Christmas 1313
Bernard was sound asleep, when his bedroom door was ripped opened, followed by footsteps that belong to a girl who looked about eight-years-old. "Bernie!" she called jumping onto his bed. "Wake up!" he opened his eyes and glared at her. "Whyyyy?" he groaned sleepily trying to pull the covers back over his head, but couldn't because the girl was sitting on them. She stared down at him, with her dark brown eyes that matched his. "What do you mean why, did you forget?!!" she couldn't believe that he would forget what day it was. "I guess...." She rolled her eyes. "It's Christmas morning! Which means....?" She hoped that he would remember now. Bernard's eyes widen. "Santa!!" he yelled. The girl smiled then got off the bed.
The 8-year-old girl and the 11-year-old boy ran through the halls, hand in hand. "Hold on!" a woman called making the children come to a stop, they turned to her; she had red hair pulled into a bun, she wore a red dress with white fur around the caller. She was holding a trey of cookies and a glass of milk. "Someone forgot to put Santa's milk and cookies out." The woman whose name was Jessica said. "Poinsettia!" Bernard turned to the girl next to him. "It' wasn't me! It was-" "Children!" they turned back to her. "It's Christmas, so no fighting." "Yes Mother." They said together, their mother smiled. Then led her children to the living room, where she set the cookies and milk down on a little table, next to the beautiful decorated Christmas tree and a fireplace that looked like Santa's head.
The sound of jingle bells echoed in the house. "He's here!" the children excitedly cried then ran out of the room, with their mother close behind.
Santa just got out of his sleigh and was talking to the head elf, when footsteps entered the room. "Father!" Poinsettia called running up to him, he turned with a smile. "Welcome home!" she hugged him. "Good to see you too, Poinsettia." Santa hugged her back, just as Bernard joined into the hug. Mrs. Claus walked over and gave her husband a kiss. "Bernard." He turned and looked down at her. "Mommy is kissing Santa Claus." Poinsettia giggled. He rolled his eyes, but smiled. "How was your night, Dear?" "Good. Everyone got exactly what they asked for." The elves cheered, when they heard that, then went back to work.
While Santa, Jessica, and their children went to the living room, along with Santa's family. Tante Kringle and his cousins, Dingle, Wingle, Zingle, Jingle and Mingle. They adopted him when he was a baby.
Santa told his kids about his night, they listened closely and smiled. "You have the coolest job ever!" Poinsettia said once he finished speaking, he chuckled and smiled at them. "Oh, I almost forgot!" he reached into his bag and pulled out two gifts, handed one to Bernard and the other to Poinsettia, they opened them. she stared at hers confused, then looked at her brother's gift. Which was a dark green beret, with a gold pin that had two red and green ribbons coming off of the pin, it was on the right of the Beret. "A hammer?" she looked up at her father. "Why did you give me a hat?" Bernard asked looking up. "Well first off it's a Beret, and secondly I thought that you could wear it while you and your sister work in the shop." Santa said. "you're both old enough." Bernard and Poinsettia looked at each other, they never thought about that, or really wanted that. "But I want to be Santa, like you father." Bernard said turning back to his father. "And I want to be head elf!" his sister chimed in. Santa and Jessica looked at each other for a minute, they smiled.
Santa turned back to the two. "How about instead of Santa, you can stay here and help Buddy run the place? That way you can learn how to be a head elf someday, when I'm delivering gifts." He said to his son. "Yes, and you can help me with the toy orders." Jessica added "But I'm only half elf!" Bernard reminded. "Yeah, south pole ones!" Poinsettia added as if their father forgot that he married a south pole elf, which is why they and their mother were taller than the other elves at the north pole, Santa laughed. "That may be true, and I know it's a big job. but I think you can handle it." He leaned forward, getting closer to his son. "don't you?" 'Yes father!" the 11-year-old smiled. He smiled back. "But what about me?" Poinsettia said. Her father's smile disappeared, because she sounded upset. "For now, I think it would be for the best. If your brother was just head elf." Santa felt bad that she couldn't have the job because she's unorganized, also a little on the lazy side, and the head elf position requires a good organizer, and someone who will get the job done when it needs to be. "Okay." She smiled. He kissed them on their heads, then he went to his bedroom for a nap, knowing that the pole would be in good hands.
Bernard and Poinsettia went outside to join the other elf children for a snowball fight. "I wanna be head elf!
Curtis wined as soon as Poinsettia told him the news. Bernard looked down at the elf wearing glasses. "Well, you can't. because Santa picked me to do it." he bragged with a cocky smile, his sister gasped. "Bernard That's naughty!" "So what?" he turned to her. "Curtis will never be head elf, because he's dumber than a stocking full of coal!" a tear rolled down Curtis's cheek. "I'm telling!" Poinsettia ran off to tell her father, though he already knew. Bernard chased after her, not wanting to get in trouble.
