"yes. it's the mrs. clause." bernard sighed and my dad rolled his eyes, "what if i don't want to get married?"
my dad was getting skinnier and curtis' eyes widened. "oh dear. THE DE-SANTIFICATION PROCESS HAS BEGUN!"
"the de-santification?" my dad and i asked. then his eyes widened. "are you telling me that clause says that if i don't get married, i don't get to be santa anymore?" we we're silent and my dad sighed. "what about the kids? what about the elves? what about you guys? what about meadow?"
at that i came to the realization that if he isn't santa, i won't be an elf. my face dropped completely and i silently left the room, not getting noticed, not wanting to make a scene.
twenty minutes later i heard the door to my room open up. i looked over at saw bernard peak in and then fully enter, closing the door behind him and sitting next to me on the bed.
"why'd you leave? i couldn't find you." bernard frowned when he saw the look on my face. "what's wrong, doll?"
i sighed, "well... i realized that if my dad isn't santa anymore... i won't be an elf... meaning that we... we can't be together." i slowly explained and i saw the look on his face change into the same one as mine.
"well, if that's the case then i will make sure that your father stays being santa because i can't bare the thought of you not being in my life." he pulled me into a hug and i wrapped my arms around him.
i cried into his shoulder as he gently stroked my head. we pulled apart and smiled at each other before leaning in and kissing.
the door opened and curtis walked in, we pulled apart and stared at curtis angrily. he had wide eyes, "uh... santa wants to talk to us.." he then left and shut the door quickly.
bernard and i looked at each other and we both bursted out laughing before quickly kissing and then getting up to go to my dad.
-•••-
my dad explained to us what they talked about during the meeting and curtis gave a pondering look. "maybe you can be. okay, everyone, can i get the room for a minute, thank you. thanks guys. walk with me. i've tripled the RAM and reconfigured the circuitry paths."
my dad looked at it, "i see you've externalized the power source to make better use of the electromagnetic energy." curtis shook his head, "nah, it's just there cause it looked really cool."
"yeah it does." my dad smiled then it dropped, "wait a minute. you tripled the RAM. curtis i see where this is going. i am not getting in that machine."
bernard nodded, "right. besides, creating a copy of santa claus won't solve our problems. it would be a toy." i nodded and looked at my dad then back at curtis, "yeah, then the elves'll know."
curtis glared at me and looked back at my dad. "but this would be a very special toy!" my dad rose an eyebrow. "how is that curtis?"
"i added a fuzzy logic circuit to the pantograph. the duplicate will look and think just like you. so when you're with your family, dealing with charlie and looking for a wife..."
"the toy santa will be up here melting in front of my fireplace" my dad finished for curtis but curtis shook his head. "no, the toy santa will be dealing with business up here."
"meadow and i can deal with business up here!" bernard shouted and walked over to my dad. "santa, if the elves find out we've made a switch.." bernard did a cute little gasp, "no! no! this machine is not the answer."
there was clanging and squeaking. we looked and saw a mouse going into the thing. we ran to the other side and the mouse came out perfectly fine and a toy replica that looked exactly like it.
"look, you can't get much better than that." curtis smiled at my dad. "and i promise, it won't hurt a bit."
my dad shook his head, looking like he wasn't going to do it. "i'm going in." he walked over to the front of the machine. bernard sighed, "oh, i can't watch this."
he walked over to the wall and turned so his back was facing us. i rolled my eyes with a smile before going over and rubbing his back. my dad went in the machine and he yelled.
i ran over next to curtis, bernard following shortly behind. it looked just like my dad when it came out of the machine. "it's perfect!" curtis yelled.
"that's because it's me, einstein." my dad said and went next to bernard. "santa, are you alright? are you okay?"
"yeah. i got a shock in there. is there supposed to be a shock?" my dad had his back turned to the machine so he couldn't see what came out next but bernard, curtis and i screamed and i put my hands over my eyes. "it's naked!"
"someone please put something over it so i can see again!" i yelled and bernard grabbed a blanket and put it on it then un covered my eyes for me.
curtis smiled triumphantly, "it's incredible!" my dad looked down at curtis, "can he talk?" curtis slightly nodded and my dad looked at the toy, "hello?"
it made weird noises and it's face was all wonky. "hello?" he said again and this time it repeated what my dad had said. bernard and i's faces were in shock and terror. we looked at each other then slowly back at the two santa's.
"ho ho ho!"
"ho ho... ho!"
"not bad."
"not bad yourself."
"i can't put my finger on it, but there's just something about you that i like."
"there's just something about you the i like!"
"i'll be right back" my dad said and then took bernard and i over to the other side of the room. "bernard, meadow, i need your help on this."
"what do you mean?" bernard's voice cracked. "what i mean is i gotta go see charlie, and i want you to convince the elves that... toy santa is me."
i looked over at the toy then back at my dad. "uh, hm, have you seen that thing?" my dad sighed, "i've seen it and i think that if you keep the elves at a distance and tell them that i've changed my look, it'll work."
"oh santa, we're in way over our heads here." bernard sighed and my dad looked at us sternly. "if anyone can do this it's my daughter and you, number one."
"we're not gonna lie to all the elves!" bernard stuttered and my dad rose an eyebrow as he pushed us out of the room.
