Magical

Chapter 6

      Rose felt a little dizzy as Bernard set her down in the workshop. "Sorry." He whispered. "Travel like that tends to do that to ya. Just sit down and rest for a second." He pulled out a chair for her. "It will pass soon."
      Rose looked up at Bernard who was still looking at her with sadness in his eyes. "Is there something I can do here to help?" He raised a brow inquisitively. "It's just...I don't want to be a burden or a bother. I'd like to make myself useful."
      Bernard smiled. "Do whatever you'd like to do, Snowflake. I'm sure we could find something for you."
      They spent the next few minutes finding a department that needed help. Over the next several days, Rose did all sorts of tasks, rushing around to do whatever was needed. And she loved it!
                              * * * * *
      Thanksgiving
      Scott wandered around town, mulling over what he'd been told. He couldn't see Charlie anymore and Rose had disappeared. For a long time, he, Laura, and Neil looked for her but they couldn't find her anywhere. It was as if she had just vanished off the face of the Earth.
      They'd had to call off the petition to gain custody of Rose. Without her there, it didn't matter who won. Yet, even with all this going on, Scott had still not been allowed to see or talk to Charlie in a long time.
      Scott decided to take a walk and his feet had somehow dragged him to the Miller's house. As he looked through the window at the family having Thanksgiving dinner, he could see Charlie was upset, both over Rose being gone and Scott not being there either.
     He made a split second decision, walking up to the door and ringing the doorbell. A second later, Neil answered the door, looking bewildered.
      "Evening, Neil."
      "Scott!" Neil called, exasperated. "You're not supposed to be here!"
      "Neil, don't make me beat you up!"
      "Oh would Santa really beat someone up?"
      "I'm this close." Scott gestured with his fingers.
      Neil stepped in Scott's way so that he couldn't get in to where Charlie was. "So you still believe you're Santa?"
      "I don't know."
      From behind them, Charlie called out, "What do you mean you don't know?! Of course you are, dad! How can you say that? Think about all those kids!"
      "The only kids I'm thinking about at you and Rose."
      "Dad, we're fine!" Laura put Charlie down. "You can't let them down!" He got into an argument with his mom and Neil, finally shouting, "HE IS TOO SANTA!" He let it all out, explaining just as he'd tried to for weeks since last year's visit to the North Pole. "Right, dad?" Charlie asked, turning to Scott who had a look of confusion on his face. "Remember!"
      Charlie tossed Scott the snow globe. Scott caught it and looked inside. What he saw made memories suddenly crash over him like waves against the shore. He knew and, as he smiled, Charlie knew he knew and ran into his arms.
      Scott turned towards Laura and Neil, asking, "Do you think you could give us a moment? So I can say goodbye to him properly?"
      "Sure."
      Laura and Neil left the room. Scott chatted with Charlie for a second as he explained that he had to go but Charlie couldn't come with him.
      At that moment, they heard Bernard in the other room, commenting on the state of their food.
     "Bernard!" Charlie shouted, rushing to say hey to the Head Elf.
     "Hiya, Sport!"
     A thought occurred to Scott. "Bernard, have you seen Rose?"
     "Oh yea! She's safe, that I can promise. She's actually up at the North Pole. She's been helping us get ready for Christmas. And she's waiting so we better hurry."
      "Can I come?" Charlie asked.
      "It's alright with me." Bernard said, both him and Charlie looking at Scott.
                             * * * * *
       A few minutes later, the three were in the workshop looking around when Rose, dressed in black leggings and a white sweater, came rushing at them. "Dad! Charlie!" She smiled, hugging both tightly.
      "See? She's safe, just like I promised."
      Scott parted from their hug and glared at his daughter, "Rose Marie Calvin, don't you ever scare me like that again!"
      "Sorry, daddy. I promise I won't run away again."
      "Good." He immediately pulled her back into a hug.
      Bernard pulled them from their musings. "We better finish getting things ready."
      "Let's do it!"
      So while Scott worked on the list and Rose did her numerous tasks, including helping Bernard, Charlie found himself wandering into one room where he met Quentin and, thus, their partnership began.
                            * * * * *
      As soon as Laura found that Scott and Charlie had vanished, she and Neil took drastic measures. As the month progressed, various Santas over the city were arrested.
     On Christmas Eve, Bernard pulled Scott into a room to discuss the new technology that had supplied for his midnight ride.
      "Santa, I'd like to introduce you to Quentin. He and Charlie have come up with some amazing stuff."
      "Fantastic. What if I fall off a roof?"
      As Bernard and the other elves showed him more new gadgets, Scott's more pressing question -- what to do if he fell off a roof -- went unanswered until Comet got him a rope just in case.
      With mere minutes before the delivery, Charlie called his mom, telling her about all the awesome stuff they were doing at the North Pole.
      "That's great, Charlie. Is Rose there with you? I think I can hear her in the background."
     "Yea she's here too. She's busy helping her new boyfriend."
    "Boyfriend? What boyfriend?" Laura asked, getting more distressed.
    "Sorry, mom, I got go! The elves need me!"
    "No, Charlie, don't hang up--"
    It was too late.
                           * * * * *
    A few minutes later, Scott and Charlie loaded up in the sleigh. Rose decided to stay at the Pole a little longer. They called out to the reindeer and, seconds later, were up in the air.
                        
I couldn't decide where to end the chapter so here's where it is.