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Chapter Text

Scott wonders in that hazy sleepy sort of way, the kind when you haven't completely pulled yourself from your dreams yet and the world just seems a little bit sillier, if he'll ever get used to waking up to the sounds of enchanted puppets. Their voices are low this morning, and he thinks it has something to do with the grumpy glare he gave them yesterday when one of them had shrieked out a laugh so loud it'd nearly startled him right off the edge of the bed. He hears one of the puppets whisper something that vaguely sounds like his name and the word snoring, and then a flurry of stifled giggles. Scott blinks his eyes open, squinting at the low yellowish lights that resemble candlesticks glowing above his headboard.

He still isn't quite used to waking up in this bedroom, even though he has been for a little over a month now. His bedroom back at his town house is so different than the one at the North Pole. A little plain, the walls painted a neutral off white color, Scott had never taken the time to really decorate it, besides hanging up a few photos of his son Charlie and the occasional one of his parents and some friends he'd made in college. This room, on the other hand, is crammed with all sorts of things. Antique tin windup toys cover the shelves beside hand sewn dolls and old faded photos of previous Santas. A hand painted train set chugs merrily along a track that wraps around his bed frame, twisting up and down the sleigh bed as if it were climbing actual hills and mountains. The walls are painted the deep red of his coat, the wooden trim the green of a fir tree. All the furniture is made from sturdy wood, stained a warm cherry color. Even the floor is covered by a festive silver and gold rug. It seems oddly muted beside the obnoxious clash surrounding it, and yet still looks like it belongs.

The thing he is sure will take the longest to get used to, is the smell.

The air in his bedroom carries the faint traces of a dying fire, burnt wood and just a hint of smoke, which is no surprise because the fireplace is lit for him every night before he goes to bed. What does surprise him is the sweetness. Cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg hang heavy in the air. Scott remembers that first Christmas he spent here with Charlie, just over a year ago now, he'd spent a good while in bed just breathing deeply and thinking of his grandparents house during the holidays, when his grandmother would cover the counters with all sorts of pies and cakes and cookies. He never thought he'd get to experience that smell again, that warm, sugary scent that lingered in their house for days, and yet the elves at the North Pole had somehow recreated it perfectly. He wonders if it's just some byproduct of the enormous kitchen just a couple hallways away beside the workshop center, or if the smell has more to do with him being Santa Claus. Like if the scent in the air was made just for him by his Christmas magic, so this place would always remind him of happy times with people he loved.

There's a knock on the door. Scott drags himself up into a seated position as he grumbles out a "come in" and tries to rub the last of the sleepiness out of his eyes with the heels of his hands.

Bernard enters, his dark curls looking a little more wild than usual as they spring out from beneath his green velvet hat at odd angles. There's a younger elf following him. She has long dark hair, several shining beads braided throughout the strands, and atop her head is a shimmery gold crown. Her velvet dress is a deep maroon color with shiny gold embroidery all along the neck and hem. She's carrying a large silver tray heavily laden with a stack of fluffy golden pancakes, a cup of freshly sliced fruit, and steaming scrambled eggs. There's a pot of fresh cocoa and a large silver mug on the tray as well, and Scott can't help his lips tilting into a smile at the warm enticing smell of chocolate.

"Morning, Santa," Bernard says as he takes a step back to let the other elf around him. "This is Abby. I know Judy's been bringing you breakfast the past couple weeks but Abby will be the one taking care of that from now on."

"Good morning, Santa," Abby chirps with a wide smile. Scott gives her a grin in return.

"Nice to meet you, Abby." She sets the tray down onto his bedside table and then picks up the pot to pour him a cup of cocoa. Scott rubs at the back of his neck as he thinks. "You know, I still feel kind of bad being waited on like this. I can just go down to the kitchens myself to grab food. You don't have to bring it up to me."

Bernard huffs and rolls his eyes, but the look on his face is more amused than annoyed. "I already told you, get used to it."

"It's our job to help you as much as possible," Abby explains, "and that includes making sure you eat a proper meal."

Bernard snorts and says with a teasing laugh, "you sound like Judy."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Head of kitchens and in charge of Santa's personal elves? I hope I'll be as accomplished as her one day."

Scott smiles as he takes a long sip of his cocoa. Not too hot and extra chocolate, perfect. He smacks his lips as a question pops into his mind. "How many department heads are there?"

"Quite a few. I know I haven't really given you a proper tour of the workshop yet, but I like to wait until after that first Christmas since things are normally pretty hectic. We can go after breakfast though so you can meet everyone." Bernard says, moving towards the big walk-in closet across from the bed. Abby asks if Scott needs anything else, and when he shakes his head no, she gives him a friendly wave goodbye and heads out the door, calling out a "see you later!" to Bernard. Scott nods his head and turns his attention towards his pancakes.

"Alright, that'll work."

"Good." Bernard starts rummaging through the closet, pulling out the pants and thick red shirt of Scott's Santa suit. "So we'll probably start in Wrapping first, and then make our way to the Stuffed Animal department. We can skip the stables because you already know Larry."

"Right, right... Actually I have a question for you." Bernard hums so Scott takes that as his cue to go on. "Didn't you mention a vacation some time after Christmas? When does that start?"

Bernard sets the clothes next to him on the bed. "January first. The Council of Legendary Figures has to have the post-Christmas conference at the end of December before you go on vacation for three months."

"The who?"

"The Council of Legendary Figures. They're the ones in charge of different holidays and seasons and magic. The meeting's on the thirtieth."

"Okay... and I'm going because..."

"Because Santa is the Legendary Figure in charge of Christmas and Christmas magic." Bernard moves to sit at a workbench across from Scott's bed. He starts absentmindedly playing with some of the tools there. "I'll be at the meeting too."

"Oh, are you a Legendary Figure? I mean, that would make sense. You are the Head Elf."

Bernard chuckles. "No, no, I'm just a magical creature. I can't be a Legendary Figure."

"Why not?"

"Because, magical creatures... well, we're kind of like little pieces of Nature. We're born with our magic. Legendary Figures are living beings who were chosen by Nature to have magic. You have a lot more power and responsibilities than we do."

"Oh." Scott shoves the last bite of pancake into his mouth and then starts working on his scrambled eggs. He swallows his mouthful of food before looking at the boy again. "Well if you're not part of the Council, why are you going to the meeting?"

"The first meeting for the new Santa Claus is really important so I always go in case you have any questions. I've worked for all the previous Santas so I know a lot about how your magic works. The Head of the Legendary Figures knows I'm going to be there so it's not a problem that I'm coming."

"Who's the Head of the Legendary Figures?"

Bernard's face lights up in an excited grin. "You'll see."

After breakfast, Scott quickly changes into the clothes Bernard had grabbed for him, throwing on a warm red and white coat over top. Not the one from his Santa suit, but one very similar in design made of thick wool and lined with satin. He follows his Head Elf through the hallways and past the stairway that would lead him onto the main floor of the workshop. It's a little later in the morning, nearing ten, so he can hear quite a bit of noise echoing down the halls. It's still not nearly as loud as it was before Christmas, but the joyful sound of laughter, the steady banging of hammers, and the humming of machines fills the air around him. Bernard leads him into the Wrapping department. Scott looks around at the large circular room, amazed at all the wrapping paper lining the walls. Shining metallics, cheerful prints, every color from the darkest black to a bright eye-watering pink, the rolls are stacked in precise order on shelves starting from the floor and reaching all the way up to the ceiling. There are several rolling ladders so the elves working in this department can easily reach whatever paper they need. Scott walks into the center of the room, running his hand along a large wooden bin of tissue paper. He lifts a bolt of something sparkly and white out of the bin, chuckling as some of the glitter rubs off and sticks to his hands and the cuffs of his sleeve. Bernard calls out to a girl who looks about twelve or thirteen, with thick raven hair pulled up into a messy bun so it wouldn't hang in her face. Scott can't help the laugh that slips out when the girl barely acknowledges the Head Elf, her eyes briefly flicking up at him before going back to the spools of ribbon she's refilling at one of the long worktables in the room. He hears Bernard grumble "you could at least say hi" under his breath before the shorter boy motions for Scott to follow him.

Herennia, he decides, is his favorite elf he will meet today. She greets Scott with a smile and nod, but it's in a much more reserved manner than most of the other elves. What he likes about her though is the quick-witted, teasing way she speaks to Bernard. Within just moments of them meeting, she makes a quip about the older elf always bothering her when she's the most busy. The boy in question's face glows bright red as he stutters out a response, which only earns him another playful remark. Scott has to hide his laughter behind a cough when the girl's teasing flusters the Head Elf so much he starts to pout. He does decide to save him not too long after though, gently mentioning that they should probably let Herennia get back to work so Bernard can take him to the next department head he needs to meet. They say goodbye and then start heading to their next destination.

The Stuffed Animal department is crowded, not with elves but with soft, cuddly-looking toys in all shapes and sizes. There's a purple elephant as tall as him right by the door, and several overflowing carts of teddy bears, bright yellow ducks, soft fuzzy rabbits, and even a couple alligators lining the walls of the long rectangular room. There's about two dozen cherry-stained worktables with large sewing machines sitting on top. Each table also has a basket of different colored thread and little cushions shaped like tomatoes stuck with pins. There's a young boy with a shaved head and a pierced ear who looks about eleven adjusting the settings on one of the machines. Scott notices his fingers are covered in band aids.

"Theo..." Bernard sighs. The younger boy hears his name and turns towards them, face lighting up in a smile when he spots his Head Elf. The older boy introduces Scott to Theo, and then immediately starts fussing over the elf's hands, which apparently yesterday had only half the amount of bandages on them. Theo just laughs off Bernard's concerns, informing Santa he has an unfortunate habit of accidentally hurting himself. Bernard threatens to reassign the younger boy to a "safer" department, but Theo just snorts and says he knows he's bluffing, because Bernard knows how much he loves being the Head of the Stuffed Animal department and he would never take that away from him. Scott can't help but smile as the Head Elf's lips tilt up into a grin, proving Theo's words true. They don't stay for long, because Bernard gets a call on the radio he keeps hooked onto the belt around his waist. Someone's tinny voice comes echoing over the line, saying something about field elves arriving back home. They say goodbye to Theo and then Scott follows Bernard back down the hallways and down onto the main workshop floor.

There are about three dozen elves Scott has never seen before standing near the Naughty and Nice Center. They all have some kind of bag with them, either a duffel or an overstuffed backpack. Two ELFS teams are standing around chatting with them. Bernard walks up to them and Scott hears him thank the flight squads for bringing the other elves home. Scott walks over to join them and once the new elves notice his presence he's immediately bombarded with excited greetings and questions about how he's liking the pole so far. He tries to say hello to everyone, amazed that he can easily recall every name that is fired off at him. Bernard doesn't give him too long to talk to the field elves as once they've all had a chance to say hello, he ushers them off to the kitchens so they can have a big homemade lunch.

Scott waves goodbye to them, turning to Bernard once they're gone. "You know, I've been worried about remembering all the elves' names, but it's actually been really easy to."

"That's because your magic helps you remember them," the elf laughs.

"Oh, well that's really convenient."

Bernard snorts and starts walking away from the Naughty and Nice Center. "Magic usually is."

"So, where to next?" Scott asks, following him.

"We need to stop by Research and Development. Quintin has some questions about how the new sleigh worked for you."

"Alright."

They walk through the large double doors that lead to Research and Development. Scott always feels a little overwhelmed when he comes in here. There are so many radios and machines and he really doesn't know what they're for or how they work. The one that both confuses and intrigues him the most is the large tower like machine in the center of the room. The walls around its middle are made of frosted glass and there is a ramp on both sides of it leading up to two wide doors. Quintin calls them over to his desk when he sees them, so Scott shoves his curiosity aside for another day. He sits at one of the cushioned wooden chairs Bernard pulls up for them. Quintin immediately starts questioning him about the sleigh. Scott can tell the boy is excited that everything on it had worked so well. He laughs when he's told the best part was the CD, informing Scott the Cookie/Cocoa Dispenser was a hundred percent Charlie's idea.

"How is Charlie, by the way?" Quintin asks.

"He's good!" Scott says, leaning back to get more comfortable in his chair. "He asked me to come back down before his winter break is over so I promised I would."

"When is it over?"

"School starts back up for him second week of January. Which works out because I should be on vacation by then, right?"

Bernard nods his head. Scott watches him start to straighten up the clutter that has overtaken Quintin's desk, the younger boy merely pushing papers towards his Head Elf so they'll get cleaned up too. "Well that'll be fun. What are you guys going to do?"

"Eh, it won't be too fun. I'll have to spend some of the time down there trying to get hold of my real estate agent. I need to sell my house since I'm not going to be living down there anymore. No point in keeping it."

"You can't get hold of him?" Quintin asks.

"No, I'm pretty sure he went out of town for the holidays with his wife to visit some family on the west coast. They normally go every year."

"You know, this is why I told you to get your affairs in order before Thanksgiving." Bernard says, his smile a little smug.

Scott snorts. "Well, I was a little busy thinking I'd gone crazy to bother doing that. Actually, while we're talking about it, I was wondering if there's any way for me to get calls from my real estate agent up here? I know I can call down there, but if he needs to talk to me I'd rather not have to go back and forth from here to my townhouse just to get his messages."

"Of course, Santa. I'll tell Curtis next time I see him to hook the phone up in your office so that all the calls to your house get redirected to it."

"Who's Curtis? I don't think I've met him yet."

"You haven't?" Quintin asks, head tilting in surprise. "How... how have you not met him yet?"

Bernard looks a little sheepish. "I... may have been keeping him really busy this last month."

"Is that why he's been in such a foul mood lately?" the younger elf laughs.

"Probably."

"Are either of you going to tell me who Curtis is?"

Bernard shakes his head, chuckling, "you'll meet him soon. I'm bringing him with me to the Council meeting."

"Really?"

"Yea, I promised him I'd bring him along."

"Okay, then I guess I'll meet him on the thirtieth."

Three days later, Scott finds himself standing in the middle of the very crowded, busy kitchen. Elves are walking back and forth wiping down one of the long wooden tables, setting out pots of cocoa and cups, and putting the last minutes touches on several dozen fresh baked cookies. He feels a little lost, like he should be helping or at the very least giving directions, but he has no idea what needs to be done for one of these Council meetings. He hears the sound of voices behind him, one he recognizes as his Head Elf, so he turns towards the entrance.

Bernard walks into the enormous kitchen followed closely by a young boy with light brown hair and round wire-rimmed glasses. He looks about ten years old and is wearing a striped shirt with reindeer buttons on it. Bernard spots him and Scott sees him motion for the young boy to head his way. They reach him in a matter of moments and before the Head Elf can even greet Scott, the younger boy starts speaking.

"Hi there, sir! My name's Curtis. Sorry we haven't gotten to meet until now, but someone kept giving me ridiculous errands to do-"

"They were not ridiculous! It's stuff that has to get done and you need to learn how to do it," Bernard interrupts.

"I already know how to do that all that! You just didn't want me helping with the last minute Christmas stuff. You never let me help with that!"

Scott raises his voice some so he can be heard over the bickering, "Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Curtis. So what do you do here? Are you Head of a department too?"

"I'm the Number Two Elf," the boy says proudly.

Bernard snorts. "You're the Unofficial Number Two Elf. I haven't set anything in stone yet."

Curtis rolls his eyes and smirks at Scott. "Yea, I've had this job for, like, thirty-five years now. The only reason it's not official is because Bernard's stubborn."

"I am not! Curtis just- just go sit down! Everyone will be here soon."

"Fine. I'll see you later, sir." Curtis leaves to go take a seat at the end of the table.

"He's taking the minutes for the meeting." Bernard explains.

"Seems like the two of you have a pretty fun relationship." Scott laughs.

"Ugh, he drives me crazy sometimes. But, he does a good job, so I can't really complain too much."

"How come he's the Unofficial Number Two Elf?"

"There just... a lot to learn. Number Two Elf means he'll be next in line to be Head Elf if I ever need to step down for any reason. I don't want to rush my decision."

"Well, he seems nice. I'm sure he'll do a great job when it's finally official."

Bernard smiles, but before he can respond the doors open again and a group of people enter. Bernard leads Santa to their seats as the newcomers make their way to the table as well. Scott thought he was overwhelmed before, but he was wrong. He stares at the new people, confused and a little in awe. There's a man in a warm blue coat over a dentist's jacket with toothpaste and toothbrushes sticking out of his front pocket and shimmery blue wings lazily flapping as he walks down the steps. A tall woman with an intricate, flower adorned purple gown and bright golden headpiece walks arm-in-arm with an elderly man with a long white beard that reaches halfway down his chest and a long wooden staff. One man, wearing soft golden-colored pajamas with a matching cap and robe sits down across from Scott, putting his head down onto the table and immediately falling asleep. Another much smaller man flies into the room and hovers near the trays of cookies sitting out, staring hungrily at a plate of chocolate chip. He almost reaches out for one, but the woman shoots him a look and tells him to wait until after they get introduced. The last person to enter... isn't really a person? Scott knows he's gawking when the man-sized rabbit hops down the stairs and takes a seat on his other side, giving him a friendly nod as he straightens the bow around his neck.

"Is everyone here?" the woman asks as she an the older man take the last two remaining seats.

"Jack isn't, but when is he ever?" says the rabbit.

The woman sighs, but nods. "Well, we're not going to wait. If he shows up late then good, if not, I'll just send him a copy of the minutes. Which reminds me, thank you Curtis for taking them for us."

The younger elf grins at her. The man with the tooth brush in his coat leans over from where he's sitting across Bernard. He whispers to the elf, "Yes, it's so much better when you elves do it. Anytime my fairies try they miss half the meeting because they're too busy fighting over the pen."

The Head Elf lets out a snort and then quickly tries to turn it into a cough as the woman gives him an amused, patient look. When she's sure he's settled she turns back to the group. "Now, our first order of business is, of course, greeting our new Council member. Santa, it is so very nice to meet you."

Everyone turns his way to greet him, so Scott gives them all a friendly nod and smile.

"How about I introduce everyone? I am Mother Nature, and this is Father Time," she says, placing one hand on the elderly man's shoulder. "I am the Head of the Council and he's pretty much my second in command. To your left you have the Easter Bunny, across from Bernard is the Tooth Fairy, the man digging into the cookies even though I told him to wait is Cupid, and last but not least we have the Sandman."

She gestures to each one of them in turn, the man called Cupid snatching his hand away from the plate of cookies with a sheepish smile on his face. They all call out hellos to Scott, except for Sandman, who's only response is a snore.

Mother Nature huffs and then grabs a gavel sitting in front of her, slammingit onto the table. "Sandman!"

"Huh? W-what?" he splutters as the loud bang jerks him away from whatever dream he'd been having. "Was I asleep again? What did I miss?"

"We were saying hello to the new Santa Claus," Father Time answers.

"O-oh, sorry," Sandman looks at Scott and gives him a sleepy smile. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Scott chuckles.

"Well, now that we all know each other, let's get started with the post-Christmas agenda. Sandman, why don't you go first?"

Scott listens, a little in wonder at all this, as Sandman starts going over his numbers from Christmas. Apparently, the number of kids that got a full night's sleep on the twenty-fourth was way down compared to every other day of the year, but that was to be expected because a lot of children liked to try and stay up to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus. Scott grins at that. He had seen plenty of kids sprawled out on couches or tucked into sleeping bags in their living rooms, but the only one to actually see him this year was Sera. Sandman also said that almost all children celebrating Christmas had very pleasant dreams that night.

There is a pleased murmuring in the group at this news. Scott hears Easter Bunny say something about how Dream magic is sure to be burning brighter than ever by next year. Once she is sure Sandman is finished, Mother Nature moves on to the next item on her list. Cupid goes over his own numbers, recounting for them in extreme detail all the couples that got engaged over Christmas. By the time he starts describing how Pierre Dubois from Paris hung his now-fiancee's ring on a branch of their Christmas tree- the seventh engagement he's chosen to describe- Scott can tell he is not the only one growing a little impatient. Mother Nature looks torn between cutting him off or letting the man finish his story. Bernard actually huffs and rolls his eyes, slumping back in his chair a little.

Cupid stops mid-sentence, frowning at the Head Elf. "Am I boring you, Bernard?"

"Yes." Bernard says, staring lazily up at the ceiling. "Very much so."

Tooth Fairy snorts at the same time Cupid splutters in outrage. The flying man flaps his wings angrily. "How dare- you can't- ugh, Santa, you need to look into getting a new Head Elf! Preferably once that isn't so grumpy and rude!"

"Oh, can it, Cupid," Bernard scoffs.

"Bernard!" Mother Nature says in shocked disapproval.

"Did he just- oh, I want that in the official record! Write that down. The Head Elf just told me to can it!"

Tooth Fairy rolls his eyes. "Thank heavens someone finally did."

"Alright, quiet." Father Time says in his deep, rumbly voice, banging his staff onto the tile floor for emphasis. They all fall silent. The older man looks at the elf by Scott's side, a disappointed frown on his face. "Bernard, you need to apologize."

Bernard looks like he wants to argue, but after another look from the leaders of the council, he sits up straighter and grumbles out a halfhearted "sorry" to Cupid. The flying Legendary Figure still looks a little put out, but he nods his head in acceptance. Father Time turns to Mother Nature, politely gesturing for her to continue.

"Now then, thank you Cupid for that very... detailed report. I'm glad to hear the holidays went well for you too. It's time though to get on to our next order of business. Father Time?"

The elderly man uses his staff to push himself to his feet. He turns towards Scott, a serious look in his eyes. "As I do with every new Santa Claus, I'm going to tell you about the Escape Clause."

"Escape Clause?" Scott asks.

"Yes. It's a gift from the Father Times of our world to Santa. It's a way for you to turn back the hands of Time and return to a normal, magic free life if you so choose."

"How?"

Father Time motions towards Bernard. The Head Elf pulls out a small red bag made of the same material as Scott's toy bag. He digs around inside it for a moment, before pulling out a large glass ball, and handing it to Scott. It's a snow globe, exactly like the one Bernard gave Charlie a year ago, with a snow covered street, a simple two-story house, and several frost dusted trees. Scott sets it down carefully on the table and stares up bewildered at Father Time.

"What does a snow globe have to do with any of this?"

"Should you choose to use the Escape Clause, all you must do is place your hand on top of the snow globe and say the words 'I wish that I had never become Santa at all.' The magic in the globe will activate and you will be taken back to that period in Time where you first became Santa. This allows you the option to interfere and prevent yourself from ever putting on the coat that gave you your powers. It can be used at any time, but I always ask our new Santa to really consider if he wants this job during his first full year at the pole. The longer you wait to use it, the more it will effect your past, present, and future."

"It can effect the future?"

"Yes. The Escape Clause changes all of Time, not just your past. So over the next year I want you to really think if you want this job."

"I will," Scott mumbles, handing the snow globe back to his Head Elf so it can be tucked back into the magic bag. "I'll be honest, Father Time. I doubt I'm ever going to want to use it. I love this job and all the crazy wonderful things that come with it. I really think I'm going to be around for the long haul."

Father Time smiles at him, the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth crinkling in a warm, friendly sort of way. "Well, I certainly hope that remains true. We're very happy to have you, Santa."

Later that night, the clock on his bedside table reading just past nine, Scott finds himself already changing into his red satin pajamas, a huge yawn stretching across his face. The other Legendary Figures had stayed well after the meeting had ended, chit-chatting with Scott and having their fill of hot cocoa and cookies. He doesn't think he's ever felt so tired after a meeting before, and he'd gone to more than he can count back at the toy company he used to work for, some lasting for hours as they argued over how they wanted to advertise their newest toy. He's just turning down the covers on his bed when he hears a knock on the door.

The enchanted puppets start grumbling about visiting hours when Bernard opens the door. The elf shoots them an exasperated look before facing Scott. "Hey, boss, sorry to bother you. I just need to grab the suit you wore today so I can have it cleaned."

"Oh, right, it's in the hamper." Scott watches Bernard go to grab it, a question he's had since the meeting slipping past his lips. "H-hey, can I ask you something? About the Escape Clause?"

Bernard pauses and then turns to give him his full attention. "Of course. I told you I went to that meeting in case you had any questions."

"Right. Have... have any Santa's ever used it? The Clause, I mean."

"A couple have. I don't remember who. The Escape Clause makes it so they were never Santa at all. Father Time tells me when someone does, though."

He watches an angry cloud pass over the elf's eyes. "Is this a... sore subject?"

"I just..." Bernard begins, letting out a long sigh. "I don't understand how someone can see all the joy and happiness and wonder at the North Pole, and still say no to being Santa."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that with me, buddy. I'm here to stay. Promise."

Bernard smiles at that. A soft, hopeful smile that makes him look like the teenager he so resembles and not like the thousands year old being Scott thinks he might be. "I hope so, Santa. I've got a pretty good feeling about you."

Chapter Text

"Santa, you are driving me insane. Why are you here? You're on vacation."

Scott's hand drops away from the radio he'd been playing with, the static between two stations echoing loudly against the quiet of the Research and Development department. He turns to face Bernard, who is sitting at Quintin's desk with a huge stack of paperwork in front of him and an annoyed look on his face. He meanders over to the chair opposite his Head Elf and flops down onto it. "I'm bored and I can't think of anything else to do."

"I thought you were going down to see Charlie before his winter break was over?"

"I am, but he's at Laura's mom's house today. He won't be back until tomorrow."

"Well," Bernard sighed going back to his paperwork. "You need to find something to do before you break the radio."

"I'm not going to break it," Scott grumbles under his breath. He continues, louder, "actually, when I called there earlier, Laura and Neil said I could go ahead and come down. They even offered to let me stay at their place whenever I'm in town since hopefully I won't have my townhouse for too much longer."

"That sounds like a great idea. Why don't you go?"

Scott hums something noncommittal, gaze moving to his fingernails. He has something on his mind he wants to say, but isn't sure if it's too personal to be discussing with the elf in front of him. He has only really known Bernard for about a month now. And would the boy even want to talk about anything private or personal with his boss? Scott was never that open with his coworkers at the toy company. He isn't sure if his relationship with the elves is supposed to be any different. He looks up and locks eyes with his Head Elf. He has the sudden impression that Bernard knows exactly what he's thinking about.

"What's up, boss?"

Scott lets out a long sigh. "I just... I don't know if I should— or want to actually— be hanging around their house when Charlie isn't there. I mean, just a couple weeks ago, they thought I kidnapped him! Plus, their whole neighborhood saw me flying away in the sleigh. I'm just kind of worried it's going to be really... awkward."

"Well, first off, don't worry about all the people who saw you. Our security team in the tower had a fake article released saying the whole flying reindeer and sleigh thing was an elaborate Christmas prank."

"You don't think people will actually believe that, do you?"

"Eh, the kids who saw you probably won't, but their parents will. You know most adults can't believe in magic. They'll just be happy to have some kind of logical explanation to believe in." Bernard finishes signing something on one of the papers and then uses his pen to point at Scott. "Now, second of all, have the three of you actually talked about what happened last month? And I mean besides that ten minute conversation you had on Christmas Eve."

"No..."

"Then that's exactly why you need to go, awkward or not. You can't spend the rest of your life avoiding being alone with Laura and Neil. I mean, you're not still upset with them for thinking that, are you?"

"Of course not, I forgave them before those cops even shoved me into that cop car. It was kind of my own fault anyway. I did just bring Charlie up here without talking to Laura about it first. But he was so excited, and Charlie never acted like that when he came to stay with me before. I just couldn't tell him no."

"Then let them know that. That way you can all move past it and work on being a family."

"Yea, I guess you're right."

"I am. Now go call Laura and tell her you're coming down."

Scott snorts. "You just want me out of your hair."

Bernard's lips curl up in a teasing grin. "Say, that would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Scott takes the boy's advice and returns to his office to call Laura. It's not too late in the morning, just a little past nine-thirty, but he still catches her on her way out the door. She seems happy he's agreed to come down early, which is a surprise. This time last year they couldn't be in a room together for longer than ten minutes without one of them starting a fight. Scott tells her he'll be taking Comet down and he'll probably be there between one and two.

After he hangs up with Laura, he heads back to his bedroom to pack a bag, and then to the stables to ask one of the elves to get Comet ready for the trip. When he walks in though, the reindeer is already saddled and waiting. Scott gives Larry a confused look, but the elf just shrugs and says Bernard radioed half an hour ago and asked him to get Comet ready. He thanks the boy, and then climbs up into the saddle and leaves.

As expected, he gets to Laura and Neil's house right around two. He lands in their backyard since it's a little more private; the tall fir trees and fence blocking any prying eyes. Comet grumbles something in his animal-speak as he climbs off, something about his "bad back" and it "being too cold to travel." Scott rolls his eyes and gives the reindeer a friendly pat on the head. He looks around the backyard, suddenly wondering if Laura had thought to keep the back door open or if he'll have to try and climb the fence so he can get to the front of the house. He certainly doesn't want to just sit out here in the cold until someone comes home. There's a fresh layer of snow on the ground; the soft, powdery kind that looks pretty, but isn't useful for snowball fights or building snowmen. Which is the second worst kind of snow, right behind the gross, mushy kind you get at the end of winter; when the sky can't decide if it wants to rain or snow, so it all mixes together with the mud and rock salt and everything is just brown and gray and sort of dirty looking. Scott walks over to the back porch just as the back door slides open. He blinks in surprise as Neil steps out. Scott eyes the blue, green, red, and yellow striped sweater the man is wearing. It's a little more subdued compared to his usual attire.

"Scott! Laura said you were coming today." Neil sounds happy to see him. But that isn't really a surprise. Scott knows he was a jerk to the other man sometimes, but for the most part Neil was always really polite whenever they all got together.

"Yea, thought I'd take you guys up on your offer to stay a couple days so I could see Charlie."

Neil smiles and steps aside so he can walk through the door. "Well, come inside out of the cold. I'll make hot cocoa. Laura should be home in about an hour."

"Eh, it's not too bad outside," Scott says as he walks through the sliding glass door into their kitchen. It's so warm inside, and the heavy aroma of apple cinnamon candles hangs in the air. "I don't think anything will ever be as cold as the pole."

"I suppose that's true," Neil chuckles. There's an awkward pause. Scott isn't quite sure what to say. Neil fidgets with the hem of his sweater, before finally motioning over to the kitchen table. Scott takes a seat as the other man starts digging through the cabinets, pulling out sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and finally grabbing the milk from the fridge. It takes a few minutes for the drinks to be ready. Scott flips through a Psychology Today magazine that was left open on the table. When Neil slides the drink in front of him and then takes his own seat, Scott takes a long sip, smiling at the warmth and sweetness.

"This is good," he compliments.

"Thanks," Neil says. There's another awkward pause. Scott swirls the cocoa in his cup, watching it splash around the sides and up near the rim. Neil clears his throat and then pushes his own untouched drink to the side. "You know, I'm actually glad you got here early, before Laura or anyone else was home. There's something I need to talk about with you."

"Oh? What's that, Neil?"

The other man takes a deep breath, and then looks Scott in the eyes. "I wanted to apologize for not believing you."

"About?"

"About being Santa Claus."

Scott shakes his head. "You don't need to apologize for that, Neil. Heck, for the longest time, I didn't believe it myself. I just thought I was going crazy."

"Even so, I think it's best if you know I regret how I treated you. I know we've had sort of a rocky relationship ever since Laura and I got together, but you were right when you told Charlie that all of us are a family. I should start acting like it too."

"Well, it's not like I've been trying all that hard to have a friendship with you." Scott pauses and then raises his mug up in a toast. Neil copies him. "But, hey, here's to new beginnings. I promise not to be too much of a jerk this time."

Neil laughs and clinks his cup against Scott's. " I'll hold you to that. But since you mentioned new beginnings, that reminded me, Laura and I made sure all charges were dropped with the police department. And we made an appointment for all of us with the judge so we could get you your visitation rights back."

"Oh, well thanks, I appreciate that. But you didn't have to make that appointment. I thought Laura destroyed the paperwork?"

"She destroyed our copy, yes, but the judge wanted us to come see him again after the first of the year anyway. I told Laura I thought it was a good idea."

"Why?"

"Because, if it's official I think it would help us all to move on and start to trust each other again."

Scott sighs. "I guess that makes sense. When's the appointment?"

"January 29."

"Alright. I'll be there."

The rest of the week flies by. He stays at Laura and Neil's for the most part, only stopping by his townhouse once to check on it. It's strange. He knows he's not really a different person now that he's Santa, but whenever he goes into his old home now it doesn't quite feel like it belongs to him. It's almost like he's trespassing on the home of who he used to be. The townhouse is sparse and impersonal, even Charlie's room has only a few model toys and one photo of Laura decorating it. Scott only spends about a half hour in there, just checking to make sure the housekeeper is keeping it clean and tidy for potential buyers, before it gets too uncomfortable and he has to leave. He tries getting hold of his real estate agent a few times, but there's still no answer. He must still be on vacation. The rest of the week he spends with Charlie. They go to a movie, the aquarium, play in the snow in the backyard, and Scott treats everybody to lunch at McDonald's twice because it's Charlie's favorite place to eat. He's a little sad when the week comes to an end, and he can tell Charlie is too. Scott stays until Monday and even gets up at six a.m. so he can watch Charlie get on the school bus for his first day back after winter break. Laura brings him out a cup of coffee, waving as the bus pulls away. Scott takes a large swig of the drink, not even caring as the hot robust liquid burns his tongue a little.

"Thank you," he sighs contently, "I haven't had a good cup of coffee in a while."

"Really? How come? I thought you loved coffee."

"I do, but the elves don't really drink coffee up at the pole so I haven't had any since November. From what I've seen they mostly drink sweet things like cocoa or anything with a lot of cream or honey in it. I swear I saw Bernard pour half a cup of honey into his tea the other morning."

Laura laughs, her breath misting in the cold, morning air. "I guess that makes sense. They are kids after all and I've never known a kid to pass on anything sweet."

"Oh, no no, don't ever call an elf a kid." Scott says with a chuckle. "I learned that the hard way. They hate that. That'll get you a long lecture about elf lifespans."

Laura shivers and then motions for Scott to follow her back inside the house. They both sigh in relief as the warm air gusts over them as soon as they step through the front door. "But I thought that elf who came here on Christmas Eve- what was his name, Bernard?- was a teenager. He certainly looks like one."

"Well from what I understand, they just look younger because their magic makes them age slower, but I'm not entirely sure. I've got a handbook that's supposed to explain all about my magic and the elves and Christmas, but I haven't really read it. I'm pretty sure Bernard is the oldest, that's why he's the Head Elf. I'm not exactly sure how old though. He mentioned something about the invention of the ball once and now I'm kind of afraid to ask..."

Laura laughs as they walk to the kitchen to sit at the table. Neil is already in there pouring himself a bowl of cereal. He looks at them as they sit. "What's so funny?"

"My ex-husband is Santa Claus," is all Laura says, a smile still lighting up her face.

"Speaking of which," Neil starts slowly. He shares a look with Laura, who face immediately drops into a worried frown, "There's something we wanted to talk to you about, Scott."

"Okay?"

"Well, we were discussing it, and we think it would be best if you- well if all of us, really- told Charlie to tell the judge at the appointment that he knows you aren't Santa."

Scott splutters on his coffee, spilling it on his chin and shirt. "What? But I am Santa."

"We know, Scott, we're not denying that," Laura says calmly, reaching behind her to grab a kitchen towel that was sitting on the counter. She hands it to Scott so he can wipe at his face and clothes. "But Judge Whalen will never change his decision if he's still worried about Charlie."

"So you want me to tell Charlie to lie?"

"No, we don't want to explain it like that. We can be honest with him. I think he'll understand if we tell him the judge-"

"Thinks I'm crazy and a danger to my son?" Scott interrupts Neil with a snarl.

"Scott." Laura warns. He takes a deep breath to calm his temper, focusing instead on scrubbing at the coffee stain on his sweater.

Neil gives him another moment before continuing, "No, that he was worried about Charlie being confused. We can tell the judge that everything that happened after Thanksgiving was a misunderstanding, and that you know you're not Santa, but the only thing that's really going to change his mind is if Charlie says it. Because Charlie's well-being is what's most important to him."

"Charlie is so smart, Scott. He'll understand if we tell him why it's important that he tells Judge Whalen you're not Santa. Please help us with this." Laura says.

Scott sighs and rubs a hand over his face. "I get what you're saying, I do. But it still feels like you want to tell Charlie he needs to lie for me."

"I know. But what else can we do. I know we got rid of our copies of the visitation papers, but Neil's right, it would be better to make this official with the court. And we don't know how else to do that without Charlie telling the judge you're not Santa."

"But I don't want Charlie thinking believing in Santa, in me, is a bad thing."

"It's not a bad thing-" Neil starts.

"But we could be giving Charlie the impression that it is."

"He does make a point," Laura says, leaning back in her chair to look at her husband.

Neil nods his head. "What do you suggest we tell him then, Scott."

Scott worries his bottom lip as he stares at the remaining coffee in his cup. "Let me... let me think of what I want to say to him, before we talk to him about it. I'll come back down the day before the appointment so we can all talk to Charlie together."

"Thank you," Laura pats his hand as Neil gives him an appreciative smile.

Scott leaves for the North Pole not too long after that. He spends the next two and a half weeks wandering around the workshop, trying to get to know the elves a little better without getting in their way too much. Bernard at one point barks at him to at least leave the workshop and explore Elfsburg some, since Scott was on vacation and people aren't supposed to spend their vacations at work. Which is why he finds himself walking around the town square, one hand holding a to-go cup of cocoa from the little cafe just around the corner from the workshop, and the other waving at the elves who greet him as he passes. Besides just trying to get to know his elves, Scott passes the time trying to decide what he will say to Charlie when he goes back down for the appointment. He can't think of anything that doesn't just sound like "please lie so the judge doesn't think I'm crazy and shouldn't be around you." Scott stops at the large outdoor ice skating rink near the edge of the square. He leans on the gilded fencing that wraps around the edge of the ice, watching one boy perform a rather impressive jump, which earns him excited applause from everyone around him. He sees Quintin and Judy skating on the far side of the rink. Judy has Quintin's hands in her own as she skates backwards in front of him. The boy is staring half-amused and half-terrified at her, and Scott swears he sees him mouth the words please don't let go, to which Judy only gives him a mischievous smirk in return.

"Hey, boss," says a voice from behind him.

Scott turns and sees Bernard, wearing a chunky blue sweater that's a little too big for him and holding a pair of worn ice skates in his hands. "Hey, Bernard. I didn't know you skated."

"Eh, I used to all the time, but I don't really do it all that often anymore. Quintin and Judy made me promise to join them today though, so here I am."

"How come you don't really skate anymore? Lose interest?"

"No, I just..." Bernard pauses and gives Scott a strange look, "something's wrong with you. What is it?"

Scott huffs. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"I'm an elf. I always know when a human needs help. So are you going to tell me, or do I have to try and pry it out of you?"

"Well..." Scott hesitates, "okay, fine. You know how I told you a couple weeks ago that I have to go back down to Laura and Neil's for a court appointment on the twenty-ninth? Well, they want my help telling Charlie that he needs to tell the judge I'm... not Santa."

"Why?"

"Because the judge won't give me my visitation rights back if he's still worried Charlie thinks I'm Santa. And even though we all know I am Santa, the judge will obviously never believe that. I just... I don't know how to explain it to him in a way that doesn't make it seem like I'm making him lie for me. I don't want to make him feel like he's doing something wrong just to protect me."

Bernard nods his head in understanding. "That is a pretty tough problem. But Charlie's a smart kid. If you just tell him the truth I'm sure he'd understand."

"What truth?"

"About the Secret of Santa." Bernard sighs when he sees Scott's blank look. "you really don't... that's in the first chapter of the handbook, boss. I know I told you to just read it on your own time since I'm here to answer any questions, but I figured you'd have gotten to that part at least."

Scott gives him a sheepish look. "I've skimmed it. Anyway, what's the 'Secret of Santa?'"

"The SOS is a rule we have that states Santa's identity and the location of the North Pole must be kept a secret at all cost to ensure that Christmas remains as it is to protect both yours and the elves's magic. If everyone knew who Santa was it could take the wonder and happiness out of Christmas time and without that, Christmas magic would weaken and the North Pole would disappear."

"Oh... so, wait, are you saying I should tell Charlie all of this?"

"Yea. I know it's a pretty big secret for a kid to keep, but I think Charlie can do it."

Scott nods his head, thinking over his Head Elf's words. "You know, I think you're right. Thanks Bernard, you've been a big help. Have fun skating."

"No problem. See you later," the boy calls as he walks away to sit on one of the wooden benches so he can slip on his skates. Scott leaves to head back to the workshop, deciding he wants to read up on this SOS thing before he heads back down to Laura and Neil's.

It's at dinner the day before the appointment with the judge that Scott, Laura, and Neil decide to talk to Charlie. Scott had taken Prancer down from the pole, reaching their house around a quarter to four. Charlie is happy to see his dad again and they spend the time before Neil finishes dinner playing board games with Laura in the living room. When the food is ready, they all sit down at the dining room table together. Charlie is teasing Scott about kicking his butt in battleship, mouth full of peas and carrots and ignoring his mom's chiding to not talk with his food in his mouth. Scott laughs and then in the moment of quiet while Charlie thinks of something else he wants to talk about, he shares a look with the other adults, hoping either Laura or Neil will bring up the issue. Neil sort of motions with his head in a way that Scott thinks is supposed to mean go ahead, so he just sighs and sets his fork down onto his napkin.

"Hey sport, there's something we want to talk to you about."

Charlie copies his dad and sets down his silverware. "Okay."

"Well, you know how tomorrow we're all going down to the courthouse to talk to Judge Whalen again?" He waits for Charlie to nod his head to continue. "Well, I think- all of us think, I mean- that it would be best if you told the judge you know I'm not Santa Claus."

"But, you are Santa," the boy says, tilting his head in confusion.

"I know. It's just... well, being Santa is supposed to be a secret. No one else is supposed to know who Santa is. That way, the elves and the North Pole are kept safe and a secret too. And I know the judge probably wouldn't believe us if we told him I was Santa, but in case he would, we have to tell him I'm not."

"It's bad if other people know you're Santa?"

"Not bad exactly. But, you know how wonderful and magical the North Pole is?"

"Yea..."

"Well, if too many people know that Santa really does exist and who he is, the North Pole could lose all that magic and then... well it could even disappear. This is very important to me, sport. I want to keep the elves and the North Pole safe. Can you do this for me?"

"So... people aren't supposed to know who Santa is, so that way he stays magical?" Charlie asks.

Neil leans forward. "Think of it this way, Charlie. The mystery behind who Santa is and where the North Pole is, helps it feel magical to children. We have to help your dad keep that mystery."

Charlie nods his head. "Okay. I think I get it."

"Alright," Scott says clapping his son on the shoulder. "I knew I could count on you, sport."

The next day they get up early and head to the courthouse for the hearing. Scott can't help but pace back and forth as Charlie speaks to the judge. Was he wrong? Should he have gone with what Laura and Neil originally suggested, and just tell his son that the judge thought he and Charlie were confused and it wasn't good for him to think his dad was Santa? Scott still thought that sounded like people would think it's wrong that Charlie believed in Santa Claus, and he didn't want Charlie to feel bad for believing in magic. Magic was wonderful. It was beautiful and strange, and yet sometimes felt so warm and familiar. And Charlie's face would always light up brighter than the North Star when he saw Scott's magic. He didn't ever want that to change.

So maybe Bernard was right and telling him about the Secret of Santa was the way to go. Charlie was smart. Scott knew he understood how important this was. He just had to trust that the judge would believe it when Charlie said he didn't think his dad was Santa anymore.

The door opens to the judge's chambers. The older man asks them all to join him and Charlie, so Scott files into the room behind Laura and Neil. Laura sits down where Charlie is, placing the boy on her lap. Scott and Neil take the empty seats beside her.

"Well, first off I want to say that I'm glad the whole confusion about Santa Claus has been addressed, and Mr. Calvin I also want you to know I was happy when Dr. Miller told me you had decided to speak to one of his colleagues about your own personal issues." Scott looks over at Neil, who is currently doing a very good job at avoiding Scott's gaze. He looks back at the judge, lifting his lips into a fake smile. "I still don't quite understand the whole 'misunderstanding' you all had in November, but after hearing both Mrs. and Dr. Miller's testimony, I will agree to reinstating your visitation rights, Mr. Calvin."

"Well thank you, Judge Whalen. Thank you so much." Scott says, letting out a sigh of relief.

"But, I think it's important that you do everything you can to make sure something like that doesn't happen again. That is why I am ordering you all to attend family therapy over the course of the year. We can revisit this decision after some time has passed, but as of right now I think this would be the best thing for your family."

"Family therapy?" Scott groans.

"I think that's a wonderful idea!" Neil says, sharing a look with Laura, who is nodding her agreement as well.

"Good. I expect your first appointment with an approved family therapist to be scheduled for sometime in February. Thank you all for coming today."

They leave the courthouse not too long after, and Scott knows he's pouting before Laura even says anything to him about it. "Oh, Scott, stop. This will be a good thing. And we got you your visitation rights back!"

"I know," he sighs.

"Think of all the ways we'll learn to communicate better as a family," Neil says, patting him on the shoulder.

"Right, I'm sure I'll learn a lot, buddy."

Laura huffs and rolls her eyes at his sarcasm, but before she can respond Charlie starts pulling on Scott's arm, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waits for his dad's attention. "Can you stay for dinner one more night, Dad? Please?"

He looks over at Laura and Neil, who are smiling down at Charlie. Laura glances his way. "It's alright with me."

"I'd love to, sport." Scott says, picking up his son. "What should we have?"

"McDonald's!"

Scott can't help but laugh, Laura and Neil joining him. "Alright. McDonald's it is."

Chapter Text

Scott groans, rolling over onto his back and staring up through the near total darkness towards the ceiling of his bedroom. It takes him a moment to pull his mind out of the deep fog of sleep and when he does he realizes what woke him. There are muffled voices coming from somewhere near him. He squints at the puppet stage to his left, and from what little streetlight is sneaking its way passed the thick velvet curtains hanging over the balcony doors, he can see it's empty. The magical puppets are still gone to wherever they disappear to when the magic inside them stills and falls asleep for the night. Scott frowns and sits up. He knows that if the puppets aren't awake yet it must be very early.

Now that he's a little more alert, he can hear that the muffled noise is coming from right outside his bedroom door. It sounds like voices— two of them— and they're arguing. Scott swings his feet around so they're hanging off the edge of the bed and slides them into his slippers. He shuffles slowly across the room, stepping carefully down the one step on the raised platform his bed sits on. He stops at the door, reaching towards the doorknob, but his hand freezes when he hears his name.

