For the Love of an Elf (Bernard the Head Elf romance)

Santa Goes To Jail

Not long after her birthday, Thanksgiving rolled around. It felt like forever since they had seen their dad and both kids were down in the dumps. Not even the delicious dinner Neal had prepared could cheer them up. Claire excused herself really early, saying she didn't feel well, and went up to her room where she sat in the window seat and fiddled with her locket. She had worn it every day since her birthday, and when her mom had asked about it, she said it was from a friend. She hadn't opened it again, but it was always warm, almost like it was alive. As she sat looking out at the snow falling, it started getting warmer, and she heard a faint buzzing noise, like the old light bulb in the attic made. Then she heard, 'Hi Angel.' Startled, she looked over to see Bernard looking at her bookcase. He turned around and gave her a huge smile, and all the frustration on the past eleven months came to the surface at once. 'Don't call me that', she said. He looked taken aback. 'Whoah, what's wrong with you? You sound upset.' She stood up, fists clenched tight. 'That's because I am upset. Everything is wrong. Ever since we met you, everyone is fighting, and dad can't see us anymore, and nobody believes in anything. Look around, Bernard. Can't you see what's happening?' Bernard stepped closer, slowly, and took one of her hands, prying her fingers apart. There were crescent marks in her palm. 'Hey, you gotta calm down. First of all, I'm sorry about your mom and Neal, but it's not their fault. Not really. They might need a little more persuading is all. As for your dad-'. He paused. Then Claire heard Charlie's excited voice from downstairs, and her dad say, 'The only kids I'm thinking of are you and your sister'. She walked to the top of the stairs and waited, listening. Charlie was trying to get their dad to admit that he was Santa, and he asked for a minute alone to say goodbye to them. She walked down but stayed on the staircase, and he smiled up at her. Charlie said, 'I'll get my stuff', and her dad said he thought it would be a better idea if they stayed with their mom. Charlie was about to get upset, but Bernard appeared at the dining room table, picking at a turkey leg. 'Boy is this bird dry. Haven't you people heard of basting?' 'Bernard!' Charlie shouted. 'Hiya sport', he said, patting Charlie on the head. 'Bernard can we go? Please can we go Bernard?', he asked excitedly. Bernard nodded his head. 'It's ok with me.' She exchanged looks with her dad, and then Bernard, who extended a hand to her. It took Claire only a moment to shake her head no. She couldn't leave her mom on Thanksgiving. Bernard gave her an understanding nod and her dad hugged her one time before all three disappeared in a dusting of magic, like they were never there at all. Her mom came around the corner, and realized what had happened in an instant. Within the hour the house was full of police and detectives and people with machines that could trace a phone call. Claire tried to tell them what happened, finally admitting that her dad was Santa Claus, and he had just taken her brother to the North Pole, but of course nobody took her seriously. Then Charlie called, and said he was ok, and he loved them, and that he would see them on Christmas. And that was that. The cops kept a steady watch on the house, but as days rolled into weeks they dwindled to just one car posted outside at all times. Her mom was worried sick, despite Claire's best attempts to reassure her, and Neal wasn't much better. Then Christmas Eve finally came. The cops rounded up every Santa they could get their hands on and had her mom go in to the station to try and identify her dad in a lineup with no luck. Neal sadly hung all four stockings on the fireplace, and when night came, so did more cops. Claire thought they would just talk to her dad and get him to bring Charlie back. Instead, her mom and Neal took her upstairs to their room with them and wouldn't let her out, for fear that when Scott showed up again, he'd just take her too. She sat by the window covered in a blanket and watched as cop after cop entered the house, and she could hear them shuffling around downstairs. They waited for what felt like forever, and she was just dozing off when she heard a clatter on the roof. Her mom and Neal, who had been pacing, stood still and listened as her dad was arrested and carried outside to be put in the back of a police car. A crowd had gathered to see Santa get carted off, but there were also a lot of kids who were yelling for Santa to be let go. As she looked closer, Claire saw that some of them were elves, and she smiled. She knew her dad would be ok. But where was Charlie? Her parents went back downstairs to wait for any news, but they asked her to go on to bed. She woke up a little while later to the front door closing and Charlie yelling 'Mom? Mom!' She jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs to see her mom and Neal squeezing the life out of Charlie. Her mom was crying again. Her dad was dusting his Santa hat off, and she went straight to him to hug him. Then her mom released Charlie, and Claire hugged him too until her dad said he had to get going and Charlie broke free. Just like earlier, her dad told them they had to stay with her mom and Neal, and that they were all a family and he couldn't be selfish. Charlie was upset but seemed to understand, and their mom had a moment of clarity, running to get the custody papers and throw them in the fire, agreeing that they could be with their dad every Christmas Eve. As they were wrapping up their goodbyes, Bernard appeared, once again, this time with a pita thing in hand, clearly from the kitchen. Claire thought she would have to ask him what his deal with their food was. 'What's all this boohooing going on here? Hey, how ya doing?' The latter was directed at Neal, who flattened himself to the wall in shock. 'It's nothing, Bernard. I'm just saying goodbye to the kids.' With a mouthful of food, Bernard said, 'What goodbye? You still got the glass ball, right?' That was directed at Charlie. 'Yeah?' Bernard continued. 'Well, all you gotta do is shake it whenever you two want to see your dad. He can come back to see you anytime, day or night.' They must have looked doubtful because he said, 'Hey, have I ever steered you wrong?' They shook their heads, and he turned to compliment Neal's sweater. As he searched for a tag, Neal said their dad had sucked them into his delusions and took the sandwich from Bernard. Her mom said she'd explain it later, and with a wink at Claire, Bernard disappeared. At that moment, they heard sirens and shouting from outside, and with a last hug for his kids, Santa went up the chimney. Her mom ran outside to tell them it was ok, that he was already gone, but they stormed the house anyway. Neal pulled Claire close and her mom kept a hand on Charlie as they saw the sleigh pull off the roof. People pointed as he flew off, and Claire spotted elves in the crowd again. One of them waved at her, and she giggled. Then Charlie looked up in time to catch a soccer ball their dad had tossed out of the sleigh, along with a soft teddy bear for Claire, a mystery date game for her mom, and a weenie whistle for Neal. For the first time all night, he looked like he truly believed. Claire smiled to herself. It was pretty unbelievable. Not ten minutes later, she and Charlie stood outside shaking the glass ball, and their dad appeared as promised. Their mom agreed to a short ride in the sleigh, not over any oceans, and as she curled into Santa's side, she figured she probably had the best dad in the whole world.