Christmas with the Calvins

Chapter Forty-One

Bernard and Charlie rushed forward and helped Scott capture Toy Santa. Under the real Santa's instructions they dragged the toy off to the Pantograph room and loaded him in the machine. Curtis meanwhile reprogrammed the machine from "duplicated and enlarge" to "Reduce and Subtract." The rest of the elves worked hard to collect all of the reindeer including Chet, who had stopped to snack at one of the greenhouses, and Comet, who had returned back to the Pole as soon as he could fly. Once they had been collected they were re-harnessed to the sleigh, and the toys were loaded up just like any other Christmas. Scott changed quickly into his Santa suit; thought it was still several sizes too big. As soon as Toy Santa was officially gone for good, Scott called for Carol and started towards his sleigh.

"Alright, we've got about ten minutes, is everything ready to go?" He asked Jess, Bernard and Curtis who had been put in charge of the final preparations. His three top elves looked back at him with confused expressions on their faces.

"Where are you going?" Bernard asked, his hands on his hips.

"You should know better than anyone, number one!" Santa snorted. "It's Christmas Eve! I have presents to deliver!"

"Santa, aren't you forgetting something?" Curtis coached.

"No." Scott shook his head. "Toy Santa's gone, the elves are saved, I've got the suit...sure it's a little big but..."

"Dad, you still have to get married." Jess reminded him. That would explain why the suit still didn't fit right.

"Excuse me?" Carol looked between the father and daughter. No one had said anything about getting married.

"Carol," Scott sighed. He had thought convincing her that he was Santa was going to be the hardest part. Boy was he wrong. He had not proposed to someone in twenty-five years and it certainly wasn't the type of thing you planned on doing more than once in your life time. He decided just to be honest with Carol, after all that seemed to be working well so far. "Carol I...I cannot continue being Santa, unless I find a Mrs. Claus."

"Ohh. So that's what the whole...Noodles and pie thing? You just needed to find a wife?" Carol Newman's ice queen voice had returned. She was guarded once more.

"No!" Scott groaned.

"No?"

"Yes." He sighed. "Yes, I was looking for a wife. No, I didn't figure on falling in love."

"You love me?" How could her heart not melt in the face of such honesty. "This is all happening so fast." She breathed.

"No pressure." Santa smiled. "I mean if I don't get married I just won't deliver the gifts. Children everywhere will stop believing. The elves will lose their jobs at the North Pole...And Christmas will be gone." Judy from the kitchens stepped forward and whispered in Scott's ear.

"Get down on one knee Santa." She instructed. "Do it, now." Scott did as she said, willing to take all the help he could get. "Say Carol..."

"Carol," he repeated.

"You say this is happening all so fast..." Judy fed him his next line and Scott repeated it. "But you've known me your whole life. When you were little and alone..." Scott smiled.

"I can take it from here," He whispered to the kitchen elf. Scott stood up and turned his attention back to Carol. "When you were little and alone, Santa was always there for you. And I will be there for you, as long as you continue to believe in me. I know I'm asking you to leave everything at home. But I can guarantee you that this is worth it. This place, oh, this place is all about magic and wonder...and occasionally a thin crust pizza and a movie on a long winter night."

"Is there a school here?" Carol asked. Surely Scott didn't think she would give up what she loved doing just for him.

"Yes." Jess answered for her father. "Of course there is. And speaking as someone who's stood where you're standing," She added her own two cents in, resting her head on Bernard's chest. "The North Pole is the greatest home you could ever ask for."

"Carol, I love you." Scott said again. "Would you be my wife?"

"I will." She told him with a smile brighter than the star at the top of a Christmas tree. So as quick as possible, Mother Nature was summoned, since she was the only one who had power to marry any of the Legendary Figures. The ceremony was completed in under five minutes and as the newlyweds shared their first kiss, the clock struck midnight. Scott's stomach began to grown, and he was Re-Santafied and Christmas was officially saved.

"Come on Dad, we've got to get going!" Charlie insisted. He hated to tear his dad from his new wife, but they really needed to get those gifts delivered. Scott climbed into the sleigh with his son ready to for the eighth of their traditional father-son present deliveries.

"Well, Mrs. Claus you'd better get some rest." Santa told her as they prepared for takeoff. "Tomorrow starts vacation season, which means a three month honeymoon for us. Nothing tropical though," He insisted. "You don't want to see this," he gestured at his bursting gut, "in a Speedo." Several of the elves giggled at their boss' jokes as he took up the reins.

"Don't be home too late." Carol replied with another beautiful smile.

"And so it begins!" Scott mumbled playfully. With a flick of his wrist, the reindeer trotted off and soon the sleigh had disappeared from sight.

With Santa and Charlie off to deliver the presents, most of the elves official duties were finished. At least until next year. But Bernard wasn't letting anyone start their vacations until the workshop was cleaned, the Giant Tin Soldiers had been melted down, and the courtyard was cleared of any debris from Santa's sleigh crash earlier. The elves were divided into three crews and damage control was underway. Curtis was put in charge of the work crews and Bernard snuck away to write his end of Christmas speech like always. Jessica took it upon herself to show Carol around the North Pole. Not all of it because that would take some time, but she showed the new Mrs. Claus all the important areas like the kitchens, the main floor of the workshop, Curtis' office, Bernard's office, Santa's quarters and lastly the E.L.F.S room where Scott and Charlie's progress would be tracked all night long. Carol opted to stay in the last room, incredibly fascinated by the E.L.F.S. technology. Quintin, being a huge tech guy himself, offered to stay with the Mrs. and show here all around E.L.F.S., even the area's Jess didn't have security clearance for. Jessica left her new step-mother in Quintin's capable hands and set off for Bernard's office.