"Father!" she called running into his office where he was checking his list, and Mrs. Claus was sitting by the fire, looking over the toy orders. Her parents looked up. "What is it, Sugar Plum?" Santa asked. "Bernard's being naughty!" Poinsettia answered. Santa's eyebrows went down just as his son entered the room. "Bernard Kris Claus." He looked down knowing that he wouldn't be able to talk himself out of this. Not that you could talk yourself out of trouble when it's Santa Claus. "Your sister said that you were being a bad boy." Santa set the list down, stood up and went up to his son. "Yes...I'm sorry, but father! Curtis wants to be head elf, but he's not ready!" Mr. Claus placed his hand on the elf's shoulder. "Not now, but maybe someday." Bernard looked up. "What do you mean?" "He's younger than you, so he looks up to you. Which is why I want you to show him how to be a great head elf, someday." Santa leaned down to be eye level. "Can you do that for me?" Bernard nodded. "Good." The jolly old man said standing up straight and headed back over to his desk. "Now go and apologize to Curtis." Santa Claus sat down again. "Before you're on the naughty list." He didn't want to put his own son on the naughty list, or use it as a way to get his children to behave. because it wasn't like him, and not how Christmas should be. Bernard turned to his sister. "Tattle Deer." He whispered then went off to find Curtis.
Poinsettia walked up to her father. "I'm sorry." Santa looked at her. "For what?" "For telling on Bernard...it was naughty of me." She looked down at the desk, but looked up again when her father put a hand on her shoulder. "You were just looking out for your friend." She gave him a puzzled look. "Which is very nice, and that's a good thing to do." He replied. "Your brother will need someone like you, who can remind him not to be a grinch." His son had a shorter temper than the other elves, do to being half south pole elf, while his sister and mother were more on the cheery side. "Can you do that?" "Yes! Bernie Won't be a grinch on my watch." "That's my turtle dove." Kris smiled glad that they had each other to look out for one and other. "Okay. I have to check the list." He looked over at his wife and head elf who were looking back at the toy list. Santa turned back to his daughter and leaned down. "I only checked it once." He explained truthfully. Poinsettia gasped then giggled. "Run off and play now." she did what she was told, as she skipped through the halls, she thought how lucky she was to live in the north pole as Santa's daughter.
Later that day.
Poinsettia joined the head elf Buddy and Bernard in the library for Bernard's training to be a head elf, but it seemed like Bernard was paying more attention to his sister, who was making faces at him, as she mocked the head elf, making her brother laugh. "Poinsettia for goodness sake!" Buddy scolded making the two younger elves jump and turn to face him. "If you must be here, then could you please sit still?" he was annoyed with her. she slipped into her chair, she hit her feet against the table in front of her. the head elf took a breath to calm himself down so he wouldn't yell again. "Let's take a break." He set the book down on the table and left. "And people say south pole elves are angry." Bernard chuckled turning to the elf next to him, who looked upset. "Maybe I shouldn't have come to the training." "I thought you wanted to be a head elf." She turned to him. "I do...but there's never been two elves with the job...and I don't think I'm ready for it." Her brother smiled as he took her hand in his. "True. but father is the first Santa to marry a south pole elf." He pointed out. "And we are the first half human, half elf to be born at the North Pole. So, there's a first time for everything. Right?" she smiled. "Right Thank you, Bernie." She pulled him into a hug. "Of course, that's what big brothers are for." He patted her back. "So, when Buddy comes back, we'll show him that there can be two head elves." Poinsettia nodded; her big brother was right, like always. He had a way of knowing everything.... well, there were two things, he didn't know. One; being how to keep his temper at bay, and two; how much he would need his sister.
After the lesson, the Claus children went to Bernard's room, to talk a bit before bed. They laid on the bed, the two decided that Bernard's organization would be more suitable for the job, and Poinsettia was happy that her brother would have one of the best jobs at the North Pole. "Can I tell you a secret?" he looked at the girl beside him. "Sure." She turned to him. "I've been practicing magic like father does, so I can show him that I'll be a great Santa someday." Bernard said. "But as an elf, let alone a south one, I can't be Santa." His sister smiled which was a bit confusing, because he just told her that he couldn't live out his dream because no elf has ever been Santa Claus before, and it has been that way for years. "There's no rule that says you can't be Santa as an elf, it's just different and something that never happened, and no elf really likes change." Poinsettia reminded him. "But you know, a wise elf once told me that there's a first time for everything." He smiled. "Thank you Settie." She smiled again; a bit bigger than before. "Now I have something to ask you." "Alright what is it?" she leaned closer to him. "Will I ever get married?" he couldn't hold back a laugh. "Why would you ask me that?" "Uh, because you can see the future and I wanna know!" she didn't like that he was laughing at her, for asking a simple question about her future. "You know that I can't control my visions or choose what I see, it just happens." He explained. it would be helpful if he could and everyone else at the North Pole would like it as well. But he wasn't sure if he ever would be able to choose what he could see. "Give it a try." Poinsettia brought him out of his thoughts. He nodded and took a breath. He tried to have a vision but couldn't, he shook his head. "Nothing." He looked at his sister again. "Maybe my power is just to warn us." "But you had a vision that I was going to be born." He chuckled. "Like I said it's for warning us." She chuckled too slapping him in the arm. "You're mean." "I'm just saying what everyone is thinking." the two started laughing. They picked on each other and argued, but still cared for each other. "Well, I think I should go to bed." Poinsettia stood up. Bernard nodded. "Goodnight Settie." "Night, Bernie." She left the room, closing the door.
