"Let's go get my husband and the elves!" I shouted before running towards the room that the elves were trapped in.
The Toy Santa must have figured out I had left because he locked Bernard and Holly away with the rest of the elves.
After we released them all from the locked part of the workshop, I grabbed Holly from Bernard and brought her into me tightly with Bernard pulling me into him.
Holly's little body was smushed in between us but she didn't care at all. "You did good, doll."
"Not without you, B," I smiled and gave him a quick kiss before we ran with everyone towards the stables to catch the Toy Santa before he took off in the sleigh.
We, unfortunately, didn't make it there in time because just as we rounded the corner into the stables, the Toy Santa was just flying out of the hatch into the sky.
Everyone stopped and waited in silence, thinking of what we could possibly do to fix this.
All of a sudden, Bernard whistled quite loudly and we all turned as something clattered around in one of the reindeer pens... It was Chet.
"Get out of the way!" I shouted to all of the elves in case of a very possible head-on collision with the baby reindeer.
"What are you doing?" Dad asked Bernard.
"You gotta save Christmas," Bernard explained before Chet made a victory sound and barrelled towards us, not without crashing into a few crates.
"No, no, no," Dad started chuckling at the idea of riding the reindeer in training.
"Please. Don't worry," Bernard attempted to calm him down before pulling me out of the way as Chet came in full force toward Dad.
"Slow down," Dad put out his hands to signal for the reindeer to stop but it was no use. Chet knocked into Dad, sending both of them into a heap on the stable floor.
One of the reindeer-handling elves took Chet's reins to stop him from going anywhere while Carol went to help Dad up to his feet. He made his way over to the reindeer and grabbed the reins.
"Okay. Chet, this is it. You ready to rock and roll?" Bernard asked the little reindeer.
"Chet?" Carol asked while looking over at my husband.
"Yeah. He's still in training," he explained while gesturing to the animal.
"How much flight time has he had?" Dad asks while wrapping the reins tightly into his hands.
"About a minute and a half," Bernard informed him.
"He's had a lot of crash time!" I smiled up at my father who immediately glared at me.
"Clara!"
"He's just a baby," Curtis added.
"All right. Let's see what this baby can do, alright?" Dad nodded and mounted the little reindeer.
Chet hums and sings his little song while Dad prepares himself. "Ready, buddy? You know what we gotta do. Hyah!"
And with that, Chet barrels off through the hatch and into the sky. I stand with my whole family and watch the reindeer fight through the air, not taking any sort of order correctly. Nonetheless, the take-off was successful and it was time to deal with the issue on the ground... the soldiers.
"Okay, everybody! Outside, now!" Bernard exclaims excitedly and all of the elves cheer as they run through the workshop to the town square.
Bernard and I gain up to the front of the pack and we lead the elves through the workshop, slamming open the double doors and running down the stairs toward the army of toy soldiers waiting outside.
Bernard pulls me and Charlie back as all of the soldiers stood in their grid formation, waiting for our arrival.
"Snowballs, on three!" Bernard shouted and all of the elves stood with their hands out and ready.
"One!" Everyone bends down to collect their snowballs, Carol now holding Holly back by the front doors so that she stayed safe.
"Two!" I stood up with my snowball in my hand, my arm cocked back in my ready position.
"Three!" All at once, we all chucked our snowballs forward, hitting and bouncing off of the toy soldiers with no sort of dent in their formation.
"Well that was a bust," I said out loud before jumping back at the toy soldier's sudden movements forward.
"Okay, elves!" I shouted as the soldiers all started slowly walking forwards. "Let's get 'em!"
We all started running at the toy soldiers, using anything we could to knock them down and break them apart.
After a few minutes of fighting and pulling apart soldiers, Bernard and I had the grand idea of getting out a newer toy we had just put together this year. We made our way to the electrical workshop and grabbed the brand new, yellow mini snowmobiles from the garage.
I took a seat in mine and grabbed one end of the long red bow while Bernard held the other from his mobile. "Ready, honey?"