"Santa won't care if we wake him up to ask. You're supposed to wake him up anyway."

"Not while he's on vacation. You know we leave Santa alone the first three months of the year so he's rested and ready for when the workshop is running at full capacity. And that won't happen if you're waking him up at the crack of dawn, Curtis!"

"Oh, it's one day Bernard. Besides, Mother Nature said she needs an answer soon so they can finish preparations."

"I don't care if it's just 'one day;' he's on vacation. And he's probably going to say no anyway, so there's no point in trying to rush and wake him up. None of the Santas have ever gone. Who would want to?"

Curiosity piqued, Scott reaches for the doorknob again and swings the heavy wooden door open. Bernard and Curtis blink up at him in surprise, and Scott suddenly wonders how heavy of sleepers the Santas before him were for the boys in front of him not to realize arguing in full volume right outside his bedroom would wake him. His yawns widely, mostly to emphasize how early it is, and then pins the elves with an amused- and honestly, very tired- look. "Can I help you boys with something?"

They stare up at him for a long moment, and then Bernard rounds on Curtis, irritation plain as day in his bright brown eyes. "Look what you did, Curtis!"

"Me? You were the one who was shouting!"

"I told you to leave him alone."

"Mother Nature wanted-"

"She didn't need an answer right this second. We could have gotten it later today!"

"No, she said she'd like an answer some time this morning!"

"Well-"

"Guys!" Scott interrupts. Both boy's mouths clamp shut as they turn to face him again. "What's going on?"

Bernard lets out a sigh and then motions into the room. "May we come in, sir?"

Scott steps to the side so both boys can pass him. Bernard walks over to the workbench near the bed and pulls the thin gold chain of the table lamp, casting them all into a soft warm light. It's still bright enough that Scott has to squint his eyes some until they adjust to the new lighting. The Head Elf plops down onto the chair there, leaning back so it's just on two legs as he faces his boss.

"Curtis wanted to come see if you were awake, even though it isn't necessary-"

"Is too!"

"Is not. Anyway, we need to talk to you about the Valentines Day meeting the Legendary Figures are having soon."

"Valentine's Day meeting?" Scott asks.

Bernard nods. "Yea. Cupid is a Holiday Legendary Figure like you, and Valentine's Day is his holiday. So just like Christmas normally, there's a meeting at the beginning of the month to see how his preparations are going and if he needs any help."

"There's usually a meeting before a holiday? We didn't have one this past Christmas."

"That's because it was your first Christmas after putting on the suit. Mother Nature likes to give the new Santa some space his first Christmas so he doesn't feel overwhelmed."

"Makes sense," Scott says. He turns to Curtis, who is leaning against the wall close to the balcony doors. "Curtis you were going to say something about Mother Nature. What was it?"

"She wants to know if you're going to be attending the Valentines Day meeting."

"Aren't I supposed to? I mean, I'm a Legendary Figure right, it's part of my job to attend those meetings."

"You don't have to because it takes place during your vacation," Bernard says.

Curtis nods. "Mother Nature likes to ask if Santa wants to come though, and she sent a message first thing this morning for us to see if you were going or not. The meeting is this Saturday so she wants to finalize preparations."

Scott worries his lip as he thinks about it. He was planning on heading back down to Laura and Neil's today after breakfast. Not only because he wants to see Charlie again, the boy's basketball tryouts were soon and Scott had promised to practice with him this week, but also because Scott had finally gotten hold of his real estate agent and he needed to meet with him about selling his townhouse. Also, the court ordered family counseling starts this week and he knows Laura will tear him a new one if he doesn't go with them to that. He's already so busy, it probably won't hurt to go to the Legendary Figures' meeting too.

"Go ahead and tell Mother Nature I'll be there."

Bernard falls forward, the other chair legs hitting the ground with a thwack, his mouth dropping open in disbelief. "A-are you sure? No Santa ever goes. And you're on vacation, boss. You're supposed to be relaxing."

Scott waves his hand in the air, brushing off the elf's concerns. "It's fine, I'm used to it. I got called into meetings on my days off at the toy company all the time."

"That's not a good thing to be used to. It's important to take time off and relax. Especially up here. The North Pole can get pretty hectic and stressful. You should take advantage of your time off while you have the chance."

"Bernard, really, it's fine. I'm not gonna be relaxing too much this weekend anyway. I've got family counseling and that meeting about my townhouse. If I'm going to be busy anyway I might as well go to the Valentines Day meeting too."

"You won't be ready for the rest of the year if you don't take your time off seriously." the Head Elf argues.

"Yes I will. I made it through last year with no problems, and last year was pretty stressful."

"Didn't you get arrested?" Curtis asks.

"I meant up here." Scott grumbles.

"Being up here for the whole year is a lot different than just the last month." Bernard says.

"I can handle it. Curtis, go send word to Mother Nature that I'll be attending. I'm going to go ahead and get ready to head down to Laura and Neil's. No point in waiting around since I'm already awake. Bernard, can you ask someone to get Comet ready for me?"

Bernard lets out a sigh, but nods his head and stands up. Scott can tell by his face that the boy is aggravated he's going to go to the meeting, but he's glad he's not going to argue anymore. "I'll come get you on Saturday so Comet doesn't have to fly all the way to Rome."

"Thanks, buddy. I appreciate it."

A couple hours later, Scott and Comet land in the Miller's backyard. Scott removes his old leather luggage bag from the reindeer's back and gives his friend a gentle pat on the neck. Comet hums contently and then starts busying himself with digging at the snow covered ground with his front right hoof.

"Dad!"

Scott turns around to see Charlie running out the back door, still wearing his favorite cowboy pajamas and his feet shoved into a pair of yellow and black snow boots. He laughs when Charlie leaps at him, catching the boy in his arms and hefting him up so he could balance his son on his hip. "I thought you were going to your Gran's place today?"

"Gran said she had to help out at the rec center today, so I went yesterday instead." Charlie explains.

"Scott?" he hears Laura call from the door. He turns towards her and nods his head in greeting, noticing Neil waving from beside her. "Hey! We weren't expecting you until this afternoon."

"Yea, sorry about being so early. Bernard and Curtis woke me up at the crack of dawn so I thought I'd just go ahead and come down."

"Who are Curtis and Bernard?" Neil asks, motioning for Scott to come inside. Scott sets Charlie down and then follows his son back into the house. The kitchen smells like the Miller's typical Sunday breakfast; eggs, bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes. The table is still covered with the family's untouched plates. It seems Scott had interrupted their late meal. Laura motions for him to sit at the table with them, grabbing an extra plate from the cupboard as Neil pours himself and Scott a cup of coffee.

"Bernard's the elf that came to the house on Christmas Eve, remember? You said he was your Head Elf, is that right, Scott?" Laura says

Scott nods, taking the plate from her as she sits back down and then starts loading it up with food. "Yea, he's my Head Elf. Curtis is another elf at the workshop. He's pretty much Bernard's right hand man."

"How come I never met him?" Charlie asks as he starts digging into his pancakes.

"Bernard had him pretty busy doing other things while you were staying up there, sport, but you can meet him the next time you come up to the pole to stay."

"Why'd they wake you up so early?" Laura wonders, pouring a heavy dose of creamer into her own coffee before taking a sip.

"Oh, they just needed to ask me something. But I hate going back to bed after I'm awake so I figured I'd just head your way. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Neil says, smiling. "We can all have a nice breakfast together before we head into town for family counseling."

They have a nice, relaxing meal, Scott grinning as Charlie catches him up on everything that's happened at School since Scott last saw him. The boy goes on for quite a while about how excited he is for basketball tryouts, and Scott promises to spend every evening after homework this week helping him practice shooting at the hoop Neil put up above the garage door. After breakfast, Laura sends Charlie up to brush his teeth and get ready for their appointment. Scott goes out to feed Comet while Laura and Neil get ready as well, and then they all pile into Laura's minivan.

The office for their counselor is a plain, gray brick building with a shiny metal sign on the front listing the names of the doctors who work in the building. Neil's face lights up when they arrive and he immediately starts rambling about their doctor as Laura tries to find a place to park on the street. Apparently, Dr. Sanchez is very well respected, and she keeps up to date with any new techniques on strengthening the family unit. Scott groans in annoyance as Neil talks, Laura shushing him and telling him not to act that way at the appointment.

They head into the building, Neil going up to the receptionist to ask for their new patient paperwork and Scott and the others finding seats next to a small bookcase crammed with books. Most are just children's books, but there are a few self-help and fiction novels for adults. There's a small black stereo sitting on top of the bookcase, soft jazz music playing from the speakers. Charlie starts looking through the books when Neil comes back, handing Scott his own set of paper work. The adults work quietly filling out the questions about medical and family history and to show he'll be a good sport about all of this, Scott even volunteers to get up and hand it back to the receptionist. Their names get called quickly, there's only one other family in the office, and so they meet the doctor at the hallway to the back part of the building and follow her to her office.

She's a short, stocky woman with a kind smile and her dark hair pulled back into a long, single braid. Her office is painted an off white color and there is a circle of squishy armchairs in mix-matched colors taking up the majority of the room. They take their seats as the doctor grabs a pen and note book from a table by one of the chairs, before taking a seat herself. She gives them all a friendly smile once everyone is settled. "Hello, I am Dr. Alma Sanchez. Today, I thought we should just focus on getting to know one another. And then after that I'd like to go over some concerns the judge had, and see how you all feel about them. Why don't each of you introduce yourself and then tell me what you'd like to get out of this experience."

"Alright," Neil says after an awkward pause. "I'm Dr. Neil Miller and for me, well, I'm really hoping for the four of us to get closer as a family."

Laura waits as Dr. Sanchez scribbles down what Neil said into her notebook. "I'm Laura Miller, Neil's wife and Scott's ex-wife- I didn't know if you were aware of that yet or not- and I'd like for the three of us to learn how to co-parent better."

"Very nice to meet you both," the counselor says. She gives Charlie a smile. "And what about you young man? Would you like to tell me your name?"

"Charlie Calvin."

"Nice to meet you, Charlie. Did your parent's explain to you what counseling is and why you're here?"

"Neil did. He said it's supposed to help us get along with each other and work together."

"That is our goal. Is that what you'd like to happen?"

"Yea. I like it when Mom and Dad and Neil are friends."

Scott feels his lips twitch up into a smile at that. He knows Charlie has really enjoyed how much time all of them have spent together since Laura and Neil accepted that Scott was Santa Claus. And the fact that he and Laura hadn't really fought at all since Christmas Eve must have been a nice change for Charlie. Scott feels guilty about how often they would pick at each other until an argument started, and how often they would do it in front of their son. He really does want to get better at that, because he knows it's not fair to Charlie. He shouldn't have to watch his parents argue all the time.

He sees the counselor turn to him with a patient, but expectant look. Scott takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he tries to keep his annoyance at being made to attend counseling squashed down so it won't show on his face. "Uh, my name is Scott... Scott Calvin and I'd like... I guess I want the same things as Laura and Neil."

"You guess, Scott?" Dr. Sanchez asks.

"Yea..."

"Are you not sure if that's what you want, or maybe do you want something else but are afraid to say it?"

"No, I'm not afraid to say anything," Scott fidgets in his seat. He knows his irritation is seeping into his tone, but he can't help it. He hates this kind of stuff. "Can- can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What's the point of all of this, honestly?"

"Scott!" Laura chides.

"What? I'm serious. I get we all need to work on not fighting with each other so much, believe me, I do. But do we really need counseling? We were doing alright without it. I just don't think it's necessary now."

"Do you really think everything was alright before, Scott?" Dr. Sanchez asks.

"Yea, for the most part."

"Really? Didn't you just have an enormous misunderstanding in December? One so bad the police had to get involved?"

"Well... yes."

"Is that the only time the three of you have had problems co-parenting?"

"No..."

"'No.' Scott, my job here isn't to judge you, or tell you you're doing a bad job. I am only here to help. I truly want to help you become stronger as a family, to help you grow. But I can't do that if everyone involved isn't willing to give this a try. You have to at least try and benefit from this experience for it to work. I know not everyone believes in therapy, but a lot of families have gotten help from counseling. Give this a shot. I think you'll be happy with the outcome if you do."

The appointment was only an hour, but to Scott it felt like days had passed. He did do as the counselor asked. He tried. He spoke up when asked a question, and he listened whenever Dr. Sanchez offered advice to something Laura or Neil or even Charlie had said. He knows he probably could have participated a little more, but baby steps are better than nothing, he supposes. After the appointment he walks back to the car with the others, sliding the little card with their next appointment date written on it into his inside jacket pocket. Scott tells them he'll take a cab back to the house later, because he still has to meet with his real estate agent. Laura offers to drop him off, but he says no. It's still pretty cold out, and there's still a lot of snow on the ground, but the sun is out so Scott tells them he feels like walking the few blocks to the real estate office. Scott offers to bring lunch back with him after his meeting. Laura and Neil thank him, and then Charlie gives him a hug goodbye before jumping into the car. Scott waves them off and then crosses the street so he can start heading towards his next destination. The meeting isn't for another half an hour, so he has plenty of time. Which is good, he thinks, because he has a lot on his mind and he's always liked to take walks when he has things he needs to sort through.

He can't stop thinking about what Dr. Sanchez had asked him, about if they'd had problems co-parenting before. If he was honest, Laura and his' abilities to work as a team had been pretty awful after the divorce. And it was even worse after her marriage to Neil. Scott thinks that was really his fault though, because he'd been kind of jealous that Laura had been able to move on so fast. Not that he still wanted to be married to her; he knows they didn't work as a couple. It's just that he's never been good at relationships and he's always been a little jealous that Laura was. Scott thinks that maybe he took that jealousy out on the Millers. Which wasn't fair to them, and it certainly wasn't fair to Charlie. He still doesn't really buy into the whole idea of therapy, but he supposes Dr. Sanchez was right when she said he needed to at least try.

A car horn honks somewhere near him, snapping him from his thoughts. Scott looks up and sees he's standing in front of his real estate agent's office building. He checks his watch. He's about five minutes early, but he knows that won't be a problem. He walks up the steps and enters the building, the little bell above the door jingling sweetly. The receptionist, a young blonde woman with a face full of freckles whose name Scott can't remember looks up at him. Scott gives her a friendly greeting and then lets her know about his meeting. Before she can even ask him to take a seat though, the door to the office swings open, a portly, balding man standing in the doorway.

"Scott!" he calls, cheerily.

"Louie!" Scott greets him just as enthusiastically, walking over so he can shake the man's hand.

Louis "Louie" Williams-Brown is perhaps one of Scott's favorite people. Even in his late fifties, the man has as much energy and enthusiasm as a kid who just woke up on Christmas morning and has spotted all the presents left under the tree. He met Louie four years ago after his divorce from Laura, when he'd been trying to find a place to live that would have plenty of space for him and Charlie when he came to visit. Louie had quickly become a friend to Scott. The man was always ready with a cheesy joke or sound advice when you needed it and the way he could just light up any room he walked into was so refreshing. Scott thinks his favorite thing about Louie though, is his choice in clothes. Though the man preferred to always wear some sort of dark colored suit, the brightly printed shirts and obnoxious clashing ties he wore with them were the perfect way to express his exuberant personality. Today's shirt is an eye-watering yellow with little potted cacti printed on it and the tie is green with cartoon dinosaurs.

"Come in, come in. It's so good to see you. How've you been?" Louie says, waving him into the room.

"Good." Scott answers, plopping down into a comfortable leather chair. Louie shuts the door behind them and then sits at his own high-backed chair across from Scott. "Pretty busy. You?"

"Just swell. The missus and me had a great vacation. Which reminds me, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. You know Loretta doesn't like it when I try and work when we're away."

"Oh, it's fine Louie. You don't have to apologize. I completely understand."

"Still, I appreciate you being patient. I do have to say, Scott, I was surprised when I got your message. I thought you loved that townhouse I found for you."

"I did- or I do. It's just, I got a new job out of state so I'm moving. I don't need it anymore."

"Really? Where are you moving to?"

Scott pauses for a second, trying to think up a lie. "C-Canada."

Louie blinks at him in surprise. "Wow, that's a little farther than out of state. How's Charlie feel about you being so far away?"

"Oh, he's fine with it. We talked about it and I'm going to try and come see him as often as I can and he can come see me during his breaks from school."

"Well, good. Glad to hear that." Scott notices Louie fidgeting with the end of his tie. "Scott... can I be honest with you about something?"

"Of course, Louie..."

The older man lets out a deep sigh. "I'm a little worried about finding local buyers for your house right now."

"Why?"

"Well, with that whole thing that happened over Thanksgiving and Christmas with you and Laura, I'm not sure how many people are going to be interested in buying your townhouse."

Scott feels his mouth drop open in shock. It takes him a moment to find his words. "H-how do you even know about what happened?"

"Scott, it was all over the local news. Everyone in town knows about it. It's all anyone really talked about during the holidays."

"It was all just a big misunderstanding! Laura and I are fine. We've talked about it."

"And I am very glad to hear that." Louie gives him a friendly smile. "I know you. I knew you wouldn't do anything that might hurt Charlie in anyway. Still, it might be harder to find buyers right now. I'm not saying it'll be impossible to sell, but it might take some time. But don't you worry! I'm going to get you the best offer possible. Promise!"

"Thanks, Louie." Scott says, forcing his lips up into a smile.

Scott stays with Laura and Neil for the rest of the week. He doesn't really feel like leaving the house too much after his talk with Louie, so he busies himself with helping Laura around the house and helping Charlie practice his free throws so he'll be ready for basketball tryouts. At Charlie's age, every kid will be put on the team no matter how well they do, but Charlie still wants to make a good impression. All throughout the week though, Scott can't keep his mind off of what Louie had told him, about how everyone in town knew about last December. He doesn't think it bothers him that people might not think the best of him right now, but he does worry that it might be affecting Charlie in some way. He just can't believe he never considered that people might know about it. He wonders if people believe that it was all just a misunderstanding. He's glad Louie did, at least. When Saturday comes, Scott is still a little preoccupied with his thoughts, but he does try to hide it around Charlie, who is bouncing around the house in excitement at how well his tryouts had gone the evening before. Scott's just finishing up the last of the lunch dishes when the doorbell rings. He calls to Laura that he'll get it and then walks to the front door, wiping off his hands on the front of his pants.

When he opens the door, he's surprised to see his Head Elf standing there, heavy brown coat shut tight to block out the wind and green velvet hat pulled low to cover the tips of his pointed ears.

"Bernard?"

"Hey, boss. How was your week?"

"Uh, good. Why are you ringing the doorbell? You could have just popped in."

Scott steps aside so Bernard can come inside the house. The elf kicks the snow from his boots and then walks inside, looking around the Miller's home with interest. "It would be rude to just teleport into someone's home."

"You didn't have a problem being rude last year," Scott wonders.

"Oh, I never knock or anything that first year. I've had too many new Santas slam the door in my face. It's just easier to pop in until they come to terms with the transformation."

"I guess that makes sense... Wait, what are you doing here anyway. Is something wrong at the workshop? Because I have Comet with me, you didn't need to come get me."

Bernard blinks at him in confusion. "You said you wanted to go to the Valentines Day meeting. I told you I was going to pick you up before it, remember?"

"Oh, silver bells," Scott groans, running a hand over his face. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot about the meeting. Give me minute to go get ready for it."

"Sure," Bernard says. He pulls a velvet bag from his pocket and hands it to Scott. "Your suit's in there."

Scott leaves Bernard in the hallway so he can go get changed in the guestroom. He can't believe he forgot about the meeting. Part of him doesn't want to go, but he's already agreed to come, and he does want to get to know the other Legendary Figures a little more. He changes into the red suit and coat quickly, tying the sash a little messily as walks back into the hallway. Charlie is standing there with the Head Elf now, and it sounds like he's telling the older boy all about his basketball tryouts and the team he's going to be on. Charlie looks over at Scott as the guestroom door closes, the smile that's been on his face all day dipping down into a frown at the sight of his dad.

"Why are you all dressed up in your suit, Dad? You're not leaving are you?"

Scott walks over and ruffles his son's hair. "Afraid so, sport. I have a meeting I have to go to. But I'll be back in a couple hours."

"Do you have to go?" Charlie's voice is full of disappointment.

"Hey, don't feel down, Charlie. I'll be bringing him back soon." Bernard says, smiling at the boy. "And he'll be back to see you again before his vacation is over."

"Okay." Charlie looks up at Scott and gives him a small smile. "See you later, Dad."

Bernard teleports him to Rome a few moments later. It's a little warmer here than it is in Illinois, but it's still cold enough that Scott is glad he's wearing his heavy red coat. They're standing beside a large stone building. Scott turns around and sees the street behind him is nearly empty. Bernard ushers him around the corner to the entrance, telling him that, though Cupid's magic keeps the house and his guests invisible from the humans in the area, it's safer not to linger outside. They walk inside and enter a beautiful atrium. The floors are made of bright marble and there is a clear blue pool of water right in the center, under an opening in the ceiling that lets in all the light from the sun above them. The walls are all painted with colorful frescoes, some just of nature scenes, others with all sorts of animals and even a few fauns dancing together. Near the pool of water there is an impressive statue of an olive tree, the tops of the stone branches brushing the ceiling. Bernard takes a few steps into the atrium, before stopping and pointing towards a room off to the side.

"The meeting's in the dining room there. I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up."

"You're not staying?"

"No way, Cupid gets on my nerves. Besides, the meetings really are only for Legendary Figures. I mean, sometimes I'll come along if there's something Mother Nature wants to talk about that involves the elves, or if you need me or Curtis to take minutes we'll go, but other than that there's no reason for a magical creature to attend."

"Oh, alright. Well, I'll see you soon then."

"Later, boss."

Bernard leaves in a shower of red and green sparkles. Scott looks around the room again, wanting to check it out a little more before going into where the council meeting is being held. He's just started inspecting the tree statue when he hears a voice.

"Santa!"

Scott turns around the see the Tooth Fairy walking towards him from the entrance, shrugging off his blue coat and folding it over one arm. Scott raises his hand in greeting. "Hey, Tooth Fairy."

"Just Tooth is fine." the man says. "I wasn't expecting you here today."

"Really? Is it that surprising that I'd want to come to Cupid's meeting?"

"Well, you're the first Santa that has since I've been Tooth Fairy, and it's been close to two hundred years now since I've gotten my wings. So, that's got to tell you something."

"T-two hundred years?"

"Yea... most of us Legendary Figures have had our jobs for at least a hundred years, except you of course. Didn't you know that?"

"No... I knew my elves lived longer than humans, but I didn't think you all did too."

Tooth claps him on the shoulder, giving him an understanding smile. "Sorry, I guess that must have been quite a bomb to drop on you. But, yea, the magic we Legendary Figures have pretty much stops us all from aging when we take our jobs. My guess is because Nature's kind of picky when it's choosing someone for a Legendary Figure, so it doesn't want to have to constantly be on the lookout for the next person. But when it's time to call it quits, if we want, we can give up all traces of magic and start aging again. I've heard some Legendary Figures preferred to go that route when their job was over."

"I can't believe I didn't know all this." Scott says shaking his head.

"I think Bernard has it written down in that Santa Handbook of yours."

"Man, I've got to read that thing."

Tooth barks out a laugh and then motions for Scott to follow him. "Come on, let's get in there before Cupid starts complaining about us being late."

They start towards the door to the dining room. Before they can enter though, a swirl of snow and ice appears by the pool of water. The temperature in the room drops drastically as frost starts to climb up the walls and along the branches of the tree statue. Scott hears a loud cracking sound as the pool starts to freeze over. The swirl disappears with a burst of snowflakes and in its place stands a tall, thin man with pale skin and frozen, white hair. He's wearing a dark blue pinstriped suit that has frost clinging to the collar and cuffs of the sleeves. Scott can see the vest he wears underneath is made up of the same material and design as his suit jacket and the white shirt under that glimmers like the ice now covering the pool by their feet. The man adjusts his tie, which is made up of nothing more than several thin icicles wrapping around one another, and then looks over towards Scott and Tooth. Scott can tell, even from behind the man's blue-tinted wire-rimmed sunglasses, that he is being stared at.

"My, my, I'd know that old red coat anywhere. You must be our new Santa Claus," the man says in a slippery voice. He walks forward, slipping off his sunglasses and carefully stuffing them into his jacket pocket. Scott is a little taken aback at how blue the man's eyes are.

"Uh, yea, that's me. Who are you?"

"Jack Frost. I'm a Legendary Figure as well. Though you may not recognize me, I'm sure you've heard of me."

"Sorry," Scott shrugs, "can't say I have."

Jack's face immediately falls into a frown, but before he can respond Tooth grabs Scott's arm and starts pulling him towards the dining room. "Come on. We have to go or we'll be late.

"Oh, of course," Jack says, walking with them. "Wouldn't want to upset our dear Cupid. You know, before we get in there though, I have been meaning to wish you good luck, Santa."

"'Good luck?'"

"Yes, well, I've heard a bit about you and from what people are saying things aren't going to go smoothly up at the North Pole this year."

Scott scoffs. "Who said that? We'll be fine."

Jack looks at him with a tricky smile that is all teeth. "Well, big fella', I certainly hope so."

Two extremely long hours later, Scott meets Bernard by the entrance to Cupid's home. The elf grins at him when he sees Scott yawn. "How was the meeting?"

"Long. It took Cupid almost the entire time we had scheduled for the meeting to go over the projections for all the couples getting together or breaking up this Valentine's Day. And apparently he didn't finish going over everything he had planned. He asked Mother Nature if he could bring it all up at the next meeting instead."

"What'd she say?"

"'We'll see.'"

Bernard laughs. "Which in mother-speak pretty much means 'not likely.'"

"Hello, Bernard." calls someone from behind them. Scott turns to see Jack slipping on his sunglasses. Bernard just snorts and pins the man with a glare. Which only makes Jack's face break out into a wide grin. He bows to Mother Nature- who is standing just to his left by Father Time- with a flourish and then disappears in a swirl of ice and snowflakes.

"Who is that guy?" Scott asks.

"Jack Frost. He's one of the non-holiday Legendary Figures, like Sandman and Tooth Fairy. He's the Heralder of the Winter Season."

"The what?"

"That means it's his job to bring winter to the world." Bernard explains. " He kind of just does whatever he wants though. Tooth Fairy says he's almost never at meetings. Apparently he's always off trying to come up with ideas for his own holiday."

Scott nods his head, still staring at the place where Jack disappeared. He sees Bernard lean over to try and catch his eye, so he gives the elf his attention.

"What's wrong?" the elf asks.

"Why do you think something's wrong?"

Bernard rolls his eyes. "I've already told you; an elf always knows when a human needs help."

"Right, right." Scott sighs. "It's just something that Jack guy said to me before the meeting."

"What'd he say?"

"He wished me 'good luck' because apparently he's heard all about me and he doesn't think things are going to go well at the poll this year."

"Oh, what does he know," Bernard grumbles. "I wouldn't put too much stock into what he said. People always gossip about the new Santa, and almost all of them have done great."

"Almost all of them?"

"We've had a few... not-so-good ones. But trust me, you're gonna do just fine."

"I hope so," Scott sighs, leaning back against the wall as he looks around the room at the other Legendary Figures. "I don't want to mess this up too."

"What do you mean 'too?'"

Scott opens his mouth to answer, but freezes before he can get any words out. That feeling he'd had before, when he'd told Bernard about everything being awkward with Laura and Neil, was back. It's not that he didn't like talking to the elf. Bernard was friendly, and he gave good advice. Scott thinks they get along pretty well for people who've only known each other a couple months, but he still doesn't know where the line is for what's okay to talk about with him, and what would just be weird. Bernard's eyes narrow like he knows Scott is considering ignoring his question and Scott suddenly wonders if part of the elf's magic involves always knowing what Scott is thinking.

"My meetings this week didn't go very well and I'm... kind of worried I may have really messed things up for Charlie this past Christmas."

"But you and Charlie seem closer than ever."

"I know, and I think we are getting a lot closer, it's just..." he pushes away from the wall and runs a hand over his face. "everyone in Lakeside was apparently talking about me and Charlie being away those few weeks. I just keep wondering if they all think I'm some sort of crazy kidnapper or something!"

"Relax, boss. People talk and come up with stories all the time. As long as you and Laura are okay with how everything went down then that's all that matters."

"I guess so. I just hope this isn't all affecting Charlie in some way."

"As long as you're there for him, Charlie will be okay."

Scott nods. Bernard studies him for a little longer, but lets the conversation fall away. He grabs hold of Scott's arm as he prepares to teleport them back to Laura and Neil's.

He hopes Bernard is right and that he will do a good job as Santa. He really doesn't want to be on the Head Elf's list of not-so-good ones. Mostly though, he really hopes Bernard is right about Charlie being okay. Scott knows he's made his fair share of dumb choices in his life. He just hopes he didn't make one that would mess things up for his son. But, he supposes, he'll just have to stay positive as he waits and sees what happens. In the meantime, he'll just make sure he's there for him.

Chapter Text

"So, what kind of things do you do around here when I'm on vacation?" Scott asks.

Bernard glances up at him, his attention mostly still on the conveyor belt he'd been working on. Scott had wandered down into the main workshop floor just in time to see the machine grind to a halt and start to smoke. He'd rushed over to help, but the Head maintenance elf, Patty, had gently pushed him aside so she and Bernard could see to it instead. The short red-haired girl was busy trying to fix something in the motor that had short-circuited, her Head Elf handing her any tools she needed. Scott feels extremely awkward just standing there, but it didn't feel right to just walk away to a different part of the room. He figures he could at least talk to Bernard while he waits to see the conveyor belt fixed. It is what he'd come down to the workshop floor for anyway.

"Lots of stuff," the elf answers, "We go over the efficiency levels for each department and reassign any elves who maybe aren't happy working where they are, or who realized during the year that they'd be better suited elsewhere. We also monitor the happiness of anyone who celebrated Christmas and start building the toys for any kids who've already started sending letters."

"Some kids really send letters this early? How come I haven't seen them?"

"Because you're on vacation. We keep them for you until the first of April. But, yea, quite a few kids send 'em this early. Usually it's because there's something they really really want. We try to make sure those kids get exactly what they ask for, because if they don't it tends to affect how much they believe in Santa Claus."

Scott steps to the side as another maintenance elf comes forward to bring Patty a part she'd radioed for a few minutes earlier. "It's got to be pretty easy to get them exactly what they ask for since we know so far in advance."

"Eh..." Bernard shrugs, finally standing up to give the girl more room to work. "It kind of depends on the Santa. If they're not all that bothered with going the extra mile to keep all the children as happy as possible, then sometimes stuff slips through the cracks. We try not to let it happen, but... we're elves, not genies. We can't grant everyone's wishes without some help from the big guy."

"That makes sense. I hope we didn't miss anyone's presents last Christmas... Wait, are you saying there is such things as genies, though?" Scott jokes.

Bernard opens his mouth likes he's going to answer, but he hesitates, and then looks down to start messing with the radio hanging on his belt. "What are you doing down on the workshop floor, Santa. You're on vacation, you're not supposed to be bothering with any of this stuff yet. Do you need something?"

"Hey, I live here! I can be on the main floor if I want to be." Scott grumbles.

Bernard rolls his eyes and then gives the taller man the same look he's seen him give the elves when they're testing his patience. Scott sighs and scuffs his foot against the bright tile floor. He's feeling a little awkward again.

When Bernard starts to tap his foot, Scott throws his head back and lets out a groan, vaguely wondering if he looks a little ridiculous doing so. "Fine. I came down here because I needed to talk to you about something."

"I'm a little busy at the moment. Can it wait until this evening?"

"I guess so..."

Bernard narrows his eyes as he studies his boss. Scott resists the urge to squirm under the elf's penetrating gaze. If Bernard ever decides to retire from being Head Elf at the workshop, Scott thinks the boy should take up a job interrogating criminals for the police. No one could resist spilling their secrets when they're being looked at like that. Bernard asks, "are you just saying you can wait because you want to avoid talking about whatever it is?"

"No! Of course not. If I did, I wouldn't have even mentioned it."

"But you didn't mention it at first. You started asking about the workshop and genies."

"Hey, now, you were the one to bring up genies-"

"Enough with the genies!" Bernard rolls his eyes in a very dramatic way, and Scott suddenly wonders if it's possible the boy could roll them right out of his head. "What's going on, boss?"

Scott huffs. "Okay, okay. I need to ask you a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yes, but I didn't want to do it on the workshop floor because... well it's kind of a weird question. But if you're busy you can just meet me this evening in my office."

Bernard frowns, narrowing his eyes a little in suspicion. "Well, if it's important, I can meet you in a half an hour? I just need to make sure the conveyor belt gets up and running again..."

"Great! I'll see you later then."

Scott passes the time pacing his office, fiddling with all the knickknacks and toys lining the shelves and cluttering every surface. He hadn't used the office much his first month here and he really hasn't been in the room at all while he's been on vacation, so the place still carries a lot of the Santa before him in it. His predecessor had chosen to paint the walls a dark, deep shade of blue that was very reminiscent of the color the ice walls that surround their home take in the dark months of winter. The trim is a muted gray that matches the dull silver tile on the floor and the furniture is all made of heavy dark-stained wood. The high-backed chair behind the desk is shiny, black leather and not the most comfortable, at least not to Scott. The seats on the other side for anyone who visits the office are wooden with thin hunter green cushions. The area around the fire place is a little cozier at least. The over-sized armchairs are a soft blue velvet, brighter than the paint on the walls, and there are several fuzzy throw blankets in varying shades of gray thrown over their backs and in neat piles on a shelf. The mantle is lined with antique clocks in different shapes and sizes.

Scott doesn't hate the room, but it just... isn't him. Bernard has said he can redecorate the office- and his bedroom- if he wants. The elves would love to make any changes that would help Scott feel more at home. He thinks he definitely wants to do things a little differently in the office, starting with the paint on the walls. It's just not as cheery as he would expect Santa Claus' office to be.

There's a knock at the door, so Scott calls for whomever it is to enter. Bernard walks in, looking a little flustered as he talks into his radio. "I don't care what Theo told you, Curtis, absolutely do not let him try and fix that sewing machine by himself. Those things are seriously heavy duty and I can already imagine how he'll end up hurting himself if he messes with it. Call over to Maintenance and get someone there to go do it."

Without another word, Bernard switches off the radio and hooks it back onto his belt. He nods to Scott and then immediately walks over to one of the armchairs by the fire and plops down in it. Scott pours a cup of cocoa for each of them- he'd called down to the kitchens and asked Abby for it about ten minutes ago- and then walks over to take a seat as well.

"Everything okay?" he asks as he hands the elf his drink. Bernard murmurs his thanks and takes a long sip.

"Yea," the Head Elf answers, smacking his lips as he sets the cup down onto the table between them. "Curtis said he just got a call from Theo about one of the machines in the stuffed animal department breaking. Theo wanted to try and fix it himself but..."

"Afraid he might hurt himself?" Scott asks with a laugh.

Bernard snorts. "No, I know he'll hurt himself. I'm just afraid of how badly it might be. He once broke a finger trying to shut a window."

"How-"

"I have no idea how he managed to do that, he just did. So, I'd rather someone else fix the sewing machine before I end up having to rush Theo to the doctor again."

Scott laughs, a little in awe at the Stuffed Animal Department Head's ability to injure himself. Bernard smiles, but then changes the subject. "So, what did you want to ask me about?"

"Um..." Scott hesitates. He doesn't exactly know how to broach this subject. Ever since his meetings in February, Scott hasn't been able to get what Louie said out of his mind. He still can't believe the entire town heard about the police looking for him last Christmas. He knows he doesn't care about what people think about him, but... "okay, so I was thinking about how everyone in Lakeside thinks I kidnapped my own son, which is just crazy by the way, and I know you said Charlie would be fine as long as I was there for him- and I want to be there for him because I know I wasn't doing a very good job of it before. I already missed a lot with Charlie- school recitals, soccer games- I don't want to miss anything else, but I'm kind of nervous I might screw something else up or make it harder for him. If you were with me though I think I'll be okay because you can make sure I don't mess anything up. And Charlie really likes you so-"

"Whoa, Santa, take a breath!" Bernard interrupts. Scott stops, and then quickly realizes he is out of breath from his rambling. He inhales deeply and lets out a slow exhale. "Good. Now try again."

"Okay. I was wondering if there's any chance you'd want to help me with something for Charlie?"

Bernard blinks. "Oh. Of course I would. He's a great kid. I'd be glad to help."

"Really? Thanks, buddy, I really appreciate it!"

"No problem," Bernard pauses, and then gives Scott a curious look. "Wait, why couldn't you ask me that on the workshop floor?"

"Um... Well..."

Bernard sits up straighter in his chair and pins Scott with a look that brooks no argument. "Santa."

"Okay," Scott mumbles, "the thing I need help with is... chaperoningafeildtrip."

"Come again?"

Scott sighs and lets his head fall back against the chair with a thunk. "Chaperoning Charlie's field trip that's coming up in two weeks. I told Laura and Neil I would do it last time Charlie called up here."

Bernard stares at him. "I-I don't... how am I supposed to help with that?"

"Well..." Scott hesitates, "I kind of told Laura to write your name down on the list of chaperons. She said she'd just tell the school you were Charlie's cousin. Family is allowed to chaperon as long as they're eighteen and you look eighteen."

"You told..." Bernard stops, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a slow exhale. Scott's seen him do this whenever he's feeling particularly frustrated. "Santa, that's not what I thought you meant when you said you wanted my help with something."

"I know, I know, but I'm freaking out a little bit here. I've never chaperoned a field trip before. Laura and Neil are the ones who do. But you told me to be there for Charlie and he's really excited I'm coming. What if I get there though and the teachers all think I'm some crazy criminal or the kids won't listen to me or-"

"Santa!"

"What?"

Bernard sighs. "It's fine. I'll do it. I kind of have to anyway."

"You do?"

"Well, yea, I already said I would. I'm a fae, I can't go back on a deal."

"I didn't know that..."

"Don't think too much on it," Bernard huffs. "next time I'm asking what the favor is before I agree to do anything for you. Where's this field trip going to be at anyway? They going to a museum or something?"

"No, it's a hike through the forest at one of the State Parks."

"A hike? It's March, and in Illinois!" Bernard splutters through a sip of cocoa.

Scott lets out a grunt of frustration. "I know, but someone on the school board thought they should do more to show the importance of being outside and getting exercise. If it helps, I think it's supposed to be a little warmer that day."

"So like, what, in the forties?"

"Something like that," Scott says. Bernard groans and gives him an exasperated look. "Hey, at least it's not as cold as the pole!"

Two weeks later, Scott is woken up by the shrill beeping of his alarm clock. He looks over at the bright red numbers with bleary eyes, grumbling when he sees how early it is. He pushes himself out of bed and stumbles over to the bathroom so he can shower and get dressed. Judy had promised them last night to have a nice warm breakfast waiting for them by the time they woke up. Once he's ready, he grabs his wallet and the backpack Abby had packed for him with hiking supplies: bottles of water, bug spray, a first aid kit, and a few other things Scott didn't think was necessary for a hike that would only take half the day, but Abby insisted it would be better to be over-prepared. He goes downstairs to the kitchen, greeting the few elves already there. Judy waves him over to a table. He sits down and immediately starts digging into the plate of food she places in front of him. She lets him know Bernard said he would meet him on the workshop floor. He just needed to see to some stuff first before they left.

Scott calls out a goodbye to the kitchen elves as soon as he finishes eating and makes his way to the main floor. Bernard is already there, wearing a heavy, hunter-green coat with a sweater the same color and light washed denim jeans, standing in the Naughty and Nice Center as he calls for the elves to gather around. Scott is a little surprised at how many are already here this early in the morning, but he figures maybe Bernard wanted to talk to as many of them as possible before they left for the day. Curtis is there with him, grinning at his Head Elf like a cat that ate the canary. Bernard just looks annoyed.

Scott walks up at the same time Quintin does. The shorter boy is wearing a bright orange jacket, a green knit scarf, and a purple knit hat that is pulled low to cover the tips of his pointy ears. Quintin yawns widely, "Morning, Santa."

"Morning. Why are you dressed like that, or do you always come to work all bundled up?"

"He volunteered to go along today in case we need any help with your group of kids." Bernard says, without looking their way. He was too busy having a staring match with Curtis. "Don't worry about any of the adults noticing an extra person there. Quintin can use his magic to hide from them."

Quintin lets out a snort. "I don't know if it's "volunteering" if your Head Elf tells you you're going."

"No, but it is when your best friend says you are."

Scott laughs when Quintin sticks his tongue out at the taller boy. Bernard ignores him and just continues his staring contest. When it goes on for another few minutes without either of the boys saying anything, Scott finally asks "what's going on, you two?"

"I'm just waiting," Curtis says, his grin stretching even wider across his cheeks.

"Jingle bells," Bernard grumbles, lifting his gaze to the ceiling. He turns to face the crowd of elves, calling out to them to get their attention. "Okay, real quick everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that Santa, Quintin and I are going to be gone for the day. Lyla, I want you running Research and Development today. Any major problems, you can radio me or Quintin, I'll have mine on me. But make sure it's not something you or someone else can't handle please. For anything else... Curtis is in charge."

"Yes!" Curtis cheers, bouncing up and down. He looks at the other elves in the room. "Okay! That was everything. Back to work, please!"

There's some sleepy mumbles of agreement- and a few elves call out wishes for the group to have a nice time- and then the crowd disperses as everyone heads to their departments. Bernard leans down to grab two backpacks that are shoved underneath a control panel for the center. He hands one to Quintin and slings the other one over his shoulder. Curtis is still bouncing happily on the balls of his feet and Scott can't help but laugh, "Excited, Curtis?"

"Yes! I've been waiting for this forever. Bernard never leaves me in charge, even though I'm his Number Two Elf."

Bernard frowns at the younger boy and says, while stressing every syllable, "un-o-ffi-cial."

"Thir-ty five years," Curtis says, perfectly mimicking the Head Elf's testy tone.

"Okay, okay," Scott interrupts, hoping to stop them before they can start bickering. "Bernard, we need to leave for Laura and Neil's soon or we're going to be late."

"Oh, right. All ready to go, boss?"

"Yep, I've got my bag right here. Good luck with being in charge today, Curtis. I'm sure you'll do great."

Bernard adjusts the strap of his bag and then steps forward so he can grab Scott's and Quintin's hands. Scott feels the soft warmth of the elf's teleportation magic start to spread along his fingers and palm, lingering where his pulse thumps in his wrist. He prepares himself for when they'll be whisked away- Scott rather likes the almost lazy way the magic moves them in that shower of sparkles, though Bernard has told him before it takes a lot of concentration for him to make the process feel so effortless- when he's distracted by Quintin.

"Bye, Curtis," the elf says in a teasing, sing-song voice. "Have fun burning the workshop down!"

Curtis gives an affronted squawk at the same time Bernard chokes out a surprised laugh. Scott chides the boy, "Quintin! He doesn't mean that, Curtis. You'll be fine!"

Scott doesn't get to hear the boy's response to the other elf's teasing. The three of them are teleported away and Scott is surprised when he stumbles as they land in the Miller's driveway. But, he supposes, Bernard probably wasn't focusing on having a smooth landing. He was probably too busy laughing. As soon as he can Bernard slips his hands free of the others' grasps and uses them to stifle the chuckles tumbling past his lips.

"Bernard." Scott frowns at him.

The elf nods his head in understanding as he settles down. He looks at Quintin. "That was funny, but you totally have to apologize when we get back."

"I know, I know," Quintin says with a good-natured grin.

Scott hears the front door open and the next second Charlie is sprinting out, no jacket on and the laces of his hiking boots undone, shouting hello to his dad. Scott leans down so he can scoop Charlie up as soon as the boy reaches him. His son laughs, the sound unusually loud in the quiet, early morning air. He feels his lips stretching up into a smile. "Hey, sport!"

"You made it!" Charlie says, pleased. He spots the elves standing beside his father. "Hi, Bernard! Quintin? I didn't know you were coming too."

Quintin waves at the boy. "Hey, Charlie! Yea, hiking sounded like fun so I thought I'd tag along."

"Awesome! Can we leave now, Dad?"

Scott sets his son down. "Yea, let me just go grab lunch and the car keys from your mom."

Nearly two hours later, Scott finds himself standing in the parking lot of Castle Rock State Park near the start of the trail they'll be taking today, Bernard and Quintin waiting by his side. They watch as Charlie's and another teacher walk around and separate the students into groups. Scott is happy he chose to take the car up instead of riding in the school bus. He'd heard some parents complaining about how tightly the teachers had packed everyone in to the seats. Considering they have nearly sixty kids with them though, Scott can't really blame them. Charlie's teacher, Mrs. Levard Scott has to keep reminding himself, walks over to him. There are a handful of kids following behind her. Charlie, who is one of them, races past her so he can reach his dad first. Scott grins down at him and ruffles his hair.

"Okay, Mr. Calvin and... I'm sorry dear, what was your name again?" the woman asks, looking at the taller elf standing beside Scott.

"Bernard," the boy answers, reaching up to slightly tug down the black beanie he's wearing over the tips of his ears.

"Right. Well, here is your group of kids. Everyone's got a name tag on so you don't have to try and remember all those different names. There's ten kids in each group, just so you know, but every group also has two chaperons so it should be fine."

"Mrs. Levard," a girl with short blonde hair and bangs that look like she might have tried to cut them herself says, "how come our group has eleven?"

Scott tenses as the little girl looks right at Quintin. Mrs. Levard, though, doesn't even glance his way. "You don't, dear. Bernard is Charlie's cousin and he's going to help Mr. Calvin chaperon today."

The children standing around look up at her, clearly confused, but the teacher is too busy checking something on a clipboard in her hands to notice. She excuses herself a moment later so she can go check on something with another group. The kids watch her leave and then turn to stare at Scott instead.

Quintin clears his throat and jokes, "um, I guess Mrs. Levard can't count?"

The kids around them laugh and, after hearing a whistle blow from one of the teachers, go to line up single file near the start of the trail. They'll be going up in groups every few minutes, that way each group has a chance to look around at the scenery without being rushed by the group behind it.

"I told you no adult would notice," Bernard says with a smirk as they follow behind the kids.

"How did that work so easily?" Scott asks.

Quintin shrugs at him. "Believing is seeing. You know that."

"And Mrs. Levard obviously doesn't believe in elves."

"But she saw you?"

"Because I let her," Bernard explains. "Magical creatures can put up a veil to hide themselves from humans. It doesn't work on children, of course, because kids normally still believe in some kind of magic and if you believe in it, you see it.. But, nowadays, that belief isn't normally strong enough for them to realize what we, or even you for that matter, are. You might have an occasional child realize we're magical, though it'll happen to you way more often than us. But the adults never will unless we drop our veils and let them, or they're somehow connected to the supernatural. And that's really rare"

"I didn't know all this..."