He got up and started to get ready for bed, he placed his hat on the table by the bed before getting into it, then turned the light off. He started to close his eyes, as he thought about what his sister said, if she would get married. That got him wondering if he would get married, the elf never thought about it, and beside there was no elves at the North Pole, who caught his eye. So he didn't think that he would ever find someone, that he wanted to marry and spend his life with. a thought came to him. does Poinsettia like an elf? It better not be Curtis! Bernard would have to talk to his sister, to make sure that she didn't like Curtis.
Every elf was awake and at work by 4am, because they didn't need as much sleep as humans did. Even Santa was awake and walking around the workshop with Bernard and Buddy, so his son could learn the ropes of the job, while Poinsettia was at the wrapping table, learning the best methods of wrapping gifts from an elf named Kenny. Bernard noticed that there was a boy elf with blond hair who he has never seen before, standing next to his sister. "Are you paying attention?" Buddy asked, the younger elf turned to him. "Yes." He replied. The older elf didn't really believe him, but kept quiet as he continued through the shop with Santa's son behind. "Father, who's that elf next to Poinsettia?" Bernard pointed at the blond. Santa turned. "Oh, that's Quintin, he just moved here from the South Pole with his family." He answered. "He's about your age, maybe you and your sister could show him around." Bernard agreed to that, because it would be nice to have another South Pole elf around here.
Poinsettia and Bernard went to the dining room for lunch. "Do you like any elves?" he asked, his sister looked up confused. "What, how in a pear tree did you come up with that!?" "I was thinking about what you said last night." He replied. Poinsettia shook her head. "Ewww No!" he was glad to hear that. "Good. but promise me that it won't ever be Curtis." Bernard said. She laughed. "Of course." "And you have to let me know, as soon as you get a sparkle!" He added. She rolled her eyes, she loved her brother, and knew that he was looking out for her, but he had a way of being of his little sister. "Settie, I mean it!" "I know, I know. Alright, I promise." She muttered starting to eat again. He ate his lunch quickly, because he needed to get back to the workshop, because he still had a lot to learn before he became the first South Pole Elf to be a Head Elf here. "Bernard, dear slow down." Jessica walked into the room with Santa and the rest of their family, "You'll get hiccups." "I'll be fine Mother." He responded but then hiccupped. He groaned when Poinsettia laughed, and gave him a 'She told you so.' Look.
Quintin followed quietly as Bernard led him through Elfsburg, Poinsettia tagged along, which seemed to make Quintin smile, Bernard wasn't too happy about that. But kept it to himself, because he didn't want to make him uncomfortable or embarrassed. If Quintin just wanted to be friends with Poinsettia, but Bernard would keep his eyes on them. He pointed out everything, and named everything in South elfish. Since the new elf didn't know how to speak in North elfish yet. But would learn in time. "Are you okay, Bernie?" his sister asked when she caught him staring at them. "Yeah, just thinking..." "About what?" Quintin wondered out loud. "It's nothing." Bernard answered shaking his head, because he was sure that he was overthinking this. "Quintin!" he turned to Poinsettia. "Come on, let's go ice skating!" she grabbed the blond elf's hand and pulled him over to the skating ring. He blushed a bit, Bernard followed them so he could keep an eye on his sister, and their new friend. "Okay...but I should tell you that I've never been ice skating before..." Quintin looked down in embarrassment. "Really?" she asked. He nodded keeping his head down. "Yeah. fun isn't exactly something We have at the south pole." He muttered, that made sense because it's a very gloomy place, and the elves are mean to each other and others, but can always put on a fake smile and friendly act. When its needed. Poinsettia could feel and Bernard could see that Quintin was generally happy, because normally when a south pole elf came to the North, they would be unhappy but that didn't seem to be the case for Quintin, maybe it was because Poinsettia and Bernard were nice to him, or maybe it was because he wasn't used to someone besides his parents being so kind. whatever the case was. He knew that he would learn to love living here, with the North Pole elves. "Well, you don't have to worry. I'll teach you." Poinsettia gave him a kind smile. Which he returned. Yup he's gonna like it here, he has only been here for a day. but he already felt at home, all thanks to The Claus family's kindness.