrong." One of the painter elves asked her. The team was working on some new drum designs and the diagram was less than ideal. Jess and Bernard were to blame for this error as neither wife nor Husband would agree on a final design. Eventually Jess decided to press forward with her own plans and because of her inexperience with toy making there were more than a few bugs.

"Sure Dottie, I'll take a look." She wiped paint residue off her hands before going over to assess the situation. Jess immediately noticed the problem. Rather than being gold and red as the diagram called for, the drum was painted gold and bright pink.

"I used the number thirty five paint just like the diagram said." Dottie insisted, handing Jess the bottle of paint in question. The head painter took it and inspected its contents.

"It's nothing you did." Jess sighed. "It's my fault, when I was mixing this batch of paint I wasn't paying attention. I'll get you a new one." Running a hand through her hair in frustration she made her way back over to the paint station. After giving Dottie a proper bottle of number thirty five paint, Jess toured the department to ensure no one else's paint was mixed poorly. Back at the paint mixing station she sat with her head in her hands. What else could go wrong? She groaned.

"Um, Jess?" Judy questioned the painter elf nervously.

"Yeah?" Jess replied, trying not to snap at the kitchen elf.

"The Naughty and Nice elves asked me to give you this." Judy held out a small rolled up piece of paper.

"Is this from the Naughty and Nice machine?" The semi-automated machine only spat out the names of kids who'd been exceptionally kind or rude. "Let me guess..." The younger elf sighed. "Charlie Calvin - Naughty List." She read from the scrap of paper. "Judy, I think it's time for me to talk to Santa about this. Do you think you could bring some hot chocolate to his office?"

"I'll get up there as fast as I can." The kitchen elf promised before scuttling off to the kitchen.

Jessie let herself into Bernard's office where he'd been hiding all day. If they were going to talk to Scott about Charlie, they might as well tell him about the Mrs. Clause as well.

"Have you been sleeping in your office?" She accused, pointing at the disheveled cot against the wall.

"I've been busy." Was all Bernard managed to get out. He had been busy, but Jessie's attitude lately had made it easier for him to find excuses to work late.

"Whatever. Listen we've got to tell Dad about the Mrs. Clause. Every day that we wait is more time he could be using. Plus this came through the Naughty and Nice machine." Jess handed her husband the rolled up paper.

"Charlie's on the naughty list?" Bernard gasped. He'd watch Charlie grow up since he was eight years old. He'd been such a sweet little kid, it seemed impossible that his Brother-in-law could have done something so bad to end up on the naughty list. Curtis walked into the office whistling his favorite Christmas tune. He stopped when he saw Jessica and Bernard glaring at each other from opposite sides of the desk.

"Oh, you two are obviously in the middle of something. I'll just be going." Curtis said.

"Curtis, you have to tell Santa about the Mrs. Clause right now." Barnard ordered.

"But he's so happy!" Curtis frowned. "And why do I have to be the one to tell him? He's your father-in-law."

"Because, I'm the head elf!" Bernard shrieked. "I don't give bad news."

"Powerhungry." Jessica coughed which caused Curtis to giggle. "Why don't we all tell him?" She suggested. "Where is he now?"

The three elves found Scott rolling in the snow, a pile of elves on top of him. It was apparent that Santa and the elves has just finished a game of tinsel football. The rules were easy enough to understand, as it was just flag football with braids of tinsel.