"It's in the handbook. There's actually a whole section on elf magic in there if you want to know more."

"Hm, maybe I'll have Curtis make copies of those pages for me. He seems to know where everything is in that book."

Bernard snorts. "No kidding. He's the only elf who's ever read that thing cover to cover and I know he's done that multiple times."

"What about you?"

"Nope. That thing's way too long."

Scott laughs and is about to agree with his Head Elf when one of the teachers comes forward to motion their group up the path. He adjusts the straps on his backpack and leads the way up the hiking trail. It's almost too cold to be up here, but it is rather pretty. There's still snow on the ground- the spring sun won't be out to melt it all away for a couple more weeks at least- but the branches above are bare so Scott can see straight through the tree tops up to the steely gray clouds above. The crunch crunch crunch of snow beneath their feet echoes around the forest, mixing with the excited laughter of the children as they walk. Even in the last stretch of the chilly season, the smell of winter lingers - that cold, wet scent that's just so fresh and crisp. They walk for about an hour, the trail alternating between long stretches of flat ground to steep, steep hills. Scott calls for the group to take a rest at the top of one of the hills. He can hear some complaints from the kids about sore feet and being tired, the loudest complaints coming from Quintin- who is red-faced and huffing and puffing as he tries to catch his breath, each exhale misting up in front of his face like steam leaving a teapot.

Quintin leans over when they stop, hands placed on his knees to hold himself up. He huffs in between inhales, "this is it... this is my life now. I've climbed this hill and now I will die upon it."

"Oh, for the love of sugar plums, shut up" Bernard laughs. "We've only been hiking for an hour. We used to spend all day traveling on foot."

"I hated it then and I hate it now!"

"Drink some water, Quintin." Scott chuckles as he hands the boy one of the bottles from his bag. The elf takes a few messy gulps from the drink, not even caring when some of it spills down his chin. Scott leaves him to go check on the other kids, making sure they all drink some water and seeing if anyone needs anything else. After about ten minutes, Scott calls for everyone's attention. "Alright, break's over guys. We're falling too far behind the other group. I don't want the next one running into us."

"You're not kidding about falling behind," Bernard remarks as he looks up the path. "I can't even see the group in front of us anymore."

"Eh, we'll probably start to catch up to them when they take a break."

Everyone grabs their things and starts following Scott up the trail again. They walk along another flat section, and then down a steep hill, before reaching a fork in the path. There's a sign with two different trail names on it and an arrow underneath each name- one pointing left, the other right- to tell you which path is which. Scott studies the sign and then looks at the new trails. There are footprints in the snow leading down both of them, but he can't see anyone so he doesn't know which belong to the other group and which might be other hikers out today.

"Uh, San- I mean, Scott, you do know which way to go, right?"

"Not... not exactly."

"What?"

Scott whips around to face his Head Elf, his heart skipping in panic. Charlie grabs his sleeve though, stopping the anxious spluttering that was just seconds from leaving his lips. "Just check the map, Dad."

"Map?"

"Yea. Mrs. Levard told all the chaperons to grab one right before we started hiking. They were right next to Bobby Lawson's dad."

Scott looks away from his son and at Bernard, who's eyes are as wide as saucers. "D-did you grab a map?"

"No! Did you grab a map?"

"No!"

"Wow," Quintin says with a snort. "You guys are bad chaperons."

"Not now, Quintin!"

"What are we gonna do, Bernard." Scott groans, letting his face fall into his hands. "We can't be lost. We have ten kids with us!"

"Calm down, we'll figure this out. No need to panic-"

"No, I knew something like this was going to happen. How-" Scott pauses when he sees some of the kids staring at them. He grabs Bernard by the arm and, after telling the kids to wait there for a moment, walks further down the right path until he's sure they won't be able to hear them. "How do I always manage to screw stuff like this up?"

"You didn't-"

"Yes, I did. All I had to do was look out for Charlie and these kids, and I couldn't even manage that. Why am I such a failure as a dad-"

"Scott!" Bernard interrupts, and there's fire in his voice. The kind of flames that stop you in your tracks and make you listen. Where the speaker means what they say and they won't hear any arguments. "First of all, no, you're not. I didn't grab a map either, so this is as much my fault as it is yours. I was the one talking to you when we should have been listening to Charlie's teacher. Second of all, where is all this coming from? You've always struck me as more of a self-assured kind of guy."

Scott sighs, "I am.. or I was. I don't know. I just keep thinking about what my real estate agent said to me last month, about how the whole town thought for weeks that I took Charlie and ran off. I normally don't care what people think about me, and I figured by now I wouldn't be so bothered by this, but..."

"But this isn't just about what people think about you," the Head Elf says, his eyes widening like he's just solved some great mystery.

"What do you mean?"

"You're worried about what people might think about Charlie now, or Laura and Neil, aren't you?"

Scott scuffs his boot against the ground, staring at the hard-packed snow. "I mean... Yea, I guess I am. If this was all just about me, I'd say to heck with it. Let them think what they want to about it. But it's not. Laura and Neil forgave me so easily, I'm sure people are probably judging them for that. And Charlie... I don't know if people are still treating him the same at school or if the other kids think he's weird or something for disappearing with me for that month. You know how kids can be sometimes."

"Yea, I do," Bernard says with sad huff. "Is this why you were so worried about doing a good job on the field trip today?"

"Yea. I just wanted to prove to everyone that I'm trustworthy. I'm tired of being a bad dad."

"You're not a bad dad," Bernard insists. Scott scoffs. "Hey, I mean that! You're not, and if you don't want to take my word for it, take Charlie's. He thinks you're pretty great."

Scott looks over at his son, who is laughing at something Quintin is saying. "You think so?"

"I know so, boss."

Scott feels his lips tilting up into a smile, and he's just about to thank his Head Elf, when he's interrupted by a voice coming from behind the kids. Another chaperon, Jessica O'Hara's mom his mind is telling him, comes up the path and stops when she reaches the kids, looking at Scott and Bernard in confusion.

"Hey, everything okay here? I thought we were supposed to stay far enough away from each other so the kids would have plenty of time to look around at everything?" she asks.

"Right," Scott says as he and the elf walk back over to the group. "We actually had a little trouble. My map uh... fell out of my backpack at some point and I didn't realize it until we got to this little fork in the road. I didn't know which path we were supposed to take, and I didn't want to take the wrong one so I figured... we'd just wait here until the group behind us came along."

Mrs. O'Hara nods in understanding, thankfully believing Scott's lie, but frowns at the boy beside him. "Don't you have a map too? You're helping Mr. Calvin chaperon aren't you?"

"Um..." Bernard hesitates, pulling at the ends of his hat. "No. I didn't grab one. Guess I'm not a very good chaperon."

The woman slips her backpack off her shoulder and unzips it so she can pull out her own map, tsking as she does. She does give Bernard a kind smile when she looks back up at them though. "You just need to pay more attention to instructions, sweetheart. But I'm sure you've been very helpful to Mr Calvin today."

She points them in the right direction- the left path- and then tells them to go on ahead so there's some space between their groups again, explaining it's time for hers to take a break anyway. Scott thanks her and then he and his group set off again, this time with a little less worry sitting inside his chest.

The first hike took a little over two hours before they reached the parking lot again. Mrs. Levard, who'd been in charge of the first group, tells Scott that everyone is eating lunch inside the buses so they can warm up a little. It's another hour and a half before everyone makes it back and eats. Some of the kids waiting go to the forests edge so they can have a snowball fight, and Scott and Bernard can't help but laugh when Charlie sneaks up behind Quintin and shoves a handful of snow down the back of the boy's jacket. After lunch there is another hike, this time on a different path and with instructions for each kid to find special signs talking about the different plants and animals and insects that can be found in the woods. It's a fun little scavenger hunt, and Charlie is very happy to be the first one in his group to find the last sign. Bernard at one point even uses some of the magic only he has as Head Elf to coax a doe into walking along the path right in front of the kids, making sure none of them see him do it of course. The children stare in silent awe as the animal glances their way, and then wave goodbye as she gently skips off back into the trees.

By the time they make it back to the buses and cars, evening is approaching and everyone is exhausted. Scott lets Charlie's teacher know he'll be taking his son back home and then he and the boys all climb into Laura's car. Bernard plops down into the front passenger seat and quickly clips his seat belt on. He shivers. "Hurry up and turn the heat on. I'm freezing."

"Alright," Scott says, starting the car, "give it a sec' to warm up."

"That was really fun, Dad! Thanks for being my chaperon," Charlie says from the back seat.

"Anytime, sport. You fellows ready to head home?"

"Oh, no," Bernard says, "you are taking me to get the greasiest cheeseburger you can find as payment for writing my name down as chaperon without asking me first."

Scott snorts. "That's what you want in return? A cheeseburger?"

"Oh, Dad, can we get milkshakes too?"

"Yes, that." Bernard grins and gives Charlie a high five. "I want that too."

"I can't believe all you want is dinner." Scott laughs.

"I can." Quintin says, shaking his head at his Head Elf, a knowing smile on his face. "Bernard loves to eat, more than anything."

"Really?"

Bernard nods his head and leans back more comfortably in his seat, a dreamy smile lighting up his face. "All the different ways there are to make food? My favorite things you humans ever invented."

"Okay," Scott chuckles, putting the car into drive. He feels so much lighter now, like he knows for sure he's done a good job today. "Cheeseburgers and milkshakes it is then."

Chapter Text

On April first, it isn't an alarm or puppets that wake Scott, it's the sound of someone's fist banging on the door as they shout "Rise and shine, boss! Breakfast is on its way!" He pushes himself up into a seated position, his mind groggy as it tries to cling to sleep. The room is a little chilly. The fire that is always lit for him has died out sometime during the night. The banging happens again and Scott can't help but groan.

"I'm awake, Bernard! Just come in already."

The Head Elf opens the door, switching on the dim overhead light as he enters. Scott has to blink away spots as the bulbs flicker to life. Bernard walks over to the balcony to shove the curtains open, letting in the fluorescent lights from the streets below. Curtis is at his heels, a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Bernard grins at him and Scott can't help but wonder how on earth the boy looks so awake at six in the morning. "Mornin' Santa."

Scott lets out a tired snort. "Morning."

"Better get used to this, sir, I'll be here to wake you up every morning."

"Yea, yea," Scott yawns. "So, what's on the agenda for today, boys."

Curtis hands Bernard the clipboard and pen. The Head Elf skims the list, reading off all the items listed. "Let's see... First, you'll want to go around and check in with the Heads of each department. You'll do this every morning. Then after lunch you and I have a meeting to go over some last minute stuff. After that you'll probably be needed on the workshop floor. It'll be a lot like what you were doing in November and December, except I won't be with you all day."

"You won't?"

"No, I have my own list of stuff I need to do every day, but Curtis will set you up with a radio so you can get hold of one of us if you need to."

Curtis unhooks something from his belt and then hands it over to Scott. He explains, "it's a lot like a normal walkie-talkie, sir, except it only runs on our magic frequencies. That's why we can use it no matter how far away from the pole we are."

"Cool," Scott mumbles as he looks over the device. It's a lot more colorful than he would have expected. The outside is bright yellow and the knobs are candy apple red. He presses a few of the pale blue buttons on the front, flinching when the device suddenly roars with static. He switches it off quickly and then tosses it to the side on his bed. "Anything else?"

"No, that's pretty much it. You'll have a lot more to do the further into the year we get. It's still early enough that the pole isn't too crazy busy."

"Alright. Guess I better get ready then."

"'Kay. I'll see you after lunch then, boss."

After eating the breakfast Abby brings him-- oatmeal with honey and cinnamon, sliced apples and berries, and fluffy scrambled eggs-- Scott gets ready for the day and then heads off to check in with the departments. He starts with the Candy Room, since it's the closest one. He'd briefly met the Head of this department the day Bernard introduced him to everyone. There'd been so many people to meet then though, he hadn't really had the chance to talk much with the elf in charge here. Meabh (whose name Bernard had had to sound out slowly – "Mae-ve"- in order for Scott to pronounce it correctly, which still makes him feel a little embarrassed) is a willowy girl with a short auburn bob and heavy bangs. The candy cane-striped apron she's wearing is stained with chocolate and sticky syrups and there's a smudge of powdered sugar across her cheek. Scott asks her how everything is going and if she needs any help. Meabh tells him about the different candies the elves in her department have been making, and how every evening Bernard comes to put a preservation spell on them so they'll be fresh for the children on Christmas morning. He's a little impressed that the magic can keep everything fresh and tasting brand new for so long, so he makes a mental note to ask his Head Elf if the spell is something he can learn.

After the Candy Room, he checks in with Judy at the kitchens, which actually knocks two departments off his list since she is also in charge of his personal elves. Then, he stops by to see Herennia in Wrapping. She tells Scott that the department is getting ready to do a full inventory of all its wrapping paper, so they can compare it to last year's to see which paper was used the most and decide what excess needs to be sent to the storage closets in the main hall. She complains a little about how long this process takes, since they'll have to spend a lot of time separating the different rolls into piles of each color to make sure they don't miss any. Scott suggests that afterward she finds a new way to separate the paper, maybe by shade or alphabetically, so they can keep it more organized for next year. Herennia really perks up at this suggestion. She gives Scott a big grin as she thanks him.

His next stop was going to be the Stuffed Animal Department to see Theo, but an elf there informs him that the Head had somehow managed to smash his hand in a cabinet and was now at the Elfirmary across the town square. Scott leaves the workshop to go check on him, and then after spending enough time there for Dr. Hismus to start grumbling about crowding his patient, Scott goes to the Elf Post Office to see Letitia. There isn't much for him to do here since it's still too early in the year for most kids to start sending letters, so he heads back to the workshop. He pops in on the elves in the Tower, the Ball Room, and the Clothing Department; speaking to Titus, Reggie, and Edna respectively. The Head maintenance elf Patty he actually finds talking to Irv, the Head of Construction, so he spends some time chatting with them about how things are going in their departments. At the Naughty and Nice Center he finds Clara, and then afterwards it's down to the stables to see Larry. He can't help but spend some extra time checking in with all his reindeer, especially his good buddy Comet, who rambles happily in his animal-speak when Scott stops by his pen. Finally, he heads back inside to talk to Josiah who, even in his second year of being in charge of ELFS is oddly flustered at all the data he has to go through and the training regimens he has to prepare. Lastly, he goes to see Quintin. The boy has a lot of stuff to go over. New toys they're developing, improvements to the sleigh, Field Elf assignments, experiments they're doing; Scott's head is spinning by the time Quintin is done.

He's honestly feeling a little exhausted by the time lunchtime rolls around. He radios Abby and asks the girl if she wouldn't mind bringing his lunch up to the office for him. She tells him it's no problem at all and about fifteen minutes later there's a knock on his door. He calls for the knocker to come in, and is quite surprised when Bernard is the one who enters, instead of Abby. The Head Elf grins at him when he sets the overloaded tray down onto the desk. There's a plate piled with turkey sandwiches, a bowl of fresh veggies and another with homemade vegetable dip, and two individual-sized cheesecakes topped with sticky sweet raspberry sauce and whipped cream.

"Please tell me you're here to help me eat all this food," Scott jokes.

Bernard snorts. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving you here to finish all this yourself."

"Thank goodness," he laughs.

Bernard takes a seat on the other side of the desk and they each grab an empty plate from the tray and load it with food. There's a few minutes of idle chitchat. Scott tells the elf all about his morning so far. When there's a moment of quiet, where Bernard seems more focused on the food in front of him than his boss, Scott clears his throat to grab the elf's attention.

"Hey, you said this morning that we were going to have a meeting after lunch. Do you want to just go ahead and take care of it now?" he asks.

Bernard tilts his head to the side, confused. "I mean... I don't mind having it now if you want to, but you're on lunch Santa. You can wait until after."

"I know, but the toy company I worked for before becoming Santa always just sort of combined the two. We'd order lunch and eat it before we had our meetings, but it was always kind of expected that you'd hurry up with your meal so everyone could get back to business as quick as possible."

"That's crazy! You should spend your time on break doing something that'll relax you. Take a nap, or read a book, anything besides work."

Scott waves his hand like he might actually wave away the boy's concerns. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

"You always say that about stuff you shouldn't be used to."

"It's fine, Bernard." he insists. "So, go ahead. Fill me in on whatever it is you needed to."

Bernard frowns, looking very much like he's going to continue arguing, but instead he just sighs and reaches down to pull something out of his shoulder bag that's sitting by his feet. It's a manila folder, so stuffed with papers they're sliding out of the bottom. The elf catches them before they fall, and then lets the folder fall onto the desk with a rather loud thud. Scott stares, mouth dropping open as he pulls a paper out. It's a little crinkled on the bottom from where it was shoved inside the bag, but what he's more focused on is the tiny, cramped writing filling up the page. The handwriting is a lovely looping cursive and he's surprised with how much is written not a bit of the ink is smudged. The paper has a delicate, gold-trimmed border around it's edges and there's a fragrance wafting towards him as he holds it in his hands. It's like the heavy aroma of a greenhouse on a hot summer day- like wet soil and greenery and the sweet scent of newly bloomed flowers.

"Um... what-"

"That's the report on the changing of seasons Mother Nature sent you. She sends one to every Legendary Figure. Make sure you read it before the next Council meeting. She gets pretty upset if the other members don't at least browse her reports."

"Right... so this is for Spring, I'm guessing?"

"Spring and Autumn. Hemispheres, remember? The equinox was on the twentieth of last month so she's been pretty busy the past week and a half. It's a pretty interesting read."

"You already read this?"

"No, no, Mother Nature always sends an abridged version to the Heads of the magical creatures. My copy was only four pages."

"Can I read yours instead?"

"Nope." Bernard says simply, popping the p on the word with his lips.

Scott grumbles as he pushes the folder to the side. "Is that all you needed to talk to me about?"

"No. Easter Bunny sent this message this morning." The Head Elf reaches down towards his bag again, pulling out a pastel blue envelope. He hands it to Scott. "He says a bunch of his kids are sick and his wife has got her hands full taking care of them and he doesn't want to bother her with a meeting at his den. He wants to know if he can have the Easter meeting up at the North Pole this year."

"When was the meeting supposed to be again?"

Bernard sighs. "I told you a week ago, Santa."

"I might have... not been listening." Actually, if he remembers correctly, he'd started out listening to Bernard that day. The Elf had brought him dinner up to his room. He vaguely remembers the boy mentioning Easter, but then the magical puppets had started screaming about a spider in their booth and by the time Scott realized they were just pretending, Bernard had finished speaking.

The look the elf gives him makes him slink back in his chair. "The meeting is on Thursday. So, can he have it here or not?"

"Yea, yea, it's fine with me. Should we have it in the kitchens like the last one we had here?"

"That's what I'd recommend. Unless you want to have it here in the office? The Easter meeting can sometimes take a long time though. Easter Bunny isn't just in charge of Easter, he's also the Legendary Figure responsible for the other ways people celebrate the equinox, so he's going to have to report how all that went as well."

"Let's do it in the kitchens. I'm sure Judy will want to make lunch for everyone so I'd rather she and the other elves didn't have to bring it all the way up here."

Lunch is over much quicker than Scott would have liked. He leaves his office feeling happily full, but a little anxious about all the reading he'll have to do before Thursday. He spends the rest of the day on the workshop floor, wandering around the different conveyor belts and tables, checking in with nearly every elf he sees. By the time it hits 7p.m and the first bells start to chime over the intercom system letting the elves know there's only thirty minutes left in the work day, Scott is exhausted. The boots he's wearing are pinching his toes and his lower back is starting to ache. He helps the elves on the Main Floor clean up their work areas and then once it's finally time to shut down for the day he calls goodnight to all his elves and then heads back upstairs. Scott makes a quick run to the kitchen to grab some cocoa and let Abby know where he'd like to eat his dinner, and then he pops by his office to grab the report from Mother Nature. He finally makes it back to his room and changes out of his boots into a pair of comfy slippers. Abby brings dinner up not too long after- a crisp garden salad, two large slices of perfectly toasted garlic bread, and a large saucy cheesy portion of lasagna with fresh brewed cocoa and a tall glass of ice cold milk to drink- and in between bites Scott gets started reading the report. Nearly seven pages in and he's barely made a dent in all the paperwork shoved into the folder. His eyes are beginning to droop though. At one point he'd nearly dropped his cocoa into his lap. Scott marks his place in the report and then sets it to the side on his bedside table. He quickly changes into his pajamas and crawls into bed.

He's out like a light and all too soon Bernard is banging on his bedroom door again, calling out a cheerful "Good morning, boss!" Scott grumbles as he gets up, watching with bleary eyes as the Head elf pokes his head in the door, asking if he's ready to hear his agenda for the day. This day goes much the same as yesterday had, and the next one after that as well. He meets with the Heads of the departments in the morning, has lunch in his office, and spends his afternoons helping the elves on the floor. He does have to radio for Curtis once because he couldn't find the storage closet with the spare paint one of the elves needed. Scott doesn't think he likes how he barely sees his Number one and Unofficial Number Two elves during the work day and he makes a mental note to talk about that with Bernard. Maybe it worked for other Santa's, but Scott thinks he'd like the three of them working a little closer together.

Thursday rolls around much quicker than expected. He walks into the kitchens with Bernard and Curtis at his heels. The delicious smell of fresh baked cookies mixes with the heavy aroma of something spicy roasting in one of the over-sized ovens. He's a little distracted by all the noise here. Cabinets are banging shut, pots are clanging, and every few moments someone shouts something across the room. Bernard steers him over to the long wooden table the kitchen elves are preparing for the meeting. Abby, Judy, and Quintin are standing around here, the former laying out cookies onto a red and green serving tray and the latter two chit-chatting. Or he thinks they're talking at first, but when he gets closer Scott hears Judy scolding the boy for inhaling his lunch so fast, he nearly choked.

"Whatcha got there?" Curtis asks Abby when they reach the others. Scott snorts when Quintin ducks behind Bernard to put some space between him and Judy.

"Thumbprint cookies."

"Oh, those are my favorite!" Curtis reaches over and snags one of the jam-topped cookies. He doesn't get far with it though. Abby immediately smacks his hand with the spatula she'd been using to take the sweets off their baking tray, making him drop the cookie. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Did I say you could have one? These are for the meeting!"

Curtis glares at her, rubbing the back of his hand where a red mark has appeared. "Bernard! Abby smacked me!"

"Wha- oh, you're such a tattletale sometimes! What are you, three hundred years old?" Abby mocks.

"You're the one acting like a little one! What's it matter if I take one cookie?"

"They're not for you! And I know you, you say you're gonna take one and then next thing I know I've got ten cookies missing and we don't have enough for the meeting!"

"I don't do that!"

"Yes, you do!"

Curtis sticks his tongue out at the girl and then tries to quickly snatch one of the cookies. Abby wacks him in the hand with the spatula again. "Ouch! Bernard, she-"

"Bernard, he-"

"Both of you knock it off!" Bernard roars, rounding on the two at the table. They both duck their heads, muttering apologies. He looks like he might yell again, but a girl in a messy kitchen uniform grabs him by the sleeve and pulls him to the side, saving the other two from their Head Elf's temper.

Scott tries to hide his laughter behind a cough. Quintin is snickering beside him. He nudges the boy in the shoulder. "Want to tell me how you guys aren't kids again?"

"Har har, Santa," Quintin says, sticking his tongue out at his boss.

"Of course we aren't," Judy laughs. "It's just sometimes our more... playful sides come through. Happens with all the fae."

"Especially with elves who were little ones together. Like Curtis ad Abby."

"You know, I've heard you guys say 'little ones' before. What's that mean exactly?"

"Those are the really young elves," Judy explains. "It's what we call any elf under four hundred years old. Though Bernard slips up sometimes and calls the older ones that too. But that's because we've all been little ones with him, so you can't really blame him."

"I hate when he does that." Quintin complains. "It's embarrassing."

"Oh, you know he doesn't do it on purpose." Judy reaches over and flicks Quintin's nose.

"Hey!"

"Don't you two start," Scott laughs. "Does anything still need to be set up, Judy? I think the Council will be here soon."

Scott helps the elves put the last few touches on the meeting space. He's just set out the last nameplate when the doors to the kitchens open wide and the other Legendary Figures start filing in. Scott vaguely notices that the man called Jack Frost does not enter, and then he remembers what Bernard had said about him not showing up for meetings. He briefly considers handing the man's nameplate back to one of the elves helping him set up, but then decides to leave it, in case he shows up late. Once they're all seated and the other elves leave them be, they get started. Easter Bunny is looking a little put out. His fur is sticking up at odd angles around his head and his bow is on crooked, but he manages to give Scott a big grateful smile.

The meeting lasts a long time. Easter Bunny goes over not only how things look for Easter- how many eggs he has painted and all the different places he plans on hiding them so the children of the world can go hunting for them- but also how everything went for those who celebrated the Spring Equinox. It seems like most people really enjoyed their celebrations, which means good things for the Legendary Figure's magic. Which, Scott learns from the notes Easter Bunny passed out at the start of the meeting, is called Spring Magic. (Tooth very helpfully explains that this is not what Mother Nature uses to bring Spring to the world, that is done with Seedtime magic.) By the time they're through, it's nearing three o'clock. Scott radios Bernard to ask how things are going on the Main Floor, heading that way himself once he's sure the kitchen elves don't need his help cleaning up. He spends the rest of the day helping out elves as much as possible, and then once the workday is over he heads straight back up to his room just like the two days before, feeling absolutely exhausted.

A week goes by of this same routine: wake up, meet the department Heads, lunch, and then roaming the Main Floor. Scott thinks he's getting the hang of it, but sometimes a problem will come out of nowhere that'll throw him for a loop. One of the elves on the Main Floor,— Joey, a tall brunet boy who Scott sees working several different stations with ease— pulls him to the side one day and tells him that the machine to make the tinsel is jammed. When he goes to help the boy out, he opens the hatch on the machine and finds a knot bigger than his head. He and Joey spend a good hour untangling the silver strands. And while he was glad to help out, afterwards he does feel like he's behind and that he should have found a way to fix the problem much quicker.

Charlie calls the North Pole at the end of the week to ask if he can spend a few days with his dad during spring break. Scott can't help the pleased smile that stretches across his face when he hears this. He knows Charlie has always loved him, but he'd be lying if he said his son enjoyed spending time with him before. Scott remembers how Charlie used to always ask Laura to pick him up from his dad's as early as possible, and how sometimes he'd even ask if he had to stay. Scott knows it's his own fault Charlie felt this way before. He never went out of his way to make things fun for Charlie, or do things he liked. And honestly, he always spent a lot of their time together complaining about Laura or Neil to the boy, which is something he realizes now should have never happened. It wasn't right to put Charlie in the middle like that. Scott really wants to make up for it now, to show his son that they can have fun together. He does wonder how he's going to do that with the Workshop running at full capacity again though.

About two days before Charlie's break starts, Scott asks Bernard if they can have a meeting during lunch up in his office. The Head Elf spends a good ten minutes lecturing him about actually taking his breaks, but he agrees to come eventually. Scott asks Abby to bring them up some lunch— sandwiches, fruit, and Judy's homemade potato chips— and he and Bernard dig in, chitchatting about anything the other might have missed that's been happening in the workshop.

"Hey, that reminds me. Can I... make a suggestion?"

"Sure, boss. What's up?"

"I don't know if it'll really work, maybe other Santas have tried it or maybe you prefer it the other way, but I was thinking about maybe you, me, and Curtis working a little closer together?"

Bernard sets the mug of cocoa he'd been about to drink from back onto the desk, his head tilting to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Well it doesn't have to be all the time, but maybe instead of just one of us on the Main Floor at a time, all three of us— or at least two of us— can be there? I think if there's ever a problem it'll be a lot easier to solve it if we can talk to each other face to face instead of having to try and radio each other. I mean, the radios are great, but sometimes it takes a while to get an answer. I know you've got your own stuff you have to do each day but maybe the three of us can trade off on working together on the Main Floor?"

"Hmm..." Bernard hums, finally taking a long sip of his drink.

"What? Have you already tried it before? Is it a terrible idea or something?"

Bernard laughs, waving his hand as if to wave away Scott's concerns. "No, no, I don't think it's a bad idea, and no, no Santa has ever tried it before. I was just going over in my head how it might work. I think it's a pretty good idea. You know we have that little 'complaint box' thing the elves use to let me know if something was missed the day before, but it might be better if there was more than just one person on the Main Floor. That way so much stuff doesn't end up getting missed. And it'll give Curtis more responsibility too. He can be helping you out while I take care of the stuff on my list in the afternoon instead of him just being attached to my hip."

Scott snorts at the elf's huffy tone when he mentions the younger boy, but covers it quickly with a cough. He smiles. "Well good, I'm glad you agree."

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?

"No, there was something else." Scott watches the elf pick up and start wolfing down his third sandwich. Bernard is pretty thin, so Scott can't help but wonder where the boy puts it all. "Charlie called and said he wants to spend some of his spring break up here. I know we've just started running full time again, but it's alright if he comes, right?"

"Of course. You're the one in charge here. You don't have to ask my permission. Why don't you let Judy know so she and the other kitchen elves can whip up something special for you guys." Bernard says before taking another huge bite.

"They don't have to do all that. I can make something for Charlie and me."

Bernard gives him a look like he doesn't know whether to laugh or scoff and then says around his mouthful of food, "Did'n you almos' burn down your kitch'n two Chri'mases ago?"

"No. It was the oven! And don't talk with your mouth full, it's rude."

Bernard holds up his hands in mock surrender, but Scott can still see the amusement dancing in his bright brown eyes. He washes down his food with a big gulp of cocoa and asks "need me to go pick Charlie up from the Miller's?"

"If you don't mind? I'd really appreciate it."

"Not a problem. I'd be happy to."

Bernard pops down to grab Charlie a couple days later. Scott tries to plan things they can do together. He takes him on a tour of Elfsburg, they have lunch at the little cafe right off the town square, they go ice skating and ride the carousel, and they even go down to the stables so Charlie can practice riding Comet all on his own. It's a pretty fun week, except...

Scott is stretched thin going back and forth between entertaining Charlie and running the workshop. Bernard offers to take over for the week so he can spend more time with his son, but Scott tells him no. He just got off vacation and the workshop just got back to running at full capacity. He feels guilty even thinking about slacking off on his job already. But, he also feels guilty every time he has to leave Charlie on his own to go meet with a department Head or see to something on the Main floor. Charlie tells him he's fine, that he's had fun getting to hang out with the elves. But every time he sees his son's smile dip down a little, he can't help feeling like he's falling back into the same habits he had before he put on the coat. He doesn't want to be the person who would lie about being stuck in traffic to go to a business meeting or a company party, or someone who would skip his child's soccer game to meet with potential clients. Even before he became Santa, that's not who he wanted to be. But before he knew it he was staying late whenever his boss asked him, forgetting to pick up charlie from Laura's because a meeting ran long, and sometimes missing important days with his son because he'd been asked to come in on a day off and no matter how much he tried to convince himself to, he just couldn't say no.

The guilty feeling stays with him all week, and even into the next when he takes Charlie home with the smaller sleigh, using Prancer and Vixen to pull them since he felt bad about almost always going with Comet. When they get to the Miller's, they all eat an early lunch- grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup- and then Scott rides with them into the city so they can go to their family counseling appointment. Today Dr. Sanchez has them doing something called the "Colored Candy Go Around." She pulls out a big bag of M&M's and gives a handful to everyone. Then- after Laura snaps at Scott not to eat them when he immediately goes to shove some of the candy into his mouth- Dr. Sanchez explains what exactly they'll be doing.

She tells them to separate the M&M's by color. Each color candy has a different meaning; red for things that are worrying them, blue for fun things they can do as a family, green for ways they describe their family, orange for improvements they can make as a person, yellow for their favorite moments together, and dark brown for goals they have for the family. She says that they'll go around the room and each person will eat one candy at a time, but depending on the candy you choose you must describe a moment or feeling you have that corresponds with that color candy. Scott looks at his. He has two blues, a yellow, two browns, and three oranges. He frowns at the last three and wonders vaguely if he can make up a lie about not liking those to get out of that part of the game.

Neil, in that annoyingly perceptive way of his, leans over to look at Scott's pile of candy on the table. He grins at him. "Hey look at that! Aren't orange your favorite? You're lucky to get so many of those."

"I sure am," Scott says through gritted teeth. He wonders if it's against the rules of family counseling to smack Neil in the back of the head.

"Who'd like to start us off? Charlie? How about you?" Dr. Sanchez says. She glances at Scott. He wonders if she could sense his growing irritation at the other man and had gotten things started to avoid a confrontation.

"Um, okay." the young boy mumbles. He stares hard at his candy for a solid minute before finally choosing a yellow one.

"Great choice," the counselor smiles kindly. "Now, that ones means you have to tell us about one of your favorite moments with your family."

"Uh... I guess one of my favorite would be when we went to the aquarium together."

"And why is that a favorite memory?"

"Because it was a lot of fun. We got to look at all the different fish and we saw a huge shark. His mouth was bigger than my dad's head! And then when we were leaving Dad tried throwing a snowball at Mom but he missed and hit this other lady in the head. She got mad and kicked Dad's shin!"

Charlie busted out laughing when he said this. Laura hid her face in Neil's shoulder, but it was obvious from her shaking that she was laughing too. Scott, on the other hand, knew he was pouting. That kick really hurt.

Dr. Sanchez cleared her throat, but it seemed to him that her lips were twitching. "Well, that certainly sounds like it was an... exciting day. Thank you for sharing Charlie. Dr. Miller, why don't you go next?"

They all take turns going through their candies. Scott goes last every round, always skipping over his orange pieces. That plan does end up backfiring though when his last three turns he has to name an improvement he can make. Dr. Sanchez tells him to really look inside himself when he thinks of these, and because he is still trying to keep his promise about actually trying the counseling, he does as he is told. He says he can work on not being so dismissive about things Laura and Neil tell him about, and he can work on not starting arguments with them so often, but he really can't think of a third thing. Not that he doesn't think he has other flaws, but he doesn't really know if there are any that affect their family.

"You really can't think of anything, Scott?" Dr. Sanchez asks him.

"No..."

She considers him, tapping her pen against her chin. "Alright... let's think back to what we discussed last month. You said you were on vacation while you settled up in Canada, right? That you got a couple months off since you were their new CEO and you were moving from so far away?"

"Yea, but I'm not anymore."

"Right. How has that affected how you're managing things. I'm sure it's a big difference being so far away from your son. Is it harder to make time for things for him? Like phone calls to see how he's doing?"

Scott pauses. Now that he thinks about it, the only time he spoke to Charlie before he came up to see him was when the boy called up to ask him about Spring break. But that shouldn't be an issue. He spent the last week with Charlie. "I guess so. I mean, I'm really busy at work now that I'm back, so I never really get the chance to call."

"Not once?"

"No. But Charlie just spent all of last week with me. So, we've had time together."

"How much of that did you spend working?"

"Well... most of it. I mean, I work from 6a.m until after seven every day, except Sundays. But we still did stuff together in the evenings."

"You couldn't get any of that time off? Even one extra day?"

"No... well, maybe. My Hea- uh, e-executive vice president at my toy company offered to cover for me. But I just got back from vacation. It wouldn't be fair for me to take more time off again."

She considers him again, her pen tap, tap, tapping against her face as she mulls over her words. Finally, Dr. Sanchez takes a moment to scribble something in her notebook, before setting her pen and book to the side on the table next to her chair. "I want to make a suggestion for the last improvement you can make, Scott. I think you have a problem balancing life and work. I feel that both are equally important to you, but you don't know how to give equal attention to both parts. Either you focus completely on what's going on in your life and your work suffers, or you give everything to your job and not enough to your family. You put all your eggs in one basket, you could say. I think what you really need to focus on is how you can make time for both of these things. Life's about balances, and taking time for all the things you find important. In the time between our next appointment, I want you to think of ways you can do this. How can you be happy and productive at work and be there for your family?"

The appointment is over soon after that. Scott is still in a bit of a sour mood as they leave. Does he still have that big of an issue with making time for Charlie? He thinks he's a lot better than he was before. He and Charlie still did stuff together last week. And he didn't lie to his son whenever he had to go back to the workshop. What else could he do to make things better?

"Don't look so angry, Scott. Dr. Sanchez was just trying to be helpful." Laura says as they reach the car.

Scott steps to the side so Charlie can slide into the back seat first. "Do you think I have a problem making time for Charlie?"

"Honestly? Yea, sometimes you do. You always have. But she's right when she says it's always one or the other with you. Remember the last couple months before our wedding? You took off so much time because you were insisting on helping with the final plans that you almost got fired. You've just got to learn how to make time for both."

"Laura's right, Scott," Neil says, holding the driver's side door open for his wife. "You just have to figure out how to balance things more."

"I am trying, you know."

"We do know. And Neil and I think you are doing a wonderful job. Just keep at it, and I have faith you'll figure things out."

Scott heads back up to the North Pole the next morning and spends the next few days buried in work. It seems like everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. One day, a conveyor belt breaks down, an elf on the Main Floor accidentally spills red paint all over a cart full of unwrapped toys, and one of the baby reindeer- a sweet, rambunctious girl named Olive- gets away while her pen is being cleaned. And what drives Scott crazy is that all of this happens right at the start of the day. It isn't even ten o'clock yet. Once he's done helping the stable elves track down the reindeer, he hides himself in his office to take a much-needed breath.

There's a knock on the door. Scott grunts, suddenly not having the energy to even call for the person to come in. Bernard peeks his head in the door. He's staring at Scott in concern, worrying his bottom lip, but he doesn't say anything. Scott sits up a little straighter to give the boy his full attention. Bernard takes this as permission to fully enter the room.

"Something up, Bernard?"

The boy shakes his head. "Not right now, no. I just... wanted to check on you. You seem to be having a pretty rough morning."

"No kidding," Scott snorts. He rubs his tired eyes with the heels of his hands. "I'm fine, buddy. It's just been a hectic day so far, is all."

"The day's just started, boss," Bernard jokes weakly.

Scott sighs, not having the energy to really respond. There's an awkward pause. Bernard shifts back and forth on his feet like he isn't quite sure what to say either. Scott asks, "How come- never mind."

"What?"

"How come... it didn't feel like this back in November."

"Feel like what?"

"Exhausting. I've never felt so worn out in my life. It was still hard work back when I first got here, but not like this. I feel like I can't keep up with what needs to be done."

Bernard scuffs his foot against the tile floor, head tilted down to avoid Scott's eyes. "Because I was handling anything that went wrong, or I sent Curtis to deal with it."

"Why?"

"I just didn't want to overwhelm you. You didn't really have an easy time transitioning into the big guy, so I thought it'd be better if I took care of that stuff. Ease you in, you know? I've let Santa's take care of all the nonsense from day one before and..."

Scott stares at the boy's face, which suddenly looks much more like a troubled teenager than the millenniums old creature that he is. "Are those the ones that quit on you?"

"I don't know, I don't remember. But if they were, I didn't want that to happen with you. You seemed like a really good guy for the job."

"Thanks," Scott mumbles with a smile. He pats the side of the desk in front of an empty chair. Bernard walks over and sits. "I appreciate you doing that, Bernard, but I do wish you'd told me. I was starting to think last Christmas was just a fluke and that I actually suck at this job."

"What? Of course you don't! You're doing great! And I kind of tried to tell you before. I told you to relax while you had the chance."

"Yea, but I thought it was because you didn't want me walking around here bothering you." Scott jokes. "Guess I should have taken you seriously, though. I'm overwhelmed."

Bernard fiddles with the string of ornaments around his neck. "Sorry. I guess I should have prepared you more. But if it helps any, you're doing a lot better than a lot of the Santa's we've had. I found one packing his bag up in his room his second month running the workshop full time. Took a lot of convincing to get him to calm down and come back to work."

"You're kidding. Was he one of the ones who used the Escape Clause?"

"No, 'cause I can remember him. He lasted about two and a half decades before he got tired of it and Nature chose someone else."

"Really? So it isn't always Santa falling off a roof?"

"I mean, yea sometimes. The magic comes from a human putting on the coat when the wearer can't use it any more. There's been a few times where that's happened because of an accident, though I've been told by Mother Nature that the coat will leave that Santa with enough magic to make sure they're okay. But normally Nature just senses that's it's time to move on and find someone new. Then, Santa drops the coat off where the new guy can find it and he leaves. Either to go be fully human again or go whereever it is Legendary Figures go after they retire. I'm not sure where that is."

"Fully human again?"

"Yea, like not connected to the supernatural in any way, and without magic."

"Oh, right, Tooth Fairy mentioned that to me before." Scott pauses and considers the boy sitting in front of him. "So, you really think I'm doing an okay job?"

Bernard nods, a small smile lighting up his face. "Definitely. And I know it seems pretty crazy now, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon."

Scott thinks about what Dr. Sanchez and Laura and Neil said to him about not being able to balance things in his life. He wonders if it'll be easier for him to do so once he figures things out here. He hopes so. He really likes being Santa, but he also wants to be there for Charlie. He supposes he'll have to just give it a try and see what happens.

"I hope so, buddy. I really do."

Chapter Text

"So, like I told Loretta, you just can't please some people. Though why anyone thought they were going to find a Greek Revival style home in Lakeside in that price range is beyond me." Louie's voice sounded a little tinny over the phone in Scott's office, and there was an annoying sound of crackling on the line, but Scott could still hear the absolute exasperation in the older man's voice.

He gave a sympathetic chuckle. "Some people. I swear, they think all you have to do is wave a magic wand and the perfect house just appears."

"If it was only that easy!" Louie laughed. There was another crackle, a little louder this time. Scott held the phone farther away from his ear, wincing. "But speaking of making someone's wishes come true, I might have a buyer interested in your townhouse."

"Really? That's great!"

"Well, don't get too excited yet, we don't want to count our chickens before our eggs hatch. They're an out-of-town couple- from Saint Louis, I think it was- and they're looking for a sort of starter home. I believe the husband said he used to spend summers in Lakeside with his grandmother when he was a kid, and he always wanted to move back here one day. Your townhouse is right in their price range, but they obviously want to see the place in person first before they make an offer."

"Well, that makes sense."

"Yep, but they won't be able to come look until around the first of next month. Which I know isn't ideal, Scott, but we haven't really had many other takers so far-"

"Louie, Louie, it's fine. I know you said it might take a while. I don't mind waiting."

"Good! I'll let you know what they say when they do come down. I've got a good feeling about them!"

Scott can't help but chuckle at the older man's enthusiasm. "Well, you've never been wrong before-"

The door to the office bursts open, slamming into the wall and making the knickknacks on the shelf shake dangerously towards the edge. Curtis enters; glasses askew, his hair sticking up at odd angles like he's been running his hands through it, and his eyes blown wide like he's just been told they have to cancel Christmas. He's fiddling with the reindeer buttons on his shirt and bouncing on his feet like he doesn't want to be standing still. "S-sir-"

Scott covers the bottom end of the phone so Louie can't hear him. "Curtis! What the hell-"

"You have to come with me right now! It's an emergency!"

"Wha-" He holds the phone back up to his ear, ignoring the loud crackle of static. "Louie, I'm so sorry, but one of my... assistants just came in and he says he needs me right away. Can I call you back later?"

"Of course, Scott! We'll talk business later."

"Thanks, Louie. Bye."

He hangs up the phone and gets to his feet, opening his mouth to ask Curtis what is going on. The boy doesn't give him the chance to though. He only takes a second to shout "come on!" at Scott, and then he races from the room. Scott follows after him as quickly as possible, heart thumping a little in panic at the thought of what could be making the elf act like this. He follows Curtis down the stairs onto the Main Floor and through the large double doors of Research and Development. One of the elves here shuts the doors behind them, cutting off all the noise from the other room. Scott spots Bernard sitting by Quintin at the large radio system. Quintin has a headset on and he's messing with the switches and knobs.

"I got Santa," Curtis says as he walks towards the Head Elf. Bernard looks up at him.

"Jeez, Curtis, you weren't even gone two minutes. I told you not to panic."

"But this is serious!"

"It's nothing we haven't dealt with before." He motions for Curtis to sit in the empty seat beside him and then waves Scott over. "Sorry for the interruption, Santa, but we've got a bit of a problem."

"What's going on? Curtis didn't say."

Bernard gives the younger elf an exasperated look. "Curtis! I gave you one job."

"You told me to get Santa!"

"I asked you to get him and fill him in on the situation."

"Well, I panicked! We're in the middle of a crisis-"

"Oh, for the love of sugar plums, this isn't a crisis! Stop worrying so much."

"Maybe you need to worry more!"

"Curtis-"

"Is now really the time for this!" Quintin shouts over their arguing.

Bernard rubs at his ear, an annoyed frown on his face. "Don't yell in my ear."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on." Scott interrupts.

"Oh right. Sorry, Santa." the Head Elf says, looking down at a manila folder in his lap. "One of our field elves missed their check-in this morning."

Scott blinks. "Uh, Bernard? I think I'm with Curtis on this one. That seems like a big deal."

"Told you-"

"Hush!" Bernard looks up at Scott. "It's not, really. If it was my magic would tell me. This kind of thing happens from time to time. It's nothing we haven't handled before. Some Santas wouldn't even bother with it when it did happen, but I figured you'd want to know."

"They didn't- ugh, forget that. I'll process it later. How exactly are you going to 'handle' this? Do we need to head down and start looking for them?"

"No, I can look from up here. I'm just waiting on Quintin to finish trying their back up radio. It's nine at night in that part of New Zealand, so Devon might already be asleep. He did always like to go to bed early."

They wait, the tension in the air making Scott's nerves rattle inside him like change in a piggy bank. Curtis bounces his foot against the leg of Bernard's chair, all the while chewing on his nails. Surprisingly, the Head Elf allows the chair-kicking, but he does absentmindedly pull the boy's hand away from his mouth, in a much gentler way than Scott's ever seen him be with the younger elf. Quintin gives the missing elf a few more calls, but they all remain unanswered.

"What do we do now?" Scott asks.

"Bernard's going to look for him," answers Curtis.

Bernard twists a little in his seat so he can look up at his boss again. "Alright, listen up, Santa. The magic I'm going to use to find Devon... Well, sometimes it leaves me acting a little strange. But the effects don't last long, so don't get worried. I'll be back to normal once I free myself from it."