"Always. Let's get 'em," he smirked before we flew out into the square, going right for a group of three soldiers who were pulling at a group of elves.
We drove right around them, tripping them up and knocking them into pieces with the group of elves cheering and clapping for us.
I hopped out of my snowmobile and made my way over to Bernard who had just taken off his helmet. We did our little handshake and leaned in for a victory kiss before splitting up for more action.
After more and more fighting, we were finally stopped as the sleigh crashed into the middle of the square, knocking out the few remaining soldiers into pieces. The sleigh slid through the entire square until it was forced to stop after hitting the stairs leading up to the workshop.
The Toy Santa was flung from the sleigh and fell onto his back across the stairs. The elves attacked him and dog piled the Toy causing him to shout at them.
Bernard helped Dad from the sleigh and stood beside me while Dad went to pull the elves from the imposter. "Hey, guys, back up. I've got a special place for him."
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Dad sent the Toy Santa into the pantograph and they shrunk him down to just the right size that suited everyone.
Carol, Bernard, Holly, and I found Dad and Charlie and it was time to get this family together for Christmas. After all, it was Christmas Eve and Dad was already running late.
"Where are you going?" Bernard asked as Dad made his way through the workshop.
"Well you should this is number one of Christmas, I've got to deliver gifts," Dad smiled.
"Well, Dad, aren't you forgetting something?" I asked with Holly resting on my hip with her little cookie.
Dad looked at me as if he had hit his head and forgotten about how this whole issue even started.
"You've gotta get married," Bernard reminded him.
"Excuse me?" Carol asked as Dad stopped in his tracks.
Dad looked down at himself, reminded that he was still missing his big white beard and giant belly. "Carol, I... I cannot continue being Santa unless I find a Mrs. Claus."
Her eyebrows raised in realization and she looked up at Dad. "Oh. So that's what the whole noodles and pie thing... You just- You needed to find a wife."
"No."
"No?"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes, I was looking for a wife. No, I didn't figure on falling in love," Dad confessed causing me to nudge Charlie who stood beside me.
I looked down at my brother and he smiled with his little gap so very visible. He took Holly from my arms before we continued to listen to the conversation.
"You love me?" Carol asked with tears in her eyes and Dad nodded. "This is all happening so fast."
"Well, there's no pressure," Dad tells her which was ironic because there was pressure... a lot of pressure.
"Good."
"I mean, if I don't get married, I just won't deliver the gifts, and children everywhere will stop believing, the elves will lose their jobs, the North Pole will disappear and Christmas will be gone."
Judy moved from her spot to stand behind Dad. "Get down on one knee."
Dad turned and looked down at the girl elf and she pointed to the ground. "Do it. Now."
He listened and got down on one knee, looking up at Carol and listening for further instructions.
"Say 'Carol.' "
Dad grabbed Carol's hands and looked up at her. "Carol."
"Uh-huh. Yeah?"
"You say this is happening all so fast," Judy continued.
"You say this is happening all so fast."
"But you've known me your whole life."
Dad smiled in realization. "But you've known me your whole life."
"When you were little and alone..."
"Santa..."
Dad turned to Judy and nodded. "I can take it from here." He stood up and looked at her eye-to-eye. "Santa was always there for you. And I will be, 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... This place is all about magic and love and wonder. And occasionally a thin-crust pizza and a movie and a long winter night."
"Is there a school here?" Carol asks quietly.
Dad looks behind Carol to me and Bernard and the two of us were already nodding our heads in sync.
"Yeah, we have one, a school, but the elves need a new principal. 'Cause as of late, some of the elves have been acting a bit impish."
Carol smiles as Dad repeats her name. "Carol, I love you."
"You do?"
"Would you be my wife?"
Judy leans in to whisper to Carol. "I will."
Carol smiles and looks down at Judy. "Thank you. I've got it from here." She looks back up at Dad and leans in. "I will."
The two embraced and I couldn't help but shed a tear for my father who was now more complete than ever.
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Word Count: 1600