The Yule Clause

Chapter Two. The New Santa

The rest of the day was busy as usual, checking and rechecking everything to make sure it was perfect for tonight. Bernard watched from the corner silently as his mother talked to the other elves. "Bernard?"  Poinsettia came up behind him, he turned to her. "What's got your nickers in a knot?"                                                                                                                 "I just can't shake this bad feeling."                                                                                                                                    "Because of your vision?" he shrugged his shoulders in reply, then shook his head.  He couldn't explain it to her because he didn't want to worry her, just then an idea came to him. "Poinsettia!" he said loudly, some of the elves looked at him as they walked past. he grabbed his sister by the arm and pulled her out of the stables.  "Where are you taking me!?" she asked as she was dragged through the workshop and up the stairs to outside of the candy room, which was luckily empty. "Bernard what is this-"                                                                                                                                                                      "I want you to go with Father tonight." He whispered, she stared at him.                                                                           "You WHAT!?" she shouted loudly to be quickly shushed by her brother. "Are you crazy?" she whispered. "I have never left; I don't know anything about the outside world, and an elf has never gone with Father, because Santa works alone."        "Yeah. I know, but Poinsettia I'm worried, because of my vision..." he muttered "And you're the only elf who can turn invisible. So please, I need you to do this for me." He was speaking much quieter than before. She sighed. "Fine, but if I get caught, I'll make sure Father puts you on the naughty list." Bernard threw his arms around her.  "Thank you so much!" "Yeah, yeah." He let go of his sister and went back to the stables to talk to his mother, so she wouldn't see her daughter climbing into the sled after putting a gift in it.

Neal honked the horn of his car in front of Scott's house. A 16-year-old girl opened the door, and smiled at the car, as she made her way carefully down the stairs and over to it. "Hello Laura, hi Charlie." The teenager greeted when they got out of the car. "Mack!" he smiled, hugging her. "Hello Mack." Laura said looking around her, to see if her ex-husband was home.  "If you're looking for Uncle Scott he's not here." Mackenzie said with a sigh, "I thought as much." Laura rolled her eyes.                                                                                                                                                                                                               "Do you guys want to come inside and wait?" Mackenzie waved at Neal, who was still sitting in the car. Mackenzie and Laura still got along, even though Laura and Scott were not married anymore. But Neal on the other hand, Mackenzie didn't like. He wasn't a bad guy, and he really cared for Charlie and Laura, but Mackenzie still didn't like him. Before Laura could answer, Scott's car pulled into the driveway, and he got out. "Oh sorry, I'm late." Scott walked over to them, "Hi." He kissed Charlie on the head. "No, you're not." Mackenzie murmured to herself. "Do you want to come in for a moment?" Scott asked his ex-wife, as Mackenzie led her cousin up to the door of the house.                                                                                                         "Neal's waiting in the car...so." Laura answered                                                                                                    "Why doesn't he come in?" Scott looked over at the car. Charlie turned to face him "Because Daddy, he says that you'll say something snotty." The 8-year-old said putting a gift on top of the one his mom was holding.                                             "You got that right." Mackenzie chuckled. "Not necessarily." He waved at the car as he added that it could be rude or sarcastic. Neal half-smiled back as he waved too. "Okay, I gotta go." Laura said "Come on, it's Christmas Eve." Scott said walking up the stairs. "Watch the steps, they're real slippery." He warned as he opened the door. Laura slipped; Mackenzie laughed. "He told ya."  Scott chuckled.