Scott nods, but the Head Elf's words don't really reassure him. If anything, he's even more nervous. He just doesn't like the way Bernard said he had to "free himself" from whatever magic he was about to use. It just makes it sound like the magic might be dangerous. Bernard hands Curtis the folder and then sits back in the chair, folding his hands in his lap and leaning his head back. He's staring up towards the ceiling, his breathing even. There's another tense pause. Scott's waiting for something to happen- a flash of light, or even the shower of sparkles that always appears whenever the elf teleports- but nothing happens. At least, he thinks nothing has happened, until he notices that Bernard's normally bright brown eyes are clouded with a strange faraway look. He waves his hand in front of the boy's face, but he doesn't even blink.

Nearly an hour goes by before Bernard groans, the heel of one hand rubbing at his right eye while he shakes his head. Scott had dragged the chair from Quintin's desk over to the radio after about fifteen minutes of waiting and was currently busying himself with trying to lean it back on two legs. He lets it fall forward, a loud smack ringing through the air as he lands, and asks, "so what just happened? Did you find him?"

"That took a long time! Is everything okay?" Curtis says, leaning so he can look in Bernard's eyes.

"Yea... He's... um." Bernard's voice sounds off. Like he's in some sort of dreamy trance. Scott gently shakes the boy's shoulder, trying to rouse him from this odd state his magic has left him in. The Head Elf rubs at his eyes again, mumbling some slurred words under his breath.

"Bernard?"

"M'fine, boss," the elf finally answers, "and so is Devon."

"You found him?" Quintin asks.

"Yea, he's at some older woman's house... and I think there was a police officer there. It just looked like they were sitting at her kitchen table."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know? Maybe the lady noticed him walking around alone at night and thought he was a kid so she got worried and invited him in until the police officer could find his parents."

Scott frowns. "I thought you said you guys can use your magic to make sure adults don't notice you?"

"We can." Bernard unclips his radio from his belt. "But there's always the rare chance they're someone who can see through our magic. Some humans are more... in tune with the supernatural. Most humans aren't, nowadays, but every once in a while we'll run into one. And even if that is what happened, she still couldn't tell he was an elf. Like I said, she probably thought he was just some lost kid."

"Well what are we supposed to do now?"

"I'm sending ELFS to go grab him." Bernard presses down on one of the buttons, calling Josiah's name into the speaker of the radio. The boy's voice answers them a moment later, a little tinny sounding and with something like the banging of a hammer in the background. He tells them a team is deploying right away and that they'll radio Bernard as soon as they get Devon. Bernard sends the other Research and Development elves to the workshop floor, telling them to go help out there for the day. He explains to Scott that he likes to stay here in the department until he's sure they've gotten the missing elf, so it's better if the other elves just go and help out on the Main Floor so they don't have to try and work around everyone at the radio. He also says that Scott could leave if he wanted to- he promises to let him know once they hear from ELFS- but he refuses the elf's offer. There's no way he's leaving until he's sure Devon is safe.

Three more hours pass by. Curtis has to leave at one point when Herennia calls saying the ladder is jammed in Wrapping and she can't get hold of anyone in maintenance to fix it. The boy comes back almost thirty minutes later, a tray of sandwiches and cocoa in hand. He sets it down on the table beside the radio and then starts passing out the food and drinks, simply saying "from Judy" at Bernard's questioning look.

At the four hour mark, Scott's nerves are about done for. Even Quintin has taken to pacing around the room, chewing on the end of his pen as he stares at the radio in Bernard's hand. He mumbles, "it shouldn't be taking this long."

"Don't worry, I'm sure everything is fine. It might just be taking them a while to get him away from the house." Bernard says, eyes not leaving the device he's holding.

"Four hours though?"

"I don't know," Scott sighs, "I agree with Quintin. It's been a really long time since we've heard anything,"

As if that was their cue, the radio suddenly roared to life, a girl's voice echoing over the line. Bernard nearly drops it in surprise. He scrambles to press the button on the front that will let them speak to each other freely. "Sorry! What was that, Nora?"

"I said we've got Devon. We would have had him sooner, but someone was having too much fun stuffing his face!"

There's a moment of quiet grumbling. It almost sounds like someone is wrestling for the radio on the other side. Scott and the others all share a confused look. Then, the air echoes with static as a boy starts speaking to them. "It's not my fault, Bernard! The lady who thought I was lost was really nice and she gave me a bunch of cookies and stuff so I wouldn't be scared. I couldn't say no. That would have been rude."

"Devon," Bernard sighs, rolling his eyes. "Well, I'm glad you're safe. Nora, let me know when the flight squad's on the way home."

"Oh, wait!" Devon calls, a little too loudly. His voice crackles over the line, making them all wince. "I don't want the lady to worry about me disappearing suddenly. She mentioned some vase she broke today that her late husband had given her for their anniversary years ago. Can I have permission to fix it for her before I leave? Maybe it'll make her feel better about me being gone if she thinks I wasn't just some lost little kid wandering alone at night."

"Why'd she tell you about some broken vase?" Curtis asks.

Devon laughs. "She was almost as chatty as I am! It was great."

"I don't know, Devon..." Bernard hesitates. "I don't know how comfortable I am with you doing that. It's kind of like revealing magic to her."

"Please? She was really nice to me, and I think it'd make her feel better to have that back. I promise not to let her see me do it!"

"Um... alright, fine. But be quick about it! I think Nora's mad enough already. Don't tick her off anymore."

Bernard presses the button so they can no longer hear what's happening on the other side. Scott stands up, stretching his arms over his head. He asks, "so what happens next? Does Nora bring Devon back home to the pole?"

"Nah. She'll just go ahead and take him to his next scouting location."

"You don't want him to come back so you can ask what happened?"

"I already know what happened." Bernard shrugs, picking up the chair Scott had been using and putting it back at Quintin's desk. "She thought he was a lost kid."

"But it took you a really long time to find him," Scott argues.

"That's because that lady had one of those fancy-looking wrought iron fences around her yard. It's hard for my magic to see through those things."

"Still, I think it would be better if we heard exactly what happened from Devon."

"Why?"

"Because, we can be better prepared for next time. Or we can let the other field elves know what to look out for so they don't accidentally get spotted too. If you just send him to his next location without seeing what went wrong then the same thing could happen again."

Bernard stares at him, an impressed and almost surprised look on his face. "Huh... alright then. I'll tell Nora to bring him back. Quintin can talk to him and then make a report for you on what Devon said."

Scott smiles his thanks and then heads out to go see how everything is on the workshop floor, a little pleased that Bernard had seemed to like his suggestion. He was still pretty new to the whole "being Santa" thing, even though it was now his seventh month of living at the pole, so he was glad he was able to come up with something that might help the elves in the future. It made him feel like he was doing a good job.

The next two weeks fly by in a blur. He and Quintin go over the report he'd made from talking with Devon, he almost forgets to call Louie back to talk about the couple interested in his townhouse, and every afternoon he spends with either Curtis or Bernard down on the workshop floor, helping the elves with the toys. One day, he goes up to his office to catch his breath and relax for a moment when the phone rings. He stares at it in surprise, because the only people who call this line at ten-thirty in the morning only do so on the weekends. Scott picks up, expecting to hear Charlie's or Laura's voice.

"Hello?" he asks.

"Scott? Hey, it's Neil."

"Uh... hi, Neil. What's up?"

"Well, nothing good, I'm afraid. Laura just called my office here and said that we all have to go talk to Charlie's principal this afternoon. Something about a fight? I'm not sure exactly, Laura was rambling. You know how she gets when she's really upset about something. All I know is she asked me to call you and see if there's any way you can be at our house a quarter to three? The principal wants all of us there."

"A fight? I-is Charlie okay?"

"He's fine, I promise. The principal said the kids were separated before anyone got hurt. I don't know all the details. So, can you make it?"

"Yea, yea, I'll have someone get Comet ready and then I'll be on my way."

Scott hangs up the phone and then uses his radio to call down to the stables. The elf who answers promises to have the reindeer ready as soon as possible. Scott races to his room and throws an overnight bag together, just in case. Then, he radios Bernard and tells him he is leaving to go see Charlie and that he doesn't know when he'll be back.

He gets to the Miller's at around two-thirty in the afternoon. Laura and Neil are sitting out on the back porch talking when Comet lands in the yard. Scott heaves himself off the reindeer, and after giving his friend a grateful pat to the head, walks over to join them. They get to their feet as he approaches. Laura is worrying her bottom lip, staring into her empty coffee cup.

"Thanks for coming," Neil says.

"Of course. So, what happened exactly? Do we know any more?"

"All the principal would tell me was that Charlie got in a fight with that Bobby Lawson kid from his class during recess," Laura sighs.

"That mean kid who's always picking on the other students?"

"Well, we don't want to call him mean. I'm sure there's a reason for him acting out in an aggressive manner," Neil chides.

Scott rolls his eyes. "Thanks for the input, doc. Right now though, I'm more concerned with why him and Charlie are fighting."

"Well, the meeting's at three," Laura says, opening the sliding glass door. "Drop your bag off inside and we can head to the school."

Principal Moore and Mrs. Thompson- the guidance counselor- are sitting in a meeting room right off the main office when they arrive. The school receptionist ushers them into the room, closing the door behind them and cutting off the noise of excited children heading to their school buses. Both ladies look very troubled, though in different ways. Principal Moore's hair looks like she's been anxiously running her hands through it all day and she's clicking her pen over and over again in that same way Laura always did whenever she was particularly frustrated with Scott. Mrs. Thompson has her head leaned into one of her hands and she's staring up towards the ceiling, though her eyes look unfocused, like her mind is far away from this room. They take their seats at the other end of the long table and once she is sure they are settled, the principal starts speaking.

"I'm sorry to have to call you all in under these circumstances, but I take bullying and fighting very seriously at my school. And even though they are young children, both Mrs. Thompson and I agree that this kind of situation needs to be dealt with strictly, so it doesn't keep happening in the future."

"What situation are you talking about, exactly," Scott interrupts. "What happened between the kids?"

"I'm getting to that Mr. Calvin." Principal Moore says shortly. She fusses with some papers she has sitting in front of her on the table. "It seems that during recess, Charlie and Bobby got into an argument- about what neither one will say- but it eventually escalated to the boys pushing each other around and Bobby getting knocked into one of the slides. The nurse said he was fine, he'll probably just have a bruise, but it could have been a lot more serious. And since Charlie is the one that started the fight I thought-"

"Whoa, whoa! What do you mean Charlie started it?"

"Scott," Laura presses, trying to stop him before his temper gets the best of him. She clears her throat and says, a little more calmly than Scott had been. "Are you sure Charlie was the one to start all this Principal Moore? He's a very gentle boy. I've never known him to get into a fight with anyone before."

"Several other students around them say they saw Charlie push Bobby first."

"But-"

"It doesn't matter who pushed who first." Mrs. Thompson interrupts. Scott sees her frown at the principal. "Especially since we don't know why they were fighting in the first place. Both boys need to face consequences for being involved in the fight. Now, since this is Charlie's first time being in trouble like this, I've recommended to the principal that he be suspended for only two days."

"Suspended?" Scott scoffs. "You've got to be kidding me."

"No, I'm not."

Neil leans forward, hands folded in his lap and a frown on his face. "May I ask what consequences Bobby is receiving for this fight?"

"No-" The principal starts.

"Of course, Dr. Miller." Mrs. Thompson says over the principal. "Bobby will have the same two days of suspension. After all, it's only fair since we don't know what exactly caused the fight."

She looks over at Principal Moore again- who, by her expression, Scott guesses does not want to be punishing Bobby at all- and clears her throat. The other woman sighs and passes over paperwork for them to fill out about the suspension. Scott has a feeling Mrs. Thompson knows a lot more about the fight than she's letting on, but for the life of him he can't think of why she'd be keeping it all to herself. He wonders if one of the students told her something in confidence about what had happened between the boys? But she'd still have to tell them about it if that were the case, wouldn't she? Laura sighs as she starts reading over the paper. "I just don't agree that suspending them is the best solution. Shouldn't we sit them down and talk to them together? Maybe the boys would tell us what happened then."

"The principal and I agree that's a good idea, Mr. Lawson actually suggested that as well, and we'd love to arrange that meeting. But it will take place after the suspension."

"Yes, because fighting is not tolerated at my school." Principal Moore's face reminds Scott of spoiled milk. Her frown is as sour as vinegar, her nose and eyes scrunched up like she's just smelled something awful. He takes the paper when Neil hands it to him and skims what's written on it. He has a feeling he should be thankful Mrs. Thompson has always been a force to be reckoned with. Otherwise, he thinks this conversation would have gone a lot differently.

They pick Charlie up at the front office afterwards and then head home. The car ride is uncomfortably silent. Normally, Charlie would be ecstatic to see his dad and he'd try to cram as much conversation as possible in the ten minute drive between the house and the school. This time though, Charlie just stares out the window, holding tight to his backpack as he watches the scenery go by. When they get home, the boy unclips his seat belt and races towards the front door as fast as possible. Laura follows after him to unlock the door. As soon as its open, Charlie runs upstairs, his mom calling up after him to get started on his homework. Scott agrees to stay for dinner so they can all talk to Charlie about the incident together. He helps Laura clean up around the house and then he sets the table while she helps Neil finish dinner. They eat in silence for a few minutes, only the occasion compliment about the taste breaking the quiet. Finally, after sharing a look with both Neil and Laura, Scott clears his throat and sets his fork down. "Sport, there's something we need to talk to you about."

"'Kay," Charlie mumbles, not looking up from his plate.

"It's about the fight you got in to today, with Bobby."

Charlie doesn't say anything. He just pushes his peas around on his plate. Laura sets her silverware down as well and leans towards her son, trying to grab his attention. "We want to hear what happened from you, Charlie. Can you tell us please? Why were you and Bobby fighting?"

"Charlie," Scott says when the boy still won't answer. "This is serious. Talk to us, sport."

Finally, Charlie throww down his fork, some food being knocked off his plate as the utensil rattles against it. The boy's lips are quivering and Scott can see angry tears starting to well up in his eyes. "It's all Bobby's fault! I was playing by myself when he came over and started saying that you were a bad man. He said he heard his dad say you should be in jail. And then he started telling the other kids that you were bad and were going to get arrested. I told him to stop, but he wouldn't. So I pushed him and then he started pushing me back. I didn't mean to for him to hit the slide, but he wouldn't leave me alone!"

Scott feels his mouth drop open. He's completely at a loss for what to say. The fight was all his fault? His son is getting suspended all because of what people think of him now. Charlie hadn't said anything about anyone bothering him at school, so Scott had started to think they'd gotten lucky and that misunderstanding in November hadn't affected the boy at all. Apparently, he was wrong.

Neil reaches over to squeeze Charlie's shoulder. "I know it's hard to hear people say mean and hurtful things about the people we care about, but violence isn't the answer. When someone says something like that to you, hold your head up high and walk away. He wants to upset you and hurt you, so try your best not give him that satisfaction."

"And listen, Charlie. Even if Bobby and his Dad think your dad is a bad person, it doesn't matter. All that matters is what you think of him. Do you think he's a bad person?" Laura says, brushing her hands gently through her son's hair.

"Of course not! He's the best person ever. He's Santa Claus! But you guys said I couldn't tell anyone that, so I didn't. I just wanted Bobby to stop. And since I can't tell him your secret, Dad, I just... I did the first thing I could think of."

"Which was pushing him," Scott sighs. He rubs a hand over his face, suddenly exhausted. He looks over at the two other adults at the table. They look as tired as he is.

"You know what, Charlie," Laura starts, standing up from her seat, her half empty plate in her hands. "Let's finish this conversation tomorrow morning. Why don't you go ahead and go on up to your room. It's getting close to bedtime, anyway."

Charlie does as he's told, mumbling goodnight to everyone as he leaves. Scott picks up his and Charlie's plate as well and follows Laura to the kitchen, Neil right behind him. "I guess I'll head back to the pole. I can get Bernard to bring me back down in the morning."

"Oh, no, you don't have to do all that." Laura insists. "Stay in the guest room. You know you're always welcome to."

"I don't know—"

Neil gives him a hearty pat on the back. "Come on, Scott. Stay. There's no point in making Comet fly all the way back to the pole at night, right?"

"Oh, alright. Thanks."

He doesn't get back to the pole until late afternoon the next day. He, Laura, and Neil had spent most of the morning talking with Charlie about what went on with Bobby and ways the boy could ignore him so they didn't get into another fight. Charlie listened, and he promised to try, but other than that he didn't say much to them about it. Scott feels a heavy lump of guilt sitting in his stomach. His son had never been the best of friends with Bobby, but there's never been this kind of trouble before. He doesn't want things to be hard on Charlie just because of his mistakes, but he has no idea how to fix this. All he knows is that this is his fault.

The door to his office is already cracked, so he pushes it the rest of the way open and steps inside. Bernard is there, dumping an armful of blueprints onto the desk.

"Hey," Scott says.

Bernard jumps a little. He turns to face his boss, a small frown on his face. "Hey. I didn't think you'd be back already."

"Why not?"

"Well, it seemed like whatever you needed to go do was important, so I thought you'd be gone for a couple days at least." Bernard's head tilts to the side. He's staring at Scott with that expression he has that makes him feel like the elf is reading his mind. "Everything okay?"

"No," Scott answers truthfully. He dumps his bag into one of the oversized armchairs. He knows Bernard is waiting for him to elaborate, so he continues. "Charlie got in to a fight with another boy at school, so now they're both suspended for two days. I have to go back down when it's over so we can have another meeting with the principal."

"A fight? What on earth were they fighting about?"

"Me."

"What?"

Scott sighs and then lets himself fall into the other armchair. He rubs a hand through his hair and down his face. "Bobby- the kid Charlie was fighting with- starting telling everyone at recess that I'm a bad person who was going to get arrested and sent to jail. Charlie got upset and since he couldn't tell the truth about me, he decided to push Bobby and then the boys started fighting."

"Oh..."

"Ugh, this is all my fault." Scott groans.

"What? No it's-"

"Yes, it is. I'm the one who told Charlie he has to keep me being Santa a secret. Also, I'm the one that people think is this horrible, dangerous person who kidnapped his own son last year." He sees the elf open his mouth, most likely to argue and say Scott's wrong, so he holds up a hand to stop him. "Can I... can I get some time alone right now, Bernard? I just need some space to think."

Bernard stares at him. His face is strangely blank, like he's hiding his expressions from his boss. Scott frowns. He's never seen the elf look so closed off before. Finally, after a long enough pause to make the moment awkward, the Head Elf nods his head. He says quietly as he heads for the door, "Alright. I'll see you later then, boss."

The door shuts with a loud click. He briefly thinks about getting up and looking at what the elf had dropped off at his desk, but a moment later decides he's too tired to. Instead, Scott moves his gaze over to the fireplace and let's his mind wander down the guilty path it had been on before- the ticking of antique clocks and the crackling of burning logs the only thing to accompany him in the now oddly quiet, gloomy room.

Chapter Text

Scott watches as the postal elf sets the third overstuffed bag of letters down onto one of the armchairs in his office. It starts to tip over, a few letters spilling from the top and falling to the floor. He bends down to scoop them up, admiring the messy, crayon-written address on the fronts on the envelopes. One child, who must have asked their parent to write a return address because the name Cecilia is written in neat cursive in the top left-hand corner, had even drawn a little picture next to the words "The North Pole." He smiles at the tiny reindeer and the odd-shaped Christmas tree, tracing his finger over the lines and chuckling when some of the wax rubs off. Scott sets the letters safely onto his desk and turns to look at his Head Elf, who is shutting the door behind the postal elves as they leave, a roll of oil paper under his arm.

If he's honest with himself, Scott feels a little awkward around Bernard. It's not Bernard's fault. He's treated Scott exactly the same as always. But ever since that trouble with Charlie getting into a fight at School, when Scott had just sort of dismissed the boy when he's sure he was only going to try and help, he's felt like he owes the elf an apology. He's sure Bernard would say it wasn't necessary. Scott just can't stop thinking of the elf's expression when he left the office that day. In the time that he's known Bernard, his face has been like an open book. Scott can tell when he's angry, annoyed, happy- he even catches the little smiles the boy tries to hide when he's particularly proud of something the elves have done. The look he'd given Scott though... it just didn't sit right with him. It was like a gate had been slammed down between the two of them and no matter how hard he tried, Scott couldn't see past the metal bars. And now every time he looks at Bernard, he's expecting to see it. He's waiting for the blank mask to slip back on and shut him off from whatever the elf could be thinking.

The elf turns to face him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Looking at me like I might try and bite you- or hide under your desk. What's going on?"

"Um..." he hesitates. Would it be weird to bring it up? He really wants to patch things up, because he values the elf's friendship and his advice, but he doesn't exactly know how to go about it. Bernard starts tapping his foot, which means he knows Scott is stalling. "Okay. I think we should... clear the air."

"'Clear the air?'"

"Yea, you know, between the two of us."

Bernard blinks at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, I just think, you know... a couple weeks ago, when I told you to leave me alone... well-"

"Is that why you've been acting so weird?"

"I don't think I've been weird-"

"Trust me, you have." Bernard sighs and then walks over to Scott's desk so he can put the roll of paper down. He looks up to meet Scott's eyes once his hands are free. "Listen, Santa. You don't have to worry about saying sorry, or clearing the air, or anything like that. I'm not oblivious. I know sometimes people need time to themselves to work things out."

"Yea, but you seemed..."

"Seemed?"

"I don't know, like I upset you? I don't know how to describe it. I'm not very good with this sort of thing."

Bernard snorts. "No kidding."

"Hey!"

"Sorry. But, you didn't upset me. I just... felt bad that you'd had such a rough day. I get that you needed time alone, though. You don't need to apologize for that."

"So... we're good?"

"We were never not good, big guy. Now, do you want to start looking over these letters, or do we need to hug it out?"

"Har, har," Scott snorts. He starts to sit at his desk, but then pauses to reach over and ruffle the boy's hat, knocking it off his head. Bernard squawks, affronted. He snatches the hat from where it fell to the floor and then busies himself with smoothing his curls so he can put it back on. Scott flops down into the leather chair, adjusting until he can find a comfortable spot. "You know, I think I do want to redecorate in here. I hate this chair."

"I'll get Irv on it." Bernard mumbles, grabbing the closest bag of letters and dragging it over to the desk.

"Thanks. So, how do we do this? There's a lot of letters here."

"So, either Curtis or I will go over them with you, that way we can make a list of the specific presents each child has asked for." Bernard unrolls the oil paper as he speaks, writing at the top in his neat curly script Letters to Santa: Gift Requests, 1996. "The list is more for the elves, but I can always have a copy made for you too."

"Why is it just for the elves? Wouldn't it make sense that I have the list? I need to know what the children want too, don't I?"

"Of course, but your magic helps you remember. Same way it helps you remember the names of all the elves."

"Really? That's good. I was actually a little afraid of getting kids' presents mixed up."

"No, you'll be fine. Besides, we use the list at the end of the year to try and double check that we haven't missed anyone. Of course, not every kid who sends you a letter gets a gift. Some of them end up on the Naughty List so they'll get coal instead."

Scott picks up Cecilia's letter, about to open it when he realizes something. "Speaking of the Naughty and Nice List- where is it? I haven't even checked it once yet."

"It's still being prepared. Clara told me the other day it should be done by September."

"Oh, okay, so we still have a little while then." He looks around for his letter opener, finally finding it crammed inside a drawer full of pens, scrap paper, broken toy pieces, and- this really has Scott confused- a chipped tea cup. The Santa before him seemed orderly from the outside, but apparently that's just because he liked to hide his clutter. Scott shakes his head and makes a mental note to finally clear out the desk. He opens the envelope carefully and pulls out the letter.

He doesn't get the chance to read it, though.

A tingling warmth spreads from his chest, down his arms and legs, and lingers in his fingers and toes. He shudders against the odd sensation, immediately recognizing it for what it is, even though he's only felt it once or twice since becoming Santa.

"Charlie's calling me."

Bernard looks up from where he'd been digging through the sack of letters, eyes round with surprise. "Oh. Okay. You know, I was starting to think he'd forgotten about that snow globe."

"No, he still carries it around in his backpack actually. But, we'll have to do this later. I need to go see what he needs." Scott gets to his feet, the elf standing up with him.

"Yea, of course. Do you want me to teleport you down, or are you just going to take one of the reindeer?"

"Would you mind? I don't want to be late if it's important."

"Not at all. Let's go."

Scott rushes to go grab his coat from his bedroom and then once he's ready, Bernard whisks him away down to Lakeside. They land in the Miller's backyard. Scott walks over so he can knock on the sliding glass door. He hears Bernard come up behind him so he turns. The elf is fussing with some of the plants Laura has in pots, carefully snapping the dead blooms away with gentle, practiced hands.

"Thinking of taking up gardening?"

"Hm?" Bernard hums like he didn't quite hear what Scott said. He's too engrossed in his task.

Scott is about to repeat himself when the door slides open. Laura is standing there, telephone in hand, a pleased smile on her face. "Oh, Scott, thank goodness. I was hoping Charlie would try and get hold of you, but if he didn't I was just about to call."

"Everything okay?"

"Well... let's talk about it inside."

Bernard finally steps away from the flowers. "I'll come back for you later, boss. I can get started on those letters if you don't mind me opening your mail?"

"Um," Scott thinks, wondering if he wants to miss out on doing that. It's his first batch of letters since his vacation ended so he was kind of looking forward to getting to open them himself. "I guess-"

"Oh, you don't have to leave, Bernard." Laura interrupts. She grabs the elf by the hand and pulls him into the house, ignoring his squeak of protest. Scott can't help but laugh as she sits the elf down at the kitchen table, fussing at him to take his hat off indoors and asking if he'd like some lemonade. Bernard, pouting, slides the hat off his head- his curls immediately springing all over the place now that they're free- but he does give Laura a big grin when she sets a large glass of the ice cold drink down in front of him. Scott takes a place at the table too, muttering his own thank-you when she hands him a drink as well.

"So, what's going on?" he asks, once Laura's settled at the table with them. "Charlie used the snow globe to call me so I figured it was important."

She sighs. "I thought he might do that. He was pretty upset when he got off the school bus today."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but I think it has something to do with his birthday party."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you know how I've always sent him with invitations to give to his classmates the last week of school?" She waits for Scott to nod, and then continues. "I saw him throw them in the trash. I tried to ask what happened, but he just ran upstairs without telling me. I had a feeling he'd gone up to call for you."

"He threw them away?" Scott shook his head, utterly confused. "He loves having a big party. Why wouldn't he want to invite anyone?"

"I was hoping you could go talk to him and find that out."

Scott nods and pushes his lemonade to the side He gets up and heads to the stairs, leaving Bernard and Laura chatting at the kitchen table. He climbs the steps and walks down the hall to his son's room, knocking on the door gently. He hears a soft "come in" so he pushes the door open and steps inside. Charlie's room is as colorful and cluttered as its been since Laura and he first moved in with Neil. The man had chosen a neutral wallpaper- off-white with outlines of ships, trains, cars, and planes all done in a soft brown- but he and Laura had let Charlie hang whatever he wanted to make the room his own. The boy had taped his favorite drawings all over the walls; some of animals, others bright crayon-colored renditions of his family. On his overflowing bookshelf he stuck construction paper stars shiny with glitter and holographic stickers. Across the window hangs a mobile of the solar system Charlie made with paper and felt. His tiny desk is crowded with art supplies- colored pencils, a children's watercolor paint set, markers, and more crayons- and there's a half-done picture of what Scott thinks might be him in his red suit hanging off the side. He's glad Laura and Neil let him do whatever he wanted to the room. And honestly, he's a little jealous, but only because Charlie had never wanted to do the same with the room he had at Scott's townhouse. Then again, Scott never had the urge to make that place more home-like- comfortable, or familiar- so it shouldn't be all that surprising that his son didn't want to either.

"Hey, sport," he says when he spots Charlie sitting crossed-legged on the bed. He's flipping through a coloring book, a green crayon held tightly in one hand. The snow globe is lying on the bed beside him, the fake snow puddled along the side of the glass. Scott walks over and takes a seat beside his son, the bed dipping low with his added weight. "Can we talk?"

"About what?"

"You tell me."

Charlie sighs and then tucks the crayon into the book and closes it. He instead picks up the snow globe and gives it a hard shake so the snowflakes start swirling through the liquid again. Scott feels the magic start to buzz inside the glass ball. "Bobby and Alex are jerks."

"Alex? Do you mean Alex Gonzalez from your basketball team? I thought the two of you got along?"

"We do, if Bobby isn't around."

"Well, tell me what happened. How were they jerks?"

"I was getting my invitations out before we had to line up to go to the school buses. Jessica saw them and said Bobby and Alex were telling everyone at recess not to come to my party this year."

"Why on earth would they do that?"

Charlie shrugs. "Bobby's been doing stuff like that ever since I pushed him during recess and Alex always goes along with it. Jessica promised she'd still come, and she said the others would too, but... I don't think I want to have a party."

"Oh, come on," Scott ruffles the boys hair, trying to get him to smile, but it doesn't work. "You can't let them ruin your birthday. You love having a big party. Your mom always rents out that room at the public pool so you and all your friends can go swimming and we get a bunch of pizzas and cake. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"I guess so... but I still don't think I want to."

"Eight's a big year, Charlie. I don't want you to miss out on a great day because of a couple of jerks."

"Unless no one shows up. Then it won't be so great." Charlie mutters this last bit, gaze focused on the last few snowflakes settling to the bottom of the snow globe. Scott runs a hand down his face, trying to think of something that might change his son's mind. He can't promise Charlie his classmates will show up, because if he does and Charlie has the party only for no one to come, the poor boy would be heartbroken. He's sure Laura could call the other parents and invite the kids that way, but what if Charlie found out? Would he think his mom had to make all his friends come?

Scott suddenly remembers the elf waiting for him down in the kitchen- which makes the perfect solution pop into his brain.

"Look," he says, squeezing Charlie's shoulder reassuringly, "don't make any decisions just yet. I have an idea. I just need to check some things first. Okay?"

The boy gives him a look like he doesn't know whether to be hopeful or disbelieving, but he does nod his head. Scott ruffles his hair one more time, and then excuses himself to go back downstairs. In his time gone, Laura had shoved a huge slice of chocolate cake in front of the elf. Bernard couldn't look happier.

"You keep eating all these sweets and Tooth Fairy will have to check you for cavities." he jokes.

Bernard turns to him and sticks out his tongue. "I take great care of my teeth, thank you very much. And you're one to talk. Your main diet is milk and cookies."

Laura laughs, and then pats the empty seat beside her. "So, what did Charlie say?"

"Well, apparently Bobby Lawson and Alex Gonzales told all the kids in Charlie's class not to come to his birthday party. So, now he doesn't want to have one because he's worried no one will show up."

Bernard lets out a derisive snort. "Of course that kid would do something like that. Bobby's been on the Naughty list the last three years."

"I can't believe that! Of all the rotten things-" Laura cuts herself off, breathing shakily through her nose to try and control her temper. "What are we going to do, Scott? We can't let Charlie let his birthday be ruined just because those two kids are being awful."

"I know, and I told him that, but he still says he doesn't know if he wants to have one. But, I kind of had an idea that might get him excited about his birthday again."

"What is it?"

"Well, I was thinking of letting him come up to the North Pole and spend it with me? The elves and I could throw him a big party and I know they'll all come to celebrate with him. They love Charlie. But it's up to you Laura. You usually throw his party so if you'd rather have it down here we can do that instead."

Laura hums in thought, absentmindedly tilting her drink back and forth so the ice clinks against the glass. "I... I think it might be the best idea. I'll miss getting to throw him a party, but I'd rather he not be worried about no one coming. Neil and I can always have dinner with him the day before. We'll let him pick the restaurant and maybe take him to a movie."

"Great! Oh- it's okay if we have it at the Pole, right Bernard?"

"I don't see why not. We've still got like half a year before Christmas. Besides, you're the one in charge, Santa. You don't need to ask my permission."

"Perfect! I'll go let Charlie know, then we've got to head back so we can get some work done. But I'll be back this weekend for family counseling."

"Alright," Laura says as she starts cleaning up the few dishes on the table. "Thanks, Scott, for all the help."

"Of course. Anytime, Laura."

Charlie really perks up at the idea of having his birthday up at the North Pole. He gives his dad a big hug and thanks him for fixing his party. Scott can't keep the smile off his face as he and Bernard leave to go back home. This is the first time he is going to be in charge of his son's birthday, and he couldn't be happier that Charlie is so excited. The happiness stays with him for the rest of the day and several days after, not leaving even when he accidentally spills cocoa all over his suit or when Louie calls and says the couple who is interested in his house has to reschedule the showing to early next month. And when he goes back down to the Miller's Friday afternoon so they can pick Charlie up early on the last day of school and head to their counseling appointment, he can still feel the smile lingering at the edge of his lips.

He wishes his good mood would last forever, but life doesn't really work that way. He remembers reading in one part of the handbook he's skimmed about the world being all about balance. Good and bad, light and dark, happiness and misery; without these in equal parts there's no balance, and Nature needs balance in order for its magic to exist. Scott didn't really understand that part of the book, and if he's honest, it bored him so much he dozed off reading it. But he thinks he recognizes the world at work when Neil brings up Charlie getting suspended last month and he feels the last traces of his smile slip from his face as his son hangs his head low to hide his expression from the adults around him.

"Oh my, a fight? Charlie, can you tell me about this?" Dr. Sanchez asks.

"Do I have to?" the boy mumbles.

"I won't make you talk about it if you're not ready to, but if you are, I think we should."

Charlie sighs and looks up at his mom. Laura gives him a soft smile, leaning over to gently brush his bangs away from his face. She whispers, "it's okay."

"Okay," he says, and then he lifts his head up to speak to Dr. Sanchez. "This kid from my class was being a jerk to me at recess so I pushed him."

"What exactly was he doing that upset you?"

"He... he was saying mean stuff about my dad."

"What was he saying?"

Charlie hesitates, fidgeting with the hem of his t-shirt. "He- he kept saying how Dad was a bad guy... and that he was going to jail."

"Oh." Dr. Sanchez writes something down in her notebook. There's a deep frown on her face. "Why did he say something like that to you?"

"'Cause the kid's a bully." Scott can't help but mutter.

"Ah, I was asking Charlie, Scott." She gives him a patient, yet reprimanding look. He sits back in his chair, silently mouthing 'sorry' as he settles against the overstuffed cushions. She motions for Charlie to continue.

"I don't know. Bobby's always been like that. He told everyone that Jessica O'Hara's cat ran away over spring break because it didn't like her anymore. He just likes being mean, I guess. But... I know I shouldn't have pushed him. Mom and Dad and Neil said I need to ignore him and walk away when he's being mean like that. It's hard to, though."

"Why's it hard?"

"'Cause... well, 'cause it's my fault he's saying stuff like that."

Scott sits up straighter, looking back and forth from Charlie to Laura and Neil. He has no idea where that came from, and from their expressions, neither do they. Dr. Sanchez sets her notebook to the side and leans forward in her seat, giving the boy her full attention.

"Why do you think that?"she asks.

"'Cause I was the one who asked Dad if I could stay with him last Christmas. If I hadn't then maybe people wouldn't think he was a bad guy."

"Oh, Charlie-" Laura says, reaching over and brushing her hand through her son's hair.

"I've got this one, Laura," Scott interrupts her, holding up a hand to ask her to wait. He gets out of his seat so he can kneel down in front of his son. "Now, sport, I'm going to need you to really listen to me. None of that is your fault."

"But-"

"No 'buts,' Charlie. Now, listen. You're the kid, I'm the parent. I'm the one who should have checked with your Mom and Neil if it was okay for you to stay with me. I shouldn't..." He thinks over his words carefully, remembering the counselor in the room who would think he was crazy if he mentioned anything about being Santa, or delivering present, or the North Pole. "I shouldn't have just assumed they'd be okay with you staying with me for a while. I should have told you no, or that we'd have to ask your mom first. I just got excited about getting to spend time with you. But, sport, anything that happened after that is not your fault."

"Are you sure?"

Scott ruffles his son's hair, which earns him a small grin from the young boy. "Absolutely."

When he finally gets back up, Dr. Sanchez is smiling at him. It oddly feels like the kind of smiles his own mother would give him as a child when she was extremely pleased or proud of something he'd done. He fidgets in his chair as he sits, not used to being looked at like that by someone he barely knows. She picks up her notebook again. "Well said, Scott. And you're dad is right, Charlie. You're not to blame for how other people think or act. Now, it seems like you all have already discussed with Charlie a better way to deal with bullies, which I'm very glad to hear. So, unless anyone has anything else they want to add or ask, do we want to move on and talk about what else has happened since the last time we were together?"

At their nods, the conversation leads to the rest of last month. The end of the appointment comes faster than normal, at least to Scott. Soon, they are all climbing back into Laura's minivan. They stop by McDonald's for dinner, since it's the last day of the school year and Charlie's favorite place to eat. Since Scott had taken Comet down this time, he spends the night so they don't have to fly back in the dark. He leaves the next morning, promising to see his son soon when he and Bernard come to pick him up for the birthday party.

The next three weeks fly by at the pole. All the elves are excited about throwing Charlie a party. Most of the elves attending are ones that work in the workshop. Scott tells Bernard to invite everyone, making sure to let him know the retirees are more than welcome to join in on the fun. Since he'd come to the North Pole, Scott really hasn't gotten the chance to get to know that many of them. They mostly stay to themselves, preferring the outskirts of Elfsburg and its tiny cottages and leaving the apartments to those still working for Santa. Unless, of course, they're running one of the small shops around Elfsburg, like the cafe or the shoe store. A couple say they'll come, but most decline the invitation. They do send their happy birthday wishes along with Bernard, and quite a few send presents they've made for Charlie. They decide to have the party in the town square since the guest list is so big. Judy and the other kitchen elves really outdo themselves with the food. They make nearly two hundred cupcakes- vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet- all topped with sweet cream cheese frosting. There's also dozens of cookies: gingerbread, sugar cookies, thumbprint cookies, chocolate chip. They make homemade pizzas, some with only gooey cheese or pepperoni and others with every topping you can imagine. Several tables are laden with pretzels, fresh veggies and dip, and homemade potato chips. Others have sodas and punch and large pots filled with fresh hot cocoa. Judy bakes an enormous cake, nearly half the size of one of the long tables. It's decorated like a basketball court, with little players and baskets made of rice crispy treats and covered with fondant. Scott's a little confused as to how the girl even put a cake this big into the oven, but she just laughs and tells him it's a secret.

Curtis is in charge of setting up games for everyone to play. He sets out board games, has the ice on the skating rink scraped and cleaned, hooks up a radio so everyone can take turns playing musical chairs, and even has a huge ball pit set up to play in. Scott asks him where it came from, or if one of the elves made it specifically for the party, but Curtis just shrugs and says he found it in a storage closet. There's a place designated for dancing, and one for playing tag, each separated by color-coded rope. In fact, all the games are divided into neat areas. Bernard rolls his eyes when he sees, but Scott thanks the smaller elf for his orderliness, though he does secretly think it might be a little over the top. It's certainly not hurting anything though, so he lets Curtis have his fun.

Everything is coming along perfectly, except...

"Bernard, this isn't going to work. These decorations are all for Christmas. It's June. It needs to be more Summery."

The Head Elf jumps off the ladder he's climbing down, skipping the last few rungs and sliding a little in the snow as he lands. Scott reaches out a hand to steady him, barking at the boy to be more careful. Bernard just laughs and waves his boss's hands away. "Uh, Santa, you do know where you are, right? This is the North Pole. All we have is Christmas decorations."

"Well... let's make some new ones then. We can't have garland and mistletoe hanging everywhere. We need party streamers and balloons."

"Alright, alright." Bernard turns to face a group of elves behind him. "Irv! Santa says take it down. It's too Christmasy!"

"Did ya' remind the old grump he's at the North Pole?" snaps a voice a few yards away, it's owner high up on a ladder.

"Yea, but he doesn't care! He says he wants it more 'Summery.'"

"Oh, well excuse me. Let me just grow some palm trees for ya'. And why don't I build ya' a pool while I'm at it!"

Bernard snorts at the waspish remark and tries unsuccessfully to hide his grin behind his hands. Scott rolls his eyes. He knows Irv's tone and comments are the boy's way of teasing his boss, so he's not upset at the remarks. In fact, he's figured out during his time here that the more sarcastic Irv gets about a job, the better it turns out to be. Scott cups his hands around his mouth to help his voice carry across the square. "Actually, a pool sounds great! Why don't you throw in a couple of beach chairs too!"

The boy beside him howls with laughter, especially once they hear Irv's grumbling over the sound of the construction crew pulling down all the decorations. Scott reaches over and flicks Bernard in the ear. The elf yelps and hops farther away from him. Scott asks, "we've got to go grab Charlie soon. Think they'll be done by the time we get back?"

Bernard makes a big show of rubbing at his ear, even though Scott knows he didn't actually hurt him. "Of course. A little magic and he'll have those decorations looking just how you want them. Let me go make sure Irv has what he needs to do it and then we'll go grab the birthday boy."

Scott watches as the Head Elf makes his way over to where the Head construction elf is. He calls up to the boy when he reaches him. Irv descends his ladder in the same dangerous way Bernard had, and Scott suddenly wonders if he needs to have a seminar on workplace safety. The two elves chitchat for a bit, and then Scott watches Bernard place his right hand over Irv's chest. They stand there, not moving a muscle, for a few moments. Scott's curiosity moves his feet towards the elves. He's never seen Bernard do whatever it is he's doing, but before he can get close enough to pry, the boys step away from each other. Irv calls out a 'thank you' to his Head Elf as he turns towards where the other elves are piling the unwanted decorations.

"What was that?" he can't help but ask.

"Hm? Oh, I told you. I was just making sure Irv had enough magic to fix all those decorations."

"So, what, you were giving him a check-up or something?"

Bernard gives him a look he often reserves for Curtis whenever he goes on a long-winded rant about the Head Elf's disregard for the Santa Handbook. "Uh, no, I wasn't giving him a 'check up.' I was giving him magic."

"Oh." Scott blinks. "I didn't know you could do that."

"It's one of my jobs as Head Elf. I have to make sure the others have enough magic."

"So Irv needed more?"

"Eh, he said he didn't, but fixing all those decorations with magic instead of by hand is going to take a lot out of him. I'd rather he have a little extra just in case. Anyway, ready to go get Charlie?"

Scott's still really curious about the whole sharing-magic-thing, but he puts it on the back burner when he pictures the smile Charlie's sure to have at the sight of his party. "Yea, let's go!"

Charlie is practically buzzing he's so excited. He bolts out the door and latches onto Bernard as soon as they appear in the backyard. He bounces up and done, a chorus of "let's go, let's go, let's go!" ringing through the air.

Bernard laughs and ruffles the boy's hair. "Hold on, sport. Let me get my bearings first."

"Where's your overnight bag?" Scott asks.

"Oh yea! I'll go grab it!"

Charlie takes off towards the house again, squeezing passed his mom who's watching them from the backdoor. Scott walks over, waving at Laura. "Hey! How was dinner last night?"

"Good. Charlie picked Chuck-E-Cheese so we spent the night eating pizza and playing arcade games. Is the party ready?"

"Just about. Oh, before I forget, Judy said she's going to take pictures for you and she'll have them developed at the North Pole so you don't have to worry about taking them somewhere else. 'Cause, you know, they might be a little freaked out when they see photos of over a hundred kids at one party."

Laura smiled. "That's sweet of her! Tell her I said thanks."

Charlie comes rushing back out, backpack slung over one shoulder. "Bye Mom! See you tomorrow!"

"Have fun!" She calls out to him.

Bernard and Scott call out their own goodbyes, and then the Head Elf whisks them away. They land in the center of the town square. Immediately there is a roaring, boisterous chorus of "happy birthday, Charlie!" Scott hears his son gasp as he takes in the crowd of elves waiting for them. Charlie seems a little shell-shocked, so he nudges him forward. "Go on, sport. Let's get this party started!"

That evening is a blast. Charlie starts off with musical chairs, losing two rounds but winning three others. He plays each board game once- absolutely demolishing Scott in a game of battleship- and then joins Quintin and Judy to play tag with some other elves. They play freeze tag, red-light green-light, and then the three of them hop around the dance floor for a while. Charlie dives into the ball pit after that, resurfacing a while later when Bernard offers to teach the boy how to ice skate.

Charlie's face is flushed red, a happy, tired grin stretched across his face when he comes over to sit by his dad at one of the empty tables. They eat pizza and cupcakes and drink cold sodas until it feels like their stomachs will burst, and then everyone gets started on the cake. They sing Happy Birthday to Charlie, their voices a pleasant euphony echoing through the chilly air of the pole. Bernard helps Scott gather all of Charlie's presents. Thankfully, the elf had limited how many gifts the elves were allowed to give the birthday boy. If not, they would have been opening presents for days. Charlie loves everything he was given, but he tells Scott later that his favorites are the gifts he got from the Head Elf and his dad. Bernard gives him a toy model of the sleigh he helped Quintin build last Christmas. Scott gives him an acrylic paint set and brushes, all placed snugly inside a beautiful cherry-stained wooden case.

By the time the night winds down to an end, everyone is exhausted. Not in a bad way, but the kind of happy tired you get after a long day of fun. The kind you feel in every bone and muscle, where you're warm all over and perfectly content and you can't help but fall asleep with a smile still lingering on your lips. Scott tucks Charlie into bed. Last November, Charlie had stayed with his dad in his room the first week they were at the pole. But then one day Judy had surprised the young boy with his own bedroom. The walls and carpet are done in soft greens and silvers, the furniture an off white. The sleigh bed is big enough for three and the comforter on top is made of a heavy, dark green velvet. There are toys scattered about- now even more so with all the gifts Charlie received- and a big desk and bookshelf cluttered just like the one he has at home. Charlie's room carries its own unique scent just like Scott's, but instead of the sweetness of Christmastime desserts, it smells like candied oranges, honey, and fresh lavender. Scott smiles as he grabs the book Charlie wants him to read from the bookshelf. The orange and honey smells like the perfume Laura has worn for years and the lavender is the laundry detergent they use at the Miller's house. He recognizes the latter from all the times he's helped out with chores while staying with them this year. He'd asked Bernard in passing one day on his vacation why the rooms had such distinct smells and the elf had said "because the magic wants to make sure you feel at home." Scott appreciates this, because the pole is so different from what life is like down with the rest of civilization. It's nice his son always has a little bit of home with him.

Charlie's almost completely under Sandman's spell by the time Scott closes the book. The boy does manage to peek up at his dad through heavy lids, not even bothering to stifle a huge, sleepy yawn. "Thanks for my party, Dad. I had a lot of fun."

"You're welcome, sport."

"Maybe next year..." Another yawn, and Charlie buries himself deeper into the covers. "we can see if Bernard and Quintin... and the others want to come swimming with us? I think the pool is big enough..."

Scott has to stop himself from laughing when he thinks of the shocked faces of the public pool employees if over two hundred people showed up to swim for one child's birthday party. "Maybe."

He gets up from his seat by Charlie's bed and turns off the table light, casting the two of them into darkness. The only light in the room now is shining in from the hallway from the cracked-open door. He hears Charlie yawn again and then whisper, "goodnight, Dad."

"'Night, sport." he whispers back with a smile.

Chapter Text

The smell of charcoal lingers in the air, heavy and smoky, and mixes with the acrid stench leftover from fireworks. It's late enough that it's finally dark outside. A rather large bug smacks and buzzes against the porch light. The air is sticky with humidity, the evening heat beating down on the people crowded into the Miller's backyard. Scott leans back in the patio chair he's sitting in, a crack in the plastic pinching his back. On the table in front of him is a half eaten plate of food; torn pieces of bread from a hot dog bun, a few spoonfuls of Laura's potato salad that everyone loves so much, and the remnants of a corn cob. There's a small, damp circle on his jeans underneath where he's perched his lemonade glass. He's spent the better part of the last few minutes staring at the condensation and watching the ice melt in his drink. He lifts it up and places the glass against his forehead, shivering just a little as the cold touches his skin.

"Scott?"

He peers up at Neil, who looks very different in his bright floral button down with the rolled up short sleeves and a pair of faded blue jeans. His curls could rival Bernard's for how springy and wild they look right now. Despite knowing him for a couple years, Scott had never paid too much attention to the man before these last several months. A part of him always assumed Neil only ever wore those thick, colorful, chunky sweaters and sweater vests, even in the middle of summer. It's strange to see him in something else.

"Hey, Neil."

"Did you enjoy the fireworks?"

"I did, yea. Thanks for inviting me."

Last month, after Scott had taken Charlie home from the North Pole after his birthday party, Laura and Neil had surprised Scott with the invite to their annual Fourth of July barbecue. Well, surprised may not be the best word for it. They actually invite him every year. But after the first one, right after the Miller's wedding, where Laura and Scott had spent the entire time trading thinly veiled jabs with each other and just basically making the whole evening uncomfortable for everyone— he'd refused the offer to come. Until this year. Laura and Neil would not take no for an answer, saying they were a family and families spent holidays together. Scott was actually really touched by how much they wanted to include him. It's such a far cry from how the three of them used to be— stilted conversations at parent teacher meetings and soccer games or the days he and Laura only talked with insults and arguing. It felt nice that they were able to spend time together, especially since it made Charlie so happy.

"There's still some sparklers left," Neil says, flopping down into the seat beside Scott. He has a beer bottle in one hand and he sluggishly copies Scott by placing it against his face to try and cool off. "Charlie wants you to light some with him."

"Oh yea? Sounds fun." He goes to heft himself out of his chair, but is stopped by Neil.

"Actually… Laura and I wanted to tell you something first."

"Okay… what is it?"

Neil turns and waves. Scott finally notices Laura, who was not-so-subtly lingering around the steps to the back porch. She's nervously picking at her fingernails as she walks up to join them at the patio table. She sits beside her husband, grabbing his hand and sharing a smile with him. Scott sets his drink on the table, feeling like whatever they're about to say deserves his full attention.

"Well," Laura starts. "We thought- and we've already told my mom and Neil's parents. We told Charlie too and he's really excited- but we thought, because you're family too, we should be the ones to tell you- unless someone's already let you know? I told my mom not to say anything because we wanted to do it, but you know how she gets when she's excited-"

"Laura, point?" Neil laughs.

"Right. Um, well... Neil and I are going to have a baby."

She says this with happy tears gathering in her eyes. Scott blinks, not quite sure he heard her right, but then he sees the tears and the smile overtaking her face, and recognizes it as the same look she had when she first found out Charlie would be coming along.

"Congratulations!" he exclaims, hopping up so he can pull Laura to her feet and give her a big hug. She laughs as she returns the gesture and then pulls away so Neil can hug Scott as well. The two men give each other hearty pats on the back. He pulls away and looks over to where his son is standing with some other kids from the neighborhood. "So, Charlie's excited?"

"Oh yea. He ran around all afternoon yelling about how he was going to be a big brother when we told him." Laura says.

Neil hums, amused at the memory. "We asked him not to tell you so we could. I'm surprised he never said anything, though. He really wanted you to know."

They chitchat for a bit longer, Laura mentioning how she is going to have to pull all of Charlie's old baby stuff down from the attic, before Scott's attention is grabbed by his son yanking on his arm. He waves bye to the other adults and then goes to light sparklers with the boy. Scott laughs as Charlie runs around, drawing shapes and letters with the brightly colored sparks. The air fills with that acrid smell again and Scott brushes smoke away from his eyes, watching as his own firework burns down to the end and goes out with a hiss. He smiles when his son hands him another and thinks, not for the first time, that he wishes he'd have accepted all those invites over the years. This was a good day.

He stays the night at the Miller's since they have family counseling the next morning, and he has a meeting with Louie right after. Counseling goes great. Dr. Sanchez is happy to hear they were able to spend an evening together as a family and Charlie tells her all about the birthday party his dad threw for him- omitting any details that might sound too magical, like having elves as guests or it taking place up at the North Pole. Afterwards, he tells the others he'll meet them back home for an early dinner, since Bernard will be picking him up that night. He walks down the street to Louie's office. When he enters, he's greeted by the same woman with the freckly face. He takes a seat, grabbing a People magazine off the table in front of him and flipping through the pages. About fifteen minutes later, Louie walks out of his office, laughing with a middle-aged couple. Scott can't help but smile at the man's choice in clothing today; a pink button up shirt with little green palm trees and a yellow tie with a smiling sun wearing sunglasses. Louie bids them farewell and then turns to Scott.

"Scott!" the older man says cheerily, walking over to shake his hand. "How was your Fourth?"

"Good, good. Went to Laura and Neil's barbecue. How was yours?"

"Oh, just fine. The kids came up to see me and the missus. Loretta spent the whole time spoiling our grandson."

Scott laughs, "sounds great. I know it's been a while since you've gotten to see him. How old is he now?"

"Just turned four."

Scott feels a little warmth of magic prick at the back of his neck as he pictures his friend's grandson, Matthew. A spunky kid who loves spending time with his dad, and as of right now headed straight for the Nice list. "So, you said you wanted to meet with me since I was in town?"

"Yea," Louie rubs at his balding head. "Follow me into my office so we can talk in private."

They walk into the office, Louie shutting the door behind them with a sharp click. Scott takes a seat while the older man lowers himself into his chair on the other side of the desk. Louie fidgets with some papers, stacking them neatly and then stuffing them into an overfilled filing cabinet beside him. Scott lets him stall as long as he wants. It's obvious there's something his friend needs to say to him, but doesn't want to.

"Okay," Louie starts when there's nothing left to clean up. "I could have just told you this over the phone, but you said you were coming down in your last message so I figured it could wait a day or two until I saw you."

"What could wait?" Scott asks.

"Well... you know how I showed that couple your house on the second?"

"Yea?"

Louie sighs. "Scott, they... they aren't interested in buying anymore. Sorry."

"Oh," he says, playing with his beard. "Did they not like the townhouse?"

"No, they loved it at first. But..."

"But?"

"Well, we were standing outside talking after the showing. I had to go run to my car to grab something, when one of your old neighbors showed up. I'm not sure what exactly she said to them, all I know is it had something to do with what happened during the holidays last year. The couple said something about... about buying from a criminal and that they weren't interested anymore. I'm really sorry."

Scott sits there, mouth open, not knowing what to say but knowing he probably should say something. A criminal? He wasn't a criminal! He'll admit a thousand times that, yes, the whole misunderstanding last year was his fault. But if Laura, Neil, and him were fine with it why couldn't the rest of the world be? He wonders which neighbor it was, and then thinks about how it could have been any of them. It's not like he knew them all that well. He'd never taken the time to.

"I see," is what he finally says.

Louie sighs again and gives him a pitying look. "I feel awful. I should have mentioned something to them before anyone else got the chance to. You know, told them how it was a big misunderstanding that got out of hand. I just didn't think anyone would go gossiping about it.

"It's okay, Louie. It's not your fault." Scott mumbles.

"Hey, now. Don't get too worried. I'll find another buyer soon! And I won't let nosy neighbors mess things up for us again. Trust me."

Scott manages a small grin. "I trust you, Louie."

He tries to hide how upset he is from Charlie and the others when the taxi drops him off back home. They eat dinner, eggplant parmesan prepared by Neil, and then Scott passes the next couple hours playing board games with Charlie until Bernard comes to get him. He knows the elf can tell something is wrong when they teleport back to the North Pole, but he seems to get that Scott doesn't want to talk about it. They part ways and Bernard heads down to the workshop floor while Scott retreats to his bedroom, feeling haggard even though he hadn't done much today.

The next day, after breakfast and several hours helping the elves on the Main Floor, Scott goes to his office to look over some designs for toy airplanes, and to get a moment to himself before he meets with Bernard. He doesn't know how to feel about yesterday. In the pit of his stomach he's nauseous and hurt. It seems like the more time that passes, the more he realizes how he's messed things up. He thought he could take whatever it was, as long as Charlie wasn't affected. But Charlie has had to deal with it all year so far, and now things are getting worse for him too. Are Laura and Neil going through this too, because they forgave him so easily? They haven't said anything about it. But maybe that's not because it hasn't happened, but because they want to spare Scott's feelings.

He walks into the room and finds Jack Frost sitting in his chair, some of his letters in one hand and his feet propped up on his desk.

"Can I help you, Jack?" he asks, annoyed.

"Santa!" Jack greets him cheerily, eyes briefly glancing up from the letter he's reading. "Took you forever to get up here. I've already read through your mail twice now."

"Why are you reading my mail at all?" Scott grumbles as he walks over to snatch the paper away. Jack lets it go without a fight, smirking up at the other Legendary Figure.

"I had to find something to do while I waited. It's so boring up here. How do you deal with it?"

He ignores that question. "Why are you here?"

"Dropped by on official business. Mother Nature insisted I make myself useful, so, here I am. The messenger boy for the Legendary Council."

He doesn't seem too pleased about it. Jack's nose wrinkles in distaste as he says the words. Scott finally notices a large envelope sitting on the desk by the other man's feet. There's a small pool of dirty, half-melted snow staining it. He grabs it and flips it over to see his name written on the front in a handwriting he doesn't recognize.

"What is this?"

"You know," Jack says in an evasive way, not answering Scott's question. He reaches over and grabs an old memo from Titus up in the Tower, something about one of the radios being on the fritz. Scott remembers it was fixed last week, he just hadn't thrown the note away yet. "I've always liked to stop by here from time to time, see how the big guy is doing. I am your opening act, after all. I get half the world ready for Christmas. Snow covered streets, icicles hanging from rooftops and tree branches, frost covered windows- all me. Imagine the shock I had when I realized how far behind the pole is this year."

"What do you mean 'behind'?"

"Well, I've dealt with my fair share of Santas and they all had a lot more done this time of year. Makes me wonder if you'll be ready come Christmastime."

Scott's hands tighten around the envelope. His stomach is squirming again, but instead of the heavy guilty feeling he's had all day, it's nerves. Ones, if he's honest with himself, he's been trying to ignore since last Christmas, when he fully stepped into his new role. "What-"

"Enough with the lies, Jack. If you're just here to cause trouble, leave."

Both Legendary Figure's gazes snap towards the door. Bernard is standing there, a large mail bag slung over one shoulder, his mouth a hard line. He's looking past his boss to the other man, staring at him with a look that could turn you to stone. Jack grumbles something under his breath and then finally gets up out of the chair.

"Well, since the killjoy has arrived, I suppose I'll take my leave."

"Hold on," Scott says, waving the envelope in the air. "You haven't told me what this is or what the 'official business' you had with me was."

Jack sighs. He's clearly annoyed with Bernard showing up. Scott wonders why the two of them dislike each other so much. "That is some reports from Tooth Fairy and Sandman. Tooth Fairy's annual meeting is soon so Mother Nature wanted to make sure you weren't too busy to come. I'm supposed to tell you it's on the twentieth of this month."

"Tooth has his own meeting? I thought you had to be in charge of a holiday for that."

"Used to be that way, but our current Mother Nature decided the non-holiday Legendary Figures should have their own dedicated meeting as well. It's at Tooth Fairy's home every year. Which reminds me, he wants you to bring your little elf over there to take minutes."

Jack sneers at Bernard when he says the word "elf." Bernard's face sours and Scott can already hear the retort his friend wants to make, so he claps Jack on the shoulder and starts pushing him towards the door before the boy gets a chance. Whether Frost deserves it or not, Scott doesn't want Bernard getting in trouble for mouthing off to Jack. "Well, tell Mother Nature I'll be there. You can find your own way out, right?"

Jack doesn't answer, he just pushes past Bernard, knocking into the boy's shoulder and making him drop the bag of mail. Bernard bites his tongue and watches him walk away. After a few awkward moments of the boy just staring down the hallway, Scott clears his throat. Bernard turns his way at the noise and says, "don't listen to him."

"About what? The meeting?"

"No. What he said about us being behind, it's not true."

Scott rubs at the back of his neck. "Really?"

"Yes. We're doing fine. He's just trying to cause trouble. Like he always does."

"Okay." A part of Scott doesn't believe Bernard, and it's the same part that's been worried all year that he's actually doing a bad job. But he pushes that little piece of his mind away and gives the elf a smile. "What do you say we get started on those letters?"

Two weeks later, Bernard teleports the two of them down to a beautiful forest in Oregon. The path they're standing on is a little over grown and heavily shaded. The woodsy scent of the trees surrounding them reminds Scott of all the times he went camping with his dad when he was a kid. Bernard leads him down hill, rounding a turn with thick brush until finally the path levels out. Scott runs his hand along some trees with strange symbols carved into their trunks, feeling the carefully cut grooves and marveling at the magic buzzing underneath his fingertips. "What are these?"

"Hm," the Head Elf says absentmindedly. "Oh, they're runes."

"Runes?"

"Yea. The fairies use them for protection and to keep this place hidden. This area isn't really anywhere near any hiking trails, but there's still a chance someone might stumble upon it, so they use them to sort of... ward them off?"

"And it works?"

"For the most part, unless they're in tune with the supernatural in any way. Believing is seeing, so if you believe in magic, the runes have no effect because you can see what they're doing."

"That... I'm confused. Wouldn't they work better against people who believed in magic?"

Bernard grins. "You'd think. To be honest, and don't you dare tell her I said this or I'll get an earful, but I think the Head Fairy did them wrong when she put them up. They only work at keeping away people who don't believe in magic. If anything, they seem to draw in people who do."

Scott looks back at the tree, where his hand is now pressed flat against one of the carvings. He can definitely agree that he was drawn to it when he first saw it. It almost feels like the buzzing of a beehive beneath the bark. He doesn't want to take his hand away.

"Let's go or we'll be late," Bernard says, gently grabbing Scott's arm and tugging him along the path again. They push through some bushes and finally find themselves in a more open area, near a shining, clear lake. There's a large house— more like a mansion, actually— near the water with pristine white walls and big, round columns lining the porch. The front of the building has nearly a dozen windows, all with matching pale blue shutters and open to let in the summer air, the ones on the first floor with window boxes overflowing with dainty flowers. An outside chandelier hangs from the roof. It's made of brass and shaped like an orb, the metal in thin intricate loops around the glass ball that covers the bulb.

At the front of the house is a huge hawthorn tree. They have to stoop under its branches to get to the front steps. The foliage is thick, with beautiful white flowers hanging all around them. Unfortunately, that's the only thing nice about them. Scott brings a hand up to cover his mouth and nose. The flowers stink, like musk and rot. Bernard doesn't seemed bothered by it. He stops to look at some wind chimes and fairy lights weaved throughout the leaves. The bell like noise that echoes from them with the breeze is calming, but also a little eerie. It might be pretty, but Scott honestly wants to get away from the tree as fast as possible. He steers the Head Elf away, leading him up the steps and through the large double doors.

"Coming through!" shrieks a high pitched voice to his right as soon as he steps foot inside. He and Bernard duck just in time as a group of winged people go flying by. Scott catches a glimpse of them as they take off into another room. They couldn't have been more than six inches tall and their wings had the same bright pattern as a blue morpho butterfly.

He stands back up when he thinks he's safe and takes in Tooth's home. All the furniture is heavy, dark wood and from what he can see from the entrance the walls of each room are painted a different color. There are house plants covering every table and stand and some tall ones reaching Scott's shoulders in large ceramic pots near the doors to the other rooms. There's also six bird perches in the foyer alone and he can easily guess as to why.

Fairies are whizzing passed in every direction- some carrying tiny velvet sacks, others just seem to be playing around, chasing their friends. Not all of them have wings. Some are wingless, perched on small birds so they can fly. One on a blue jay swoops down and lands on the elf's shoulder.

"Bernard!" She shouts excitedly. Her voice sounds like the wind chimes outside.

"Hi Cowrie," the boy smiles.

"Oddie said you were coming today. I thought he was lying."

"No, no, I came with my boss. We're here for the meeting. It upstairs like usual?"

Cowrie nods her head. "Yep. You're the last ones here, I think. You should get a move on before the others realize it's you that's here. You'll never make it up the steps if you don't!"

Cowrie lets out a big laugh at her joke and then takes off on her bird. Scott watches the fairy go, wondering what she meant by that. He opens his mouth to ask Bernard, but the elf is already walking up the stairs across the entrance. Scott hurries after him, thinking he'll ask him later, if he remembers.

Tooth greets them happily when they enter the room for the meeting. After thanking the boy for taking minutes, he directs Bernard over to a desk by the window and leads Scott over to an antique looking couch with blue velvet cushions. They sit down together as Mother Nature stands to start the meeting. Scott notices Jack Frost isn't here again. The only mention of the Legendary Figure is when Mother Nature hands out copies of a report on the southern hemisphere's winter season that the man had shipped to Tooth's house two days before the meeting. He wonders why Jack skips out on them so often. So far this year, he's only been to one. He's distracted from his thoughts when Sandman wakes with a snort, almost falling out of the chair he'd been dozing in. Mother Nature sighs, but then asks the man to start on his own report. After a huge yawn, he does so.

Three hours later, Scott finds himself standing in the foyer of Tooth's home, waiting for his Head Elf. There'd been a lot to cover during the meeting. Sandman had told them there was an uptick of nightmares happening in children over the last month, but he'd said it wasn't anything to be concerned about yet. Tooth had tried to convince the other Legendary Figures that the name "Tooth Fairy" was outdated, and he should pick a new one. Scott had sided with the man, thinking it couldn't hurt to switch things up, but the others had all said no. Mother Nature had to go over both her reports on the summer season and Jack's winter season notes. After all that, Scott was ready to go home and take a break.

But by the way things were going, that might not be happening any time soon. Scott looks over at Bernard, who's standing in the doorway of another room, over a dozen fairies fluttering around him or perching on his shoulders. Scott feels his mouth tilting up into a grin. Bernard's face is as red as his shirt. He doesn't know what the fairies are saying, but whatever it is has the boy flustered. Tooth comes over to stand beside Scott and watch the Head Elf as well.

"You know, this was the other reason I asked you to bring Bernard over with you. My fairies just love getting to see him."

"No kidding," Scott chuckles as he watches one fairy start to play with the elf's curls. "They can't get enough of him."

"You should see the fuss Celeste makes over him when she's around. It's a shame she's so busy today."

"Celeste?"

"The Head Fairy. She's got a lot of work today, so she couldn't come say hello. Otherwise you might have had to stay for dinner. There's no way she would have let Bernard go without getting to spend at least a couple hours with him."

"Really?" Scott says. Bernard finally manages to escape the fairies and walk over to his boss, calling out an enthusiastic goodbye to the other magical creatures. His hair is in knots where they'd been playing with it and his cheeks are still a little flushed. Scott smirks at him. "Took you long enough, Casanova."

Bernard sticks his tongue out at him. "Ready to go?"

"I've been ready."

Tooth snorts at them. "Well, see you guys later. Thanks for the help, Bernard."

Bernard whisks them away a moment later. They land right outside Scott's office. He thanks the elf and then turns to enter the room. He stops though when he notices another huge bag of letters sitting outside the door, some spilling out of the top and onto the floor.

"I told Letitia to tell the guys at the post office to be more careful with these!" Bernard grumbles, kneeling down to scoop the letters off the floor.

Scott runs a hand down his face. "I don't think I've gotten through the last bag you brought up yet."

Bernard pauses and looks up to face him. "You okay, boss? You've seemed kind of... off lately."

"I'm fine." Scott lies. The elf frowns. It's obvious he doesn't believe him, so Scott shrugs and gives him a more truthful answer. "I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed. Plus things haven't been going so well with trying to sell my house."

"I thought you had someone who was going to buy it?"

"They backed out. I'm sure Louie can find someone else who wants it. It's just stressing me out, is all."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Bernard says, getting to his feet and heaving the bag up into his arms. Scott opens the door for him and lets him walk through first so he can drop it into one of the chairs by the desk. "If it helps, you're doing a great job with things on this end so far."

Scott snorts. "Really? That's not what I've heard."

"Is this about what Jack said to you? I told you, don't listen to him. We're fine."

"Are we though?" Scott slumps into his chair, face turned up towards the ceiling.

"Yes. I wouldn't lie to you."

Scott turns his head so he's looking at the elf instead. He wonders if that's true. He thinks it is. Scott's never worked with somebody who seemed to be completely on his side. At the toy company, even though they were working together for the business, it was still a competition to do the best work and get the most clients. He'd never say then that he trusted them to not lie.

"Why are you so supportive?"

Bernard tilts his head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're like my own personal cheerleader. Why?"

"Well, I don't know if I'd call myself a cheerleader," the boy scoffs, "but it's my job to be."

"So, you don't really mean it?"

"Of course I mean it, boss. Look," Bernard sits down across from him and looks him right in the eye. "If I didn't think you were doing a good job, I wouldn't be trusting you to do all this yourself. I'd just start doing it all on my own. But you are. I know it feels like a lot, but it's just because this is your first time up here all year. You'll get used to it. Trust me."

The elf means every word. Scott can feel it. He smiles at the boy, feeling just a little bit better. "I do. Thanks, buddy."

"Anytime. Now, ready to get some actual work done, or do you need another pep talk?"

"Har, har. Just pass me an envelope and let's get started."

Chapter Text

August flies by. Scott doesn't think he's ever been so busy. He has family counseling at the beginning of the month, which even though he's gotten used to it and can admit Dr. Sanchez's advice has been helpful sometimes, it still gets on his nerves. He has dinner with Louie and Loretta, where the older man tries to go over some potential buyers for the townhouse until his wife scolds him for talking business at the table. He takes Charlie to the pool and then, together with Laura and Neil, they go back-to-school shopping. They buy new clothes and whatever supplies Charlie needs for the new school year starting next month. He can tell his son isn't as excited as he used to be to go back. Before this past year, Charlie would spend every August talking nonstop about seeing all his friends again and what he thought his new teacher would be like. This time, it's almost impossible to get the boy to say more than a few words about anything to do with school. He's worried. This isn't like his son. He even brings it up to Laura and Neil, and actually feels relieved when the other man says he'll give Dr. Sanchez a call to ask her for some advice on what to do.

Up at the North Pole, the workshop is busier than ever. Scott is constantly bouncing back and forth between departments, trying to help the elves as much as he can. He does finally talk to Irv about redecorating his office. So, for two weeks there are construction elves going in and out off the office from the start of the work day to the second the clock chimes, letting everyone know it's time to call it a night. He has two-by-fours laying in piles in the middle of the floor, paint buckets stacked on his desk, and furniture dragged every which way as the floor is torn up and redone. It's a mess. One he does appreciate though, because the room finally feels more like his own space, instead of like he's just borrowing it from someone else. The walls are done in reds and greens, the floor in a pretty cream tile that sparkles like fresh frost. His desk and the tables in the room are a lovely cherry stain. All the chairs, including the high backed leather one he's been complaining about for months, have been replaced. In their places are overstuffed sofa's and squishy armchairs with red velvet upholstery and soft throw pillows embroidered with snowflakes and reindeer. The whole room just looks brighter and warmer. The magic puppets spend an entire evening oohing and aahing at all the changes. And Bernard even helps him clean out the desk, most of the nonsense in the drawers thrown away, though the elf does insist on keeping the chipped teacup and he refuses to say why.

All in all, he's had a pretty hectic month, and today is no different. He's already had to help in both the Stuffed Animal department and the Wrapping department. And right now, when he should be up in his office looking at blueprints and reading the latest batch of letters the post office dropped off, he's on the main floor settling an argument about what color the doll houses should be painted.

"Alyssa, Violette, why does it have to be one or the other?" he says, placing a hand on a shoulder of each of the elves. "Just paint each house a different color. I think some variety would be nice."

Alyssa, the taller of the two with a short black bob and round glasses, wrinkles her nose. "I guess we could do that."

"Yea," Violette agrees, twirling her long blonde hair around a finger. "But I get to pick the first color we use."

"Why do you-"

"Ladies, please-"

"Santa!" a voice interrupts. Scott looks up to see Curtis pushing his way through a large group of elves.

"There you are," he says once Curtis is closer. "I haven't seen you or Bernard in a while. I thought we agreed there'd be two of us on the Main Floor at all times now?"

"Sorry, sorry," Curtis says in a rush. "We got hung up in the Ball Room. And Bernard was on his way, but then he got a call from Larry. So we went down to help him in the stables, but nothing's working. Bernard thought maybe you'd have an idea, not to mention you're a lot taller than the rest of us, and it's starting to get ridiculous at this point really and-"

"Curtis!"

"Yea?"

"You're rambling. What's going on?"

"Oh, right." Curtis straightens his glasses and takes a second to catch his breath. "Larry radioed and said something is wrong with Blitzen."

"What? What's wrong with him?"

"We're not sure. He just won't calm down. Blitzen's kind of too big for most of the elves, so Bernard could really use your help right now."

"Okay, well, let's get to the stables. You can fill me in about anything else on the way." Scott says, steering the boy towards the hall that will lead them to the reindeer stables.

All Curtis can say is Larry had radioed about fifteen minutes earlier panicking because Blitzen was going crazy. Apparently, he'd just put him back in his stall and hadn't even finished removing the equipment on him when the reindeer started kicking and rearing. No one in the stables had been able to get him to calm down since. Bernard had tried when he and Curtis first got to the stables, but it hadn't worked. Scott wasn't so sure he'd be able to help. He spent some time down in the stables, but probably not as much as he should. And usually when he went he'd go see Comet. He really needed to work on bonding with the other reindeer.

The sounds of panicked shouting and frustrated grunting reaches his ears before he even sees the door to the stables. He and Curtis push the double doors open. There is a whole crowd around Blitzen's stall. Most of the elves there are just watching. The only two in the stall with the reindeer are Bernard and Larry. Larry is standing by Blitzen's shoulder, the lead in his hands. Whenever the reindeer goes to rear, the boy pulls down on the lead to keep his head lowered. Bernard is at the reindeer's side, one hand gently pushing on his rear legs.

"What's going on?" Scott calls as he joins the group of elves.

"Blitzen started freaking out out of nowhere!" Larry answers. The reindeer starts stomping his hoof right by the elf's feet. He stumbles away. "Whoa! Watch the toes, buddy!"

"Does anyone know why? Is he in pain or something?"

"No, I don't think so." Bernard says, rubbing at the Blitzen's side. He rears again, too quick for Larry to stop him, and both boys have to move to the side as he kicks out with his front legs. The group of elves around Scott all let out panicked shouts. Bernard snaps at them, "stop with the noise! I told you lot to move back. You're just making him more afraid."

The elves don't listen. One boy even moves closer to the stall gate. "I saw a mouse in the stable earlier. Blitzen hates mice. Maybe that's what's wrong?"

"This is a heck of a way to act about a mouse!" Bernard grumbles at the same time Larry growls "and you didn't think to catch it?"

Scott nudges the boy to the side and enters the stall. "What can I do to help?"

"C'mere." Bernard waves him over. "Put some pressure on his rear legs and try to keep them moving. I'll take over for Larry and try to keep his front legs on the ground. Be gentle, though. We don't want to hurt him."

Scott does as he's told. Bernard takes the lead from Larry and starts gently clucking while pulling the lead down so the reindeer can't throw his head up. The odd noise seems to be working. Blitzen still stomps a few more times, nearly hitting Scott's foot, but for the most part he's calming down. Scott thinks they've got it, and is about to ask Bernard if he should back away, when one of the elves on the other side of the gate shouts.

"Look, the mouse is back!"

The little brown rodent races passed the reindeer. They don't even get a second to move. Blitzen pulls away so hard, the lead gets ripped out of the Head Elf's hand. He rears back and kicks out with his front legs, catching Bernard right in the chest. The boy is knocked back from the force, falling backwards and smacking his head on the wall.

"Bernard!"

Larry manages to grab the lead again. Curtis hops the gate and rushes over to Bernard. Scott rubs at Blitzen's side as he tries making that same clucking noise Bernard had done. Larry snaps at a stable elf to grab the mouse before it scares the reindeer again. He pulls on the lead so Blitzen can't rear up again. Together the two of them manage to calm Blitzen, the reindeer letting out a few more angry snorts before finally settling. Larry starts patting him on the neck, murmuring soothing words. Scott catches his eye and the elf gives a nod over in Bernard's direction, which lets him know the boy's got this under control and Scott can go see to his Head Elf.

"Bernard? Buddy, you okay?" Scott asks, moving over so he can kneel next to the elf. Curtis is beside him, on his radio.

"Tell him to get to the stables right away. I'm afraid to move him," he says into the device. He hooks it back onto his belt and then scoots over so Scott can lean over to check Bernard for injuries. He's sure his chest is hurt, since that's where he'd been kicked. He doesn't see any scrapes or anything from when he fell. The boy's hat is on the ground, so Scott picks it up and hands it to Curtis before looking over the Head elf's face. He reaches out a gentle hand and brushes the back of Bernard's head with his fingers. They come away stained red.

"Oh, jingle bells, that's not good," he mutters. "Bernard? Can you say something to me?"

"Ow," the elf groans. His eyes are squeezed shut in pain and his breaths are coming in shallow gasps.

"Curtis-" Scott starts, but the boy cuts him off.

"Dr. Hismus is on his way right now. He'll be here soon."

As if that was his cue, a voice calls from the other side of the crowd. "Alright, move it! Move it people! Doctor coming through!"

An elf who looks no older than a twelve year old boy, wearing a stethoscope and an over-sized medical coat, pushes his way through the crowd of elves. One of the stable elves opens the gate for him. He walks over to Bernard's other side and kneels down so he's on the injured boy's level. He looks at Bernard's head and then undoes the top few buttons on the older boy's shirt so he can place the stethoscope against his chest. Scott sees that a bruise is already forming from where he'd been kicked. He feels that familiar buzzing of magic in the air as Dr. Hismus looks over the wounds.

"Can either of you tell me exactly what happened? Decius was too busy panicking to really explain."

"I told Bernard, Deci' gets too worked up to be helping you out in the Elfirmary." Curtis sighs. "Blitzen kicked him in the chest."

"And then he fell and hit his head against the wall," Scott answers as well. He looks over his shoulder to where Larry has the reindeer on the far side of the small stall. Blitzen looks upset, but not like he's still afraid. He watches the reindeer try and get away from the boy and come back over to Bernard, like he wants to see for himself if he hurt the elf.

Dr. Hismus talking grabs his attention again. "Well, from what my magic is telling me, he probably has a minor concussion, but that'll be an easy fix. He definitely has a broken sternum, which is going to take a nice chunk of my magic to heal. Other than that though, I think he's okay."

Neither of those things sound very good to Scott, but Dr. Hismus doesn't seem worried. Scott watches in fascination as Dr. Hismus places one hand against the back of Bernard's head- the younger elf's fingers getting smeared with red too- and the other hand flat against his chest. He's never seen Healing magic before, so he's surprised when the air around them turns hot, like when you sit too close to a campfire. He gets the impression that the magic isn't very comfortable, because Bernard's face scrunches tight with pain. It takes a minute or two for the magic to do its job. When he's done, Dr. Hismus removes his hands and then he and Curtis help the Head Elf sit up.

"How do you feel?" Scott asks.

"Like I got kicked by a reindeer," Bernard grumbles. He rubs the back of his head, wincing when he touches the injured spot. "Think you could give me something for the leftover pain, Doc?"

"Of course, I'll have Decius bring it over to your apartment for you."

"Just have Deci' bring it here. I don't want to wait until I get home tonight to take it."

"Uh, no," Dr. Hismus snorts. "It'll be at home, with you. You're not working for the next three days and I want you taking the rest of today off too. Doctor's orders."

Bernard's mouth drops open in shock. "You're joking. I can't take time off! We're way too busy for that."

"Too bad, you're injured-"

"You just healed me. I'm fine."

"You know as well as I do that it takes time for Healing magic to do its job. I don't want you working for three days." When Bernard opens his mouth to argue more, Dr. Hismus raises his voice. "Keep it up and I'll make it more!"

"You're taking the time off, Bernard. No buts. Now let's get you up so you can go home. And don't you dare try to get Curtis or Quintin to bring any work home to you." Scott says, getting to his feet. Bernard is mad, he can tell, but he holds out a hand and lets Scott pull him up without another word. The crowd of elves is still there, and they swarm around Bernard when he exists the stall. He has to shush them when their jumbled cries of "are you okay?" and "is it bad?" and even one "are you dying?" gets loud enough to make him wince. Scott puts a hand on Bernard's shoulder and steers him towards the doors, calling over his shoulder for all the other elves to please get back to work.

He walks with Bernard all the way back through the workshop and to the town square, turning right at the bottom of the stairs so they can walk down a side street to the rickety stairs over the cafe that lead to his tiny apartment. Bernard lingers at the steps for a moment, before turning to face Scott with a worried look in his eye.

"Alright, look, I'll take the time off like Dr. Hismus wants, but only if you promise to come see me if you really need my help."

Scott shakes his head. "Bernard, we'll be fine. It's just three days. Curtis and I can handle things."

"I'm not saying you can't. It's just... this is your first year up here. I'm supposed to be there whenever you need me."

"You can't help it that you got hurt, buddy."

"I know..." Bernard looks down at his feet, his hands clenched in tight fists. He's a lot more upset about this than Scott thought he'd be.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"Nothing," Bernard mumbles, and he turns to start climbing the stairs. "I'll see you later."

"Whoa, whoa." Scott stops him with a hand on his shoulder. "It's not nothing. Talk to me."

Bernard tries to avoid looking in his eye, but Scott's not having it. Finally, the boy lowers himself onto one of the steps, wincing a little and rubbing at his chest as he does so. The steps are too small for Scott to join him, so instead he leans against the wooden railing. Bernard looks up at him, a deep frown on his face.

"I... I know you've been overwhelmed lately. And the workshop's been pretty crazy this month. I just don't want to abandon you when you need me the most."

"You're not abandoning me. You're hurt. It's okay to take some time off if you need it."

Bernard lets out a snort. "This coming from the guy I had to fight tooth and nail to actually take his vacation."

"Alright, I admit, I'm not winning any awards on 'setting a good example,'" Scott laughs. "But I mean it. You don't have to worry. We're going to be okay while you're gone."

"If you say so..."

Scott taps his fingers against the railing, thinking over his next words. "Is this... are you worried about the Escape Clause?"

Bernard doesn't answer at first. He just sits there quietly, playing with a loose thread on the cuff of his sleeve. Scott waits for him to gather his thoughts, until finally after a few moments he turns to face him again. "I... I guess so. I'm not saying I think you're just going to up and disappear on us one day. But I know this year's been pretty hard on you so far, what with you're house not selling, and everything going on with Charlie. I just worry that if everything gets too much for you, you might find it easier to... you know."

"Escape?" At Bernard's nod, Scott asks "am I doing a good job as Santa?"

"Of course you are! You're doing great. All the elves like you and you've come up with some great ideas to help us- like reorganizing the Wrapping department and getting those reports if a Field Elf gets spotted. Most Santa's don't bother changing too much around here, they're always afraid they might get in our way. Some of them never really bothered with anything besides checking the list and delivering presents. But not you. You're actually trying to be a good Santa. It's really nice."

"Well, thanks. I'm glad you think so. And I'll agree, I've had some tough times this year. But there's been nothing so bad that it's going to make me want to quit this job, Bernard, I promise. I like being Santa. Heck, becoming Santa was probably the best thing to ever happen to me. My son and I are close again. I actually get along with Laura and Neil. I'm happy with the work I'm doing. I honestly don't even want to imagine what it'd be like if I never put on that coat. I'd probably still be that same jerk who couldn't even be on time to spend Christmas Eve with his son."

"Eh, I'm sure you'd have gotten it together eventually," Bernard jokes.

"Maybe, maybe not," Scott shrugs. He claps the boy on the shoulder. "But I mean it. I'll still be here when you get back. So, feel better?"

By his expression, Scott thinks Bernard's going to make a joke or give a snarky response- what he'd usually do when things got too mushy between the two of them. Instead though, he starts to smile, a genuine one that really makes him look like the seventeen year old kid he appears to be, instead of the magical being whose real age Scott can't think about without his head hurting. "Yea, I do. Thanks, boss."

Bernard gets to his feet and, after saying goodbye, finally climbs the stairs and enters his apartment. Scott heads back to the workshop, feeling pretty good about being able to help Bernard. The boy was always giving him advice and lending an ear whenever he needed to vent. It felt nice to be able to do the same for him. And he'd meant it when he said things were going to be fine while Bernard was out. He was positive he and Curtis could handle things. It was just three days. What could possibly go wrong?

Apparently, a lot could.

The first day Bernard's gone, one of the elves brings their cocoa onto the Main Floor and it somehow ends up spilling into the box where the motor for the conveyor belt they're working at is. It starts sparking and smoking immediately, and grinds to a halt with a dozen of toys on it. They have to shut that belt down for the rest of the morning while the maintenance elves fix it, and grab a ladder to reach the toys stuck too high up on it. Afterwards, Larry finds Scott in his office and he has to spend an hour trying to calm the boy down. He's still so mad his stable elves let a mouse run around the reindeer when they know if they see one, they're supposed to catch and release it somewhere else, because both Blitzen and Donner are afraid of them. A good twenty minutes of that time Scott spends arguing, because Larry keeps insisting that- as the Head Stable elf- he is to blame for Bernard getting hurt. Scott tells him no, accidents happen, and that if Bernard doesn't blame him, he shouldn't make himself feel so guilty over it. He finally gets Larry to calm down when he promises to have a talk with the stable elves on why following Larry's rules are important, and if they don't understand why they need to do something, they need to come talk to either Larry, Scott, Bernard, or Curtis about it.

Looking back on it, the first day wasn't so bad. The second day though...

No one knows how, but one of the ovens in the kitchen catches fire, ruining the cookies inside and messing up the wall behind it pretty badly. The fire elves put the flames out quickly, and thankfully no one gets hurt. But they shut that oven down until they can find out what caused the small fire.

"Were you cooking, Santa? I know you caught that turkey on fire two Christmases ago," a kitchen elf jokes.

"How does everyone know about that?" he wonders.

After that, a bag of letters to Santa goes missing somewhere between the Elf Post Office and the workshop. Curtis tracks it down two hours later at the shoe store, strangely enough. Abby accidentally spills cocoa on some blueprints on Scott's desk. Theo cuts his hand open- on what, Scott can't figure out, and Theo doesn't know either. He just saw it was bleeding when he went to help one of the Stuffed Animal department's elves with their sewing machine- so they radio the Elfirmary to let them know he's coming to have it healed. But apparently, Deci' got mixed up because he comes to the workshop instead and by the time they find him wandering around looking for Theo, the other boy has been waiting at the Elfirmary for an hour and a half. Curtis could rival Bernard for the world's worst temper in that moment, because the mix up puts that department really behind for the day and now those elves will have to work twice as hard tomorrow to catch up to where they're supposed to be.

"I swear Santa, Bernard's going to have to rethink who should be Dr. Hismus's nurse." Curtis grumbles as he and Scott close up the workshop for the night. This is normally something Bernard does with the boy, but Scott doesn't mind having to do it. He actually thinks it's something he should know how to do, and makes a mental note to tell Bernard he'd like to take turns with him shutting everything down for the night.

"Oh, I'm sure he was just having an off day," he says as he sweeps under the work tables.

"Every day is an off day with Deci'."

"Curtis!"

"What? I'm just saying, Decius is kind of... flaky."

"What made Bernard assign him to the Elfirmary in the first place?" Scott wonders. Curtis holds a dustpan out, so Scott sweeps the dirt and bits of fabric and wood chips into it, and then watches as the boy empties it into the nearest wastebasket. "Where was he before?"

"He's kind of bounced around departments over the decades. Deci' was never the type to stick to one thing for very long. Bernard decided he should go help the Doc out about ten years ago, and he's refused to move him since. He keeps insisting he'll get the hang of it."

"Does Deci' like it at the Elfirmary?"

Curtis shrugs. They're done cleaning up, so the elf goes to grab that night's paperwork from where he'd left it in the Naughty and Nice Center. "From what I've heard, he loves it. He says it's his favorite job he's done so far."

"Well, then maybe it's a good thing Bernard doesn't want to move him," Scott suggests.

"But just liking it doesn't mean he's good at it."

"Hm..." Scott thinks over his next words. It sounds to him like Bernard just wants the elf to be happy where he's working. Which is kind of nice, he thinks, because sometimes enjoying what you're doing is more important than excelling at it and rising through the ranks. He would know. "I think this might be one of those things you have to learn in order to be Head Elf. You should ask Bernard about it when he's better."

Curtis looks confused, but he drops it when Scott tells him he's heading to bed. He bids goodbye to the boy, and then finally starts making his way to his bedroom. Today has him completely worn out. He doesn't think he's ever been so excited to fall asleep.

He thinks the third day is going to go smoother, because nothing terrible happens during the morning, but that all changes once the afternoon rolls around. Today his trouble is mostly up in the Tower. Titus radios him because there's a plane showing up on the radar and nothing they do will make it change its course. Scott makes his way up into the cramped metal room with wall to wall switchboards. He knows that every once in a while a plane will pass over them, and when that happens it's up to him or Bernard to decide how serious of a matter it is. Bernard had told him before that, depending on how close the plane is, they sometimes have to halt all work being done in the workshop below- what he called "silent running." It's nerve wracking, being up in that tiny space, all the elves up there looking to him for what they should do, and if they should be worried. The plane is headed straight for them, so Scott decides silent running is their safest option. He hears an alarm go off somewhere below his feet, and then the oddest, most unnatural quiet takes over the entire building. His breathing sounds too loud, and when one of the elves in the room accidentally knocks a pen to the floor, he actually jumps a little in fright.

When the plane is gone, Titus gives the all clear. He thanks Scott for the help, but stops him before he gets the chance to leave. It seems several of the radios went on the fritz the evening before and no one had thought to let Quintin know before he left so they could be fixed first thing in the morning. So- after getting no answer when he tried radioing the boy- Scott makes his way to Research and Development. Lyla lets him know Quintin was supposed to be looking at something in the Candy Room. Scott heads there instead, but when he arrives Meabh says Quintin left forever ago. He asks her if she knows where he went, and she says she thinks to see Reggie in the Ball Room. So Scott goes there- no Quintin- and then Reggie tells him to try the Clothing department- also no Quintin. Edna, through a mouth full of pins, tells him to try the kitchens because Quintin is always one of the last elves to grab lunch. So Scott, now a little annoyed, tries there. Judy takes pity on him once he sees Quintin is not here either and uses her radio to call Curtis instead, because the boy used to be in Research and Development and knew how to fix the Tower's radios. Except fifteen minutes later, Curtis calls to let them know Quintin was already at the Tower and just about had everything fixed.

He's frustrated, his feet hurt, and when the clock finally chimes for the end of the work day, he is more than happy to drag himself upstairs to his bedroom and curl underneath the covers.

The next morning, he's woken by the sound of knocking. He sits up with a grunt and flicks the switch by his bed that turns on the candlestick-shaped lamps above the headboard. Through a big yawn he calls, "I'm up, Abby!"

The door opens, but it's not Abby who enters. Bernard walks in, carrying a tray with enough breakfast food for three people. "Morning, boss."

"Bernard!" Scott greets him with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better than before." He sets the tray down on the workbench and starts filling a plate up. He hands it to Scott, along with a cup of cocoa, and then makes one for himself. Scott sets the drink on the bedside table so he can dig into the food- scrambled eggs, berries, and a waffle he swears is the size of his head.

"Did the Doc' clear you to come back?" he asks between bites.

"Yes. I knew better than to come back without making sure it was okay. Both you and Judy would have just dragged me back home if I did."

"Sure would have." Scott agrees. Bernard snorts and then sits down at the workbench so he can start shoveling his own food into his mouth. Scott tells him, "I am glad to have you back."

"How ba' was da las' three days?" At least he thinks that's what the elf says. It's hard to understand him with his mouth full of waffle.

"I'm getting you a book on manners for Christmas, I swear."

Bernard just laughs. He does make sure his mouth isn't full when he speaks again, though. "How bad was it? You didn't have too much trouble, did you?"

"Well..." He thinks about how frustrating the past few days have been, and almost tells Bernard about it. But then he remembers the real worry on the boy's face when he told him he was afraid Scott was getting too overwhelmed. In hindsight, everything that happened wasn't too terrible. There's no reason to make Bernard feel bad about being gone. "Nah. It wasn't anything Curtis and I couldn't handle."

By the look on his face, Scott knows Bernard doesn't quite believe him. Instead of pressing the matter, though, the boy just smirks at him. "Right. Maybe I should take some more time off then. Since you two have got things covered."

"Uh, well, I don't-" Scott splutters. Bernard laughs at him, big and loud and wild, like a kid.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I was bored out of my mind these last few days. I'm not missing any more work if I can help it."

"Good." He smiles. "We missed you around here, buddy."

Bernard returns the look. "I missed you guys too."

"Promise not to get hurt again?"

"Trust me," the elf laughs, "I don't plan on it.

Chapter Text

"I need you to choose how you want the Christmas tree decorated this year."

Scott looks up from the letter he's reading. He and Bernard are supposed to be going over a rather long list of things that needs done this week while Scott reads through his mail. He won't admit this to the boy, because he hates being on the end of that look the elf gets— the one that always makes him feel like he's a kid about to be scolded by his parents for misbehaving-- but he hasn't really been listening to Bernard for the past few minutes. It's not completely his fault though. The child who wrote the letter in his hands had used a lot of glitter and Scott has been distracted watching the tiny sparkles rain down from the envelope like a monsoon of pixie dust. "We have a Christmas tree?"

"Uh, yea. This is the North Pole, Santa."

"Where?"

"In the main hall by the Ball room?" Bernard narrows his eyes at him. Scott has a feeling Bernard thinks he's pulling his leg.

"I've... I've never noticed it."

There's an awkward pause. The elf blinks at him, eyebrows raised like he's waiting for something. When it's clear Scott isn't going to laugh and say 'got you!', Bernard rolls his eyes and carelessly tosses the glossy magazine in his hands onto the desk in front of Scott, right into the pile of glitter. "Okay, well after you schedule an appointment with Dr. Hismus to get your eyes checked, I need you to look at this catalogue of designs and choose what ornaments you want for the tree."

"Bernard!" Scott grumbles, picking the magazine up. There's glitter all over the back of it now, and spread all over his desk from where it went flying at the impact of the catalogue hitting it. He gives the magazine a shake and watches the shimmering flecks fall down.

"Oops," Bernard laughs.

Scott gives him a look, which just makes the boy laugh harder. He rolls his eyes and sets the magazine on top a stack of blueprints. "What else did we need to go over?"

"Um," the elf picks up a clipboard that has everything for their meeting written on it. "There's some inventory reports, Quintin has some stuff in Research and Development he needs you to take a look at-"

"What about the Naughty and Nice list?" Scott interrupts. "I just realized, I haven't even checked it once yet. Shouldn't I get started on that?"

"It's not quite finished yet. Clara and the others are still getting the "Z" names done. It should be ready sometime tomorrow."

"I'll have to start checking it in the evening then. Remember, I need you to take me down to Laura and Neil's so I can see Charlie off for his first day of School?"

"Right, right." Bernard says, nodding. "How's he doing, by the way? He excited to go back to school?"

"Eh," Scott shrugs. "He's okay. He wasn't really talking about school at first, but Neil called Dr. Sanchez and told her we were worried about Charlie. She said we needed to sit him down and try to get him to open up about what was bothering him."

"Did you?"

"Yea, that's why I went down with Prancer the other day. We got him to talk a little bit about what's going on, but he didn't want to say much and the three of us agreed we didn't want to force him to talk about anything."

"What did he say?"

"He's worried about seeing that Bobby kid again. He's had the whole Summer away from him, but I guess he's afraid the kid's going to be a jerk to him once they're back in school. They're in the same class again this year."

"Can't you ask for them to be in separate classrooms?"

Scott frowns. "Laura had a meeting with the guidance counselor and the principal yesterday to ask them about it. Mrs. Thompson was all for it, said it would do them both some good to spend some time away from each other, but Principal Moore wasn't having it. She said it was too close to the first day of school to be shuffling kids around."

"Seriously?" Bernard scoffs. "What a load of twisted tinsel. If it's better for the kids you do it anyway. I'm sure there was space in at least one of the classrooms to move one of the boys. There can't be that many kids in the third grade."

"Exactly what I said! But Principal Moore told Laura no. So I guess we're just going to have to hope for the best."

Bernard sighs. "Poor kid. Hopefully Bobby Lawson has moved on from picking on Charlie. And hey, if not, you can always give him extra coal this Christmas."

"Bernard!" Scott laughs.

"What?" Bernard gives him a mischievous smirk, which just makes him laugh harder.

The next morning, Bernard drops him off bright and early at the Miller's. He eats breakfast with them, and then he, Laura, and Neil all wait with Charlie for the bus that will take him to his first day of third grade. It's raining, which isn't too surprising for this time of year. Laura and Neil are huddled under the other man's green gingham umbrella. Scott and Charlie are safe and dry under his more subdued, navy blue one. The bright yellow bus comes rumbling down the street, its shining headlights cutting through the murky grayness of such a dismal morning. Charlie shouts goodbye as soon as the doors open in front of them and then he races up the bus's steep steps. Scott stands there with the other adults, waving until the vehicle rounds the corner and disappears from view.

"Let's go back inside," Laura says. "I've got a cup of ginger tea calling my name."

"I could use some more coffee, myself," Scott admits, following the couple back towards the house.

"I don't know how you do it," Neil laughs, "I think I'd go crazy living in a place where there's no coffee."

"Trust me, sometimes it's tough--"

"Oh! Scott, quick, quick! Give me your hand." Laura interrupts. She doesn't wait for him to move, she just reaches over and snatches his hand. She puts it flat against the right side of her slowly growing belly. He waits. There's a fluttering sensation against his palm.

"Oh wow!" he laughs. "they're kicking already! How far along are you again?"

"Twenty-three weeks," Neil states happily, making sure the umbrella is completely covering Laura. "I was a little worried I wouldn't get to feel the kicking just yet, since it's still a little early."

"I think Charlie was kicking like crazy right about then too, wasn't he?"

"Yup," Laura nods. "I had a feeling this little bun might do the same. I bet they're just excited to see their Uncle Scott. Aren't you?"

She was talking to her stomach now, a gentle smile on her face. Scott slips his hand away from hers, blinking at the two of them in confusion and another feeling he can't quite name. "U-Uncle Scott?"

Laura stops and looks up at him, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Oh... um--"

"Is that alright?" Neil asks, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders. It's raining a little harder now, the fat drops splattering heavily against their umbrellas. "If it makes you uncomfortable or anything, we'll think of something else for the new baby to call you."

"Is it weird? Oh, it is, isn't it? It's just, we're all part of this crazy, blended family. And I still want it to feel like we're all together after the baby comes. You're going to be around all the time anyway to see Charlie. I just thought it would be nice if the baby could think of you as family too-- not just 'Charlie's dad.' Neil agreed with me, but if you don't like it--"

"No, no. It's not that. I-I love it actually. I just... I wasn't expecting it. Thank you. Both of you. It means a lot." And it does, actually. A year ago, he never would have believed that he, Laura, and Neil could be in this place. One where they worked together, and didn't argue all the time, and really thought of each other as family. He had to thank, not only the red coat that gave him his magic, but Charlie for this. His son was the only one to believe in him for the longest time. If Charlie hadn't, he might never have become Santa, and if he had never become Santa, he knows without a doubt that the three of them wouldn't be standing here like this. Like friends, family. Uncle Scott. He can't help the smile he knows is stretching across his face.

"I'm glad you like it," Laura says softly.

There's a rumble overhead-- distant thunder-- and the three of them finally notice that the steady rain has now turned into a steady downpour. Neil ushers his wife inside, saying he'll make their drinks for them once they get back to the warm, dry safety of the kitchen.

"So, got any plans for the day?" Neil asks a few minutes later as he sets two steaming mugs down in front of his wife and Scott.

Scott takes a long sip, relishing the robust flavor of the drink. He really needed to convince Bernard to have a coffee maker put somewhere in the kitchens. He thinks about everything he needs to do today before answering. "Let's see, besides family counseling after we pick up Charlie from school, I have a meeting with Louie. I'm hoping he might have found someone else interested in my townhouse."

"Whatever happened to that other couple? You never said." Laura asks.

"Oh, um, they just decided to go with something else. No big deal or anything."

He feels a little bad about lying, but he knows he'd feel worse if he told them the truth. It's selfish of him, but he's afraid if he tells them about his neighbors thinking he's a criminal, Laura and Neil might say they're being treated differently by everyone in town too. And he's already made things hard for Charlie. If it turns out he's done the same to them too, it'd just be another thing to feel horribly, horribly guilty about. He wishes he could find a way to fix everything, for all of them. Charlie wouldn't have to worry about bullies at school, the town wouldn't think he was some kidnapper. But the only way he can think to do that is turn back time, and that's certainly never going to happen.

He hangs out with Laura and Neil until it's time to leave for his meeting with Louie. Laura very nicely offers to let him use her car so he doesn't have to pay for a taxi. The rain has hung around all day, so the streets are full of puddles and the air smells like wet asphalt. He hurries inside the building, shaking his umbrella at the doorway so he doesn't drip too much water in his friend's office. Louie greets him as enthusiastically as ever.

"Scott, I know I messed up last time letting those nosy neighbors scare away our buyers, but I promise you it won't be happening again!" Louie says, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Oh, that wasn't your fault, Louie. Really I--"

"No, no, I take full responsibility. And don't you try and talk me out of it. Now, I've got a few people lined up who are interested, and I've got a really good feeling about it this time."

"Okay," and Scott can't help but chuckle at the older man's energy. "Tell me all about it."

And Louie does. He lets him know what days the interested buyers are going to be coming down to look at the townhouse and together they come up with a way for Louie to mention the misunderstanding from last year, hopefully without scaring anyone off. Scott can't help but be grateful that his old friend believes him about what really happened last year. It's nice having someone other than his family or his elves on his side. He's stays a little longer than he means to catching up with Louie, so much so that he has to race back to the Miller's so he can grab Laura and Neil and the three of them can go pick Charlie up from school and head to family counseling.

When they get there, after the usual small talk on what has happened since their last appointment, Laura finally mentions to their counselor that she's pregnant.

"Congratulations, both of you," Dr. Sanchez says with a smile.

"Thank you. We're really excited." says Laura.

The older woman turns to Charlie. "How do you feel about this? Are you excited to be a big brother?"

"Yea!" the boy chirps. "I'm going to be the best big brother. I'll teach them all the games I know and I can show them how to play soccer."

"You might have to wait for the baby to get a little older before you're playing soccer together, sport," Scott laughs.

"Did you have any questions for your mom and Neil about what's going to happen when the baby comes?"

"Well," and Charlie hesitates here. "I told my friend Jessica today about the baby, and she said I better get used to never spending time with mom. At least until the baby's older."

"Why'd she tell you that?" Dr. Sanchez asks.

"'Cause she has a little brother. He's like, two now, but she said when he was born she never got to do anything with her mom. And she said it sucked because her mom used to do stuff with her all the time."

"Oh, I didn't know you were worried about that, Charlie," Laura says, brushing the boy's hair back with her hand.

"Well, I wasn't at first, but then I talked to Jessica."

"Well, honey, I'll be honest. I probably will be pretty busy with the baby at first. But I promise, I'm going to make time for you too. It'll take some getting used to, but I know we'll manage it."

"Okay." Charlie nods with a smile.

"Very good," and the counselor looks very pleased with Laura's answer. "Is there anything else new going on?"

After family counseling, Scott stays for dinner so he can hear all about the rest of Charlie's first day of school. His son doesn't say anything about Bobby or Alex, so he takes that as a sign that maybe the other boys have moved on from picking on Charlie. Or, he hopes that's what it means. He doesn't notice how much time has passed until Charlie heads upstairs to take his bath before bed, and Neil points at the clock.

"It's after eight-thirty, Scott. I thought Bernard was picking you up?"

"Not that we mind if you're staying the night," Laura mentions, coming into the room with a mug of tea. "You know you're always welcome to."

"Thanks, but no, he was supposed to be here like an hour ago." Scott frowns. Bernard was never late. Where on earth could his Head Elf be?

As if that is his cue, the doorbell suddenly rings. Neil leaves to go answer it, and then a moment later comes back with a very flustered Bernard. His hat is missing and there is dark ink streaked across his face and staining his fingers and his shirt. It's still pouring outside, and since the elf hadn't had an umbrella to hide under as he waited for the door to open, his hair and shoulders are soaked. He runs a hand through his hair, and some life seems to spring back into the sodden curls.

"Sorry I'm late, boss," he grumbles.

"What happened to you?" Scott asks.

"A lot," the elf scoffs. At Scott's worried look, he elaborates. "The printers in the Naughty and Nice center went on the fritz a few hours ago and completely ruined the 'Z' section Clara was having finished for you. Took me forever to get it fixed."

"Oh, well that's not so bad. I can just start checking the rest of the list while that part gets finished."

"Um, yea... about that..."

Bernard looks away from Scott, his hand carding through his hair again. Scott frowns at him. "What's going on, buddy?"

"The list might have gotten... lost."

"Lost?" Scott blinks. "You're joking."

"I'm not."

"How did it get lost? Bernard!"

"I don't know!" Bernard throws his hands up into the air. "This has never happened before. The elves at the center have no idea what could have happened to it."

"Are you guys going to be okay?" Laura asks. "I mean, Santa's list is pretty important, right?"

"It's very important," Scott sighs.

"I told them to start printing a new one," Bernard says a little helplessly.

"That'll take forever. It's already September and I haven't checked it once yet."

"Well then, what should we do?"

Scott huffs, running a hand through his beard. "The only thing we can do. Let's go search the Workshop, top to bottom, for it. It has to be in there somewhere. It can't have just walked off on its own."

He says a hurried goodbye to Laura and Neil, and then Bernard whisks them home. They stumble when they land. Scott has to catch himself on a worktable so he doesn't trip and fall. He doesn't comment on the rough landing, figuring Bernard is more preoccupied with where the list has disappeared to, than making sure the teleportation is as smooth as normal. At this time of night, the workshop is normally dark and quiet. Which is why it's so strange to see a group of elves huddled around the printers in the Naughty and Nice center. There's a steadily growing pile of papers beside them-- the reprint of the list, he assumes. He and Bernard walk up to them, calling for them to stop and listen.

"Change of plan, guys," Bernard says when he has the group's attention. "Santa wants us looking for the list. He and I will start with the rooms on the third floor. Clara you-- wait, where's Clara?"

"Right here!" calls a voice from above them. Scott looks up to see an elf with shoulder length brown hair, wearing a black and white striped hat and a thick white dress covered in ink stains, looking down at them from the second floor balcony. She's one of the younger department Heads, resembling a nine-year old child when most of the others look twelve or thirteen.

"What are you doing up there?" Bernard asks.

"I went to go get more paper for the printers," she says, pointing to a cart beside her with several large boxes sitting on top of it. "What's going on?"

"We're going to press pause on the reprinting and look for the list instead," Scott answers. "You and the elves are going to check the first and second floors for us. Hopefully, we find it."

They search for hours, combing through the departments and pantries and supply closets. By the time the clock strikes midnight, they've still only gone through maybe a third of all the places it might have ended up in. Scott calls off the search party, and tells everyone to go home and try and get some sleep. They'll just have to pick up their search again in the morning. He hates how downtrodden the elves look as they leave and hopes that tomorrow they have a little more luck.

The Naughty and Nice center elves return first thing in the morning with Bernard. They all look as exhausted as Scott feels, most of them with dark circles under their eyes. Except for Clara, who has an odd, fiery look on her face. They split up again, the center elves searching the remainder of the first and second floors while Scott and Bernard head back up to the third floor. By the time lunch time nears, they still haven't found it. Scott and Bernard, after coming up empty with their search, head back down to the center to see how Clara and the others are doing. The department Head isn't there, but Curtis radios her to come and meet them, so the two of them flop down into chairs at the center to wait. Bernard lays his arms down across one of the control panels so he can rest his head on them. Scott slinks down low in his seat, to the point where he's almost half-lying in the chair.

"I guess we'll have to reprint it after all," he says, staring up at the ceiling of the workshop. He's never noticed it had skylights before.

Bernard grunts, which Scott takes as the boy agreeing with him. The elf turns his head so he can peek at his boss through the curls that have fallen over his face. He mumbles softly, "sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. It's not like anyone meant for this to happen. It was just an accident."

"Yea, but one that should have never happened. The list is way too important for us to just... lose the damn thing."

Scott blinks. "I'm sorry... did you just swear?"

"I'm frustrated!" Bernard whines, his cheeks going red.

Scott laughs. "Don't worry, I promise I won't tell the others."

Suddenly, they hear shouts of "Excuse me! Move please!" so they turn towards the noise. Clara is pushing her way through the crowd of elves working the Main Floor. Her face is flushed, her hair a mess. But she's positively beaming as she races up the few steps to the center.

"I found out what happened to the list!"

Bernard and Scott both sit up. Bernard lets out a strangled, "seriously? Where is it?"

"Okay, so you know how we always store the list in Supply Closet A, right? At least while we wait for the whole thing to be printed? Well, apparently, construction got their wires crossed this year and they thought Supple Closet A was supposed to be for them. So, someone there moved the list—without telling anyone— to Supply Closet F. You know, the one right before the Kitchens and on the way to wrapping? Well, Herennia got mad because that's their supply closet, so she had her people move the list again— still without telling anyone— to Supply Closet K. But everyone knows that one is for the kitchens, so Judy had her elves put the list back in Supply Closet A where it belongs. And she didn't tell anyone because it was where it was supposed to be. Which, I can't even blame her because I didn't even know the thing wasn't in A anymore. Anyway, construction got mad because they still thought A was theirs— even though it's never been— so they moved the list again—"

"CLARA!" Bernard roars. The Main Floor goes silent at the noise, all the elves turning to give their Head Elf frightened looks. It isn't often he loses his temper that badly.

"Yea?" the girl mumbles. She seems a little shell-shocked from his sudden yelling.

"Where. Is. The list?"

"Oh, it's in Supply Closet Q."

"Q—" Bernard pinches the bridge of his nose, an angry exhale rushing past his lips. "Alright. Santa and I will go get it. Send some elves our way to help us move it to..."

"My office." Scott says, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder to steer him away from the center. "That way we know for sure where it is. And good job, Clara."

Supply Closet Q turns out to be near the stables, and it's so full of junk Scott can't help but stare open-mouthed at the mess as Bernard swings the heavy wooden door open. There are boxes shoved in tall, lopsided stacks, old furniture covered in a thick layer of dust, and what he thinks is a broken chandelier. He spots the ball pit they'd used for Charlie's birthday party, and a bin of worn down toys. Bernard pulls on a thin chain hanging near the door. A single bulb flickers to life and casts them both in a dull orange glow. He roams around the mess, and then finally pulls a wrinkled, mud-stained sheet off a pile of red leather cases. Scott recognizes them as the boxes the list was kept in last year.

"When I find out who shoved these in here," he hears Bernard grumble.

"Whoa, whoa, deep breaths, buddy. Sounds like we had some communication issues this year. Don't jump down anyone's throat just yet. Which reminds me, you owe Clara an apology."

"I know," Bernard sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose again. "I didn't mean to snap at her like that. The past two days have just been awful."

"But she found the list for us, and you didn't say thank you or anything."

"I'll find her once we get this moved and say sorry, and thank you. Promise."

Scott pats the boy on the back and then starts moving around the closet, looking at everything else that's been shoved inside it. "We've got to clean this place out. Who knows what else might be shoved in here."

"I'll have construction do it," the elf says sourly.

Scott snorts. "Alright. Let's get started on moving the list."

They're joined by the elves Clara sends a few minutes later. Together, they move all the heavy red cases upstairs to Scott's office. He's completely worn out by the time they finish, and the room is so packed it's hard to walk around. He searches through them until he finds the one with a large, glittering cursive 'A' on it and then carries it over to his desk.

By the end of the week, he's finally made it all the way through to the 'M' section. Checking the list is a lot different than it was last year. Scott had been a little amazed, and quite a bit freaked out, about how easily the face of every child whose name he read came to him. He expects it this year, and is actually really excited to finally get to do this part of his job. Like a movie playing on film, with each name he checks, he sees a short snippet of every child's life that year. The decisions they made, how they treated their friends, and parents, and siblings. He sees if they cleaned up their toys when they were told, if they teased others too much. He sees their bright smiles, their tantrums. And all the while his magic hangs heavy in the air, like it is sitting before him on a scale, slowly tipping towards either nice or naughty with every decision they made.

He's only a few pages in to the new box of pages when he hears a knock on the office door. He calls for whomever it is to enter, and Bernard walks in followed by Judy, who is carrying a silver tray filled with food and by the expression on her face is not very happy.

"Hey, you two," Scott says. "Need something?"

Bernard opens his mouth to speak, but Judy interrupts him. "You skipped lunch today, Santa! I swear, keep this up and you'll end up as bad as Bernard. He's always too busy with work to actually take care of himself."

"I am not," the Head Elf complains. Judy shoots him a look, so he snaps his mouth shut.

"Did I really miss lunch?" Scott wonders, looking over at the small, metal, antique table clock on his desk. According to its thin, intricate clock hands-- it's nearly four o'clock. "Oh, wow... guess I did."

"Move that," Judy orders, nodding her head at the red case in front of Scott. Bernard hurries over and starts messily packing the papers back inside their box. Scott grumbles at the elf about losing his place, but Bernard just rolls his eyes and says "Mitchell Baines," which he recognizes as the name he'd been about to check so he lets the elf do as he pleases. Once the desk is clear, Judy sets the tray down.

Scott looks at the pile of food."Not that I don't appreciate it, Judy, but you don't really expect me to eat all this myself do you?"

"Of course not. Bernard's going to help you eat it. He skipped out on lunch too."

"I was busy!" Bernard tries to argue. Judy frowns at him, and then snaps at him to sit. Bernard plops down into the chair opposite Scott, giving the normally calm, collected girl a wide-eyed look of fear as she starts filling two plates with food.

Once she's sure both of them are digging in, she leaves, calling over her shoulder that she'll be back for the tray later. Scott watches her go, a surprised laugh leaving his lips. "I don't think I've ever been scared of Judy before. You know, until now."

"I have," Bernard grumbles, shoveling another bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Do all elves have secret bad tempers? Or do I just bring that out in you guys?"

The boy lets out a snort. "No, it's not you. But when you've lived for hundreds of years with people always expecting you to be cute and happy all the time, you tend to be a bit cranky. It usually takes a lot for Judy to lose her temper, though."

"They probably expect that because you guys look like kids."

"Which I really hate sometimes. It's hard to get anyone to take you seriously when you look like a twelve-year-old."

Scott laughs. "I don't know why, but I can't picture you looking twelve years old."

"Well, it's been a long time since I have."

Scott opens his mouth, thinking he's finally gotten the nerve to ask Bernard how old he is exactly, but the phone on his desk rings, cutting him off. He picks up the receiver and says, "hello?"

"Hi, Dad." Charlie's voice is almost drowned out by a loud, obnoxious crackle.

"Hey, sport! What's going on?"

"Um, nothing, really." It's strange, but it almost sounds like Charlie is whispering.

"Everything okay?"

"I-I guess... Hey, Dad, is- is Bernard there?"

Scott glances over at the elf across from him. "Yea, he's right here. Why? Do you want to talk to him?"

"Yea, please."

"Okay..." He holds the phone out to the Head Elf. Bernard takes it, staring at him with a bewildered expression on his face. Scott just shrugs and says, "he wants to talk to you."

Bernard balances the phone in the crook of his neck so his hands are still free to keep eating. "Hi-ya, Charlie."

There's a moment of quiet as the elf listens to whatever it is Charlie is saying. Scott waits, feeling a little awkward and with the tiniest bit of worry in the pit of his stomach. He's never specifically asked for Bernard before. Of course Charlie still really likes Bernard, but he usually only calls for Scott. His son knows the Head Elf is too busy most days to spend time chatting on the phone. Which means whatever this call is for, has to be important.

Bernard suddenly sits up straighter, dropping his silverware so he can grab the phone and place it more securely against his ear. "He did what? Why- no, no, of course I'm not mad at you... yes, I promise. But Charlie, why... Okay, well I have to tell your Dad- yes, I do. Because he needs... no, we can't do that... Yes, I'm positive we can't... Okay, look, we'll be down soon... Yup, bye-bye."

He hangs up the phone and then gets to his feet, suddenly looking as angry as he did when he'd found out Construction was the reason the list went missing. Scott gets to his feet too. "Bernard--"

"We got to go, boss. Charlie needs our help with something--"

"What? What's wrong?" Scott interrupts.

"That Bobby Lawson kid is what's wrong." At Scott's confused look, the elf starts to explain. "Charlie said Bobby took the snow globe from him and refused to give it back."

"What?"

"Yea, so, come on. Let's go."

Scott follows the elf as he leaves the room. They turn down the hallway towards Scott's bedroom. "Why didn't Charlie just tell me about this-- and where are you going? Don't we need to hurry up and leave?"

"We're walking back to your room so you can change out of your Santa suit. Or do you really want to go to Bobby's house like that?" Bernard holds the bedroom door open for him. The elf has a point. It probably wouldn't be the best idea to show up to the Lawson's house dressed like Santa Claus. Bobby's dad already thought he was a crazy criminal. No need to make that situation worse. "And I think he was hoping to have this fixed without any of you finding out. He asked me if I could just teleport to their house and take the snow globe back, but I can't do that."

"Why wouldn't he want us to know?"

"Not sure, boss. You'll have to ask him."

He quickly changes into something a little more human-civilization-friendly-- denim jeans and a lighter, cream colored sweater. Most of his clothes are holiday themed, with embroidered snowflakes or reindeer or Christmas trees, but he does have a few more neutral pieces that let him blend in during the parts of the year where he can't pass as someone who just really loves the holidays. Bernard pops them down to the Miller's once he's ready, and the two of them walk up to the backdoor together. He knocks on the sliding glass door. Neil pulls it open a few moments later, looking surprised.

"Scott? Bernard? What are you two doing down here?"

"Sorry for just dropping in. I came to talk to Charlie," Scott says.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting it. Come in." Neil steps to the side so the two of them can enter, calling out for Charlie as he does. Outside is as dreary looking as it was the last time he came down to Illinois, so the warmth of the kitchen feels amazing.

Laura comes around the corner, giving Scott and Bernard a curious look. "Hey, you two. Everything okay? I didn't think you'd be back so soon, Scott."

"Charlie called," Scott explains. "He said something to Bernard about Bobby taking the snow globe from him. Did he tell either of you about it?"

"What?" Laura says, taken aback. "No, he didn't. But he didn't really say much at all when he got home. I didn't even know he'd used the phone."

"Why would Bobby take that?" asks Neil.

He hears Charlie come thundering down the steps at that moment, racing around the corner and almost barreling right into his mom. He gives her a hasty "sorry," and then moves towards his dad and the elf.

"You got here really fast," says Charlie.

"I told you we'd be here soon," Bernard points out.

"Yea, but I didn't think it would be this soon." He looks over at his dad, face falling just a little. "Hi."

"Hey, sport. I think we need to talk." Scott motions to the kitchen table so Charlie will take a seat. He sits down with his son, Laura and Neil taking the other seats at the table while Bernard leans against the counter closest to them.

"You're not mad, right?" Charlie asks, looking at Scott and the elf.

"At Bobby? We sure are, sport. He should never have taken something that didn't belong to him."

"No, I meant at me."

"I told you, Charlie," Bernard says gently, "I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault the snow globe got taken.

"Yea, but you told me to take real good care of it, and I promised I would."

"And you have been. Bobby stealing it from you doesn't mean you haven't."

"He's right, Charlie." Scott says.

"Honey, why didn't you tell us something happened with Bobby today?" Laura asks, smoothing her son's hair back with her hand.

"Because I'm supposed to be ignoring him. But... I didn't do a very good job of that today."

"What do you mean?"

Charlie takes a deep breath, and then lets it out slowly. "Well... I was sitting on the bus with Jessica and we were talking to this new girl Danielle. She just moved here from Chicago. Bobby heard us talking and he started being a jerk again, so I told Jessica and Danielle to just ignore him 'cause he's a bully. But Bobby got mad and started picking on Danielle about her braces and then he stole her backpack! I got it back for her, but then Bobby pushed me and took mine instead. He opened it and saw the snow globe and took it. I tried to take it back from him, but the bus driver yelled at me for getting out of my seat."

"Did you tell your bus driver what Bobby did?" Neil asks.

"I tried to, but Mr. Hill wouldn't listen. He told me I needed to sit down or I was going to be in trouble."

"I can't believe this," Scott scoffs, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "This has gone on for too long. I'm going over to the Lawson's and talk with Bobby's dad. And I'm getting your snow globe back too."

Charlie slumps in his chair. "Do you have to? What if that just makes Bobby pick on me more? Can't Bernard just teleport to Bobby's house and get it back? Mr. Lawson won't see him 'cause he's magic, right?"

"I already told you, sport," the elf says, shaking his head, "I can't do that. Besides the fact I'm not very comfortable with the idea of breaking and entering, even if Bobby's dad can't see me, Bobby can. It's way too risky for me to try. Your parents will have to get it back for you."

"Come on, get you coat, Charlie. Laura, can I-"

"I'll drive," she interrupts. "I want to have a word with Mr. Lawson myself."

Scott, Charlie, Laura, and Neil all climb into Laura's minivan. The boy insists Bernard come along too, in case they do end up needing a little magic to get his snow globe back. Bernard doesn't want to ride in the car with them though, so he tells them he'll meet them at the Lawson's house. Scott's actually glad Laura offered to drive, because he doesn't quite remember how to get to the house. He's only been to it once before, and that was to pick Charlie up from a birthday party three years ago. It was the only one of Bobby's parties his son has ever gone too. After that he always begged his parents to let him miss them, which they did, because the two boys never really got along. He does recognize the house as soon as Laura rounds the turn and it comes into view though. It'd be impossible to forget its odd orange-colored siding and green shingled roof. The house looks remarkably like a giant, square pumpkin.

Laura pulls into the driveway. Scott doesn't see Bernard anywhere, but he just figures the elf is still waiting back at the Miller's enjoying the warm dry house before he teleports to them. They walk up to the front door and Neil rings the doorbell. He hears someone call to them from inside at the same time Bernard appears beside them in a shower of red and green sparkles.

"The snow globe's in Bobby's backpack," Bernard says. Scott is about to ask him how he knows this, but the front door to the house swings open. Mr. Lawson stares at them, eyebrows raised in confusion. Scott watches his gaze move over Neil and Laura, pause briefly at Charlie, and then it finally lands on him. He narrows his eyes as he looks at Scott.

"Can I help you folks?" he asks.

"Hello, Gary. How have you been?" Laura starts, giving Mr. Lawson a friendly smile. "Can we come in to talk?"

He hesitates for a moment, and then finally nods. He steps to the side so they can file into the entryway of the house. Once they're all inside he shuts the door- Bernard has to quickly step in behind Scott to avoid having the door closed on him- and turns to face them again.

Gary Lawson is a large, muscular man with the same mop of blond hair as his son, and a firm calloused handshake that lets you know he's spent most of his life working with his hands. His face is tan and scruffy from a patchy beard. Scott wouldn't say he's the friendliest man, but before this last year he's never really had a problem with him. Gary crosses his arm over his chest and asks stiffly, "what's going on?"

"Well, Charlie told us that Bobby took something of his- a snow globe. Have you seen it?"

"You all came over here because of a snow globe?"

"It's an antique snow globe that's very important to Charlie," Neil explains. "And he's very upset that it was taken. So-"

"Are you calling my son a thief?"

Scott snorts. "Yes-"

"No, we're not saying that," Laura interrupts him with a look. "Look, we all know the boys haven't been getting along for over a year now. We're not saying Bobby's a thief. Maybe he just took it because he wanted to upset Charlie. Whatever the reason, we would like it back please."

"Sorry," Gary shrugs, "I can't help you. I know my kid, and he wouldn't steal something."

"But he did!" Charlie shouts.

"Whoa, whoa, sport. Let us handle this" Scott says, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. He meets the other man's eyes with his own hard look. He can't really blame Gary for sticking up for Bobby. He'd do the same thing for Charlie were the situation reversed. But, he remembers what Bernard had said before the door opened. They're obviously not going to convince him with words alone. They need proof. "Check Bobby's backpack."

"Excuse me?"

Scott pauses, thinking of the best way to explain since he can't obviously say his elf told him where the snow globe was. "Charlie told us Bobby took the snow globe when they were on the bus, and he put it in his backpack. I know you don't believe us, but just humor me and check his bag. Please."

For a second he's sure Gary is going to tell him to shut up and get out of his house, but after a moment he lets his arms fall to his side and gives an almost defeated sigh. "Bobby! Come here a sec'!"

He hears footsteps come running towards them, and then Bobby enters the hall from a doorway to the right of them. He freezes at the sight of Charlie and the adults, the smile that had been on his face slipping down into a frown. "What?"

"Bring me your backpack."

"Why?"

Gary narrows his eyes. "Bobby, do as I say and bring me your bag."

Bobby hesitates, like he wants to argue, but he eventually goes back to the room he came from and grabs the bag. He comes back and hands it to his dad. Gary unzips the larger pocket. He pauses, closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh, before reaching into the bag and looking up at Scott.

"I don't even know what to say," he mumbles, pulling Charlie's snow globe out and holding it out to him.

Scott takes it and then hands it to Charlie. Charlie grabs it and holds it close, like he's afraid someone might take it from him again. Laura gives Gary a smile. "Thank you for listening and checking for us."

"You don't need to thank me," Gary turns to look at his son, who is slowly trying to walk back to the room he came from. "Freeze, kiddo. You owe Charlie an apology."

Bobby frowns. "Why? It was just a joke. It's not my fault he got upset about it."

"Stealing from someone isn't a joke, Bobby. Now apologize, and then go to your room. We'll discuss your punishment later."

"But-"

"Now."

"Fine. Sorry," Bobby grumbles. He doesn't sound very sorry at all. He turns and stomps away, slamming the door shut to what must be his bedroom.

Gary runs a hand down his face, suddenly looking very tired. "I'm sorry about all this."

"It's alright, everything worked out," Laura says.

"I know... It's just, Bobby's been having a real hard time lately and he keeps taking it out on the other kids."

"What do you mean by 'hard time?'" Neil asks.

"Well, you all know how his mother died a few years back. I think he's just been missing her a lot lately and instead of talking to me about it, he's been acting out. But I don't know how to help him if he won't talk."

"Have you thought about taking him to see a therapist? I know some great ones that I could recommend to you."

Scott can't help but roll his eyes. "Put the business cards away, Neil."

"Scott!" Laura chides.

"What? I just mean, maybe that's going on with him and the other kids, but I don't think that's whats happening between him and Charlie."

"What exactly do you think is going on between him and Charlie?" Gary asks, frowning.

"I think he sees your issues with me and is taking it out on my son."

"What issues, Scott?"

Scott scoffs. "Like how you think I deserve to be in jail for one."

"What? I don't-" he pauses, brow furrowed in concentration. There's an awkward moment as Gary searches his brain for something. When he finally remembers whatever it is, his eyes grow wide with surprise. "Oh, man. Scott, I'll be honest, I did say that. But that was last year, when it was all over the news that you... you know."

Gary's sentence peters out oddly as his gaze flickers down to Charlie. Scott glances at the boy as well, realizing Gary was trying to be careful with what he said for Charlie's sake, before saying "but I didn't... you know. That was all a big misunderstanding."

"Yea, I heard about that sometime after the New Year. Also heard you guys were going to family counseling too. So, I haven't said anything about you going to jail for almost a year now. I'm sorry. I'm guessing Bobby said something about that to Charlie and that's how you know about it?"

"It's what they got into the fight during recess about. H-how did you know we were going to family counseling?"

"Are you serious? That's what they were fighting for? I couldn't get Bobby to say two words about it." Gary's lips twitch, like he's trying to hide a smirk. "And, uh, my sister Sherry is your real estate agent's receptionist. And believe me when I say that girl loves to gossip."

Scott thinks of the freckle-faced woman whose name he's never been able to remember. How had he never known she was Gary Lawson's sister? "Oh, well... guess I was wrong about us having issues then."

"It's alright." Gary runs a hand over his face again. "It's not like we've really spoken to each other lately. Besides that meeting with the boys and the principal. But that didn't really ever come to much did it. Well, I hate to cut our little chit chat here short, but I need to go talk to my son. Sorry about the snow globe, again."

They leave and climb back in to Laura's minivan. Scott stares out the window as they go. He'd expected Gary to be angry and mean, especially once he saw Scott. He'd never thought the man would just look like an exhausted single dad just trying to keep his son on the right path. But Gary was right, they havn't really spoken in a while. Scott's just been assuming this entire time that what Bobby has been telling Charlie was true, and that his dad did think he was a bad man and a criminal. Thinking about it, he probably should have gone to talk with Gary a long time ago, instead of just assuming the worst.

Bernard meets them back at the Miller's house- choosing to teleport again instead of joining them on the ten minute ride back. Charlie is ecstatic about having the snow globe back. The Head Elf gently suggests that maybe it's time for the boy to put the snow globe somewhere a little safer than in his backpack. Charlie agrees, and then after apologizing one more time to the elf for losing it- which Bernard insists is unnecessary- he climbs the stairs so he can go put the glass ball in his bedroom.

"So, I have a question, Bernard," Scott says. The elf turns towards him. "How'd you know Bobby had the snow globe in his back pack?"

"I got to the house before you guys and when I looked in one of the windows I saw him shaking it. When you rang the doorbell he shoved it in there to hide it."

"Why were you looking in the window?"

"I was trying to make sure Bobby didn't see me teleport."

"Oh, well good thing you saw that. I don't know if Gary would have believed us otherwise." Charlie comes running down the stairs. He crashes into his dad. "Oomph! Watch it there, sport."

"Sorry!" Charlie says, laughing. "Are you leaving soon, Dad?"

"Afraid so. I've still got to finish checking the Naughty and Nice list. I need to make sure you're not getting coal this Christmas."

"Of course I'm not!"

Scott laughs. "Ready to go, Bernard?"

"Yea. I'd like to get back before Judy realizes we never ate that dinner she brought us."

"Right. Yikes. Scary Judy." Scott leans down to give his son a big hug. "Bye, Charlie. Love you."

"Love you too, Dad. Thanks for getting my snow globe back."

"Of course. You know I'm always here for you, sport."

Chapter Text

October brings darkness to the North Pole. The sun, which for months has been an ever-present companion shining down on the ice guarding Scott and the elves' home, has dipped below the horizon. Now, the never ending black of winter has come to hold vigil in the sky until the warmer months return next year. In response, streetlights are now lit at all times. The elficers take turns patrolling the snow fields to make sure no elf has gotten lost in dark. The heavy velvet curtains in every home are thrown open to let in what sparse light there is, and every room of the workshop has colorfully glowing Christmas lights wrapped around their borders, their glow reflected on the faces of all the elves working inside. The effect- while Scott hears many elves call this time of year "charming"- to him is a little foreboding. The streetlamps turn the snow-packed streets of Elfsburg a deep orange, harsh sinister-looking shadows cutting across the alleyways and stairwells the lights can't quite reach. He cannot see the ice mountains or the fields from the edge of town anymore- it's just too dark. The only things visible are the tiny squares of light from the retiree's' cottages that border the edge of the fields. The one thing he does enjoy about all this is the multicolored reflections of the Christmas lights in the glossy sides of newly made toys before they're sent for wrapping. That, he finds enchanting.

As he walks down the main hallway of the workshop towards the wrapping department one day, he spots Bernard, high upon a ladder. Several other elves holding boxes stand below him- all of them surrounding an enormous fir tree. It's probably a good two and a half feet taller than Scott. Strings of popcorn are wrapped all the way up the tree in one giant spiral, along with a shimmering strand of fairy lights. There are tiny white bows tied to the tips of the branches, and fragile glass baubles in silver and blue hang heavily from them as well. It's very pretty. He makes his way over and just as he's about to call out to his Head Elf he notices-- the tree is not in a stand like one would expect. No, the roots of the tree are growing straight through into the tiled floor.

"Is this... is this thing alive?"

Bernard turns to look at him, hand paused in the air from where he'd been about to hang another glittery silver ornament. "Uh, yea? Of course it is."

"What do you mean 'of course?' T-the roots- the floor-"

"One day," Bernard begins with a rather put-upon sigh, "you're going to have to read that handbook." He hangs the ornament in his hand and then leaps down off the ladder, landing neatly by the other elves. He tells the others to keep decorating, and then moves towards Scott.

"What does the handbook have to do with stuff that shouldn't be possible?" Scott asks.

"Magic makes the impossible, possible, Santa."

"Like growing trees in the middle of a hallway on the second floor of a building?"

"In this case, yes." At Scott's snort, Bernard laughs. "Okay, this may be a weird case, but my point still stands. Anyway, this is a special tree. It's basically the... manifestation of all your magic. The brighter Christmas magic burns, the healthier the tree is. Every Legendary Figure has one. I know you've seen some of the others."

Scott shakes his head. "No, I haven't. I'd have noticed a random tree growing out of the floor at Tooth's place."

"Really?"Bernard asks, eyebrow raised. "How many times did you walk by this one without noticing it was there?"

"Oh, shut up," Scott grumbles.

Bernard laughs. "So, what are you doing, Santa? I thought you were checking the list?"

"Taking a break to stretch my legs a bit. Thought I'd check in with the other department heads. Want to come with?"

"Hm," Bernard taps his chin with a finger as if in deep thought. "I should be getting back to the Main Floor to help Curtis so... yea! I'd love to."

Scott snorts and then the two of them leave the other elves to their decorating. They spend about an hour walking around and chitchatting with the other Heads, and then Scott leaves Bernard on the Main Floor so he can go back to his office to continue trudging through the many names on the list still waiting to be checked. He doesn't get very far though, because the phone on his desk gives a sudden, shrill ring.

"Hel-lo!" he says cheerily, placing the receiver in the crook of his neck so he can keep perusing the list. "Scott speaking."

"Scott! It's Louie."

"Hey! How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing fine. Listen, I can't talk long. I'm just about to leave the office to meet Loretta for lunch." The line crackles with static. Scott winces at the noise. "But I got some good news I wanted to share with you."

"What's that?"

"We've got a buyer for the townhouse!"

Scott starts, nearly dropping the phone in his surprise. "What? Are you serious?"

"Yes!" and Louie lets out a delighted laugh. "It's this couple and their two daughters. They fell in love with the neighborhood once they saw all the other children that lived there. Said they were hoping for a place where their kids could make lots of friends. They just put in an offer this morning. And I let them know about your and Laura's misunderstanding last year."

"O-oh? How'd that go over?"

"Pretty well, actually. I guess the husband has another kid with an ex-wife and they had some custody issues a few years back. He was pretty understanding."

Scott lets out a slow breath, one he hadn't quite realized he was holding. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried that his house would never sell. That the reminder of the person he'd been before would sit there, gathering dust, like some quiet, hollow monument of all the selfish choices he'd made before putting on the coat. Louie finding people who believed him was like a weight lifting off his shoulders. Scott suddenly felt so much lighter.

"Thank you, Louie. Really."

"You're welcome, Scott. Now, I've got to go. You know Loretta will chew me out something awful if I'm late. I'll call you with more details later, alright?"

"Sure thing. Bye, Louie."

Scott has a pep in his step for the rest of the week and well through the weekend. When Monday arrives, he takes Comet down to the Miller's so they can go to family counseling after picking Charlie up from school. Laura and Neil are excited for him when he shares the news. Neil promises they'll toast to him finally getting an offer- with non-alcoholic apple cider- once they get back from counseling, and Laura insists Scott stay for dinner so they can celebrate together. Scott's good mood lasts all the way to Dr. Sanchez's office. He plops down into his favorite squashy armchair and for once is happy to share with the woman everything new in his life.

"Congratulations, Scott. I'm sure worrying about whether or not your house was going to sell was causing you some stress," she says.

Scott nods his head. "Yea, I guess it was."

"Anything else you want to share?"

"Not really."

"Alright," Dr. Sanchez reaches over to a folder that's sitting on the table beside her chair. "Today I want us to go over our progress so far this year. I know you'll be meeting with Judge Whalen in the next month or so to discuss if he thinks we should continue with our meetings. I just want to know how each of you feels regarding everything, before I send my recommendation to the judge."

"Recommendation?" Scott asks, confused.

She nods. "About if I feel you all should continue with family therapy or not."

"You get to make that decision?"

"No, that's up to the judge. All I do is tell him whether or not I think you all would benefit from more counseling or not. But that's still awhile away. I just want to know how each of you feels about our time together so far."

"What if we say we think we've had enough counseling?" Scott asks, feeling a little defensive suddenly. He's been trying with the therapy, like he promised he would. But he hates the idea of another year sitting in this office. He doesn't see how it would help them.

"Do you think you've had enough?" Dr. Sanchez asks, her pen perched above her notebook so she can write down whatever Scott says.

"Well- yea. Look, I'd be the last person to admit that counseling has helped us, but even I can't deny that it has. We're able to do things as a family now, Laura and I aren't fighting like we used to, and Charlie and I are spending time together as often as we can. I think we're good."

"What does everyone else think?"

"I agree that we've come a long way, but I don't think it would hurt for us to remain in therapy for a while longer," Neil says.

"Well of course you'd say that," Scott mumbles. Laura shoots him an annoyed look.

"As I was saying, it certainly couldn't hurt. Even though we are doing better, I know there's still some work that needs done. I mean, we haven't hit a bad patch yet, which is nice, but I've been sort of worried about what's going to happen the first time we do."

"What do you mean, Neil?" Dr. Sanchez asks.

"Everything's been going really well," Neil explains slowly, his eyes focused on his hands, like studying his fingernails will help him choose the words he needs to get his point across. "We are spending more time together, we're solving problems together. It feels very much like we're a family- all four of us. But life isn't just full of good moments. There are bad times too... and I guess part of me is still worried that the first time we hit one of those snags, we'll go back to exactly how everything was before."

"That's a valid concern, and if I'm being honest something I've wondered myself." Dr. Sanchez puts down her pen so she can give them her full attention. "It's easy to say 'everything's fine, we're fixed' when things are going well. But what will really show how far you've come, as individuals and as a family, is how you react when things aren't going so smoothly. I'd like each of you to think about that- even you Charlie. How do you think you'd react?"

The rest of the day, Scott feels much more subdued than he was before. He does his best to hide it during dinner with the Millers. It's difficult though, with Dr. Sanchez's words echoing in his head. How would he react? He wants to say, if some sort of trouble were to come up, he'd handle himself differently than he ever would have before. He wants to say he wouldn't get defensive, or start an argument with Laura and Neil. He wants to say, if he were the problem, he wouldn't make excuses like he did before. But even he knows he can't say those things, not with a hundred percent certainty. Because there is a chance that they haven't really fixed their problems, not yet. Which means there's a chance they're still the same people who would argue and insult each other, who are so bad at communicating with each other that the police have to get involved.

Just like his joy did, Scott's sour mood follows him for the rest of the week. He knows Bernard and Curtis have noticed, can feel their eyes following him as he mopes around the workshop. He takes to hiding in his office as often as he can, (he's still checking the list so it's not like he isn't getting any work done), just to avoid any questions.

He should have realized his Head Elf wouldn't let this go on for long. Three days later, Scott is staring glumly into his hot chocolate, when the door to his office is swung open. He jumps, spilling the sticky sweet liquid over his fingers. Thank heavens it had already gone cold, or else that would have hurt. Bernard enters the room, a heavy silver tray holding two large mugs in his arms.

"You scared the heck out of me, Bernard. Since when don't you knock?" Scott grumbles, searching his desk for something to wipe his hands on.

Bernard walks over and sets the tray on the desk, handing Scott a cloth napkin once his hands are free. "My hands were full so I couldn't."

"Oh," Scott nods his head at the mugs. "What's that."

"Eggnog. Thought we might toast to your townhouse finally selling."

"It's not official yet. That couple just made the offer like two weeks ago."

"Yea, but I have a feeling everything will go smoothly," Bernard says, taking a seat across from Scott. The elf hands him a mug, and then picks up the other, holding it in the air as he looks at Scott expectantly.

Scott huffs out a laugh, and then clinks his mug against Bernard's. The elf grins at him and says simply "congrats!" before taking a long sip of the drink. Scott brings his own mug to his lips and takes a rather large swig.

"Ack! Jeez. Bernard!" Scott splutters through a cough, his throat burning. "What did you put in this?"

Bernard gives a thoughtful hum as he takes another drink. "Whiskey. I know a lot of people prefer brandy, but I think the whiskey adds more of a kick."

"Did you pour the entire bottle into my glass?"

"Is it too strong for you? I think it tastes just fine."

Scott shakes his head. He watches him take another drink, a question popping into his mind and slipping past his lips before he can stop it. "How- how old are you?"

Bernard pauses. "Where did that come from?"

"I've been wondering it for a while, actually." Scott shrugs and takes another, more tentative, sip from his own mug. "I mean, you look like you're seventeen or eighteen."

"If you're worried about me drinking, I assure you I'm several hundred years older than any drinking age on Earth."

"No, no, that's not why I'm asking," Scott laughs. "I'm just- I'm curious. I know you're the oldest out of all the elves, but sometimes you guys say your ages and I get confused. Like, I know Judy and Quintin are at least twelve hundred, because they've told me they were little ones together, and that's how long it took Judy to get her cocoa recipe the way she wanted it. But Curtis and Abby are only nine hundred, and yet they don't look too far off in age from them."

"Magical creatures... we age a lot differently than you humans do. The older we get, the slower our bodies age. That's why all the retirees look like teenagers, even though some of them are way older than the others."

"So, how old are you then?"

Bernard stares at him over the rim of his mug. "Guess."

"What?"

"Guess. Come on, it'll be fun. I promise to tell you if you're right or not."

Scott studies the boy in front of him for a long moment. "Two thousand?"

Bernard busts out laughing. "S-sorry. But you're not even close, Santa."

"Seriously?" At Bernard's nod, he sighs. "Well, I'm going to guess right one day. Watch me."

They sit in companionable silence for a while. Scott feels in a much better mood for the first time in over a week. He's still worried about what Neil had said, that's not going to go away no matter how much he wishes it would, but sitting in his office sipping at too-strong eggnog with his Head Elf has certainly cheered him up. They still don't know each other very well- or, at least, he doesn't know much about Bernard- but he's been starting to think of the boy as a friend, not just someone he works with. He's sure Bernard didn't just come up here to toast to someone placing an offer on his townhouse. He did it because he was worried about Scott. And yet he hadn't tried to pry. Which Scott really appreciates, because even though he knows the elf would be happy to listen to his problems, he doesn't think he wants to talk about this one right now. He wonders if Bernard knows that, just like he always knows when something is bothering Scott.

Just then, Curtis's voice comes crackling out of the radio clipped to Bernard's belt. He says something about a bad batch of presents. Bernard sets his mug down onto the desk, letting out a very put-upon sigh. He unhooks the radio and says back, "just inspect them and send whatever's good off to wrapping. I'll have a talk with them later."

"What's that about?" Scott asks, watching as Bernard pinches the bridge of his nose.

"It's nothing. Just more presents that were made wrong."

"Whoa whoa, that doesn't sound like nothing to me." Scott sets his mug down onto the desk beside Bernard's. "And what do you mean 'more?'"

Bernard fidgets in his seat, not meeting Scott's eye. "Well, the elves on the Main Floor keeping messing up some of the presents. Not the generic ones we make for kids who don't write anything but what kind of toy they want, but the one's with the really specific customizations. Like if they want a certain color or something. This is the third time this month we've caught them getting stuff switched around."

"What? Why didn't you tell me about any of this?"

"Because it's nothing! I swear, it happens every year. The elves get themselves all worked up because they think they're falling behind and then suddenly they're making mistakes they normally wouldn't."

"Are we behind?"

"No, no," Bernard buries his face in his hands, his next words coming out in a muffled groan. "This is why I don't ever say anything to Santa. It sounds so much worse when I do."

"Alright buddy, look at me." When Bernard doesn't move, Scott reaches over to gently tug at one of the elf's hands. "Come on, look at me or I'm taking your eggnog away- don't laugh, I mean it. Whether you think it's a big deal or not, I still want you to tell me when something's going on in the workshop. We're a team. We're supposed to figure this stuff out together. The good and the bad."

"It's just... the other Santa's never really cared about the simple stuff. They were always too busy with their own work. It's been a really long time since we've had a Santa who didn't just leave all the little things to me."

"Does it bother you that I don't?"

Bernard's brow furrows as he thinks over his words. "No. It's just... different. Not in a bad way though."

"Good. I want you to rely on me as much as I rely on you."

"I think I can do that."

Scott tries his best to be in a much better mood after his and Bernard's conversation. Part of him wonders if one of the reasons Bernard thought he was just another Santa he couldn't bother with any small problems in the workshop is because of how he'd been acting all last week. He's sure he hadn't been the most helpful when he was on the Main Floor, and since he'd kept hiding in his office, maybe the Head Elf took that as Scott thinking he had more important things to do. That's not how Scott feels at all, so he does his best to show that. He spends extra time helping the elves with the toys and is happy to see that no more have to be redone before they can be sent for wrapping.

Just a few days before the end of the month, Scott finds himself back in his office, pouring over the thick stack of papers Mother Nature had sent down, reporting how September's autumnal equinox had gone and her progress with the changing of seasons. He'd found the report sitting on his desk when he'd came in to take his lunch, the bright purple sticky note with a neat cursive apology for the report's lateness catching his eye immediately. He appreciates Mother Nature's attention to detail, but ten pages in, and her tiny, cramped writing is starting to blur together. When the phone in his office lets out a shrill ring, he happily pushes the report away so he can grab the receiver, saying a silent thank you to whomever just saved him from having to read about the average temperatures in the eastern hemisphere.

"Dad?" he hears Charlie say over the crackling line.

"Hey, sport! Everything okay?"

"Yea, it's fine. Mom just wanted me to call and ask you if you'll be coming down to go trick-or-treating with us this year?"

The hope in Charlie's voice is unmistakable. It actually makes Scott pause, because Charlie hasn't asked for his dad to join them on Halloween night in about three years. Not since the first one, right after his and Laura's divorce. The two of them had spent the entire time arguing and making snide remarks at each other. He remembers Charlie asking his mom if they could go home early, and he remembers feeling terrible about how he'd ruined the night for his son. The fact that Charlie was willing to give it another shot, was unbelievable.

"Dad?"

"Yea- sorry. I-I'd love to come. What time does your mom want me at the house?"

Charlie gives him the time, and after making his dad promise to wear some kind of costume, he hangs up. Scott doesn't have anything to wear that could pass as a costume- besides his suit, but he's definitely not going to dress as Santa- so he gets up and goes down to the first floor of the workshop, all the way to the back of the building, so he can visit Edna. This part of the workshop is mostly storage closets, but there's also the rooms for Maintenance and the Clothing department, and the room the elves use as their own personal lounge. It's still noisy back here, but instead of the banging of hammers and the happy voices of elves, mostly what Scott hears is the whirring of sewing machines, and the soft sound of Christmas music crooning out of a tiny radio on one of the tables closest to the Clothing department's door.

He finds Edna at one of the sewing machines, a pretty glittering silver fabric spread across the table in front of her. Her thick, dark hair is tied back in a single plait and secured with a velvet, navy blue ribbon. When her warm brown eyes look up at his approach, he sees that she has a mouthful of colorful pins.

She takes them out and sets them on the table in front of her. Mouth free, she asks "can I help you, Santa?"

"Hey Edna, any chance you could do me a huge favor?"

"Of course? What do you need?"

"Well, you remember my son Charlie?" At her nod he continues, "he wants me to go trick-or-treating with his mom and him, but I need a Halloween costume. I don't have one, and this close to the thirty-first, it'd probably be hard for me to find one in the store. Is... is there any chance you and the elves could help me out with making one?"

Edna perks up at the idea. "Oh, that sounds like fun! I don't think we've ever made a Halloween costume before. What are you going dressed as?"

"I haven't really thought about it. What do you think I should be?"

"Hm..." Edna taps her finger against her chin as she thinks. "How about you let me and the other elves make you something as a surprise? I promise you'll love it!"

"Alright. Sounds good to me."

With the promise that the costume will be ready before he has to leave to meet Charlie and Laura in a few days, Scott goes back to work. Halloween morning comes quicker than he expected it to. He spends the day on the workshop floor, and then when evening comes around- after double checking that Bernard will still teleport him down to the Miller's once he's ready- he returns to his bedroom to get dressed in his costume. Edna is dropping it off when he arrives in the room. He greets her, and then looks over what she's brought. There is a bright blue jacket with a large, sequined collar. The bottom half of the jacket's sleeves are also sequined, and it has flowy black cuffs. There is a satin tuxedo shirt with enormous ruffle on the front, a black circular broach with diamonds around its edge, and a silver sequined cummerbund. He spots a pair of black trousers made out of thick wool and a pair of black boots. In Edna's hands is a messy blond wig.

"Um... what-"

"It's the Goblin King from the Labyrinth movie! Won't that be fun?"

Scott looks at the clothes with a new appreciation. "Actually, yea. I love that movie. I remember taking Laura to see it when it first came out. What gave you the idea to make me this as a costume?"

"Josiah brought me back the VHS the last time he went out on a training assignment. It's one of my favorite movies. I had a feeling you might like it too."

"Well, you were right. Thanks, Edna."

"You're welcome, Santa. Have a nice time tonight!"

Edna leaves after that, so Scott gets dressed. He's just picked up the wig from where Edna had set it on the bed when he hears a knock on the door. He opens the door to see Bernard. The Head Elf stares at him, mouth open like he'd been about to speak. Scott watches as the boy's lips start to twitch, like he's fighting a smile.

"What, ah... what are you supposed to be?"

"I'm the Goblin King! Here, hold on." Scott puts on the wig, leaning over to check his reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall not too far from the door. "See?"

"You don't look like any goblin I've ever seen," Bernard laughs.

Scott looks at him curiously. "Have you seen a goblin before?"

"Uh, yea. But anyway, are you ready to go? You'll be late if we don't leave soon."

"Oh, right. Let's go."

Bernard whisks them down to Illinois and then says a hurried goodbye to Scott, telling him he'll be back to pick him up in the morning. Scott knocks on the back door of the Miller's home. It's a cool Autumn night, the wind blowing just enough for Scott to be thankful Edna had lined the jacket with something warm and soft. Laura comes to the door. She's dressed in a black and orange witch's hat, with a dress and tights in matching colors. As she slides the door open, her eyes fall to Scott's outfit.

"Oh my gosh, Scott!" she laughs. "What are you wearing?"

"I'm the Goblin King!" he explains again. "You know, from the Labyrinth?"

Laura smiles. "I don't remember David Bowie having such a big beard in that movie."

"That's just my own special flair."

Laura laughs and invites him inside. He sits at the table as he waits for Charlie to come downstairs. Laura pours him a cup of coffee and sits with him. She tells them which streets they're planning on walking down. She wants to just go around the neighborhood, so they don't have to drive anywhere.

Neil comes into the room just then, holding a large bag of candy. When he sees Scott he gives him a wide grin. "Scott! Nice costume."

"At least someone likes it," Scott jokes.

"Charlie should be ready in just a minute," Neil tells Laura.

She nods her head. "Before we go, I just wanted to say something." Scott gives her his full attention. "I know last time the three of us went out trick-or-treating, things... weren't so great. I remember I pushed you to come along, which was insensitive of me, since it hadn't been very long after the divorce. I thought we had to go as a family, or else we'd ruin it for Charlie. But we ended up ruining it anyway, with all our fighting."

"Yea," Scott mumbles, "sorry about that."

"It was my fault too. Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for giving it another shot. Charlie's really excited about you coming."

Scott nods his head, smiling down at his coffee cup. "I'm glad. I'm really happy I get to join you guys."

Charlie comes thundering down the steps, wearing a shiny silver astronaut suit and a plastic helmet, the clear visor flipped up so it's easier for everyone to hear him. He races over to his dad, throwing his arms around Scott's shoulders and accidentally knocking their heads together. Scott winces. "Ouch, watch it there, sport."

"Sorry," Charlie lets go so he can instead grab his dad's arm. He tries pulling him to his feet. "Come on! Let's go before all the good candy is gone!"

The adults all laugh at Charlie's enthusiasm. Scott gets to his feet and ruffles his son's hair. "Alright. Let's go trick-or-treating!"

Chapter Text

The morning of November first, Scott wakes up in the guest bedroom of the Miller's house. Soft sunlight is creeping in through a crack in the blinds, dancing across the fluffy beige carpet and baby blue duvet so it can linger across his eyelids. He rolls over to escape from the light, the bed groaning as he moves. Scott blinks his eyes open and lets out a huge yawn.

It's early enough that the house is still quiet. There's no sounds of Neil singing along to the radio in the kitchen, or of Charlie stomping around as he gets dressed for the day. It's really peaceful, calm. All he can hear is the soft tick tick tick of the clock on the wall. Scott sits up in bed and stretches, his back giving a satisfying pop. As his arms flop back down to his sides, his gaze lands on the red and black nylon overnight bag sitting near the door of the room. The topmost zipper of the bag is open, and a ruffly white satin shirt and messy blond wig are spilling out. He'd accidentally left the bag back at the Pole last night, but sometime while he, Laura, and Charlie were gone it had appeared, ready and waiting for him in this room with his pajamas, a change of clothes, and his toiletries. He's sure it was Judy who'd noticed he'd forgotten it. He makes a mental note to thank the elf-girl when he gets back.

Scott lets out another yawn and then gets out of bed so he can rummage around the overnight bag for his clean clothes. He has to pull the blue sequined jacket out to reach his sweater and jeans. As he holds it in his hands though, he can't help but smile, the memory of last night easily coming to mind. It had been a lot of fun. Neil had stayed behind to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, but even being one person short in their mixed up little family, they'd had a blast. They'd started off the night walking to the street closest to the main road. It was here they met up with Charlie's friends, Jessica O'Hara and Danielle Adams- who Scott remembered was the new girl Charlie had stopped Bobby from picking on- and their families. Danielle's mom, a curvy woman barely over five feet tall with wild brunette curls, who was dressed in a rabbit suit that strangely reminded Scott of the Easter Bunny, gave them a hearty hello as the O'Haras ushered them into their huddle. The last night of October had a chill to it, the wind cutting right through the fabric of their costumes. Crowding all together seemed like the best way to guard themselves against the cold. The adults went over what streets they wanted to walk around while the kids compared costumes. Jessica was wearing a sparkly, poofy princess dress with a plastic jeweled tiara, her blonde hair in neat ringlet curls, and her little brother Theodore (who everyone just calls Teddy) was dressed like a fuzzy brown bear. Danielle was dressed as a doctor. She proudly showed her friends her shiny little stethoscope, and the place where someone had carefully stitched "Dr. Danielle" in thin black letters onto her medical coat.

The group had set off down the street behind them, planning on making their way back to Laura's where Neil would be waiting for them with warm drinks and pizza and a scary movie for everyone to watch together. The sidewalks were packed with people, all in amazing costumes. Scott saw witches with pointy black hats, vampires with long capes and fake fangs. He saw brightly colored superheroes and more princesses with large crinkly skirts. He saw dragons, knights, clowns, zombies, and even a mother and her son in matching scarecrow costumes. And the neighborhood looked amazing too. The windows of almost every house were trimmed with shining purple and orange lights. There were glow-in-the-dark plastic skeletons, fake gravestones, ghosts hanging from tree branches that howled eerily when you got too close. He saw porches lined with jack-o-lanterns, their toothy grins flickering with the candlelight within.

Laura had tucked an empty pillowcase under her arm in case Charlie's pumpkin-shaped bucket got too full. Which, after three streets worth of houses, it definitely was. The smiles never left the kids' faces, and they positively crowed with excitement at how much candy they'd received. As they'd made their final stops before going back to the Miller's, Scott couldn't help but think about how much he regretted missing out on the last couple of Halloweens with his son. He'd been doing that a lot over the past few months- thinking about all the moments he lost because of his and Laura's fighting, and him always putting his job at the toy company before Charlie. And it's awful, but he'd realized he's spent more time with Charlie this year than the two before he put the coat on combined.

Something else he'd noticed was how little everyone in the neighborhood seemed to care about him being there. Maybe no one recognized him in his goblin king costume, but Scott had been expecting at least some dirty looks or rude comments. Something. These were the people who had come running out of their homes in the middle of the night to watch him get arrested. The ones who'd stood in their pajamas and heavy winter coats as he was shoved into the back of the cop car. So it's not crazy to assume they'd have a problem with him joining the crowd trick-or-treating. But no one had said or done anything. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't surprised. People don't normally forget nights like last Christmas Eve so easily, and they certainly don't forgive them just like that. But maybe people in town were starting to believe that it was all a big misunderstanding. Maybe they were like Gary Lawson and they didn't think Scott should have been arrested. But then again, if they were like Principal Moore, then even if they didn't think Scott tried to kidnap his own son, they certainly didn't like him anymore. Every house they went to, every doorbell they rang or front door they knocked on, Scott wondered who the people answering were more like. Did they trust him again? Did they hate him? Or maybe it was neither and they didn't think anything about him at all. Scott wasn't the center of the universe. It was possible everyone had moved on months ago and the only one still worried about what happened last year was Scott.

When they'd made it back to the Miller's, the kids had made a beeline for the living room, where the cheesy aroma of a fresh-from-the-oven pizza wafted through the air. Scott had helped Neil bring in mugs of apple cider for everyone, and then their large group all sat down to watch a movie. Despite feeling a little out of his element- even before spending all his time with elves, Scott never spent much time with other people from his or the Miller's neighborhoods- he'd enjoyed the rest of the night. They watched Casper, which he thought was pretty entertaining for a kids movie. Charlie and his friends certainly liked it, because they asked to watch it again as soon as the credits rolled. By the time the O'Hara's and Danielle and her mom left, all the kids' eyes were drooping shut. Scott was exhausted, too. He'd said goodnight to Charlie, and then he and Neil cleaned up the living room while Laura tucked Charlie into bed. Neil did the dishes while Scott cleaned up spilled popcorn and candy wrappers. Finally, as the clock ticked just past midnight, the adults bid each other goodnight, and climbed into their respective beds to get some sleep.

Scott shakes his head, bringing himself back to the quiet bedroom. He grabs his toiletries and his change of clothes, and then tiptoes his way into the guest bathroom across the hall. The bathroom is chilly, the cold tile floor stinging his bare feet. Scott hurries over to the shower and turns on the hot water. In minutes steam starts to fill the room, the mirror above the sink slowly getting fogged with moisture. Scott undresses, slips past the shower curtain, and ducks his head into the spray.

A little while later he finally hears movement in the house- Charlie's unmistakable thundering footsteps from the second floor- so he shuts off the water and finishes getting ready for the day. Scott leaves the bathroom and stuffs his pajamas and toiletries back into his overnight bag. Bernard should be here to pick him up soon. November is the start of what the elves call "crunch time," so the boy will probably want to get back to the workshop as soon as possible. They have a lot to do between now and Christmas. Scott finished his first check of the list, so he needs to start his second run through. He has to meet with Larry and Josiah to decide on the flight plans for Christmas. Quintin mentioned wanting to make some final upgrades to the sleigh, so Scott needs to see how those are going. He also thinks he should be on the Main Floor as much as possible helping Bernard double check the presents before they're sent for wrapping. They won't have much time for fixing mistakes, so he needs to make sure none manage to slip by the elves. All in all, he's got a very busy two months ahead of him.

The doorbell rings, so Scott goes to answer it. He says good morning when he notices Neil coming out of his and Laura's bedroom at the top of the stairs. Neil manages a thank you for grabbing the door as he lets out a huge yawn. Bernard is waiting outside, looking as wide awake as normal.

"Morning, boss!" he chirps.

"It's only eight o'clock. Can you not be a morning person, just once?" Scott grumbles. He steps aside so Bernard can come inside.

The elf rolls his eyes, and says sarcastically, "yea, sure. I'll get right on that." Scott goes into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Bernard follows him, adding, "Are you about ready to go?"

"Yea. Charlie wanted me to stay for breakfast though so it'll be a minute."

"Oh. Well I can come back in like an hour if you want?"

"No no," Scott says, pushing Bernard into a seat at the kitchen table. "Stay and eat with us. It'll be a nice little break before going back up to the pole."

"Alright," the elf agrees, though he sounds a little reluctant to do so.

Scott gets started on breakfast. He's not as good a cook as Neil, but he can make a decent omelette when he wants to, and bacon is easy enough to fry. Soon the kitchen fills with the robust earthy smell of coffee brewing and the sound of bacon sizzling in the pan. The Millers and Charlie join them at the table right as Scott slides the last cheese and pepper filled omelette onto its plate. Charlie is ecstatic to see the Head Elf and insists on sitting next to him so he can tell him all about how his Halloween night had gone. Scott chats with Laura and Neil while he eats, Laura reminding him of their appointment with Judge Whalen in a week and a half. After breakfast, Scott grabs his bag from the guest bedroom and then gives Charlie a hug goodbye. He promises the boy that he'll see him soon, and then the elf whisks them away to the Pole.

Scott gets right to work helping the elves. They weren't kidding when they described this time as "crunch time." The workshop is so noisy with voices and the whirring of machines and the banging of hammers that it hurts Scott's ears. Toys are piled high in carts before being sent off to wrapping and Scott does his best to make sure none of the ones with the neat blue tag bearing the words "Made Special for:_" and whichever-child-wanted-it's name written in Bernard's curly script or Curtis's slanted print leave without being checked for mistakes. Thankfully, after the issues last month, it seems like everyone is being more careful. He finds a couple with small mistakes- the wrong colored bow on a teddy bear, a bike with a pink basket instead of a white one- but they are easily fixed. Even so, the work starts to pile on with each passing day, until more than a weeks worth of days have blurred together and Scott suddenly finds himself overwhelmed. He's bounced back and forth from the Main Floor to the other departments so much, he feels like one of those ragged overused tennis balls kids use when they're learning how to play tennis in gym class. When Bernard stops by a worktable he's helping at one morning to ask if he and Scott could go look over some paperwork together, Scott wants to hug the boy, he's so relieved. They leave the noisy Main Floor and head to his much quieter office. Scott flops down into one of the squashy armchairs by the fireplace and lets out a sigh.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Bernard smirking at him, but the elf doesn't say anything about how exhausted he must look. Instead, he takes his own seat and starts rifling through his shoulder bag, pulling out a messy file of papers.

"I asked Clara to print me off the inventory reports for each department. The numbers look good."

"Oh yea?" Scott asks, taking the papers from his Head Elf. There's columns and graphs and all sorts of numbers in tiny, cramped writing. It sort of makes his head hurt.

"Yea. If we keep this up, we should definitely have all the presents ready by Christmas."

"Well, that's good." Scott says with a sigh. He lets his head fall back against the chair.

Bernard smirks at him again. "You okay there, Santa?"

"No," he grumbles. "I feel like all my muscles have been turned to jelly. I'm so tired. How on earth do you all do this every year. I've never done so much work in my life."

"Eh, you get used to it after a while. Plus, you know, we're magical. It takes a lot more to tire us out."

"Wish I was the same way."

"You are." Bernard laughs at the disbelieving look Scott shoots him. "I know it doesn't seem like it 'cause it's your first full year up here, but you really will get used to it. You just have to build up your... supernatural muscles first."

"My what?"

"Okay, maybe that wasn't the best way to explain it." He pauses. "So, you know how you were told last year that Santa gets all his magic the first year after he puts on the coat? Well... I personally don't think that's quite right."

Scott raises his eyebrow, interested. "What do you mean?"

Bernard leans over and takes one of the reports back. He waves it in front of Scott's face. "There are how many children in the world that celebrate Christmas? And you get magic from each and every one of them. There's no way you get all of it that first year. I mean, how long did it even take for you to start changing? I know the Santa Handbook says you get your magic by that first Christmas, but if I had it my way it wouldn't. With all the magic you have, you probably won't really be in full control of it until some time next year. Santa's supposed to be able to create things with his magic just as easy as the elves do, if not more so. And have you ever tried to do that?"

"No... I didn't know I could. How do I do that?"

"It's supposed to come naturally. As easy as breathing, you know? But if you've never even had the inkling to give it a try it's because you magic isn't ready to yet. Once you get there this job will be a lot easier, trust me."

"How come you've never told me this before?" Scott takes the report back. It's an itemized list of stuffed animals from Theo's department, separated into different columns by amounts made, colors, sizes, and how many have specific customizations. The total amount so far is huge. Scott knows that not every child asked for a stuffed toy, so the number he has in his hand probably doesn't even come close to amount of children who believe in him. And he gets magic from every one of them? That's... that's a lot of magic.

Bernard watches him for a moment, an odd, clouded expression passing over his face. "I'm not supposed to, actually. I'm only supposed to tell you what's in the handbook. Doesn't matter if I agree with it or not."

"What? That's doesn't make any sense. Do you know how relieved I am now that I know there's a good chance I can get better at my job? Why wouldn't you be allowed to tell me all this?"

"Because," the boy says with a sigh, "One of the Legendary Councils from forever ago decided that only what was written in the handbook should be taught to the new Santa's and if changes needed to be made, they were the only ones allowed to do it. Did I ever tell you that I was the one to write that dumb book?" When he sees Scott shake his head, he continues. "I originally wrote it after our... fourth Santa? I think? Anyway, I got tired of having to go over everything just for the big guy to forget what I said the next day. So I wrote down everything I knew into one book and just started giving it to the new Santa when he finally moved up to the Pole. It worked great for a while, and the Council was so impressed they made that rule.

"The problem is though, I eventually realized that I didn't know everything there was to know about Santa, and I actually had some stuff wrong- like when you get complete control of your magic. So now, even though I know loads of stuff not written in that thing, I'm not allowed to tell you any of it unless that rule is changed. And while I think I could convince Mother Nature and maybe even Tooth Fairy that the handbook is outdated, I'd probably never get the others to listen to me about why it needs to be changed. They're a pretty open-minded group, but I'm still just a magical creature to them. Cupid says I don't know what I'm talking about half the time."

"But, it might be really helpful to know some of that stuff! I mean, maybe all the other Santa's wouldn't get so overwhelmed either if they knew the job gets easier after a while."

"Maybe, but there's nothing I can do about it. But that's why I tell everyone that you don't have to follow everything in there to a T. And to ask me if you have any questions about what you read. I don't think the book is totally useless. It does have a lot of information in it you need to know. It's just there's big stuff in there that isn't right at all. If you ask me to clarify something for you, then I should be able to tell you about it without breaking the council's rule."

Scott frowns. "You're not going to get in trouble for telling me about the magic, right? Because I technically didn't ask."

"No, not unless you tell on me!" Bernard jokes. Scott laughs, just as the phone on his desk lets out a shrill ring. He heaves himself up to go answer it. Laura's voice comes crackling over the line.

"Hey, Scott!"

"Hey, Laura. What's up? Everything okay?"

"Yes..." She hesitates for a moment. Scott gets the feeling she's waiting for something. When whatever it is doesn't come, she lets out a barely audible sigh. "Are you, uh, on your way down?"

Scott pauses. Had he made plans to go see Charlie?

"Our appointment with the judge is at two o'clock, remember? You never said whether or not you were taking one of the reindeer down or if Bernard was just going to bring you so I wanted to make sure-"

"O-oh! Right. Sorry about that. I thought I told you." Scott quickly checks his watch. Thank goodness, it's just now past eleven o'clock. "B-Bernard is going to drop me off about a quarter after one. That should be enough time to pick Charlie up from school and make it to the courthouse. Right?"

Laura lets out an obviously relieved sigh. "Yea, that should be plenty of time. Sorry. When Neil and I realized we hadn't heard from you I was worried the appointment had slipped your mind."

"No, no," Scott says through an awkward laugh. "I'll be there. See you guys soon."

He hangs up the phone and turns back towards his Head Elf.

"Bernard is going to do what now?" the elf says, a frown on his face as he leans heavily back into the plush cushions of his armchair.

"Can you take me down to Laura and Neil's at one?" Scott asks, suddenly feeling panicked. "I forgot we had an appointment with Judge Whalen today. He's supposed to decide if he wants to extend that stupid court-appointed family counseling. I won't make it in time if I take one of the reindeer."

Bernard shrugs his shoulders. "Sure, Santa. But why didn't you tell me or Judy about your appointment? We could have reminded you and arranged one of the reindeer to take you down this morning."

"I forgot."

Bernard shoots him a disapproving look. "That's really not something you should forget about. Laura would've been furious if you missed that meeting."

"I know, I know. But I've been so busy it slipped my mind. Thanks for taking me down, though." He moves to sit back down in his armchair. "We better finish going over these reports so I can go get ready."

Bernard drops him off in the Miller's backyard at ten past one. Scott says another 'thank you' to the boy and then lets him know he should probably be done around three-thirty. Bernard disappears back to the pole in that shower of red and green sparkles as Scott walks up to the sliding glass door and knocks on the window. Neil looks up from where he's reading at the kitchen table, smiling when he sees him. He motions for him to come in, so Scott slides the door open and steps inside. It's chilly and windy outside, so the warmth of their home is wonderful. Scott takes off the jacket he'd put on and folds it over the back of a chair, and then takes a seat himself.

"No work today, Neil?" he asks.

Neil shakes his head. "I had a few appointments with patients this morning, but I left around lunch time. How's the Pole?"

"Busier than ever," Scott sighs, just as Laura comes walking into the kitchen. She has one hand on her growing belly.

"I think Lucy has decided to take up kickboxing," she says to her husband. "Hi, Scott!" She adds when she sees him.

"Hey. Did you two find out the baby's a girl? I thought you were waiting until after they're born?"

"We are," Neil explains. "Lucy is what we're naming them if they're a girl. If the baby's a boy we're naming them after my grandad, Phillip."

"I'm positive they're a girl, but Neil doesn't believe me." She rolls her eyes as Neil huffs at her.

"It's not that I don't believe you. I just don't think you can really tell without an ultrasound." he says.

Laura gives Scott a look, like she wants him to agree with her. Scott holds up his hands in a silent plea to remain neutral. She sits down with a grumble. "I don't need an ultrasound to say. I'm telling you, being pregnant with Charlie felt different. It's definitely Lucy and not Phillip in here."

She says that last bit while gently patting her belly. Neil is shaking his head, but he doesn't say anything else about it. A wise choice, in Scott's opinion, because he remembers from the first time Laura was pregnant that she had quite a short fuse in the last couple months. He doesn't spend long catching up with them- not that there's much to catch up on. He was here just a little over a week ago- before it's time to go pick up Charlie for their appointment. They hop into Laura's minivan and Neil drives them to the school to grab Charlie, and then to the courthouse. Unlike the last time they were here, no one speaks to the judge alone. They all file into the room together and take their seats. Judge Whalen moves a stack of heavy looking books off a chair by the window so Neil can set it between Scott and Laura. Charlie takes that new seat and then once everyone is settled, Judge Whalen gets started.

He asks each of them how they felt about the family counseling, and how their communication with each other has been. Scott begrudgingly admits that Dr. Sanchez has been helpful to them, but he tells the judge that he thinks they've learned all they can from her, and that they'll be fine on their own now. Neil disagrees with him, of course, repeating what he'd said in their last counseling appointment about how he was worried about a "bad patch." Even though he's a little concerned about it himself, Scott doesn't think they should be worrying about something that might not happen. And even if it does, it shouldn't be a big deal. They're closer now, so they should be able to handle whatever comes their way. But Neil, and Laura, say how they act when things get hard will set the precedent for how they handle any issues in the future. And if they fall right back into fighting and blaming each other like they were before, than all the progress they've made will be for nothing.

"This seems to be a concern Dr. Sanchez shares as well." Judge Whalen says, looking over a paper on his desk. He sets it down and folds his hands together. "My job is to do what I think is best for Charlie. And while I am very happy with the progress you all have made, I have to consider the fact that there's a chance you might regress, which would not be in your son's best interest. I think it would be better for all of you to continue the family counseling. We can revisit this decision in a few months, but for now I think things should continue as is."

Scott feels like he'd been the lead in a race, only for him to trip right before the finish line. He cannot believe he has to spend even more time stuck in Dr. Sanchez's office. While he can't in all honesty say that all the time he's spent there so far has been a waste, he still doesn't really buy into therapy. Not to mention, it's now the busiest time of the year at the Pole. He can't really afford to waste time coming all the way down here just to sit in a room and talk about his feelings. He does understand everyone's concern about what might happen if this supposed "bad patch" does come to pass, he really does. But what good is sitting in Dr. Sanchez's office going to do?

They leave the courthouse not long after that. Neil leaves them standing on the steps so he can go grab the car, which they had to park a little ways down the busy street. Scott's face must be giving away how annoyed he is because Laura shakes her head at him. "Come on, Scott. It's not that bad. It might do us some more good to be in therapy for a little longer."

"How is siting in a chair and talking about our days or playing dumb games about our feelings going to do us any good?" he snaps.

"What do you mean 'how?'" Laura says with a frown. "It's already helped us get closer as a family."

"Therapy didn't do that. We did that."

"Therapy had a hand in it," she argues. "You can't honestly think we'd be where we are right now without Dr. Sanchez's help. We used to always end up in a fight whenever we got together, now-"

"Now, we know how to talk to each other. And Dr. Sanchez had nothing to do with that. We apologized to each other. We decided to start doing things together as a family."

"Dr. Sanchez helped you realize you have a problem balancing your work life and your home life. And she helped Charlie open up about blaming himself for what people in town think of you."

Scott shakes his head. He can feel his face heating up, he's getting so annoyed. "I'm sure Charlie would have told us about that eventually and we could have fixed it just like we did before. And you could have told me yourself that I have a problem making time for Charlie and I would have done something about it."

"I have told you before. I've told you more times than I can count on both hands. But you never listened to me about it until we started going to see Dr. Sanchez."

"That's not true-"

"Yes it is, Scott!"

"Please stop fighting."

This last bit was said by Charlie, in such a small voice, Scott swears he can feel his heart crack. He looks down at his son. Charlie's hands are shoved into his jean pockets and his head is bowed so neither of his parents can see his face. Scott's immediate thought is to tell the boy they weren't fighting, but he stops himself before he can say the words. He always did that before whenever he and Laura argued, and it never made Charlie feel any better.

"Sorry, sport," he says instead. "Your mom and I just got a little worked up. But you're right, we shouldn't be fighting."

Laura nods her head, and gives Scott an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, too. Why don't we actually talk about this at home?"

"I can't," Scott says with a sigh. "Bernard's picking me up at three-thirty. We're swamped at the Pole."

"You mean you can't stay for dinner?" Charlie asks.

"No, sorry sport."

Charlie kicks his foot against the stone step. "Well... can I go back up with you? Like last year?"

"I don't think so, Charlie."

"But I helped the elves a lot! I could make toys or help Quintin work on the sleigh."

Scott shares a look with Laura, before kneeling down to his son's level. Charlie's face is all scrunched up, like he's trying to stop himself from getting upset. Scott squeezes his son's shoulder in what he hopes is a reassuring way. "I'm going to have to say no, Charlie. You'd miss a bunch of school if you did, not to mention your mom and Neil didn't get to do all the things they usually do with you around Christmas last year. You didn't get to pick out a tree or bake cookies with your mom. You should spend this year with them."

"But..."

"Maybe your dad can come down for Thanksgiving instead?" Laura suggests. "I know you're busy, but you can swing one extra day off, right?"

Scott thinks about all the work that needs to be done. He really shouldn't. It's his first full year and he wants things to go right. He should be focusing his attention on the workshop.

But one look at Charlie's face- at how hopeful he got at the idea of his dad coming down to spend Thanksgiving with him- and Scott knows he can't say no. "Sure. I'll be there."

"Promise?" Charlie asks.

"Promise."

Chapter Text

If there's one thing Scott truly misses about Illinois, it's the rain. It never rains at the North Pole- it can't. The city is hidden deep within the thick ice, away from storm clouds and prying eyes alike. Scott isn't even sure if it's possible for rain to fall so far north, or if it would all just turn to snow or ice. But even though it's impossible, sometimes he can't help pressing his face against the chilly windowpanes of his workshop, his warm breath fogging the glass as his eyes search the shroud of darkness that swallows their icy ceiling for a rain cloud or a streak of lightning. He misses the chilled, biting air November rain brings and the smell of the earth rising as it falls. Lakeside during a storm always smells like damp soil, wet leaves, asphalt, and road salt. The North Pole always smells like sugar and chocolate, wood crackling in a roaring fire, snow that never melts, and pine trees. Lakeside sounds like the roar of a crack of thunder, and raindrops pelting sideways against your window. The North Pole always sounds like laughter, the pounding of tiny hammers, and the blanket of silence that falls every night after a day full of hard work building toys. And Scott would usually never complain about any of those things, but when his mood is as stormy as he desperately wishes the sky was, all that cheerfulness does is make him feel even worse.

One evening, just a few days after that awful meeting with the judge about family counseling, Scott finds himself by the balcony doors of his office, nose barely an inch away from the feather-like-frost covered glass. He's rolling a tennis ball between his hands- he can't remember where he got it from. He thinks one of the elves in the Ball Room made too many for a child's present, so Reggie had tossed it his way. He's trying to imagine what Elfsburg might look like through a sheet of rain. He thinks it might be magical to see the harsh orange glow of streetlamps wobbling in a downpour. He doesn't hear the door to his office opening, or hear anyone call his name. So when someone tosses a throw pillow at him, it surprises him so much, he actually yelps.

"You okay, boss?" Bernard asks. He's standing by the arm chairs, two large rolls of oil paper tucked under one arm and his brow furrowed with unmistakable concern.

"Yea, you just surprised me."

"No, I meant..." Bernard hesitates, worrying his bottom lip. "What are you doing?" he finally asks.

Scott looks away from his Head Elf. He's found out over the last year it's much easier to hide what he's thinking from Bernard if he doesn't look at him. "Just thinking."

They fall silent. The moment grows uncomfortably awkward, but then he hears the boy sigh and the soft thunk of the rolls of paper being dropped onto his coffee table. "Okay, Scott," Bernard says. This grabs Scott's attention immediately. Bernard never calls him by his first name. It's almost always "Santa." He looks back at the elf again. "Let's go take a walk."

"I don't want to take a walk," Scott grumbles.

"I don't care. You need one. You've been holed up in your office ever since your meeting with the judge-"

"I've been working."

"You've been hiding. So, come on. Throw on some normal clothes and let's go."

Scott blinks. "Normal- where are you taking me?"

"On a walk," Bernard says simply, and before Scott can argue any more, he starts towards the door. He does say before he leaves though, "you better be ready in fifteen. We're going whether you're still dressed as Santa or not."

As the door swings shut, Scott tosses the tennis ball he'd been playing with at it. It bounces pitifully off the wooden frame and rolls underneath a bookcase.

He does do what Bernard asked. Scott walks down the short hall from the office to his bedroom and changes into a navy sweater and jeans, tennis shoes, and a thick knit hat. Bernard knocks on his bedroom door exactly fifteen minutes on the dot from when he'd left the office. He's dressed similarly in dark jeans, a red and black flannel shirt, a black cap that matches his usual velvet green one, and a heavy jacket. When he'd told Scott to get changed, it hadn't crossed his mind that Bernard would be doing so too. It's always strange to not see him looking more like an elf- with velvet shirts or strings of ornaments around his neck. Bernard passes Scott a jacket, which he pulls on, and then Scott lets the elf whisk them away from the pole.

They land in a deserted parking lot just as thunder booms overhead. Scott nearly jumps out of his skin. He looks up, rain splattering down from the dark clouds above onto his face. He swipes a hand across his eyes to wipe away the water gathering in his eyelashes. Bernard tells him to come on, so Scott follows him out of the parking lot. They go up a narrow side street, and then make their way onto a much more crowded main one with cars lined up along both sides of the road. The sidewalks are packed with people, all hunched in heavy coats or gripping umbrellas tight as they push through the storm. More and more join the throng as they shove their way out of the stores neatly sat alongside the walkway. There are restaurants, shoe stores, fancy clothing boutiques, bookstores, a cluttered antique shop, a jewelers. Scott peers into every window as they pass by. It's oddly overwhelming being here. He wonders if maybe he's just gotten used to the more cheery streets of Elfsburg. They're just as busy as this one- especially on Sundays when everyone has the day off- but there's something a little more calm about them. Maybe it's because everyone back home smiles at him and asks how he's doing, not grumbles at him when he accidentally bumps into them as he tries to catch sight of his Head Elf.

He finally spots the elf in question easily pushing through a large group waiting at an intersection. Bernard doesn't utter a word to them- not an excuse me or anything- and Scott wants to scold the boy about his manners, but then he realizes that no one in the group even saw Bernard. But of course they wouldn't- he's an elf. Just like the adults at Charlie's field trip, no one here can actually see him. Their eyes must all be passing over him as he shoves his way through. Unfortunately for Scott, he isn't invisible. He tries as politely as he can to maneuver his way through the crowd so he can catch up with Bernard. Thankfully, the boy is waiting for him right on the other side. Scott lets out a huff of annoyance once he reaches him.

"Where are we?" he asks, wiping a hand across his face again.

"Seattle," Bernard says. He's looking up and down the street like he's searching for something.

"Sea- why did you bring me here?"

"To walk. The rain's not bothering you, is it?"

Something in Bernard's voice lets Scott know he already knows the answer to that question. No, it's not bothering him. He was just thinking about how much he missed the rain this time of year. It's a little weird Bernard knew that, but then again, Scott is almost positive the boy has some way of always knowing what his boss is thinking.

"You really just wanted to go for a walk in the rain?"

"Well, no," Bernard says. Scott can see a trace of a smirk lifting at the edge of the boy's mouth. "I also wanted to get coffee. Come on."

Bernard takes off again, pushing his way through a crowd of grumpy businessmen with sad sodden coats and hats. Scott hurries after him. "But I thought you don't drink coffee?"

"I don't. But I can just get tea. You drink coffee though."

He follows Bernard down the street and around another corner until finally they stop at the very narrow door of a tiny cafe. Bernard leads the way inside. Scott can't help but shudder at the gust of warm air that blows over him as he enters. The rain outside was frigid, and its wet chill had just started to slip its way past the collar of his jacket and sink into his clothes. This new warmth feels amazing. The cafe is bright and crowded. There's only a handful of spindly-legged square tables with colorful mismatched chairs and two overstuffed, faded floral print couches crammed into the small dining area. The floor is a shining light hardwood and the walls are covered in yellow wallpaper with a dainty white flower pattern. It smells like coffee beans and cinnamon inside and there's a display case full of tasty treats right by the register. Scott sees sugar cookies shaped like pumpkins and maple leaves and smiling cartoon-turkey faces. There's a decadent-looking chocolate cake, and a lemon one with whipped icing and fruit compote. There's cheesecake, pumpkin and apple pies, and some multi-layered thing just called Mama's Holiday Surprise. Behind the front counter is another smaller case with scones, muffins, and other baked goods. There's also heavy duty wooden shelves overloaded with different canisters of tea, bags of coffee beans, and decorative mugs. Hanging above them is a large chalkboard with the cafe's menu written in careful print.

The line for the register almost reaches the door. Bernard tells Scott to go grab the last free table while the elf buys their drinks. Scott pushes his way through the packed dining area and finds the empty table Bernard mentioned flush up against the wide front window of the store. He pulls off his jacket and hangs it off the back of his chair, and then sits down to wait for Bernard to come back.

It takes a while, but eventually he spots the elf slowly making his way over to him, a large mug in one hand and a smaller delicate teacup in the other. He hands Scott his coffee and then sets his drink down so he can take his own jacket off. Scott watches Bernard get settled, and then finally asks, "what are we doing here?"

Bernard doesn't answer at first. He's too busy pouring an absurd amount of honey into his tea. Scott takes a sip of his coffee while he waits. It's strong, and it burns his tongue a little, but he really likes it. "Well," Bernard finally says, once he's finished. He pauses to lick a smear of honey that had somehow gotten onto his thumb. "I figure, since you're going to just spend the whole day brooding again, you might as well have a change of scenery."

"I haven't been brooding," Scott huffs.

"Right, because you usually spend your mornings staring morosely out the window. Sorry, I forgot."

Scott doesn't appreciate the boy's sarcasm, and he narrows his eyes to show it. Bernard just raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Fine," Scott grumbles, "but I wasn't doing it all morning."

"Because that makes it so much better."

"You just don't get it," Scott complains, defensive.

"What don't I get, Scott?" Bernard asks, taking a long sip of tea.

Scott looks down into his coffee, frowning. "It's... It's not easy knowing everyone thinks you're a bad parent."

"Who thinks you're a bad parent?" Bernard's voice is disbelieving, but it's also much gentler than it's been so far today.

"Well, Laura and Neil, apparently-"

"Did they actually say that? That they think you're a bad parent?"

"Well, no..." Scott takes another sip of his coffee while he thinks. They haven't actually said those words to him, but Laura has certainly hinted at it before. Last year, when the changes from his magic hadn't quite gotten noticeable yet, and he was still trying to convince Charlie the whole Santa thing had been a dream, what had Laura said to him? "If you can't be Father of the Year, why not be Father Christmas." She probably doesn't even remember saying it, but he does. Scott remembers because it had stung, much more so than most of the insults Laura sent his way whenever they were fighting. It wasn't even the most vicious thing she's ever said to him. But it hurt because he knew it was true. He hadn't been doing a good job.

"If they haven't said it, why are you so convinced they think it?" Bernard asks, interrupting Scott's thoughts.

He hesitates. "Because... because of what Neil said last month. He told Dr. Sanchez he was worried about what's going to happen when the three of us hit a 'bad patch' or whatever. He said he was worried we were going to go back to how it was before- you know, when we were at each other's throats all the time. And I guess she told the judge everything he'd said, and that she agreed with Neil, so now we still have to go to counseling every month until Judge Whalen decides otherwise."

"Is that really such a bad thing?"

"Yes!" Scott scowls. "I don't have time for that right now. Christmas is, what, like a month away? Do you really want to worry about me being gone?"

"You know we could work around any appointments. Tell me what's really bothering you."

Scott opens his mouth to argue that there isn't anything else, but when he sees the knowing look in Bernard's eyes, he feels himself deflate. The cafe has gotten noisier as more people rush inside to escape the storm. Scott turns his head to watch the wind blow raindrops sideways against the window they're sitting by. "Everyone but me is worried about this bad patch," he starts, voice so quiet, he hears Bernard's chair squeak as he leans closer so he can hear what Scott's saying. "But I think we're fine. Laura and I aren't fighting all the time, Charlie likes spending time with me again- hell, I'm even getting along with Neil, and if you asked me this time last year if that would ever happen, I would have told you no. But... if I'm not worried about it, but everyone else is, doesn't that mean they think I'm the problem? That I'm the reason we're going to backtrack?"

"Not necessarily," Bernard says. Scott turns to face him again, and sees the elf shaking his head. "For all you know, Laura and Neil might be worried they'll mess it up."

Scott, who'd just picked up his coffee again to take another drink, stills. "I... I haven't thought of that."

"No?"

"No." He blinks at Bernard, confused. "Why wouldn't they just say that?"

"Haven't they? You said Neil was the one to bring it up in the first place. Maybe that was his way of saying it."

"That's kind of an indirect way of saying you're worried you might screw up."

"Because you're always so forthcoming?"

Scott wants to grumble at him, but Bernard does sort of have a point. "I guess... it kind of makes sense."

"Scott, believe me. I saw plenty of times last year where Laura started the fights, or Neil made the snarky comment. You're not blameless, but you're also not the only one at fault. They know this."

Scott groans and lets his head fall into his hands. He doesn't even care that someone might me staring at him right now. "I know what you're saying makes sense, but... why is this suddenly all so hard? We've been fine up until now."

"I don't know. It's almost like Neil was right about you guys possibly going through a bad patch soon."

Scott huffs at him again, looking up to pin the elf with a halfhearted glare. "You're awfully sarcastic today."

"I came out in the pouring rain for you. Deal with it."

That actually makes Scott laugh. He picks up his cup so he can finish his coffee. It's lukewarm now, but that's not surprising since they've been sitting here a while. "Thanks," he finally mutters, once he's finished. "I'm still kind of frustrated with the whole thing, but it's nice having a friend to talk to about it."

Bernard blinks, like he's a little surprised at what Scott's said. His face slips into a warm grin. Scott isn't sure why the elf seems so pleased with him. They get up to leave a little while later, after Scott treats them both to some of the desserts in the display case, but as they're stepping outside a question pops up in Scott's mind.

"Hey, Bernard?" he asks. The elf hums to let him know he has his attention. "What did you mean when you said you saw Laura and Neil starting fights last year. You weren't around."

"Oh, that? I always keep an eye on Santa and his family that first year."

"So, you were just watching me last year? Like, all the time?"

"Yea, pretty much."

Scott pauses. "That's... that's weird, buddy."

Bernard busts out laughing, right as a crack of thunder booms overhead. "I guess so. But I had to make sure you weren't going to run on me!" he jokes.

After Bernard teleports them home, Scott does feel a little more motivated to actually get some work done. He finds the rolls of paper the elf had abandoned in his office and unfurls them. It's the final list of presents each child is getting this Christmas. Bernard wanted Scott to go through it to make sure they didn't accidentally get anything wrong. He only makes it through an hour or so of doing that before his mind starts to wander, that pinprick of irritation at the Judge and family counseling trying to push itself to the front of his mind, so he leaves the list on his desk and goes down to Research and Development to see Quintin. The boy is working on improvements to the sleigh's guidance system, since last year they'd lost Scott for a few minutes when he'd hit a snowstorm in Switzerland. Scott listens as well as he can to everything Quintin tells him, but after fifteen minutes of him talking about radar and weather patterns, Scott's mind has drifted again. He tells the elf that everything sounds good, even though truthfully he didn't understand a single word of it, and then leaves to go to another department.

Each day starts to pass in a blur like that. He goes from department to department hoping something will keep his mind off worrying about the bad patch. He feels like his worry has become a monster creeping around the corners of the workshop, watching him and waiting for the perfect moment to leap. Scott believes Bernard when he says that Laura and Neil might be worried they'll be the ones to mess things up, but he can't help feeling like he's walking himself right into a trap. Like he's just missed an enormous sign warning LOOK OUT and he's headed blindly into what he's most afraid of- disappointing Charlie again. Nothing distracts him from these feelings. Not helping wrap presents, or planning his route with Larry and Josiah, or sitting down and writing up his report for the Year-End Holiday Conference the Pole will be hosting for the Legendary Counsel near the end of November. He can tell Bernard is still worried about him, but he doesn't think there's any pep talk the elf could give him that would make him feel better. Bernard must realize this too, because he doesn't drag Scott on any more rainy day walks.

Instead, his Head Elf seems to somehow find a way to be everywhere at once. When a machine goes down on the Main Floor, Bernard's there with Scott to help him fix it. When Comet finds a bag of candy one of the stable elves left sitting around and eats so much of it he gets sick, Bernard is there beside Scott comforting the poor reindeer. He's there to go over what department numbers Scott should bring up at the meeting, and he's there in the Tower when the alarm goes on the fritz and Scott needs to help Titus shut the screeching siren off. It's almost annoying, how often the boy appears at his side. But then Bernard makes a joke or a sarcastic comment that Scott can't help but laugh at, and suddenly Scott forgets he was ever annoyed in the first place. And for a moment, he isn't worried about what Neil and the doctor said. He isn't worried about Judge Whalen making them go to more family counseling. He feels good, like maybe he was worried about nothing after all.

He also feels like he's forgotten something, but no matter how many times he tries to bring whatever it is back, he can't quite grasp it. He almost has a hold of it one day, when he hears a message from Laura on the answering machine Quintin installed for him late last month telling him Dr. Sanchez has to cancel their counseling appointment for the month because of a family emergency, but he knocks his cocoa over onto his conference report and in the panic of wiping up the mess, he loses it. And then there's another time, when he can actually almost feel his fingers touching whatever it is, bringing it into sharp focus. He's in the kitchen, eating an early dinner with the elves there, when Curtis accidentally knocks over an entire tray of Cornish pasties onto the floor. Abby, angry, tries smacking him with her spatula. Which, in turn, makes Curtis throw one of the ruined pasties at her. Bernard and Judy have to jump up and stop their fight, and in the ensuing chaos Scott's fingers slip and he loses whatever it was he almost remembered.

The council meeting comes not too long after that, and Scott spends the entire morning getting the kitchen ready. Judy tells him the elves like to go a little overboard when it comes to this meeting, because it's their chance to show off everything they've accomplished over the year. The second floor hallway and kitchen are scrubbed from top to bottom, and each strand of twinkling lights hanging on the walls are double-checked for blown bulbs. The long carved-wood table is set with the cheeriest dishes they have, and centerpieces of long thin red and green candles surrounded by bundles of holly leaves and berries are sat every few feet down the tabletop. There are heavy silver pots of fresh-brewed cocoa and sweet peppermint tea, and a medley of fresh-baked cookies for the Legendary Figures to snack on. The whole room smells like sugar and nutmeg, and pine from the Christmas trees Judy sets up on either side of the kitchen's large double doors. Scott's thoroughly impressed by the time the elves are finished. He welcomes the other council members into his home as exuberantly as possible for him right now, and once everyone is settled and Tooth manages to wake up Sandman, he begins the meeting.

Later that night, Scott finds himself in his office, yawning as he makes his way through his second run-through of the 'F' section of the Naughty and Nice list. There's a knock on his door, so Scott calls for whomever it is to come in. Bernard pokes his head inside.

"Hey boss, sorry to bug you. Judy just wanted to know if you wanted her to bring you some Thanksgiving dinner up here instead of your bedroom since you're working late tonight?"

Scott pauses, his pen hanging over the name he'd been about to check. He looks at Bernard, confused. "What?"

"Judy wants to know if you want her to bring you some Thanksgiving dinner?" the elf repeats. "The elves don't celebrate it, but she knows you do so-"

"W-wait, wait," Scott interrupts. "It's Thanksgiving?"

"Uh, yea?"

"Thanksgiving?"

"Yes," Bernard huffs, fully coming into the room now. "Why do you sound so shocked about that?"

"I..." and the thing Scott had been trying to remember for weeks finally clicks in his brain. He says, in a very small voice, "I promised Charlie I'd come down for Thanksgiving."

Both of them are silent for one long, excruciating moment. Then, "Santa!" Bernard shouts, though it comes out more like a yelp. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have made sure to remind you!"

"I-I don't know! I completely forgot about it after we left the courthouse." Scott fumbles to grab the clock on his desk so he can see what time it is. Eight-forty-five at night. No wonder Bernard had said something about him working late. The workshop was shut down for the night over an hour ago. "Laura always has dinner at five. Do you think I can still make it?"

Bernard gives him a look like he's afraid to answer. "Go change," he orders. "I'll take you down there as soon as you're dressed."

Scott rushes to his room, and throws on the first thing he sees in his closet. He's just pulling on a pair of tennis shoes when Bernard knocks on his bedroom door, and then hurries in without waiting for Scott to respond. "Ready?" he asks.

"Yea," Scott says, throwing on a jacket. "Hurry."

Bernard teleports them down to Illinois. They land roughly at the front door. Scott doesn't bother asking why Bernard dropped him here, instead of the back door like normal. He just rings the doorbell, and then peeks through the window next to him at the dining room. It's empty.

Laura swings the front door open a few moments later. Scott can tell by the hardness of her jaw and the stiff way she's blocking him from going farther into the house that she's not very happy with him. In fact, she's furious.

He opens his mouth, apology ready, but Laura cuts him off. "Don't, Scott."

"Look, I know you're mad, but-"

"Mad? I'm passed mad. You promised Charlie. All he's done all week is talk about how excited he was to see you today and you couldn't even be bothered to show up."

"Couldn't be- now wait a minute, Laura, that's not fair. I'm here, aren't I? Obviously, I wanted to show up. I just got-"

"Busy? Distracted?" she interrupts. "Was there a three-car pile up somewhere from here to the North Pole? You can save it, Scott. I've heard all your excuses before."

Scott narrows his eyes, his own anger starting to churn uncomfortably in his gut. "What is your problem? It's not like I've missed the whole day. I'm just late. I can apologize to Charlie and then everything will be fine."

"You're not just 'late,' Scott. You're four hours late. What, did you think we were all just sitting around the table waiting for you still?"

"No, but-"

"And my problem, by the way, is you never seem to realize how bad things are whenever you pull a stunt like this. You don't have to be the one to tell Charlie his dad's not coming, or sit in a car with him for over an hour because you're late. I'm always the one making excuses for you, or defending you to teachers or other parents when you don't show up to his games or parent-teacher conferences. I'm the one who has to tell Charlie that yes, of course his dad loves him, he just works too much sometimes."

Scott actually flinches back at that. He remembers, suddenly, Dr. Sanchez telling him he has problems balancing his work and home lives. "You know I don't mean to-"

"It doesn't matter if you mean to or not! You still do it, Scott."

Scott seethes, his face flush with heat from a flash of irritation at her constant interrupting. "This is your fault too, you know."

"My fault?"

"You could have called me!" Scott argues, and even to his own ears, his voice sounds too loud in the quiet evening air. "If you'd just called me when you realized I was late, I wouldn't have missed dinner and Charlie wouldn't be upset."

"I shouldn't have to remind you to spend time with your son!"

"I'm not saying you need to do that. I'm just saying we wouldn't be here fighting if you'd just called and told me what today was."

"I shouldn't have to tell you it's Thanksgiving. Everyone in the United States knows what today is. It's not my responsibility to call and say, 'hey, remember today's a holiday!'"

Scott throws his hands up in the air. "I'm not saying it is! But what's the big deal with just calling and giving me a heads up? I mean, come on Laura. Would you seriously rather Charlie be upset than spend two minutes on the phone with me."

"No!" Laura yells, pointing her finger right in Scott's face. "Don't you dare try to turn this around on me. I'm not the bad guy here, Scott. You need to learn to take responsibility for your own actions."

"I'm not..." Scott tries to take in a slow deep breath. He doesn't want to be doing this. He doesn't want to be standing outside Laura's front door, screaming at each other, while the neighbors are probably hiding behind closed blinds, their windows cracked open so they can listen in. He doesn't want to see Neil lurking in the background behind Laura, too indecisive to either step in between them or have his own go at Scott. He doesn't want to think of Charlie, upstairs in his bedroom, trying not to listen to his parents fighting again. They've been making it work all year. They can fix this now, too. He just needs to calm down.

"I'm not trying to make you the bad guy. I swear, I'm not," he says, as slowly as he can so he doesn't seem argumentative. "I just don't see what the big deal is. How would calling me today have been any different than you calling me when I forgot about our appointment with Judge Whalen?"

Scott knows he's made a mistake when Laura's mouth drops open in shock. Her eyes go wide for just a second, and then her whole face scrunches in fury. "I knew you forgot about that! And you lied to me. I can't believe I actually believed you!"

Crap, he thinks. He forgot he lied about remembering that appointment. Why did he do that? He never should have done that. "I—um-"

"You know what," Laura says, holding up her hand to silence Scott's nervous muttering. "I'm not doing this with you anymore. Charlie's already gone to bed, and I'm not waking him up just so you can give him the same lame excuses you always have. Just- just go home, Scott. We're done here."

"Laura, that's not fair!"

"No. What isn't fair is me having to spend the rest of the night worrying about what I'm going to say to Charlie tomorrow when he asks why his dad didn't show up again." She moves to turn away, but then swings back around to level Scott with a disappointed stare. " You know, I thought things we're going to be different now. I thought being Santa was good for you, that it gave you some perspective. But it's just more of the same, isn't it?"

"Laura-"

"Leave, Scott. Please."

She doesn't wait for him to say anything else. She just steps back inside and shuts the door. Scott just stands there, unmoored, staring at their front door. It's like he's missed a step and somehow fallen backwards in time to last year. None of the progress or understanding he's had with Laura has ever happened. He's the same man he was before, the same bad dad. Somehow, he makes himself turn around, hoping Bernard hadn't left after dropping him off. It's not like, if he did, Scott could knock and ask Laura or Neil if he could use their phone to call a cab to take him to a hotel for the night. He stares numbly at the walkway in front of him. It's dark and empty. He calls out a hopeless "Bernard?" but it's obvious the elf has already left.

"I'm here," says a voice, and Bernard seems to slip out of the shadows of the nearby bushes, the air around him shimmering like heatwaves over pavement on a hot summer day. "I was just trying to give you some privacy. I didn't want to leave, you know, in case you needed me."

Scott just nods. "So, you heard all that." It's not a question. Scott knows he did.

Bernard hesitates, and from the look on his face Scott can tell he wants to lie. Finally, though, he sighs, "yea. I did."

"I better just... do as Laura said and go home. I don't want to hurt Charlie anymore than I already have tonight."

Bernard opens his mouth to say something, but he hesitates again. Scott hopes he isn't about to try and argue with him to stay. He just doesn't have it in him tonight. Maybe Bernard can sense this, because he shakes his head and then steps forward to grab Scott by the arm.

"Come on, Santa," he mutters. "Let's go home."

Chapter Text

He should call Charlie-- right?-- to explain what happened on Thanksgiving. Charlie would understand. He would know his dad didn't mean to not show up. He can apologize and then things can go back to how they were before-- before he and Laura got into that stupid fight.

Scott has had this same conversation with himself every day since he and Bernard got home that night. He's even been rehearsing what he wants to say. He'll start with apologizing to Laura-- she'll probably be the one to answer the phone. They'll calmly hash everything out, and then Scott will ask to talk to Charlie. He'll tell his son it was an accident, that of course he wanted to see him, he just made a mistake and forgot what day it was. He'll swear to do better, to be more cognizant of the promises he makes. He'll tell Charlie he loves him, and it'll all work out because that's the way things are supposed to go. It sounds like a great plan, and Scott wants to do it-- really, he does. He's even picked up the phone, ready to dial the Miller's number.

And yet, he still hasn't called.

He doesn't know if it's fear or embarrassment or what-- but something stops him every time. Is he afraid of hearing in Charlie's voice how much he hurt him? Of course. Is he embarrassed about fighting with Laura on her front porch where all her neighbors could see? Definitely. Neither of those things are good enough reasons not to call though. Scott knows better than to ignore this problem, he knows the longer he lets this situation fester, the worse it will get. Yet, no matter how many times he tries, he just ends up hanging up the phone before he can bring himself to dial that last number.

Maybe what he's been waiting for is for Laura to be the bigger person and call him. It's not fair, to put that responsibility on her, but Scott does realize a small of him has been hoping this fight would play out like all their others before. Scott and Laura would fight about something (Scott being late again, or missing Charlie's game, or just another moment of the two of them acting like complete jerks to each other), they'd give each other the silent treatment for a few days, but then Laura would finally call him. She wouldn't apologize, they've both always been terrible about that, but she would offer some way to keep the peace. She'd invite Scott to a barbecue at their house, or ask if Scott wanted to take Charlie out to the park or the aquarium even though it wasn't his day to have Charlie. Scott knew that every time she did that, it was her way of saying “let's forget what happened and just move on.” He went for it every time. It's a lot easier to ignore your problems than actually deal with them, after all.

But as November ends and December begins, Laura never calls to offer that peace. It seems like this time she isn't letting it go. On one hand, Scott understands; he did let Charlie down. It also just makes him angry, all over again, because Laura could have called. Right? This time, it's not all on him.

“Do you want me to take you down to talk to Charlie and Laura in person?” Bernard asks him one day. Well, mumbles to him, is more like it. They don't really have time for private chats now that Christmas is just a couple of weeks away. Scott, Bernard, and Curtis are almost always on the Main Floor together now, unless an emergency happens in one of the other departments. Scott can tell Bernard has wanted to talk to him about what happened on Thanksgiving, and to be honest he wants to talk to his friend too, to get his perspective on things, but he doesn't want to be discussing his personal problems within earshot of all the other elves. He's thought about asking Bernard to meet him in his office, but that would leave Curtis running things down here on his own. Curtis would probably be thrilled to do so, but Scott worries that something might go wrong and end up ruining his first Christmas as Santa full-time.

“No,” he says to his Head Elf, over the heads of the elves painting one of the last batches of toy firetrucks. One boy looks up at him-- probably thinking Scott was talking to him-- so Scott just smiles at him and moves down the line.

“Are you sure? I don't mind and I know it's been bothering you--”

“Bernard,” Scott emphasizes, nodding down towards the other elves. Scott can tell quite a few pointed ears are now listening. The elves can be as nosy as they are friendly.

Bernard frowns at them. Some duck their heads, silently chastised, others blink back, too curious about what might be going on to care about their Head Elf's temper. Bernard motions for Scott to step to the side with him.

“Now's just not a good time,” Scott mutters, before Bernard can speak.

Bernard shakes his head. “You shouldn't put this off, Santa. It's Charlie. He deserves to hear from you. I know you don't want him thinking you don't care about missing Thanksgiving.”

“Of course I don't!” Scott grumbles, a little too loudly. Curtis looks up from where he's been inspecting the pieces to a toy kitchen set. “Of course I don't,” he says again, quietly. “I just... I don't know what I can say to him that doesn't sound like some lame excuse. I've been trying to rehearse it in my head for a couple weeks now, but nothing sounds right.”

“That's because you're rehearsing it,” Bernard whispers, with a disapproving shake of his head. “Just speak from your heart.”

“My heart's telling me I'm a terrible father. I don't think I should say that to him, though.”

“That's not your heart, that's your guilty conscious.”

Scott sighs. “It's not just that I don't know what to say to Charlie. What if...”

“What if you get into it again with Laura?” Bernard finishes.

“Exactly! I feel like no matter what I try, I'm just going to mess things up.”

Bernard gives him a pitying look. “I wish I could do something to help you with this.”

“Unless you know a way for me to turn back time and not miss Thanksgiving, there's not really anything you can do buddy,” Scott says with a halfhearted shrug.

“Santa...” Bernard worries his bottom lip. “Do you think, maybe--”

“Santa! Bernard! Can you help over here, please?”

They look over to see Alyssa waving at them with paint-stained fingers. “Be right there!” Bernard calls to her. He looks at his boss. “Why don't we--”

“Later,” Scott says, nodding, and then they both hurry over to see how they can help with the dollhouses.

That's pretty much how every day goes. Bernard tries to talk to Scott about what happened, but there's never a free moment long enough. Scott thinks about asking Bernard to meet with him during lunch, but he honestly needs that time to finish checking the list, so he doesn't. Bernard offers to stay after the workshop closes at night, but Scott knows the elf is as exhausted as he is, so he tells him no and to go home and get some rest. He notices that each day they can't find a chance to talk, the elf seems more and more upset. It's strange having someone so far in his corner they take it personal when they can't find a way to help, but Scott is also so grateful. One of the many good things to come out of this job is his friendship with Bernard.

One day in his office, when he's just stepped away from the workshop to try and finish the last of the 'Z' names, he sees the light on his answering machine blinking. He stares, a well of nerves bubbling up inside of him. It might just be Louie, since the closing date for the sale of his townhouse is at the end of December, but it also could be Laura. Maybe she's finally called to give him that peace offering he's been hoping for all month? That would certainly be a weight lifted from his shoulders. Then again, there's also the chance the message could be horrible. It could be her telling him Charlie doesn't want to see him anymore. His son's only eight, but he's so smart. He's probably smart enough to understand a decision like that. Or is that just Scott overthinking things and scaring himself for no reason? Is it unreasonable to worry that his eight-year-old doesn't want him around anymore?

He presses the button for the message to play-- it's Neil, calling to say he's canceled their appointment with Dr. Sanchez this month. He says he figured Scott would be too busy to try and make it down, what with Christmas only being a little over a week away. Scott doesn't know whether to feel relieved or annoyed. Is Neil trying to help him out so he doesn't have to leave the elves when they're so busy, or is he making a jab about Scott not having time for his family? His brain feels topsy-turvy, like nothing makes sense or will make sense again. It's just another thing he wishes he could talk to Bernard about. He could tell Scott if he was being ridiculous or not.

Christmas Eve comes way too fast. Scott doesn't think he's ever had a month fly by like that. He never got up the nerve to call Charlie, he never smoothed things over with Laura. All in all, he feels like he's failed as a parent this month. How did he use to do this before? How did he so easily miss his son's games, and holidays, and all the other things like parent-teacher conferences or school orientation days and not feel absolutely terrible? Two Christmases ago, he didn't even blink at the thought of being over an hour late to spend Christmas Eve with Charlie-- he was happy going to the Christmas party at work instead. Now, he's standing in his bedroom, tying the sash on his Santa suit, and berating himself for being such a coward. He should have done better, needs to do better. His family deserves him at his best.

“Ready to go?” a voice says after a soft knock.

Glancing over his shoulder, Scott sees Bernard standing in the doorway, his boss's mittens and hat in his hands. Scott gives himself one final once-over, and then nods. “Yea. Let's go.”

When Scott walks up to him, Bernard hands his things over, but he doesn't step aside so Scott can leave the room. “I'm sorry you never got the chance to talk to Charlie,” he says.

Scott shakes his head. “I had plenty of chances, I just let them all pass me by. Maybe... maybe I'll get the chance to tonight. He might wait up for me.”

“I hope he does.” Bernard hesitates, then says, “I'm sorry. I feel like I could have done a better job at preparing you for what it's really like up here. Maybe then you wouldn't have gotten so overwhelmed you forgot about your appointments and going to see Charlie.”

“What? No, you don't need to apologize, Bernard.”

“But--”

“'But' nothing. You were great. I'd have been a wreck without you by my side this year. You helped chaperon Charlie's field trip with me. You've talked me down a bunch of times after I freaked out about how I'm doing with Charlie. You helped me host his birthday party up here after Bobby almost ruined it for him-- and you helped me get Charlie's snow globe back! He would've been devastated if he lost that for good.”

Bernard shakes his head, but Scott does see the faint smile growing on his face. “I didn't really help much with that. You, Laura, and Neil got his snow globe back.”

“I never would've known Bobby hid it in his backpack without you, and I doubt Gary would have looked for it if we hadn't told him where it was.”

“Even so,” and that faint smile drops away, “I've been thinking... If this is too much-- the workshop, being Santa-- I... I would understand if you didn't want to do it anymore.”

“What?”

Bernard looks over to the wall near the door, where Scott had finally gotten around to hanging some of his copies of the photos Judy took during Charlie's birthday party. The one that's caught the elf's attention is of Scott and Charlie sitting in front of the boy's enormous birthday cake, party hats askew and wide grins stretching across both their faces. “You have a family,” the elf says, voice low. “Usually... usually we don't have to worry about stuff like that. I'm not saying the Santa's before you didn't have anyone, but for the most part, their kids were grown up. It was alright that they were up here most of the year. But Charlie's young, he needs you to be around, as much as you can be. I thought we could make it work for you-- that we could make sure you could be Santa and be there for your son-- but now... now I think, maybe I was wrong.”

Scott takes a step back as the meaning of Bernard's words hit him like a slap in the face. “Are you-- are you saying I should quit. I don't understand. Do you not want me to be Santa anymore?”

“It's not that I don't want you to be Santa.” Bernard winces like what he's saying is actually causing him physical pain. “I think you're one of the best Santa's we've had in centuries, honestly. I just... I can't in good conscience let the relationship you've rebuilt with Charlie and Laura and Neil get ruined because of us. That's not fair to you. You're a good guy, Scott, and you deserve the chance to make things work with your family. If the North Pole and being Santa Claus are getting in the way of that, then...”

“You think I should use the Escape Clause,” Scott realizes.

Bernard nods his head and reaches into his bag. He pulls out the small red velvet bag Scott hasn't seen since around this time last year. Scott knows what's inside-- his snow globe. The one he needs to turn back time. “I thought about it when we tried talking on the workshop floor a couple weeks ago. I know Father Time told you that using the Escape Clause takes you back to when you first put on the coat, so you can stop yourself from doing it, but he didn't explain everything. All of us up here will forget you were ever Santa, your family will forget-- the whole world will-- but Father Time told me once that the person who uses the clause remembers. You'll remember being Santa. You'll remember everything about you that has changed. And then after you stop yourself from putting on the coat, the magic should take you to this point in time in that new life-- the one where you were never magical. It's only been, what, two years since you put on the coat? You'll have plenty of time to make things better with your family in that new life.”

Bernard holds the bag out. Scott takes it, staring dumbly at the elf who over the past year has become a very dear friend. He feels like he's betraying his elves by even touching it. “Why...”

“Like I said, you're a good guy. You deserve to be happy.

Scott shakes his head, hard. Maybe if he does it hard enough, he'll wake up at his desk and realize this entire conversation has been a dream. Or maybe, if he looks upset enough, Bernard will take pity on him and finally tell him he's playing a joke on his boss-- a bad one, mind you, but he'd still rather this all be some dumb prank. “Bernard, I can't--”

“Just think about it, at least. Please? I'd hate to lose you Scott, I really, really would, but I'd hate it even more if I helped ruin your chance at making things work with your family.”

Bernard only lets him go after he promises to think about what he's said. Scott goes to the sleigh and, once Quintin makes sure everything is ready and working, takes off. Comet and the other reindeer carry the sleigh into the air, high above Elfsburg and the ice fields and mountains, and through the hole that takes them to the outside world. Scott goes to country after country, landing on rooftops and sliding down chimneys. He leaves all sorts of presents: dolls, toy trucks, baseball bats, hula-hoops, board games, basketballs. He snacks on cookies and milk, grabs the carrot sticks left for his reindeer and hands them out when they take a break in Paris. He huddles down in his coat whenever icy blasts of wind rock his sleigh back and forth in the air. He wishes a quiet “Merry Christmas” to every child camped out on couches, chairs, or in sleeping bags on the floor near their Christmas trees. He does all of this while desperately trying to keep his mind off of the small red bag waiting for him back home. The Escape Clause? He can't believe Bernard would even suggest it.

Even though Scott is hurt and confused by the notion, a very small part of him wonders, is his friend right? Would it be better for Charlie if he wasn't Santa? It would be a lot easier to spend time together if Scott still lived in Lakeside. He wouldn't miss as much stuff. On the other hand, the thing that brought Scott and Charlie closer was the fact that Charlie believed in Scott when no one else did-- not even Scott, himself. Being Santa feels right. It feels like what he's meant to do. But just because it's right for Scott, doesn't mean it's right for everyone he cares about.

By the time he reaches Illinois, Scott is miserable. Trying not to think about the Escape Clause has only made it so that's the only thing on his mind. It's snowing heavily in Lakeside, so every few moments Scott has to wipe fat snowflakes out of his eyes and off of his beard. The reindeer are restless-- they hate flying in such poor conditions-- and despite the magic of the sleigh and coat that usually keeps him warm, Scott swears the cold is just minutes from turning him into an ice sculpture. He looks down onto the town and realizes he's now flying above the Miller's neighborhood.

Suck it up and be a good dad, Scott, he tells himself so he won't panic and steer the reindeer away from the sight of Laura and Neil's Christmas light-lined roof, the multi-colored glow cutting through the white emptiness of the snowstorm. He and the reindeer land with a thump, the sleigh sliding to a smooth stop despite how hard it is to see right now. He gets out of the sleigh, toy bag in hand, and lets the magic pull him down the chimney.

It's wonderfully warm inside their house, so much so that Scott shivers as the heat sinks through his clothes and chases the bitter cold away. A clock on the wall is ticking softly. The large Christmas tree in the corner of the family room is gleaming merrily. Scott stands there silently for a moment, listening for any sounds of movement. It doesn't seem like anyone is awake. Should he just put their presents under the tree and leave, or should he go wake them up so they can talk?

“Hey. I was wondering when you'd show up.”

Scott turns towards the doorway and through the soft glow from the tree spots Laura in her pajamas and fluffy bathrobe, leaning against the doorjamb with one hand resting on her stomach. Scott doesn't say anything-- he doesn't know what he should, exactly-- so Laura walks into the room and slowly lowers herself onto the couch. She pats the spot beside her, so Scott sits, feeling incredibly awkward.

“Um,” he starts, hoping if he starts talking, the right words will just come to him. Laura holds up a hand though, so Scott stops and waits for whatever it is she wants to say.

“I'm sorry,” she says quietly. “I was awful to you on Thanksgiving. I hope you can forgive me.”

Scott opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. Laura is apologizing? That's never happened before when they've gotten into a fight this bad. He's not quite sure what to do. He almost just brushes her apology off, to make what happened between them no big deal, but then he thinks better of it. “Thank you,” he finally says, “and I do-- forgive you. I'm sorry, too.”

“I've thought about calling you every day since that night to apologize, but I was afraid I might make it worse. Plus I was sure you were swamped getting ready for Christmas. Even if you were though, I shouldn't have let this go on for so long. It wasn't fair to you or Charlie.”

Scott shakes his head. “Hey, it wasn't all on you. I wanted to call and talk too since then, but I kept chickening out. I was sure I'd cause a fight if I did.”

“Sounds like we've both been a little ridiculous,” Laura laughs halfheartedly. Scott gives her a faint smile. “I want you to know, though, you were right. I should have called-- as soon as I realized you were late. It's just...” Laura pauses for a long time here. Scott stays silent, letting her take all the time she needs to figure out what she wants to say. “There's something I haven't told you.”

Scott tilts his head in concern. “What?”

Laura shifts in her seat. “Neil and I-- well, it's mostly been me, because I guess everyone thinks as Charlie's mother I must be the bad guy. Not that there is a bad guy at all-- but ever since last year we've been dealing with people in town blaming us for what happened last Christmas.”

“What do you mean?” Scott asks. There's an awful sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Well, at first it was people asking how we could let Charlie get taken from right inside our house, or asking why we weren't watching the two of you. Then after everything got cleared up with the police, people were saying we did it for attention, or to try and trick the judge into taking your visitation rights away, even though Judge Whalen already had. Some people were also saying there was no way it was a misunderstanding and that I let you bully me into lying. I've been trying to clear things up all year, but most people still think we were to blame.”

“Why didn't you tell me this is going on?”

“We didn't want to worry you. We thought your first year being so far away might be hard for you, and we didn't want to put anything else on your plate. I figured, it's just gossip, it has to die down eventually.”

“You still should have told me.”

“Like you told me and Neil about those buyers backing out of your townhouse because they didn't want to buy a house from a criminal?”

Scott sputters, flustered, “H-how--”

“Louie's wife, Loretta, and I are in the same book club. She told me ages ago.”

“Why didn't you tell me you knew?”

Laura gives him a sympathetic look. “I honestly thought you were embarrassed about it and I didn't want to push you.”

“I was,” he agrees. He lets out a long sigh. “You know, I've been wondering all year if I messed things up for you and Neil, too. I guess I did, huh?”

“No,” Laura says, with a firm shake of her head. “You didn't do anything. I got the police involved. I got the judge to take your visitation rights away.” She looks down at the floor. “I know I apologized forever ago about those things, but I'm still really sorry. Things wouldn't be so difficult for us right now if I hadn't.”

Scott shrugs. “Probably not, but-- and don't you dare tell Neil I said this-- we also never would have started seeing Dr. Sanchez if you hadn't and she's been, you know, pretty helpful so far.”

Laura laughs, softly so she doesn't wake anyone else in the house. “You know, considering the usual things you say about therapy, I'll take that as a pretty big win.”

Scott snorts. He fiddles with his mittens for a moment. “So, you never finished saying... did something happen before Thanksgiving?”

“Yea...” Her gaze moves to the Christmas tree and lingers on its twinkling lights. “There was a PTA meeting right before they let out for Thanksgiving break. A couple parents I know asked me who we were seeing for the holiday. I mentioned you were coming down for dinner. No one said anything to me then, but when I was leaving later that night I overheard them gossiping in the parking lot. They were saying how awful it was for Charlie to have parents who constantly put him in the middle of their crazy fights. They said some other stuff too-- about you, me, and Neil-- and the next thing I knew I was up in their faces telling them the only terrible people around were them and they needed to mind their own business. I got... well, more than a little heated. I won't be surprised if they ask me not to come back to any more meetings after everything I said. Anyway, I was still upset from that, and then you didn't show up, and all I could think was, what was the damn point of defending you if you can't be bothered to show up on time. Then I started wondering if I really am awful for letting Charlie get his hopes up, just for him to end up heartbroken in the end. I was just... I was angry at the entire situation, and I took it out on you.”

“I'm sorry. I should have remembered.”

“I should have called.”

Scott smiles. Laura looks at him and smiles back. “Can we promise to both do better next time?”

“Definitely.”

“And if those jerks in the PTA give you any more trouble, let me know. I'll give the whole lot of them coal.”

Laura laughs-- a little too loudly this time, because after a moment they hear a noise, like someone trying to sneakily get out of bed, and failing miserably. Then, the stairs creak as someone slowly walks down them. “Mom?”

“Charlie? I'm sorry, honey. Did we wake you?”

Charlie peeks through the doorway, pajamas rumpled and hair mussed. “Dad!” he calls out when he sees Scott, and then he rushes over and throws himself into his dad's arms.

“Whoa!” Scott laughs. “Merry Christmas, sport.”

Scott shares a look with Laura. She nods at him, and carefully heaves herself to her feet. “I'm going to go get a glass of water. Charlie, when I get back you need to go back to bed.”

“Okay,” he huffs. When Laura leaves the room, Scott tells Charlie to sit beside him.

“I need to talk to you, sport,” he says.

“About what?”

“Thanksgiving.” Scott ruffles his son's hair. “I'm sorry I broke my promise and missed dinner.”

“You were probably busy at the workshop. It's okay.”

“It's not,” Scott says, shaking his head. “If I promise to do something with you, I need to make sure I do everything I can to keep that promise. If for some reason I can't, then I need to talk to you about it. Not showing up and not talking to you about why is never okay, and I'm sorry that's what happened.”

Charlie nods. “I was sad when you didn't come, but I knew you didn't do it on purpose.”

“Even so, if there's ever a next time, I'll call. That way, I can let you and your mom and Neil know what's going on.” Charlie nods again, and even smiles at Scott. Scott studies his son for a moment. “Can I ask you something, sport?”

“Sure.”

“If you could pick, which would you choose: me keep being Santa and everything stays the way it is right now, or I stop being Santa and some things change-- like your mom and Neil and I might not get along as much as we do right now, but I'd be around a lot more to spend time with you. Which would you rather happen?”

Charlie looks confused. “How would you stop being Santa?”

“Uh... lets just say there's a magic way that makes it so everyone but me forgets I was ever Santa Claus. I'd be normal again, but I would remember everything I did as Santa. So I could spend more time with you because I'd live in Lakeside again, and I could make it so your mom and Neil and I are friends again, though it might take me a little while to make that happen.”

Charlie fiddles with the buttons on his pajama shirt. “I would still want you to be Santa.”

“You would?”

“Yea.” Charlie looks up at him, eyes full of belief and wonder. “You've got the best job in the world, Dad. You bring happiness to kids everywhere. I don't think there's anything better you could do. Do you?”

Does he? That is the question he asks himself after he says goodbye to Charlie and Laura. Does he really think there's anything else that could make him feel as happy and fulfilled as being Santa Claus? No, he doesn't think there is. Being Santa is hard. There are so many people who depend on him-- his elves, of course, but also all the children who still believe in magic. The ones who believe in the morning when they open their eyes something incredible, something they want more than anything else, will be waiting for them, as long as they did their best to be good that year, as long as they tried their hardest to treat themselves and everyone else with kindness. Yet, despite how hard of a job it is, it is also so rewarding. Scott's life is filled with warmth now, and has been since the moment he put on the coat. He has friendship, his family, and joy and wonder. In his old life, he was steadily losing all of that. Becoming Santa is the best thing that's ever happened to him. He doubts that's ever going to change.

Scott finishes delivering presents, and then he and his reindeer head home. A crowd of elves is waiting for him in the stables just like the last two years. He thanks everyone who stayed up all night with him, and gives each reindeer a heartfelt pat to thank them for a job well done. As he's watching Larry and the other stable elves get the reindeer free from the sleigh, he hears someone come up beside him. Scott turns to see Bernard. The elf looks tired-- not surprising, since he's been up since sometime yesterday, just like Scott. Bernard still gives him a warm grin though, and says, “nice job, boss.”

“Thanks,” Scott says, and then asks, “can I talk to you in private for a minute?”

Bernard nods, and once they're sure the elves have everything under control, Scott leads Bernard upstairs to his office. He heads straight for the squashy armchairs once he sees the fire has been lit for him in here. Before he can sit though, he spots his snow globe waiting for him on the coffee table, out of the bag it's normally kept in.

“I figured you'd want to talk about what I said as soon as you got back,” Bernard explains.

“I did, actually.” Scott finally sits, and then motions for his Head Elf to take the seat across from him. He takes a deep breath as he gathers his thoughts, and then begins, “I want you to know, I do appreciate you looking out for me. I get your reasoning-- a lot of my time I could be spending with Charlie, I have to spend up here. If I keep being Santa, I'm going to miss some things. I'm also going to gain things, though. I already have. I've got more people in my life now who care about me, I've got my family. I really, truly think this is the best place for me. This is what I'm meant to do. I can work on balancing my time between here and Lakeside better as I get used to things. I'm sure I'm going to mess up sometimes, but I'll get the hang of it. I promise.”

“You're sure, Santa? Remember what Father Time said; it's better to use it sooner, rather than later, so your new future doesn't get too messed up.”

“I'm positive, buddy. Nothing will make me happier than to keep being Santa Claus.”

Bernard watches him for a moment. Scott wonders what he's looking for-- a sign that he should trust what Scott is saying, or maybe a crack in his resolve? Whatever he does or does not want to see, Bernard's face soon slips into a bright smile. “Okay,” he says. “If you're sure, I'll put this where it belongs.”

“Where does it belong?” Scott wonders.

“The Hall of Snow Globes.”

“Where's that?”

Bernard shakes his head, chuckling. “I'll show you later. I'm dead on my feet. I'm going to head home and get some sleep.”

Scott, at the mention of sleep, is overcome with an enormous yawn. “That sounds like the best idea I've heard all year.”

They leave the office. Scott turns down the short hall that leads to his bedroom. Before he loses sight of the elf though, he calls out, “goodnight, Bernard.”

Bernard looks back over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Santa.”

Chapter Text

“It's not straight.”

“What do you mean? Yes, it is.”

“It's leaning too far to the left, Dad.”

Scott climbs down the ladder and takes a step back so he can see for himself. The banner he's just finished hanging is drooping to the left. Dang, he thinks. Charlie is right.

“Okay, your mom and Neil should be home soon. I'll fix this, you go get the last of the balloons and put them near the doorway.” Charlie runs off to do as he's told, while Scott climbs back up the ladder. He carefully lifts the left side up a little and pins it. When he steps back down to check it again, he's relieved to see it hanging straight across the living room wall.

He hopes they haven't overdone it with the decorations. When Charlie had asked if they could surprise his mom and Neil when they got home, Scott had happily agreed. In his excitement though, he'd given Charlie free reign on choosing the decorations, which might have not been the best decision. His son had basically grabbed one of everything at the party store and threw it in their cart. As long as it was either red or white and had circus animals on it, it was coming home with them. The living room is an explosion of Big Tops and giraffes and clowns and lions. They have colorful balloon bouquets in every corner and large circular Mylar ones that say Congratulations in pretty looping print. Scott had hung red and white crepe paper streamers crisscross across the ceiling. He'd also called Laura's mom that morning and, after explaining what he and Charlie were planning, she'd gathered up and brought over a trunk full of presents from family and friends, plus several dishes and containers of casseroles and soups the family could easily cook when it was time to eat. Scott had also made sure to do all the laundry, and with his son's help had cleaned the house from top to bottom. Plus, he'd shoveled and salted the driveway and sidewalk for them and took down the last of the leftover outside Christmas decorations.

So, yea, maybe he was going a little overboard, but he can't help it. Scott wants to make sure everything he can get done for them today, is done-- hopefully before they get home.

Charlie comes racing back into the room, crashing into his dad's legs. Scott stumbles, and is about to warn his son to be careful, when Charlie shouts, “they're here! They're here!”

Scott hurries over to peek out the curtains. He sees Neil getting out of the driver's seat of Laura's minivan. Scott steps back so he can look at Charlie. “Everything ready?” he asks.

“Yep! I made sure.”

A few moments later, the front door opens. Scott hears the sounds of snow being knocked off boots before they're kicked off in the Miller's entryway. He hears a soft voice, Laura's, say, “Charlie? Scott? We're home.”

“In here!” he calls back.

There are footsteps coming down the hall and then Laura and Neil appear in the doorway of the living room, mouths dropping open in surprise. “Oh my God, Scott!” Laura says, looking around the room. “I can't believe you all did this.”

“It was Charlie's idea.” he explains. His eyes drop down to the carrier Laura is holding. “Is this--”

“Yep. Say hello to Lucy,” Neil says, the biggest smile Scott has ever seen on the man stretched across his cheeks. Laura puts the carrier down on the couch so Scott and Charlie can get a closer look at the infant inside.

Lucy is precious, with just a brush of red curls on her head and tiny fingers. Her features are delicate and small. Charlie is staring in wonder at his new baby sister. Scott wishes, again, that he could have taken his son to see her while Laura was in the hospital. Unfortunately, another snowstorm had hit Lakeside right before Laura went into labor. All the adults agreed it would be too risky to be out on the road if they didn't need to be, so Laura and Neil went off to the hospital while Scott stayed at their house for a couple of days with Charlie. Charlie had gotten to speak on the phone with his mom and Neil a few times, but this is the first time he or Scott has actually gotten to see the new member of their family.

“She's beautiful,” Scott tells them. Neil pats him on the back in thanks.

“She's so small,” Charlie says.

“Babies are when they're born,” Laura explains with a chuckle. “You weren't much bigger than Lucy when you're dad and I brought you home.”

Charlie nods, his focus returning to his sister. Scott motions towards the presents piled on the coffee table. “Your mom dropped these off for you, and enough food to feed an entire army. I stuck it all in the freezer for you.”

“Thank you,” Laura says with a tired smile. “I'll open those later. I think I'm just going to rest for now.”

“No problem. Do you two need anything else before I go? I can run to the store or--”

“You're leaving already?” Neil asks.

Scott shrugs. “I just figured you'd want some time for yourselves. You did just have a baby. You should take some time together.”

“Please don't leave just yet,” Laura insists. “At least sit and hold the baby.”

Scott can't say no when both Millers are looking at him like that-- with big eyes and hopeful smiles. He can stay for a little while longer. It's January, so he's on vacation. He just didn't want to overstep or be in the way. Scott nods and then sits down on the couch, on the other side of the carrier. Laura takes her own seat in the chair across from them as Neil very carefully lifts the blanket wrapped bundle out of the carrier. He gently places Lucy in Scott's arms and then moves to sit on the arm of his wife's chair.

Lucy fusses just a bit as Scott slowly adjusts, her tiny arms and legs moving. Scott's absolutely mesmerized. He can feel a special warmth blossoming in his chest and spreading throughout him. He's so happy he gets to be here in this moment. He's happy that he and Laura are getting better at working through their problems. He's happy he and Neil are getting along. He's also so happy he gets to see his son in this moment, leaning over so he doesn't miss a single second of his new baby sister. None of this would be happening to the person he was before. So many things he loves about his life now would be missing if he weren't Santa Claus.

Scott brushes a finger across Lucy's soft cheek. “Hey there, Lucy,” he whispers, gently. “I'm your Uncle Scott.”

The double-click sound of a camera going off makes Scott look up. Across from him, Neil has pulled a camera out-- from where, Scott isn't sure. Neil hold the camera up and says, “Sorry. I just wanted to get a shot of Lucy's first visit with her uncle.”

Scott laughs.” It's okay. You just surprised me.”

“Have we thanked you yet for staying with Charlie while we were gone?” Laura asks. “We really appreciated it.”

“Of course. I'm happy to be here, whenever you need me.”

Scott truly means that. No, things haven't been perfect these last few months, but he's trying. He knows he won't always get it right, but now he knows, if he does mess up, it's not the end of the world. They'll be able to work it out. He won't be the only one stumbling-- this past Thanksgiving won't be the last time he and Laura get in a fight-- but when it happens again, they all know they need to talk it out. They can do this-- be a family. Maybe they'll look different from other families out there, but that's okay. Different doesn't mean wrong, it just means they're special. And all the Principal Moores and PTA parents in the world who disagree can shove it. Nothing would make Scott change his family. They're perfect just the way they are.

“Want to stay for dinner, Scott?” Neil asks.

Scott looks down at his niece, now asleep in his arms. Old Scott would have made a rude joke about the other man's invitation. The Scott he is now is thrilled every time he gets one. “Yea,” he says, smiling at Lucy and then at her parents across from him. “I'd love to.”